Lucky Me

Sometimes the stars align just right. Sometimes we find ourselves in just the right place at just the right time. Sometimes we just get lucky. Such was the case for me tonight, as I found myself sitting dead center in the fourth row of the Aladdin Theatre in Portland, Oregon, with my beautiful wife, Beth, and my great friends Willy and Kate at my side. At just past 8:00 pm, the stage was taken by three angels from heaven, otherwise known as The Wailin' Jennys, from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The next two hours were magical.

This, the last night of their American tour, found them pitch-perfect and razor-sharp. The full-house crowd, clearly big Jennys fans, were hugely supportive of every song. There was kinetic energy in the room, as the band picked up on the fact that this was destined to be a very special performance. Yet during the songs, you could hear a pin drop as we all hung on every word and perfect note. They invited us to sing along a few times, which we all did enthusiastically. The big smiles on their faces reflected their joy at hearing us sing back to them. The sound, the lights, the energy, the moment... everything was just right. And we all knew it.

Let me tell you something. This band is really really good. I can't say that I've ever heard better live-performance singing, anywhere. They keep their songs simple, rooted in folk and gospel traditions. I found myself dazzled by the clarity of their delivery. Within the context of their simplicity, they displayed true virtuosity. In addition to their vocal miracles, each woman is a solid instrumental performer as well... bass, drums, guitar, accordian, harmonica, hand drums, they played everything well. They spent extra time on tuning between songs and between sets. It was important to them that each note was dead-on perfect. Their sideman, Jeremy Penner ("the boy jenny") added a beautiful textural element to the songs with his violin.

Maybe its something about Canada, where Bruce Cockburn comes from. Or more specifically, something about the Canadian prairies, where Neil Young and Joni Mitchell began their musical journeys. Whatever it is, these ladies have some of the same mojo going for them. Remember these names. Nicky Mehta, Ruth Moody, and Heather Masse. Each is a strong performer in their own right, but the combination of the three is much greater than the sum of their parts. If you have not seen them, I highly recommend them to you, preferably at a small indoor venue so you can hear every perfect note. They announced that they will be playing at the Sisters Folk Festival in September, so you fellow Oregonians might want to consider making that trip. In the meantime, their most recent recording, "Firecracker", may be the best new recording I've heard since the turn of the new century. Give it a listen.

Album Of The Year - 2007

In what has become an annual tradition, I join with my friend, Willy Snook, in offering our opinions on the best musical recordings of 2007. Its not as easy as it used to be. The music industry is a mess. CD's are dying as a delivery format. Download services like iTunes are in a state of uncertain transition. Its harder for independent artists to achieve a wide audience as record companies and radio stations play it safe with Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Jay-Z and the like. At the same time, if you're willing to hunt around a bit, there are relatively undiscovered gems out there, waiting to be unearthed on MySpace or streaming internet radio stations like Radio Paradise.

DON'S ALBUM OF THE YEAR -

Wilco ~ "Sky Blue Sky"

By a nose, my winner for 2007. I've been keeping my eye on this band for past decade or so. While I've usually liked what I heard from them, there was work to be done to achieve an elite review. In the past, I felt they were a bit too sloppy and quirky. This record, their sixth studio album, changes that. They deliver a California-smooth sound with beautiful melodies and interesting lyrics of both hope and desperation. A varied mix of acoustic and electric textures, Wilco recalls the influence of John Lennon, Jerry Garcia, Ray Davies and The Allman Brothers. Frontman Jeff Tweedy is in fine vocal and songwriting form, and new lead guitarist Nels Cline adds a valuable punch to the arrangements. These songs hooked me, and I found myself appreciating them more with each listen. I somewhat consider Wilco to be the American "Radiohead". They are one-of-a-kind, and this time, they deliver their best work to date.

Honorable Mention -

My runners-up are certainly well-worth your attention, as really, either of them could have been the winner for 2007. It sort of depended on which recording I had listened to most recently.

Iron & Wine ~ "The Shepherds Dog"

Samuel Beam delivers his third and best album yet. More produced than his earlier folky efforts, it has the sound of a talented musician and songwriter coming of age. You've heard Iron & Wine on movie and TV show soundtracks, but they deserve a closer listen.

Radiohead ~ "In Rainbows"

Radiohead receives brownie points for their novel "pay-what-you-want-to" approach on the album's release, but the music lives up to the hype. This band is arguably the leading alt/rock band around these days, and this recording serves to enhance that reputation. Creative with a capital "C"... in a good way.

– Don Woodward


WILLY'S ALBUM OF THE YEAR -

Bruce Springsteen ~ "Magic"

These are tumultuous times. Times for expressive, creative thinkers to focus. Magic, Bruce Springsteen's most recent release, masterfully shines a light that helps us all see a little more clearly. Victoria Segal of the Times Online reviewed it beautifully: "A new Bruce Springsteen album is always an event, and Magic, his first with the E Street Band since The Rising, is no exception. It’s not, of course, the kind of event that you would dress up for: best instead you pull on something checked and work-worn and listen to songs that ring with a hard-earned truth.

