Classically Martin: The Oak Ridge Boys

I don't think that I've exposed myself... wait, let's put it differently. I don't think I've shown as wide a swath of the genres that had an effect on my musical appreciation. This time, I wanted to touch on country.

Thanks to Daniel and Robin, Kerry and I accompanied them to see the Oak Ridge Boys last night. I've always believed in the saying "you better see them once while they are here" when it applies to acts that have been around a long time. I usually go into a show like this thinking that I'll know several expected songs and be shocked at some others that surface from the back of my mind while they play them. I love moments like that. And I have to say that they were far far better than I ever expected. Dan and Robin figured that Kerry and I were the only ones under 40 there. (Wheelchairs, scooters and canes galore. I asked aloud later if you can get a contact high from Viagra, Enzyte or Geritol.)

I tried to explain it to our hosts at the end of the show but there is nothing quite like the sound of Richard Sterban's voice. I couldn't help but smile at the vocalist who emits a bass sound as that just astounds the listener. I saw that same smile, grin and laughter amongst the attendees and I think that it is a sound so closely tied to joy in life. Absolutely amazing. The human voice truly is an instrument. Anyhow, I decided to share a few video gems from their impressive history with you.

"Elvira"

"Bobbie Sue"

"Tryin' To Love Two Women"

I couldn't embed the last couple... more professional videos but the are just as important to post. Here are Little Things and Thank God For Kids.

Night Ranger - Hole In The Sun

Night Ranger. Many images and songs surface to memory when you mention this band who have sold 16 million albums worldwide. What doesn't arise are memories of studio work after 1998's Seven album. Until now. Despite a changing line-up during the last decade, the group played a lot of tour dates and even released several live discs and hits collections. In 2007, the band regrouped to record Hole In The Sun.

Many of the songs will have you checking credits and possibly searching to see if there is a new group that stole the Night Ranger name out there. There isn't. (To help guide the lost, they've even provided stunning acoustic versions of their classics "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and "Sister Christian" as bonus tracks.) The band have matured. The powerful alcoholic prayer that is "White Knuckle Ride" is an outstanding rock track with a stellar breakdown that engages near the 3 minute mark. Rock tracks abound on this collection. The opener, "Tell Your Vision," blazes to life and harmonizes at just the right moments (eerily sounding like Blue October.) "Drama Queen" is a guitar work-out. The first single, "You're Gonna Hear From Me," is a song that you get the overwhelming urge to chant along. (Reminiscent of "Rock N' Roll Part 2" so I can expect it to be played at sporting events.) I never would have expected a song by the group to open like "Whatever Happened" but it is a clever chorus merged with minimalist Everclear-ish verses. "There Is Life" is a beautiful piano-based triumph. "Rockstar," "Hole In The Sun" and "Revelation 4AM" aren't slackers as they keep up what is a strong rock disc. Even the mellower "Fool In Me" seems to be placed appropriately as a break between some to the heavier tunes. Guitarist Jeff Watson and the group parted ways after recording the album but his influence isn't entirely gone as the relationship reflection of "Being" and the ZZ Top-esque "Wrap It Up," written by him, close the new tracks the disc.

This album is bursting with energy... solar energy composed of group synergy. Topically and rhythmically varied, it is hard to predict what is coming next. There isn't a single let down here. Night Ranger's sound here doesn't rely on old or tried tricks and makes it positively refreshing. Despite it getting released in Japan late last year, a few goodies (the bonus tracks) were placed on here to more than make up for it. I don't see a single hole in this album and I forecast that this sun truly shines on American shores.

4 out of 5

All Of The Above

Time to tick a few people off. Energy issues have been a part of the American landscape for over 3 decades. It surfaced once in 1973, the again in 1979 and has come to a head again with gas prices passing $4 per gallon. Personally, I believe the status quo isn't working. So here are some quick thoughts on energy economics.

There has been a mania behind exporting jobs, importing cheap products and increased trade deficits that seems hypocritical when we consider that we export $1 billion per day (combined -- in order --to Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Nigeria, Iraq, Angola, Algeria and many others) in trade for two-thirds of the oil-based products we consume. (You may notice we purchase less from places further away as it costs more to ship.) When we make less than half of what we consume, that's a huge on-going energy deficit. And, when we pay someone else to extract oil, we provide a job extracting oil to someone in another country.

