The Music & The Consciousness

Consciousness is a weird thing. It’s such a strange idea that each one of us is just this small, humanoid creature, with a consciousness that SEEMS enormous, but only because it’s all we know in the whole world. If we had any way to compare or experience a comparison between our individual consciousnesses and, say, all of them put together, or the consciousness of what many of us would call “God,” we would, I’m sure, regard the playgrounds of our individual minds as small. As it stands, though, these playgrounds are the only place each of us will ever exist, and all we take in, all we experience and all we think/feel in reaction thereto will be the entire makeup of that playground.

This is the kind of thing that I think about, or more than likely, quasi-freak out about, when I wake up in the morning these days. I have these moments in the night and in the morning, when I wake up from sleep, where I realize how small I am (this has been happening to me since I was a teenager, but the experience has evolved a bit…it used to just result in abject fear…now, for some reason, it just makes me kind of sad). I realize that all these crazy thoughts I have, all these weird ideas, or opinions, or feelings are mine only, and no one will ever know they’re there unless I express them somehow.

I said not too long ago on Twitter that art was “the only sensible reaction to the human condition.” When I say “human condition,” I mean exactly what I have just been describing here. This is where music comes in for me…it is by far the art form I relate to the most, and so it has always been my first choice in terms of some way I might communicate to the world.

So, I can’t help but do it. If I want to somehow communicate some of these things, I must make music. Maybe the music I make won’t impact you in the way this blog entry has…maybe you’ll listen to the upcoming Dr. Pants EPs and think, “this doesn’t really sound like it’s about human consciousness at all.” That’s fine. I hope to get around to tackling some of these ideas more directly as time goes on. But I do hope you’ll listen. I’ll keep making music even if you don’t, though. I’m pretty sure my sanity depends on it.

25 Records That Mean Something To Me, #2

It's hard to talk about Frank Zappa and just mention one specific album. In fact, when I initially conceived of this series of blog entries (of which I've managed to complete a whopping ONE so far), I'm sure I had a different Zappa album in mind than the one I'm about to talk about. But I pulled this disc out earlier today when I was picking out music for K.C. and I to clean the house to, and realized that somewhere, at some point, I obtained a new copy of it and replaced the original CD copy I had gotten 15 years ago. I was pleased to discover this; it meant that I didn't have to worry about the disc wearing out any time soon. My other copy had been worn slick, as I recall. It was scratched up pretty bad, especially for a CD in MY collection (I tend to be pretty protective of my discs...I had taken this record on so many road trips, placed it and removed it from so many CD wallets, that it finally started to look pretty rough). Anyway, all of this to say that I realized THE GRAND WAZOO is a record that means something to me, for sure.

THE GRAND WAZOO is the second of two albums Zappa released in the early seventies that highlighted his particular take on what might be called a jazz-rock fusion (the first being WAKA/JAWAKA)...an extension of the HOT RATS concept, but in a larger ensemble context. These are almost Zappa's "big band" albums; when given the opportunity to record with a rhythm section including guitars, keys, bass & drums augmented by a full brass and woodwind section, these two albums were what came out. There is a jazz structure (or some version thereof) to many of the tunes here. Some sort of theme, head, or main melody (or several) occur, then a series of solos by different members of the ensemble, and then a return to the theme(s) at the end of the piece. That is probably an oversimplification, but it gives at least a little bit of context for those who might not have heard this record.

It's an album that is complex without being difficult, serious without being dreary, goofy without being childish, and beautiful (gorgeous, even) without being saccharine, even for a moment. The finest example of all these attributes, I think, is the final track, "Blessed Relief" (I personally hear the first word there as "bles-sed", two syllables, not one). It's a elegant, slow piece, with a sort of lilting melody at the beginning that gives way to a gorgeous, open section with great electric piano arpeggios. Then come the solos, which are fantastic. In my first post in this series I talked a great deal about atmosphere...this particular track has atmosphere to spare. It's a fairly unique track in Zappa's oeuvre; there's really not another quite like it.

As unique as it is, the song and the album still very much bear Zappa's image, sound, and vibe...but perhaps in such a way that a certain grace is present that isn't always found in some of his other work. Highly recommended, highly regarded.

