Hey Ohio...Let's Go Politiking!

***DISCLAIMER***  This is a satirical piece.  Or is it?  Read it with a grain of salt.  I am invoking a state of freewill.  If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.  If you are offended it is a YOU problem.

Well, well, well.  Today is primary day in Ohio.  Get out and VOTE people!  And pray for the future of our nation.  For the first time in my 20+ years of being eligible to vote this is by far one of the WORST pools of candidates vying to become Commander in Chief.  I'd run down the list for you but do I really need to?  Haven't we already been overrun with town hall meetings, debates, appearances on Saturday Night Live, etc.?  I'm certain that some people would point out that previous office holders were crooks, embroiled in scandals, and skirt chasers.  I don't deny that.  With the exception of James Buchanan.  I believe he was a slacks chaser based on some reports.  

The only time I ever considered a non-politician businessman for President was way back in 1992.  Anyone remember H. Ross Perot?  They guy could do a spot on Dana Carvey impression.  He made such an impact on the election that he essentially stole votes from George H.W. Bush, and probably Bill Clinton for that matter, causing Bush the election and getting Clinton into office.  I would say history is now repeating itself but this round's non-politician businessman is actually going to be endorsed by one of the recognized parties and not an independent.  Please note I use the term 'endorsed' loosely because, while he may have enough delegates to win the nomination, I don't think the party is too keen on some of his worldly insights (or lack thereof).

All I can say about the other party is this - God help us if William Jefferson Clinton becomes this country's First Gentleman.  Or whatever we would call him.  Par-tay in the Lincoln Bedroom.  Hey!

I've already made my decision how I intend to vote come election time in November.  I desire a candidate who is noble and gifted.  Someone who has shown great leadership and strategy in a military position but also knows to be diplomatic and open minded.  My ideal candidate is at peace with himself and one with...well...the Force.  That's right.  If you haven't figured it out by now.

Reading Review - Neil Peart; Cultural Repercussions

The full title of the September 2015 release by Bradley J. Birzer is 'Neil Peart: Cultural Repercussions: An in-depth examination of the words, ideas, and professional life of Neil Peart, man of letters' is ironically wordy for an investigation into the words of the highly acclaimed drummer and lyricist of the Canadian progressive rock band Rush.  Birzer, himself a Rush fan since the 1983 release of 'Grace Under Pressure', is Professor of History at Hillsdale College in Michigan.  

In most cases I am skeptical to read books by fans because they tend to lack objectivity.  All too often the pages are filled with anecdotes of 'here's why I am a fan' and 'Rush is the best band in the world'.  If anyone remembers Rush - Visions by Bill Banasiewicz you know where I am coming from.  In the pre-Internet era it was the Holy Grail for Rush fans.  I had my copy and it was well worn.  An insider providing stories and images no one else had access to at the time - how great is THAT?!?!  Then the group black-balled him for playing pre-release cuts from 'A Show of Hands' on his Philadelphia-based radio show.  Oops.  Now you're an outsider B-Man.  What I am looking for is for someone to convince me that 'Caress of Steel' is really better than it seems because its a necessary stepping stone for '2112' and why 'Test For Echo' is worse than I think because it hasn't even warranted any playtime on recent tours.  Feed me knowledge, make a case, and then let me decide for myself. 

As a musician who has read numerous books and articles and watched instructional videos, concert videos, and documentaries - all of which confirm Peart's prowess as one of the best rock drummers of all time - this 178 page review is a refreshing departure as it focuses on his influences as a lyricist and wordsmith.  I will admit the inclusion of song lyrics, quotes from Peart's other writings, and snippets of interviews/articles from which I am familiar did cause me to do some skimming.  However I was pleased overall with the direction and breakdown of each album from 'Rush' to 'Clockwork Angels' into different writing periods.  An interesting concept which makes sense as you follow the albums through the band's 40+ year history and realize the different influences and writing styles of each period. I won't divulge too much information here as I encourage you to read it for yourself and make your own determination on the content.  One of the most poignant portions of the book for me, as a parent, was Birzer's decision to include a very personal letter sent  to Peart via his management group.  In it he reflects on the loss of his own child and how reading 'Ghost Rider: Travels On the Healing Road' helped him overcome the loss.  Obviously sharing this type of story with the readers was meaningful to Birzer as part of the coping process and only reinforces how moving Peart's own story of love, loss, and love again has influenced his admirers.

Overall I'll give 'Neil Peart: Cultural Repercussions: An in-depth examination of the words, ideas, and professional life of Neil Peart, man of letters' 3.5 stars out of 5.  I find the book as a good addition to anyone's shelf if you are a fan of the band through their music, themes, lyrics, or all of the above.  Published by WordFire Press it is available in paperback from either your local bookseller (yes there are still some around!) or online from Amazon.    

