Daily Journal March 26 9:39 a.m. Central and so we wait

Hope everyone is safe and healthy. I have talked to some who have been infected with COVID-19 and they say it is one nasty bug.

I’ve had a few stories appear on AL.com. If you haven’t seen them, here are a few.

Q&A with Dr. Saag

Postponing my death is the least I can do

Italian doctors offer harrowing look behind the scenes

OK, It’s the end of the world, now what

I’ve added to the countdown several times in the last week or so, with posts on Pink Floyd, Elvis Presley, and Peter Paul and Mary.

I’m down 248 left to review from my 678 starting point — that means I’ve done 431 reviews — all posted here and available at your fingertips. Also there are probably about 100 other posts not specifically countdown related. Keep reading and thank you for all the kind words and support.

Daily Journal (Feb. 26, 2020) Tighten up version

I got a column coming up this weekend that is too long but it’s early. As Mark Twain wrote ‘Sorry this letter was so long. I would have made it shorter if I had more time.’ NOTE: From memory, not exact quote.

So, what I’m writing about is my disappointment that there is not more awareness of Lewy body dementia. The old sore spot was resurrected last week when I received an 82-page, 16,077 word report on Alzheimer’s research. One of those 16K words was Lewy. One!

Again everything, money, publicity, public awareness is focused on Alzheimer’s. We’re going to change that.

Look for it on AL.com Saturday. Even though I went ahead and wrote it too long. Ranted too long. so like my old buddies Archie Bell and his buddies the Drells used to say: Tighten Up.

In other news, I’m gearing up for this Alabama Record Collector’s Association show on March 6 and 7 in Gardendale. I have a table and am ready to sell a portion of MyVinylCountdown.com records. From my eye. There’s a tear.

Here are some records I’m pulling out. I’ll probably put up for sale my A through D’s or E’s, about 150 albums or so. (You can see a list just by scrolling my blog starting from the A’s.)

Big John Patton — 268, 267

Album: Blue John (Recorded 1963, released 1986)

MVC Rating: 4.5/$$$$

If you are introducing someone to good jazz, Blue John is a good place to start. Because it is so much fun. What do you expect from an album that starts off with “Hot Sauce.”

This record has an odd history. It was recorded in 1963 but didn’t see its release until 1986 on Blue Note.

Allmusic.com says this: “There may be something of a novelty element to (George) Braith‘s (saxophone) playing, but bluesy, groove-centered soul-jazz rarely sounds this bright and exuberant, which is reason enough not to dismiss his contributions.”

In addition to Braith’s funky sax sounds, Grant Green’s guitar throughout is tasty. Many people get introduced to good jazz with ‘Kinda Blue’ by Miles Davis or John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” or “My Favorite Things.” Great albums and must haves for a jazz collection. But Blue John by Big John Patton is an instant like with its laid back tempo and bluesy swing.

Links to Wikipedia bios of these musicians below.

John Patton – organ

Tommy Turrentine – trumpet (5, 6)

George Braith – soprano saxophonestritch

Grant Green – guitar

Ben Dixon – drums

Top 6 things I learned about 78 RPM records (Plus: Blog edition ‘Is 78 the new 33-1/3?

Top 6 Things I Learned about 78 RPM Records

  1. The records are 10 inches, as opposed to 12 inches, and most are made of shellac. Vinyl records are 12 inches. 45’s are 7 inches. (These are diameters)
  2. The 78s, put out from the turn of the last century (think 1900 until the 1950s, often came in ‘albums’ where four or five records slid into sheets in the book or album. So they were truly albums in that sense of the word. The word has been expanded, it seems, to include one record in a jacket or even CDs. Confusing.
  3. 78s can look beat up but still play very listenable music. I was surprised — I have both beat up discs and others that are in remarkable shape.
  4. There are tons of labels and some people shop labels. I have Columbia, Decca, Jubilee, Bop, Vocalion, Blue Note, Okeh, Dial, among others.
  5. Some 78s — while a niche’ market — are valuable, as in thousands of dollars valuable. These tend to be rare ones in the country blues, or plain blues vein and older jazz, also rockabilly.
  6. Robert Johnson who with ‘Crossroads’ as having sold his soul to the devil for his guitar abilities put out a few records which are highly sought after

So go now. Check grandma’s closets — could be a Hank Mobley in there.

