Douglas E. Berry

Coolio 1963-2022. Show some respect

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 02:34:47 GMT

OK, I've seen three people quoting Weird Al's "Amish Paradise" lyrics in response to Coolio's untimely death. Here is my message to these people.

Go fuck yourselves. With a narwhal horn coated in Ghost Pepper salsa.

"Gangster's Paradise" is an excellent, powerful, piece of musical writing and performance. It earned a Grammy and several other awards and was shut out of the Academy Awards race due to the rampant racism of the AMPAS at the time. Coolio scared them.

Good, they needed to be scared.

Look, back in 1985 I was the only white guy in a squad that was Black, one Apache, and a Puerto Rican who had a Haitian mother. We would go to Atlanta on weekends and go to clubs where my buddies had to surround me because I was literally the only white guy in the building. Rap in 1985 was an education for this white kid from the suburbs. It was political, it was angry, and it was still outlaw music; unpolished, raw, and unapologetically Black.

"Gangster's Paradise" was that kind of work. Listen to it. read the fucking lyrics. Understand why Coolio didn't want it to get the Weird Al treatment. Listen to his other music. The man was a genius that scared complacent white people in the suburbs.

He was doing good work, and he died way too young. Show some fucking respect.

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Metallica 40

Sat, 18 Dec 2021 20:19:31 GMT

Last night kshandra and I drove up to San Francisco to see Metallica celebrate its 40th anniversary. For the most part, it was a great show. For the most part.

Then there was the opening act. DJ Lord and Dean Delray, an alleged comedian. Both failed utterly to engage the audience. Delray just sounded desperate, tone-deaf, and suffered from terrible timing and a lack of ability to read the room. DJ Lord was at least really talented, but again, read the room. It wasn't until he played Pantera's Walk that the crowd got into it.

We had a blast, and I loved the setlist. But there we so many technical glitches and sound flubs. Kirk's guitar was mixed way too low for most of the show, and it seemed that the vocal mikes were all set to different volume levels. So we missed about half of James' vocals, especially in the later portions of the show.

One really cool thing s was everyone got these bracelets with lights in them. We became part of the light show in several songs.

But we had a great time, and I got my King Nothing and fucking Fixxxer. The only thing that marred our enjoyment were the three drunk kids right in front of us in Section 217. Chase Center was built with incredible sightlines, and if you're up in the upper deck, you can see clearly from your seat. These yahoos, two guys and a young woman, kept standing up and blocking the view of everyone around them. They were literally the only people I could see in the upper deck sections doing this. Then the girl started giving her boyfriend lapdances. During the convert.

Guys, if you want to act like you have floor tickets, pay for them.

Hit the Lights
Creeping Death
Trapped Under Ice (First time live since June 23, 2012)
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Orion
The Shortest Straw
One
Sad but True
King Nothing
Fixxxer(Live debut)
Breadfan (Budgie cover)
No Leaf Clover
Frantic
The Day That Never Comes
Spit Out the Bone

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Remembering Dimebag

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 17:56:08 GMT

On this day in 2004, we lost Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott to a madman's rage. One of metal's greatest guitarists is gone because this nation refuses to treat mental illness.

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Avatar at the Wiltern kicked asses

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 22:51:41 GMT

Edit this setlist | More Avatar setlists

They played what felt like an arena show in a medium-sized venue.

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I need my tunes, man!

Sat, 28 Aug 2021 20:42:30 GMT

And I'm pissed off. My computer speakers died, and since the installed speakers on my Dell Inspirion 5490 AIO are tiny and tinny as hell, I needed to order some new ones. Found a great set on Amazon, a Cyber Acoustics CA-3610, and it showed up today.

It's not working. Because, after a little experimentation, it seems that the 3.5mm plug on my computer has given up the ghost. So now I'm debating returning this set for something with a USB connector, or seeing about getting that connector fixed or replaced.

Do any of my tech-savvy friends have any advice here? My computer is really my main source of listening to music.

EDIT: After some fiddling with settings, the speakers work, and they are awesome.

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Gross commercialization, but I laughed.

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 23:46:01 GMT

I just got an email announcing that Levi's now has a Grateful Dead collection.

