Longing for the day ...

Microsoft not copying Mac? What's new?

This is classic. A NYT columnist shows why the Microsoft have NOT blatantly ripped off Mac OS X ideas in making their new Windows Vista system:

I'm glad he says it's "much more secure" than previous Windows releases. It needed to be. Thanks to my good friends on the Musicthoughts e-mail list.

12 Good Bars and True

Just yesterday I was listening to ZZTop and thinking about how over-complicated music can get - as opposed to their predominantly simple but effective take on it. Today I am going down to the local club to jam with the boys and we will probably play a lot of basic stuff, so I was thinking about how great the basic 12-bar blues is and how much I miss it when I get to playing too much complicated pop stuff. So I wondered how the blues would feel about people leaving them all the time and then returning. The idea of being put on trial by the blues popped into my head and the expression "12 good men and true" referring to the jury arrived ... this song followed. This is the first draft - the morning after. Midi file here. Of course, the joke is that this is not a 12-bar ...

Update: If you feel generous you can now buy the version of this song released on The Genre Benders' debut CD "I am leaving! I am leaving!" from iTunes, or GroupieTunes, or Payplay.FM. If you have a different favourite online store, search for it there and if it's not there, let me know so I can put it there.

12 good bars and true

A7
Please Lord, hear my confession. My heart is on parole
D7
I been stuck for days where the devil plays
And the music ain’t got no soul
A7
Well I bled while I earned.
And I've returned.
Back to the sound that’s blue.
E7 D7 A7 E7
Now my soul’s on trial before 12 good bars and true.

Now I am just a minstrel I got to make ends meet.
But they took me down to some hole in the ground
With an unrelenting beat.
Well the ladies looked fine.
I drank fancy moonshine.
Played the best I could do.
But I couldn’t wait to get back again to those 12 good bars and true.

Well my friend got some fancy axes. They make some pretty sounds.
They got horns and strings and mighty strange things.
Make your blood run like hellish hounds.
He takes out his toys when he plays with the boys.
But I say “No, No. Here’s what you do.
"Just give those three magic chords, man. Play those 12 good bars and true".

********************************

Please note: This song is APRA registered: Work Id GW35065819; ISWC T-060895776-1. You can copy, reproduce and distribute any part of these lyrics and chords for any non-commercial purpose as long as you acknowledge its source. I'm interested in your feedback, comments, suggestions. If you make something good out of it, let me know and I'll consider adding it to the site.

If you perform it or broadcast it for any purpose, please let APRA know.





License this music for commercial use through Pump Audio









This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License

The day of many Kates

Saturday was interesting. We went into the City for a bit of a day out. First we had a great feed at the Pancake Manor in Charlotte Street - always good value. Then we walked down the hill to Archive's Fine Books, where we spent an hour or so looking at things we really couldn't afford - though Angie got some beauties about the history of childbirth practices (her thesis topic).

When we left there, Angie and the kids went to Borders Bookstore, while I went in search of a Sanity music store to use up my Christmas present voucher. It took me a long time to find, but I eventually (with the help of an Internet cafe) found the Sanity in Queen's Plaza. Fortunately, they were having the biggest sale ever, so I got 3 CDs for $30. Also, on my journey, I saw a Mall performance by Kate Miller Heidke, which was lovely. Wish I could have stayed for more.

But it was when I returned to Borders that things got really unusual. When I got to the children's section, I looked at this rather pretty young woman and thought "Gee, you look like that movie star ..." (whose name I couldn't remember). When I mentioned this to Angie, she said "that's who it is, Kate Hudson!" Sure enough, it was her - being lovely to my daughter Katie. Apparently, Katie had joined in while Kate read her son Ryder called "Who's in the Loo?", so Kate read it to Katie and then discussed Australian children's authors with Angie, who couldn't remember who she was, either.

After Angie realised, we agreed to buy the book and ask Kate if she'd sign it for Katie as a souvenir of this wonderful mother-to-mother moment, which she did. She was so nice and we tried to be discreet - I don't know that anyone else in the store had a clue - they certainly didn't make a fuss. I'm a big fan of "Almost Famous", which was the movie that put Kate on the map - she won a Golden Globe (Best Supporting Actress) for it. I actually first got it out because I love Noah Taylor's work ... but it is the best Rock N Roll movie ever. By coincidence, I had the DVD in my player when I met her.

So, that was my day of make Kates: Katie my daughter, Kate Miller-Heidke the singer and Kate Hudson the movie star. I feel like a bit of a gusher but I just had to share this experience.

Update: apparently Kate was in town to see Jet at the Big Day Out - taking a break from filming up north. How lovely of her.

Van Halen gets a gong!

Just got the news that Van Halen are to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Now, I'm not a fan of the Hall of Fame - too much cronyism and wankery associated with it - but if ever there was an act I think should go in there, it's those boys ...

Even better, it appears that both main lead singers, David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, will be added. I know that will cause a lot of controvresy and a lot of people prefer one or the other, but I love 'em both and think they should all be in there ... but then, Sammy's description of the event as an "ego-fest" is probably extremely accurate. It would be awesome if they all performed together ...

