REVIEW—Ronnie Dunn's Self-Titled CD

After 20 years as one half of the mega-duo, Brooks & Dunn, Ronnie Dunn has released his first CD as a solo artist.

The self-titled CD contains twelve songs, including the first single, “Bleed Red”.   After hearing the CD, I think this was a good song to lead off Dunn’s solo career; it’s not too quiet, yet it’s also not too overpowering.  It’s a song that manages to stay the course of where Dunn has been, and where he seems to be heading in the future.  For those expecting a change from the Brooks & Dunn days though, you won’t find it on this CD.  

What you will find is that familiar, polished, yet a bit rough, voice that brought many of Brooks & Dunn’s hits to life.  I find it ironic that, in the liner notes Dunn thanked someone for pushing him beyond what he thought he could do.  I don’t quite get that, because to me, any of the songs on this CD could have been a hit for Brooks & Dunn.  There’s really nothing I heard that is that different from what Ronnie has been doing the past two decades.

 That’s not to say the CD is bad; it’s not.  Anyone who’s been a fan of Brooks & Dunn, especially the songs done by Ronnie, will probably like this CD.  If you’re looking for Ronnie Dunn to be a “Brand New Man”,  (forgive the pun, I couldn’t help myself!), in his solo career though, it’s not on this CD.

Though the feel of the songs aren’t different from Brooks & Dunn, the songs on the CD are good.

One song that really stands out to me is “Cost of Livin’”.  It tells of a man looking for work, so he can pay his bills and feed his family.  The concept of the song really isn’t that different than other tunes out nowadays.  What sets “Cost of Livin’” apart though is Dunn’s delivery of the tune.  It reaches out, gets your attention and keeps your attention through the whole thing.  If it was up to me, I’d pick “Cost of Livin’” to be the next single from the CD.

Another song I really like is “How Far to Waco”.  This song is the most up-tempo song on the CD; yet doesn’t get as crazy as if say Kix Brooks did the song.  That’s just not Ronnie Dunn’s style.  He can cut loose on songs, though he just doesn’t seem to go totally crazy, like some artists do.  He pulls it off well though, at least on “How Far to Waco”. 

I also particularly like “I Don’t Dance”.  The title would lead one to believe this could be a song about a guy in a bar and he can’t dance, etc.; it’s not.  The song actually tells the story of a guy who makes his living singing in bars, and how even though the girls are pretty, and may hit on him, he doesn’t dance with any of them, or mess around.  Instead, he saves all his dances for the woman he loves who’s waiting at home.  I really can’t do the song justice here, trying to explain it.  All I can say is, I think it’s a really sweet song for a guy to sing to a girl.

In summary, if you’re looking for something totally different from Ronnie Dunn, now that he’s gone solo, you’ll probably want to skip this CD.

However, if you’ve been a fan of Brooks & Dunn in the past, and wondered where you’ll get your fix, now that they’ve split, fear not; this CD will have you reliving those times once again.

GANGS & VIOLENCE

Saw a post from Earthquake Jake today on KUPL’s Facebook page. 

So there's been a lot of talk in the news about gang shootings. They're on the rise, I guess? Honestly, I don't put that much thought into it. But SHOULD I worry about it? Is it the media making a big deal of it, or are we all actually in danger? ~Jake

I also read several of the responses.  Over all, it sounds like, yes, most people do think it’s something to worry about; myself included.  At the same time, I also see where maybe the media IS making a big deal of it. 

With that said, the rest of this post is purely how *I* feel about this whole situation.  I guess you can say I’m too wordy to post on Facebook.

As I stated, I do worry about all the shootings, gang related or otherwise.  I worry about the rise in crime in general.  I worry because, as one person posted, there are a lot of innocent people, including children; that sometimes get caught in the middle of these shootings

While I believe these crimes should be reported by the media, I’m not sure it should be blown out of proportion.  That means, yes, report about shootings; just don’t make a big deal about it.  To me, that would cover both sides of the debate.  People would know the shootings are happening; yet, if the stories are buried among others, and not standing out, those doing the crimes won’t get the attention they may be looking for.  One person mentioned in a post, they thought that’s why there’s been a rise in shootings recently, people looking for attention.

