Weekly Update #180
A few days ago, a truck driver in Whitley County, KY named Daniel J. Essek filed a demand that President-elect Barack Obama provide a copy of his birth certificate to prove that he was born in the United States. In what might be the first post-election court challenge of a winning candidate's credentials, Essek is questioning Obama's qualifications because "this is patriotism."
At the news/talk radio station that I work at, I had to field a phone call yesterday from a concerned listener who thought that if the United States was becoming so lax in regulating its candidates for public office, than "Arnold Schwarzenegger could become president, or Osama bin Laden." This woman was clearly an apple short of an orchard, but I listened politely to the duration of her rant, avoided mentioning that the Governor of California is Republican, than transferred her to our news department voice mail (they had already left for the day).
When I first read this news story --and yes, it is real-- I couldn't help but laugh. It's really astonishing what kind of made-up rubbish swirls around the internet these days. It's kind of sad that the election's been over for a month already and people are acting like John McCain is still running for president, right down to the mudslinging. In fact, the only major news outlet that is taking this story seriously is WorldNetDaily, a socially conservative news and opinion website and bastion for right-wing conspiracy theories. Last June, the Obama campaign released a digitally scanned image of the certificate to quell all this speculation, and despite passing several examinations to prove its legitimacy the blog-based skepticism hasn't stopped. For overwhelming evidence that his birth certificate is real, plus his birth annoucement from the Honolulu Advertister, click here.
Meanwhile... I've been getting mostly positive feedback regarding these best-of lists, so I'm considering turned this into a regular feature on this blog. I'll see if I can honor a different year in music about once a month (with the exception of this month, as I'll be doing my usual year-end thing in a few weeks). There's quite a few years I'd like to look back at, and the feedback I got from my salute to 1993 suggests that you guys are on the same page of my mental short list, and for that I admire your impeccable taste.
Though AllMusic.com won't post their monthly tribute for another week or so, I figured I'd get a jump start and look at 1971, the apex of the clasic rock era but also a strong year for R&B and jazz fusion. Here's my top ten:
1. Who's Next, The Who. For once, my top two picks came down to a coin flip. It was hard to choose a clear favorite for '71, but I opted for the more challenging and ambitious album. Say what you will about Keith Moon, but his distinctively sloppy drumming was never used to greater effect than The Who's follow-up to "Tommy." Raised from the ashes of another Pete Townshend-penned concept album, this collection of tracks from the scrapped project is a high point in musicianship.
2. Sticky Fingers, The Rolling Stones. This is not the best album in the Stones' oeurve --that came a year later-- but it's a recording that most bands would envy to replicate, an impossible plateau of sorts. "Fingers" is a solid ten-song set where the high points are breathtaking ("Brown Sugar," "Can't You Hear Me Knocking") and even the lesser tracks ("I Got the Blues," "Dead Flowers") refuse to be dismissed as mere filler. Most importantly, this album is a showcase for Mick Taylor, the guitar prodigy that the Stones adopted in the wake of Brian Jones' dismissal/suicide.
3. IV, Led Zeppelin.
4. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye.
5. At Fillmore East, The Allman Brothers.
6. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Derek & The Dominoes.
7. Tapestry, Carole King.
8. Blue, Joni Mitchell.
9. Aqualung, Jethro Tull.
10. Tumbleweed Connection, Elton John. The former Reggie Dwight had two studio albums released in '71, but this concept album has a slight edge over Madman Across the Water if only for the tighter production and stronger songwriting.
Honorable Mentions: LA Woman, The Doors; Imagine, John Lennon; Where I'm Coming From, Stevie Wonder; Every Picture Tells a Story, Rod Stewart; Weather Report, Weather Report.
And of course, my ten favorite songs from that year:
"Stay With Me," Faces
"Under My Wheels," Alice Cooper
"Theme from Shaft," Isaac Hayes
"Treat Her Like A Lady," Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
"Family Affair," Sly & The Family Stone
"Superstar," The Carpenters (the definitive version of the song, IMHO)
"If You Could Read My Mind," Gordon Lightfoot
"That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be," Carly Simon
"Baby Blue," Badfinger
"Temptation Eyes," The Grass Roots
Next Week: My first of several essays on the George W. Bush legacy.
it was supposed to be sux! dam you tv.sux!
say..wheres sybok?
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