Another Year Gone

This tree is gone too. It was removed from a parking lot for the crime of taking up too much space. Six more Spiral Oak friends went along for the ride to meet their maker, or wherever it is that trees go when they die.

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time.

To do all those things you wanted to do or should have done.

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” –John Lennon.

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but its sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but you’re older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

And then it’s on to “The Great Gig in the Sky” with Richard Wright (RIP). Perhaps he’s currently passing that comet that is going to slam into us in 2012, according to the kids, or the Mayans, or someone with a very large monocle.

I wrote about John Lennon’s famous words in a letter to my father on Christmas morning. It seems that nobody bothers to write letters any more. Maybe we should. Maybe it’s time to tune-out, turn-off, and drop-in on somebody you haven’t seen for years. Don’t call first – just show up! Oh but “it’s rude” you say. Well perhaps that’s the point.

“Political correctness is tyranny with manners.” –Charlton Heston.

Good old Chuck, rest his soul. As hard as he tried, his attempts at brilliant prose only managed to come off sounding like a non-sequitur. Oh well, we still have this: “Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!” and this: “He’ll like you. You’re a helluva piece of furniture.”

But I digress.

The “moments” of this “dull day” are “ticking away” and I have little time to “fritter and waste”, so I am going to come straight to the point while you’re “kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town” and “waiting for someone or something to show you the way”. This blog cannot continue the way it has been, as my “frittering” hours are shrinking as the eons come to a close (2012 is just around the corner). The blog will continue – for how long I cannot say – but with some important changes.

I started this blog rather casually (like many I suppose), joining the masses who would take the time to rip and upload those long lost and/or out-of-print musical obscurities. In the last 18 months I have watched the musical blogosphere grow exponentially, even as many blogs ran out of steam after only a year or two into their tenure.

“And so it goes.” –Kurt Vonnegut.

The whole experience has been a bit overwhelming.

Life was so much simpler before computers.

Taking a cue from Miles over at Birds With Broken Wings, I intend to slow down in 2009 and take a more deliberate approach to my blogging efforts.

Besides, I’d prefer to spend a whole lot less time in front of computer screens. As Miles put it, “I’ve never fallen for machines though, regardless of how intelligent, attractive, or sexy they might be.”

It wasn’t so long ago that mixed tapes “were” and blogs “were not.”

At that time the closest thing to a musical blog was sharing mixed tapes with friends.

Back in the heyday of vinyl I made a lot of mixed tapes that I gave to friends or took to parties (hey kiddies, it’s a lot harder lugging around 20 LP’s than your little iPod). My analog signature was using the entire tape – the last song always got cut off. I didn’t intend for it to be that way, but once I gained the reputation, I just sort of ran with it.

Miles is a master of the mixed tape.

If you haven’t already, you should check out his many compilations, but especially: “Short, Fast And Loud (Confessions Of An Angry Young Man)” and his two mini-series, “Chasing the Ghost of Keruoac” and the new “Jazzoetry.”

These compilations showcase Miles’ sharp radio talents (he was a free-form radio DJ), and have inspired me to focus more on quality, and leave the quantity postings to those who are interested in aiding and abetting the iPod generation in their quest to fill their last gigabyte of disk space.

The Basement Rug published 5 compilations in 2008, including 2 by co-contributor Blind Joe Death, who I hope we’ll hear more from in 2009. The other 3 compilations include the Obamamania Election Mix, dedicated to George Carlin and Utah Phillips; the Frank Garlock Remix Project, to remind you that Satan lurks in rock and roll; and Mystics, Vagabonds and Troubadours, a brief glimpse into Acerbus Americana.

At the end of January 2009, The Basement Rug will take on a new direction.

Hopefully you will join us.

Best wishes to you all for a happier and more peaceful New Year!