So let me get this straight because I'm a bit confused here.
Barack Obama is pretty much being blamed by countless Republicans for the financial mess, and being told his stimulus package won't work. But before Obama won I kept hearing from these same people, we need to "be positive...go out and shop...live your lives..." I don't hear that as much; I hear blame.
Now this was something he clearly inherited, and clearly wasn't his fault. But...now it's his fault (when the economy turns, it'll be Bush's tax cuts, surely).
On the OTHER HAND...
We have a guy who is in office for nearly a year, received warnings about possible terrorist strikes, not only does nothing to curtail them, but ignores the warnings altogether, and is in office while they happen.
This is not viewed as his fault. A problem not nearly as hard to stop. Not his fault.
You do the math.
Friday, March 13, 2009
It's Like You Forget...
I go away for a few weeks and forget about how bad NYC radio really is. I return to find Max Kellerman off the air, which is certainly not a bad thing, for he is not good. But then I come across this story, which just scares the shit out of me:
Yesterday, on WFAN, Francesca was the color analyst for the Big East college basketball tournament. When I first turned it on I thought to myself, "No fucking way...", but low and behold, it was him. I mean, who other than Francesca should be doing the color with his years of experience running the floor of various restaurants across the northeast? A pick and roll to this guy is merely a tooth cleaner and a pre-dinner snack. Unreal.
To say something of just how bad it was, it was, well, bad. Insightful comments like, "this team bettah pull it togethah" and "oh my gawd, they turned it ovah again!" and "this team really needs to get theah heads on..."
If you were expecting him to tell you what a team should be doing in a given situation, or how a team overcomes a drought, maybe getting to the line, stopping the clock, who knows (he certainly didn't), you were in the wrong place.
Moments later I get a phone call from a friend and we discuss this debacle. He says to me, "You know, I turned on ESPN radio because I really can't stand college basketball..." Then I told him about my issues, to which he replied, "Well, I hate college ball, so I'd rather hear Mike call the game then a guy who really understands it...at least I'll listen for a second."
So there you go, WFAN, you captured a fan, for a second...
I'm going to have to assume the idea to do color in the middle of the day was the brainchild of Mike himself, consistently reinvented the afternoon show on a weekly basis. AND consistently floundering without the help of Chris Russo. Say what you want about the Mad Dog, but he was the perfect compliment to the analyst himself.
Anyway, putting Kellerman on there will make a construction zone a disaster site. That's all I've got on this right now...
Kellerman's availability sparked speculation about him joining WFAN's Mike Francesa, who has been in the market for a younger personality. Francesa declined to comment, as did operations manager Mark Chernoff, beyond noting that several years ago he had Kellerman try out with Sid Rosenberg for a show on 92.3-FM.It's like taking a really bad soup and adding another really bad soup to it to make an even worse soup.
Yesterday, on WFAN, Francesca was the color analyst for the Big East college basketball tournament. When I first turned it on I thought to myself, "No fucking way...", but low and behold, it was him. I mean, who other than Francesca should be doing the color with his years of experience running the floor of various restaurants across the northeast? A pick and roll to this guy is merely a tooth cleaner and a pre-dinner snack. Unreal.
To say something of just how bad it was, it was, well, bad. Insightful comments like, "this team bettah pull it togethah" and "oh my gawd, they turned it ovah again!" and "this team really needs to get theah heads on..."
If you were expecting him to tell you what a team should be doing in a given situation, or how a team overcomes a drought, maybe getting to the line, stopping the clock, who knows (he certainly didn't), you were in the wrong place.
Moments later I get a phone call from a friend and we discuss this debacle. He says to me, "You know, I turned on ESPN radio because I really can't stand college basketball..." Then I told him about my issues, to which he replied, "Well, I hate college ball, so I'd rather hear Mike call the game then a guy who really understands it...at least I'll listen for a second."
So there you go, WFAN, you captured a fan, for a second...
I'm going to have to assume the idea to do color in the middle of the day was the brainchild of Mike himself, consistently reinvented the afternoon show on a weekly basis. AND consistently floundering without the help of Chris Russo. Say what you want about the Mad Dog, but he was the perfect compliment to the analyst himself.
Anyway, putting Kellerman on there will make a construction zone a disaster site. That's all I've got on this right now...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
A Relieph
From what I've listened to, seen, and heard from others, Phish accomplished exactly what I had hoped for: a return to what made them who they are, but with talents far exceeding that of their more youthful selves.
This is all I ever wanted. Granted, I would have liked to have been there, especially believing deep down they would do just that. Unfortunately, work kept me away, and i was able to GIVE tickets to friends. Showing that even during a time of financial difficulty for many, myself no different, I too could reach back to what made things better in the 90s, and do my part. This runs counter to the thousands of craigslist posts I perused the last few months.
Anyway, I'm just really happy they stepped up to the table and dropped the hammer. We all knew they could do it, and as the weeks passed I think many of us believed they would. So congratulations for not letting anyone down, namely yourselves.
As for the music: it's incredible. A concerted effort to say the least. Really so impressive. Songs with a beginning, middle and end, which don't ramble on endlessly. All of which seem to have a real purpose. There's this patience that didn't seem to exist for most of the 21st century; an intention to get things right. Oddly enough, that intention, on some level, is not just noticeable, but it makes the music somewhat different than in the past. It's clean, clear, concise. What used to be a train that could go anywhere, you get a sense now of the 4 musicians really making an effort to end up in the same location. Again, a real concerted effort. It not only put on display what they can and want to do musically, but also who they are now, what they want to give the fans, and most of all, what they want to give to each other.
