keepingfaith

JMO, but relating Sacrificial Love to the fans sounds like the mother of all stretches to me. I can see it for the the line, "How much will they take before I'm empty" in The Real Me, but honestly unless some fans are lying in bed beside him, I don't think SL has anything to do with fans. That hits me as bizarre, actually. ************** Another bizarre thing is Dunkin' Donuts pulling the Rachael Ray commercial because Michelle Malkin of Fox News said Rachael was wearing a terrorist scarf around her neck in the commercial. That it totally freaking ignorant. I don't know what's worse, this kind of nutty, divisive opinion, or this kind of nutty, divisive opinion being taken seriously enough for Dunkin' Donuts to pull the commercial. What? Were Rachael and her stylist pulling a sneaky one by going after the Palestinian terrorist donut eaters market? ************** I did go around and read at three other boards for just a bit at each and I scratch my head at the perceived victimization of Clay by quite a few fans. It was funny to read someone say that Clay had to sell TITN/BOTW by hard copy in 2003 but he would have done so much better if downloads had been available then. Gee, I don't have a hard copy of TITN/BOTW, but I do have it -- because I downloaded it. In 2003. ************** I'm still feeling rotten, and have a headache to boot, hence my attitude today. Eh? Ever now and then isn't everybody entitled to a crappy attitude? If not, then I've fucked up again. ************* Regarding Faye and Clay -- I don't think there's any mystery here. I read the book -- and I lived the life myself. Clay adores his mother. He also thought she could have made better choices with the men in her life. My children adore me, and they have the same opinion about the men in my life, too. I spent a good 14 years in the middle between a step-father/step-child, and was never able to fix it, or please anybody. Being in the middle and trying to keep peace can be hell on earth. And, when he died, my daughter was distraught. I know this situation.

Thanks for the luscious wallpaper, Cha Cha! Now to the Sessions: After coming home and hearing these on good speakers ... GAH!!! That whole thing was major sexy to me. Sometimes less is more, you know? The changes on some of the notes from the way he sang on the album was good for me. He made the songs edgier, less melodic. The band didn't thrill me earlier, but seeing it again under better circumstances, I thought the guys were very professional and quite attractive themselves. If anything I thought Clay was on the more relaxed side, rather than uptight or straining. The roughness in his voice was rarely there but just enough to cut the smoothness, and that's not a bad thing either. Flawlessness isn't exactly a plus in contemporary music these days. I've heard Celine and Christina go a little rough with their voices for contrast and I enjoy that. The problem I have with Josh Groban is that he's boringly accurate, like a computer singing to me. Now if a singer is scratchy for a whole verse or something, that's different. It can be irritating if it goes on and on. But in moderation, or to punctuate a very fluid vocal, I rather like it. Again, I thought Clay was hot, sexy and laid back. I think Clay's performances tend to be more technically flawless when he's under pressure and is completely focused on his singing. I'm all for it all. Nobody sounds like Clay Aiken. KAndre, I totally agree with you regarding the definition of musician. I must, however, differ with Clay in his definition (as I have read about it as I haven't listened to it yet) because being a musician has absolutely nothing to do with whether you know what a half diminished 7th chord is. None of the Beatles could even read music and they were the most famous musicians/songwriters in the world.

I have a feeling that Clay Aiken will be played on Urban/Rap Radio before Country Radio would play him. He doesn't guzzle beer, chew tobacco, go to honky tonks, drive a truck, marry movie stars, and his mama ain't in jail! And you know what I'm singing in my head .... you don't have to call me darlin', dar-lin' ... How does that go? I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison And I went to pick her up, in the rain But before I could get there in my pick-up truck She got runned over by a danged old train ....

