Quotes of the Month: October 2014

Quote of the Month: "We do stories on food stamps, but only to the extent that we prove the cast that they’re needed, without also examining well-established fraud and abuse. We look at unemployment but only to the extent that we present sympathetic characters showing that benefits should be extended rather than examining, also, the escalating cost and instances of fraud. We cover minimum wage but only to the extent that we help make the case for raising it, without giving much due to the other side, which argued it will have the opposite effect than intended."


-Sharyl Attkinson

Stupid Quotes of the Month:

"To be very, very honest with you, the South has not always been the friendliest place for African-Americans," Landrieu said. "It’s been a difficult time for [President Obama] to present himself in a very positive light as a leader. It’s not always been a good place for women to present ourselves. It’s more of a conservative place, so we’ve had to work a little bit harder on that."


-Senator Mary Landrieu

"That is the worst kind of politics. And we are gonna escort whore out the door."


-South Carolina Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Vincent Sheheen

"It would be wonderful if we were able to give this man all of the power that he needs to pass the things that he needs to pass."


-Gwyneth Paltrow on Obama

　

and the rest...

"Most of our Democrat voters aren't aware there's even an election on November 4."


-Barack Obama

"I think we're looking at a 30-year war."


-Leon Panetta on ISIS

"There is a feeling that the president has given up on the big issues facing this country."


-Leon Panetta

"It's not really about asking for the raise, but knowing and having faith that

the system will actually give you the right raises as you go along."


-Satya Nadella of Microsoft

"This is the beginning of the long goodbye."


-Roger Daltrey on the 50th Anniversary tour

"It sucked."


-Michael Keaton on why he did not do Batman Forever

"Honestly, the whole thing is just showing the beginning signs of fraying around the edges. It’s a little bit old. Last summer there were five or seven different ones out."


-Robert Downey Jr

"Cocaine is terrific if you want to hang out with people you don't know very well and play ping pong all night. It's bad for almost everything else... the day after cocaine is rough."


-Amy Poehler

"Completely. Not only Mitt and I are done, but the kids are done. Done. Done. Done."


-Ann Romney

"It's time to start offending people."


-Chris Christie

"Don't touch my girlfriend."


-A stupid voter to Obama

"He's really batshit crazy."


-James Spader on Ultron

'Don’t let anybody tell you that it’s corporations and businesses that create jobs."


-Hillary Clinton

"Make no mistake, these policies [of mine] are on the ballot, every single one of them."


-Barack Obama

"This administration has been more dangerous to the press than any in American history."


-Susan Page on the Obama Administration

"The thing about Bibi is, he’s a chickenshit."

-The Obama Administration on Israeli P.M. Benjamin Netanyahu

"There are, on occasion, electoral races in which both candidates are of high quality and high integrity and conduct a tough but fair campaign about the issues. Fair-minded voters have a difficult choice, but they can know that, no matter who is elected, they'll be well represented by someone who won't embarrass their community. The election for the House of Representatives seat in the 11th New York Congressional District is nothing like that."


-Staten Island Advance

Quotes of the Year: 2012

Quote of the Year:

"She's such a nightmare. Her career is over, I can tell you that. She looks like a fairground stripper."

-Elton John on Madonna

And the rest…

"Jack, you are my best friend. We had fun together. I will miss you. I will talk to you in my prayers. I love you Jack. Love, John."

-One of Jack Pinto’s classmates (Pinto was a victim in the Sandyhook shooting).

"It's not much different to being 109."

-WWI Vet Florence Green on what it’s like being 110

“The fact is, I’m gay.”

-Anderson Cooper

"She's a trampire!"

-Will Ferrell

"There’s disobedience and there’s obedience to God. I’ve been being disobedient."

-Josh Hamilton

 “She certainly didn’t break the group up, the group was breaking up.”

-Paul McCartney on Yoko Ono

“Israel has opened the gates of hell.”

-Qassam Brigade

“Get a ****in’ beer!”

-Pete Townshend at the 121212 concert for Sandy Relief

“Put the harps back in the closet.”

