Otokichi

A very long time ago, a college classmate showed me his favorite LP. It was John Stewart's "California Bloodlines," and the title cut really impressed me. I've been wondering what he was doing, so now I know. Hey John, say hello to Huddie and Woody when you get to "Pearly Gates City Limits"! :guitar:

Ku'u Mahalo Mau Loa (Endless is my admiration) by Nathan Aweau *Dedicated to his wife He 'I'ini ko'u i ke aloha... I've longed for someone to love Eia no 'oe me a'u - ea Then you came along Ku'u mahalo mau loa - ia Endless is my admiration I kou maka nani For the beauty of your face I wished for someone to kiss Then you came along Endless is my admiration For the beauty of your face Chorus: All my dreams came true when you entered my life... My beloved one forever I've longed for someone to hold Then you came along Endless is my admiration For the beauty of your face This is the end of my song Of love to my beloved Endless is my admiration Endless is my admiration For the beauty of your face For the touch of your heart. What does it sound like? Drop by: http://mog.com/music/Nathan_Aweau

It's obvious: "Hotel California" performed by The Eagles.

Speaking of Pink Floyd, check out the 1/19/2008 "Retail" comic strip. (I'm unsure if King Features Syndicate will take offense if I put in a link.) So, "Marla" is "in the grocery store demographic"? (Pink Floyd is Muzak!?) This "harsh reality check" happened one evening when I was in Sears, Roebuck between Thanksgiving and Christmas some years ago. Simon & Garfunkel were now Muzak fodder? It was "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night," of all things!

If I wanted to watch a televised Karaoke contest, I'll go to the nearest bar with a Karaoke machine. When I want to see new/interesting musicians, I'm off to "Austin City Limits" or "Soundstage." (And, once in a while, "Independent Lens" or "Frontline.") To underline my point, local folklore has it that a fellow auditioned for a "Star Search" Karaoke contest and lost. He went back to Maui and resumed his "Mr. Tanner" life. A group of his friends chipped in and bought some studio time at a local recording studio and dared him to sing again. He took them up on it, and Keali'i Reichel became known across Maui, Hawaii, and the rest of the world. (So now the barflies sing his songs in the Karaoke lounges.)

Would Alison Krauss qualify? How about the Peasall Sisters? (From "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack.) Locally, Na Leo Pilimehana/Na Leo has always sounded interesting, along with Keahiwai.

Probably has sonething to do with "Blazing Saddles" or "The Producers." (Come to think of it, why hasn't "Blazing Saddles" been turned into a Broadway musical?)

For Jane Austen chick flick fans out there, public TV is running "The Complete Jane Austen" series on "Masterpiece (Theater)." This "anti-Bodice-ripper" set includes new and old/classic productions of: "Persuasion," "Northanger Abbey," "Mansfield Park," "Sense and Sensibility," "Emma," "Pride and Prejudice," as well as a look at the life and loves of the author. :sleepy:

Check out Dave Van Ronk's version of "Cocaine Blues," on which I heard the "mucous membrane" reference long before I heard Jackson Browne's version. (Looking at a number Google! links to "Cocaine Blues" popped up the Dave Van Ronk quote.)

Yep, I remember that line about losing the nose and mucous membranes, but for all I know that could have been done by any number of Blues artists from Howlin' Wolf to John Lee Hooker.

"Cheek to Cheek" performed by Eva Cassidy. "Helmet Head" performed by Great Big Sea. "The Road to Paradise" performed by Melinda Caroll. "The 59th Street Bridge Song" performed by Simon & Garfunkel. "Speedball Tucker" or "The Ballad of Kerrymuir" performed by Jim Croce. "I Take My Chances" performed by Mary Chapin Carpenter. "Come Softly to Me" performed by The Fleetwoods. "Reason To Believe" by anyone who can carry a tune. "Turn! Turn! Turn!" performed by The Byrds.

I'll go out on a limb and set the legal age to get drunk at 18. However, I'm of the opinion that buying/drinking of alcoholic beverages is something that requires a test + license. (At least as rigorous as gun ownership.) Fail the test, and you will be barred from alcohol consumption for a year. Pass the test, and you get a license to buy a six pack of beer a week. An arrest for public intoxication results in revocation of said license for a year. Oh yes, vehicular homicide due to excessive alcohol consumption results in immediate execution by firing squad. Buying alcohol for underage folk will result in a mandatory prison sentence for no less than 1 year. Making you own booze carries the same penalty as alcohol-induced vehicular homicide. A bit too harsh, you say? There have been far too many drunk drivers killing people lately. It's time to thin the herd and make the penalties for irresponsible alcohol consumption as serious as armed robbery or murder. Age has nothing to do with it, since "pillars of the community" can be "loose cannons" as readily as the average 16-year-old. Then there are penalties for driving while stoned or using a cell phone, but it's best to handle one problem at a time.

