Tomorrow I begin my spring break. So, today, I have to pack and make sure everything is set here in Binghamton before the drive home tomorrow. Tonight will be busy. But, next week the lyricist section will be back up. I promise. I could not leave you all with no post today though. And, what better song to profile today than The Dark Side of the Mushroom.
Let me guess what some of you are thinking. Who are you and what have you done with my Pink Floyd? Well, please do not get to worried…or angry. “The Dark Side of the Mushroom (not moon)” is actually a 1967 song from the Chocolate Watch Band, a garage-rock band formed in San Jose, California. The song appeared on the album No Way Out which was released six years before Dark Side of the Moon. The song is a fantastic piece of psychedelia. It is exciting to hear early psychedelic songs; especially to this quality. The hook of this song is just genius and the haunting psychedelic fill is a remarkably fatidic melody. This band was doing psychedelia before it was cool and I give them so much credit for that.
Okay, let’s get the first order of business handled. The word is pronounced fuh-TID-ik. So, yeah, it is not what you are all thinking. Yet, still, I believe it is now my favorite word. Next time you want to mention that your friend made a rather prophetic statement when he foretold that you were going to procrastinate, instead say that it was a fatidic statement. Then, watch them get reasonably confused. Well, they should have read the blog.
Anyway, on to a musical example of the word fatidic. Denny Zagar and Rick Evans may have only had one hit song; but man was it a fatidic song. “In the Year 2525” was one-hit-wonder that warned people of the dangers of technology, spent six weeks as the #1 song on the Pop Chart in 1969. Well, maybe Zagar and Evans were on to something.
“You’ll pick your son
pick your daughter too
From the bottom of a long glass tube.
In the year seventyfiveten
If God’s a-coming he oughta make it by then”
We may not have to wait that long before selective breeding in humans is popular!?!
Fun Fact: The song was #1 when perhaps the greatest technological achievement of all time happened July 20, 1969. The Moon Landing.
I do not believe that I have ever posted two pieces of music news so far apart from each other on the music spectrum. But, there is a first for everything. So, without further ado, I present Ben Folds and the Fisherman’s Friends (that would actually be an awesome combination).
Ben Folds vs. Merlon the piano guy
There is a new Internet fad that has spread across cyberspace like a virus. It is called Chatroulette, and it enables any person throughout the world to randomly video chat with others. It is the perfect place to meet odd strangers. Some of these strangers decide to show a little too much of themselves on the video screen. And, when you get bored – or disgusted – you can simply disconnect and be brought to the next video conversation. A pianist known only as “Merlon” decided it would be a funny idea to melodically narrate the random people he encountered on Chatroulette. The video became viral and it is now well-known throughout the Internet community.
“Merlon’s Song”:
He looks a lot like Ben Folds. So much so that many people thought it actually was Folds in disguise. Heck, it is something the eccentric musician would do. On March 20, Folds performed his original version of Merlon’s idea at a concert in Charlotte, North Carolina. The end result was hilarious. Folds’ random serenading people was just great. Like usual, Folds was able to entertain a crowd in an unconventional manner. Here is his video below.
Well, I am moving to England and joining a band of Fishermen who sing sea shanties. This is my new career goal. The Fisherman’s Friends, a group of sailors from Cornwall, have signed with Universal Music for around one million pounds ($1.53 million dollars). A music executive, Rupert Christie, was listening to the group of 10 sailors perform at a local bar when he decided that they were worth the deal. The mariners, who have been performing for more than 15 years, are surprised about the deal. “We don’t really know what to expect, to be honest — we’re just making it up as we go along,” said fisherman Baritone Brown (great name).
This is the classic success story and I am so happy for these guys. Their music is great and they definitely deserve the deal. Take a listen to one of their songs:
After letting the poll for Best Album Name of All Time sit for over a week, the winner was the aptly titled Woke Up This Morning and Found Myself Dead by Jimi Hendrix. I am not surprised this particular album title won, because, well, it’s a pretty awesome album title. But, it’s not my choice. There were a lot of albums to choose from; some complex and other’s remarkably simple. My favorite two albums of all time Dark Side of the Moon and In The Court of the Crimson King were potential choices. Yet, they could not beat one album title that has always struck a chord with me (and no, not because it is the predecessor of a movie where Mena Suvari does a provocative dance).
