Race, Religion, Trump, Making America....Naw I'm just playing':)

 Well today is my birthday. Another jaunt around the sun. I’m getting to the point where I should have it ALL worked out and just coast but you and I both know that ain’t quite how it works! “Mistakes? I’ve made a few…” that’s Sinatra (and Elvis and Sid Vicious, all of who’s versions of My Way will be played at my funeral: spoiler alert). Not to, in any way, minimize our life but I’m starting to look at it as a kind of “circling of the drain” type of existence. Not in a negative way but in a metaphorical way. You’re born and you start circling. It’s coming. But, what is the “drain”? I think it’s Love. I think it’s an awareness of Love. I think the closer we get (and I’m hoping I’m still far away!) I think we start to shed the stuff, realize what’s important, what (and who) has value in our lives and hopefully move towards an awareness of peace and love. 

 I'm grateful tonight for the wife, daughter and family that I have, the friends and co-workers that have fulfilled my life. A post like this is like a GRAMMY speech and if I start naming names, I’ll miss someone and they’ll be like; “What about me?!?!” (or they might not even read it cause maybe they’re more important to me than I am to them!;)) That happens too, by the way. You might be a life raft and they might just be a heavy, wet, drowning body…or vice-versus. The point is, this is my ride, you’ve got yours and they’re all EQUALLY important.

 My faith is Christianity and through that faith I’m taught that we are all made by our creator in His image. I use the masculine in this case but I read it to say WE are ALL made in HIS image which means all of us. So men, ladies, kids, black, white, red, yellow, cream, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, etc. that means YOU. The center of my “drain” is Love. As I get closer to it, I’m reminded to accept it more, express it more, embrace it more, spread it more and hopefully embody it more. Today, I’ve been shown a supreme expression of love directed toward me. Both from my family and my friends and I’m humbled. I’ve had so many birthday greetings and well wishes that I literally can’t count them all. That’s a wonderful problem to have! So as I wind down my night, I say “Thank You” and my birthday wish is for me (and for all of us) to learn more love, learn to express it more and be a flashlight that extinguishes that “darkness of hate” from our world. I pray that you experience the same amount of love (or more!) than I’ve been shown today and that we share another trip around the sun in peace and love and harmony. #love

We Plan, God Laughs

 Recently I had the chance to speak to some Middle-School students in a summer guitar program. I’ve done a few things like that and I’m always very nervous. I don’t know why kids scare me more than a room full of (possibly) inebriated adults! They just do.

 Anyway, the one question that I was asked that stuck with me was “Has your career turned out the way you thought it would?” My answer was a quick “NO!” (not “Hell No!” because this was a bunch of kids) It was only after spending some time thinking about it that I would add “Thank God” to that. 

 I haven’t revolutionized music, cured cancer, sold a million copies of my record or played in front of 100,000,000 people at once. I don't have my own bobblehead doll or a reality show about my dog. I don’t have stacks of free guitars and amps and the old bank account looks like it usually does. All that being said, as I’m probably at the halfway point in my life (I hope!) I’ve had a hell of a time! It’s been way better than what I planned and everyday is a new wrinkle that has me saying “Huh! Didn’t see that coming!”

 I have met and made some of the most precious friendships through music, I’ve seen the world, I’ve had experiences that I never imagined. I’ve been blessed to be a son, friend, uncle, nephew, father and a husband. My family (both blood and chosen) is amazing and a true source of peace and contentment and confidence for me. I’ve ridden an elephant, tasted kangaroo, had a king cobra dropped in my lap, survived a few car wrecks, spent the night in a castle, survived the loss of people that I thought I’d never be able to live without, met my heroes, had the chance to live long enough to learn to say “I love you” to people without feeling silly or uncomfortable, had some amazing meals, read some incredible books, heard some fantastic music, seen some beautiful films and admired some incredible works of art. 

 All the while, I’ve been guilty of being focused on trying to bend life to my plan. Spoiler Alert: It don’t work. The harder I’ve tried to go one way, the father I’ve gone in another direction. Looking at it from this point though, I have to say I wouldn’t trade the experiences, the people, hell just the life I’ve had. I wish some of the mistakes I’ve made hadn’t happened, I wish I could’ve held on to some people a little longer but as I said before, in general I’ve had a hell of a time. 

 I’m not done yet (as far as I know!) I’m writing and recording new music, planning tours, working with my band as well as other artists, I’m even getting ready to try and write a screen-play! I guess the point of this “musing” is to say if you’re out there and you feel like life hasn’t been what you thought it should be, take a look at what’s in your life that has real value; the people, the loves, the laughs, the tears, the pain and the joy. That doesn’t mean you have to quit kicking, it just means allow yourself to enjoy what you have. At least that’s what I think.

Hey man, where ya been?!?

I realized today that I haven't blogged or posted anything since the death of Prince last year! It did take the wind out the sails but the truth is I've been so incredibly blessed to be so busy that I just haven't had a chance! Plus too much CNN watching has made me afraid to post anything!!
 Seriously, I'm proud that the record I made with my Foghat brothers is still getting a lot of airplay, that's me playing guitar and singing Upside Of Lonely. I've been playing some shows with Hurricane Ruth and that's been a blast to just lay back and play guitar and listen to a great vocalist and performer. I've been doing my own gigs, of course, that won't ever stop. I recently began a relationship with G&L Guitars as an endorsee and I'm proud to be playing my G&L ASAT! I'm finishing up a new EP that'll be out soon, I'll post more details when it's closer to coming out. We're also planning on finishing the Earl & The Agitators  CD soon. I'm gonna get back to writing more so stay tuned! #loudisgood

 I’m listening to Prince right now. My whole family is listening to Prince right now, real loud. I’m devastated. I’ve used that sentence a lot today. It sucks. That’s the other one I’ve used. Today we lost another Icon. A musical genius. Absolutely not terms that I throw out without serious consideration. I know I won’t get much argument. As geniuses go, he was a pretty obvious one. He could play. He could play guitar, piano, drums, bass, sing, dance, act…what else do you need to be entertained? He could write. Music? Check. Screen plays? Check. He famously told his record label when they signed him in 1979, “don’t make me an R&B artist” because he wasn’t. He transcended. He elevated. He inspired. He was held to no genre, he was held to no rules, he was held to no convention. That’s the main reason he became one of my primary inspirations; he loved and embraced music as the wild, willowy, all over the place, woman that she is. He was not an artist that just stayed at the “prime rib station” of the musical buffet. He hit the whole thing…enchiladas to egg rolls baby!

 I discovered Prince (like Columbus “discovered” America) at 1999. That was my first exposure. I was transported. I was dumbfounded. I was hooked and I wasn’t even a musician yet. Hadn’t even picked up a guitar yet, but somehow I knew that this was important, different, transcendent. I sat in the floor of my bedroom and listened to the 1999 album over and over. I studied the liner notes, the lyrics, the images. I listened. I researched. He had other albums! I quickly bought Controversy, Dirty Mind, Prince and For You. He never missed with me. I could (and still can) listen to (and sing) every album, all the way through and never get bored or skip a track. Soft And Wet, Bambi, When You Were Mine, Sexuality, Little Red Corvette, Let’s Go Crazy, Sign O’The Times…they're all in my DNA. I’ve absorbed them. I’ll sing ‘em to ya if you want.

