* A Dream Deferred: Aunt Bea!

On my GREAT INDIAN pages, I have some incredible Andy of Mayberry dialogue demonstrating the Anglo ideology regarding the Native American, circa 1960. Yep, the discourse presents the Indians as living a healthier, closer-to-the-earth lifestyle, but at the same time—the Indians are "devils." Curiously and/or symptomatically, this last statement (specifically: the "Shawnee—they're devils") has been expunged from the most recent TV version of this sitcom episode—that is, the one I just saw tonight. But I'd already transcribed the "devil" line from the original version on VHS, and so I wonder—uh—why are they erasing such "history"?

But that's the obvious socio-political shtuff. This time I noticed something maybe more precious. It's when Andy comes in and sees Aunt Bea, who's having a great time hammering on the piano & singing, apparently hammered from alcohol for the first time in eons, and Andy says, with a curious look: "You haven't played that piano in years." OH!—now there's an eternal note of sadness for yu'. As a musician who's progressed from various you can't's, I know how hard it is to make the psychic evolutions, and still love to play. "But Aunt Bea! What social/familial forces made it an either/or for yu, Auntie? Why'd yu' have to give up your music?!"

* Nicotine Dreams

As I briefly mentioned in a previous blog entry, the warnings for the nicotine patch include those damned "vivid dreams." If these occur—oh, no!—one must "consult" one's "physician." (Now there's a waste o' money.) With the patch on as I sleep (to misquote Wordsworth), "I am the dreamer—Nicotine, the dream." I haven't dreamt so well since I earnestly kept a dream journal, as a budding Freudian/Jungian in my undergraduate days. Dreams that seemingly last for hours on end; dreams that are seemingly as cogently plotted as a movie. (Okay, as coherent as a double feature of two movies by David Lynch, maybe.)

And Freud is right again, at least regarding wish-fulfillment. I'm dreaming once again—or more obviously, at least—about things I want to do, not about anxieties I have about waking life: 1) I'm playing guitar for long periods of time (and swear I can ALMOST remember new licks I've come up with in the dream); 2) I'm spending lots of time with my daughter, and with other family members whom I haven't seen in years (incl. my dear dead maternal grandma); 3) I'm even having quite—uh—Freudian dreams about old girlfriends, and, again, for LONG periods of time; 4) and finally, yes, I'm even smoking the occasional cigarette!

Don't pinch me. I'm dreaming.

* Bar Band Blues II

I could never sing worth a crap (after my voice changed—as a kid, I was an All-State soprano!), and so, when any of my old bar bands insisted, I liked to wait until the 4th & 5th sets to do any lead vocals—that is, when the crowd(?!) was pretty well "tuned up," and ergo more forgiving: A few more asides: yes, that's a Blue Öyster Cult t-shirt I'm wearing—bought it when I saw them in Sioux City a few years back. And yes, I'm prob'ly one of the few people in the world who actually (occasionally) finger-picks that narrow-fingerboard slab-of-wood called a Gibson SG. (But hey, with a pick and a fuzzbox, it's a monster. The amp, more visible in the previous photo-cartoon ["Bar Band Blues I"], is a Fender Deluxe Reverb, another classic: only one 12-inch speaker, but a real TUBE amp; and when you hit it on its top, you can actually hear & feel the reverb springs "shimmer.")

* Bar Band Blues I

Me playing in a Yankton (SoDak) bar a few years ago:

* It HAD to Be You

Sometimes I figure out/arrange an old jazz or Tin Pan Alley tune, the lyrics of which just happen to be nowhere near reflecting my current emotional state—or even my general psychic orientation. It was no pleasure, indeed, having the lyrics of the following running through my head (or my own parody thereof) as I decided on particular chord voicings:

IT HAD TO BE YOU
================
--Isham Jones, 1924
--4/4 // key of GM // ad-lib/rubato jazz feel (ergo rhythms approx./suggestions)
--"solo" fingerstyle acoustic arrangement: tcg, 7/07
#==== : hold note (incl. thru subsequent note[s])

