2020
The Confessor
Lyrics by Joe Walsh
At just over 7 minutes long, The Confessor meets my first requirement of an epic piece of rock and roll. It also strikes me as two compositions in one - the first half is gentle in a dreamlike state then stops and switches to hard and angry (kind of like the way Tina Turner introduced Proud Mary). Another observation of the music itself is that the song seems to have two different drum parts. Can you distinguish between the conventional drums and an electronic set? The electronic is played in the first half, but sort of muffled. Conventional drums take over the start of the second half and they are intermingled toward the end. The electronic is a little more echoey. If you know what to listen for, it's definitely there.
Something else I learned is about the cover artwork. It is a slight edit of a painting called "Zwei Männer in Betrachtung des Mondes" by Caspar David Friedrich, which translates to "Two men contemplating the moon". Perhaps what they are contemplating in this instance, is the real Joe Walsh. Walsh has been pretty open with his relationship with addiction and maybe this album is his confession, and a window into his true self.
The recounting starts off slow and melodic with building electronic keyboards and some very clear 12-string guitar. With an eye of wonder the singer begins reflecting on life and how reality may not be what it seems. Could he be painting a picture of the deception that leads a person down the road to addiction?
At mid point there is an interlude of silence, followed by a change of time signature, pace and realization as if it is twenty years later. The intensity picks up as the singer, having lived life, made horrible mistakes, reached a crossroads and now wants to tell us what the real world is like. The overall tone is "You better listen to what I'm saying - I'm telling you the truth". Over a driving, yet simple solo drumbeat, he goes on to describe how it feels (as the confessor) to admit the exact nature of our sins to God, ourselves and another human being. God knows you. You know you. You can't lie. You're completely naked and humiliated. This is rigorous honesty. Yes, it's brutal, but necessary to be The Confessor.
Then the Rock and Roll kicks in - which is why we put this record on. We are treated to a minute and a half jam session of guitar work and percussion of the previously mentioned two drum sounds. Be sure you have it turned up loud now as it builds to a crescendo of screaming guitar licks blaring an audio picture of how the addiction became overwhelming. The mood seems to calm for a second, but then the singer passionately scolds and reminds us with a whole list of repercussions that have a grip on us and keep us in bondage. He pleads for us to let go.
When it's over, it's over (the song, not the addiction). At some point, you have to make up your mind to give it up.
The Confessor
If you look at your reflection in the bottom of a well
What you see is only on the surface
If you try to see the meaning, hidden underneath
The measure of the depth can be deceiving
The bottom has a rocky reputation
You can feel it in the distance
The deeper down you stare
From up above it's hard to see
But you know it when you're there
On the bottom words are shallow
On the surface talk is cheap
You can only judge the distance by the company you keep
In the eyes of the confessor
In the eyes of the confessor
There's no place you can hide
You can't hide from the eyes (of the confessor)
Don't you even try
In the eyes of the confessor
You can't tell a lie
You cannot tell a lie (to the confessor)
Strip you down to size
Naked as the day that you were born
Naked as the day that you were born
Take all the trauma, drama, comments
The guilt and doubt and shame
The what if's and if only's
The shackles and the chains
The violence and aggression
The pettiness and scorn
The jealousy and hatred
The tempest and discord
And give it up!
Comments System WIDGET PACK
A Prayer For My Brothers
O Lord, please have mercy on this band of brothers I love, good men and your children. For any who are hurting or may be in a crisis tonight, holy Father I would ask for a measure of comfort, of relief from the pain, encouragement and a touch from you that is loud enough to hear and gentle enough to soothe the paralyzing fear. I pray for hope, even a ray of sunlight in their future. Please walk beside us dear Father and carry my brother across this river of hopelessness he may be drowning in.
I pray for families who have been hurt, O Lord please heal those wounds and I thank you in advance that the pain would be eased and the godly relationships that you desire would be put together again better and stronger than ever before. Father God I ache for these precious people whose world has crashed down upon them through no fault of their own and weep with them but know that You are still the King and are still in control, all hope rests in You and your compassion. You can heal, and I plead with you to intercede and heal these deep scars and broken hearts.