After We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions and The Rising’s meditations on 9/11, if Springsteen was any more elder statesmanlike he would be off signing the Treaty of Versailles. Admittedly, Magic can be a little obvious: diner waitresses, long journeys home by the glow of the radio’s dial and men called Sal all appear. Yet there is a grandeur and intensity here that strikes home immediately, Springsteen’s lyrics carried along by the tidal instincts of musicians who have worked together for decades. Springsteen could make a drive to the dry cleaners sound like the Great American Road Trip. Sure enough, Magic begins with Radio Nowhere and a man lost in the dark of the “American night”. “Driving through the misty rain/ Searchin’ for a mystery train/ Tryin’ to make a connection to you,” he sings, and Magic is all about these missed connections and missed chances, the sense of dislocation that comes when love and morality spin out of control.

His manager, Jon Landau, has said that this is not a political record – aside from Devil’s Arcade, a lament from a soldier’s wife – but Springsteen is drawn to express the heart’s turmoil in terms of global chaos. Last to Die uses the fiery language of regime change to discuss domestic meltdown; Long Walk Home, fueled by Clarence Clemons’s saxophone, sounds like classic small-town angst, but there is an odd ambiguity to the courthouse flag and the neighbors on the street. Elsewhere, Girls in Their Summer Clothes is a masterpiece of regret, while I’ll Work For Your Love mixes the sacred and profane like a whiskey sour.

You could bite these songs as though you were testing a coin – not one feels counterfeit. As he sings on Radio Nowhere, he is “spinning round a dead dial, just searching for a world with some soul”. It is a lot to ask but once again, Springsteen does his best to fill that void."

It's my Album of the Year 2007. It's Boss.

Honorable Mentions -

Herbie Hancock ~ "River - The Joni Letters"

A very special, unique record in the contemporary jazz genre, this recording received the Grammy album of the year award. Deservedly so. If you enjoy this genre, and like me, you recognize the work of Joni Mitchell as genius, you will be challenged and moved by this collection. Check it out.

Original Soundtrack ~ "Once"

I went to see the movie. No clue about its storyline, just strong credible urgings from musical friends. At the movie's end, I was stunned, shaken, unprepared for the impact of the film "Once". A breath of fresh air in the world of predictable Hollywood crank-it-outs, "Once" is a fabulous movie. The heart of the film is the spare, earnest, original music. Glen Hansard, lead singer and writer for the Irish band The Frames, stars in the movie. Through his music, he lets us into his intimate, fragile world. Rent the movie, buy the soundtrack.

Eddie Vedder ~ Original Soundtrack ~ "Into The Wild"

Sean Penn asked Eddie Vedder to compose an original musical score to his film Into The Wild. Boy, did he. It is a very moving collection of acoustic songs together with a visually powerful film. Creative stuff from Eddie who played all of the many instruments on the project. Vedder gets bedder and bedder.

– Willy Snook

Waking The Blog... Again.

I don't know what it is. During the last two winters, my blogging activity has been zero. Its not that I can't think of anything to write about. I'm the Ideawave guy, right? I simply get busy with design projects, family activities and music, and the blog goes on the back burner. Well its time to end that now. This announcement will be followed by new blog posts. Its time to get back out there into literary cyberspace. Stay tuned...

The Right Answer Is... ODEN

Oden or Durant? The question has haunted me for the past few weeks, ever since the surprising draft lotterey where Portland learned that, against all odds, they were selected to land the first draft pick. That would be spectacular news any year, but this year's draft is not just any draft. This is the "Greg Oden Draft" that has been anticipated by pro basketball fans for the past few years. Oden has been annointed as the next great center in the NBA. The expectations are high that he will have a career marked by many championships and legendary accomplishments. This is probably all true, but the arrival of a "rival", in the form of Kevin Durant, caused many basketball experts to question whether or not Greg Oden should really be the first player picked.

Kevin Durant, in fact, may well be the next Michael Jordan. I expect him to match the level of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as an agressive offensive force on the basketball court. He will be a great player, and I know that Durant and Oden will have many fierce battles in the years to come. Durant, wearing the jersey of the Seattle Supersonics, will rip my heart out on a regular basis. The Seattle-Portland rivalry, not much to see in recent years, just got a whole lot more interesting. I really like Durant, and I wish him the very best.

In the end, I'm very happy that Greg Oden is a Trailblazer. In addition to his athletic gifts, he seems to be a wonderful person. He's very easy-going and funny. He will entertain this town in many ways for the next decade at least. I believe the opportunities for championships will come in a few years. The Blazers have begun to build a foundation that is full of character and potential both. And I will be right there with them for the long, wonderful ride. RIP CITY!!!

Un-be-lievable!

