Analog

This past weekend I was going through a closet in my house and discovered my long forgotten notebook burial ground.

A stack of 3 Moleskines, 3 Field Notes guides and another 2 cheap spiral bound notebooks. All with maybe 10 pages written between them.

I went through a stretch where I was looking for the "perfect" notebook. I'm not sure if I was planning on journaling, drawing or drafting, but I had some grandiose idea of how an old fashioned paper notebook would transform me into Bukowski. Instead of actively trying to use them I'd get frustrated and find reasons why none of them were quite right. Whatever that means.

Then today I listened to the latest episode of Back To Work and Merlin's tips on how and most importantly why to use a notebook were a revelation. I got home and immediately blew the dust off of one of the Moleskines. Tomorrow I'll start filling it up with anything and everything that comes to mind. It doesn't have to be good, neat or even logical. It just needs to be done.

(Null)

There's nothing I can say that won't come across as cheesy, cliched or political. There are times even the best writers in the world don't have the words. A hack like me can't even begin to try.

Just so fucking overwhelmingly sad. 

Tomorrow I Rest

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In Apple Watch terms I've hit all 3 fitness goals for 30 days straight. That means 30 days of at least 10,000 steps (I'm averaging almost 14k), 30 days of at least 30 minutes of exercise (I'm averaging more than an hour) and 30 days of burning at least 700 active calories a day just from exercise.

In layman's terms?

A month straight of getting out of bed before 6 AM and running 2 and a half miles. Every day.

A month straight of doing another mile and a half. Every night.

A month straight of going to the gym and lifting weights 4 times a week.

A month straight of pushing myself to get to where I want to be.

I'm still got a long way to go, but I'm stronger, faster and better than I've been since I was 25.

Tomorrow I will sleep until after 7, only move when I have to and take a day to reflect on how far I've come. Wednesday? I'll be back to kicking ass in less than 36 hours.

Hair Metal Monday 10/26/2015

I've been sitting in this one for awhile, but this week seemed to be the perfect time.

By 1992 Motley Crue was unquestionably one of the biggest bands in the world. A string of multi-platinum albums and sold out tours they seemed poised to be one of the only 80's metal bands to survive the grunge onslaught...

Then they fired their lead singer and completely changed their sound.

Recruiting former vocalist for The Scream, John Corabi, they spent almost 2 years working on what Nikki Sixx predicted would be "our Physical Grafitti". For a band that had lived in the tabloid headlines for a decade they completely disappeared while working on their next record

Finally released in March of 1994, the self-titled 'Motley Crue' album was put out with a ton of hype and promotion, then completely died. Falling off the charts within a month, it was a total commercial disaster. Once the band hit that road that June, they were playing to arenas that were practically empty. I saw them at the 18,000 seat Starwood Amphitheater and despite having general admission tickets, the entire lawn was sectioned off and I ended up in the 6th row. At most there was 1,500 people. By early August the remaining tour dates were either moved to theaters (and in some cases clubs) or cancelled altogether.

Despite all that, the record stands up today better than pretty much any album released by anyone in 1994. Heavier and rawer than anything the band did before or since, it could even be considered ahead of its time. With a guitar tone that would make Pantera jealous and elements of industrial drums and bass, it was a million miles away from "Girls Girls Girls". Gone were the hedonistic anthems that made the band millions, replaced by songs about child abuse and drug addiction. It wasn't what the band's legion of fans were wanting, but the few people who actually gave it a chance almost unanimously agree it's their greatest work.

2 years after it was released the band caved into record company pressure and rehired Vince Neil. They quickly returned to sold out arenas where they've stayed for almost 20 years. The band no longer acknowledges this era even exists. No songs have been played live since that ill fated tour and none of the singles ever appear on the countless Motley compilation albums that have come out in the last 2 decades.

Tomorrow night I'll be seeing John Corabi and his solo band playing this entire album live. And no matter what Soundscan or Pollstar numbers may say, it'll be a better show than anything Nikki, Mick, Vince and Tommy could do if they wanted.

Link: Spotify Drops Victory Records Catalog →

I've posted a few times about the benefits of music streaming services, the link above though is the other side of the argument.

When you own music it's yours. You can do with it what you want. It's yours to enjoy forever.

With streaming all it takes is a dispute with a record label or an artist to change their mind and the music is gone. Like so much in the 21st century it's a matter of convenience. I love having access to millions of songs anytime I want them. However, losing that access to the music I love the most scares the hell out of me. For now I'll enjoy streaming with the complicit understanding that it's nothing more than a temporary rental, and make sure to buy anything that moves me in that way only music can.

Hair Metal Monday 10/19/2015

Faster Pussycat acheived platinum success with their second album, 1989's 'Wake Me When It's Over'. Highlighted by the Top 20 ballad "House of Pain", the album was slickly produced, tight and the opposite of their 1987 debut.

Sounding more like a drunken version of the '72 Stones than anything resembling the metal of the time, when I heard their first album it was exactly what I was looking for at the time. I hadn't heard the New York Dolls or 'Exile On Main Street' yet, so this was my first exposure to a band that could barely play but still sounded fucking awesome. Ragged, sleazy and likely to fall apart at any minute. It was a revelation.

The band changed their sound several more times throughout their career (pop metal, grunge, industrial), never coming close to the glorious racket of that first record.