The notion that we can grow our own oil is a terrific one. Self-sufficiency through productive growth is ideal. Yet, it leaves us dependent on sunny weather. E-85 gets its name from the percentage of corn-based ethanol in the product (15% is gasoline.) The price of corn is climbing. Don't expect that to stop. The current Midwest flooding and other natural events such as drought affecting supply do not make for stable pricing. I will not go into the fuel's contribution to greenhouse gases as the studies will take some time. Just kind of odd to say you want to get off gasoline but you include it in the mixture when there are car conversions that allow you to run on vegetable oil which also could be affected by natural events.

Electricity is wonderful. The promise of hybrid cars is exciting. One presidential candidate has proposed a $300 million prize "for the development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars". Of course, the definition of 'leapfrog' is debatable but similar to corn-based ethanol... how stable is electricity? 70% of our electricity is created from fossil fuels. Many rightly claim that this means of production adds to air pollution and, yes, greenhouse gases. But, more dangerous is dependence on electricity. The rolling black-outs of 2000-2001 were not an anomaly. During another set of California rolling blackouts in 2005, The California Independent System Operator ordered the provider to "to reduce demand throughout its territory." I don't know about you, but I don't see us producing more electric energy without some clearing of legislative hurdles. Plugging in your car sounds amazing until a new wave of blackouts begin. I believe that this will lead to something similar to our watering plans ("People in plan C can plug in on Wednesdays and Saturdays.")

Windpower is wonderful. It is a growing form of renewable energy as states are able to make use of some land (and water areas) that might otherwise go unused. As of June 30, 2006, the United States has 9,971 MW of installed wind capacity, enough to serve over 2.3 million average American households. Finding suitable area that isn't in migration paths are an issue here. For some reason, birds either don't see it or care. There are also a lot of people that don't find it visually appealing.

Hydropower has hope. But there are tons of different technologies being looked into. According to the IEEE, "In fiscal year 2008, funding was provided to DOE for research on a wide range of advanced water power technologies. As part of its commitment to develop clean, domestic energy sources, DOE is collaborating with industry, regulators, and other stakeholders to investigate emerging water power technologies and further improve conventional hydropower systems." So possibly in the future. Sure dams have been around for a long time but creating power by releasing water is entirely dependent on rainfall and snowpack which are as predictable as... the weather.

Solar energy is progressing nicely. Oddly enough, BP -- one of those big greedy oil companies -- has been involved in its development for over 30 years. The technology is getting better for storage and return to the power grid. It's still costly due to the cost of the accumulators, the fragility of the components (glass, semiconductors and more) and regular maintenance. Again, aesthetics and land use are problems but it is getting more tempting to add panels to your house when you make the purchase. When it gets cheaper, expect panels on every roof. Yes, it requires mother nature's help again with plenty of sun.

The hydrogen engine is also appealing. There are several automobile models that are already using it. Despite the promise it may hold, there are critics that claim that it is one of the least efficient and most expensive ways to reduce greenhouse gases. And it may not even do that. According to an article published in the March/April 2007 issue of Technology Review: "In the context of the overall energy economy, a car like the BMW Hydrogen 7 would proba­bly produce far more carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline-powered cars available today. And changing this calculation would take multiple breakthroughs--which study after study has predicted will take decades, if they arrive at all. In fact, the Hydrogen 7 and its hydrogen-fuel-cell cousins are, in many ways, simply flashy distractions produced by automakers who should be taking stronger immediate action to reduce the greenhouse-gas emissions of their cars."

Lastly, I'll mention nuclear energy. Remember when I said 70% of our elecricity comes from fossil fuels? 20% of it comes from nuclear energy. There are many arguments against its use (waste disposal, radiation and accidents creating a meltdown.) Of course, this isn't keeping global competition from going this route as China, Russia and India have plans to build over a hundred new plants among them in the coming decades.

