mstrust's #6- The History of Rock in Fifty Guitars

Hi, I'm Jennifer and I live in Phoenix.
This thread is inspired by the book of the same title. I'll be reading books about the music industry and musician bios.
As stated in my previous thread, my goals this year are to buy fewer books and to read some of the hundreds of unread books already in my house. I've put my resolutions in writing by joining the ROOT group, and I hope to read 75 books that have been on my shelves for at least 6 months. https://www.librarything.com/topic/301124

My first thread was dedicated to unusual travel spots: https://www.librarything.com/topic/301120
My second was dedicated to unusual cocktail recipes: https://www.librarything.com/topic/302908
My third thread was dedicated to gems, minerals and terribly expensive jewelry: https://www.librarything.com/topic/304444
My fourth thread was dedicated to candy joy: https://www.librarything.com/topic/305996
My fifth thread was dedicated to Americana: https://www.librarything.com/topic/307735

My threads are politics free, but high in the snark you need for healthy bones and shiny hair.

Books Read in 2019

1. Around the World in 80 Days- 4.5
2. Hemingway & Bailey's Bartending Guide- 4.2
3. My Family and Other Animals - 4 stars
4. The Death and Resurrection of Elvis Presley-3.5
5. My Friend Dahmer- 4 stars
6. The 7 Secrets of Awakening the Highly Effective Four-Hour Giant, Today- 3 stars
7. Blood on the Boards- 3.5
8. Lumberjanes: Sink or Swim- 2 stars
9. Book Towns- 4.2
10. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea- 4
11. Nothing More Than Murder- 3
12. John Dies at the End- 5- ScaredyKit Group
13. Soulless- 3.5- February ScaredyKit Group
14. The Walking Dead Cookbook- 4 stars
15. The Twisted Ones- 4 stars
16. Hollywood Said No!- 3 stars
17. The Widow Clicquot- 3 stars
18. Handwritten Recipes- 3 stars
19. A Year in the Merde- 4 stars
20. The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs- 4 stars
21. The Murder of Helen Jewett- 3 stars- ScaredyKit Group
22. The Twits- 5 stars
23. Diamonds Are Forever- 4.2 stars
24. The Red House Mystery- 2 stars
25. The Friends of Eddie Coyle- 4 stars
26. Hotbox- 4 stars
27. Home from the Vinyl Cafe- 3.5 stars
28. Intoxica!- 4.5 stars
29. Robert Kirkman's Descent- 3 stars
30. Al Capone Does My Shirts- 4 stars
31. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian- 4 stars
32. Mental Floss presents...Be Amazing-3.5 stars
33. Under the Glacier- 3 stars
34. The Art of Tiki- 5 stars
35. More Skipper Stories- 3 stars
36. My Life in Heavy Metal- 3.5 stars
37. The Book Of Lists London- 3.5 stars
38. Say Cheese and Die- 3.5 stars
39. Thirsty- 4.5 stars
40. A Head Full of Ghosts- 4.2 stars
41. Hail to the Chin- 4 stars
42. Return to Fear Street: Drop Dead Gorgeous- 4 stars
43. Goosebumps Most Wanted: Planet of the Lawn Gnomes- 4 stars
44. Dear Boris: The Life of William Henry Pratt- 4 stars
45. Marco Polo: Canada West- 4 stars
46. Go, Mutants!- 4.2 stars
47. Harry's Bar- 3 stars
48. Guide to the National Parks of Canada- 3 stars
49. Blues of a Lifteime- 4 stars
50. The Hawaiian Lei: A Tradition of Aloha- 5 stars
51. Mucho Mojo- 4 stars
52. The Jaws Log- 4 stars
53. Fever: A Nameless Detective Novel- 3.5 stars
54. American on Purpose- 3.5 stars
55. Book Lust To Go- 4 stars
56. Tales From Beyond the Brain- 4 stars- July ScaredyKit
57. The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry- 4 stars
58. AA Gill is Away- 4stars
59. Supernatural: Witch's Canyon- 4.2 stars- July ScaredyKit
60. Born on the Fourth of July- 4 stars
61. The Wounded and the Slain- 3 stars
62. Al Capone Shines My Shoes- 4 stars
63. The History of Rock in Fifty Guitars- 5 stars
64. Fireside Gothic- 4.5 stars- August ScaredyKit
65. Lemmy: The Definitive Biography- 5 stars
66. Junky- 4 stars
67. A Stab in the Dark- 4 stars
68. Elvis in Hawaii- 4.5 stars
69. Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison:The Making of a Masterpiece- 4 stars
70. Elevation- 3 stars
71. Contagious- 4 stars

Hey ho, let's go! Open!

Happy new thread, Jennifer.
Music is as good as books!

Happy new thread!

Looking forward to this one! Happy new thread.

Happy new thread, Jennifer!

>3 SirThomas: Thanks, Thomas, good to see you here! And as my first visitor:

Go ahead and have a Les Paul.

>4 quondame: Thank you!

>5 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy, and thanks!

>6 harrygbutler: Thanks, Harry!

Oooh, I ran over to T.J. Maxx this morning to pick up a new cake pan, and they had some Halloween stuff out! Bowls, pillows, candles and glazed pumpkins... of course I bought a felt jack o' lantern and a pumpkin scented candle. By now I could build my own display of all the pumpkin scented candles I own.