Feel free to laugh, roll your eyes, or rant about how the band was so much better when Keith was still around.

Finished? Cool.

But there's one thing in this overpriced, really-does-not-get-it, collection that made me laugh.

Some of the stuff features the phrase "Who Are The Grateful Dead And Why Are They Following Me?" I was watching when that, I guess you could call it a meme, was born. It was during one of the New Year's Eve shows that got telecast. During the shows leading up to New Year, a camera crew had gone around the Oakland Arena asking Deadheads for their best questions to ask the band. They showed the best responses to the guys and taped their responses live, and played it between sets.

It was hysterical. One guy asked what Jerry would be wearing for the NYE show. Jerry Garcia notoriously wore the same t-shirt and jeans on stage for about five years. So Bob Weir begins describing it like some big fashion statement. At which point Phil Lesh said, "The only other option is the Aztec Sun God outfit." to which one of the band members said, "but everyone's seen that."

But then came Gus. Gus managed to kill the band.

"Hi, my name is Gus, and I want to know, who are the Grateful Dead and why do they keep following me?"

The band howled with laughter, shouting they were onto Gus, and then Mickey Hart saying, "Guys, he's seen us!"

It was a great bit.

By the Chinese New Year shows we were seeing bumper stickers with Gus' immortal question on it. Patches soon followed, and now Levi's is using it.

Gus, my friend, wherever you are, you gotta keep on truckin' on.

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Wave that fliag!

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 21:26:11 GMT

Wave the flag, wave it wide and high!

For those of you who have never done enough LSD, that opening animation sequence is a pretty good representation of both a really good trip and a trip that goes bad.

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Give me back my flag drop!

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 23:31:04 GMT

Can y'all stand another whiny birthday post?

For a very long time, I had one must-do thing on my birthday. That was watching the Boston Pops Esplanade perform. It started when I was eight or nine, we were at a party at the house of some friends of my parents, and I was bored. . . except for the big beautiful parrot that took a liking to me. That was cool.

Anyway, in one room there was a group watching this concert on TV. I sat down to watch because music is always good. I had fun with the patriotic sing-along, then the orchestra started another piece, and the cameras kept cutting to Army howitzers with army guys around them. Now, this was something different!

I asked one of the grown-ups about the cannon, and he explains what the 1812 Overture was, and that near the end Tchaikovsky wrote in parts for cannon fire. Now I was hooked! The music was awesome, and they kept showing those cannons!

Then it happened. In the fury of the "Battle of Borodino" passage, the cannons started firing! As an army-mad kid, this was the BEST THING EVER!

Then, before my pulse rate has a chance to return to normal, the Pops go right into "The Stars and Stripes Forever." I might have heard Sousa before, but never like this! And the flag drop! If you have never seen the Pos perform this march, near the end, just before the finale, a giant US flag unfurls over the orchestra. Then fireworks!

I was hooked. Every year my one birthday demand was seeing the Boston Pops. Luckily, no one complained, and it was on PBS. (I think KQED carried it.) I watched it every year until I left for the Army. In a funny twist, I spent my 19th birthday marching in Columbus, Ga. to The Stars and Stripes Forever! If it's fun to watch, it's ten times more fun to match to with your M-16A1 at port arms.

But then things changed. The broadcast was moved, first to Bravo, then to one of the Networks. They began cutting it to pieces and putting chattering talking heads over the music. They never showed the whole 1812, which sucks because that piece tells a story. I finally gave up when I saw that they had cut the six-hour concert to a one-hour highlight reel.

This year, it's supposed to be streamed on Bloomberg. I need to sit with Kirsten to see if we can even get that on the TV. Because I want my tradition back!