I’d like to be able to say it’s because of how kids are raised these days; though that really wouldn’t be a fair statement.  While it's probable that there are those who are a product of how they were raised, it's not true of every child.  You can have a child raised "properly", (by society's standards), and they could still turn out to be a criminal.  Likewise, you could have a child with everything against them growing up; yet they turn out to be an upstanding citizen.

Yes, things have changed a lot since “the good old days”.  Those days when you knew your neighbors, people got along, etc.  We don’t live in “simpler times” anymore. Then again, the world has never been a perfect place.  There's always been crime; the difference is, you just hear about it more now.  It could be a rise in crime, or it could just be news spreads quicker in this era of electronics. It could even possibly be a bit of both.

As far as whether gang related shootings are up, I honestly don't know.  I do know that gangs have been around for eons though.  Why do we hear more about it now?  I'd have to give the same answers I've given earlier in this post; news spreads quicker, there are more people sharing space in the world, possibly how a person was raised; the list could go on and on.

I guess my whole point to all this rambling is:  Yes, there's a problem with gang shootings going on.  Is it on the rise?  Possibly.  Should people be concerned?  Yes, because if we aren't things will only get worse.  As one post mentioned, we can't just sit back and watch it happen.  While we may not be able to fight back literally, we can take precautions to protect ourselves and those around us, and we should.  If everyone opposed to gang violence stood together to help end it, that would be a great start.  There really is force in numbers; if there wasn't the gangs wouldn't be getting such a strong hold on things like they are.  

Do I think it will ever totally end?  Probably not.  That's not to be negative, just realistic.  There are always going to be those people in this world who are no good; it's part of life.  Since it will never totally go away, the best we can do is put up a resistance to what's already going on; try to keep it from getting worse.

As I said, this post is just my two cents' worth on the subject of gang shootings.  I don't claim to be right about what I feel or think, and I don't claim to be wrong; I've simply chosen to post my thoughts here. 


 

MY WORST NIGHTMARE

I don’t know about anyone else, but I get some of my craziest, weirdest, best ideas and thoughts while I’m half asleep in the shower.  This morning was one of those times.

While in the shower I was thinking of what I could post a blog about.  For some reason, my mind kept focusing on a previous blog where I’d mentioned about washing spiders down sinks. 

 I remember writing how I hate spiders.  That thought led to what other things I hate.  I realized there are very few things I actually hate in this world.

 I just can’t bring myself to hate another person.  I think it’s because “hate” is such a harsh word; I don’t use it lightly. There are a few people I dislike as much as humanly possible; but I still don’t hate them.

While still in the shower, I came up with only five things in this world that I truly hate.  At that point, the being half asleep kicked in, melding all those things into what I would call my worst nightmare. 

The whole thing stayed with me all day.  I kept wondering if I was missing anything I might actually hate. At the end of the day, I still had only the original five I thought of in the shower:  Spiders, needles, and what I call my three “B”s, bananas, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. 

Because the idea had stayed with me, the image of my worst nightmare stayed with me also.  I decided I had to recreate this thought, to get it out of my system.  It’s not the best creation I’ve made; however, using the resources I had available, it’s what I could do.

With that said, I now present my brain’s interpretation of “my worst nightmare”. 

Aaron Lewis @ the Ponderosa Lounge-5-31-11

To be honest, before March of this year, I’d never heard of Aaron Lewis.  When the concert was announced, I was iffy on whether I was going or not.

Then a friend started telling me who Aaron Lewis was.  When she said he was the lead singer for Staind, I still didn’t know who he was, although I had heard of the band.  At the time though, I still didn’t take much stock in really wanting to go to the concert.  I guess in the back of my mind I had the “just another rocker coming over to country”, attitude going on.