Happy new one!

Oooo, Les Paul! My first (and only) electric. Stolen by The Son when he went to college. Of course, I hadn't played it in years... 😀

Happy new thread!

>8 figsfromthistle: Thanks!
>9 drneutron: Hi, Jim! Why, the little so and so! They are beauties though, so at least he's particular about what he steals ;-D.

Well this should be a fun stage of your threads. I hope you find some good books to rock to. I have Neil Young's Waging Heavy Peace on my shelf of books to try and read this year.

Happy New Thread, Jennifer.

>3 SirThomas: Books shade it for me, but music is a close second.

Happy new thread! I love Los Straitjackets!!

>11 RBeffa: Hi, Ron! I have a whole stack of music bios including Johnny Cash, The Ramones, Lemmy, Buddy Rich and George Jones. Plus, the guitar book. Fingers crossed I get through a respectable number.
>12 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I know what you mean. Chocolate cake makes the trifecta.
>13 rabbitprincess: Me too! They are so great, and I highly recommend "Jet Set".

Sure, I could answer a few of your questions, but your imagination is probably building an awesome story. Why ruin it?

Happy new thread, Jennifer. Where did you find only this old dusty Heino record? For decades, his songs were played on the radio.

Thanks, Barbara!
The internet is the world's attic and there are plenty of old Heino albums up there. And a surprising amount of Donny & Marie swag.

I'm in!

Look, if there was ever a German hiding a gun behind a bunch of flowers...

Happy twangy new thread, Jennifer!

>18 SomeGuyInVirginia: Hey, Larry's here!
Well, I don't know, it could be hiding in that giant stack of hair...were there ever blonde coon skin caps?

>19 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda! Glad to see you made it!

63. The History of Rock in Fifty Guitars by Bruce Wexler. Really nice color close-ups that show the work and customizations of instruments used by the most famous guitarists and bassists. The musicians include Bill Haley, Brian Setzer, Kurt Cobain, Brian May, B.B. King, Randy Rhodes...yep, there are fifty of them. They photography is super and each guitar has a highly detailed amount of technical info about its make-up and sound quality, while the musician gets a career bio and info pertaining to their guitar preference.
Kinda surprising that some really famous musicians were left off, like Carl Perkins, Eddie Van Halen and Rick Nielson, while a couple of guys from a band called The Shadows (never heard of 'em) were included. Coolest guitar: Brian Setzer's Gretsch 66120 with it's wide body and dice control knobs. Most surprising: the Red Special Brian May has been playing for decades was made by him and his father, and the reproduction put out by Burns London is made out of basswood, which is one of the softest woods and I'd never think it would work for a guitar. 5 stars

Happy new thread, Jennifer!

>15 mstrust: Oh nooooo, now the Dutch version of his song "Mama" is sticking in my head :-(

My specialty is air guitar. Looking forward to the guitars you'll find made of cheese or whatever...

>22 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita, and thanks! I never thought I'd be responsible for giving someone a Dutch earworm but I suppose I have to take the blame. Quick, start singing something by The Scorpions! ;-)

>23 PaperbackPirate: Hi, Nicole! Now are you calling me a weirdo...

BAM!

>25 mstrust: I escaped!

Or I have to accept the hard truth:

I got my big hair on so you know I'm here to party!

>26 FAMeulstee: Good for you, Anita.
>27 SomeGuyInVirginia: If you can balance 15 pounds of hair, you must have a neck like a linebacker.

I'm crushed. I just watched last night's iZombie and it turned out to be the series finale. I was unprepared! I barely had time to say, "Wait! I'm not ready!" But the end for Blaine and Don E. was rather delicious.

>7 mstrust: I saw a fair amount of Halloween decor already out at Michaels this week, but they haven't started their "seasonal sales" on the items yet.

>15 mstrust: Heino! Not perhaps my favorite German singer, but I do think it's cool that he had a chart-topping album in 2013. Wikipedia tells me that this year is his final year of touring (he'll be 81 this year) and that his final album is a return to Volksmusik.

>25 mstrust: Now that is true of my favorite authors and actors!

Good to know. I'll have to see if I can find myself near a Michael's tomorrow. They have new and interesting stuff every Halloween.
I did see that Heino is still performing, at least within the last few years. And his live rendition of "Rosamunde" with Andre Rieu, (what Americans recognize as "Roll Out The Barrel") produced the most deliriously happy crowd of Germans I've ever seen.
Seems like people are dropping like flies, eh? Every couple of months I google John Castle to make sure he's still alive ;-D

I had my first pumpkin spice sighting in the wild today. My grocery store is now stocking Pumpkin Spice Cheerios.

Happy new thread, Jennifer. Looking forward to see your reads on this thread and, oh yeah, the guitars!

>28 mstrust:. I know! They're like Las Vegas showgirls but for God.

>31 RidgewayGirl: It's surprising to see it this early, isn't it? Two years ago I was having to scour the city for Pumpkin Cheerios. Our local news was even mentioning Halloween last night. Everybody has had enough of this lousy summer.

>32 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg, good to see you here!

>33 SomeGuyInVirginia: The picture just looks incomplete to me. Dad should have a hair pillow on his head too.

