HOVERING OVER THE ABYSS WITH IGGY POP

Every once in a while I get the urge to recharge my flux capacitor and bend the space time continuum so I can travel back in time and check out some of my favourite artists in their prime.

Today's trip takes me to Montreal on March 13th, 1977 - A young and vivacious Deborah Harry and her band Blondie opening up for a tumultuous and super charged Iggy Pop on the "Idiot Tour".

Besides the added benefit that exorbitant Ticketmaster service charges didn't exist in 1977, I imagine the set list would have been fantastic, looking something like this;

Raw Power
1969
Turn Blue
Sister Midnight
I Need Somebody
Nightclubbing
China Girl
Gimme Danger
No Fun
Search N' Destroy
Funtime
I Wanna Be Your Dog

I can imagine the raw energy, the impending sense that things could disintegrate into chaos at any given moment. There would have been nothing glossy or rehearsed about these performances. Iggy commented around this time that there was "no point" to whatever he was doing on stage, that the audience could lay down and "pay no attention" to what he was doing, and he would be fine with that.

Of course this was all before the cool hunters and ad men had begun to co-opt every youth movement and when punk and the emerging post punk scene was flying in the face of mediocrity, providing a new and inspiring form of expression for a misplaced generation put off by the false promises of the 60's.

At this point in time Iggy appeared to always be on the verge of oblivion, hovering over the abyss and screaming loudly into the dark banal void of existence, challenging every convention though representing no established interests either. Watch this infamous interview segment between Iggy Pop and the CBC's Peter Gzowski in 1977 to get a real flavour the prevailing ethos;



This will be the first of many posts where I ruminate on pivotal moments in music history that I have often dreamed of visiting - you have been warned!

WHEN THE SIGNS MAKE NO SENSE...

The buttons cancel each other out and therefore there is no truth, no stable or reliable guidelines to follow. Everything disintegrates into chaos and uncertainty, in many ways reflective of life in the early 21st century.

Absurd and contradictory realities are present daily as we navigate the murky waters of an accelerated culture, with few reliable points of reference to help us on our journey. The landscape alters before our eyes.

I think that these days many people live with a staggering degree of cognitive dissonance that persists like some ubiquitous low grade migraine. It is always present under the surface.

The internal tensions are chronic; driving your minivan on grid locked highways knowing fully that this isn't the best of possible worlds, buying cheap goods at some big box store in order to keep family costs down, vaguely aware that you are participating in an economic system that is self defeating and contributing to an erosion of the ideals that you would strive to uphold. The list could be endless and staggering

Yet somehow we manage to function within this tension, going about our daily life, often half asleep, both by choice and out of necessity. How else would we function in the face of so many competing and conflicting narratives?

Thankfully there are profound moments of beauty that offer a glimpse of something much larger than ourselves, something less temporal and grander than what our own limited imaginations could possibly conjure up.

Our vain efforts at understanding are left mute and impotent in the thrilling echoes of a baby's inexplicable laughter, in snow packed mountains shrouded in mist, or in the awakening mass of abundant life that resurrects each spring. In these instances the fog lifts momentarily and we are fully awake, soaking up profound truths that are older than our own collective memories can recall.

Yes, the signposts are either fading or are often pointing in contradictory directions. Yet beyond reason or anything we can construct there are persistent echoes that have lasted throughout the ages that will continue to resonate long after we are gone.

There are wise words, profound moments of beauty and faint whispers that offer a fleeting glimpse of larger forces of life. Perhaps the real challenge is to stop and listen from time to time.

(A quick shout out to the fabulous boingboing - for the link to these wonderful buttons and for providing great fodder for contemplation)

CARBON TAX & HIGHWAY DAYDREAMS

It looks like, for better or worse, my home province of British Columbia will become the first jurisdiction in North America to implement a carbon tax. The idea is that through the application of negative incentives a change in behaviour will occur, resulting in consumers choosing more fuel efficient, less polluting vehicles (link here to learn more about this "revenue neutral" carbon tax).

