Mariners Rule, Rangers Drool

Dave and Susannah (my little sister) can be so similar sometimes. She is currently sitting next to me and laughing and laughing about the Pet Sounds liner notes. Just observing.

It's opening day and I want a hot dog. But it is pouring and my house is cozy and smells like brioche bread pudding so I think that will be an acceptable substitute. But also, I fucking love hot dogs.

Taxes: Done

Though technically speaking I fall into the tax bracket labeled "DIRE," it hardly ever feels as bad as I imagined it would.

Criterion

I'm on something of a long-term mission to see every movie in the Criterion Collection, but this plan is encumbered by two things:

1. Probably 20% of the Criterion movies I have no desire to see.
2. They add titles at a rate that far exceeds my watching ability.

Despite these obstacles, I'm about a third of the way through. I wonder who is in charge of designing their DVD cases. I sometimes like them even more than I like the movies themselves. Example:

Man, that scene was suggestive for 1953.

Which reminds me, RIP Richard Widmark.

Charlie

Ever since Joanna brought the wonderful "Buhlud" video into my life, I can't stop watching it. This video, although slightly less hilarious, makes a welcome substitute. It's by far the best thing I've seen all week and on Sunday my whole family was together for Easter and didn't fight! Still though, these kids are British. Sorry Mom.

Hilarious!

I told Dave I would update the blog today and find something so funny that it would make all his posts forgettable. But then I didn't do that and searching "hilarious" on youtube only turned up some cats and grandmas (not as good as you'd think). I did find this however, and as a Mountain Goats fan who loves the new album, I think it's great.

http://www.thejeffreylewissite.com/Mt-Goats-Press-Kit-08.html

Pet Sounds

I suppose this goes along with my last post a bit. The following is an excerpt from the liner notes to a 1990 re-issue of the Beach Boys' seminal album Pet Sounds, considered by many to be their best work.

Brian Wilson:

"In December of 1966, I heard the album Rubber Soul by the Beatles. It was definitely a challenge for me. I saw that every cut was very artistically interesting and stimulating. I immediately went to work on the songs for Pet Sounds."

I like that when he listens to a really good album, all he hears is "Bring your A-game, Wilson. Yeah, this record is talking to you."

I hope he felt some vindication when Paul McCartney would later cite Pet Sounds as a major influence on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the one album that beat it on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time." But then, what the hell is that list worth? They think the top ten albums ever made were all released within about seven years (1979's London Calling excepted).

Days Off Don't Make for Good Blog Posts

There's only so much to be said about moving a cabinet and walking to the library.

I'm starting to get interested in music again. Not playing it, I mean, just listening to it. It's weird, but for a while there I'd just lost all interest in hearing anything new or exciting. I thought it had all been done and I'd heard all I needed to. "Incorrectly jaded," I guess would be the best phrase for it.

But now I actively want to hear new things (or at least new to me). It's not like there was one song, album, or artist that served as an epiphany for me. It must have something to do with all of the music news and reviews I've been reading lately; I want to hear what everyone's talking about. And it's good stuff, this... music.