Father, if trust could ever be restored, it is because You have interceded. If You choose to save marriages, praise your holy name, if you put us through a season of suffering, we trust you and Your will be done.
I pray for myself that I will have a heart of compassion and consider my brothers sufferings more important than my own temporary inconveniences. As I have seen you work a miracle in my own life, turning a sinner into a servant, please put it on my heart to have a real concern and check on my dear friend and be a friend who cares and loves.
Heal my brother, O Lord. Heal his body and his mind, heal his heart and may his desire shift from things of the world to being controlled by the Spirit. May this walk we are experiencing teach us what you want us to know and glorify the name of God. The victory is Yours!
In Christ name I pray, Amen.
I pray for families who have been hurt, O Lord please heal those wounds and I thank you in advance that the pain would be eased and the godly relationships that you desire would be put together again better and stronger than ever before. Father God I ache for these precious people whose world has crashed down upon them through no fault of their own and weep with them but know that You are still the King and are still in control, all hope rests in You and your compassion. You can heal, and I plead with you to intercede and heal these deep scars and broken hearts.
Father, if trust could ever be restored, it is because You have interceded. If You choose to save marriages, praise your holy name, if you put us through a season of suffering, we trust you and Your will be done.
I pray for myself that I will have a heart of compassion and consider my brothers sufferings more important than my own temporary inconveniences. As I have seen you work a miracle in my own life, turning a sinner into a servant, please put it on my heart to have a real concern and check on my dear friend and be a friend who cares and loves.
Heal my brother, O Lord. Heal his body and his mind, heal his heart and may his desire shift from things of the world to being controlled by the Spirit. May this walk we are experiencing teach us what you want us to know and glorify the name of God. The victory is Yours!
In Christ name I pray, Amen.
RIP Eddie Van Halen
Oct 06, 2020 • Category: Rock
The first time I heard Van Halen was in 1978 when "Runnin with the Devil" was played on Rock and Roll radio. I bought the first Van Halen album and the rest is history. I saw them perform only once - around 1984, I really don't remember. Eddie Van Halen was the coolest. If you look in the upper right corner, you can see my tribute and devotion to the world's greatest guitarist, my Eddie Van Halen mailbox. When my old mailbox was falling down, I fixed the mount, and re-painted it in the process. Rock in peace, Eddie.
Now, just for fun:
YouTube
Spark Plugs
Do you have any of these? Coffee cans of old spark plugs? Have you ever thought about why you refuse to let these go? What do you need to throw out? (And I'm not really talking about spark plugs)
Restless
Restless from the 1978 album You're Gonna Get It! by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Written by Tom Petty
Is this song about a sex addict? That's your call, but one thing's for sure, Restless by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers rocks!
"Restless"
I don't need to belong to no one
I don't belong at all
Got my face in the corner
Got my back to the wall
And pretty baby I'm restless, restless
Restless through and through
I'm restless restless
You look restless too
I'm a hair trigger lover
And I can't face up to nothing
I'm impatient with the wind
But I'm waitin' here for somethin'
And pretty baby I'm restless, restless
Restless through and through
I'm restless restless
You look restless too
Restless sleep, twisted dreams
Moving targets, silent screams
Restless city, restless steets
Restless you, restless me
I'm a face out the window
I'm a black satin sheet
And I can't stay warm
I stay out in the street
And pretty baby I'm restless, restless
Restless through and through
I'm restless restless
You look restless too
Turn The Page
Turn The Page from the 1973 album Back in '72 and again on the 1976 Live Bullet by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
Lyrics by Bob Seger
Turn the Page tells the story of an exhausted performer and his band driving all night, trying to make the next gig. He thinks about all the hazards of living on the road as he practices his craft of being the "Star". I believe it does have an element of sex addiction, albeit an element that is very common in all men: As he is riding the night out, his mind wanders.
