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The middle-aged dummies are forming a band called "Blanket"! It's a cover band. (1 Viewer)

Val Rannous:

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Headstones (Gordon Lightfoot)
Song: two votes – Headstones (2)
Cover artist: three votes – The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (2); Tweeter and the Monkey Man (1)
Original artist: two votes – The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (2)
Am I mistaken or did this get duplicated from the 13 point list for Val?

You are mistaken.
Yep...I just noticed. Different Rannous. Carry on
 

She loved the show. They got a spot along the rail of the first tier so she was able to avoid the mosh pit which apparently was out of control during Ministry's set.

Zuni is about a block and a half from our place :bye:
Nice. Glad she had fun. I saw Ministry last summer and it was mainly old stuff and yes, the pit was nuts. I don't know if I've really liked much since Psalm in 1992, and the missus would probably even say The Mind Is A Terrible To Taste in 1989, so we're the old cranks that just want to hear the stuff we grew up with. I really like 3-4 FLA songs but didn't check if they got played. Did you or Mrs. Eephus ever listen to the Bay-Area industrial/super left-wing band Consolidated? One of the first bands my wife and I bonded over but man has it aged poorly.

As for Zuni, I picked it b/c the Washington Post food critic said it was the best roast chicken he's ever eaten. I'll give him that, b/c the chicken (as well as the bread salad it was served over) was amazing, but everything else was fair to poor and the timing was way off. Even the cocktails were disappointing - the server described mine as "cumin-forward" but it was more like the bartender dumped a whole bag of the stuff in there. Oh well, maybe it was just a bad night, as the reviews do tend to either be really great or really meh.

The bakery that I mentioned (Arsicault) was only a half-mile up Market from Zuni and, like I said, it was absolutely phenomenal. The day we left, I was hoping to find a flight later in the morning so we would have time to go there again before heading to SFO.
 

She loved the show. They got a spot along the rail of the first tier so she was able to avoid the mosh pit which apparently was out of control during Ministry's set.

Zuni is about a block and a half from our place :bye:
Nice. Glad she had fun. I saw Ministry last summer and it was mainly old stuff and yes, the pit was nuts. I don't know if I've really liked much since Psalm in 1992, and the missus would probably even say The Mind Is A Terrible To Taste in 1989, so we're the old cranks that just want to hear the stuff we grew up with. I really like 3-4 FLA songs but didn't check if they got played. Did you or Mrs. Eephus ever listen to the Bay-Area industrial/super left-wing band Consolidated? One of the first bands my wife and I bonded over but man has it aged poorly.

As for Zuni, I picked it b/c the Washington Post food critic said it was the best roast chicken he's ever eaten. I'll give him that, b/c the chicken (as well as the bread salad it was served over) was amazing, but everything else was fair to poor and the timing was way off. Even the cocktails were disappointing - the server described mine as "cumin-forward" but it was more like the bartender dumped a whole bag of the stuff in there. Oh well, maybe it was just a bad night, as the reviews do tend to either be really great or really meh.

The bakery that I mentioned (Arsicault) was only a half-mile up Market from Zuni and, like I said, it was absolutely phenomenal. The day we left, I was hoping to find a flight later in the morning so we would have time to go there again before heading to SFO.

Sorry that Zuni was disappointing. Their chicken is famous and delicious but at the end of the day, it's a roasted chicken. A home cook can do a passable imitation although keeping your oven at a high consistent temperature is key. I haven't been there since before the pandemic. I made a mental note of Arsicault.


I never saw Consolidated but I remember the singer's earlier band Until December. They had a record deal with CBS and big local hype. The frontman was really full of himself and postured like he was Bono playing to a festival crowd instead of an audience who had come to see the headliners.
 
simey is sporting some new Hokas (longtime wide-footed Hoka fanboy here).
I walked in them for 37 minutes earlier tonight. My foot hurt a little, but I went from a shoe where my foot hurt into the Hokas, so my foot already hurt. My right foot felt fine. I noticed that my feet got really hot in the shoes. I'm not sure if I will exchange them for a different style of them or try out the Brooks that I also tried on. I may have to experiment with several to find the one that feels the best.
 

Sorry that Zuni was disappointing. Their chicken is famous and delicious but at the end of the day, it's a roasted chicken. A home cook can do a passable imitation although keeping your oven at a high consistent temperature is key. I haven't been there since before the pandemic. I made a mental note of Arsicault.
Thanks. I had been batting 1.000 on my last several trips so was due. I'll report back on the recipe next time I buy a whole chicken.
 
I walked in them for 37 minutes earlier tonight. My foot hurt a little, but I went from a shoe where my foot hurt into the Hokas, so my foot already hurt. My right foot felt fine. I noticed that my feet got really hot in the shoes. I'm not sure if I will exchange them for a different style of them or try out the Brooks that I also tried on. I may have to experiment with several to find the one that feels the best.
Most definitely. Does your shoestore have a treadmill kind-of device that maps your stride then recommends good options? Really helped me find the best option.
 
