brainsplotch

Listening to What’s Going On (while putting groceries away) as a commemoration of sorts for its 50 th anniversary. While listening, I had an epiphany—or maybe I just think it’s an epiphany. Maybe I actually heard it or read it somewhere and now I believe it to be an original theory. Anyway, the album starts with Marvin (or the character Marvin is portraying) greeting friends (Mel Farr and Lem Barney of the Detroit Lions) before launching into the title track. “What’s Going On” is a summation of the sad state of affairs in 1971 (which may as well be 2021). We can also hear conversation and laughter in the background, as if we’re at a get-together or party. The second song, “What’s Happening Brother,” is told from the perspective of a returning Vietnam vet, asking how everyone else is doing and relating his struggles. We are still at the party. And then one of them (the vet?) starts “flying high in the friendly sky…without ever leaving the ground.” The next five songs are the most ...

 I meant to post an update on the Chauvin trial, but never got around to it. On the day of the verdict (April 20), the coverage coincided with my drive home from work. I was nervous the entire 16 mile trip, as I anxiously awaited for the jury and judge to enter the courtroom. Literally, as I pulled into the driveway, the judge and jury had entered and were ready to deliver the verdict. Coincidentally, L. and D. had arrived home too at that same time. We all remained in our respective cars waiting for the verdict. When Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts, I (perhaps embarrassingly) reacted as if my favorite sports team had defeated a heavily favored arch-rival.  I am not sure whether this is a harbinger of the future, or just an anomaly because it was so freaking obvious in that video that Derek Chauvin was a murdered. It's entirely possible that cops will be able to continue on indiscriminately beating the hell out of and/or killing people when they feel like it, but ...

The Derek Chauvin murder trial has been on my mind, as the prosecution and defense rest their cases and the jury begins deliberation. I have had a hard time watching any of the coverage or even news recaps. I find this case to be so deeply disturbing and further troubled by the real possibility that Derek Chauvin walks. I have no doubt in my mind that Chauvin murdered George Floyd, but we all know too well what happens when a cop is a defendant. No matter how much the defense wants to gaslight the jury into believing anything but Chauvin's knee on Floyd's neck was responsible for Floyd's death, I keep going back to that video and the look of defiance and soullessness on Chauvin's face. No matter what the defense may want any of us to believe, that is the look of a murderer. Chauvin needs to be held accountable for his actions. He needs to be punished by the hand of the law. If he is exonerated, then the police essentially have the right to kill any of us for any reason-...

This is probably a bit self-indulgent on my part, but here are the notes I took when listening to The Godfathers' More Songs About Love & Hate. I thought it might be of some interest to some people (and probably completely boring for 99.9 percent of everyone else), but it's my blog and I'll do whatever I want--so there! So here are my musically uneducated off-the-cuff observations of each song on the album: "She Gives Me Love"--Poppiest song on the album? Prominent drumming and wah-wah guitar. Good opener. "Those Days Are Over"--Has an AC/DC "For Those About to Rock" feel with Byrds-y guitar break. Song about dissatisfaction or maybe warfare (either real of metaphorical). "How Low Is Low"--Title says it all. More dissatisfaction sung over a Rolling Stones groove. "Pretty Girl"--This could have been on a mid-'60s beat group album. Simple lovelorn lyrics and "yeah, yeah, yeah" vocals on the outro. "This ...

The following is adapted from and expanded upon an Intagram post I made. There was copy-and-pasting going on, which always seems to irrevocably mess up the font size and font type in Blogger. I recall loving The Godfathers' song "Birth School Work Death" back in 1988. It was full of piss and vinegar, righteous anger, and in the video, the guys in the band looked like extras from The Long Good Friday . For whatever reason, however, I never bought the album. After finally discovering, 32 years after the fact, the no-frills, Clash-meets-AC/DC rock 'n' roll of More Songs About Love & Hate , I now feel the need to dig into their earlier stuff. And in fact, I have finally ordered Birth, School, Work, Death album a mere 33 years after its release. (Update, the disc arrived yesterday and I love it). More Songs About Love & Hate (I assume the title is a nod to Leonard Cohen) largely avoids the cheesy production that mars many '80s albums. It might help that, ...

Mark's latest book report: Arc of Justice, by Kevin Boyle, was published in 2004, won the National Book Award, and I finally got around to reading it (though I took a few breaks along the way). I had the book on my “to read” list for many years. The book is the painstakingly researched and detailed story of Ossian Sweet, a young, successful Black doctor who bought an attractive brick bungalow on the corner of Charlevoix and Garland in an all-white neighborhood on Detroit’s east side. On the evening after Ossian and his wife moved into the house in September 1925, a white mob gathered outside, and chaos ensued. Stones were thrown at the house and shots were fired from an upstairs window. Two people were struck by bullets, one of whom died.  What unfolds is a kaleidoscopic view of 1920s Detroit. The city was a rapidly growing industrial metropolis, with thousands of people of all races and nationalities flooding the city to work in auto (and auto-related) factories. At the same time,...

I recently hit up the local St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop down the street from work to look at their CDs (because more CDs is just what I need--like a hole in my head). I can at least rationalize it by telling myself that I'm donating money to charity. Anyway, I found some decent stuff, or at least stuff I believe to be decent. Certainly decent for $1 apiece. So here is what I bought: Franz Ferdinand-- Franz Ferdinand , Gorillaz-- Gorillaz , Live-- Secret Samadhi , Madonna-- The Immaculate Collection, Paul McCartney --Run Devil Run, and   10,000 Maniacs --Our Time in Eden.  So here is the rundown: I remember Franz Ferdinand from the early aughts and the era of angular punky garage-y bands like The Strokes, The Hives, etc. I suppose Franz Ferdinand belong in that category, or are at least adjacent. Outside of their hit "Take Me Out," I didn't pay them much attention then, but in 2021 at the thrift shop I thought: why not? I spun the album a few days ago and enjoyed i...