...

You'll now notice that virtually every Facebook person who likes and comments positively on Mike's posts is a MAGA hat-wearing Trumper. And… Anybody who isn't a "yes man" is deleted. Gross.

Yeah, I belonged to a group that started doing that, and then they just closed all comments to every post. What's the point of belonging to a Facebook group where you can't even comment on any posts? I left.

[o if the digital dump is equal to five cd's and the physical release is just 2 cd's of that stuff, I can live with that.]

I just need to add this: I am not a fan who needs to hear 69 different takes of She's Goin' Bald, or every concert from a  given tour (i'm a Dylan fan, but I did not buy the 1966 tour box or the Rolling Thunder box - i'm fine with having just one or two shows to represent those tours). So if the digital dump is equal to five cd's  and the physical release is just 2 cd's of that stuff, I can live with that.
There's only so many hours in a day. I don't know where some of my friends find time to listen to all the stuff they buy. It's hard for me to fit that listening time in as I am working 2 jobs where I am not allowed to play music; and my third job is MAKING MUSIC.

I agree wholeheartedly. The gazillion sessions of a particular song are interesting and cool to be able to hear, but it's not something I'd listen to often. If there were a physical released, I'd want it to focus on the cream of the crop, the most fully formed tracks.

Going back to your Dylan analogy, they basically had two versions of the Basement Tapes: Bootleg Series boxed set. You could get the six-disc complete version with EVERY TRACK recored, or a two-CD (or three-LP) version with the "highlights." 

I've been into the Che Apalache album Rearrange My Heart lately.  The political lyrics probably won't be everyone's cup of tea, but the songwriting is creative and harmonies are great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7LIz-BZWK8&list=OLAK5uy_lHhhLBhDLldvZUzpot-fDGwJRVDHFXse4

Interesting. Tight vocals. A real American band.

With members from Argentina, Mexico and the United States, I assume you mean "American" in terms of North and South America.

They blend a lot of different styles wonderfully. I missed out on seeing them when they came through my neck of the woods.

I just started Beartown, by Fredrik Backman. It's about a small town obsessed with ice hockey. So far, it's pretty enjoyable. Lots of character development.

Thanks for the recommendation. I don't think I've seen that version of Alice in Wonderland. I actually just reread the book earlier this year. I'll have to check it out. I love the Disney version.

I've been a James Stewart kick. Just watched Rear Window, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Anatomy of a Murder. All three very good. I've got Philadelphia Story and Stratton Story on deck.

I also saw the latest Star Wars.

Folks, this isn't exactly a new list.  Note the "source" at the bottom the page... an Esquire piece from October 2016.
https://www.esquireme.com/content/18194-brian-wilson%E2%80%99s-10-favourite-records

FWIW, Brian has been citing Friends, Sgt Pepper & Four Freshmen and Five Trombones as faves for decades.

Thank you for pointing that out. I thought I had seen this list before and wondered why it was coming up again.

I agree that it would be way more interesting to get a list of Brian's favorite songs ... other than "Be My Baby."

Then everybody'd be surfin' like Californ-I-A ...

(Am I doing this right?)

I miss Borders, and I’m sure at some point Barnes & Noble will join them in the graveyard as well (I'm down to two locations within reasonable driving distance, where it used to be like 5 or 6). But Borders had *awful* prices. Barnes & Noble is overpriced, and Borders as I recall was even worse.

Most of the stores I remember, both in my youth and even more recently, seem to be have disappeared. Tower Records, Circuit City, Toys R Us (recently re-opened a couple locations, but it’s more a PR thing than back to being a real chain), Kay Bee, Borders, Suncoast, “The Wherehouse” (probably more regional), Blockbuster Video, Hollywood Video, the list goes on and on.

And the funny thing is, the big box stores (Target, Walmart, etc.) aren’t really filling those niches. I recall a year or two ago when Toys R Us went under, all the articles said Target and Walmart would move in on that market/territory and stock more toys. Newp. They suck.