 As my daughter has gotten older, I’ve yet to really expose her to Prince because a lot of the early stuff can lean “adult”. She listens to lyrics and asks questions. “I knew a girl named Nikki…” Head, Sister, Erotic City… These are songs I’ll probably never be ready to discuss with her. I want her to know how important he and his music were to me. I credit (rightfully so) Jimi Hendrix with my desire to learn to play the guitar but Prince was there in the here and now, saying to me, through the speakers and the movie screen; “whatever you dare, you can bring about. Just be you.”

 Prince sang; “Am I black or white, am I straight or gay…” He had bands with men, women, black, white. He played music and showed through his actions that music was ours, not just a segment of us but all of ours. He sang a song about oral sex and wrote one of my favorite songs about God, called oddly enough, God. One foot in the sacred and one in the profane. Pretty much how we all live but he owned up to it. He pushed buttons. All of them. YouTube his GRAMMY performance of Gett Off to see some button pushing. While you’re at it, YouTube his performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concert soloing on While My Guitar Gently Weeps. He was one of a kind, an original, a genius, an Icon. 

 I met Prince once. I have a friend who was once a radio programmer, he had passes to a Prince concert and a meet and greet before the show. Turns out it was a round-table discussion of radio programmers and DJ’s to ask how artists could get music played without a major label. The circle included every programmer and DJ in the greater Cleveland area, as well as George Clinton and Najee. As we went around the circle introducing ourselves and stating our job title, I , having no job title or reason for even being in the circle, had that “cotton-mouth, sick-to-my-stomach” feeling. When it came to me, I said “my name is Scott…” Prince laughed “he, he”. I saw him one night at Paisley Park, DJ’ing and watched him leave in a purple Dodge Prowler with his soon to be second wife. I saw him perform in Atlanta, Knoxville, Cleveland and Nashville. I watched Purple Rain twice the day it hit theaters. I bought the VHS the day it as released and wore it out. I’ve owned multiple copies of every video, CD and bootleg (sorry Prince) that ever existed. I was NEVER disappointed or let down. He delivered every time. I have friends and co-workers who have interacted with him intimately and some have less than favorable stories and opinions of him but even though I would laugh at their stories, for me, he remained above the fray. 

 My favorite memory is Buff and I going to see Prince in Knoxville, TN. We had 2nd row seats that quickly became “stage-edge seats” when everybody rushed the stage. We spent that night, literally on the edge of the stage, 5 feet away from a master. He looked at Buffy while he sang and when he danced in front of us and she was thrilled and never forgot it. She told our daughter about it tonight while we discussed his importance. (Yes, I was cool with him singing to my girl from the stage, but I would have kicked his ass if he tried to hit on her:)) I remember the band stopping at one point and Prince was dancing in front of us and I could hear his heels clicking off the stage. I’ll never forget that. I’ll never forget him and what he did for music, for society and for me. When I’m tempted to play it safe, I listen to Prince and go the other way! 

 Thank you Prince Rogers Nelson for giving your gift to the world.  RIP

Get On Up!...

#adversity Adversity is everywhere. It’s relative. It's subjective. One person’s where will I sleep tonight is another person’s who will I sleep WITH tonight? I’ve lived enough dog years and summers to learn that it’s not what you do during the good times but who you are during the rough times that defines you. We have all faced adversity in some form or another and we’ve all dealt with it in our own way. The good news is; no reaction is “wrong”, it's just “yours”. You are the ONLY one that was in those shoes at that precise moment, so no one can truly judge your response or actions. (Although they will, I PROMISE you!!) 
The cool thing is, as humans, we tend to, naturally “get up”, no matter what the challenge, no matter what the hurdle. We get knocked down, we get up, simple! Watch the news (not too much though); the rape victim testifies against her assailant, the tornado victim vows to rebuild, cancer victims fight…the point is, we are hard wired not to give up, to fight. We admire and respect it in others. No news story is ever shown where the shop owner, after 30 years, is fire bombed and vows to…move to another town and change careers. We Fight! ("WE Rebuild!!) 
Now, don’t politicize my little rant, I’m not referring to world politics, just personal stuff. Because, to me,  it's all personal. It's all little stuff. Close to the ground. Don't forget the world is pretty much mostly humans. Red blooded,oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus, humans. We also have a little potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine and magnesium...humans...and humans fight back! We (meaning all humans) fight. We fight for ourselves, for our own self preservation, for our families, for our loved ones but we also fight for the less fortunate, the down-trodden, the weak, the embattled…we fight for those that we feel can’t fight for themselves. 
I love that about human beings, they don’t quit, they keep coming. They're the heroes in every cowboy movie you ever watched. Most humans don’t like crooks, bullies, racists, bigots, misogynists, the New England Patriots (JOKE!!) Seriously, most humans, that I’ve observed from near and far, are for justice and fair play. At least, fair play from their perspective. I think it’s because on some level, we’re all looking at their situation and picturing ourselves “getting up” from that. We’re rooting for them. “Don’t quit!” Remember the movie Rocky? The first one? Rocky lost! But we love Rocky because he didn’t quit, so he WON! You get knocked down, get up, get knocked down again, get up. Adversity…Walt Disney, supposedly (I say "supposedly" because all info comes from the internet now and you have to be VERY careful!!) said, “You may not realize it, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” Abraham Lincoln said "I don't care what y'all say, I ain't giving up on freeing me some slaves! Now, who wants to wrassle? " (actually, Lincoln didn't say that as far as I know but thanks to the internet, someone will probably  share that quote as a meme with a picture of Lincoln and I will be THRILLED!!) 
I’m just like you, I’ve had my share of Adversity. You and I could sit together and share stories and “one-up” each other on what we’ve been through, but at the end of it, you’ve gone through your stuff, I’ve gone through mine, it ain’t the same (although it might be), we both have the scars to show for it, and, if we’re sitting together talking about it, it means that we’ve made it through that. Pretty cool huh? “Oh you think that scar’s bad, look at this one…” Get up. I was going to write a blog about what me and the band went through this weekend with car trouble and stuff but some kid lost her fight with cancer, some family died in a bombing in Syria, a man lost his wife in a car accident, there's some really hungry folks, some people that will be sleeping outside in the cold tonight, somebody's telling their family something that's gonna change everything in all of their worlds…there’s real problems in the world that God has seen fit to protect me from! Adversity. Get Up.

