2008 In Review....Part 2

SUMMER
The summer began with much expectation. The time off for my wife and I was dearly needed. The warm weather was going to help with all of the life changes we were about to make. I managed to make it out with some friends to check out Hanzel Und Gretyl at Skully's in Columbus, Ohio. It was a the first time in about a decade that I was able to see them live. The show was awesome and I loved every minute of it.

Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate played an extremely entertaining and exciting U.S. Open solidifying my interest in golf.....as long as Tiger is playing. The Indians played through a lackluster season continuing my expectations of the descent of my teams from a stellar yet championshipless 2007. I continued through mediocre seasons in softball although my play was far below mediocre. The Celtics won the NBA Title adding to my anger towards Boston fan. But the Cavs signed a key free agent in the offseason in Mo Williams who would fill a dying need. Also, Ferry managed to work his magic in the draft to get a couple of key big men that show a lot of promise if they can develop enough in time.

My family dealt with a tragedy and I blogged about the grieving I went through. I was able to move on and grow from the experience but the effects of that event are still manifesting themselves in subtle actions and much of my thinking. While I repeat the steps that led to that horrific experience, I can't help but fall back to those feelings and deal with much of the fear and paranoia that is still present as a result.

With the residue of that experience still around, my wife and I put one foot in front of the other (actually two feet since there was two of us) and tried to celebrate our first anniversary with a trip to West Virginia. It was a nice little trip together where we enjoyed some couple time. We also decided it was time to really push to get the house ready for the market and move into a house that would truly be ours. We felt like we were still living in the past with the current house. So we began the process of fixing the countless little problems with the house and trying to improve the look. I almost lost my mind due to frustration from my lack of Mr. Fix-it skills.
In between the the home improvements I made a trip out to Evanston with my dad to help move my brother's family from one apartment to another. It was a cool weekend to share with the men of my immediate family moving furniture, eating some good barb-b-que and sampling the campus hang outs. Doug was able to show us around and let us peek into his life a little bit.

Just as we put the house on the market and witnessed the cats' stubborn resistance to all the change, I left for Las Vegas to celebrate my good friend's upcoming marriage. I left for Los Angeles to meet two other good friends who also were contributing to the Vegas bachelor party and began a week of good times with good people creating memories that we will relive for a long time.

When I returned, it was back to the grind. School was ready to begin the house was on the market. Football season was ready to start and I finished my first year in a new fantasy baseball league in a very respectable second place. The school routine was back up and running. At the same time the presidential election was heating up and I began to blog more and more about my political views and my hopes for the future.

AUTUMN
Ohio State lost in embarrassing fashion to a superior USC team. It reinforced my fears that OSU was overrated and over hyped. There was very little if anything to realistically take from the game as positive. The weak schedule only gave Penn State as an opportunity to redeem our reputation but while that game was hard fought and showed some glimpse of hope, we lost that one too and went on to beat teams we should be including bitter rival, Michigan who had one of their worst seasons ever under new coach Rich Rodriquez.

The Browns looked absolutely horrible and quit more often than not. They mailed in the last 1/3 of the season after it was obviously a lost cause. "Romeo must go," I kept saying before the season. 2007 was fool's gold in more ways than one and was probably a really bad thing. 2008 proved me right.

The Cavs on the other hand came out guns blazin'! Since you don't win NBA titles in December, the 25-4 start means absolutely NOTHING!!!! It is a good sign. It has been fun to watch. But it will be interesting to see if they maintain such a rate of success.

I was able to take a trip out to Evanston, Illinois again. This time it was to watch my Ohio State Buckeyes dominate a solid Northwestern team. It was cold. Oh so cold. But it was a fun weekend with my brother and his wife's family. Anytime I can catch the Buckeyes on the road and knock out another Big Ten stadium, I am happy.

My wife and sister-in-law and I ventured out to see Trent Reznor, better known as Nine Inch Nails, play a show in Columbus. The visual effects were outstanding. He had an interactive screen at times behind him and at other times in front of him. It was pretty cool and creative. He played an ok set. There was a bit much of his instrumental slow stuff but he doesn't seem to be as angry as he once was. I guess money will do that for you right?