"On a long and lonesome highway
East of Omaha
You can listen to the engine
Moanin' out his one note song
You can think about the woman
Or the girl you knew the night before…"
The night before, last week, 35 years ago. Those thoughts seem to be the default place our mind may turn to when we are not actively engaged.
Lyrics by Bob Seger
"On a long and lonesome highway
East of Omaha
You can listen to the engine
Moanin' out his one note song
You can think about the woman
Or the girl you knew the night before…"
The night before, last week, 35 years ago. Those thoughts seem to be the default place our mind may turn to when we are not actively engaged.
False Idols and Gods
Jun 19, 2020 • Category: Addiction
At first glance, you would think the false god an addict is running to is the addiction. On deeper introspection, I think that the god I was running to was myself, because the end result of all the fantasies was that I was the hero. I was the savior. I made everyone else feel good about making me feel good. I am the false god.
Conversation Between A Father And Son
Apr 30, 2020 • Category: Life
Father: Do you know what constructive criticism means?
Son (head back, rolling eyes): Yesss
End of conversation
Son (head back, rolling eyes): Yesss
End of conversation
Carry On Wayward Son
Apr 24, 2020 • Category: Rock
Carry On Wayward Son from the 1976 album Leftoverture by Kansas.
Songwriter Kerry Livgren
I remember the first time I heard this in 1976, I thought it was just another fill in song on the radio, but the more I listened, the more special it became. Now, when I hear it, I am marveled at the opening instrumentation, who would have dared create something like this in 1976?
Songwriter Kerry Livgren
I remember the first time I heard this in 1976, I thought it was just another fill in song on the radio, but the more I listened, the more special it became. Now, when I hear it, I am marveled at the opening instrumentation, who would have dared create something like this in 1976?
The Golden Age
Apr 15, 2020 • Category: Rock
Just when was the Golden Age of Rock and Roll?
First, we have to start with the assumption that Rock and Roll is no longer being created. I say that it's dead, but it't not dead in the sense that we have no Rock and Roll to listen to, we have hundreds or thousands of great pieces of music archived all over the place to enjoy for the rest of our lives. My point is that at some point, it stopped being created. If you are under 50 years old, you may strongly disagree with what I am saying. Does Rock and Roll even exist anymore? Certainly, there are some talented musicians out there creating good rock and roll music and I commend them on their love for the music, however we will never hear it because the music distribution system does not work for us the way it used to. It's really Rock and Roll Radio that is dead, and because the channel of distribution doesn't function properly, I can't imagine that new artists are able to make any money to engage in their craft, therefore new rock and roll has apparently dried up. Anyone who takes a critical look at Rock and Roll will have an opinion on precisely when the Golden Age took place. Some have said Feb. 3, 1959 was the day the music died. That great philosopher, Gene Simmons has noted that between 1958 and 1988 there were hundreds of successful rock acts. Hundreds. And by successful, he means they made money and paid the bills…and I would say that they came up with some great music in the process. He challenges us to name two since 1988. I could probably name three, but his point is legit.
The successful rock acts now, are artists who started before 1988 and in some cases, well before then. The Rolling Stones are touring this year, 2020. Recently, I watched an archived interview of the Dick Cavett show from 1972 in which he interviewed Mick Jagger while the Stones were playing two shows at Madison Square Garden. Jagger, who was just shy of 30 years old was asked by Cavett, "Can you see yourself doing this when you're 60?". "Yes, definitely" was his answer. I was surprised to hear that contrasted with Bill Wyman's answer when asked if he thought he'd be doing this ten years from now was something along the lines of "I don't know what I'll be doing next week". That was a realistic outlook in the rock world. Jagger, by the way is 76 years old and doesn't seem to be slowing down. Rock was created back in the day, but there's no such thing as new rock. Correct me if I'm wrong.
