Movies (and The Red Dress)

 Howdy folks, I hope all is well on this final day of March.

In remembering Richard Chamberlain, whose death was reported yesterday, columnists have noted his iconic role as TV's "Dr. Kildare", and his performances in two of the most popular mini-series of all time,"Shogun" and "The Thorn Birds", but no one has mentioned "The Last Wave"(1978), the Peter Weir film that introduced me to Art House Cinema and made me a Chamberlain fan in the bargain. He plays an Australian lawyer defending an Aborigine man (David Gulpalil) in a murder trial. This movie was a mindblower, especially as it deviates into existential territory. While Chamberlain searches for evidence to exonerate his client, he learns about the Aboriginal belief in the Dream Life, and untimately discovers that an apocalyptic tidal wave is coming to sweep the earth and that he is their chosen god. It's an amazing movie, full of symbolism, and it blew our teenaged minds (me and Pat Forducci), so much that in 1980, when Chamberlain was announced to star in a stage play called "Fathers and Sons" in Beverly Hills, we bought tickets to see him live. I didn't follow everything he did, but his legendary status was established, for me, just from this one movie. I saw Chamberlain onstage again in 2012, in "The Exorcist" (with Brooke Shields!) at the Geffen Theater. I saw that play twice and sat front row center. Richard Chamberlain was 78 then but looked great and delivered a strong performance as Father Merrin. As Dr. Kildare, he went all the way back to my earliest childhood memories. All of that is enough to cement him as one of the greats, but I was surprised that none of the obits mentioned "The Last Wave". The scribes didn't do their homework. Anyway, see it if you never have, and God Bless Richard Chamberlain. 

Last week, I returned to the CSUN Cinematheque for the first time in 6 years to see Luis Bunuel's "Tristana"(1970) starring Fernando Rey and Catherine Denueve. I was alerted to the screening by Grimsley. We actually did a Bunuel retrospective with Professor Tim in 2011, so I saw the film back then, but a refresher course was in order after 14 years, and it was hosted by the same lady who took over after Tim was forced out as head of the Cinematheque in Spring 2018 due to the University's Woke policies. I attended a handful of screenings after that, in Fall 2018 and Spring 2019, but the Cinematheque was a shell of it's former self and I lost interest. It just wasn't the same without the Professor and all The Regulars in the first two rows. Tim's version of the Cinematheque even got written up in the Daily News and people attended from all over Los Angeles. The theater was always full (I was there every Thursday night for nine years), and when the University shut us down (likely because Tim was a white male), I told him, "this is the greatest movie club there ever was. Even UCLA doesn't have this". He was our own Siskel & Ebert, he knew his movies, and he was personable, but Woke took him out.

The lady who took over is very good, and certainly knows her stuff, but it wasn't the same in 2019 when I last attended (she got shut down for three years by Covid) and it's not the same now, audience-wise. There were only about 25 people there for "Tristana", but the film was tremendous, and they had guest speakers from the Bunuel Film Institute afterwards, so the effort is being made, and again, the new lady is very good.

If you've never seen a Luis Bunuel film, "Tristana" is a good place to start, as it follows a fairly conventional storyline. Or, you can dive right in to one of his more Surrealist efforts like "L'Age d'Or", or the short film "Un Chien Andalou", which influenced David Lynch...

It's all movies this week: on Saturday night I watched a great seafaring flick called "Damn the Defiant"(1962), which explores the same themes as "Mutiny on the Bounty". A British warship is off to Corsica to prevent Napoleon from entering Italy. Alec Guiness plays the fair-minded captain, Dirk Bogarde the upstart first officer. Bogarde was an incredible actor, and not unlike Richard Chamberlain in that, as a young man, he was cast in "pretty boy" roles but later went the Art House route. Burly Anthony Quale plays the leader of the midshipmen, who are "pressed" into military service. Marines and officers go into town and roust civilian males out of taverns and restaurants, and literally force them to sea, to fight against the French. Right away, Dirk Bogarde starts trying to take over the ship, to run it with an iron fist because he disapproves of Guiness's leniency. Much time is spent on the punishment of the men, over infractions like refusing to eat maggot-ridden bread. There are tremendous battle scenes (no CGI in 1962) with real wooden sailing ships, and a final showstopper involving a "fireship", something I'd never heard of that I'll leave you to discover for yourself. I'm surprised this film is not more well known because it's got it all - great story, world class acting, action, ship-to-ship cannon warfare, mutiny, and I have to make an aside here to remind you of the Four Prototypes (prerequisites) for all Star Trek episodes: 1) Jim has to have a romance 2) Sulu has to go crazy 3) Mr. Checkov has to disobey orders, and 4) Spock has to mutiny and/or fight Jim Kirk. At least one of those things happened in every episode, and if Spock was in this movie, the midshipmen would've gone through with the mutiny. If you like classic maritime movies like "Captain Blood" or "The Caine Mutiny", you'll like "Damn the Defiant", available on Tubi.