Sacrifice

I love my job. I really do. LOVE IT! I believe in God (I'm a Christian) and I believe that being a musician is what He put me here to do; to be loud, cause a fuss, make music and to entertain. Somehow, the cosmic forces of life always seem to counteract the blessings we receive. (Oh Lord don't they love to "monkey up the works"! Maybe just to give us balance. Yin & Yang.) I titled this post “Sacrifice” (not because it’s an Elton John song, although I love me some Elton John songs don’t I?) Tonight, after a harsh three days, I’m thinking of the sacrifice. Not my sacrifice; being on the road, away from my family, no sleep, bad food, miles of driving, car trouble, logistics, $$$!!! but more importantly the sacrifice of others. 
We broke down on the way to our first gig of the weekend in Washington, MO at Driftwood Distillery. The owners couldn’t have been kinder. They came out to pick us up and get us to the gig (Thank you Elijah and Joe), they loaned us a car to get to a hotel for the night after the gig, they fed the band the next day, they offered to let us hang out at their venue as long as we needed. They sacrificed so that we could do what we do. 
The next day we spent the morning at Reichers Tire & Auto, hoping against hope that they could fix the Beast with some simple mechanic magic but it was not to be. They were awesomely kind and considerate and we appreciated their efforts to get us on the road.
Out of the blue, with no real plan in place, I received a call from a man named Dale who had heard of our distress and offered to drive us (towing our trailer) to the next gig in Jackson, MO. Dale was just getting off work when he called us and came and got us and drove us 2 1/2 hours to Jackson in time for our next gig, asking for nothing but gas money. (By the way, at one point the trailer popped of the hitch and ran under the truck and we had to stop and fix it, I really started wondering if we were cursed!!) 
So we’re in Jackson, make the gig, which was a guest appearance with Eddie Turner & The Trouble Twins, and no idea how to get to Nashville! Our friend Phil Penzel offers us his REALLY nice truck to drive home in. (Phil we may need to keep this truck, it’s REAL nice!!;)
We were supposed to have a gig in Memphis but confusion and miscommunication caused us to miss it. Our friend and ally in the Blues Mr. Jay Sheffield canceled a band so that we could play but thanks to technology I found out after I’d been back home in Nashville for a couple of hours. (Thank you so much Jay for always being honorable!)
So, Sacrifice:
The Driftwood Distillery sacrificed by rescuing us from the side of the interstate, ferrying us all over town, loaning us a vehicle, giving us food, offering us shelter.
Reichers Tire & Auto worked on the Beast all morning and when they couldn’t fix it, they charged us nothing and allowed us to leave it in their parking lot until we could arrange to bring it home.
Dale drove us 2 1/2 hours to Jackson for nothing but his own kindness.
Phil loaned his REALLY nice truck…seriously, this thing is awesome!
My band…musicians are a special breed. I’m blessed to have met and known so many and they are all incredible. Ray Gonzales, Sam Persons and Braden Cameron stuck with me, never complained, didn’t gripe, pitched in and supported every decision I made to get us through this weekend. 
My brother Keith Throneberry and my cousin Mark Holt are sacrificers after the fact. They are helping me clean up the mess that was this weekend!
If I write a post about “Sacrifice” My intention was to thank and give a shout out to all the folks that helped us get through but I read the word “Sacrifice” and it keeps reminding me of the person in my life who is and has been continually making the sacrifice; my wife Buffy Holt.
A musician’s life is a hard, stressful existence (no kids, it's not all sex and velvet...wait yes it is...but it's still hard sometimes...no wait, that doesn't read well...I mean it's difficult...seriously, it's hard to be married to a musician). It’s feast or famine, all the time. It’s being successful if you’re away from home and being broke when you are home. It’s that double-edged sword; work is good but work makes you absent which is bad. My wife has been a soldier for the cause for almost 25 years now, actually she’s been with me since we started this so throw in the Buddy Guy years and we’re closer to 30! She is an amazing wife, mother, friend, sister, daughter, daughter-in-law, confidant and coconspirator! If you look up “Sacrifice” in the dictionary, it should have a photo of Buffy (which, oddly enough my dictionary does! Of course they're naked photos and I love research!! I'M JOKING!! She's gonna kill me! No my dictionary is not filled with naked photos of my wife...but if it was I wouldn't be sad...no I'm kidding they're in my thesaurus...BAHAHAHAHHAHA!!! I'm so dead and this heartfelt missive is in jeopardy of being dismissed because of my frivolity. See, Buffy is the supreme sacrificer!!) . Thank you my beautiful, wonderful, amazing, Buff for sacrificing for me. 
Thank you to all the people that sacrificed for us this weekend, thank you to all the ones that sacrifice on our behalf constantly, and while I’m at it, thank you to all the service men and women that sacrifice on our behalf everyday so that you and I have the freedom to gripe and moan about how hard our day was. (That last sentence was, of course, for our American friends. Our friends around the world can ignore it, strike it or, better yet, apply it to whatever your situation is in your country. I pray for God to bless you all.)

Blessings

This post is meant to be an addendum to the last post. 
When you think about the sacrifice that others are making on your behalf, you also have to realize that these are blessings. I drove home tonight thanking God for his blessings.
Sure, I could have focused on the negative and griped about the breakdown, the transportation, the loss of gigs, etc, “Why God Why?!?!” BUT I choose to focus on the blessings; 
Yes we broke down BUT thank God it was close to the gig and the owners could come and get us. 
Yes we lost our ride BUT thank God that someone heard about our trouble and offered to help.
Yes we lost a gig in the shuffle BUT thank God that it was the last gig of the run, 2 hours from home and booked by a friend who will continue to support us.
Thank God that I was surrounded by positive people this weekend who lifted me up and allowed me to get us home.
Thank God that I have a partner to come home to that supports me, encourages me and loves me. 
In short and in closing; THANK GOD

Flag Day...

So, the controversy on Facebook today is all about the Confederate flag. This, of course, is a direct response to a person who murdered 9 innocent people in South Carolina. (please hear my sarcastic tone!) My response to all of the controversy concerning the flag is this; I met Johnny Carson once.

 When I was with Buddy Guy, we did a lot of TV; Austin City Limits, Good Morning America, QVC, etc. One of the high lights for me was doing the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. I grew up listening to Johnny Carson from my bed as my parents watched from the den. When I was old enough to stay up, I watched Johnny Carson in his plaid pants, wide lapels, Ed McMahon, Alpo commercial glory! I even owned a sport coat from the Johnny Carson Collection!…It’s funny to me that as you grow up, some things just become part of the fabric, part of the lexicon; Bugs Bunny, Leave It To Beaver, Friends, The Sopranos, Letterman…but let’s get back to Burbank!

 We were promoting Buddy’s new record, my memory fails on which one it was and a quick search of YouTube finds nothing but it really happened! All day we’re at the Burbank studios, blocking shots, timing the song, sound checking the levels. The build up to a “live-to-tape” show is exhausting! “Live-to-tape” means that we shoot the video at an early hour on the West Coast so that it can be played at the normal hour on the East Coast but we shoot it live so there are no fixes or changes. In other words, you screw up and it’s stays! Pressure! Not to mention, you’re there from 9:00 am until show time (5:00 pm?)

 We sit at the DESK and get our picture made, we take pictures of Johnny’s parking spot (Corvette!!), we hang out, we peak in to Family Feud’s set (?).

 My whole story comes to this; We played the song, 10 hours of waiting for 3 minutes of pressure. We’re done, the “Good Nights” are said and I find myself standing by the stage door waiting for our guitar tech. I look up and there’s Johnny! Johnny Carson is standing right in front of me. It’s the classic celebrity moment; 

1.I’m standing in front of someone who has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. 2.He has no idea I exist. 

3.I feel compelled say something meaningful. 

 Mr. Carson is standing there adjusting his tie, I’m standing there doing nothing, it’s just the two of us, I say “Mr. Carson, it’s a real pleasure to meet you sir and it was an honor to perform on your show.” I extend my hand, like my mama taught me…nothing…no response, almost to the point that you think, maybe he didn’t hear me…I stay…hand out…I’m looking North, he’s looking East…no eye contact…then suddenly, never making eye contact, he extends his hand, grasps mine, firm shake, he mumbles “ummHumm”…and walks away. 

 I could have thought, “what a jerk!” but what I thought was “WOW! There’s a guy shyer than me!” Maybe being in show-business gives me a different perspective on the game but I know how scary it is to put yourself out there and know that some are going to hate you, insult you, criticize you. You can be the king of the castle and still be stung by criticism. Shyness is our main disease!