Then, early one morning on my way to work, I heard this song; the voice was deep and gravelly, and the song was just packed full of imagery and emotion.  It was one of those rare songs that I took an instant liking to.  As I was listening, I heard the line, “a country boy is all I’ll ever be”.  That’s when I realized I was hearing Aaron Lewis for the first time.  My friend had told me his country single was called “Country Boy”; so I was pretty sure that was what I was hearing.

I got to work, checked KUPL’s playlist for the time I heard the song; sure enough, it was Aaron Lewis.  That’s when my interest was really peaked…I decided I really needed to go to this concert. 

Originally Aaron was to be at the Ponderosa Lounge on May 26^th; due to the tornadoes in the Midwest though, Aaron was stuck back east and couldn’t get a flight to Portland. The show was rescheduled for May 31^st, and Aaron was able to make it that day.

Before the show, I was lucky enough to be part of the meet and greet for Aaron Lewis.  Since the friend who had told me about him was also at the show, I took her with me to the meet and greet.  It was so much fun to watch her meet Aaron; he’s one of her favorite artists.  And the picture that was taken of the two of them is just so cute!  I’m hoping she doesn’t mind me sharing it here. (I’m pretty sure she won’t, since she has it as her profile pic on Facebook right now.) 

 When it was my turn to meet Aaron, I told him how I’d heard of Staind; though I admitted I didn’t know that much about the band.  I also told him the first time I heard “Country Boy”, I thought to myself that he sounds more country than some of the country artists nowadays. 

I also asked if he came from a musical family and he said yes; he first started playing and singing when he was about 5 years old, and had learned from watching his father.

What I really noticed about Aaron, with others, and with myself is, he took the time to genuinely connect with each person.  He spoke with everyone, answered questions, joked around, and more.  Aaron just seems to be a really warm, caring, friendly person.  And for as shy as I can be, he was also really easy to talk with. 

 When it was time for the concert to start, local musician, Kurt Van Meter, came on stage first to do an acoustic set.  Kurt seems to be one of those guys that can sing anything, and make it sound good.  I thought he was a good lead in to Aaron Lewis.

 When Aaron took the stage, he began his acoustic set with a Staind song.  Throughout the evening, he played songs from his EP, “Town Line”, and also did some cover songs, one being “What Hurts The Most”, originally done by Rascal Flatts.  He ended the show with his hit, “Country Boy”.

Other than what I had been told previously about Aaron Lewis, I chose NOT to listen to Staind, or dig into any more details about him before the concert.  I wanted to go to the show, and just experience it for the first time; without the possibility of preconceived notions.  I’m glad I did.

What I heard on that stage when Aaron performed was that same gravelly voice I’d heard on the radio.  What I also heard, and saw, was a man with so much power and emotion in his voice and music, it just draws you in.

  

I’m really glad that I was able to go to this concert.  I definitely walked away a new fan of Aaron Lewis. 

Which “Witch” is “Wich”?

In another blog I mentioned how the mispronunciation of “sandwich”, drives me crazy.  For this reason, I feel obligated to explain the proper pronunciation of this word; and give examples of the wrong way to say it. 

The correct way to say “sandwich” is:  “sand-witch”; however, the actual item has nothing to do with either sand or witches.  Though people have been known to create witches out of sand, these items are in no way edible.  Even if the sand witch is made to look like a sandwich, it’s still not for consumption.

 On the other hand, sandwiches made from food ARE to be eaten.  These can be anything from basic peanut butter and jelly, to an extravagant creation of great proportion. 

 On a side note: The sandwich was created by a man named John Montagu; who was the fourth Earl of Sandwich.  The man loved to play cards so much he didn’t even want to stop to eat.  He was known to take meat and put it between slices of bread so he could eat while playing cards. 

Just because sandwiches are made from food, doesn’t mean they’re always good.  Much like witches, (sand or otherwise), there are good ones and bad ones.

 Now that we’ve learned how to say “sandwich”, let’s move on to how NOT to pronounce the word.