Short version of ‘Is 78 the new 33 1/3?’ Expanded version here.

Life is a kick. We leave this world helpless, crying and unable to eat solid foods — just as we came in.

I don’t know when the regression of one’s life begins. For me it was about 50 or so. Just more aches and pains. My diagnosis at 57 with Lewy body dementia put the aging process in the fast lane.

I say all this to tell you about my new hobby, listening to 78 RPM records

You’ve seen them even if you haven’t ever used them. They are those 10-inch records usually hard and heavy. Now when we talk about collecting vinyl, we are usually talking about 12-inch records which bring forth the music at the slow moving 33-1/3 revolutions per minute. There are also collectors of the 7-inch, 45 rpm records commonly called 45’s or singles.

Collecting 78’s is the next step toward total regression in the popular human pursuit of listening to music. For me listening to music is therapeutic and can be transcendent, spiritual even.

FOR REST OF POST: Is 78 the new 33 1/3?

Inside Mike’s brain. Take a tour. (Blog edition).

Note: This published Monday Jan. 6 on AL.com. Here’s the top of the story and a link to the full length version:

This is an opinion column by Mike Oliver who writes about living with Lewy body dementia.

Come on in.

Welcome.

Welcome to my brain.

The brain is the big boss. This is where it begins — and possibly ends.

I have a brain. (Thank God I was in the right line for that).

But I am not my brain.

Sure, my brain is the Bill Gates of my operation on Earth. But Gates has many thousands who make up Microsoft. Of course it’s all directed and put in play by Gates. When my stomach hurts my brain tells me. But my stomach almost simultaneously mobilizes the forces to find whatever distresses it and help with a fix. The brain keeps the light on while the body parts do their job.

The brain is me but not me only. It’s the conductor of a million symphonies as my body comes together in symbiotic synchronicity. Harmony.

But not always, and certainly not forever. My brain is broken now.

It’s leaking Lewy bodies.

And depending on the source, one lives an average of 4 to 9 years after diagnosis. I was diagnosed, first with Parkinson’s and later Lewy body dementia in 2016. In an internal battle, proteins are killing my brain cells by the 10′s of millions. Near the end, autonomic will not be automatic.

So, welcome to my brain. Let’s have a little fun. (That’s my new motto).

Full story here.

The Pretenders — 281, 280

ALBUMS: The Pretenders (1980); Learning to Crawl (1983)

MVC Rating: Pretenders 4.5/ $$$; Learning 4.5/$$$

This band I just picked up on after hearing them on the radio. Strong female lead singer and good songwriter. Chrissie led the band with a sneer that offered rock and roll a direction as it moved into the Nuevo Wavo sound.

‘Learning to Cry’ was the third album and put them square in the commercial arena as New Wave examples of where the sound was going and what’s next. They just rocked and rolled people, that’s all- no more no less. I’d pick up these two albums if you don’t have any Pretenders — they are nearly Desert Island records, in and of themselves.

Brass in Pocket was their initial hit off the first album. They had strong rockers including “Precious.” The first album had a punkier sound. I don’t have the second album but I think it too was punkiel The first album had a full tank a gas, a scraping tailpipe and it looked like it might know where it is going.

Learning to Crawl proved they knew where to go. (Back) On the Chan Gang is an all time classic and ‘Middle of the Road;’ Thumbelina; My City was Gone; and 2000 Miles all deserve to be in the conversation. “I Hurt You,’ — Whew!

Marie Osmond –282

ALBUM: I Only Wanted You (1986)

MVC Rating: 2.5

This one is interesting. But I pulled another Nostalgia buy and bought this for a few bucks after reading how there’s resurgent interest in old rock and roll teeny bop music.

Marie’s path has been country.

Music from groups such as the Partridge Family, the Cowsills, and the Osmonds and the Jackson 5 (a group I see in a whole other realm.)

On their television show, Donnie and Marie did a bit where she sang: I’m a little bit country.”

Donnie: ‘ I’m a little bit rock and roll.’

The qualifiers came off funny to me and I mean ha-ha funny. ‘Little bit is about right’.

On this here record, Marie sings pleasantly, better than I remember. But she’s no Lynne Anderson. I I just found out she just had her 60th birthday. As a recent 62-year-old, I say Happy Birthday, and, yes, there is some age defiance here as she looks much younger.

I have to admit I listened to Donny and bros and watched the show. Enjoyed One Bad Apple .

