Word is that Levon Helm will not be with us much longer. Which will be a huge loss to fans of The Band, but less sadly, the news is of great inspiration to Charles Pierce.
( Read and hoist the beverage of your choice to the most under-rated The Band. )

Yes, THAT Davy Jones. Yes, I was too young for the original show (they broke up before I was born) but I was one of those Monkee-maniacs from the 80s. So, um, wow.

http://www.tmz.com/2012/02/29/davy-jones-dead-monkees/

You once thought of me as a white knight on a steed...

I worked most of the day yesterday, then went to the gym, picked up a couple things for Christmas, did some housecleaning, wrapped the rest of my gifts and finished putting together my annual 'music you might like' CD for my brother. Each year I pick out 16-20 songs by artists I don't think Mike is familiar with, but I think he'd like. Generally he likes at least half of them. I hope. Somehow I still had time to watch BBC America's 'Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!' special, (apparently the British aspect was a new panelist from the UK; I don't think Neil Gaiman counts as British, since he's lived in the US for 20 years), and a movie from a few years back, 'Something The Lord Made'. Very interesting film, about Vivien Thomas, a young black man whose college dreams are dashed by the Great Depression, but he happens to get a job working for Dr Albert Blaylock, and becomes Blaylock's right hand man as they pioneered open heart surgery and found a way to cure 'blue baby syndrome'. It also happened to be filmed in Baltimore; there was a lot of 'I know that street' and 'I've seen that house' going on. Good flick.

[Error: unknown template qotd]In elementary school and middle school I played flute in the band. Not well.

Tried teaching myself harmonica and piano. Neither worked.

Started guitar in middle school and played up until about ten years ago. I was good in theory - literally. Music theory, scales, chords, sight reading treble clef - no problem. Hearing tones, improvising, reading bass clef...terrible. And people kept wanting me to play bass instead, but my hands are too small and the whole reading bass clef thing. Gave it up for good when my hands started hurting, I do miss it sometimes but the hands just can't handle it.

Short shots.

The WTMD countdown rolls on. It's interesting how as you go higher in the countdown, the songs get older. There were a lot of post-2000 songs in the first hundred, but now that we're in the 100-200 range it's mostly 70's. And given what we haven't heard yet, the top 100 will be heavily 60s.

FINALLY got CJ's new crate. Had to vacuum the whole upstairs, put down a chair mat I bought Tuesday (cost to refit CJ's daytime home: $120 and counting), tore down the old crate and built the new one. Owies for me. Last night, at least, no damage done.

Speaking of owies, went to the dentist yesterday. I have one lonely wisdom tooth that doesn't bother me. Until yesterday, when the dentist said it had 3 cavities in it. He shot it up with novocaine, of course, and the right side of my face is very sore and achy today.

I. HATE. STINK. BUGS. Self-explanatory.

Made a new friend at the ferret demo Monday. His name is Blaze, he is a 4 year old silver hob, and he likes me. Everytime he saw me, he went into ferret 'pick me up! pick me up!' mode. I obliged him several times :) Squirmy fellow, Blaze is, but very friendly. I wanna ferret! (I know, I know, and I'm realistic enough to know I don't have the time or money for another pet now. But doggone it, someday, I want ferrets.)

Oh, yeah. Passed the class. Section 2 starts Monday.

( R.E.M. Calls It Quits )

In terms of active bands, my favorite band has always been either The Jayhawks (bought the new album today! Woo!) and R.E.M. R.E.M. had a head start on the 'hawks, about ten years' worth, and they were my faves until the 'hawks came around. Basically, whichever band had a more recent album was my favorite. I was on board with R.E.M. from 'Murmur' on, and while I love 'Murmur', 'Reckoning' and 'Lifes Rich Pageant' all over the place, I think 'Automatic For the People' is one of the greatest albums ever recorded by any artist. Period. Yes, they limped their way through the last 15 years, but 'Collapse Into Now' was much better and I was getting optimistic. Total bummer. At least I can curl up with 'Mockingbird Time' sometime in the near future (a little busy with TV/work/school).

So long fellows, and thanks for all the fish great music through the years.

Wow. We lose two of the alltime great songwriters within 24 hours. ( Nickolas Ashford ) was of course half of Ashford & Simpson, and besides their own songs, he and his wife were responsible for most of those awesome Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell duets in the late sixties. 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', etc. Fabulous songs. The songs they did themselves were good ones too. Sad.

( Jerry Lieber ) was the lyrical half of Lieber & Stoller. Those guys teamed up with the Coasters for so many good songs and so much fun. 'Yakety Yak', don't talk back now. Another great.

Both Ashford and Lieber were recently profiled on CBS Sunday Morning, so any songwriters that have been on recently, please be careful!

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'Help!' Fun, great melody, great harmonies, nice beat and you can dance to it. And sneakily serious lyrics.

Mom and I decided to try having a spa day. We went whole hog - facial, body treatment, massage, manicure & pedicure. Mom was ecstatic. I was merely pleased. And wondering if you hear the same couple of Enya songs a couple times a day, every day, do you develop a burning hatred of her? My nails are now a glittery purple and my face feels like it belongs on another person, which is an odd feeling. We dined al fresco afterwards, where Mom was floored when I not only ordered a salad, I ate the whole thing, every last leaf. (Strawberries, pine nuts and goat cheese on a big pile of arugula, with pomegranate vinaigrette. Yummy!)

Catch was that at the same time as the spa day, my car was being worked on two doors down, at a Mazda dealership for a change. The good news: they came up with a completely new reason for the 'check engine' light and it was covered under warranty. The bad news: the other two problems came with the same solution - 4 new tires. Yikes. Throw in the diagnostic fee (tires are not under warranty) and alignment and yowch! Just to round it out, they couldn't finish the car in time today, so they loaned me a Camry. Very nice car. Rides beautifully. They need my insurance card for it. Couldn't find the card. Just scan it and e-mail it to us when you get home. OK. Get home. Scanner is not plugged in to the computer or the electric. Struggle to do those things. Computer doesn't see scanner. Check. My scanner is not compatible with Windows 7 and HP has no intentions of ever making it so. Blast it. I need a new scanner on top of the tires. Spiffy, just spiffy.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13759836

Who, you may be saying? Well, yakety yak, don't talk back! Gardner was the lead singed of the Coasters - yes, they of Yakety Yak, Young Blood, Searchin', Poison Ivy, and on and on. Quite a musical resume. You will be missed, sir.