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Barely Alive (ttto: Dead or Alive by Jon Bovi)

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 21:27:04 GMT

Barely Alive
(ttto: Dead or Alive by Jon Bovi)

It's all the same, only the doctors change
Every day, it seems I'm wastin' away
Another lab where the exam room is so cold
I drive all over just to get sent back home

I'm a patient, on gurneys I ride
I'm breathing, barely alive
Breathing, barely alive

Sometimes I sleep, sometimes I sleep for days
Phlebotomists can never find my veins
Sometimes you tell the hour
By the medicine that you take
And when the fevers hit, all you do is bake

I'm a patient, on gurneys I ride
I'm breathing, (sort of) barely alive
Breathing, (coughing) barely alive

Oh, and I ride
Oh, and I'm a patient, on gurneys I ride
I'm breathing, barely alive

I lay in bed
Loaded IV's in both arms
I'd watch TV, but only Sister Act is on
Been seen by everyone, but they still don't know what's wrong
I've seen a million doctors
And I've confused them all

I'm a patient, on gurneys I ride
I'm breathing, (Low O2) barely alive
I'm a patient, the guy beside me just died
I'm breathing, (Code Blue) barely alive
And I abide, barely alive
I still thrive (sort of thrive) barely alive
Barely alive, barely alive, barely alive, barely alive. . .

(Guitair outro to flatline sound.)

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Confess, my review

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 18:19:29 GMT

Confess: The Autobiography by Rob Halford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rob Halford, the Metal God. The electric frontman of Judas Priest set the style and tone of heavy metal for decades. Possessing a four-octave vocal range and magnificent stage presence, we all wanted to be Rob Halford.

As it turns out, we should be happy we weren't him. In Confess, Halford presents an honest, detailed story of his life from his roots in the Black Country of England to the heights of fame and beyond. But this isn't a typical take of rock and roll excess, because Halford is also gay, a fact that he felt he had to hide from the world, lest he destroy Judas Priest.

This is an incredibly personal book that shows how complex a life can be. Halford can point to the ferocious fights between his parents as the source of his fear of conflict while expressing his deep love for both of them. He is open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol without making excuses. His tales of failed relationships and anonymous sexual encounters are presented simply as what he experienced as a deeply closeted gay man.

We also get a good amount of detail on Judas Priest from the time he joined to today. Reading about how the albums were created (British Steel, possibly one of the great metal albums of all time, was 30 days from start to finish) along with stories from the road round out the story of the Metal God portion of his life. His accidental resignation from Priest, solo career, and reintroduction to the band are all covered in depth.

What you end up with is a complete portrait of a very private man. The title is very apt. This is Rob Halford's confession to his followers, and we are all better off for reading this. As I just told my wife, after reading this, I just want to give Halford a hug. I've been a Priest fanatic since 1983, seen them several times, but I don't want an autograph or selfie, I just want to hug him and tell him that I've been clean for 33 years myself.

It's that kind of book.

View all my reviews

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And you know what they said? Well, some of it was true. . .

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 23:58:02 GMT

Stealing All Transmissions: A Secret History of the Clash by Randal Doane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not a by-the-numbers history of The Clash. In fact, the band only graces the book from time to time, showing up like reluctant guests of honor. Instead, what we have here is the story of the crucible that allowed The Clash to invade America, conquer it with nary a shot, and then leave it behind as they self-destructed. The book suddenly ends in 1982 with the start of the Combat Rock tour, telling the story of the band's fall in an extended afterword.

What we do get in an amazing look at how the music scenes in New York and London created the breeding ground for the volatile mix of personalities and styles that made up the band to be recognized and celebrated. We spend time reading about the rise and fall of free-form radio in New York, the heady early days of CBGB, and bands like Blondie, Television, and the Talking Heads. No subject is treated kindly, everyone is exposed and through this, we understand what allowed The Clash to get so big, so fast, while almost entirely flipping off the music industry.

This is not a book if you want to read details of Joe Strummer's childhood or the band's life on the road. But if you want to understand the punk era of the late 70s through the focal point of The Clash, this book is well worth finding. I bought on a whim from a vendor selling socialist and anarchist books at the Heavy Metal/Punk Flea Marker at one of our favorite small venues last year. That seems appropriate given the subject matter.

View all my reviews

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A most excellent playlist.

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 20:23:33 GMT

I made an iTunes Genius playlist based on Black Sabbath's I. It turned out to be a really good one.

( Good classic metal! )

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A Giants blowout leads to a musical discovery.

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 17:14:17 GMT

During last night's historic shellacking of the Rockies by the Giants, there came a moment that led me to discover a fun website.

