Thursday, April 30, 2009

#57 Crosby Stills Nash and Young

CSNY evolved out of the ashes of The Byrds, The Hollies, and Buffalo Springfield. Few bands have ever had that kind of pedigree. The folk trio scored an immediate hit in 1969 with their first album. Then came Neil Young. Young took the band to the next level. Their main musical themes dealt with the counterculture, anti-war movement, and sailing ships(?!). The hippie folk activists did not realize their commercial appeal until the 1970s. Eventually, time and drugs took their toll. The band has been on again off again through the years.

Rock n Roll Moment: Neil Young wrote “Ohio” in the aftermath of the Kent State shootings. This track is a time capsule into Vietnam Era America in general and the counterculture in particular.

Essential CSNY:

Crosby, Stills, and Nash (1969)
Déjà Vu (1970)

CSNY’s Top 10:

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Ohio
Southern Cross
Wasted on the Way
Woodstock
Marrakesh Express
Our House
Helpless
Wooden Ships
Just a Song Before I Go

Sunday, April 26, 2009

#58 R.E.M.

R.E.M. was the moment alternative music appeared. Alternative rose from the ashes of punk and created an independent, less commercial sound. R.E.M. toured and recorded day after day for years. Eventually, they hit it big in 1987 with a dark and often misinterpreted “The One I Love.” They signed to Warner and in 1991, they became superstars with the folk song, “Losing My Religion.” This was the second nail in the hair metal coffin (the first being Welcome to the Jungle and the final nail being Smells Like Teen Spirit). It was also the opening volley in the 90s rock revolution.

They followed “In Time” up with an album about mortality. “Automatic For The People“ produced “Everybody Hurts” which has been named song of the year for 1993. This was followed by “Monster” and “New Adventures in Hi-Fi” and a slew of hits.

R.E.M. remained one of the biggest bands in the world for the rest of the decade. Drummer Bill Berry left the band after 1996’s “New Adventures in Hi-Fi” and the band changed their sound. Their popularity waned and they returned to their old sound with 2008’s “Accelerate.” In 2007, they were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Rock n Roll Moment: The now infamous Peter Buck air rage incident.

Essential REM:
Murmur (1983)
Reckoning (1984)
Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)
Document (1987)
Green (1988)
Automatic for the People (1992)
Monster (1994)
New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)
Accelerate (2008)

REM’s Top 10:

Radio Free Europe
The One I Love
It’s The End of the World as We Know It (and I feel fine)
Orange Crush
So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
Man on the Moon
Losing My Religion
Drive
Everybody Hurts
Driver 8

The Kitchen Debate: 50 Years Later

On July 24, 1959, Vice President Richard Nixon visited the American National Exhibition in Moscow. The American government sponsored the event and had a real American home built with all the modern appliances and conveniences. It demonstrated to the Russians the value and benefits of capitalism and freedom.

While visiting the exhibit with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, an impromptu debate began. Khrushchev did not believe average Americans lived in such luxury. Nixon loved debating and accepted the challenge. The two sides argued over the benefits of each system. The Soviet leader stressed "things that mattered" and benefited the most people. Nixon boasted about America's high standard of living and ability to innovate. Nixon clearly won the debate. He was correct when he predicted the Soviet people would be freed one day. Perhaps the most poignant example of Socialist backwardness occurred inadvertently. Khrushchev kept playing with a disposable pen. He clicked it over and over in amazement.

Fifty years later, another foreign leader challenged another American president. At the Summit of the Americas, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega went into a diatribe over American foreign policy dating back two centuries. American President Barack Obama remained silent. Ortega succeeded with Obama where Khrushchev failed with Nixon. In fact, Ortega praised Obama and claimed he was someone they could deal with. Why wouldn't he feel that way? Silence means acceptance. What a difference half a century makes...

Sunday, April 19, 2009

History Brackets Final 4

Washington fell behind big, but came back to edge Theodore Roosevelt by 1.

Lincoln smoked Martin Luther King Jr.

The Final: George vs. Abe

#59 Radiohead

Radiohead is one of Paul McCartney’s favorite bands. They are an alternative band that broke in 1992 with their single “Creep.” Their popularity has continued to grow over the last decade and they are one of the most popular, influential, and critically acclaimed groups in music today. In 1997, they released their Magnus Opus “Ok Computer” which is about alienation from modern society. In 2007, they released “In Rainbows” independently and allowed fans to pick the price for the album. Recently, they made Rolling Stone’s list of 100 greatest artists and Miley Cyrus threatened to ruin them!

Rock n Roll Moment: Who needs a record company? Radiohead released their last album as a download and allowed fans to pick the price for the album.

