I ask your indulgence in advance.
I think it's finally over. Meaning, I finally truly believe I am 'over' The Girl [first mentioned in this blog here and then more recently here.
Let me explain.
There was a time in the not too distant past when my world revolved around any sort of communication the two of us had. Even if it was an all too brief phone call, or a text message, or, on all too rare occasions, an actual visit. For a long while she was the fuel that ran my day. She probably never knew this, or at least she probably didn't know the extent of how often her face and voice were in the center of my thoughts.
She was, and still is, an incredible woman. That fact will never change. She just no longer spins my world, or sends me running to the phone when the message notification buzzer sounds off. I can now go weeks, even months without 'needing' to text her, or hear from her. Had someone told me that would happen as recent as Summer 2009, I would have never dreamed it was possible.
But it is.
The Girl sent me a text the other day, out of the blue. She's graduating in early December. And, if she happens to be reading this [which is highly unlikely, given her reaction to the only other piece of mine I know she's read], I want to say sincerely that she has earned any and all success that comes her way. She went back to school four years ago and now, after many long nights and nervous days, she's about to graduate. I mean it when I say that is an incredibly awesome feat and I am very proud of her, as I have always been.
I'm also proud of myself. This book is 'finally..no, really' closed for good. After many lessons learned and a few regrets, I'm happy to report that the bruised ego is healing and the wounds are beginning to scar over.
For all that it was, and all that it wasn't, I learned a hell of a whole lot. And, since I'm in a good mood, I'll close with a lyric that seems to sum up how I feel about all of it tonite: 'I'm the greatest lover that you never had, [and for that] I'm just about glad.'
Thanks for reading this, and to a few of you, thanks for listening to me talk...and talk...and talk about The Girl through the years. It meant a lot at the time, and it still does.
--Barry
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Taylor Swift - Speak Now: A Fan's Review
Here again is my usual disclaimer I post when writing about Taylor Swift: I'm unabashedly, unashamedly a fan of Ms. Swift and her music. If you're searching for a truly objective critique of the new record, you probably won't find it here.
Okay, now onto the business at hand.
No pressure. No, really, she seems to feel no pressure, at least she doesn't show it.
Penning all fourteen songs herself, her songs deal with things that have happened to her over the last two years. So, naturally, there's a song about that little incident at last years MTV Video Music Awards, [Innocent], there's a song about her ex-boyfriend Taylor Lautner [Back To December] and one that is a none too veiled kiss off to John Mayer [Dear John]. If you've followed the celebrity pages at all, then you know what Taylor's up to, and thus, you know what these songs are about. In her earlier songs, like 'Teardrops On My Guitar' or 'Hey Stephen' she would name names. Now she doesn't have to because everyone knows exactly who she's talking to, or about. Even if she won't admit it in an interview.
Yes, they're personal songs. But, the songs are not unrelatable for the listener. Everyone's lost at love, had to apologize to someone, been in a bad relationship; Swift just gets to do all of that [mostly] in the public eye.
Some in the country establishment have cried foul for years saying Taylor is anything but country. While it doesn't seem like she's trying to be a specific genre, 'Speak Now' does have two songs that probably sound more country than anything on her last multi-platinum effort, Fearless: 'Mean' and 'Never Grow Up.' Those acoustic gems are right alongside tunes like the disco flavored 'Story of Us' and the dreamlike soundscape that makes up what I consider the album's highlight, 'Enchanted'.
It could be a tricky situation for some, trying to grow up in the spotlight, with so many looking forward to what you have to say next. Swift has grown up a lot over the last two years and her maturity shines on this record, but nothing here sounds forced or calculated to be a hit [but who are we kidding? This album will be platinum in two weeks anyway!] Amid all the buzz this album has, the underlying fact is that the songs are strong and radio-ready.
Taylor Swift -- Speak Now -- Big Machine Records: Highlights -- Back To December, Mine, Sparks Fly, Enchanted, Better Than Revenge.
--Barry
Read the story of how I became a Taylor Swift fan here
Read my reviews of Taylor's Fearless tour here and here
Okay, now onto the business at hand.
She had the top selling album of 2009, a completely sold out US tour and has spent the past two years seemingly in the full glare of the spotlight. But, through it all, Taylor Swift has remained the same person she was before this whirlwind of a career started. It's only been just over four years since she released her debut album at sixteen, and now she's a multi-platinum selling artist who's latest record has been touted by some writers as the one 'that will save the record industry' in terms of sales.
No pressure. No, really, she seems to feel no pressure, at least she doesn't show it.
Penning all fourteen songs herself, her songs deal with things that have happened to her over the last two years. So, naturally, there's a song about that little incident at last years MTV Video Music Awards, [Innocent], there's a song about her ex-boyfriend Taylor Lautner [Back To December] and one that is a none too veiled kiss off to John Mayer [Dear John]. If you've followed the celebrity pages at all, then you know what Taylor's up to, and thus, you know what these songs are about. In her earlier songs, like 'Teardrops On My Guitar' or 'Hey Stephen' she would name names. Now she doesn't have to because everyone knows exactly who she's talking to, or about. Even if she won't admit it in an interview.
Yes, they're personal songs. But, the songs are not unrelatable for the listener. Everyone's lost at love, had to apologize to someone, been in a bad relationship; Swift just gets to do all of that [mostly] in the public eye.
Some in the country establishment have cried foul for years saying Taylor is anything but country. While it doesn't seem like she's trying to be a specific genre, 'Speak Now' does have two songs that probably sound more country than anything on her last multi-platinum effort, Fearless: 'Mean' and 'Never Grow Up.' Those acoustic gems are right alongside tunes like the disco flavored 'Story of Us' and the dreamlike soundscape that makes up what I consider the album's highlight, 'Enchanted'.
It could be a tricky situation for some, trying to grow up in the spotlight, with so many looking forward to what you have to say next. Swift has grown up a lot over the last two years and her maturity shines on this record, but nothing here sounds forced or calculated to be a hit [but who are we kidding? This album will be platinum in two weeks anyway!] Amid all the buzz this album has, the underlying fact is that the songs are strong and radio-ready.
With all of the music world watching and waiting on her, Swift has delivered a very personal, direct record that builds on the success of Fearless without sounding like Fearless Part Two. Will this win her any new fans? Maybe. But it you're not a fan already, then you probably won't be.
That's okay. You'll be the one missing out on all the fun.
Taylor Swift -- Speak Now -- Big Machine Records: Highlights -- Back To December, Mine, Sparks Fly, Enchanted, Better Than Revenge.
--Barry
Read the story of how I became a Taylor Swift fan here
Read my reviews of Taylor's Fearless tour here and here
Roger Waters Presents The Wall @ Verizon Center, Washington DC, 10.10.10
There are concerts and live shows...and then there are events! Once I heard in June that former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters would be touring the US with a production of the classic Pink Floyd album 'The Wall', I knew this was going to be an event, and I knew I had to see it. 'The Wall' found me in tenth grade [the album first and soon after the film] and, to this day it remains one of my top 10 albums of all time. It's also really the only Pink Floyd album I can listen to and still enjoy. Nothing else in their catalog has stood the test of time for me or resonated with me like Waters' semi-autobiographical story set to music.
As far as Pink Floyd fans go, I know of none more dedicated and rabid than my friend Eddie. As sure as I knew I had to see the show, I knew that if anyone was going to find a way to see this event, it was going to be Eddie.
When tickets went onsale, we soon realized we weren't going to be able to afford floor seats, so we went with the upper concourse seats in the center. Most shows, this would be a 'bad' seat, but I guessed the production would be big enough to keep us interested despite the distance, and I was spot on.
As we found our seats at the front of our section, we were in fact dead center. Before us we saw the partially constructed 'Wall' and various 'bricks' strewn about the front of the stage. That's when it hit me that we were going to see a production very close in spirit and execution to the legendary 1980-81 tour that Pink Floyd mounted to support 'The Wall' when it was first released. I looked over at Eddie, smiled and said, 'This...is gonna be huge!'
The tickets said '8pm Prompt!' so I had figured the lights would go down by 8:05 or so. Not so much. Finally, around 8:20, a voice came over the PA and advised against flash photography, warned of strobes and explosions [like the 18,000+ fans didn't already know this show had explosions?], and then, while the houselights remained up, the sound of a TV changing channels was heard. Setting the mood for the insanity to come, bits of George Carlin's 'Seven Words You Can't Say on Television' and scenes from South Park played, along with other noise.
Eventually, the lights went down and then suddenly, their was a loud bang and the beginning of 'In The Flesh'. When that opening song ended with a 'plane crash' into the stage amid more flames and explosions, I knew my hunch that this was going to be an event was not misplaced. As opening numbers go, it was one of the best concert moments I will ever have.
The brief backstory about how The Wall came to be is this: As Floyd became a stadium band in the 1970's, Waters became disillusioned that some people were coming to see Floyd because the show was a party, and these people, in Roger's eyes, didn't care about the music or the band. He became alienated, though never as 'out there' as the lead character of The Wall. Add to that story line how the death of his father in World War II shaped Waters as a child, and you have the ingredients for an epic project of self-loathing and reawakening.
Not your average rock and roll show.
When Floyd toured in 1980-81, the band weren't getting along and in some of the recordings that were later released of the live show, it sounds like Waters truly is having a breakdown on stage. I can say now that, 30 years later, after the death of band mates Richard Wright and Syd Barrett over the last five years, it seems that Waters is in a better frame of mind concerning the intensely personal material that The Wall covers.
Early in the show, much to my surprise, Roger actually spoke to the audience. I didn't expect that at all, thinking he would 'stay in character' for the entire two-act show. Before performing 'Mother', he thanked the crowd and said he was pleased to 'see some old people here' who remembered the 1970s.
As each song was performed, more and more bricks were added to the wall. Another great 'once in a lifetime concert moment' was being part of the throng of voices screaming 'We don't need no education!' at the top of my lungs. That moment alone was worth the price of an overpriced upper concourse ticket.
At the end of 'Act One' [or record one], the wall is completely built, so literally all you see is a pristine white wall on stage, nothing else. Seeing the completed wall was quite impressive. Waters' original plan when putting together the show in 1980 was to play the entire second act behind the completed wall, just to see how people would react to watching bricks. Thankfully, Gilmour and company talked Roger into 'opening' the wall, having sections of it drop away to reveal set pieces, such as a hotel room chair and lamp for 'One of My Turns.'
