THE EARLY JOURNEY

I GIVE YOU MY WORD

2007-03-05T05:05:00.000-05:00

I, Early Mike, promise that for every Vietnamese or African baby that Angelena Jolie, Brad Pitt or Madonna adopt I will eat one Vietnamese or African baby. Although drastic, I feel that this proposed baby eating is the only way to bring a much needed balance back to our society.

BLOG AGAINST THE MACHINE

2007-02-27T21:36:00.000-05:00

I've been too busy lately to keep the blog alive. I honestly don't know how people do this shit all the time and stay on top of it. Or maybe I should rephrase that. I honestly don't know how people who don't have trust funds do this shit all the time and stay on top of it. It's time that I go public with my love/hate relationship with blogging. I've been living the lie far too long. Everyone who blogs, including myself, is a complete fucking idiot. Sorry, the truth hurts. It's going to be the thing that we all look back on 10 years from now and think:

"Jesus, what a bunch of losers we all were with our stupid blogging. That was back before thoughts were converted directly to blogs with Mac OS XXVII and transmitted to the Central Blogging Agency for approval to be broadcast via Bluetooth straight into all of our subscribers thought generators. Man, I feel so old".

Oh well. Anyway, I'm going to be doing an internet radio show(just as stupid as blogging) with a friend of mine this upcoming Thursday at 4pm. Here's a repost from Myspace(even more stupid than blogging):

This week on the almighty PIZZA PARTY East Village Internet Radio show Early Mike himself will be making a very special guest appearance. And the plot thickens because weekly host Max Wowch and Mike will be playing ONLY television and film theme songs and commercial jingles. That's right, two full hours of that crap. You don't want to miss it. It might be your only chance to hear two grown men disect the brilliance of the Golden Girls theme.

Tune in Thursday, March 1st at 4pm by going to www.eastvillageradio.com. Redd Foxx is already pissed.

Super Bowl XX Redux

2007-02-22T13:31:00.000-05:00

Some of you might be wondering why, after going a bit football crazy on the Early Journey, there was no talk of the Super Bowl. Can't speak for the rest of the dudes, but as for me, after eating about 100 buffalo wings and getting 3000 text messages during the game, the last thing I wanted to do was come here and write more about it. Plus I was pissed the Bears lost. Go to the main page of this fine website and you'll see, Chicago Bear Brian Urlacher is our homeboy. Plus it's funny when he sacks bears. Sadly, he must not have shared any Vitamin Water with Rex Grossman, who sucked so bad I was half expecting him to tear off his jersey to reveal a Colts t-shirt.

But I digress...

My Bears rooting didn't come easy. As many of you know, I am a Patriots fan through and through. And when those worlds collided in 1986 at Super Bowl XX, the Bears destroyed them. But very recently I came across some items that put a new spin on that old rivalry and thought I'd share them here. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the "Pete Macy Super Bowl XX QB Autograph Olympics"

JIM MCMAHON

OK, this guy was the game winning QB for the Bears. According to the Super Bowl Shuffle, he's "the punky QB known as McMahon". He was a smart ass and wore cool shades and sweatbands. As a kid, even though I liked the Pats, you couldn't deny that he was cool as shit. But let's judge this where it counts, the signature. First, it's made out to Pete, which is good. Then, he writes "Go Bears", signature, and number. That's pretty good too. There's a lot of free space on the pic to sign, but he signed on his leg, which was stupid, but thats just nitpicking. Nice work, Jimbo, this gets a solid B+.

vs.

STEVE GROGAN

Now we're getting somewhere! Best QB the Pats ever had and New England legend Steve Grogan! So technically Tony Eason started SBXX, but he sucked and they had to call on Grogan to score the only TD New England got that game. Plus Grogan was tough as hell and scored a career 35 rushing touchdowns. Not bad for a QB! And take a look at this autograph! All Star material for sure. First, made out to me. Then, a kick ass inscription thanking me for being a great fan. I am a great fan and its nice to be commended for it. Finally, his autograph, his number, "Pats", and the years he played. Top notch. A+

So there you have it, the Bears may have annihilated the Patriots in the actual game, but in 2007, in the great "Pete Macy Super Bowl XX QB Autograph Olympics", the Patriots are clearly the winners. "Grogan, Grogan, Grogan!"

Finally!

2007-02-12T15:59:00.000-05:00

Love takes time. Sometimes, you may see the girl of your dreams and she just isn't interested. Because you're 6 years old. But fast forward 22 years and you never know, she just might ditch the zero and get with the hero!

