I enjoy watching TV. And while I like movies, I probably enjoy watching TV shows more than watching a movie. They are shorter, I enjoy character humor, and with the DVR I can watch the show almost every day, which during non-football months gives me something to do...especially in the summer.
I've watched a bunch of TV shows, many all the way through. I seen Seinfield, King of Queens, The Wonder Years, According to Jim, That 70s Show, Boy Meets World, Freaks & Geeks, Wings, Everybody Loves Raymond, 'Til Death and LOST from start to finish. There might be a couple more, I don't know. Currently, I'm making my way through Curb You Enthusiasm & My Boys and I've just started The Office. I also record How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, The Middle, and Modern Family.
My opinion on TV shows can be summed up that if I was going to make a TV show, it would be somewhere along the lines of Freak & Geeks. That was a great show because it was honest and funny, but there were no annoying laugh tracks. I am not so stupid that I need to be told when to laugh, I can pick up on subtle humor and I like that. Laugh tracks are awful and annoying, and a live studio audience can be even more annoying. And I like shows that I can relate to. The shows based in a New York City apartment are funny but I can't relate to that...I'm probably not supposed to but those episodes aren't memorable in the end.
As far as reality shows, they are pretty dumb for the most part. Unless it's on the History Channel, Discovery, Food Network, or another channel that doesn't follow worthless people while they do nothing then I'm probably not interested.
I like TV. The $75 for cable and a DVR is well worth the money considering what I'd do without it. I'd probably be more constructive, but that is for the weekends. Nothing like the TV to help you relax after work.
JB
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Best & Worst Analyst
This is kind of a continuation of the best and worst announcers I did last week.
Analysts are either informative, enjoyable, annoying, obvious, or worthless. By that last one I mean the guy who is really nervous seeing as he just got the job and doesn't speak up very often. But those guys usually don't make it long so they are not on this list. Here goes...
THE BEST
John Madden - Easily the best NFL analyst ever. He is entertaining and informative. He pretty much owned the show when he was with Pat Summerall because Pat just let him have the mic. And he was still good with Al Michaels. He was great at analyzing plays because he never went into too much detail like Ron Jawarski does, just a few lines on the telastrator and a "Wham", "Boom", and a "Pop" and there you have it.
Todd Blackledge - I like Blackledge, he knows football. I think he'd rather be doing Big 10 than SEC but I can't blame him since he went to Penn State. But I'm glad he's doing SEC games because he's really good...and he does the "taste of the town", joining two of my favorite pastimes - football and food. Too bad he gets paired with the doufus Mike Patrick.
Phil Simms - Simms is a good analyst. Him and Jim Nantz are easily the best NFL broadcast duo going right now. He's solid.
Joe Simpson - He's been a Braves announcer for 20 years. He does almost every television game so I hear him a lot and he's one of the best. And he's even got to do some Division Series games with TBS in recent years. He knows what he talking about and keeps the game interesting even though he gets paired with Chip Carey. Luckily, this year he announces with Ernie Johnson, Jr. or John Smoltz on Peachtree TV which makes for a really enjoyable broadcast.
Kirk Herbstreit - Why ESPN & ABC have him doing College Gameday in one part of the country and then flying to a game on the other side of the country is a mystery to me. Maybe he's got some TVs on the plane and he doesn't care. Nevertheless, he's pretty good. He's great on Gameday, and I think he'd be better if he wasn't paired with Musburger who prompts him into talking about the national landscape for 30 minutes while a game is being played.
Bob Griese - Griese is good, and he sticks to calling the game. He knows what he's talking about and he's not afraid to speak the truth. He used to be at the top when Keith Jackson was ABC's lead man for college football, but I think he's pissed a bunch of people off behind the scenes and he's been relegated to the 4th Big 10 game every week.
Gary Danielson - "Yeah, Verne, I just don't know. It's not clear to me. I've got to go with the official's call on the field. It's just inconclusive to me." That pretty much sums up every instant replay on the SEC game of the week. Other than Gary never knowing what the ruling should be, he is pretty good...mostly because you can tell he has done his homework - watching tape all week. He really wants to do a good job which is nice.
