Alb

Multiple stories and perspectves

Revisado: 08-20-23

Between L.A. and New York, there were many other mid-size cities with much smaller scenes. I was part of the scene in the Tampa area. My reason for seeking out the new wave of music coming out of England and GBGBs in N.Y.C. was similar to Joey Ramone's. Joey didn't reject everything that came before. He loved many of the songs he grew up listening to on the radio in the 60s, as described in the song End of the Century with the humorous line "Do you remember lying in bed with the covers pulled up over your head radio playing so no one can see?" For those of us with more diverse but selective taste it wasn't about rejecting everything that came before. It wasn't about God Saving the Queen or any of that phoney Anarchy in the U.K. crap. It wasn't a reaction to great artists like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, The Stones, The Who, or The Kinks. It was a reaction to what was and wasn't getting commercial air play in the late 70s. It was wanting to be apart of the music that mattered. Joey so aptly put, if memory serves, a reaction to bands like "Journey and Styx." Foreigner, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and all the other boring arena rock bands which were creating a larger disconnect between audience and artist, and of course disco. As I once wrote in a review, "overproduced, passionless Rock&Roll."

But I digress. I had always associated the California scence with beginning in the early 80s. Admittedly, being more influenced by the bands that came from across the sea and outta New York, I didn't become aware of the L.A. bands until then. It was revealing to me to discover that the L.A. scene actually started not long after New York. I feel everything was delayed in Tampa and probably many other cities in between the two coasts.

I loved the way the book had multiple perspectives and slice of life stories. The bohemian element and generally artsy subculture nature of the participants was also true in Tampa. This was music you had to seek out. My first introduction was my last year in high school when I discovered Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True in a record store and had to know who this skinny manic looking Buddy Holly was. I loved it and began to seek out more soon discovering the Ramones and other GBGB alumni, The Dead Boys, Talking Heads, and Blondie. From England, it was The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Buzzcocks, and The Jam.

It was only later, sometime after a friend of mine turned me on to Xs Los Angeles that I really became aware of California bands. Before reading this, I knew much more about the beginnings of the New York scene. I was not at all familiar with some of the bands mentioned in the early days of punk in L.A. and feel I know more about the scene and multiple venues now. In Tampa, it was initially the Buffalo Roadhouse, then Ms Lucky's, and that was about it other than one-off or short-lived venues. At U.S.F. not far from Lucky's, we had Cavern Culb on Wednesdays where we focused on and brought many local New Wave and Punk bands to campus, much to the chagrin of the many students who would have prefered 98 Rock cover bands. I'm proud of doing what we could to expose them.

I especially related to the authors who detailed the transition in L.A. from punk to hard-core and the influx of the more ignorant, violent oriented elements that became hard-core. I witnessed similar in Tampa but much later and on a much smaller scale. I was still happily and energetically pogoing at Ms. Lucky's and the Cavern Club in the early 80s. Sure you might accidently get hurt as I did on a few occasions and still have a couple small scars to show for it, but I did it to myself. Nobody was intentionally trying to hurt each other. It was more of a club like atmosphere where you might slam into each other and bounce off like a pinball or jump off the stage and resume dancing free form to the music. It was still crazy, fun, and cathartic but no macho idiots just there to be violent jerks.

Evidently the scene in L.A. was already devolving into and appealing to a different type by 1981. I wouldn't have thought that. The first mosh pit I noticed in Tampa was at an X show in 1983 and even then it was a rather friendly mosh which I participated in but found it boring and continued my usual chaotic, dance to the beat, and pogoing off to the side.

it wasn't until a Social Distortion show sometime later, I can't remember the date. I don't know how all the contributors to the book seem to remember these things. It's all melded together in my mind. Anyway, in the Tampa area it was when the racist skin head element discovered punk as a place to be weird that ruined it. At the show there were a handful of Skin Heads throwing beer cans up at Mike Ness when he stopped playing and did the coolest thing I've ever seen at a concert. He slung his guitar over his tattooed, tank top shoulder and told em off. He said he didn't understand why they even came to the show as his songs aren't about or condone racist beliefs and he didn't want or need them as fans. Luckily the majority of the audience agreed with him, applauded and cheered. Then Mike whipped his guitar back around and continued playing. The Skin Heads sheepishly disappeared from view. Now that's punk rock!

My favorite band from L.A. is definitely X. Later hard-core bands like Black Flag left me ambivalent. Speed and shouting unitigible lyrics does not equal exciting music. Listen to Never Mind the Bolocks or The Dead Boys Young, Loud, and Snoty. That's the perfect punk sound with still plenty of beat and changes in tempo to be engaging and exciting. I never saw Black Flag but I did see Henry Rollins open for X. I kept wondering why this intelligent guy is screaming at me with a barage of sound devoid of tempo changes or a driving beat. It just left me indifferent. Then X came on and blew him away.

My favorite hard-core band is probably The Dead Kennedys. The way they mixed up the tempo often starting out slow and ominous with Jello Biafra's menacing tone then whipping into the song with a driving relentless beat was far more motivating than most of the other hard-core bands. Again, I digress. Sorry. I loved the book. Thanks, John Doe. I met you once in Cambridge at the Lizard lodge when you were in Boston for a movie or something. You were cool, as was Joey when I met him. Both of you have more eclectic taste than many who got into punk.

