On Thursday I shuffled past 1 thousand miles of running for the year. I'm pretty sure that makes 41 years in a row. Since I didn't keep a log until I was 30 I can't officially confirm it but I was a fairly consistent runner through college and immediately after college. Considering I missed 4 months of running because of various injuries I feel pretty good about it.
What's distressing about this comeback from the last round of injuries has been the less than stunning return of leg speed. I've endured four major surgeries over the last 8 years and had to struggle to find my legs, but these last 2 months have been really difficult. I simply don't feel like pushing myself to anything remotely approaching 9 minute pace. I did one tempo run in the last three weeks where I average close to 9 minute pace. I know I can run fast but I simply don't feel like it. I better snap out of it because I signed up for a half marathon next month.
As to the music I spent the week looking at the various lists from NPR, Rolling Stone and other publications, naming the top albums of the year. Rolling Stone really surprised me. I actually own 4 of their top albums for 2012. The shocker is that Neil Young's "Pyschedelic Pill" came in at #10. As I blogged earlier, the album has three great tunes, but the bulk of it is just self-indulgent jamming. Bob Dylan's "Tempest" came in at #2 which made me think that Rolling Stone really isn't catering to what advertisers consider the "key demographics," or the 18 to 49 crowd.
As for the memories, the Czarina and I sat watching the live stream from the Footlocker High School Cross Country Championships this afternoon. It made me sad when I realized that I only knew about 4 or 5 of the 80 runners competing in the boys and girls race. The loss of Dyestat has really left me out of the loop when it comes to high school distance running. It's a giant hole that other Internet running websites simply don't seem to be able to fill. It makes me wish I had the resources and wherewith all to fill the void left by Dyestat's demise.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The Great Kansas Distance Drought
My blog about Kent McDonald raised a question from one of my
regular readers, Mason Duede. He
wondered whether if Kansas could lay claim to being a distance running power in
the United States? It’s funny that he
brought that question up because when I was much younger, I would pour through
the high school lists ranking not just the distance running prowess of the
Sunflower State, but how it ranked in track and field as a whole.
I decided to look no further than California. Distance runners have poured out of the
Golden State for years. The name of great runners seem endless, Tim Danielson, Ralph Serna, Curtis Beck, Eric Hulst to name just a few. The all-time
California list cuts off at 4:09.2 so comparing numbers wasn’t exact. By 1980 California at 38 runners who had run
a mile at 4:09.2 or faster. California
had a population of more than 23 and a half million people. Kansas had about 2.3 million people. California crushes Kansas for the number of
elite high school milers in terms of population.
But compare to Kansas to say Oregon and the numbers look a little better. Oregon and Kansas both had 5 milers under 4:10 by 1980, but Oregon's population was larger so the nod goes to the Sunflower State. But in the years since Oregon has added four more runners to that list while Kansas hasn't had one boy break 4:10.
It’s sad to think that since Steve Smith from Shawnee Misson South ran 4:07.56 in 1980 no other high school runner from Kansas has broken 4:10. California now has 67 milers at 4:09.2 or
better. It makes you wonder why the
drought? Perhaps we miss the great prep
coaches like Wichita East coaches Bob Timmons, J.D. Edmiston or Shawnee Mission
South’s Verlyn Schmidt aren't around anymore willing to push kids to super
performances.
Up until the late 1970’s, the state of Kansas was a track
and field juggernaut. A mythical team of
boys featuring the best of Kansas from the 60’s and 70’s would have held its
own against the other 49 states.
California, Texas and New York would have been tough to beat in a
mythical track and field showdown, but Kansas would have been incredibly
competitive thanks in large part to the prowess of Jim Ryun, assuming he would
double, 400 IH freak Bob Bornkessel, the outstanding triple jumper Vince
Parrette and throwers like Bob Obee and Clint Johnson.
