Day 3724 - Tanya Tucker "TNT" - 07.31.21

I recently was watching the Netflix series "This Is Pop" and there was an episode on Country music in there.  I have been digging deep into County music recently.  On that episode about Country music there was a section on Tanya Tucker and her album TNT.  When I saw the cover I recognized it as an album I thought I had and it turns out I did have it on the shelf. So I listened to it and I also took this photo of the inside jacket.  It is kind of ridiculous.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3723 - Pontiac - 07.30.21

I took this photo this morning on my walk with the intention of also using this for artwork for a music mix.  This is something I saw today.

Day 3722 - Stephen King's "It" - 07.29.21

Whenever I can find a Stephen King in one of those lending libraries I am happy.  I found this copy of "It" recently.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3721 - New Beverly August Calendar - 07.28.21

The August calendar at the New Beverly is looking great.  I have tickets to seven nights.  It is going to be a busy month at the cinema.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3720 - Jeff Beck "Truth" LP - 07.27.21

The album on the 1001 albums list today was Jeff Beck's "Truth" and it was a pleasure giving this album a listen again.  

I thought I could start sharing what I write to my friends at work about each of these albums on the list as we listen.  This is what I wrote.

Sure this is a Jeff Beck album, but lets face it Rod Stewart owns this album. My first real exposure to Rod Stewart was as a kid during his "Do you Think I'm Sexy?" stage and to be honest I thought he was a bit of a joke. In my mind his image only got worse through the 80s. It wasn't until much later in the late 90's that I gained an appreciation for his earlier solo work and was exposed to albums like Jeff Beck's "Truth". Rob on this album is setting an even more solid template for hard back blues that would eventually lead to Led Zeppelin. Sure we had Cream, but I think the vocals of Cream were the weakest element. Here, you've got an amazing band, fantastic guitar work by Jeff Beck and then an absolute killer on vocals. Rod on "You Shook Me" is the highlight for me. I love every song on this record, but that track is on another level. And I think it directly points to the work Page and Plant are going to do on Led Zeppelin I and II. There is a call and response, give and take, back and forth between Rod and Beck that is great on so many of the tracks. :Rock My Plimsoul": has a great example of this. I do also like the instrumental tracks. "Beck's Bolero" is basically a proto-Zeppelin track. It was written by Jimmy Page. Wikipedia says "The recording session brought together a group of musicians, including Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, John Paul Jones, and Nicky Hopkins, who later agreed that the line up was a first attempt at what became Led Zeppelin." "Blues Deluxe" is another track that basically sounds like it could have been on either of the first two Zeppelin albums. I would say as a blues number and a blues vocal performance I'd put it up there against B.B. King or Albert King any day. I have to make a specific call out to the Nicky Hopkins piano solo on that track, which is tops. On the liner notes on the back of the album Jeff Beck about this sone writes "Thanks to Bert and Stan, we were able to to give you. perfect example of 'live' blues music that we sometimes give forth, and please let's won up about the piano solo." He is speaking truth there. On "Ol' Man River" there are hints of Sam Cooke coming from Stewart's pipes. Sometimes his gravelly voice takes over, but there are moments where his voice gets a smooth soulful Sam Cooke things going on. And I say that not as a knock of course, but as extremely high praise. It is a great update to that song. I've listened to this album quite a few times over the years and I enjoy it every time.

So those were my thoughts on "Truth" and this was something I saw today.

 

Day 3719 - "Of Unknown Origin" & "Deadly Eyes" At The New Beverly - 07.26.21

Tonight was a rodent double feature and both films we actually quite awesome.  "Of Unknown Origin" was particularly well done.  Surprisingly suspenseful and cinematic.  I guess I really shouldn't have been that surprised with George Cosmatos directing.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3718 - Bird On A Wire - 07.25.21

This bird was on a telephone wire by my house this morning.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3717 - Friend At The Beach - 07.24.21

Today we went to Zuma Beach and met some friends there.  This is my friend Ed at Zuma.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3716 - The Gentrys - 07.23.21

This afternoon I was looking on my record shelf to see if I had any albums by Bobbie Gentry.  Sadly I did not.  But I did come across this album by The Gentrys and so I put it on.  I really loved it.  I don't remember ever listening to it before, so it was like finding a little gem.  The first track "Keep On Dancing" is great.  I spun that a bunch of times.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3715 - Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law Volume Two - 07.22.21

