Thank the Metropator for NPR. I found this hilarious transcript… and accompanying audio recording, of LBJ ordering Haggar slacks from Mr. Haggar himself. Why is this the Funniest Shit Ever? Well, if you’re not familiar with our late president’s personality, reputation, or… churlishness. Youdopia, he makes me proud to be an American.

Let me just say that he burps right into the phone, and uses the terms nuts, and bunghole. This is while he’s in office, by the way. This call was made from the Oval Office. This isn’t some pre or post presidential chit chat. This is official business. Check it out.

CLICK THE PIC TO LISTEN

Hi Youdopia. This isn’t anything earth shattering, just a clip of Andy Richter (a living example of Charlie Brown and the football… poor guy.) on Live with Regis and Kelly. He gets pretty candid (although very diplomatic) about the whole situation. You can feel his ire at the gig of a lifetime gone wrong.  I feel badly for him, and the zillions of other people who moved to LA to be boned by the network.

There’s not much to say about this song, Youdopia, other than it’s one of the best songs ever performed (in my opnion). This song was recorded live in the studio, on one of the first eight track recorders, back in the late 1950’s. If you can hear the original with headphones, you’ll hear Ray slapping his pant leg with the music, as the Raelettes sing with him.

This song was improvised at a concert, and they went with it. Tom Dowd (the same fellow who recorded Derek and the Dominos) caught lightning in a bottle (as he was wont to do) with this song. It’s awesome. It’s also long, and filthy (that’s what she said). It was split into two parts, for radio play. Part two was the naughty, sexual part.

So, enjoy. Perhaps you remember the old SNL skit with John Belushi as Beethoven, taking a little toot of… snuff.. and then playing this. Good stuff.

Boolah Boolah, Youdopia. Great song. Clapton is spending the Sept of his years playing with who he wants. He told Rolling Stone that he always felt like a dick (paraphrasing here) because he pretty much just bailed on Blind Faith, because of drugs/fame. That’s why Clapton went underground (kinda) and went with Derek and the Dominoes, instead of Eric Clapton’s super awesome group w/ Duane Allman. Drugs and anguish can make for great music. Layla is amazing, as is Bell Bottom Blues, the two big hits from that band. So… dig it. It’s the coolest shit ever.

For extra points and a chance at the bonus round I ask you to listen to this version of the same song from 1970, by Derek and the Dominos. Mr Clapton outdoes himself, in my opinion, especially with the wah wah string bending @ 2:00. Check it out. Live music, when it’s performed by masters, and there’s magic in the air, is trascendent. You can watch a slideshow of Derek and the Dominoes pix while listening. Amazing band, amazing songs, short short life. Definitely a case of burnout rather than fade away.

Let’s not forget the writer of the song, Mr Jimi Hendrix, either. I understand he also played guitar.

There’s not that much to say, Youdopia. Either you like Monty Python or you don’t. This sketch is about ten minutes long, so if you don’t like Monty Python I suggest you go read Post Secret or something instead. No blame.
I haven’t watched Monty Python in years, but this sketch still makes me laugh. Nazis are almost always funny. Funniest shit ever? I think so. I love quality humor.

I’ve been listening to Stephan Hoeller lectures, as I go to sleep at night. This has given me a pretty good introduction to Hoeller’s brand of gnosticism. I have been assailed (in a way) by gnosticism for over 25 years.

I would buy occult books in my idiot teen years, and one of them was “The Other Bible” which was (to 15 year old Marky) a snoozefest; mainly because there were no spells within to get me laid. Yes, I was a deep one. What the Other Bible had was a boatload of gnostic (Nag Hammadi) scriptures, full of those divine names constructed of mainly O and A. It seemed stupid to me at the time, and gained me nothing re: sex so I shelved it.

When I practiced Siddha Yoga, in my 20’s, gnosticism would rear its head in lectures and classes that I would take… and I would poo-poo it as simply Christianity turned upside down. It seemed unbelievably ridiculous.