And, more unsurprisingly, stores are continuing to carry less and less music and movies. I’m guessing music will be completely gone from Target, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble (a little rack of overpriced “collectible” vinyl doesn’t count) in the next few years (I think “Best Buy” has already eliminated it). I’d expect physical video media to follow suit in the next several years, perhaps relegated to the same sort of cheapo DVD rack you see at Rite Aids and 7-11 stores.

Yes, the prices on music and movies at Borders were high, but they had a great selection, and it always felt so welcoming there. I find Barnes & Noble to be a sterile atmosphere.

As for the Feel Flows Box Set, count me among those who would buy it on vinyl, but I agree it should be available in all media. They'll have to pry my physical media from my cold, dead hands.

Perhaps this is the opposite of what you mean. How about the recent popularity of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" as done by Pentatonix being played at Christmastime? How a song about questioning one's faith, sex and broken relationships became a Christmas song, I haven't quite figured out.

The Best Buy near me doesn't sell music, period. It's all technology stuff. I very much miss the Barnes and Noble book and CD store near me.

I miss Borders.

You have no idea how often my wife and I say this exact thing.

It's a lot.

Was that diagnosis previously known by the general public? This is the first time I remember hearing of it. What a shame.

Good film, although I liked the David Crosby documentary better (can rent it for 4.99 on amazon video now).

But one thing i dont understand is why joni mitchell isnt featured at all in it? She actually lived in laurel canyon and literally had an album called "ladies of the canyon"....Maybe Jacob just isnt a fan of hers or something...

The part where crosby says something about threesomes and says "people do it, thats why the french have a word for it" and then they cut to graham nash going "he wrote that song cuz he's done it...many times!" was pretty funny

I too thought the David Crosby documentary was far superior to Echo in the Canyon.

One of my other great mysteries about watching Echo is why Neil Young only shows up during the credits to shred on guitar in the studio, but he wasn't interviewed. Or did I miss something?

2 Gettin Hungry - Does it mean you didn't see Brian Fest event 4 yrs back at Fonda theatre? Many young artists been invited. Jade Castrinos sang "I Just Wasn't Made For These Tiimes". I too really liked her voice. It's beautiful when she sings that specific PS song. It fit her musically. It used to be in youtube but it's different Brian Fest numbers, not her, strangely. By the end, when checked each video way back when, favorites been Jade, M Ward (YSGTM), Punch Brothers (SU) & Joy Williams (WIBN). Give it listen.

Sorry for the delayed response. I was traveling for work last week and didn't have a chance to check in.

No, I did not suee Brian Fest with Jade Castrinos singing "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times." I'll have to see if I can track it down. Thanks for the recommendation!

I finally saw Echo in the Canyon (thanks, Netflix), and it was enjoyable. It succeeded in showing how all of those musicians influenced each other. However, I think Jakob Dylan was extremely subpar as an interviewer/host. It seemed most of his input during the interviews was a thin smile and him going, "Hmm." Not a whole lot of probing questions on his part. I feel like they were trying to show how those bands are still influencing musicians today, but there wasn't a whole lot of insight from the contemporary artists included (e.g., Beck, Cat Power, Regina Spektor, etc.)

Also, I wasn't familiar with Jade Castrinos before seeing this documentary. She has an incredible voice! Definitely have to check out more of her music.

Kevin Smith made his name with the movie Clerks in 1994 and has made a series of comedies featuring his side characters Jay and Silent Bob (Smith plays Silent Bob), who also appear in Mall Rats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Clerks 2. His humor ranges from raunchy to slap stick, but the movies are usually entertaining, especially if you like Star Wars and comic books. They all have a bit of an amateurish quality. Red State isn't like any of those mentioned above though. It's dark and violent.

- someone was adamant that this is a Christmas song!

Somebody's addicted to Love Actually.

Well, they somehow managed to make Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" a Christmas song, so maybe this one is next.

Here are a couple things I've watched over the last couple days ... 