>24 mstrust: Only in the nicest way possible. ;-)

Ha! Actually, I probably would post a pic of a cheese guitar. You know me too well.

We've made the annual trip to the baking supply store today. I have all the flavorings, cake boxes and edible glitter I need for the fair, Halloween and Christmas. I bought a couple of Christmas star cookie cutters, a goldfish and chili pepper for spicy cheese crackers, and a hatchet. You know I couldn't pass up a hatchet cookie cutter.

Happy new thread!

Thanks, Chelle!

64. Fireside Gothic by Andrew Taylor. Subtitled: "Three tales of fear, retribution and death". The first, "Broken Voices", is set a few years before WWI. Two neglected boarding school boys who have nowhere to go are left in the care of an elderly retired teacher over the Christmas holiday. Narrated by the older boy, he tells the story of their isolation and the younger boy's desperate need to go looking around the school's cathedral in the middle of the night.
The second story is narrated by a man on the day of his sister's funeral. The siblings had been unable to get along throughout their lives, and the fact that his sister hated him even as she was dying weighs heavy on the man's mind, playing a part in his getting lost between the funeral and his hotel. Driving for hours in the rain, he has a flat tire on a backroad along the coast. He walks toward the only light he sees, and arrives at a cottage among the ruins, with the woman there making it clear she doesn't want to be bothered.
The last story is narrated by Clare. She and her husband Gerald have a nice life in the Forest of Dean. Their children are grown and on their own and Clare enjoys working in her art studio. After little communication over the years, Gerald's young nephew calls to ask if he can stay with them for a while, as he's been discharged from the army for an unspecified nervous condition, and with both his parents dead, he has nowhere else.
Taylor is an author I'll seek out more from. His stories are truly Gothic, walking a line of apprehension that the reader worries will tip into horror. His characters are often alone and grieving in their loneliness, there's rain or snow, darkness- in other words, the perfect Gothic settings. 4.5 stars

It's hard to tell, but the cover is an etching style drawing of a cat. It's Mordred, the mean cat in the first story.

I read this for the August ScaredyKit.

Yes, really. He had several albums. Actually, a pretty good voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTY78K_t84c

>40 mstrust: That's quite the hairstyle!

The higher the hair, the closer to God.

We dropped in at Michael's and they have a lot of the Halloween stuff out, as Harry reported >29 harrygbutler:. Not all of it, as they still have some summer to move out. We were also in a Total Wine getting gifts and they had all of two brands of pumpkin beers out. Not the one I like best though.

>40 mstrust: He looks like Dave Thomas, of Bob and Doug McKenzie fame.

>40 mstrust: One of the comments thought that was Conway Twitty. One more thing I'll never be able to get out of my head.

>43 RidgewayGirl: I can see that, it's the high stack of blonde hair.

>44 SomeGuyInVirginia: That's who I see when I look at him. Like Conway slapped on an Etta James wig.


My god, look at the size of that head.

Yeah, but Conway's hair stand out like that through sheer.force.of.will.alone.

Bwahahaha! 'Slapped on an Etta James wig! Bwahahaha!

Fond of Conway Twitty but have to admit to not having heard of Wayne Cochran.

>46 SomeGuyInVirginia: >47 SomeGuyInVirginia: Looking at the size of both these noggins reminds me of Mike Myers' dad character in So I Married an Axe Murderer: "He'll be crying himself to sleep tonight on his huge pillow!"
>48 PaulCranswick: Twitty had a great voice. And a massive head of hair. Don't worry about not knowing Cochran, most Americans wouldn't have heard of him either.

65. Lemmy: The Definitive Biography by Mick Wall. Wall, a rock journalist who knew him for decades, published this soon after Lemmy's death. Part researcher and critic, but much of the material here comes from years of one on one interviews with Lemmy, bass player, singer and main songwriter of Motorhead. Wall has been around long enough that he often has the two or three sides to infamous events, such as the departures of band members or management changes. He does something which few biographers or interviewers do, which is to write about Lemmy as a real person with real character flaws, who could be arrogant and even a bit tyrannical when he believed his position was threatened. Wall and Lemmy spoke of money, drugs, and declining record sales, things that most would shy from. It's warts and all, and the best bio on the man, and the band, that I've read so far. 5 stars

I've had this on the shelf since January.

Lemmy usually played Rickenbacker basses. This is his Signature 4004LK, with a carved wood body.

I'm sold! I just bought the Kindle version.

:-D. I'm influential! I can't believe it!
I hope you find it as interesting as I did.

Hi, Jennifer! Fireside Gothic sounds intriguing. I may look that one up.

Thought I'd pop in and say Hi!

>54 tymfos: Hi, Terri! If you do, I hope you find it as enjoyable as I did. I think he does modern Gothic very well.
>55 Berly: Hi, Kim! I'm afraid I don't recognize her, but she has enough hair for a whole hair band.

We're leaving for Vegas tonight. Tomorrow is the anniversary of my dad's death so my sister will be there too, and we'll be doing our best to distract Mom. Not sure if the kids are coming. I see Frankie's Tiki Room in my future.

Frankie's! I bought one of their Tikis, the sitting Frankenstein one. Next time I go to Las Vegas I'll look the place up.

