At Last

At Last by Etta James

The day the World Series Champion is crowded is always a bittersweet day for me. You can't help but feel a little relieved that the seven month day-in-and-day out up-and-down emotional roller coaster is finally over. But at the same time you know within a week, come the Tuesday morning, you're going to miss it all. You're going to miss seeing who went yard. You're going to miss being able to curse out—under your breath of course—the bullpen son-of-a-bitch that cost your team (The White Sox in my case) the game last night. You're going to miss checking to see how St. Carlos' stats were affected by the game the night before—or if he did something magical the night before, you gush over it every few hours and it puts you in a better mood.

See when you follow a baseball team every day for an entire six or seven month period, it's like being in love. You know the ins and outs of the team. You know what guys and in what situations those guys are going to disappoint you. And when someone surprises you, a big smile comes across your face, because when that big hit comes when your not expecting it... it's like walking in the door and your lover saying, "you want to watch a Borne movie tonight?"

A baseball team, when you really follow them, is like loving a woman with a broken nose. It's better than all other love that sports can provide because it's such a personal experience, it ain't perfect, but it's a great time. See when you follow a team over 162 games most of those nights are spent with just you and the team. Just like every lover is—in the end—an intimate relationship between you and your love that no one else can understand.

Three years ago the White Sox won the World Series. It's not the greatest night of my life, but it's one of the two or three greatest. When they won it felt so wonderful, the joy that over came me was unbelievable. It's weird to say this, epically in an intellectual manner because it is after all just a team... but to me... they are a love. A true love. And it felt good.

That night, as I was in alone in D.C. getting drunk on champagne, I must have listened to this song twenty times. It was wonderful. I was up until well past 4a.m. listening to Etta James sing about her true love.

And it was wonderful because my first love—the White Sox—and I had finally made it.

Jelly Man Kelly

Jelly Man Kelly by James Taylor



There is something so great about James Taylor, yet at the same time something so lame about him. No other artist walks the fine line between lameness and greatness. (HYPERBOLE)

But this song? This song is great if only for the kids going nuts. Here's James singing a silly but kind of pretty song and then all of a sudden we have six kids of every race and creed screaming "OH JELLY COME HOME JELLY CAN HE COME?" You can't even hear James Taylor once the kinds start chiming in. FANTASTIC. And as a child I loved this song. It was so much fun.

Childhood was awesome.

I Need You

I Need You by The Beatles


A few weeks ago I was eating at Potbelly, and the guy playing at the time broke this song out... I had forgotten how absolutely fantastic it is.

And then after a little digging, I found out it's for or about Pattie Boyd. Pattie Boyd must have been one hell of a woman and muse. Why?

Well, Harrison wrote "I Need You" and "Something" for Pattie Boyd. Eric Clapton wrote "Wonderful Tonight" and "Layla" for her. THOSE ARE LIKE FOUR OF THE GREATEST SONGS EVER!!!! AND THEY ARE ALL ABOUT THE SAME PERSON!!!!

Come on people! This is amazing! Why don't we talk about Pattie Boyd on a daily basis? Why isn't she more well known? Seriously... we had men writing some amazing songs about her. It was like the Trojan War. And yet all I can find is photo exhibition on her.

If Joe DiMaggio is the Father of Pop Culture, the George Harrison is Menelaus, Eric Clapton is Paris, and Pattie Boyd is the Helen of pop culture.

Theme from the Greatest American Hero

Theme from the Greatest American Hero by Joey Scarbury

I was criticized on Friday night getting drinks with friends that this fine little blog was a tad bit too negative... so with that in light, I went out and found a happy song.

I don't remember "The Greatest American Hero" but like pretty much everyone in the world I know the theme. And it's one of those songs that puts me in a good mood. Bad day at work? How about a little Joey Scarbury? Thoughts of the New Man or childhood dreams that have passed away? "Believe it or not I'm walking on air! I never thought I could feel so free!"

Ah yes, one of those songs that can turn a bad day into a not so bad day.

And going as the Greatest American Hero for Halloween wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. See, I'm good for something.


P.S. it's safe to say this will be Jeoy Scarbury's one and only entry to this fine little blog.

Wolf Like Me

Wolf Like Me by TV on the Radio



Next year, when we look at the best songs of the first decade of the 21st century, this song will make most top 50 lists... and I've got a feeling it might even be #1 on a few lists (don't you get the feeling that Pitchfork sort of wishes it made in #1 in 2006?). This is a fantastic song—a driving, hard drum beat, daunting and interesting guitars, and vocals that drive home the hardness of the song. Then they slow it down during the bridge... only to pick it up again and in the background a somewhat haunting "the how and... forever... ho ho ho..." is repeated as the song closes.

It's one of those songs that I think every musician and band wishes it could write.

Lemon Grove Avenue

Lemon Grove Avenue by Mason Jennings

You can find and listen to it here.

A perfect summer time song. Lemon Grove Avenue is one of those songs that whenever I listen to it, I wish this is what life was like—there are birds in the trees, stars at night, a summer breeze, and you're living life with the one you love and you don't have to be anywhere in particular. Life is happy, it's worryless, it is carefree. In movies or while we're toiling away at work this is what we want—we want to live on Lemon Grove Avenue—a carefree life where mmm-bop-la-de-da-de-da is playing faintly from someones porch as you walk down the street, hand-in-hand, with the one you love.

It's not a sophisticated song, and honestly in the dead of a Chicago winter it's the last song you want to hear... but if I feel like getting away from reality and pretending, just for a few minutes, about a life I'll never live... we'll I might just turn this song on.

Your Love

Your Love by the Outfield


I had never really noticed this song until I was living in London and over the course of four months it sort of became one of the two or three official songs of my time there.