The moment I will take away from the show though is actually a quote from a US President, Dwight Eisenhower. During one of my favorite moments of the show, 'Bring the Boys Back Home', while images of war victims flashed in quick succession on all parts of the wall, the following words were displayed, quickly yet slow enough to be able to comprehend and read what one was seeing amid the dizzying array of music, lights and spectacle: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, represents, in the final analysis, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, who are cold and are not clothed."
There have been rumors of lip-syncing on this tour, and I admit there are some pretty convincing YouTube videos out there to back up the rumor. Truth be told, the only moment where I thought something may be pre-recorded was during the finale, 'The Trial.' Waters literally has to voice four different characters, with very distinct accents with hardly any extra time to take a breath. Even if the moment was partially on tape, that doesn't take away in the least from the spectacle of watching the wall come down at shows end, while the audience screamed 'Tear down the wall!'
The performance was at times nostalgic and chilling (especially when Waters shouted 'If I had my way, I'd have all of ya shot!! and sounded like he meant it), but above all it was uplifting. Maybe in the end, we're all, at one time or another, banging our hearts against some mad bugger's wall.
Thanks Eddie for a wonderful, once in a lifetime experience. I know this was a 'Bucket List' show for you, so I'm glad I got to see it with you.
And to the lovely Latina girl who grabbed my arm and held my gaze on the way out to the parking lot, 'I bet you could!'
--Barry
As far as Pink Floyd fans go, I know of none more dedicated and rabid than my friend Eddie. As sure as I knew I had to see the show, I knew that if anyone was going to find a way to see this event, it was going to be Eddie.
When tickets went onsale, we soon realized we weren't going to be able to afford floor seats, so we went with the upper concourse seats in the center. Most shows, this would be a 'bad' seat, but I guessed the production would be big enough to keep us interested despite the distance, and I was spot on.
As we found our seats at the front of our section, we were in fact dead center. Before us we saw the partially constructed 'Wall' and various 'bricks' strewn about the front of the stage. That's when it hit me that we were going to see a production very close in spirit and execution to the legendary 1980-81 tour that Pink Floyd mounted to support 'The Wall' when it was first released. I looked over at Eddie, smiled and said, 'This...is gonna be huge!'
The tickets said '8pm Prompt!' so I had figured the lights would go down by 8:05 or so. Not so much. Finally, around 8:20, a voice came over the PA and advised against flash photography, warned of strobes and explosions [like the 18,000+ fans didn't already know this show had explosions?], and then, while the houselights remained up, the sound of a TV changing channels was heard. Setting the mood for the insanity to come, bits of George Carlin's 'Seven Words You Can't Say on Television' and scenes from South Park played, along with other noise.
Eventually, the lights went down and then suddenly, their was a loud bang and the beginning of 'In The Flesh'. When that opening song ended with a 'plane crash' into the stage amid more flames and explosions, I knew my hunch that this was going to be an event was not misplaced. As opening numbers go, it was one of the best concert moments I will ever have.
The brief backstory about how The Wall came to be is this: As Floyd became a stadium band in the 1970's, Waters became disillusioned that some people were coming to see Floyd because the show was a party, and these people, in Roger's eyes, didn't care about the music or the band. He became alienated, though never as 'out there' as the lead character of The Wall. Add to that story line how the death of his father in World War II shaped Waters as a child, and you have the ingredients for an epic project of self-loathing and reawakening.
Not your average rock and roll show.
When Floyd toured in 1980-81, the band weren't getting along and in some of the recordings that were later released of the live show, it sounds like Waters truly is having a breakdown on stage. I can say now that, 30 years later, after the death of band mates Richard Wright and Syd Barrett over the last five years, it seems that Waters is in a better frame of mind concerning the intensely personal material that The Wall covers.
Early in the show, much to my surprise, Roger actually spoke to the audience. I didn't expect that at all, thinking he would 'stay in character' for the entire two-act show. Before performing 'Mother', he thanked the crowd and said he was pleased to 'see some old people here' who remembered the 1970s.
As each song was performed, more and more bricks were added to the wall. Another great 'once in a lifetime concert moment' was being part of the throng of voices screaming 'We don't need no education!' at the top of my lungs. That moment alone was worth the price of an overpriced upper concourse ticket.
At the end of 'Act One' [or record one], the wall is completely built, so literally all you see is a pristine white wall on stage, nothing else. Seeing the completed wall was quite impressive. Waters' original plan when putting together the show in 1980 was to play the entire second act behind the completed wall, just to see how people would react to watching bricks. Thankfully, Gilmour and company talked Roger into 'opening' the wall, having sections of it drop away to reveal set pieces, such as a hotel room chair and lamp for 'One of My Turns.'
The moment I will take away from the show though is actually a quote from a US President, Dwight Eisenhower. During one of my favorite moments of the show, 'Bring the Boys Back Home', while images of war victims flashed in quick succession on all parts of the wall, the following words were displayed, quickly yet slow enough to be able to comprehend and read what one was seeing amid the dizzying array of music, lights and spectacle: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, represents, in the final analysis, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, who are cold and are not clothed."
There have been rumors of lip-syncing on this tour, and I admit there are some pretty convincing YouTube videos out there to back up the rumor. Truth be told, the only moment where I thought something may be pre-recorded was during the finale, 'The Trial.' Waters literally has to voice four different characters, with very distinct accents with hardly any extra time to take a breath. Even if the moment was partially on tape, that doesn't take away in the least from the spectacle of watching the wall come down at shows end, while the audience screamed 'Tear down the wall!'
The performance was at times nostalgic and chilling (especially when Waters shouted 'If I had my way, I'd have all of ya shot!! and sounded like he meant it), but above all it was uplifting. Maybe in the end, we're all, at one time or another, banging our hearts against some mad bugger's wall.
Thanks Eddie for a wonderful, once in a lifetime experience. I know this was a 'Bucket List' show for you, so I'm glad I got to see it with you.
And to the lovely Latina girl who grabbed my arm and held my gaze on the way out to the parking lot, 'I bet you could!'
--Barry
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Wishing
I hate when I feel like this. No, wait...let me start again. I wish I didn't feel like this. It's a combination of things I know, that has me in this mood, and I swore I wasn't gonna write about it. Then tonite I said I would just write it in longhand and condemn it to a drawer in my room. But then, something told me I had to write this down so that it would be read by someone else besides myself.
I really wasn't going to write about this.
I find myself thinking about 'her' these days. And I really hate myself for that. I thought, no, I knew I was past this, over her, and done with all that 'we' were, and all that 'we' weren't.
Now, don't think for a second that this is really about 'her,' it's not. It's all about me, my head, my heart and...why can't I get past this??
Part of it is because my job currently has become a true, real challenge. Some days are better than others. Some days are far too long, and almost all days leave me drained and exhausted. I like my job, love the people I work with and most days, I feel that at least something was accomplished. It's just, when I come home after a ten hour work day, I wish I was coming home to someone who was mine. Someone who was my partner to lean on and celebrate with.
Now, I don't live alone, and I love my mom like no one else, but I'm feeling very single at the moment. Ninety-eight percent of the time, I love being single, and I am fine with that 'relationship status'. But lately...I am yearning for that other piece of the puzzle.
Now, don't think that this means I want 'The Girl' that currently crosses my mind more than I will ever admit to you in public. I don't. In fact, if she showed up on my doorstep tomorrow and said she was 'willing to give this thing a try', I wouldn't be interested. I waited long enough, too long really, and she never ever really wanted to go that route. After years -- and I mean years -- of waiting for her to come to her senses, I'm done hoping that will ever happen.
What sent me into this mood?
She forgot my birthday.
Now, let me say that on my birthday, I had no less than 60 messages on Facebook from friends wishing me a Happy Birthday and, those were amazing. You, my friends, are amazing and you made my day great and made me smile. In fact, when midnite passed and it was 12:01am and no longer my birthday, I told myself it was no big deal and no surprise that she forgot. And it wasn't really. She's done it before.
It just stung. Really really stung.
She has said in the past that she wants to be friends. And I think that's part of the reason for my current mood. Even though part of me, even at my angriest, darkest times, will always love her, I know now for certain that I can't be just friends with her. Every time I see her, those unrequited feelings will bubble up to the surface, and I will manage to ruin an otherwise nice visit with a cutting, sarcastic but true remark, doing a half hearted attempt to mask my pain with humor.
In my most self confident moments, the song that sums up my current feelings about her is Elvis Costello's 'I Hope Your Happy Now.' If you don't know it, find it and listen to the words. They all ring true, and sometimes they ring too close to home.
Tonight though, the song that replays on my ipod and in my head is 'Wishing' by Sugarland.
'I've done everything I can to forget / If there is a way I ain't found it yet / I keep tellin' myself I'm movin' on / But I'm stumblin' / Believing my heart was strong enough / But now I'm wonderin' / Wishing I didn't love you anymore.'
But I do.
Thanks for indulging. Here's to tomorrow.
--Barry
09.29.10
I really wasn't going to write about this.
I find myself thinking about 'her' these days. And I really hate myself for that. I thought, no, I knew I was past this, over her, and done with all that 'we' were, and all that 'we' weren't.
Now, don't think for a second that this is really about 'her,' it's not. It's all about me, my head, my heart and...why can't I get past this??
Part of it is because my job currently has become a true, real challenge. Some days are better than others. Some days are far too long, and almost all days leave me drained and exhausted. I like my job, love the people I work with and most days, I feel that at least something was accomplished. It's just, when I come home after a ten hour work day, I wish I was coming home to someone who was mine. Someone who was my partner to lean on and celebrate with.
Now, I don't live alone, and I love my mom like no one else, but I'm feeling very single at the moment. Ninety-eight percent of the time, I love being single, and I am fine with that 'relationship status'. But lately...I am yearning for that other piece of the puzzle.
Now, don't think that this means I want 'The Girl' that currently crosses my mind more than I will ever admit to you in public. I don't. In fact, if she showed up on my doorstep tomorrow and said she was 'willing to give this thing a try', I wouldn't be interested. I waited long enough, too long really, and she never ever really wanted to go that route. After years -- and I mean years -- of waiting for her to come to her senses, I'm done hoping that will ever happen.
What sent me into this mood?
She forgot my birthday.
