GMVW # 58: "In Search Of"

Gem Music Video of the Week # 58:  In Search Of

Song: Way Down Now by World Party

(Songwriter: Karl Wllinger)

February 12, 2009

It’s a grand thing, discovering quality music from a new band/musician, or one who has been around a while and whose music you’ve always wanted to dive into beyond the surface, but for one reason or other never got around to it.  If it is someone who is already established, the next big step is to pick the right album.  Often, it takes a bit of research, in part because a hit song is not always the best indicator of a strong album.   Most of the time, you need a good tip from someone in the know.

This week, I’m looking for that tip.  Below is a list of musicians I’ve had interest in, but I have not yet seized the moment.  I’m hoping for a compelling argument within the next month for purchasing an album of a musician on the list.  I will consider any feedback and weigh out a choice based on power of persuasion (no need to be verbose).  I will then make a purchase, listen intently, and do a future write up with an attached Gem.  If there are none on the below list whom you can make a case for, I will contemplate another suggestion.  My only criteria are that: 1) I’m not already a fan (if you email me a suggestion, I will let you know); 2) the album is an original studio album (not a greatest hits/compilation); and 3) I can bear the thought of giving it a go.  The best bets though, are albums from the following:

Ø             Tom Waits

Ø             Leon Russell

Ø             Graham Parker

Ø             Billie Holiday

Ø             Hank Williams (Sr.)

Ø             Waylon Jennings

Ø             Link Wray

Ø             The English Beat

Ø             Jolie Holland

Ø             Ray Charles

Ø             Gram Parsons

Ø             Leon Redbone

Ø             Mozart

Ø             The Small  Faces

Ø             Muddy Waters

Ø             Woody Guthrie

Ø             Anyone who released their first album in the last 5 years

While on the subject of being introduced to new music, I want to thank cousin, Tom, who has been tossing me a few bones over the past year, including songs by newer acts like Spoon and The Kaiser Chiefs (it helps that he has a son who plays a mean guitar).  Below this week’s Gem are some of the videos he has sent my way, which go to show that there’s still innovative music brewing out there.

Oh yeah, this week’s Gem….

What got me to think of this week’s theme was a hot-off-the-presses album purchase I made back in 1990 by the then emerging band, World Party.  The lead singer songwriter, Karl Wallinger, broke off from The Waterboys in 1986 to form World Party. The song “Way Down Now” was a favorite of mine off that 2nd World Party album (“Goodbye Jumbo”) and qualifies here as Gem # 58.

Thanks ahead if you have a suggestion.  Here are the prompts for the 3 part response:

Musician:

Album:

Comments:

- Pete…and Peter (hovering over my shoulder) who says ‘Hi’

Gem Video ‘Way Down Now’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD4cGH44Ngc

Snow Patrol ‘Take Back the City’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDGzB82bIZc

Spoon ‘Don’t You Evah’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPdP1jBfxzo

Kaiser Chief’s ‘Never Miss A Beat’

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz40P1hFvWs

Vampire Weekend ‘Oxford Comma’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_i1xk07o4g

The Killers ‘Human’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvVOoCKjonY

_________________________

About the Video: Rare made-for-MTV type video

Video Rating: 1 (unless there is a great live version out there)

__________________________

Feedback: Jeff

holyshit PETE!!! well there are a few on that list I couldn't do without,

gram, WoodyG, and Billie Holiday to begin with.  I played a lot of Billie in that window room next to you at the Marlboro office.  Lately I have been seeding several bittorrents (filesharing) of Ribbon of Highway shows I recorded.  These are shows where several singer-singwriters play Woody songs.  Some include Sarah Lee Guthrie and her husband  Johnnie Irion, most include Jimmy LaFave , also Eliza Gilkyson, Ellis Paul, and others,  All great musicians in their own write.

I can make you a copy of the Gram GP/Grevious Angel compilation, some of the Ribbon of Highway stuff, and a recent Gandalf Murphy recording. I've been hesitant to suggest youtube links for Gandalf, because you really have to see them live, or at least listen to a whole recording, to get the idea.  I have a number of decent Chris Hillman live shows where he invariably does some of the songs he wrote with Gram, and songs they did in the Byrds.

