Four-fer Part 2: Forgotten Years

Episode 2 of my four-fer friday.  This thing is evolving so have patience. If you haven't guessed, I'm figuring it out on the fly.

After reading Bono's cool tribute to the 60 artists that 'saved his life," and influenced him in his incredibly successful musical career, I decided to resurrect my Forgotten Years mix.  This list includes songs from artists starting in 1979 up to present and represent 42 of my favorite artists and an associated great song.  Enjoy.

1. Listening to and watching:

Listening:

The new Strokes album, The New Abnormal is their first in 7 years and is produced by Rick Rubin.  It  got lots of play this week on my Bose headphones and this is a review of sorts.  I admit I am not a Strokes purist but I’ve listened to all their early stuff and generally enjoy them and know of their reputation as indie/hipster music legends.  At its best, the new album sounds like some of their classics and that is damn good.  I loved The Adults Are Talking, Bad Decisions, Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus and liked Eternal Summer.  They even have a song titled Ode to The Mets and I have not really taken the time to figure out those lyrics and title just yet. 

Despite some critical bashing, the remainder is not bad at all either, maybe a bit overproduced with many of the rough edges ground down and the volume and guitars a bit too understated for my taste but still they are quality songs.  Julian Casablancas, one of the great names in rock n roll, is pretty damn talented too.  Some songs sound influenced by the Cars/Ric Ocasek vocals, some by Prince (yes that one) and others hint at Pink Floyd.  Unfortunately, the least powerful songs hint at '10s Killers or maybe a rip-off of a generic LCD Soundsystem tune.  And yeah, I do love the Prince-like caterwauls. Pitchfork gave it a 5.9 and that’s bullshit. I give it a 85.  Solid B bordering on B+.  I think it will make good hangout music with friends on the porch or in the backyard whild enjoying the Charleston spring.

Next week, I’ll review something new in a little more detail, maybe the relatively new Pearl Jam record, maybe the new Car Seat Headrest album or perhaps Angel Olson, Hamilton Leithauser or Chicano Batman.  I love that band name!

Watching: 

• Morning Show on Apple TV - entertaining.  So far so good for first three episodes
• Defending Jacob – My good friend Joe and the writer of the novel, William (Billy) Landay went to high school together at Roxbury Latin and hung out a bit. I enjoyed the book and am enjoying the made for tv movie.  It’s gotten mixed critical reviews so far but so what…I’m entertained

2. Reading:

• Loved the article in the Boston Globe about the Instagram Room Rater and grades for each celebrity's room decor during COVID-times interviews.  Entertaining.
• Finished Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann.  Man, this one is disturbing.  It’s amazing on how many levels that we screwed the Native Americans here on their very own soil.  To the victor goes the spoils but this story and others of our treatment of our Native American brethren don't make me feel so proud.
• The Mechanic - A novella published by the Boston Globe and written by Ben Mezrich best known for the book Bringing Down the House...which was also made into the movie 21.  Gambling and card counting, MIT, Harvard history professors, Paul Revere, Gardner Heist, USS Constitution, South Boston and Dorchester.  I'm in.

3. Consuming or using:

• Beer from Low Tide Brewing - My local on Johns Island just over the James Island Connector bridge is now re-opened for outside service and serving up fresh and tasty brews.  I tried a crowler of the Ocean Course Ale (Pale Ale - American 5.2% ABV), Back to Normal  (Brown Ale - American 5.2% ABV), Down the Hatch Tropical IPA (5.2% ABV) and Aloha Beaches IPA (5.2% ABV).  All tasty and quite drinkable.  I need to have more patience and understand the ins and outs of beer tasting. I pledge to provide more specific and actionable beer reviews.
• Sporting my new Dakine hat from Mike Leahy.  Thanks to my dear and thoughtful fried for providing the cool lid.  Also, still enjoying my Nike sportwear and my Olakai slip-ons.
• My MTB shoe strap broke and now I've bought a new pair of Shimanos. Pretty sweet but I need to size up one for comfort.  