So, when was the golden age? Ask a hundred people, get a hundred different answers. One day around 2005 when I was bored, I created a graph that illustrated the radio stations I was listening to and the general strength of rock and roll created and receiving airplay during that time. Yes, I believe the 50's were more important to Rock and Roll than the 00's. The 10's and 20's are flatlined. Here's another way of looking at the purple bars:
50's Hey this sounds pretty cool daddy-O
60's Explosion!
70's Refinement, maturity, peak
80's Hey, lets get technology to do all the work
90's Houston, we have a problem
00's RIP Rock and Roll
First, we have to start with the assumption that Rock and Roll is no longer being created. I say that it's dead, but it't not dead in the sense that we have no Rock and Roll to listen to, we have hundreds or thousands of great pieces of music archived all over the place to enjoy for the rest of our lives. My point is that at some point, it stopped being created. If you are under 50 years old, you may strongly disagree with what I am saying. Does Rock and Roll even exist anymore? Certainly, there are some talented musicians out there creating good rock and roll music and I commend them on their love for the music, however we will never hear it because the music distribution system does not work for us the way it used to. It's really Rock and Roll Radio that is dead, and because the channel of distribution doesn't function properly, I can't imagine that new artists are able to make any money to engage in their craft, therefore new rock and roll has apparently dried up. Anyone who takes a critical look at Rock and Roll will have an opinion on precisely when the Golden Age took place. Some have said Feb. 3, 1959 was the day the music died. That great philosopher, Gene Simmons has noted that between 1958 and 1988 there were hundreds of successful rock acts. Hundreds. And by successful, he means they made money and paid the bills…and I would say that they came up with some great music in the process. He challenges us to name two since 1988. I could probably name three, but his point is legit.
The successful rock acts now, are artists who started before 1988 and in some cases, well before then. The Rolling Stones are touring this year, 2020. Recently, I watched an archived interview of the Dick Cavett show from 1972 in which he interviewed Mick Jagger while the Stones were playing two shows at Madison Square Garden. Jagger, who was just shy of 30 years old was asked by Cavett, "Can you see yourself doing this when you're 60?". "Yes, definitely" was his answer. I was surprised to hear that contrasted with Bill Wyman's answer when asked if he thought he'd be doing this ten years from now was something along the lines of "I don't know what I'll be doing next week". That was a realistic outlook in the rock world. Jagger, by the way is 76 years old and doesn't seem to be slowing down. Rock was created back in the day, but there's no such thing as new rock. Correct me if I'm wrong.
So, when was the golden age? Ask a hundred people, get a hundred different answers. One day around 2005 when I was bored, I created a graph that illustrated the radio stations I was listening to and the general strength of rock and roll created and receiving airplay during that time. Yes, I believe the 50's were more important to Rock and Roll than the 00's. The 10's and 20's are flatlined. Here's another way of looking at the purple bars:
50's Hey this sounds pretty cool daddy-O
60's Explosion!
70's Refinement, maturity, peak
80's Hey, lets get technology to do all the work
90's Houston, we have a problem
00's RIP Rock and Roll
Let me explain. These are Dallas radio stations. Rock and Roll rose very quickly in the late 50's and exploded in the 1960's. You can see that it (in my opinion) peaked in the 1970's and died a slow agonizing death going down slower than it had risen, mostly due to the momentum it had gained in the 60's and 70's which we will cherish well into the future. Very little good rock and roll was created after the 80's (really not much in the 80's if you ask me), and the only rock and roll we have to listen to is old rock and roll. It will carry me through my lifetime and maybe a few decades beyond. I listened to KLIF 1190 AM in the 1960's when rock and roll radio flourished. FM wasn't even around then, that I can remember, but by the time I made the jump to KNUS 98.7 and soon after KVIL 103.7, little could I comprehend that rock and roll was peaking. KNUS and KVIL were top 40, bubblegum or pop stations. I didn't understand that at the time. KLIF had been a more serious rock and roll station but that could be because there wasn't as much music around then. The early to mid 70's stations were just a natural progression and we took what was given to us at the time.