______________

Also: John

I don't know if you like country music, but I respectfully suggest "Hillbilly Deluxe" by Dwight Yokam.  It's almost 20 years old by now, but every song on the album is a good one, he is backed by a talented band of guitarists and percussionists, and he sings with a relaxed, even lazy measure, but still very tight and precise, with that distinctive Nashville sound (although the album was recorded in Los Angeles) long after the Nashville sound had been abandoned by most country artists.  Every song is about a part of America that is gone, probably forever, and you'll no doubt wax nostalgic. 

It’s good driving music on long rides, and you will find yourself singing along. 

If you have seen the movie "Wedding Crashers", he plays the husband in the hilarious opening scene, where he is trying to mediate a divorce settlement with his wife, played by the looking better than ever Rebecca De Mornay.  In a fit of rage, she calls him a "hillbilly", an irony not lost on this old timer.

Regards,

_____________________________

And: Pat Shea

Hey Pete

I haven't checked my email for a week or so otherwise you would have gotten this message immediately.  I like to think I am partly responsible for you having placed Tom Waits at the top of this list. And if I'm not solely responsible then my job to convince you of your need to listen to this man will be that much easier. I first came across his music when I was watching a movie called Smoke. Oddball movie - just my thing and great soundtrack with one song called Innocent When You Dream. I went out and bought the album, Beautiful Maladies: The Island Years. It starts with one of his best, Hang On St Christopher, through Clap Hands and the Black Rider, more classics, to a spoken word story, Frank's Wild Years and the surreal lyrics of Shore Leave (The captain is a one-armed dwarf, He's throwing dice along the wharf). Closing with I Don't Wanna Grow Up, an upbeat lament on the desire for non-conformism, and Time, one of the best (as I see it) bar closing songs ever.  My nephew had the pleasure of seeing Tom Waits live twice this past summer.  He flew from New Brunswick to Houston solely for this purpose, then drove to St. Louis for the next concert the very next night. He would do it again in a minute given the opportunity.  This is a great album to start with, you will either be hooked for life, (my expectation) or you will think "what is this shit" (what my kids think of him). Try it Pete, he will not disappoint.

________________________________

And: Steve

Hi Pete;

I've been thinking about your list of albums that you wanted to tackle or if someone could come up with something worth listening to. I've been pretty mainstream over the years on music. You introduced me to The Who and the Stones which really opened my eyes to how music is made and the personalities behind the artists. I remember you, me and Maria sitting in your little room smoking funny things and you telling us Kieth Moon party stories while we listened to Who's Next or Who Are You albums. Good times my friend, good times!

There have been lots of albums to cross my path since then but none compare to staying up all night playing Risk and listening to The Tragically Hip - Fully Completely over and over! The Best Canadian Rock Band Ever! They have over 10 albums out but I still like this one the best for overall quality and sing along ability. It came out is 1992. Ever listen to it? If not - buy it - listen to it twice and you'll be hooked.

________________________________

Also: There were several other recommendations that should play out in the upcoming Gems.

GMVW # 57: "Rust Free"

Gem Music Video of the Week # 57:  Rust Free

Song: Not Fade Away by Buddy Holly

Covered Here By: The Greatful Dead

(Songwriter: Buddy Holly)

February 5, 2009

Not many have tried to define rock ‘n’ roll.  Pete Townshend has, though.  His definition:

“If it screams for truth rather than help, if it commits itself with a courage it can’t be sure it really has, if it stands up and admits something is wrong but doesn’t insist on blood then it’s rock ‘n’ roll.”

He doesn’t touch on the fact that rock ‘n’ roll is actually music, but not bad.  It certainly states much of what I search for when I listen. 

So, if there is a definition for rock ‘n’ roll, is there also a defining song, a song that takes Townshend’s words and makes them real?  Putting aside the definition for a moment, if the sole criteria were “What rock song is covered by more bands than any other?” then I believe there is a clear winner: Buddy Holly’s ‘Not Fade Away’.  What makes this song so popular for so many rock musicians to play live?  Well, I think it connects on a number of levels.  For one, it was written by a founding rocker who had his heart in the right place.  It also has a simple signature riff that many fledging guitarists learned how to play early on.   Most importantly though, the song can be interpreted in a number of powerful ways: A straight-up unabashed love song that hits home with a bulls-eye message; a way to approach life in general; a statement for rock itself.  With any of these meanings, Townshend’s definition is covered. 