You may or may not know this. I am an Oregon State Beaver. Yes I am. And today, my Oregon State Beavers baseball team have won their second consecutive national championship. Last year caught us all by surprise, but this year, in many ways, even more so. The Beavers did not have the remarkable follow-up regular season that many were expecting. In fact, they finished with a losing record in Pac-10 play and were the last team selected to participate in the post-season field of 64 participants. They lost their first tournament game to Virginia, and then, they never lost again. Ten consecutive victories over college baseball's cream-of-the-crop, including Virginia, Rutgers, Michigan, Cal State Fullerton, Arizona State, UC Irvine and finally, North Carolina. By the end, they were like a steamroller. They were barely challenged in their last four games leading to the title. Today's 9-3 win over UNC was a dominant display of confidence and skill, just like yesterday's 11-4 pounding. What a joy to watch the mighty North Carolina Tar Heels, standing on the top step of their dugout, watching the Beavers build a jubilant dogpile... just as they did one year ago.

The great thing is that this is a team of Oregon kids, local kids that played their little league and high school ball right here. Also, most of the team that won the title last year had graduated or moved on to pro ball, so with a small handful of returnees (only two starting fielders) they managed to climb to the very top again. I won't forget these guys... Mitch Canham, Darwin Barney, Joe Patterson, Mike Stutz, Joey Wong, Mike Lissman, Jorge Reyes, Daniel Turpen, Eddie Kunz and most importantly, Coach Pat Casey. I'm a little nervous that we might lose Coach Casey to the major leagues after this coaching performance. I think the Mariners could use him.

I'll be wearing my Orange and Black for the next few days and can't wait to get my own championship t-shirt. So anybody out there think that a three-peat is only wishful thinking? I didn't think so.

Speed, Power and Design

After waiting and waiting for just the right moment, I finally decided to get a new computer. The old Power Mac G4 seemed to be wheezing and coughing its way as I pushed it through sizeable uploads, downloads and video rendering. Every fast big new computer eventually becomes slow, small and old. So now I am the pilot of a Mac Pro with two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel processors, 2gb of RAM and a terrabyte of hard drive space. Huh? What that means, is that compared to what I had, its way better, faster and bigger. I also upgraded to an Apple 23" Cinema Display, which is about as big as I could stand to look at. It seems huge to me, and I can easily get a good look at a two-page spread in InDesign. So far everything is going great, but it really does take a long time to get it all set up just the way I like it. The speed is remarkable. Even my DSL connection seems faster. I can't wait to see where this new hardware can take me as a designer.

At the same time, I decided to go for a major software upgrade. Adobe now owns the world when it come to design software. They swallowed up Macromedia about a year ago, so we really have to worship at the altar of Adobe if we want to be digital designers. So, I purchased the Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium Edition. It gave me an upgrade for practically every program I use, and a few that I didn't. It has InDesign CS3, Photoshop CS3 Extended, Illustrator CS3, Flash CS3 Professional, Dreamweaver CS3 and Acrobat 8 Pro. I also picked up Adobe Lightroom, which is a photo editing and organizing tool which was recommended by my friend and photographer, Tom Hassler. The new version of Illustrator, means that I say goodbye to Macromedia's Freehand, a program that I have used since it was Aldus Freehand in about 1988. I've only just begun to familiarize myself with all of the new features of these software programs.

Finally, the next upgrade that is coming to my studio will be Fiber Optic cable, or FiOs (as Verizon has named it). They recently laid the cable in my neighborhood, and they're offering good rates to get us hooked up. My current DSL connection is OK, but the new FiOs connection will be 15-times faster than DSL. Combined with the new fast processor speed, the internet will be a whole new ballgame. Video will stream nearly instantly. That will be a huge boost to productivity... or a huge distraction... we'll see which. I'm excited about the new technology coming into the studio. It feels like I've just bought myself a Ferrari. Let's hope I don't hurt myself on a slippery turn.

Cinco de Mayo at Mississippi Studios

Please indulge me as I write this self-serving report. If Marty Hughley (Oregonian) or Ben Fong-Torres (Rolling Stone) won't do it, I guess I will. For those of you that don't know, I play in a band called John Nilsen and Swimfish. We performed two shows this past Saturday night at a wonderful Portland music club called Mississippi Studios. The first show was sold-out, the second not quite, but the audience was enthusiastic for both performances. I have been playing music on and off with John Nilsen since we were both about 13 years old, but that night was as fun as I've ever had playing in front of an audience with him. The band, featuring John (guitar, vocals), myself (guitar, mandolin, vocals) , Mike Snyder (drums, percussion) and Jamin Swenson (bass) ran through a variety of original songs ranging from quiet folk tunes to revved-up acoustic rock anthems. We were joined for part of the show by our great friend and musician, Willy Snook (guitar, vocal), whose addition allowed us all to reach our best form as singers and instrumentalists.
Nilsen was off-the-map with his amazing lead solos and proved once again that no one else around this town can top him as an acoustic lead player. I think all of our vocals blended really well, especially when we closed the show with CSN-style three-part harmonies during John's classic, quiet love song, "The Waves". Swenson and Snyder were solid, as usual, holding up the rhythm section, but its clear to me that they both keep getting better. If the reviews from the audience were any indicator, we played well and found a few new fans along the way. If you have not heard us play, I suggest that you go to magicwing.com to find out when and where we'll be playing next. If you'd like to hear some samples or buy the music, you can find us on iTunes by clicking right here. Whether playing under spotlights on stage or jamming in Willy's basement, this musical journey is a fun one, and I can't wait to see what happens next. I couldn't live any other way.