-George H.W. Bush following reports of his impending death

Quotes of the Month: December 2012

Quote of the Month: "Jack, you are my best friend. We had fun together. I will miss you. I will talk to you in my prayers. I love you Jack. Love, John."

-One of Jack Pinto’s classmates

Stupid Quote of the Month: "Is he a brother or a cornball brother?  We all know he has a white fiancée. There was all this talk about he's a Republican, which, there's no information at all. I'm just trying to dig deeper as to why he has an issue. Because we did find out with Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods was like, I've got black skin, but don't call me black. So people got to wondering about Tiger Woods early on."

-Rob Parker on RGIII

And the rest:

"Our people in an overwhelming way supported the re-election of this president and there ought to be a quid pro quo and you ought to exercise leadership on that. Of course, not just that, but why not? After the election of Jimmy Carter, the honorable Coleman Alexander Young, he went to Washington, D.C. He came home with some bacon. That's what you do."

-JoAnn Watson embarrassing Detroit once more

"There will be blood."

-Democratic State Senator Douglas Geiss

“But I’ve got to say, if it rains in London, you’ve got to come and help us, OK?”

-Mick Jagger at the 121212 concert for Sandy Relief

“Get a ****in’ beer!”

-Pete Townshend at the 121212 concert for Sandy Relief

“He had no desire., If he could have found someone else to take his place ... he would have been ecstatic to step aside. He is a very private person who loves his family deeply and wants to be with them, but he has deep faith in God and he loves his country, but he doesn’t love the attention."

-Tagg Romney

 “Put the harps back in the closet.”

-George H.W. Bush following reports of his impending death

Top 200 Albums of All Time: The Who

The Who: My Generation (1965)
The band dismissed My Generation as a “rush job.” However, it included classics such as “My Generation” and “The Kids Are Alright.” As a result, it appears on many best of lists.

The Who Sell Out: The Who (1967)
This is one of the most underrated albums of all time. It explores and mocks commercialism with phony advertisements in a pirate radio format. The cover shows the band hocking imaginary products. It also includes “I Can See For Miles.”

Tommy: The Who (1969)
Pete Townshend needed to move the band forward creatively and he contrived a rock opera based on a “deaf, dumb, and blind boy” who becomes a messianic figure while playing pinball. Genius!

Live at Leeds: The Who (1970)
The Who’s only live album recorded while they were recording and touring regularly is Live at Leeds. The record captures The Who’s stage presence and dynamism. It is generally considered the greatest live album of all time.

Who’s Next: The Who (1971)
Originally, Townshend wanted to do another rock opera. The so-called Lifehouse project confused everyone except Townshend and he scrapped it. Who’s Next emerged from the ashes and is about as good an album as has ever been recorded. Every track is top notch and four of the nine songs are classics.

Quadrophenia: The Who (1973)
Pete decided to write another rock opera and created Quadrophenia. The album centers on a schizophrenic boy named Jimmy. Jimmy had four distinct personalities, each representing a band member. It also explores the Mod-Rocker cultures of Townshend’s youth. In the end, Jimmy discovers himself.

Sci Fi History: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

The film version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde debuted prior to the adoption of modern movie production codes. It included strong sexual content and needed editing before its re-release. This version heavily influenced the look of Mr. Hyde in subsequent examinations. The producers wanted Hyde to embody evil and gave him canine teeth and a more ape-like appearance to make him “less evolved.”

The main themes of Jekyll and Hyde involve the dichotomy between good and evil. It also explores civilization vs. barbarism and evolution. The characters later inspired The Incredible Hulk, Batman’s nemesis, Two-Face, and The Who‘s Quadrophenia.

Top 200 Albums of All Time: The Rolling Stones

Aftermath: The Rolling Stones (1966)

The Rolling Stones’ sixth album represented a major breakthrough for the band. It marked the first time the Stones did not cover any songs. Every track was a Jagger/Richards composition. It is also notable for the inclusion of a variety of non-rock instruments such as the sitar, dulcimer, and xylophone.

