Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions

Damn, I wish I could get through even one of these things without crying. But how do you not cry when you hear Neil Young say to Chrissie Hynde, "I know you had many offers to leave your band and go solo (regret leaving CSN, Neil?), but, you're a true rocker and it's in your heart". As if that wasn't bad enough, and I'm crying again, just writing all this, next up was Eric Clapton and BB King inducting Buddy Guy... and then they all three played together.... watching these masters in their bliss as they do their thing... holy shit, it doesn't get any better than that.

Just watching these music legends and the relationships they have with each other, the mutual respect and humility, the deference to the music itself, the sharing, the common language, the playing together. That's the real deal. Watching guys like the O'Jays and Percy Sledge (and Guy) getting in only because they were fought for after giving 40-50 years of music. U2 of course, gets in the day they turn 25, but, not everyone can sell iPods.

Not to diminish U2, they are Irish, not exactly in their favor. Their music breaks a lot of rules, never followers, and Bono seems to have a genuine aware heart, accomplishing some amazing things with his fame.

For a musician, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the highest honor there is, and deservedly so because of their attention to the music itself, its evolution and meaning in our society. It's about lifetimes of contribution to rock and roll music, in its widest sense. Cleveland rocks.

So, here is the ultimate truth of rock & roll. Those with a rocker soul never grow old. Don't take my word for it, ask Bo Diddley or Jerry Lee Lewis, both of whom tore it up at this year's festivities.

Those adhering to the Bible tend to atrophy in it. It's supposed to be a living document, but it's really not. It's a fairly static paradigm. And the power structure that has grown up around it is basically in control of the message as it operates in our world. Rock is ever changing and alive as each new generation interprets it. It's about critical comment on our society, it's energetic and open and rebellious. Rock is dead? Long live rock!

That's incredible

What's really incredible is that i sat through two hours of animated cross branded assault of the small i's. There's no small i in Steve Jobs, but there's one in iPod, iBook, iTunes and every t-shirt in Pixar's latest output. At least we didn't have to fete it out at the Guild again. Can you imagine how many small eyes we'll see after he ditches Disney? Oh well, it's better than isner and iger.

As ee cummings once said to Descartes, "i think therefore i pod"

What a perfect epitaph for Jobs... the great holder and hoarder, secret-keeper. It's like fucking communist Russia over there, secret groups working on secret sectors of secret products, totally disconnected and disallowed from sharing info, even with each other. Jobs planting little falsehoods to spot those venomous leakers. Going after teenage bloggers who are guilty of nothing.

This is how he blew his market dominance in personal computers down to 4% share and we'll see the great iPod innovator go the same way. He's got 92% of the hard drive MP3 player market now and I can virtually guarantee you, and yes, this is based on inside info, it's going down the tubes. And, he deserves it all the way, he's a pretty brutal control freak. Last night I dreamt that I told him what hurt his pancreas (artificial sweeteners) and he refused to listen. These children of the sixties forget their roots, the philosophies that let them rise and become as bad or worse as the corporate wonks we mocked in our youth.

So, Steve, big I, little eye... no man is an I...sland, and when the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. And, check out this month's Business 2.0, you'll love it. They talked to your boys and looked up your patents... enjoy.

Conduits

In my previous post I discussed how Jesus taught us to think for ourselves, question authority, find God within because the interpretation of others is always through a human, fallible conduit. In my 2/26/05 post, Raise Your Choice, I discuss a woman who was deterred from singing by " a friend". I didn't discuss the specifics, but I'd like to because they relate to this whole business of those who seek to become conduits for others.

The woman in question was having a fun time singing with the Mildcat band until a friend had a little talk with her. So... what in tarnation did the friend say? Can't you guess? I mean, she's a friend, right? She's not gonna be up front and say, you know what, I like to sing too, but, I don't have the guts to get up there and if I don't get the fun, neither should you, so get the fuck away from my husband and his band. So... what did she say? She told her some other people were criticizing her. She probably even went on to make herself look like the hero, and said she defended her dear friend. I tried to clue the victim in... is your friend really your friend? But, she didn't see it.