Where Ideas Come From - Part 1

When I was in art school, I wore out my copies of Communication Arts and Graphis magazines as I scoured the pages in search of inspiration for my next project. Imitation often passes for creativity, especially in art school. Following in the footsteps of the accomplished is not a bad place to start, but a true artist needs to discover an ability to develop their own original vision if they hope to succeed.

One of my graphic design professors in college, David Hardesty, insisted that the development of an idea was a process that could be learned and mastered. Over and over, he challenged us to find the nugget of potential in a rough idea, and then refine that idea step-by-step until it was strong and convincing. Over and over, he helped me discern the difference between a really good idea and a merely mediocre one. By the time I was a senior, I felt like I knew what I was doing. But my education had only just begun.

I once had the good fortune to have dinner with one of my design heros, the great illustrator, McRay Magleby. We got onto the subject about where ideas come from, and he told me that he actually goes hunting for ideas. For example, upon receiving an assignment to create a new poster for a client, he might leave the studio for a few hours, with the explicit goal of returning with the beginnings of his idea in mind. Sometimes he'd go to the grocery store. Sometimes he'd go for a bike ride. Sometimes he'd go for a walk downtown. Wherever he goes, he decides ahead of time that something he sees, or hears, or smells or touches will be the starting point for his design solution. And when you look at his work, you see that his wildly creative visual solutions really could have come from some outside-the-box inspiration.

As for me, I have learned a lot from both of these mentors. I rarely open the pages of CA anymore except to be entertained by the work of excellent artists and designers. Like Magleby, I prefer to go hunting for my ideas, often seeking influence from cultural or geographic sources. Like Hardesty, I like to take a raw unproven idea and polish it until it shines.

The fact is, we are surrounded by potential inspiration. It's everywhere. The scenery of everyday life holds the potential for creative genesis. There's only one small requirement. You've got to open your eyes and open your mind to the possibilities. In other words, you'll only discover inspiration if you are searching for it. You will find ideas... if you look for them.

Album Of The Year – 2006

The music business is changing quickly before our ears. CD sales in the USA are down 30% from a year ago. Local record stores are on the brink of closure. Increasingly, consumers (like me) are buying their music one song at a time on web stores like iTunes. So what is the future of the album, that thematic collection of songs and artwork that has dominated the music scene for decades? That question remains to be answered, but the prognosis looks dire. But for now, I resume my annual look back at the Album of the Year for 2006. Once again joined by my friend, Willy Snook, we weigh in with our opinion about the best that was.

"Firecracker"
- The Wailin' Jennys

My winner comes from Canada. No surprise really, as I've always had a thing for Canadian artists. The Wailin' Jennys simply blew me away last year with their stellar recording, Firecracker. These three female singers, with angelic voices, have a fresh new sound that puts them in a category by themselves. And the cast is new. The very talented Cara Luft left the group and was replaced by Annabelle Chvostek, who brought great songs with her and plays acoustic guitar, mandolin, and violin, and sings, well...sings as good as you'd have to sing to be in this group. Backed by a stellar band, they deliver song after song of beautiful harmonies and great songwriting. Producer David Travers-Smith does a brilliant job in every aspect, as well as playing trumpet, E Flat Peck Horn, Hammond M3, and percussion. Many of the fabulous players from their last record, 40 Days, again appear, notably Kevin Breit and Mike Hardwicke on guitars and dobros, the former additionally on National and mandolin. Christian Dugas is stellar on drums throughout, this time mostly with Joe Phillips on acoustic bass, though three other bassists cameo. In my opinion, every song is a winner. I've listened over and over and over and have yet to tire of this record. That's a pretty good sign that its a winner.

My runners-up, are -
"Life Short Call Now" -Bruce Cockburn
"Into The West" - Pilot Speed
"How We Operate" - Gomez

"Life Short Call Now"
- Bruce Cockburn

Willy Snook has selected this stellar recording, one of my runners-up, by another Canadian, Bruce Cockburn. Willy sends along these comments from the Rounder Records site...

Bruce Cockburn's first studio album in 3 years finds the acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter at the top of his game. The 29th album in a career that's midway through its fourth decade, Life Short Call Now is wide-ranging, playful and adventurous, eager to take chances and happy to push limits. The songs run the gamut from the jangly first single, "Different When It Comes to You," to the classic folksong cadences of "Mystery," and from the vocal intricacies of Ani DiFranco's harmonies on "See You Tomorrow" to the deadpan modernism of the jazzy instrumental "Nude Descending a Staircase." Cockburn's insightful observations on life, love, politics, and the environment are as sharp as ever, and longtime fans and new fans alike are sure to be won over by this sterling album.