I hear you on the anniversary thing, my Dad died a year ago Aug 15. And Parker's birfdee is Aug 17. I can't believe he's going to be 5 years old.

I remember that you got the Frankenstein. Look up The Golden Tiki too, as it's owned by the same guy and they have a different mug collection.
Yeah, the anniversaries are hard for Mom. Sorry to hear that your dad's is coming up too. I hope Parker has an exceptional birthday, one of fish cakes and catnip desserts. Or just let him use your legs as a cat scratcher.

>56 mstrust: xoxo

How's Las Vegas??!!

59 , Nicole: Right back atcha!
60, Larry: hot! But we've had a good day of bbq, dogs and casinos. So far my sister is the big weiner with a win of $165.

Welcome home, Jennifer - I wish you a wonderful weekend.

>51 mstrust: I don't just have acoustic memories:



A tribute to Lemmy from Sweden - good as well, but smoother than the music

I'll leave the cheese guitars to you, Jennifer, but how about a chocolate one in the meantime:

>61 mstrust: YEAH! Are you catching any shows?

Happy Sunday, Jennifer.

Viva, Las Vegas! Hope you're having a blast!!

Hi everybody. Still in Vegas, no jackpots. I'll answer all your posts individually tomorrow. Hope you're having a good Sunday.

Are you in prison? Do you need us to collect bail? Not once for' yes'....

We got back late this afternoon. After unpacking and taking care of the dog, I just flopped on the couch. Five and a half hour drives are exhausting.

>62 SirThomas: Hi Thomas! That's a surprise to me, as I knew they'd made Motorhead wine but I've never heard of the whisky. Glad to hear you approve!

>63 DeltaQueen50: I'll take it! Mmmm, guitar strings...

>64 SomeGuyInVirginia: I've been going to Vegas since I was maybe six years old, and I've never been to a show. But, of course, The Misfits will be playing there next week. Dammit!

>65 Ameise1: And wishing you a good week!

>66 Carmenere: Boy, did we find a lot of stuff to do. My sister won another $300 and she was the only jackpot among us. Wasn't for lack of trying.

>68 SomeGuyInVirginia: Oh, you... I was simply neglecting everybody! Let's see, we gambled, shopped for Halloween stuff and books (I'll list my new ones tomorrow), went to the Pinball Hall of Fame, went to both Frankie's and the Fireside for cocktails, ate quite a bit of both ramen and Mexican food, and saw Julie for a whole day and a half. We were also invited to Oahu because our favorite bartender just bought a house there. Mike seemed to be planning the trip already. Oh, and Mike and I invited my sister to go with us to New England next year and had two family members unexpectedly hop onboard, so we'll see what happens with that.

66. Junky by William S. Burroughs. The autobiographical story of Lee, (the author's original pen name), a young man who begins shooting junk mainly out of boredom. The time is right around WWII. As a university graduate and with a monthly allowance from his family, Lee chose to hang out in dives and make the acquaintance of people who had access to a variety of hard drugs. Lee takes part in muggings and other ways to get money for heroin, morphine or whatever can be had. It's a bleak yet compelling story by an author who describes an awful existence of crimes, highs, withdrawals and constant running from police, and it's obvious that it's more non-fiction than fiction. 4 stars

This is a ROOT, on my shelf for two and a half years.

Books I acquired over the weekend:
From Vegas library sale-Stardust
Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore
Girl Waits With Gun
The Best American Travel Writing 2015
Three by Cain
The Zombie Survival Guide
The Ginger Man

Bookmooch in my mailbox: The Goldfinch

Nice! Did you fly back or drive? 'Mr. Penumbra's' sounds really interesting, and I can't believe I've never read a single book by Burroughs. Loved him in Drugstore Cowboy, though.

We drove as we had Coral with us and Mom always has boxes of stuff for us. I came home with seven boxes of coffee among other things, like a 15 lb bag of dog food, pineapple shaped twinkle lights, detergent, lip balm... Julie called me this morning to tell me that her box included four giant bags of Red Vines.
I haven't seen Drugstore Cowboy. I saw Kill Your Darlings from a few years ago, starring Daniel Radcliffe, and Burroughs was a character. I think he was played by Ben Foster.

I filled out the entry for the state fair this morning. I'm entering frosted brownies, Golden Pumpkin Spice Cake and spicy cheese crackers. It'll be fun getting them to the fairgrounds the day before we leave for Canada, while also packing and getting the house ready for my MIL to live here for a week. I must be a masochist.

Your may really like Drugstore the movie. It's got a great soundtrack, too. I've got the guy's original bio the book was based on, but doubt I'll read it soon because he decries his past but glorifies it, too. Own it, punk. Move on.

What are you reading now, Jennifer?

Nice book haul! Good luck on the baking contest. Those spicy cheese crackers sound really good.

Glad you had a great vacation in Vegas- Too bad you didn't win it big. Whereabouts in Canada are you visiting?

>76 SomeGuyInVirginia: I'll see if Netflix has it, or Prime. Burroughs definitely doesn't separate himself from his drugs. I think the only nod to it being supposedly fiction is that it was originally published under a pen name, but even the physical descriptions of the main character sound just like Burroughs.
I'm still reading The Stand while dipping into both Emma and Beauty Tips from Moosejaw. I have a feeling I'll add in a mystery or thriller today, 'cause it feels necessary.
Btw, have you seen the trailers for the new season of American Horror Story? 80's slasher!