Key Tracks:
Paint It Black
Under My Thumb
Lady Jane

Beggar’s Banquet: The Rolling Stones (1968)

The Stones abandoned the psychedelic and returned to their primal roots with Beggar’s Banquet. Fans and critics enjoyed the return to form for the band. In December, the Stones filmed The Rolling Stones Rock n Roll Circus to promote the album. The film included John Lennon, The Who, Jethro Tull, and Eric Clapton, but was not released until 1996.

Key Tracks:
Sympathy for the Devil
Street Fighting Man
Salt of the Earth

Let if Bleed: The Rolling Stones (1969)

Mick Jagger lists Let It Bleed as his favorite Stones album. The record is the last with Brian Jones and first with Mick Taylor. This album captured the period’s zeitgeist. It is infused with a feeling of impending doom. In fact, the day after it was released, the Stones held the Altamont Free Concert.

Key Tracks:
Gimme Shelter
Midnight Rambler
Monkey Man
You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Sticky Fingers: The Rolling Stones (1971)

The Stones eleventh album, Sticky Fingers, is a soundtrack to the early 1970s as well as many a gangster film. It is dark and autobiographical. Sticky Fingers marks Mick Taylor’s official full album debut after replacing the late Brian Jones. The album’s cover created some controversy as it featured a male crotch. Overall, Sticky Fingers represents what rock n roll.

Key Tracks:
Brown Sugar
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking
Bitch
Sister Morphine
Dead Flowers

Exile on Main St.: The Rolling Stones (1972)

There is a consensus that Exile is the Stones finest effort. Keith Richards claimed that the double album hit many different areas and the band felt like exiles at the time. It also marked the point at which the Stones decided they were big enough to do whatever they wanted. For his part, Jagger does not count Exile as one of his favorites. He believes its success lies in the whole, “I'm not too sure how great the songs are, but put together it's a nice piece.”

Key Tracks:
Tumbling Dice
Rip this Joint
Sweet Virginia
Happy
Ventilator Blues

Tattoo You: The Rolling Stones (1981)

Although they continued to produce hit records, Tattoo You remains the Rolling Stones last #1 studio album. Many of the songs were outtakes and leftovers from the previous decade. According to Richards, the Stones felt the urge to tour and did not have the time to write new material. The result was an extremely popular record among fans and critics alike.

Key Tracks:
Start Me Up
Hang Fire
Waiting on a Friend

Top 200 Albums of All Time: Pink Floyd

Dark Side of the Moon: Pink Floyd (1973)
Pink Floyd entered into their most creative period with Dark Side of the Moon. The album expanded upon musical and thematic excursions and ideas from earlier works. Following Dark Side’s release, Pink Floyd entered into a “super league.” The record examines greed, the passage of time, and man’s inhumanity toward man. It’s dark, grim, and struck a chord with an audience living in a dark, grim time. The themes explored by Pink Floyd remain relevant 40 years later.

Key Tracks:
Time
The Great Gig in the Sky
Money
Us and Them

Wish You Were Here- Pink Floyd (1975)
The band’s success with Dark Side of the Moon directly inspired Wish You Were Here. The album begins and ends with a sorrowful ode to the band’s founder Syd Barrett, who experienced a mental breakdown. The second and third tracks deal directly with rock star fame and corporate demands. The title track is another nod to Barrett and the record’s most iconic song. David Gilmour played “Wish You Were Here” at Pink Floyd’s induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Animals: Pink Floyd (1977)
Roger Waters took more and more control of the band and Animals reflects his political and worldview. The album provides a scathing critique of the socio-economic and political situation in 1977 Britain. In addition to social criticism, Floyd changed its musical sound as well. Interestingly, the conditions in the western world that Waters railed against helped spawn the punk movement around the same time.

The Wall: Pink Floyd (1979)
Roger Waters tired of the fans at their live shows. He thought the distance between fans and the band so acute, that he conceived building a wall. The resulting album is a rock opera in the style of The Who’s Tommy. The main character, Pink, is based on Waters himself. Pink’s experiences include the loss of his father in World War II, abusive school teachers, an overprotective mother, and isolation. Eventually, Pink fantasizes that he is a fascist rock star playing at Nazi rallies. His guilt forces him to face his demons and Pink places himself on trial. The resulting tour included a 40 foot wall built between fans and the band. During this period, founding member Richard Wright left the band, but toured to support the album as a salaried musician. The other three members paid for the tour out-of-pocket. As a result, Wright was the only guy who made money.