Thanks for reading my blog.  Please follow and feel free to share and leave comments.  You can also follow me on Twitter @abdrum74.

When Names Jump Off the Page

I was saddened to learn the other day that my first drum teacher, Brian Bonner, had recently passed away.  Mr. Bonner (as he will always be remembered) took a chance back in 1982 on an 8 year old kid who had recently gotten his first 'real' drum set from Santa Claus.  It was a blue 3-piece with snare drum, mounted tom, little 20" bass drum, and a ride cymbal mount.  I remember riding over to Coyle Music in the Great Western Shopping Center every week for about three years for my 30-minute lessons.  During one of those years Mom and I would stop every week at Lawson's on Demorest Road because my Aunt Dorothy had won a free bag of potato chips every week for a year and, since she didn't drive nor was there a Lawson's nearby her, we were responsible for getting her that bag of chips!

As a young musician - a term I use very loosely given my level of knowledge at the time - Mr. Bonner challenged me to always do my best.  Almost as much as I challenged my parents to NOT want to practice (an irony that would soon shift as I became a better drummer and wanted to play all the time).  We worked through the first two Haskell Harr method books and even started into a drum set book - learning how to read and interpret what was on the page and trying to coordinate my limbs and apply that to the different voices of the set.

What comes next sounds like a 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' type story.  Mr. Bonner introduced me to my next drum teacher Jeff Long, then a student at OSU, who introduced me to another fellow student Jim Voyles, who succeeded Jeff and was my teacher from 7th to 11th grade, and introduced me to Bob Breithaupt and a student of his named Jim Ed Cobbs both of whom, along with Eric Paton, would become my instructors at Capital University.  In between there, my senior year, was Terry Roe who took Mr. Voyles' place when he left Grove City.

Memories flood back when a name from the past jumps off the page.  Good thoughts of a bygone point in time that will always remain.  I will always remember and thank Mr. Bonner for the chance he took on a young kid with a little blue drum set some 30+ years ago.

Thanks for reading my blog.  Please follow and feel free to share and leave comments.  You can also follow me on Twitter @abdrum74.

Remembering David Bowie 1947 - 2016

It is hard to not respect the impact David Bowie (born David Jones) had on the music world.  I remember seeing him for the first time on MTV in 1984 (yes kids - MTV was around then AND showed music videos) in the "Let's Dance" video while on vacation to my Aunt & Uncle's house in California.  Not only a talented musician Bowie also immersed himself in acting (best known for his role in 1986's "Labyrinth") and producing for such artists and Lou Reed and Mott the Hoople.  The man who introduced us to Ziggy Stardust in "Space Oddity", encouraged individualism in "Under Pressure", and collaborated with Mick Jagger on the carefree timeless hit "Dancing In the Streets" is sadly now gone - the victim of an 18-month battle with cancer.  During this time he dedicated himself to his craft and even had a new single debut within the past few weeks.  May his contributions live on and continue to inspire new generations of musicians.

David Bowie

1947 - 2016

Resurrection

Happy New Year one and all.  I have titled this post 'Resurrection' more out of satire than anything else.  Last year I dedicated myself to eliminating Facebook from my life for the first quarter of the year and was successful in doing so.  During this time I recommitted myself to reading (real words from real books!) and also forayed into the realm of being a blogger.  The prior having been more successful than the latter I abandoned the blogging.  Hence the sarcasm of trying to resurrect something that was not entirely alive but for a brief period of time. 

So here we are...another new year and another round of promises which hopefully won't be broken but are expected to be forgotten about in a few months.  Facebook is once again vanquished to the great beyond and I'm investing in a new cache of books having been received this year over the course of my birthday and the more recent Christmas holiday.  Much to the chagrin of my fiancee Beth this was a 'techie' Christmas but she should only hold herself accountable as it was she who provided the iPad Air 2 and Apple Watch.  It would be rude of me to decline gifts of such value and thoughtfulness, right?  Ah but I digress.   For your viewing pleasure here is the list I will be working through for at least the first three months of 2016:

• Neil Peart: Cultural Repercussions by Bradley J. Birzer
• Clockwork Lives by Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart
• Art of Rush by High Syme
• Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets by Lisa Quinn
• Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
• Maine's Most Scenic Roads by John Gibson
• Above the Line by Urban Meyer and Wayne Coffey

As I completed these works I will share my reviews and personal thoughts.  Along this journey I'll also share insight with you about the usual suspects - food, travel, music, and anything I might entertaining and worthy of piquing my interest.  Thanks for sharing this time with me (again!) and I hope you'll find value and interest and please feel free to share with others or follow me on Twitter @abdrum74 or Instagram.

All the Best
AB