>77 figsfromthistle: Thanks! Mike thinks my pumpkin cake and cheese crackers are winners, though his friend at work tried a couple and thought they were too spicy for him. Mike is on the fence about the brownies but that's because mine are cake brownies and he likes fudge brownies better. My brownies, my choice.
I tried hard to win a jackpot ;-) I played keno, poker and even played the progressives at The Gold Coast. Paaa-tooey!
We're going to Vancouver. We've been to Toronto and Montreal and always said we needed to see Vancouver. Expedia had a deal we couldn't pass up.

Nothing to see here...

American Horror Story 1984. Bring it!

I'm looking forward to it too. And CW has just begun a new series called Two Sentence Horror Stories? Something like that. I've watched the first and it was good. Surprising that it's a 30 minute show rather than 60.

And Wanda Jackson, the Queen of Rockabilly, has a collection of her greatest coming out Friday. She's retired after 65 years in the business.

Oh man I love Rockabilly! I've just downloaded her Ultimate collection from Amazon music.

You are a man of action! Let me know what you think.
I've finished watching the new season of Stranger Things. I liked this one much more than the second season, though I'm surprised that they killed the character that they killed. I'm trying not to spoil here.

Dang it! Elvis "died" today in 1977.


I actually have this album, inheriting it from Mom.
Here's an interesting video that is the recording studio and performance of "Burning Love". Drummer Ron Tutt is featured prominently. Elvis got the best musicians and singers, even The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5qIJ94j_0E

Downton Abbey fans, look at your local PBS schedule for Sunday night. They're having a live Q&A with the actors and fans.

And my plan is to start my Autumn/Halloween thread in three weeks. But I need to get to at least 150 posts before I can start a new thread. Got anything to say? Hopes, dreams?

I can't believe it's already mid-August! Where did the time go?

Also thanks for the heads-up re Downton Abbey -- I will tell my mum.

Princess, I was just leaving a post on your thread!
I've set my DVR for the Downton Abbey. I look forward to seeing the cast back together again.

This is John Lennon playing his 1962 J-160 E Gibson acoustic, which he played on several famous recordings, such as "Love Me Do". It was stolen from a Christmas party in 1963 and he never saw it again. 50 years later a young musician took his recent purchase in for an an expert to look at, and guess what? The auction in 2015 made it the highest price ever paid for a guitar at 2.4 million.

>88 mstrust: What an interesting and sad (for John Lennon) story. I just got some John Lennon stamps and they are lovely.

I've seen those stamps and they're such a great likeness. And now I wonder if Yoko got a cut of that guitar sale since it was stolen and she's his heir.

Just noting that the At Home stores have their Halloween stuff all out, and even had many aisles of Christmas too. Of course I bought some new Halloween decorations, as if I'd wait.
Michael's has their Halloween out, so does the 99 Cent store, and I hear Cracker Barrel and JoAnne's Fabrics do too.

>88 mstrust: that would be one heckuva find!

I saw Halloween candy for sale at the local Giant!

I bet it's good because Halloween candy is as good, or better than, Christmas candy.

>91 mstrust: Halloween stuff?? In August? It gets earlier every year! I noticed the stores filled with Halloween stuff here too. We fell for the ads and bought a huge box of treats. I doubt there will be any left by the end of this month never mind October.

Christmas starts next week.

Is it weird that Dad always left a bottle of Scotch for Santa?

I was undergrad at Brigham Young. They had an entire floor dedicated to candy.

I mean, I like candy but 1/3 of your retail footprint means you got a candy problem.

Incredibly strong science and businesses programs though. You can make a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven. Etc, etc.

Where are we?

Wow, you guys give me hope that I might make it to that 150 in time!

>92 drneutron: Some people have all the luck, eh? Stealing the guitars of the famous is a thing "fans" do. Stolen drum sets are much rarer ;-)

>93 SomeGuyInVirginia: I saw it at Fry's (Kroger, Smith's) yesterday morning! They had some of the decorations out but all of the candy, so the most important stuff.

>94 SomeGuyInVirginia: I do believe that if it came down to a fight, Halloween candy would kick Christmas candy's ass.

>95 VivienneR: See? Having that Halloween candy out in August works! And you have to eat it yourself because you don't want to hand out two month old candy to the kids, do you? Unless it's something like Jolly Ranchers. You can never tell if they're fresh or years old.

>96 SomeGuyInVirginia: Dad knew what he was doing.

>97 SomeGuyInVirginia: That sounds pretty awesome. Was it your "safe place"?

>98 SomeGuyInVirginia: Or that you plan on making some hefty profits and know how to go about it. Candy ain't gonna stick around long.

>99 SomeGuyInVirginia: You can make paper dolls out of your reports...

>100 SomeGuyInVirginia: Are you gettin' all philosophical on me?