Obama was elected president of the United States promising change and giving hope of unity and improved pride in ourselves and country. In the end it will be up to us to make any effective changes. My hope has been that Obama will be charismatic enough to lead the change and motivate us to make the right kind of changes. But as I obsess over 2012 and armageddon, I worry that Obama may be the antichrist. I have problems.

Basically, this is where I stand right now. 2008 wasn't my best years. I still think it wasn't my worst either. I have a lot of changes I need to make in the way I behave and think. I am working on that. What happened in 2008 has led me to these things. So maybe 2008, while being difficult at the time, will prove to be a year that led to better things and much needed growth.

Top Bands Revisited

I was reflecting on my 25 favorite bands and the series of posts I wrote revealing them. My list and ranking was done just for fun and I didn't put much effort into it. My criteria was loose and I ranked according to my first impression from thinking their name and my memories of them.

I thought to myself, "Beau, what would the list look like if I got more serious about it and quantified it more rigidly?" I know it would remain extremely subjective but it may be more accurate and account for some things that were accounted for the last time.

This time I selected 6 categories: the band's persona (how they look and act and "feel"), the live show (the concert experience), the number of songs I like and how much I like them, the number of albums that are good top to bottom, the personal connection I have to them (people, memories etc) and their longevity (not as a band but for how long I have enjoyed them).

I gave each band a score of 1-5 for each category and added up their total score to rank. But I quickly discovered that there a number of bands I have not been able to see live like The Who or Nirvana and so on. So it wasn't fair to hold that 0 score against them. I figured I would average the scores to get a better, more fair idea of their overall ranking. I also scored several bands that were on my "honorable mention" list to see if they would crack the top 25. Take a look at what happened.

Before I get into the interesting differences.....

Here is the original list:
25)Public Enemy
24)Nine Inch Nails
23)Huey Lewis and the News
22)Hanzel Und Gretyl
21)Nirvana
20)Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
19)The Who
18)Sublime
17)Outkast
16)Pink Floyd
15)Jane's Addiction
14)Muse
13)The Cars
12)The Hollies
11)Audioslave
10)Linkin Park
9)Stone Temple Pilots
8)The Offspring
7)A Tribe Called Quest
6)Fun Lovin' Criminals
5)Weezer
4)Garbage
3)U2
2)Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
1)Social Distortion

First, two groups fell out with some very low averages under 2. Outkast and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club dropped out and were replaced by Alice in Chains (which I suspected) and Pearl Jam (there's your validation Michelle) who not only cracked the top 25 but landed at 17 and 18 respectively.

Secondly, I only had two bands remain in the same slot so there were many "mistakes."

Here are the big movers and shakers starting with the losers. Jane's Addiction dropped 10 spots with their lack of personal connection as a contributor. Audioslave and The Cars dropped 9 spots also suffering from the lack of personal connections. The big winners were Public Enemy and Pink Floyd. Both groups advanced 13 spots. Pink Floyd made their way to #3 on my list.

I think the Pink Floyd gain was the most surprising. I didn't think they would be a top 3 candidate when I began the list. I didn't examine the amount of respect I have for them and how much I enjoyed their live show. I also didn't think through how many albums I love. The one thing I did not account for this time was that I have to be in the mood for them. I think that is why they weren't this high on my first list.

I was also surprised of how high Hanzel Und Gretyl ended up in this list. They found themselves ranked #14. Their live show for some reason appeals to me and that helped them in the ranking.

My favorite band of all time, Social Distortion, dropped to #4. So there is some validation to Doug's comments regarding their "elevated" status. The longevity component hurt them. And the new #1? Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers who scored a perfect 5 in all but longevity (4).

Overall, the changes were minor although frequent. The number of bands that moved was high but the amount or number of spots they moved was minimal. The mean amount of change was only a minuscule +0.04 even though 25 of 27 bands moved. This tells me I wasn't off by too much. The mode of spots moved was -1. Five bands moved down one spot. No other amount of move happened as often.

