"Pocahontas" - Performed by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

Of all the versions of this Neil Young song which have been recorded I enjoy this one the most. It probably has more to do with the interaction of long time partners Gillian Welch and David Rawlings than anything else. The song itself is beautiful; full of imagery recounting the last days of the Indian Wars. I never have figured out the Marlon Brando verse and its relationship to the rest of the song, but somehow it all works out.

David Welch is one of the most underrated of guitarists. When you watch him you’ll notice that he uses his hip to steady his 1935 National guitar while he performs, particularly when playing lead. His whole body is inside of each note. And, that fret board is like a second home; while his ears picks up on any key changes, his fingers following instinctively.

For her part, Gillian Welch is one of the most gifted vocalists of her genre. Her haunting voice can bring new scope and meaning to anything she sings. Together the two are among my favorite musical performers.  I think it has to do with the intimacy between the two, which spills out unintentionally and becomes part of the performance.

Music is a force, just as love is. And when you love the music you perform; and the person you are performing with; you can take that music to new heights. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings prove that point time and time again.

Kent State - 1970

On the night of May 2nd, 1970 demonstrators had burned down the ROTC building on the Kent State Campus. This led to the National Guard being called in to preserve order. What happened on Monday, May 4th, 1970 did little to restore that order. Instead, it locked both sides into a struggle that would cleave our nation into 2 halves for decades.

Extremism begets extremism. History is filled with examples. We are living through some dangerous and fractious times right now. The most important thing to remember is that any position, when taken too far, will always lead to the same thing, disaster.

The Vietnam era was a volatile time in our nation's history. Families were split along political lines. Friendships were formed and broken over the issue of the Vietnam War. We became a nation divided by our politics, rather than a nation united by our political system. And we have remained so. And the people at the top want it that way. It's the only way that they can continue to run the show the way they see fit.

In memory of Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandy Scheuer and William Schroeder; 4 young people; caught up in a sea of rhetoric, going too far and coming face to face with another group, equally caught up in their own rhetoric. When each side is so right; when each side claims the high ground; where do the little people go? When both sides cling so tightly to their beliefs, that they are willing to burn; or kill; those who are in opposition, then it is time to step back and re-examine the cause and its worth.

Today, on the 43rd anniversary of this tragic event, I hope that we will all take the opportunity to look inside of ourselves and our respective political positions. And in tribute to these 4 young Americans, let's all take a step back from the edge of division and look to re-unite ourselves as a nation. I really think that is what these 4 victims would have wanted us to learn.

"The Last Sultan" by Robert Greenfield (2011)

Robert Greenfield has done a masterful job in this sprawling biography of both Ahmet Ertegun and Atlantic Records. As a matter of fact, the stories of the two are almost inseparable. Author Robert Greenfield, using the words of many of Mr. Ertegun’s friends and business associates has put all of the stories, and history, together in a most readable manner.

From his birth in 1923 to an aristocratic family in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, to ruling over his own fiefdom in the music industry, Ahmet Ertegun was a man who loved to tell stories and live life fully. He was also one of the most beloved men in an industry filled with back stabbers. A hard negotiator when necessary, he could also be enormously generous to the artists who signed contracts with him and his label, Atlantic Records.

Mr. Greenfield does a thorough job of acquainting the reader with Mr. Ertegun’s background and how he came to America. Then he begins the real story of how this man’s love for black music, at a time when Jim Crow still reigned supreme in the South, built an empire consisting of some of the greatest musical talent of the time.

Whether he was down South, or roaming the streets of New York, London, or Los Angeles, he was always in touch with the rhythm of the “scene”. He had a natural “ear” for what was good or bad. In short, he had his fingers on the pulse of a generation, and he used that insight to bring some of the greatest music to the forefront of our lives.

From his very beginnings in the record business, until the end of his storied career, he knew no color, unless it was green. A man of many contradictions he would buy his suits of the rack for a hundred bucks, and then have them re-cut by a hotel tailor for 50 bucks more. And, even with that strategy he managed to make the list of the 10 Best Dressed Men at least 5 years in a row.

From his relationships with Bobby Darin, Professor Longhair and Ray Charles; whom he lost to another label; to his “scouting” out new talent, the man was a visionary. He helped to propel Steve Stills, of Buffalo Springfield fame, to the top of the charts; and then was instrumental in putting together Crosby, Stills and Nash. His friendships with Phil Spector, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie are well known, but in Mr. Greenfield’s hands these stories seem to come alive.

One of the most illuminating parts of this book concerned the Payola scandal, in which record companies were accused of paying disc jockeys to play their records. The federal government got involved and all the record companies were coerced into signing an agreement with the government barring this type of conduct in the future. Only two companies refused to sign. One was Chess, and the other was Atlantic. Their mutual attorney, Paul Marshall, argued correctly, that the original charges used to ruin Alan Freed’s career were baseless. The charges all hinged on the belief that all gratuities paid to the disc jockey belonged to the stations. Mr. Marshall countered that these “gifts” were merely “tips”, and if tipping was not in violation of the disc jockey’s terms of employment, then no crime had been committed.

He further argued that since the crime of payola, which stated that it “consisted of changing and affecting public taste”, did not apply when the disc jockey, or artist were already known. Since they were already recognized by the public, no change in taste could be affected. I found this section particularly interesting.

From race records to pop music, Ahmet Ertegun affected a whole generation of music lovers, leaving behind a whole world of music. His presence, at a time and place when social mores were changing, left us with years and years of music to enjoy. And that’s not a bad legacy at all. Filled with stories about almost every artist you can imagine, this book will leave you very satisfied, as well as a bit more knowledgeable about the music industry in general.

"Customers Wanted" with Popeye the Sailor (1939)

This is a very good example of the results which can be obtained by re-dititizing an old film/cartoon. If you look at some of the other versions of this same cartoon on You Tube, you will see what I mean. This is one of the original Max Fleischer releases from the late 1930's. They were later re-released, in somewhat poorer quality, by Kings Features. This version begins with the King Features logo before the start of the original cartoon. When I was a kid there was no substitute for those closing doors at the beginning of these cartoons. The ones which only had the King Features logos were actually done in the 1950's, just as the art of animation was changing, and not necessarily for the better.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend, wherever you are headed off to. Don't rush, you have an extra day, so stop and smell the roses along the way. And sometime during the weekend, take a moment to think about those who have served, and fallen, in the name of freedom. Someday, peace will come. But it seems as if it's still a long time coming. That reminds me of a song I once heard;