Reaction has been mixed; some have seen this as a bold and necessary step to wean us off of our big gas guzzling and pollution spewing people movers, whereas others see this as another strike by the "nanny state" to legislate a change in behaviour at the expense of more natural market driven innovations. Of course the rather inane morning news shows have all had the obligatory "person on the street" interviews where some average Joe expresses his impotent rage while gassing up his monster truck.

I do however, feel for folks who live in rural areas who don't exactly have other alternatives like rapid transit whipping by their front door, and some of whom need big ass trucks for their jobs, however, for the Hummer driving urbanites I have zero sympathy. Also, putting all the pressure solely on consumers is kind of like only going after drug addicts, and not the drug dealers who profit off their addictions. Industry needs to pay up as well and have way higher standards mandated if this is going to work out and curb behaviour on a long term basis.

I think the transition to the post carbon age is going to be painful and unsettling for many people, on par with the social reorganization and displacement that occurred during the industrial revolution. Of course change isn't always a bad thing, though in the midst of it is is very unsettling as old taken for granted paradigms begin to collapse, while the new ones aren't obvious or clear in the interim.

The argument that something has to be done about global warming is a no brainer (unless you happen to own a ranch in Crawford, Texas and embrace ideological zealotry over logic or reason ) and in the context of peak oil and the gradual realization that our consumption driven lifestyles are no longer sustainable, it appears that some radical changes will occur within a generation. At the rate of change evident now I cannot even fathom what the world will look like in 10 - 15 years.

& NOW THE FANTASY PORTION OF THIS POSTING...

I am subjected on a daily basis to the endless slew of single occupant vehicles clogging the highway during my morning commute. Occasionally the absurdity of this reality becomes vividly apparent and I begin to daydream while stuck in traffic (I know daydreaming & driving don't mix).

I float high above the highway and see the line of traffic like some strange, multicoloured serpent spewing smoke out of thousands of tiny little orifices located up and down it's spine. Each chamber of it's body is inhabitant by some invasive parasite that you can see squirming about through tiny translucent portions of it's skin. I often think that this would be a frightening and awe inspiring vision to anyone traveling ahead in time from 100 years a go and witnessing this particular version of "progress".

I also have fantasies about everyone just spontaneously leaving their cars on mass, driven by some collective impulse to get off the hamster wheel of modern life, take a look around and begin to explore a different type of world. It would send ripples around the world and would cause many to question their own state of perpetual sleeplessness as they drift aimlessly through their day in their people movers. These daydreams keep my sane.

In closing, here is the inspiration for part of my fantasy sequence, the fabulous video for "Everybody Hurts" by REM;

LATE NIGHT LISTENING

TONIGHT"S PICK- MAZZY STAR

I have been making periodic trips to my local library to get audio books for my commute and to rediscover some great albums that may have fallen out of my consciousness for a while. With my latest find I am immersed once again in some ethereal dream pop from Mazzy Star, in order to enhance my late night blogging and help me obtain that fleeting and transcendent state of bliss that music has the power to deliver.

"So Tonight That I Might See" was Mazzy Star's second album, released in 1993. It is a great listen from start to finish, offering a subtle and reflective aural journey. Hope Sandoval's vocals are beguiling, and the crisp minimalist production enhances the dream like quality present for most of the tracks. At times there is a distorted slow core drone to the instruments, often with Sandoval's vocals hovering slightly above, sounding if she is singing alone in a big empty space.

It is a perfect record for late night listening... so dim the lights, burn some candles, and enjoy "Fade Into You";

I SUCK AT BEING EVIL

It looks like my evil global decaffeination plan is a complete washout. A crew of thoughtful and opinionated bloggers have either poked holes in my plan or have declared their fierce and heartfelt opposition to any attempt at realizing my nefarious scheme;

Grampa stated very clearly that "you will never, ever, pry coffee out of my cold dead hands"

Comrade Kevin stated that I could only have his coffee once I pulled his "cold, dead, five fingered hand away from (his) personal grinder".