 I got to meet Johnny Carson once, I shook his hand, did he embrace me or fill me with his wisdom?…NO…was he my “Johnny Carson Experience”? YES! I can carry that with me for the rest of my life and he didn’t have to carry it with him through the doorway. Something so significant to me, that wasn’t significant to him…kind of like everyday life…different stuff means something to different folks. Ramadan, Passover, Christmas or Kwanza; Blues, Rock, Country or Soul; FOX, CNN, MSNBC, CSPAN…What did I get from Johnny Carson? Courtesy. He didn’t ‘leave me hanging’…he shook my hand. When something is important to you, I should be aware and sympathetic. The reverse is true too though: when something is important to me, you should be aware and sympathetic. 7 billion folks, lots of opportunities for “offense”, lots of chances to get it “wrong”, then again, lots of opportunities to make it better. I know you’re scared, insecure, hiding…shake my hand…you’re ‘second’ might be my ‘moment’…err on the side of love…

 My favorite stories about B.B. King can’t be told in public. Buddy and I laughed about this last week…about this very fact. About how all my heroes turned out to be real human beings. I didn’t know B.B. very well. I met him many times, toured with him in the 90’s and had the extreme honor, privilege and pleasure of sitting in on visits between he and Buddy (which is where I get many of the stories that can’t be told in public) . 

 B.B. was an artist, an innovator , a healer but most of all, a kind, humble gentleman. He carried the weight of his fame gracefully. I asked him for three autographs in my life and he granted each of them (2 for me and one for my daughter). I only asked for two photos with him, both of which he graciously agreed to. My favorite story that I CAN tell is this; we were on a package tour, B.B. was the headliner, Buddy was next and we had Eric Johnson and the Alligator All-Stars (Junior Wells and Lonnie Brooks). We were in an airport, early morning…EARLY morning, waiting on a flight. I’m sitting at the gate and suddenly B.B. and his crew arrive. B.B. sits right next to me and as a young bluesman, I’m in heaven! We say “good-morning” and for me that was enough. B.B. King looks you in the eye and says’ “good morning, young man”, I’m good! One of his aides comes up with a styrofoam platter filled with bacon, eggs, gravy and biscuits. B.B. turns to me, holds out the plate and says; “you want some food?” “Oh, no sir! Thank you!” I ain’t about to take B.B. King’s biscuit and gravy! The thing was, He WAS SERIOUS! At that moment, he was a southern gentleman who had some food and the guy next to him had none. I’ve never forgotten that. 

 When I toured with him he was still in his prime. I watched from the side of the stage, every night as he was B.B. KING! He “reached”, musically, every night. He played stuff that he hadn’t played the night before, he pushed. Tone. Phrasing. Execution. Regal. Exactly like a KING.

 I mustered up my courage once and told him that I’d love to play on stage with him sometime. He said “well, I usually just call up the headliners, but if you want to come up, that would be alright.” I held out for my moment to be when I was “one of the headliners”, it didn’t come. 

 B.B. King gave his life to his art. He toured more than any other artist, for longer than any other artist. His discography spans decades. His recordings stretch from Sun records to U2 to playing for presidents, prisoners and popes. His influence is every musician. 

 I was born in a world with Elvis, the Beatles, James Brown, Ray Charles and B.B. King. Now we have none of them. It just feels out of balance. Buddy always said “every guitar should have 2 ‘B’s on it for what he’s given us.” I feel exactly the same way. No B.B. = no Buddy, no Jimi, no Clapton, no Stevie, no Van Halen, etc. His influence won’t be truly recognized for a while. The accolades will come, the tributes, the beautiful words, passionate oratories…and then…the silence. The unbearable, unforgivable, un-negotiable silence that reflects the absence of an artist, an icon, a force…

 As a guitarist and a blues fan I mourn the loss of a hero, a guide, an emissary and an artist…but I really miss the guy that signed my daughter’s picture while we sat in the back of his bus watching a cowboy movie, I miss the guy that traded dirty jokes with Buddy while I sat there, jaw agape! I miss the guy that offered me his breakfast one morning in Texas, while we waited on a plane. Thank you Mr. King. 

ART...and sex...and Kanye...and Mylie...and McDonald's...

Watching the tribute to Stevie Wonder tonight, I was reminded, yet again, of the importance and reality of true and pure art. No, this ain’t some “old guy that hates everything new” type rant , but I would argue that due to the advances in technology, the tremendous expression of wealth and the allure of celebrity, we are inundated by an exponential amount of “white noise”, a sonic Matrix, if you will; “take the red pill and you’ll see and hear the true art in life, take the blue pill and all things the media feeds will make perfect sense…” Even among the current popular artists these deadly contaminates infect art. 

 Take Miley Cyrus for example. I can’t stand the “foam-finger, tounge-wagging, could-I-be-any-trashier? Miley”, but I have to admit, when she sings and lets the other crap go, she is a true talent. I heard her sing on the SNL tribute, doing a Paul Simon song and she crushed it. That’s an example of someone who has the talent and yet still feels they have to play the game. 

 I’m reminded of the movie This Is It; the tragic, slow-motion car wreck of Michael Jackson’s final days. While there is a lot to shake our heads at and tsk-tsk, there’s also the inarguable fact that even in a severely compromised state (as we’ve now heard ad-nauseam) MJ still was able to bring it. He hit his marks, hit the notes, made his cues and led the band. he was even making directorial directions. 

 It reminds me of the same feeling I had watching Mike Tyson being knocked out by Buster Douglas, Tyson’s on the mat, knocked out and he’s still crawling around finding his mouthpiece and getting it in his mouth because he knows “instinctively” that they won’t let him continue without it. He’s operating on that hardcore built in artistic instinct that has served artists for centuries. I feel that Michael Jackson was operating on pure built-in, ingrained instinct. He was raised up in the same Motown machine that gave us Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross. Unfortunately, it’s why we see artists like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, etc. abusing drink or drugs, but still able to bring their amazing talent to the fore. The true art is HARD-WIRED.

 We, as humans, always recognize true art and admire and respect greatness. For an example I give you Prince; on the recent GRAMMY broadcast, current music royalty was represented. You had Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Beyonce, etc. BUT…Prince walks out to give an award, doesn’t open his mouth and receives a standing ovation! Greatness is recognized.

 Kanye West (thanks to the advice of his publicist and management team , I’m sure) tried to protest the awarding of a GRAMMY to Beck as an affront to art with the “neglect” of Beyonce. As I said, his move was more about his own promotion than any real regard for artistic integrity but even that reveals a lot about where we are as a culture; Kanye is either completely aware of what he’s doing and thereby giving art no true value or he’s completely unaware and is an example of the ignorance and ‘Matrix’ quality existence that permeates the current artistic landscape. 

 One more GRAMMY example; I really like the Hozier song, “Take Me To Church”. I think it’s a really cool song and I hope he has a lot more to bring to the air. That being said, once again the GRAMMY telecast reveals something. Annie Lennox gets up and does a duet with Hozier and lays waste to the place. No pyro, no vocal histrionics, no auto-tune. Just a straight up talented vocalist and performer doing what she does and killing it. 

 The thing about art is that in it’s purest form, it is completely un-reliant on commerce. You can draw a picture and put it in a drawer, you can sing at church or in your car, you can cook an amazing meal for your family, none of these will bring you a dime. That doesn’t make them less artistic or compromise the artistic qualities. You can make a sex tape and sell it for a million dollars or lip-sync (ala’ Milli Vanilli) and make money without ever scratching the surface of “art”. 

