Hi everyone, plenty of music and musings this time around. Please remember that the songs aren't chosen randomly, I spend a lot of time thinking about tunes, lyrics and soundscapes that I think will be interesting and can add to what I'm writing about. I'd love it if you had a listen to one or two of the tracks.
It's always special when someone I know shares music with me and even more so when it's something that they've created themselves. My mate George has just released an album called Songs from H-Country. It dropped on Spotify literally about twenty minutes ago. You can listen to the whole album by clicking here. This is a more laid back affair with lyrics that matter, delivered with conviction and from the heart. The whole thing is a shade under forty minutes so sit back and listen the way it's meant to be heard, from start to finish. As George says, "it is an album". And you all know how much the concept of an album means to me.
George Huitker - Force of Nature - click here
If you would rather skip the bit below where I talk quite openly about my mental health, please fast forward to where you see the line of asterisks like this, *****. I won't be offended and I know reading about this stuff isn't for everyone.
I'm going to lay some heavy stuff out. Not the heavy music type of heavy but the "what's going on in my head" type. It helps me to write it down. As Prince once said, "...we're gathered here together to get into this thing called life..."
Prince - Let's Go Crazy (live 1985) - https://youtu.be/svqYueRzAh0
One of my friends was talking to me recently about my mental health journey. Given that I've been in a relatively good place for a while, she wanted to know if I thought back and wished things could have been different. I'm a realist and I know I can't change the past. Dwelling on it, other than to remember the good things and reflect carefully on mistakes made really doesn't help anyone. However I've grown as a result of mental illness, I'd be kidding you if I said it didn't suck. I spent the best part of a decade suffering with anxiety, depression and the associated side-effects. It hurts me greatly to look back on what I put family and friends through whilst I was unable and then unwilling to accept that something was wrong. And just when I thought that working with a psychologist and taking medication was putting things right, it was all wrong.
If you would rather skip the bit below where I talk quite openly about my mental health, please fast forward to where you see the line of asterisks like this, *****. I won't be offended and I know reading about this stuff isn't for everyone.
I'm going to lay some heavy stuff out. Not the heavy music type of heavy but the "what's going on in my head" type. It helps me to write it down. As Prince once said, "...we're gathered here together to get into this thing called life..."
Prince - Let's Go Crazy (live 1985) - https://youtu.be/svqYueRzAh0
One of my friends was talking to me recently about my mental health journey. Given that I've been in a relatively good place for a while, she wanted to know if I thought back and wished things could have been different. I'm a realist and I know I can't change the past. Dwelling on it, other than to remember the good things and reflect carefully on mistakes made really doesn't help anyone. However I've grown as a result of mental illness, I'd be kidding you if I said it didn't suck. I spent the best part of a decade suffering with anxiety, depression and the associated side-effects. It hurts me greatly to look back on what I put family and friends through whilst I was unable and then unwilling to accept that something was wrong. And just when I thought that working with a psychologist and taking medication was putting things right, it was all wrong.
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - If We Were Vampires (live 2018) - https://youtu.be/JV7c8V5XLk8
I was a bit stressed earlier in the week. I had quite a few time sensitive jobs at work, I had a job interview too and I'm still not quite over this cold/flu/virus. My boss, who is also one of my good friends, recognised this and along with the steadying influence of my mate Bing, I sorted myself out. My boss pointed out a number of things I'd been through in the last year or so and linked me into a well known stress test. Whilst the results were scary and indicate a high risk of illness, the fact that I'm still sitting here writing this to you, coping with work and life in general indicates that I'm a lot more resilient than I have been in many years. Some of that is sheer bloody mindedness to make the most of my life and a lot is due to the support of many of you out there reading this. Thank you.
I am dreadful at journaling on a daily basis. I've tried and tried to make it work for me and it just doesn't work. But I have found that writing here, sharing dumb jokes, talking about music, playing guitar, reading and of course cycling help me get through. I do use a reflection journal on a semi-regular basis, but the pressure of the daily entry isn't for me.
