RIP Ray Manzarek, 1939-2013

I’ve said several times that Jim Morrison was my least favorite member of The Doors. Once I graduated from middle school, I realized that Morrison’s poetry was somewhat ridiculous, although as a frontman he remained one of the best ever. As an adult, I remained a loyal Doors fan due primarily to the musicianship of Robby Krieger, John Densmore and especially Ray Manzarek. It is that unique sound that endures and that separates them from any other 60’s-era group.

Manzarek was really the key, especially on those early albums. They did not use a bass player at all early on, so Manzarek performed double duty playing both the intricate keyboard parts and using bass pedals and his left hand for the bottom. And these bass lines weren't just root notes, they were groovy lines unto themselves. Yet this was just half of what he was doing at any one time. The carnival-like intro to “Light My Fire” may be the most identifiable keyboard part in all of rock. Manzarek could play in a variety of styles, within a few bars of a song he could be baroque and then get bluesy.


ABOVE: The Doors playing "Light My Fire" in Europe in 1968. Ignore Jim Morrison's antics and listen to the interplay between Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore. That is where the real magic of the Doors lies.

The Doors were formed in a chance meeting between Manzarek and Morrison on an L.A. beach. After Morrison’s death, The Doors carried on for a couple of records with Manzarek taking on the vocal duties as well. He then continued to play in other bands, produced some bands (most notably X)…but he primarily made a career out of carrying The Doors torch. He was always showing up in documentaries about either the band or the era and producing compilations. In essence, he was the greatest postmortem publicist Jim Morrison could have ever hoped for. Manzarek was justly proud of what The Doors were able to do in a short period of time as a recording band with Jim Morrison (five years). He was a true believer in the 60’s ethos, and a true believer in The Doors. He was also one of the finest rock musicians to walk the planet.

RIP Ray Manzarek.

Dez's NBA Conference Finals Predictions

The East: Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks

Yes, I know that as of this posting Indiana and New York have not finished their series (I pick Indiana, by the way). But, does it really matter which of these teams moves on as the sacrificial lamb for the Miami Heat to slaughter? No. Indiana doesn't have the depth, and New York doesn't have the maturity.

Dez Says: Miami in 5 against either team.

The West: San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Now, this will be a hell of a series. Not one that David Stern particularly wanted (you know, no flashy stars or glitz, just fundamental and gritty basketball with brutal defenses). As a Spurs fan, Memphis scares me even more than Oklahoma City did at full strength. (Memphis is the only team, by the way, that I give a chance against Miami in a Finals, because their strength is Miami's only weakness). This will be a series of a dying breed, the big men in the middle. Memphis' Randolph and Gasol vs. The Spurs' Duncan and Splitter. I hope I'm wrong, but...

Dez Says: Grizzlies in 7.

Nixon Returns

I've always been a big fan of Richard Nixon. My students joke with me because I am often defending him. Partly because it is a fun challenge and drives my students crazy, but Nixon did some good things. So I am a bit pleased to see just how Nixonian the Obama administration has become.

The Justice Department asking for phone records from the AP to investigate "security leaks"? Ah, feels like the good old days of about '72 or so and CREEP. Plug those leaks. As Tricky Dick used to say, "it's national security."

Sending the IRS after your political enemies? That was a favorite of Nixon and LBJ as well. Obama and his administration are shocked. "I'm shocked. I'm shocked that there is gambling going on here." "Here's your winnings sir." "Oh thank you."

And Bengazi. Changing the story to avoid political damage? That was Nixon and LBJ throughout Vietnam.

It is sort of nice to see the Nixon legacy live on. Oh, and a healthy disdain for any attempts to investigate and search for the truth.

Dez Record Guides: U2

U2 is the most important rock band of the last 30 years. I know there are other candidates – Nirvana, Radiohead, REM. But nobody has made a bigger impact for as long since 1980. They are a classic case of turning limitations into strengths and innovating to overcome them. They are unabashedly heart on your sleeve and anthemic, and then unconvincingly try and tell you it is just a put-on and that they really are cynical and ironic (the 90’s). With no line-up changes for their entire existence, Bono, Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton have been about as consistent as they come. Having come to a creative dead-end at the close of the 80’s that would have consigned most other bands to mediocrity the rest of the way, they pulled off the most successful reinvention in rock history. I think that U2 were one of the last bands that felt important. From 1980 until about ’94, they were a band that inspired such fierce allegiance, being a U2 fan was akin to having an ideology. I don’t know that in today’s environment we could have a band that means as much as U2 used to mean to people. As albums get less important, so do big musical statements. It is sad that many of my students, who think U2 means “Beautiful Day,” have no clue what they were really all about when they really mattered. U2 has really done their fans right with their expanded, deluxe edition releases of all of their records up through 1991. Each has been remastered and features at least one extra disc of b-sides from the period, outtakes, live tracks, etc.

