Day 11: Anthem
Still no photos. Things that happened today:
I went to this giant cross in the hills above my aunt's house. It's nicer than the ones in SoCal because they at least are kind enough to hide it behind a bunch of trees. Christianity, as long as it keeps to itself, is just a different way of believing - it's only when they forget about that whole "judge not lest ye be judged" bit and start putting their nose in other people's business that it becomes a problem. Unfortunately this strategy seems to be the one preferred by many church leaders, and most of the religion's followers are more inclined to listen to their preacher's interpretation of the Good Book than they are to interpret it on their own. San Francisco, fortunately, is run by hippies, homos, and other heathens, and one finds very little of this mentality present there.
Listening to: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band's 3rd and 4th albums, which I found at the Amoeba up here. The SAHB is truly a wonderful thing. It's clear to me (and several others who have pointed it out) that AC/DC derived much of their sound from this group (who was apparently very popular in Australia - Nick Cave and his Birthday Party buddies were apparently also fans). However, SAHB rise above the whole "hard rock" thing by incorporating large doses of prog-rock and old-timey music hall, and by steering clear of macho sex-themed lyrics and instead opting for one of those surreal senses of humour which guarantees your band will not rise far above cult status. The third record is the better one, with "Vambo" and "The Man In The Jar" being favorites. "Anthem" is probably my favorite track though - for once Harvey seems to take himself a bit more seriously, and ends up with something... creepily beautiful, I guess? It's hard to explain... it's sort of a slave song but imbued with a (welcome) sense of melodrama... I think it's quickly becoming the theme song for this trip. As for the fourth album, it's much less focused and the songs are less catchy. It's still good music, but not good "pop" music. While I love the goofy narration on "The Tale Of The Giant Stone Eater," I still have a hard time unravelling what the song is about.
I went to this giant cross in the hills above my aunt's house. It's nicer than the ones in SoCal because they at least are kind enough to hide it behind a bunch of trees. Christianity, as long as it keeps to itself, is just a different way of believing - it's only when they forget about that whole "judge not lest ye be judged" bit and start putting their nose in other people's business that it becomes a problem. Unfortunately this strategy seems to be the one preferred by many church leaders, and most of the religion's followers are more inclined to listen to their preacher's interpretation of the Good Book than they are to interpret it on their own. San Francisco, fortunately, is run by hippies, homos, and other heathens, and one finds very little of this mentality present there.
Listening to: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band's 3rd and 4th albums, which I found at the Amoeba up here. The SAHB is truly a wonderful thing. It's clear to me (and several others who have pointed it out) that AC/DC derived much of their sound from this group (who was apparently very popular in Australia - Nick Cave and his Birthday Party buddies were apparently also fans). However, SAHB rise above the whole "hard rock" thing by incorporating large doses of prog-rock and old-timey music hall, and by steering clear of macho sex-themed lyrics and instead opting for one of those surreal senses of humour which guarantees your band will not rise far above cult status. The third record is the better one, with "Vambo" and "The Man In The Jar" being favorites. "Anthem" is probably my favorite track though - for once Harvey seems to take himself a bit more seriously, and ends up with something... creepily beautiful, I guess? It's hard to explain... it's sort of a slave song but imbued with a (welcome) sense of melodrama... I think it's quickly becoming the theme song for this trip. As for the fourth album, it's much less focused and the songs are less catchy. It's still good music, but not good "pop" music. While I love the goofy narration on "The Tale Of The Giant Stone Eater," I still have a hard time unravelling what the song is about.
posted by BG | 10:05 AM
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