Late Wednesday Night/Early Thursday Morning Musical Tribute

Because yeah.

Road-Themed Songs Deserve to Be Taken Seriously

Here is Springsteen's celebrated Dublin performance of "Further on up the Road." It's a beautiful thing. I listen to it as much as possible.

Sunday Happy Musical Tribute.

Thursday Musical Tribute...

Regina Spektor, "Samson."



I am a big fan of this song. It hurts, every time.

It is a great example of mortification where the person takes the blame for the downfall rather than scapegoat someone else for the problems in a relationship.

"You are my sweetest downfall..."

Wednesday Musical Tribute

This here's a two-parter, and Harrogate is wagering Readers have never heard these songs. They are back-to-back installments off of The Kinks' (these days) much unlistened-to double album, Preservation: A Play in Two Acts (1973).

The first song is entitled "Flash's Dream."



The second is called "Flash's Confession"



Supadiscomama: You will find something hauntingly familiar in the main guitar riff of this second song.

Fun stuff, these songs. Meant to be listened to carefully. Coffee makes it better.

Saturday Musical Tribute

A song that's been on Harrogate's mind lately.

Wednesday Musical Tribute Part the Second; or, A Dual Gesture of Love to M and Oxymoron

Sheryl Crow's "The Difficult Kind," as virtuously performed by herself and Eric Clapton.

Sunday Musical Tribute.... Waiting

Disclaimer: this post is for humor only. No one needs to read anything in to this post. It is time to laugh kids, it is time to laugh.

The theme for today revolves around the word: "waiting." Right now, our good friend M is waiting and waiting rather patiently too I would add. While I am sitting around as some sleep and others are at the store, I thought I would see how many good songs I could post that involve the word "waiting." And, I think, I got at least one song for everyone. Hopefully, while M waits, she will have a good soundtrack to enjoy.

May the pot boil!!!

The best song for me, of course, is Leonard Cohen's "Waiting for the Miracle." Even though this video is not the official video, it deserves the top billing if for no other reasons since I am here, awake, and posting the entry.



Besides "Waiting for a Miracle," here is a selective list of key songs and play excerpts that focus on the word "waiting." Remember, this is a selective list: no Jonas Brothers, Jenifer Whomever, John Mayer, or Richard Marx though I am not sure how Foreigner made the list. Also, remember, this is for laughs only as it is time to laugh. And, finally, now that I think about it, these are some damn good songs. Enjoy your Sunday.

One of the best ever: The Velvet Underground, "I'm Waiting for my Man."

For all of the punks in the audience tonight: Fugazi, "Waiting Room"

For Harrogate, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, "Waiting Is the Hardest Part"

For Oxymoron, maybe: Foreigner, "Waiting for a Girl Like You"

Another classic: The Rolling Stones, "Waiting on a Friend."

From The Garden State Soundtrack, Zero 7, "In the Waiting Line."

One of the best performers, ever: Annie Lennox, "Waiting in Vain."

A Classic: New Order, "Waiting for the Siren's Call"

Another classic: Depeche Mode, "Waiting for the Night"

For all of the Gap Punks in the audience tonight: Green Day, "Waiting"

For SupaDiscoMama: Gwen Stefani, "What You Waiting For?" (FIY- The Bean likes this song, a lot, as she dances in her high chair.)

Odd- Act I of Samuel Beckett's, "Waiting for Godot."

Odder, but kid friendly: From Monsterpiece Theatre, "Waiting for Elmo"

And last, but not least, Jack Johnson, "Sitting, Waiting, Watching."

J.D. Salinger Finally Speaks!!!

New Terminator Movie Brings J.D. Salinger Out Of Hiding

"Come in, come in, sit down, there's plenty of space," an exuberant Salinger told reporters, gesturing around his sitting room, which was filled with movie posters, comic books, and other Terminator collectibles, including a life-sized statue of the T-800 Model terminator as portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. "What a frigging inspired choice to cast Bryce Dallas Howard. She made so much more sense in that part than Claire Danes."

Tip of the Hat to one of Harrogate's Facebook friends.