Essential Radiohead:

The Bends (1995)
OK Computer (1997)
Hail to the Thief (2003)
In Rainbows (2007)

Radiohead’s Top 10:

Creep
Paranoid Android
Karma Police
My Iron Lung
Just
High and Dry
Fake Plastic Trees
There There
Pyramid Song
2+2=5

Friday, April 17, 2009

Greatest American Bracketology Elite 8

Elite 8
Early America
1. George Washington- vs. 2. Thomas Jefferson- (Washington wins; had a big lead and held on)

Antebellum through Civil War
1. Abraham Lincoln vs. 3. Andrew Jackson- (Lincoln landslide)

Recon through WW2
7. Theodore Roosevelt- vs. 12. Albert Einstein (TR landslide)

Modern
1. Martin Luther King Vs. 2. Ronald Reagan (King wins; Reagan led, King took a big lead, Reagan rallied, but fell just short.)

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Goodbye Bird

I do not remember seeing the Bird pitch. I do remember a picture of him with Big Bird. That is my earliest memory. Whenever you talk to someone that saw him, they get excited. Everyone loved the Bird.

He was the last guy to make the team out of spring training. In 1976, he was the bright light in a city already in decline. He'd talk to the ball, play with the dirt on the mound, and started the All-Star Game. In 1977, he was injured. By 1980, he was done.

Bird was never bitter. He was thankful for his season in the sun. That is why people love him.

I have two other memories of Fidrych. I did see him in an old timer's game. He talked to the ball. On the closer at Tiger Stadium, he was the first Tiger to run onto the field. The crowd loved it.

Sweet 16: Greatest American

Early America
1. George Washington vs. 5. James Madison (GW wins)
2. Thomas Jefferson vs. 3. Alexander Hamilton (Jefferson wins)

Antebellum through Civil War
1. Abraham Lincoln vs. 13. John Quincy Adams (Lincoln wins)
2. John Marshall vs. 3. Andrew Jackson (Jackson wins)

Recon through WW2
1. FDR vs. 12. Albert Einstein (Einstein wins)
6. Henry Ford vs. 7. Theodore Roosevelt (TR wins)

Modern
1. MLK vs. 4. Dwight Eisenhower (MLK wins)
2. Ronald Reagan vs. 14. Richard Nixon (Reagan wins)

Changing the Rock Hall

Rock n Roll has been a democratizing force. It's the music of the masses and social change. However, voting for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is anything but democratic. The nominating process is left to a small cabal of self proclaimed experts. The ballot should be a completely open and honest process. Here's how it can be changed:

1. Every artist that meets election criteria (i.e. 25 years since their first recording) goes on a ballot.
2. The ballot is mailed out to all voters.
3. Voters can vote for up to 10 acts.
4. Any act that gets 50% plus 1 of the vote is elected to the hall.
5. Any act that fails to get 5% of the vote is dropped from the ballot.
6. All other acts remain on the ballot until elected.
7. If an act is not elected after 10 years on the ballot, they are dropped.
8. Ballots are anonymous, but the vote totals are open to the public.
9. Votes are counted by a non-biased third party.

It's ironic that music breaks down barriers, but the place where it's honored has a small group of George Wallace's blocking the door.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

60. Prince

Prince was a pop music curiosity until 1984. At that point, he became a superstar with the release of “Purple Rain.” He continued to produce hits throughout the 80s and into the 90s. His style combines rock, funk, R&B, pop, and whatever is going through the Purple One’s mind. Prince is a member of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and is probably the most talented artist to arrive on the scene since Jimy Hendrix.

Rock n Roll Moment: In 1993, Prince changed his name to a symbol to protest his record company. He also wrote the word “slave” onto his cheek to protest their attempts to control his music.

Essential Prince:
Dirty Mind (1980)
1999 (1982)
Purple Rain (1984)
Sign o The Times (1987)
Diamonds and Pearls (1991)

Prince’s Top 10:
Controversy
1999
Little Red Corvette
Purple Rain
Let’s Go Crazy
When Doves Cry
Kiss
Seven
Cream
Gett Off

Greatest American Bracketology Round 2

Round 2

Early America
1. George Washington- 8. Lewis and Clark (Washington wins)
2. Thomas Jefferson- 7. John Adams (TJ wins)
3. Alexander Hamilton - 6. Thomas Paine (Hamilton wins)
4. Ben Franklin - 5. James Madison (Madison wins)

Antebellum through Civil War
1. Abraham Lincoln- 9. William Lloyd Garrison (Lincoln wins)
2. John Marshall-10. Frederick Douglass (Marshall wins)
3. Andrew Jackson - 6. Henry Clay (Jackson wins)
13. JQ Adams - 12. Joseph Smith (Adams wins)

Recon through WW2
1. FDR- 9. Andrew Carnegie (FDR wins)
2. Thomas Edison - 7. TR (TR wins)
14. JP Morgan - 6. Henry Ford (Ford wins)
4. JD Rockefeller - 12. Albert Einstein (Einstein wins)

Modern
1. MLK - 9. LBJ (King wins)
2. Ronald Reagan- 10. Robert Oppenheimer (Reagan wins)
14. Richard Nixon - 6. Jonas Salk (Nixon wins)
4. Dwight Eisenhower - 12. George Marshall (Ike wins)

Thursday, April 9, 2009

History Bracketology

I placed these matchups on some message boards because I was curious and had nothing better to do. The names were taken from an Atlantic Monthly Article from 2006. I ranked them according to the article and split them into the four brackets.

