Rehabilitating A Hit Single

Hit singles have a history. Just like they chart in Billboard, you can chart their history. The first time you hear them, they're pleasant, notable. The next few times, they're great. The whole mid-range of experiencing them is one of comfort, solidity, identification. After they've hung around for a while, you've heard all there is to hear. Then they're fading and you'd like to kick them out the door.

After a couple years have passed, the hit single is distinctly an oldie, recalling that time two years ago, and making you feel nauseous. Or good, depending. Good, all except for the fact that it's moldy.

I feel that way definitely for sure about the song "Bad Day," by Daniel Powter. I don't believe we've heard from him since. I recently got the song on a compilation CD (Grammy nominees from that year), and have it on my Ipod. Shuffling today it came on, and I felt that nausea and yet also the desire to hear it through. It sounded like itself, of course, but it wasn't a very pleasant experience.

The poor song was everywhere, American Idol, the radio, grocery stores. Making him a lot of money. But now it's like hearing cries from a leper colony. You'd just as soon not be within earshot of it.

How to rehabilitate it, I don't know. Other songs lose their hit single qualities with the passing of time, somewhat. Like Beatles songs or The Rolling Stones. Probably because you generally have the albums as well, you've heard their singles in some context, not just that one song.

I think maybe "Bad Day," along with another big hit single, "Unwritten," may be relegated to the Do Not Play Under Any Circumstances pile. Great at the time, but nasty beyond belief now.

The Sedona Method

I never heard of the Sedona Method till today. I was at a thrift store looking at the books and saw this book, "The Sedona Method," and glanced to see what it was. It might have had to do with knitting, cooking, exercise, I didn't know.

But it is subtitled, "Your Key to Lasting Happiness, Success, Peace and Emotional Well-being." What we each want, really. The categories on the back cover, top, are Self-Help and Spirituality. So that's appealing.

It's by a guy named Hale Dwoskin, no one I've ever heard of. But it has Jack Canfield's name at the top, and it seems like Jack's name is on every third book I see. An exaggeration there. He's the Chicken Soup guy and apparently a Book Blurb Guy About Town. Debbie Ford has a blurb on the back ... I think she's an up and coming Book Blurb Person, too. You get some of these Book Blurb people on your book and you've got a hit.

I've only glanced through the book less than five minutes. But it looks like the Sedona Method has to do with releasing some of your hold on emotions and seeking the approval of people. I saw one little bit about holding on and letting go. I'm a holder, that's for sure. So maybe if I can, I'll try to give this book a chance.

Looking At People's Photos

I was at a funeral today and looking at the photo board that they always have now. I think this is something that is a fairly recent feature. I don't remember it at Grandma and Grandpa's funerals in the '70s. It's like salad bars. Someone thought of the obvious and next thing you knew everyone had one.

Looking at photos is an interesting experience. Even if you don't know the person whose photos they are. Of course in this case I knew her, but they would've been just as interesting otherwise.

What's interesting? You can peg the general era the photos were taken about every time. The formal class photo, an 8 x 10, soft color, the color nearly fake. Lots of greens and blues. Snapshots from the '30s and '40s. Still crisp, clear. 110 camera film from the '70s, the colors losing some of their realism, just about every time.

I also like the various poses. The fun poses that are almost cliche but are still entirely lacking in self-consciousness. At least they weren't going for a cliche look.

Elvis' Religious Albums

I've never paid much attention to Elvis Presley's religious albums before. And I'm a real Elvis fan.

I definitely have a real spiritual/religious side, but in general I tend to shy away from a lot of religious music. Whatever they're testifying to doesn't usually do much for me. Something about religious celebrities seems like a difficult contradiction to me. I do trust Elvis' spiritual experiences over the years, so that's not the problem. It just wasn't for me.

But recently I've been listening to a little more of it. I got a decent two CD set by Mahalia Jackson and enjoyed some of the spirituals on there. So I'm looking at CDs, and I know these titles, "His Hand In Mine" and "How Great Thou Art," are original albums, now re-released in 2008, and I think Why Not? You love Elvis, why wouldn't you love to hear these (I have heard some of them before, just not much)?