I also watched Liam Neeson in "The Marksman"(2021), doing what he does best: Vengeance in Protecting the Vulnerable. This time, he's an aging, widowed ex-Marine whose Arizona ranch is about to be foreclosed. Thus, he has Nothing Left To Lose when he unexpectedly becomes the guardian of a young Mexican boy who is sought by the ruthless and unstoppable leader of a cartel, a shaven-headed perpetually angry Man of Much Machismo. It's good stuff in the vein of "Death Wish", where bad guys get what is coming to them. 

Thanks to Tubi I finally saw "The Falcon and the Snowman"(1985), 40 years after it was released. I remember at the time that Pat Forducchenburger mentioned it with reference to Christopher Boyce because (I think) his brother worked at TRW. At any rate, a very good movie, no one did spy thrillers better than John Schlesinger, and Sean Penn was great before he got all sanctimonious. He's very good here, doing a Spicoli spinoff. 

Finally, I watched (also on Tubi) a documentary recreating the Tenerife Airport Disaster of 1977 (the worst in aviation history). Grim stuff. That one and Cerritos 1986...

To Elizabeth (if she's reading which I doubt): I want her to look at the Facebook page of Romany Gilmour, daughter of David. Romany is coming into her own as an artist, having sung and played harp on her dad's latest album, but for you Elizabeth, I want you to take note of the some recent photographs she has posted on her Facebook. Notice anything familiar? Like a Red Dress, perhaps? And in natural settings? I mean, omg, right? Hey Elizabeth...you invented the Red Dress motif! And we long ago announced that your photographic series was a monumental achievement. I've long been a champion of those portraits, and now Romany Gilmour is using the Red Dress also. She is a nice and very talented young woman (I saw her with her dad last October at the Hollywood Bowl), but the thing is, perhaps the universe has caught up with your achievement and another young woman has now unconsciously emulated it. Who knows. But though there are now two Red Dress ladies, there is still only one Original, and that's you. You created a photo series that will stand the test of time, and now Romany Gilmour, the daughter of one of the greatest musicians and songwriters who ever lived, has copied it. I'd say that's pretty cool... 

That's all for today. Back soon with more, happy April, tons of love.

King's X at The Canyon and The Whisky

Hi folks and Happy Spring. Well, it was a mega weekend with King's X, first at The Canyon in Agoura Hills on Friday night (March 21) and then again on Sunday (March 23) at the world famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip. I've been a fan of KX since Summer 1989 when I heard "Gretchen Goes to Nebraska," and I first saw them live in 1992 at The Fonda, so it's amazing all these years later that they're not only Still Bringin' It, but with more vitality than ever. As Doug said at The Canyon, "We're gonna kick your ass"...

I always like to give you the full rundown, and on Friday I rode to the venue with Grimsley. The joint was packed, as are all KX shows now that they've attained Elder Statesman status. They hadn't played LA since 2018 (!), pre-pandemic, but from 2000 until then, I saw KX apprx. every one to two years. I've seen them 12-15 times in all, so they are creeping up on "bands & artists I've seen the most times" territory: Todd Rundgren 15, Van Halen 18, Hilary Hahn 23, and Rush 32 (which is probably unsurpassable).

I'd guess the guys have played at least 1000 gigs in their 40 year career, yet Doug's only concession to age (74) is a small oxygen can he inhaled from after many songs. Jerry, at 67, has gotta be The Bionic Man. Besides being an incredible drummer, he pounds the skins with more force than anyone since John Bonham. At The Canyon, if you have general admission you stand behind tables. It's a dinner club, but you're still only 25 feet from the stage, and I was dead center with a clear sightline. It's difficult, if not pointless, to use superlatives to describe a live performance, so I won't say it was awesome or amazing - but it was the best performance I've seen King's X give in four decades of attending their shows, and the thing is, they're always great anyway. This time, though, there was something extra, and they may be reinvigorated by having a semi-new album out (2022), from which they played 8 songs. But the main thing with King's X - and this is why people love them - is that they don't give a flying F about anything but their music, and - being elder statesmen, and knowing that real musicianship is a lost art, and being the last of the great power trios, they are up there flaunting their legacy, and God Bless them. They may never have attained the superstardom that was predicted for them in Kerrang, but they know they are regarded as legends by bands that did acheive that level of success: Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam. Imagine a band that not only redefined heavy rock but added Beatle elements and topped off their sound with progressive touches, and whose collective age is well over 200 years old, kicking Major League Bootation in 2025.

My goodness. 

