RIP John Prine

I had a bunch of his albums when I was in college. I enjoyed his work even though he was a bit of a commie.

Still and all he had a lot of talent and wrote some great fun songs.

Rip John. I enjoyed a lot of your tunes.

Burgers and fries

Nighthawks at the diner
Of Emma's 49er, there's a rendezvous
Of strangers around the coffee urn tonight
All the gypsy hacks, the insomniacs
Now the paper's been read
Now the waitress said
Eggs and sausage and a side of toast
Coffee and a roll, hashbrowns over easy
Chile in a bowl with burgers and fries
What kind of pie?
In a graveyard charade, a late shift masquerade
Two for a quarter, dime for a dance
With Woolworth rhinestone diamond
Earrings, and a sideway's glance
And now the register rings
And now the waitress sings
The classified section offered no direction
It's a cold caffeine in a nicotine cloud
Now the touch of your fingers
Lingers burning in my memory
I've been 86ed from your scheme
I'm in a melodramatic nocturnal scene
I'm a refugee from a disconcerted affair
As the lead pipe morning falls
And the waitress calls
(Tom Waites)

I am reduced to cooking nonstop to keep the peace here at the Casa Trooper York. Cabin fever is setting in. So I whipped up some burgers and fries for lunch. It's been good eating. 

I feel like Daniel Fucking Defoe.

Why can't I just buy a record?

Getting music these days is an adventure. Now I have hundreds of CD's and hundreds of vinyl records in my collection that I don't listen to anymore. I don't even have a working stereo. Or a cassette deck.

I remember in the old days when I used to go to J&R records on Nassau Street when I was in college and got the latest records I heard onWNEW. The Who. Van Morrison. Humble Pie. Jethro Tull. Man those were the days.

Now everything is on your Iphone or Ipad or IPod. It is all computer electronic bullshit. You download it and put it on one of your devices. I don't know how to do it but all the kids do. One of my former employees showed me how to go to some Pirate Site and download free music which I tried a few times. But I ended up with viruses and fucked up a perfectly good computer so later for that shit.

Then I started downloading from Itunes and paying for it and everyone says I am crazy. But I don't mind paying but it seem silly to buy something I already have on CD or a record. Plus once I buy it I have to transfer it to the Ipod. It is a pain in the ass.

Now my niece is teaching me how to download free music from Amazon Prime. I have downloaded a bunch of stuff and now I have to figure out how to get it on the I pod.

Why can't I just buy a record?

I know that little Debbie called me out but I refuse to engage

I have a policy now where I try not to engage with people who are a pain in the ass and have proved themselves to be so over and over again.

That is Inga at Turley's and Lawnboy and Debbie at Lem's place. It is just not worth the effort. I am too busy and life is too short.

This is the real Irish Punk Band. Black 47. I saw them many a night at Paddy Reilly's back in the day when I was bouncing. Enjoy.

Tupelo Honey

For Chickie

Humble Pie acoustic.

Choices

There is always a choice. A book you can choose to read. A TV show you can choose to watch. A thread you can choose to comment on. You are known by your choices.

There was a kid on American Idol who played a George Jones tune in his solo test to make the cut.
"He Stopped Loving Her Today." A pure tone on a great tune. I think it will be a good season this year.

My favorites baby!

After Chickie shared his favorites at Lem's  I have to give my "Top Ten on my I-pod this month"

10. In the Garden- Van Morrison

9.   Have a Little Faith in Me- Delbert McClinton

8.   Black Coffee- Julie London

7.   Kick in the Head- Dean Martin

6.   Oh What a Night- Frankie Vallie and Four Seasons

5.   The Way You Look Tonight- Frank Sinatra

4.   Choices- George Jones

3.   Turn the Beat Around-Vicki Sue Robinson
2.   Take Me to the River- Al Green

1.   I Feel Good- James Brown

I find it hard to enjoy Lem's when Crack is stinking up every thread. He is in a frenzy lately and it is getting very boring and repetitive.

My Cross to Bear

I recently finished Greg Allman's autobiography "My Cross to Bear." It was remarkably good. He talks about what it means to be a rock star and didn't spare himself of make excuses. He told the truth about the lifestyle and all the missteps he had along the way. I enjoyed it.

I am not a big Allman Brothers fan. I like some of their stuff that everyone else knows "Sweet Melissa" "Dreams" "Tied to the Whipping Post."  I don't much care for Dicky Bett's "Rambling Man" because that is like "Sweet Home Alabama." Every freaking classic rock station plays that shit to death. I think the four most played songs on those stations are "Stairway to Heaven" "Rambling Man" "Thunder Road" and "Sweet Home Alabama." They are so played out that you just can't listen to it anymore.

It is funny to read the guy who wrote the song say the same thing. I remember when I saw Frank Sintra in Altantic City at the end of his string. He was just going through the motions. I mean the dude was about a million years old but too many people were riding his gravy train for him to stop. He did a half ass medley of songs that all the rubes cheered for: Strangers in the Night, Summer Wind, Fly Me to the Moon. But then he did a great rendition of "Angel Eyes" which was heartfelt and moving. He really turned on when he sang that song. It is realtively obscure but man he wailed. But the crowd was unsettled and unfamilar and didn't appreciate what they just had heard. One douchenozzle had to let us know by shouting out his request.