67. A Stab in the Dark by Lawrence Block. Matt Scudder is a former NY cop whose life has fallen apart. After quitting the force, separating from his wife and moving into a hotel, he spends his days in bars "maintenance drinking". That's where his detective buddy sends a man named London to find Scudder. London's daughter was murdered by The Icepick Slasher nine years before, but the recent arrest of the slasher, and his admission to all the murders except London's daughter, sends the father to Scudder, a drunk who isn't in any business now, but whose tenacity and financial need makes him take the offer.
I've yet to be disappointed by Block. This is a good hardboiled, with murder, dames and lots of drinking. 4 stars

On my shelf for six months.

I've just been running errands, went to my local Hallmark store, where they had a large-ish front display of Halloween. I was surprised that our Walgreen's had no Halloween up at all, but did have a table of pumpkin spice Kellogg's cereals.

Jimi Hendrix performing at Woodstock. He played Fender Stratocasters.

Hendrix was the most innovative rocker of all time, IMO.

Absolutely. He may have been the first who didn't just stand there and strum. And surely the first to physically abuse a guitar in public.
Do you listen to the "Disgraceland" podcast? Really interesting and surprising true stories of rock stars. I recently listened to the one about Keith Moon and the death of his chauffeur, but the beginning of the story mentioned how Pete Townsend started destroying his guitars onstage. Early in their career, The Who played a club and got the biggest reaction from the audience when Townsend accidentally hit the low ceiling with the neck of his guitar and debris came down. A legend was born.

68. Elvis in Hawaii by Jerry Hopkins. To look at this coffee table sized book with Elvis smiling on the cover, you'd think this would be a fluffy story of the making of Blue Hawaii and the comeback special and how Elvis is still a big tourist draw to the islands. Those subjects are covered, but as Hopkins was with Rolling Stone magazine for twenty years, he dug deeper and is sometimes critical about what he finds, especially with the two follow-up Hawaiian movies.
This book is filled with very rare photos that even a big fan may never have seen before, such as Elvis aboard the ship to his first visit to the islands in 1957. There's the story about the local rock radio station's publicity stunt for Elvis' first concert there, with the station's engineer dressing like Elvis and wearing a black wig while another employee dressed as Col. Tom Parker. They were chauffeured around the island in a convertible while the station kept reporting on Elvis sightings. "Elvis" came to the radio station, located at the top of a fourteen story hotel, wiggled for the screaming crowd below, then pulled his wig off and dropped it to them. Stunned silence.
Elvis' last visit to the islands, just months before his death and with an entourage of thirty-one people, is remembered by a long-time friend. There's also a few pages of Elvis-in-Hawaii collectibles. 4.5 stars

Having such a good time that she doesn't even care that her slip is showing. The xylophone tends to do that to people.

Oh man, thanks for mentioning the Disgraceland podcast. I'm binging them on my commute. Great stuff!

You're welcome! Listen to the one about Jerry Lee Lewis, it's jaw-dropping.

That's the one I'm listening to now! Wowser!

The only thing missing from that crime scene was Lewis singing "Whole lotta murder goin' on,". He's Exhibit A for the law letting celebrities walk.

We've been breaking heat records this week at 113-114. We're suppose to be down to 102 for tomorrow. I think I'll keep the curtains closed, make pumpkin waffles and watch "Santa Clarita Diet" tomorrow, maybe have an Autumn atmosphere video run while I do the housework. I'm good at tricking myself into thinking it's a different season.

Real album, and I wish I owned it because I'll bet it's fantastic.

Happy weekend,Jennifer!

Sorry about your unconscionably hot weather. I have a friend from Phoenix coming to visit over Labor Day weekend and while it's very humid, the highs are only going to be in the eighties and I hope she'll think it's pleasantly cool.

>115 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Figs, and to you!

>116 RidgewayGirl: When I was a kid in California and Grandma would visit us from Phoenix during the summer, she'd always huff and sweat and talk about how hard it was to breathe in the humidity. Last time I visited my sister in California was in the summer and there I was at the state fair, sweating and feeling like a wet, steaming blanket was on me. But 80's on the East Coast will be lovely.

And we dropped by Target after dinner last night, just to pick up some things and see if they'd gotten started on Halloween but not really expected that they had. I've mentioned before that Target has been the last to get Halloween up in my area in the last few years. Surprised to see that they had started after all. They had the backdrops up and just a few things displayed here and there. Mostly the baking kits and decorations, and just a couple of brands of candy. It might be finished before the weekend is over.

My Target is just about finished with their school supply extravaganza so I'm betting Halloween will begin to go up after glue sticks and note books are moved out. Summer merch like patio furniture, School supplies, Halloween and Christmas share the same corner of the store.

Huh. And you're back east where it gets cooler first, so you'd think we'd have ours out later. I'm starting to see Fall magazines and our realtor sent us a postcard of the Fall festivals in our area. Can we all get together and push August out of the way?

****
So I'm back to thinking about Canada. Anyone going to be in Vancouver the first week of October who would have time to meet up at a bookstore or cafe? PM me and we'll see if it can happen.

David Bowie during his "Diamond Dogs" period. He's holding a Hagstrom I Kent-24-G. As this was one of his more famous photo shoots, it's surprising to learn that he was recorded playing this guitar just once, on a tv performance.

Starbuck's PSL season starts! This might make you happy or crabby. They're also releasing a second pumpkin drink, the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. Dunkin' Donuts began their pumpkin spice drinks last week.