Here is the new top ten with their movement from the original list in parenthesis:
10)Stone Temple Pilots (-1)
9)The Offspring (-1)
8)Weezer (-3)
7)Fun Lovin' Criminals (-1)
6)Garbage (-2)
5)U2 (-2)
4) Social Distortion (-3)
3)Pink Floyd (+13)
2)A Tribe Called Quest (+5)
1) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (+1)

My Personal Top 25 Bands of All Time

I thought I would start a little ditty over the coming days or weeks giving my captive audience a list of my personal Top 25 Bands/Musical Artists of All Time. I want to venture away from the sports and political discussions for a bit. Politics scare me and the current states of my teams have taken me to depths I haven't felt in a long time. The more metaphysical subjects just aren't hitting right now either. I will begin by releasing 5 at a time until I get within the top ten then I'll release 3 at a time. I maintain the authority to change that when we get there depending on how this goes.

Disclaimer: This is my 100% subjective, opinion of MY favorite bands. This is NOT an objective list of the Top Bands in general. I fully acknowledge my taste in music is not very schooled. I understand that there are a number of bands that are of a higher quality than the bands I list here. This is all about my personal opinion, my tastes. I can assure you that many of you will disagree. This is what I want. Comment your disagreement with any aspect of my list.

Criteria: To make sure we are clear on how I chose who I chose and why I placed them where they are, let me give you my basis for thinking. I picked bands who have a long list of songs I enjoy listening to and threw them on a piece of paper. I got to about 100 and started eliminating bands who didn't live up to the others in terms of albums, look, attitude, persona and vibe. Many times their live shows play a large role in eliminating them or including them despite the other factors positive and negative. I try to take longevity into account to avoid the "newness" of the band to me but sometimes that has been overlooked. I also allow for their role in particular times in my life play a part in where I place them. Many times a band is connected to a good memory or person or period of my life and I automatically have this good feeling attached to them. Overall, this is really based on the immediate feeling I get when I hear this band or of this band. Then I go from there. Like I said, purely subjective and one can easily poke holes in this. That is the point. What are the holes you would poke? (And I'm sorry I have no cool indie bands here. My musical depth is pretty shallow)

So here we go:

Close But No Cigar: You gotta have that section of the "Almost Made Its" right? Here a several artists I love but couldn't crack the Top 25.

Johnny Cash...I have really grown to love his stuff of late. Unfortunately too little to late. "Folsom County Blues," "I Walk the Line," "A Boy Named Sure" and "Ring of Fire" are a couple hits I love.

Guns 'N Roses:..."Appetite For Destruction" their debut album, was awesome. And I actually enjoyed a lot of their later stuff. Axl Rose's signature voice and the rock hard songs definitely got my blood pumping.

Bad Religion:..."Stranger Than Fiction" is my favorite album by Bad Religion. I love their political message. I just got into them too late to get them into the Top 25.

Eric B.and Rakim: ....classic rap taking me back to early high school. I always loved Rakim's voice and the beats Eric B. laid behind him. "Paid in Full" and "Follow the Leader" are my favorite albums.

Also worthy of being named....Ministry, Tool, The Ramones, Journey, Beastie Boys, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Alice Deejay, Godsmack, The Crystal Method, Rammstein, Stereophonics and Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (Man my list could go on)

For real now....THE TOP 25 OF HUEY'S FAVORITE MUSICAL ARTISTS

25) Public Enemy..Great live show. Chuck D. is a master. Politically charged lyrics that satisfied my need for teenage rebellion back in high school. I actually learned a lot from this group as odd as that may sound.

24) Nine Inch Nails...My wife and sister-in-law would have me shot if I didn't include Cleveland product Trent Reznor. "Pretty Hate Machine" was a strong album top to bottom but I loved "broken" the most. The intensity of this industrial rock god has been so much fun to play and play loud.

23) Huey Lewis and the News...a bit of a break from NIN, Huey Lewis has so many pop hits that I couldn't leave him out. I believe this is where I deserve the most questioning from my readers. Why this cheese op guy ahead of the likes of Tool, Pearl Jam, The Ramones and so on? I don't know. I just love his catchy tunes, I could sing to his stuff for hours. Also, good memories of my childhood with this guy. Back to the Future and "Power of Love?" C'mon! Any fifth grader from the suburbs would dig that. I did anyway.

