The Bo Diddley Beat

I read that Bo Diddley had a heart attack on 28-August. Not good, but hopefully he pulls through. Truly, he is a founding father of rock. Just check out his debut album from 1958 (actually a collection of songs that were also released as singles from 1955-58).

All songs written by Ellas McDaniel (aka "Bo Diddley"), except as noted:
"Bo Diddley" – 2:30
"I'm a Man" – 2:41
"Bring It to Jerome" – 2:37
"Before You Accuse Me" – 2:40
"Hey! Bo Diddley" – 2:17
"Dearest Darling" – 2:32
"Hush Your Mouth" – 2:36
"Say Boss Man" – 2:18
"Diddley Daddy" – 2:11
"Diddy Wah Diddy" (Ellas McDaniel / Willie Dixon) – 2:51
"Who Do You Love?" – 2:18
"Pretty Thing" – 2:48

Review by Matthew Greenwald (from AllMusic): "For anyone who wants to play rock & roll, real rock & roll, this is one of the few records that you really need. Along with Chuck Berry, Elvis, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and a few select others, Bo Diddley was one of the founders of the form — and he did it like no other. Diddley had only one real style, that being the Bo Diddley beat: a syncopated, rhythmic drive, loaded with tremolo. There are 12 examples of it on this record, and that is about all you need. It's one of those records that, after listening to just a few cuts, will find you tapping the beats on every available surface. Diddley's guitar and vocals have a gruff feeling that recalls bluesmen such as Waters, yet he has his own style. Buttressed by drums, funky piano, and usually maracas, it's absolutely infectious. This is one of the greatest rock sounds that you're likely to hear, and it's all on this one record, too."

I'll add a few more words of Haahnster admiration for "the Bo Diddley beat." No less of an early rock legend than Buddy Holly emulated the Bo Diddley beat in his song "Not Fade Away," one of the most covered songs in rock history. Think also about other familiar and oft-covered songs such as "I Want Candy" (originally recorded by The Strangeloves in 1965) and "Willie and the Hand Jive" (originally from Johnny Otis in 1957). A somewhat more recent example is U2's "Desire" (from Rattle and Hum in 1988).

Oh, and as a throw-in, Bo Diddley basically defined the use of tremolo in guitar playing. What a kick-ass guitar sound! If you don't have this disc, get it NOW!

Susan Estrich Hits One Out Of The Park

The Distinguished Gentleman From Idaho

Wed Aug 29, 3:00 AM ET

An airport men's room?

Couldn't you do better than that, Senator?

After consistently voting against efforts to protect gay and lesbian Americans from hate crimes and to preserve their civil rights, you go into the men's room at the airport and try to pick up the guy in the next stall?

And then you have the audacity to claim that the police officer is lying, even though you pleaded guilty and tried to hush up the whole thing; that you're being unfairly punished for having a "wide stance" and picking up a nonexistent piece of paper from the bathroom floor?

The fundamental issue here isn't sexual orientation.

It's character.

The distinguished gentleman from Idaho, as members of Congress refer to each other, is a public nuisance, a blatant liar and a hopeless hypocrite. The Senate is tarnished by his presence. The people of Idaho deserve better.

Go home, Senator Wide Stance. Go tell your wife your lies. Explain your votes to her.

The list of what's wrong with this guy is endless.

You want to have sex with another man, go right ahead. But don't do it in a restroom at the airport, full of kids traveling alone or with their mothers. Unaccompanied minors have a right not to worry when they have to go to the bathroom. I'm glad the airport police were in there looking for disgusting old men who are so ashamed of their sexuality that they resort to doing it in bathroom stalls. I don't care what your orientation is — a public restroom is no place for sex, particularly when it's a public restroom in a public place that's full of children.

I'm one of those mothers who stand outside the men's room at the airport waiting for their sons, one eye on my watch and the other on every man who walks in. When my son was a little boy, I brought him into the ladies room. But as every mother will tell you, once they get past a certain age, they won't come. Family bathrooms help for a while, but they aren't that common. And once they get a little older, every boy tells his mother he's fine and can go on his own. Maybe I should carry a Capitol Hill Facebook from now on.

Then there's the matter of lying. Senator Craig jumped all over former President Clinton as being "bad, nasty and naughty" for having a consensual affair in his office with an adult woman and then lying about it. I'm not going to defend the president for what was clearly inappropriate and wrongful conduct, but at least he finally came clean about it. The senator is still playing the blame game.