I picked this DVD set up recently and I have been enjoying watching old episodes of Harvey Birdman.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3714 - Patsy Cline Painting - 07.21.21

This afternoon we went to Gus's Chicken for lunch.  I took this photo of this Patsy Cline painting in the restaurant.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3713 - Four Hawaiian Records - 07.20.21

These are four of the most recent records I digitized.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3712 - "Torso" and "The Strange Vice Of Mrs Wardh" At The New Beverly - 07.19.21

Tonight was a Sergio Martino double feature.  I have been super excited for this double feature all month because they are both films that I have not seen, but have wanted to see for a long time.  So I love that my first viewing was in a theater.  They did not disappoint.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3711 - Gunpowder Milkshake Film Strip - 07.18.21

Last night at the movie, I got this cool film strip with scenes from the movie.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3710 - "Gunpowder Milkshake" at the New Beverly - 07.17.21

My son and I went and saw "Gunpowder Milkshake" at the New Beverly tonight.  It was super fun and it was a great film with a crowd.  This director was there which was also cool.  I love the Bev.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3709 - "Illusions" by Richard Bach - 07.16.21

This book "Illusions" by Richard Bach I picked up at one of the local little lending libraries.  I read a little bit of the beginning.  It was interesting.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3708 - The Polynesians "Hawaiian Wedding Song" LP - 07.15.21

Part of my record digitizing project this month has been a a stack of about 30 Hawaiian or Polynesian albums.  Today I listened to and digitized this record by The Polynesians.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3707 - Toilet Paper Man - 07.14.21

This little Toilet Paper man is a thing my son brought back from the Philippines and it has stayed in our house.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3706 - Three Stacks Of Records - 07.13.21

These three stacks of records are all the records I am aiming to digitize this month.  I am making good progress through the stacks.  The Doug Kershaw record has been a favorite  discovery.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3705 - Steve Gillette LP - 07.12.21

Today I listened to this album by Steve Gillette.  It was one I don't think I ever really listened to before.  I quite liked it.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3704 - New Beverly Pins - 07.11.21

Last night I bought some pins at the New Beverly.  These are the three I purchased.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3703 - "Dracula" and "Black Sunday" At the New Beverly - 07.10.21

Tonight was an awesome night at the New Beverly.  I have seen both of these films many times at home, but I had never seen them on the big screen and it was almost like seeing them for he first time.  It was kind of a revelation and I am so glad I was able to go see them in this setting.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3702 - Native Steel Drum Band Album - 07.09.21

I've decided to digitize a bunch of records from a box of records that has misc. types of records that don't fit into the broader genres of albums that I have.  This is an African drum record.  You can see an aerobics record there as well.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3701 - Retro Doritos Tortilla Chips Bag - 07.08.21

I've been digging the retro packaging on the Doritos this summer.  I bought a bag of the old Tortilla Chips.  I took a photo of the empty bag before tossing it.  I wanted to keep it, but I really knew I shouldn't.  I have enough other junk with my cereal collection.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3700 - "Excalibur" and "Sword Of Lancelot" at the New Beverly - 07.07.21

Tonight my wife and I went to see "Excalibur" and "Sword Of Lancelot."
  I had never seen "Excalibur" and I'll be honest it was kind of a strange film.  I was kind of disappointed because I think my expectations were too high.  "Sword of Lancelot" was fine.  Not great, but fine.  This is something I saw today. 

Day 3699 - No Skateboarding, Bicycle Riding, Roller Blading, Roller Skating, Scooter Riding - 07.06.21

Visited the doctor this morning and took this photo in the parking garage.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3698 - "The Big Boss Part II" & "Fist Of Fury Part II" at the New Beverly - 07.05.21

It was back the the Bev tonight for some martial arts madness.  This was something I saw today.
 

Day 3697 - Playing The Piano - 07.04.21

This is my wife playing the piano this morning.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3696 - Colorful Brick Arch - 07.03.21

This is a wall along Burbank Blvd.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3695 - "Kindred" by Octavia Butler - 07.02.21

A couple years ago I read a graphic novel adaptation of this book.  I picked this book up yesterday for my wife.  She has been reading some other works by Octavia Butler and so when I saw this I thought she'd like to read this one as well.  She also read that graphic novel version a few years ago as well and liked it.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3694 - C-3PO Does Not Like Sand - 07.01.21

This is a cute book I picked up this morning.  This is something I saw today.