The conduits are like water, like subliminal advertising, always behind the scenes, pulling the strings, a little comment here and there, always reminding us what others are supposedly thinking about us. They are the arbiters of the world's morality. Always fully aware of what others will say, what others will think. The identity of "the friend" I refer to above was never revealed to me. But, can easily guess who it is. It's a woman I know is close to her and a woman who I have seen on many occasions talk about this group opinion she always seems to represent. When, in a group, one woman says she wants to take a stand about something, friendgirl says, well, so and so took a stand recently and now she's ostracized.

It takes other forms. I've had professional friends who will use their status there as the bolster bar. It's like, I'm always right cause I'm the doctor, the psychologist or lawyer and I represent my profession and all its accumulated knowledge and power. I've seen people in over their heads in arguments refer to the handy dandy agreeing third party, often a respected one. Can't make your point... just say hey, it's not only me who thinks so... it's everyone, or this authority figure. I say, speak for yourself. In the law we call it hearsay, and when I hear it, my sensors go off.

That's why the fundamentalists want you on that Bible so much. Once you sign on to the fact that that is the ultimate truth, they've got you. All they have to do is point out some sentence in there supporting their point & there you go. No more need to question, right? Those who seek to control us almost never do it in their own name. It's always in the name of freedom and America and democracy and Jesus and "morality".

So, in this season of rebirth I think it's important to identify and inspect the conduits we've accepted in our lives. Whose voice do we listen to? The voices of the fearful conduits, who don't have enough inner strength to speak for themselves? I say, listen to that inner voice that speaks to your heart's desire. That is the voice that will be there for you always.

Jesus Christ Superstar

My church, finally, is preparing a production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Although I don't do showtunes, this is one of my favorite plays and, with Easter approaching, I'd like to discuss this fantastic musical.

In it, Jesus, as you may have guessed, is a superstar. When we want to elevate a famous person, what do we call them... a rock star. It is the highest desgnation there is. When Bill or Hillary Clinton are called rock stars it means they are famous beyond politics, they have personal cache that elevates them above other politicians. Orrin Hatch would give his left ball, and has, to become a rock star.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem he was hailed as the Messiah, the biggest of the big, the rock star. In fact, of all the stories ever told about Jesus, only one, that I know of, is rock. Jesus Christ Superstar is a rarity in the world of musical theatre in its rock sensibility and sound. But of course, Jesus was the original rock star and he was treated like one in his own lifetime... at least for the last week of his life. How quickly things change. Within days he aroused the ire of the establishment. He went into the temples and turned the tables on those who sought profit in the name of the Father. He was a threat to the social order precisely because of the power his rock star staus brought him and he had to be taken down.

It wasn't hard. Once the adoring public heard his message, they turned on him. They wanted their new Messiah to tell them what they wanted to hear, to give them reasons to believe their shallow little lives were better than they thought, or at least could be. They wanted him to solve all their problems, cure them, heal them, resurrect them, turn their water into wine. But, that's not what he had in mind. He wanted THEM to do the work. He literally turned the tables on them. He wanted them to examine their lives, make changes, grow, get in touch with themselves and God, instead of thinking about money and status. So, many turned on him, especially the rich and powerful, listening to the propaganda of the day, that he was a threat and must die.

Would Jesus get any different treatment today? Well, if not dragged off to the looney bin first, he would be dragged through the courts instead of the streets. He may have escaped the fate of Kennedy, King, Sadat, he may have even risen above the fate of Cobain or Hendrix or Joplin... but, if he were truly of the stature he seemed to be, he would not survive today. People have not changed, our human foibles are today the same they always were. The Bible is filled with sagas of dysfunctional families, favoritism, cronyism, bickering, betrayal and jealousy.

We aspire, awestruck, at the lifestyles of the rich and famous. They keep getting richer, and the poor keep getting poorer. The more that is shoved in the faces of the people, the more they have of this unending paradox of admiration coupled with resentment. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. It's such a cliche I almost hate to say it, but most truisms persist for a reason... we build them up and then we tear them down. We love to read about anything bad about the rich and famous. That is what sells.