If anything, what we do know is that there are a lot of alternatives out there when it comes to energy. Is America sitting on the fence when it comes to self-sufficiency? That's something for us to consider. Let's say that the best all-electric car comes along at an affordable price. Although, that kind of development is quite a ways off, it needs to be powered or it'll be useless. Emerging technologies are just that... emerging. It's important to develop these and let American ingenuity loose. Waiting and depending on the advancement of specific technologies to hopefully come save the day is wishful thinking. I wonder what would happen if we developed all of the above. Could these energy forms duke it out in a free market to lessen their costs and sharpen their focus? Could we become a nation that exports energy as well as intellectual property? I think that I'll revisit this topic 10 years from now.

Scheduling My Life Away

I have noticed that one of my biggest issues in life will be scheduling. It is so bad that when someone asks me if I will be free to do something on a specific date... I usually hesitate, delay and ask for later notice. Why? Well, it could be that I tend to take my days and associate them with tasks. Some of those have become recurring themes (the newsletter on Monday and the show on Saturdays.) After seeing those blossom, I worry about creating other weekly obligations. Especially now that I have a family that need to deal with that.

When the newsletter started, I was writing it on Fridays after I got home from work (around 3pm until 8pm or so.) They were pretty short and my search skills and correspondence with labels was non-existent. As things got more intricate, I was spending more time on Friday night writing. There was a woman that I was dating around that time that wasn't able to deal with my self-imposed obligation as it looked that I put that ahead of being with her. When that ended... I called it a day and stopped the newsletter. But, I was still looking up the news for myself and that relationship was over so I decided to move it to Mondays (which didn't affect concerts and could be seen as the start of the week news-wise.)

Now, years later, I'm looking at Mondays and most of Saturday being scheduled away. On Saturdays, when I cover the news of the week... it's missing 5 days or so of recent news. Doesn't seem right. Also, the wife has Mondays off. I've been considering doing the newsletter on Fridays as there is less missing news when I record the show the following day. Even when it went out on Mondays, it didn't get there until later on Monday so it was something people got after work. Changing this would also give me time that I can go away and really relax during the week and possibly schedule an interview here and there. Much to think about in doing this but, I think it is for the perfect reasons this time.

Father's Day 2008

A happy Father's Day to all that it applies. I felt that I needed to try to make a post today. Yes, today is my first day that I can celebrate the holiday as David's step-father. I could never really celebrate it before (despite that deep dark secret that I posted about quite some time ago.) My mother would still call me on Father's Day before to wish me a happy one but now -- I feel like I might be doing more to earn it.

David is an outstanding boy. Overly inquisitive, very expressive and very concerned about disappointing his mother. I'd say that he reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger but someone please... tell me that I had a mute button on me somewhere. I find myself being strict and sometimes the 'bad guy.' I find my level of sarcasm is sometimes too harsh. Yet, sometimes he calls me Dad. Sometimes it slips, sometimes it seems forced but it reminds me that I have a life to guide.

I can only hope that I do as well as my own father. Yes, I think he was a little cold and a little stern when I was younger. (This may be how it is coming out of me.) But as I got older and became his friend later in life, I can say that he is one of the most giving individuals that I've ever met. There are lots of things I can say at this time about how he's inspired me to betterment but that would take more than a single post. What I can do is wish him a very happy Father's Day as I truly celebrate my first.

Life Update: 061108

As usual, a lot has been going on. So, instead of letting it pile up anymore... it's time for another update.

• Kerry's great aunt passed away during the weekend. I took today and tomorrow off from work as we will head to the funeral. I'm planning to do a little bit of reading during the ride there and back. Kerry's niece will be driving (her first out of town trip) and it should prove interesting.


• The next time you are in the laundry room, take a look at the electrical sockets. Homes built before 1996 used a 3-wire cable (1 hot, 1 neutral and 1 ground.) The dryer we moved from the house to the rental (because we wanted to keep the good ones at the house) had a 4-wire cable. So, we had a dryer that couldn't use the outlet provided in the rental. Thanks to our friend Matt, this was resolved and relieved a lot of stress.