Key Tracks:
Another Brick in the Wall
Young Lust
Hey You
Comfortably Numb
Run Like Hell
The Trial

Presidential Songs: George W. Bush

George W. Bush did not have an official campaign song. However, on the night of the 2000 election, one clever staffer decided to play "Won't Get Fooled Again" by the Who to represent the defeat of the Clinton order.

Won't Get Fooled Again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp6-wG5LLqE

The Bush 43 Administration proved one of the more controversial in history. Perhaps the most controversial decision of the entire period came in 2003. That year, the United States resumed offensive military operations in Iraq. Although Bush did not have a campaign song for 2004, cynics might have chosen this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVyVIsvQoaE

My Favorite Albums from the 1960s

Not in any order...

Sgt Peppers- Beatles (1967)

Revolver- Beatles (1966)

Tommy- The Who (1969)

White Album- Beatles (1968)

The Doors- The Doors (1967)

Let it Bleed- The Rolling Stones (1969)

Magical Mystery Tour- Beatles (1967)

Aftermath- Rolling Stones (1966)

At Folsom Prison- Johnny Cash (1968)

Revolver/Rubber Soul- Beatles (1965 and 1966)

Greatest Guitar Riffs of the 60s

I did not put these in any order. This period was the heyday for guitar rock. These are the best riffs in my opinion...

Whole Lotta Love- Led Zeppelin

Satisfaction- Rolling Stones

Purple Haze- Jimy Hendrix

Sunshine of Your Love- Cream

Day Tripper- The Beatles

Jumpin’ Jack Flash- Rolling Stones

You Really Got Me- The Kinks

Voodoo Child- Jimy Hendrix

Black Dog- Led Zeppelin

Roadhouse Blues- The Doors



Pinball Wizard- The Who

Wipe Out- The Sufaris

All Along the Watchtower- Jimy Hendrix

Revolution- The Beatles

Miserlou- Dick Dale

I Can’t Explain- The Who

Fortunate Son- CCR

My Generation- The Who

All Day and All of the Night- The Kinks

Paint it Black- The Rolling Stones

Greatest Albums of the 1960s

At first, I thought I'd do a little write-up on these. However, rock albums have been so overanalyzed over the years, I thought it'd be redundant. Readers should check them out rather than taking a critic's or a fan's opinion! So, here are my picks for the Top 10 Albums of the Sixties:

1. Sgt Peppers- The Beatles (1967)

2. Pet Sounds- The Beach Boys (1966)

3. Revolver- The Beatles (1966)

4. Tommy- The Who (1969)

5. Highway 61 Revisited- Bob Dylan (1965)

6. Blonde on Blonde- Bob Dylan (1966)

7. Abbey Road- The Beatles (1969)

8. White Album- The Beatles (1968)

9. The Doors- The Doors (1967)

10. Let it Bleed- The Rolling Stones (1969)

Favorite 70s Albums

Not in any order...

Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

Born to Run- Bruce Springsteen (1975)

Who’s Next- The Who (1971)

The Wall- Pink Floyd (1979)

Quadrophenia- The Who (1973)

Sticky Fingers- Rolling Stones (1971)

Some Girls- The Rolling Stones (1978)

Plastic Ono Band- John Lennon (1970)

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd (1975)

Let it Be- The Beatles (1970)

Greatest Albums of the 1970s

Not in any order...

Dark Side of the Moon: Pink Floyd (1973)

What’s Going On?: Marvin Gaye (1971)

Born to Run: Bruce Springsteen (1975)

Exile on Mainstreet: The Rolling Stones (1972)

Innervisions: Stevie Wonder (1973)

Led Zeppelin IV: Led Zeppelin (1971)

Who’s Next: The Who (1971)

Rumours: Fleetwood Mac (1977)

The Wall: Pink Floyd (1979)

Quadrophenia: The Who (1973)

My All-Time Grammy Awards

Best Vocals: Roger Daltrey: Love Reign O’er Me

Greatest Guitar riff: Smoke on the Water- Deep Purple

Greatest Guitar Solo: David Gilmour: Comfortably Numb

Greatest Bass Line: Another One Bites the Dust: John Deacon (Queen)

Greatest Bass Solo: My Generation: John Entwhistle (The Who)

Greatest Drum Performance: Moby Dick: John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)

Greatest Keyboard Performance: Light My Fire: Ray Manzerek (The Doors)

Best Riffs of the 80s

Here are the best riffs of the 1980s...not in any order...

