Spin The Black Circle

Spin The Black Circle                                2114

Wednesday, October 26, 2005-10:44 P.M.

I'd like to thank everyone who wrote and wished my family well during our heating crisis.  If you haven't been keeping up, our furnace crapped the bed, and even though we have the good people at Ryan Heating and Cooling on tap to install a new one, there's a significant waiting list, and we have no heat until they get to us, hopefully before the snow starts flying.

But today, I went out and got one of those nice area heaters, and we set it up in the bedroom, and it made it nice and toasty!  Luckily, our apartment is small enough that it doesn't take a lot of wattage to warm or cool the air.  So we're not going to die.  I appreciate the cards and letters, but in all honesty, I'm going to have to send the checks back.  And thank you, my friends (you know who you are).

So today was a nice quiet day, spent indoors and enjoying the latest Spin magazine.  Pamela subscribes to it, I think, just to remind me of how un-hip I am.  Which hurts, truth be told, because I used to work in college radio, and I was cooler than King Kong, Hollywood and the House of Guitars put together.  But you get busy with a demanding career, wife, family and etc., and somehow the music thing gets past you.  Still, I have a few notes:

Public Enemy has a new album out called New Whirl Odor, and it may be the first new album purchase for me in almost 10 years.  I've always loved Chuck D.'s lyrics and unapologetic style, and that thing Flavor Flav does, whatever you want to call it.  Sheila Rayam, a reviewer for the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle newspaper, said it sounded "old," which I think is a weak criticism...without even hearing the album, I think she's trying to say that it doesn't sound like the rap and hip-hop that's being produced today, and frankly, I consider that a good thing.

Spin's essential songs to download are a complete mystery to me...not only have I never downloaded a song, who are these bands?  I've heard of Radiohead, and Gang of Four, and thank god Charles Mingus is on there...I know him, but he's been dead for years.  But who are these other bands?  My MorningJacket?  Fat Lip?  Cut Copy?  They have Echo and the Bunnymen on there, but I didn't listen to them in the 80's, and I probably won't go out of my way to listen them now.

Slash and Duff McKagan, formerly of Guns 'n' Roses, are suing Axl Rose for selling the back catalogue of the band to Sanctuary records.  Slash and Duff are making megabucks in their new band, Velvet Revolver, and Axl is eating macaroni and cheese.  Where's the love, fellas?

Three of the New York Dolls are dead...I knew that, but I could only name Johnny Thunders.  I could give you David Johansen (Buster Poindexter to you, loser).  I still bob up and down when I hear "Personality Crisis."  Don't you?

I thought Green Day sucked out loud when they debuted 10 or 12 years ago, and now I think they're o.k.  "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" still sucks, though...punks don't do ballads, guys.

The RZA from Wu-Tang Clan did a one-page interview, and he said "No disrespect, but even white girls' booties are big now!"  I just came back from the South, and I can tell you why that is...it's because Crackas put pork in every G**Damn thing...it's green beans, kids, it doesn't need chunks of ham!  Still, I like a big booty, so God Bless America.

Gwen Stefani has no chest; why is she a sex symbol?  Also, what is a "hollaback girl?"  Am I just too white to get this?

I'm looking forward to the new Johnny Cash biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix.  It looks pretty good, and Cash had an interesting life, to say the least, and I like his music a lot.  I have been listening to the Bob Dylan tribute concert a lot lately, and Johnny does a cover of "It Ain't Me, Babe" that is hotter than fish grease.

Lou Reed has a new album coming out called The Other Side, and it features a duet with Lita Ford.  Now that's a track I want to hear.  I think Lou Reed is great, and I had a severe teenage metal fanboy crush on Lita Ford back in the 80's.  Lou Reed wrote "Walk On The Wild Side" and "Sweet Jane," and for that alone, he should be in the Rock 'n' Roll hall of fame.  Coincidentally, he has a track on the Dylan tribute concert...he does "Foot of Pride," and it sounds like he wrote it...it has that chugging shuffle rhythm that he uses on "Sweet Jane," and he sings the lyrics like he means them.  I don't mean to gush, but damn it's good.

I heard a few songs from Damian Marley's Welcome To Jamrock CD while I was in D.C. last month, one of the comics I had lunch with had it in the car.  It's very good, and he does his father's legacy well with the combination reggae, rock and even a little hip-hop in the mix.  Because it's so good, it'll sell 25,000 copies and won't be on the radio eight months from now.  America sucks.

O.K., that's enough for now.  Pam and Harmony are making the trip with me to Erie, Pennsylvania tomorrow, and I'm so excited!  All the benefits of working, with none of the loneliness!  I know it's going to be a bit of a drag, hauling all of the baby stuff that's going to have to come along (babies carry more gear than mountain climbers), but it's going to be fun!  And probably a learning experience, too.

Have yourself a good one...I'll be reporting along the way.

Ralph Tetta

Rochester, NY