ISO - Apollo 1 Ticket

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Gigaton is really going to marinate with me as the best albums do. There is so much to love, a lot to like and even more to discover. The music is so textured. After recently picking up Vitalogy on vinyl, I learned how much I've been missing. Yield and Vs sound better on record but Vitalogy is mind blowing. I have a feeling Gigaton is going to be the same way. Best part, there aren't any songs I flat out don't like. These are going to be killer live. I find myself wondering whether "7 O'Clock" is going to be the slow burn opener or if they'll try to use "River Cross" or "Comes Then Goes" as the main set closer. When they get back to live and we all get back together it's going to be amazing. I mean imagine pairing "Dance of the Clairvoyants" with "Nothing as it Seems." 

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I think what I'm most surprised about on Gigaton are the amount of songs that have drastically different musical renderings. I don't know that it's No Code different compared to what came before but there are so many subtle nuances going on in this album. When I heard "Dance of the Clairvoyants" I guess I figured we were getting an all around trippy record and was somewhat bummed by "Superblood Wolfmoon," because it was similar to what came before. But as I've dug in more and more this is not what we're used to. Even the many instruments tuning at the beginning of "Who Ever Said" are the kind of signal that this is a different experience. Eddie's vocals are delivered differently, guitars sound almost country and then a song later they're off on some experimental trip. I dig it. Even the songs I don't love, I do love the chances they took throughout. 

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Taking a break from the album today. Can't go with live PJ - too soon? Not sure. I opted for some Springsteen. When I'm in a rut finding music that really works is tough. Nothing sounds good. If anyone is a writer out there, I see it as revising your own work - when it's coming out, most of the time it feels good (or you just quit) and when you go back to look it over there are times when you think: "No one would ever publish this." Other times, when things are rolling you feel wonderful. Music goes in the same vein. Why am I still writing this? Why not. Why not write until the band does go back to the Apollo. 

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My vinyl copy of Gigaton arrived today. The wife made me keep it in the box it came in for 24 hours and I have to wait to take it out, wipe the package down and then I can play it. These are indeed weird times. The idea of states like Virginia, DC and Maryland having stay at home orders until June 10th is mind blowing. At least my children are young enough to enjoy being at home with their parents - us losing our minds is something else. Let's hope for a break in the weather. 

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It's been toooooooooooooo long since I've listened to an album with the lyric sheet in hand. My wife did a social distancing party while I drank some vino and listened to Gigaton. It brought me back to every time I got a new album when I was a kid - I'd sit in front of the stereo with the lyrics and hang on every word. I missed that. Sometimes it's the simple pleasures in life that bring the most light. Think about what you used to love and haven't done in quite some time - then do it. 

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Here's an opinion - Side C of Gigaton is the most daring side on any Pearl Jam album ever. I'm not saying it's my favorite even on the album but as I listened to the final four songs unfold it felt like this was the chance so many songs on previous albums hinted at but pulled back from "Yellow Moon" and "Future Days" come to mind, whereas "Comes Then Goes" takes that almost country tilt. "Buckle Up" is just so different from anything they've ever done and the double whammy of "Retrograde" and "River Cross" are fascinating in how they just move away from that visceral opening from the album. I've heard people think it ends too slow (maybe) but the chances on this album, and on this side are musically fascinating. Even if this goes down as a lower tier record I dare people to show me records my bands that take these chances 30 years in. 

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I watched Onward with the kids last night and it was such a pretty movie. Imaginative. Fun. On the other hand I watched Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (without the kids) and I was sorely disappointed. Bloated. Meandering. DiCaprio brought his A game but couldn't save another qt coke addled wet dream. It's interesting how Hollywood was praised and Onward was panned. Sure they're in different wheel houses but we haven't seen a movie like Onward (two brothers learning about family) but we have seen Hollywood (not only did PT Anderson's Inherent Vice do it better years ago, he did it in the fictional realm). Vice and Hollywood lament the lost innocence of the 60's but Vice does so with nuance, and I'm always one for less being more. Somewhere inside Hollywood is a great film (focusing on DiCaprio's falling star), Pitt's run in with hippies (that don't need to be Manson family) and Robbie's rising star (and no reason for her to be Sharon Tate). But I've got to give the credit to Onward's take on innocence, family and coming of age. It's lean and does the job. 

