your sgt pepper album

Sgt Pepper is known as "the" pop album. Released in 1967 it explored more music innovations than most bands had dared up to that time; music styles ranged from old broadway/stage thru jazz thru early psychedelic thru good-old rock. A kind-of concept album (starting with the title track and ending with a reprise into "A day in the life")

My brother and I put forth an idea of what would we consider our favorite group's (or any group's, I guess) "Sgt Pepper" album. It didn't have to be something that was record breaking or have any firsts (such as the Beatles' use of sitar or reverse-played tape), it just had to be an album we thought was "it". An exmple would be Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours".

Here I post my examples:

Monkees "Headquarters", the first effort on their own with minimal session men

Simon and Garfunkel "Bookends", this is the one with "Mrs Robinson", the psychodelic "Save the life of my child" and "Hazy shade of winter"

Peter Paul and Mary "Late again", PPM gone electric! The end result of what "Album" and "Album 1700" were leading up to

Billie Myers "Growing pains", her first and best, every song great - and that song "Kiss the rain" is one of the best!

kd lang "Ingenue", again every song great with the hit "Constant Craving"; this is the one that made her known

Supertramp "Breakfast in America", almost every song became a hit

I invite your oppinions and comments and would love to know what your "Sgt Pepper" would be

Christmas memories for the new year

I suppose I could sit here and chastise myself for not not blogging in ages. If that is your wish so be it (lol). I can't believe the last blog was Thanksgiving! and here it is almost February, x-number of days into the not-so-new year.
Well, Christmas has come and gone and we're not the worse for it, only the better. The whole family got together and it is a very proud but disconcerting thing to see us all together. My cousins and I are no longer the kids of the group, no longer sitting at the kids' table in the den of our grandparents' house, watching Laurel and Hardy or whatever is on the black and white tv. That spot has been taken by a whole new generation, our children and (gulp) their girlfriends or boyfriends and even spouses (double gulp!) I can remember when our grandfather would dress up in the worlds' worst Santa suit and give out presents - it took a hell of a suspension of disbelief but we kids believed it! Traditions, however, are still with us. The Swedish meat balls, the pickled herring, the midvist, the ham, but most of all the love and admiration for one another and the love of seeing our children opening their presents, the smiles and the screaming, the joy of giving. And my cousin, while never donning that incredibly bad suit, does a good job as Santa. I have the opportunity at least once a year to see this group, which is now more like a mob, and am proud of all we have become or are becoming, continuing the traditions our parents and grandparents taught us. Who knew that little-whats-her-name would be doing "this" or even-littler-whosie would be going to this college? I am very proud of the family I come from.

Christmas is truly the most joyous time of the year, at least for this writer.

While not writing the blog I suddenly got addicted to Facebook; what started out as an effort to find an old friend of my mother took on a life of its own. I have now connected with people I had grown up with and grown away from; a few, unfortunately I have found, for good reason. I have connected with schoolmates who I never ever had anything in common with during those hated High School years but have turned out to be pretty much "okay"; I guess people do mature. I don't check it as much lately as life takes me in other directions. I have been more into chat rooms concerning my hobbies or my interest in nostalgia and, really, how much can one be on the computer - altho I should be one to talk as I used to be addicted to the thing and at one time had about 18 email accounts. It would be funnier if it weren't true...stop laughing!

I have more fun watching my kid grow up...Bumper makes me proud and has taken on more responsibilities and keeps excelling at everything he attempts. This morning he made omelets for breakfast for himself and me...cheese and hot dog omelets with hot chocolate and toast. (another tradition we carry from our grandfather is weird food concoctions (anyone in the family remember his bagels and sill?) Tomorrow we will be having blueberry and strawberry oatmeal (and hot chocolate). I am proud he has so many friends now, something we weren't sure was going to happen given his earlier school years, and I am proud to be a volunteer at his school library and to read to his class. He is planning to be a cook when he "grows up", something I am sure he will succeed in, altho we tell him anything he puts his mind to he can do - and continues to prove it. There will be plenty of time to decide what he wants to do but he certainly has a gift for the stove (gets it from his mother!) and made oatmeal scotchies for the earlier-mentioned Christmas party...and he's not even ten!

I posted a couple pictures of the bump...as he gets older I find the real purpose of having children...

...to mow the lawn and shovel the snow!!

I have attempted to encapsulate almost two months worth of "stuff" into one blog but will probably write more soon, one resolution I truly would like to keep. I would love to hear about any readers' traditions, especially the memories of my family who can picture themselves as whosie or whats-her-name. Always consider this an open invitation to read and I hope to return to the old diner-and-roadside stuff soon.

Fof, Gram, and other parents and grandparents, you are truly missed...always remember your lessons have been learned and continue to be taught.

Take care, all

I know I haven't posted for awhile. So let me be the first to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving

Only two weeks away and they're already palying Christmas music on Oldies103 and WROR!

Go figure.

I promise to write soon.

mystery reader, that's my name...