I'll see you fools at the drive in, and I'm bringing DOTTIE!!!

Boston, the jokes on you...still.

2007-02-05T01:07:00.000-05:00

SAVE BOSTON!

HOLD ME CLOSER (NOT SO) TINY (HEAVY METAL) DANCER

2007-02-03T18:46:00.000-05:00

Admittedly I don't really know the dude from a hole in the ground, but: If Doug Aitken had any balls whatsoever he'd take down those Konica/Minolta commercials he made for MOMA (I'm standing in the freezing cold with Richard Hells daughter and 7 kids from Bard for THIS SHIT? Thank god Prime Burger is up the street) and project a real piece of art like this here. Step it up a notch, guy. You only live once.

Heavy Metal Dancer

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THE BOSTON PEE PARTY

2007-01-31T19:18:00.000-05:00

After spending the past week writing and singing about various Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters (more on that in the days ahead) I was extremely pleased to hear that the huge bomb scare that was going on yesterday in Boston was tied in.

BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Electronic light boards featuring an adult-cartoon character triggered bomb scares around Boston on Wednesday, spurring authorities to close two bridges and a stretch of the Charles River before determining the devices were harmless.

Turner Broadcasting Co., the parent company of CNN, said the battery-operated light boards were aimed at promoting the late-night Adult Swim cartoon "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." The devices had been placed around Boston and nine other cities as part of an "outdoor marketing campaign," a company statement said.

"While the concern is lessened as a result of the investigation, I'd like to remind citizens to treat any suspicious devices with care and to call 911 if any such device is found," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.

The devices had been placed as part of an "outdoor marketing campaign," a Turner Broadcasting statement said.

"Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards," the statement said. "We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger."

The devices displayed one of the "Mooninites," outer-space delinquents who make frequent appearances on the cartoon, greeting passersby with a raised middle finger. Nine were reported around Boston on Wednesday, sending police bomb squads scrambling and snarling traffic and mass transit in one of the largest U.S. cities.

Boston police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll called Wednesday's incidents "a colossal waste of money." She had no immediate comment on whether any laws were broken but said police would investigate further.

The best part of it all had to be the comments made by this fucking moron:

And Rep. Ed Markey, the senior member of the state's House delegation, said, "Whoever thought this up needs to find another job."

"Scaring an entire region, tying up the T and major roadways, and forcing first responders to spend 12 hours chasing down trinkets instead of terrorists is marketing run amok," Markey, a Democrat, said in a written statement. "It would be hard to dream up a more appalling publicity stunt."

Okay, wait wait wait: "It would be hard to dream up a more appalling publicity stunt." Hey duder, they're light boxes with cartoon characters on them. Wait, I think I already thought of a much more appalling publicity stunt. You know, that Iraq war one that swallows thousands of human lives with every passing minute. Much much more appalling than the light box thing for sure. Whoever thought this up needs to find another job? Ummm...more like whoever thought it up needs to be promoted to President of the Universe. I'd say tying up the CNN airwaves exclusively for 4 hours in the middle of the day while Wolf Blitzer puts on his 'this could be the big one' tweed blazer is about as good of a job of mass publicity as can be done. I got 7 bucks that says he didn't know who the Mooninites were on Tuesday but he sure as fuck does now. Mission accomplished.

A new era

2007-01-31T13:04:00.000-05:00

I've never been much of a "hat guy". In fact, most hats make me look downright stupid. But looking at this bad boy, I don't think anyone's gonna see the top of my head for a long, long time.

KREATOR shirt update, etc.

2007-01-05T14:33:00.000-05:00

Everybody wants to know what's next. May I enjoy this moment?

I would like to congatulate a young man by the name of Claudio in Italy for he is the new proud owner of my entire wardrobe from 2002-2006:

And I, my friends, am a cool $150 richer. I feel like a burdon has been lifted off of me. And I feel even better because Claudio seems to be a genuine collector of metal memorabilia so I think the shirt is in good hands. I must admit I was fully prepared for some LA scenester hipster shithead to win the bid. That would've been a deal breaker though. So all ended well.

Make-Believe

2007-01-08T05:31:00.000-05:00

Comment from my friend DS on the last post:

dude, first dr. seuss. and now you got a definite mr rogers vibe going on here. thanks a lot for making metal safe again.
now onto more important things:
who is more brutal? murderface or nathan explosion?