A wide stance? Gimme a break. Peeking through the crack to observe the man in the next stall? What was that about? Waving his hand into the next stall, later claiming he was picking up a piece of paper that didn't exist? How dumb does he think we are?

But my favorite is his claim that he only pleaded guilty because he didn't consult a lawyer or understand his rights. Another lie. Eleven days after his arrest, he specifically asked for a police contact with whom his lawyer could communicate. He arranged a plea deal; his staff is full of lawyers. Senator Craig had easier access to legal counsel than 99 percent of those charged with crimes in this country.

But the piece de resistance is the hypocrisy of Senator Wide Stance. You want to be in the closet, be in the closet. But don't be a hypocrite. Senator Craig's voting record is 100 percent anti-gay. He voted twice against protecting from hate crimes those with more guts than he has, when he voted against the addition of the words "sexual orientation" to the federal hate crimes law. He supported a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. He voted for federal legislation giving states the right to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages — a right they already have, codified in federal law, not because there was a need for it, but because the gutless wonders in Congress were looking to score political points with the right by proving just how anti-gay they are. Or how hypocritical.

I don't believe in outing people who prefer to keep their sexual orientation private. But exposing hypocrisy is the appropriate business of the media. Senator Craig isn't the only hypocrite in Washington, and it's about time we started holding them accountable, not for what they do in private, but for how they vote in public.

To find out more about Susan Estrich and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2007 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.

Legendary Riverboat Shows to be NYAPS #1

Sounds sweeeeeet to me!

Cartoon of the Year

It's probably wise to take the plea deal, given the possibility of facing that jury.

CONGRATULATIONS

to Alberto Gonzales on becoming the first Hispanic Attorney General to resign in infamy.

Well done, sir!

Things I F*cking HATE

#1. Yard work

Neil Young Lyrics I Find Amusing

Last night I was cool at the pool hall
Held a table for 11 games
Nothing was easier than the first 7
I beat a woman with vericose veins

From "Sedan Delivery"

(Thanks to K.K., whose comment jogged my memory.)

Shamefully, It Simply Wasn't Enough

As of this writing, I think film actor Peter Greene still holds the distinction of being the only person to utter the word "gimp" in not just one, but two of the coolest films of the '90s.

As "Zed" in Pulp Fiction: "Bring out the Gimp."

As "Redfoot" in The Usual Suspects: "Feed it to the Gimp."

Apparently, that wasn't enough for Mr. Greene. I just learned that he was arrested in late July for purchasing crack cocaine. It's all so confusing...

Should Be A ROCKER!!! (Dammit!)

YOUNG PLAYS NEW RECORD FOR REPRISE

NY Times, August 16, 2007

Continuing a tradition that goes back to 1969, Neil Young played his latest recording for Reprise yesterday. The recording was played for about 100 people in Burbank. Produced by "The Volume Dealers," NY and Niko Bolas, the recording runs 60+ minutes and includes two giant songs that time in at 18:30 and 13:00, respectively. Drawing from three songs written previously, and 7 new songs, the latest Neil Young is a very diverse recording. A release date is unknown at this time. The title is Chrome Dreams II.
Chrome Dreams is a legendary NY album from 1977 that had originally been scheduled for release but was shelved. The original cover for Chrome Dreams was created by Neil's long-time producer and friend, the late David Briggs. Unfortunately, all original documentation and art for this album was lost in a fire that destroyed Neil's Malibu home in early 1978.
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[NOTE: "NY Times" as in Neil's website, not the New York Times--which ironically might've made it MORE reliable, in Haahnster's opinion!]

Rumor has it that one of the "previously written" songs is "Ordinary People", the unreleased Bluenotes-era monster and fan favorite! Neil, PLEASE, you can still release the Archives!!! I swear it'll work. New material AND the Archives...

Really Tugs At The Ol' Heart Strings

'Roid Rage

Fuck Barry Bonds. He can kiss my ass. I can't believe we didn't get a single Mark David Chapman type to come out of his baseball-stat-loving, lonely/despairing bachelor pad, and with one well-placed bullet end this whole fiasco before the record book was further besmirched by this steroid-abusing piece of shit. Too late now, dickweeds...you missed your only chance to positively contribute to society. Might as well pawn your handgun and go back to getting Cheetos stains on the rabbit-eared corners of your tattered copy of Catcher in the Rye.

And, Bud Selig, eat a dick.

The Michael Vick Story, Starring Ving Rhames???

Man killed in dog attack at actor's home