But back to Mason’s original query about the distance legacy
of Kansas preps. Per capita, I would say
that Kansas was a distance power nationally up until the late 1970’s. A large part of that lies at the feet of Jim
Ryun. But the list doesn’t end
there. By 1980 Kansas had 5 sub 4:10
milers.
 |
| A string of Shawnee Missouri South runners, a school that was a distance powerhouse in the 1970's |
But compare to Kansas to say Oregon and the numbers look a little better. Oregon and Kansas both had 5 milers under 4:10 by 1980, but Oregon's population was larger so the nod goes to the Sunflower State. But in the years since Oregon has added four more runners to that list while Kansas hasn't had one boy break 4:10.
There are undoubtedly some very good high school coaches in
Kansas. Van Rose of Shawnee Mission
Northwest is great and belongs in the company of Timmons, Edmiston and
Schmidt. But even Van will admit to only
training his kids hard enough to win state championships. Things like Footlocker and NXN are an
afterthought in Van’s book and that’s not meant as a criticism.
I think two things are behind the lack of great times. My guess is some of the best potential milers
end up playing soccer. The rise of soccer
has hurt track and field, especially in a small state like Kansas. The other is the old “Runner’s World”
syndrome that I think inhabits the thought processes of the majority of high school
coaches. They don’t want to burn the
kids out. Thus high mileage of 70 or 80
miles a week is off the table.
I look at the three
great Lawrence High distance runners of the last three decades, David Johnston,
Chris Williams and Roy Wedge, all state champions, none ascribed to high
mileage. I doubt that either topped 70
miles a week if that during their high school careers. They chose to run quality over quantity and
unless you have the god given speed of a Sebastian Coe than school records like
that of Kent McDonald’s will stand for another 20 years. And yes, Kent had a hand in coaching both
Williams and Wedge. And yes, it pains
him that his record from 1971 is still standing.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
KU's Other Record Holder
An email from the Lawrence running group known as The MadDogs pointed out that Kent McDonald claimed first place in the 60 plus age group race at the recent Turkey Trot in my hometown of Lawrence. You may wonder, who the heck is Kent McDonald. I'll tell you. He holds one of the oldest running records on the books at the University of Kansas and for a couple of summers, he was my training partner.
I was lucky to always have great training partners through my formative years of running. I started with Greg Morgenson in Abilene who went on to be a state champion in the mile in Nebraska. When I moved to Lawrence I eventually hooked up with Kent, another great mentor.
The first time I saw Kent McDonald run was in 1970 at the Kansas Relays. I was with my childhood friend Gary Welsh watching the boys high school mile. I remember a kid a year or so younger than us joining us that Gary knew, he excitedly pointed to a kid with coal black, curly hair in a Lawrence High uniform. It was Kent's younger brother Greg all fired up about his big brother getting ready to toe the line. Unfortunately Kent got his ass kick finishing back in the field and I didn't think much about it.
But then a few months later our paths crossed again. This time it was on a cow pasture turned into a makeshift cross country course in Wamego, Kansas. Heavy rains had forced the meet, traditionally run at a nearby golf course, onto a patty filled, muddy slab of rolling farmland. I saw Kent with his Lawrence High teammates. My teammates on the Abilene squad were more interested in pointing one of Kent's big rivals, Randy Smith from Wichita East. Kent was injured that day and didn't run. Smith crushed the field in his race and would go on to have a sensational senior season.
Kent didn't do too badly his senior year either. He ran a school record in the mile, 4:18.9 if my memory serves me correctly. That record was broken seven years later by another pretty good runner Doug Peterson. But it was Kent's 2 mile record that has stood the test of time. He clocked a 9:08.9 to win the Shawnee Mission North Night Relays. It was one of the fastest 2 miles run by any high school kid in 1971, but still a good 12 seconds behind Randy Smith who had run 8:57.8 at the Kansas Relays a week before. Kent went on to finish second in both the 2 mile and mile run at state to Smith.
Kent and I didn't start running together until the summer after my sophomore year of track. By then he already had 2 Big 8 steeplechase championships under his belt. We would run together two or three times a week. He usually took it pretty easy on me as we would run anywhere between 7 to 10 miles together. Kent was always full of encouragement.
The tough days would come when Doug Schreve, a Lawrence High grad who turned into a very good miler at Pittsburg State would join us. Egos were on the line. Kent would push the flats and Doug would hammer the hills and I would hang on for dear life. I learned that if I could engage them in conversation that it would usually put some slack in the pace. We never timed our runs back then and I often wonder how fast some of those 10 milers were. It could get downright blistering.
