Music on my birthday

So it was my birthday and Larry was grilling up these monstrously fat Fred Flintstone steaks, as he watched me begin throwing back shots of tequila. This was the night to hog his fancy stereo equipment with MY musical choices, it being Leon's birthday and all.

We started with George Jones' My Favorites of Hank Williams and Trouble in Mind (an English import of two unavailable American releases from the early 60's). He is in his best voice of all on these recordings which always make my spine tingle and inner guts rumble.


George Jones

The Possum was followed by Hank Williams the 3rd's latest masterpiece Straight To Hell which I highly recommend to everyone, except for the ears of little kiddies under the age of 21. Hard-nosed and sophisticated country punk from the grandson of the master himself. Greatness often skips a generation.


Hank the 3rd

The Kinks album Lola Versus Powerman and The Moneygoround-Part 1 was the next platter up. Larry was not familiar with this LP, but it certainly ranks right up there as one of the best records by this way underrated band. Learn about The Kinks you youngsters out there! Much of rock n' roll as we know it today is an outgrowth of this pioneering group's work. The Beatles were expert Kinks copiers as were many another successful rock band of that era.


The Kinks

Cruisin' With Reuben and The Jets by the Mothers came immediately after the Kinks which got both Larry and I into a nostalgic mood and led me to eventually play One Size Fits All till we were wiping our brows at the sweaty intensity & polished musical genius displayed by one Frank Vincent Zappa. Hoy, hoy, hoy!


The Mothers

We finished off with a Shuggie Otis collection which always puts me in a nirvana like state because he is so smoothly gentle to float away on when you are more than slightly drunk. It's funny and kind of weird that my favorite music is still the stuff that made me happy and turned me on when I was a much younger lad. I'm glad this stuff is still solidly alive in my hard drive and am grateful to have been able to blast it at full volume across the empty desert night.

Thankfully I am still able to act like a kid of 17 howling at the moonlight like a rebel without a clue.