Boy (1980) ****
Still trying to find a signature sound and tentative in spots, yet the ambition is already undeniable. Edge’s guitar dominates here in all of its primitive, skeletal glory (before he discovered all of the effects). Unsurprisingly, this is U2 in its rawest form, yet the record sounds very cohesive, it works extremely well as a piece.

October (1981) ***
Probably the most neglected record in their catalogue. Odd to have such a crisis of confidence so early in a career; it wants to expand the boundaries of the first record, but doesn’t really know how. Noble effort, though, and there is some great moody music here, some darker tones. It does not have the cohesion (sameness?) of the debut. Supposedly they almost broke up at this point, as Bono had some serious writer’s block and a couple of the others were having a crisis of faith (can you be a good Christian and be in rock and roll? Not your average issue for a rock band. Obviously, they decided that you could). A cool destination if you’ve heard most of the rest of their catalogue to death, since you probably haven’t heard much from October.

War (1983) *****
The peak of their early arena rock period and one of the best records of the 80’s, here is where America first discovered these Irish seekers. Strident, martial, rocking and very political, they do not shy away from the issues of the day (“Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Refugee,” “Surrender,” “Seconds”), yet they make it universal enough and so compelling that regardless of your views, you cannot help but be drawn in to some of the most passionate music of the decade. They became one of the few bands that, at this point, could be embraced both by the alternative crowd and the mainstream with neither side feeling that they were compromising.

Under a Blood Red Sky (live) (1984) ****
"So this is Red Rocks..." Relentless and concise live document (it is really an EP) that serves as an excellent summation of the band up to this point, especially in light of the change in direction that was about to come.

The Unforgettable Fire (1985) *****
A transitional record, yet it creates such a distinct and consistent mood. The hit was “Pride,” but the rest of the record is very much ethereal and transcendent in places. Producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois become essentially the 5th and 6th members of the band, their fingerprints are all over this record. Who else does a song like “Sort of Homecoming”?

Wide Awake in America (part live EP) (1986) ****
Only four tracks (2 live, 2 b-sides), it is all you could ask from an EP. The versions of “Bad” and “Sort of Homecoming” best the studio versions. I think it was right here where Bono’s voice peaked in its power, range and expression.

The Joshua Tree (1987) *****
I’ve written at length about TJT, listing as my favorite record on my albums list. Read the original write-up if you want to know why. About as perfect a rock and roll record as you will ever find, and perfectly produced too.

Live in Paris (live) (1987/2008) ****
Great live document (available only as a download on itunes) from the Joshua Tree tour with one glaring omission (no “Where the Streets Have No Name,” which may be the ultimate concert opener).

Rattle and Hum (part live, part studio) (1988) ***
The notorious unintentionally Spinal Tap-esque documentary film aside, the accompanying album was a bit more satisfying. It does sound like what it was, though, the dead-end of their second phase. Yet there are still some wonderful moments here (like “All I Want Is You”).

The Best of 1980-1990 (compilation and b-sides) (2008/1980-1990) ****
U2’s music unfolds so logically when listened to chronologically, so I don’t know why they sequenced the compilation seemingly at random. It was valuable upon original release because for a limited time it contained a bonus disc filled with the excellent b-sides and rarities from the same period.

Achtung Baby (1991) *****
The greatest reinvention in rock history. Their American obsession culminated with the ‘Rattle and Hum’ fiasco (the film, not the record), and here they return to Europe and somehow capture the zeitgeist of the times with the Velvet Revolution, the fall of the USSR and opening up of the East (sonically, not lyrically). They embrace industrial sounds and dance rhythms, generally loosen up, and are able to evoke some Bowie Berlin magic as well, but it is more than that.

Zooropa (1993) ****
This was intended as a toss-off, but in my view, it actually succeeds more fully in trying to capture that Euro mood than its more substantial predecessor.

Original Soundtracks 1 (collaboration with Brian Eno, released as The Passengers) (1995) ***
A cool collaboration where Brian Eno is actually a full-fledged member of the band. Experimental to some extent, but it comes across as the minor side project that it was meant to be.

