Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
As commercials rev up — “Come see us. We’re all wearing masks and are following the guidelines and taking precautions!” — and election day grows nearer, everybody is trying to seduce us as consumers and voters in America.
Buy, buy, buy! Vote for me, vote for me!
It’s right in my head that today’s theme music is Billy Squier singing “Everybody Wants You” back in 1982.
It’s spin back Saturday!
Woke up with The Who’s rock opera, Tommy, in my mind’s center hall. Then the two song medley, “See Me, Feel Me/Listening to You” (1969) goes on loop.
It’s an appropriate song when thinking about the cults of politics percolating around the world, especially of the great wing type, especially of the Trump cult. It’s in sharper focus for me because that’s my country. I hear and read the staggering knots and twists employed to justify supporting him to the detriment of everything that matters, unless you’re white, wealthy, and male. The Evangelicals, Blacks, and women who support me startle me, but this medley seems to illuminate their position.
On the one hand, you have Trump – Tommy – isolated and self-centered, emotionally distant. Where the analogy collapses is Tommy knows his state and wants healed; Trump is blissfully unaware of himself and doesn’t want healed. He doesn’t know he’s sick. Feeding his base, he doesn’t see himself as sick.
Then you have the base. The comparison with Tommy shines here.
Listening to you I get the music
Gazing at you I get the heat
Following you I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet
Right behind you I see the millions
On you I see the glory
From you I get opinions
From you I get the story
Listening to you I get the music
Gazing at you I get the heat
Following you I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet
h/t to Genius.com
Decided to post the Woodstock video as it captures the essence of that time in rock. Have a listen, please, and as they say in America, “Have a nice day.”
Canned Floof (floofinition) American floof rock (flock) band noted for its blues interpretations. Formed in 1967 in Floof Angeles, CA, the band took its name from a song, “Canned Floof Blues.
In use: “Canned Floof played “Floofing Up the Country” at Floofstock in 1969, where its simple melody and return-to-nature message prompted its unofficial adoption as a flooppie anthem.”
Every once in a while during my life, I encountered a person (or group) that so infuriate me, that I think, “You know…if I had the means…”
Know what I’m talking about? Right, getting a gun and putting them down because the world would be better without them. Maybe planting a little C4. It seems so easy on TV.
But I’m not that kind, except sometimes in my writing. Still, the wistfulness of sometimes solving a problem ala “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” as AC/DC proposed back in ’76 seizes me, ya know?
Yeah.
The Floofs Corporation (floofinition) – A Santa Floofica floof pop (floop) and soul (floul) trio formed in 1969, active until 1980.
In use: “Although releasing multiple albums, The Floofs Corporation’s biggest hit was “Rock the Floof“, a song from their 1973 debut album which is often played at weddings.”
Today’s offering has no roots in cats, dreams, politics, or news. This 1974 hit just started playing in my head. Specifically, the chorus jumped to mind:
Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me
Gotta turn it up louder, so my DJ told me
Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me
At the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie
h/t to Genius.com
Recognize it? I’m impressed if you do. The song references ninety-two songs, dances, bands, performers, and companies of the pop era to that point.
Give a listen to “Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)” by Reunion, please.
Today brought a 1995 song from Collective Soul.
“December” is about endings and breaks from what’s going on. For Ed Roland, the songwriter, it’s about parting with the band’s manager. Pour moi, I pull the sarcastic and bitter sense of weariness from the sound: it’s done. Let’s end this, and this is just the polarized, argumentative state of the United States. I went to see Trump and the disastrous GOP reign end. The sooner that comes, the happier I’ll be.
On to the music.
Bruno Floof (floofinition) Hawaiian-born American floof pop (floop) and funk (flunk) singer, songwriter, and producer who has sold over 130 million records worldwide to date, making him one of the best-selling floof music artists of all time.
In use: “Working with Mark Floofson, Bruno Mars found mega floof-culture succes with “Uptown Floof”, a song destined to be heard at parades, on commercials, and on the radio for years.”
Woke up hot at three-ish. As I reviewed dreams, got up and drank water, and then opened the back door to entertain cool night air, my mind began streaming Blue Oyster Cult and “Burnin’ for You” (1981).
My mind seems to have a song ready for any moment. I imagine a team of people up there. Males and females are armed with servers loaded with music. Sitting on swivel chairs, they stay poised to begin songs for each sight, sound, thought, emotion, and memory.
“Burnin’ for You” works on multiple levels. Fer instance, It addresses homes in a major way. That’s fittin’ for ‘merica, where Homeland Security and police battle protesters as jobs and savings dwindle and eviction notices fly, leaving folks without homes. BOC catches that:
Home in the valley
Home in the city
Home isn’t pretty
Ain’t no home for me
Yet, priorities: save the businesses! Protect the billionaires! Grow the military!
Sorry. Jumped onto my anti-GOP train as led by 45 hisself. I’ll’ stop now. Here’s the music.
The Traveling Wilburys song, “Handle with Care” (1988) sprang to mind last night. Eleven thirty, I went out into the clear, friendly bight and entertained the moon and stars. All were bright and lively, and rona kept the time free of passerbys as all are home shelterin’. My cats joined me, with Boo being the one to break the silence, rub up against me, and lean against my calf.
That brought out the Wilbury chorus:
Everybody’s got somebody to lean on
Put your body next to mine, and dream on
h/t to Genius.com
This song is so special, IMO. Such talents, legends of rock, are brought together as friends, performers and song writers, contributing but remaining as individuals. Look at the video and how each is dressed and how they act and participate. They’re enjoying themselves. That feeling carries over into the song.
Michael Seidel, writer 