>114 mstrust: Here's Ted Cassidy performing "The Lurch": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCAUY_ewptw. I found a clip of the B side on YouTube as well.

I'm seeing Halloween stuff in the stores around here, but most still have gaps, so I expect more merchandise is on the way.

Ha, thanks for that! Lurch could move. I didn't expect such coordination.
I think the only ones who would have all their Halloween merch out now would be Michael's and At Home. They're both known for being ahead of everyone else. My mom shops at Sam's Club and they usually have their little bit of Halloween out early too.

69. Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison: The Making of a Masterpiece by Michael Streissguth. In 1968 it had been ten years since Cash had such huge success with "Ring of Fire" and "I Walk the Line". He was now a performer with a drug habit and the reputation for often no-showing at appearances, or playing when he was too high to remember the lyrics. His band had become his babysitters.
His appearance for two shows at Folsom was a big deal for the prison and inmates, but not much for Cash's label, Columbia Records. They barely participated, never thinking they'd end up with anything marketable, especially with an audience of inmates who might misbehave. Cash and his band, which included June Carter and guitarist Carl Perkins, did two shows on January 13, 1968. Included in their set was a song written by a Folsom inmate, and when the album became so big and was a career changer for Cash, it also changed the inmates life, securing him an early release from prison and a job with Cash's company, though the man ultimately couldn't adapt.
The author takes the reader in unexpected directions. You probably wouldn't expect a book about the recording of a famous album, even one recorded in a prison, to spend time explaining how prison prostitution works, or how race gangs pick their victims, but that information is here. There's a discussion of the record company's lack of interest in the recording until it became a hit, and of Cash's admiration and friendship with Bob Dylan, which may have played a part in the record's success. There are plenty of photos of the day and performance included. 4 stars

I've had this for 6 months, so a ROOT.

Oh, I wish you were going to be spending some time on Vancouver Island, Jennifer! Looks like I will be in Parksville during the first week of October and then down in Victoria visiting my family for the second.

We are hitting the road next week for a 10 day road trip across B.C. and Alberta as far as the Cypress Hills. It's been awhile since we have gotten away so we are looking forward to it.

I really wanted to see Victoria and visit with you too! If it was only a little closer so that we could make it back to our hotel at the end of the day. I guess the island wouldn't be so pristine if it was closer though.
Have a great trip, that's sounds fun.

I had a Pumpkin Cream cold brew that I mentioned >123 mstrust:. I really liked it. A much milder flavor than the regular PSL, and the egg white foam is pumpkin spice flavored.
Also, we were in Costco this morning but the only Halloween they have so far is a skeleton decoration and a giant bag of chocolate bars.

Of course you have questions, but I have no answers.

>129 mstrust: Oh my!

I like the little sour cream hats.

70. Elevation by Stephen King. The story of Scott, a middle aged and overweight man who discovers that the scale shows his weight is dropping at an accelerated rate even though his body doesn't show the change at all. Visiting his friend Bob, a retired physician, they are both perplexed as to why anything Scott holds also becomes weightless. Bob tries to find some explanation in medical research, but Scott appears to be the only person this has happened to, and luckily, he isn't that worried. He's much more interested in trying to make his surly new neighbor like him.
I admit that I bought this assuming it was a horror. It's not, though I couldn't help but think of it as a modern, very calm version of Thinner, with Scott taking it all in stride. 3 stars

Up until last night our monsoon season this year has been pretty uneventful, which is unusual. We'd usually have at least two big storms by now. The news late in the afternoon was talking about how we might get rain that night. So we're in the living room watching "Mindhunter" around 9pm when suddenly there's howling wind and thunder. Half hour later, it's pouring rain, then a thunderclap and lightning so bright that even through the closed blinds and curtains, it lit up the room and made the dog hide behind the couch.
Our monsoon seasons turns lots of people into stormchasers and photographers. Here's a good shot posted from last night:

>133 mstrust: Impressive!

Gawdalmighty!

>129 mstrust: You keep posting these albums and I keep trying to buy them on eBay. Fortunately, Amazon music.

>133 mstrust: It dumped rain at our house! Loved it! Can we have some more please?

>134 harrygbutler: What a great shot. And that was around 9:30 pm, so it really lit up the sky.

>135 SomeGuyInVirginia: The crack make us jump, ha! I looked to see if our yucca was on fire.
I'm sorry that I seem to be making a shopping list for you. But the riches you're acquiring!

>136 PaperbackPirate: Yes, it rained so hard here too. Exciting, isn't it? Phoenix is all a-twitter when we get rain.

I hadn't even thought about it, but Larry, you got me to go look for The Frivolous Five on Youtube. And guess what? The ladies on the cover weren't just models, they're the musicians. The album is all Herb Alpert covers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK5nxGVvRt0

I know you can't see it, but I cry for happy.

Ack-shully, they're kind of awful! Srsly, I have to buy that album cover.

>138 mstrust: Just, no. When contract management specialists go bad!

I had a Fog Cutter in a tiki mug last night! First tiki drink I've had in ages, I just don't see them much in NoVa. A Budah mug with Double Happiness on the rear. Good Fortune to all sentient beings!

>140 SomeGuyInVirginia: :-D Nice to know my thread is doing somebody some good. Maybe some local record or vintage store would have it for cheap if Ebay doesn't have it?

