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

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a pervasive topic of conversation these days, and recently it’s been on my mind a lot as I endeavor to move past grief. It’s been over 5 years since my life partner departed suddenly - so suddenly that when it was happening, and for a long time after, I completely denied its reality. We know that death comes for us all, and no matter what age you are it’s probably best to prepare yourself, to make friends with the Reaper, and get ready to surrender to his scythe - (I heard that George Harrison used to rehearse his passing); Sarah Bernhardt slept in a coffin… but, very few of us are truly prepared, even at some pretty advanced ages - my father wasn’t reconciled to his fate even when it came at 96. The last phone conversation we had as he waited to be seen at the emergency room was fraught with annoyed bewilderment at being held there against his will.

It seems to be the primary topic of conversation that Rich and I are apt to discuss on any given day, and he has expressed frustration at my reticence to volunteer the dour details of my slide towards the inevitable, but really, why harp on it? Why dwell on the depressing aspects of life while you can still laugh ironically at those same concerns? Eat, drink, and be merry, I say. Of course, if you have to constantly watch your sodium and cholesterol while considering the lethal effects of the cocktail you’re sipping, your options for fun will be limited. 

Anyway, back to PTSD… This week it’s been front and center of my consciousness because I recently consumed two items of popular culture that feature it - one 60 years old, the other recently released - namely, Rod Serling’s short lived 1965 television series, The Loner, starring Lloyd Bridges, and Christopher Nolan’s freshly minted sword and sandal epic, The Odyssey. In both, the main character struggles with PTSD - Bridges’ character in the aftermath of the Civil War, and Odysseus from his part in the atrocities recounted in the Iliad. Both men have experienced horrific and emotionally crippling events; they roam vistas rife with unremitting violence, and long to find home. 

Rod Serling transplanted his WW2 experiences to the Western genre, and audiences weren’t ready for it’s moral meditations, ill suited to an escapist medium. Regarding the Odyssey, Jon Stewart has reflected that it seems like a sequel to Oppenheimer, Nolan’s rueful depiction of that protagonist’s bequest of a doomsday weapon to arm mankind with the power to destroy itself. 

Echoes of PTSD resound everywhere - inside each of us, in the chaos all around, and throughout our popular culture. And, today I asked the oracle how to find peace with it. 

QUESTION: HOW CAN I OVERCOME RESENTMENT?

The Oracle answered with Hexagrams 51  (Provoking), and 31 (Cutting)

Let’s examine those, along with  a dream diary passage, and  a song, “Cairns” composed during that time…

Chemayne used to collect stones that appealed to her. She would then cover them in varnish to make them glisten. After she died there were tons of them, and I started giving them away as gifts. One friend was so taken with them that he took a bunch and built some amazing cairns, a term which I hadn’t been familiar with, but which filled me with hope and pride for their future home. 

The following song “Cairns” evokes that appreciation. 

CAIRNS (Bill Mesnik)

Stones banded by layers of time

Stacking stone upon stone upon stone

Creates a monument

A tower sublime

Marking time

These cairns of stone

Chorus:

Fly away through Arches in the desert

To a windswept morning beach

Where the sun glistens on the pebbles

As you soar

Swiftly

Out of reach 

You left no lost communication

Before your flight to the unknown

Just some orphans

With no destination

Lying lonely in our home

I’ll stack stone upon stone upon stone

And mark the trail of time

For some wanderer 

To wonder on

Who left this cairn behind?

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.