OK, I Don't Hate New York Anymore

Having just returned, I had many of my prejudged notions confirmed (Yankees fans are everywhere and obnoxious as hell) and dispelled (New Yorkers are actually a very friendly lot). Purpose of the trip is explained over at my other blog.

And you know how when Beatles fans go to London, they can't resist taking a picture of themselves in that famous crosswalk, mimicking the Abbey Road album cover? I did the same on St. Mark's Place in homage to a far better album. (Get over it, Beatles freaks. I'm right and you know it.)

Forget Those Pictures From the Front Row

Go backstage instead.
Watch Ross Halfin's blog (or "Diary" as he insists on calling it) for what will surely be the best images from the recent Zeppelin thing in London. Halfin likes to mention every other day or so that he, "Went to Nobu with Jimmy," or "Was in Tokyo guitar shopping with Jimmy," so you knew the guy was going to have access.

Never have so many rock journalists (and wannnabe rock journalists) pissed themselves in fawning glee over a concert. I'm sure it was good, but I get the feeling Page could've played a kazoo and made many of these sycophantic writers drool in worship.

They Give Us Those Nice Bright Colors

The traditionalists, Ross Halfin among them, decry the advance of digital photography because, "It's about taking photos, not fucking around on a laptop and putting any old shit out and claiming you're a photographer... any idiot with a digital camera thinks they're a photographer."

I would agree that it is much harder to take a good photograph on film. Having played with film all of my life and now using digital, I prefer digital. I'm still learning. I'm not claiming to be a photographer, but I do enjoy "fucking around on a laptop and putting any old shit out."

These are from the weekend. The first is when I happened upon the Fighting Pink Shirts vs. the Illegal Immigrant Brits in a local soccer match. I like the action of the cleat to the groin - and the motorcycle in the parking lot in the background.

The second is just a nice contrast. When you envision Zep-Heads in the park, you don't generally picture them reading "Smart Money."

(Click 'em - they get bigger)

What Is and What Should Never Be

But I guess everyone does a comeback sooner or later. Don't you know these tickets will go for serious, serious money.

The difference here is that proceeds go to charity. Unlike say, what's his name, the bottle blonde, single-moniker guy? What a bee does. Rhymes with "cha-ching."

New York City - Just Like I Pictured It

The collective Google Street View People are hard at play, finding the obscure, the cool, the weird and the unexpected.

I found this one pretty interesting. I'll bet on any given day you can spot the out-of-town stoner pilgrims having their pictures taken here, much like at the Abbey Road crosswalk.

Bonus Trivia: The building is also featured in this Stones video.

Pat's In a Metal Mood

I was over at Fred Leo's Hands Across the Porch, where he embedded the classic Shatner Rocket Man interpretation. ("Classic" to those of us who admire The Shat's limitless talents.)

And well, you know how the Internet works. One things leads to another and another and eventually you stumble upon some accidental gold you'd never seen before. Like Pat Boone's "In a Metal Mood - No More Mr. Nice Guy." (And you thought Hasselhoff had cornered the market on horrific cheese.)

This thing is apparently 10 years old, but it'd still make a great gag gift for the Heavy Metallurgist in your life. Which is sort of sad, because I'll bet Pat recorded this in utter sincerity. Looks like he got help from some well-known names during recording.

Here's an audio montage of samples of Pat doing Stairway to Heaven, Smoke on the Water, and The Wind Cries Mary. He also covers some GNR, AC/DC and Ozzy on the album.

Enjoy responsibly.




Buy this gem.