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I watched Zombie Land: Double Tap this morning; it was fine. But per usual Woody Harrelson knocks it out of the park. Pound for pound or movie for movie he's one of the most amazing actors but doesn't get the credit. I remember seeing him Cheers when I was a kid and then he broke out in a big way in movies like Natural Born Killers (talk about an about face). While the Oliver Stone flick isn't my style, I love seeing actors grow into their profession and Harrelson has never stopped. He was the lynch pin in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri. Yep, Frances McDormand's rage was the impetus, Rockwell's study on race and humanity a deeper dive but Harrelson's calm was something unexpected and quite poignant. The guy knows how to have fun and then challenge even the most astute viewer. Phoenix and Day-Lewis get their just dues but Harrelson doesn't. 

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A few concert dates have come and gone (and St. Louis that I was going to attend) and I actually didn't even realize it until Sunday. I expected to be bummed out but I wasn't. I think it's that part of just wanting the first normal to return and special occasions will come soon thereafter. My wife and I spend evenings planning what we want to do. Or what we hope to do in due time. I find "due time" to be getting farther and farther away - yet, I'm always one day closer.

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It's been awhile since I've laughed out loud at a movie. In all honesty, look at the last decade for good comedies and there aren't many to speak of. A lot of them are trying to hard while not trying to be smart or they're just overlong. Last night I found Good Boys - how can a rated R movie about 6th graders be hilarious to a grown man? And his wife actually? She also thought it was hilarious (I was watching it while she was reading and had to put her book down). Because it's smart. This isn't about what people think 6th graders are like, it's how we were and my memory was clear as day - riding bikes everywhere, paranoia about drugs, older kids, girls, friendships and trying to be adult while being cool.....it's a cluster fuck of hormones with a heart in the right place. Even if there aspects I can't even comprehend (free access to the internet and all that came along with it) I can remember my buddy's dad's stash of magazines. Or the first time I sipped a beer and felt like an out law. The movie was flat out awesome for all the reasons looking back on those moments in life are great. 

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Ever since I was a kid I've been looking for the perfect album, the perfect novel, the perfect movie - something that works seamlessly from start to finish. This pursuit for perfection is a complete me thing. There are people who love "Meeting Across the River" off Born to Run, fans on this message board that would knife fight with me over my meh feelings about "Deep" and to each their own. For me, it's always a journey, to listen with anticipation or usually re-listen, re-watch or re-read to see if a certain song does something new for me - and Blood on the Tracks is that album. It took 22 years for me to love "You're a Big Girl Now," that's staying power. I finally got it on vinyl and it's amazing. Songs like "Idiot Wind" (my favorite Dylan song) and "Lilly, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" have so much more pop while the quiet nuance in "Tangled up in Blue" and "Simple Twist of Fate" are even more melancholic. It's as close to perfect as I've found. Much like The Great Gatsby (damn that second chapter) and The Truman Show (yeah, I said it). Happy listening all. 

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"Never Destination" really caught me today. This could be unreal live. You never know what song will turn into the next "Life Wasted" /"Insignificance" (meaning we'll get it for a few tours) or "Breakherfall" and pretty much anything off Riot Act where you get it for a tour and then you're lucky to get a song from the album period. Backspacer has "Unthought" and Lighting Bolt will have the title track (assuming) but Gigaton has a ton of potentially wonderful live cuts that could be get em while they're hot or don't get them. It's the hard part of being a prolifically live band; PJ and a few others will hard core support that album (in a live setting) but with the new cuts you have ditch some surprises in order to keep the regular listener and that's cool. They do encores like Springsteen. You're going to get a handful of tunes that are stalwarts. The problem is most of us want the rarities and the new songs. We are more jacked to hear "Dance of the Clairvoyants" than say "Daughter" but I never tire of hearing "Daughter." At this point I'll take anything live. But in all honesty I'm most excited for "Never Destination," "Dance of the Clairvoyants," "Whoever Said" (every time it comes on my 2 year old smiles and bobs his head in joy), and "Take the Long Way." While "Seven O'Clock" is one of my favorite tracks I don't pine to hear it live. I won't kick it to the curb should the chance present itself. 