 So MY point, if I have one, is that it’s up to us as a culture, to put some kind of limits on what we will and will not tolerate in art. Van Gough didn’t get it, Mozart didn’t get it, Monet didn’t get it. I’m speaking of artistic respect and financial recognition, during their lifetime. Recognize and give credit where it’s due. Call BS on the stuff that’s obviously an opportunistic grab. 

 In the end, I equate it with food, sex and movies; I’m not saying never eat at McDonald’s, just never forget the difference between a McDonald’s hamburger and a really good steak with fresh vegetables; or, for my vegetarian friends, a frozen vegetarian dinner and a plate of freshly prepared, fresh vegetables; sex with a onetime hookup as opposed to sex with someone you’re in love with, music that you can read a book while listening to as opposed to music that gives you goosebumps, a movie that you can eat popcorn during as opposed to a movie that has you glued to your chair and feeling every emotion.

"You Can't Handle The Truth!"

GRAMMY RECAP: I really kind of dug the GRAMMYs last night. I LOVED Annie Lennox (one of my favorites), AC/DC was wreckin’ it, LOVED the Brandi Clark - Dwight Yoakum song! (Sturgill Simpson got NOTHING?!?), Buddy Guy got props (though not on TV…)The interesting thing was the conversations the next day; Kanye, Kanye, Kanye! (yes it’s a Brady Bunch reference)First, I should say that my personal opinion is that Kanye did what he did to create the controversy, conversation and press that he’s getting. “Good press, Bad press, as long as they spell your name right!” Kanye is the Rush Limbaugh of Rock & Roll; even he doesn’t believe EVERYTHING he says.

 Now the internet is lit up with Artists and fans responding in the negative. “Kick him in the …” well, you get the idea. My take, for what it’s worth, is that Kanye is (like most artists) insecure and desperate. I’m not jumping on the bandwagon to beat him up, I’m just trying to express my opinion of what he said. (Although he is married to a Kardashian, they can make a man want to be a woman!) To say that Beck, a multi-instrumentalist, who writes, records and produces his own work, who according to allmusic.com is credited as the sole composer of all 13 tracks of his GRAMMY winning record, should “respect artistry and give his award to Beyonce” who’s last album, according to allmusic.com credits 30 composers and producers, is like saying Derek Jeter should respect athletic talent and give his World Series ring to Hulk Hogan. The argument is ludicrous in and of itself so let’s take it off the table and analyze the underlying truth.  Kanye has released 8 records, (6 of which, I’d not heard of), Beck has released 12 records ( 9 of which I haven’t heard of). In their individual milieux, they are both valid. Kanye is a tremendous force in Rap/Hip-Hop and Beck is an incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer. Kanye taking a verbal swing at Beck is like me talking smack about Mike Tyson; I can play guitar better than Mike Tyson but he can also kick my a**! (I can also play guitar better than Kanye, Beyonce, Jay-Z AND Beck but that’s beside the point:))…I’M JUST JOKING! 

 My point is; life is short, love is long, true art will survive and flourish, pretenders will fall by the wayside and whoever turned off Sir Paul McCartney’s mic and reduced him to being a rhythm guitarist for Rhianna and Kanye should be dipped in peanut butter and dropped in a pack of hungry, horny dogs!

 In closing, I’d like to paraphrase Col. Nathan R. Jessup USMC; “ Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Ryan Seacrest? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Beck, and you curse Kanye West. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Beck’s win, while awesome, probably saved lives. And Kanye’s existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want Kanye on that stage, you need Kanye on that stage. We use words like art, integrity, musicianship. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent creating something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to someone who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very art that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up an instrument, and write a song. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.” #loudisgood 

American Sniper

I had an opportunity to watch the film American Sniper tonight. I had to watch it tonight because the Facebook feed was blowing up with too much info about the movie and even though I knew how it would end, I was curious to see how Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper would interpret the story. I prefer to see movies without any spin. I LOVE movies! If music didn’t dominate my life’s work I’d probably have pursued film in some way. 

 So anyway, if you care what I think, here’s my take away from the movie. I enjoyed it as I’ve enjoyed pretty much all of Mr. Eastwood’s work. I was a little surprised and disappointed. After what I’d read on my FB feed, I expected to either be gathering grenades and ammo to go blow up Middle Easterners or criticizing the propaganda aspect of the movie and staking out Michael Moore’s house! Sorry, for a moment I forgot that we are in the 21st century; DON’T BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU READ ON THE INTERNET, IT’S ALL PROPAGANDA!

 My take away was the psychological, physical and spiritual wear and tear that all war takes on a human. Bradley Cooper is outstanding! Our “hard-wired” desire for justice and fairness. The duality that’s instilled in those that protect our country and have families. War sucks. I should say Real War Sucks. John Wayne war is awesome. Apocalypse Now is one of my favorite movies. Real humans losing their lives for any cause or belief is a terrible, terrible reality of the human existence. Lest you want to start blasting me (actually, go ahead, I can use the traffic), I have no public opinion on politics, religion or ice cream flavors. I’m simply saying War Sucks, Bad People Are Bad, Good People Are Good and God’s Got It!

 Here’s what I didn’t get from this movie; an added appreciation for our troops - I already have the utmost respect for them, my father was a vet, my cousin was a vet and one of my oldest and best friends was a Marine sniper. I’m extremely grateful for the freedom and safety that they provide. I didn’t gain a different insight on terrorists - I already believe that terrorists are opportunistic cowards who co-opt religion to manipulate people to do their dirty work. 

 At the end of the day, I’ll say what I say to my friends; “it’s a movie, based on a true story and that means the mission statement of the project is ENTERTAINMENT (and $$$ shhhhhh).”

 I really enjoyed the film, it will be hard for loved ones of veterans and those currently serving in hostile areas to watch. I imagine that it will be difficult for those who have served to watch. I feel a degree of guilt watching it as a movie and being entertained, knowing that for some, who have experienced it, it’s not a “popcorn event”. I give it 2 thumbs up or 5 stars or whatever is the current top rating. 

 I’ll say this too; Terrorism is the school yard bully of the global stage, their strength is through fear, just like a bully. If the good people of the earth are together the bully loses steam and is easier to defeat. Oh yeah, and Hate Never Wins;)

Everybody just cool out....

 I’m trying to understand this and I hope you can help. My question is this; WHY ARE WE SO ANGRY? I’m on Facebook a lot and I drive quite a bit and I spend time in line at the grocery, the bank, at red lights, etc. I notice a lot that people have little patience, they’re ready to rumble and seem constantly on edge. 

 On Facebook, I notice that if you post anything philosophical you can guarantee a certain amount of flame. I joke with my wife because she seems to generate a lot of unexplainable aggression by saying that she could post “have a nice day” and get responses like “Don’t tell ME what kind of day to have!”

 You may wonder about my terminology when I say “philosophical”. I originally wrote “political” but then I realized that what I was thinking of weren’t political things but philosophical ones: ( Webster's: a particular set of ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature and meaning of life, etc.) Gun Control, Health Care, Education, Racism, Homophobia, Misogyny, War, Religion, Economics, Evolution, Death Penalty, Red, Blue, Tea Party, etc. Yep, that’s philosophy. 

 My view of gun control is philosophically directed a certain way. It’s not dictated by the Republicans, the Democrats, the NRA, the Anti-Gun folks, the Christians, the Muslims or the Home Shopping Network. It’s about my experience, my upbringing, my family, my  friends, my awareness and my understanding. 

 My view of Healthcare is the same, I base my views on my experiences, my understanding and the understanding of my friends, family and loved ones whose guidance I ask for and appreciate. 