PJ could care less about coffee, but sternly warned me to keep away from her beloved tea. Sadly, I forgot to factor in my tea sipping brethren from the British Isles and took an exclusively North American-centric approach to my plans for global domination. Thanks for promoting cultural awareness PJ!

Dean Wormer reminded me that Starbucks is already controlled by Dr. Evil, which makes sense because who else would charge you $5 for a coffee that takes 15 minutes to order? I mean, what could be more evil than that?

Finally, Karen said she couldn't give a rip about "freakish" Starbucks consumers, or coffee for that matter, though noted that her morning coke (cola just for the record) is essential to her well being and ability to function in the morning.

It was far too easy to pull apart my fanciful and malevolent musings with the basic application of logic (or direct threats!). Oh well, there is always my back-up plan to convince the Writer's Guild to go on strike, thus putting our beloved TV shows on hiatus and forcing us to read books or go outside - MUHAHAHAHAHAHA.....

.....whats that you say ? This has indeed already happened and has in fact been resolved, our beloved TV shows will return shortly..... well throw me a friggin bone people, need the info here.

Man, do I ever suck at being evil!

Update: The wonderful Madame Z thinks I am at least " *borderline* evil." for even thinking up this rather heinous crime - so perhaps a few more years in Evil School and I will be on my way!

IF I WAS TRULY EVIL

If I was truly evil and could utilize one diabolical super power to dominate the world I know exactly what I would do. I would unleash the awesome and devastating might of my super decaf powers to sap the caffeine out of every beverage on the face of the earth.

Try, if you dare, to comprehend the havoc this would cause. It would all seem fairly innocuous at first. There would be notices posted at every one of the millions of Starbucks around the world stating "sorry, we now only serve decaf". Soon the panic would set in. Lots of yawning and excessive grogginess everywhere. Our world leaders would soon be unable to concentrate, becoming irritable and confrontational. People would begin to get really edgy and short tempered with their colleagues and loved ones. Things would get ugly quickly.

The machines of industry would soon slow down and the world economy would come to a grinding halt, millions of workers sleeping in, too tired to care. Your favourite morning radio hosts would suddenly seem less quirky or tolerable during your morning commute. It would be a total paradigm collapse. What would be the point of having a "coffee break" anymore?

A day or so later when the collective caffeine withdrawal induced headaches kicked in the world would be utterly and completely at my mercy, for only I could bring back the desired stimulant craved by all. Sweaty, trembling, the nations of the world would come crawling, empty coffee cup in hand, willing to submit to my awesome power. My demands would be met without hesitation.

Thankfully I am mostly non-evil and if I was endowed with the burden of this awesome power I would use it only sparingly. Admittedly though, I may have a little fun with it at the office from time to time.

THE WALL AT THE END OF THE WORLD

My brilliant four year old and I recently had the following exchange;

He: "Where is the wall?"

Me: "Which wall?"

He: "You know, the wall at the end of the world"

The question so matter of fact and logical to his ever searching and growing imagination. I tried to explain about the world being round, and having no end, but I decided that it was also helpful to mention that there are indeed "many walls" all over the world. This was a satisfactory response for the time being.

Above and beyond my profound admiration for the magical thinking inherent to my son's stage of development, his lovely question struck a chord for me; an essential element of our finite journey in this life is that we find it a great challenge to imagine the infinite, to comprehend something that may indeed have no beginning or end.

We create beautiful art, poetry, music and stunning architecture to extend beyond our own short shadows and offer the possibility of immortality. The paradox of course is that we can only create such transcendent beauty because we are so intimately and painfully aware of our finality. We are driven by a sense of urgency, hoping that even the slightest of footprint will leave even a faint trace of our journey.

I think if we could see no end, if we had a chance to live forever we would totally squander it. I would like to believe that we would spend the time learning a hundred languages, growing our brain capacity, or creating works of sublime and unparalleled beauty. In reality, I think minus the urgency we would become rather dull and listless, weeks spent playing video games or complaining endlessly how service has really deteriorated during the last few centuries.

