Sample This

In these times of quarantine, stay-at-home, lockdown, house arrest, or whatever you're calling this downtime from the world, it sure helps to have a hobby.

(Clarification: it helps to have an indoor hobby. Dave is going berserk not being able to run around and play sports. Check out his madness at Gheorghe's sister blog.)

I have two activities of choice lately, and they're closely related.  Listening to / watching music and writing / making music.  The latter is a long-standing work in progress; I've threatened to complete an album in the home studio for a while, and -- with inspiration from Dave and FOGTB Lecky -- this is my chance to get there, or at least get close.

In the meantime, while people I know and articles I read advise me on which series to binge watch, I am going against that grain. With certain exceptions (John Oliver, reruns of classic sports events I loved, etc.), I am limiting my programming to one genre: music documentaries. I'm off to a great start, but there's a long way to go.

Step 1: Compile the list.
There are more search returns for "best music documentaries of all time" than you can count -- by a long shot.  And those lists are, as you would figure, a mixed bag.  I made my own list based on culling those recommendations, falling back on my own knowledge of good music docs, and also just pursuing work about bands I like.

My list is now set, but only until someone else whose opinion I value (yes, that includes you people) chimes in with a new rec and I add it.

Step 2: Prioritize.
Eh. I have been a little haphazard. I am trying to juggle 'twixt genres and long form vs. quick hitters to some degree. But so far it's been somewhat random. One x-factor is how I can watch them; if a music documentary is on Netflix or Amazon Prime, I don't know how long I'll be able to see it for free, so it inches up the list.

Step 3: Watch.
This has been fun. It's interesting to watch music docs in succession. It definitely makes the terrific ones stand out, and I catch myself critiquing any time there are any sorts of lulls that drag. You get why some film critics are irascible and stingy with stars; a movie I happen to like may be just fine, but when some reviewer saw three things this week that absolutely blew them away, the one I like simply ain't gonna measure up.

I've also noticed that Hobby 1 bleeds into Hobby 2. Watching scenes about the recording process, studio tips and tricks, or just hearing a good song gets the creativity brewing.

Current Status
Here's where this project stands. First, there were entries on the list that I had seen semi-recently, and even the best ones aren't getting re-watched when I have so much more to view. They included:

I told you how much I liked the Dead doc (saw it in a local old theater), and similarly, the Tom Petty one is a long but great 4-hour number.  We've also had back and forth in the comments on Country Music; it's amazingly good. And I'm an easy mark for The Clash, R.E.M., and Talking Heads, so those were all banner. But anything I watched in the last 2 years won't be revisited.

Nota Bene: Stop Making Sense is one of the few concert films that made this list.  I really wanted true documentaries, not footage of music being played. Of course I love a good show, but this quest is different. I think only Aretha, Prince, and Zeppelin made the list with predominantly concert films.

The First Batch (in order of viewing)
David Crosby: Remember My Name (2019)
The one that launched my plan, it's been on HBO a bit. It's solid, informative, and well done. The takeaway: Crosby is a dick, he knows it, he can't help it, and he wishes he could change. But man, can he sing. Great old footage and photos of CSN and CSNY.

Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
The best thing I have seen in a very long time, period. Someone urged me to watch this years ago, and I put it off. Stupidly. Don't read about this one, please just go watch it.

ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas (2019)
After that, I wanted to veer in another direction. This worked just fine. I forgot how good ZZ Top was in the '70s and early '80s. Lots of big, blues-based guitar sound. And lyrical dick jokes. Highly enjoyable.

Sample This (2013)
An oddity that would be the strangest of the lot, were it not for Sugar Man. Cohesion and production values aren't as high, but it does not want for a more fascinating story. My interest stemmed from my favorite Beasties song, "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun," which samples, among many other pieces, a 1973 song called "Last Bongo in Belgium" by a random outfit called the Incredible Bongo Band. On that same album is the IBB's take on the song "Apache," and their rendition has been sampled... wait for it... 613 times since. (Ed. Note: it read 611 when I started writing this post. No bullshit.) It's been said that pretty much every hip-hop act has sampled this particular song at least once. Anywho... the backstory, the legacy, and whole thing makes for a super interesting homeboys bonanza for music nerds like me. Check it out.

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage (2010)
Yep, I wanted to get involved in this debate. Great film. I'm never going to love that much of Rush's music, but I certainly appreciate the band more, and like TR offered, there are quite a few nuggets of Did You Know??? And "Tom Sawyer" is still a lot of fun. Neil Peart's passing earlier this year makes it more impactful, and it's just a well-developed chronology of an influential trio who's been making music longer than anyone not named ZZ Top.