When Kent and I ran together we would rarely throw down the hammer. Once in a while near the end we would play Paavo Nurmi versus Emil Zatopek. Kent would be Nurmi and I would be Zatopek and he would always just cruise away in the last quarter mile of the run. One time I put a scare in him during a nine mile run when we started jawing with each other and from about 4 miles out the gauntlet was thrown down. I pushed his ass hard for more than 2 miles before I cracked. He grinned and looked over at me and said he was trashed.
We ran summer races over in Shawnee Mission Park. The drives to and from the races with Kent would be instructive in all things from rock and roll music to beer. Kent's dad owned the local Budweiser distributorship. I always looked forward to getting to run with him.
The stories were endless. My favorite was a heart stopping story about the time he was out on a training run with several Jayhawks, I think Jon Callen was among the group, when they flipped off a van that almost hit them on a road north of Lawrence. The driver of the van turned around and chased the runners down. The driver and passenger jumped out and a fight ensued. It turned out the attackers were prison escapees. Now that's a training run with a twist.
Our training time together had one final spurt during his senior year at Kansas. I had just been kicked off the cross country team at K.U. as a freshman. Kent's arm had just come out of a cast and he was redshirting that cross country season. He had suffered a fall while on a trip to Egypt breaking his arm. We ran together for a few weeks in October and November. I was desperately clinging to the hope that I could round myself into shape and get back on the team. Kent was on his way to a historic track season.
A bad case of strep throat ended my dream in late November. My body simply wore down between the demands of the classroom, running and too much college partying. Kent went on to win his 4th consecutive Big 8 steeplechase championship and become an All-American for the second straight year at the NCAA track and field championships.
Both Kent and Randy aimed for the 1976 Olympic Games and both came away from the Olympic Trials disappointed. Injuries caught up with these 2 great runners. Smith walked away from the sport while Kent went on to become a fixture on the road racing scene in the south when he moved to Louisiana. He was a force at everything from 10K to the marathon. As he grew older he return to Lawrence and became an outstanding age group competitor at triathlons. His success came despite going through the windshield of a van while out on a bike ride.
Kent is now a successful swim coach in Lawrence and he assists with the cross country team. Our paths cross on occasion. It's great to see that he still runs. It's a shame that he doesn't get the recognition he deserves for that steeple record, but he's understandably overshadowed by a handful of older running records still on the books at Kansas set by a guy named Jim Ryun. Each and everyone one of Ryun's outdoor records were world records at the time.
I was lucky to always have great training partners through my formative years of running. I started with Greg Morgenson in Abilene who went on to be a state champion in the mile in Nebraska. When I moved to Lawrence I eventually hooked up with Kent, another great mentor.
The first time I saw Kent McDonald run was in 1970 at the Kansas Relays. I was with my childhood friend Gary Welsh watching the boys high school mile. I remember a kid a year or so younger than us joining us that Gary knew, he excitedly pointed to a kid with coal black, curly hair in a Lawrence High uniform. It was Kent's younger brother Greg all fired up about his big brother getting ready to toe the line. Unfortunately Kent got his ass kick finishing back in the field and I didn't think much about it.
But then a few months later our paths crossed again. This time it was on a cow pasture turned into a makeshift cross country course in Wamego, Kansas. Heavy rains had forced the meet, traditionally run at a nearby golf course, onto a patty filled, muddy slab of rolling farmland. I saw Kent with his Lawrence High teammates. My teammates on the Abilene squad were more interested in pointing one of Kent's big rivals, Randy Smith from Wichita East. Kent was injured that day and didn't run. Smith crushed the field in his race and would go on to have a sensational senior season.
Kent didn't do too badly his senior year either. He ran a school record in the mile, 4:18.9 if my memory serves me correctly. That record was broken seven years later by another pretty good runner Doug Peterson. But it was Kent's 2 mile record that has stood the test of time. He clocked a 9:08.9 to win the Shawnee Mission North Night Relays. It was one of the fastest 2 miles run by any high school kid in 1971, but still a good 12 seconds behind Randy Smith who had run 8:57.8 at the Kansas Relays a week before. Kent went on to finish second in both the 2 mile and mile run at state to Smith.