                                                D+                  GM7
  ------------------pickup notes::::---------------------------------2=====|
  -----------------------------------------------3----5----3----5----3=====|
  -----------------------------------------------3===============----4=====|
  -----------------------------------------------4===============----------|
  -----------------------------------------------5===============----------|
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                  1    &    2    &    3    &    4    &    
::A1::
     GM7              D+                 GM7                          E7
||====2---------------2------(2)------|--2--------2-(2h)3----2----3--/4====|
||====3---------------3------(3)------|--3---------------------------------|
||====4---------------3------(3)------|--4---------------------------------|
||------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
||------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
||------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
      1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &      1  &  2  &     3    &    4   &    

    E7                      Eo7  E7                                   A9
 |===4-------4-------4-------3---4====|========---4------/5---4---5--/7====|
 |-----------3-------3-------2---3====|========--(3)-----------------------|
 |-----------4-------4-------3---4====|========--(4)-----------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |--(0)--0-------0--------------------|---0---0-------0--------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

    A9
 |===7-------7\------5---4---5--/7====|===7-------7\------5---4---5--/7====|
 |-----------5\------x----------------|-----------5\------x----------------|
 |-----------6\-----------------------|-----------6\-----------------------|
 |----------(5)\----------------------|----------(5)\----------------------|
 |---0---0-------0--------------------|---0---0-------0--------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

                   A7b9                  A7                          D13
 |===7-------7------6--------6--------|---5-------5-------7---5---7--/10===|
 |-----------5------5--------5--------|---5-------5-------x----------------|
 |-----------6------6--------6--------|---6-------6------------------------|
 |----------(5)----(5)------(5)-------|--(5)-----(5)-----------------------|
 |---0---0-------0-------0-------0----|-------0-------0--------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

    D13                                                  D#o7         Em
 |===10------10------10------9---10===|===10-----10-------5-------5--------|
 |-----------12------12------11--12===|===12-----12-------7---7-------8====|
 |-----------11------11------10--11===|===11-----11-------5-=======---9====|
 |--(0)--0-------0-------0------------|---0---0-------0---------------9====|
 |------------------------------------|-------------------6========--------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

    Em              Em(M7)               Em7                          A7
 |------------------------------------|-------------------------------5====|
 |====---------------8-------8--------|---8-------8-------8---7---8--------|
 |====---9=====------8-------8--------|---7-------7-------7========--------|
 |====---------------9-------9--------|---9-------9-------9========--------|
 |---7-------7---7---7-------7--------|---7-------7-------7========--------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

    A7                                                                D9
 |===5-------5-------------------5====|===5-------5-------7---10--7---5====|
 |-----------5-------8-\-7---8--------|-----------5-------8========--------|
 |-----------6-------6========--------|-----------6-------9========--------|
 |-----------5-------5========--------|-----------5------------------------|
 |---0---0-------0--(0)=======--------|---0---0-------0---0========--------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

    D9              D#9                  D9           D+             GM7
 |===5-------5-------6-------6--------|---5---------------------------2===||
 |-----------5-------6-------6--------|---5-----------3---5---3---5---3===||
 |-----------5-------6-------6--------|---5-----------3============---4===||
 |-----------4-------5-------5--------|---4-----------4============-------||
 |---5---5-------5---6-------6--------|---5-----------5============-------||
 |------------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

::A2::
     GM7              D+                 GM7                          E7
||====2------(2)------2-------2-------|--2--------2-(2h)3----2----3--/4====|
||====3------(3)------3-------3-------|--3---------------------------------|
||====4------(4)------3-------3-------|--4---------------------------------|
||------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
||------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
||------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
      1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &      1  &  2  &     3    &    4   &    

    E7                      Eo7  E7                                   A9
 |===4-------4-------4-------3---4====|========---4------/5---4---5--/7====|
 |-----------3-------3-------2---3====|========--(3)-----------------------|
 |-----------4-------4-------3---4====|========--(4)-----------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |---0---0-------0--------------------|---0---0-------0--------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

    A9
 |===7-------7\------5---4---5--/7====|===7-------7\------5---4---5--/7====|
 |-----------5\------x----------------|-----------5\------x----------------|
 |-----------6\-----------------------|-----------6\-----------------------|
 |----------(5)\----------------------|----------(5)\----------------------|
 |---0---0-------0--------------------|---0---0-------0--------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