First off, I didn't detect a Mr. Rogers vibe at all. But, you might be interested to know that as I type these words I am building a trolley, walking around my apartment in a sweater, and I frequently refer to my penis as "King Friday".

Secondly, Metalocalypse might be the greatest show in the history of television next to The Honeymooners. I think I've watched every episode at least 10 times. If you've ever been in or simply around a band or bands, I don't know how you couldn't find this show utterly genius. And to answer your question I'm going to have to go with Murderface and here's why:

Touche Douche

2007-01-30T01:24:00.000-05:00

You know what I hate? I hate it when a band publishes a photo of themselves (usually on myspace) all standing around some legendary rocker hero idol of theirs. "Hey, check us out, we're totally hanging out with Dio at the Newark Airport Ramada." Guess what? No one gives a shit. In fact, we all lose a little bit of respect for you seeing how easily you're willing to show us that you're riding some other dudes dick so hard. When I was in 7th grade I learned from an Ice Cube song not to swing from another dudes nuts no matter what. Thanks Cube. You taught me some class. And I never forgot it. So rather than posting a pic of me, Adam and Pete huddled around Cronos "throwin' up the devil horns" (I just puked in my mouth a little bit), I will instead post this picture above of Bob Dylan's amps that were still sitting in the studio we recorded a song in last Friday. You cannot fuck with Bob Dylan. And you definitely cannot fuck with a cell phone camera picture of his amps.

Mirror, Mirror on the....car?

2007-01-25T12:47:00.000-05:00

I've seen some pretty bang up auto repair situations in my time here in Brooklyn but this one takes the cake.

Breakdancing Wars: Mr. T vs. Vin Diesel

2007-01-16T15:18:00.000-05:00

I pity the fool who breakdances as poorly as the 'T'. But seriously, why does one of my childhood idols, Mr.T, act like he just walked off of a spaceship from another dimension when the kids try to teach him some moves? Why? I hope this was an act T. I hope.

The best part of finding this clip is that in the process I actually found the first Vin Diesel movie I've ever watched for longer than 12 seconds:

Gather 'round kiddies...

2007-01-11T07:38:00.000-05:00

While the mainstream media is apparently busy sucking Dash's dick right now, I was reminded of 2 pretty epic memories of watching him wreak havoc at our shows over the years. In 2004 we played a CMJ show at some packed shithole in the LES. It was right in the thick of that time frame where every music industry scumbag and label douche was trying to decide if we were going to be their next meal ticket. There were a bunch of industry looking types gathered at the very back of the room slightly confused and horrified, mainly because Dash was hanging from the sprinklers and light fixtures on the low ceiling taking polaroids over the top of a sea of bodies spraying beer, beating on each other and headbanging. I have one very vivid memory of looking up and seeing Dash go flying past me above the crowd horizontally, like Super Dave out of a canon style. The whole situation looked like a battle scene from a Monty Python movie. Midway through songs I was trying to keep it together but was bursting into laughter over the complete bedlam that was taking place 2 feet in front of me. The club sent various bouncers over to me after every song, telling me each time that I needed to make an announcement to the crowd to 'not hang from the ceiling or the lights please' which of course only made matters ten times worse.
Right around that same time we were asked to play a Halloween show at some kind of weird spot in the LES. It was like a theatre or some shit. It was kind of a bad show. We sounded like shit because the room was huge and we had really crappy equipment at the time due to serious lack of funds. Adam and I have an inside joke about the shittyness of this gig that makes me laugh every time I think about it but that's a story for another day. The important thing is I have this one memory of looking up in the middle of a song because someone slammed into me, which was odd because the crowd seemed pretty tame otherwise for some reason. It was Dash who was standing there pumping his fist with his game face on. The crowd was split up in a weird way where half of them were on the floor with us and the other half were dispersed on bleachers. Before we started playing I made a plea for everyone to move up as close to us as possible and get off the bleachers because watching any band on bleachers is fucking retarded. It's a good thing they listened. About midway through the set I noticed some kind of disturbance on one side of the crowd. Then I saw Dash and a bouncer going at it, tazmanian devil style. As the bouncer (a huge black dude) was trying to collect Dash and throw him out the front door, Dash grabbed onto a corner of the bleachers so when the dude made the final move to toss him, the whole entire set of bleachers collapsed. The best part was I think I was the only person to see it all unfold. Everyone else just heard the bleachers go crashing to the floor and turned around like 'what the fuck just happened?' Good times.