During a break in the action, the Rockies organist started playing Led Zepplin's "Kashmir" but in a minor key. I said it sounded weird this way, Kirsten thought it was supposed to be in that key.

So, I turned to the mighty Google. Where I discovered https://www.notediscover.com/
a wonderful website that gives both the key and beats per minute for a huge number of songs. Since I like to build workout mixes based on BPM, being able to just look them up is a good thing.

Oh, Kashmir is in D.

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Scott Ian is my co-pilot

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 23:32:33 GMT

In happier news, I was listening to Ozzy's Boneyard on SiriusXM as I ran my errands. I caught Anthrax's Caught in a Mosh as I hit the onramp to SR17S. The bass line hit just as I accelerated to warp speed.

Did you know a 2008 Ford Ranger can hit 85mph? The guy in the Porche I blew the doors off of looked pissed.

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NOW it's my birthday

Sat, 04 Jul 2020 18:41:49 GMT

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I dare you not to move to this.

Sat, 04 Jul 2020 17:47:21 GMT

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Corona fucks things up again

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 17:53:49 GMT

Well, sumbitch. We had tickets to see Megadeth and Lamb of God in a few weeks up at the Concord Pavillion. Of course, that tour was canceled due to the pandemic.

The new dates for 2021 have just been announced. Our show is now on September 2nd. We will be getting dusty at Burning Man on that day.

I'm really pissed since that show was going to be epic. Along with the headliners, Trivium and In Flames were on the bill.

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A great campaign idea from an Avatar song.

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 19:04:57 GMT

In 2018 Avatar released its seventh studio album Avatar Country, a sort of concept album about a mythical heavy metal nation. A companion film was recently released, chronicling the was between Avatar Country and an evil nation dedicated to Electronic Dance Music.

You really should watch it, it's fun. But be sure to watch the video for A Statue of the King immediately after, as it should have been the ending of the movie.

But enough about that. There's one song on the album, King After King that struck me as a great basis for a fantasy RPG campaign. Let's look at the lyrics, shall we?

The last spoken will of a warrior King:
"Bury me next to my soldiers
Set my horse free and let people sing
Of their son with the world on his shoulders
Then look to the mountains
I left my grave wide open."
Eyes fixed on the mountains
"I was buried at dusk, at dawn I'll return."

Here it comes
Death undone
King after King

From this tomb we shall build you a throne
In your name we shall sing
Light your torch, let the flames lead you home
Long live the King!

OK, a great start. a heroic warrior king is struck down and tells his followers that he will return at dawn. Let's take some license with that. After all, a king who comes back after a good night's rest isn't much of a legend.

The heart of a King can be measured in dreams
Reaching the sleep of his people
A whisper of ghost saying we'll be redeemed
From our sins he will build us a castle
One day we'll be stronger, we will ride right beside you
Until we are stronger, we put stone upon stone
Await your return

Here we go! The dead king is reaching out, calling his people to . . . build? Fight on? The call to grow stronger so that when the king returns his people will ride beside him.

The longing for sun and a heartbreak undone
Breaking the back of false idols
Bring our King home, for among us are none
Who is worthy to be his disciple
Out there in the wasteland, there's something coming for us
A call from the wasteland:
He was buried at dusk, at dawn he returns

There it is. The King fell battling a menace, and since his death, the sun has vanished and the world is a wasteland. And something is coming. We need to find out how to bring the King back, for he is the child of the Sun God, and since the other gods have fled (the "breaking the back of false idols" line)the world needs heroes to step up, face the threat, and brave death itself to bring back the King and bring the dawn!

I could write this up as a full level 1-20 campaign, starting with defending a city, then scouting and fighting the enemy, to greater quests for information and artifacts, and finally, awakening the Sun King and saving the world!

This would be like the old Dark Sun campaign setting; a dim star burning like a coal, widespread food shortages, gold is no longer worth much. Also, there would be severe restrictions on clerics in the beginning. Probably no more than 5th level until quests have been completed to begin bringing on the dawn.

I have time, I might start doodling this up.