For the Whisky show, I took my recently-patented bus/subway combo, including the Orange Line, which takes me down Lilly's old street...(ahh, the sweet nostalgia). I got to the Strip a mite early and walked down Sunset and back until near showtime, entering the club at 8:45. KX took the stage at 9. The Whisky is a sardine can when full, and it's been scientifically proven that if you are 5' 9" there will always be Giants in front of you at concerts, but like any scientific fact there are always exceptions to the rule and I found a spot off to the right side, directly in front of Ty Tabor, with no one blocking my view, and as a bonus I got the guitar sound coming straight out of Ty's Orange amps. He's playing a Les Paul Gold Top, and that pairing produced a monster sound....talk about The Brutalist, that flick should've been about Ty Tabor, or all of King's X. The Brutalists - plural! Watching them play, packed inside the Whisky, I also found myself thinking of all the other classic bands who've stood on that stage: The Doors, Alice Cooper, Cream, Yes, Jimi, Rush, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath...and many more. King's X belongs on that list of legends, and.......they know it. They aren't just great is what I'm trying to say - they're Cream great, Jimi great, DP great...and those bands would agree. They are the last power trio standing. 

Grimsley was at this show, too. He arrived separately and was trying to sell his ticket when I found him. I told him that was crazy, and he did sell it, but then he had second thoughts and bought another ticket at the box office right before the show started. I ended up riding back with him, and on Sunset we saw this sign: "Welcome to Beverly Hills. Drones in Use." Translation: "Don't Even Think About It, You Criminals!" I got a huge kick out of that. Hooray for BH.

That's about all for today. There are no other concerts on the horizon at the moment. Emperor is playing the Hollywood Palladium in May, with Agalloch opening, an incredible double-bill, but too expensive. 100 bucks? Fuggeddaboudit. I'll be back with a regular blog asap. Tons of love! 

"Green Parrots" Now Available in Softcover! (plus a bunch of movies & music)

Hey guys, my new book is now available in softcover! Just go to Lulu.com and enter "The Summer of Green Parrots" into their search window. It's priced at $19.60, quite affordable compared to the deluxe harcover edition. I'm happy to have all editions of both books in print now, after a three and a half year effort. It's been an amazing process, writing and publishing them, but I've had a blast and learned a lot and now I'm doing it again. Stay tuned for "2009" (not the actual title) coming in April 2026. 

I've got some brief reviews of the movies I've seen this week, starting with "Beach Red"(1967), a unique World War 2 film directed by actor Cornel Wilde that some IMDB commentors say was an influence on Terrence Malick and "The Thin Red Line". If so, I think it's the superior film despite it's cinematically unsophisticated use of still shots in flashbacks, and the somewhat hammy "inner dialogue" (thoughts) of the lead characters, and also the glaring artistic decision that caused Wilde to show the women in these domestic flashbacks in 1960s hairstyles, garb and attitude. That's why I say it's unique, but when you get down to the story and action, it's a typically intense battle flick veering from hard-core beach invasion scenes (aided by stock footage), to the two-man patrol it boils down to. Following the invasion (which must've influenced Spielberg and "Private Ryan") Burr DeBenning and Patrick Wolfe are sent on a recon mission to locate Japanese strongholds. Along the way, they face machine gun nests, poisonous snakes, booby traps and so on. Rip Torn plays a "kill 'em all" Marine.

DeBenning's performance is near-Supporting Actor quality. His name is no longer familiar but you've seen him in a million things. "Beach Red" is one of those movies that Tarantino is probably a fan of. I'd never heard of it but thought it was great, and if you don't mind the weird, dated 60's effects (the unnecessary zoom shots, the flute music in a war movie) you'll probably agree. Two Thumbs up for "Beach Red", available on Tubi.

Next up was "Stephen King's Thinner" (1996), again on Tubi. I remember this film getting panned upon release, though Robert John Burke was praised in the lead role. Anyhow, I liked it better than the critics did, though it was not scary in the least. It's more of a revenge flick. The best things were the pacing, acting, and the beautifully photographed New England locale. Definitely worth a view for King completeists. Watch for Daniel Von Bargen (with that gawdawful gravelly voice of his) in a small but horrific role. I actually sat through his ham-fisted and horribly ostentatious performance in Clive Barker's "Lord of Illusions" in 1995, which both of my parents walked out of. A terrible movie. Clive Barker was incredible in the late 80s and early 1990s, but went downhill quickly after that. But watch "Thinner" and better yet, read the book.