22) Hanzel Und Gretyl:...These guys are just flat out fun to see. I have only seen them twice but loved the show both times. When I'm in the mood for the over the top loud, power show rock they play with their German gimmick, there is no one better. These guys are here more for individual songs, memories of college and good friends and live performances. "#1 In Deutchsland" and "SS Deathstar Supergalactik" are awesome songs.

21) Nirvana...I am one of those guys that didn't catch on to Nivana until "Nevermind." But I loved that album. With Stone Temple Pilots' "Core" and Pearl Jam's "Ten," this album began the transition for me from rap to rock. While I loved the songs that got tons of airplay, it was the rest of the album that really pulled me in. Songs like "Territorial Pissings," "Breed," "Drain You," "Lounge Act, "Stay Away" and "On a Plain" separated the album from mediocre to great. I am now wondering why I didn't rank these guys higher. You can't mention this band it seems without referencing Kurt Cobain's death. I do remember when it happened but I would rather rank these guys here for their music. If I was able to get into their earlier stuff a bit more over the years, I imagine they would be a top 15 band for me. Unfortunately, I was stuck in the hip hop world at that time.

So there you have it. 25 through 21. Next up 20-16. It may be next week. Maybe tonight. I don't know. But what do you think? Who do you think will crack the top 20? Which one of these bands belong higher in your mind or not on any top 100 list?

Hanzel und Gretyl

I don't claim or aspire to be a metalhead, but I do enjoy a good metal show when a good one comes around and last night one did.

Back in the mid-90's when I attended Ohio State, I lived with several guys that I still consider good friends of mine. We would listen to a number a great metal bands from Ministry to Tool to Metallica to a number of other bands I had never heard of and still rarely do. But their tastes were always reliable.

Back in college, I joined these friends of mine to attend a show (whose headliner shall remain nameless due to the shame that exists in my head for ever seeing them...twice) and I witnessed firsthand, for the first time the epic performance of Hanzel und Gretyl. They opened for this anonymous band and were well worth the price of admission on their own. They can be categorized as industrial metal with the futuristic machine, post apocalyptic style they feature and can be credited for opening the door for similar sounding Rammstein, a German metal band that found some modest popularity in the US during the late 90s. But don't be fooled by their German lyrics and references....they are straight outta New York.

Since that unbelieveable show I have continued to listen to their stuff when I could. Not being the metalhead most of their fans are, my listening would come and go in spurts.

Last night I finally had an opportunity to see them again at Skully's in Columbus, Ohio. It may have been 12 years or so since they kicked Newport's ass, but they haven't lost an ounce of the pure, intense, ear splitting, German rage metal they demonstrated in the 90s.


This video's audio isn't exactly synced up right but it accurately shows what they looked like. Obviously the sound is better live than over a videophone or whatever took this clip.

They opened with "Number 1 in Deutschland" and never paused. Straight through "Loud and Proud" to "Fukken Uber Death Party" as an encore, they had the crowd in a frenzy pulling people up to the stage to join in the rock. It was a good hour or so of straight up metal. Kaizer Von Loopy in his WW2 style helmet with a skull on the front and winged creature on top rocked out pulling all the standard rock star moves stage diving and getting floated atop the crowd, drinking shots and beers from the audience and discarding the bottles aimlessly and carelessly. Meanwhile Vas Kallas, who we estimated at 45-50 years old by now due to her work in Cylce Sluts From Hell in the early 80s, pumped her roaring, deep death vocals that would make most men's voices sound like a kitten's meow.

My ears continue to ring but it was well worth it. I haven't experienced a great metal show like that in a long time. I may have stuck out like a sore thumb in the midst of all the chain clad metalheads with black t-shirts covered with over the top offensive language and white face paint traced with black eye liner and lipstick, but I bet I enjoyed the show as much.

Well, maybe almost as much. I wasn't riding high on the stuff that most of them probably were on, but my point is:

AAAARRRRRRWWWWWWWWWGGGGGRRRRRRRR!!!!!!