Fleetwood Mac -- Rumours ("Classic Albums” series) (1997)

I figured this would be light fare, and in some aspects, it is. It's just over an hour long, and it's simply what went into one hit album. While it offends any punk rock sensibilities I have, I like Fleetwood Mac and this album quite a bit, so I gave it a whirl. Most of the intrigue involves the dynamics at play among the band members when it was recorded -- basically two intra-band couples were splitting and Mick Fleetwood, the odd man out, was being left by his wife. And yet they came together and made a record that sold a bazillion copies.

That story is told a bit like a soap opera, but it's interesting. More appealing to me is the behind-the-recording stuff. A number of scenes at the mixing board with the engineers and a couple dozen tracks for any given song, and they deconstruct it accordingly. You won't hear a song the same way after it's been broken down like that -- for the better. It also inspires studio fun. "Gold Dust Woman" has tracks of harpsichord, dobro, and other instruments layered into the mix.  And in the scene Lindsey Buckingham describes "Second Hand News," he plays a track from it that's... chair.  A pleather chair in the studio, repurposed as a percussion instrument. Gets you thinking in your own studio.

* * * * *

Okay... so far, so good.  Here's what's left on my long list. You can look up any titles that aren't self-evident. I have seen a number of these before, anywhere from 4 or 5 to 25 or 30 years ago. Long ago enough that it will feel like the first time, to quote a band whose documentary (if it exists) I likely won't be watching.

What do you think?  It beats watching mindless shows about Floridiots with tigers.

A Gheorghies Update, Facial Hair and Otherwise

A couple of weeks into social distancing / quarantining / lockdown, there are going to be some shaggy G:TBers.  In lieu of actually seeing each other, here's the latest, both on scruff and day-to-day doings.

Whitney 
The Pic: In the office, overlooking the Elizabeth River.  In the background, my birthplace across the river, along with some Naval vessels and the Port; a downtown going mostly unused at the moment, especially that Sheraton behind me.

The Beard: Like TR said, it's getting whiter every day.  I could go for a while longer without shaving, but I'll likely be dispense with it after we're back to work full-time. After shearing it into a mustache for a weekend, of course.

The Story: Working from home a bit, but also slipping into the office now and again. Between 0 and 4 colleagues join me there, it's 5 mins from my house, and the rest of this 25-story building is pretty much shut down, so I'm not in close proximity to humans for the most part.



Let's hear more from the Bearded Men (and ladies) of Space Station 11 . . .

Danimal

The Pic: My new office at home, our lanai. On Day 1 at home, last Wednesday, I situated myself in in the carve-out within our bedroom that serves as our little office space. That was depressing, plus I need to stand throughout much of day. So I moved. I love it and will continue to until the oppressive heat arrives. 

The Beard: More gray than dark. My kids like it. It's the only hair on my head that they have seen, or at least remember. I'll keep it as long as I can. It's not robust, a few spots needing fertilizer on either side of my lips.

The Story: Haven't been to the office since last Tuesday. Val has the kids doing school work from home though the online routine does not officially begin until next week. No chance our kids go back, but they haven't called it yet. We're all doing fairly well all things considered. The new normal.

The Dog: Roscoe. He hangs with me much of the day.

rob

The Pic: This is my office, so the view isn't as panoramic as Whitney's, nor as al fresco as Danimal's. It was the catalyst for a funny Corona Files story from last week. I hosted a call from this office with my team. After it was over, I received a call from one of my direct reports, who was close to tears from laughter. Apparently he got multiple texts during the call wondering if it was weird that Rob had porn on the walls of his office. So next week we're going to have an art appreciation session

The Beard: Way more salt than pepper these days, to be sure. Kids like it, wife hates it, but I figure I'll keep it for at least a little while longer. I've trimmed it a little, and taken care of the neck region, so might as well let it reach its full potential.

The Story: I'll be working from home until at least April 24, per my company's policy. Don't tell my boss this, but I've been considerably more productive during this fucked up period than I normally am. I've connected with a number of teammates and colleagues, and I've procrastinated significantly less than I normally do. This particular moment notwithstanding.

The bigger story for me at present, and the thing that I'll probably remember most about this period, is the literal pain in my neck. The MRI showed two herniated discs - C4-C6, if you're scoring at home - and the epidural did fuck all to alleviate my discomfort. Which is a bit more than moderate. The local hemp/CBD store is closed, so alcohol and muscle relaxers it is.