>141 SomeGuyInVirginia: As Mom would say, there's a lid for every pot. The lid doesn't have to put a polyester shirt on and record an album with the pot, but clearly no one bothered to stop them.
>142 SomeGuyInVirginia: Oooh, a classic! I know exactly the mug, which is also a classic. Weren't you feeling all Don Ho(ish)?

And you've been so sweet in pushing me towards the finish that I wanted to get you something great.


You get Eddie Van Halen's Kram EVH 5150 guitar. Really, don't go by his expression as I pulled it out of his hands, this was legit. Just never show it to anyone.

Happy Labor Day! A light bulb lit over my head when I put the band Sour Cream and Herb Alpert together! It reminded me of my favorite album, when I was about 5! I think I still own it.
Now, Sour Cream makes complete sense.

Family Dollar is in full out Halloween mode.

Yes, EVH is indeed the best! We made sure they played Panama at our wedding reception, basically because we were headed through the Panama Canal on our honeymoon but secondly because of Eddie's solo.

I wasn't crazy about Elevation either.

Happy Labor Day to you, Lynda!
Turns out the Whipped Cream...album was so popular that there are several tailcoats and parodies from that time. I guess Weird Al didn't just appear out of nowhere, there are roots.
Thanks for the Family Dollar info. I think there are some around here. The 99 Cent stores are more prevalent. I had a Fall-ish day yesterday. I turned on the tv in the morning and there was the Halloween episode of "Adam Ruins Everything" just starting, so I watched to the end. Then we went to three different stores that all had their Halloween out. And we stopped for a scoop of ice cream on the way home. I had deee-licious pumpkin spice.
Ha! Lynda, when I first read your line about Van Halen I was all, "Van Halen played her wedding?!"
Yeah, Elevation was an interesting story but I can part with the book. Not sorry I took a little time for it though.

I'll be starting my Autumn thread in a week. Just need to get past that 150 mark.



And in my research of Vancouver, I've found three tiki bars!

71. Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger. Using examples such as a successful candy bar ad, viral videos and college health campaigns, the author explains the many reasons, including something called "social currency", why certain things catch on with millions of people. He looks at what made a science article about the human cough be shared thousands of times, while a commercial for pain relievers geared towards new moms received such a negative response, and why something such as a teenager's awful song about the weekend could be viewed millions of times. This book is listed as Business and Economics, but it should also be listed under Sociology because it's about why people will value one thing over another. 4 stars
I've had this for seven months.

Real album.

........I'd kick you in the gems and call 911.

:-D That bewildered expression and the hand in the mouth, which I expect would produce a lot of drool, makes me think that ol' J.J. would be easy to fight off. I get the feeling he doesn't dress himself.

***
Sweet! I've won a bio of Lou Reed from LT!

>148 mstrust: Since when did Mr Collins from Pride and Prejudice record an album?!

:-D I just couldn't put my finger on who he reminded me of, but you have a good eye.

I suppose this is terrifically lame of me, but I watched the first few minutes of the original Dynasty last night and was hooked.

All those beaded and sequined dresses put you in a trance. If you plan on sticking with it, see if you can score a bottle of Forever Krystle or Carrington to spray around the room. Just to remind you of other bad things from the 80's.
We spread the season 2 of "Mindhunter" out over two weeks but now I suppose it will be another couple of years for the next season.They get actors who really look like the real murderers, and they really scored with the Australian guy who plays Manson. I'm currently re-watching the last season of "Santa Clarita Diet" and I'm on season 6 of "Supernatural". So many great shows got cancelled these past few months.

Famed surf guitarist Yuzo Kayama posing with the Mosrite named after him (Kayama Yuzo 50th). At 82 years old he's still putting out new recordings and he's still remarkably handsome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEQJCYJWXDA

I've started my Autumn reads so I don't expect to review any more books on this thread. I'll start my Autumn thread either tomorrow, or more likely, Monday.
I'm also going to be booking a Vancouver walking tour sometime in the next few days. We've decided on a tour led by a Native guide through Stanley Park that is focused on the uses of the local plants. I've looked at the weather forecast for the days we'll be there and there are just three days listed that aren't expected to rain.

I've found both a new pumpkin ale (Wasatch out of Utah) and a bottle of 2016 The Walking Dead Cabernet. I'll put my opinion in the listing of my Autumn products in the next thread.

>156 mstrust: I was in HomeSense/Winners today and all of the fall stuff was out. Lots of Halloween decor, and even some decorations that I think would work for Day of the Dead.

I don't know that store but I'm guessing it's something like our Home Goods or At Home, a big store of furniture, pillows, lamps and accessories?
We had a Halloweenie day today, with a visit to Target for travel size stuff, and to check out their Halloween section. Then to Spirit where I got a jumbo Hocus Pocus coffee mug. Now I feel better. And our temps were just around 100, which is so much better than 114.

>158 mstrust: Yes, from Googling I'd say HomeSense is like Home Goods. You could also say the combination of Winners and HomeSense is a bit like Marshalls. Winners has clothing and some housewares, while HomeSense is all about the housewares.

The home goods stores are so good about getting Halloween stuff out early. Almost like they're competing to be first.

My Autumn/ Halloween thread is up! Put a costume on and come get some candy.