#18 Higher Ground - Red Hot Chili Peppers (Stevie Wonder)
Original: Spotify; Youtube

This is definitely another song where the original needs absolutely no introduction, and where I link the original mostly out of some sense of completeness. If I were doing the same comparison as Eephus (and I'm glad I'm not, given a couple of calls I'd have to make), I'd have to go with Stevie's, knowing well that no one would blame me. Heck, some might say "no, duh", if perhaps more politely. A lot of people tie this song to the car crash that put Stevie in a coma (and could've taken his life), though of course Innervisions was released a few days before that accident.

Still, there's certainly enough to enjoy both songs. And since I put this at 18, it's obvious that I do. RHCP take a groovy, thoughtful (dare I say soulful?) song and put their own spin and energy into it. This was recorded as part of their 4th album, though they were still trying to find commercial success. That would come on the next album, but this (and "Knock Me Down") were a start.

At 17, I've a song where I could've selected the same song and main artist, but taken a version that crossed over with something from today. I'll take a swing at an explanation then.
 
I walked in them for 37 minutes earlier tonight. My foot hurt a little, but I went from a shoe where my foot hurt into the Hokas, so my foot already hurt. My right foot felt fine. I noticed that my feet got really hot in the shoes. I'm not sure if I will exchange them for a different style of them or try out the Brooks that I also tried on. I may have to experiment with several to find the one that feels the best.
Most definitely. Does your shoestore have a treadmill kind-of device that maps your stride then recommends good options? Really helped me find the best option.
I stood on some type of 3D plate that scanned my feet, and could figure out length, pressure points, arch height, etc. I walked for them, too. I remember them recommending a stabilization shoe.
 
OH tally:

OH cover songs I have heard of: 2
OH original songs I have heard of: 8
OH cover artists I have heard of: 9
OH original artists I have heard of: 12

Another where I know the original but have never heard of the cover or cover artist. And I don't know most of Joy Division's songs extremely well, but I have listened to the Unknown Pleasures album several times.
 
Covers from #18 that I know and like and haven't mentioned before (in the regular countdown or the Last 5 Outs):

Jolene - White Stripes (Dolly Parton) -- Jack White can be quite dramatic when he wants to be.
Long Time Gone - Ruthie Foster (Crosby, Stills & Nash) -- Only because simey picked it in GP4. "This is fantastic," I said at the time.
Paranoid Android - Brad Mehldau (Radiohead) -- Radiohead really makes for good jazzification.
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack (Peggy Seeger) -- I don't think I knew this was a cover.
Handle with Care - Jenny Lewis (The Traveling Wilburys) -- Only because this came up in a previous thread here.
Motel Blues – Alex Chilton (Loudon Wainwright III) -- or something close enough; I have the Big Star Live album, in which the set includes Chilton singing this.
 
I walked in them for 37 minutes earlier tonight. My foot hurt a little, but I went from a shoe where my foot hurt into the Hokas, so my foot already hurt. My right foot felt fine. I noticed that my feet got really hot in the shoes. I'm not sure if I will exchange them for a different style of them or try out the Brooks that I also tried on. I may have to experiment with several to find the one that feels the best.
Most definitely. Does your shoestore have a treadmill kind-of device that maps your stride then recommends good options? Really helped me find the best option.
I stood on some type of 3D plate that scanned my feet, and could figure out length, pressure points, arch height, etc. I walked for them, too. I remember them recommending a stabilization shoe.

Almost 40 years ago I discovered Andre #1 Custom Made Shoes. It was a life changing find for someone with my stupid feet. It was on Sunset Blvd next to one of my favorite restaurants. An old genius bespoke shoemaker took a mould of my feet, laughed a little, and from there he made wooden lasts he kept on file so he could make me any shoe I wanted. Like knockoffs. And he did this at stupid low prices. I'd bring him a pair of $150 Jordans. He'd make them. Charge me $50. I'd return the real ones. 100s of us did this while trying to keep the place secret. And no kidding his product was better than Nikes. Of course word got out, business boomed, the old guy died, his sons took over and it became the custom shoe shop for celebrities. They even moved to Burbank and got fancy schmancy. Prices got ridiculous. They even lost my lasts. But for about a decade my feet were never happier.

I did the 3D imaging at shop awhile back. Best they had was Sketchers 4Es with velcro straps instead of laces. They made me feel like a toddler and the straps weren't long enough to wrap around properly. They're not just wide, my dorsums (top of my feet) are unusually high. I'd buy slides but my feet won't jam inside them. In flip flops my little toes hang over the sides. I broke a toe once in a forklift accident and it was smashed bad enough for a surgeon to be called in. He commented on wide feet. I said, yeah, I know, duck feet. He said while he was repairing it he could attach webbing between my toes and I'd be a helluva swimmer. I would have laughed but I was in too much pain.
 