Willy's runners-up, in no particular order...

"The Raconteurs" ~ Broken Boy Soldiers
"Corrine Bailey Rae" ~ Corrine Baily Rae
"The Fray" ~ How To Save a Life

Willy also wants me to mention another new recording from 2006, "Love", by The Beatles. Its not new material, so I won't include it for legitimate album of the year consideration. It is, however, an exciting new re-mix of wonderful Beatles tunes done as the soundtrack of the new Cirque Du Soleil show, "Love". The audio quality reveals these old Beatles songs as you've never heard them before. And the re-mix, produced by George Martin and his son, Giles, is a masterwork in its own right. Combinations like, "Come Together", "Dear Prudence" and ,"Cry Baby Cry", into one sequencial song, knocked me out. And there are many others like it. If you love the Beatles, you'll want to hear this recording on a good stereo.

Waking The Blog

After an extended hiatus from blogging, I've decided that its time to wake up Ideapoint. I simply got distracted from blogging by work, music and other things, but I miss writing from time-to-time and people have been asking me what happened to my blog. So its back. At the same time, I'm going live very soon with a new version of my business web site - ideawave.com. If you have time, come over and check it out. As for this blog, I'll keep writing about music, sports, design and other things that catch my attention. I look forward to reading your posted comments.

The Blazers Make A Move

Don't know if you saw or heard anything about yesterday's NBA draft. The Blazers were by far the most active team in the market, making six trades and spending millions of dollars. In the end, we end up with Lamarcus Aldridge at #2 and Brandon Roy at #7. We also added veteran power forward Raef LaFrenz, Dan Dickau and Spanish guard Sergio Rodriguez. We gave up Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and Viktor Khyrapa. So much happened so quickly that it has taken awhile for me to absorb it all. All things considered, I think the Blazers had a great day that could literally transform the franchise. I'm impressed with interim GM Kevin Pritchard. Quick thoughts...

Telfair - He was good, but didn't have a great head for a point guard. And he's small. After Stoudemire, do we really need another small point? I'm happy to turn it over to Jarret Jack with Steve Blake as the backup.

Ratliff - Getting old and often injured, Theo's best days are over. Time to move forward.

Viktor - Sorry to see him go. He was a great scrapper off the bench.

Aldridge - He certainly has potential to be a Kevin Garnett-like power forward. Great speed and quickness to go with his size. Can shoot from inside and out. Runs the floor like a guard. Not all big guys turn out to be all-stars, but Aldridge has all the tools. A great character guy from all reports. Nate and Maurice Lucas will help him put on some muscle and turn him into a tough guy.

Roy - This may well be the pick that truly transforms this team. He's a Husky, so you may have seen him play. Many, many other teams wanted to get their hands on Roy yesterday and Portland pulled the strings to make it happen, even after having spent their own high pick on Aldridge. They literally stole Roy away from Houston who thought they had worked out a rock-solid deal with Minnesota to get him. Roy does just about everything well. Can play 3 positions. Won't surprise me to see him win R.O.Y. in 2007.

LaFrenz - He a solid, reliable back-up. He can score and defend.

Rodriguez - Don't know much about him. He's young... 19. Guess he's a ball-handling and passing wizard that has dazzled the scouts watching the Euro-leagues. Potentially a future Manu Genobilli??

Paul Allen - From all reports, PA was extremely involved in this draft and was very instrumental in making these deals happen. He attended all of the workouts of all of the Blazer's draft candidates. He opened his wallet in a big way (he literally bought the Sun's 27th pick for 3 million!!) He appeared on the radio during the draft and sounded very excited about all of it. Do you think this sounds like a man about to sell his ballclub? Me neither. Now that the ownership issues regarding the Rose Garden have been smoothed out, I expect PA will buy-back the arena and keep the team as his favorite (Seahawks are still #2 for Paul) plaything. Paul likes football, but he loves basketball.

What's Next - Blazers still have to find a way to re-sign free agent Joel Przybilla. And they simply have to get rid of Darius Miles. They may have to give up some money and a good young player like Travis Outlaw or Juan Dixon to get rid of Miles, but I think they'll do it.

Starters next year (unless more big trades are on the way)...

Point - JACK (Blake, Dickau backups)
2-guard - ROY (Dixon, Webster backups)
Small Forward - WEBSTER (Outlaw, Roy backups. Miles? He's gone.)
Power Forward - RANDOLPH (Aldridge, LaFrenz backups)
Center - PRZYBILLA (Aldridge, Ha backups)

In a couple of years our foundation will be Jack-Roy-Webster-Aldridge. Could be great!!