Glory to our king
Our lord
The master of steel
Glory to our knight in shining armor
Long live our king
My lord
We raise our swords
The legend has come true
You've come to save us

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Cross genre lyrical world building.

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 17:38:18 GMT

Consider the following.

From Avatar's The King Welcomes You To Avatar Country

I saw a tower of gold
A new dimension unfold
And now I fear for my soul.
Well son, it's already sold

Now, from Genesis' A Trick of The Tail

And so we set out with the beast and his horns
And his crazy description of home
After many days journey, we came to a peak
Where the beast gazed abroad and cried out

We followed his gaze and we thought that maybe we saw
A spire of gold, no, a trick of the eye, that's all
But the beast was gone and a voice was heard

Obviously, these refer to the same hidden city. After the return of the Beast to the City of Gold, the decision was made (after much consideration) that contact was inevitable, so ambassadors should be sent out. To that end, magic was used to create hornless, tailless infiltrators. Avatars, if you will, of the new order coming as the City of Gold prepares to bring us civilization under the enlightened rule of the Horned King.

To whom we will build a statue, of course. Glory to our King.

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My earworms wear spiky leather jackets.

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 22:54:27 GMT

There's a lot to be said for going to concerts given by old favorite bands. You'll know most of the setlist, you probably have a t-shirt from a tour years ago that you can wear to show your devotion, and you'll know when to sing along. It's comfortable, like a favorite pair of jeans.

It's also exciting to see a new band; one that you might know from the radio or have purchased a couple of CDs and this is your first chance to see them live. You might even spoil yourself by looking up live performances on YouTube and setlists on setlistfm. Still a new experience, but one you're at least prepared for handling.

But what I did last Thursday was beyond that. Not only did I go to a concert knowing almost nothing about the headlining act, I knew absolutely zero about the three opening acts. I was a babe in the woods, ready for anything. Thank Halford it was a night when I could drink a beer.

See, this was all my fault. Also totally my wife's fault. Let me elaborate. A couple of years ago I finally was able to go see Iron Maiden, one of the titans of heavy metal. Money, free time, and tour that came closer to me than Los Angeles all came together. Opening for Maiden was a band from Sweden named Ghost. I had kind of heard of them but didn't know their music.

Ghost was amazing, and I really liked their theatrical nature and really good music. Kirsten? My lovely wife converted to a new religion that night. She became a Ghost fanatic. (Which is why two weeks after we get home from Burning Man we're heading back to Reno to see them play.)

Being a Ghost devotee led her down a maze of Scandinavian metal bands. I'm honestly amused that we've reached a point where my Duran Duran-loving wife listens to heavier metal than I do. But one of those bands is an outfit called Avatar. She backed a Kickstarter for the band and reasoned that meant we just had to go to the show. I'm didn't have a problem with this, I love going to concerts and I was especially pleased with the venue.

The Fillmore has been around since 1912 when it opened as the Majestic Hall and Academy of Dancing. Over the years it went through several name changes before settling on The Fillmore Auditorium in 1954. The place became a legend in the 1960s when promoter Bill Graham made it one of the centerpieces of the blossoming San Francisco sound. Every band of note in the late sixties played the Fillmore.

My experiences with the venue came when it was rebranded as The Elite Club and hosted punk bands in the early 80s. I think the last show I saw there was Black Flag in 1984. Until now. After enjoying the gale force arctic winds common the San Francisco in the allegedly warmer months, we entered. The Fillmore is a gem. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, along with a small disco ball. The place is tint, with space for only 1,300 or so. We pled disability to snag one of the small tables along the stage right side of the hall.

After some food and a Blue Moon beer, the show started. I was impressed. the first act was '68, a "noise punk" duo out of Atlanta. Guitar and drums, that's it. The two musicians wore suits. Fun punk music that really took me back to my mohawked, misspent, teenage years. As part of their last song, the guitarist began dismantling the drum kit, piece by piece, while the drummer was still playing! It was amazing to watch him keep going until he was left with only a snare drum.

Second up was Dance With The Dead. Another duo, this was all instrumentals. Along with a giant human skull center stage, they had two keyboard setups. It took me a little, but I eventually got what they were doing. We bought the CD, and I may use it for inspirational music when writing fight scenes.

