Talking about the weather has gotten a bad name. I don’t consider it small talk as the weather has had a huge impact on my city and my own life. Sounds big to me.
Last weekend’s weather was truly noteworthy: We had a cold front strong enough for me to run the central heat. In 25 years of living in this house, it was the first time I ran the heater in May. The first weekend of May is usually summer-like. It was downright chilly this year. In a word: weird.
In addition to the weird weather, it’s been an intense week in the Gret Stet Of Louisiana. The only time we’re in the headlines is for something bad. In this case, the Callais case, which inspired me to write two posts, The Justice In The Shadows and Gret Stet Of Confusion. My title game remains strong if I say so myself and I do.
This month’s irksome things post was loaded with Gret Stet content as well. There’s one more tidbit of news from here: A recall petition has been filed against The Clownfish. It’s unlikely to succeed, but it’s apt to irk the little man with the big mouth. Stay tuned.
The featured image comes from Max Ernst’s Cubist period. He was an artist with many styles, which is one reason I find his work so fascinating as well as Odds & Sods worthy.
Let’s turn to this week’s theme song. Breakdown was written by Tom Petty in 1976 for TP & The Heartbreakers eponymous debut album.
We have 3 versions of Breakdown for your listening pleasure: The TPHB OG, Suzi Quatro, and Grace Jones. That’s right: Grace Jones of disco fame. Everybody loves Tom Petty.
Let’s break things down. We have two more tunes with breakdown in the title:
Have I told you lately that Kris Kristofferson and I share a high school alma mater? Go, San Mateo Bearcats.
We begin our second act with a piece about Heartland Rock, which numbered among its exponents Tom Petty. Occasionally, there’s method to my madness.
The Lost Idealism Of Heartland Rock: I try not to write about book reviews in this space but sometimes, a review is so good that I go for it. That’s the case with Jack Hamilton’s review of a new book by Eric Osmon, Won’t Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight For America. Why are book titles so damn long now? I prefer short and snappy titles.
If you’re too young to remember the Eighties, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, and John Mellencamp were also practitioners of Heartland Rock. According to the tagline on Hamilton’s review: “The genre of Bob Seger and John Mellencamp reached across the ideological spectrum in a way that seems unimaginable today.”
A good tagline is a terrible thing to waste as is a quote as good as this:
“Heartland rock had a consistently left-leaning politics, although this aspect has long been a point of misunderstanding. “Born in the U.S.A.” expresses a Vietnam veteran’s disillusionment with the country that sent him to war and then abandoned him; the title refrain is meant to be ironic. Just a few months after the song’s release, the conservative columnist George Will chose not to hear it that way, describing the chorus as a “grand, cheerful affirmation.” Ronald Reagan praised the song’s “message of hope” during a reelection-campaign stop in New Jersey. Reagan’s people reportedly also wanted to turn Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” into a theme song. Mellencamp intended the song to address racial and economic inequality—its refrain, “Ain’t that America,” is at least partly sardonic.”
Yeah, you right, Jack.
The artist formerly known as John Cougar sings us out of this segment:
I missed watching the Kentucky Derby last Saturday. It wouldn’t have happened when our friends Liz and John lived here. They’re native Kentuckians who threw a helluva Derby party.
Our next segment is a hilarious listicle about racehorse names. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll laugh again.
The 152 Best Horse Names In Kentucky Derby History: Tyler Parker researched the hell out of this piece for The Ringer. His style is somewhat Adrastostian. Is that a word? Beats the hell outta me.
Parker opens by mocking a hit song from the 1970’s:
“What do you mean, you’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name? You had an opportunity to name a horse and just didn’t? That’s super messed up. You could’ve named it something cool, like Nectar or D’Brickashaw or Drew Carey. Honestly, you mean to tell me you rode through an entire desert, nothing to do but think, and didn’t vacate the sand with a handle for the animal doing all the work? Skill issue, as far as I’m concerned. Loser behavior. America can kiss my ass.”
Ain’t that America indeed.
The last word of our second act goes to The Rolling Stones:
We begin our third act with our favorite stolen feature.
Separated At Birth Casting Edition: Dr. A and I are watching The Gray House a series about Civil War spies in Richmond. Sam Trammell of True Blood fame plays Jefferson Davis:
We’ve only watched half of the 8 episode series. So far so good. I’ll have more to say about The Gray House in a future edition of this feature.
Your Basic Basie: Ella and Basie on theme. Say no more.
Have I told you lately how much I love Count Basie?
The Best Of SNL: Who better to play annoying FBI director Kash Patel than Aziz Ansari who specializes in playing annoying characters?
Saturday GIF Horse: My favorite presidential impression is Dana Carvey as Poppy Bush:
Unlike the current occupant, Bush was a good sport and even invited Carvey to the White House:
Toon Time: I did a spit take when I saw this on social media. Justice Bro with the beer hat is to die for.
Let’s close down this virtual honky tonk with some more music.
Saturday Closer: We close with some Heartland Rock circa 2021.
That’s all for this week. The last word goes to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp.