I had heard about KZEW, The Zoo, 97.9 along about 8th grade, but it wasn't until my sophomore year, 1974 that I began to listen. This was a game changer in my rock and roll world. These people cared about the music and played deep into the albums. The exposure to great music was wider and this is when I became a connoisseur. Until now, I had eaten everything that was placed before me, but now I had a choice. I decided to rock. KTXQ 102.1 came along soon after and we had two stations to go back and forth with, buy records, and go to concerts. We enjoyed a good 15 years of rocking on down the highway. Then something dreadful happened in Dec. of 1989. On my way to work, I turned on the Zoo and what do I hear? Christmas music. I love Christmas music as much as the next guy, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I heard the bad news from someone. The Zoo was going to play Christmas music until the end of the year, then would be no more. It was gone. Dead. Formaldehyde City. Get over it. I didn't get over it, it was Feb. 3, 1959 all over again and would never be resurrected. Those great, album oriented stations who cared more about the music than anything else ended. It probably wasn't financially feasible, but it was nice while we had it. We still have KZPS 92.5 and all the silliness that seems to pay the bills. Yuck!
In addition to my graph I proudly present above, I did a critical analysis of this phenomenon we call Rock and Roll and pinpointed the exact peak to be the year 1971. Everything before then was on the way up and afterward on the way down. But it did rise back up in a way. The internet came along and brought to the front a lot of old music that I had never heard, or hadn't heard in a long time. I have more true rock and roll now than ever before, but the creation of it has long been dead. The end. ~JK
My City Was Gone
Apr 04, 2020 • Category: Rock
My City Was Gone from the 1984 album Learning To Crawl by The Pretenders.
Lyrics by Chrissie Hynde
One of the best bass-driven songs I've ever heard,
My City Was Gone keeps an even tempo with the baseline against the echoing drums throughout. It's a song that you can really get into late at night driving down a dark, lonely road. I don't like Chrissie Hyndes style of singing, but she does it so good. I don't think anyone else could convert story-telling into a song using this pretentious style of singing, but she invented it and listening to it for so long, it just works. I had always thought the groovy, fade out guitar picking was by original Pretenders guitarist, James Honeyman-Scott, but after a little research, I see he died a few months before the track was recorded using Bill Bremer on the guitar. Give it a critical listen, and see if you don't hear it like never before.~JK
Lyrics by Chrissie Hynde
John 9:1-5
Apr 01, 2020 • Category: Life
As he was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," Jesus answered. "This came about so that God's works might be displayed in him. We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
Perhaps God is allowing this very difficult time in our lives to happen, to show his works. I'm going to try and see every bit of God's works in the coming days and thank him for it. He gets all the credit for even the smallest encouragement or gift and will certainly receive the glory and honor when the mountain is moved.
Perhaps God is allowing this very difficult time in our lives to happen, to show his works. I'm going to try and see every bit of God's works in the coming days and thank him for it. He gets all the credit for even the smallest encouragement or gift and will certainly receive the glory and honor when the mountain is moved.
Connecting
Mar 27, 2020 • Category: Life
I heard Dennis Prager say something on his radio show in 2019 that made me think. Now this may not be the exact words, but I think I remember it pretty close: "The more afraid you are to talk to your spouse about your sexual desires, the less connected you'll be". Hmmm.
Can't You Hear Me Knocking?
Mar 24, 2020 • Category: Rock
Lyrics by Jagger/Richards
Right out of the gate, Keith plays some crystal clear, down and dirty licks, and everything rocks from here on. This is a classic example of fuzzy guitar, genius rock and roll riffing, kept in line with Charlie Watts doing more than his usual time keeping minimum, throwing in some great rap-tapping and cymbalizing. I've been listening to this song for almost half a century, but only recently did I really hear it. Around the fourth stanza, I was drawn to the backup singing: "Hear me prowlin', I'm gonna take you down. Hear me growlin', Yeah, I've flatted feet now, now, now, now. Hear me howlin', And all, all around your street now. Hear me knockin', And all, all around your town". I played the whole thing over and it became brand new.