Perhaps the "wall at the end of the world" is a necessary image, a quickly approaching end of the line that we are always running closer towards, forcing out deep breaths and inhaling sublime moments of beauty, taking it all in before we finally arrive.

WHY I ADMIRE NEKO CASE

(Song: Outro With Bees - Neko Case)

For me lines like these are snapshots, fleeting shadows that capture unspoken truths.They are the vast and painful chasm between what we feel and what we say. They are a knowing wink just outside of your peripheral vision, an awkward glance that can say more than a thousand words. They are the realization that understanding is just a dream, yet still we try. Great art or music references these hidden places and brings them into the light.

Other lines embed themselves in my mind and take up permanent residence. In the case of Hold On, Hold On, the opening lines are part confession, part warning about the risky venture of unleashing the real passions of the human heart into the mix;

"The most tender place in my heart is for strangers
I know it's unkind but my own blood is much too dangerous"



What are the lines that take a hold of you?

WHILE I WAS WALKING THE OTHER DAY...

***

endless shades of grey on my horizon

a vast expanse with no beginning or end

light penetrates like some vague promise

restless, pacing the cage

always looking for signs of life...

WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY, MICHAEL?

REM have a new album called Accelerate coming out shortly, and I have offered endless oblations to the music gods above, pleading may case to please not let this one suck. I really want it to be good, as REM hold a firm place in my own personal musical Parthenon. In my opinion their last consistently brilliant album was Automatic For The People in 1992 and since this time they have released a string of great singles on some very uneven and mediocre albums. Their new single Supernatural Superserious sounds promising and I have included it here for your listening pleasure;



They are commencing a North American tour in May and are kicking it off in my little Pacific Northwest paradise here in Vancouver as a triple bill with Modest Mouse and The National. I don't go to as many concerts as I did in days of yore, though this one is on my horizon rain or shine. REM are amazing live and I recommend that you go see them if they come to your home town. It will change your life, I swear.

Let's do the math shall we and calculate the significance of this triple bill;

REM (Stipe/Mills/Buck, - need I say more) + Modest Mouse (brilliant Indie Rock featuring ex-Smiths guitar god Johnny Marr) + The National (makers of one of the best albums of 2007) = Hours of Blissful & Rapturous Sound For Music Geeks of All Walks of Life!

Now that I am feeling the love, I end with REM's masterful and sublime "Nightswimming"

(WARNING; when Michael Stipe sings of "the recklessness of water" he channels blatant nostalgia and longing for lost nights of innocence, where one is immersed fully in a moment of transcendent beauty - this may induce intensive reflections, journal writing or scouring of old photo albums!)

LOST IN TRANSLATION

Today I am feeling sick and über yucky. I had some Chinese green tea with honey to warm me up and sooth my rather scratchy throat. I did manage to have a good laugh at the poor English translations on my tea bag wrapping;

"FRAGRANT AROMA MELLOW TASTE"

"HOMELY REFRESHER VALUABLE GIFT"

So to help me cope with my day of sickness here a few visual haikus incorporating my rather strange tea bag translations;

*************

ALL HAIL THE SWINEHERD

I have just finished listening to Homer's epic The Odyssey during my otherwise ordinary commute to work everyday. Derek Jacobi's narration is delightful, and listening to this every day for the last few weeks has transformed my otherwise mundane commute into something that I actually looked forward to, filling it with tales of revenge, valor and conquest. This is much more desirable than the typical office drama and politics one has to face!

What really struck me while listening was the significant role taken by those small, tried and true secondary characters in these type of epic tales. In the case of the Odyssey it is the faithful and true swineherd, Eumaeus, who faithfully tends to his job during his master's 20 year absence despite facing circumstances that were anything but hopeful.

