Day 3948 - Revenge Of The Sith Cake - 03.12.22

This is a clever birthday cake my wife made that is the lava sequence from "Revenge Of The Sith."  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3947 - "Tai Chi Master" & "Wing Chun" At The New Beverly - 03.11.22

This evening we went to the New Beverly for a Michelle Yeoh double feature.  I'd seen both movies before, but it had been a long time.  They are both a good time.  I think I may enjoy "Wing Chun" the most.  It brought back memories of my daughter when she was very little laughing at a sequence with a tray of tofu.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3946 - "Coming 2 America" Blu-ray - 03.10.22

My wife and I loved "Coming 2 America" and even though we could access it anytime on Amazon Prime, I picked up the Blu-ray because I like having a physical copy of films I love.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3945 - Bob Marley And The Wailers "Catch A Fire" LP - 03.09.22

This Bob Marley album is the record I listened to today for the 1001 albums list.  I wrote the following to my friends.  

I was going to write that I thought this was another album that this was the first album that I owned by the artist, but upon reflection I think this was the first Bob Marley album I bought on CD. I had a tape of Rastaman Vibration in high school that was definitely the first album that I bought. I played that tape to death. Then I got "Catch A Fire" on CD in college and I listened to that a lot. That was early days for my CD collection and do wife fewer CD options this got a lot of spins back in the day. This album has a lot of classics. For me who has listened to this album so many times basically every song is a classic to me by now. For me there are no bad tracks and every single one is as familiar to me as any track from a Beatles album. At this point I don't even know which songs are the big tracks to the outside world. Obviously "Stir It Up" is probably the most recognizable song. I believe that is on the compilation album "Legend" which seems like the Bob Marley album almost everyone has owned at some point. But to me tracks like "Concrete Jungle", "400 Years", "Stop That Train" and "Kinky Reggae" are just as classic, but they aren't on Legend so I don't know of their status among the general public. I don't know what else to write about this album other than it is essential listening for sure and it is a nice album to start off the day. For that matter it is also a nice album to end the day. It just has a nice vibe to wind down the day.

This is something I saw today.

Day 3944 - "Lark's Tongues In Aspic" by King Crimson - 03.08.22

This album by King Crimson was the album I listened to today for the 1001 albums challenge.  I wrote the following about the record.

At some point I actually picked this up on vinyl. I don't even remember when. I'm sure it was in a thrift store. I haven't listened to it very much. I maybe had listened to it once when I got the record and had not returned to it until recently for this list. It is interesting, but not a favorite. I'm finding that I have to really be in the right mood for the whole prog rock thing. Sometimes I can get really into it and other times it leaves me cold. I think if i am really focused and I am really trying to get into the music and hear what is going on I appreciate it, but sometimes that is just too much work. I do appreciate the scope of the effort. I think that is the phrase I am looking for. But in the end I don't know if the ambition delivers for me.

This is something I saw today.

Day 3943 - 2601 Alameda - 03.07.22

This the building I go to to get my blood tests.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3942 - "Halloween Kills" Blu-ray - 03.06.22

I just got this blu-ray for the latest Halloween film.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3941 - Brick Wall And Drain Pipes - 03.05.22

These are a couple of drain pipes in a little nook on this wall.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3940 - "Blood" by Ron Dee - 03.04.22

I picked this paperback up because of the cheeseball vampire cover.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3939 - Candyman Blu-ray - 03.03.22

I really liked the Candyman  film this past year.  This is the Blu-ray I just purchased.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3938 - Tree - 03.02.22

This is a tree I saw during my afternoon walk today.  This is something I saw today.

Day 3937 - Popcorn Bag - 03.02.22

This is my leftover popcorn bag from the Bev last night.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3936 - "TNT Jackson" and "The Muthers" At The New Beverly - 02.28.22

This evening I saw a Jeanne Bell double feature at the Bev.  I'd seen both of these films before.  It was fun rewatching them.  Also at the screening Jeanne (Jean) Bell was there and she spoke before "TNT Jackson."  Then before "The Muthers" there was a Q&A with Trina Parks and Jayne Kennedy and that was actually pretty great.  It was great seeing all of these women and hearing their stories.  This was something I saw today.
 