Pop (1997) **
The first failure. What was a breath of fresh air with Achtung Baby and Zooropa became stale here. It especially takes a nosedive in the second half. Also, they had pre-booked the tour, and so ran up against a deadline to finish the record before it was, well, really finished. Listen to the remixes of the three or four songs that appear on the Best of 1990-2000 set, and they are all stronger versions reflecting the arrangements that they worked out on the road after the record came out. They are an indication of how much better this could have been had they taken more time to finish it.

All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000) ***
Best of 1990-2000 (compilation and remixes) (2002) ****
How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004) **
U218Singles (compilation) (2006) ***
No Line on the Horizon (2009) **

Since 2000, U2 has settled into a comfortable neo-classicist style, reflecting their more anthemic 80’s style with only touches of the more experimental 90’s. But overall, the sound has a sameness about it that is disappointing. The lyrics have dipped noticeably too, as Bono has gotten more generic and he clearly is spending more time as globetrotting do-gooder (and he does some serious good, by the way) than working on his writing craft. The rest of the band, too, seems to have settled into a comfortable cruise control. This is not necessarily all bad, about half of each of these three studio records is good pop/rock faire. But the other half is completely forgettable. HTDAAB may be their most disappointing record overall so far, though. The failures of Pop are at least interesting failures, but HTDAAB is just dull.

Bottom Line: Boy, War, Under a Blood Red Sky, Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, Zooropa…all essential records from the last 30 years bolstering my proposition that U2 are the most important band since 1980. The hits collections are nice, but U2 is an album-oriented band, so there really is no substitute for diving into the best of their records. It is worth your while.

What Is a Hero?

"Hero" is a word used way too often. People can do admirable things, people can show bravery and courage. But just in doing those things, or in doing the "right" thing, as in what would be expected...is that heroic? I get irritated at how often the word "hero" gets thrown around. Is every firefighter a hero? Is every soldier serving our country a hero? Some would say so, I guess. They are professions that require courage and skill. Webster's defines a hero, in part, as someone who is the "ideal" or a "model." The best of us all. If every soldier who serves is a hero, then that is hardly a model or ideal, because almost by definition a model or ideal should be a rare thing indeed. Even in such events as the recent Boston bombings, when the blasts went off, many people ran to assist and help the injured. Does that make a "hero," or is that just what we would expect of any good, moral, non-cowardly American? To me, a "hero" should exhibit character, courage and bravery, sure. But there should be something more. Perhaps a hero is someone who goes above and beyond what would be expected of any decent person. (One of the other reasons I am hesitant to label every firefighter or soldier a "hero" is that they are compensated for what they do. That is their chosen profession. In the military veteran situation, they also receive still generous G.I. Bill benefits). Perhaps a hero is someone who stands up for what is right or for the rights of others, even in the face of possible harm to themselves.

Christine Miller was a hero. She was born in 1918 in South Texas. She grew up a black woman in prejudiced times, working in her youth in cotton fields and losing her parents at a young age. She knew hardship. But she persevered, got a job as a clerk, and ended up in Los Angeles, working her way up to a comfortable middle class existence. So far, not exactly heroic, but admirable considering her circumstances. But she also stood up to a megalomaniac homicidal dictator/messiah figure deep in the jungle of a faraway land, called him out on his dangerous bullsh*t when it mattered most even when he had an armed militia willing to carry out his bidding. She stood up, even though she was relatively uneducated, and tried to engage him on his own terms, taking his own complicated ideology and turning it against him. She stood up and demanded that the lives of hundreds of children be spared. She was relatively alone, as a crowd of people shouted her down. Unfortunately she was unsuccessful. Those hundreds of children died on that stormy November day in 1978. So did the megalomaniac. So did his militia. So did Christine Miller. Almost 1000 people died needlessly that day. But she tried to stop the madness. It took courage for the few who did survive to take off running into the jungle. But it took a hero to stay there and try and save the innocent. That is the difference between having courage and being a hero. Christine Miller gave her life to try to save others.

Christine Miller joined Jim Jones's Peoples Temple for the same reason many others did. She wanted to help people and believed that life could be more just, more perfect. Forget the stereotype of mindless drones "drinking the Kool-Aid." These were good people, idealistic people who were trying to live a better life. Actually, there were many reasons people entered the orbit of Jim Jones. Some were very educated progressive-minded people who were attracted to Jones's message of racial harmony and socialism. But many within the flock of Peoples Temple were poor, many minorities, who had lived a hard life. Jim Jones and his church lifted the downtrodden from a life of poverty and gave them more. Jones welcomed the poor, former drug addicts...society's outcasts. You have to understand this because for a very long time, the message of Jim Jones was good. It was revolutionary and it was backed up by work and deeds. It would take another post entirely to unravel his complex ideology, how it started in the Pentecostal tradition and slowly transformed into a Marxist message of revolution. And also his spiral into madness. But Jones already gets too much ink. Let's talk about Christine.