Now, let me say that on my birthday, I had no less than 60 messages on Facebook from friends wishing me a Happy Birthday and, those were amazing. You, my friends, are amazing and you made my day great and made me smile. In fact, when midnite passed and it was 12:01am and no longer my birthday, I told myself it was no big deal and no surprise that she forgot. And it wasn't really. She's done it before.
It just stung. Really really stung.
She has said in the past that she wants to be friends. And I think that's part of the reason for my current mood. Even though part of me, even at my angriest, darkest times, will always love her, I know now for certain that I can't be just friends with her. Every time I see her, those unrequited feelings will bubble up to the surface, and I will manage to ruin an otherwise nice visit with a cutting, sarcastic but true remark, doing a half hearted attempt to mask my pain with humor.
In my most self confident moments, the song that sums up my current feelings about her is Elvis Costello's 'I Hope Your Happy Now.' If you don't know it, find it and listen to the words. They all ring true, and sometimes they ring too close to home.
Tonight though, the song that replays on my ipod and in my head is 'Wishing' by Sugarland.
'I've done everything I can to forget / If there is a way I ain't found it yet / I keep tellin' myself I'm movin' on / But I'm stumblin' / Believing my heart was strong enough / But now I'm wonderin' / Wishing I didn't love you anymore.'
But I do.
Thanks for indulging. Here's to tomorrow.
--Barry
09.29.10
Sunday, September 12, 2010
15 Albums In 15 Minutes
This was a note posted by me tonite on Facebook. Decided to repost here in case you are not already my FB friend.
The rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag fifteen friends, including me, because I'm interested in seeing what albums my friends choose. (To do this, go to your Notes tab on your profile page. )
About my list: My boss tagged me in this note going around. This is being written late at night [or early in the morning, take your pick] so, that might color my choices. Songs/Albums are memories for me, so these choices are more about where I was when these albums found me than where they may rank on a 'Best of' list in a music publication. My own rule: An artist can only appear once.
1) KISS - Rock And Roll Over. The first LP I ever owned. Given as a birthday gift September 15, 1977. I turned four. I play this album in its entirity at least once a week. The cowbell in the intro of 'Calling Dr. Love' MADE me want to be a drummer. Maybe not their most known studio record [that's probably Destroyer] but it's the record that changed my life, literally forever. Plus...it ROCKS! I could write pages and pages about this album's influence on my life, but I'll spare you. My mom thought my KISS fandom would be a brief phase, like my temporary fascination with Legos. Thankfully, it wasn't. Ten songs that I can't imagine my life without; yes, even Peter Criss' 'Baby Driver' even though I still don't know what that song means. It doesn't matter.
2) The Cure - Pornography. The album arrived in 1982, but I didn't know it existed until 1991. The wailing guitars of 'One Hundred Years' with the opening lyical proclamation 'Doesn't matter if we all die!' hit me square in the eyes. The rising tide of chaos and noise that concludes the title track had me wondering what the hell was going on...and it made me hit the repeat button to listen to the whole wonderful, dark project again and again. If you want one record that defines 'Goth' with no apologies, this is the one.
3) Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life. Heard this record as a young kid and wondered who 'Sir Duke' was. Some of the songs may go on a bit too long, and 'Contusion' sounds painfully dated, but this record rejuvenates me whenever I hear it.
4) Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water. This was always being played in my house when I was very young. In fact, I learned how to read around the age of two by reading the lyrics printed on the back jacket. I love every song on this record, and this record always reminds me of my dad.
5) The Beatles - Rubber Soul. Pick just ONE Beatles record? Impossible really, but...if I had to pick one it would be this one. In My Life is lyrical perfection and You Won't See Me is probably McCartney's best bass track ever. Seriously, go back and listen to that song and listen to the bass, it's unreal. And it's not like the other songs [Nowhere Man, Girl and Michelle to name but three] are throwaways either.
6) Nat King Cole Live at The Sands. This was released by Capitol soon after Cole's death. My mom bought a copy on vinyl because her father liked Nat King Cole. Somehow the record remained in the back of her collection for me to find one night in 1983. At the age of ten, this record was a revelation. A crooner wowing a Vegas crowd, back when 'Vegas' was VEGAS. No real hits on this record, but it's an incredible intimate performance. The record was on CD for a minute in the mid-80s but was out of print for decades. I saw an auction for a sealed CD [in the now defunct longbox that CDs used to be packaged in] on eBay in 2000 and figured I would get it cheap. Well, I apparently was not the only one who wanted this out of print disc. I won the auction...paying $62 for it. Worth every penny. [The CD is now back in print, so you can get it much cheaper!] Highlights: 'I Wish You Love' and 'Funny [Not Much]'
7) Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces. Front to back, this album still sounds great. 'Radio, Radio', 'Oliver's Army', '(What's So Funny Bout) Peace Love and Understanding'...and those are just the songs you hear on the radio. Other songs like 'Two Little Hitlers', 'Chemistry Class' and 'Goon Squad' show Costello proving the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Pick whatever label you like: Post punk, new wave...whatever, the songs are classic.
8) Green Day - American Idiot. I admit. I wrote Green Day off as relavent after that 'Time Of Your Life' song was featured in episodes of ER AND Seinfeld on the same night in 1999. In fact, my brother had to convince me to listen to American Idiot, and he played it while we were on a road trip. I was floored. I bought a copy for myself and I listened to it non stop for weeks. Huge in concept and scope but not without humor, this is one of my top five discs from the past decade.
9) Pink Floyd - The Wall. While we're on the subject of concept albums, this remains, truthfully, the only Pink Floyd album I like and can listen to. Not as trippy as the Syd Barrett stuff, nor as jammy and drawn out as parts of Dark Side and Wish You Were Here, this album is almost required listening in high school. And that's where it found me, my sophomore year, when I could identify with the isolation of the main character, even though I only wanted to identify with the Sex and Rock And Rol aspects of the album. I'd have to wait a while for that, but I go back to this album and, when I do, I'm fifteen and searching again.
10) Taylor Swift - Fearless. I've been listening to this one for over a year, almost on a daily basis. The pleading lyric of 'You Belong With Me' hit me when I first heard it. In fact, it hit so close to home that I felt compelled to find out what other songs Swift had written. Then, before I knew it, I was [and remain] an unabashed fan of her and her confessional-toned songs. I'm in my mid-30s, but when it comes to love, I sometimes still feel like a clumsy, gawky teenager. This CD is perfect for that mindset. Can't wait to see what she does as she grows up, and I hope I'll never become so jaded or cynical enough to not love this record and how it got me through a very dark time.
11) Barenaked Ladies - Maybe You Should Drive. This came out in the US on September 9, 1994. I remember because I was very ill in a hospital bed when I asked my dad to go to Plan 9 to buy it. Long story short, I was NPO in the hospital, which means I could not have anything by mouth. No food, water or even mouthwash. Music became my food and this CD was the one I played non-stop. 'Jane' is BNL's best moment on record and my fave song by them. Hard to believe it's been 16 years, but it still stands up very well today.
12) Wham! - Make It Big. I had this on cassette in 1984. When the cassette got destroyed by a tape deck in 1986 I was crushed. This was one of the first CDs I bought in 1987 and it's been with me ever since. Careless Whisper is the masterpiece here, but songs like 'Everything She Wants' and 'Like A Baby' give you a preview of what George Michael's solo career was going to be like...minus the car wrecks and men's rooms busts. What exactly did Andrew Ridgely do in this band anyway?
13) Prince and The Revolution - Purple Rain. No filler on this one at all. I don't care if it's 1984, 2010 or 2525, the solo at the end of Let's Go Crazy will always rock! Very radio friendly songs [title track and When Doves Cry] along side a ditty that led to the formation of the PMRC [Darling Nikki]. Prince was strange even at the height of his success, but this album's greatness can't be denied.
14) The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts. Released in 2002, this record became a mainstay in my CD player as I managed an indie rock band. Literate, intelligent lyrics with catchy pop melodies made this an instant favorite. It was their major label debut and the band has come a long way since then, but this is the disc I revisit the most. Highlights: Here I Dreamt I Was An Architecht', 'Grace Cathedral Hill' and 'July! July!' Looking back, I think I've seen this band live more than any other...at least 20 times.
15) Monty Python's Instant Record Collection. I found this 'Best Of' cassette at Peaches for $4.00 in 1987 soon after I moved to Richmond. Only knowing John Cleese from 'Fawlty Towers' I bought it because I saw his name. One listen through and I ran out to rent 'Monty Python and The Holy Grail' on VHS. This cassette led me to Monty Python and all of it's wonderful absurdity. Through this four dollar tape, I discovered the movies and television show and, my life was never the same.
There's my 15 albums. Tomorrow this list might be different.
Thanks for reading
Barry
The rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag fifteen friends, including me, because I'm interested in seeing what albums my friends choose. (To do this, go to your Notes tab on your profile page. )
About my list: My boss tagged me in this note going around. This is being written late at night [or early in the morning, take your pick] so, that might color my choices. Songs/Albums are memories for me, so these choices are more about where I was when these albums found me than where they may rank on a 'Best of' list in a music publication. My own rule: An artist can only appear once.
1) KISS - Rock And Roll Over. The first LP I ever owned. Given as a birthday gift September 15, 1977. I turned four. I play this album in its entirity at least once a week. The cowbell in the intro of 'Calling Dr. Love' MADE me want to be a drummer. Maybe not their most known studio record [that's probably Destroyer] but it's the record that changed my life, literally forever. Plus...it ROCKS! I could write pages and pages about this album's influence on my life, but I'll spare you. My mom thought my KISS fandom would be a brief phase, like my temporary fascination with Legos. Thankfully, it wasn't. Ten songs that I can't imagine my life without; yes, even Peter Criss' 'Baby Driver' even though I still don't know what that song means. It doesn't matter.
2) The Cure - Pornography. The album arrived in 1982, but I didn't know it existed until 1991. The wailing guitars of 'One Hundred Years' with the opening lyical proclamation 'Doesn't matter if we all die!' hit me square in the eyes. The rising tide of chaos and noise that concludes the title track had me wondering what the hell was going on...and it made me hit the repeat button to listen to the whole wonderful, dark project again and again. If you want one record that defines 'Goth' with no apologies, this is the one.
3) Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life. Heard this record as a young kid and wondered who 'Sir Duke' was. Some of the songs may go on a bit too long, and 'Contusion' sounds painfully dated, but this record rejuvenates me whenever I hear it.
4) Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water. This was always being played in my house when I was very young. In fact, I learned how to read around the age of two by reading the lyrics printed on the back jacket. I love every song on this record, and this record always reminds me of my dad.
5) The Beatles - Rubber Soul. Pick just ONE Beatles record? Impossible really, but...if I had to pick one it would be this one. In My Life is lyrical perfection and You Won't See Me is probably McCartney's best bass track ever. Seriously, go back and listen to that song and listen to the bass, it's unreal. And it's not like the other songs [Nowhere Man, Girl and Michelle to name but three] are throwaways either.
6) Nat King Cole Live at The Sands. This was released by Capitol soon after Cole's death. My mom bought a copy on vinyl because her father liked Nat King Cole. Somehow the record remained in the back of her collection for me to find one night in 1983. At the age of ten, this record was a revelation. A crooner wowing a Vegas crowd, back when 'Vegas' was VEGAS. No real hits on this record, but it's an incredible intimate performance. The record was on CD for a minute in the mid-80s but was out of print for decades. I saw an auction for a sealed CD [in the now defunct longbox that CDs used to be packaged in] on eBay in 2000 and figured I would get it cheap. Well, I apparently was not the only one who wanted this out of print disc. I won the auction...paying $62 for it. Worth every penny. [The CD is now back in print, so you can get it much cheaper!] Highlights: 'I Wish You Love' and 'Funny [Not Much]'
7) Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces. Front to back, this album still sounds great. 'Radio, Radio', 'Oliver's Army', '(What's So Funny Bout) Peace Love and Understanding'...and those are just the songs you hear on the radio. Other songs like 'Two Little Hitlers', 'Chemistry Class' and 'Goon Squad' show Costello proving the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Pick whatever label you like: Post punk, new wave...whatever, the songs are classic.
8) Green Day - American Idiot. I admit. I wrote Green Day off as relavent after that 'Time Of Your Life' song was featured in episodes of ER AND Seinfeld on the same night in 1999. In fact, my brother had to convince me to listen to American Idiot, and he played it while we were on a road trip. I was floored. I bought a copy for myself and I listened to it non stop for weeks. Huge in concept and scope but not without humor, this is one of my top five discs from the past decade.
9) Pink Floyd - The Wall. While we're on the subject of concept albums, this remains, truthfully, the only Pink Floyd album I like and can listen to. Not as trippy as the Syd Barrett stuff, nor as jammy and drawn out as parts of Dark Side and Wish You Were Here, this album is almost required listening in high school. And that's where it found me, my sophomore year, when I could identify with the isolation of the main character, even though I only wanted to identify with the Sex and Rock And Rol aspects of the album. I'd have to wait a while for that, but I go back to this album and, when I do, I'm fifteen and searching again.
10) Taylor Swift - Fearless. I've been listening to this one for over a year, almost on a daily basis. The pleading lyric of 'You Belong With Me' hit me when I first heard it. In fact, it hit so close to home that I felt compelled to find out what other songs Swift had written. Then, before I knew it, I was [and remain] an unabashed fan of her and her confessional-toned songs. I'm in my mid-30s, but when it comes to love, I sometimes still feel like a clumsy, gawky teenager. This CD is perfect for that mindset. Can't wait to see what she does as she grows up, and I hope I'll never become so jaded or cynical enough to not love this record and how it got me through a very dark time.
11) Barenaked Ladies - Maybe You Should Drive. This came out in the US on September 9, 1994. I remember because I was very ill in a hospital bed when I asked my dad to go to Plan 9 to buy it. Long story short, I was NPO in the hospital, which means I could not have anything by mouth. No food, water or even mouthwash. Music became my food and this CD was the one I played non-stop. 'Jane' is BNL's best moment on record and my fave song by them. Hard to believe it's been 16 years, but it still stands up very well today.
12) Wham! - Make It Big. I had this on cassette in 1984. When the cassette got destroyed by a tape deck in 1986 I was crushed. This was one of the first CDs I bought in 1987 and it's been with me ever since. Careless Whisper is the masterpiece here, but songs like 'Everything She Wants' and 'Like A Baby' give you a preview of what George Michael's solo career was going to be like...minus the car wrecks and men's rooms busts. What exactly did Andrew Ridgely do in this band anyway?
13) Prince and The Revolution - Purple Rain. No filler on this one at all. I don't care if it's 1984, 2010 or 2525, the solo at the end of Let's Go Crazy will always rock! Very radio friendly songs [title track and When Doves Cry] along side a ditty that led to the formation of the PMRC [Darling Nikki]. Prince was strange even at the height of his success, but this album's greatness can't be denied.
14) The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts. Released in 2002, this record became a mainstay in my CD player as I managed an indie rock band. Literate, intelligent lyrics with catchy pop melodies made this an instant favorite. It was their major label debut and the band has come a long way since then, but this is the disc I revisit the most. Highlights: Here I Dreamt I Was An Architecht', 'Grace Cathedral Hill' and 'July! July!' Looking back, I think I've seen this band live more than any other...at least 20 times.
15) Monty Python's Instant Record Collection. I found this 'Best Of' cassette at Peaches for $4.00 in 1987 soon after I moved to Richmond. Only knowing John Cleese from 'Fawlty Towers' I bought it because I saw his name. One listen through and I ran out to rent 'Monty Python and The Holy Grail' on VHS. This cassette led me to Monty Python and all of it's wonderful absurdity. Through this four dollar tape, I discovered the movies and television show and, my life was never the same.
There's my 15 albums. Tomorrow this list might be different.
Thanks for reading
Barry
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
A KISS [or two] Goodbye
First some background info: Last week [July 21 and 27] KISS brought their 'Hottest Show On Earth' tour to Virginia for shows in Bristow [just outside of DC] and Virginia Beach. I was very lucky and surprised to attend both shows when, for a while, it looked like I was not going to be able to attend either. It wasn't long ago I gave up on KISS as a touring entity, due to a series of events. If you'd like to read about that first click here. It's not required reading by any means, it just fleshes out my love/hate/mostly love relationship with this band.
Dates were announced in June and immediately, my friend Eddie [whom, if you've read this blog, you know has attended many shows with me in recent years] and I were making plans to attend at least one of the shows and, we had a second idea: Let's bring along Eddie's seven year old son Dylan! Dylan really likes KISS, at least he said he did. And he said on numerous occasions when he saw me wearing a KISShirt how cool he thought it would be to see a KISShow. Well, original plans to attend with Eddie and Dylan fell through, so, I found myself wanting to see at least one show with no ride to get to a venue.
That's when I did something I really didn't want to do. I posted on Facebook that I was looking for a ride to a KISShow from a Facebook friend [so it would at least be someone I knew] and I was willing to pay for the ticket since said friend would be providing transportation. I posted that during lunch while at work and, by the time my lunch hour was up, I had someone express interest. I must take a moment to thank Julian. Someone I've known for probably more than ten years, though I never knew he was a KISS fan. He wanted to see the band because, he said 'this could be it.' I had the exact same gut feeling, that this tour would be the last to feature both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons in the lineup. I think one of them is going to decide to stop touring after this go round, with no big announcement or any hoopla, just quietly deciding to stop while they can.
Feeling like that, I began to really hope that something would happen that would allow Dylan to attend one of the shows because he's a huge fan of Gene Simmons and, if this was Gene's last tour and Dylan missed it, I think he would hate that. I felt this way but I made no mention of the show to Dylan's mom Tucker and only mentioned the show on one other occasion to Eddie just to let him know that 'great tickets were still available' a week before the show.
Now, here is my cumulative review of both shows.
I attended the July 21 show in DC with Julian. It was his first KISShow. His favorite band is Gwar, so I knew he would at least appreciate what a spectacle he was about to see. I didn't know how much KISS material he knew going in, but I wasn't worried. I've taken friends and relatives to their first KISShow. Some know most of the songs, one friend knew next to nothing from the catalog save 'Beth' and 'Rock And Roll All Nite', and everyone I've attended a KISShow with says almost the exact same thing: 'I've never seen anything like that...that was the best show I've ever seen!'
Julian and I arrived at the venue as the first of three openers was starting. We went to the merch booth and each bought a voucher that would allow us to purchase the audio from the evening's show. KISS has made all audio from every show on this tour available for $25 per show. The recording is soundboard quality. You get the first ten songs after the show ends and then a few days later, go to a website and download the remaining songs from your show and add it to your digital library or burn the songs to disc. Great idea. It beats the bootleggers...and it made me wish this technology was available in the band's 70's heyday, or even the 1996-97 Reunion Tour. Ah, if only...
Our seats were about ten rows back in the section right behind the orchestra seating, so we had fantastic center stage views of the stage. Upon arrival to our section, Julian and I immediately struck up a conversation with Doug, a DC native who has spent the last eight years in Turkestan working for the US Embassy. He was in DC for a week and had two free nights. He knew he was going to see a concert of some sort but couldn't believe it when he read that KISS were in town and tickets were still available.
KISS Fans. They really are like no one else. This is one of those settings where I am completely at ease, I feel I can talk to anyone and know that we have an immediate kinship. Some of us have 34+ years invested in this band, others are attending their first show with their parents. All of us love KISS [in this crowd, there is no 'like'], so we are all brethren, friends and cohorts of a wonderfully shared experience. Yeah, you can find this kind of community in sports, but this is different. Those of us who have seen a show [or twenty] will look at someone there for the first time with a knowing grin and say 'Just wait. You are in for a treat my friend,' and leave it at that, letting them be surprised by the effects, explosions and music that make up a KISShow.
I sat there in my seat, between Julian and Doug, ready to take this in for perhaps the last time.
Two plus hours and twenty two songs later, exhausted and sore, the last chord rang out and the lights went up. The show was over [don't worry I'll get to specifics in a bit]. As I watched the show, I thought to myself, 'Yeah, this is probably it. Enjoy it.' Truth be told, I've said that to myself since the band's 'Farewell Tour' which, ironically was ten years ago. As we left the venue, I said so long to Doug and wished him well as he planned to return to the middle east, and I reveled in hearing Julian exclaim that this was the best show he'd seen since Prince, maybe even better than His Purpleness...something that is a very high compliment indeed. On the ride home, I had it in my head that 'that was my last KISShow', and I was okay with that. It didn't hit me or affect me that much, apart from the normal soreness and post-show blues I get following a KISShow. I was resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to see them the following Friday in Virginia Beach, and I was okay with that. Too many hassles with travel, tickets and trying to convince someone to go, so I was a bit relieved in a way. Plus, Taylor Swift's new video was going to be on television Friday night, so I could watch that and enjoy it as a necessary distraction while two hours away, KISS played.