Pip’s Invitation:

Heart of Gold – Charles Bradley (Neil Young)

I ranked Heart of Gold, Neil's only US #1 song and probably his song most familiar to non-fans, at #50 in my Neil countdown. I thought that might be controversial, but it wasn't with this crowd. The main reason I don't have it higher is that it's one of Neil's very few songs that sounds like it could have been done by anyone. It's an excellent example of the country-rock and singer-songwriter genres that were dominant in the early '70s, but there's little about it that's distinctly Neil.

Which actually makes it a great template for covers. I mentioned earlier that many of Bob Dylan's most iconic songs are covered so frequently because they are written in a way that they resonate with people from all corners of the music world and are kind of blank canvasses on which others can paint easily. Heart of Gold is one of the few Neil songs that is that way. It is very easy to cover this song in a way that doesn't owe a great debt to Neil's own performance. And that's just not the case with most of his other songs, in which you can almost always hear Neil no matter who is performing.

Charles Bradley is a rare example of what can happen when a record company doesn't suck. He bounced around for decades in obscurity, sometimes performing as a James Brown impersonator, until he was discovered when he was in his early 50s by the co-founder of Daptone Records. His first proper album for them included his cover of Heart of Gold, and the arrangement suggests nothing at all about C, S, N, Y or any other country/folk/soft rock singer-songwriters, but instead evokes Otis Redding being backed by the Stax house band. The melody, one of Neil's best, remains intact, but the horns provide a counterpoint to the vocal that has no equivalent in the original, and the "doo-doo-doo-bahs" at the end of every verse suggest there was more to be done with the vocal arrangement than what Neil and his cohorts did. This is a feel-good experience all around. And it's wild that Bradley showed up two other times in this round; I had no idea he covered Black Sabbath as well.

Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7eB7Wns1-M

At #17: Second verse, same as the first.
 
I had a shoe emergency once and went in a large department store, Macys or Nordstroms, I forget. I told the shoe guy my size and need for extra wide. I also told him I would buy any pair of casual shoes they had that fit me. They had none. This is true of 99% of every brick and mortar selling shoes. :shrug:
 
just noting this must be my favorite list yet, though I am still way behind listening to them. This one jumped out from my 5 outs.

Scoresman:

Time after Time - Miles Davis (Cyndi Lauper)

Nice Scoresman. This is what I said about it privately to krista but she posted it publicly. Hope the dis isn't the one you took, but either way, love the pick.

Time After Time - Miles Davis (Cindi Lauper)

This is the one I mentioned might not be a recognizable cover to some. In the video, you see Miles struggling to find the tune. He may even be nodding under the influence of heroin. He crouches over his horn pointing it at the floor. He explores the theme. He finds something sublime. The studio version is a bla 3 ½ minute nodder. The live version stops me in my tracks every time it randomly pops up on a 7 hr long jazz playlist.

So I didn't break the thumper rule calling the studio version a nodder. Krista did. It's only a nodder compared that sublime live version. It's Miles. It rules.
You may be looking for this acoustic version of Lauper with Sarah Mclachlin.
 
18. Solitary Man - Chris Isaak (Neil Diamond)

I admit it: I have a man-crush on Chris Isaak. I wish I could sing like him and wouldn't mind looking like him. Hail to the King of Soft Rockabilly.

Isaak used to date the mom of one of ditkaburgers' grade school friends. You'll be happy to know your man crush is very well hung.

Is that a good thing for a man-crush? Have you heard any rumors about Neil's? Asking for a friend.
And sexytime got weird.

Again.
 
I did the 3D imaging at shop awhile back. Best they had was Sketchers 4Es with velcro straps instead of laces. They made me feel like a toddler and the straps weren't long enough to wrap around properly. They're not just wide, my dorsums (top of my feet) are unusually high. I'd buy slides but my feet won't jam inside them. In flip flops my little toes hang over the sides. I broke a toe once in a forklift accident and it was smashed bad enough for a surgeon to be called in. He commented on wide feet. I said, yeah, I know, duck feet. He said while he was repairing it he could attach webbing between my toes and I'd be a helluva swimmer. I would have laughed but I was in too much pain.
My mom and brother walk like a duck. Their feet go outward like they are wearing fins when they walk. When I was little, I had to wear corrective shoes. I hated them. I had a habit of sitting on my left foot if I was sitting on the floor, and so my left foot turned inward a little. I can't remember how long I had to wear them, but they were ugly. Whenever my foot was corrected, my mom said she would get me any pair of shoes I wanted. I picked out some Dingo boots. I loved those things. I've always had a big love for shoes, but foot pain and skin issues over the last 4 years have limited what I can wear. I feel like I've reverted back to my corrective shoe days.
 