Not only does Eumaeus remain loyal and carefully tend Odysseus' heard of swine during his prolonged absence, he assist his master upon his return even when he does not know his identity and offers him food and clothing. Later on the old man dons some bronze armour and helps his badly outnumbered master fight off and kill the vile suitors who have taken over his household and attempted to woo his wife during his long absence. In this epic poem he is portrayed as the essence of virtue and commitment.

It made me think of those people who in my mind are the "swineherds", who like Eumaeus may not get all the ultimate glory but who through their dedication to higher ideals make a profound difference in the long run.

First of all, I was thinking of some of the social workers I have worked with here in BC, who despite having insane workload issues, remain positive and try to build on the capacity and strengths of their clients, often under difficult circumstances. There is no glamour in this job, and it can be stressful and feel thankless on a good day. Despite this, I see dedicate folks who manage to keep their sense of humour and hopefulness intact, doing their best to make a difference within a large and often dysfunctional system.

Also, I was thinking of the folks I have come across here in the blogosphere who either through humour or direct commentary are poking holes in the inane analysis and discourse we get spoon fed in the mainstream and corporate media. Nothing earth shattering here, but these folks in their own way are trying to engage in a new form of discourse that cuts through the old and tired categories and perhaps present a bold new way to define how we discuss what really matters in this new century.

Finally, I truly admire the millions of unseen folks currently in the U.S., who despite enduring 7 awful and despairing years under the destructive ideological zealotry of the current administration, are working tirelessly behind the scenes to move their country forward and bring about change, refusing to give into apathy or despair.

For you all, I offer the highly coveted Eumaeus award;


I think from time to time I will post virtual Eumaeus Awards to those specific folks who inspire me with their unwavering commitment to higher ideals. It may be you, you have been warned!

(Also - if you don't have time to read or listen to Homer's marvelous Odyssey, here is a fun and extremely abbreviated version that you can zip through in a few minutes.)

GETTING BEHIND THE MUSIC

During a recent trip to my local library (part of my strategy to buy less) I borrowed the soundtrack to the documentary Kurt Cobain: About A Son. What immediately struck me was that it was a smart choice to include the music that inspired Cobain on the soundtrack rather than just rehashing a bunch of Nirvana songs that everybody has heard already.

It provides insight into his rich internal world when you hear some of the tracks that shaped his young imagination and lead to his own dynamic art, including; Iggy Pop - "The Passenger", Bad Brains - "Banned in D.C.", The Vaselines - "Son of a Gun" , and Half Japanese - "Put Some Sugar On It".

These tracks were part of the punk landscape that in many ways shaped Cobain's identity and provided escape from boredom and gave expression to the rage that plagued his young mind. Interestingly, the soundtrack also includes audio excerpts from interviews, including this quote where he articulates the influence punk rock had on his life;

"I am so glad that I got into punk rock at the time that I did because it gave me those few years that I need to grow up and just put my values in perspective and realize what kind of person I am".

It is clear that the music of the punk scene provided a rich landscape for Cobain to express himself and find meaning. Also of interest though are the older artists that were an influence as well, including Creedence Clearwater Revival, folk poet Woody Guthrie, and going even further back with Leadbelly , the enigmatic blues singer who died in 1948.

Listen to this track by Lead Belly,"Where Did You Sleep Last Night". It is haunting and graceful in it's simplicity, capturing the thoughts of a jealous and insecure lover. You can see how the tortured thinking behind this track would have been appealing to Cobain;





For me it is a meaningful exercise to dig behind the music or art of someone who inspires me and discover the sources of their own inspiration. It reinforces the notion that the dynamic expression of one creative soul can achieve a form of immortality, giving birth to bold new offspring that add further dimensions to their source material.

It is a constant cycle of creative birth and rebirth. Kurt will continue to inspire, as will those who helped give him shape; Iggy Pop, Woody Guthrie and even going back to Lead Belly. The whole family tree if drawn out would be staggering to the imagination, always growing in dynamic new directions with roots digging down ad infinitum. Such is the power of the muse.