The most common way “sandwich” is mispronounced is “sam-witch”.  This just isn’t possible; that would make it a “sam-warlock”, since “Sam” is a guy’s name.

The only exception to this rule I know is the witch Elizabeth Montgomery played on “Bewitched”.  Her name was “Samantha Stevens”, but she went by “Sam”.  I guess that would make her a  “Sam-witch”.  That’s just silly though; since Elizabeth Montgomery isn’t food or a witch.

 The worst pronunciation though is “sam-itch”; it’s just so totally WRONG in every way! I can’t even explain it here! 

There you have it, the right and wrong way to say “sandwich”.  Now that you know which is which, no one should ever say “sam-witch” instead of “sandwich” ever again.  Please and thank you!

R.I.P. Jeff Conaway

It’s funny how some people can have huge success in a movie, or television show, yet be so unknown by the general public.  Or have that same success; yet only be known for their time on a celebrity reality show years later.  That seems to be the case with Jeff Conaway.

 I first heard of Jeff Conaway on the television show “Taxi”.  He played cab driver, Bobby Wheeler on the show.

The same year “Taxi” premiered on TV, Jeff was in the movie “Grease”, as Kenickie.  Earlier in his career he had played the role of Danny Zuko in stage productions of the show.

I always liked “Taxi”, and “Grease” is my all-time favorite movie; so I was sad to hear that Jeff Conaway passed away this morning. 

It wasn’t a big secret that Jeff had had his share of ups and downs in his life; he had plenty, including an addiction to painkillers.  The addiction landed him on the series “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” in 2008.  Nowadays that’s how a lot of people know the name Jeff Conaway.  To me that’s sad. Here’s a man, who’d spent most of his life performing, and yet, most of the younger generation know him from a rehab show.

According to news reports, on May 10^th, Jeff had overdosed on painkillers, and also had pneumonia.  He was taken to the hospital and put in an induced coma.  On Thursday evening, May 26^th, he was taken off life support, and died the morning of Friday, May 27^th; he was 60 years old.

While I was looking for photos to use with this blog, I found some recent ones, but decided not to use any of them.  I guess I’m one of those people who would prefer to remember Jeff Conaway as I knew him best, in his roles as Bobby Wheeler, and Kenickie.  Though I only knew him by the characters he played, it was those characters that made me a fan of Jeff’s. So, this is my little way of paying tribute to him for the enjoyment his acting gave me.

R.I.P.

JEFF CONAWAY

October 5, 1950—May 27, 2011

MEMORIAL DAY—IN REMEMBRANCE

What comes to mind when you hear “Memorial Day”?  A long weekend?  Parties?  Cookouts?  Great sales?  The unofficial start of summer? 

Whatever Memorial Day brings to mind, how many people remember the real meaning of Memorial Day?  The day we honor our fallen heroes from past and present wars. 

 This year Memorial Day actually falls on Memorial Day; Monday, May 30, 2011.  As trivial as that fact may seem; I feel an obligation to mention it, in hopes the actual date will not be forgotten.

Those born after 1971 may not know what I mean when I say that.  Until 1971, Memorial Day was always observed on May 30^th.  The first “official” Memorial Day was May 30, 1868.  In 1971, a law was passed, moving Memorial Day to the last Monday in May.  This provided people a long three-day weekend.

While I, like others, love the long weekend; at the same time, it really does bother me when dates get moved for the sake of convenience.  To me, it’s just another sign that, as a whole, we’ve forgotten what the real meaning is behind the “holiday”.   

That’s another thing that bothers me, the word “holiday” in association with Memorial Day.  It just seems like an oxymoron to have a “holiday” on a somber day.

Another oxymoron is “Happy Memorial Day”.  Happy?  Really? 

It’s not that I think we should all be sad and wearing black in mourning.  I just think we need to remember why we’re able to enjoy the day.  If it weren’t for all those who gave their lives for us, we wouldn’t have a Memorial Day.

 In conclusion, while you’re “celebrating”, (another word I have trouble associating with Memorial Day), this long weekend, please take time to remember why you’re able to do so.