We won't really know the numbers until tomorrow with Soundscan ... right? Clay's actuals have been better than the HDD Tuesday numbers. HDD had him at #22 last week, Billboard at #18: So he'll be around 130,000 total, at least. He's not through by any means. BTW, while at Walmart on Saturday, the OMWH I bought was of the third separate batch (of 24 - 26 - 20) that I've bought at that one store. Also, the week before there were 8 MOAMS and 8 ATDWs -- and Saturday there was only 1 ATDW and 4 MOAMs left, but a whole new stock of OMWH!!

Okay, so Clay beat Gavin DeGraw and Josh Groban. It wasn't a big drop off this week -- and I feel good about going back to Walmart. Never thought I'd say that!!! I love a good hot steaming bowl of rationalization once in a while!

Girl, you know you're no Clayster, you're a Claystress if I ever saw one!!!

Clay is fabulous and looks great. Right now it's WIDTL for me because I do dearly love a Clay Aiken glory note. This band ... The Beau Brummels Redux?

BWAH! Why does this not surprise me. :glare: Dating the new American Idol winner? Think there might be any camera time involved with that gig? Ah, Cooksy's got his first Fameho groupie... They grow up so fast. Can a bad break-up and a trip to rehab followed by a cathartic CD full of broken-heart songs be far behind? I like David Cook, but ..... KimberMEEEE?? Poor guy. I kind of wish I didn't know this bit of info. And it comes from his appearance on Regis & KellMEEEE? I'm not rattled by all of the people who have made jokes about Clay. Most of it is written by other people anyway. But the one person who totally disgusts me as a human being is Kelly Ripa. I don't care if she's a good mother and a dog lover, I can't stand the sight or sound of the woman. In the time it takes for my brain to recognize her face or voice, I am either clicking the channel, or I'm out of the room. That much emotion about a TV person is unusual for me, but I can't tolerate two seconds of her. Or Howard Stern. And those two are friends. I feel the need to wash my hands after typing their names. I'm glad I got that off my chest. :humor00239:

It's a guitar special effect ... a foot pedal ... it goes "wah-wah" ... It was popularized by Jimi Hendrix in Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Eric Clapton used it extensively with Cream and Blind Faith, and for me the most masterful use of it ever was by Stephen Stills (Super Session: Season of the Witch (near the end)). You hear it in a lot of funk songs, and Slash uses it a lot, too.

I don't think I've mentioned yet how much I love the use of the wah-wah pedal in EIDN. I've been a pushover for a well-placed wah-wah since Cream's White Room. Just the other day, right?

In Yahoo Videos, clicking on "View All New Videos," in the category of Sort by Newest, OMWH is #121 out of 131; in the category of Sort by Popularity, OMWH is #3 out of 131. I love that a lot.

I went over to Yahoo to play the OMWH video -- 'cause I happen to like watching it a LOT -- and there was Clay's picture on the video front page and OMWH is a "Video Feature" and you can click to play it from right there. Damn, he looks and sounds so incredibly fine!

I noticed at Mediabase that OMWH got a Start this week in Pittsburgh. And Raleigh has actually played it during the day. I think it can ... I think it can ....

So checking/reading some of these boards is like running your tongue over a sore tooth? You can't stop doing it, but it doesn't feel good.

It seems quite natural that we share a passion for WOTW as well as WIDTL. I can't understand people thinking it's a depressing song. I think it's only depressing if you'd rather carry the weight of the world. I find it to be liberating, myself. Desertrose, I don't bop around to Falling or Ashes, but I crank up EIDN and it moves my body. LOVE IT!

Regarding lyrics, the only line that bugs me is "around my heart is where I draw the line" -- because wouldn't that be a circle, or an oval? Regardless I LOVE that song. And when he sings, "Either you're gonna rescue me, or you're gonna be the death of me" -- well I can't get enough of that. Tired of OMWH? I just bought another one on Saturday, so surely not. I love every song on this thing, and already have had people say, "Why didn't he put FIEKY on the CD? And I say, "He did, you just have to go to Walmart to get it. So now I'm pimping for Walmart. Compromise my principles for Clay? Apparently so.