OSU LOSS: BIG FCKIN DEAL

2007-01-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

Even the mighty Steve Irwin was brought down by a mere stingray. Houdini, a man who would nearly drown himself in a Chinese water torture cell to entertain people and a man who swam across the Niagara River barely above the Falls, was killed by a sucker-punch to the stomach. James Knox Polk, 11th president of the United States of America, went to war with MEXICO to win territory that we now know as the beautiful US lands of California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. He smooth talked Britain into handing over territory that is the present-day states of Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Montana. He nearly doubled the size of the US in less than one full presidential term. He died of diarrhea. Now watch this:

The Dynamic Duo

2007-01-06T15:58:00.000-05:00

Fan Email:

First just wanna say your guys are the shit unlike all those other posers. even though you guys heard it a millions of times or something very similar.

Being your guy’s fan and all i just wanted to ask you guys a question.
there seems to be a boom of single or duo bands coming up out of no where. i just wonder how you guys feel about it. Unlike you guys and Arsis it makes me feel that a lot of these bands are only trying to get attention. They think they'll get more attention since they think they make good music with one more person or by themselves without being a full band. They don’t even try being a full band. They think their so cool now plus most of them are "grindcore" bands. A lot of these people don’t even seem to know what grindcore to what i hear. I’m sure they don’t even know the name napalm death or carcass. Sorry I feel that I’ve wondered off on to a different subject there. Yeah I just wonder how you guys think of that. I’d be thankful if you guys answered me on this question.
By the way hope you guys will blow even more heads off with the new cd you guys are recording now.
You guy’s rock just like how Dio sang it in "We Rock"

Response:

Thanks for the support. We really do appreciate it and it means alot. Now to address your question. I think there might be more ‘duo’ bands that have surfaced recently over say the past 5 years because the general public and the mainstream have begun to accept two people as a “full band”. There have been a slew of two-piece bands that have exploded onto the music scene and in many cases they’ve become bigger popularity-wise than bands with a more traditional format. When something like that happens there is a ripple effect out into the rest of the music community that will last for years. Perhaps it’s a combination of these more popular duo’s inspiring other lesser known duo’s to keep at it along with the possibility that some people are jumping on the bandwagon hoping to use this newly acceptable two-piece format to gain notoriety. It’s tough to say. I think it’s always a good idea to deconstruct in your own head whatever idea you may have adopted about what a “full band” is or isn’t. It shouldn’t be important. People are either standing in front of you making music you like or music you don’t like, regardless of whether there’s 11 of them or 2 of them. It’s also a dangerous thing to start labeling other peoples artwork or music. Everybody is of course entitled to an opinion but far too often people make way too many assumptions about where people are coming from musically, or just with life in general for that matter, without knowing the full story. None of that stuff really means anything. The only thing that is important is if the people making the music are sincere about it and if it is making them personally happy. The number of people in the band is irrelevant. And should it matter if someone who decides to write music and form a band knows who Napalm Death and Carcass are? Not really. I mean I could make a strong argument that the fewer things you’ve been influenced by as a band the more unique and original your ideas when writing will be. Someone else may say you should study those bands religiously before trying to play any heavy metal. Neither opinion is right or wrong, they are just that, opinions.

I remember getting an email last year from someone who was oozing with hatred for Early Man because he felt like we were mocking heavy metal as a two-piece. This email was so full of venom and ridiculous assumptions that I couldn’t hold back the laughter while reading it. Ironically, that same week we were on tour and playing with an additional guitar player and a bassist, making us a four piece. Two days later we received a completely different email from someone else basically stating all of the exact opposite arguments as the afore mentioned email as to why we sucked. This particular gentlemen was angry at us for ‘selling out to a four-piece’ after seeing us and loving us before as a duo. He even called me “the Bob Dylan of riff rock” for being a “Judas” and not keeping the two-piece together. Again, laughter for days on end. My point is, everybody lives in their own reality which is completely different for every person on this planet. What other people say and do is a projection of that reality, NOT MINE, and when it comes to Early Man my reality is the only one that matters. How do I feel about all of the duo’s all the sudden? I don’t think it’s important how many people are in a band, two or ten. The important thing is that they are sincere about what they’re doing. And again, thanks for writing.

Mike

Saddam-I-am

2007-01-03T18:34:00.000-05:00

Oh I see how it is. Whipping out your hot new cell phone cam and filming the executions of 'brutal dictators' is all fun and games until some big whigs start getting pissed:

British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said those who leaked the footage should be condemned.