Behold it's another blog by me...ta-dah! But what to write? It's been so long. Oh well, plenty of time...on vacation this week and nothing on but Men in Black II (yikes!) altho the Michael Jackson joke was funny (and where else would he learn the moon walk?! Lol!)

I am having more fun with my son this year! Last Tuesday I was the mystery reader; no one, not even Bump knew. Book of choice: The School Nurse From the Black Lagoon. What a book and what a great time I had. I was so demonstrative and hammy (big suprise there) and the kids loved it. If you have a child of 8 or 9 or even if you're a child at heart you and they will love this book. If asked back I am going to read the School Librarian from the Black Lagoon.

Why?

I am also a volunteer librarian at the school every other week. Signing out books, hearing about the latest Pokeman (pokemon? You'd think I'd know), hearing about the latest book report.

I smile alot!

Went to my son's soccer game today...boy was I proud. He really got in there and passed the ball like a pro! The one day I didn't bring the camera. It was raining, the ground was wet and soggy and nothing but nothing would stop these kids...they had so much fun, with the score being 1-1 by the time it was over. Then the kids would run accross the wet field and slide on their stomachs! My kid's grin said it all...and so did mine!

He is already signed up for basket ball come November. He is good at the game and even if he weren't I would still be proud of him and his eager attitude. Can't wait for this year's Challengers!

What else has been going on? Just read "UFOs, JFK and Elvis" by RIchard Belzer, the guy from SVU and Homicide. This is probably the third go-around on this book, one of my favorites. After my first read I immediately purchased two books "Crossfire" and "Alien Agenda" by Jim Marrs, JFK conspiracy and Alien conspiracy books. Am I a conspiracy nut? IThis I cannot tell you or the Men In Black may try to hunt me down...and if you believe a friend of mine an organization is already reading my every key-stroke. Nuff said.

Speaking of Belzer I started reading his first novel "I Am Not a Cop"; a little dry but will give it another go...God knows I have about 156 hours left on my vacation (tick tick tick...) If time permits, maybe when I have 90 hours left (lol) I may actually sit down and read one of my old Mod Squad books, my Partridge Family book or hunt down The Brady Bunch "Adventure on the High Seas" (reminder to self: call Second Look Books in Plainville)

And about UFOs: check out this link http://www.ufoevidence.org/, something I happened to Google. If you're even remotely interested in the subject this may be of interest.

And what else on my vacation? Work on the bath room, the rec room and the ham shack...in that order. I have my marching orders, honey-do list, whatever, but will also be doing some radio work and reading. After all it is vacation.

Tick tick tick...

trying again and will succeed

After 30 years I am quitting smoking...again.

In the immortal words of Bullwinkle "This time for sure".

Wish me luck.

Update one: I didn't make it totally but managed to cut down to two packs a week. Vacation coming, will try again.

mary travers peter, paul and mary

Mary Travers died yesterday. When I heard the news I had to pull my car over it was that upsetting. I have literaly grown up with the group Peter Paul and Mary, the group being formed in 1961. Altho I have always enjoyed the group, growing up with "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane", never have I truly loved the group more than their 25th anniversary reunion concert; the group was as great and together as always but Mary's voice shone so bright and was so controlled and powerful it reached from one end of the theatre to the other...it was incredible and I found not only new respect for the group but starting purchasing their albums in earnest. With computer I even would check their website from time to time.

Mary Travers suffered in the last years from leukemia and through this she still remained strong and performed when she was able. Last evening she finally lost her fight with cancer but was brave to the end. She, as well as Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey, stood at the forefront of the civil rights movement and their performances of "If I had a Hammer" and especially "Blwin' in the Wind" stand as a testament to that time. They were instrumental in bringing the likes of John Denver, Laura Nyro and Bob Dylan to a new audience and it is also a testament to the group itself to have lasted almost 50 years and at least 3 generations, possibly 4.

A voice has been stilled but a spirit has not...Mary Travers may you rest in peace and your voice still be strong in the choir eternal.

Snackbar Confidential

I was fortunate to find that another one of my favorite fanzines now has a blog. Snackbar Confidential is a cut-and-paste/xerox operation I found through the pages of (the now defunct) Psychotronic magazine and have been enjoying for a few years. Lance Laurie is an artist by trade and has been self-publishing this fanzine using old newspaper clippings; sometimes the clippings have comments by the author, sometimes they stand alone, but the finsihed product says something about our past and our culture, no matter how odd or memorable (or both!) This magazine is not for everyone but I must say I enjoy seeing ads from my past, everything from drive-ins to old snack-pack ads to funny face drink mix to, dare I say, Vicki Lawrence! An enjoyable and often funny trip down memory lane and the comments are very often funny, sort of sub-concious freudian slips.

Check out http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/ for the blog

Seems everyone is using Blogspot now-adays (to hell with Facebook and Twiter, down with Myspace!) Check this one out: http://jedaniels-adventures.blogspot.com/, new information to me from my friends in the Yesteryearland Yahoo Group and another site about animation, cartoons and nostalgia