It’ been 50 years since the day ‘the music died’, when the single engine plane Buddy Holly was flying in crashed in a frozen field in rural Iowa.  For a guy who died at the age of 27, he left quite a legacy, (even with just with this song alone).

I’ve seen ‘Not Fade Away’ covered admirably by many bands over the years.  There was one band, however, that captured the spirit of the song better than all others: The Grateful Dead.  They would often play it near the end of their shows, and when they the hit the phrase “I’m gonna tell you how it’s going to be!” or “My love is bigger than a Cadillac!” the vocals would reverberate through the concert hall and the stage lighting would illuminate the crowd. 

Near the end of the song, the band would stop the music (and sometimes leave the stage), letting the crowd repeat the mantra ‘Not Fade Away’ for a good 5 minutes or so before picking up the beat again with their instruments.  

This week’s Gem is a Grateful Dead version of ‘Not Fade Away’ from a late-80’s show.  They are clearly having a great time, and the camera work is right on, rotating between all 6 band members.  Following the Dead’s version are a number of other versions covered by well know acts. 

Many surviving rockers have taken the concept of ‘Not Fade Away’ to heart, now touring well into their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.  Back in rock ‘n’ roll’s early days, many thought the music to be a young man’s game.  What we have witnessed, however, is that this is not necessarily true.  Neil Young is still up on stage singing ‘It’s better to burn-out than it is to rust’.  Bob Dylan continues his ‘Never Ending Tour’.  The Who have overcome the loss of another founding member and carry on. The Stones somehow keep going.  The list goes on: The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen, Chrissie Hynde, Elvis Costello, Cream, Roger Waters, Ray Davies.  These acts refuse to go quietly into the night, and rarely do they disappoint. In some ways, the tours are even more impressive than earlier ones because they inspire staying power, and when I catch one now, I can faintly hear a constant echo in the background.  I believe I’ve pieced it together and it goes something like this:

 “Not Fade Away! Not Fade Away!”

- Pete

Gem Music Vide of the Week

The Grateful Dead “Not Fade Away”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7sNSduf7Gc

 The Byrds “Not Fade Away”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxbK--SAtOc

The Rolling Stones “Not Fade Away”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ8xM83fMhU&feature=related

Tom Petty “Not Fade Away”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0wVtFY7ojo

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band “Not Fade Away”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnUVfdpDXQ0

Bob Dylan “Not Fade Away”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YolXKDjtCo

______________________________________

About the Video: The Greatful Dead performing Not Fade Away in the Late 80’s…. Brent Midland on piano/organ

Video Rating: 1.5 (Good, but there could possibly be a better clip out there considering how often the Dead have performed this song)

_____________________________________

Best Feedback: Joe

Pete - good message...I think Mom and Dad live that message every day....happy birthday to Momzo today.

Joe

GMVW # 56: "White or Rye?"

Gem Music Video of the Week # 56:  White or Rye?

Song: My Old School by Steely Dan

(Songwriter: Donald Fagen)

January 29, 2009

I’m willing to bet everyone has strong memories of when they broke off on their own for the first time.  It can be quite a transition.  For me, that moment was when I left the confines of

17 Park Road

and Franklin for North Adams State College and the Berkshires in the late summer of 1980.  The independence that came with being on my own was tricky to deal with on a number of levels.  One was rebellion.  Having since read the books ‘Catcher in the Rye’ and ‘A Separate Peace’, I can relate to the storylines and the characters.  The remnants of 60’s and 70’s ideals were still alive and kicking.  There was ambivalence in the air, directed at society’s expectations:  Why am I here? Where is this taking me?  Why shouldn’t I try something completely different?  Is there a better way forward?  Lucky for me, Mom and Dad were great role models.  They showed me that you can strive for achievement in a not-so-self-centered way (which was a big issue for teenagers in those days) and still make a connection with the mainstream.  A number of kids I knew in North Adams were not so lucky.  They rebelled against just about everything. 