I used to know the song Paper Laces by heart — (not on this album).

I[

I watched brother Donny rock it up on Down By The Lazy River where Donny actually shows a little funkability. But in my childhood record collectiion, the Donny Osmond stack of 45s was way less than the Michael Jackson stack.

PS That’s a pretty catchy open on Lazy River. Just pointing it out.

His and Hurricanes of the Future Pt. 13

EDITOR’s NOTE

This is the 13th in a series. For best experience read it sequentially starting at Pt. 1. Click on the His and Hurricanes button on the website for the others.

SCENE: Prosby was on his way due west to get to the Underground where Burneese was being held. Burneese had been found guilty of the trumped up charges and sentenced to death.

***

Burneese was popular, had lots of friends inside and outside of government. She got the highest grade meals because of her friendship with those in the kitchen. Instead of the dried spiced meat and smashed potatoes, she ate like a Queen, yeast rolls, turnips and collards and mushroom and leak soup.

Meat was rare and unwanted these days. Most of it was potted or jerked and at least 20 years old. Vegetables were both the mainstay and the delicacy as people mastered the art of hydroponic gardening and experimented with crossbred seedlings. For desert she had kiwi and raspberries.

Although confined to a small cell, she had two hours in an open space with televisions and music-makers. If you were really lucky you might snag a HelmVirt or HV. It was a helmet which you could put on for many virtual reality experiences. You could put it on and be on a beach in Hawaii in your mind. The HV’s were given to reward the “good inmates.” Of course Burneese, a big fan of vintage cop shows, used her connections to get an HV.

“Why do you get that, bitch?” A large woman with a hateful look, squinting eyes and snot tattoos, approached Burneese. In the old days ex-convicts could be easily spotted with their prison tats: Lettering between the knuckles; a tear drop on the face under the eye. Now snot tattoos which came with shiny ink looked like a trail of green and yellow snot dripping to one’s lip.

“I have permission.” Burnsee gave her a convict’s staredown.

“Give it to me now” the woman said, “or I will beat you down like a junkyard cat-rat.”

“Huh,” said Burneese.

The woman approached. Burneese could have taken her with one spinning leg kick to the head, but then she would expose herself as a trained fighter, bringing attention she did not need.

So she gave her the helmet.

Go ahead, the shows weren’t too hot anyway. Unbeknownst to the woman who bent down to pick it up, Burneese had opened with one hand a bottle of YaSuba Ghost-Haber sauce. And she had emptied it into the helmet. One drop of what was billed as the world’s Hottest Hot Sauce can heat a 2-gallon pot of beans feeding 25 people. Wonder what 100 drops will do on one persons head?

The woman immediately put the helmet on. and the screams were still loud behind the face mask. Apparently it was so hot, it impaired the woman’s thinking and she couldn’t take it off as big drops of the sauce dripped down in her eyes, her cheeks, mouth and nose.

She ran screaming down the hall.

Meanwhile, Prosby, about five miles from as the crow flies, was cold. A stiff breeze was rushing in from the north. And this used to be the Sunshine State?

Snow began to fall. It was common now. Snow in Florida. The climate had been turned upside down for the world.

That climate change is caused in part by humans used to be a debate, Prosby remembered from his school teachings. Hundreds of years ago some folks said climate change didn’t even exist. Their rantings fell silent over time as they saw record storms, tornadoes, Hurricanes and HIsicanes, 10-year droughts, massive flooding, and people moving underground. Prosby smiled when he remembered how one news investigation found the oil companies had underground shelters and living spaces for decades before the general populous. But of course, the tycoons and CEOs also had an average of 5000 times the annual salaries of the middle class workers.

In 2200, Prosby remembering his ancient history, the average plumber, computer technician or farmer made about $80,000 per year while the average CEO pay was $400 Million a year.

Over the last 100 years, the destruction of our ozone layer has turned up the volume — to 11 — on nearly all weather events. Scientist now theorize that the very laws of gravity are soon to be affected as the earth’s rotation slowly speeds up.

Many folks have actually attached chairs beds and couches, upside down on the ceilings because some think we’ll be weightless and pulled upward as gravity’s pull reverses itself due to the faster spinning globe. They think people will be literally walking on the ceiling, living in an upside down world. How long this will take is still a matter of scientific debate, it could be slowly over a period centuries or it could take place over a matter of a few years.

