I’ve seen some wonderful things in my life….and….this was one of them.
Aretha Franklin….at the 1998 Grammy Awards….filling in at the last minute for an ailing Luciano Pavarotti….singing Nessun Dorma from the Opera Turandot.
Aretha passed away this morning at 76.
RIP.
Good music….and no overdubs or Auto-Tune or ProTools or….
You get the idea.
Wasn’t music like this all the time….some time?
How long ago was it that we could trust what we were hearing?
Prick is too strong a word.
There’s nothing Christian about the word “prick”.
I should have said “God Bless Bob the Weiner”.
That would have been nicer.
I started up one of the roads on my circuit to mail completion this afternoon….and was blocked by Bob….Bob the….Weiner.
He was having his minions do some road work….and the dump truck and trackhoe were blocking the road…and I couldn’t get by.
After a long wait, he had the dump truck move so I could head up the hill….but I think that he only did it so that he could trap me on the return trip.
When I got back to his little construction project…I sat….and I sat….and….I sat.
Finally, after eating my lunch and watching my fast day turn into a normal delivery day, he let me by.
I stopped and asked him, “Are you the fellow who lives in that house?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Bob”.
Bob the Prick, I thought.
I don’t know what that A-hole’s problem is….but….instead of wondering what twisted world he lives in and how I could hasten his descent into the fiery bowels of Hell…..maybe….I should say….
“GOD BLESS BOB!! THE WEINER!!”
I could say that, you know?
What makes Bob’s world better….ultimately….makes my world better.
I can’t control what all these people do.
I’m not some weird Svengali.
I can’t control or predict what these kooks are going to try and pull on me.
But….I can say, in my head and my heart, “God Bless You….Kook.”
I don’t want to walk a mile in anybody’s shoes….but a friend is a lot more fun than a foe.
Maybe I should ask Bob what his problem is next time I see him?
Maybe it’s a burden I can help him get past?
Bob the Weiner! What’s the matter?! Why you such a goob?
Can’t we all just get along?
Now move that freaking backhoe! I gots mail to deliver!
This man was probably always a minister….even before he became….a minister.
I need to take the family out to see some live music soon.
Man.
Music should be about encouraging joy.
Watch this guy’s face while he plays….he’s having a lot of fun.
New discovery for me….and a good one.
Eric Gales.
That’s some good stuff.
Oh, goodness!
Eric Gales!
Look how much fun he’s having….ROCKING OUT!
There is so much processed and choreographed crap in the music world….and then there’s guys like Eric Gales….playing with ferocity and joy.
It is so good to see stuff like this!