Celebrating (Again) The Creativity of Britney Spears: The Question of the Day

Building upon the illustrious work of Harrogate.(I cannot believe I am writing about this).

With her song, "If you see Amy," Britney Spears*** is following in the footsteps of blues pianist Memphis Slim, the Canadian band April Wine, the pop-punk band Poster Children, James Joyce in Ulysses, and William Shakespeare in Twelfth Night. Here is Slate's take, with all of the references.

Oh well, it could be worse, as James Joyce notes:

If you see kay
Tell him he may
See you in tea
Tell him from me.

But, I ask you Situationers, what other examples of this type of brilliant wit do you admire?

*** Disclaimer: It is highly unlikely that Britney Spears wrote the lyrics to that song or the song itself, but, for a moment, we can live with the illusion.

Music for a Tuesday

Just like the cover of Macy here. Makes me want to get a good recording to run through B&Ws.

Late, Late Thursday Musical Tribute

Harrogate has always liked this song.

To borrow the language of metaphor, it is almost as though the song were a magnet, and Harrogate steel.

Congratulations to the New Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

Congratulations to three very different 2009 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees: Run DMC, Jeff Beck, and Metallica.

One question never settled of course is what are the criteria for (Heidi Klum impersonation beginning now) who is in the Rock Hall, and who is out. Harrogate would appreciate thoughts from the floor, on this issue. Meanwhile, From the Rolling Stone Link.

For the Rap-o-Philes Amongst us, this will be of interest:

Run-DMC are the second rap group to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, two years after pioneers Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five were selected for induction. "I can't even comprehend this is happening," Daryl "DMC" McDaniels tells Rolling Stone. "I want to let the world know that there are others receiving this honor with us. I'm talking about our heroes Afrika Bambaataa, Treacherous Three, the Cold Crush Brothers and DJ Kool Herc." The group's performance at the April 4th induction ceremony in Cleveland will be their since founding member Jam Master Jay was murdered seven years ago in Queens, New York.

Hopefully Harrogate and Oxymoron will not be the only ones, meanwhile, who will say "about time!" with respect to Jeff Beck finally getting in as a solo artist. In the process his elite status is exemplified:

Jeff Beck is joining an exclusive club of artists that have entered the Hall of Fame twice: The guitarist was first inducted in 1992 as a member of the Yardbirds, and now 17 years later he'll be honored for his solo career. (Coincidentally, Beck's Yardbirds predecessor Eric Clapton is the only musician to be inducted three times: With the Yardbirds, Cream and as a solo artist.)

Hmmmm. As for Metallica. The never-at-a-loss for words drummer, Lars Ulrich, spoke the way, well, that he tends to speak:

Metallica, who inducted Black Sabbath into the Hall three years ago, are one of the few metal bands to get the RRHOF nod. "I'm not going to give a whole schpeel about 'come back in 20 years or something,' " says drummer Lars Ulrich. "I'll fucking take it right now. I'm fucking psyched that anybody still gives a shit about this band."

Metallica, Harrogate enjoyed ye very, very much back in the day, and as a result of this induction, he may well celebrate by breaking out the old CDs. Metallica fans as a general rule seem largely comprised of two diametrically opposed contingents: the adherents to the old stuff ("hard core, man!") and everything from the Black Album forward ("it's just so much more complex, you see. they really grew musically"). Harrogate is one of the ones who celebrates it all.

And in that vein, here is a song that both honored the old and signalled the new, one of Harrogate's very favorites. It speaks to him, you see.

Enjoy, and as always, Harrogate will leave the light on for ye.

Scrubs: Healthy Rhetorics of Gender, Healthy Rhetorics of Race, and a Healthy Wag of the Finger at Supadiscomama and Mrs. Oxymoron

Well.

As Harrogate and Supadiscomama plunge down the final homestretch of Scrubs Season 7, Harrogate finds himself casting his thoughts still a bit backwards to the Tour De Force that was Season 5. Don't get Harrogate wrong, Season 6 is filled with memorable moments and Rhetorical Zingers of all stripes. And, Season 7 is even better than Season 6, in Harrogate's humble opinion.