I did the 3D imaging at shop awhile back. Best they had was Sketchers 4Es with velcro straps instead of laces. They made me feel like a toddler and the straps weren't long enough to wrap around properly. They're not just wide, my dorsums (top of my feet) are unusually high. I'd buy slides but my feet won't jam inside them. In flip flops my little toes hang over the sides. I broke a toe once in a forklift accident and it was smashed bad enough for a surgeon to be called in. He commented on wide feet. I said, yeah, I know, duck feet. He said while he was repairing it he could attach webbing between my toes and I'd be a helluva swimmer. I would have laughed but I was in too much pain.
My mom and brother walk like a duck. Their feet go outward like they are wearing fins when they walk. When I was little, I had to wear corrective shoes. I hated them. I had a habit of sitting on my left foot if I was sitting on the floor, and so my left foot turned inward a little. I can't remember how long I had to wear them, but they were ugly. Whenever my foot was corrected, my mom said she would get me any pair of shoes I wanted. I picked out some Dingo boots. I loved those things. I've always had a big love for shoes, but foot pain and skin issues over the last 4 years have limited what I can wear. I feel like I've reverted back to my corrective shoe days.

My little toes got deformed and bent inwards when I was pretty young. All my shoes came from the Navy Exchange on base. They didn't have wide sizes. They didn't have someone to measure my feet. I just tried on shoes, my mom pushed on the toe and bought the ones she thought fit. Didn't take long for my aching feet to tear the side out. haha. I was a kid. I didn't know better. I thought everybody's feet hurt and got crushed by shoes. I laugh typing this. Eventually basketball shoes became important and I got to get shoes at a real shoe store in town. The owner measured my feet, wrinkled his nose and told my mom we should order extra wide shoes. She was insulted. There was nothing wrong with her baby's feet. That man's name was Corny and this was about 1972. I am forever in his debt. Cornelius Shoes is still in the same location. But I have to order online and just hope for the best.

eta: My high school had a fun tradition. the bball team would travel to the big city together one day and all get the same shoes. for four years 11 guys wore white Nikes with the black swoosh. One guy wore Adidas because they came in the widest size. Still laughing about it.
 
- Puddle's Pity Party turns ABBA's "Dancing Queen" into an acoustic slow dance number. It's very good. ABBA wears the queen crown with their energetic original. 🪩
- I love this soul cover of Black Sabbath's "Changes" by Charles Bradley. What a voice, and love that sound. We get to hear that voice again on "Heart of Gold."
- Roberta Flack's cover of "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is great. The song reminds me of the movie Play Misty For Me and of my dad, who played her a lot when I was growing up.
- Bonnie Raitt's cover of Bob Dylan's "Standing in the Doorway" is fantastic. Her voice expresses the lyrics so well, and the music fits perfect with her delivery.
- I dig that guitar playing in Jimmie Dale Gilmores version of TVZ's "White Freight Liner Blues," and he keeps the spirit of the song steamrolling all the way through it.
- Norah's voice, piano, and arrangement create a beautiful rendition of "Black Hole Sun."
- Alex Chilton's version of "Motel Blues" sounds like it was done in an intimate setting. Electricity By Candlelight is a great album name for it.
- The "Solitary Man" cover by Chris Isaak sounds good, and I can't listen to him now without thinking about how well hung he is.
- "Eleanor Rigby" by the Black Pumas sounds nothing like the original, and it is f u n k y. Dig that organ.
- I hear Brad on the piano again doing "Paranoid Android." Brad Mehldau > Radiohead.
- 🪕 The Sidekicks have a pickin' good time with Blind Melon's "No Rain." 🎻
- I love Iron and Wine's relaxing cover of the Flaming Lips "Waitin' for a Superman."
- "The Wind Cries Mary" is my favorite Jimi song, and I like the music in Sting's version. I especially think the outro is cool. Sting doesn't sound bad, but vocally gimme Jimi.
- David Bowie's live cover of S&G's "America" gives me chills. I remember watching that live on TV. I love Bowie's cover, and our country was actually together as one at that moment in time.
 
Last edited:
My little toes got deformed and bent inwards when I was pretty young. All my shoes came from the Navy Exchange on base. They didn't have wide sizes. They didn't have someone to measure my feet. I just tried on shoes, my mom pushed on the toe and bought the ones she thought fit. Didn't take long for my aching feet to tear the side out. haha. I was a kid. I didn't know better. I thought everybody's feet hurt and got crushed by shoes. I laugh typing this.
My grandmother, Granny, purposely would wear shoes too little for her. She thought it was attractive for women to have little feet. She was a square dancer, and her feet had to hurt like hell doing the dosey doe and such wearing ill-fitted shoes.
 
Running scoreboard: Covers 7 - Originals 6

Am I the only one who's been eagerly anticipating this every time and wondering where it will end up?