From the first notes of Fluffhead, you could hear Trey slow down his playing just a bit, sending a message, "we're in no rush."
As for myself, nothing makes me happier than to be right :-) Yeah, I'm a dickhead like that. My comments about the band, considered dated by some, were right on the money. It needed to be a return to the 90s, on some level, as Trey mentioned in the NYTIMES. This wasn't me getting older, and missing the good times. This was me, the band, and countless others recognizing what was lost. And this was them finding it for all of us who held them accountable to a higher level. This was them not only searching for us, but finding something we may not even have realized existed.
It makes me really happy to know I have something to look forward to.
To sum it up: it's like they all took long vacations, came back with new presents, and all loved each others' gifts.
Just great.
-----------
Sidenote:
They still can't nail down Foam, especially Trey.
Foam, for so many reasons, is one of their most difficult songs, if not technically, then just mentally. I have searched high and low for the best version of this song, and frankly, it doesn't exist. Foam is their only real pure jazz song, imo, and it lifts me to another level.
Because it's one of their few songs where Page and Trey take specific solos, and because of it's structure, it becomes harder than ever for them to nail the thing perfectly. No different in Hampton.
Putting aside the fact Trey cannot get through the beginning of the song cleanly, and hasn't for at least 11 years, the back end, his end, came up a bit short.
There's no protection for Trey from other band members because it's his job to carry the jam, and the progression of the song when it's his turn. To his credit over the weekend he didn't let songs escape themselves, but with Foam, he almost didn't even let it show up. He allowed it to end before he ever really got going, and stuck to the theme of the weekend of being concise. He could have carried it further, but rather than let one song own him, he let it slide, moving on to the next song on the setlist. The man must overcome his fears :)
While on the one hand I respect his, and the band's approach to the weekend, I really yearn to hear this song perfected. With the skills these guys have developed over their careers, and Mike even going so far as to play a 40+ minute version of the song with other musicians, I'm really waiting for them to all nail this.
Move it off the first set, and into the second, where you're already feeling the night, and then you'll hit it out of the park (also practice the beginning).
When this song is perfect, the circle will be complete for me :-)
(i don't edit)
This is all I ever wanted. Granted, I would have liked to have been there, especially believing deep down they would do just that. Unfortunately, work kept me away, and i was able to GIVE tickets to friends. Showing that even during a time of financial difficulty for many, myself no different, I too could reach back to what made things better in the 90s, and do my part. This runs counter to the thousands of craigslist posts I perused the last few months.
Anyway, I'm just really happy they stepped up to the table and dropped the hammer. We all knew they could do it, and as the weeks passed I think many of us believed they would. So congratulations for not letting anyone down, namely yourselves.
As for the music: it's incredible. A concerted effort to say the least. Really so impressive. Songs with a beginning, middle and end, which don't ramble on endlessly. All of which seem to have a real purpose. There's this patience that didn't seem to exist for most of the 21st century; an intention to get things right. Oddly enough, that intention, on some level, is not just noticeable, but it makes the music somewhat different than in the past. It's clean, clear, concise. What used to be a train that could go anywhere, you get a sense now of the 4 musicians really making an effort to end up in the same location. Again, a real concerted effort. It not only put on display what they can and want to do musically, but also who they are now, what they want to give the fans, and most of all, what they want to give to each other.
From the first notes of Fluffhead, you could hear Trey slow down his playing just a bit, sending a message, "we're in no rush."
As for myself, nothing makes me happier than to be right :-) Yeah, I'm a dickhead like that. My comments about the band, considered dated by some, were right on the money. It needed to be a return to the 90s, on some level, as Trey mentioned in the NYTIMES. This wasn't me getting older, and missing the good times. This was me, the band, and countless others recognizing what was lost. And this was them finding it for all of us who held them accountable to a higher level. This was them not only searching for us, but finding something we may not even have realized existed.
It makes me really happy to know I have something to look forward to.
To sum it up: it's like they all took long vacations, came back with new presents, and all loved each others' gifts.
Just great.
-----------
Sidenote:
They still can't nail down Foam, especially Trey.
Foam, for so many reasons, is one of their most difficult songs, if not technically, then just mentally. I have searched high and low for the best version of this song, and frankly, it doesn't exist. Foam is their only real pure jazz song, imo, and it lifts me to another level.
Because it's one of their few songs where Page and Trey take specific solos, and because of it's structure, it becomes harder than ever for them to nail the thing perfectly. No different in Hampton.
Putting aside the fact Trey cannot get through the beginning of the song cleanly, and hasn't for at least 11 years, the back end, his end, came up a bit short.
There's no protection for Trey from other band members because it's his job to carry the jam, and the progression of the song when it's his turn. To his credit over the weekend he didn't let songs escape themselves, but with Foam, he almost didn't even let it show up. He allowed it to end before he ever really got going, and stuck to the theme of the weekend of being concise. He could have carried it further, but rather than let one song own him, he let it slide, moving on to the next song on the setlist. The man must overcome his fears :)
While on the one hand I respect his, and the band's approach to the weekend, I really yearn to hear this song perfected. With the skills these guys have developed over their careers, and Mike even going so far as to play a 40+ minute version of the song with other musicians, I'm really waiting for them to all nail this.
Move it off the first set, and into the second, where you're already feeling the night, and then you'll hit it out of the park (also practice the beginning).
When this song is perfect, the circle will be complete for me :-)
(i don't edit)
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