Hi everyone,
Finally at nearly 10:30 on Friday night I've got time to get some thoughts down this week. This is in stark contrast to last week's episode which was written over the whole 7 days!
Back to last Sunday...I raced the Long Course Triathlon at Huskisson on the NSW South Coast – it's a great spot. The race went pretty well for me. The 2km swim and the 83km bike ride both went past without incident and in good time. Even the first 10km of the 20km run was good. But at about the 13km mark my ITB started to play up – something that hasn't been an issue for two years really. To cut a long story short, I swore, I stretched, I walked and I jogged all the way to the end. My run time was pretty average but I was still 18 minutes under my target of 6hrs for the whole day. I'm taking an extended break from longer triathlons now – after a half-Ironman, a full Ironman and this I think I've proved to myself that I can do it. I enjoy the longer training sessions though so I'll train long and race short(er).
After last week's episode, MC Doc contacted me to complain that with all that talk of KISS he was disappointed that the band themselves weren't featured. Well fair enough, I can't disappoint loyal listeners and I always consider requests. But here's a twist for y'all. The best tribute album ever in my opinion is called "KISS my ass". And this is my favourite track from it.
Only KISS could get away with playing on their own tribute album.
Along with a lot of other people I've watched on in disbelief as the Australian Labor Party has imploded over the last few days. After that performance they don't deserve to be in power. I am amazed that any of our politicians could possibly think that their very public infighting and mud slinging could endear them to the voting public. As Billy Connolly would say, "it's a good kick in the arse they're needing!"
I've always thought that our system of compulsory voting was a good thing. And from my first experience of voting at 18 I've been a supporter of the slightly more left side of Australian politics. Now for the first time in my life I can't see any of those idiots in the major parties looking like they're worth my scrawl on the ballot paper.
Ages ago I mentioned the Human Time Project to you dear reader. The idea was that if you bought a watch from them they also donated one to medical teams in Africa so that people didn't die from getting their medication at the wrong time and things like that. Well...I ordered in October. And I waited. And I waited some more. And then some more again. Then I emailed. Then I ranted on their Facebook page. And the watch arrived today. It is very cool. It's a great idea but their communication with me left a lot to be desired.
There's a few pivotal songs that have influenced my musical tastes and also the sounds I search for on my guitars. This is one of them and I'll admit that I'm never really sure whether to play it or not. Or I was until I found this version. Classic!
I really, really like Queen when they are in full flight. This is their best song in my opinion. I clearly remember learning the guitar riffs for this one. They are an excellent alternative to Stairway to Heaven in any guitar shop. Everyone knows what you're playing and just smiles.
I've had the album that this next song is on playing on the record player this week. It seems like a good one to share – I think my family has had enough of it for a while though!
Last week I mentioned Ice-T. You all know him from Law and Order but to me he was one of the few rap artists I could ever be bothered listening to. His lyrics and vocal delivery just always sounded and felt very authentic to me. Disturbing too.
With Alison away for a few days I've cranked up the stereo and put on some hard rock and metal albums that I haven't listened to for a while. It isn't that she objects to the music but maybe to the piles of old cassettes in the lounge room! Some of these older albums are so good that I better get a list together and get them on CD. Or vinyl maybe. There are some seriously worn out cassettes in the pile!
Sometimes the cheesiest bands surprise me when I go back and recognise that despite all the hairspray and makeup they really could play.
The last band this week is one I was introduced to by the lead guitarist in the first band I ever played in. He thought was was Stevie Ray Vaughan reincarnated and he wasn't far wrong at times. I learned a lot from him and the rest of the band about how to play in a group. Of course I got my first taste of band politics as well when they dropped me and the singer so that they could form a blues trio! The Black Crowes were the band he turned me onto. They were pretty new at the time and their cover of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle" was in the charts. We played it and I loved it. I still do. You can groove on the B chord for the whole verse just adding little bits here and there. And Jason could play the scorching guitar solo as well. I'll finish with two tracks from the Black Crowes, the Otis cover and then my favourite song of theirs – it's a quiet one.
Shhhhhh...it's late and even the dog is snoring. Goodnight.
DH Rob
