LOGMAN vs Fading Away

Wow! It has been a long time since I have filled your lives with my awesome. Time to catch you up on a few of the awesome that has infiltrated my life in the past 6 weeks. Starting with...

Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings and More by Buddy Holly
February 2009 saw the 50th anniversary of Buddy Holly's death, and though I expected something like this to mark the occasion, the only releases that came out at the time were a 2 disc rarities set and a lame 3 disc compilation (I mean lame, because the 3 discs only had about half an hours worth of songs on each disc - I have a single disc compilation that has almost as many songs on it, you greedy bastards at Universal).

Then somehow, this amazing box set came out in October without me knowing about it until about January, after which I promptly exclaimed "Hot DAMN I wish I wasn't moving in a few weeks so I could order that right now and enjoy it all day long!". So, needless to say, as soon as I had a new address I promptly ordered it. And Oh Boy am I glad I did!

Everything about this set is quality. Even the cover, while a highly pixelated and overused picture of Mr. Buddy Holly, is beautifully done and feels lovely to hold. Then inside the large year-book that is the case, you get a full history of Buddy's career; including a stack of wonderful photos and a detailed full sessionography that made me go "Holy Hell that's awesome!" And then if that wasn't enough cool packaging to impress me, the back panels fold out to unleash the 6 compact discs full to the brim with that classic rock'n roll music...

Aaaaaah yes - the music. Everything is here. And I mean EVERYTHING. Some old home recordings Buddy made with a friend in 1949? Check. Early country demos he made in his late teens? Check. Every single one of his songs recorded in a studio, including some alternate and undubbed versions (particularly the original mix of Oh! Boy that was done before the big harmony group was added)? Double check. The rockin' as hell garage tapes, featuring the awesomeness of Rip It Up and Good Rockin' Tonight? Check. The tapes Buddy recorded in his apartment shortly before his death, completely undubbed? Check. All different dubbed versions of said apartment tapes and garage tapes - and I mean ALL 57? Check check CHECK

And none of this half an hour a CD stuff - each disc has the full 80 minutes used to full potential. 203 songs of pure rock'n roll awesome. Well, actually that is not true - a great deal of the first disc is poorly recorded lame country music. But once it hits the amazing Down the Line, it is all legendary. And some of the tracks sound clear as day - amazing, really. Very good job on the remastering, in my opinion.

My only gripe would be that the 'Fireballs' overdub of Crying, Waiting, Hoping seems to be of poor quality - which is a real shame, because that is one of favourite tracks and my favourite version of that song for sure. Sure, I do have it on my 9 LP set, but I guess it means I will hold on to my 1 disc Greatest Hits for now. How that version can sound better confuses my brain in a cruel fashion.

But that bitter disappointment aside, I am overall a very happy man. Quite honestly, this is one of the most expensive box sets I have ever bought. But, it is also quite likely the best. Apollo is under strict orders NOT to smooch the corners on this one or he will be in big trouble.

Hard to believe a man whose recording career only lasted 4 years still seems so important 51 years later. But this box set is the proof. Rave On, bitches!

Winner: Rock'n Roll

Your Lesson for Today

You know how doctors tell you to dispose of unused medication in the toilet?
Don't do it. Especially on the day you are moving out. Hard to explain a big red stain on the bowel.

Thanks, Doc!

Let Me Tell You What It Is

Old Bastard: "You should try putting your bins out earlier!"
LOGMAN: "You should try dying earlier."

Just My Luck

All these cocktails would have been an awesome idea... if the moving company hadn't just decided they are coming tomorrow - and I'm only about halfway ready to go.

Oooops

I'm Using My Time Wisely

Why didn't I quit my job sooner?

First BLog of Unemployment!

Today was my first day free from the shackles of employment from Evil Corp Inc. No more pointless reports or boring conversations or health insurance or free biscuits and soy milk... why did I quit again?

Needless to say I have been celebrating my new freedom with a few smoothies and a whole of James Brown. I have been worried the past few weeks that maybe I had lost my funk, that these solid years of dorking it up might have eroded the solid foundation of soul that I had spent so many years building (I called in professionals to help me so it was all certified). So tonight I pulled out one of my trusty strats and jammed out with The Godfather on Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine, and was quite pleased to discover I still gots some funk in me. Quite pleased. Then the live version of Ain't it Funky came on and Catfish's solo made me feel suitably white and funkless. But I can't imagine ever feeling anything BUT white and funkless when compared to that solo.

I'm still scared to lose the sideburns though - they might be my only source of funk left...

But this makes up for sitting around in my pyjamas, eating ice cream and waiting by the phone all night.

Oh crap it is almost 9pm! Better get back to the packing.

Why I Should Write Dialogue For the World

Old Lady from Singapore Airlines: "Casual day in your office today?"
LOGMAN the Awesome: "Bitch day in your office today?"

Irony

Spending 3 weeks travelling all over town taking care of someone else's cats - including 4 visits to the vet and having to separate 2 kittens from their mother, meaning constantly going between houses... and just when they've all gone back to their owners and you can try and get your own life sorted out again, you find out your own cat has been hit by a car and killed.

Awesome.

I Wish I Was a Sharp Knife...

A sharp knife.

To cut...

Why God Never Received a PhD

This isn't mine, but dang it needed to be shared. Full credit to Halo for being such a funny bitch.

1. He had only one major publication.
2. It was in Hebrew.
3. It had no references.
4. It wasn't published in a referred journal.
5. Some even doubt he wrote it by himself.
6. It may be true that he created the world, but what has he done since then?
7. His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.
8. The scientific community has had a hard time replicating his results.
9. He never applied to the ethics board for permission to use human subjects.
10. When one experiment went awry he tried to cover it by drowning his subjects.
11. When subjects didn't behave as predicted, he deleted them from the sample.
12. He rarely came to class, just told students to read the book.
13. Some say he had his son teach the class.
14. He expelled his first two students for learning.
15. Although there were only 10 requirements, most of his students failed his tests.
16. His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountain top.
17. No record of working well with colleagues.