The slow believers say there will be people and all objects not tethered on earth will lose weight eventually reaching a weight of 0 pounds. People will feel very light and will be able to jump over houses. As the weight goes into the negative territory ( which the standard scale can measure as it sticks to the ceiling, people will be in danger as the lack of gravity can take them to space. Screaming untethered humans will begin to rise off of the ground and eventually suffocate as they move closer to outer space.

Critics of this theory point out that folks can wear weights on the ankles and waist and be just fine for hundreds of years until the counter gravity pull is too strong.

But this hasn’t stopped an entire industry now of selling at Tar-Mart “Ceiling Living” room concepts.

Prosby broke out of his reverie wondering how comfortable it would be lying on your couch on the ceiling when he heard a noise.

It was the sound of footsteps crackling in the ever increasing snow — about 2 inches now.

“Who goes there?” asked Prosby, feeling cold, damp and grumpy.

To Be Continued

FUNK: Muscle Shoals Horns, Kool &the Gang; Earth Wind and Fire; Graham Central Station, 308, 307, 306, 305,

307, 306, 305, 304


ALBUMS: That’s the Way of the World, Earth Wind and Fire (1975); Ain’t No Doubt About it: Graham Central Station (1975). Light of the World, Kool and the Gang (1974); Born to Get Down (1976), Muscle Shoals Horns.

MVC Rating: EWF: 4/$$$; GCS: 4/$$; KG: 4/$$$; MSH: 4.5/$$$

I started out to just do one review here on the Muscle Shoals Horns, an album I’ve had a long time and I was in the “M’s’ of my alphabetical countdown.

From Left: Graham Central Station; Earth Wind and Fire: Kool and the Gang; Muscle Shoals Horns.

Then I started finding albums I had forgotten even though some were recently purchased. Funk is a dance band music, often with horns and heavy bottom, drums and bass. When it works, it puts you up on the dance floor.

I’m going to give you a short assessment as I rank this small batch put together from my collection. I do have more. The Average White Band–which I have already done way back when I was in the ‘A’s’. I’m in the ‘M’s now. One notable funky music artist coming up is Sly and the Family Stone which I will hold on until I get to the S’s.

OK this is going to be thumbnail observations in alphabetical order and then I’ll declare a favorite:

Earth WInd and FIre: This album was a huge hit. Shining Star was a 1970’s staple. as was the title song ‘That’s the Way of the World.’ Definitely the most commercial/radio friendly of the group.

Graham Central Station: Certainly the hardest rocking of the group. You can hear the influence of his former band mate Sly Stone in creating a freewheeling musical extravaganza with distortion-enhanced electric guitars.

Kool and the Gang: Probably the old school funkiest, if that makes sense. They had ace musicians who snapped to sudden stops and turned to funk it up in another direction.

Muscle Shoals Horns: I came in without any expectations. Depending on your tastes this album may be the best of the group. They got my attention and not just because they are local here to the state of Alabama. But they can play. And the sound of the vinyl on my stereo system was the best of the others. As with all these groups, the musicianship was top-notch. I will definitely be keeping this one out in case I need more emergency dance music.

Vinyl Negotiations: Records I didn’t sell

If you came here from my vinyl negotiations story at AL.com you are in the right spot.

If you have read that article you know that I sold three records at a recent record show in Gardendale:  Nick Drake’s ‘Five Leaves Left;’ ‘Buckingham Nicks’; and Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘OLE with yellow/gold vinyl.

I feel like I could have stayed and sold more but I felt drained. Here’s what I didn’t sell:

Led Zeppelin ‘Houses of the Holy’ (original pressing, Broadway address, Robert Ludwig initials in dead wax). I was asking $200 and was pretty firm about that price. Several expressed interest but no offers on that.

Jimmy Buffett ‘High Cumberland Jubilee’ (an early, early Buffett album). I was asking $20 but would’ve taken $15.

Keith Whitley ‘A Hard Act to Follow.’ Near mint EP with press release and 8X10 photo. Asking $50 but would have taken $30.

Scorpions ‘Virgin Killer’ and ‘Best of Scorpions’ (I was asking $15 each but would have taken $10 each.)

Dion ‘Runaround Sue’. Cover was frayed but Laurie label record pristine. I was asking $30. Probably would have taken $20.

Tips for vinyl negotiations.