Ramblin' with Roger

NAME: Zombie Tom (Collins)
BLOG NAME: Zombie Eat Brains
NAME OF CD: When There’s No More Room in Hell, This Mix Will Walk the Earth
NUMBER OF CUTS: 27
RUNNING TIME: 78:29
COVER ART: The ghoul (from the site) was small but effective enough
SONG LIST: His Post of June 15
ALREADY REVIEWED BY: Gordon on June 30
GENERAL THOUGHTS: Mean old Zombie Tom just forced his way into the Mixed process, probably traumatizing poor Tom the Dog. I really like the concept of this album, probably a little more than the album itself. Having said that, I realize that for what it is, it’s very good at it, sorta like that movie, The Devil’s Reject, directed by Rob…Zombie, whose music permeates this disc. There are five pieces of dialogue not noted, after tracks 4, 11, 15, 19, 22.
THINGS I PARTICULARLY LOVED: The Misfits, the fairly melodic Romero trilogy, Hellbillies, Groovie Ghoulies, Belafonte, Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, plus old friends in new settings: Zombies, Hooters, Katrina, Cranberries, Petty.
ON THE OTHER HAND: Nas. And yes, I was traumatized by Toni Basil. (The Katrina joke I got –sunshine vs. zombies, or something; this one I didn’t.)
OFFICE FRIENDLY: Well, the scream may generate a call to the police. Not Nas for reasons cited on the site.
ONLY VAGUELY RELATED: FantaCo, where I worked, used to sell a lot of horror books, films, and videos. We also published comics and magazines in the genre, but I read almost none of them.
I have the Rockapella version of Zombie Jamboree.

Sign of an obsessive personality: I went back to my review (on August 17) of Eddie’s disc to make note of Gordon’s subsequent review on August 24. No, not obsessive, just a librarian/completist.

NAME: Dave G.
BLOG NAME: Simply Comics
NAME OF CD: Simplemix 1
NUMBER OF CUTS: 22
RUNNING TIME: 72:34
COVER ART: Typed
SONG LIST:
1. Swivelchair-Nothing Painted Blue
2. The Milkshake Song-Angry Salad
3. The Rainbow-The Apples in Stereo
4. C is the Heavenly Option-Heavenly
5. All Nite Diner-Modest Mouse
6. A Little Less Conversation-Elvis Presley/JXL
7. Letter from an Occupant-the New Pornographers
8. Wishing Well-Terence Trent D’Arby
9. Let’s Stick Together-Roxy Music
10. Ears Ring-Rainer Maria
11. Ugly-Fishbone
12. Minnie the Moocher-Cab Calloway
13. New Girlfriend-the Mr. T Experience
14. Can You Picture That?-Electric Mayhem
15. Shake a Puddin’-Dub Narcotic Sound System
16. Jenny-the mountain goats
17. Harbor-Vienna Tang
18. Overgrown-Walt Mink
19. Using the Metric System-Atom and his Package
20. 21st Century Digital Boy-Bad Religion
21. No One Takes Your Freedom-Scissors Sisters/Beatles/George Michael/Aretha Franklin/DJ Earworm
22. The End
ALREADY REVIEWED BY: Gordon on August 24
GENERAL THOUGHTS: Simple, but effective. New (to my ears) and old stuff working well together.
THINGS I PARTICULARLY LOVED: The fact that he mentioned the albums from which the cuts came. The jaunty cuts 1-4 & 13. 17. 19 (radical). The cuts I knew from before but like: 6, 8, 9, 12, and especially 11. 21-a remix of the Beatles’ “For No One”, with snippets of Aretha’s “Think”, which was worth the price of admission (Mary R- you need to hear this!)
ON THE OTHER HAND: No song reached this level, though the repetitive nature of 15 came close.
OFFICE FRIENDLY: GD on 16, the F word in 19

ONLY VAGUELY RELATED: One of my favorite beverages!

Because I have an interest in music, it is inevitable that I would use it to entertain and soothe the child.

When she was a few months old, people lied to us that she’d sleep if we drove her around in the car. Even when she finally did sleep, it would never be more than an hour, then she’d wail. In defense, I’d sing “Old McDonald”, with a wild range of animals (bear, elephant, fox); stopping to catch my breath would mean more crying. That was her favorite, along with a variant on BINGO: “There was a family, had a girl, and Lydia was her name. Oh, L-Y-D-I-A…”

A lot of it was whatever came came to mind at the moment: Here Comes Lydia (Right Down Lydia Lane); Lydia, You Are My Favorite Daughter (think Herman’s Hermits), and many more.