I have no idea what I'm doing or where it's going
I haven’t been declaring with each reveal but after a quick count of my list:

Definitely prefer the original: 15
Definitely prefer the cover: 13
Too close to call: 3
 
Fourteen-Point Selections:

Pip’s Invitation:

Heart of Gold – Charles Bradley (Neil Young)


zamboni:
Changes - Charles Bradley (Black Sabbath)


shuke:
Changes - Charles Bradley (Black Sabbath)

Holy smokes -- how had I not heard about the late Mr. Bradley? He deserves a place right alongside icons like James Brown and Al Green.

The house will enjoy this live 'storyteller' version of Bradley doing "Changes" in 2016. I'll post two of the top comments below in case it changes in the future and these become harder to find -- I think these are worthwhile sentiments to pass on:

@Joe-rg7gz
3 years ago
I once heard someone say, it's the duty of artists to go into the darkness and bring something back that's tangible for people to heal themselves with. Thank you Charles. Rest in peace.
@jusrome2037
5 months ago (edited)
I’m 25 now and Charles was my next door neighbor throughout my entire childhood up until he died. I live in the projects so it’s not the easiest to navigate through life as a young black man in that environment, but Charles always gave me kind words of advice and the occasional spare change to get some snacks in the summer. He always praised me for keeping on the straight and narrow path.
He loved his Parrot, he loved his mother (clearly!) and he loved people. Most of the times I saw him he was on his way to his mothers house to comfort/ care for her. She was all he had, and vice versa. He didn’t have much materially and he was struggling with loneliness towards the end of his own life. I wish I had the awareness 7 years ago to actually speak to and console/comfort Charles in his hard times.
I just want people to see the side of Charles that I got an opportunity to see. The emotion and pain in his voice is real and it’s from his experiences he had to endure in his short, hard life. Im glad I stumbled upon this video, Rest In Peace Charles, you were a great example of a good man and I will always remember you.
 
Doug B:

Cry To Me - Seal (Solomon Burke)

The house might or might remember that in 2017 ABC produced and broadcast a television remake of the film 1987 Dirty Dancing. While the TV movie kind of came and went without leaving much of a pop-cultural impact, there was at least one piece of the soundtrack that didn't deserve to go into the dustbin: Seal's cover of Solomon Burke's seminal soul classic "Cry To Me" (Burke's original on Spotify)(YouTube).

Would've loved to hear Charles Bradley do this one.
 
Fourteen-Point Selections:

Pip’s Invitation:

Heart of Gold – Charles Bradley (Neil Young)


zamboni:
Changes - Charles Bradley (Black Sabbath)


shuke:
Changes - Charles Bradley (Black Sabbath)

Holy smokes -- how had I not heard about the late Mr. Bradley? He deserves a place right alongside icons like James Brown and Al Green.

The house will enjoy this live 'storyteller' version of Bradley doing "Changes" in 2016. I'll post two of the top comments below in case it changes in the future and these become harder to find -- I think these are worthwhile sentiments to pass on:

@Joe-rg7gz
3 years ago
I once heard someone say, it's the duty of artists to go into the darkness and bring something back that's tangible for people to heal themselves with. Thank you Charles. Rest in peace.
@jusrome2037
5 months ago (edited)
I’m 25 now and Charles was my next door neighbor throughout my entire childhood up until he died. I live in the projects so it’s not the easiest to navigate through life as a young black man in that environment, but Charles always gave me kind words of advice and the occasional spare change to get some snacks in the summer. He always praised me for keeping on the straight and narrow path.
He loved his Parrot, he loved his mother (clearly!) and he loved people. Most of the times I saw him he was on his way to his mothers house to comfort/ care for her. She was all he had, and vice versa. He didn’t have much materially and he was struggling with loneliness towards the end of his own life. I wish I had the awareness 7 years ago to actually speak to and console/comfort Charles in his hard times.
I just want people to see the side of Charles that I got an opportunity to see. The emotion and pain in his voice is real and it’s from his experiences he had to endure in his short, hard life. Im glad I stumbled upon this video, Rest In Peace Charles, you were a great example of a good man and I will always remember you.
I encountered Bradley only within the past year and was blown away the first time I heard him - and this cover. It's interesting that this song seems more in line with his material than Sabbath's, as "Changes" was such a departure for anything the band did up to that point, and thereafter.

I didn't think this would be on anyone else's radar, although shouldn't be surprised shuke was all over it too given how deep and diverse his musical tastes are. Just funny that we both picked it in the very same round.
 
- Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins stay pretty faithful with their cover of "Handle Me With Care," and it sounds very good. Love the Rabbit Fur Coat album.
- "Now That We've Found Love" by New Third World gives a rasta take on the O'Jays tune. It's maad, mon.
- The narrator in "Jolene" sounds more desperate in the White Stripes stripes version. Desperate is good.
- The Sergio Mendes cover of "Mas Que Nada" is 💥
- Kikagaku Mayo's version of "Streets of Calcutta" is a fun instrumental journey like the original.
- The "Time After Time" cover by Miles is pop goodness on the trumpet.
- Seal's voice sounds great in his cover of Burke's "Cry to Me." He is feeling that tune.
- The Bassholes cover of Joy Divisions Interzone is 🤘 . Love that squealy harmonica.
- "Pistol Grip Pimp" by Rage Against the Machine is heavy and "Renegades of Funk" is funky.
- The almost barbershop quartet, Home Free, is back doing a great version of "Man of Constant Sorrow." What these guys can do with their voices is incredible, and that includes one of the guys mimicking a harmonica sound with his voice.
- Hootie and the Blow Fish give "Goodbye Girl" a modern rework and it works. It's my first time hearing their version. I've always been a fan of David Gates' 70s soft rock version. I'm a fan of the movie too, and it fit together great with the theme song.

All your life you've waited, for love to come and stay
and now that I have found you, you must not slip away :wub:
 
I did the 3D imaging at shop awhile back. Best they had was Sketchers 4Es with velcro straps instead of laces. They made me feel like a toddler and the straps weren't long enough to wrap around properly. They're not just wide, my dorsums (top of my feet) are unusually high. I'd buy slides but my feet won't jam inside them. In flip flops my little toes hang over the sides. I broke a toe once in a forklift accident and it was smashed bad enough for a surgeon to be called in. He commented on wide feet. I said, yeah, I know, duck feet. He said while he was repairing it he could attach webbing between my toes and I'd be a helluva swimmer. I would have laughed but I was in too much pain.
My mom and brother walk like a duck. Their feet go outward like they are wearing fins when they walk. When I was little, I had to wear corrective shoes. I hated them. I had a habit of sitting on my left foot if I was sitting on the floor, and so my left foot turned inward a little. I can't remember how long I had to wear them, but they were ugly. Whenever my foot was corrected, my mom said she would get me any pair of shoes I wanted. I picked out some Dingo boots. I loved those things. I've always had a big love for shoes, but foot pain and skin issues over the last 4 years have limited what I can wear. I feel like I've reverted back to my corrective shoe days.

My little toes got deformed and bent inwards when I was pretty young. All my shoes came from the Navy Exchange on base. They didn't have wide sizes. They didn't have someone to measure my feet. I just tried on shoes, my mom pushed on the toe and bought the ones she thought fit. Didn't take long for my aching feet to tear the side out. haha. I was a kid. I didn't know better. I thought everybody's feet hurt and got crushed by shoes. I laugh typing this. Eventually basketball shoes became important and I got to get shoes at a real shoe store in town. The owner measured my feet, wrinkled his nose and told my mom we should order extra wide shoes. She was insulted. There was nothing wrong with her baby's feet. That man's name was Corny and this was about 1972. I am forever in his debt. Cornelius Shoes is still in the same location. But I have to order online and just hope for the best.

eta: My high school had a fun tradition. the bball team would travel to the big city together one day and all get the same shoes. for four years 11 guys wore white Nikes with the black swoosh. One guy wore Adidas because they came in the widest size. Still laughing about it.
I'm reminded me of an old Navy buddy back in my Guam days (late 80s). He and his wife caught a MAC flight (Military Airlift Command flight = free) to South Korea for a shopping spree, and as I recall it, they hit up a Nike factory and bought sneakers for their children - one in each size (don't recall what size they topped out at) - so that they were set for their entire childhood. Anyway, hope those shoes fit well.
 
.The 14 pointers

known and liked covers


Jolene- had it in my initial list- did it make my cut?
Renegades of Funk
First time ever I saw your Face- didnt know it was a cover

liked covers of known songs

Heart of Gold
Long time Gone
Dancing Queen- Im that guy that hates clowns but will make an exception for this one
Changes- huge Sabbath fan but this is better than the original
Handle with Care
Black Hole Sun- WOW-this was awesome!!
Wind Cries Mary

new to me likes

Standing in the doorway
Mas Que Nada-expected to hate this but it made me want to dance, and I hate dancing
Streets of Calcutta- very cool,love the bass and sitar
cry to Me
Interzone
 
I'm a bit behind -- thanks to fantasy baseball research and the new Survivor season -- so I just finished the previous playlist.