"I think the manner was quite deplorable really. I don't think one can endorse in any way that, whatever your views about capital punishment," Prescott said in an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

"Frankly, to get the kind of recorded messages coming out is totally unacceptable and I think whoever is involved and responsible for it should be ashamed of themselves."

The Holy See's daily, L'Osservatore Romano, lamented that "making a spectacle" of the execution had turned capital punishment into "an expression of political hubris."

The execution "represented, for the ways in which it happened and for the media attention it received, another example of the violation of the most basic rights of man," L'Osservatore wrote.

Where, you might ask, does Early Mike stand on all of this? Well right now, I stand in my apartment in my boxers eating a bag of cheetos watching Regis and Kelly. But in my never ending quest to provide some perspective on this matter, I've altered one of my favorite pieces of poetry to help everyone cope in the aftermath. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you:

SADDAM-I-AM

I am Saddam!
I am Saddam!
Saddam-I-am!

That Saddam-I-am!
That Saddam-I-am!
I do not like
that Saddam-I-am!

Do you like those cell phone cams?

I do not like them,
Saddam-I-am.
I do not like those
cell phone cams.

would you like them
here or there?

I would not like them
here or there.
I would not like
them anywhere.
I do not like
cell phone cams
I do not like them
Saddam-I-am.

Would you like them in a noose?
Would you like them with a moose?

I do not like them in a noose.
I do not like them with a moose.
I do not like them here or there.
I do not like them anywhere.
I do not like cell phone cams.
I do not like them, Saddam-I-am.

Would you like them
in a box?
Would you like them
with a fox?

Not in a box.
Not with a fox.
Not in a noose.
Not with a moose.
I would not like them
here or there.
I would not like
them anywhere.
I would not like
those cell phone cams.
I do not like them
Saddam-I-Am.

Would you? Could you?
In a car?
Use them! For polital gain!
Here they are.

I would not,
could not,
in a car.

You may like them.
You will see.
You may like them
hanging from a tree!

I would not, could not from a tree
Not in a car! You let me be.

I do not like them in a box
I do not like them with a fox
I do not like them in a noose
I do not like them with a moose
I do not like them here or there
I do not like them anywhere
I do not like cell phone cams.
I do not like them, Saddam-I-Am.

A train! A train!
A train! A train!
Could you, would you,
on a train?

Not on a train! Hanging from a tree!
Not in a car! Saddam! Let me be!

I would not, could not, in a box.
I could not, would not, with a fox.
I will not use them in my noose.
I will not use them with a moose.
I will not use them here or there.
I will not use them anywhere.
I do not use cell phone cams.
I do not like them, Saddam-I-am.

Say!
In the dark?
Here in the dark!
Would you, could you , in the dark?

I would not, could not,
in the dark!
My night mode setting,
doesn’t work!

Would you, could you,
in the rain?

I would not, could not,
in the rain.
Not in the dark. Not on a train.
Not in a car. Hanging from a tree.
I do not like them, Saddam, you see.
Not in a noose. Not in a box.
Not with a moose. Not with a fox.
I will not use one here or there.
I do not like them anywhere!

You do not like
cell phone cams?

I do not
like them,
Saddam-I-am.

Could you, would you,
with a goat?

I would not,
could not,
with a goat!

Would you, could you,
on a boat?

I could not, would not, on a boat.
I will not, will not, with a goat.
I will not use one in the rain.
I will not use one on a train.
Not in the dark! Hanging from a tree!
Not in a car! You let me be!
I do not like them in a box.
I do not like them with a fox.
I will not use one in a noose.
I do not like them with a moose.
I do not like them here or there.
I do not like them ANYWHERE!

I do not like
cell phone cams!

I do not like them
Saddam-I-am!

You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! During executions!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.

Saddam!
If you will let me be,
I will try them.
You will see.

Say!
I like these cell phone cams!
I do! I like them, Saddam-I-am!
And I would use them in a boat.
And I would use them with a goat...

And I would use them in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. Hanging from a tree.
They are so good, so good you see!

So I will use them in a box
And I will use them with a fox.
And I will use them in a noose.
And I will use them with a moose.
And I will use them here and there
Say! I will use them ANYWHERE!

I do so like
cell phone cams!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Saddam-I-am!

