And for putting up with my long explanations I'll give you another pick hit: Doug Sahm's The Return of Wayne Douglas, the posthumously released last album of Mr. Sir Douglas Quintet. I've recommended it before. It remains my favorite emusic download. I have albums from emusic that I like more, but of things I didn't have/hadn't heard before it's still Download Numero Uno.
Sahm was an eclectic from his DNA up and rarely if ever drew genre distinctions. Given his roots and the fact that he was making music for a living when he was still in single digits the "it's all music and I'm here to give the people whatever'll make 'em happy" ethos isn't unusual, but for the vast majority of his career it made him a tough sell. He didn't seem to care, though, at least not enough to change. Anyway, this album is as close to a genre move as he made, but it's clearly done out of love, not with an eye on the charts, as it's hard to imagine country radio going near this. He twits CMT in "Oh No! Not Another One": There's a young dude walkin' cross the floor like a gazelle/Hell, I bet he's never even heard of Lefty Frizzell!
Funny songs, sad songs, a mess of Texas paeans, touching Leon Payne reminscence, great playing (love the guitar solo on "Texas Me" by Bill Kirchen -- boo emusic for no liner notes, had to get it from allmusic! -- and Tommy Detamore's lap steel all over the place), and Sahm's final answering machine message: "I'm not home right now. I'm out milkin' the cows. So, uh, might call back if it's baseball or Guitar Slim or somethin' that's inter'stin'. I'll give you a buzz, have a good day, adios." Just a beautiful, big-hearted album, and I hereby call dibs on it for LITG II. And Corwood needs to cover "I Can't Go Back to Austin."
Edited to please my formatting aesthetics sensibility.
My TOS (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, not Terms of Service) affects my brachial plexus as well so I condole with you, jb. I hope you heal up real soon cause I'm sure it hurts a lot.
The upshot was that the neurologist is more confident in her diagnosis & wants to continue the drugs/rest/physical therapy route. She doesn't think disk surgery is warranted at this point but she wants the neurosurgeon to make the call. Back to him next week after he sees the results. Last time I saw him he wasn't anxious to cut, though he was "not impressed with these disks."
It's impressive -- to me -- that the neurosurgeon wasn't rushing into surgery. Some do, you know. It's like they have a serious jones to slice and dice, regardless of the patient's status/preference.
Have you had steroid injections? I understand those can be very helpful.
Anyway, I'm still on disability with no clear idea when I'll be back at work.
That's frustrating. I feel your pain. Literally (though lower back/left leg/numb foot, not upper back/arm/numb hand). Though it sounds good that your pain is notably less.
You were looking quite well for a man in pain, Joe, though you were clearly pushing yourself. Cut that out, would you?
Just got the Monk/Coltrane as a Hannukah gift to self. (One for you, one for me...). Can't wait to bust it out.
Rappers in Bakersfield? (Windows Media Player File)
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Boy, was I productive last night. Not only did I make and bake about 4 dozen cookies as well as making Czech Christmas Bread from scratch, I was rushing back and forth to my laptop in order to digitize the Mancini mix tape I made years ago. I digitized and edited 26 tracks in the midst of all that baking somehow. Amazing. But I just realized I don't have any of the Breakfast at Tiffany's stuff on here nor the theme from The Great Race. I might download Tiffany's from iTunes Music Store but if I want the main theme from "The Great Race", I'm going to have to set up my laptop near the turntable again.
Don't mind me. It seems I'll just continue serial posting. I just noticed that the iTunes Music Store has licensed All Music (Media) Guide reviews. I wrote a number of reviews for AMG in the late '90s. I read the contract before signing it. It was a horrible all rights contract but I was unemployed, on disability and pretty destitute at the time, so I took it. Whereas reviews that were licensed by MSN and others still left the writer's credit on, the iTunes Music Store instance I'm seeing doesn't. It's one thing for me not to get residuals for work of mine that has been resold. It's another thing entirely not to be credited with it. I don't know if any of the reviews I've written have been licensed by Apple (I wrote about stuff more obscure than they generally have), but if it shows up I'd be mildly interested in seeing if there's a case there.
Son of a bitch! They have at least one of my reviews. Uncredited.
Oh, Spidra! That sucks!
And Hec, I did NOT know there's a song titled "(I Feel Like a) Dictionary" Where? Who? How?
And I would be quite grateful for a little Roger Miller. "My Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died" has been a constant unsolvable earworm for the past couple of weeks ...