That's how I thought I was going to spend my Friday. And then something happened.
On the Tuesday before the Virginia Beach show, I posted on Facebook the statement that I was gonna miss a KISShow in Va Beach and, yeah I'm bummed, but I'm over it. Then Dylan's mom Tucker started to ask me questions: Are tickets still available? Could you get off work Friday afternoon? Can we pull this off as a surprise for Eddie and Dylan? And so, in the space of 24 hours, I went from lamenting my circumstances and the fact I don't drive to trying to work out logistics and purchasing tickets for three.
By Thursday, the surprise was out of the bag, but excitement among Dylan and Eddie had reached a fever pitch. I'm still not fully sure what changed Tucker's mind from 'No' to 'Okay' when it came to Dylan attending this show, but I was thrilled that things had worked out, mainly because Dylan would get a chance to see something unlike anything he'll ever see again, and he'll see it at a much younger age than I did. [I was supposed to see KISS in makeup in 1979 at age 5. Mom said no. I didn't see KISS in makeup until 1996. Thankfully the Reunion Tour made up for one of my few regrets in life. I will always be grateful to the band for giving me that moment.]
Friday afternoon, Tucker meets me at work with Dylan and younger brother Bennett in tow. Dylan is all smiles with a star over his eye. We drive to meet Eddie at his office and, after pictures in the parking lot, the three of us, me, Dylan and Eddie, are off for a 'boys night out' filled with rock and roll.
We arrive at the venue, Eddie and Dylan both sporting 'KISS Rock And Roll Over' Vans shoes, which garner compliments immediately from fans as we exit the parking lot and make our way to the main concourse where the merch tables are. Here, we stood in line. For a long time. A very long time. Eddie bought Dylan a tour t-shirt, and I bought the audio as I had done at the previous show. We also bought earplugs for Dylan because we forgot them back at the house and, it was at my insistence and his mother's as well that we made sure Dylan had the earplugs...in his ears...at all times.
It didn't take much convincing. Once we found our seats, Dylan was holding his ears, so the plugs went in and did the trick for the rest of the night so that volume was a non-issue. As the last opener finished up, I think Dylan was a bit overwhelmed and unsure about what was gonna happen next. I put my arm around him and said 'It's okay Dylan. This is all like one big cartoon. It will be loud, but nothing's gonna hurt you or burn you. I was nervous too at my first KISShow, and I still get a little nervous at each KISShow [that's no lie either]. It's okay. You're gonna have fun.'
As Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song' came to an end, I counted off facing Eddie, 'Three...two...one!' and then the lights went out and a droning bass note echoed loudly, so loudly you could feel it in your chest. Dylan stood up on his chair while Eddie put his arm around him. 'Ya ready to rock!' he asked. Dylan nodded, but I don't think he was sure yet.
After the intro I've heard thousands of times on record and in person, 'You wanted the best, you got the best. The Hottest Band In The World...KISS!!!!' the band opened with 'Modern Day Delilah', a decent song from their latest record, 'Sonic Boom.' Admirable, maybe. But, when you have a festival crowd ready to hear classics like 'Duece' or 'Love Gun', the opener was a genuine head-scratcher. Even so, the spectacle that accompanied the song was more than enough to let Dylan know what he was in for. Next was 'Cold Gin', a song written by Ace Frehley, who is no longer with the band. While this song was a staple of their live set for decades, I really wished they would've played something else. Dylan just kinda sat back and took it all in. You have to remember, there is so much to look at on a KISS stage that it really is hard to decide who or what to focus on.
Then, Gene Simmons did his fire trick, holding aloft a torch and spewing fire toward the sky. I didn't even see it live. I was watching Dylan. The smile that came across his face as that happened, along with a look of 'What just happened? What was that? Wow, that was cool!' was priceless. After that moment I think Dylan was sold on the night and was really ready to have a good time. Save for a quick beverage run by his dad during 'Black Diamond', Dylan was really into the whole show. I spent most of the night watching him, and making sure he was okay and could see, and when I knew key moments were coming up, I would motion to Eddie and say 'Ya might wanna stand up for this...'
Now the setlist, and then some notes:
1.Modern Day Delilah
2.Cold Gin
3.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
4.Firehouse
5.Say Yeah
6.Deuce
7.Crazy Crazy Nights
8.Calling Dr. Love
9.Shock Me [sung by Tommy Thayer] / Guitar and Drum solo
10.I'm An Animal
11.100,000 Years
12.I Love It Loud
13.Love Gun
14.Black Diamond [with a verse and chorus of 'Whole Lotta Love' sung by Paul solo]
15.Detroit Rock City
Encore:
16.Beth [sung by Eric Singer, done in the Unplugged arrangement]
17.Lick It Up [with a bit of 'Won't Get Fooled Again' during the solo]
18.Shout It Out Loud
19.I Was Made For Lovin' You
20.God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II
21.Rock And Roll All Nite
The band did three songs from Sonic Boom. The biggest surprise was 'I'm An Animal' and, I admit after being ambivalent to the song on record, live it really crackled with an electricity that surprised me. It reminded me of 'War Machine' [from 1982]. Biggest surprise of the set was 'Crazy Crazy Nights', mainly because Paul Stanley has no business singing anything from this record. The record, recorded in 1987 is probably Paul's best vocal moment in KISStory, but that was 23 years ago. Paul just can't hit the notes anymore. Eric sang most of the song and he did a great job. It was just tough for me to watch Paul visibly struggling to hit notes he shouldn't even try.
Eric sang Beth. I have no problem with that, really. In fact, that feat makes the trifecta complete: Every drummer for KISS [Peter Criss, Eric Carr, and Eric Singer] has sung Beth. The problem I had with the set was Tommy Thayer singing Ace's signature tune, 'Shock Me.' He did a fine job, and part of me knows that fans expect to hear certain songs at a KISShow. I just wish this wasn't one of them.
Dylan's favorite songs are 'I Was Made For Lovin' You' and 'Rock And Roll All Nite' so I was happy to already know that both songs were in the set. In fact, during 'I Was Made For Lovin' You', Paul flew out into the crowd on his zip line and sang the song from a rotating mini-stage just a few rows away from us. Again, the look on Dylan's face was worth everything.
But the best moment of the night was during 'Shout It Out Loud', when it all just kinda hit me at once that, yes this is probably my last KISShow. Enjoy it. Take it in. Cut it loose because there won't be one tomorrow. So, during Shout It Out Loud, I went into my own world for a moment, remembering my first KISShow, the moments at KISShows that quite literally changed my life forever, the smiles, the goosebumps...and I raised my fist and screamed along with about eight thousand other 'friends'. As the chorus was repeating and the song was coming to it's loud, bombastic conclusion, I looked back at Eddie and Dylan. Dylan had a huge grin on his face...and his tongue was sticking out, arms extended 'flashing the horns' [Ronnie James Dio would've been proud!] When I looked over and saw that, no lie, I got choked up.
THAT'S what a KISShow is all about. If you've been, you know. If you haven't...well then, you probably won't understand.
Part of me hopes I am wrong and Gene and Paul and Company tour for a long time, but the realist in me is ready to say goodbye and feel good about it. To ALL of those who have attended KISShows with me, from 1988-2010, thank you for being part of some magic in my life. To Julian, thanks again for helping me see that show in DC and I am thrilled you had a great time. To Tucker and Eddie, thank you for...everything. And lastly, to Mister Dylan: You made the night unforgettable for me. I thank you for that. I hope you remember at least part of this show for a long time. And the true test of how great a KISShow is will come when you see your 'next' band...and then realize that not everyone blows stuff up!
'That was AWESOME!!' - Dylan Pickering, as he walked to the parking lot at the end of the night.
Yes it was Dylan, yes it was.
Thanks for reading,
Barry
09.01.10
Dates were announced in June and immediately, my friend Eddie [whom, if you've read this blog, you know has attended many shows with me in recent years] and I were making plans to attend at least one of the shows and, we had a second idea: Let's bring along Eddie's seven year old son Dylan! Dylan really likes KISS, at least he said he did. And he said on numerous occasions when he saw me wearing a KISShirt how cool he thought it would be to see a KISShow. Well, original plans to attend with Eddie and Dylan fell through, so, I found myself wanting to see at least one show with no ride to get to a venue.
That's when I did something I really didn't want to do. I posted on Facebook that I was looking for a ride to a KISShow from a Facebook friend [so it would at least be someone I knew] and I was willing to pay for the ticket since said friend would be providing transportation. I posted that during lunch while at work and, by the time my lunch hour was up, I had someone express interest. I must take a moment to thank Julian. Someone I've known for probably more than ten years, though I never knew he was a KISS fan. He wanted to see the band because, he said 'this could be it.' I had the exact same gut feeling, that this tour would be the last to feature both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons in the lineup. I think one of them is going to decide to stop touring after this go round, with no big announcement or any hoopla, just quietly deciding to stop while they can.
Feeling like that, I began to really hope that something would happen that would allow Dylan to attend one of the shows because he's a huge fan of Gene Simmons and, if this was Gene's last tour and Dylan missed it, I think he would hate that. I felt this way but I made no mention of the show to Dylan's mom Tucker and only mentioned the show on one other occasion to Eddie just to let him know that 'great tickets were still available' a week before the show.
Now, here is my cumulative review of both shows.
I attended the July 21 show in DC with Julian. It was his first KISShow. His favorite band is Gwar, so I knew he would at least appreciate what a spectacle he was about to see. I didn't know how much KISS material he knew going in, but I wasn't worried. I've taken friends and relatives to their first KISShow. Some know most of the songs, one friend knew next to nothing from the catalog save 'Beth' and 'Rock And Roll All Nite', and everyone I've attended a KISShow with says almost the exact same thing: 'I've never seen anything like that...that was the best show I've ever seen!'