 I’ve got opinions on everything. (Just ask my wife or my friends!) I struggle daily with the BIG questions and try my best to “refine” my views and my stand on every topic I come across. What I struggle with these days is the simple question of; “Why are we so angry?” Think about it, check you’re Facebook feed and if someone says something “anti-gun” they get blasted, if you “like” certain posts you get get blasted, defend your opinion and someone will call you an “idiot” or worse. 

 In ancient times (like 20 years ago), you and I might sit at a table and you might say “ I really like the Democratic candidate for President, he seems to have the best view for our future.” and then I might reply; “ I don’t know, I hear what you’re saying but I think the Republican makes a strong case for our independence.” Now, we sit at a computer screen and type; “I love Obama!” and someone types; “Glad you love Muslims! Sorry you don’t love GOD! GO BACK TO KENYA YOU MORON!!” It doesn’t even have to be that blatant, you can “like” a post and receive a response like the one above. Try it, find a picture of Barack Obama, Jesus, Elvis, John Lennon, Che Guevara or Ghandi, “like” it and see how many comments you get. 

 Before you accuse me of being hypersensitive, this is the 21st Century, everybody knows that all caps is YELLING!! Just like everybody over 40 knows that LMFAO means “Limes Make Fabulous Alternative Oranges” ;) 

 Seriously, my question is “Why are we so angry?” I guess another way of putting it is “Where did dialogue and discussion go?” We don’t debate we argue. EVERYWHERE! FOX, CNN, ESPN, NBC, ABC, CBS, MsNBC, THE FOOD NETWORK…ok the debates on the Food Network are valid, cinnamon and Lima beans do NOT go together!! Everywhere else though, WAR! 

 Here’s a thought; you yelling at me or threatening me isn’t going to entice me to fall in line with your views. It doesn’t work for anything. Christians went to foreign countries and threatened violence in exchange for conversion = lotta death. America tried it with the Indians, Romans tried it, Nazis tried it, it always ends the same; If you have to “force” someone to think like you, they will…as long as you’re watching…but they’re planning your execution…

 You want to “win me over”? Let’s talk, you hear me, I hear you, views are exchanged, ideas are traded, maybe you persuade me or maybe I persuade you, but civility is restored and ideals replace “positions”. 

 Just remember; Wolf Blitzer, Ann Coulter, Anderson Cooper, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’reilly, Jon Stewart and Bill Mahr are ENTERTAINERS. They work for corporations that have no philosophy. They are interested in the god that most of us pray to; $$$. 

 Which brings me back to my original question; WHY ARE WE SO ANGRY? Yeah, I yelled it, cause I wanna know! If you speak to a person on Facebook like I’ve described above, would you in real life? and if you would, WHY? What is it about someone’s differentiating view point that so threatens you? Is it the thought of Communism, Socialism, Agrarianism or some other “ism”? Is it the worry of Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Judaism, or another “ism” encroaching on your right to be what and who you are? Are you afraid of more guns, less guns, free healthcare, expensive healthcare, abortions, gay marriages, anti-war protesters, pro-war protesters…

 And then, reading my own writing (to spell check of course) I realize that I’ve already described the answer; it’s simple, it’s FEAR. Fear of the unknown, fear of not belonging, not being ‘right’, not being the smartest one in the room…

 We’re angry because we’re scared. Scared that what we know to be true will turn out to be false, scared that we might be wrong, scared that someone else might screw up our ‘good thing’. My old friend Gary Busey would say FEAR =  Feeling Every Alternative Reality. 

 Don’t be scared. It’s ok…as ‘ok’ as it’s gonna be. You’re gonna live your life, I’m gonna live mine and we’re gonna go the same way as our ancestors. You’re gonna meet your maker, I’m gonna meet mine and we’ll find out who was right and who was wrong. 

 In the meantime, consciously, let’s work at being less angry. If you love the president and I don’t, I promise not to call you an idiot. 

It Looked A lot Like Christmas...

 So the whirlwind that is the Christmas Holidays draws to a close tonight. As we sit here amid the discarded wrapping paper, left-overs and the dreaded “food hangover”, it’s hard to imagine that 48 hours ago we were cooking, wrapping, cramming stuff into the car, blowing into relatives homes amidst a cloud of casserole dishes and brightly wrapped gifts. 

 It seems like it’s only in this moment that you begin to reflect on the loved ones you’ve spent time with, the look on the children’s faces as they opened “just what I wanted!” and the knowledge that this Christmas, 2013, is over, never to come again. Next year will roll around and we’ll start the whole thing over, if we’re lucky. We’ll worry over gifts, gatherings, relationships, etc. Just like this year but it’ll be different; some we were with this year might not be here next year, the kids in your life may move on from Santa, who knows what it’s gonna bring! We may look back on this year as the best one and we didn’t realize it until later. 

 However you spent your holiday, take a moment and be thankful that you had it. Even if you don’t realize it, someone was blessed by your presence and is thankful tonight that you were there. Merry Christmas.

ALL REVOLUTIONS ARE TEMPORARY...

Recently I rediscovered my old turntable. Covered in dust, neglected and relegated to an unused corner of the den, tucked into it’s “imitation woodgrain cabinet’ along with the dual cassette deck, AM/FM receiver and 5 disc CD tray, MASSIVE remote included, my JVC component stereo system was pretty awesome stuff when Buff and I bought it some 22 years ago, at Circuit City in Nashville. In the ensuing years, it had become just a piece of furniture and thanks to the CD/iTunes revolution, it’s absence wasn’t noticed at all for a looooong time! It was a good place to stack books when the bookshelf was too full (or far away). I had even thought of selling it from time to time. 

 A vinyl record shop re-opening in my hometown (https://www.facebook.com/VarietyRecordLounge) probably had something to do with me “remembering” my stereo, but for whatever reason, sitting down with my record collection made me realize just how much I’d missed it. Buff bet me that it wouldn’t even work anymore but as I dropped the needle that warm, boomy tone jumped out of our speakers that still bear the tattered remnants of our long passed cat General Sterling Price’s passion for well sharpened claws. 

 First, a disclaimer, I like technology. I am a fan of all things new and shiny and, when it comes to recorded music, iTunes and MP3’s have their place and play a huge part in my personal enjoyment of music as well as in my professional relationship with the art form. I have about 60 vinyl albums at the moment but I have about 4,000 CD’s and according to my iTunes library 7,536 “albums”, so obviously iTunes wins in quanity! As much as I travel, being able to take my entire iTunes collection on the road, via en external hard drive is awesome. Being able to pull up any song on YouTube or Rhapsody, Spotify, Pandora or any other streaming service (I’ll have to write another blog about how artists are getting screwed by the unfair streaming laws) is really a sign of the times for our culture. My iPhone and iPad are instant jukeboxes for me and my car stereo is actually just a flash-drive socket that plays stuff from my iTunes. It was 6 months or so before I discovered that the radio portion of my car stereo wasn’t even hooked up in my car.  We are the “RIGHT NOW” generation. We don’t wait well for anything. In fact, I see examples all the time of how little patience many of us have for, well, ‘patience’. 

 As I sit in the floor (yes it’s best to sit in the floor while listening to records, try it.) and pull out some of my albums I remember how strong of an impact the music has when I can look at the artwork (in a size that you can actually see), read the liner notes, absorb the entire artistic effort and then of course you have to get up and turn the record over to hear side 2 (or 3 or 4 for that matter). The smell of the cardboard and vinyl, the occasional crackle and pop from the speakers as the needle jumps a tiny scratch. The sound of the needle automatically lifting, signaling the time to change sides. 