And sure enough, I do love them. They're great. Elvis puts a lot of feeling and intensity into the songs. The first album was recorded, at least for the most part, at one all night session. I read about that session in the notes to the Complete '60s Masters, and he did some inspired work that night. So that's enjoyable. The second album was 1967, I believe, and he sounds in excellent form then too. After those two, I decided, why not get the other one too, "He Touched Me," from the early '70s. If you're going to have something you may as well have it all!

So now, if there's any others ... I don't know about them.

Little Cards

I've been writing up some conclusions in the morning on my various spiritual wanderings. Today I thought it'd be a good idea to put some of it on a card, abbreviated in abbreviations that only I could understanding, but ... no cards.

This is something that might be worth recommending. Get some little cards, about the size of business cards (which I haven't done yet) and come up with some kind of system. Then carry it around and remind yourself of your conclusions.

I know for me, I tend to forget the good feelings and good conclusions -- which is a good word -- but today I referred to it on a little sheet of paper, not quite as good as a card would be.

It was a handy sheet of paper too, because someone called, I needed a piece of paper to write down a note to myself and used the back of it! Except the pen wasn't working too great.

Dem Franchize Boyz

Remember the song, "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It"?

I'm listening to it on my Ipod. I remember hearing it on the radio a couple years ago, with all the little cleaned up edits on it. It must be filthy in its original form, because all the little blank spots are so many it's all you notice.

It's a catchy tune. Seems like they could've simply recorded a clean version rather than having to blank this one out so many times. It's annoying.

The Downside and Upside of the Job

We were reading the local police page today with much interest, because there seemed to be a lot more crime over the holidays. One guy was listed in there three times, two times of intoxication if I recall and problems associated with it, and also his car hit a post, driver unknown. Another guy was listed a couple times.

There were two incidences that involved arrestees resisting arrest, spitting or attempting to spit at the police, and trying to kick out the window of a police car. Two!

It makes me think the police have a harder job than it looks like. But a good job. Because if it weren't for criminals like these guys, they wouldn't have a job. So much. So look on the bright side. The same guy who spits on you today is signing your paycheck tomorrow.

Tarot Cards

I caught a glimpse of All My Children yesterday. I usually watch the first 10-15 minutes while eating, then that's it.

But I came downstairs toward the end and Opal was doing something with tarot cards. She's the resident psychic. She's always been that on the show, and her predictions tend to come true. It's easy to do when it's scripted.

The whole thing with the cards and Opal is that they're very predictive. She can turn up the Devil or Death card and it's disaster, blah blah blah. Give me a break.

Where to go with this. I don't think so.

Down The List

Right down the list, what's it got to be?

I was watching Jimi Hendrix play the guitar, on the complete Woodstock performances DVD. He's playing automatically, not even thinking about it. The way he's mashing at the strings, I'd think it'd be nothing but distortion and muffled mistakes. That's the difference between knowing what you're doing and not.

Shelagh McDonald

Here's something I keep wondering about: What else is there out there I've never heard of that's suddenly going to appear one day as something that's always been there?

I got a CD by Shelagh McDonald at a thrift shop yesterday (12-31). I saw it. It looked like something, since it said it included rare, unissued recordings. They don't usually put that on the front of a CD by a local artist putting out her own CD to sell at the local bookstore. So I'm thinking, hmm, who could this be?

I glanced at the liner notes and it talked about Shelagh's disappearance, the mystery, etc., and I'm wondering how I never heard about any of this.

The CD, called "Album," was only a dollar, so naturally I got it. There's some pretty things on there. I haven't heard the whole thing. I came home and read up on her on the internet. And the mystery as to what happened to her has since been resolved. That's good.

But I see she has two albums. The other one is called "Stargazer," and is apparently more rare. Amazon dealers have "Album" for a few bucks, but "Stargazer" is in the $69-$89 range, thereabouts.

If you're out there -- and semi-famous -- and I haven't heard of you yet -- just relax, I'll get around to you sooner or later.