Kent and I didn't start running together until the summer after my sophomore year of track. By then he already had 2 Big 8 steeplechase championships under his belt. We would run together two or three times a week. He usually took it pretty easy on me as we would run anywhere between 7 to 10 miles together. Kent was always full of encouragement.
The tough days would come when Doug Schreve, a Lawrence High grad who turned into a very good miler at Pittsburg State would join us. Egos were on the line. Kent would push the flats and Doug would hammer the hills and I would hang on for dear life. I learned that if I could engage them in conversation that it would usually put some slack in the pace. We never timed our runs back then and I often wonder how fast some of those 10 milers were. It could get downright blistering.
When Kent and I ran together we would rarely throw down the hammer. Once in a while near the end we would play Paavo Nurmi versus Emil Zatopek. Kent would be Nurmi and I would be Zatopek and he would always just cruise away in the last quarter mile of the run. One time I put a scare in him during a nine mile run when we started jawing with each other and from about 4 miles out the gauntlet was thrown down. I pushed his ass hard for more than 2 miles before I cracked. He grinned and looked over at me and said he was trashed.
We ran summer races over in Shawnee Mission Park. The drives to and from the races with Kent would be instructive in all things from rock and roll music to beer. Kent's dad owned the local Budweiser distributorship. I always looked forward to getting to run with him.
The stories were endless. My favorite was a heart stopping story about the time he was out on a training run with several Jayhawks, I think Jon Callen was among the group, when they flipped off a van that almost hit them on a road north of Lawrence. The driver of the van turned around and chased the runners down. The driver and passenger jumped out and a fight ensued. It turned out the attackers were prison escapees. Now that's a training run with a twist.
Our training time together had one final spurt during his senior year at Kansas. I had just been kicked off the cross country team at K.U. as a freshman. Kent's arm had just come out of a cast and he was redshirting that cross country season. He had suffered a fall while on a trip to Egypt breaking his arm. We ran together for a few weeks in October and November. I was desperately clinging to the hope that I could round myself into shape and get back on the team. Kent was on his way to a historic track season.
A bad case of strep throat ended my dream in late November. My body simply wore down between the demands of the classroom, running and too much college partying. Kent went on to win his 4th consecutive Big 8 steeplechase championship and become an All-American for the second straight year at the NCAA track and field championships.
 |
| Kent McDonald racing alongside America's greatest steepler ever, Henry Marsh at 1976 Olympic Trials |
Then that summer he chased Randy Smith to a still standing school record in the steeplechase, 8:28.54. Kent finished 2nd at the AAU National Championships when he ran that record. In 1975 his time placed him among the 10 greatest American steeplechasers ever. I find it ironic that these 2 high school rivals would end up going 1-2 at our nation's national championships their senior years in college, after going 1-2 as high school seniors at the Kansas State Championships.
Both Kent and Randy aimed for the 1976 Olympic Games and both came away from the Olympic Trials disappointed. Injuries caught up with these 2 great runners. Smith walked away from the sport while Kent went on to become a fixture on the road racing scene in the south when he moved to Louisiana. He was a force at everything from 10K to the marathon. As he grew older he return to Lawrence and became an outstanding age group competitor at triathlons. His success came despite going through the windshield of a van while out on a bike ride.
Kent is now a successful swim coach in Lawrence and he assists with the cross country team. Our paths cross on occasion. It's great to see that he still runs. It's a shame that he doesn't get the recognition he deserves for that steeple record, but he's understandably overshadowed by a handful of older running records still on the books at Kansas set by a guy named Jim Ryun. Each and everyone one of Ryun's outdoor records were world records at the time.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A Train Wreck to Television Obscurity
One of the things I do to keep marital bliss alive and well in the household is watch a handful of reality shows with the Czarina. I actually like watching "The Biggest Loser" and "The Amazing Race." I could live without "American Idol" and "The X Factor." And that brings me to the train wreck that "The X Factor" has become.