New-to-me covers from #19 that I very much enjoyed:

Rainy Night in Georgia - Brook Benton (Tony Joe White) -- Luxurious
Positively Fourth Street – Bryan Ferry (Robert Zimmerman) -- Ferry has a very good voice for this one
Purple Haze - Cure (Jimi Hendrix Experience) -- Wild
Shuffering + Shmiling - Jorge Ben Jor, Dead Prez, Bilal, and Talib Kweli (Fela Kuti) -- Groovalicious
Dancing In The Moonlight - Dr Teeth and The Electric Mayhem (King Harvest) -- So much fun
Alone Again Or - UFO (Love) -- A whole 'nother approach to this song beyond what Love and The Damned did
Smells Like Teen Spirit – Patti Smith (Nirvana) -- I remember hearing about this when it came out but I don't think I actually heard it. The way she does it is pretty haunting.
Stand by Your Man - Candi Staton (Tammy Wynette) -- There's a little hint of defiance in the message of faithfulness
Wonderwall - Ryan Adams (Oasis) -- A very interesting twist on this song. I like the vocal much better than on the original.
The In Crowd - Bryan Ferry (Dobie Gray) -- Absolutely kickass. One of the best new-to-me jawns I have heard in this exercise.
Our Lips Are Sealed - Moon Talk (Go-Go's) -- The Go-Go's version is almost celebratory, while Fun Boy Three's version is groovy -- those are sort of co-originals because the song was written by Jane Wiedlin of the former and Terry Hall of the latter about their affair. But this version captures the dark side of illicit affairs that is missing from the authors' versions.
Enjoy Yourself - The Specials (Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra) -- Speaking of Terry Hall, this is also celebratory and groovy
Call Me - In This Moment (Blondie) -- Rocks. Your. Face. Off.
Believe - Robbie Fulks (Cher) -- How does he do that with his voice?
I Can Dream about You - Hall & Oates (Dan Hartman) -- I had no idea they covered this, but it makes perfect sense, as it's in their wheelhouse. I wonder if people mistook it for them in the '80s.

This was a very strong round to my ears.
 
higgins: I Can Dream about You - Hall & Oates (Dan Hartman) - I've admitted this before, but I had no idea Dan Hartman was white until plinko told me a few years ago. I thought he was the main black guy in the Streets of Fire video.
And he is - sorta. The soundtrack is Dan Hartman. The movie track is a guy named Winston Ford.

The actor was Stoney Jackson immortalized in song by Kool Keith

 
higgins: I Can Dream about You - Hall & Oates (Dan Hartman) - I've admitted this before, but I had no idea Dan Hartman was white until plinko told me a few years ago. I thought he was the main black guy in the Streets of Fire video.
And he is - sorta. The soundtrack is Dan Hartman. The movie track is a guy named Winston Ford.

The actor was Stoney Jackson immortalized in song by Kool Keith

Not sure why, but I remember Stoney from the last season of The White Shadow.
 
14.ee - Brad Mehldau "Paranoid Android" (Radiohead cover)

The original:
"Paranoid Android" was the lead single from Radiohead's third album OK Computer. At almost 6 1/2 minutes and consisting of four distinct sections, it was their longest and most ambitious composition of their career to date. The record was a pivotal one for the band signaling a change from the more song-oriented music of their first two albums to the more experimental music to come.

The cover: One of my discarded draft schticks was to go all Jazz. But most of the songs I came up with used the head and chord changes of the original tune as a framework for improvisation. Mehldau's cover stays closer to the original than Jazz versions of Pop songs typically do. Mehldau re-imagines the original composition in its entirety, initially as a piano trio but adding more percussion (including some performed by legendary Rock drummer Jim Keltner) and a subdued brass section as the song progresses.

Is the cover better than the original?: Although Mehldau's arrangement does an excellent job of highlighting the beauty of the song's melodies, an instrumental version can't capture the odd yet exquisite vocals of the original.



Running scoreboard: Covers 7 Originals 7
 
18. Solitary Man - Chris Isaak (Neil Diamond)

I admit it: I have a man-crush on Chris Isaak. I wish I could sing like him and wouldn't mind looking like him. Hail to the King of Soft Rockabilly.

Isaak used to date the mom of one of ditkaburgers' grade school friends. You'll be happy to know your man crush is very well hung.

I saw him do a show with Lyle Lovett a couple of years ago at Chateau Ste. Michelle. Guess I should have been more focused on Chris than I realized.
 
Fourteen-Point Selections:

Pip’s Invitation:

Heart of Gold – Charles Bradley (Neil Young)


zamboni:
Changes - Charles Bradley (Black Sabbath)


shuke:
Changes - Charles Bradley (Black Sabbath)

Holy smokes -- how had I not heard about the late Mr. Bradley? He deserves a place right alongside icons like James Brown and Al Green.