[tremble]

Could Koopa be the first?

In my thesis research so far I have been at pains to distinguish between music that has become popular of its own - via the network of fans and so on - and music that has become popular because a large, established company has gotten behind it and given it a good, old-fashioned push with deep advertising pockets. So far, that claim has been made that acts like The Arctic Monkeys, Sandi Thom, and MC Lars are in the former category but a quick scratch of their history shows that are in the latter. For example, MC Lars has the same management as Avril Lavigne and Barenaked Ladies, and that particular (Canadian) firm, Nettwerk, is brilliant at these kinds of promotions. They absolutely lead the field (I wanna interview them).

Tha latest act thrown up by the mainstream press is Koopa. A bunch of likely lads from Colchester, who are beneficiaries of a change in charting policy that includes all legitimate downloads as sales. They have enetered the UK top 40 since January 1. Could they be the first to have "made it" onto the charts without major promotional support?

A quick perusal of their website does not inspire me with coinfidence. It's far too slick and well-produced to have been made on the cheap by a band. The "E-teams", merchandise and the image manipulation is a giveaway that someone is driving a marketing strategy that's very advanced and probably quite expensive ... not that that's a bad thing, just that it's evidence that, even if it's not a recognised major label, someone with deep pockets is backing these guys. Also, the technical sophistication of knowing that your audience is buying on mobile phones rather than download sites indicates some serious planning and organisation ... advertising on the site ...

Their first release had a chart position ... but then, the songs on MySpace definitely sound Indie. Certainly, someone's been making connections on their behalf - songs on a Football compilation, placement in the BBC ... but then, that's what good business is about, not necessarily the preserve of deep-pocketed fraudsters. Either they've done it very well or ... it's much harder to judge when I can't hear the single ...

They credit many years of gigging hard. Anyway, if it isn't genuine, they're going to a lot of trouble to disguise the fact - no contacts or details about management, etc (not that that's unusual) ... let's hope it is and that they get the awards they're nominated for. It's only a matter of time until someone gets there ...

Great stuff!

Wish I'd known about these guys before. Bob Lefsetz used this song to make a point in one of his diatribes, and it's a ripper! Have to try and find the video and/or DVD.

There are some other Three Dog Night videos on Youtube nearby, but they're not as good ...

An unhappy withdrawal.

Just had to pull out of the NTRA tour to NZ. Bummer!

The problem is mainly with my knee, which is just not healing fast enough to allow me to go. I also have Plantar Fasciitis in both feet, which puts strain on the knee. The only real solution is some rest and therapy, so I'll take the winter season off and try again (maybe) next year.

But it's a major downer ... I was really looking forward to the trip.

Ten things losers do on MySpace

My MySpace friend Rosie sent me this rant, which I thought very apt and quite funny. She said I could republish it, in fact requested that it be repubished, so here it is:

TEN THINGS LOSERS DO ON MY SPACE!!!!

ONE

There is NO SUCH THING as a myspace tracker. It does NOT exist. so quit posting stupid bulletins like

"OH-MY-GOD this WORKS!!!"

NO, it doesnt.

TWO

To the people who have like 25,000 friends, are you serious? You're stupid. Go play in traffic.

THREE

Don't ever post pictures and say

"OMG, I'm so ugly"
"OMG, I'm so fat"

because if you were, you wouldn't post them. And if u do ur a freaking mongoloid.

FOUR

Nobody cares about threats over the internet. Don't try to act hardcore with the keyboard. Fighting online is like racing in the special olympics; even if you win, you're still retarded.

FIVE

Quit crying b/c you're not on someone's top 8. who cares?

ITS MYSPACE!!!

SIX

Who really cares if I don't accept you as a friend? MOVE ON!!!

Don't send me another request or message asking "what's up with you not adding me?"

I don't want you as a friend, that's what's up!!!

SEVEN

Little 6th grader girls who have MySpace and look like sluts, and act like whores go somewhere else because nobody wants you here.

And Parents, quit blaming myspace for your kid being a hooker, she was a whore before MySpace, and she'd be a whore without it! What does that say about your parenting skills? Think about it!

EIGHT

If you have decided to read this, you are a true MySpace Friend. Real friends read their bulletins.

NINE

I say you go and pass this on and maybe it will finally get through people's brains

TEN

And if you open a bulletin and it says something like "repost this in 100 seconds or a ghost will rape your dog tonight,or some dead skinless girl is gonna rape your mom"

QUIT BEING DUMB!!

Well done, thanks, seeya

Warnie, Pidgeon, JL, Marto, thanks! It's been a pleasure to watch you compete on the international stage and I wish you all the best for your respective futures.

To the cricket team re the whitewash of England: well done, boys. Couldn't have asked for a better result. Don't expect it to happen next time. England will learn, improve and be tougher next time, just as they did in the Rugby World Cup between 1999 and 2003. They've turned up at least 2 absolutely world-class players in Kevin Pietersen and Monty Panesar, and those guys will be even better next time we meet them. I'm sure the entire team will benefit from their improvement ...

Let's hope Warney can now stay out of the headlines. Bring on the one-dayers ....