Jimmy Dykes - I like basketball but don't know all the ends and outs, Dykes does a good job of explaining them. He does his homework and knows every player well. Usually when an analyst does a State game they are all wrong about the players, he is usually right.
Dan Dierdorf - "Wow, he got hit hard!", "I'm glad I don't have to go up against this defense". He oversells the game a little bit but I find him to be pretty good. He knows what he's talking about and doesn't hog the mic.
Cris Collinsworth - He's pretty good. I don't know how he can sit in a booth with Bryant Gumbel but I hand it to him that he hasn't punched his lights out by now.
Billy Packer - I never had a problem during a game with Packer until he started complaining. Maybe it would only last for 5 seconds, or maybe he'd rant for 5 minutes about something. He was a grumpy old man but he knew basketball, broadcasting about 30 straight NCAA basketball championship games. I never thought he was as bad as people made him out to be.
Troy Aikman - Aikman brings a little life to the dullness of Joe Buck. If this was baseball he'd fall asleep 10 minutes into the game. Fortunately for Buck, McCarver talks to much to fall asleep in baseball. Aikman knows what he's talking about and does a fair job. He's definitely the #1 analyst FOX has.
Clark Kellogg - Alliteration was obviously Clark's strong suite in grammar school. "The seriously scintillating super-star supreme is acting absolute among all-Americans". Is there any need for this? His move from the studio to court-side has improved my view of him since he doesn't have time to make up these ridiculous alliterations during the game. He's done better than Billy Packer as Jim Nantz' sidekick.
THE WORST
Dick Vitale - Without a doubt the most annoying analyst in history. Punishment for criminals should be listening to him with Bryant Gumbel broadcast a game. Fortunately that duo hasn't happened. All the Duke love, all the yelling, all the annoying catch-phrases. Shut-up, aren't you in your 70s? He was in Starkville to do a game while I was in college and before the game he came out to the student section and told them he wanted to crowd surf and get it on camera. This guy is a camera hog, and just wants to get his ugly mug on TV to spout off his bogus opinions. None of this has even touched on him terrible call of the game in which he relays through the NFL, baseball, breast cancer awareness, global warming, the last restaurant he went to, how great his wife is, and of course how Coach K is the prettiest man alive.
Jay Bilas - Maybe the biggest elitist of all broadcasters, his Duke 'I'm smarter than you' attitude is really annoying. He's constantly bashing any school outside the ACC or Big East and claiming anyone who thinks differently is an idiot.
Dave Rowe - "The goal here is to get 10 yards so they'll have a first down". That is the kind of insight you get from Dave Rowe. Hey, no wonder I can't find him on college football broadcasts anymore.
Bill Walton - The incredibly (1) annoying (2) lisping (3) hippie was a penchant for using three adjectives to describe everything in the NBA. I can do without the long descriptions of how "wonderfully majestically serene" a player is.
Bill Raftery - (At every tip-off) "Well, Mr. Lunquist, starting off with some man-to-man from Mr. Pearl!" or "2-3 zone a killer from the green and white!". Nothing like that weird voice he does to describe a defense on every single tip-off. And don't forget, "the kiss!" or "nothing but nylon! the assassin!" Bill, really, aren't you a little old for this. Good thing for you Dickie V is around or you'd be the aging hipster doufus of college basketball.
All FOX NFL Analysts - Just line up the parade of worthless chumps who try to imitate John Madden. "I love the way he hits, he's a real football player, a tough guy." They all sound the same, they've got to get some different personalities in there instead of the same meat-heads.
Ron Jaworski - "He sees the eyes of the quarterback as he rolls out, and watch as he signals the safety to watch for the tight end...now comes the part that separates the men from the boys - the hook and dive....he'll hook the guard and dive to sack the quarterback for a loss of 3 yards! That is how it's done!" Please, Ron, can you dissect another play?
Tony Kornheiser - He's good on PTI, but his experiment on Monday Night Football was excruciating. Absolutely terrible, he was trying to be funny but it just came off as awkward and stupid. MNF was unwatchable when he was in the booth.
