A Recommended Book for 2005
Hello 2005. Nice to meet you. I was welcomed into the New Year by a rather interesting site. While at my wife's relatives house, the TV was on NBC and Conan O'Brien was doing a Central Time Zone countdown, a nice gesture. So instead of seeing the loud, rambling storyteller Regis fill in for 200 year old Dick Clark, I watched as two massive paper-macheish heads, one white male and one black female, french kissed each other with extremely long tongues, all the while a circle of random characters (cornstalk man, person dressed as Ron Artest, the Midwest states and so on) danced around Conan's desk. It was funny, but a little weird. The kids in the room seemed to enjoy its humor.
Monday will come soon and I'll return to my regular routine of arising at 5:30 in the morning and traveling the crowded interstate for 45 minutes only to sit at a phone and talk to strangers for almost 8 hours. So my time off has been welcomed, but Monday will not. Since my extended break, I have indulged myself in a book my wife bought me for Christmas. It is a biographical peek into the live of Wilco by Chicago rock critic Greg Kot. It's called Learning How to Die. Kot gleefully dances among the bands engaging career even from the time of Jeff Tweedy's initial band, The Primatives with former bandmate Jay Farrar of Uncle Tupelo. If you have seen Wilco's documentary by Sam Jones, then the last few chapters add small morsel's to the otherwise tasty film. Overall, I enjoyed the book and found it difficult to put it down. I'm an avid fan and have always thought of Tweedy as an interesting bird. Through his lyrics as well as Kot's testimonies from him, I entered into Tweedy's life for what seemed to be a lengthy stay. Well done Kot and well done Wilco for your never ending pursuit to not compromise to the evil-money grubs in the record biz. I admire those who pursue art not for the audience or for share of fame or even seeking approval for the high pressured execs sake, but for making music, making art for the artist's sake, whether it tanks or soars.
Monday will come soon and I'll return to my regular routine of arising at 5:30 in the morning and traveling the crowded interstate for 45 minutes only to sit at a phone and talk to strangers for almost 8 hours. So my time off has been welcomed, but Monday will not. Since my extended break, I have indulged myself in a book my wife bought me for Christmas. It is a biographical peek into the live of Wilco by Chicago rock critic Greg Kot. It's called Learning How to Die. Kot gleefully dances among the bands engaging career even from the time of Jeff Tweedy's initial band, The Primatives with former bandmate Jay Farrar of Uncle Tupelo. If you have seen Wilco's documentary by Sam Jones, then the last few chapters add small morsel's to the otherwise tasty film. Overall, I enjoyed the book and found it difficult to put it down. I'm an avid fan and have always thought of Tweedy as an interesting bird. Through his lyrics as well as Kot's testimonies from him, I entered into Tweedy's life for what seemed to be a lengthy stay. Well done Kot and well done Wilco for your never ending pursuit to not compromise to the evil-money grubs in the record biz. I admire those who pursue art not for the audience or for share of fame or even seeking approval for the high pressured execs sake, but for making music, making art for the artist's sake, whether it tanks or soars.
posted by c | 1:07 AM
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