Sunday, April 29, 2007

I've Been Burned...AND I LOVE IT!

THIS IS PERHAPS THE GREATEST ROCK PHOTO EVER.


"It's better to burn out than to fade away." Talk to me Neil, I couldn't agree more. But let us for just one, brief, fleeting moment take the heavy weight from off that ubiquitous, but none the less history-making lyric. Let me pull ya over just momentarily to the lighter side, to a place or parallel universe, where that lyric reads "It's better to side-burn out than to shave clean". After we're done here, the lyric can return to its original content and context, to the place where rock journos dissect and debate its meaning using thousand dollar words, and where Cobain used it to say Adios world, I'm outta here.

I cannot thank Allan over at CamelsbackandForth enough for sending me this bad-ass pick of Ray Manzarek in all his side burned glory. Allan's a kindred spirit who just knew I would love it. And he was right. Fuckin'A. I can never resist a big ole serving of obscure solo album with a side dish heavy on the mutton chops. The pic is from the back of Ray's 1974 album called, get this action, "The Whole Thing Started With Rock & Roll And Now It's Out of Control". Including the length of that title, Ray...easy, easy, brother, stop in the name of Sharpie-ing all that to fit when writing onto a just burned CD.

But then again, fuck the burned CD, this is the kind of music made to be listened to on vinyl. Fuck the CD burn, but glorious big ups to the sideburns! And to the high-heeled, "what-R-U high?" choice of sandals! WTF? But when brother Ray is backdropped by stax of mighty ampage and fronted by a sweeping tidal wave of genius known as MOOG (pronounced to rhyme with vogue, please!)you ain't gonna question his choice of footwear.

Allan played a track on his too-cool-for school radio show, a track called "Wake Up Screaming" which features a pre-Horses era Patti Smith reading a Mr. Mojo Risin' poem and a post-guesting on a crappy REO Speedwagon album era Joe Walsh on guitar.

I had the happy occasion of telling Mr. Manzarek just how boss his burns were. Dude did a signing of his "Light My Fire" book at the gear shop where I worked. He signed it "Sideburns 'R Us" and I think he was rather amused that I appeared to value his contribution to style above the musical offerings of the Doors. He then did a short private concert for the few employees hangin' round in the keys department. I think the keyboard he used appreciated being expertedly handled by someone who didn't immediatedly break into "Music Box Dancer". Ray then glided through a three hour rock-talk for the Learning Annex the next day. So it was a Learn and Sideburn trip-out all round.

I hope y'all enjoy the pic as much as Allan and myself. It's one of those rock thangs that just makes me feel so joyous in being a music fan. Like the time I heard the story of another famous "Rockin' the Muttonchops" performer, George Jones. Tammy Wynette took dude's car keys away so he couldn't go get more booze. So what does Jones do? Cruises and boozes his way to the liquor store on the motorized lawnmower. John Deere became George Needs Beer. Shit man, those are the stories I live for.


George Jones, country superstar, and what a guy would look like if transformation from man to wolfman stopped and stayed at mid-metamorphisis.

One more sideburn shoutout goes to the incredible and most compelling Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre. His music is hellagood and his history with the burnage cannot be denied. Check out the phenomenal doc DIG! to see what I mean!


Dig it indeed! AND burn, baby burn, Sideburn Infern-o yeah!

currently listening to: Elliott Smith, From a Basement on the Hill

14 comments:

Allan said...

Hi hey! Awesome post! You made my day- and it was already good!
Love ya,
xoxo
A

bonjourtristesse said...

Allan! yer welcome! glad yer day was good good! thanks again for infusing my blog with the cool factor...now excuse me I have a lawn mower waiting to take me shopping! talk soon!
E.XXXOOO

Faerie said...

O.M.G.

Okay like so do you have any clue as to WHY I think your blog is fun? ( hold on im going to forget this part if I dont say it... wasnt joe walsh in kansas? ) O back to blog loving... yes.. I love this blog because I dont have to know anything about anything.. and I can still read it. *shrug*... fun huh?

HOLY shit I just realized all three of us are having decent weekends at the same time, I know yall dont really complain like I do..seems I have the expert knowledge of that part..LOL... *sigh* . OMG.. E... be careful... its a dangerous world out there.. and we have the laws of 3 on our side right now... dont tempt the powers of who/whatever...

so take that to mean let someone else drive the lawn mower.. and wear your safety goggles...

Faerie said...