                   A7b9                  A7                           CM7
 |===7-------7------6--------6--------|---5-------5---5---7---8---10--12===|
 |-----------5------5--------5--------|---5-------5--(5)--x-----------12===|
 |-----------6------6--------6--------|---6-------6--(6)--------------12===|
 |----------(5)----(5)------(5)-------|--(5)-----(5)-(5)--------------10===|
 |---0---0-------0-------0-------0----|-------0----------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

    CM7                          Cm6                                  GM7
 |===12\-------------0---2---3--/5====|===5-------5-------5---7---8---10===|
 |===12\\-----------------------------|-----------4-------x----------------|
 |===12\\-----------------------------|-----------5------------------------|
 |===10\\-----------------------------|-----------5------------------------|
 |------\-----------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

    GM7              B7  B+  B7  Em7                                  D7
 |===10------10\----------------------|------------------------------------|
 |-----------12\-----10--8---10--8====|===8----------------------------7===|
 |-----------11\-----8========---7====|===7-------7-----(7h)9---7---9------|
 |-------------------9========---9====|===9-----------------9========------|
 |-----------10\----------------------|---7---7-------7-----7========------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &     3   &   4  &

    D7                                 ritard.           D13
 |------------------------------------|-------------------7-----10----7----|
 |===7-------7-------5-------5----7===|===7-------7-------7============----|
 |-----------5-------5----7-----------|-----------5-------7============----|
 |-----------7-------7----------------|-----------7-------10===========----|
 |---5---5-------5--(5)---------------|---5---5-------5--------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------[---triplets----]-|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3       4

    GM6              D7          G5
 |---3--------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
 |---5---------------3----------------|-----------------------------------||
 |---4---------------5----------------|-----------------------------------||
 |---5---------------4-----------5====|===5-------------------------------||
 |-------------------5----------------|-----------------------------------||
 |-------------------------------3====|===3-------------------------------||
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &    

* RADIO RANT: "All Praise, American Woman"!

With Mother's Day coming up, some local morning talk show fellow mentioned "American Woman" as a song glorifying good ol' U.S. womanhood—that's why it's also such a popular song on the 4th of July, he added. (I didn't know this, if true.) To his credit, the fellow noted the irony of the fact that it was written and popularized by a Canadian band, the Guess Who (in 1970; their guitarist went on to form another popular band, Bachman-Turner Overdrive). To his discredit, he (and apparently many Americans) have never listened to, or understood, the song lyrics, which pretty much slam that "American Woman," and tell her emphatically to "stay away from me." One might cleverly argue that this is ironic, too, that the fellow really loves her desperately and is "protesting too much." However, the following lyrics belie such a possibility [Quot. of the Day]:

I don’t need your war machines—
I don’t need your ghetto scenes—
Coloured lights can hypnotize—
Sparkle [in] someone else’s eyes—
Now woman, get away from me—
American Woman—mama, let me be—

Now there's a song fit for a 4th of July parade. . . . So: play along! (preferably, w/ a little "tube-screamer" fuzzbox effect)::::

 B5 D5     E5         D5 E5
------||------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
------||------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
------||o-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------o||
----7-||o--9-9-9-9-9---7-9---9-9-------7----|---9-9-9-9-9---7-9\------------7---o||
-9--5-||---7-7-7-7-7---5-7---7-7---9---5----|---7-7-7-7-7---5-7\--------9---5----||
-7----||---------------------------7--------|---------------------------7--------||
 4  &      1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &

* Dissonant Times Deserve . . . . (cartoon)

Scan of a hand-drawn cartoon circa 1991—I think my first wife drew the cartoon (at least the face?), and I wrote the blurb (musta thought I was Rimbaud or somebody at the time).

* RADIO RANT: Conservative Bumper Tunes

[2nd subtitle: Conservative Contradictions III]

It first struck me years ago, when I heard Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" as a lead-in or lead-out bumper to the The Rush Limbaugh Show. How incongruous, I thought, to play such "hip" hard-rock tunes—and to give the show a greater "hip" feel for a wider, younger audience?—VERSUS Rush's own moral-majority message, against we Lefties' supposed drug abuse, profligacy, etc. (common subjects in the very bumper tunes the conservative talk show hosts often play, BTW). Glenn Beck's custom theme song sounds like some knock-off of the Friends TV song: so 90's pop-rock (and now so dated) in its sound. Michael Savage goes them all one better with some thrash-speed-metal theme à la Metallica; this can't be what he listens to in his spare time?! Of course, cultural critics have long pointed out the rather fascist elements of heavy metal; and I can imagine the Savage Nation (as he dubs his acolytes) stomping their jackboots—er, banging their heads—to the ideological beat right now. . . .