Maybe it's those martinis, kid. They are lethal! **waves madly to sheiladownunder** Don't be a stranger. I've missed you!! LdyJ, I read with interest your comment Regarding not being able to take the boards, I think the operative letter is "s" -- because this board has never been knee-jerk reactionary about what Clay does and that's why I'm at home here. My OFC membership is up next week and I'll rejoin of course, but not for the messageboard (unless it's Clay posting). I mainly check the messageboard at OFC because of the pictures (and links to pictures), and it does seem to be a clearinghouse for the best visuals from a variety of boards. For that alone, it's worth every penny. ETA: I could always be and often am wrong ... but I don't see Clay sharing the stage, opening for, or co-headlining with anybody. He's got a fanbase and I think he'd play smaller venues so his name would be on the ticket. I think Clay likes to treat his fans as if they were sitting in his classroom and he can be Teacher Clay. He's really good at it, too. I have wondered if there were any comments after Clay was on Nightline regarding what he said about AI having to contact Elton John to get clearance for him to sing DLTSGDOM. So that kind of proves that he was gigging the audience (JBT Stump The Band) when he acted like he didn't know Elton John wrote the song. Clay kids with his audiences, and too often it's taken for scripture when he's just playin'.

Muski, you're killing me. For some reason that reminds me of an 80's Bill Hicks' bit about positive stories on the news. He suggested something like this: And today in Austin a young man realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration and that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There is no such thing as death; life is only a dream; and we are all the imagination of ourselves. Here’s Tom with the weather.

Thanks for the good wishes. It's a chicken soup day for sure, maybe chicken soup with a jalapeno chaser. You said it. Women from all walks of life are coming together over Clay Aiken. And muski my thoughts and intents were purely esoteric until I re-read that sentence from inside your head. You've corrupted me. Kareneh and LdyJ -- For years my daughter would, at random times, ask me, "Why do you always end up down at Nick's Cafe?" Or say, "You like it now, but you'll learn to love it later." My kids have always amused themselves with lines from songs and movies, as with lines from The Wonder Boys -- when my daughter has her hands full and I ask her how she is, she'll say, "Fit as a fucking fiddle!" My daughter and youngest son almost drove me mad saying to each other, "No, thank YOU, Mr. Acabano." Lines from Avalon, A Bronx Tale, Almost Famous, Miller's Crossing, Usual Suspects, O Brother, Being There, are part of our Thanksgiving lexicon. I can't help it that my children are strange. Has nothing to do with me. I tell them, "Yes, I know your words."