The first season was barely tolerable. I like the snarkiness of Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid knows the music business. Paula Abdul, is well, Paula Abdul, as worthless as tits on a boar. But I liked the fights between Nicole Scherzinger and Cowell. But in all honesty the show was a pale version of "American Idol" without the country crooners.
The start of the live edition of the show's second season was a signal that something was seriously wrong. It was trick or treat as Khloe Kardashian's nipples stole center stage when she showed up as a co-host with Mario Lopez as one of the several unsuccessful makeovers for this stagnant program. One thing I learned in 30 plus years of working in television is that cosmetics matter. Khloe isn't beautiful, in fact she's not really cute. How a person looks does matter, especially if that person is female, sorry. She's as stiff as a board and shows no personality. She makes Lopez look uncomfortable and Mario like it or not has personality.
Now add into this hot mess of a train wreck the mindless, mind numbing combo of Demi Lovato and Britney Spears and you have a complete waste of prime time television. Demi knows as much about singing as I do about running a television network. Britney is one insipid comment away from a complete meltdown. In fact that's the only thing that makes the show worth watching, the possibility that Britney could go postal at any moment.
FOX is in a world of hurt. I doubt that "The X Factor" can survive into a third season and we all know "Idol" is on its last legs. FOX needs to take a hard look at its programming strategy if it expects to remain the prime time powerhouse that it has been for the last decade.
The first season was barely tolerable. I like the snarkiness of Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid knows the music business. Paula Abdul, is well, Paula Abdul, as worthless as tits on a boar. But I liked the fights between Nicole Scherzinger and Cowell. But in all honesty the show was a pale version of "American Idol" without the country crooners.
The start of the live edition of the show's second season was a signal that something was seriously wrong. It was trick or treat as Khloe Kardashian's nipples stole center stage when she showed up as a co-host with Mario Lopez as one of the several unsuccessful makeovers for this stagnant program. One thing I learned in 30 plus years of working in television is that cosmetics matter. Khloe isn't beautiful, in fact she's not really cute. How a person looks does matter, especially if that person is female, sorry. She's as stiff as a board and shows no personality. She makes Lopez look uncomfortable and Mario like it or not has personality.
Now add into this hot mess of a train wreck the mindless, mind numbing combo of Demi Lovato and Britney Spears and you have a complete waste of prime time television. Demi knows as much about singing as I do about running a television network. Britney is one insipid comment away from a complete meltdown. In fact that's the only thing that makes the show worth watching, the possibility that Britney could go postal at any moment.
FOX is in a world of hurt. I doubt that "The X Factor" can survive into a third season and we all know "Idol" is on its last legs. FOX needs to take a hard look at its programming strategy if it expects to remain the prime time powerhouse that it has been for the last decade.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Just Reloading
Time to reflect on the early season promise of the 2012-2013 version of the Kansas Jayhawk basketball team. This team folded up like a cheap suit at the end of an early season test against Michigan State but the Big 12 better watch out. This may be one of Bill Self's best teams ever.
This team is basically three seniors and a bunch of freshman. Fortunately, two of the freshman, Ben McLemore and Jamari Traylor sat on the bench last year, getting schooled by last seasons Final 4 squad. Ben McLemore will probably be a one and done. But he's the best player to step on the floor for Kansas since Paul Pierce. He's stunningly good. McLemore disappeared in the Michigan State game and for Kansas to be great this year, he's got to demand the ball.
The most reassuring thing I've seen is Jeff Withey is every bit as dominating in the middle as he was a year ago. He no longer has Thomas Robinson to rely on but Traylor has shown the kind of toughness that K.U. desperately needs in its interior defense to help Withey out. Plus upperclassman Justin Wesley and Kevin Young have shown enough improvement that the Jayhawks inside game should be steady.
The three biggest concerns surround two of the seniors and one freshman. The much heralded Perry Ellis has already shown that he needs a year of work in the weight room. He's getting pushed around in the middle and lacks the strength to go up strong with his shots around the glass. He reminds me of a young Marcus Morris.