One of my best mates co-authored a book about post traumatic stress and things that help people deal with it. The book is called, Everything's OK. I don't have post traumatic stress, but the lessons in there resonate regardless. It's about how to build resilience and deal with what life, and your brain, throw at you. It's all well and good to think that life will get better. In my opinion, resilience, being open about how you are feeling, and a first class support network are the important things.
Sorry if that was a bit too much navel gazing, I just needed to get it down on paper. I'm still a work in progress and this blog really helps me to move forwards.
I am dreadful at journaling on a daily basis. I've tried and tried to make it work for me and it just doesn't work. But I have found that writing here, sharing dumb jokes, talking about music, playing guitar, reading and of course cycling help me get through. I do use a reflection journal on a semi-regular basis, but the pressure of the daily entry isn't for me.
One of my best mates co-authored a book about post traumatic stress and things that help people deal with it. The book is called, Everything's OK. I don't have post traumatic stress, but the lessons in there resonate regardless. It's about how to build resilience and deal with what life, and your brain, throw at you. It's all well and good to think that life will get better. In my opinion, resilience, being open about how you are feeling, and a first class support network are the important things.
Sorry if that was a bit too much navel gazing, I just needed to get it down on paper. I'm still a work in progress and this blog really helps me to move forwards.
ABBA - Thank You For The Music - https://youtu.be/0dcbw4IEY5w
***** ***** *****
My return to reading carries on and I won't continue to bore you all with it after this week. It's hard though to describe how amazingly happy this has made me. There's a group called Brothers and Books that I follow on Instagram. They're veterans encouraging each other to read. I became aware of them as a result of my work but their posts and positive mindset got under my skin in the best way. You can check out their good works here.
I took delivery of the most recent Jimmy Barnes album today. It's called Flesh and Blood and I've played a track from it here before. Reading the liner notes I discovered that the guy playing the bagpipes is the same one that I played with at the gig in Melbourne back in March. Groovy!!
Jimmy Barnes - I'm Coming Home (live) - https://youtu.be/X3Ois1ot9tA
DJ EssTee has discovered Tom Waits. This is so cool. Tom is excellent and there's a ton of back catalogus stuff to be getting on with. If you like beat poetry, jazz, old style carnivals and burping them Tom is for you.
Tom Waits - Whistlin' Past The Graveyard - https://youtu.be/beRi6hRDRCk
Billie Eilish has apparently shocked one and all by releasing a couple of new tracks. I've never listened to her but I thought that with all the hoopla that maybe I should. This is the first of those songs. Brutal and beautiful all at once.
Billie Eilish - TV - https://youtu.be/_JGGLJMpVks
Back to Van Halen, following on from last week. The biography was a great read and didn't seem to do too much airbrushing. What stood out for me were the comments from other well known guitarists who saw Eddie play close up. They were all astounded at how effortless he made it seem and that he always had a huge smile on his face. Eddie had his demons but with a guitar in his hand he was untouchable.
Van Halen - Eruption - https://youtu.be/M4Czx8EWXb0
The Guardian published an article this week about what their writer thought were the twenty greatest Midnight Oil songs. For a band with such an extensive discography that's always going to be a hard ask and guaranteed to cause discussion. But why do we have to choose their greatest songs? If someone wanted a recommendation of where to start with the band then that seems fair enough but listening to music isn't a competition. What I like isn't going to be what you like. I made the mistake of reading some of the comments in the article. Good grief. Sure, I have my favourite tracks but that doesn't mean they are the greatest or that I continue to feel the need for top 10 or top 100 songs of all time. They end up just being the ones that radio executives decided we should listen to. And for those of you agreeing that the band hasn't done anything good since Diesel and Dust, a big raspberry to you.
Midnight Oil - At The Time Of Writing (live 2022) - https://youtu.be/leXnMA9Ay8E
The classic album Appetite for Destruction turns 35 years old this week. I remember getting the 45rpm single of Sweet Child of Mine but not really really liking the whole album for a few years. Once it grew on me though it just kept on giving. I love the rhythm guitar of Izzy Stradlin and of course the whole take no prisoners attitude that the whole thing reeks of. GNR never reached those heights again but the Use Your Illusion double albums are pretty close. I'm not sure I'd go and see them these days but with The Cosmic Psychos and The Chats supporting them here in Australia it could be fun.