When I studied religion at the University of Oregon, and I took an upper division class on Heresy… I was given gnosticism again. This time I had to digest the cosmology, and then present it to the class. Basically I taught gnosticism that day. It struck me as a video game. The soul’s journey after death past guardians, and archons, and demons, and… demiurges… seemed a direct analog of a video game, with it’s creatures, and puzzles and boss battles.

There’s more to it of course. The Matrix trilogy is a pretty good allegory for the whole gnostic thang. The creator deity isn’t “God”. He’s kind of a half simple embarassment (like George W Bush)… accidental offspring of the divine Sophia. This half wit creates our universe, and that explains why the old testament god is such an irrational dickwad.

Anyhoo, since I have grown older and more/less wise/foolish  stumbled across the site of BC Recordings, and their archive of gnostic lectures, by one Stephan Hoeller. They have several, actually a lot, of free lectures, and I nicked them all. I like them. Hoeller is an old man, almost 80, and he has a Hungarian accent, so he sounds exactly like a cartoon psychiatrist, which is strangely apropos because one of the pillars of Hoeller’s gnosticism is Carl Gustav Jung, for whom I have tremendous respect.

So I have a new interest in Gnosticism. Not a belief, but an interest. Belief is the kudzu of the soul, interest is ticklish and fuzzy. So, if you’re interested, take a look at this video, which is simply a lecture of Hoeller’s with a slide show, and see if you dig it. Hail Eris.

Howdy, Youdopia. I have a dram of wisdom for you Hemlock junkies. Robert Anton Wilson, he of the fnord, completely explains Quantum Mechanics. I can’t recall if I got this from my friend Brigid, or the other way around (probably got it from her) but it’s a nice little slice of clarity in a world where logic is fuzzy. Coolest Shit Ever.

They are one of the only bands who recorded a live “greatest hits” album (as their last act as a band, btw) that is in some ways better than the original.

They just missed the bar. I can honestly say that I like more of their songs than I do of the Who, and yet in high school I had Who posters and entire Who discography.

I saw the Kinks in 1984. It was a great rock and roll show. Saw them at St Anselms college in Bedford, NH. Maybe it was in Manchester, or Goffstown, I don’t remember. I went with a frequent commenter on this blog. Good times.

So, Youdopia, I encourage you to get yourself a good half dozen Kinks albums, containing at least two greatest hits collections, and revisit this band that missed superstardom by this much –> <—
they’ve aged better than most, and this song (below), called Hatred (A duet) is from their last album, and it’s just as fresh and powerful as You Really Got Me, from 30 years earlier. The Davies brothers have had a more contentious relationship than the Oasis dudes (the Gallaghers) and this song is tongue in cheek and dead serious. Vitriol for sure, but a great song.

Ray Davies is the one who started VH1 Storytellers, for good or ill. Tom Waits did one that was awesome, but so did Will I.Am. Ok. So set you iPods on stun and listen to a good, fat, handful of the Kinks. They’re way better than you remember, and they are definitely the Coolest Shit Ever. I think I’ll do a Kinks week.

The thing I have discovered is that their 1996 album, To The Bone, actually has my favorite versions of many of their songs, because it was recorded live, in a small setting, with modern equipment. You needn’t worry with the time factor and the unfortunate result of 1960’s production techniques. Also… I like the performances better. The Kinks were a remarkably powerful live band, and the voices of the Davies brothers have held up marvelously. Check them out. Maybe you’ll realize you’ve been a fan all along.

God save The Village Green and great music!

Happy Birthday, Jimmy Page! Today is a National Holiday in Youdopia. None shall toil. Jimmy is 66 today. You may be surprised that I am a fan of Led Zeppelin, and Jimmy Page. It’s true.  Jimmy has written/compiled a photographic autobiography which is being published by Genesis Publications. They are an exquisitely wonderful publisher. They release super high end, expensive books of superb quality. They cost a ton, but I don’t care. I am getting this book.

Jimmy follows the tradition of Ol’ 93/93 with this hand crafted publication. It’s funny, but the day I found out about this book, I literally had this book in the cart, ready to buy. Coincidence?