Teej

The Pic: At the living room table. It is one of three locations I use as an "office" now. Basement on wet bar, which serves as a standing desk option, and then upstairs in the office/kitten room. Which is nicer than that description indicates. There are three of us here working from home, so we all take a level to start the day, sometimes switching up for the sake of different scenery.

The Beard: The Posehn in the Membrane look is coming back. I've threatened to do a 'stache, but I have a terrible 'stache so I'll just keep this shit beard. I'm so bored I shave the head every day now, so it's got a nice sheen.

The Story: Have been working from home for two weeks and a day now. Doubt we'll go back to work before May. Have not ventured to a store/retail establishment since a Target run seven days ago. Get fresh air by walking the dog during the day, then also wandering aimlessly at night through the neighborhood. Am very perplexed by people who refuse to slightly deviate from their walk to keep six feet between us, especially joggers. What the fuck, assholes? I don't need you cruising by a foot from me when there's an entire fucking road to run on.

TR

The Pic: this is a close-up of TR's face when he was at his grill, cooking up lamb chops for the missus' birthday on Wednesday.  The wife was snapping the photo. I would have just appended the whole photo, but I was unhappy with the way the lamb chops were lined up on the grill. I had to audible due to a small grease fire. 

The Beard: chin hair is now 69% white. The rest is steadily coming along. I am half Iranian, so I have a swarthy base for facial/body hair. I expect I won't get a haircut again for 1-2 months. I haven't gone more than three weeks in the last few years, so I'm curious to see if my sides will look as grey as they do now when it gets longer. 

The Story: things are slow in TR's world. He has been unemployed since mid-February, so he's a full-time teacher to two mostly ungrateful boys. He is drinking a fair bit every night, and is struggling to find an exercise routine. Job search appears to be on hold for a while. TR is a bit pissed at the Saudis and Russia for blowing up the US oil market. Only plus is that 4-5 families do a social distance cocktail hour outside our house. We stand 10'-15' apart from each other and chat in a big awkward oval. Waiting for somebody to call the cops on us. 

Alright. Who is next?

Dave

The Pic: I got down on the floor with my trusty companion Lola. Thank God for all the entertainment she's provided during this quarantine.

The beard: my usual goatee. It's quite white. I am otherwise clean-shaven-- face and head-- because I like to clean up for the Friday Zoom happy hour with my fellow English teachers. It starts at 2:30 sharp and goes until no one can drink anymore.

Why clean up? 

What else is there to do?

The story: teaching English remotely is not so bad, aside from the eyestrain. My Creative Writing kids have been happy to vent. They also loved two podcasts on creative thinking that I posted. If you like music, you will love these episodes.

Replay All #158: The Case of the Missing Hit

99% Invisible: Whomst Among Us Let the Dogs Out

I am a bit worried about "collecting" 53 six-page Rutgers Expos essay next week. I don't want to grade that many things on a screen, but what can you do? Then we have to figure out how to meet with the Rutgers guy for folder review and all that. Should be a trainwreck.

Still, teaching English and writing classes is a hell of a lot easier than trying to teach science or math remotely. Those teachers are losing their minds. They are used to progressing in an organized manner, grading kids rigorously, and building one concept upon another. Sucks to be them.

Rootsy

The pic: F

rom lunchtime yesterday on my front porch.

The beard: It's been on my face since the fall, and it leaves it this weekend, after a few rounds of creepy facial hair experimentation.

The story: I’m still working, but business has slowed to close to nothing, so we will be cutting hours next week and having some more folks stay home. I’m furiously reading legislative summaries to help inform how I might best deal with this situation. As of today I’ve talked to all my employees and laid out my three main objectives, and nobody’s freaked out on me yet. I’m rationing the booze to every second or third night, and teaching my kids how to properly load and unload the fucking dishwasher.

Marls

The pic:   On the couch this morning with the pup, Barclay.  Spent the morning online with my B-School cohort trying to figure out how to make the last 2 months of an in person, live program not suck too badly while migrating to 20 hours of classes each weekend to on an online format.  Who would think that getting 40+ people to agree would be so hard?

I'm also including a bonus photo of me DJ'ing our work happy hour yesterday going K-Billy Supersounds of the 70's style.  My daughter does not quite know what to make of the whole thing.  The green screen allows for some interesting backgrounds. Highly recommended if you are doing a lot of teleconference calls.  Amazon has a wide selection.

Related note, I have two very matter of fact surgeons in my B-school cohort that are on the front-lines of this thing and the picture they paint is not good.  Their recommendation to all of us is captured best by this little ditty...

Anyone else?