DIG THIS WITH BILL MESNIK AND RICH BUCKLAND- THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS

Buck Owens (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006), and Dwight Yoakam (b. October 23, 1956) :  two master navigators of a very unique tributary along the stream of popular music, inspired and learned from each other - one, being the progenitor of the "Bakersfield Sound", and the other his adopted musical progeny. "The Streets of Bakersfield," originally recorded by Buck Owens in 1973, was revived as a duet between the two men in 1988, becoming  a chart hit and a popular video.  
 
 Buck, whose career had gone dark after losing his friend and musical partner, Don Rich in 1974, was sparked back to life when Dwight came into his life.  Here Bill and Rich attempt to connect some of the musical catalogue and biographical dots  of these two musical giants. 

Inspired by the clear and evocative 1985 translation of the I CHING,  by Kerson and Rosemary Huang - a team of a poet and physicist-poet, I kept a diary of musical interpretations of hexagrams which appeared to me when I consulted the oracle over the course of a year.

HEXAGRAM 33: RETREAT (Bill Mesnik)

"Form is transitory, acquiescing in the flow"

I'm yielding to the circumstances, being still and letting go,

open to the transformation - going with the flow.

I'm gone with the flow in the grip of the tide

I don't know - nobody knows if I'll see you on the flip side.

What we see ain't what we get, it's not under our control - 

the tide surges up, then leaves us flat in the midnight coaster roll

What's the point in making scenes, or, inscribing your little name in stone,

When the tide surges up and the beach is swept clean into endless, timeless unknown?

I'm gone with the tide in the grip of the flow - Whether or not I'll be purified

well, I just don't know.

HEXAGRAM 42: INCREASE (Bill Mesnik)

"The time of increase does not endure, therefore it must be utilized while it lasts."

One hand strengthens the other; on the other hand, I might fall.

Could you lend a hand, my brother? 

I don't have much, but I could lose it all.

I'll follow your instructions; you seem to know the way,

I played right through the harvest, now my stores are empty at the dark of the day. 

I heard warnings about the future, but I turned the other way,

music soothed my apprehension, and my passions held sway.

Now I'm looking for a harbor, and I saw your firelight.

Might I bide awhile in your cabin to pass away the dampening night?

HEXAGRAM 13: WATCHING (Bill Mesnik)

I'm watching - watching... letting things play out in time

Although I'm invested in the outcome, I'm just watching, and trailing behind.

In the dawn - the anxious dawn... before the pulse of the day,

Should it come to pass the shadows grip you, you may not be able to have a say. 

We are travelers - fond travelers sharing this path for a mile,

Although I may want to protect you, we'll only be together a little while.

So, I'm watching, watching... letting things play out in time.

although I'm invested in the outcome, I'm just watching, and trailing behind.

The story of Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street" has it all: a troubled, ambivalent creator, an unforgettable sax riff whose ownership has spawned controversy for almost 50 years, and a mysterious, compelling lyric. One of Scotland's leading artistic lights, Rafferty, who started as partner to the beloved comedian Billy Connolly in The Humblebums, went on the wow the world with Stealer's Wheel's irresistible mega-hit "Stuck in the middle with you, before torpedoing that early success. He refused to tour, and after going solo, became increasingly withdrawn into an alcoholic death-spiral, which ended with his death at age 63. 
 
 Bill and Rich, The Splendid Bohemians relate the story as only they can - with reverence, tempered with their unique perspective. Take a walk with us down BAKER STREET. 

Hexagram 52: THE ARTIFICIAL DARK (Bill Mesnik)

The bird sings in his cage,

His song sounds full of rage.

I’ll cover him up - and he’s silent,

Asleep in the artificial dark.

This wine is the color of blood,

It releases its dreams in a flood,

I’ll sleep for awhile and be silent

Awash in the artificial dark.