Playlist for Mixtape Jones #32

AIRLINE TO HEAVEN-WILCO
DESTROYING TO SAVE-ARBOURETUM
HEADACHE-FRANK BLACK
WALK IT BACK-R.E.M.
ASSUMED BY YOU-SPIRIT KID
GO AHEAD-BANJO OR FREAKOUT
CREAM SODA-MOON
WILDERNESS-SLEATER-KINNEY
RATS-BLACK HEART PROCESSIONAL
PERFECT DAY-LOU REED
VENUS SHAVER-SHILPA RAY
LORD CHESTERFIELD-THURSTON MOORE
GROW UP-DANIELSON
DRIVE AROUND-JANA POCHOP
ANOTHER LEGO IN THA CROSS-CHOCOLATE USA
NEVER GET OLD-DAVID BOWIE
THE EXECUTION OF ALL THINGS-RILO KILEY
WHITE FALCON FUZZ-THE MOTHER HIPS
BILL FOR THE USE OF A BODY-CHAIN & THE GANG
THE BIG BRIGHT GREEN PLEASURE MACHINE-SIMON & GARFUNKEL
VOLCANO-SWANS
HIGHWAYMAN-SANDMAN
BOOM-JJ
WAITING FOR A WAR-THE SUBMARINES
BORN-STEVEN DROZD
HEY YA (LIVE)-TREY ANASTASIO
(OH WELL) WHATEVER-THE REBEL SET
I DON'T FEEL YOUNG-WYE OAK
STAR WARS TRIBUTE-SIFL & OLLY
I SAW HER STANDING THERE-THE BEATLES

Playlist for Mixtape Jones #31

UNDERWHELMED-SLOAN
PROVE MY LOVE-VIOLENT FEMMES
DON'T HAUNT THIS PLACE-THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE
ALL DAY SUCKER-STEVIE WONDER
CADILLAC LADY-SUGAR FREE ALL-STARS
MY DRAWERS-THE TIME
SWIM-SURFER BLOOD
HAPPY BIRTHDAY-RYAN ADAMS & THE CARDINALS
SAY SO-UH HUH HER
SALTY CITIES-RAH RAH
THE MORNING OFFICE-EUTOPIAN ACCIDENT
SWITZERLAND-JANA POCHOP
RAFTER-TULSA
EVERYBODY SAY-TAKKA TAKKA
SUMMER COULDA LASTED FOREVER-MAURA KENNEDY
UNREQUITED LOVE SONG-JARED LEKITES
THE REST OF MY LIFE-YELLOWBIRDS
CHEAP THRILLS-FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION
DEVIL-SAY HI
ALDRIDGE-3 PENNY ACRE
TWO ON A TIGHTROPE-SUZI RAGSDALE
BIGMOUTH STRIKES AGAIN-THE SMITHS
IF YOU'RE FEELING SINISTER-BELLE & SEBASTIAN
NICK DRAKE-JENEE HALSTEAD
DADDY'S GONNA PAY FOR YOUR CRASHED CAR-U2
ARENA-SUUNS
WAKE UPS-SALVA
GET AROUND TOWN-REVOLVER
CAESAR-TY SEGALL
ME IN HONEY-R.E.M.

Playlist for Mixtape Jones #30

GO-PEARL JAM
THE STALLION, PT. 5-WEEN
WATCHING OVER ME-GREEN CORN REVIVAL
THE MECHANIC-NICOLETTE GOOD
TWO-HEADED BOY-NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL
SPLITSVILLE-THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS
ANIMAL-JENNY & JOHNNY
SONG FOR THE SUN-SWANS
RUN ME OVER-THE BABIES
THE RED BARON-GAME THEORY
ALL I NEED-RADIOHEAD
WHEN YOU'RE OUT TONIGHT-CAMI STINSON
PERIPHERAL VISIONARIES-YOUNG GALAXY
I WANT TO BE WELL-SUFJAN STEVENS
CARNIVAL KNOWLEDGE-LOOSE FUR
FLYING-THE BEATLES
ONLY SHALLOW-MY BLOODY VALENTINE
SNAKE EATER-PURPLE CHURCH
YOUNG SILENCE-ECHO LAKE
MR. LET'S FIND OUT-THE CARIBBEAN
ALWAYS, TO BELONG-THE LAST ROYALS
WHAT A WONDERFUL MAN-MY MORNING JACKET
FAST ENOUGH FOR YOU-PHISH
GOOD LIFE-SARAH SAMPLE
STAY SHARP-LAURA PEEK
BODACIOUS-PRIMUS
RANO PANO-MOGWAI
MOTION PICTURES-JON MCKIEL
HOLIDAY IN THE SUN-THE SEX PISTOLS