Best Records Of 2005-Ashes To Dust

This is the first in a series of profiles of my favorite records from the year. There are still more than two months left and lots of upcoming releases. But I've already decided on several great records that resonated with me.

Ashes To Dust-William Elliott Whitmore
William Elliott Whitmore is one of the more surprising artists I've encountered this year. I didn't know his work until I heard one of his songs on a college radio station while driving to the Pocono Mountains back in July. His instruments are few: a banjo, an acoustic guitar, and, oh yes, a gravelly voice scourged with years of pain and hardship that seems to stretch clear back to his upbringing on a farm on the banks of the great Mississippi River. His songs speak, holler really, about love: love gained, only to be lost, and about death. "Lift My Jug (Song For Hub Cale)" is maybe the standout track of the record, being that it has a type of energy that helps it rise above some of the other more downbeat cuts.

The real shocker came in August when I saw him perform at Rex's in West Chester, Pennsylvania, more typically a venue for what passes for punk these days. Instead of an aged rootsy bluesman, it was a tattoed, goateed 26-year old who held the room spellbound with that unflinching voice.

He'll be in Philadelphia at the First Unitarian Church on Wednesday, November 16. Here's the rest of his schedule.

From the 2005 record Ashes To Dust, you should check out:

Midnight

From the 2003 record Hymns For The Hopeless, you should check out:

Cold And Dead

Going, Going ... A Lake Disappears

Located in the heart of Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, Gouldsboro Lake was created from a smaller lake in the early 1900s to provide ice for refrigeration. During winter, lake ice was cut, stored in warehouses, and later shipped via the adjacent Erie-Lackawanna Railroad (once owned by railroad tycoon Jay Gould) to cities up and down the East Coast of the United States. When the ice industry died out in the 1940s, the 250-acre lake was developed for recreational purposes. Gouldsboro State Park, which opened in the late 1950s, includes a beach and swimming area, nearby picnic tables, as well as boating and fishing facilities. Challenging hiking trails were cut through the woods (State Game Lands) and along sections of the old Pennsylvania Route 611.

The lake's dam, originally built in 1900, showed signs of decay over the years, and was patched with minor repairs on rare occasions until the Commonwealth's Division Of Dam Safety recommended that the structure be replaced. Drawdown began in January 2005 when the dam's spillway gate was lifted. Since then, water has continued to drain or evaporate from the lake. With a line item in the current state budget for dam design and replacement, local residents hope that construction will begin in Spring 2006.

From March 2005, this is a long view of the lake, looking towards the beach at Gouldsboro State Park. The shoreline has barely begun to change.

When the lake is at maximum capacity, water depth reaches only 10 or 12 feet in some areas. At the far end, near the State Park area, tree stumps from decades ago quickly emerged into the open air as the water level dropped.



This is a nearly identical perspective from late May 2005. The shoreline has retreated significantly, revealing rocks, tree stumps, railroad ties, icehouse foundations, anchors, and even a few bottles and beer cans thrown into the water over the years.

In some areas of the lakebed, huge beds of gravel have been laid bare. In others, mud or even standing water prevails, fed by springs or streams draining into the lake.


This is the same view from early September 2005. Grass, wildflowers, and various weeds have begun to colonize the exposed lakebed. The water in the background is a little higher than might be expected after a hot summer; recent rains brought the lake level back up for a few weeks, to mid-June levels.

Locals feared that stagnant standing water would lead to mosquito infestation, but this did not appear to have happened during the summer of 2005.

Colby Stead: A Review

Last month, I had the pleasure of seeing a friend, aspiring singer-songwriter Lisa Watson, perform at South Jersey's Barrington Coffeehouse, an easy-to-find, friendly establishment which provides open mike nights for mostly local musicians. And ... they also serve some damn good coffee.