On a more pleasant note, I actually enjoy many of the Coast to Coast AM bumpers. There are the expected "ooh-OOh" standbyes, like BÖC's "The Reaper," Fleetwood Mac's "Hypnotized," and Golden Earring's "Twilight Zone." But besides the fact that I love the techno theme song (Moroder's "The Chase"), I occasional get turned onto "new" songs (e.g., Alannah Miles' "Black Velvet" and Métisse's "Boom Boom Ba"); and I often rediscover some tune I haven't heard in years. Thus I was recently inspired to figure out the guitar to old 1970 Santana song "Samba Pa Ti"—rather a jazz-solo, bossa-fingerstyle version. Here's the tab to the first section (I'll send anyone the entire tablature upon request, plus the full key to my more esoteric symbols below):

 |------------------pickup notes::::------------------------------------3--|
 |------------------------------------------------------------3------/5----|
 |--------------------------------------------------2-4-/5-----------------|
 |-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                           1  &  2  &    3    &   4   &  
::A1::
   GM7                                  Bm7
||------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
||(1h)3=======---3====-----------3----|--/7========---7====-----7h8p7------|
||---------------4====-------0h4==----|---------------7==========-----7----|
||---------------4====----------------|---------------7================----|
||------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
||-------------------3----------------|-------------------7============----|
      1   &  2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3  &  4     &

   Em7                                  Am7
 |------------------------------------|---------------------------------3--|
 |----------/8-----8==---8-------5====|====-------------------3------/5----|
 |----------/7-----7==---7-------5====|====----------2-4-/5----------------|
 |----------/9-----9==---9-------5====|====--------------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |---0========-------0====------------|---5=======-------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &  2   &    3   &   4   &

   GM7                                  Bm7
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |(1h)3=======---3====-----------3----|--/7---7====---7====-----7h8p7------|
 |---------------4====-------0h4==----|---------------7====----------------|
 |---------------4====----------------|---------------7====-----------9----|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |-------------------3====------------|-------------------7----------------|
      1   &  2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3  &  4     &

    Em7                                  Am7     v
 |------------------------------------|---------------5h7p5-5---3h5p3------|
 |----------/8-----8==---8-------5====|====----*5---------------------5----|
 |----------/7-----7==---7-------5====|====----*5--------------------------|
 |----------/9-----9==---9-------5====|====----*5--------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |---0========-------0====------------|---5--------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1  &  2  &  3     &   4     &
     
   D9                  [harm.]          Am7
 |--*5-------7------------------------|---------------5h7p5-5---3h5p3------|
 |--*5----------/12===--!12!==--------|--------*5---------------------5----|
 |--*5--------------------------------|--------*5--------------------------|
 |--*4--------------------------------|--------*5--------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|---5--------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1  &  2  &  3     &   4     &

  D9 v                                 D7 v          [single attack:]
 |--*5--------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |--*5-----5---5---5h7p5\3====--------|---3--------------------------------|
 |--*5--------------------------------|---5-------------------5p3/1p0h1/3--|
 |--*4--------------------------------|---4--------------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|---5--------------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
     1  &  2   &   3     &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &

   Am7                                  Bm7                       v
 |------------------------------------|--------------------------*2--------|
 |---------------5========---5--------|-------3-------5b(7)---3--*3--------|
 |---2-----------5========---5--------|--/4----------------------*2--------|
 |---------------5========---5--------|------------------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |-----------------------5====--------|------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &

   Am7(9)                               D9
     v   v   v   v   v   v   v
 |--*7---5---5---3---3-------3--*5====|============================--------|
 |--*5-------------------5------*5====|============================--------|
 |--*5--------------------------*5====|============================--------|
 |------------------------------*4====|============================--------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
 |------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &        1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &

  D7 v
 |---------------------------------3--|| [to the top . . .]
 |---3-------------------3------/5----||
 |---5----------2-4-/5----------------||
 |---4--------------------------------||
 |---5--------------------------------||
 |------------------------------------||
     1   &  2   &    3   &   4   &