All right. Nothing like posting in the middle of the night, huh? I woke up with the crud or something like it this morning. Took medicine in the early afternoon, fell asleep and woke up at 9:30 p.m. I was up for thirty minutes and slept again until 2:45. So it's reminiscing time again .... okay .... My first concert was Andre Previn and the Houston Symphony as a child. I've seen lots of classical concerts ... Andre Watts comes to mind. As a teenage I saw a few rock n' roll shows that came through town, but they weren't exactly concerts because the acts would come out and do three songs and off. I saw Neil Diamond when he was nobody, Tommy James and the Shondells, BJ Thomas & The Triumphs, Sundance Head's father Roy who was a local mainstay, Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs ("Woolly Bully"), The Kingsmen ("Louie Louie"). Then came the hazy years with the 13th Floor Elevators, Fever Tree, Moving Sidewalks (ZZ Top's original incarnation) and so many others like Ry Cooder, Leo Kottke, Leon Redbone, Cyrkle, Lightnin' Hopkins, Shiva's Headband, Dogtooth Violet, and the late, great Townes Van Zandt, in small clubs like Catacombs, La Maison, The Cellar, Love Street Light Circus, The Family Hand, Liberty Hall -- and no way I can remember them all. There's probably a reason for that. The first rock concerts I attended where the freaks gathered were in 1969/1970 and were: Led Zeppelin (the Whole Lotta Love tour, UNFORGETTABLE JIMMY PAGE!!!), Jimi Hendrix (three months before he died with his Band of Gypsys), Canned Heat, Joan Baez (at a benefit concert for KPFT after the KKK blew up their transmitter), Donovan, CS&N, Derek & The Dominoes, Moody Blues, Jefferson Airplane, Vanilla Fudge, Ravi Shankar, Ten Years After, The Band (GREAT concert and I was so in love with Ricky Danko*), Grand Funk Railroad, Free (with Paul Rodgers), Jesse Colin Young -- and that's all I remember from that period, and only because I kept ticket stubs that year. And the ticket stubs tell me that all these concerts cost from $3 - $6. I think I've forgotten more concerts than I remember. I saw the Stones several times, but in what years or tours I don't recall except for the 1978 concert which I remember for reasons having nothing to do with the Stones. Saw Steppenwolf at a free concert on The Hill at Miller Outdoor Theatre and it was one of the best. I saw a Joe Cocker/Leon Russell/Rita Coolidge show somewhere in that timeframe and I think that was in Dallas. To this day it makes me flinch when "A Song For You" is identified with Donnie Hathaway and not Leon Russell. Leon Russell wrote that song about his love for Rita Coolidge, who left him to marry Kris Kristofferson, and he delivered it with such raw emotion. He wrote Delta Lady for Rita, too. And of course I loved Delaney & Bonnie. My best memories are seeing people before they made it -- like Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band when they were longhaired hippies at Armadillo World Headquarters with their first record, “Come Monday”, and listening to his tale of Brother Bear when he improvised quite liberally. I fondly remember Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks, the original Doobies, Mother Earth, J. Geils Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan many many times in the 80’s, and the beat goes on. I've seen Metallica, Ozzy, Anthrax, Sonic Youth, and some I won’t admit to. I told you I’m a reformed cougar, right? Hey CG, I saw George Harrison on the Dark Horse tour, too! I also saw Macca & Wings in 1976. Also saw McCartney in 2005. I love his band. If I could go back in time to attend a concert I missed, and I'm talking other than all the Clay concerts I missed and especially Solo and JBT concerts, then hands down this is it … The Band’s Last Waltz at Winterland: OMG, I was so in love with Ricky back then! Robbie came later. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_qZT3kdxI4...feature=related This song has always been a personal favorite for SO many reasons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9_xmpXfTtQ And to everyone celebrating a birthday (which includes my youngest son on Tuesday the 27th): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsIxLEuDxsY Can’t end this without props to Robbie and one of the best videos EVER: And the closer. Kareneh, aren’t you the one who shares my passion for this song? I think Martin Scorcese directed this video too. Back in the summer of 87 (88?) I thought this was the sexiest song ever. I think it still may be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdXNHQ-09gQ Man, I'm wide awake and it's 4 a.m. eHP -- the chances I'll make lunch tomorrow aren't good. It hurts to swallow.

Hi Desertrose. No, I'm not, and I'm sure they are missing me terribly! On second thought, KAndre is probably quite pleased she doesn't have to lower the thermostat too much. She'd be happiest at 80 degrees, and I'd need a bag of frozen peas on my neck! But I do plan to see my "eHPs" sometime this weekend. After going through these pictures, I definitely need a go on the iGallop! Is Scarlett still on that thing?? Is Solo winning back the affections of KAndre's cat? Yeah, I've got to check this out.

I'm thinking it was Baltimore: But maybe it was Englewood: I want to know when this one was taken ... and who he was looking at!

And a few more for Saturday night ... This one's for Clayzorback:

How about some clommotion:

I volunteer for the Pool Boy Search Committee. No just kidding. I've seen the errors of my cougar ways. ETA: Just for the record, I was cougar before cougar was cool. It was only after I gave it up that it became The Thing. Now there's only one man who could bring me out of retirement.