Hexagram 62: THUNDER OVER MOUNTAIN (Bill Mesnik)

Thunder over mountain - fire in my soul

Holding steady, keeping quiet,

Trying to stay whole.

Burrowed in the mountain,

Waiting out the storm,

Fighting the urge to run away,

Trying to stay warm….

Time heals all wounds,

Time steals all…

Thunder on the mountain…

Listen to the squall.

As the flames roar up into the heavens

I’m rolled up in a ball.

Keep your shit together,

Morning’s coming soon.

Patience - all will be rewarded

With the setting of the moon.

Time heals all wounds,

Time steals all.

Vanguard Records is best known for its eclectic catalog of pivotal jazz, folk, rock and blues recordings by iconic artists like Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, Buddy Guy, Charlie Musselwhite, John Fahey, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Doc Watson, Country Joe and the Fish and countless others. Most recently, Vanguard has carried forward the label's legacy of artistic excellence with a diverse roster including Barenaked Ladies, Indigo Girls, O.A.R. and Collective Soul.

Riding the tail end of the popular boom of  commercialized  Folk Music, Vanguard's unexpected mega-hit "Walk Right In" soared to the top of the pop chart.  Looking for a long forgotten treasure to mine, Erik Darling and Bill Svanoe, doing what many had done before them, updated an old string band tune, composed by Gus Cannon and recorded with his Jug Stompers in 1929.

They arranged it for TWO 12-String guitars (one of which, a leftie model, had to be specially constructed  for Bill), and adding the mellifluous tones of Lynne Taylor to complete the trio, the magic concoction was brewed to MOR perfection.

And, just in time for Gus Cannon, too!  He had recently pawned his banjo to pay his heating bill, and the royalties and national recognition breathed new life into a long dormant career.

  Paris- 1970

The December 1970 Paris gig was a standout date during their European tour. The setlist included iconic Zappa tracks and heavy improvisations like "Dog Breath," "A Pound for a Brown on the Bus," and "Call Any Vegetable". The band featured an incredible lineup that included:Frank Zappa (Guitar/Vocals)Mark Volman & Howard Kaylan (better known as Flo & Eddie)Ian Underwood (Keyboards/Woodwinds)Jeff Simmons (Bass)Aynsley Dunbar (Drums)

Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention performed this legendary concert at the Gaumont-Palace in Paris, France on December 15, 1970. The show famously featured renowned French jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty

Batracomiomachia: Translates from Ancient Greek as the "Battle of the Frogs and Mice" (a classical comic epic parodying the Iliad).Paralipomeni: An Italian term for an appendix, sequel, or "things left out". The Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi wrote a famous satirical continuation titled Paralipomeni della Batracomiomachia in 1831.

1 |  | Penis Dimention | 11:26
2 |  | The Air | 3:53
3 |  | The Dog Breath / Mother People | 4:23
4 |  | You Didn't Try To Call Me | 3:34
5 |  | King Kong | 32:41
6 |  | Who Are The Brain Police? | 6:32

Inspired by the clear and evocative 1985 translation of the I CHING,  by Kerson and Rosemary Huang - a team of a poet and physicist-poet, I kept a diary of musical interpretations of hexagrams which appeared to me when I consulted the oracle over the course of a year. The result was the album "9 Hexagrams," three of which I offer here.

#44 : RENDEZ-VOUS (HEAVEN OVER WIND) / “Persevere” (Bill Mesnik)

It’s a dangerous hour when darkness reappears,

And a sudden shower of your fears drowns your dreams, chokes your screams,

Persevere!

Judge not, lest ye be judged, and lead me not Into temptation…

Persevere!

through the dangerous hour, when I’ve lost my will

When my soul is sour, and hope is nil

Find the will, Forge the will,Crawl uphill —

Persevere!

#35: ADVANCE (FIRE OVER EARTH) / “Desire” (Bill Mesnik)

I want what’s on the shelf,

I kill myself…

I pray upon my knees,

I crave release.