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Next Best Thing to a Conversation

Revisado: 08-15-23

Bruce does not disappoint with this candid, insightful, and well written/spoken autobiography. I now realize that I love these autobiographies that are narrated by the author. It truly is the next best thing to having an actual conversation, even if only one way.

Some of Bruce's more mainstream fans may be surprised by his appreciation of the punk movement. As a former late 70s college DJ with a free form show that played the Ramones, Dylan, Bruce, Johnny Cash, and The Clash in the same set, I was not. I wasn't one of these guys who got into punk because I rejected all that came before. Like Joey Ramone, I was simply disappointed with much of what was getting and not getting air play in the late 70s/80s. Bruce was and is a kindred spirit in that regard. His music and live shows break down the barrier between audience and stage with passionate, heartfelt, beat drven rock&roll.

Bruce is very revealing about his struggles with depression. He mentions how therapy and medication are key to combating this illness and how much this has helped him. I hope this will inspire others to seek help who may be reluctant to do so. Bruce is a living example that you can still achieve your dreams and live a quality life if you're willing to do something about it.

Bruce covers his early days and upbringing in Jersey as well as the family dynamics that shaped his life. There are many slice of life stories, some quite amusing, like how Bruce and local friends avoided being inducted into the military and others sad, including his dad's struggles with mental illness who, unlike Bruce did not seek therapy/medication he needed at the time.

I found that I could live vicariously through Bruce overcoming his trials and tribulations and ultimate success. The next best thing to "making it" yourself is when a kindred spirit does. Thanks, Bruce. Keep on rockin' as long as you can.

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The Voice of Reason

Revisado: 05-01-21

An engaging, reflective, authentic account of what it entails to be President of the United States of America and how difficult it is to get anything accomplished. Obama's candid ease and conversational tone makes for a more profound listen than it would have been as a read. For someone like myself who's icons and heros are more often significant persons of the Arts be it writers, directors, musicians, actors, or comedians, I will now add Mr. Obama as I'm convinced this is a man that strived to be a statesman as much as possible while accepting he also had to be a politician in order to get anything done.

It was a pleasure to hear his personal stories told with a smattering of humor and sarcasm, as well as sincere ponderings of what might have been. At the end of the listen I felt I knew him better than all but my closest friends. Before listening to this memoir I couldn't have imagined hanging out with him in high school or college. Now I can. A man with the intellect and open mindedness to consider other points of view and give credit where credit is due. I'm convinced we were in good hands with president Obama at the helm. I think and pray that his then second in command and now commander in chief will carry on his legacy with the added benefit of 12 years of hindsight. Biden's experience should serve him well.

Thanks for having a conversation with me Barry, even if I could only imagine my replies.

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Gentlemen, give it some time.

Revisado: 08-16-20

I had to get through the first half of the novel to appreciate the second half where I found the circumstances to become more interesting and the characters more relatable. I don't believe the family should have been described as poor. They had a servant and the historic Orchard House would have been considered an upper middle class home of the time. All of the familes associations are with upper middle - wealthy individuals with upper class sensibilities and expectations. The exception being the "poor" family the March sisters bring their Christmas meals to. Perhaps the March family was struggling with father away but if they had fallen from the upper class they didn't fall any further than middle class. Also, with all the early gossipy talk of personality traits and societal propriety there's almost no discussion of the most monumental event, the civil war, despite their beloved father fighting in it.

However, once the story jumped ahead a few years I was able to put these early annoyances aside and appreciate the girls individual character development through their experiences and the loves that entered their lives.

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Overview of Black Athletes

Revisado: 07-27-20

The author does a good job of educating about the contributions of lesser known black athletes. I would have expected even more on Ali who in my opinion is by far the most influential athlete of any color in my life time. What often goes unrecognized is that Ali is the one that really got young hippie America on board. Martin Luther King was the voice if reason but Ali was young, cool, funny, and charismatic. He bridged the gap between concerns over civil rights and the Vietnam war. With one line he hooked the college age white hippies and slayed both racism and the Vietnam war. "No Vietcong ever called me nigger." Right on!

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Ode to dad hecomes son's awakening.

Revisado: 06-20-20

Initially it seemed this book was going to be more about his dad Herb Cohen who wrote the book, You Can Negotiate Anything, a subject I wasn't particularly interested in. However, once Rich turns inward it becomes very relatable. Anyone who's ever had to endure a tyrannical college professor that attempts to squash dreams rather than nuture them will revel in the scene when Rich slays him with pointed poetic words that expose him in the spirit of Randle McMurphy lashing out against Nurse Ratched. An inspiration to anyone to not let one man's negativity derail you from pursuing your dreams. Two men, maybe:)

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Characters referred to by real names

Revisado: 05-23-20

I had read the original published version back in the 80s when was in my 20s. I still enjoyed the ride but was a bit more into at the time. I loved hearing all the participants being referred to by their actual names. Clears up any confusion as to who is who. I've found it hard to believe that they could have found so many loose women back then but perhaps in the circles they traveled in it was possible. One things for sure, that Neil Cassidy was one crazy cat.

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Woody narrates as only Woody could

Revisado: 05-16-20

There are truly some books that really lend themselves to being audio books. This is one of them. Woody's narration is like he's having a personal conversation with you. A moving, insightful, educational, sad, entertaining, and of course funny memoir.

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