Neil's Golden Heart

Given the opportunity to see a really good Neil Young concert for seven bucks , I simply couldn't pass it up. Actually, it wasn't really a concert, it was Johnathan Demme's new film, Heart of Gold. Still, it felt like a concert to me. I found myself wanting to clap and whistle after every song, and then I'd stop myself... "oh yeah, I'm in a movie theatre." After awhile I even forgot that I was hearing this music through the faded sound system of an old neighborhood cinema. All of the music touched me deeply.

In August 2005, Neil Young and friends (including a choir, string ensemble and horn section) performed for two consecutive nights at Nashville's legendary Ryman Auditorium. This came on the heels of Neil's brush with death due to a brain aneurysm and the completion of his grammy-nominated album, Prairie Wind. He was inspired and his band was sharp as a tack. In addition to that, Neil had the brilliant sense to make sure that this very special moment was captured by one of the finest cinematographers around. I own a DVD copy of Demme's last concert film, Stop Making Sense, by The Talking Heads. I've watched it dozens of times and its still good. In this new film, the combination of epic musical performance and stunning filmmaking left me feeling very satisfied.

During the opening set, Neil's new material from Prairie Wind was revealed to me in a deeper way. I liked all of it. The second set brought an excellent mix of material from Harvest, Harvest Moon and Comes A Time. For the first time ever, I got to see Neil play his legendary banjo-guitar on Old King. The display of several vintage Martin and Gibson guitars left my mouth watering. The performance of Old Man was the best I've ever heard that song, in no small part due to the story that Neil told prior to the song that revealed to all of us who the old man really was. Neil's storytelling and dry wit was in top form throughout the show.

Most of the critics are falling over themselves in praise of this film and of Young himself. Perhaps Neil's illness revealed his mortality, and a lot of people woke up to the fact that "Shakey" is still here, making great music just like he has for the past 40 years. This is no surprise to those of us who have been paying closer attention. Oh sure, I've had to indulge Neil his creative whims, but he always comes back to knock me on my tail one more time. Upon leaving the theatre, my friend Willy echoed the voice of another in saying, "Neil's a genius." Agreed. To me, Neil is like an old friend. I'm just glad I get to share the planet with him. He has influenced my own musical creativity in countless ways. When I got home, the first thing I did was grab my guitar and lower the "E" string to a "D", dropped D tuning, with the echoes of Neil's beautiful solo encore tune, The Old Laughing Lady, still ringing in my ears.

Please take my advice. Please take my advice. Everyone who reads this blog should go and see this film. You'll dig it. And a few of my friends that read this blog (you know who you are) would be making a huge mistake by not seeing this film on the big screen during its limited run. Are we clear? By the way, it's in Portland for two more days.

I'm Through With Paul

I've been a Portland Trail Blazer fan since the beginning of the franchise in 1971. I have stuck with my team through thick and thin for all those years. It has mostly been a fun ride, but recent years have tested my patience. Up until now, I've considered the fact that our owner was the 7th richest man in the world to be a considerable asset. When it came time to come up with the goods to land a Scottie Pippen, Paul could handle it, no problem. But as of last Friday, I'm through with Paul Allen, and look forward to the day the Blazers are through with him too. Better known as the "Accidental Zillionare", Allen has made one bad business decision after another in regards to the Blazers. He has the financial assets to solve all of his own problems, but he has chosen to come begging to the city of Portland for financial assistance. All of this due to his own poor management. I could go on and on about my disappointment, but a couple of other Oregonian journalists have done a better job than I could. Check out these stories by Steve Duin and John Canzano, and I think you'll end up agreeing with me. It's time for Paul to go. Hey, I hear the Sonics are in trouble up in Seattle. That would be a perfect fit. See ya, Paul.

The Jihad of Competitive Athletics

Holy Mohammad! There's just so much anger in the world of radical Islam these days. Everywhere I turn, I hear cries of "blasphemy". They're burning down embassies because of cartoons in European newspapers. They rant and scream death to the American Great Satan at the drop of a hat. They want to remove Israel from the map as we know it. These guys are just way too wound up! They need another outlet for all of their angst.

When is the last time you went out into the streets with a huge crowd and hollered and yelled for the destruction of your enemy? Well for me, the last time I did that was when I went to an OSU football game last November at Reser Stadium. I yelled, screamed, cheered and went through a huge range of emotions. I got mad at the refs, those bastards. I laughed. I cried. And when it was over, I felt better for it, even though we lost to the Stanford Cardinal. In fact, on a smaller scale, I repeat that same emotional mantra whenever I watch the Portland Trail Blazers play on TV. It keeps me going. I feel better about the world around me. I look forward to my next "outlet".