I’ll change my point of view,

Each day is new.

The pull begins again,

Desire has no end.

I want your every part,

I kill my heart.

#24: RETURNING (EARTH OVER THUNDER) / “Echoes” (Bill Mesnik)

Echoes are echoing from deep in the ground,

Churning, turning all around,

As far as I’ve come, I’ve come back around,

I’m hearing the sound of echoes, echoing from under the ground.

Shadows are shadowing from the room down the hall,

Dancing, glancing off the wall.

Every step that I take, I answer the call 

Of shadows shadowing in the room down the hall.

Whispers, whispering from the waiting grave

Thrill me, will me to be brave,

Each moment arrives in a rush like a wave,

It’s the rush that I crave

As whispers are whispering from the waiting grave.

The Army (Bill Mesnik)

The war you wage is on yourself,

The soul you save is not your own.

The words you're saying were said before

by your enemy.

The code you honor

has no honor,

and all your wisdom makes no sense;

you seek for justice

but there's no justice from your enemy.

Don't fight back-

you will fail,

Your best defense is modesty.

The war you wage is on yourself -

Your sword and shield is modesty.

Inspired by the clear and evocative 1985 translation of the I CHING,  by Kerson and Rosemary Huang - a team of a poet and physicist-poet, I kept a diary of musical interpretations of hexagrams which appeared to me when I consulted the oracle over the course of a year.

The result was the album "9 Hexagrams," which I offer here.

The first offering, "the Army" - which concerns advice on "leadership", was how the book responded to my question on the proper way to parent. 

Ok, tomorrow is July 4th, our 250th year celebration of our Declaration of Independence.  The temperatures are sweltering, both outside and politically. There’s been a lot of talk recently about the nation’s division, using words like “unprecedented,” but going back over elections past over the the last two and a half centuries, you find that to be a recurring American theme. 

The founding fathers (about whom we’ve heard so many patriotic references lately) were embroiled in their own knock down - drag outs: 

John Adams “Alien and Sedition Acts” of 1797 … that term sound familiar? Trump was evoking it recently during one of his ploys regarding deportation…. Made it a crime to criticize his administration. It backfired because Adams pissed off the moderates, and in 1800 Thomas Jefferson (the writer of the declaration of Independence) won the office with this “Free Speech” anthem:

It seems that the author of our Declaration of Independence might also be dubbed the “author of America’s Ethnic Cleansing policy” 

In 1801, a few months after taking the oath of office, Jefferson wrote to James Monroe, then governor of Virginia, outlining his American Dream:

“White settlers, sturdy independent farmers, will increase in numbers and eventually cover the whole northern, if not southern continent… nor can we contemplate with satisfaction either blot of mixture on that surface,”

Moving on…

Let’s talk about THE CONSTITUTION for a moment.  

You may have heard references to this document that we all, INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT, pledge allegiance to as members of a democracy. It’s a living document that guarantees us all our rights, and which requires a super majority vote by both the House (the people’s house) and the Senate in order to change, and the its only been amended 27 times since its ratification in 1789. 

Living Document? Does that mean that hard won amendments like the right to vote, which people fought and died for to make us “a more perfect union” - can be taken away if a tyrant finds it a threat to their power? 

The following songs illustrate the ongoing challenges that opposed, and continue to threaten our right to vote - (the 15th amendment, passed in 1869, which granted the right to African American Men), but which was impeded -  by any means necessary - in Southern states, until 1965 with the passing of a federal ‘Voting Rights Act - (but, is currently being threatened again).

And the 19th amendment, finally passed in 1920, which gave this fundamental right to women (half of the population) - after many decades of struggle by the women’s suffrage movement.

Hearing these songs again, reminds me to keep some perspective during this broiling holiday season. 

Thanks for listening everyone. Enjoy your holiday, and stay safe. 

HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME / SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE (EPIC, 1969)

The sweltering summer of 2023 is almost over, and all over the world folks are digging themselves out from under the epic disasters of the past months. Listening to this psych-soul ditty from 1969, one may be momentarily transported back to a cozier time of blotter acid and beach coolers. 

The carefree tone of the record, however, belies the fact that at the same time that he was jamming on this anthem, an ever-increasingly paranoid Sly Stone was starting to hole himself up in his mansion with bowls of cocaine and a drum machine - from which he would emerge 2 years later with THERE’S A RIOT GOIN’ ON - transmitting a wholly different vibe. And, also, let’s not forget the murderous Altamont concert of 1969 (documented in the Rolling Stone’s film GIMME SHELTER), along with the concurrent killings carried out by the Manson kids - and you realize that everywhere you looked there were emblems of a time when chaos reigned, symbolizing an era of psychic climate change in America.

Well, nostalgic or not, music has powers to soothe and direct our minds to kinder, gentler regions. It gives us a moment to meditate and reflect - a time out before we have to brave the cacophony once again. Some say “nostalgia” is defined as a sickness - homesickness. We’re urged to be forward looking and adapt to whatever the future holds. But, it’s ok to take a moment to remember and savor the joys of summers past. Just don’t forget to wear your sunblock.

SUNLIGHT by The Youngbloods (RCA, 1969)

I’m a romantic; I admit it. I believe in true love, and the moments of ecstatic togetherness that enable one to transcend all the struggles and grief of life. And, this song reanimates this awakening each time I hear it: by the rolling chords off the nylon string guitar, eliciting the feeling of a fresh breeze of possibility; Jesse Colin Young’s falsetto voice (one of nature’s finest) projecting such hopeful innocence; and, the lyrics, which tenderly describe scenes of eternal bliss.  

I loved Jesse and The Youngbloods from the first time I put down the needle on Grizzly Bear (the first cut on the debut album). It was a bonus disc from the Columbia Record Club, and since that moment, the relationship with Jesse, Banana, and the boys, during the RCA years, was a meaningful one for me. After they went to Warners, and subsequently split up, the love affair was over.

But, the remarkable Elephant Mountain, the last collection from RCA, produced by a young Charlie Daniels, delivered this song, along with Darkness, Darkness - in a collage of Sunlight and Shadow.  Jesse said that this was the first song he wrote after moving to California, and I understand it. As a New Yorker relocating to the Golden State, I too was struck by the quality of the light which casts a spell that makes one unable to sense the passage of time, and the seasons. Years flew by, the mirror mocks me, but the romantic in me remains ever innocent.

MILLION DOLLAR BASH by BOB DYLAN with THE BAND (From the Basement Tapes, Columbia, 1967)

Ooh, Baby, Ooooh wee!

Ooh, baby, oooooh wee!

It’s that Million Dollar Bash.

I hear that chorus and I’m smiling. It’s a celebration, a party. Dylan and the boys are off the hard road, and they’re just having fun in the Big Pink basement with the Revox tape recorder.  There has been some interpretative gobble dee gook about it being Dylan’s satirical payback to Andy Warhol and his pretentious Factory parties, with a salvo to Edie Sedgwick - the (“big dumb blonde) -, who dumped him, but really, that feels like a stretch. Those intimations might be there, but when Bob sings:

“Well, I’m hittin’ it too hard, my stones won’t take-

I get up in the morning but it’s too early to wake,

First it’s hello, goodbye, then push and then crash,

But we’re all gonna make it at that mIllion dollar bash!

It feels to me like an expression of sweet release. An appreciation for the moment at hand. And, imagining where the heads of the bar band turned folk-rock players assembled in that bucolic place were at…. -, the men who, for me, comprised the greatest American band in rock history - in the chrysalis from which they were about to emerge to ignite a musical revolution - I can feel the spontaneous energy of joyous creation. 

Oooh baby, Oooh weeeee!