100 Awesome Things - Parts 32 and 33 - From the Vault 2013

For the first time, 100 Awesome Things takes on two pieces of music at a time... and once more, grief and music are entwined.

~~~2013~~~~

One of the things about grief, in whatever form it takes, is how it eventually just is. Perhaps it takes a very long time, but it's something one absorbs into the fabric of one's soul, one's existence, one's life. It simply is.

100 Awesome Things - Part 30 - From The Vault 2013

For anyone who saw the Entertainment/Culture section of their news this week, or anyone who has ever spoken to me for any length of time, I don't suppose today's subject will be any surprise.

Because Ray Manzarek died the other day.

100 Awesome Things - Part 21 - From the Vault 2012

I posted this on 8 December 2012. This is a date that has a great deal of meaning to me, given that it's Morrison's birthday and Lennon's anniversary.

*

Sixty-nine years ago today, give or take some hours, Jim Morrison entered the world. I assume he did so kicking and screaming.

I started writing this post a few days ago after a comment on one of my favourite feminist blogs related to a Doors song, then I got caught up in a conversation with a work friend slash bandmate I shall call Mark (because it's his name).

Then I ditched it, because it was the same old "boo hoo me I was a freak at school" toss. Let me try again. Once more, with brevity.

100 Awesome Musical Things - Part 9 - From the Vault 2012

The 100 Awesome Musical Things series reaches one of the dudes that was always going to show up sooner or later...

*

So far I've posted a variety of dead people's music... and a lil' bit of living people.

There is one Dead Musician who is notable by his absence so far. Today that ends.

Rock Music: Enduring the Double Standard, Part 2423707d - From the Archive 2009

Clarenote 2017: This was written in one raging blast at around the time I was finally beginning to understand feminism beyond 'I believe in equal rights therefore I am a feminist'. I was honoured when Melissa at Shakesville read it and posted there as a follow up.

I'm not as angry I am differently angry now. I might not write exactly as I did in 2009, in no small part because of the brilliant conversations this sparked on my blog and at Shakesville... 

I was on stage sometimes in 2009. Since then, I've learnt to just seize the fraking stage, make it my own and care about nobody else's opinion. That matters.

To my friends certain relief, I've gotten better at spacing out my Facebook shares. And no, the person who made the comment is no longer a friend. 

So, have some timey-wimey wavey lines as we head back in time, to when I was merely beginning to understand that Rory Gallagher had taken residence in my soul and wasn't going anywhere...

As always, I've tried to keep edits to a minimum... and I'm sorta sorrynotsorry for some of the language. If that's what you really take offence to, you may not be paying attention, but fair warning, it's there.

~~~2017~~~2016~~~2015~~~2014~~~2013~~~2012~~~2011~~~2010~~~2009~~~

I have a habit. An irritating habit. I like to share YouTube videos on Facebook on even the smallest pretext. This leads to me basically spamming my own FB profile with videos each time I stop there. So far, I've managed to refrain from sharing The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson every time I burst out laughing.

Lately, I've been profile-spamming with Rory Gallagher videos every so often. Or rather, every time I go to YouTube in search of a Rory video. I'm in the mid-period stage of New Obsession, and it's just as well that YouTube wasn't around when I went through the same with The Beatles, or with Led Zeppelin or with Thin Lizzy or with The Doors, or with Dean Martin.

Amongst the videos I posted the other day was this:

The Valentino Test - From the Vault 2007

This is from mid-2007. I had discovered the deathless wonder that was Rudolph Valentino earlier that year when Blockbuster Online (cue 'remember them' gag) sent The Sheik on DVD.

I had know of Valentino forever of course, but had not understood the fuss until seeing him on film. I was entranced, enchanted and bowled over. He was a beautiful distraction during unquestionably horrendo times.

This is all still true, nearly 10 years later. I'm nothing if not consistent.

On Phantoms, Morrison & The Would've Been Question - From the Vault 2005

Another archive bit, this time from Jan 2005. I went to see The Phantom of the Opera in a rare family trip to the cinema. It was an excruciating outing in some respects: I don't love seeing movies with other people in general, and the rest of the party seemed determined to irritate the frak out of me throughout...

Of course, The Phantom of the Opera is not a great movie. It's not as bad as some folks would make out, and I don't think it's aged well but it's not awful.

This is another post that feels like it's from 'before'. Before the real darkness set in; before I pulled myself out of the hole; before, before... I've edited somewhat, partly to make my meaning absolutely clear, but the content remains essentially the same... and in places I've noted where my younger self was basically starry-eyed, naive and wrong. We live, we learn. What a naïf I was...

This stayed with me for a long time after I posted it, opening with a single, simple question:


Would I love Jim Morrison if he were ugly?

From the Vaults - Buying Rolling Stone for once

This post originally appeared on The Ancient Blog on 1 May 2004...


I don't like Marilyn Manson. I don't like his music and I think there are better ways of grabbing the world's attention than looking like a total twonk... but I have always had respect for him in a way I've never had for people like Robbie/Kylie/Justin/Britney/Phil Collins. I get that he's a clever guy who looks like he does and sounds like he does because he's making a personal statement that isn't ever going to be a really popular one. I also rather loved what he said to Michael Moore in Bowling for Columbine.

So yesterday when I bought Rolling Stone's 'The Immortals' issue (April 15 2004) and found he was the one writing the piece about the Doors (of course they're on the list, doubters!) I was caught between thinking 'God, I have the Doors in common with Marilyn Fucking Manson? and 'let's see what the dude has to say'.

3rd July 2005 - On Morrison

This was originally posted at Ye Olde Blog on 3rd July 2005, when Live8 was on.

I was yet to return to beloved London at that point, and within only a few days, my beloved city would suffer through another terrorist attack. I was terribly sad about Jim Morrison, because the more things change, the more they stay the same.

3rd July 2005

I have nothing to say about Live 8 that hasn't already been said except that in my great need to avoid RobbiefuckingWilliams, who seemed to be under the impression people were there for him, I missed The Who...

I'm told Roger remains Dorian Gray-like in his ability to stay looking forever young. I'm fairly positive that Live 8 will change absolutely fuck all, because rock and roll cannot save the world. 


Rock and roll cannot even save itself. Which brings me so neatly to the point of this post.