On that morning of November 18, 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana, when the madness of Jim Jones manifested itself in the implementation of his "revolutionary suicide" doctrine, Christine stepped up to challenge him. We know this because it is all recorded on tape. Jones was an obsessive about recording everything, so the beginning of the mass suicide/murder is all available to hear. Naturally, it is heartwrenching to listen to, but it is fascinating and instructive as well.

That morning, after congressman Leo Ryan and his entourage were attacked at the nearby airstrip by Jones's goons (Ryan, having finished a factfinding mission to Jonestown, is the only congressman in our history to be gunned down and killed while in office), Jones knew the gig was up and he decided to end it all for everybody. As his followers lined up for the poisoned drink (while surrounded by Jones's armed guards, so it is an open question as to how many did this willingly), Christine stands up and starts to ask questions.

Christine first asks if there is an alternative. How about going to Russia? Jones had often touted his "connections" to the Soviets to his followers, and Christine here is now calling him out on that. She says simply, "is it too late for Russia?" This takes Jones by surprise, so much so that he makes a show of getting one of his lieutenants to make "a call" to the USSR. Christine then points out that only a few dozen disgruntled followers had left with Ryan to the airstrip, and so many hundreds of others decided to stay in Jonestown. But Jones is so unhinged, the thought of even a few abandoning him is apocalyptic. (Also, he knows of the carnage at the airstrip, and even in his state, he knows that he cannot get away with gunning down a sitting U.S. congressman).

Jones is despondent and slurring his speech (as he is heavily drugged), but Christine pushes on. "As long as there is life, there is hope," she asserts. Christine then makes a bold claim, especially considering the Peoples Temple collective, that she as an individual, and all of the other individuals present, have the right to choose for themselves. At this point, she is violently shouted down by some in the crowd, and told that she has lived a full life up to this point only by the grace of Jones. She then moves on to plead with Jones to at least spare the children, the hundreds of children in Jonestown who cannot make this choice. She even smartly throws out the name of his own youngest son, a last ditch effort to personalize the carnage for him. At this point she is cut off and the grim job begins. If you want to hear it, it is easily found online and in documentaries. I won't post it here, though.

We don't really know exactly how Christine Miller met her end. Several accounts reveal that those who did object, and there were some, were forcefully injected. (Jones, the coward that he was, did not take his own poison. He was found at the foot of his "throne" with a bullet through his head. Self-inflicted? Was he murdered?) I would imagine that Christine's fate was forced on her. The strategy was to start with the babies and young children first in order to break the will of the adults. We know this because Jones and his inner circle had worked out this strategy well ahead of time. But also the dissidents were to be injected first as well, by force if necessary.

Christine Miller stands as a hero, someone who did everything in her power to stop this awful day from unfolding as it did. Who risked being ostracized and ridiculed by the only community she had, or worse even risked violent attack. She tried to protect the most innocent in Jonestown, the hundreds of children. She is not famous, she is really only known to that niche of historian like myself who have been fascinated by Jonestown and who want to know why. She spoke for those too scared or unable to speak that day.

NBA Playoff Predictions: Round 2

I did alright predicting the winners in the first round. 6 of the 8. Also called the Chicago/Brooklyn series going seven. How things can change during a round, though. My Houston Rockets fought valiantly and did my San Antonio Spurs a tremendous favor by knocking OKC's Russell Westbrook out for the playoffs. With Westbrook out, you have to say that The Spurs are now the favorite team out of the West to lose to The Heat in the Finals. My predictions for this round...

The West

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies
The Clippers learned what most teams already know. You don't want to face Memphis. They are gritty and tough. I would not have predicted this before Westbrook went down, but now I've got to call...
Dez says: Memphis in 6.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors
This will be a fun series, as these teams have different styles in some respects. I really enjoy Golden State. But the Spurs are firing on all cylinders again at the right time.
Dez says: SA in 6.

The East

Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls
You've got to admire Chicago's grit in the face of their injuries and their wuss of a star, the forever recovering-even-though-he's-been-cleared-to-play-for-months Derrick Rose. Chicago will get one out of toughness.
Dez says: Miami in 5.