• Kerry has gone back to the program that works best for her, Weight Watchers. I can understand that. Low-carb worked really well for me but I don't want to make that my lifestyle. I can see that she feels better about it already. We sat down and looked at how many 'points' that I'd have according to the Weight Watchers 'flex' plan. Something clicked in my head. If a good-sized grilled chicken sandwich could be around 8 points and I'm allowed 35 points a day (at my current weight, height, activity level, etc.), then why not think of every day as a 3 sandwich plus day. That is the idea in my head starting this week and it will help with portion control.


• When were were having our garage sale, a family from a few houses over kept coming by to purchase items. Kerry was at the house cleaning recently (as we plan to rent it out soon) and the relatives of that neighbor stopped by to ask if we planned to rent it out. We've had that on our minds while finishing the clean-up. That family has submitted their rental application and we expect to sign the lease with them on the 21st.


• Too many good albums came out recently. I'm floored by how good the new Journey album is. At $11.88, it's a steal. (Two CDs and a DVD... how much would each of those sell individually? Someone is taking a slight loss on this.) I expect the album to make the top 10 if reported by Wal-Mart.


• David tested for purple belt at karate this week. It does remind me of when I took tai kwon do while in Junior High with my father. Didn't stay long enough to test beyond gold belt. In retrospect, it was a good bonding time for us back then. I'm quite proud of him.


• So far, I've been working out on the Wii Fit about 4 days a week. It is pretty outstanding when you can get physically sore and sweaty from a game system. Never knew how aerobic an excercize using a hula-hoop can be. (Especially doing it for 10 minutes.) The lunges really do burn. I also really enjoy the rhythm boxing. Yoga is pretty interesting as well and I can feel a difference in my posture as I walk around at work.


• Back a few weeks ago, I was absolutely giddy when I found out that Yaz (or Yazoo in the U.K.) were coming to Las Vegas. I found a secret code on their MySpace page and was able to purchase tickets early. I was thrilled... until I got the notice that they canceled the concert this week. Now I'm a bit down about it. It's like someone yanked away the dangling carrot. Over 15 years ago, Depeche Mode were coming to Las Vegas. My dad knew someone promoting it and I wound up getting tickets (which I still had to pay for.) They canceled that show the day of due to Dave Gahan having the flu or something. Alan Wilder left the band right after that and even though they rescheduled, I was still upset enough that I now didn't want to go. I'm feeling the same way at this moment.


• Kerry has changed her last name. Yes, to mine. This has also had us going to different places to consolidate accounts. I'm heading to both her bank and mine in a moment to add our names to each others account, in case of emergency.

That's probably enough to keep you busy. So much more. Too many ideas to post. So little time. Hope you are all doing well!

Bret Michaels - Rock My World

After two stints starring in Rock Of Love and a run as a celebrity judge on Nashville Star, Poison frontman Bret Michaels has released his third solo album, Rock My World. The disc features two new songs with remixed and remastered material from his previous solo albums.

Rock My World launches with the playful first single "Go That Far" which also served as the theme song to Michaels' Rock Of Love. Highly appropriate to start the disc as it is familiar to fans that are new to Michaels' solo music. The other new track is "Fallen" which is honestly the best track on the disc. Lyrically potent, the song may be looked at as "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" retread but I would have to differ there. "Driven" (which first appeared on Michaels' 2005 collection Freedom Of Sound Vol. 1) is a welcomed inclusion here as it is as high on energy as it is sexual innuendo. If anything, the most musically diverse tracks were taken for this set and sprinkled throughout the disc. The Blink 182-ish "Bittersweet" feels a little odd in the set when surrounded by powerful songs like "Raine" and "Start Again." "All I Ever Needed" is outstanding and Jessica Andrews vocal assistance adds a needed hint of femininity. "Menace To Society" is lyrically abysmal but the energy is infectious. "Right Now, Right Here" has some haunting moments nestled in the chords. "It's My Party [2008 Mix]" is just an out and out party song.

There is a reason that we avoid reviewing previously-released material. If you've heard it, there is less of a reason for us to tell you about it because you already have an opinion. This collection straddled the fence of our review policies as it contained new songs, new mixes and mastering. That said. This is a good overview of his recording styles. Some may find those 'styles' may be too much, too diverse or too manic for their tastes. That may be good, though, as the project director knew enough not to overload the set with ballads when titled Rock My World. We recommend this album for those newly interested in Michaels' solo career and believe several of these songs deserve inclusion on all of your iPods.