But there was just something about Season 5, y'all. Yes, all you television addicts know of what Harrogate speaks: for lovers of any telvision show, there is always that Season where things crystallize and the viewer realizes: "here, here is exactly why this show speaks to me so powerfully."

And so the first of these clips is a final Tip of the Hat to Season 5. What a great JD moment this is. Additionally, the Scene vindicates Oxymoron's Love of the band Toto. And finally, this clip is a good example of why Harrogate thinks that when it comes to the prickly discourses of Gender, the Writers and Actors for Scrubs do exactly what Harrogate wants done.

Just check this out and tell me if it isn't the way to go:




Now for this second clip, which is from Season 7. In addition to its reflection of Scrubs' consistently good treatment of Race, this clip has vast personal importance for Harrrogate and Oxymoron. Harrogate, in fact, insists that Oxymoron have Mrs. Oxymoron watch this second clip and be reminded of a certain incident that took place shortly after Oxytoddler was born. Verily, Oxymoron and Harrogate were on the cusp of the same experience that JD and Turk have here, but we were preemptively cut off by the Mrs. Oxymoron and Supadiscomama. Hmmmm. Something about propriety.




And finally. Why such apolitical postings on this historic day? Because to get through the murderous semester that is now upon us, Harrogate is going to need to hold close the things that calm him and spread cheer through his soul. In other words, this is no time for conventional politics in the Mind of Harrogate.

Boo-Yah!!!!!!!!

Friday Musical Tribute

For Harrogate, today's Musical Tribute is a Definite No-Brainer.

Wherein Harrogate Throws His Support to the Sooners for Tonight's Game

In honor of Our friend and one of our Most regular commenters, AcadeMama, Harrogate is sending out the good vibes for the Sooners tonight, and calls upon Springsteen to consecrate the Endorsement.

Wednesday (that's right, Wednesday!) Musical Tribute

When Harrogate reflects on the relationship between the following glorious drinking song, and the TRS Board Members, his thoughts turn naturally to Paperweight first, because Harrogate knows DAMN WELL that Paperweight has loved this song for a long time, even though he and Harrogate have never spoken of it.

But the song certainly casts a broad net. Chances are high that this song has a special place in the hearts of p-duck and m, for example. And perhaps even if you caught him in the right mood, Roof Almighty would admit that this is indeed the "perfect country-western song."




"Well I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison;
And I went to pick her up in the rain.
But before I could get to the station in my pickup truck,
She got run over by a damned ole train!

And I'll hang around as long as you will let me;
I never minded standin' in the rain.
And you don't have to call me 'Darlin,' Darlin:
You never even called me
(I wonder why you don't call me),
Why don't you ever call me by my name?"

Friday Musical Tribute: Who's Got the Best Girlfriend?

As Tacitus might have put it. Tacitus, of whom Herman Melville's most bizarre fictional creation once observed:

Drop Tacitus. Phrenologically, my young friend, you would seem to have a well-developed head, and large; but cribbed within the ugly view, the Tacitus view, your large brain, like your large ox in the contracted field, will but starve the more. And don't dream, as some of you students may, that, by taking this same ugly view, the deeper meanings of the deeper books will so alone become revealed to you. Drop Tacitus. His subtelty is falsity. To him, in his double-refined anatomy of human nature, is well-applied the Scripture saying--"There is a subtle man, and the same is deceived." Drop Tacitus. Come now, let me throw the book overboard.

So. As Tacitus would have no doubt put it: Fuck It.

There is nothing at all wrong with celebrating the same musical group a lot of times in a row, if that is what happens to be powering your steamboat at the time. Besides, this is all Sweet Toddler J's fault anyway.

And then, Harrogate was suddenly seized with the paralytic, ungraspable fear that Oxymoron has never heard this song. Which must be corrected forthwith.




"As we get older
And Stop Making Sense,
You won't find her waiting long."

Now that right there is worthy of Blake.

Early Morning Elton John

A clip of Solon's dissertation director singing the "Border Song."

For the Mighty Harrogate

Need you ask what my theme song would be?


And just because