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers
The talented Knicks showed that they still have some growing up to do in the series against Boston. But their talent should still see them through this round.
Dez says: NY in 7.

Thoughts?

Dez Record Guides: Buffalo Springfield

For many music listeners, Buffalo Springfield is remembered primarily as the launching pad for the careers of such notables as Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. (In a similar way that The Yardbirds is remembered more for giving us the Holy Trinity of British Guitar Gods-Clapton, Beck and Page-than for their own work.) But in their two short, tumultuous years, Buffalo Springfield pioneered a true amalgam of rock, country, folk, bluegrass and psychedelia. Stills and Furay were probably the first, but by no means the last, to discover how thrilling and impossible it is to work for any sustained length of time with Neil Young. While Neil is the most important artist to emerge from their ranks, and he was also the wild card that made them so interesting, at heart this was Stills’ band. One of the great “what ifs” is what kind of music we would have had if they had been able to hang together for another three or four records.

Buffalo Springfield (1966/1967) ****
A wonderful set of American music-influenced rock, it was clear from the outset that this was a special band. The suits at Atlantic were uncomfortable with Young’s “acquired-taste” vocals, so while he was a major songwriter on the record, most of his tunes were sung by the more vocally pleasing Furay. BS was made much better when it was re-issued in ’67 with Stills’ haunting, generation defining single “For What It’s Worth” tacked on.


ABOVE: Neil Young’s famous 1948 Buick hearse, or one just like it (dubbed “Mortimer” by Neil). He used it because there was plenty of room for equipment and the slide-out tray that usually supports a casket was great for heavy amplifiers. Legend has it that Young and bassist Bruce Palmer, newly arrived from Canada, were stuck in L.A. traffic on Sunset. Going in the opposite direction were Stills and Furay. Stills recognized Neil’s wheels (they had crossed paths in Canada), made an illegal u-turn, and Buffalo Springfield was literally born on the Sunset Strip (they soon added session man Dewey Martin on drums).

Buffalo Springfield Again (1967) *****
Potential realized. This is one of the most exciting and diverse records of the 1960’s. Young delivers three of the best songs of his career with the Stonesy “Mr. Soul,” the gorgeous “Expecting To Fly” and the experimental “Broken Arrow.” Stills is at the top of his game here too, giving us the never bested folk-rock masterpiece “Rock and Roll Woman” and his crowning achievement, the genre-busting “Bluebird.” If that isn’t enough, Furay emerges as a major songwriting talent as well, with his catchy “A Child’s Claim to Fame” and the lovely “Sad Memory.” So much talent here that…

Last Time Around (1968) ***
…it couldn’t last. The Springfield were already disbanded by the time this hodgepodge was released, it is really a collection of semi-solo tracks played with various session musicians. The actual band never plays together on a single track. That’s not to say that there still is not some worthwhile music here, especially Young’s “I Am a Child” and his Furay-sung “On the Way Home,” as well as Stills’ “Questions” (a dry run for his later CSNY hit, “Carry On”), and Furay’s “Kind Woman,” which is one of the prettiest country songs you will ever hear.

Retrospective: The Best of Buffalo Springfield (compilation) (1969) *****
A bit on the short side at 12 tracks, but that actually makes it all the more potent. The Springfield’s most essential stuff is here (well, it is missing “Questions”), and it is a perfect listen from start to finish.

Buffalo Springfield (compilation) (1973) ****
Out of print double album compilation that is quite the collector’s item due to the part live nine minute version of “Bluebird.” But in all honesty, the studio version of the song is better.

Buffalo Springfield (compilation box set) (2001) ****
You would think that a four disc set for a band that only released three records would be able to cover all of the bases. At the very least, it should contain those three short records in their entirety (it can be done on one and half modern day CDs). Not when Neil Young is the archivist putting it all together. Instead you get the first two records twice (mono and stereo versions), a bunch of outtakes and demos (a handful of which are really worthwhile) and highlights from the third record. Why not include all of the third? Where’s any of the legendary live material that allegedly exists in bootleg form and in the vaults? What is here is great stuff and at times it can be a revelatory set, yet it is not completely satisfying.


ABOVE: Look closely at the Last Time Around album cover. Neil Young is already looking to go his own idiosyncratic way.

Bottom Line: Retrospective is crucial to any collection, but the rest of their catalogue is more for dedicated fans of these individuals. Buffalo Springfield Again, of course, should be owned in its entirety, but honestly Retrospective contains its most essential tracks as well.