Do you want a few cool facts about American Beauty by the Grateful Dead? And, this is only about the album name (no music here). It has a working ambigram right on the cover. The title can also be read as “American Reality.” Also, apparently if you look at the album upside down and through a mirror it reads “Devils Kingdom .” So, yes, the Dead’s use of ambigrams is impressive, but it is just one reason why I think it is the best album name of all time.
I am a fan of simplicity; in music, in album names and in life. American Beauty is just that: simple. It does not attempt to do too much in its name. It may seem like a possibly overused album name, but, at the time it was quite original. The Dead are able to present a feeling of a contradictory America at the time of the album’s release. American Beauty can easily transform into American Reality. The Dead create a juxtaposition between an idealistic America with rolling fields and freedom and a real America right down to the bare bones of the drugged cities and fighting inhabitants. Are we America the Beautiful or The Devil’s Kingdom.
The annual March Madness tournament begins today at 12 p.m. Do you know what that means? Some lucky team is going to fit into Cinderella’s slippers and march their way out of the first round and into surprise territory. Personally, I believe Cornell may make an appearance in upset city. But, if you want to be safe, pick the team with long hair and tight, white pants. The glam metal band from Philadelphia, PA would agree with your selection. So, to get the NCAA Tournament started off right, here is Cinderella’s, “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone). The anthem for overzealous Cinderella basketball teams.
How can you not love Rolling Stone magazine covers? They are just very odd. It is funny because at first I did not realize they were wearing ice skates. Maybe they are all going ice-phishing. Do you like what I did there? I crack myself up an unhealthy amount of times. Anyway, Phish, the jam-band that is portrayed on ice in this picture, will be hitting the road this summer for a monster 29-date tour, according to Rolling Stone magazine. The tour will begin with a show on June 11 at Toyota Park in Chicago. Phish will end their tour with a two-night stay in Wantagh, NY at the Nikon Theater at Jones Beach. The Jones Beach Theater is close to my house and I have seen numerous concerts there. It is a wonderful venue when the weather is agreeable. The open theater is on the water and the light ocean wind that swirls around the theater is comforting and refreshing. So, Phans of Phish, rev up the environmentally responsible buses and gather some brews because it’s going to be a long trip with Phish this summer.
June 11 – Chicago, IL @ Toyota Park
June 12 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
June 13 – Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
June 15 – Portsmouth, VA @ Telos Pavilion at Harbor Center
June 17 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre
June 18 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre
June 19 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
June 20 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
June 22 – Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
June 24 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
June 25 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
June 26 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
June 27 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
June 29 – Canandaigua, NY @ CMAC
July 1 – Raleigh, NC @ Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
July 2 – Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 3 – Alpharetta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre @ Encore Park
July 4 – Alpharetta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre @ Encore Park
August 5 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
August 6 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
August 7 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
August 9 – Telluride, CO @ Telluride Town Park
August 10 – Telluride, CO @ Telluride Town Park
August 12 – Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
August 13 – Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
August 14 – East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre
August 15 – East Troy, WI @Alpine Valley Music Theatre
August 17 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon Theater at Jones Beach
August 18 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon Theater at Jones Beach
Let me guess what some of you are thinking. Who are you and what have you done with my Pink Floyd? Well, please do not get to worried…or angry. “The Dark Side of the Mushroom (not moon)” is actually a 1967 song from the Chocolate Watch Band, a garage-rock band formed in San Jose, California. The song appeared on the album No Way Out which was released six years before Dark Side of the Moon. The song is a fantastic piece of psychedelia. It is exciting to hear early psychedelic songs; especially to this quality. The hook of this song is just genius and the haunting psychedelic fill is a remarkably fatidic melody. This band was doing psychedelia before it was cool and I give them so much credit for that.
The Music Court 