But two seemed to last. Particularly when I was with Lydia, and Lydia wanted to nurse, thee was this version of Eli’s Coming (probably the Three Dog Night version of the Laura Nyro song):

Mommy’s coming, hold your horses (X2)
Girl, Mommy’s a-comin’, you better wait (X3)
Girl, Mommy’s coming. Hold your horses
Better, better wait your turn
Mommy’s coming, and she’ll feed you
And she’ll nmake you real strong
and she’ll give you good nutrition
She’ll give you just what you need
Every single da-ay

But my favorite
I love Lydia (X2),
’cause she is my daughter, oh yeah,
’cause she is my daughter.

But what was the TUNE? Actually, in the very beginning, I could not remember. Then I figured it out. It was a tune that got all the way up to #66 on the Billboard charts in 1983. I must have picked up from a compilation, because I certainly own no albums by Toto Coelo. (In fact, I had to look up the group name AGAIN.)

Those of you up on obscure ’80s bands have probably figured out the song:
I eat cannibals. Oy. Well, the tune STILL works.

So, Lydia, my tuneful daughter, happy 17 months. I love how you dance when the stereo’s on. But STOP MESSING WITH THE DIALS!

School has either begun or is about to begin for America’s schoolkids. Two recent stories in the news caught my attention: 1) a real backlash in some states against ever-earlier start dates to the school year, and 2) a call in some quarters to quit the middle school model and go back to the K-8 system.

So, please let me know:

1. When does school start and end in your school district? Do you think it’s too early, too late, or OK?

2. Do you think middle schoolers would be better served by the K-8 model? Why or why not?

3. What did you most like and hate about school as a 12-to-15 year old?

I’ve watched more Little League World Series in the past week and a half than I have in the past five years combined. There’s something about the fundamentals of the game that are so enjoyable at this level. Watching the kids play which reminds me why I love the game. Bunt singles. Running out every hit ball (the Baltimore Orioles’ Sammy Sosa got thrown out at second base this week admiring his home run that ended up NOT clearing the wall this week). Forcing the throw in attempting the extra base.

The Williamsport, PA tournament started with eight U.S. teams and eight international teams. There have been nail biters (usually involving the team from Louisiana, it seems) and blowouts (15-0 four-inning game called because of the application of the 10-run lead rule). Tonight, powerful Hawai’i plays scrappy Louisiana. The winner will play California Saturday for the U.S. championship. Meanwhile, the winner of today’s Guam-Curacao game will play Japan Saturday, assuring that the international champion will be from an island nation. The LLWS finals are on Sunday, and it really will be an an international affair, unlike Major League Baseball, which has its wealth of players from other countries, but only one foreign team, and that one not that far from the U.S. border.

Let me tell you about my Little League experience. I went for a tryout. I was having trouble on the field. I struck out on a 3-2 pitch that I never saw. I never went back. So I am amazed that any 12-year old can hit a 75-MPH fastball.

Former Phillies manager Larry Bowa will be honored Sunday as one of those who played in both the LLWS and in the Major League and displayed character (he is a character).

Last night, Pete Rose was on that damn best sports talk show thing. He seemed very knowledgeable about a lot of sports issues, but perhaps disingenuously surprised that the clock has been ticking not only on his possible reinstatement to baseball, but also his eligibility to be voted into the Hall of Fame by the writers. (In time, IF reinstated, the Hall could allow Rose to be considered by the Veterans’ Committee.) My feeling in that he DID break the fuindamental rules of baseball, and that the late Bart Giamatti did issue a lifetime ban. Here’s my compromise: allow Pete Rose to be considered for the Hall as soon as he is dead. That way, he doesn’t personally profit from his misdeeds, but that baseball recognizes the 17-time All-Star with the most hits ever.

Meanwhile, the Mets beat Arizona last night by two touchdowns. There are five teams competing for the National League wildcard slot, Houston and all of the East teams except Atlanta (Philadelphia, Florida, Washington and the Mets.) This morning, the Mets were tied for third place in the wildcard, 1.5 games back. All the East teams play each other in September, and I suspect the race won’t be determined until the last week of the season. This is the time of year I start getting into the major league game.