We also have "Thelma"(2024), which was recommended by Grimsley. I thought it would be a caregiver movie, and the opening scene gives that impression: an elderly woman at home with her grandson. Then she falls victim to a phone scam in which she loses ten grand, and at first, you think her grandson set her up. But that turns out not to be the case, and the filmmakers get kudos for avoiding cliches. It turns into a combination Road Movie/Caper Flick about Thelma's assertion of independence - at 95 - as she searches for the jerk who stole her money. And because all "road movies" require a sidekick, she gets a great one in the late Richard Roundtree whom she enlists because he has a mobility scooter. On their way to San Fernando, they run across some wonderfuly eccentric characters including a oddball named "Stary Gary", and a 100 year old lady who lives alone with her roaches. The writing and photography will make this film a cult classic, especially when the duo find the guy behind the theft. He represents the real theme of the film: the massive changeover of the electronic age, which has phased out the culture of our elder generations and ushered in the apathy of the Millenials and especially Gen Z, which is represented by the blank face of the bad guy's accomplice. He has no moral fiber, no backbone, his mantra's "whatever", but he sure is an ace on computers. The film's other message is that Old People Rule. That's the punch line here. Old Folks should not be discarded. This movie is a 10/10 for me.  

Finally, we have "The Odessa File"(1974), a classic espionage thriller starring Jon Voight as a Nazi-hunting journalist in Germany 1963, right after the JFK assassination. He infiltrates a secret group of war criminals who've escaped capture all these years, to locate a former concentration camp commandant (played by the great Maximillian Schell). Question: why won't Angelina talk to her dad? I think it's terrible that they're still estranged, but I'm glad Trump named Jon Voight as an honorary Ambassador to Hollywood. Hollywood is toast, folks. No one watched the Academy Awards. No one saw the nominated movies. Woke has destroyed Oscar, but the good thing is that woke is almost toast. The new "Snow White" has bombed. MSNBC is gonna go out of business...

C'mon, Angelina. Call your Dad.

In music, I'm listening to "The Overview" by Steven Wilson. It's been touted as his "return to Prog", which is a good thing because I didn't care for his last three electronica-and-pop based albums. "Overview" is a concept album about an astronaut's view of Earth from space. It's made up of two long pieces, 23 and 18 minutes, and while the music is sonically dazzling (incredible on headphones), it isn't song-oriented and thus doesn't have a lot of hooks that grab you. It's almost like one of those Hawkwind space rock albums from the 70s, where the whole side of a record is one big jam, except that Wilson is more harmonically talented and technically adept than a band like Hawkwind. Still, this is his Space Jam album, and it's really good. Featuring Randy McStine on guitar, who used to be a part of our King's X chat board about 15 to 20 years ago when he was a teenager. I remember him asking me about bands like Roxy Music and Be Bop Deluxe. Now he plays for Steven Wilson...my goodness.

Speaking of King's X, I'll be going to see them on Friday at The Canyon in Agoura. I'll be back with a full review of that concert (hopefully this weekend), so stay tuned and thanks for reading.

Tons of love as always!

Alcest at The Fonda Theater (March 5, 2025)

Hey guys, here's a quick Alcest review for ya: T'was a killer show. What else would you expect from Neige & co., right? I went by myself and took public transpo for the third consecutive concert, the other two being David Gilmour at The Bowl last October, and Sixpence in December at The Troub. Alcest played The Fonda, and getting there was again a piece of cake, the only difference being that it was raining this time, but not hard, and other than that, I had a smooth trip both ways - the 240 down Reseda Boogalord to the Orange Line at Reseda and Oxnard. Orange Line to the NoHo Metro Station. Subway from NoHo to Hollywood & Vine. Two buses, one tube. Good connections, easy ride. And get this: my total round trip cost? $1.45.

Senior fare at off-peak hours, baby!

So yeah, there's no reason to hassle the drive, gas and parking to Hollywood or DTLA, especially for shows at The Fonda. The Hollywood/Vine Metro Station is one block away.

I got there around 8:30. The opening band Mono was playing, a Japanese four piece. Their music is all instrumental and not unlike the crescendoing soundscapes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor; each song has a theme that builds dynamically and repeats until the climax; a veritable sonic whirlwind. They were quite good. Neige (of Alcest) later remarked that this was his favorite tour lineup yet. I caught most of Mono's 45 minute set. The Fonda's awesome stage crew had Alcest ready to roll at 9:30. The band has two official members, mastermind Neige (Stephane Paut) on guitar and lead vocals, and Winterhalter (Jean Deflandre) on drums. They record all the music, Neige writes it all. The other two touring members are Zero (Pierre Corson) on second guitar and backing vocals, and Indria Saray on bass. Both have been on board for every Alcest show I've seen, six "in toto" (your little dog, too!), starting with the Troubadour in October 2011. I can still picture myself driving down Santa Monica Bl. that night in my old Nissan Sentra, looking for a place to park, so excited to see this new band I'd just discovered. The line was around the corner, the show a triple bill: Junius opened, then Alcest played a 40 minute set, followed by the headliner Enslaved. I was only there for Alcest, who I learned of from a Youtube recommendation that Summer. Four months after The Troub show came their next album, "Les Voyages de L'ame", and that was when...(drum roll, please)...I met Elizabeth. Online, of course. Sometime around February 2012, I saw her video (a piano cover of Alcest's "Autre Temps") and the rest was history. She probably hasn't read this blog in eons, but just in case:

Elizabeth, I hope you are going to see Alcest in Chicago on March 18. If there's anyone who has to see them, it's you. You will always be an Artist with a Capital A, and I hope you are still Doing What You Do and enjoying life. 