Paradise City- GnR

Rock You Like a Hurricane- The Scorpions

Back in Black- AC/DC

Breakin’ the Law- Judas Priest

Master of Puppets- Metallica

Seek and Destroy- Metallica

Photograph- Def Leppard

Sharp Dressed Man- ZZ Top

Money for Nothing- Dire Straits

Start Me Up- The Rolling Stones

Rockin’ in the Free World- Neil Young

Spirit of Radio- Rush

Eminence Front- The Who

Run Like Hell- Pink Floyd

Couldn’t Stand the Weather- Stevie Ray Vaughn

Crazy Train- Ozzy

Eye of the Tiger- Survivor

You Shook Me All Night Long- AC/DC

I Love Rock n Roll- Joan Jett

Sunday, Bloody Sunday-U2

The Ten Most Conservative Songs of all Time

Bodies- The Sex Pistols: The Sex Pistols sing about dying babies in this anti-abortion song.

Coming to America- Neil Diamond: Neil Diamond expresses a very Reaganesque message of America being that shining city on a hill providing inspiration to the world.

Don’t Tread on Me- Metallica: Metallica ties themselves to the American Revolution. During that period, one flag featured a snake ready to strike with the words “Don’t Tread On Me” underneath. The song includes many conservative messages such as “liberty or death”, “love it or leave it”, and “to secure peace is to prepare for war.”

I Can’t Drive 55- Sammy Hagar: Hagar rails against the nanny state and its desire to run every aspect of our lives.

Rock The Casbah- The Clash: Joe Strummer wrote this after the Ayatollah clamped down on rock music in Iran. The song was co-opted by American troops during the First Gulf War and was re-interpreted to mean “bomb the Middle East.” Ironically, Strummer was a committed leftist that despised war.

Small Town- John Mellencamp: Mellencamp is not a conservative. However, Small Town represents the cultural divide between left and right. While the left controls urban areas, the small town remains conservative.

Stormtroopin’- Ted Nugent: Unlike Mellencamp and Strummer, Nugent is a right winger. Uncle Ted warns about big government and provides the real rationale for the 2nd Amendment.

Taxman- The Beatles: Beware of the Taxman. He’ll tax the heat, your car, and even your feet. The government knows what is best, so don’t ask where the money goes!

We’re Not Gonna Take It- Twisted Sister: Since the left tends to like government, it tends to be more institutional than the right. When the left revolts, it tends to be against themselves. When the right revolts, it’s against the left, the government, the system, and the machine.

Won’t Get Fooled Again- The Who: Pete Townsend wrote this in reaction to the sixties. In his view, he felt that we won’t be fooled again by those left wing hippie tools. The song was played at Bush headquarters on election eve 2000.

#5 The Who

The Who were four distinctly different personalities that emerged from Shepherd’s Bush to become one of the greatest bands of all time. They were known for their energetically aggressive stage shows, innovative records, and attitude. Pete Townsend came from art school and was the band’s chief songwriter, conceptualizer, and world class guitarist. Roger Daltrey is one of rock’s greatest vocalists and front men. He’s a brawler and could probably still kick a 20 year old’s ass. John Entwhistle is rock’s greatest bassist and turned the bass guitar into a lead instrument. Keith Moon is rock’s greatest drummer and its court jester. The band came from the London Mod scene and were the antithesis of peace and love. Instead, they pioneered instrument destruction and stage mayhem. From “Can’t Explain” to “My Generation”, there was something different about The Who.