The last musician to perform that night was someone I did not know: Colby Stead, a thirtysomething Utah native who had driven several days across the country to get to this gig. Colby has been playing guitar and singing for only the last three or four years. It's hard to believe, because he has fine guitar (and harmonica) skills and was quite comfortable performing in front of an audience of maybe two dozen people sitting five feet away. His intelligent lyrics and easy rapport as he segued from one song into the next suggest someone who has developed a special perspective from traveling around the country in his van to support his craft, meeting people from all backgrounds and all walks of life with all of their tragedies and joys along the way. After the show, he and I talked for almost ten minutes about different places we had each visited in this great land of ours. One of the keys to seeing it and the good people out there, we both agreed, is to off the beaten path, especially the interstates.

His website (which he barely mentioned in his performance), includes, as one might expect, song clips, including those from his CD, So Normal It's Different. But Colby also loaded the site with tons of additional content, including photographs from his trips across the USA, poems, lists (e.g., "50 Things I Would Do If I Were Famous"), letters (e.g., "Letter to a President"), and spoken word sound clips. The CD can also be purchased online. My favorite song is "Selling Out."

Colby's Upcoming Appearance In The Philadelphia Area

He returns to the Barrington Coffeehouse on Wednesday, September 21st 2005, at 7:30 p.m.. After the show, his 20-song CD will be available for only $10, which is quite a bargain, cheaper than iTunes, as he points out. Since his shows are usually free wherever he plays, and gasoline is a bit expensive at the moment, it would be nice to show your support, if you go.

Taking charge of your life crisis

When confronted with a major life crisis, some people respond in rather incredible ways to the challenge. David Welch, a friend of a friend, was diagnosed with a brain tumor late last year. He went into action immediately, building a team to support him in his search for more information about the disease and any and all possible treatments.

His remarkably detailed and touching website includes photos from his surgery in May 2005, medical explanations, messages, a discussion board, and his journal. It chronicles not only his battle against the disease but also the love of his family and many friends.

The website is a testament to the strength of his character & his courage; and it provides hope and inspiration for others.

Check out David's site.

Would that be "must miss TV"?

I didn't see much of Tommy Lee Goes To College on NBC but apparently, he wasn't the first choice for this fish-out-of-water reality show. Originally, a certain, high-pitched 70s & 80s front man for a staple of arena rock was wanted for the job. No, not Dennis DeYoung ...

The whole story is right here

This must be the place

Tap tap tap ... this thing on? Ahem ...

Welcome, everyone! Feel free to stop by any time, leave comments & ramble if you must.

Well, except spammers: you know who you are! Stay away.

Top 885 Albums

Philadelphia, PA's WXPN-FM (88.5), one of the premier AAA radio stations in the USA, asked its listeners to submit lists to the station of their Top 10 albums. The contest ended September 5, and, after the votes are counted, playback of the Top 885 will begin on September 27. Many listeners posted their top 10 on the station's Bulletin Boards, including me:

When I started making a list of my top albums, I was using many criteria. What were others saying … what classics were likely to finish well in the voting etc., etc. So, of course I thought about the Beatles, Steely Dan, the Eagles, Yes, Springsteen, and much, much more. And there have been some great lists posted! But as I organized them, I put all that aside. I focused on those albums have meant the most to me over the years, that still resonate with me today. As a good friend would describe it, it was music that “shook me to the core” (in ways both big & small). So here they are:

Miles Davis-Kind of Blue: I was again reminded of its magnificence when Jazzfrac (Tim) died. Miles Davis said that “Music is about the spirit and the spiritual” and this is a truly spiritual album. He called upon an amazing gathering of stellar musicians, and himself, to go beyond mere sketches and be moved to create a new sound, laid-back but melodic. I still hear new bits every time I listen, so this selection is a total no-brainer.

Lyle Lovett-Lyle Lovett & His Large Band: He has always been one of my sister’s favorite artists, but I didn’t like his music much until I was persuaded to listen to Joshua Judges Ruth. This one’s my favorite record of his, though; funny & touching lyrics, my favorite song is probably “Nobody Knows Me”; great cover of “Stand By Your Man”.