The house will enjoy this live 'storyteller' version of Bradley doing "Changes" in 2016. I'll post two of the top comments below in case it changes in the future and these become harder to find -- I think these are worthwhile sentiments to pass on:

@Joe-rg7gz
3 years ago
I once heard someone say, it's the duty of artists to go into the darkness and bring something back that's tangible for people to heal themselves with. Thank you Charles. Rest in peace.
@jusrome2037
5 months ago (edited)
I’m 25 now and Charles was my next door neighbor throughout my entire childhood up until he died. I live in the projects so it’s not the easiest to navigate through life as a young black man in that environment, but Charles always gave me kind words of advice and the occasional spare change to get some snacks in the summer. He always praised me for keeping on the straight and narrow path.
He loved his Parrot, he loved his mother (clearly!) and he loved people. Most of the times I saw him he was on his way to his mothers house to comfort/ care for her. She was all he had, and vice versa. He didn’t have much materially and he was struggling with loneliness towards the end of his own life. I wish I had the awareness 7 years ago to actually speak to and console/comfort Charles in his hard times.
I just want people to see the side of Charles that I got an opportunity to see. The emotion and pain in his voice is real and it’s from his experiences he had to endure in his short, hard life. Im glad I stumbled upon this video, Rest In Peace Charles, you were a great example of a good man and I will always remember you.

This was beautiful. Thanks for posting it.
 
I saw him do a show with Lyle Lovett a couple of years ago at Chateau Ste. Michelle. Guess I should have been more focused on Chris than I realized.

E. Jean Carroll (who recently won a $83.5M defamation settlement from the former guy) asked Lyle Lovett a question about his penis during a magazine interview while he was married to Julia Roberts. Ever the gentleman, Lovett didn't respond.
 
Greetings from Scottsdale, where I'm struggling to stay awake until 10 for the second night in a row. I don't know what's the matter with me here. Tomorrow is a spring training game and time with extended family, and I get to go home Sunday. Pip, let me know if you need any scouting notes on the Reds or the Rockies. :lol:
 
Greetings from Scottsdale, where I'm struggling to stay awake until 10 for the second night in a row. I don't know what's the matter with me here. Tomorrow is a spring training game and time with extended family, and I get to go home Sunday. Pip, let me know if you need any scouting notes on the Reds or the Rockies. :lol:
You're watching baseball in Arizona against your will? :eek:

We have a weird league where we vote on which teams to draft from each year. This year the Reds are in but the Rockies aren't (they usually don't make it because their pitchers are useless in fantasy).
 
Greetings from Scottsdale, where I'm struggling to stay awake until 10 for the second night in a row. I don't know what's the matter with me here. Tomorrow is a spring training game and time with extended family, and I get to go home Sunday. Pip, let me know if you need any scouting notes on the Reds or the Rockies. :lol:
You're watching baseball in Arizona against your will? :eek:

We have a weird league where we vote on which teams to draft from each year. This year the Reds are in but the Rockies aren't (they usually don't make it because their pitchers are useless in fantasy).

The baseball in Arizona part is free will. The extended family part is not.
 
Getting into Phoenix Thursday was a breeze, choosing my rental car was a breeze, and then...I waited nearly 40 minutes in line just to get out of the parking lot at Hertz. Went to a terrible neighborhood Safeway to get some groceries before heading back to the airport to pick up my stepmother, where I got caught in traffic for god knows what reason. That whole time I was listening to the #18s. Suffice to say that I think my mood affected my enjoyment of the playlist. Did appreciate, from beginning to end, all three times Charles Bradley came up, as well as the Townes Van Zandt cover.

Tomorrow has a Deja Vote, but it's a song we've seen already and not Charles Bradley.
 
While we're on the topic of extended family...

My 105-year-old great aunt -- my grandfather's sister -- passed away this week. She lived a pretty remarkable life.

She served in the WAC in World War II and went into the workforce after that, in contrast to many women of her generation. Up until I was a teenager, I knew her as my grandfather's sister who never married and whom we saw at holidays. Then, in the mid-80s, she revealed that she had been in a relationship since the '50s. They had hid it for about 30 years because she was Christian and he was Jewish and they had reason to believe that their relationship would not be accepted by certain people in both families. They finally "went public" after everyone who they thought would object had passed away, and they never had children (they would joke that this was why they lived so long; he made it into his 90s). I know at some point they got married for estate-planning reasons, but I don't know when exactly that was; they did not have a ceremony or celebration.

He had an old, sprawling property about an hour outside of Philly and started hosting some of the family functions there, so in my teens, 20s and 30s, I got to know them pretty well, and my wife and I would visit them occasionally when we lived in rural northwest NJ, less than an hour from their place in PA, for a few years. After he died, we learned that she had kept her apartment in Philly which we knew as her residence until she made her relationship public, and she moved back there on her own for a while -- she was in her 90s -- until she needed to move into a senior community.

The last time I saw her in person was at her 100th birthday party. At age 102, she got COVID and survived. In her final year, she was beset by dementia and eventually could no longer recognize anyone who came to visit. She was finally put into hospice care and died about a week after that happened.

She was the last survivor of my grandparents' generation on either side of my family. My parents' generation is now the only buffer between me and "the end," and I've already lost my dad. So I am feeling a little uncertain this week.
 

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