[Serve The Servants]

Consider the song Serve The Servants. It is a strong backlash at the teenage angst which brought his band and himself to fame. It throws out numerous brilliant lines which really tap into the core of a person. " I tried hard to have a father but instead I had a dad. Besides the lyrics to it, it is also brilliant musically. Kurt picks through the chords, never playing the full set of notes assigned to the chord. If you were to play the verse with straight 7ths the entire time then you would have a wonderful encircling "Sgt. Pepper" feel for a song. B7, E7, F#7, E7: Go play this and be delighted.

[In Utero]

Track 12 on In Utero by Nirvana. Song written by Kurt Cobain, a man who could write a better pop song than the Beatles could.

I like the performance. Drumming is nifty too.

Bad rep not agreed with on my part.

I'm making threads like punkinhead now.

[All Apologies]

All Apologies

This is the best John Lennon song that he never wrote. In fact, it's better (in my ever so humble opinion). The melody is both stunning and brilliant; consider this line and its fantastic melody --- "Choking on the ashes of her enemy." The song could've been performend by John Denver and still be a stunning beast of a tune. Make the chorus' A chord an A7 and there you have the song as a Beatles tune fit for the White Album. It ends with a mantra lifted right from the inspiration of Lennon, too. "All in all is all we are" Remind anyone of Across The Universe just a little?

All Apologies
"All in all is all we are"

Don't be fooled!

It was merely Punkinhead's arch-enemy. He uses the same name to create mass confusion in his true followers as we are. The real "PH" will be here soon to straighten out the mess.

Brian's comments on the music business are great. I wonder if he was speaking about himself saying that someone will release a song so great that everyone will flip for it?

On the Bacharach thing -- I wonder if there was any ego clashing at all between the two giants?

No doubt great things are coming from these two songwriters. Pretty exciting.

Ecclesiates was either written by King Solomon or else inspired by him (I think the former).  He was basically given everything that the world has to offer in his day.  There was a general peace, he had tons of money and built beautiful buildings, he had literally thousands of women to please him.  Ecclesiates is him looking back on his life at the end and realizing -- who cares?  He had lived according to the Scripture a good chunk of his life for himself and his pleasure -- and received nothing in return at the end.  Apart from God, he found no meaning to his life.  Ecclesiates is the ultimate comment by the Scripture on what a godless life yields -- vanity, emptiness.  You have to keep that in mind while reading it -- he was saying that life without God, spent on oneself (pleasure or work, hard or soft), was meaningless.

That's what I came to understand after a few readings. I have to say that I think I have finally found the door welcoming my uncertainties and also offering explanations. This realization, offered also in this book, has affected me deeply. Thank you Jeff for offering your thoughts. 

On the first three readings the Book of Ecclesiastes is the most depressing thing ever written speaking about life in general terms. After the fourth read I began to realize that a life so hopeless as the one described within the book cannot be what we really have with us.

[God]

I just read it again.

Is the meaning in the text implying that everything we can find and put meaning in is ultimately meaningless in comparison with God? Or is it that we should not worry for meaning but rather focus our thoughts on God and not simply the injustice that life offers to many and all?

OR is it the views of a man who has abandoned God in his mind and tried to find meaning without His lead? This would make the most sense to me as the reader of his words. That meaning cannot be found without God, and finding meaning without Him is "Meaningless, utterly meaningless!"

Steve Desper got better sounds on tape 30 years ago than people get now on all of the more modernized recording gear. Listening to Sunflower is like hearing an album from a different universe; one inhabited by beings with superior audio recording knowledge than us mere mortals on earth.

The fact that he wasn't paid for his beautiful work is a shame. I hope he at least enjoyed the music while working on it.

[fear God]

Could someone please teach me the purpose of the Book of Ecclesiastes?

Reading it is like filtering through my daily thoughts about life. I don't quite understand the message to be gathered from the writings in it. It comes to no conclusive hope except for one to fear God. It also maintains that a fools death and a wise man's death yield the same results. In the context it means simply, death, with no mention to the afterlife.

Again, any help in understanding this would be greatly appreciated.

Born in England and lived there for twelve years then moved here to New Jersey. Been here a long time now, which I hadn't realized until recently.

When do you become a U.S. citizen?

I think to become one you must apply to be one. Right now I'm a resident as far as I know. I'm not sure if I want to be a citizen or not, and if they instill the draft on us I can still dodge it in my status now. 

I think the Peace Corps are still in business.

http://www.peacecorps.gov/

I can't join not being a U.S citizen.

I can't even find volunteer work!

Steve, it sounds like you need a real job. This whole thread is probably the reason why we kicked you off the road trip 

Huh?

A 'real job' will not quiet the searching in me. While a 'real job' may provide distraction and meaning for others, it offers nothing for me except the measly pay and an aching back. You should all quit your 'real jobs' and join in on the real purpose to our lives; humans have such a high intellect but it is at most wasted by many including myself. I'm sorry for appearing so hostile here but it annoys me so much when people offer the solution to my worries to be work.

HeftySums is friends with V.D.P's son.

V.D.P seems like a nice man who tends to feel a bit superior with the average simpleton every so often throughout his days. It's expected though for a person of such talent and intellect like he has. V.D.P was born about one hunded and fifty years late though; travelling through the 1800's with a large moustache seems to suit his person moreso than a 1960's and onward hipster musician and writer.

Strangest member award goes to >>>>>>>>>> punkinhead. 

That was quite witty.

It's to create the unique blend in voices on the particular song. Look at them like different saxaphones being selected for their range and tone color.

In "Good Vibrations" they wanted a lush, soulful lead vocal. Brian Wilson does not have a lush voice; possibly why Dennis was chosen to sing lead at first. Carl was next in line for a more husky and soulful voice, so when Dennis had his sore throat Carl took over. Brian's part (in the verses) is perfect. It has a bit more distinction than Carl's lead but flows so nicely into the rest of his brother's words.

I sure hope your joking around,

You seem new. Once you get to know a bit more of BBoys history you'll understand this to be a common occurance. Brian Wilson and his late brother Carl were both fans of late night "Dumpster Munching" as they call it in Maine.

Ever type so much about something and then delete it figuring saying nothing is more appropriate? It wasn't against your post but how I feel welcomed by their music in a way.

That's fascinating, yes.

I have MUCH more respect now for those things that I saw throughout those states. I've read up on many NDE's and find them to be a somewhat legit and verifiable thing -- with the scientific proof in attempts to dismiss the spiritual meanings lacking. At first seeing those crosses I thought it was just the product of a very faith driven area. But I also thought it rude to impose the belief on the roads for people from out of state to see. Now that I've learnt it was one person, so inspired from his singular experience, it makes much more sense and is quite a nice thing.

C'mon, show the love.

"Range Life"

There's no greater anthem to the apathetic teen wandering around after dark wondering about life.

She actually did it though. Said it was a real experience.

I don't even know if she's still alive. I just want to know what 'thing' she was with that afforded her the opportunity to go and help and teach less fortunate people. I have a long life ahead of me until the corn dogs catch up; I want to do some good in it.

Remember that user on here named Jess (sugarandspice) anyone?

She was here for about two months then vanished into thin internet air.

Well, she mentioned to me that she was in some third world country teaching about aids and healthy sexual practises and stuff like that. Does anyone know the name of the service (?) or organization she was a part of?

It seems like something I might like to do.