Julian and I arrived at the venue as the first of three openers was starting. We went to the merch booth and each bought a voucher that would allow us to purchase the audio from the evening's show. KISS has made all audio from every show on this tour available for $25 per show. The recording is soundboard quality. You get the first ten songs after the show ends and then a few days later, go to a website and download the remaining songs from your show and add it to your digital library or burn the songs to disc. Great idea. It beats the bootleggers...and it made me wish this technology was available in the band's 70's heyday, or even the 1996-97 Reunion Tour. Ah, if only...
Our seats were about ten rows back in the section right behind the orchestra seating, so we had fantastic center stage views of the stage. Upon arrival to our section, Julian and I immediately struck up a conversation with Doug, a DC native who has spent the last eight years in Turkestan working for the US Embassy. He was in DC for a week and had two free nights. He knew he was going to see a concert of some sort but couldn't believe it when he read that KISS were in town and tickets were still available.
KISS Fans. They really are like no one else. This is one of those settings where I am completely at ease, I feel I can talk to anyone and know that we have an immediate kinship. Some of us have 34+ years invested in this band, others are attending their first show with their parents. All of us love KISS [in this crowd, there is no 'like'], so we are all brethren, friends and cohorts of a wonderfully shared experience. Yeah, you can find this kind of community in sports, but this is different. Those of us who have seen a show [or twenty] will look at someone there for the first time with a knowing grin and say 'Just wait. You are in for a treat my friend,' and leave it at that, letting them be surprised by the effects, explosions and music that make up a KISShow.
I sat there in my seat, between Julian and Doug, ready to take this in for perhaps the last time.
Two plus hours and twenty two songs later, exhausted and sore, the last chord rang out and the lights went up. The show was over [don't worry I'll get to specifics in a bit]. As I watched the show, I thought to myself, 'Yeah, this is probably it. Enjoy it.' Truth be told, I've said that to myself since the band's 'Farewell Tour' which, ironically was ten years ago. As we left the venue, I said so long to Doug and wished him well as he planned to return to the middle east, and I reveled in hearing Julian exclaim that this was the best show he'd seen since Prince, maybe even better than His Purpleness...something that is a very high compliment indeed. On the ride home, I had it in my head that 'that was my last KISShow', and I was okay with that. It didn't hit me or affect me that much, apart from the normal soreness and post-show blues I get following a KISShow. I was resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to see them the following Friday in Virginia Beach, and I was okay with that. Too many hassles with travel, tickets and trying to convince someone to go, so I was a bit relieved in a way. Plus, Taylor Swift's new video was going to be on television Friday night, so I could watch that and enjoy it as a necessary distraction while two hours away, KISS played.
That's how I thought I was going to spend my Friday. And then something happened.
On the Tuesday before the Virginia Beach show, I posted on Facebook the statement that I was gonna miss a KISShow in Va Beach and, yeah I'm bummed, but I'm over it. Then Dylan's mom Tucker started to ask me questions: Are tickets still available? Could you get off work Friday afternoon? Can we pull this off as a surprise for Eddie and Dylan? And so, in the space of 24 hours, I went from lamenting my circumstances and the fact I don't drive to trying to work out logistics and purchasing tickets for three.
By Thursday, the surprise was out of the bag, but excitement among Dylan and Eddie had reached a fever pitch. I'm still not fully sure what changed Tucker's mind from 'No' to 'Okay' when it came to Dylan attending this show, but I was thrilled that things had worked out, mainly because Dylan would get a chance to see something unlike anything he'll ever see again, and he'll see it at a much younger age than I did. [I was supposed to see KISS in makeup in 1979 at age 5. Mom said no. I didn't see KISS in makeup until 1996. Thankfully the Reunion Tour made up for one of my few regrets in life. I will always be grateful to the band for giving me that moment.]
Friday afternoon, Tucker meets me at work with Dylan and younger brother Bennett in tow. Dylan is all smiles with a star over his eye. We drive to meet Eddie at his office and, after pictures in the parking lot, the three of us, me, Dylan and Eddie, are off for a 'boys night out' filled with rock and roll.
We arrive at the venue, Eddie and Dylan both sporting 'KISS Rock And Roll Over' Vans shoes, which garner compliments immediately from fans as we exit the parking lot and make our way to the main concourse where the merch tables are. Here, we stood in line. For a long time. A very long time. Eddie bought Dylan a tour t-shirt, and I bought the audio as I had done at the previous show. We also bought earplugs for Dylan because we forgot them back at the house and, it was at my insistence and his mother's as well that we made sure Dylan had the earplugs...in his ears...at all times.
It didn't take much convincing. Once we found our seats, Dylan was holding his ears, so the plugs went in and did the trick for the rest of the night so that volume was a non-issue. As the last opener finished up, I think Dylan was a bit overwhelmed and unsure about what was gonna happen next. I put my arm around him and said 'It's okay Dylan. This is all like one big cartoon. It will be loud, but nothing's gonna hurt you or burn you. I was nervous too at my first KISShow, and I still get a little nervous at each KISShow [that's no lie either]. It's okay. You're gonna have fun.'
As Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song' came to an end, I counted off facing Eddie, 'Three...two...one!' and then the lights went out and a droning bass note echoed loudly, so loudly you could feel it in your chest. Dylan stood up on his chair while Eddie put his arm around him. 'Ya ready to rock!' he asked. Dylan nodded, but I don't think he was sure yet.
After the intro I've heard thousands of times on record and in person, 'You wanted the best, you got the best. The Hottest Band In The World...KISS!!!!' the band opened with 'Modern Day Delilah', a decent song from their latest record, 'Sonic Boom.' Admirable, maybe. But, when you have a festival crowd ready to hear classics like 'Duece' or 'Love Gun', the opener was a genuine head-scratcher. Even so, the spectacle that accompanied the song was more than enough to let Dylan know what he was in for. Next was 'Cold Gin', a song written by Ace Frehley, who is no longer with the band. While this song was a staple of their live set for decades, I really wished they would've played something else. Dylan just kinda sat back and took it all in. You have to remember, there is so much to look at on a KISS stage that it really is hard to decide who or what to focus on.
Then, Gene Simmons did his fire trick, holding aloft a torch and spewing fire toward the sky. I didn't even see it live. I was watching Dylan. The smile that came across his face as that happened, along with a look of 'What just happened? What was that? Wow, that was cool!' was priceless. After that moment I think Dylan was sold on the night and was really ready to have a good time. Save for a quick beverage run by his dad during 'Black Diamond', Dylan was really into the whole show. I spent most of the night watching him, and making sure he was okay and could see, and when I knew key moments were coming up, I would motion to Eddie and say 'Ya might wanna stand up for this...'
Now the setlist, and then some notes:
1.Modern Day Delilah
2.Cold Gin
3.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
4.Firehouse
5.Say Yeah
6.Deuce
7.Crazy Crazy Nights
8.Calling Dr. Love
9.Shock Me [sung by Tommy Thayer] / Guitar and Drum solo
10.I'm An Animal
11.100,000 Years
12.I Love It Loud
13.Love Gun
14.Black Diamond [with a verse and chorus of 'Whole Lotta Love' sung by Paul solo]
15.Detroit Rock City
Encore:
16.Beth [sung by Eric Singer, done in the Unplugged arrangement]
17.Lick It Up [with a bit of 'Won't Get Fooled Again' during the solo]
18.Shout It Out Loud
19.I Was Made For Lovin' You
20.God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II
21.Rock And Roll All Nite
The band did three songs from Sonic Boom. The biggest surprise was 'I'm An Animal' and, I admit after being ambivalent to the song on record, live it really crackled with an electricity that surprised me. It reminded me of 'War Machine' [from 1982]. Biggest surprise of the set was 'Crazy Crazy Nights', mainly because Paul Stanley has no business singing anything from this record. The record, recorded in 1987 is probably Paul's best vocal moment in KISStory, but that was 23 years ago. Paul just can't hit the notes anymore. Eric sang most of the song and he did a great job. It was just tough for me to watch Paul visibly struggling to hit notes he shouldn't even try.
Eric sang Beth. I have no problem with that, really. In fact, that feat makes the trifecta complete: Every drummer for KISS [Peter Criss, Eric Carr, and Eric Singer] has sung Beth. The problem I had with the set was Tommy Thayer singing Ace's signature tune, 'Shock Me.' He did a fine job, and part of me knows that fans expect to hear certain songs at a KISShow. I just wish this wasn't one of them.
Dylan's favorite songs are 'I Was Made For Lovin' You' and 'Rock And Roll All Nite' so I was happy to already know that both songs were in the set. In fact, during 'I Was Made For Lovin' You', Paul flew out into the crowd on his zip line and sang the song from a rotating mini-stage just a few rows away from us. Again, the look on Dylan's face was worth everything.
But the best moment of the night was during 'Shout It Out Loud', when it all just kinda hit me at once that, yes this is probably my last KISShow. Enjoy it. Take it in. Cut it loose because there won't be one tomorrow. So, during Shout It Out Loud, I went into my own world for a moment, remembering my first KISShow, the moments at KISShows that quite literally changed my life forever, the smiles, the goosebumps...and I raised my fist and screamed along with about eight thousand other 'friends'. As the chorus was repeating and the song was coming to it's loud, bombastic conclusion, I looked back at Eddie and Dylan. Dylan had a huge grin on his face...and his tongue was sticking out, arms extended 'flashing the horns' [Ronnie James Dio would've been proud!] When I looked over and saw that, no lie, I got choked up.
THAT'S what a KISShow is all about. If you've been, you know. If you haven't...well then, you probably won't understand.
Part of me hopes I am wrong and Gene and Paul and Company tour for a long time, but the realist in me is ready to say goodbye and feel good about it. To ALL of those who have attended KISShows with me, from 1988-2010, thank you for being part of some magic in my life. To Julian, thanks again for helping me see that show in DC and I am thrilled you had a great time. To Tucker and Eddie, thank you for...everything. And lastly, to Mister Dylan: You made the night unforgettable for me. I thank you for that. I hope you remember at least part of this show for a long time. And the true test of how great a KISShow is will come when you see your 'next' band...and then realize that not everyone blows stuff up!
'That was AWESOME!!' - Dylan Pickering, as he walked to the parking lot at the end of the night.
Yes it was Dylan, yes it was.