I got lucky and found a balcony seat, which was perfect because the floor was a sardine can and my seat was directly in front of Neige. This was the loudest I've ever seen them, powered by Winterhalter who absolutely pummeled his drums. It's like World War Three up there sometimes when all four members are playing full-bore and Neige is screaming the lyrics, but then come breaks of crystalline beauty and the guitars sound like droplets on a lake. But yeah, when Neige goes into Screaming Mode, it's brutal and strangely appealing. There are plenty of Black Metal "growlers", but he's the only guy who screams like that.

They had a Miyzakian split-level stage design: a full moon backdrop with two large, sculpted Herons strategically placed. A ceramic pot of cherry blossoms completes the Feng Shui. Neige mostly played his trademark white Fender Tornado (I thought it was a Jaguar but stand corrected), and he also had a black Fender Jazzmaster, the first time I've seen him switch guitars. He's interesting in that he never plays a traditional solo. It's all about the song, but at every show I've been to, I'm amazed by the intricacy of his chording. 

Another Alcest trademark: super long hair on Neige and Zero, coupled with humble demeanor. Who says the French don't rock? That may have been true in the old days but not anymore. They played 90 minutes, mostly songs from the new album "Les Chants de l'aurore", which is (somewhat) a return to the dreamier sound of "Les Voyages" from 2012. I say "somewhat" because it still has it's dark moments, but for the blackest metal Alcest, you want "Kodama" and especially "Spiritual Instinct". One small quibble with the venue: the drums and bass were so loud at this high-decibel show that some of the mid-range guitar voicings were lost in the mix. Overall, though, a 10 out of 10. There's nothing like Alcest music. The encore was "Autre Temps".

Hey Elizabeth: Agalloch are also coming up, in May, opening for Emperor! Are you going to that show? I wanna go, but it's a hundred bucks, which awakens my inner George Bush:

"Not gunna doit. Wouldn't be prudent".

Well, anyhow...

That's my review. Thanks for reading. I'll be back with a regular blog as quickly as I can.

March 4, 2025 (two movies & Badfinger)

Hi folks. As usual, I'm running behind on the blog, so thanks for sticking with me. I do have a couple movies this time. While browsing Tubi the other night, I came across an action flick called "The Package", which caught my eye not only because it stars Gene Hackman, but also because it marks an important occasion in my life. Lilly and I saw it, at the late, great Pacific Northridge Theater on Sunday August 27, 1989, two days after it opened. It was the last movie we saw before September 1st of that year, which of course was the start of What Happened in Northridge (at least in the old-school timespan of that event). On the occasion of our movie date, I wasn't focused on the film, and though I tried to follow the plot, my mind was elsewhere - thus I didn't get a chance to really enjoy it.

So when I saw it was available on Tubi, I watched it right away, not only to honor Gene Hackman, but also to honor me and Lilly. This time, I was able to relax and enjoy the movie - a classic, Cold War action thriller hinging on a political assassination, and it struck me how apt the whole thing was (besides being a very good movie, directed by Andrew Davis of "The Fugitive" fame). It was apt because Communism collapsed a little over two months later when the Berlin Wall came down on November 9, and - because What Happened in Northridge has been my life's study since 1993 - I have long suspected (and have concluded) that the collapse of Communism, which began on November 9, 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall, was directly related to what happened in Northridge, California in September 1989.

Does that sound like an exaggeration? It isn't.

In fact, I'll repeat it. The collapse of Communism, initiated and signified by the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, was a direct result of the event I call "What Happened in Northridge", which had concluded a little over two months earlier in late September 1989. I won't say that Communism collapsed entirely due to "Northridge", but without a doubt it was the final and substantial nail in the coffin.

I happen to know this is true. It's not for nothing that I say What Happened in Northridge is the biggest secret in America. The only possible bigger secret is What Happened at Lorne Street School in 1965. That event involves strange electronics and physics (watch the end of Spielberg's "AI", one of the most profound films ever made), and so "Northridge" is easier to delineate, but in the scheme of things, those two events are the Big Enchilada. Take note that I am not saying that "Northridge" was the worst tragedy, in the form of death and destruction. But it was horrific (among other things), and monumentally important in historical terms, and I am saying that it is, without a doubt, the most highly classified secret in the Secret Government Files, and that's enough intrigue for today. Give "The Package" a watch, for great performances by Gene Hackman and Tommy Lee Jones, and because they don't make action thrillers like this any more. 