3 out of 5

Understanding The Long Journey

Ok, I want you to imagine you have this amazing band that has sold millions of albums but are having lead singer problems. We won't go into all of them but the guy that brought the glory has moved on, the guy that replaced him has vocal issues (not good for a vocalist) and the guy that you had fill in for him doesn't seem to work in your vision of the group's return to prominence. Well you do a vanity search or two on YouTube.



That's pretty much where guitarist Neal Schon was when he stumbled upon this video of a band called The Zoo from the Phillipines.







So, instead of becoming the next group to be featured on Mark Burnett's Rock Star, Journey have their new singer, Arnel Pineda. The album came out yesterday and is getting rave reviews (some less so for the second disc of re-recordings of the band's hits.) A 3-disc set is exlusively available at Wal-Mart (for less than $15 from what I have heard) which includes a live DVD. You can go to their Web site and hear samples from the album as well. Not sold on it yet? Check out this video of the new Journey line-up playing a concert earlier this year in Chile.

The Boxes That Time (And Martin) Forgot

Still have some work to do at the other house (the rental) today and possibly this weekend but we're almost there. Of course, there is still work here to do but I do see the end of the tunnel. Just finished reviewing the new album by Man Raze (Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen, his former Girl bandmate bassist Simon Laffey and Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook) and can't get some of the songs out of my head. The disc comes out on June 3rd but I've been given permission to feature it on the show on Saturday. I'd love to call it an exclusive debut but I won't push it. We are supposed to also do a special Bret Michaels week soon where we will give away copies of his new Rock My World album (one on the show and one in the newsletter.)

I took yesterday off work to go through some things in the garage at the rental. Found some pretty hilarious things. Many photos, old notes, letters, awards, clay pottery and cassette tapes. The notes are interesting because most of them came from Belinda, a girl that I was friends with in high school, that she would write during class. We are talking about 60 or so that were just sitting in a box somewhere. It's amazing how oblivious I was to the interest level of women around me when I was a teen. The photos are great. Definitely plan to post some of them. I found a better version of my prom photos and.... a photo of my former band Fak-shen. I might try to track down something to convert some of the audio from the tapes so you can have an idea of what the sound was like. There are also some unlabelled tapes that I need to go through. Tanya asked me about a decade ago if I still had a tape of her friend's band (which I swore that I gave back to her to give them.) I need to go through those to confirm it.

Enough babbling but I didn't want to let you think that I dropped off the face of the earth. Been working out with Wii Fit each morning. Doing really well with it and I've canceled my Athletic Club membership. (The buffet last night didn't help... but it was a special occasion.) Oh, btw... it's our two month anniversary. Please tell me, do people count anniversary months like baby's ages? 20 month anniversary, anyone? Hope you are all doing well!

Man Raze - Surreal

Man Raze was created when Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen met up with his former Girl bandmate Simon Laffy in 2004 and mentioned some songs he'd been working on. Phil then bumped into Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook and ensnared him into the project. They released their first single, "Skin Crawl," in late 2005 and saw it make the top 10 on the U.K. Rock Singles chart. They gave away their next single "Turn It Up" as a free download. Work on the album (at the Dublin home studio of Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott) has now birthed their debut album Surreal.

"This is the age of experience..." The opening lines of the first track, "This Is," gets to the point right away. These are music veterans that know what they are doing and all they require is for you to sit back and enjoy the ride. The songs are crisp, sharp and don't linger longer than necessary. The rhythm section is flawless, the guitars blaze and the vocals by Simon and Phil are passionate. Influences touching on ska, rock, blues, pop and garage abound without sounding like unabashed tributes. That can be heard on the opener which subtly evokes the Foo Fighters, "Turn It Up" has Def Leppard echoes and "Runnin' Me Up" feels like 311 covering the Police. Brilliant tracks surface shortly after like the driving "Every Second Of Everyday," the electric "Can't Find My Own Way," the scorching "Skin Crawl," the pleading "Low" and the anthematic "Halo" which are all single-worthy.