Here are the results to Round 1:


Early American 1607-1815
1. George Washington - 16. Greene (Washington wins)
2. Thomas Jefferson - 15. John Jay (Jefferson wins)
3. Alexander Hamilton - 14. Eli Whitney (Hamilton wins)
4. Ben Franklin - 13. Daniel Shays (Franklin wins)
5. James Madison - 12. Abigail Adams (Madison wins)
6. Thomas Paine - 11. Sam Adams (Paine wins)
7. John Adams - 10. Jonathan Edwards (Adams wins)
8. Lewis and Clark - 9 Noah Webster (Lewis and Clark win)

Antebellum to 1815-1865
1. Abraham Lincoln - 16. John C Calhoun (Abe wins)
2. John Marshall -15. Robert E. Lee (Marshall wins)
3. Andrew Jackson - 14. Horace Mann (Jackson wins)
4. Walt Whitman - 13. JQ Adams (Adams wins)
5. Elizabeth Cady Stanton - 12. Joseph Smith (Smith wins)
6. Henry Clay - James K Polk (Clay wins)
7. Ralph Waldo Emerson - 10. Frederick Douglass (Douglass wins)
8. Samuel Morse - 9. William Lloyd Garrison (Garrison wins)

Reconstruction Through World War II (1865-1945)
1. FDR - 16. Eleanor Roosevelt (FDR wins)
2. Thomas Edison - 15. Susan B. Anthony (Edison wins)
3. Woodrow Wilson - 14. JP Morgan (Morgan wins)
4. John D Rockefeller - 13. William Jennings Bryan (Rockefeller wins)
5. US Grant - 12. Albert Einstein (Einstein wins)
6. Henry Ford - 11. Alexander Graham Bell (Ford wins)
7. TR - 10. The Wright Brothers (TR wins)
8. Mark Twain - 9. Andrew Carnegie (Carnegie wins)

Modern Era (1945-2009)
1. MLK - 16. Betty Friedan (MLK wins)
2. Ronald Reagan - 15. Elvis (Reagan wins)
3. Harry Truman - 14. Richard Nixon (Nixon wins)
4. Ike - 13. Sam Walton (Ike wins)
5. Earl Warren - 12. George Marshall (Marshall wins)
6. Jonas Salk - 11. Bill Gates (Salk wins)
7. Jackie Robinson - 10. Robert Oppenheimer (Oppenheimer wins)
8. Rachel Carson - 9. LBJ (LBJ wins)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Ten Plagues of Egypt

Could the ten Plagues of Egypt have occurred? Of course. The question is whether or not they could have occurred in a short period. Some think they never happened. Some think they did happen, but occurred over a long period of time. Could they have happened in quick succession? It is possible.

Let’s assume there was a volcanic eruption (yes back to volcanoes). Here is how an eruption could have pulled off the ten plagues:

1. Water turned to blood. Pollution from an eruption turns the Nile Red. This kills the fish.

2. Frogs. The frogs left the polluted river. Kermit is not dumb.

3 and 4. Biting Bugs/flies. Frog population is depleted leading to a bug invasion.

5. Disease. Bad water, dead animals, lots of insects=disease.

6. Boils. Same explanation as 5.

7. Fire hail. Volcano-duh!

8. Locusts. Locust swarms are common today, so this is nothing unusual for this area with or without a plague. However, dead predators and dead crops means more locusts.

9. Darkness. Volcanic Ash.

10. Death of the firstborn. OK, this one is tougher. However, if the food supply was cut because of the volcano and volcanic ash contamination, then the first born would have received most or all of the rations. The end result was illness from poisoning. Another explanation is sleeping arrangements. Sleeping closer to the ground was a privilege as it was cooler. The first born usually received this privilege. When gasses were released due to geologic activity, they were poisoned.

Also, the parting of the Sea of Reeds (not the Red Sea) could have been achieved by a Tsunami caused by an eruption. This is not to say a volcanic eruption caused these events or that they even happened. However, it is an explanation based on science.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

The Greatest American #1s vs. #16s

It's the time of year where brackets reign, so I thought we could do some bracketology history style. A few years back, Atlantic Monthly listed their 100 greatest Americans. I took the list, broke it into 4 brackets and ranked people according to the Atlantic Monthly rankings. So, the people and the rankings come from that mag.

