The College Crowd Digs Me

  (4 For Friday) *   I go back and look at this often.  Just a  beautiful railway in Japan.  This is not photoshopped. *  Can't get a word in edgewise?  7 ways to have your say when dealing with chronic over-talkers . *   Who's up next?   Chasing the all-mighty dollar.   "Everyone I know goes away in the end."    *  20 funny one-panel comics  by Scott Hilburn.  A Greg Larson vibe a-happenin'. "Charlie Bit My Finger" (A little Remix Nostalgia) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK  

The Institute by Stephen King (2019) Hardcover, 561 pages NO SPOILERS: There are roughly 800,000 children that go missing every year.  Most are found.  One way or another.  But then there are a few that just vanish.  Stephen King finally whips up another “kids“ story.  The kind he writes so well.  The evil forces in this story are not some other-worldly clown.  This time the evilness lies behind the eyes of a few sadistic adults who run a mysterious building called…The Institute. The characters are well-written and the big reveal is a disturbing idea that gives cause to pause.  I loved the kids' interactions.  The way King tries to hide the children's scares and utter helplessness behind 12-year-old masked bravado is pretty spot on.  And you root and worry for the kids and hope for some comeuppance on all the bad people.  The unstable adults running the whacky-shack all seem to have an “it's a paycheck” attitude.  The kind yo...

"Gandalf" - Gandalf  (1969 - Rei 2020? ) The face is surrounded by butterflies and flowers.  But then there's the eyes.  Eyes with yellow pupils.  No matter where I set this album...the eyes are keeping watch.  Gandalf's self-titled square is a cool float-edelic psych pop whisperer.  Sure, it has some Hammond and the occasional fuzz g burns.  A bit of sitar and weirdly-cool bass.  But the album is not noisy.  Plenty of room to breathe.  And the vocals add an almost ethereal atmosphere that together gives everything an affecting vibe. Gandalf was a New York band and had recorded these songs two years prior to Capitol Records finally deciding to dance.  Unfortunately, the pressings were released with the wrong record inside.  This snafu was corrected soon after, but I imagine the commercial damage had already been done.  "Boom Boom, out go the lights" as the saying goes .   However, for those who found themselve...

(4 For Friday ) *   This isn't sped up.  This is real.   Lava flowing down the rive r and believe me, you don't want any part of it. *   There's the head.  There's the neck.  I can't stop watching this! *  Some very cool and eclectic actors passing through the iconic TV show..." Miami Vice." *   Take a look at ten fascinating pictures of celebrities if they were still alive today...AI generated. "Somewhere Down The Crazy River" -  Robbie Robertson / "Robbie Robertson" (1987) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK

"Martin" - Donald Rubinstein  (1979) The  "Martin"  soundtrack is meant to be absorbed completely.  A full meal.  The square spins between classical gothic headiness and moments of gothic jazz (if that's even a thing.)  And it makes little difference if you have seen the film or not.  You'll get it either way.  Composer Donald Rubinstein's score for this small cult film classic is a wonderful love splash.  No cut corners here. This may not be your thing as a rule, but whether intentional or otherwise, the "Martin" soundtrack has a definite mind-spin element.  I've not seen the complete list, but Mojo Magazine included this album in its "100 Coolest Film Scores Ever."   Take that for what it may be worth.  This isn't the best thing ever, but I like it.  And the album will be holding the court from time to time. "Martin" - Donald Rubinstein (back) Don't cherry-pick on this one.  You don't need no bag...