Yesterday, I watched Badfinger videos after reading the news about guitarist Joey Molland's death. He was the last surviving member of the most tragic band in the history of rock n' roll. Many fans my age know about the suicides of Pete Ham and Tom Evans, caused by the financial ripoff of the band by their agent. Ham died in 1975; Evans in '83. I'd only ever heard Badfinger's legendary hit singles, all of which were as great as any Beatles song, and of course they were the first act signed to Apple, but I've just discovered that their albums contain tons of great tunes, marked by incandescent harmonies and hookish guitar and piano lines. When I was 10 and 11 years old, their radio hits created days-long earworms. As a band, they were tight as a drum, which can be seen in their live vids on Youtube. It's too bad they are known as much for their tragic tale as for their music, but check out Badfinger and watch their 30 minute BBC documentary also. 

Last evening, I finally watched "The Best Years of Our Lives"(1946), the legendary post-WW2 drama about about three servicemen coming home to face a changed society. The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor (and Teresa Wright should've won Best Supporting Actress), but the other thing about this movie (and I can't believe it's taken me this long to see it) is that my Mom did a promotional show for it when she was a radio host at WLW, then the biggest radio station in the world. Mom had a set of 8x10 b&w press shots showing her with all the film's stars: Frederic March, Myrna Loy, Harold Russell, Teresa Wright, Dana Andrews, and an autographed photo of Russell, a disabled vet who lost both his hands in a service-related accident. He became adept with prostheses (as shown in the movie), and won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar that year. These photos were in a scrapbook of Mom's. I wish I had them but they must've gotten lost over the years or perhaps were destroyed in the earthquake. Anyhow, the movie is every bit as great as it's legacy suggests, a true epic that captures the price of war. If you've never seen it, do.

Tomorrow night, I'm going to see Alcest in concert at The Fonda Theater in Hollywood. I'll report back with a full review as time allows, no later than this weekend. I'll also have the softcover version of "Green Parrots" uploaded and available at Lulu by March 15. Meanwhile, I'm hard at work on "2009" (not the actual title). If you were there (at the places and events of that year), I would love to interview you. If anyone is interested, let me know.

Thanks for reading. Tons of love as always.

Greenslade & Dave Lawson (and Tubi)

Hey everyone, I'm just checking in. I have a musical alert for you, a new prog discovery (or re-discovery): who remembers Greenslade? College Records had their albums in the racks. One or two had Roger Dean covers, which made you think of Yes, and they had not one but two featured keyboardists - Dave Greenslade, who gave the band its cool-sounding name and had formerly played with Colosseum, and the equally adept Dave Lawson, who came from a jazzier background. Greenslade didn't have guitar, it was keys all the way, and they had an awesome drummer and a functional bassist. I actually had their self-titled debut album and another one called "Time and Tide", fifty years ago.

So why haven't I ever mentioned Greenslade, in all my blogs about Prog? I've been asking myself a similar question: why didn't Greenslade catch my ear? I can't explain it. I mean, I've always loved keyboards. I even had jazz-fusiony records when I was fifteen, by groups like Passport, with lead saxophone yes, but also keys aplenty. So, I don't understand why Greenslade didn't stick with me, or for that matter with everyone at College Records. In any case, I now find them fantastic. Maybe I had to wait till I was (almost) 65 to "get" them. What happened was, I got a notion two days ago to Youtube me some Greenslade. Why them? Maybe I was seeking something new. But they were old, and I'd already apparently rejected them five decades ago, by the fact that I've never listened to or mentioned their music. However, I also think Pat Forducci may have had something to do with my sudden urge to Youtube the band...by nudging me from The Other Side. Pat was a Progmeister like myself. I can picture him whispering, "Dude...revisit Greenslade...".

I chose, from their four albums ,"Spyglass Guest", which actually went to #39 in America. And from the first note of the first tune, I was hooked! Again I wondered, "Why weren't these guys huge with the College Records gang?" I thought about it, and remembered the albums I had, and I recalled a "harsh" vocal style (which turned out to be from their debut album, the first one I bought). If you remember The Nice, or the one classic album by Refugee (which was The Nice with Patrick Moraz), the music was great, but you had to contend with Lee Jackson's harsh vocals. The same, I remembered, was true of the first Greenslade album. For some reason, Dave Lawson sang most of that record in some kind of "Court Jester" style, and to 15 year-old me (who was used to Greg Lake), it ruined the whole album. That's what being 15 will do to you, when you are listening to progressive rock. I could deal with some cartoonish British vocals in a Jethro Tull guest spot, but not from a lead singer in a band I'd just heard of. Thus, Greenslade (despite their bitchen album covers) went back into the wooden Orange Crate for LPs, never to be played again.