The third act, who started out by assuring us that there were only forty minutes until Avatar took the stage, was a solo artist named Devin Townsend. I've never heard of him, but he had an impressive fan base in the audience. This was the one case where knowing his body of work more might have been to my advantage. Still a good singer, and having an acoustic set made a nice break from the wall of noise we had been getting. We picked up his latest CD, I'll see if hearing him with his band changes my opinion of him.

Finally, after some stage set up, Avatar. Like Ghost, they are a pretty theatrical group. The show starts with a recorded fanfare as one of the guitarists, Jonas Jarlsby, in his guise as the "Kungen" (king) rises in his throne behind the drum kit. There, in regal splendor, he plays the opening song Statue of the King. Then the throne is moved down to center-front stage for Legend of the King. After that, he ditches the crown and throne, but it set the mood for the rest of the show. Lead singer Johannes Eckerström can go from soaring, beautiful vocals to growling like a demon in a heartbeat. One of my favorite things about Avatar was how easy it was to pick up the choruses of several of their songs, the ones where the fans were clearly expected to sing along. Great show. Now if I could just get their song Paint Me Red out of my head . . .

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Just built a new Genius Playlist on iTunes

Sat, 05 Jan 2019 20:34:23 GMT

Halford's Stompy Boots, they've made it hard to use one of their most basic features.

Ghost - Cirice

Ghost B.C. - Spirit

Judas Priest - Dragonaut

Thy Art Is Murder - Light Bearer

Behemoth - Conquer All

Anthrax - Neon Knight

Clutch - D.C. Sound Attack!

Mastodon - Oblivion

Slayer - Disciple

Bruce Dickinson - Abduction

Ghost - Stand By Him

Ghost B.C. - From The Pinnacle To The Pit

Testament - More Than Meets the Eye

Anthrax - Soror Irrumator

Machine Head - Hallowed Be Thy Name

Slayer - War Ensemble

Judas Priest - Halls Of Valhalla

Parkway Drive - Vice Grip

Metallica - Ronnie Rising Medley (feat. A Light In the Black, Tarot Woman, Stargazer & Kill the King)

Behemoth - Prometherion

Ghost B.C. - If You Have Ghosts

Ghost B.C. - I'm A Marionette

Black Sabbath - God Is Dead?

Slayer - Hell Awaits

Testament - Into the Pit

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Some Christmas Videos

Tue, 25 Dec 2018 17:17:05 GMT

Merry Christmas! Thought I'd share a few favorite videos for the season.

First off, the best five minutes of television ever produced. The 1999 Christmas episode of The West Wing, In Excelsis Deo follows White House Communication Director Toby Ziegler as he tries to arrange a proper funeral for a homeless veteran who was found dead near the Vietnam War Memorial. The final scene was made with the full cooperation of both the Arlington National Cemetary and the Department of the Navy. That is a real USMC Honor Guard.

Next, and in a much lighter mood, comes Run-DMC's classic Christmas in Hollis. I'm always amused at how many commercials have licensed this song. The surviving band members must get very nice payments off it.

Finally, nobody does holiday guilt like those lovely folks in the British Islands. There have been dozens of big celebrity jam songs for charity, but the original and still the best is Band Aid with Do They Know It's Christmas (Feed The World)

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Why I will never give a damn about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 00:31:51 GMT

It's that time of year again, the list of those being enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF hereafter) has been released, and right on schedule, people are screaming about it. Why was this ban left off? Why was this artist who was never a rocker let in? People are never happy. But I don't care, because I've known from nearly the start that the RRHOF was going to be a shitshow of distinction.

There are two main reasons why. First of all, no one at the RRHOF bothered to define what they were honoring! What is rock music? Is disco rock, or an outgrowth of soul and funk? With no clear guidance, the RRHOF has inducted some people and acts that only brushed the edges of rock while having fine careers in other genres of music.

I know classifying music is a lot like defining porn, "I know it when I see it," but I think we can all agree that some of the acts added to the RRHOF simply don't belong there. It dilutes the brand to have Donna Summer celebrated for her achievements in rock music. She sings soul and disco! Those and other odd choices make it hard to understand how these selections are made.