Travis Releford needs to know his limitations. He thinks because he's a senior he should be a focal point of the offense. Releford is a role player. He needs to focus on defense and leave the offense to others. He's an inconsistent outside shooter to really contribute much offensively. I hope he proves me wrong.
Finally, Elijah Johnson has shown glimmers that he can step into Tyshawn Taylor's very large shoes. He can't disappear like he did at times last year. Johnson has to play a consistent offensive game and stay out of foul trouble. Naadir Tharpe is a capable back-up, but his defensive liabilities stick out like a sore thumb.
Despite the lack of a real superstar on this team, this could be Self's best squad ever. If McLemore reaches his potential Kansas is an Elite 8 team. The Jayhawks should roll through the Big 12 Conference and be a fun team to watch while they do it.
This team is basically three seniors and a bunch of freshman. Fortunately, two of the freshman, Ben McLemore and Jamari Traylor sat on the bench last year, getting schooled by last seasons Final 4 squad. Ben McLemore will probably be a one and done. But he's the best player to step on the floor for Kansas since Paul Pierce. He's stunningly good. McLemore disappeared in the Michigan State game and for Kansas to be great this year, he's got to demand the ball.
The most reassuring thing I've seen is Jeff Withey is every bit as dominating in the middle as he was a year ago. He no longer has Thomas Robinson to rely on but Traylor has shown the kind of toughness that K.U. desperately needs in its interior defense to help Withey out. Plus upperclassman Justin Wesley and Kevin Young have shown enough improvement that the Jayhawks inside game should be steady.
The three biggest concerns surround two of the seniors and one freshman. The much heralded Perry Ellis has already shown that he needs a year of work in the weight room. He's getting pushed around in the middle and lacks the strength to go up strong with his shots around the glass. He reminds me of a young Marcus Morris.
Travis Releford needs to know his limitations. He thinks because he's a senior he should be a focal point of the offense. Releford is a role player. He needs to focus on defense and leave the offense to others. He's an inconsistent outside shooter to really contribute much offensively. I hope he proves me wrong.Finally, Elijah Johnson has shown glimmers that he can step into Tyshawn Taylor's very large shoes. He can't disappear like he did at times last year. Johnson has to play a consistent offensive game and stay out of foul trouble. Naadir Tharpe is a capable back-up, but his defensive liabilities stick out like a sore thumb.
Despite the lack of a real superstar on this team, this could be Self's best squad ever. If McLemore reaches his potential Kansas is an Elite 8 team. The Jayhawks should roll through the Big 12 Conference and be a fun team to watch while they do it.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Waging Heavy Peace: Tempest in a Psychedelic Pill
It took weeks but I've waded through the music overload that started in the late summer with Bob Dylan's release of "Temptest" and ended with Neil Young's second offering of the year with Crazy Horse called "Psychedelic Pill." On top of all the music from those two along with Mark Knopfler and Donald Fagen and Green Day, I've been reading Neil's autobiography, "Waging Heavy Peace."
Let's start with the book that serves mainly as a bitchfest about the state of sound served up today in music. Neil Young hated the sound of CD's and hates mp3's even more. So he wrote a book to push his solution to the lackluster state of audio called Pono. The book is a major disappointment. It pales in comparison to Bob Dylan's "Chronicles."
Neil offers up a few alluring morsels about his rock and roll life. But the writing is juvenile and really lacks any real feeling. "Shakey," the book written a few years back by Jimmy McDonough offers a lot more insight into Neil Young. "Waging Heavy Peace" only serves to re-enforce McDonough's observation that Neil is pretty much an asshole.
Now don't get me wrong, Neil Young is a great artist. He's done some great things like helping start Farm Aid and The Bridge School. He's also written some of the most enduring music of the last 50 years, but I would think being a part of his inner sanctum would come with a very heavy price. Which gets me to "Psychedelic Pill." The new double disc with Crazy Horse is largely unremarkable. It is a good album, but not a great one. Only nine songs (one a repeat) grace the two discs with the first tune on the first disc "Driftin' Back" clocking in at an epic 27:36.