It’s easy to point at drugs, alcohol, and sloth as the reason why many students ‘dropped out’ in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, but often there was an element of disappointment in what lay ahead that many kids struggled with (which critics can often overlook).  It was a big hurdle to clear.  John Lennon expressed it best in the song ‘Working Class Hero’ (covered by Green Day in Gem # 18).  Lyrics like those (easily found with a Google search) can resonate with an open-minded kid weighing out his/her options.  Next thing you know, a roommate could be mid-semester AWOL, off forming a band, joining the Hari Krishnas, building a log cabin in the forest, starting a republic on a South Pacific Island, training for a triathlon, following a girlfriend to Mexico (a hint at this week’s Gem), or….they would trudge off to class and make the best of it. In spurts, that’s what I did, but the path to ‘enlightenment’ was never a straight one.  I often confronted my inner Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye) self.  One memory is detailed at the bottom of this email.

This week’s Gem, ‘My Old School’ by Steely Dan, does a great job capturing the open mind of a kid on his/her own in a college atmosphere. The Gem video is an early version of the song, with the inimitable Donald Fagen singing the lead.  The second link is a more recent live version (I believe Jen and Dale saw this tour).  Finally, since the subject is Steely Dan, I can’t close without my pick for most creative album title of all time: ‘Katy Lied’ (with a katydid immerging from fog on the cover).

There have been many a rebels in my life, starting with Dad:  Here’s a toast to all.

- Pete

“ It was still September

When your daddy was quite surprised

To find you with the working girls

In the county jail ”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj9Rs56u8YY&feature=PlayList&p=583FB1B38A6F4CCF&p

laynext=1&index=4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN30zTpozRw

A Holden Caulfield-like memory:

Mac and I made the trek to Ottawa in late winter, 1983, to reconnect with the Carleton University crowd (where I spent the previous year) for a long weekend.  I hitchhiked from North Adams up Rte 7 in western Vermont and met up with Mac in Burlington.  The two of us then continued the hitching to Montreal (a story in itself) where Bob, having appreciated our effort, graciously drove the 2 hours from Ottawa to pick us up.  After a great weekend, we took a bus back to Montreal, where we planned to take another bus to Burlington.  When we arrived in Montreal, however, we had a change of heart.  The decision to stay put was at least partially due to the outrageous cost of the bus tickets to Burlington, but was also likely driven by not wanting to miss an opportunity to take in the Montreal night life.  We had no bank/credit cards and just enough cash for a few beers.  Finding a place to stay?  How to get out of the city the next day?  We would figure all that out later. 

We helped close down

Wellington Street

, and when we walked out of the last pub of the night, it was pouring out.  A local YMCA proved impossible to get into.  After roaming the streets for a while, we came up with a thought:  McGill University.  A TV lounge, perhaps?  Sure enough, we found a dorm, but the door was locked.  Somehow we were able to get in (Mac may have to help here…I remember a security guard, a student, a shrub and a skunk, not necessarily in that order).  We then made a B-line for the lounge, where we angled the couches to face the opposite wall.  This was to prove insightful… before falling asleep, I watched as a night-patrol flashlight scan of the room passed overhead.  The next day we slipped out of the dorm, split a breakfast, and spent the remainder of our cash on a subway ride over the St. Lawrence River, where a highway awaited our thumbs pointed south.

_________________________________________________

About the Video: Steely Dan made for TV version some time not long after the release of the album.  Fagan is to the right of the rest of the band on piano.

Video Rating: 1.5 (Good but could possibly be a bit better)

________________________________

Best Feedback: Jack

Hi Pete:

Good to hear from you.  Incidentally, your tale of going to Canada and hitchhiking through Vermont was quite intriguing! :-)  Didn't know Steely Dan was in your repertoire!  A very good and eclectic taste in music! :-)  

GMVW # 55: "A New Beginning"

Gem Music Video of the Week # 55:  A New Beginning

Song: Democracy by Leonard Cohen

(Songwriter: Leonard Cohen)

January 22, 2009

I avoided tackling this Gem during the primaries, conventions, and general election (for, ahhhh…. many reasons), but now seems about as good of a time as any.