Echo in the Canyon (2019) - Finally saw this documentary about the Laurel Canyon music scene that people have been raving about. The interviews with period musicians were great, including an animated Brian Wilson. However, Jakob Dylan is the most boring host/narrator/interviewer I've ever seen. Most of his responses amounted to a pained smile and a "Hmm." The other contemporary musicians, with the exception of Beck, were also lacking. I know they were trying to show how the Southern California folk-rock of the 1960's and '70's has influenced musicians over the years, but these were poor representatives. Still, it was worth watching to see Brian, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Graham Nash, Eric Clapton and others. The weirdest part was the end where Neil Young shows up out nowhere to shred on guitar in the studio. Unless I missed it, he was not among those interviewed.

David Crosby: Remember My Name (2019) - Speaking of recent music documentaries, this one was far superior of the two. Crosby was open, honest and entertaining throughout this unflinching career retrospective. I was also delighted to see my hometown (Kent, Ohio) show up unexpectedly, when he talked about how the killings at Kent State on May 4, 1970, influenced the band. There's kind of a sad narrative of how Crosby has to keep touring despite health issues. He also talked a lot about how he's ruined the musical relationships he's had over the years. I kept hoping the documentary would find a way to help him mend those fences. If you're into the Byrds and CSN (and sometimes Y), this is definitely a good watch.

Red State (2011) - Kevin Smith has been in the news a lot with his new movie Jay & Silent Bob Reboot, so I thought I'd rewatch of few of his "classics" and catch up on a few others I missed. This is one of his few attempts at making a serious movie, this being an attempt at a horror/thriller. It centers on a radical religious group living in a fortified compound in rural America, similar as what happened in Waco, Texas, in 1993. Right up until the end, I was convinced this was Kevin Smith's hidden masterpiece, but then the rushed ending spirals into strange conspiracy theories. It was almost really good. At least it was short.

There's no accounting for taste. I like Peter Sellers. I enjoy the Pink Panther movies, especially A Shot in the Dark, and I think he's brilliant in both Dr. Strangelove and Being There.

I'm a big fan of Charade. I remember reading that they originally wanted Cary Grant as James Bond in Dr. No, but he wouldn't agree to do more than one movie. Charade seems like what his take on Bond would have been.

I saw Lolita probably around the time I saw 2001 for the first time. I love Peter Sellers in just about anything. The 1997 version with Jeremy Irons was decent, as I recall. But I'll definitely give Kubrick's version a second watch.

I've been catching up on/rewatching some Stanley Kubrick movies.

I rewatched 2001: A Space Odyssey for the first time in 20 years. Still don't like it. It looks really, really great and has some interesting moments and ideas to contemplate. But it is so dull.

The Shining remains thrilling. Spartacus also rules. My biggest surprises were The Killing and Paths of Glory, both of which were excellent, and I don't feel like you hear about those as much as his others.

I've got Barry Lyndon on deck next, which I've never seen.

It’s all good. They are now being restored and driven, including an episode of Jerry Seinfeld ‘Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee’.

Full story and update here.

https://youtu.be/cEfTxlzkTRY

Fascinating, thanks for sharing!  What I wonder is if this song Still Cruisin' was written specifically for this contest, or if it was just a car song that was already in the can which was deemed usable for promotion for this contest completely separately and coincidentally.

Also - For anyone who wants to raise an eyebrow:
 
At 5:30, "ex-Beach Boy Mike Love"

The story linked above also referred to him as "ex-Beach Boy Mike Love." Thought that was strange. I'll be the guy who did the video was just repeating what the Jalopnik article said.

I like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkczI1-be1k

I'm also still in the middle of Mystery Train, by Greil Marcus. Maybe with the weather cooling down, I'll be able to make faster progress.

Probably the best book I've read about pop. The massive "Notes and discographies" section at the end will blow your mind--if the rest doesn't blow it first.

Part of the reason it's taking me so long to read is the number of books and recordings I want to make note of to check out.

Here's a cool article on the Ken Burns documentary, along with an interview with Rhiannon Giddens: https://bittersoutherner.com/whos-country-ken-burns-country-music-rhiannon-giddens

Looking forward to the series.

I read Gidget, by Frederick Kohner, which was a fast and fun summer read. I've been slowly making my way through The Pale King, by David Foster Wallace. I'm also still in the middle of Mystery Train, by Greil Marcus. Maybe with the weather cooling down, I'll be able to make faster progress.