It's not just the tabloid journalism which is a multi billion dollar industry filtering into every news outlet, but even the bloggers. We love to read about some problem Bush or Gates or Rove might have, if they ever have any, other than us Communists.... and this is what is on the blogs every day.... it's all about ways to take Gates down....but I digress. This is about spirituality and just cause Jesus said a rich man has about as much chance of getting into heaven as a camel has to fit through the eye of a needle... is no reason bring money and power mongers into it.

Speaking of misguided power mongers, the saddest part is that the murder and desecration of Jesus has continued unabated till today, probably forever. Because so many still see him as the Messiah, he is just as ripe for those who want to speak in his name and co-opt his message today. When the power hungry few seek to influence the many, they use the best tool there is... fear. We fear death, we fear the unknown and cling to the belief that someone holds the answers for us. For billions, that someone is Jesus Christ. And how do most seek to know Jesus? Through their churches, their families, society, the Bible. Always an intermediary.

But, the message of Jesus, all the prophets, is to look for God within. Jesus confronted the church elders as a twelve year old, questioning their authority to interpret God to him. This is what Jesus modeled for us. This is what his life teaches us to do. So, as we celebrate the season of rebirth, something humans have done throughout time, well before Jesus, let's think about growth and rebirth in our own lives. Let's call on ourselves to do more than attend church this Sunday. Let's think about the simple things God wants for us, to follow our hearts, to love others, to love ourselves, to listen, enjoy, create, share and mostly, think.

Life doesn't have to be so difficult or complex. We can each of us choose to model our lives after Christ's and not simply laud and glorify him as Jesus Christ Superstar.

Alfie

Some people spend a lifetime with their noses to the grindstone in order to have a happy life... or at least a happy retirement. Alfie lives in the present. He's attractive to women, he enjoys them. He seems the epitome of the carefree bachelor, just out there enjoying the benefits of looking like Jude Law (who often takes these facile roles), until he changes and starts to find it very superficial, sorry and sad.

The original took place in early mod London, this one in NYC today and the remake is definitely updated, especially in terms of the women, who come off as more self-posessed. As a guy with no kids, or real family or ever having even experienced commitment... that is kind of empty, and I can see where someone would get into their thirties and wonder if they'll ever have those things.

For me, it was important to have kids. I would never have wanted to live my life on earth bypassing an experience like that. You can duplicate a lot of lessons in other ways, but, there is no replacement for having relationships with children you have raised. So, I can see where any person could get to a point in life, even if they've been in a committed relationship, where, if they haven't had kids, would feel a certain emptiness, no matter how great their life was.

For Alfie, in the original, a woman he impregnates has an abortion, right in front of him, and the movie has an unforgettable scene where he literally looks at what his choices have wrought. In this version, he meets his mixed-race infant and the mother basically tells him he's useless and unwanted, which isn't any better. The other thing he has not built for himself is a career.

More than just having kids though, the movie explores a man who has enjoyed a lifestyle for so long that he never even experienced what it means to be in a long term committed relationship. And that is also a loss, in and of itself. Both of these experiences, parenthood and marriage, test us, challenge us, take us outside of ourselves and our naturally hedonistic self-absorbed little worlds.

What I have found though, is that you can also go too far the other way. After a while you can get so used to that self sacrificing that you forget you even have a self, which needs respect as much as anyone else. I mean, right now, I'm defintely Alfie. But, I don't find it old or empty or sad at all. Because, I have two kids, I've had a long-term marriage, I've known self-sacrifice, believe me. Once you've had all that, the Alfie lifesyle, I feel is not only appropriate, but extremely enjoyable. It's kind of shown in the Susan Sarandon character.

So, what's it all about, Alfie? Is it just for the moment we live? Sometimes, hell yeah. Too much of anything is bad. Too much hedonism - bad. Too much diligence and self-sacrifice and immersion in what we should do instead of what we want to do... also bad, just as bad.