I've begun thinking for awhile now that there's something in this Western cultural tradition that might make sense for the foreign policy of the United States. I'm serious too. What if Condolezza Rice began immediately establishing amateur and professional sports teams all over the place in Afghanistan and Iraq? I mean what do they have to root for now? Weightlifters? Greco-Roman Wrestlers? Crappy Olympic squads? When our troops arrived a few years ago, they were using the Kabul soccer stadium for beheadings! These people need a team to root for! They need to wear the colors. They need cool logos on their drab clothing. They need to get their testosterone-fueled rage release over the next big game between Falujah and Baghdad. They can march in the streets about it. They can build a giant bonfire and burn the enemy flag! It doesn't really matter what sport it is, but it should involve at least some level of violence. Rugby would be really great in that part of the world. American football would be excellent as well. We might have to start with soccer and work up from there. Maybe there is some new cross-breed sport that would really get the crowd lathered up. Maybe it involves camels and big sticks.

It could begin with the youngsters getting enrolled into "little leagues" as soon as possible. At the same time, professional teams should be established in every major city. I think the buzz would begin to spread, and pretty soon new divisions would begin popping up in Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and, one can only hope, in Iran as well. It would take a few years, but I predict that we'd begin to see fewer and fewer "Death to the West" mob scenes. And with that, I'm guessing we'd begin seeing fewer suicide bombers as well. I mean why blow yourself up when you could be the star Striker for the Basra Boomers and still get all the chicks (think 40 virgins) after the game.

I think our Western society is no less violent and full-of-righteous-rage than our counterparts in the Middle East. We just have football, baseball, basketball, hockey and much. much more to help us deal with it. Think about it. When we defeated the Japanese at the end of World War II, what did we do within a few years? We started setting up baseball leagues! And look at Japan now. They don't want to fight with anyone. They're no longer hell-bent on world domination. They get the "sports thing". Maybe in addition to establishing democratic political systems across the Middle East, the United States and Europe should be spreading the emotional freedom, sheer joy, and personal discipline that comes in the form of competitive athletics. It just might work.

Watch Out For The Vandals

I know a few Idaho Vandal fans, and they have been suffering at the bottom of the college football world for a long time. I can sympathize with them, since my Oregon State Beavers suffered so many consecutive losing seasons in the recent past. But the times they are a changin'. The University of Idaho announced today that they have hired Dennis Erickson as their new head football coach. He coached there many years ago as a young rising star. Since then, he has won everywhere he has coached in college football. There's no doubt about it. He will also win at Idaho... and then he'll be gone with the wind. But in the meantime, it will be good times in Moscow. Wanna bet?

Guess who's worried. The Boise State Broncos. They just lost head coach Dan Hawkins to the University of Colorado, and now the Vandals are poised to steal all of their recruits. The football winds in Idaho are blowing north.

Like He Said

Kevin Hench at Fox Sports has a pretty good summary of the Super Bowl officiating. Are these guys from the Pac-10?

I Thought The Hawks Would Win

I don't follow the Seahawks as fervently as I do the Oregon State Beavers, the Portland Trailblazers or the Seattle Mariners, but they are my pro football team of choice. I started following them when I lived in Spokane back in the 1980's. Its been fun to see them finally rise to the top. They've earned it. They have a great team and a great coach, not to mention the richest owner in sports. I thought that this team would beat the Pittsburgh Steelers today. I still can't quite get my brain around how they lost. I'm not depressed or anything... it was a fun game to watch.

Let me give some credit to Pittsburgh for a second. They delivered on two excellent touchdown plays in the second half. Willie Parker's 75-yard run and the trick pass from Randle-El to Hines Ward were things of beauty. They didn't make many mistakes. Really just the one big interception pass to Kelly Herndon. But that's enough of that.

Seattle quickly dispelled the myth that Pittsburgh's defense was too much for them. The Steelers vaunted "D" were on their heels the entire first half. Just when it seemed like the Seahawks were about to score, something would go wrong. Usually a dumb penalty, or a dropped pass or a surprisingly poor call by the ref. How the first half ended with the Steelers up 7-3, I'll never quite figure out. I thought Seattle totally out-played them. Pittsburgh's offense never looked that great... except for the previously mentioned 2 big plays in the second half.

Its always the little things that count. Did Roethlisberger really score a touchdown on that 3-down late in the second quarter? I don't think so... he was just short. Should have been a field goal on that drive at best. Seattle's Darrell Jackson caught a touchdown pass in the first quarter, but it was called back because of a very slow and late flag because of a "push off". You have got to be kidding me. "I don't think I touched him" Jackson said. "I was very surprised when I got the call." Other bad calls took their toll over the course of the game. The chop block call on Hasselbeck. The invisible holding call on Sean Locklear that negated the successful pass to Jeramy Stevens on the Pittsburgh two-yard line. All of these little things ended up pushing Pittsburgh into the driver's seat.

Eventually the Seahawks were in too deep of a hole. Hasselbeck's woefully thrown interception pass to Ike Taylor pretty much put an end to things. That was so unlike the usually reliable Hawks QB. By that point, the Steelers cruised to an easy finish. In the end, the Seahawks were not good enough to overcome all of their mistakes and the terrible calls.

