CHEERS to Bill and Michael in PWM, our Laramie, Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead.
ART NOTES— an exhibition entitled Afro-Atlantic Histories— featuring art from the African diaspora (made in 24 countries over the last five centuries) — is at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. to July 17th.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #1 is this BBC story on how attitudes towards its traditional neutrality and financial secrecy in Switzerland is being challenged by the situation in Ukraine — that while they’ll neither join the EU nor NATO, greater cooperation within Europe is possible, as younger generations question past practices.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Simon the Cat— a Colorado kitteh who travels with J.J. Yosh, and their escapades are chronicled widely.
A SHORT ESSAY that manages to be both frightening, irritating, informative and yet entertaining is this profile of your-friend-and-mine, Lauren Boebert — specifically, her Colorado restaurant. The headline writer (often not the same person) did take partial liberties in using I went to Lauren Boebert’s restaurant and all I got was a shitty cheeseburger and her lies— when the author herself wrote, "The burger was a little dry but huge; the handful of fries, dusted with an Old Bay–type seasoning, was fine". (The author did not contradict the second part of the headline, though).
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Morris the Cat— a western Massachusetts kitteh thought to have been abducted by some young kids, but was eventually located and returned home.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #2 is this rather lengthy essay on the woman who did more to end Roe than anyone else (with memories of the prime individual to kill the ERA being Phyllis Schlafly).
BRAIN TEASER— try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC ...… and the usually easier, less UK-centered New York Times quiz.
THIS COMING SUNDAY I will feature Odds & Ends - a wrap-up diary of my postings, circa 11 AM Eastern (8 AM Pacific). I hope you'll vote in the "Who Lost the Week?!?" poll (a mirror image of the one Bill posts here). Dang, there are already bushel baskets of misfits lined-up for your review (such as Elon Musk, Ken Paxton, Brett Favre, David Perdue cryptocurrencies, the OAN network and the prime minister of Sri Lanka) .... and the week's not over yet.
FATHER-SON?— the late actor/director Harold Ramis (here as Ghostbuster Egon Spengler) and the former House Majority leader Eric Cantor (R-VA).
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… last week, I mentioned the end of the first incarnation of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) which ended with a summer tour before imploding. In the wake of that, Stephen Stills formed a powerhouse collaboration named Manassas which released a critically acclaimed self-titled album fifty years ago last month. It had a wide range of musical styles with two famed musicians at the helm and a big label contract. How it also imploded is one of rock music’s great “What If?” questions … deserving a new look.
In the wake of Stephen Stills’ second solo album (not as big a success as his first either commercially or critically) — near the end of the supporting tour, he ran into the Flying Burrito Brothers (and ex-Byrds) musician Chris Hillman, who was pessimistic about the fortunes of the Burritos. They agreed to join forces, with Stills supplying the rhythm section (bassist Calvin Samuels and original CSNY tour drummer Dallas Taylor) and also two other members of his touring band: keyboard player Paul Harris and percussionist Joe Lala. Chris Hillman brought-in the Burrito’s pedal steel player Al Perkins and the band formed in 1971.
They set to work on this double album late in the year and — as Stephen Stills was something of a Civil War battle buff — chose the name in posing at the railroad station in Manassas, Virginia— which the US Army called the battle of Bull Run.
Its four sides carefully reflected the band’s wide-ranging tastes: (1) for rock and Latin music, (2) for country and bluegrass, (3) folk-rock and (4) rock music, with the epic-length song The Treasure the last song. The album reached #4 in the US album charts and earned wide critical praise. Their high-grossing three-hour concerts consisted of several sets, dedicated to those different styles. The album had one high-profile guest musician: bassist Bill Wyman, who said he considered asking to join the band (though not leaving the Stones until twenty years later).
Alas, it turned out to be the high point of the band, with several reasons leading to its downfall. Stills is convinced that Atlantic Records was still hoping for a cash-cow CSNY reunion and did not promote the album. Stills fell in love with French singer Veronique Sanson (later marrying her) so he had time commitment issues. The usual drinking/drug issues of the era came to the fore (with Dallas Taylor lapsing into heroin addiction) and (just like The Call of The Wild) prior band reunions kept beckoning: when Chris Hillman noted David Crosby and Graham Nash joining the band on one tour date, he could sense the pressure for a CSNY reunion. He wasn’t immune, himself: as his former Byrds band mates enticed him to record a reunion album (that did not work well).
Manassas did release a 1973 second album that was widely panned (their first album producers quit halfway through, upset at the drop-off in song quality) and split soon after. As well as the CSNY reunion, Chris Hillman joined the new Souther-Hillman-Furay band, with the others going their separate ways. Fifty years on, it is still a collective that made its mark and had the potential for much more.
Of all of the diverse songs on the album: my favorite is It Doesn’t Matter (appropriately co-written by the bandleaders Stephen Stills and Chris Hillman).
Falling and spinning Losing and winning Keeping my head Watching for signals Wearisome vigil Was I mislead
I remember you said That you don't want to forget me It doesn't matter Which of our fantasies fail Every tomorrow Looking tomorrow
A piece of today Run a bit faster Here comes the catcher Making his play You had better not stay
You will soon be surrounded It doesn't matter Which of our fantasies stay
Lonely and winsome calling For someone living right now Something is shallow ugly and hollow Doesn't even allow you to want to know how You might live for the living Give for the giving moment by moment One day at a time It doesn't matter It's nothing but dreaming anyhow