Day 3935 - "The Agony And The Ecstasy" By Irving Stone - 02.27.22

This is a book about Michelangelo.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3934 - Elmore Leonard's "Maximum Bob" paperback - 02.26.22

This is an Elmore Leonard paperback I picked up recently.  To be honest I've never read any Elmore Leonard, but I want to based on how much I like the films based on his work.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3933 - Burbank Parks & Recreation Ping Pong Table - 02.25.22

I brought my camera on my walk this afternoon.  This is a ping pong table in a park near my house.  Instead of a net is has this strip of wood with Burbank Parks & Recreation written on it.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3932 - Broom In The Corner - 02.24.22

This is a broom and dustpan in the corner of my dining room.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3931 - Flowers - 02.23.22

This is the latest bouquet of flowers we have.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3930 - Sea Lavender - 02.22.22

The sea lavender in front of our house has some great color these days.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3929 - "Charley-One-Eye" & "Boot Hill" At The New Beverly Cinema - 02.21.22

Tonight I saw a couple interesting Westerns.  Of the two films I found "Charley-One-Eye" to be the better of the two films for me.  I found the style and tone refreshing and wasn't what I was expecting at all.  It really worked for me.  "Boot Hill" was okay, but I don't think it will stick with me the way "Charley-One-Eye" will.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3928 - Grogu In The Park - 02.20.22

This afternoon my wife and I went for a walk in Griffith Park.  We brought along Grogu for some photos.  This is Grogu on a log.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3927 - Handicap Only Van Accessible Sign At Pavillion's - 02.19.22

This is a handicap parking sign in the Pavillion's parking lot.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3926 - Paul Simon's Self Titled Album - 02.18.22

Today on the 1001 albums list we listened to Paul Simon's self titled album "Paul Simon."  This was a good Paul Simon album. It has no bad songs and contains a couple fun gems. "Mother And Child Reunion" is a great reggae number and I think sits fine along with songs coming from Bob Marley or Jimmy Cliff or some of the other reggae icons of the time. "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" is a big favorite for me that has been a favorite since I was a kid and I'd hear it on the radio. It got a lot of airplay in the late 80s because he released a video for the track. I love how the album touches on a variety of genres and sounds. You have the reggae opener. "Run That Body Down" which is a quiet little pop song has an almost psychedelic guitar solo on the bridge. "Me And Julio" is an up tempo almost rocker/rave up. It also has a cool instrument in the percussion. I don't know the name of it, but I believe it is a South American instrument. I think it is the same iconic instrument you hear in Quincey Jones' "Soul Bossa Nova", but I could be wrong. Whatever it is, it gives the song a nice offbeat flavor. There are songs that are more folky. "Hobo Blues" is a jazzy and bluesy number. "Paranoia Blues" is even more bluesy with the steel guitar giving it a delta blues or maybe even a Chicago blues accent. I mention the variety mostly to compare it to yesterday's album which sounded pretty much the same the whole way through. I think it just shows how Paul Simon was more than just a lyricist or simple song writer. From the jump he was exploring different genres and sounds for his songs.

This is something I saw today.

Day 3925 - Love And Rockets Comics - 02.17.22

I swap out what is in these picture frames from time to time.  Lately what I've had in them are some Love And Rockets comics.  These are different than ones I've had out in the past.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3924 - Hot Line Cone - 02.16.22

This was a cone I saw down the street when I walked this afternoon.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3923 - Eagles Self Titled LP - 02.15.22

Today on the 1001 albums list the album was the first album by the Eagles.  The album kicks off with a composition by Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne. So I think with Nico's "These Days" and now with "Take It Easy" this is Jackson Browne's second appearance on the list, but no album to show. Well he may not have gotten an invitation to the party, but I suppose it is okay to come as a plus one. I don't know this for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see more Jackson Browne compositions in the future. "Take It Easy" is pretty much a perfect pop song. It really sets the tone for that Eagles Southern California country rock vibe that is synonymous with the Eagles and the Southern California sound of the early 70s. The lyrics are instantly catchy and memorable. I can't tell you how many times I've found myself singing the first verse of this song. LOVE IT. "Witchy Woman", the second track is another all time classic. Kicks off with a hooky riff and then settles into a magical and witchy vibe. Then we go through some deep cuts. "Chug All Night" is a serious straight ahead rocker showing that the Eagles can rock with the best of them. Even if you don't like the Eagles, you can't deny that they were superior musicians and they were technically perfect musicians in the studio. Their level of perfection brings to mind Pink Floyd. "Nightingale" is a deep cut, but it could have been a single if they had wanted to release it as a single. I think it's strong enough. Side two has more deep cuts, but it also has the smash single "Peaceful Easy Feeling" which is another iconic Eagles track. I'm looking forward to more albums by the Eagles. They produced some amazing songs and albums through the seventies.