Surreal is a very appropriate album title. First impressions are always important. If there were one negative thing that could be said about the disc is that it is front-loaded with 3 tracks that make one wonder where it is heading and if the band have a sound of their own. That gets resolved quickly on the following song and the album really soars from there. Repeated listenings do lessen that early effect and make it more enjoyable. In fact, I believe it could be looked at as them shattering all preconceived expectations early so they can get to business. That aside, Surreal does answer the prayers of those fearing rock music's slow death. You can find Man Raze's tire marks among those on the roadkill that was that rock rumor. This creative and versatile album is sure to satisfy.

4 out of 5

A Renewed Interest In Reno

Remember that week that I was renting a U-Haul to do some moving? Well, a few days earlier, I stopped by to help Tracy and Jason with loading up their stuff as they move to Reno. I really can't count on one hand the friends that I've had the longest. It could be that I'm a busy-body, a recluse, self-centered or completely inept at sustaining life-long friendships. There are some exceptions (some that are reading this right now.)

Tracy is the longest female friendship that I've retained on that previously-mentioned hand count. We were roommates for some time and saw each other through some rather bad moments... which I now consider growing pains. We've both changed immensely since then. I do consider her my second sister. Every year, I'm more and more proud of her accomplishments and she is one of the greatest examples of what self-determination and educational pursuit can achieve. I give a lot of credit to her husband Jason as they are terrific team.

Anyhow, I wanted to take a moment to post this photo up here and share a few of my friends with you. Then again, I know they read the blog here and there (so it'll really get Tray teary-eyed if she catches it.) I know that I'm not the most attentive, visible or communicative of friends but you are always in my heart and thoughts. Their daughter Sonja (and her soon to be born sibling) couldn't do better when it comes to parents. See that smile on Sonja's face in the photo above? I don't travel often but add that to a list of new reasons for a few visits to Reno.

We Wii

As many people may know, I have been avoiding console games for most of my life. (Dating back to the Atari 2600 and 800.) There is just something wrong with having an entire box become obsolete. I say this because I was big into the online role-playing games for awhile. I would leave work early just to come home and play Dark Age Of Camelot. Most of the weekend would disappear as well. Anyhow, I have always welcomed a game onto my computer more than buying 'the latest' system.

I do have to put a little of the blame on Lloyd and Teri for letting us play with their Wii one night when we were over for our purchase. Kerry absolutely loved the games and interaction. Wouldn't you know that when all our wedding gifts were added up that we had $250 in Best Buy gift cards (enough to get the Wii.) She was hopping around the house singing/chanting: "We're getting a Wii! We're getting a Wii!" So, it is done.

I've decided that I'll be canceling my gym membership and putting the money aside from that towards some of the interactive games they have. It is the first system that I've seen where you can get an aerobic workout in by playing some of the games or taking some of their physical tests. With that in mind, we pre-ordered Wii Fit (I'm putting the YouTube video of the commercial below). I think there is a better chance that I will go to the living room than to the gym. It also looks fun. A little expensive at around $90 but if it keeps the family entertained and slightly more active... it's a winner.

Ibuprofen Sunday

Today is the big move of items from the house and 'the rental' to storage. This coordinated effort has some problems already but we'll see if we can pull it off. First we pick up the U-Haul at 8am. Then we put the entertainment center from the house in it. We then come back to the house and wait for reinforcements (Greg and Kerry's nephew Anthony.) We then head to 'the rental' and load up a very old and heavy player piano that belonged to my great grandfather on my mother's side (the Indian reservation in North Dakota.) The issue with that is we have 3 men to lift it... usually takes more but maybe I can snare another somewhere. Anyhow, that goes to Mom's house. We come back to the rental, load up, and take some things to donate to charity. Lastly, we come back to the rental and grab all the stuff going into storage (sectional, tables, speakers, DJ equipment, CD collection... etc.)

A lot of work and I think that typing it out helped solidify it in my mind. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday and Cinco de Mayo!

Van Morrison - Keep It Simple

Grammy award-winning Northern Irish vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Van Morrison has returned with Keep It Simple, his follow-up to 2006's Pay The Devil. What can a critically-lauded performer hope to achieve with his new 11-track self-produced disc of his own compositions?