In retrospect, boy did I blow it! And so did Pat, and all the gang, because Greenslade should've caught on with us. 

Well, anyhow - to cut to the chase, my impulse to Youtube Greenslade resulted in me listening intently to "Spyglass Guest", all the way through, and in the comments I saw fans mentioning another Dave Lawson band called The Web, who had an album called "I Spider" in 1970. Seeing the cover triggered a memory of either having that album (perhaps way back in '77) or that Pat brought it to the house. And I not only remembered the cover, but the music as well, even though I probably only heard the album once or twice.

To sum up: Greenslade is my new (old) Prog (re)Discovery! Start with "Spyglass Guest", then go directly to "Bedside Manners Are Extra". Both are money-back-guaranteed great, and there are no harsh vocals to deal with. In fact, Dave Lawson has a pleasant Prog Voice, and the double-keyboard melodies are incredible. "Time and Tide" is also good. The only one that's chancy is the first album, and that's also good if you can deal with the vocals, but again...if you can handle Lee Jackson in Refugee (and you know you can) then Lawson's goofy style on this record won't trouble you as it did me all those years ago.

So, there's four Greenslade records for you. Also check out their live vids on Youtube (from The Old Grey Whistle Test), but wait!......there's more.

I told you about Dave Lawson's other band, The Web. Well, you absolutely have to hear "I Spider". It's one of those great, one-off progressive rock records that's long forgotten, except by those-in-the-know, who I was not among until yesterday. It's a 10/10 all the way, not a bad note or tune to be found - a classic, somewhat in the style of Supersister. The Web morphed into another Lawson project called Samurai. This record is a 10, as well. Hear it on Youtube. That gives you six new classic prog records to check out: four by Greenslade and the two side projects by Dave Lawson. Man...just when you think you've heard it all... 

On a visual note, you probably know about Tubi. I discovered it while searching for a live broadcast of the Super Bowl (hooray, Chiefs lost!) and over the last couple weeks, I've checked out a couple of their movies ("Firebase Gloria" and "The Dark Half") and also two Tubi serial killer documentaries under the heading "Evil Among Us". So far, I've watched the Green River Killer and L.A.'s Grim Sleeper, but the reason I'm mentioning Tubi is because of three other independent docs, all covering notable events. Like everyone else, I've been unnerved by the recent spate of plane crashes, starting with the terrible Black Hawk collision over the Potomac last month. I've watched every analysis I could find on Youtube (there's a guy named Jeff Ostroff who does excellent analyses of air disasters), and also for the medivac crash in Philly. Then, I saw that Tubi had an entire documentary on TWA Flight 800, which went down into the ocean off the coast of New York in July 1996.

If you remember that tragedy, many witnesses reported seeing a "missile" that appeared to explode the plane.

The documentary, made by Epix in 2013, leaves no doubt as to what happened. Watching it led me to another doc available on Tubi (for free): "A Noble Lie", about the 1995 OKC bombing. The writer of "A Noble Lie" is Wendy Painting, the same gal who wrote "Abberation in the Heartland of the Real", the definitive book on Timothy McVeigh and the whole OKC story. In my opinion, it is one of the ten most important books on major American terror events. I can't recommend it highly enough.

"A Noble Lie" led me to watch "9/11 Explosive Evidence - Experts Speak Out". This one (also on Tubi) consists of various architects, engineers and demolition experts talking about the collapse of Building 7, and also the Twin Towers.

You guys know that I don't buy the "official" story for any of these three events. Not with what I've been through in my life, but it's more than that, because even if I'd never had my own extensive experiences, I still wouldn't believe the government versions of these events, because - when properly analysed - they are all patently false.

For me, it starts with the obviously false story of Lee Harvey Oswald as the lone assassin of JFK. If they're gonna lie about that, they'll lie about anything, including RFK, MLK, OKC, Flight 800, 9/11, ad nauseum.

Something to remember about the latter three events (Flight 800, OKC and 9/11) is that they happened in a five year span. That's pretty close together. My whole point here is to highly recommend all three documentaries on these subjects. Check them out on Tubi.

I'm currently reading "The Rialto in Richmond" by Joseph P. Farrell. It's about the Lincoln assassination, the flight of Confederate President Jefferson Davis at the end of the war, and an enormous cache of missing gold. With Dr. Joe (an Oxford graduate), you always get the highest level narrative and, (as he calls it) "high octane speculation". All his books are highly recommended. 