GERALD FORD 1913-2006

2006-12-28T09:57:00.000-05:00

Real American Dumbass

2006-12-20T16:39:00.000-05:00

When we tour, we often are offered free tattoos from local shops. I have always turned them down, usually due to time constraints or because i can't think of anything i want. So let me get this out there now for all the artists. By the end of the next tour, if i don't have one of these bad boys, i fucked up bad.

going crazy...when you're already nuts

2006-12-19T19:38:00.000-05:00

What's up everybody? Pete here giving a brief update on the state of things. I was a little low earlier this week but after watching Mike's super intense Rocky montage, i feel like a new man. I think it moved him too because the new jams we've been working on make Clubber Lang look like Glass Joe. Add to this I just got birthday wishes from Blacky from Voivod and I'm sitting on top of the world.

A lot of people keep asking me about upcoming shows/tours/etc. Since the epic 3 Inches Of Blood tour we've keep busy playing with Venom, In Flames, Lacuna Coil, Goatwhore, Seemless, and another 3IOB show. Plus we blew the roof off of Fontana's. For now though, our heads are fully about the next record, and I don't think anyone will be disappointed.

Originally I had some super preachy tirade againt those super ads on tv telling you to buy a red cell phone, but that shit's too stupid to waste energy on. Instead I wasted my energy on finding this. Enjoy

ROCKY MONTAGES ARE INSPIRING AS FUCK

2006-12-17T21:17:00.000-05:00

Now that Sylvester Stallone is in his 80's he's decided to close the chapter on the Rocky franchise with 'Rocky Balboa'. I, for one, cannot wait to see it. I fucking LOVE Rocky movies. And in order to pump myself up I've decided to get psyched by watching the training montages of the first four Rocky flicks. Let's take a look:

ROCKY I

I can pretty much bend steel beams with my mind shortly after watching this. Plus the sweet licks that start flowing midway through are undeniable. My favorite part is when the dude tosses Rocky a piece of fruit. I ALWAYS cheer during that part.

ROCKY 2

Dangerously similar to the first one, but why fuck with perfection? Plus you get some add ons, like Burgess Meredith screaming out pointless shit like a mentally challenged person and even train conducters who are down with Rocky on a first name basis. Don't even act like you don't get chills after Rocky tucks the baby in and jumps off of his front porch when the theme song kicks in. Don't even try buddy. And apparently kids love Rocky (or they at least love jogging with him).

ROCKY 3

Rocky looks way more buff in this one and I think you and I both know we can thank Apollo Creed for that. They trade in the infamous philly art museum step scenes for beach shots. Not so good. There seems to be an unusual amount of 'thigh shots' as well. But Stallone's face in slow motion still makes me spit beer through my nose. And again hot hot licks prevail.

ROCKY 4

Montage-wise, this shit sucks. I saw this movie at a drive-in theatre with my mom and dad. You have no idea how many fake fights with Dolph Lundgren followed. But let's not get into that. The important thing is that Rocky has to train the hard way and Drago (that goddamn red commie) get's all the technologically advanced gear while Rock is roughing it in the snow. No hot licks? What? They decided to replace the good music with some busted ass 80's synthesizer trash which is a HUGE letdown. But so were the 80's.

Happy Deth-day...to me!

2006-12-14T12:57:00.000-05:00

THINK ABOUT IT

2006-12-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

I'm discounting chops and the technical end because as far as I'm concerned that sort of thing has basically nothing to do with what's in a player's heart, and expression of passion was basically why music was invented in the first place. A lot of people don't see it in quite those terms, of course; their absolutism takes another form: they think you have to "know how to play" your instrument according to some preset and as far as I can see arbitrary standards before anyone can even begin to take you seriously. They further think that the more technically proficient a player you become, ipso facto the better music maker, or let's say maker of better music you become. Why do they nurse this curious notion? Probably because they have been brainwashed, but who picked up the first bar of soap? It seems to me that this kind of thinking is by definition quantitative rather qualitative: you can sling arpeggios all over the place, you can freeze the baby in the bathwater and mail the ice to Siberia, but the fact remains that if you take one note, any note, and let two different people play it, what comes out of one's axe just might be nothing more than the note, whereas through some magic the other's note might be just a little more expressive, probably because there was something, a kind of inner urgency and yearning, behind it. And all the conservatories and theory books and virtuoso chop-flashings in the world aren't gonna make one iota of difference in regard to that one humble note. -- Written by Lester Bangs, published by Musician Magazine towards the end of 1979

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK...

2006-12-12T14:41:00.000-05:00

The EARLY JOURNEY will be up and running again soon. We had to take everything down to rework some stuff. We've given the EARLY MIKE SHOW it's own page now seperate from this but things should be back up and running here either today or tomorrow. Check back soon!