"The Split Level (Divided We Stand"" - The Split Level (1968) I had never heard any of the songs from The Split Level , but I was aware it had a somewhat pop-psych reputation.  The music is more pop-folk than psych, but the psych is definitely there.  The songs are mature, clever, and nicely eclectic with vocals that shy away from falling into the sunshine.  There is some sitar and occasional gregorian chanting going on.  A little fuzz, albeit light, is thrown in the mix, as well.  Overall, The Split Level's only album has a kind of innocent weirdness that keeps everything afloat.  And it's good for what it is.    "The Split Level (Divided We Stand)" - The Split Level (back) Favorites include the deep track "Looking At The Rose Through World Colored Glasses."    The gregorian-filled "Speculator" is a heady anti-war spin.  The very cool "Equipment" is about having to plug in and turn knobs.  And the single culled from ...

(4 For Friday) *   That escalated quickly.  Mother grizzly gonna protect her babies. *  What if Chris Farley had been cast as The Joker ? *  Looks easy until you try doing it.  And this  guy kills it.   And his upper body barely moves. *   Top five regrets of the dying.  Make the changes now! "Monolith" - T. Rex / "Electric Warrior" (1971) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK  

"You Won't Remember Dying" - Bulbous Creation (1971 - Rei 2021) As the story goes, in 1971  Bulbous Creation  from Prairie Village, Kansas scraped together enough money to record some songs but forgot to leave enough green paper in their pockets to press any albums.  So the band just broke up.  The songs gathered dust somewhere, and as rock-n-roll stories go...another band done gone.  I'm sure there's much more detail to this epistle but that's about the crux of it.  By the way, Prairie Village is about a three-hour drive northeast of Wichita. Fast forward to 1994, and the Numero Group label caught wind of the music and officially pressed the band's songs to wax.  Now known as... "You Won't Remember Dying" ... Bulbous Creation's only album has become a bit of a sought-after stoner square and originals are getting pricey. "You Won't Remember Dying" is a heavy wonderfully unpolished stoner rock album filled with some excel...

"It was a very aggressive approach  that we had.  And a lot of the audience I think found it pretty intimidating." ~ Zal Cleminson ~ In 1972, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band became the "Clockwork Orange" of rock and roll.  Exaggerated theatrical antics and always with an ominous undercurrent of foreboding.  Smiling the good smile while leaving even longtime fans cautiously unsettled about the portent grey areas that fall between where the band's tongue meets the cheek. Many didn't understand SAHB's brand of genius.  They were excellent pieces of prog-rock, hard rock, glam-rock, and proto-punk.  But forget the labels.  Like it or lump it.  There's just no in-between.  Of course, Alex Harvey was the in-your-face troubadour that ran the carnival, but the mimed-faced Zal Cleminson was always the dark, mysterious unknown variable. Smiling and mugging the stage while his piercing guitar riffs and stings found their mark.  Only to show u...

"The Who Sell Out" - The Who (1967) This album completes my '60s Who period.  And my appreciation for The Who has grown in leaps.  "The Who Sell Out" is a nerf ball of ideas and possibilities that bounce and carom somewhere between Ivor the engine driver and the grandstanding "Tommy."   The songs are tasty psych-dusted pop-rock goodness.  Gorgeous harmonies and clever melodies abound with songs surrounded by commercial radio jingles and come-ons that are simply brilliant.  The band is having a go, for sure, but nothing on here comes cheap or wasted.  "...Sell Out"  is just an amazing square and one I passed over on numerous occasions for reasons I can't explain.  I'm glad I finally took the plunge. "The Who Sell Out" (back) Favorites include "Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand" ... "Tattoo" ... "I Can't Reach You" ...and, of course, the cheater-burner classic "I Can See For Miles....

(4 For Friday) *   Really?  How is this even possible?   Take a breath lady, how 'bout it! *   "Don't Stop Me Now" played with toothbrushes, typewriters, a telephone...well, you get the picture.  And it's about the best thing you'll hear all day. *   How to blur parts of an image for free online.  Handy to have around from time to time. *  Looking at these colorized historical photographs is like having a time-travelers pass.  Amazing. "Back Street Kids" - Black Sabbath / "Technical Ecstasy" (1976) Good stuff. Casey Chambers Follow Me On FACEBOOK