Fuck, it's almost 3am, and I've finally sort of fixed this damn computer. This thing was crashing the past couple weeks, and I gave it to my friend Steve who fixed it, but it's still fucked up. For some reason it keeps removing my cd drive, and this, that and the other thing. Anyway, after three or so hours playing with things with such silly names as "plug and play devices", "drivers", etc. I am here, connected. Fuck these computers. I was almost ready to throw it out the conveniently located windoe, but I refrained.

Tonight we had rehearsal. We played two new songs that we've been working on, and did some other random stuff. No spontaneous Ted Nugent songs tonight or anything. I am glad I have been taking guitar lessons finally. I feel like I am getting better, and I seem to know the neck of the thing a bit better now. I can feel the notes a whole lot better now. Okay, before I get too silly, and start talking about making love to my guitar, I better be quiet.

There are far too many people on the roads right now. I went to the record shop before practice tonight, and getting into and out of the parking lot was a fucking disaster. Mini-vans and SUV's all over the damn place so you can't see what the hell is going on. And the way they drive. I tell you, if I had a rocket launcher. Ever hear that song? You needn't be reminded if not. My company just signed the guy who originally sang the song "If I had a Rocket Launcher". Not sure if that's a good thing. So I go into the record shop and there's all sorts of people in there including the guy with the leather jacket in the jazz section. That fucking leather jacket smelled so much like leather, I thought it was going to jump off his back and start mooing at me. I couldn't see what the "leather-jazzguy" was buying, but I'm assuming he was finally getting his copy of Kind of Blue. Now is the time to buy any albums like that. Albums you should own. You can say it is a gift for someone. Without further ado here is my list of records everyone should own by now. Some of these I've owned, and sold, and rebought, and resold over and over (with the exception of the Beatles and Stones records).

Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street, Let it Bleed, Beggar's Banquet, and 12 x 5

The Beatles - Let it Be, Revolver, the white album

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Master of Reality, Volume 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabotage

Tom Waits - Rain Dogs, Closing Time

Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 Revisited, Empire Burlesque (just kidding, seeing if anyone is paying attention, although I've never actually heard the record, the cover, and title alone-like "Shot of Love!"- make me assume nobody needs to own them. Who are the people who's favorite Dylan record is...say Slow Train Coming? They have long heated arguments with fellow Dylanoligists about it. Saying it was an equally important record as Highway 61, as it was a major turning point in his career. Ha!)

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme

Neil Young - Harvest

Fugazi - 13 songs

The Band - Music From Big Pink

Slayer - Reign in Blood

If you have the following records, then you don't need to explain anything else, you are automatically entered into "the club":

Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica

John Zorn/Masada Chamber Ensembles - Bar Kohkba

Shudder to Think - Funeral at the Movies

Cocteau Twins - Treasure, Heaven or Las Vegas, Victorialand

Sun Ra - Supersonic Jazz

Can - Tago Mago

The Specials - The Specials

Kiss - Hotter than Hell

The Cure - The Top, Disintegration, Faith, Pornography

Belly - Star

Lush - Gala

shit it's too late to be making lists, I'm off to sleep.

before & after