Music and the Generation Gap

"That's not music. That's just noise."

Said every parent to their kids.

Your Blog has noticed, because he has a kid who represents today's youth, that that musical generation gap is much narrower than it was a generation ago.

When The Blog Jr. was around 6 or 7, Your Blog overheard his son, standing in the driveway, loudly singing...

"Ice ice baby Ice Ice baby All right stop collaborate and listen..."

Your Blog, alarmed, dragged the Blog Jr. into the house by his ear and introduced him to Queen and David Bowie.

A moment of parental responsibility that, I like to think, changed The Blog Jr.'s life, forever.

The Blog Jr. became a fan of Freddie Mercury and Company, to the point that I dreaded the day that I would have to tell him that Freddie had died of complications from AIDS.

As it turned out, it was never an issue. Because my kid grew up to be awesome.

For more than a year, The Blog Jr. used "Queen's Greatest Hits" to lullaby him to sleep.

It seems weird, in retrospect, that the bombast of Queen would lull a kid to sleep, but not as weird as the fact that he, later, preferred The Ramones punk rock, "Beat on the Brat" and "Sedated" for his bedtime music.

So, what am I talking about?

Oh, yeah.

The musical generation gap between my generation and my parent's.

My parents wrote off most of my generation's music as crap devoted solely to sex and drugs.

And, for the most part, they were probably right.

KISS' "Love Gun" was, without a doubt, a concept album dedicated to Gene Simmons' and/or Paul Stanley's penis.

The Village People's "YMCA" was certainly a nod to the "homosexual agenda."

Never mind that "YMCA" is a staple of every straight wedding reception.

Was James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" a song about drugs?

Who knows?

Was John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" about drugs?

Oh, please.

Which brings us to this...

Funny thing...

When I was a teen, the adults around me insisted that this song was about drugs. One drug, specifically.

As a teen, I argued the official line. "No! It's not about LSD. It was inspired by a picture that young Julian Lennon drew of his elementary school crush, Lucy."

As an adult, I looked back and thought, "Phfft! Of course it was about LSD. Could it be more obvious?"

Turns out...

Lucy is real and really was Julian's school boy crush, and the crayon drawing really exists. (You can Google it, but there are so many related images on line that finding it is a bit of a needle in a haystack.)

So, the official story is, in fact, a fact.

"Plasticine porters, looking glass ties, marshmallow pies and kaleidoscope eyes?"

Yeahhh. Kind of hallucinogenic.

Parents vs. Rock. On this one... a draw.

May 25th

The Blog interrupts your Memorial Day weekend to wish you a Happy Towel Day!

Carry on.

Memorial Day Weekend

Enjoy your long weekend.

Barbecue something and have a beer on me.

And while you are at it, take a few moments to remember what Memorial Day is all about.

If you need some help, take a listen to this from the official folk singing, political satirist of The PC Blog...

                                                                   Roy Zimmerman.

Fair warning. Roy is usually funny.

Not so much, this time.
                                                 ______________________________

On a semi-related note...

My next door neighbor to the east...

Not the teabagging, lawn mower who hates the Liberalism while living off his wife's disability check, unemployment benefits and off-the-grid lawn mowing income, to my west...

But, the Army National Guard Master Sergeant, the highest ranking non-com officer in the state of California, who, after his stint during the first Gulf War, got dragged back to Falluja for not one, not two, but three tours of duty for Dubbya's war, followed by a prestigious office job in Sacramento for the last two years...

Has finally, officially, retired.

Over the last ten weeks, he has remodeled his living room, reframed his front door and windows and...

This week, began installing solar panels on his roof.

So, from this Blog to him, on this Memorial Day weekend, a great big salute.

The Blog Scoops the Internet

No post of substance tonight.

Just stopping by to gloat for a minute.

Last night, Your Blog got all excited about a brief glimpse of a new, but very old school, character from the new "Star Wars" movie.

                                       Today, the whole internet is buzzing about this guy.

For once, your Uncle PC landed ahead of the curve, instead of his usual day or six behind.

Indulge me while I take a "You heard it here first," victory lap.

A Force for Change

Can you stand one more Star Wars post?

No?

Tough. It's my blog. I'll post what I want.

Early this morning, (or maybe late last night,) J.J. Abrams posted a video from the Abu Dhabi location where the new Star Wars is filming to the YouTube™, and it is cool on a number of levels.

Go watch it now. I'll be here when you get back.

Did you take it all in?

The video's message was, "A cool contest for a good cause."

Groovy.

But, did you get the sub-text? The parts that I got excited about?

Point #1.) Star Wars: Episode VII is actually in production, right now.

Point #2.) They are on location at an actual desert location. Not a green screen studio at Pinewood. (That will happen later, but not yet.)