I have 64 Americans, broken into 4 brackets, each bracket with Americans seeded 1-16.

Here are the 1s vs. 16s. I have placed this on some message boards and will tabulate the votes at the end of the week. Feel free to vote (or not)...

Early American Bracket
1. George Washington vs. 16. Nathaniel Greene

Well, there would be no USA without George. He won the Revolutionary War, was the first president, set many precedents, established American neutrality, the national bank, first census, etc etc etc.

Greene was a Revolutionary General. He fought Cornwallis and drove the British nuts. He played cat and mouse with Cornwallis all the way to Yorktown.

Antebellum and Civil War
1. Abraham Lincoln vs. 16. John C Calhoun

Lincoln won the Civil War, freed the slaves, kept the union together.

Calhoun threatened secession and was a staunch states' rights activist and slaveholder.

Reconstruction through WWII
1. FDR vs. 16. Eleanor Roosevelt (no I did not plan this)

FDR gave us the New Deal, saved capitalism, modernized government, and won WWII saving Western Civilization.

Eleanor Roosevelt was a well respected activist for the rights of the downtrodden, leader at the UN, and First Lady.

Modern Era
1. Martin Luther King Jr. vs. 16. Betty Friedan

MLK led the Civil Rights Movement and made white America look in the mirror.

Betty Friedan analyzed domestic America and argued that housewives did not like their lot in life.

61. The Sex Pistols

After Blondie hit #1, record companies rushed to sign punk bands. Out of this bum rush came the most irreverent band of all time. What could be more rock n roll than screaming out, “I am the Anti-Christ?” The band attacked corporations, record companies, society, and even Queen Elizabeth II herself. Guitarist Steve Jones admitted their goal was chaos. The more negative publicity they received, the more popular they became. When they realized they were rock stars, they quit. As a result, they were probably the most honest band in music history.

Rock n Roll Moment: During the Queen’s Jubilee, the band attempted to play “God Save The Queen” on the Thames and just outside the Westminster Palace. The band was arrested.

Essential Sex Pistols: Never Mind The Bullocks (1977)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Exodus

Did the Exodus occur? Let's take a look at the evidence...

The traditional date for Exodus used to be around 1450 BC or so. There is no evidence for this other than the Bible. Since that has to be taken with a grain of salt, 1450 BC is not a likely date.

There is some archaeological evidence for a migration of people around 1250 BC. However, history is full of mass migrations of people for various reasons. There is some evidence of the destruction of ancient cities around this time as well. That would fit. However, some cities, Jericho in particular, do not seem to have been destroyed during the correct time frame based on a 1250 BC Exodus.

The best case for Exodus as described in the Bible is about 1600 BC. The Thera Volcanic Eruption on Santorini could create conditions that could cause the plagues described in the Bible. However, the date of the eruption is debated. There is also an Egyptian Stele that describes a plague from an unknown god.

So, did Exodus happen?

Considering history is full of mass migrations, there is probably some truth in the Bible story. However, this is probably how it went down: A group of slaves left Egypt led by Moses. They were monotheistic. They ran into a group of nomads from Canaan. The two groups merged and became rather large. They eventually wandered into the promised land.

Why is this important? Modern Israel claims descent from the Ancient Israelites. A 5000 year claim legitimizes Modern Israel's claims to Palestine. So, what happened 4000 years ago matters!!!

#62 Aerosmith

Aerosmith broke in the early 70s. Their sound was classic blues rock based and from the time of their debut they pumped out a string of multi-platinum albums. They lived up to their bad boy rock star image and fell into addiction. The band nearly disintegrated.

Then Run DMC came calling. The rap group’s cover of “Walk This Way,” with Steven Tyler doing backups and Joe Perry on guitar, re energized the band. In 1987, the comeback began with “Permanent Vacation.” They continued to release hits into the early 90s culminating with 1993’s “Get A Grip.”

Aerosmith continued to release rock albums but included the perfunctory radio friendly ballad. The best example of an Aeroballad is “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.” That was their only #1. Recently, they have had some health issues, but continue to record. In 2008, Rock Band Aerosmith was released.

Rock n Roll Moment: Love In An Elevator is based on a real event starring Steven Tyler.

Essential Aerosmith:
Aerosmith (1973)
Get Your Wings (1974)
Toys in the Attic (1975)
Permanent Vacation (1987)
Pump (1989)
Get A Grip (1993)

Aerosmith’s Top 10:
Sweet Emotion
Dream On
Walk This Way
Back In The Saddle
Rag Doll
Love In An Elevator
Toys in the Attic
Cryin’
Mama Kin
Seasons of Wither