The answer to that question is simply perfection. The songs here are stripped down yet vibrant and emotional. The disc opens with the bluesy (with hints of gospel) jam, "How Can A Poor Boy." The song hardly prepares you for the other tracks but allows one to see his versatility as a songsmith. That can be best seen in the form of "School Of Hard Knocks" which boasts an unforced rhythm and delivery reminiscent of a Schoolhouse Rocks episode... our favorite song on the disc. A close second is "Don't Go To Nightclubs Anymore" which is hard to shake out of your head. Beautiful instrumental separation and layering only enhance his lyricism here. "Behind The Ritual" is a great character development piece. It's actually hard to find a song out of place here that should have been omitted... leaving me to believe there are more gems waiting to be released.

The album title pretty much sums it up. Keep it simple! Van Morrison has done that by creating uncomplicated pieces that feel like a part of the songbook of life. I can only hope that radio gives the album plenty of air-time to awaken a deeper music appreciation in the public. Not simple but simply beautiful.

4.5 of 5

Classically Martin: Asia

It's been awhile since I posted any music here. So, I figured that I'd flash backwards and get current with one of my favorite acts... Asia. I've always been a big fan of their first two albums (Asia and Alpha). The band chemistry is obvious and evident. So, 25 years later, after many line-up changes that left keyboardist Geoff Downes the sole member, the original members have released Phoenix.

Below, I will place a video for a single from each album (one's you may not remember) leading up to "Never Again" from their new album. Enjoy.


Only Time Will Tell





The Smile Has Left Your Eyes





Never Again

Life Update 042508

Yes, 10 days is a little too long for me to go without a post. There have been a few things going on. Work on future projects. Work on current projects. And well... just overall confusion too.

First off, I need to say that I've very thankful for my two brothers-in-law. The weekend after we returned from the cruise, Kerry and I decided to move some of the good appliances from Casa de Hennessy West (soon to be called 'the rental') to Casa de Hennessy East. Greg (who is married to Kerry's twin sister Kelly) got roped into the deal and helped immensely as the washer, dryer and refrigerator were swapped between houses. The next weekend Cory (my sister's husband) gave up his Sunday night to help us move the bed, wine cabinet and a bunch of other things. (We were just happy to spend some time with him, Michelle and the kids.) So now all the major things are moved.

After moving the nice gas dryer and other appliances to Casa de Hennessy East, we discovered... no gas outlet in the condo. This meant that Kerry was taking our clothes to her mother's house (a few blocks over) to clean them while I did a little work. Her stepfather works for the gas company and teaches many of their employees how to install gas pipes. The thought of the task seemed overwhelming in scope but hours later he showed me a diagram and it clicked... solidly, as if I could do it in my sleep. The dryer is opposite the gas stove, so it meant changing an elbow joint to a T joint. Everything runs well (it's been checked for leaks) and, now, I just need to do a little wall repair.

All the moving isn't over yet. We now have a lot of duplicate products. The extras include: 3 televisions, 2 VCRs, 3 television stands, several phones and a bunch of kitchen products and other things. That means... garage sale on Sunday. Tomorrow night, we will head over there and sort through a bunch of things and set them aside for sale (with a planned post on Craigslist.com, placement of some signage and a visit to the Mann's to get some stuff out of their garage.) All that doesn't sell will probably go to charity or in a storage unit during the following Sunday with the planned move of a very heavy player piano that needs to go to Mom's. (If you scroll down aways, you'll that see she replied to one of the wedding posts.)

Saturday is the NFL draft. The fact that it's been moved back to noon PST does not help. I'll be busy recording the show. (I'll probably have it on mute and look over my shoulder every 7 minutes or so.) Of course, this happens to be possibly the most serious episode of the show we've attempted. We will be focusing on AIDS this week. A lot of people forget how tied the disease is to the 1980s. We will play a few songs from several artists that lost their battle with AIDS as well as talk to a fellow 80's music fan that is participating in AIDS Walk New York 2008. A donation will be made in 80sMusicCentral's name and we are hoping to get a few other people to stop by her donation page to sponsor her with what little they can. If you would just like to lend her your support, you could also stop in the show's chatroom at Talkshoe.com around noon PST or call in (they put the instructions up there.)