4. Doing:

•  I got tested for COVID-19 because I had a procedure this past week (colonoscopy and endoscopy) to figure out why I am anemic.  I found out.  Yay. Ulcer caused by surgery and maybe diet (?) but I have knowledge and soon I will have a plan.
• Riding my Peloton in preparation for the Pan Mass Challenge (SC-style) and hopefully for Gran Fondo Hincapie.  More to come on those in future posts.  Also counting miles for Bikes and Brews virtual ride contest.  I've gone from 40 to 50 to 60 to 70+ miles in last month. I'm starting to feel like a cyclist again...a bad one, but still a cyclist.
• Gardening - Dipping my toes a bit. How could I not with my beautiful yard as a backdrop and all this "free time" on my hands.

I wrote the following blurb prior to the pandemic but never published it. I wonder if it still holds true.  

"These shall not be forgotten years!"
Although the events and context of Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil's song Forgotten Years are a bit different than our current American perspective, the years 2016 A.D. through 2019 A.D. will definitely ring a distinct and ominous bell for me and for many Americans and these years will certainly not be forgotten.  From both a political and a cultural perspective, we as a nation have fundamentally changed and although it didn't exactly start with Donald J Trump, it surely jump from the back burner to front and center, into our InstaPot and microwaves and onto the front burner right before our very eyes.

With these political and cultural changes comes the reset of the bar of acceptable behavior by politicians and by its citizens.  The bar for political discourse has been lowered to a place on the continuum that I did not think existed.  "Look at me" screams the president and his followers, "I will make things better for you because those idiots that came before me were both stupid AND evil.  I'm your new deal maker and I will fix this broken system on your behalf."  Of course this is simply bluster or a huckster's fervent yet unbelievable pitch to his would-be followers but due to a confluence of incredible set of events, this snake oil salesman is believed...and backed...and defended with vigor, to the detriment of our citizens and the foundation of freedom we previously took for granted.  Our governmental systems are under attack and we need to fight..."Few of the sins of the father, are visited upon the son.  Hearts have been hard, our hands have been clenched in a fist too long,"

And come to think of it, politics and pop culture have melded and become one large and crazy version of reality television where facts no longer exist or more accurately where facts are mere political opinions that "depend what side your on."  Come on folks, despite wearing their wolves closes, the sheep are there for you to see if you just look past the ridiculous coverings being thrown on their backs by nefarious forces.

From my personal perspective, 2019 will reflect a new sense of gratitude for the gifts I have been given.  Yeah, I earned them by being diligent in the two areas of life that require you to succeed: social and professional growth.  ABGAGAL Always Be Grateful and Growing and Learning.  If you think your voyage has ended, it has not, it simply has stopped for a period to allow for provisioning , for maintenance and the start of the next great voyage in life.

Few of the sins of the father, are visited upon the son
Hearts have been hard, our hands have been clenched in a fist too long
Our sons will never be soldiers, our daughters will never need guns
These are the years between
These are the yrs that were hard fought and won
Contracts torn at the edges, old signatures stained with tears
Seasons of war and peace, these should not be forgotten years
Still it aches like tetanus, it reeks of politics
How many dreams remain? This is a feeling too strong to contain

The hardest years, the darkest years, the roarin' years, the fallen years
These should not be forgotten years
The hardest yrs, the wildest years, the desperate and divided years
We will remember, these should not be forgotten years

Our shoreline was never invaded, our country was never in flames
This is the calm we breathe, this is a feeling too strong to contain
Still it aches like tetanus, it reeks of politics
Signatures stained with tears, who can remember
We've got to remember

The hardest years, the darkest years, the roarin' years, the fallen years
These should not be forgotten years
Forsaking aching breaking years, the time and tested heartbreak years
These should not be forgotten years
The blinded yrs, the binded years, the desperate and divided years
These should not be forgotten yrs, remember