Then there is my second, bigger point. I can explain it in one sentence:

The 1927 New York Yankees are not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Considered perhaps the greatest team ever assembled, the '27 Yankees finished with a record of 110–44, winning their fifth pennant and finishing 19 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics and were tied for first or better for the whole season. In the World Series, they swept the Pittsburgh Pirates. This Yankees team is known for their feared lineup, which was nicknamed "Murderers' Row."

The 1927 Yankees batted .307, slugged .489, scored 975 runs, and outscored their opponents by a record 376 runs. Center fielder Earle Combs had a career-best year, batting .356 with 231 hits, left fielder Bob Meusel batted .337 with 103 RBIs, and second baseman Tony Lazzeri drove in 102 runs. Gehrig batted .373, with 218 hits, 52 doubles, 18 triples, 47 home runs, a then-record 175 RBIs, slugged at .765, and was voted A.L. MVP. Ruth amassed a .356 batting average, 164 RBIs, 158 runs scored, walked 137 times, and slugged .772. Most notably, his 60 home runs that year broke his own record and remained the Major League mark for 34 years until Roger Maris broke it by one with 61; however, this was done in a 162-game schedule, a fact that Commissioner Ford Frick wanted to be noted when the single-season home run record was to be referenced.

The 1927 Yankees pitching staff led the league in ERA at 3.20, and included Waite Hoyt, who went 22–7, which tied for the league lead, and Herb Pennock, who went 19–8. Wilcy Moore won 16 as a reliever. Three other Yankee pitchers had ERAs under 3.00 that season.

If you don't speak baseball, let me translate: they were fucking unstoppable. Even if you hate the Yankees, you have to admit that 1927 is a year the likes of which we may never see again. Yet the '27 Yankees aren't in Hall of Fame. Why is that?

Because the Baseball Hall of Fame inducts people, not teams. Of that storied team, six players were eventually enshrined in Cooperstown. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Earle Combs, Tony Lazzeri, Waite Hoyt, and Herb Pennock. Know who isn't in the Hall of Fame? Cedric Durst, who as part of the team that year batted only .248 with almost no power.

Which is where the RRHOF blew it. Look at almost any rock band's Wikipedia page, and there will be a long list of former members. For example, The Doobie Brothers have a hugely complex history of people coming and going. If they were to be voted in, who exactly are you honoring? Willie Weeks? He was the bass player from 1980-82 and came back for about five minutes in 1993.

We saw this happen last year when KISS was inducted. For most people, KISS means those first ten years or so, with the original line-up. Do you realize that Mark St. John, who was with the band just long enough to record Animalize before being sacked, is technically in the RRHOF?.

If I were in charge, the rule would be people and people who played rock music as their main musical output. We'd have a jury to keep things tightly defined. There would be categories like Performer (everything you do to make music. Play, sing, whatever you are doing to make rock music,) Songwriter (if you were a regular contributor to the craft of building rock songs,) Producer (the skill or making the song come together in the studio,) and Influencer (those who helped rock grow without being directly part of the talent. The late Bill Graham would fit in this category, as would Alan Freed.) I'd also be open to nominating albums or moments for special awards. Queen's performance at LiveAid deserves to be in the Hall. Can you imagine a theater where you get to watch the ten greatest performances in rock history?

If they had done this, they still could have inducted bands by nominating and voting them in as a group. That way the Beatles come in, but Paul McCartney's plaque also lists Wings and his solo work.

That's my rant, hope you enjoyed it, and always remember . . .

LONG LIVE ROCK! BE IT DEAD OR ALIVE!

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Can I appoint Angus as Patriarch of Constantinople? It would liven up services.

Wed, 25 Jul 2018 22:55:07 GMT

Listening to AC/DC and reading Byzantine history leads to this:

"Filioque ain't cause for schism,
Filioque is just a word
The power of God is linear
And your doctrine is absurd."

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Happy 4th of July and Second Civil War Day!

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 16:16:46 GMT

And while whole Second Civil War thing is based on the rantings of a lunatic, we do need a revolution in this nation.

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