I’m not sure my inauguration day experience matched Joe’s daughter, niece Meghan, (who was in Washington D.C. on Tuesday), but it was memorable.  I was in a room full of USGS scientists and technicians in Denver, taking time off from a meeting to watch the inaugural address on television.  There was plenty of emotion, and when President Obama stated “We will restore science to its rightful place”, there was a loud spontaneous cheer, as there was when he stated “and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threatens our planet.  These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.”  Good stuff.  There were many uplifted people in that room.

** The room then broke into a rendition of Thomas Dolby’s ‘Blinded Me With Science’.  Observation wells were uncorked.  A few atoms were split for good measure (ok, perhaps I’m taking a little narrative license). **

The days events had me thinking back 16 years to another inauguration   I recall watching the evening’s events, which included an MTV hosted concert featuring members of U2 and R.E.M., Natalie Merchant, and a reunion of Fleetwood Mac.  What I remember most about it though was Don Henley closing the event with a then new song, “Democracy” by Leonard Cohen, this week’s Gem.

Looking up ‘Democracy’ in Wikepedia, I came across this definition:

“Even though there is no universally accepted definition of 'democracy', there are two principles that any definition of democracy includes. The first principle is that all members of the society have equal access to power and the second that all members enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties.”

So, according to Cohen (in the lyrics of ‘Democracy’), one or the other (or both) are still lacking in the U.S.A., but also according to Cohen, we are as near as any country in closing that gap.  Note the lyrics, in reference to the U.S.A.:

“It’s here they’ve got the range

 And the machinery for change

 And it’s here they’ve got the spiritual thirst”

So anyhow, a change in administrations is certainly not the know all, end all of the immediate future, but it is a time for renewal.  Let’s hope for the best.  This week’s Gem is the official music video of Leonard Cohen’s song “Democracy”.  Below that is Don Henley’s cover of the song (I admit, Cohen’s vocals are an acquired taste, so I included Henley's version).  Below that is a great url link (with lead intro from the original attachment) sent to me from Mom, who very insightfully anticipated this week’s theme.

Top of the morning! (Mom’s link will explain this greeting)

- Pete

“ I'm sentimental, if you know what I mean

I love the country but I can't stand the scene.

And I'm neither left or right

I'm just staying home tonight,

getting lost in that hopeless little screen.

But I'm stubborn as those garbage bags

that Time cannot decay,

I'm junk but I'm still holding up

this little wild bouquet:

Democracy is coming to the U.S.A. ”

Leonard Cohen video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OETwbVBPI1U

Henley:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USlHqwTQVrU

“ Moneygall is a small village in County Offaly, Ireland.  It has a population of approximately 300 people, has a Roman Catholic Church, five shops, a post office, a national school, a police station and two pubs.  President-elect of the United States Barack Obama's great-great-great grandfather, Falmouth Kearney, emigrated from Moneygall to New York City at the age of 19 in 1850 and eventually resettled in Tipton County, Indiana.  Kearney's father had been the village shoemaker, then a wealthy skilled trade. And now for the SONG...Crank up your speakers. ”

http://www.oneeyedparrot.org/obama.html

_________________________________

About the video: Rare MTV-like video. 

Video Rating: 1

____________________________________

Best Feedback: Tina

dear pete,
i cant believe meghan was there. if they post pictures, will you pass them on?
 i love your snapshot of what obamas speech sounded like to the scientific community, and when i read the speech again, i will see you all cheering and splitting etc.
if you have a minute, take a peek at the song i chose (ROSA SAT @ http://www.wavyo.com/blog/). i just loved the images and progression of sat, walk, run and i loved the accompanying pictures.
 have a lovely day, pete, and thanks for sharing with me.
Tina
______________________________
Also: John

"The room then broke into a rendition of Thomas Dolby's 'Blinded Me With Science'".

You be hanging with NERDS, man!