Very off topic, but here's something from Nathan Aweau's "Kane'ohe" music CD liner notes: In the past few years some important people in my life went home to join our father in heaven... In The End No matter where 've been And all the many faces There's one thing that I'm missin'... Is to be next to you...to be close to you Chorus: And in the end, please don't cry for me And in the end, a smile will set me free Amd in the end, love is all I need It's the only thing that matters in my life When all is said and done And all the cheers are gone I've had a god life In my life...in my life Drop by http://mog.com and do a search for "Nathan Aweau" to hear how this song "from the departed to the survivor(s)" sounds.

The Discovery Channel marathons are running this week. Yesterday it was "Survivorman," today it's Jamie & Adam, the "Mythbusters." Thursday, roll up your sleeves for more "Dirty Jobs" than you can mess up, and, on Friday, it's "Bear" Grylls and the "Man vs. Wild" crew.

The video is "unavailable for play. Please try again later." If a Meteor turns your ride into scrap metal, an eager exotic metals dealer will put you into the Lexus or Porsche of your dreams.

If the Songfacts staff hadn't passed on Great Big Sea a while back, they'd be relocating to the Canadian maritimes posthaste. The Honolulu radio scene is divided so: MOR Rock, some Hip Hop, and music of Hawaii artists. Due to the topography of the islands, AM radio is alive and well, since valleys and mountain ranges kill line-of-sight FM. One consequence of this is the popularity of Kauai and Maui AM radio stations among folk in Haleiwa and Ka'a'awa, respectively. Satellite radio? It doesn't exist outside the continental 48.

For those of you who haven't been good girls this year, Joan Osborne asked Santa the question last year: What Do bad Girls Get? Well the holidays are coming And it has got me so upset See, I got a burning question And nobody's answered yet Good girls get toys for christmas But Santa, what do bad girls get? Do you cross me off your list? For flirtin' and for teasin'? Yes, I pouted and I cried But I had a real good reason Oh, I got a burnin' question Nobody's answered yet Good girls get toys for christmas But Santa, what do bad girls get? Nice and easy now Alright, alright Mmm, well you got your calculator You're countin' up my sins But Santa please consider How much worse I could've bee Oh I got a burnin' question Tell me once, you know I won't forget Good girls get toys for Christmas But Santa, what do bad girls get What do bad girls get?

Danger! Folk familiar with 1960's music should NOT listen to Go Jimmy Go's "Tropical Christmas" at http://mog.com! If you dare, Kyu Sakamoto's "Sukiyaki" will turn your brain into...Sukiyaki as you try to reconcile a song about "unrequited love from afar" to a Christmas song. (You have been warned!)

"Summer Wine." But then, "Spring Ain't Here."

Do ya think her answer to "Rehab" should now be: "Yes, yes, yes"?

A Google! search, "Kenny G's longest note" yielded this result: http://www.laundryday.com/words/articles/article3.htm A little patience and checking may yet yield a demonstration of circular breathing that Australian Aborigines practice for marathon Digeridoo sessions. Still, getting the right text string to produce useful results on these search engines can be tricky.

Maybe some news organization or Saxophone manufacturer captured it. That kind of feat is waay too long for most folks' attention span. (Quick! Amy Winehouse is in the slammer! Lookit! Britney's sister is preggers! etc.)

Margaret Sanger is rolling over in her grave, while Dr. Kinsey is laughing in his!

Yep, it's a putdown all right. I recall the phrase "there you go again" was made famous by then-candidate Ronald Reagan during televised "debates" with Jimmy Carter's cabinet members during the 1980 presidential election campaign. I suspect that you're getting the business as a Newbie. As the Brits would say, "Sod off you rotters, at least I've got an opinion, something that requires..." (Insert appropriate term of derision, as in "functioning brain," "more than a Neanderthal brain," "a system that isn't poisoned by testosterone," etc.)

It's early, but let's drink a toast to "The Leader of the Band" as 2007 rolls over into 2008.