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

hehee... its pretty great...

bonjourtristesse said...

Hey Vis! AWWWW...girl you are the best...so glad the blog here makes ya smile! Joe Walsh was born in Kansas, so I guess, yep he was in Kansas the state, as for the band...think he just played with the Eagles and the James Gang but of course guested with the REO Lamewagon...C'mon YOU know the rock, you have been to more shows that me, and you are hip to bands that I am slow on the uptake with.Keep those youtube links coming! I had no idea Incubus played with Stewart and Andy! Brilliant! thanks for the link! Amazing! Stewart Armstrong Copeland forever! LOL!

Yep, laws of three on our side!Hey, would you be a Janet or a Chrissy on 3's Company?

Got my safety googles right here my sweet Vis! Thanks for being such a wonderful presence here and at EGO BLIP, so glad I found ya thru that Entertainment Lawyer! God, an example of a good attorney!

Thanks again, dear girl, talk soon and sleep well. E.:)

Faerie said...

Im janet... we have all seen your picture..:D

and just because i went to so many shows.. i was wasted at every last one of them.. so my memory isnt very good... and my knowledge is sorta sketchy about who they are .. unless they hapen to be a "hot boi" .. then i make it a point to know their names..

yes at 40+ still looking at the hot boy.. LOL gotta love a bass player.. the whoe rhythm thing and all...

Allan said...

E- Your blog was steeped in cool goodness already- have fun w/ GJ!

Wow, when I grow up I wanna be... Jack Tripper?
That guy was too well-behaved IMO!

Vis- I play bass and I am VERY immature for my age (40). Does this help?

Todd and in Charge said...

great stuff, but how can you discuss sideburns and not mention The King, Elvii, circa 1970?

For that matter I would throw in Jerry Reed, he had some southern-fried pork chops....

Faerie said...

yes allan it does... :D
But I didnt think you needed help... and alost all bass players are hot boi's... welcome to my check column!!

I do think our 3's company group may need a bit of updating..

bonjourtristesse said...

Hey all! Happy Monday!

Vis! Can I be Mrs. Roper instead? She was a lady of mature age, but hell she cracked good snarky one liners. I'm also partial to the hot muu-muu dresses she rocked! My hot boi is a bass player...Lemmy! I just won an ebay auction for one of his warts.
40 is the new 30 haven't ya heard? :)

Allan! (Jack) Do you know about the famous Three's Company crotch shot?
http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/ritter.asp
Judge for yerself whether myth or fact!! LOL!!! Hey, you will get a kick out of it...you're an immature 40 year old! LOL!!! Thanks my dearest for all and everything...

Todd! I know!! OMG...I was all set to put in Elvis' chops and got distracted. He had wicked good ones in his godawful "burnt out hair that looked like black-tar cotton candy" era. There is this vid called "Elvis the Lost Tapes", and man, you can tell somebody who actually cared hid them away intentionally. OMG Todd (that rhymes nicely!) Jerry Reed! Totally! nice call! I have a picture of him that I have been saving for years just to get transferred onto a tshirt! Wow! Again, good call! :)

Vis! the more the merrier...who will be Furley????? LOL! Step up Step up...we know yer out there somewhere!

Faerie said...

Well if possible in this fantasy life... can we be the baywatch crew... they were hot... all of them.. and the dialog.. fuck it all .. we will totally do it with lines in song lyrics.. :D

Godwhacker said...

Love all those labels! Only YOU could fit all that in a single post! I love/hate vinyl, all those cracks and skips, all that warmth and depth. For everything you gain, you lose something in return.

Allan said...

No, I didn't know about that, but now I'm a believer. I'm surprised it didn't happen every show. Thanks for the tip- learn something new everyday.

bonjourtristesse said...

Vis, if I could be a tv character who could do a monologue of Stairway to Heaven during a scene, I would definitely go show biz...The Hoff just needs some Zep in him, just like Pamela had some Poison, and Motley Crue in her.

Hey GW! LOL! I love da labels, the longer the list the better!:D I guess I know whatcha mean about the vinyl. I once sat on my beloved Knack record and it broke, that wouldn't have happened with a CD...so I ended up "Getting the Knack" LP twice, and have the replacement copy to this day! Good to see ya GW!

Allan! Believe! I do! This blog is a wealth of useless info, thanks for proving and enjoying that fact today!!!! Yes, it should have happened as often as the show had a plot line involving a misunderstanding...hey! that was every show! LOL! talk soon, Editor!