Ghost Train RadioBlack Coffee at Dawn
Premium dark French Roast
I've lived coast to coast
My former self
Now just a ghost
In the wee morning hours
I always find my power
The sun is about to rise
And bring new treasures in time
There's no time to waste
No time for haste
Pour another cup
This life I can't get enough
I don't know why - but every now and then I think about Curt Cobain and other such artists who came from very humble backgrounds - then made it big - and ended their lives so tragically. The only way I can chuckle about this is remembering Debbie Harry ("Blondie") famous lyric:
Die Young and Stay Pretty
Blondie
There are artists I revere and think about a lot – Jack Kerouac, Man Ray, Curt Cobain – all long gone – some tragically, some not. There are others, but those three come to top of mind without any thinking.
I just watched Blondie’s video and it reminds me of that last Spring and Summer in 1979 – in Newton, NJ – where I was sooooo relieved with the punk and new wave thing happening. I had this old tube Marantz receiver and used a Ham Radio 2 meter yagi pointed at NYC and picked up WNEW, WFDU, WLIR and other stations who were playing Television – the first band that was my “gateway drug” into the modern rock world. Blondie – Parallel Lines was played as was Talking Heads, Police, The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello, etc. I was totally blown away. I had struggled through lousy “Southern Rock”, “Prog Rock” and so much awful music – that I tried hard to like – but hated. I remembered telling people that I liked Emerson Lake and Palmers album “Tarkus” because it was so bad – and no one else liked it. It was a snarky punk attitude – before punk – so when I heard something like The Ramones “The KKK Took My Baby Away” – OMFG – did that ring my bell. Simple 50’s style rock with funny / dumb lyrics. What rock n’ roll was meant to be – rebellious and not self indulgent.
Listening back at all of these different takes on modern music really does make me happy – I feel like I was in the right place at the right time for modern rock music. The 80’s paved the way for the 90’s – which in some ways I liked even more – but why split hairs – the 80’s and 90’s were my “golden years of rock”.
There have been other bands that I love after the 90’s – like The Decemberists – and now with YouTube releasing old music videos – which is way better than MTV ever was – I get to relive some of the past. The best part is now seeing what I didn’t see during those times – like Tom Waits – and especially – Rain Dogs – which while on a plane of its own – must have sounded quite avant garde back then. It was no doubt way ahead of its time because I can’t stop playing it now – and it sounds so fresh to me.
But as always – I digress. More coffee – please and thank you!
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