And did someone say "books"? My proof copy of "Green Parrots" will be arriving tomorrow (oh boy!). I'm super excited to see what it looks like. I anticipate no formatting problems of the type I encountered the first time (with "Pearl the Wonder Girl"), and if it's "good to go", I'll be uploading an affordable softcover edition within the week. 

I'm also five chapters into the framework for "2009", which now has an actual title (but I can't reveal it).

Stay tuned and thanks for reading. Tons and tons of love.

My New Book is on Lulu.com!

 Well folks, it's official......(drum roll, please): My second book has been published on Lulu. It's called "The Summer of Green Parrots", and as previously noted it is primarily the story of me & Pearl, with the backdrop of my years as her caregiver. But it's also a whole lot more. To see the cover, go to Lulu.com and enter the title in their search engine. Now, here I need to give advance warning about the price. As I did with "Pearl the Wonder Girl", I designed the first edition of "Parrots" as a deluxe "linen wrap" hardcover, which comes with a dust jacket...the works. I wanted these editions mainly for myself, to have the nicest presentation of each book for my personal collection. With "Wonder Girl", I think Lulu's print price was something like 27 bucks (it was a 443 page book), so my "deluxe" hardcover copy cost me apprx. 35 dollars with shipping and tax. Obviously, I didn't expect anyone else to pay that much, so I put out a softcover edition for global distribution on Amazon and other websites. But even with that one, I had to charge 25 bucks, because - while the print cost was only $12-something - the "global distribution" cost from Lulu was over ten bucks! That brought my total cost for each book to apprx. 23 dollars. I wanted to make at least something on each book, so I set a 25 dollar price. That's a lot, I know. That's why I jokingly said "just think of it as two fast food meals. Skip those (just two) and you'll break even".

I'd have liked to charge around 15 to 20 bucks for "Pearl the Wonder Girl" (good value for a 443 page totally awesome book) but Lulu wouldn't let me. Once you desigate your book for "global distribution", it comes with a "lowest possible list price", and mine was the aforementioned 23 dollars. That was for "Pearl the Wonder Girl", softcover edition.

Well, get this: as noted, my first edition of "The Summer of Green Parrots" is once again the deluxe hardcover (because I wanted a fancy copy for myself). The print cost was 20 bucks & change. But when I designated it for "global distribution" (which gets you on Amazon), all of a sudden, the price was jacked up to 41 bucks! Double the print cost! It goes without saying that this is Totally Outregis Philbin. Nobody's gonna pay that and I don't expect 'em to. I don't know why it went up so much. "Parrots" is only 288 pages long, it has a lower print cost than "Wonder Girl", and yet the hardcover is nine dollars more than that book. What gives? I thought maybe it was due to Trump's tariffs, or Biden's inflation...

Heck, I don't know. My point is, it's embarassing to have such a high price put on my book, but it's not my doing. Not to worry, though, because I will soon have a softcover edition available (asap), and hopefully I can cut the price down to at least $25 bucks (remember, that's only two fast food meals!), so please hang in there if you are an interested reader. Thanks in advance for your patience.

But yeah, for now, you can go to Lulu.com and put "The Summer of Green Parrots" into the search window, so you can see what the book looks like. I did the cover myself, once again using Canva...

...and (drum roll again, please), because without missing a beat, I've already begun work on my third book, which has a "placeholder" title of "2009". I'm not sure what the actual title will be just yet, but I've got some ideas in mind. Whatever I end up calling it, I'm shooting for a release date of April 2026. Yeah, that's over a year away, but it will be worth the wait. This book is not gonna mess around.

Movies: watching the Vietnam Voices series on Youtube inspired me to watch "We Were Soldiers" again. I mentioned in the last blog that it was the overwhelming favorite of the veterans interviewed in that series. I saw it once previously, about 15 or 20 years ago (and didn't remember it), but this time it hit me full force. Now, I agree with the veterans: I think it's the greatest Vietnam War movie ever made. I read up on Colonel Hal Moore afterward (on whose book it was based), and I think Mel Gibson nailed his performance.

Last night, I watched another good one, recommended by Tarantino: "The Seige of Firebase Gloria".

Give both a watch, if you're in a Vietnam War mode.

I haven't listened to much music for the past week, because I've been proofing and formatting the book (which requires focus), but when it was done, and I got finally got it published (three years and four months after I started writing it), I put on a single, three and a half minute piece of music to celebrate and relax:

"Tennessee" by Hans Zimmer, from the Pearl Harbor soundtrack. If you've heard it, you know - it's one of the most beautiful things ever recorded; haunting, goosebump-inducing, tear-jerking, inspiring. But forget the descriptors, go listen to it and you won't be able to get it out of your head. I first heard it at Edwards Air Force Base during an F-15 demonstration.

Now back to work on "2009". Thanks for reading. Happy Valentines Day. Tons of love.