Thanks for reading,
Barry
09.01.10
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Me and TiVo: The end of a wonderful, tumultuous relationship
I usually hate impulse buying, and I am usually strong-willed enough to resist that last second impulse purchase in the checkout line; the candy bar, the pack of breath mints...okay there was that one time I bought a magazine simply because of the girl on the cover, but, more often than not, I am able to say 'No' and get on with my day.
The one exception to this rule is/was how I came to discover TiVo.
It was a non-descript Saturday afternoon in October 2003. I had to run to Best Buy solely for the purpose of purchasing an extension cord and a power strip, so as to make my computer layout in my bedroom more efficient, with less cables strewn across my bedroom floor. I went there and figured I would be in the store for ten minutes tops. I'm usually a tactical shopper. Get in, get what you need, get out as quickly as possible. This trip was different.
Walking past the TV department en route to cables and power strips, I saw a big screen display touting TiVo. Now, if I'm being honest the reason I stopped by the display and didn't keep going was because the TV show they used to demonstrate TiVo's ability to pause and rewind live TV was an episode of 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer', and the screen was temporarily paused on a picture of the always beautiful Alyson Hannigan. [So, I guess the reason I bought TiVo was really because of my love of redheads. Never really thought about it like that but it sounds about right.]
So, I watched the fifteen minute taped presentation and learned all about TiVo, Season Passes, Wishlist Searches and not having to sit thru commercials. Sure, the purchase would require an upgrade to digital cable, but I was gonna do that anyway eventually.
That day, I walked out of Best Buy with an extension cord, a power strip, and a big box that had a TiVo Series 2 DVR.
It was a wonderful time. TiVo allowed me to go to functions, concerts [at that time mainly concerts by Pop Culture Casualties, a band I manged for a time], all the while, TiVo would tape that 'special episode of 24' or that important baseball game, and I could watch it after I got home. It truly changed the way I looked at TV. There was no going back to regular TV, no sir!
The Series 2 DVR served me very well. It was very reliable and stable, very rarely having any issues with drives or performance. It's still the best unit TiVo made, and it was ultimately a lesson that TiVo failed to follow. The one drawback to the Series 2 DVR was that it did not allow for HD programming. By 2005, HD was becoming more prevalent, particularly on channels like HBO and STARZ. Soon after the networks followed. I wanted HD, but I wanted my TiVo too. There had to be an answer to satisfy both needs.
Enter the TiVo Series 3 HD DVR, released in September 2006, literally two weeks after I started my current job. I rationalized it as a reward for gainful employment. I knew part of my money was going to pay for student loans, so I figured, 'Why not get a Series 3 DVR and upgrade the cable again to HD? Life is short.' Ah, the only drawback in my mind at the time was that the TiVo Series 3 HD DVR was compatible only with cable, which at that time meant I had to stick with Comcast. I was okay with that. Comcast had the MLB Package like DirecTv, so I went ahead and got the HD package from Comcast and the HD DVR from TiVo.
That first weekend was a revelation. HDTV really shines when you watch sports. I mean, I found myself watching an ABC College Football game between two mid-level schools I didn't care about, all because the HD picture was absolutely stunning! The biggest surprise though was NASCAR. I had never had the patience to truly sit through a race broadcast from start to finish until I saw a race in HD. I truly looked forward to races on TV, all because of this thing called HDTV. Now I'm a race fan who will travel anywhere to see a NASCAR race, so you can't tell me HD hasn't won over fans to the sport because, even though I followed the sport in the 1990's, I was now a true NASCAR convert, and I am better for it.
That autumn and winter, TiVo, HD and I all got along fantastically. I was a fan of the technology and raved about it to any and all who would listen. 'Yes, Cable and DirecTV have a DVR, but there is only one TiVo, trust me!' I was a walking testimonial.
Why couldn't the good times last?
The summer brought on a problem. The TiVo began to freeze and pause in the middle of recordings and playback of recorded shows. TiVo support at first said it was a cable problem, Comcast said it was a TiVo issue. Finally, after going round and round with TiVo support, I was on the phone with them one day when the unit just...stopped...cold. Normally when TiVo turns on, you see a screen with a colored background screen and a menu of options. One day, while talking to TiVo Support, the screen options disappeared and only the background remained, and the remote commands weren't moving anything. After several reboots, the same thing happened each time. Finally, TiVo admitted that the issue was with the unit. There was really no way to 'fix' the unit, but I could send it in and get a 'refurbished unit' as a replacement. I only had to pay for the shipping.
So, in the Summer of 2007, there were ten days where I didn't have TiVo. I then realized that I was an addict with a problem. Admission is the first step, right?
Ten days later, a box arrived at my door. It was a 'newly refurbished' [which is a fancy way to say 'used'] TiVo Series 3 unit. I hooked it up, and all seemed well.
Fast forward to early January 2009. Looking at my schedule, I realized I was gonna have to work on the day of the Inauguration, so I knew I wanted to TiVo the proceedings. [I mean, regardless of your political leanings, it was an historic event]. Afraid that recording no less than seven hours of the festivities in HD would cause my unit to either crash halfway through the day, or erase shows I had not yet had time to watch, I bought a TiVo sanctioned Expandable Hard Drive to add recording space to my DVR. Now, even if I only recorded in HD, it would be nearly impossible to run out of space, if I managed things right.
TiVo recorded everything wonderfully, and I was able to get home late on Inauguration night, order a pizza, and watch it at my own pace. As an aside, I want to say thanks to my co-worker Mark C. who had a black and white TV he let me borrow during the actual swearing in portion, so I got to see that live. I work in a call center, and even the person who was on my phone went silent for a moment and we 'watched' the moment together, took a breath, then went on with our day. It's still one of my favorite work memories and proof that current events can draw us together, no matter where we are or what we might be doing.
Ok, so TiVo with the new Expander Drive seemed to be moving along well, handling the workload with no freakouts or reboots. I did have to turn off the 'suggestion' feature that allows TiVo to record programs it thinks you might like, because when the drive would get crowded, it would start to have issues. It was a feature I enjoyed, but a small price to pay for a working, happy TiVo.
I guess things started going downhill a month ago. I would TiVo SportsCenter from 6 to 7 every morning and watch a portion of it when I woke up and got ready for work. I started to get programs that were only partially recorded or skipped entirely due to a reboot of the system following a screen freeze. When that started, I knew it was the beginning of the end.
I have Comcast for my TV and my Internet. I haven't had a land line for years so no need for the 'triple play' they offer that includes phone service. Like I said before, this TiVo unit was only compatible with cable when it came out [it is now also compatible with FIOS]. My bill for Comcast has continued to go up and up and up, and once I saw the writing on the wall that this once valued TiVo unit was going to die, I knew I wasn't going to get talked into getting another refurbished unit. That's not a solution to the underlying issue that the drive[s] in the TiVo unit have a very short life expectancy. So, suddenly, I found myself seriously considering DirecTV.
I talked to friends about FIOS, DirecTV and DISH Network. In my mind, DISH Network was ruled out from the start because the only time they make news is when they are negotiating a new contract with local networks and viewers are left powerless if NBC or FOX are pulled from the air before the suits can come to an agreement. The same thing may very well happen with DirecTV, but if it does, it remains quiet.
FIOS had my interest, and I think it's a good product. It just didn't excite me, and I was a bit wary of Verizon, having dealt with their phone department back when I was office manager at a recording studio. Suffice to say, the experience I had trying to change a landline's monthly bill rate did not bode well. I would hate to experience the same trouble when trying to fix a TV issue.
The number one issue I have heard and experienced with DirecTV is loss of picture, seemingly for no reason whatsoever. 'Oh, a bird just flew by the house and now the picture's out' was the kind of running joke I heard and made when talking about satellite television, and DirecTV specifically.
Tonight [07.09.10] was the last straw. While watching the fourth inning of the Braves/Mets game, the TiVo suddenly rebooted. No screen freeze or screen pixelation, it just crashed. I let out an expletive and waited for it to reboot. Ten minutes later [which is the normal amount of time] TiVo appeared to be back online. I had the menu of options and chose 'Live TV' so I could get back to the ball game. I pressed 'Live TV' on the remote...nothing happened. Well, the remote signaled that it got the command to move to live TV, but nothing happened. Then, TiVo crashed again.
This happened four times in a row. Somewhere between reboots three and four, I went outside to the car to retrieve my XM radio so I could at least listen to the end of the ballgame. [Tuned in just in time to hear Cabrera and Infante hit back to back home runs as the Braves won 4-2.] Once the game ended, I called TiVo support and told the agent that I wanted to run a diagnostic test to see if my TiVo box was bad or if it was simply the Expandable Hard Drive. I knew how to do most of it, but the online instructions left out one crucial step, hence the call to Tech Support. Robbie at TiVo support was a great help and he did indeed get me to the 'mainframe screen' that is hidden behind TiVo's interface. It looks like your classic DOS prompt screen and it scans drives for errors. Once I got to the screen, Robbie hung up and I saw a clock in the bottom corner of the screen that read: Estimated Time of Scan: 150:00 Minutes
I was gonna be here a while.
After both the TiVo box and the External Drive passed the first three of five tests, I was wondering if I was gonna learn anything about what's causing all of these reboots. If it was simply an External Drive issue, I could buy a new one at Best Buy Saturday morning and, problem solved, right?
Well, on test three, halfway thru the entire 150 minute scan, I suddenly saw, in bright pink font, the word FAIL under the TiVo Box column. So, something was wrong with the actual box, and the solution is to 'call support to get a new box sent to you.' Nuh-uh. I'm not playing that game again.
It's quite possible my TiVo will never successfully function again. If that's the case, I'm saddened, but ready to move on to a new television service provider. I've decided to go with the Miami Heat, uh, I mean DirecTV to start, after I have a long detailed conversation with someone at DirecTV customer support to get some specific answers to questions I have, mainly about the DVR DirecTV uses. I certainly hope the same 'dead DVR' fate doesn't await me with whomever I choose.
The one bummer in this is the fact that the shows I now have on my TiVo are lost for good if it doesn't reboot. The one TV moment I will miss the most is of Steven Colbert singing Elvis Costello's 'Cheap Reward' with Elvis on guitar. That aired the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I've watched it at least once a week since then. I'll have to find that online somewhere and download it to my iPod. Most of the shows I haven't seen yet I can see on Hulu, and I think I actually own all of the Taylor Swift TV stuff I recorded. I hate watching TV shows on a PC screen, mainly because I stare at one all day at work, but for the short term, I can do it.
