Zzzzz Part II

ZZ Part I here.

Bing Crosby singing White Christmas

That was the #1 song in 1942. (Other top-selling bands/artists include such rocking names as Glen Miller, Woody Herman, and Jimmy Dorsey along with their respective orchestras.)

I did find the book I was looking for-- The Encyclopedia of American History (1965) which I've written about, it's a great book. It put me on the trail of White Christmas which I've written about. Wikipedia confirmed the song's status for '42. 

So to recap... .

ZZ Top : undergraduates in 2014 

= 

Bing Crosby : undergraduates in 1978

I don't know what to say other than go see ZZ Top in concert at Mississippi State University October 30th. 

ZZ Part I

Be there or be square.

According to that infallible source Wikipedia, ZZ Top created its signature sound during its first decade, 1973-1982. Let's use 1978 as our half-way mark thorough that decade and do a little arithmetic.

In 1978 I was a 20 year old undergraduate. 

2014 - 1978 = 36

1978 - 36 = 1942

Somewhere I have a crappy old book (or maybe two) listing top ten songs, popular bands and singers, and so on from years gone by. I'll see if I'm able to find out who was marching in the hit parade in 1942. 

"I think I'd rather die and go to hell and face the devil... "

Words first. Story afterward.

Genuine pathos requires tragedy-- the non-participation of the agent in his or her misfortune, tough circumstances alone don't suffice.

--Mr. Big Food

A sense of pathos is the sole accompaniment of the sentiment of disgust I feel watching msnbc.

--A. Leland

It has been made abundantly clear over the course of the semester that [Miss M] harbors no pathos for Hester Prynne.

--Daughter C

"Id' be better off in a pine box, on a slow train back to Georgia," invoked such pathos in Max and me that we convinced [Mr. Big Food] to not delete the duplicate copy on the Redneck Collection.

--Marica

As long time readers know, the Redneck Collection-- a set of 50+ CDs filled with, well, redneck music, writ large, that Mr. Big Food has been putting together over the last 10 or so years, maybe more-- is always in the background. It's more than Country/Western. It's American music. We know these songs. Together with show tunes from the 50s, gospel hymns, The Beatles, The Who, The Dead, a little Credence, some Phish, and Charlie Brown songs we know, they comprise Our Family Song Library.

Early on, Mr. Big Food put Doug Stone's I'd Be Better Off on the Redneck Collection. It's hard to have a favorite from among these many many songs. But I've always liked this one. I remember commenting to Max that I thought this was the most pathetic song on the collection-- "pathetic" in the Greek sense of pathos. 

Through some series of events no one can quite recreate, the exact same song, same version, was duplicated on The Collection. This is against the Redneck Collection rules. Same songs are allowed-- how many version of Poncho & Lefty are there?-- but not identical same songs. Except for this one. As I recall, it took both Max and I to twist Mr. Big Food's leg to allow this song to be identically duplicated.

I cannot remember what arguments we put forth. But if we're randomly selecting songs, this one has a 2/n chance of being played. That's all we wanted. Just an increased chance to hear it.

FYI-- the saddest song is the one that chronicles the path from Hillbilly Heaven to Honkytonk Hell. And the most poignant is of course, June & Johnny's Waiting on the Far Side Banks of Jordan:

I'll Admit My Steps Are Growing Wearier Each Day
Still I've Got A Certain Journey On My Mind
Lures Of This Old World Have Ceased To Make Me Want To Stay
My One Regret Is Leaving You Be-hind

If It Proves To Be His Will That I Am First To Cross
And Somehow I've A Feeling It Will Be
When It Comes Your Turn To Travel Likewise Don't Feel Lost
For I Will Be The First One That You'll See

"Genuine pathos requires tragedy... ."

I think the Same Can Be Said for a Good Life

Keith Richards has replied to Thomas Edison:

Good music comes out of people playing together, knowing what they want to do and going for it. You have to sweat over it and bug it to death. You can't do it by pushing buttons and watching a tv screen.

The full conversation-- with some wonderful quotes-- is here.

Red Staegall: About 'More About Big Food, etc.'

Red Steagall (pronounced with a long E; accent on the first syllable), is

a multitalented showbusiness personality whose career has covered a period of 35 years and has spanned the globe.

(That's how the Wikipedia entry begins. Doesn't sound very much like an encyclopedia entry to me.)

He is an American Storyteller.

~~

The Redneck Collection of redneck, blueneck, Texas, jazz (there's some unidentified Pete Fountain), rock, high school and kid rock, and Southern-- including Southern Gospel-- , etc. songs Mr. Big Food collects in his spare time is at an interesting place in its history. It's evolving! Yuck yuck.

Quite some time ago, Mr. Big Food began listening to Red Steagall and decided to devote a CD in the ever changing Redneck Collection to Red Steagall's poems and songs. (Did I mention that both are Texans?) Back in the crappy olden days we identified songs as being on, for example, Redneck 7. The original Steagall CD was to be in the low 50's, if I'm not mistaken. 

We very much enjoy Red Steagall's poems and songs.