Stale Single #2: Mexico

Song:  Mexico
Artist:  James Taylor
Album:  Gorilla
Year:  1975

James Taylor seems, and this is purely conjecture and speculation, like such a douche.  Maybe it's just my perception but that's the way man comes across.

But, he can write some fucking hits.

Mexico is easily my favorite in a catalog that is just riddled with hit songs from the '70s.  Hell, you could barely turn on the AM radio back in the day without hearing Baby James.  He was that freakin' hot at the time.

Anyway...Mexico has this groove that James didn't let out all that often.  The fact that he is singing about a place he had never been just cracks me up, too.  Don't believe me?  Just listen to the lyrics.

"Ooooh Mexico. 
Never really been 
So I don't really know"

Love that.

If you are having a bad day...you know, if the landlord wants the rent, the baby is hungry, or your crack dealer won't return your call...listen to Mexico.  It is guranteed to lift your spirits for three minutes and one second.

Great song.  Even if James is kind of a douche bag.

Stale Music Review #7 - Jane's Addiction

Kettle Whistle by Jane's Addiction

Cost: $0.92US

Song Count: 15

When I used to live on Cape Cod, I almost got the Kettle Whistle disc about a million times at Newbury Comics. But, the price was always just a little high for me.  So, lo and behold, when I see the disc laying in the way-used bin at the local place...well, I just couldn't pass it up.

Going back to my days in middle school, I've always enjoyed the music of Jane's Addiction.  They had that metal twinge that I so love, thanks to the heavy-handed guitar mastery of Dave Navarro.  On a slightly related note, Navarro has at least one solo record out that I have listened to...it's awful.  Sorry Dave.  Anyway, I enjoyed Jane's because they rocked hard but they also had a weirdness that I could embrace without it being too off-putting.  I attribute that solely to the king of weird himself: Perry Farrell.  On another tangent, Porno For Pyros was actually a really good band.  Just a little stranger than Jane's.

Well, Kettle Whistle is chock full of live tracks, demo's, out-takes, and new recordings (4, actually).  The "new" tracks are just ok.  The demo's are interesting.  But, the live tracks...well, the live tracks are worth the price of admission, here.  Jane Says, which is their signature tune, shines.  It's just magic, really.  Three Days, Ain't No Right, and Whores, are all strong in their own right.  The live tracks are recorded well.  Which is good.  Nothing pisses me off more than shoddy live recordings.  Jane's Addiction gets it right with Kettle Whistle.  

I could almost hear the half naked whores dancing on stage.

Here goes the track list and my moderate notes.

1.  Kettle Whistle

2.  Ocean Size - I love this song.  It really sounds big on Nothing's Shocking.  Sounds pretty decent here, too.

3.  My Cat's Name Is Maceo - Meh.

4.  Had a Dad - Great song.  Great out-take.  Very nice.

5.  So What!

6.  Jane Says - Wow.  Great sounding in this live take.  Awesome song and extremely well performed.  And Jane is also done with Sergio, which is good news.

7.  Mountain Song - Like this tune, too.

8.  Slow Divers

9.  Three Days - This tune sounds like a page from Perry's journal.  Good stuff.

10.  Ain't No Right - A fun rocker.  Just a little strange, but what can you expect?

11.  Up The Beach

12.  Stop - A standout from Ritual de lo Habitual.  Sounds great live, too.

13.  Been Caught Stealing - Jane's showing their sense of humor.  Like it.

14.  Whores - Never been a huge fan of the song.  However, now I have changed my mind.

15.  City

I don't care what people say, but I believe Jane's Addiction is the band that typifies and represents LA the best.  Sorry Chili Peppers.  Sorry Motley.  Sorry CSN&Y.  Sorry all the rest.  Jane's are Los Angeles, pure and simple.  Kettle Whistle is a great album.  Pick it up, sir (or madam), and you will not be disappointed in the least.

Stale Book Review #7 - Lost City of Z

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

Cost: $3.00US

Page Count: 319

I'm going to review a book I read a while ago.  So, bear with me.  This installment of Stale Reviews is The Lost City of Z by David Grann.  This book was excellent, but not what I expected when I picked it up.  For some reason, I was expecting a thriller-type narrative.  This is not what Grann put in the book. The Lost City of Z was a biographical expose on the hunt by British explorer Percy Fawcett of the Amazon rain forest in search of the title city.

Z was supposedly a lost civilization tucked deep within the jungles of the Amazon.  Fawcett, an avid and experienced explorer, was determined to find it and set out with a small army of people to find the city.  Why would someone put themselves and their fellow explorers at such risk?  Well, that answer is easy:  Gold, dude.  However, after a while searching for gold and the city in the harsh and unforgiving jungle...he disappeared.  The story is based on journals and the stories of surviving family members.  

I am a fan of travel fiction.  The Lost City of Z is travel fiction to the extreme.  Grann does a fantastic job of building a solid narrative while staying true to the story of Fawcett and his expedition.  Without Grann's awesome storytelling prowess, this novel would have been really short.  It would've been like this:  Fawcett wants to find Z, goes into the jungle and never comes back, the end.  That would've been lame.  The Lost City of Z goes far beyond and gives history, personal narratives, family history, and the like.  

I am considering giving this book another read.  It's worth the time and effort to read through the book once more just to get the story down.  I cannot say enough about this book.  It's way worth the three bucks I spent.  In fact, I probably should've bought this one new...if I could afford it.

The Lost City of Z is an absolute winner.  Pick it up if you get the chance.