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I didn't even know that Fan Club Singles from 2017 and 2018 were up until I read a random article this morning. The Soundgarden tribute was nice but I loved Ed's versions of "Wildflowers" and "Keep Me in Your Heart." "Wildflowers" I know quite well and despite Petty's spare arrangements Ed managed to keep them spare and yet make it a song unto itself - not easy. But the Zevon cover is amazing. I've read about Zevon and how so many artists cite him as an influence but most of us only know him for "Werewolf of London." It's shame and it's time to give him a just do. If man on his last legs can produce "Keep Me in Your Heart" on his last album, what else does he have stashed away. A friend told me to listen to Excitable Boy and I'm going to take him up on it. He said it's Zevon's most complete album. I'm excited.

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I'm sure most people saw this but it's amazing how John Krasinski surprised a little girl on his home show last week. If you didn't see it, there will be a link at the bottom. But what I find most astonishing is that I'm guessing Lin Manuel Miranda did the heavy lifting. Meaning, I'm guessing how it all went down, despite knowing nothing of the sort. You figure Krasinski saw something about the girl and had his wife who worked with Miranda on Marry Poppins 2 surprise her on his show. She makes the call but I would have to imagine that Miranda is the one who arranged the entire original cast to do the song. If you're Krasinski or Blunt you can't just say: "Hey, can you get the entire original cast together to do a surprise run through of a song?" They probably just asked, "Hey, you wanna surprise this kid?" He was game and went the extra three miles....It was a cool moment. Watch it, pass it along and just be a nice person. It feels good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh1xwV67aD8

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Today is my son's 2nd birthday. Needless to say we weren't doing much. He has a cake. Presents. And nothing of note. Until the neighborhood decided to do something for him and for other kids on the block that couldn't have family or friends help celebrate. Today at 3, people arranged a parade with friends, family, fire trucks and police cars (and for a kid obsessed with all things Cars - this should be quite a thing). Let's face it, a two year old isn't going to remember but it's the fact that adults want to make it memorable for the kids and the parents. We see so much shit, that the good happens at our doorstep and in today's case it's literally my door step. 

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All the stay at home stuff gets you to watching movies you've seen before that you didn't give another thought to. I found myself watching Quantum of Solace and it wasn't bad. I caught the last 45 minutes and instead of deciding to start over, I went to Casino Royale cause the ending was the beginning of Quantum...I watched both all the way through and realized it's one long origin story for not just 007 but the Bond from every movie that came before. As one three hour flick, it's awesome. And it works the context of everything. I could go on, not like I don't have the time but check em out as one movie. 

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I've never meditated. I've done yoga but never sat for a long period of time and concentrated on my breathing and I'm finding it's something that I should look into. I'm doing more breathing and quiet but the social quarantine aspect of all this and working from my basement is a lot to swallow. One man can only devour so many television shows and movies. Focusing on the self in order to be more mindful of the world is an idea that's always intrigued me. It's also something that can hopefully go a long way in extinguishing the fears and doubts that I'm sure most of us have. Remember that time when we were all bummed a tour got canceled? Such a distant memory. 

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This is an awesome R.E.M. show at Bridge School. Neil comes out for "Country Feedback" a song Stipe always describes as his favorite R.E.M. song. This concert is beautiful and shows the band at the height of their musical prowess. Enjoy. And smile.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuLH-Br7g0Q

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Been listening to a lot of Riot Act and Binaural on vinyl and man do those albums hum on wax. In fact, I'd argue (along with Vitalogy) that they demand to be listened to vinyl more than any other of the band's output. Don't get me wrong, Vs., No Code, Yield all sound great and better than I remember on CD and obviously digital but there is something special about RA and B. The dog's snarling at the beginning of "Rival" are positively jarring and I just can't remember that in any other format. Then you have songs that I never loved, pretty much side 3 of Riot Act, and it's awesome. I always thought this was an uneven record but listening to them based on the sides gives them a whole new life for me. This is a band that knows how to craft songs. I've always loved "I am Mine" and "Thumbing My Way," but putting them right next to each other is pure genius. "Of the Girl" to kick off side 3...so much good stuff. 

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Suns out today. It's amazing what a little fresh air, breeze and sunshine will do for you. Get out of the house. Enjoy the world as far as you can see. It'll be good for you. Give you a smile.