Imagine being a hippie at Monterey in 1967. The San Francisco sound dominated the Summer of Love and the Monterey Pop Festival. Then came The Who. They blew up the stage and probably frightened some hippies. Before going on, Pete Townsend and Jimy Hendrix fought over who would close. Neither one wanted to follow the other. They almost came to blows, but settled the dispute. Townsend won and Hendrix closed. Hendrix then expropriated Townsend's antics and took him one better.

After a couple of years, the band was at a crossroads. Where to go? Pete Townsend put together an ambitious project. It was the first rock opera, Tommy. The album was a smash and propelled the Who to superstardom. In 1969, they played Woodstock and The Who continued to record smash albums well into the seventies.

In 1978, drummer Keith Moon died. After Moon's death, the band lost its way. Pete Townsend went into a tailspin. Singer Roger Daltrey admits to doing things he had never done before. The band eventually dissolved in 1982. They reunited for Live Aid in 1985, for a tour in 1989, and for their induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. In 1996 and 1997, they got together to tour for their 70s classic, Quadraphenia. Then came the concert for New York following 911. They owned the show and reunited for good. On the eve of a tour, bassist John Entwhistle died. Roger and Pete have continued on and even recorded their first album since the early 80s.

Rock n Roll Moment: Keith Moon took a horse tranquilizer before a show and passed out on stage. The band invited a fan on stage to play the drums and The Who finished their set. He also got banned from the Holiday Inn after driving a car into the Flint Holiday Inn’s pool.

Essential Who:
My Generation (1965)
A Quick One (1966)
The Who Sell Out (1967)
Tommy (1969)
Who’s Next (1971)
Quadrophenia (1973)

The Who’s Top 10:

Can’t Explain
My Generation
A Quick One While He’s Away
I Can See For Miles
Pinball Wizard
Listening to You/See Me, Feel Me
Baba O’Reilly
Won’t Get Fooled Again
5:15
Who Are You?

#26: The Police

The Police formed at the height of Punk and outlasted it. Some consider them the first New Wave Act since they were neither classic rock nor punk. They incorporated jazz, punk rock, and reggae into their work. In fact, they were one of the first acts to incorporate reggae into their music.

In 1977, The Police began their slow climb to greatest band in the world. Drummer Stewart Copeland formed the band with Sting and Henry Padovani. Padovani was a weak guitarist and was later replaced by Andy Summers. Their fusion of rock, jazz, and especially reggae into their act was novel especially in the United States. They soon earned a recording contract.

Their first album contained the hit “Roxanne” which was completely unique. It did not sound like rock or punk or disco. The song provided an introduction into the U.S. and Australia and got them a gig at the CBGB punk club. Their second album made them stars in England and included “Message in a Bottle.” They toured the world and released a third album that included “Don’t Stand So Close To Me.” The band was now a worldwide sensation.

While the band thrived, front man Sting became a star. He appeared in movies such as Quadraphenia and later Dune. This led to a conflict of egos with Stewart Copeland. The tension continued throughout the early 80s and served to destroy the band as they conquered the world. By 1983, they were the biggest band in the world. Their album Synchronicity spawned several smash hits including one of the decade’s most iconic songs, “Every Breath You Take.” In fact, that song beat out “Billie Jean” for song of the year at the Grammy Awards.

There was no official split. Sting did a solo album and Copeland did some work on his own. Summers waited for the band to reunite. With the exception of three concerts for Amnesty International in 1986 and a completely reworked re-release of “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” the band would not play again until the 2007-08 reunion tour. Between 1986 and 2007, Sting got married and bragged about 6 hour tantric sex, Copeland made a documentary on the Police (very good), Summers worked as Dennis Miller’s musical director, and the group was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Rock n Roll Moment: In one South American banana republic, Andy Summers kicked a military policeman that was attacking fans. He was threatened with arrest, but managed to get out of the country.

Essential Police:

Outlandos d’Amour (1978)
Reggata de Blanc (1979)
Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)
Ghost in the Machine (1981)
Synchronicity (1983)

The Police Top 10:

Every Breath You Take
Roxanne
Can’t Stand Losing You
Message in a Bottle
So Lonely
Don’t Stand So Close To Me
King of Pain
Wrapped Around Your Finger
Synchronicity II
Spirits in the Material World