"FREEEEEE BBBBIIIIRRRRDDDD!!!!!"

Hey let's listen to some music

Let's listen to some tunes! The new American Idol guys seem pretty cool. Especially that Latin gang-banger guy! He looks like he can play really well and has a lot of talent.

I just hope he doesn't bring around his homey....topo giggio!

Today's gratuitous bathtub photo says cool down boy!

ICE

Go cool!Boy, boy, crazy boy

Get cool, boy

Got a rocket in your pocket

Keep cooly cool boy

Don't get hot'

Cause man you got

Some high times ahead

Take it slow

And Daddy-o

You can live it up

and die in bedBoy,

boy, crazy boy

Stay loose, boy

Breeze it

Buzz it

Easy does it

Turn off the juice, boy

Go man, go

But not like ayo-yo

school boy

Just play it cool, boy

Real coolBoy,

boy, crazy boy

Stay loose, boy

Breeze it

Buzz it

Easy does it

Turn off the juice, boy

Just play it cool, boy

Real cool

(Cool, West Side Story)

The Cheesecake Song.

So then I got this idea about driving a cheesecake truck

Coz I figured at the end of the day

I could take some of the leftover cheesecakes home

And I love cheesecake

So I went to the cheesecake companya

and they asked me if I could drive a truck

and I said yes

And they said you're hired

So the next day I got in the truck with all the cheesecakes

And I drove about a block

And I just had to have a cheesecake

So I pulled over and opened the truck

And I got a cheesecake

And I also took one for later

And I took one for my friend Farmboy

And I took one to bring home

And by that time I had eaten one of the cheesecakes

So I took another one

Then I figured I might as well stop at my house

To drop off all the cheesecakes

So I take five cakes to eat on the way

And I drive another block and a half to my house

Now it's lunchtime so I eat ten cheesecakes

And a cheesecake for dessert

I should point out, by the way

Thatall of these cheesecakes were very delicious

Anyway, I decided that the only thing to do

Would be to eat all the rest of the cheesecakes

And hide the truck somewhere and leave town

And I miss everyone a lot, but I'm not really sorry

Because they were very delicious cheesecakes

(Missle King, The Cheesecake Song)

Carrot Cake and wine!

"Carrot Cake And Wine"

I'm looking good

Got my shoulders back

A few more drinks I'm up to dance

I get the eye as I lift my glass

The first time in six months

She looks again

I start to shake

My shoulders twitching

I'm on my way

I glance behind me for safety sake

to see a clock the size of a plane

The night is young

more fish in the sea

Who's to say she wasn't looking at me

I sink my head back in to my glass

Get in to shape for that first dance

I turn away I look to the south

I pull my foot from out of my mouth

To my surprise she's standing beside me

Asking if I'd like to dance

I'm standing in a hall of smoke

Her tongues in my mouth

I'd love to choke

Her knight approaches us on foot

Left his side kick at the brook

he offered me a cigarette

I said I'm far to young to smoke

So he tried to entertain me

Told me one more crappy joke

In my ear except the joke wasn't clear

Set the joking aside

Should I run should I hide

I've decided to stay rub it in his face

What I thought was the case

Was an easy mistake

I just like to try some

carrot cake and wine

Can't I try taste

my carrot cake and wine

Looking good not looking back

Knight of hers took her off to dance

I get the eye but not for the last time

She looks again I start to shake

My legs are twitching my eyes are fake

I glance behind me for safety's sake

To see my girlfriend's tongue

in the Face of a friend

who is far from a man

Should I hide should I run

Must have see what I've done

Decided to stay liked the look on her face

What I thought was the case

Was an easy mistake

I'd just like to try

some carrot cake and wine

Can't I try taste my carrot cake

Why cant I try?

Why should I lie?

Taste my try some

of my Carrot cake and wine

(STEREOPHONICS)

Have yourself a Funky Christmas!

Hey we had our first Soul Christmas party as I had a live DJ spinning soul music and Christmas favorites in the store for your listening pleasure while shopping. It is going pretty well and we are going to do it every Saturday until Christmas and then probably at least once a month.

I love old school soul music that I used to listen to when I went to the movies on the Deuce back in the seventies or was playing ball in the schoolyard and the dudes had the boom box going.

This Irish Donkey kid who spins in Hanleys is a big soul fan too and I got him to DJ. Dancing and champagne and shopping ensued.

Soul Saturdays

I need to do some stuff to generate sales so I have to come up with some promotions. When we were out in the bar last week we heard this DJ who was playing a lot of early seventies soul music. Just like you would here on Life on Mars or in the American Gangster movie thats on HBO now. So I think I am going to have him come in and spin in the store on Saturdays from 4 to 7 to establish a Soul Saturday party atmosphere. I just don't know if that is going to take away from the selling part of the day. I might start it after the holidays. I still have to think about it.