Run-D.M.C.-Run D.M.C: Back in 1984, when one of my buddies rolled by in his Cadillac Coupe DeVille with this blasting from his tape deck, I am sure my jaw dropped. I had to have it, it was so different, powerful & original from the little rap I was familiar with then (like Sugarhill Gang). It hit and hit hard; “Hard Times” & “Rock Box” especially. That I picked up De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising, and LL Cool J’s Radio I attribute to first listening to this record.

AC/DC-Back In Black: I have never been a big fan of hard rawk, but this one stands well above the rest. It’s not so much a guilty pleasure for me as it’s a simple (and sometimes simple is best), no holds-barred tribute to sex and drinking (and nothin’ wrong with that!). Then there’s the dark-“Hell’s Bells”-and the speedy “Shoot To Thrill”-all in about 40 minutes total. Still my favorite album for a good gym workout.

The Smiths-The Queen Is Dead: This was the killer combination of Morrissey & Marr at its best, just devastating, melancholy & romantic. I mean, I had listened to their stuff before-“Meat Is Murder” comes to mind. But this one had “Bigmouth Strikes Again”-just terrific energy. I walked home after buying this at a Waxie Maxie’s (this was in D.C.) and promptly listened to it non-stop like 10 times; it turned me into a huge Smiths fan.

Indigo Girls-Rites Of Passage: I immediately took to this album, having been introduced to their music by an ex-g.f. I think it’s probably just the combination of the melodies, the lyrics and the harmonies that make it so special for me. And post-relationship, it was a bit of a cathartic (if ironic) outlet. One great song after another: “Galileo”, “Ghost” and “Let It Be Me”.

Portishead-Dummy: Another brilliant record which left me thunderstruck; from the opening cut “Mysterons”, Beth Gibbons’ voice, the strings, the mellow guitars, the samples … really just an enjoyable trip-hop classic that helped introduce to me the Sneaker Pimps, and Supreme Beings of Leisure, among others.

Emmylou Harris-Pieces of the Sky: I picked this up sometime in the mid-80s, also in DC. An amazing voice here (and today as well), understated and vulnerable; “Boulder To Birmingham” is maybe my favorite cut on the record. And someone named Rodney Crowell contributed a song also to this record.

Sarah Vaughn-Crazy and Mixed Up: She had a great quartet behind her and just some terrific tunes. I used to borrow this from my mom & dad’s collection (how it got in there, I don’t know, they otherwsise seemed to have a lot of Ferrante & Teichner (?), Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, and the Ink Spots). I digress. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," is simply perfect.

Stevie Ray Vaughan (w/Double Trouble)-Live Alive: This is somebody I had to include; it was just a mere question of which record. I chose this one because it brings me back to my one, and only, SRV concert, at the Mann in ‘87. What a showman, what amazing solos and arrangements recorded here. And Jimmie Vaughan to boot! Great cover of “Superstition” and of course, “Voodoo Chile”. It’s hard to believe next week it’ll be 15 years since Stevie Ray’s death.

10 that missed the cut …

The Band-The Band
Crowded House-Together Alone
Rolling Stones-Let It Bleed
Mary Chapin Carpenter-Come On Come On
Liz Phair-Exile In Guyville
John Prine-John Prine
Jeff Buckley-Grace
Big Audio Dynamite-Megatop Phoenix
The Crow-movie soundtrack-various artists
Joni Mitchell-Court & Spark

Fate Of The Louisiana Philharmonic

In addition to the lives lost and property destroyed in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, the area's cultural heritage has been hit quite hard. One such instititution with a questionable future is the New Orleans Philharmonic.

Katrina has blown the 68-member Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra — the only full-time symphony in America owned and operated by its musicians_ into exile. And no one knows if their beloved ensemble will survive.

The orchestra's audience, the city of New Orleans, is gone. Its venue, the ornate Orpheum Theater in the business district, has taken on water. And many of its musicians have lost their homes.

The full story is here