Conduct

Johnny Cash
In the last few years I've been listening to a lot of Johnny Cash. I've listened to him with my son, with my wife, and by myself. He's always great. He had the rare gift to present material with such clarity that children and adults both responded. He sang about the most serious matters and also had an old-fashioned cornball sense of humor. He was an American original.
These are some of my favorite Cash moments:
* A bootleg recording of him and Bob Dylan in the studio. Bob forgets the words to "Matchbox" and Cash helps him through it.
* Live at San Quentin. He sings his new song "San Quentin" and gets such a thuderous response from the inmates that he sings it again.
* The end of "Jackson," where Johnny and June Carter each sing separate parts at the same time.
* A live B/W TV appearance of Johnny with the Tennessee Two playing "Big River." Cash strums the guitar while holding it high up on his chest. Too much attitude for the Opry.

I'm obviously not alone in my admiration of the Man in Black:
"I considered myself a friend, he considered me a fan - he indulged me. He showed me around his house, his ranch, his zoo (seriously, he had a zoo in Nashville), his faith, his musicianship - it was a lot to take in. He was more than wise. In a garden full of weeds - the oak tree." Bono

"His influence spread over many generations. I loved him as singer and a writer. I remember years ago a big part of our repertoire was two of my favorite Johnny Cash songs, 'I Walk the Line' and 'Ballad of a Teenage Queen."Mick Jagger

# posted by Jonathan Harris : 4:51 PM

Human Tomato Soup
BUNOL, Spain
"Blood-red streams of tomato juice oozed through the streets of the tiny Spanish town of Bunol Wednesday as tens of thousands of people hurled tons of squashy fruit in the world's biggest food fight.

"Fantabulous! It's the most exciting experience I've ever had with a group of people," Krista Moller, 19, from San Francisco, said. With a thundering firework at midday signaling the start of the "Tomatina," five trucks dumped 120 tons of plum tomatoes into Bunol's narrow central street where 35,000 people were expectantly awaiting the ammunition.

Locals and visitors from around the globe lobbed the tomatoes at each other and, when the fruit turned to puree, reached down to whisk red froth into the air. The "People's Square" filled with the acidic sweet smell of tomatoes and slimy stained bodies."

Read more about the "Tomatina" and check out the cool photo gallery.

# posted by Jonathan Harris : 12:56 PM

UltraMagnetic in Full Effect
We're going back to the old skool. The Bronx. Back in the day, 1988. Some wild style new wave threads, some familiar samples, and some dope rhymes. We're talking UltraMagnetic. Check out "Give the Drummer Some" from "Critical Breakdown:"
"I'm ready
And now it's my turn to build
Uplift, get swift, then drift
Off... and do my own thing"
Kool Keith went on to a polymorphous solo career in guises ranging from Black Elvis to Dr. Octagon, but here, as the lead rapper he strings together words in a totally fresh and original way. All rappers, up until this point, hit you hard with solid rhymes at the end of each line. Keith broke this mold. The language uncoils like a ribbon as it makes its way through the classic beat of James Brown's Funky Drummer. You can almost hear the groove as you read the words. Musical, rhythmic, with attitude.
Keith goes on: Switch up/ Change my pitch up/ Smack my bitch up.
A problematic lyric, yet still very rhythmic. A lyric that was sampled by The Prodigy and caused them have their album pulled from KMart stores. Even now, Keith's flow is impressive, his lyrics fresh and enigmatic.

Check out the full lyrics of Give the Drummer Some. Or go here for more info on the UltraMagnetic MC's.

# posted by Jonathan Harris : 4:51 PM

Black and White Photobooth
I had assumed that they were all gone.
Washed away like my cell phone on the beach (a long story).
There it was in Newport Beach, CA. Around the pier there are some "attractions" that harken back to an era of distractions, entertainments, and amusements. There was a merry-go-round with a calliope that played "Give My Regards to Broadway." Next door was the Bay Arcade an old quarter-arcade grounded more in the 1970s, then the 1920s. The old booth was in excellent shape. Of special interest were the photos on the outside -- which had probably never been updated since it was first made. This was history. It was like stepping back into Warhol's Factory or a Woolworths.
Four poses for Two Dollars -- a good deal. The four of us climbed in, and on the second go-round, nailed a solid strip of images.
Check it out. It's almost worth trip down to Orange County. More infomation here.

# posted by Jonathan Harris : 3:34 PM

MUDDY WATERS
I just read a really interesting book, "Can't Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters" By Robert Gordon. It's a really good biography of the giant of the Delta blues. It tracks him from sharecropper to King of South Side of Chicago.
The tone of the book is very casual. Gordon isn't timid to weigh in with his opinions and personality. It showed me how far it was for Muddy to go from Stovall's Mississippi Platation to Chicago. It really presents the black northern migration of the forties as not that different from the European migration to America 30 years earlier. Muddy was a complex man, full of contradictions and horrible personality traits, but an artist of the first order. This photo is of Muddy with his first record (which was a field recording made by Alan Lomax while Muddy still lived in Mississippi). What's interesting is that Muddy had been married and had children and never paid to have a photo taken, but he paid to get this picture with himself and his record. Would Dylan, Cobain, or James Brown have done any different?
Read the first chapter online.

# posted by Jonathan Harris : 5:46 PM

I've discovered a great site for information on Brazilian Music. This site will take you through all of the famous Brazilian Artists in alphabetical order. Very interesting information on the sixties in Brazil, when the music had some revolutionary changes.

Manifesto:
This is an inauguration of sorts; a kick-off. The opening salvo of a small insignificant revolution.

All systems are go as we prepare for take-off in our unfueled, unmanned, unbuilt, three-stage rocketship.

The Starter has cocked his pistol and put it back in his pocket to reconsider any hasty actions.

What is the sound of two ants clapping?

I know not, but sit back and enjoy their concert.