 Listening to records is a physical commitment that you can’t have with iTunes. In one of the great ironies of technology, listening to vinyl albums is an interactive experience while iTunes is really a static experience. Records require something of the owner and the listener. There’s the aforementioned physical “turning over” of records, not to mention taking them out of the sleeve and placing the needle on the groove (no accident that they’re called ‘grooves’)They get scratched and warped if they’re not taken care of so you have to be responsible. You tend to listen to songs on albums in order and I at least, tend to listen to an entire side of a record before I change to another. Records make it more likely that you’ll listen to the tracks “in order”, in other words, in the sequence that the artist intended for them to be played. When I started making records, it was still standard practice to put thought into the sequencing of a record. They told a story or at least had some kind of thread. Those days are mostly gone and songs drive the popular conscience these days. In some ways I agree, I don’t want to hear an entire album of The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?). Maybe they would do all animals with different senses like; “What Does The Goat Hear” or “What Does The Unicorn Smell” or “Why The Komodo Dragon Cries”. And I could go off on a tangent about how disposable music seems to be to our culture today but I won’t. 

 I pulled out my copy of Prince’s 1999 and remembered listening to it over and over, when I first discovered it back in the late ‘80‘s, studying the cover for clues, reading the liner notes and trying to hear Dez Dickerson’s parts as opposed to Prince’s guitar licks. I remembered the fact that for a double album, I thought it was strange/cool that it came in a single album cover with two inner sleeves. Pictures of Prince and the band on each side. The label on the record was simply a picture of Prince’s eye. Lyrics printed out for the songs! The imagery tying in with the music making it somehow more powerful and stronger. Sure I went on to buy that record on cassette and later on CD and even later on iTunes (I really like that album) but no other format ever had the impact of hearing it on vinyl. Before you think that I’m about to go off on how much “better” vinyl sounds than CD, let me just say that I’ve spent the last 24 years standing in front of LOUD guitar amps and crashing cymbals. I don’t testify to be able to hear any sonic superiority for anybody but me (I know what sounds good to me:)). 

 My stack of Jimi Hendrix bootlegs brought back many memories of being in Japan or Italy or the UK and searching through record stores and flea markets for basically any albums with Jimi’s name or face on the cover. Imagine a 6 week tour of Europe and carrying a stack of albums along with your luggage and guitar! That my friend is commitment! My copy of Santana’s Abraxas album, even in it’s worn and faded state seems to explode with color and imagery. Coming from the same vibe as Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, it just draws you in and says, “Play me!”. I listened to it yesterday and was instantly inspired. I can’t say the same for the 1,000+ times I’ve listened to that record on iTunes. 

 While I would claim to have a fairly cool and extensive CD collection (easier to carry throughout Europe...) and an insane iTunes collection that will require a team of psychologists many years to explain, my record collection is small and more of a combination of cool stuff (Hendrix, SRV, Sinatra, BB KIng, Muddy Waters, George Jones, an insane amount of Earl Hooker records...) quirky stuff; The Carpenters Greatest Hits, and various mysteries that have been lost to time; Why do we have an album of “The Worlds Greatest Sound Effects”, 3 copies of Hank Williams Jr.’s Greatest Hits, 2 copies of the soundtrack to The Blues Brothers Movie, The Best of Tony Bennett Vol. 2 (where the heck is Volume 1?!?!?). 

 One of my best friends and I argue all the time about the merits of being able to hold an album in your hands while you listen as opposed to the immediacy and convenience of an MP3, I’m sure we’ll argue some more after he reads this:) but I didn’t really write this blog to spark any arguments or debates, it’s more of an epiphany for me that, through my “re-discovery” of my record collection, I can easily and immediately revisit specific times and memories in my life and that, to me, is one of music’s greatest strengths and magical powers. Music transcends language, culture, time and even technology!

Democracy v.2.0

 Here’s why I don’t post political stuff; I think that we as a Country and as a culture are waaay too ready to rumble when it comes to disagreeing views. I check Facebook all the time and a LOT of what I see is political arguments that basically go like this:

PERSON 1.: I THINK ___________

PERSON 2.: YOU’RE AN IDIOT!

 There’s no debate, no counterpoint, no politeness, just 0-60. I’ve been amused by conducting my own socio-political experiment as I ride this marble, I don’t proclaim anything particularly political to one side or the other and I find myself, often times, “accused” of being one way or the other just because I don’t agree or I do agree. Some stuff I believe, some stuff I don’t believe, some stuff I understand and some stuff I don’t understand. Stuff I don’t understand, I ask people smarter than me. If they can’t explain it then I know it’s a bunch of B.S.:) Seriously, I think , humbly, we get mired in the “details” ( I use quotations to denote a perception of details, not the fact that details aren't important.)and allow ourselves to get misguided by the sparks and whistles. 

 I am not political. I have my personal core beliefs that are based on my faith in God, my love of family and my love for freedom and democracy. I think the US is the greatest country in the world and I’m proud to be an American. I DON’T think that God is only for America, that He cares how much money I have or that He wants me to hate non-Christians. I think that we’re all sharing the same air for a reason. I think we’re all too filled with self-importance to see straight. 

 Today my country is bickering like kids on a playground. I don’t care which side of the argument you fall on. I don’t care about the “why”. What it will cost, etc. I care about the fact that I have to explain to my 13 year old daughter why adults, commissioned to run our country, can’t behave like adults. If you’re inclined to engage a fellow citizen in a dialogue about democracy, remember that they are a citizen too, just like you, same hopes, dreams, fears. They have a momma who loves them and it would be awesome if you loved them too!

Show Bidness

 So the television talent game show The Voice passed on singer Malford Milligan of the band Storyville.Don’t be surprised. Not one judge turned their chair around. Don’t be surprised. The “judges” didn’t even know who he was. Don’t be surprised. The glut of “talent shows” that we are currently being subjected to have one major side effect in common; they continue to encourage the devaluation of Music as an art form. America’s Got Talent, American Idol, The X Factor and The Voice all present music as nothing more than a competition with a cash prize and a potential for fame. Ah FAME! The only real prize left! We value it more than money, more than life and more than talent. 

 I wonder if Prince or Howlin’ Wolf would have made it on The Voice. I wonder if Jimi Hendrix or John Coltrane would have done well on America’s Got Talent. Bob Dylan or Nirvana on American Idol? I doubt it. Make no mistake, I don’t blame the shows themselves, or the networks. Television is only about money. Advertising dollars mean money and the more people that watch your show, the more you can charge advertisers and the more money you make. Money is ALL that it’s about. 

 I’ve watched at least some of most of these shows and I don’t really see the “judges” or “coaches” doing much more than giving superficial instructions to the contestants to “sing it more like this...” or “move around more...”. Yes comparing this to music of true artistic expression is like comparing apples and oranges but it contributes to the homogenization of music that we hear on the radio and buries true artists under a blanket of white noise. 