There were eight of us living in two flats on the northern edge of central London. We worked four days a week at Westminster—not only were we living together, we were also working together. The eight of us couldn't get away from each other. And since we were working, staying out until 1 or 2 in the morning was really an option most nights. There were nights when we'd all sit around and watch the BBC or even pop in a DVD.

And this is how I remember this song... it was a chilling in the flat song. I'm sure we only listened to it on a Friday or Saturday night when 'Bama wanted to get a little pumped to go out. And as that opening rift started up I too would get a little excited about what was ahead of us that night.

What's funny is that D has always said that the Strokes "Someday" reminds him of London because I listened to it all the time... but Someday doesn't bring up memories of London for me... it's the Outfield and "Your Love" because 'Bama listened to it all the time.

This is a pretty great song I might add (sorry about the video but it was the best I could do).

Fake Palindromes

Fake Palindromes by Andrew Bird


I love this song. Love this song. Love Love Love Love this song. From the intro with the winding violin and the distant vocal nearly screaming "Ohhhhhh ohhhh oh", to the steady verse that builds and builds, back to that winding violin, then the beat and Bird's vocals build to this when it all comes crashing together:
And she says I like long walks and sci-fi movies
If you're six foot tall and east coast bred
Some lonely night we can get together
And I'm gonna tie your wrists with leather
And drill a tiny hole into your head

According to Last FM, over the last two and half years I've listened to this song more than any other song. Something like 200 times, though it's probably higher. And I never ever get sick of it. From the image of my dewy-eyed Disney bride, to the thoughts of formaldehyde and fratricide... and then that woman. Who is this woman? And why haven't I met her? Why does she sound so interesting, so perfect, so troublesome—like someone you sholdn't be involved with but can't help it because you want to know where she got that bruise? I'd love it if she said to me that she liked long walks and sci-fi movies. I'd quickly tell her that I am six feet tall and while from the Midwest, I've done my time out east. And hopefully we'd go back and she'd drill that tiny hole in my head.

Crazy Love

Crazy Love by Van Morrison



One of the all time great love songs... just a fantastic song. We're all looking for this person, and I wonder how often it is that we find this person. The older I get, the more I start to believe that people end up with someone they are comfortable with, someone they are compatible with, someone they like. The perfect person—someone who has a fine sense of humor, who takes away trouble and grief—who stirs the passion in our hearts and souls; it seems like people don't look for this person. They just want someone who they get along with when the time is right.

I don't think I'm being cynical here, from my point of view as a 27 year old male in 21st century America, I'm being honest and realistic. People too often only want to fall in love when they want to fall in love. Sure that sounds obvious, but at the same time it's the way it works. The person who puts his/her career before all else won't have a meaningful and real relationship until one puts the relationship first. Too often "love" is what happens when we THINK it should happen.

Immaturity and mistakes get in the way in our journey to find love... these missteps, I feel, are just part of the process. As we grow and as we stay true to ourselves and keep our sexual drives at bay (to a certain extent), we'll end up with the person that is perfect for us. Who stirs passion in our soul and makes every day even better than the one before.

My senior year of high school we were talking about our favorite songs. My teacher for that class, A, wrote down that this was her favorite song on the chalk board. I remember going to the board (it was just that type of class and I was just that type of student) and finishing it by writing "Vol. II". I never knew this song existed... I always thought the only one that existed was Paul Simon's equally fantastic "Crazy Love, Vol. II." 'A' went to the board and quietly erased my ignorance.

Daniel

Daniel by Elton John


I can't really tell you why I like Elton John so much other than he's really good. And that's a pretty darn good reason isn't it? I also like the glasses he wore in the '70s. I'm not sure a musician dressed more perfectly for the kind of music he/she played than Elton John in the '70s.

But here's my question... where the hell is the current Elton John or Billy Joel (though if I was Billy Joel, I'd drink myself under the table every night in Manhattan too if I was always thrown in the same sentence as Elton John, but that's another day)...

ANYWAYS, where was I? Oh yes, the current singer/piano player pop star... where is he? I would very much like to have one in my life. And Ben Folds does not count because he's Ben Folds. The Fray is a band and they only have that one song. Anyway if anyone has any good piano playing pop starts that I should check out, hit up the comments section.

As for this song... for reasons I can't explain to you this reminds me of a German I knew about a year ago who worked at Su Casa (a Catholic Worker house in Back of the Yards). Daniel is now long gone, I'm 99.9% sure I'll never see, hear, or talk to him again; but I'll always remember him because of this song.

Music and the mind are weird. But everyone knows that.

So Says I

So Says I by The Shins


I love the Gilmore Girls. It's probably my second favorite show ever. I own DVDs. I watch these DVDs. The Gilmore Girls puts me in a good mood.

About a month ago I was watching an episode from Season Three—and I said to myself, I'm going to dress like Luke this winter. I am going to wear flannel shirt and a winter vest and sometimes a backwards baseball hat. This is going to be my winter gear and it's going to be great.

I mentioned this to some friends a few days after this thought. And they broke the news to me: flannel was in again, hipsters were starting to wear it. Wanna be hipsters were wearing it. People who like Sunset Rubdown where wearing it.

Read that again—people who like fucking Sunset Rubdown are wearing flannel! Sunset Rubdown is one of those indie bands that suck but everyone pretends they're good! They're the worst kind of people! They can't wear flannel! I can't stop using exclamation points!

So my winter is ruined before winter has even begun. Sigh.

As for this song... well in one of the most random Gilmore Girl episodes, Rory and Paris go to somewhere warm during spring break and at the bar they're at The Shins are playing "So Says I".

Effing hipsters and their flannel. I bet their reasoning wasn't as awesome as mine.