Point #3.)

                                            That, my friends, is some old school Star Wars.

I've got a good feeling about this.
                                                 _________________________________

While your Blog has his nerd hat on...

A few days ago, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" director Zack Snyder leaked a black and white Instagram pic of Ben Affleck in the new Batsuit. And it's a beauty.

Appropriately based on the Frank Miller, Klaus Janson design from their 1986 graphic novel, "The Dark Knight Returns," where Batman and Superman waged an epic smackdown.

Did I mention the movie's title? Yes I did.

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."

Just announced today.

Officially confirming the rumor that this movie, which will also feature Cyborg and (finally!) Wonder Woman, is a launch point for the long awaited "Justice League" movie.

It's too soon to speculate about the "J.L." movie, but your Blog is hoping that it will include late '80s members Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner and Lobo.

Bottom line...

Today, May 21st, 2014...

While Luke Skywalker and company are back in action on the other side of the world, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg have begun filming in Detroit.

In the meantime, John Constantine, The Flash and Gotham City babies are heading to our teevee screens.

It is a good time to be a nerd.

Cleveland Rocks: Bonus Post

While researching info about Murray Saul on the day of his passing, I ran across a couple more bits of late '70s Cleveland nostalgia. Here is a double dose...

Ian Hunter's "Cleveland Rocks" at The Agora Ballroom, no less! 

How about Alex Bevan's "Skinny Little Boy?" 

The Euclid Beach Band's "No Surf in Cleveland." 

And, don't forget Willio and Phillio!

*STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!!*

Here is something crazy that your Blog just learned about Willio and Phillio.

(If you are not a late '70s Clevelander, you probably won't care, but here it is anyway.)

Here is what I did know. 

Not long after they achieved success in Cleveland, Will Ryan and Phil Baron took off to Hollywood to work for Disney. They did a couple of records for Disney with the likes of Donald Duck and went on to voice characters for the Disney Channel. 

Phil went on to produce Disney Channel shows while Will continued to do voices. 

To this day, you will find Will Ryan's name in the voice credits of Disney movies. 

Here is what I just learned that blew my mind...

Phil Baron was the voice of that creepy robotic bear Teddy Ruxpin and Will Ryan was the voice if Teddy's cartoon sidekick "Grubby." 

Who knew? 

Back to what I did know...

As I said, Will Ryan still makes a good living doing cartoon voices for Disney and others. 

Phil Baron, for the last decade or so, has been a cantor at Valley Beth Shalom temple in Los Angeles. 

Will and Phil still collaborate, occasionally. 

A few years ago, the director of the "Hellboy" animated movies reached out to Willio and Phillio to provide music for the soundtracks. And they obliged. 

Murray Saul Gets Down

North East Ohioans of a certain age lost a Cleveland radio icon today.

Murray Saul began his years at WMMS 100.7 FM ("The Home of the Buzzard.") in the station's sales department. Before long he became their Director of News and Public Affairs. He was the face and voice of seriousness at the 1970's album rock station.

On Sunday mornings, he would spend several hours (after "Breakfast with The Beatles,") hosting interviews and discussions with local and state politicians and movers and shakers, all with the gravitas that that came with the job.

But on Friday afternoons, just before 6:00 PM, Murray drank some of Dr. Jeckyl's potion and transformed into a different Murray Saul.

As the strains of Springsteen's "Born to Run" faded, Murray would take the mic and begin to growl. And over the next five minutes that growl would grow into a rabid, ferocious rant about school, work, teachers, bosses and all those things that made the previous week a grind.

As his howl reached a crescendo that would make Wolfman Jack say, "Hey Man, cool it a bit..."

As he would froth to a point where we could almost feel the spit come through the radio speakers...

He would launch into his trademark catch phrase...

"We gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, Gotta, GOTTA..................

......... GET DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Cue station I.D.

Follow with "Friday on My Mind" and "Cleveland Rocks...."

And with that, the weekend had been officially rung in.

For so many of us, it was a Friday night tradition. 

One Friday night, sometime around 1980, the "ring in" didn't happen. No Bruce Springsteen, no Ian Hunter. And no Murray. Just the usual Friday night station I.D. ("WMMS. Where the weekend never ends.")

"Why?" was never confirmed. Rumor had it that Murray was feeling that, after so many years, it had run it's course.

But, the faithful were not having it. The station's switchboard was deluged with calls.

"How are we supposed to start our weekend without Murray ringing it in?"

AT 6:00 PM  the following Saturday night, a momentarily contrite Murray took the mic (on his day off,) and made things right. He never missed another Friday until WMMS shifted to a Top 40 format in the mid '80s.

Murray Saul got down one last time, today. He was 84.

You can listen to an example of one of his early rants, here.