southwest1

I haven't forgotten about writing you back RR7. I fell on some ice back when the Midwest got it's last snow storm & messed up my back. I'll be okay. I'm just not warm & fuzzy right now. LOL! 

Well, it's been fun, but SW1 has gotta run. Finally, we thought the ole windbag would never leave. Hey! 

You're right, I've warn out my welcome. Peace out RR7. We'll chat soon...

Speaking of cute as a button baby girls doing their thang, I thought of you today when I saw this: 

I have a soft spot for future tough as nails rebels in training. Awe...Gets me all choked up. Something stuck in my eye man. LOL! 

Wait, so both your current wife & daughter have beautiful voices? I might have glossed over that distinction in a previous reply. My bad.

Like I always say, musicians are like Gods to me even if their primary instrument of choice are their vocal cords exclusively. 

You don't need to reply to that RR7. I just meant that confidence & self awareness can be lost if we aren't careful & go beyond I'm fine responses. Matthew was well respected by his teachers, friends, family, & fellow peers which made me feel good. An event like that makes you think about those left behind in the aftermath though. 

Anyway, thanks for listening. I'll move on. 

Very true my friend. My nephew Matthew's suicide this past November basically confirmed that fact. I thought he was in a good place had a strong self esteem, but I was wrong. 

I think about him at least once a day & wonder why I didn't check in with him 1 last time? I'm never gonna blame him for what he did. He must have really been suffering internally. At least, he's not in pain now. I feel for his surviving brother & mother my sister though. I know my sibling will never forgive herself over what Matthew did no matter what I say or anyone else in our family circle says as encouraging words of reassurance & hope. 

Actually, comedian George Carlin pinpointed the secret to happiness when he said:

Find a place to put all your crap & a woman that's fine with all your crap including emotional baggage, store it all in a home & somewhere down the line you can get a dog or cat if you want. She tolerates your crap; you tolerate hers & eventually you die. 

That's not exactly right, but George would say bleep it. You're close enough.  I miss Carlin too. 

Nobody really knows what they want when they are young. Don't beat yourself up about many romantic relationships or physical needs in your youth. It sounds like you're content & hopefully happy now. You deserve that. I want all my friends to be in a good place. 

Besides, it's the unsettling times that make you appreciate your wife, daughter, & tranquility now. It's not always peaches & cream obviously. The important thing is this: If you laugh, shoot the breeze, & feel good about your place in the world with your lovely wife, precious daughter, & loyal friends who will give the shirt off your back to help you out in your darkest hour; nothing else matters. 

Love Chapin. I've seen her live more than once. She's great at decoding loneliness & making you feel strong & invincible when you're down. 

Happy for ya RR7. I truly am. No monkey business whatsoever brother. 

Holy moly man! She can do Patsy Cline? Darn...

As in this right but better? 

Nice! I'm impressed. Proud Papa should be bragging man! SW1 would expect nothing less. 

You've posted "Lightning Crashes" before on the forum about the birth of your daughter if I recall correctly. I always liked that song, but when friends have a personal connection to tracks like that it carries so much depth, power, & clout like a blood oath that never dies. 

Personal connections to songs from people like yourself that I respect & whose company i enjoy via the world wide web means a lot. Thank you for sharing that RR7--The birth of your daughter & what this song means to you & your family. 

That's why music is such a visceral experience because it documents phases in our lives: Good times, bad times, limbo times where you don't know which end is up; birthdays, weddings; funerals, & grandchildren if a person is lucky enough. 

Sorry to get so philosophical there, but I mean what I say. I know you get this brother. 

You're killing tonite on the laugh factory front RR7. Fahnomihnal oh screw it...It's next level great.

Whoa, that's awesome about your daughter. I admire the bravery in even tackling that number. You need to have your diaphragm breathing locked down to do that number justice, which I'm sure your precious baby girl does naturally. 

It's not as complicated as say the Natl. Anthem, but done well & Black Velvet will make you cry. Cool. 

You'll be interested to know that Colts Forum member @Gramz performs this number in her own set list with her husband. It's a nad grabbing number indeed RR7. Black Velvet I mean BTW. 

So many covers of that song have been done which tells you the gravitas of that song. A phenomenal single. Why is that word so hard to spell? I can never spell that freaking word right either even with spell check. Grrr! It's such a spot on descriptive term in this case too. 

"Promises Broken" by Soul Asylum is very hypnotic & surreal. I don't recall hearing that number before, but that's why you're here to educate me on lost or forgotten musical gems.

I love the guitar chord vibration on that track. It makes it stand out & remain slow & smooth like power ballads are supposed to work right if executed correctly. Sweet.

"Blue On Black" is definitely my kinda of jam baby. Music that takes you to another plateau touching the hand of God or other spiritual, supernatural forces without the assistance of shall we say recreational substances. Hades ya! 

"Runaway Train" is such a good song. Everything just clicks on that number--The percussion, the guitar strumming, the vocals, the chorus hook, even the PSA message man. Sounds just as good now as it did then. Gotta love tracks that never age. 

Tommy James & The Shondells we need to stop meeting like this man. What the "mony mony" is going down bro? 

Billy, show em how it's done dude...

I always remember Idol in the "Wedding Singer" movie with Adam Sandler. 

"Cars, DVD players, even women are possessions to him." That line always cracks me up. LOL! 

I can't believe I left this tune out before. Major oversight on my part.

Tommy James & The Shondells classic 'Crimson & Clover': 

Love Joan Jett man. I have a soft spot for Miss Runaway & I always will...

Anybody who doesn't like Joan & give her her props is seriously messed up. JMO.