I fell madly, stupidly in love with Natalie Merchant in 1987. That was the year that 10,000 Maniacs, of which she was lead vocalist, released their stunning album "In My Tribe". To say I was blown away is an understatement. Besides loving her haunting voice, I was simply blown away by her lyrics. Songs about literacy, child abuse, the fall of the beat generation, sibling rivalry, war and aging, juxtaposed with an iconic cover version of Peace Train. Definitely my album of the year and started me on a love of Natalie Merchant and her songs which continues to this day.
I've found a very special video- Natalie and the Maniacs in 1990, performing "Hello In There" with Michael Stipe in Glasgow, Scotland on the banks of the river Clyde in 1990. A lovely version of the Joan Baez hit and a segway for me. My nifty little Feedjit thingy is telling me that I am getting visitors from all over the US and Europe. Some of you I recognize as my blog family, fellow writers whom I count as very valued friends who read regularly and inspire me to keep going. To you, and you know who you are, I am grateful and appreciative. To the rest of you, whom I don't know yet, why not drop me a line at worldojeff@gmail.com and tell me what brought you here. I'd love to know. And I don't bite.
Or just listen to Natalie and Michael. Whatever.
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The trials, tribulations and jaundiced observations of a single guy over 40 under the magical desert skies of Palm Springs. Aircraft, architecture, automobiles.
Blogs I Read Compulsively
- Big Ass Belle
- Birdie
- Farmboyz
- Father Geoff Farrow
- Flightblogger
- Flint Ex Pats
- Huffington Post
- Inch at a Time
- Joe.My.God
- Jungle Red
- Library Muscle Guy
- love, elizabeth
- Miss Janey's Place
- Palm Springs Automobilist
- Pleasant Valley Shopping
- Seattle P I Aerospace News
- Someone in a Tree
- subtle knife
- What Would Jackie Wear
- Why Oh Why
- Willy or Wont He
- Yellowdog Granny
4 comments:
What brought me here originally? Seeing you on several sites we have readership in common with peaked my curiosity, but it was actually two specific posts that had me back.
First, I am a big fan of the duality of juxtaposing very introspective, elegant and soothing music with scenes of brutal violence in film and artistic creation. It frames the violence in a very specific and very personal sense we have no comfortable way of referencing. Very effective. So I loved that post. Then, I came back two days later and saw your kick ass and spot on write up on the "amazing blend of coquette and serial killer, she's Ronnie Spector with a switchblade".
I also fall on the she is a tad misunderstood camp and see it as more tragic than selacious. Especially these days.
And what can I say, I have been coming back and enjoying it immensely ever since!
When I first started my blog a few months ago, for the first month, I convinced myself that I had precisely four people reading it regularly (myself included). It's such a comment-free zone that I figured that no one was looking.
Then I added Feedjit and Sitemeter to my blog. I discovered that I get around 30 visitors a day (not stellar, but not shabby). Some of them visit once a week, some visit nearly every day, some even visit two or three times a day. But they're all silent readers.
Once I found this out, I decided to keep on blogging. I figured that if people come back, then I'm not going too horribly wrong.
So I agree strongly that Feedjit and Sitemeter provide you with interesting and useful information.
BTW, if you look on my blog for the "They Did It Their Way" entry for the letter "M," I have a link to a YouTube video of Natalie Merchant and Michael Stipe singing "To Sir With Love" at one of the many Clinton Inaugural Balls in 1997. Just to tie this back into the other part of your post.
Found I haven't been commenting much on my friend's blogs lately but I'm still visiting almost every day. But I think I came into World o' via Lynette - something you said in a comment made me click on your blog and I've always been glad I did. You know how much I enjoy our Sunday drives.
The video post has me sitting here on the balcony with tears streaming down my face. I had forgotten that song and at the moment as we deal with Laurent's mother's spiril into the last stage of Alzheimers it struck a nerve.
I'm not one to repeat what the last person's written but I've tears in my eyes too, on accout of the Merchant/Stipe vid and your more recent post about friends. You're turning me into a Mr WaterWorks, Mr O'Jeff.
It seems to me I happened upon you thanks to the Big Ass Belle. You'd just posted about the Del Rubio Triplets, I'd seen them at Montreal's Pride about 20 years and I thought, 'this is someone who might have interesting stuff to say.'
Turned out I was correct.
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