Tan Fuerte!

You know, if I don’t like some blues guy it tends to be because they’re way too guitar-happy. God knows I love BB King and some Buddy Guy. And hell, it’s not like Muddy and those Chicago guys were afraid to stretch out a bit.

But lately I’ve run across something else I don’t care for, currently embodied (for me) by Sonny Terry and/or Brownie McGhee.

I know they were fine musicians, well-respected and all.

But way too much of their repertoire was that sort of… countrified dipshit “Shortnin’ Bread” stuff. Time after time when Launch plays something of theirs (like “Pick a Bale of Hay” from a few minutes ago) it just gets on my nerves.

I don’t really know what to call that. It’s just… novelty blues I guess. And not to say that it’s so far-removed from something like Robert Johnson’s “They’re Red Hot” or anything. It’s just not the kind of sound I think makes for an interesting or enjoyable repertoire.

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You know, Jason Falkner’s Bedtime with the Beatles is really flippin’ good. It’s instrumental versions of Beatles songs, done as lullabies. And it’s just gorgeous stuff. It’s not like elevator music. It’s tender and lush, and clearly done with the utmost respect for the material. I really didn’t expect to like this stuff. Right now Launch is playing “Here There and Everywhere,” which was recognizable from the very first chord. Very cool.

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I never get tired of Willie Nelson’s “Whiskey River.”

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Why is the song called "Dueling Banjos" if it's actually a guitar and a banjo playing it?

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I work the overnight broadcasts for our local UPN affiliate. That is, I rearrange the commercials.

At that time, as you can imagine, the commercials tend to be:

Lawyers—Have you been in an accident?

Injury clinics—Have you been in an accident?

Technical/truck driving schools—Do you wanna learn how to drive a big rig and hopefully not have an accident?

Phone chatlines--The internet isn't the only way to get porn!


Jim Adler does some of my favorite lawyer spots, as he SHOUTS everything: “Don’t get pushed around! Get the money you deserve! Get your compensation for medical bills and lost wages!”

He’s so effective I’m about convinced he can get me money from somewhere, and I haven’t even been in a wreck.

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My favorite spots, though, are the Adler spots on the Spanish-language stations, where he’s shouting phonetically-assembled Spanish words at the camera: “YO SOY TU ABOGADO TAN FUERTE! LLAME AHORA MISMO!”

(“I am your lawyer quite strong! Call right now!”)

Trust me, it’s funny.

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Half the day’s gone. We may be okay after all.