You don't see it coming, but at midpoint, the song very cleverly and quickly, shapeshifts into a jazzy jam session complete with bongos, a cool-cat saxophone solo by Bobby Keys that never really ends and an echoing guitar solo by Mick Taylor. The jamming goes on for a good 4 minutes and just like that, it's over with an exclamation point! Some of the older folks might remember that when you went into the record store and saw this cardboard album in 1971, right in the middle was a flap, when opened revealed a working metal zipper on a piece of cloth. I've never seen that repeated.
Might As Well Face It, You're Addicted
Our first Classic Song is from 1986, Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love. This song is pretty relevant if you read it and could qualify as a letter from Your Addiction. Fill in the blanks with your own addictive behavior.
Lyrics by Robert Palmer
Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your mind is not your own
Your heart sweats, your body shakes
Another _____ is what it takes
You can't sleep, you can't eat
There's no doubt, you're in deep
Your throat is tight, you can't breathe
Another _____ is all you need
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
You see the signs, but you can't read
You're running at a different speed
Your heart beats in double time
Another _____ and you'll be mine, a one track mind
You can't be saved
Oblivion is all you crave
If there's some left for you
You don't mind if you do
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
Might as well face it, you're addicted to _____ (x5)
Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your will is not your own
You're heart sweats and teeth grind
Another _____ and you'll be mine
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
Might as well face it, you're addicted to _____ (x7)
Lyrics by Robert Palmer
Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your mind is not your own
Your heart sweats, your body shakes
Another _____ is what it takes
You can't sleep, you can't eat
There's no doubt, you're in deep
Your throat is tight, you can't breathe
Another _____ is all you need
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
You see the signs, but you can't read
You're running at a different speed
Your heart beats in double time
Another _____ and you'll be mine, a one track mind
You can't be saved
Oblivion is all you crave
If there's some left for you
You don't mind if you do
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
Might as well face it, you're addicted to _____ (x5)
Your lights are on, but you're not home
Your will is not your own
You're heart sweats and teeth grind
Another _____ and you'll be mine
Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to _____.
Might as well face it, you're addicted to _____ (x7)
YouTube
Stop the Presses
Feb 21, 2020 • Category: Addiction
I always wanted to say that.
An earth shattering revelation has occurred to me. I know I need to take every thought captive, but those thoughts have always filled a big hole in my life. I would not know what to do without them and I would be completely lost. There would be a lot of empty air time in my life if every immoral thought was tossed out the window, as I would need to spend a few minutes staring into space until the next thought came along and I tossed it as well.
The solution of course is to have one of the many life projects we all have, but don't have time to do, at the ready and pick it up and run. Plenty of things have been neglected, and I need to be prepared, with a dose of discipline and a quick prayer to throw out the thought and get busy with the project. Wow, just think of the things that could be accomplished using the time wasted on destructive thoughts.
With a little bit of planning, things could change drastically. I'm going to give it a try.
An earth shattering revelation has occurred to me. I know I need to take every thought captive, but those thoughts have always filled a big hole in my life. I would not know what to do without them and I would be completely lost. There would be a lot of empty air time in my life if every immoral thought was tossed out the window, as I would need to spend a few minutes staring into space until the next thought came along and I tossed it as well.
The solution of course is to have one of the many life projects we all have, but don't have time to do, at the ready and pick it up and run. Plenty of things have been neglected, and I need to be prepared, with a dose of discipline and a quick prayer to throw out the thought and get busy with the project. Wow, just think of the things that could be accomplished using the time wasted on destructive thoughts.
With a little bit of planning, things could change drastically. I'm going to give it a try.
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Feb 13, 2020 • Category: Addiction
"Lust is the craving for salt in a man who is dying of thirst"
- Frederick Buechner
- Frederick Buechner