So much that I'd like post about right now but I also have so much to do. I just couldn't leave you out of the loop too much longer.

Rocking Cruise

Yup, we're back. So much that I can type about but sorely limited on time. Have a few projects that I need to get done (you'll hear about them soon) but wanted to quickly put a few fun photos up from the cruise. You see, I've always wanted to do some rock climing and they just so happened to have it on the boat. The photo above is of me. The last three are of Kerry. (She did amazingly well considering that she had those nails on from the wedding.) Not great quality pics as they came from my phone.

Gone, Gone, Gone

Yes, it's really early on a Monday and the newsletter is going out right now. Kerry and I are heading toward L.A. to catch our boat. (L.A., San Diego, Ensenada, Catalina and back.) I don't think anything has made her happier during the course of our days of wedding planning than repeating the phrase "I'm going on a cruise!" She has wanted to go on one for so long. Kind of weird though... they don't give you an address to where you are heading. Hard to enter in a route if MapQuest doesn't have a destination. We just put the city in instead. Just get us close. hahaha I don't get a chance to go on vacation often, so I'm making the most of it.

We will be moving a lot of things when we get back from the trip so this rest will be useful. We decided to trade the nice things in my house with some from her condo as we plan to rent out the house. Bed, big screen TV, washer, dryer and refrigerator... fun fun.

I better get going but wanted to get a post in before we leave. I'm just about to check for last-minute news before we sending out the newsletter. Have a great week! I know that we will.

Post-Wedding Post

It's been a busy few days and will continue to be that way until Monday. Yes, the wedding and reception are over but there are lots of little things to do that would sit on our minds during the honeymoon if we were there right now. I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude for having friends like Teri, Lloyd and Josh Mann who made their home available to us for the reception. Also to Mr. Al Givens who cooked up a storm for the guests (I have some of it in the freezer... I'm drooling right now thinking about the potatoes.) Above all, I'd like to thank our friends and family that blessed our union and overwhelmed us with their enthusiasm.

For those that were unable to see the wedding, it can still be seen online for (until about the 30th) at http://webcasting.cashmanpro.com/mgm/ and typing 3/30/08 in the area under Choose A Wedding Date, click Find Weddings and click View Now. Came out pretty well. (Kerry's family took a video from the other angle that included more of my niece and nephew playing "Here Comes The Bride" which is barely heard at the beginning of this.) I also wanted to throw out a few photos to you from the wedding. My personal favorite is the top one with the other two a very close second and third. (Finally figured out that I need a new cable modem which kept cutting out when burdened with uploading the photos... more on that another time.) More may follow later... we'll see.

Your Official Invite

So, as promised, here is your official invite to virtually come to our wedding. The ceremony will be available to view on-line at approx. 3pm Pacific Time today and will be up for 30 days. Please follow these steps to view a wedding ceremony on-line.

All ceremonies will be broadcast Pacific Standard Time on our web cam providing the wedding couple has signed a web cam release. This will be verified prior to the start of the ceremony. If you are not viewing from home, but rather a place of business, please check your firewalls, which may prohibit you from viewing. You will need to have Windows Media Player on your computer. If you do not have this program, there is a free download available on our web site.

*Streaming or downloading a ceremony may take several minutes depending on whether you have a dial up connection or a cable modem. Log on to http://www.mgmgrand.com/ Click on Amenities located on the tool bar at the top of the screen. Select Wedding Chapel beneath the Forever Grand Wedding Chapel photograph, click on Services. Scroll down and click on the plus sign next to Webcam and click on the web cam link: webcasting.cashmanpro.com/mgm/ Once you have reached the Cashman Professional link, you are able to view Live and Past wedding ceremonies by following the applicable prompts.

You will be looking for Martin Hennessy/Kerry Squire (if you didn't know that, you will have to sit wayyyyyy in back.) I better start getting ready. I think that I have less than 2 hours before I need to be there. Oh, the photo? We took that at a BBQ with her family.