GMVW # 54: "All Systems Go"

Gem Music Video of the Week # 54: All Systems Go

Song: Dirty Boulevard by Lou Reed

(Songwriter: Lou Reed)

January 15, 2009

Setting aside relationships, studies, and work for the moment, I’m sure everyone here has experienced a period in their lives when they had a Zen connection with a hobby, an exercise routine, a handicraft, writing, mechanics, or even something potentially overlooked, like understanding the talent behind a master artwork or the nuances of a sporting event.  In the latter case, I know brother Pat (there are two Pats on this email list) has connected the dots better than most of us when knowing what it takes for a team to win the Stanley Cup (I was in that Zen mode in the mid-80’s).  As for the other categories, just thinking of everyone on this list, there’s cooking, running, wood work, scuba diving, weightlifting, writing, playing a musical instrument, swimming, knowledge of world history, rebuilding an engine and knock ‘em dead humor.  I’m sure I’ve missed a few, but hopefully you get the picture.  That Zen period can last a month, a year, or with any luck, a lifetime.  If you lose it, you may try to get it back at a later date, not often to your satisfaction.

Same goes with an ear for music.  I recall a stretch in the mid 90’s when every visit to Franklin would include an invitation from Dad to his study, where he would sit me down and have me listen to Mozart.  To say Dad was into the music of Mozart at the time would be an understatement.  Dad would turn the music up during a particularly poignant stanza in a concerto, opera, or symphony and then say something along the lines of: “Can you believe that!”.  It was brilliant.  Dad was in the zone (perhaps the result of successfully raising a family, along with Mom of course).

I think everyone’s been there at one time or another.  I’ve seen it with Mac at Grateful Dead shows, Jeff Strause at folk festivals, and Mom listening to ‘The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley’ cd.  It’s when you are connecting with the music at a bit higher of a level than those around you.  It can happen in spurts with a given song or album, or cumulatively with a record collection or a string of concerts. 

I can trace back to 1989 as the period when I was most in tune with great music.  I know this because this was the year that Lou Reed released his ‘New York’ album, which I enjoyed thoroughly.    Not that I am a big fan of Lou Reed.  I look at it more along the lines of Lou Reed being that layer of musician that I could only tap into by wading in over my head.  To get to Reed’s ‘New York’ album, I had to go through Beatles ‘White Album’, into Townshend’s ‘All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes’, into the Stones ‘Exile on Main Street’ into The Band’s ‘Music From Big Pink’, into Roger Water’s ‘Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking’ into Robbie Robertson’s self titled solo debut, into Dylan’s ‘Basement Tapes’.  I’m not sure there could have been an easier route, and it could only happen during an intense stretch of concert attendance and listening loudly to music on

Lake Street

in my bachelor days. 

Critics reviewed Lou Reed’s ‘New York’ album as a return to his Velvet Underground days, so in a way I got to experience that 60’s New York City ‘underground’ sound that mesmerized many (including Jonathan Richman).  Reed followed up the release of the album with a tour.  A number of us got to see that tour when it stopped at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston.  What a show!  To enjoy it, however, you had to know the ‘New York’ album, because that was what Lou Reed played, from beginning to end.  At one time a guy got up and yelled “Play Sweet Jane!”, to which Reed replied “Sit down and shut up or get out of here!” (the exchange was later documented in a Rolling Stone review). 

Lou Reed is not one for pulling punches, as revealed in this week’s Gem ‘

Dirty Blvd

’ (off the New York album).  Feel good song, it is not, but, a gem nonetheless.

- Pete

“This room cost 2,000 dollars a month

you can believe it man it's true

somewhere a landlord's laughing till he wets his pants”

Gem Music Video: Dirty Boulevard (the original link has been lost temporarily *Dec, 09*.  This is an admirable live version)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31n-8ffVFVg&feature=PlayList&p=9663FBDA5A94229F&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=24

About the Video: Rare MTV-like video.  This one was introduced by someone speaking German, so it may have been a more popular video overseas.

Video Rating: 1

Best Feedback: John

I was driving somewhere with Mac when I first heard that song.  When it was over, Mac turned off the radio and "Hey Lou, cheer up, will ya."

Now about World War II......

Also: Amy

I guess I was the "knock em dead humor person??"
xo