Guns n' Roses - My Michelle - https://youtu.be/6nhIdHpzHxM
The Cosmic Psychos - Go The Hack (live 2021) - https://youtu.be/IY8dAf7r5Ms
And the people that I see look as worried as can be
And it looks like they are wonderin' too..."
***** ***** *****
My return to reading carries on and I won't continue to bore you all with it after this week. It's hard though to describe how amazingly happy this has made me. There's a group called Brothers and Books that I follow on Instagram. They're veterans encouraging each other to read. I became aware of them as a result of my work but their posts and positive mindset got under my skin in the best way. You can check out their good works here.
I took delivery of the most recent Jimmy Barnes album today. It's called Flesh and Blood and I've played a track from it here before. Reading the liner notes I discovered that the guy playing the bagpipes is the same one that I played with at the gig in Melbourne back in March. Groovy!!
Jimmy Barnes - I'm Coming Home (live) - https://youtu.be/X3Ois1ot9tA
DJ EssTee has discovered Tom Waits. This is so cool. Tom is excellent and there's a ton of back catalogus stuff to be getting on with. If you like beat poetry, jazz, old style carnivals and burping them Tom is for you.
Tom Waits - Whistlin' Past The Graveyard - https://youtu.be/beRi6hRDRCk
Billie Eilish has apparently shocked one and all by releasing a couple of new tracks. I've never listened to her but I thought that with all the hoopla that maybe I should. This is the first of those songs. Brutal and beautiful all at once.
Billie Eilish - TV - https://youtu.be/_JGGLJMpVks
Back to Van Halen, following on from last week. The biography was a great read and didn't seem to do too much airbrushing. What stood out for me were the comments from other well known guitarists who saw Eddie play close up. They were all astounded at how effortless he made it seem and that he always had a huge smile on his face. Eddie had his demons but with a guitar in his hand he was untouchable.
Van Halen - Eruption - https://youtu.be/M4Czx8EWXb0
Van Halen - Summer Nights (live 1986) - https://youtu.be/NqG7hXwXXv4
The Guardian published an article this week about what their writer thought were the twenty greatest Midnight Oil songs. For a band with such an extensive discography that's always going to be a hard ask and guaranteed to cause discussion. But why do we have to choose their greatest songs? If someone wanted a recommendation of where to start with the band then that seems fair enough but listening to music isn't a competition. What I like isn't going to be what you like. I made the mistake of reading some of the comments in the article. Good grief. Sure, I have my favourite tracks but that doesn't mean they are the greatest or that I continue to feel the need for top 10 or top 100 songs of all time. They end up just being the ones that radio executives decided we should listen to. And for those of you agreeing that the band hasn't done anything good since Diesel and Dust, a big raspberry to you.
Midnight Oil - At The Time Of Writing (live 2022) - https://youtu.be/leXnMA9Ay8E
The classic album Appetite for Destruction turns 35 years old this week. I remember getting the 45rpm single of Sweet Child of Mine but not really really liking the whole album for a few years. Once it grew on me though it just kept on giving. I love the rhythm guitar of Izzy Stradlin and of course the whole take no prisoners attitude that the whole thing reeks of. GNR never reached those heights again but the Use Your Illusion double albums are pretty close. I'm not sure I'd go and see them these days but with The Cosmic Psychos and The Chats supporting them here in Australia it could be fun.
Guns n' Roses - My Michelle - https://youtu.be/6nhIdHpzHxM
The Cosmic Psychos - Go The Hack (live 2021) - https://youtu.be/IY8dAf7r5Ms
What started out as a short episode really has taken on a life of its own. Time to shut up.
Keep smiling,
The Woozle.
"I've been wanderin' through this land, doin' the best I can
Tryin' to find what I was meant to doAnd the people that I see look as worried as can be
And it looks like they are wonderin' too..."
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