Don't get me wrong. I really do like the Steelers. I like a lot of their players and I like their blue-collar culture. I like Jerome Bettis. I really like Troy Polamalu, who played his high-school football in Douglas, Oregon. I'm happy for them. They really did beat some great teams to win this title. They took care of business today in a way that Seattle simply could not.

I expect to see the Seahawks right back in the hunt next year. I hope they are able to hang on to Shawn Alexander and a few other key free agents during the off-season.

So who's my player-of-the game?

Referee Bill Leavy... and Mike Holmgren agrees with me.

The New Record Store

I went to Borders Books last night to do some research on a design project. I used to love to wander around the music section at that store, hunting for the next great CD. I'd dig through the racks of plastic jewel cases, hoping to unearth a treasure. Sometimes I'd get lucky and stumble across an incredible record like Frou Frou. But something has changed. I had no interest in looking around over there any more. I simply don't go that route now in my quest for new music. Don't get me wrong. I'm just as driven to find new bands and fresh sounds as I was when I was 13 years old. I've just found a better way.

Like many people these days, I look for music almost exclusively on the internet. I'm getting more ideas all the time about how to discover music there. One thing I do is to listen to online radio streams. My current favorite is called Radio Paradise, and you can link to it on iTunes Radio under "Alt/modern Rock". They play excellent commercial-free music 24 hours per day. I'm constantly writing down the names of songs and bands I've never heard before. Later, I'll take all of those names to the Apple iTunes Music Store and explore these bands in greater depth.

Another approach that works for me is to explore the huge variety of playlists on iTunes. For example, remember Death Cab For Cutie? I gave them my Album of the Year Award a few weeks ago. Well, they show up on iTunes today with a DCFC Celebrity Playlist where they recommend 83 different songs that have influenced them. How cool! Not surprisingly, their suggestions send me in new directions I've never been before. I find interesting bands like The American Analog Set, Teenage Fanclub and Burning Airlines. Before you know it, I'm using up another iTunes Christmas Gift Card.

I suppose there will always be a place in the world for a truly great record store like Music Millennium in Portland, Oregon. But for me, those types of stores are holding less interest these days. What I really miss are the album covers.

A Conversation With John Lennon

So if The Beatles were the most important musical group of the last half-century, who was the most important Beatle? That's an argument for the wee hours over a bottle of Syrah. But if you ask me, I'd say John Lennon was.

John was the brilliant ying to Paul McCartney's incredible yang, but he was also the person that gave The Beatles their edge. He was the deeper thinker. He was the live wire that struck the raw nerve. He was the force that had The Beatles raising new ideas not just musically, but intellectually. He was funny, talented, usually humble and sometimes angry. When asked if he was a genius, John responded, "I don't know if there really is such a thing, but if there is, I am one." Many would agree. He was one.

On the twenty-fifth anniversary of his tragic death, Rolling Stone magazine has released the The Rolling Stone John Lennon Interview Podcast. It is the audio version of a conversation between Editor Jann Wenner and John Lennon in December, 1970. The Beatles had recently disbanded for good. Paul McCartney and George Harrison had released their first solo recordings, McCartney and All Things Must Pass. John had just released his own epic solo recording, Plastic Ono Band. Yoko, as was usually the case, was right by John's side during this interview. She does not speak much, but her presence is noticeable, as John refers to her frequently. John is not in the happiest state of mind (just listen to Plastic Ono Band). He's still angry about the painful collapse of The Beatles and he's upset about how he thinks the whole world is treating Yoko. He's undergoing Primal Scream Therapy to confront his own demons. He especially is mad at Paul, and has much to say about Paul's new music, which he can't stand. In later interviews, he comes to a more peaceful reflection about The Beatles, and life in general, but at this point in time, he's on edge.

If you go to this web link, you can download these fascinating interviews to your iTunes Player or even to your iPod. They are being released in weekly sections. So far, Rolling Stone has released 3 parts that total over 2 hours of conversation. I don't think they're done yet. I have found them to be extremely interesting. Since this interview was intended to be for print only, the recording quality is less than perfect. In fact, the only microphone was aimed at Lennon. Mr. Wenner's voice is in the distant background. For this online audio version, the volume on Wenner's questions have been boosted a bit, so we can have Lennon's answers in clearer context. I encourage you to go check them out. You might learn a little something about the most important of the most important.

Take An Online Adventure

My good friend Sigmadog (see Almost Daily in the "links" over in the right column) regularly posts links on his blog to online games that never fail to cause me to immediately quit working and start goofing off. I think he does it because he gets addicted to them himself, so he figures that he'll cause the rest of the world to experience a similar detour in the middle of their work day. Well now its my turn. I found this great, free, online adventure scenario, I guess you could call it a game. Its called Samorost 2. Its really well done, and has several levels or "chapters" before the game is finished. It took me a long time to get through it, but it was a fun journey. It requires you to think about your cyber-surroundings and use deductive reasoning. If you enjoy this one, it looks like they have several others.