This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3922 - Congratulations Los Angele Rams Super Bowl Champs - 02.14.22

This evening my wife and I went to the New Beverly Cinema to watch "True Romance" and "Wild At Heart."  However they did not have those films on the marquee.  Instead was this message congratulating the Los Angeles Rams.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3921 - Al Hirt Albums - 02.13.22

These are all the Al Hirt records that I have that I have been digitizing.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3920 - 2 Hour Parking Sign - 02.12.22

This is a 2 hour parking sign in the Pavillion's parking lot.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3919 - Sade "Promise" LP - 02.11.22

Today I listened to Sade's album "Promise."  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3918 - Flesh For Lulu "Long Live The New Flesh" LP - 02.10.22

This is the Flesh For Lulu album "Long Live The New Flesh" peaking out on my record shelf.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3917 - Stevie Wonder's "Talking Book" - 02.09.22

The record on the 1001 albums list was "Talking Book" by Stevie Wonder.  I've had this album for quite a while. This one has some of the big hits like "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and the absolute monster "Superstition." The are a few deeper cuts on here that I also really love. "You And I", "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)" and "Big Brother" are a few deep cuts that in my mind are also classics. And beyond those highlights there aren't any bad tracks. Circling back to "Superstition" I need to wax on a little bit about how great that song. The hooky rhythm is so good. It makes you have to groove along. And thinking about how Stevie played most of the instruments on the song or course is always something I think of for just about any Stevie Wonder song, but this one is quite impressive. In looking at the credits he plays everything except the trumpet and sax on this song. And this song has so many layers. Truly impressive. For many years I just dug on the song never really thinking much about the lyrical content, but in recent years as I've learned more about that song and how it was very much a political song in reaction to Nixon. I think knowing that I listen to the song very differently now and I love it even more, because I find it even more relevant to our times. To me that will make this song always relevant. When you listen to the album "Superstition" is followed up by "Big Brother" and when you think about the political context of "Superstition" the follow up of "Big Brother" right after that track is a really powerful one two punch. That is what good sequencing on an album can do.
 

This is something I saw today.

Day 3916 - Al Hirt's "Horn A-Plenty" - 02.08.22

This is Al Hirt's album "Horn A-Plenty."  I'm in the middle of digitizing all my Al Hirt records.  I've had them out next to my computer and turntable for over a year and I'm finally getting around to taking on the project.
 

Day 3915 - Tagalongs and Pellegrino - 02.07.22

Here is a box of tagalongs, a can of San Pellegrino and a water bottle.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3914 - 7-Inch Records Case - 02.06.22

This year for my birthday I got another case for my 7-inch records.  I got one last year.  They are expensive so I figure I'll get one a year until I have enough for all the records.  I took records out of the girl scout cookie boxes that they were in and put them in this new case.  You can see in this photo the Gorilla Biscuits 7-inch.  Since I came across the record I listened to this record again today.  It really is pretty good.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3913 - Handicap Parking Sign At Aldi - 02.05.22

Today we did some grocery shopping at Aldi.  This is the handicap parking in front of the store.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3912 - Pink Grapefruit & Citrus Blend San Pellegrino Can - 02.04.22

Here is a can of San Pellegrino Water.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3911 - Work Truck In The Alley - 02.03.22

This is one of the trucks that was in the alley next to my house for the work on the electrical lines and telephone poles.  This is something I saw today.
 

Day 3910 - Electric Lines - 02.02.22

This is the electric post next to my house this is something I saw today.
 

Day 3909 - "Closer To The Edge" by Yes - 02.01.22

Today we listened to "Close To The Edge" by Yes.  This is PROG rock. Epic. Full musicianship on display. I wouldn't reach to listen to this everyday, but it is fine every once in a while. The "Close To The Edge" track which takes up the entire first side of the album is pretty impressive for its ambition alone. I will say one of the best things about prog rock is that it led a lot of frustrated youth to totally reject it and to create punk. I would put this album on edge for me in terms of being on this 1001 albums list. This is something I saw today.