So long TiVo. It was a fun ride for the most part.
As always, thanks for reading,
Barry
The one exception to this rule is/was how I came to discover TiVo.
It was a non-descript Saturday afternoon in October 2003. I had to run to Best Buy solely for the purpose of purchasing an extension cord and a power strip, so as to make my computer layout in my bedroom more efficient, with less cables strewn across my bedroom floor. I went there and figured I would be in the store for ten minutes tops. I'm usually a tactical shopper. Get in, get what you need, get out as quickly as possible. This trip was different.
Walking past the TV department en route to cables and power strips, I saw a big screen display touting TiVo. Now, if I'm being honest the reason I stopped by the display and didn't keep going was because the TV show they used to demonstrate TiVo's ability to pause and rewind live TV was an episode of 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer', and the screen was temporarily paused on a picture of the always beautiful Alyson Hannigan. [So, I guess the reason I bought TiVo was really because of my love of redheads. Never really thought about it like that but it sounds about right.]
So, I watched the fifteen minute taped presentation and learned all about TiVo, Season Passes, Wishlist Searches and not having to sit thru commercials. Sure, the purchase would require an upgrade to digital cable, but I was gonna do that anyway eventually.
That day, I walked out of Best Buy with an extension cord, a power strip, and a big box that had a TiVo Series 2 DVR.
It was a wonderful time. TiVo allowed me to go to functions, concerts [at that time mainly concerts by Pop Culture Casualties, a band I manged for a time], all the while, TiVo would tape that 'special episode of 24' or that important baseball game, and I could watch it after I got home. It truly changed the way I looked at TV. There was no going back to regular TV, no sir!
The Series 2 DVR served me very well. It was very reliable and stable, very rarely having any issues with drives or performance. It's still the best unit TiVo made, and it was ultimately a lesson that TiVo failed to follow. The one drawback to the Series 2 DVR was that it did not allow for HD programming. By 2005, HD was becoming more prevalent, particularly on channels like HBO and STARZ. Soon after the networks followed. I wanted HD, but I wanted my TiVo too. There had to be an answer to satisfy both needs.
Enter the TiVo Series 3 HD DVR, released in September 2006, literally two weeks after I started my current job. I rationalized it as a reward for gainful employment. I knew part of my money was going to pay for student loans, so I figured, 'Why not get a Series 3 DVR and upgrade the cable again to HD? Life is short.' Ah, the only drawback in my mind at the time was that the TiVo Series 3 HD DVR was compatible only with cable, which at that time meant I had to stick with Comcast. I was okay with that. Comcast had the MLB Package like DirecTv, so I went ahead and got the HD package from Comcast and the HD DVR from TiVo.
That first weekend was a revelation. HDTV really shines when you watch sports. I mean, I found myself watching an ABC College Football game between two mid-level schools I didn't care about, all because the HD picture was absolutely stunning! The biggest surprise though was NASCAR. I had never had the patience to truly sit through a race broadcast from start to finish until I saw a race in HD. I truly looked forward to races on TV, all because of this thing called HDTV. Now I'm a race fan who will travel anywhere to see a NASCAR race, so you can't tell me HD hasn't won over fans to the sport because, even though I followed the sport in the 1990's, I was now a true NASCAR convert, and I am better for it.
That autumn and winter, TiVo, HD and I all got along fantastically. I was a fan of the technology and raved about it to any and all who would listen. 'Yes, Cable and DirecTV have a DVR, but there is only one TiVo, trust me!' I was a walking testimonial.
Why couldn't the good times last?
The summer brought on a problem. The TiVo began to freeze and pause in the middle of recordings and playback of recorded shows. TiVo support at first said it was a cable problem, Comcast said it was a TiVo issue. Finally, after going round and round with TiVo support, I was on the phone with them one day when the unit just...stopped...cold. Normally when TiVo turns on, you see a screen with a colored background screen and a menu of options. One day, while talking to TiVo Support, the screen options disappeared and only the background remained, and the remote commands weren't moving anything. After several reboots, the same thing happened each time. Finally, TiVo admitted that the issue was with the unit. There was really no way to 'fix' the unit, but I could send it in and get a 'refurbished unit' as a replacement. I only had to pay for the shipping.
So, in the Summer of 2007, there were ten days where I didn't have TiVo. I then realized that I was an addict with a problem. Admission is the first step, right?
Ten days later, a box arrived at my door. It was a 'newly refurbished' [which is a fancy way to say 'used'] TiVo Series 3 unit. I hooked it up, and all seemed well.
Fast forward to early January 2009. Looking at my schedule, I realized I was gonna have to work on the day of the Inauguration, so I knew I wanted to TiVo the proceedings. [I mean, regardless of your political leanings, it was an historic event]. Afraid that recording no less than seven hours of the festivities in HD would cause my unit to either crash halfway through the day, or erase shows I had not yet had time to watch, I bought a TiVo sanctioned Expandable Hard Drive to add recording space to my DVR. Now, even if I only recorded in HD, it would be nearly impossible to run out of space, if I managed things right.
TiVo recorded everything wonderfully, and I was able to get home late on Inauguration night, order a pizza, and watch it at my own pace. As an aside, I want to say thanks to my co-worker Mark C. who had a black and white TV he let me borrow during the actual swearing in portion, so I got to see that live. I work in a call center, and even the person who was on my phone went silent for a moment and we 'watched' the moment together, took a breath, then went on with our day. It's still one of my favorite work memories and proof that current events can draw us together, no matter where we are or what we might be doing.
Ok, so TiVo with the new Expander Drive seemed to be moving along well, handling the workload with no freakouts or reboots. I did have to turn off the 'suggestion' feature that allows TiVo to record programs it thinks you might like, because when the drive would get crowded, it would start to have issues. It was a feature I enjoyed, but a small price to pay for a working, happy TiVo.
I guess things started going downhill a month ago. I would TiVo SportsCenter from 6 to 7 every morning and watch a portion of it when I woke up and got ready for work. I started to get programs that were only partially recorded or skipped entirely due to a reboot of the system following a screen freeze. When that started, I knew it was the beginning of the end.
I have Comcast for my TV and my Internet. I haven't had a land line for years so no need for the 'triple play' they offer that includes phone service. Like I said before, this TiVo unit was only compatible with cable when it came out [it is now also compatible with FIOS]. My bill for Comcast has continued to go up and up and up, and once I saw the writing on the wall that this once valued TiVo unit was going to die, I knew I wasn't going to get talked into getting another refurbished unit. That's not a solution to the underlying issue that the drive[s] in the TiVo unit have a very short life expectancy. So, suddenly, I found myself seriously considering DirecTV.
I talked to friends about FIOS, DirecTV and DISH Network. In my mind, DISH Network was ruled out from the start because the only time they make news is when they are negotiating a new contract with local networks and viewers are left powerless if NBC or FOX are pulled from the air before the suits can come to an agreement. The same thing may very well happen with DirecTV, but if it does, it remains quiet.
FIOS had my interest, and I think it's a good product. It just didn't excite me, and I was a bit wary of Verizon, having dealt with their phone department back when I was office manager at a recording studio. Suffice to say, the experience I had trying to change a landline's monthly bill rate did not bode well. I would hate to experience the same trouble when trying to fix a TV issue.
The number one issue I have heard and experienced with DirecTV is loss of picture, seemingly for no reason whatsoever. 'Oh, a bird just flew by the house and now the picture's out' was the kind of running joke I heard and made when talking about satellite television, and DirecTV specifically.
Tonight [07.09.10] was the last straw. While watching the fourth inning of the Braves/Mets game, the TiVo suddenly rebooted. No screen freeze or screen pixelation, it just crashed. I let out an expletive and waited for it to reboot. Ten minutes later [which is the normal amount of time] TiVo appeared to be back online. I had the menu of options and chose 'Live TV' so I could get back to the ball game. I pressed 'Live TV' on the remote...nothing happened. Well, the remote signaled that it got the command to move to live TV, but nothing happened. Then, TiVo crashed again.
This happened four times in a row. Somewhere between reboots three and four, I went outside to the car to retrieve my XM radio so I could at least listen to the end of the ballgame. [Tuned in just in time to hear Cabrera and Infante hit back to back home runs as the Braves won 4-2.] Once the game ended, I called TiVo support and told the agent that I wanted to run a diagnostic test to see if my TiVo box was bad or if it was simply the Expandable Hard Drive. I knew how to do most of it, but the online instructions left out one crucial step, hence the call to Tech Support. Robbie at TiVo support was a great help and he did indeed get me to the 'mainframe screen' that is hidden behind TiVo's interface. It looks like your classic DOS prompt screen and it scans drives for errors. Once I got to the screen, Robbie hung up and I saw a clock in the bottom corner of the screen that read: Estimated Time of Scan: 150:00 Minutes
I was gonna be here a while.
After both the TiVo box and the External Drive passed the first three of five tests, I was wondering if I was gonna learn anything about what's causing all of these reboots. If it was simply an External Drive issue, I could buy a new one at Best Buy Saturday morning and, problem solved, right?
Well, on test three, halfway thru the entire 150 minute scan, I suddenly saw, in bright pink font, the word FAIL under the TiVo Box column. So, something was wrong with the actual box, and the solution is to 'call support to get a new box sent to you.' Nuh-uh. I'm not playing that game again.
It's quite possible my TiVo will never successfully function again. If that's the case, I'm saddened, but ready to move on to a new television service provider. I've decided to go with the Miami Heat, uh, I mean DirecTV to start, after I have a long detailed conversation with someone at DirecTV customer support to get some specific answers to questions I have, mainly about the DVR DirecTV uses. I certainly hope the same 'dead DVR' fate doesn't await me with whomever I choose.
The one bummer in this is the fact that the shows I now have on my TiVo are lost for good if it doesn't reboot. The one TV moment I will miss the most is of Steven Colbert singing Elvis Costello's 'Cheap Reward' with Elvis on guitar. That aired the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I've watched it at least once a week since then. I'll have to find that online somewhere and download it to my iPod. Most of the shows I haven't seen yet I can see on Hulu, and I think I actually own all of the Taylor Swift TV stuff I recorded. I hate watching TV shows on a PC screen, mainly because I stare at one all day at work, but for the short term, I can do it.
So long TiVo. It was a fun ride for the most part.
As always, thanks for reading,
Barry
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