Only four of the songs on this release are worth a listen. "Walk Like A Giant" is an epic classic as is "Ramada Inn." But for all of Neil's wailing in his book about sound "Psychedelic Pill" is one of the worst sounding albums that Neil has done in 25 years. It is woefully under produced. It's pretty clear Neil was trying to capture the live spirit that makes Neil Young and Crazy Horse so great, but the album simply lacks the power of a live performance of the band.
That brings us to Bob Dylan's latest album "Tempest." The songs are great, certainly the best penned by Dylan since "Love and Theft." But as great as the songs are, again the album is woefully under produced. The opening song "Duquense Whistle" serves up a bundle of energy and promise. But the sparse arraignments with Dylan's touring band along with David Hidalgo from Los Lobos just runs out of steam. The songs deserve so much more.
Bob loves that old timey sound and he's surrounded by great musicians. But since "Love and Theft" he's doggedly stripped away and stripped away at the full sound that some of his best albums have delivered. As a producer Bob Dylan is his own worst enemy. The songs on "Tempest" deserve better, irregardless, it is a fantastic album.
Neil offers up a few alluring morsels about his rock and roll life. But the writing is juvenile and really lacks any real feeling. "Shakey," the book written a few years back by Jimmy McDonough offers a lot more insight into Neil Young. "Waging Heavy Peace" only serves to re-enforce McDonough's observation that Neil is pretty much an asshole.
Now don't get me wrong, Neil Young is a great artist. He's done some great things like helping start Farm Aid and The Bridge School. He's also written some of the most enduring music of the last 50 years, but I would think being a part of his inner sanctum would come with a very heavy price. Which gets me to "Psychedelic Pill." The new double disc with Crazy Horse is largely unremarkable. It is a good album, but not a great one. Only nine songs (one a repeat) grace the two discs with the first tune on the first disc "Driftin' Back" clocking in at an epic 27:36.
Only four of the songs on this release are worth a listen. "Walk Like A Giant" is an epic classic as is "Ramada Inn." But for all of Neil's wailing in his book about sound "Psychedelic Pill" is one of the worst sounding albums that Neil has done in 25 years. It is woefully under produced. It's pretty clear Neil was trying to capture the live spirit that makes Neil Young and Crazy Horse so great, but the album simply lacks the power of a live performance of the band.
Bob loves that old timey sound and he's surrounded by great musicians. But since "Love and Theft" he's doggedly stripped away and stripped away at the full sound that some of his best albums have delivered. As a producer Bob Dylan is his own worst enemy. The songs on "Tempest" deserve better, irregardless, it is a fantastic album.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Football, American Style
Naples High School is one of the best high school teams I've ever seen in person. Offensively they are a powerhouse. They have a super running back in Manny Morgan and a very good quarterback in Kilton Anderson and a stud wideout, Tyler Byrd, who is only a freshman. All that Naples is missing is their normal dominating defense. Their defense may keep them from winning the state championship this year.
But more important than the game was taking my son-in-law, Vlad Dorofeev, to his first American high school football game. I wanted him to see a high school stadium filled with raucous fans, a great football team and a couple of pretty darn good high school marching bands. I wanted him to smell the hot dogs on the fire and high school kids with grease paint smeared over their faces, rooting on their teams.
Vlad took the pictures that you see in this particular blog. The whole affair was an eye-opening experience. The stadium at Lely is better than 95 percent of the sports facilities in the entire country of Latvia, where Vlad was born. He asked me who pays for all of it. I smiled and said, "The taxpayers." I explained that parents pay a small activities fee and that some fundraising goes on for special trips and what not but that by and large American high school sports, the cheerleaders and the marching band is an expense that the taxpayers pony up for. He was duly impressed.
Naples romped to a 56 to 0 win. I took him down on the field with me as I talked to Naples head coach Bill Kramer. Vlad was impressed that the two teams that had fought so hard, kneeling down at mid-field together for some words of encouragement and a prayer. I think he enjoyed the incredible spirit and competitive camaraderie that he saw between the players and coaches.
Vlad is here working hard on a plan that could bring his wife and children to America, to Southwest Florida specifically. He wants this kind of America for his daughters, our grandchildren. It's a small part of the American dream, but here's to his pursuit of that dream.
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