 The music industry has always gone for a “more of the same, if it’s selling” strategy. That part is nothing new but the overall decline in quality of the music is what’s truly depressing. Melodies and chord progressions that are reduced to the most basic form. Lyrics with no imagination or, at times, even any coherent meaning. Google the lyrics to Blurred Lines (here, I’ll help;http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/robinthicke/blurredlines.html) and just read them. Lennon & McCartney wish they could write something equal! Of course poor Miley Cyrus has been getting bashed for her recent antics onstage but what has she really done that wasn’t within the current climate? Britney Spears was tongue kissing Madonna, stripping to a nude body suit and writhing around with a snake 10 years ago. ( Madonna by the way was rolling around, groping herself on television 20 years ago) Nothing new there. I’m more disappointed in the fact that she comes out with a song like this (http://www.directlyrics.com/miley-cyrus-we-cant-stop-lyrics.html) “It’s our party, we can do what we want...” I think it would be really impressive if she backed up the silly stage act with something real musically. I guess sometimes we fight so hard to get the mic that it’s only after we have it that we realize we don’t really have anything to say. 

 Just remember; Blake Shelton or Simon Cowell are no better judges of whats good in music than you are. If it touches your soul, gives you a lift, inspires you, makes you feel, it has value. 

BANG!

I haven’t had a tirade in a while, so I thought I’d just have me one; I have a been visiting your planet for some time, kicking it on this marble and I have seen a lot of changes in society and human culture. Some for the better and some for the worse. I was raised in the South and in church. Some of you will read that and think, “so what, I was raised in church in the West or the North...” Some of you will read that and know exactly what I mean. In the South, church (or Church as we’d call it) was a big deal. We went Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. In the summer we had VBS (Vacation Bible School) for a week. You might even have a revival...that’s a whole ‘nother level of sanctification! I went through 12 years of public school. We had what they called “corporal punishment”, in other words the teachers could spank you. I was scared of my teachers, especially Mr. Jim Curry, a legend at Brown Elementary School! Hands down, one of the best teachers ever. Not in a weird, creepy way but in that way where you knew that if you received a spanking from a teacher, and survived, it really meant 2 spankings...because your parents would find out and another spanking was in your future. I had the most loving, caring, supportive parents you could ever ask for. In actuality, I probably received about 4 actual spankings my whole life. (My sense of humor leads me to expand but I digress!) The point is, I was raised to understand that a spanking represented a moral failure on my part and that was unacceptable. Letting my parents down was unthinkable. Today, as I look back on my childhood, as a father, I try and understand if the spanking or fear of a spanking was the actual deterrent. I doubt it. I’ve been punched in the face, burned with hot tar, had my heart broken and all of them were much worse than the hardest spanking I ever had and yet I remember my spankings as a child. They count with the greatest pains of my life because they represent me letting down my loved ones. 

 So I connect the dots. I’ve owned and fired guns since I was 12 years old. I am a very good shot, in case you wonder. I’ve never shot anyone. I’ve never been in a gunfight. I’ve never been in a situation where I wished I’d had a gun. I have, however, had a couple of situations where, if I’d had a brick I would have been extremely satisfied. I grew up in an era when I parked my pickup at school with a rifle rack in the back window, with my deer rifle in it. No one called the FBI or the CIA and reported me as a threat to society. At the most, a teacher might ask me if I got anything. 

 I connect the dots; recently my family and I were subject to a case of road-rage. A guy felt that I had cut him off and proceeded to cut in front of me, slam on his brakes, get out of his car and charge my car, screaming at me  and cursing in front of my daughter and my wife. My instinct was to fight but I was also aware of my daughter and my wife, so I locked the door and allowed this guy his aggression. (If you happen to read this [Williamson County, white BMW, first 2 letters of your Tennessee tag HQ, white guy, 40’s, short hair], which I doubt since you are obviously a caveman but if one of your keepers reads this to you, you idiot, email me at scottholtband@gmail.com and let’s arrange a meeting to “discuss” our traffic indiscretion.)

 I played and still play video games. I was lucky to be here for their birth. I watched the Three Stooges every Sunday morning; eye pokes, frying pans, smacks to the head... Saturday mornings were for watching professional wrestling. It was broadcast from Nashville and from Memphis. Jerry “The King” Lawler, Nick Gulas, “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, Tojo Yamamoto... I watched these guys hit each other with chairs, do pile drivers and suplexes. Sure we tried the piledrivers and suplexes in the back yard but never in anger or with a hurtful intention. We were playing wrestling. The Las Vegas Leg Lock, made famous by Ric Flair (WHOOOO!) was the penultimate move. 

 My point, if I have one, is that I don’t think it’s video games, gun control or television that’s responsible for where we are. It’s our readiness to put it on society, or the environment or politics or schools or music or television or...whatever. I’m not your conservative example. I’m a tattooed, earring wearing, “MF- bomb” dropping rock n’ roller. I’m intentionally not using the F word in this scribe so that it might make it into someone else’s post. Here’s the thing; Gangs, drugs, juvenile delinquency, school shootings, etc. These things are not society’s fault. They are our fault. TV is not a babysitter, the mall is not a babysitter, school is not there to raise your kid, the next generation of children are the next group of leaders. With no moral compass they aren’t prepared to do anything. They watch us constantly and we give them The Kardashians, McDonalds and Honey Boo Boo. They look to us and we give them dirty politics, sequesters, cynicism and high fructose corn syrup. The landscape is different now and will be 20 years from now and 1,000 years from now. The trick is, 1,000 years from now, historians will look at us, in the early 21st century and say “Wow, what morons!” or “Wow, we need to replicate what they were doing!” 

 The crazy thing is, if you live here, even if you don’t have kids, they are watching you. I had some mentors in my life that had no kids but they influenced me deeply. I know, ypu’re thinking “FU-They ain’t my kids, I live the life I want to!” Great, when you’re old and in the home, cause you have no family, they’ll be the ones pushing your wheelchair to your meals and giving you sponge baths. Wouldn’t it be good if the person cleaning you with a sponge, when you’re too old to defend yourself, was a good, gentle person? 

 Preachy! A tirade cloaked in pontification! Is my blog gonna change the world? F**** no!! Tomorrow, if you give your kid a Egg McMuffin, sit them down in front of the E channel while you get ready for work and then drop them off at school and see them “later” I won’t be surprised or feel like a failure. If you buy an arsenal and consider yourself prepared for Armageddon, I won’t consider my words to have fallen on deaf ears. If road-rage over comes you and you cut somebody, I’m gonna shake my head and be ok. 

 Moral?: “Come on, we are better than this. As Andy Griffith once said to Jim Lindsey, on an excellent episode of The Andy Griffith Show; ‘act like you got some smart.’” Abraham Lincoln was more elegant with his reference to “the better angels of our nature”. Ghandi said “be the change you want to see in the world.” Ric Flair once said “I’m Ric Flair! The Stylin’, profilin, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealig. wheelin’ n’ dealin’ son of a gun!”...Not sure if that applies but it sure sounds cool! 

Whassup?

The new record is finding it’s way to daylight. We’ve been in the secret bunker, hard at work on some fresh songs and some new sounds. 2013’s gonna be cool...

Happy New Year, You...

Here’s a beautiful new years concept; clean your space. If it’s your office, your kitchen, your den or your car, where ever you spend most of your time, clean your space. get rid of unneeded stuff, reorganize, open it up. make your space more reflective of where you  WANT to spend your time. Even if it’s a cubicle, if you like the beach, put a little sand and shells in it, maybe just in a jar. Remember that you aren’t defined by what you do for a living. Also, remember that it’s called a “LIVING” not a purgatory...

Today's Challenge...

Today’s humble thought is simply this; Love Everyone, no matter wether they deserve it or not, even if you’re mad at them, even if they cut you off in traffic, steal your seat, eat the last piece of cheesecake, do “your song” on karaoke night before you get up, like different music, or books, or movies, or food, or people, or gods...Just love them anyway. You don’t even have to like them, just love them.