Tim McCarver - Captain of the obvious, and master of long, drawn-out, pointlessly detailed descriptions of what we can see on the TV screen. "Well you see, Joe, the catcher lines up behind the plate, and when he does that he is in front of the umpire. Now the umpire sometimes puts his hand on the catcher, but sometimes he doesn't. When I was a catcher I liked to line up behind the plate, but I always said to the umpire, don't hold onto my gear. You see, if he holds onto my gear, I won't like it. I think Jorge Posada is doing the same thing now. He's lining up behind the plate, and he's telling the home plate umpire not to hold on to his gear. This could cause Posada to be uncomfortable and he won't like it. That is what they are talking about, Joe. That, or the strikezone."
Joe Morgan - I've gone back and forth with Morgan over the years. He's always done Sunday Night Baseball and he did the World Series when NBC had it prior to FOX. He is insightful but there is a constant bickering about today's players that gets annoying. No one is ever as good as they were in the 1970s. I'm tired of him.
This was part 2 of a 4 part series. I'll do the best and worst sideline reporters next week.
Analysts are either informative, enjoyable, annoying, obvious, or worthless. By that last one I mean the guy who is really nervous seeing as he just got the job and doesn't speak up very often. But those guys usually don't make it long so they are not on this list. Here goes...
THE BEST
John Madden - Easily the best NFL analyst ever. He is entertaining and informative. He pretty much owned the show when he was with Pat Summerall because Pat just let him have the mic. And he was still good with Al Michaels. He was great at analyzing plays because he never went into too much detail like Ron Jawarski does, just a few lines on the telastrator and a "Wham", "Boom", and a "Pop" and there you have it.
Todd Blackledge - I like Blackledge, he knows football. I think he'd rather be doing Big 10 than SEC but I can't blame him since he went to Penn State. But I'm glad he's doing SEC games because he's really good...and he does the "taste of the town", joining two of my favorite pastimes - football and food. Too bad he gets paired with the doufus Mike Patrick.
Phil Simms - Simms is a good analyst. Him and Jim Nantz are easily the best NFL broadcast duo going right now. He's solid.
Joe Simpson - He's been a Braves announcer for 20 years. He does almost every television game so I hear him a lot and he's one of the best. And he's even got to do some Division Series games with TBS in recent years. He knows what he talking about and keeps the game interesting even though he gets paired with Chip Carey. Luckily, this year he announces with Ernie Johnson, Jr. or John Smoltz on Peachtree TV which makes for a really enjoyable broadcast.
Kirk Herbstreit - Why ESPN & ABC have him doing College Gameday in one part of the country and then flying to a game on the other side of the country is a mystery to me. Maybe he's got some TVs on the plane and he doesn't care. Nevertheless, he's pretty good. He's great on Gameday, and I think he'd be better if he wasn't paired with Musburger who prompts him into talking about the national landscape for 30 minutes while a game is being played.
Bob Griese - Griese is good, and he sticks to calling the game. He knows what he's talking about and he's not afraid to speak the truth. He used to be at the top when Keith Jackson was ABC's lead man for college football, but I think he's pissed a bunch of people off behind the scenes and he's been relegated to the 4th Big 10 game every week.
Gary Danielson - "Yeah, Verne, I just don't know. It's not clear to me. I've got to go with the official's call on the field. It's just inconclusive to me." That pretty much sums up every instant replay on the SEC game of the week. Other than Gary never knowing what the ruling should be, he is pretty good...mostly because you can tell he has done his homework - watching tape all week. He really wants to do a good job which is nice.
Jimmy Dykes - I like basketball but don't know all the ends and outs, Dykes does a good job of explaining them. He does his homework and knows every player well. Usually when an analyst does a State game they are all wrong about the players, he is usually right.
Dan Dierdorf - "Wow, he got hit hard!", "I'm glad I don't have to go up against this defense". He oversells the game a little bit but I find him to be pretty good. He knows what he's talking about and doesn't hog the mic.
Cris Collinsworth - He's pretty good. I don't know how he can sit in a booth with Bryant Gumbel but I hand it to him that he hasn't punched his lights out by now.
Billy Packer - I never had a problem during a game with Packer until he started complaining. Maybe it would only last for 5 seconds, or maybe he'd rant for 5 minutes about something. He was a grumpy old man but he knew basketball, broadcasting about 30 straight NCAA basketball championship games. I never thought he was as bad as people made him out to be.
Troy Aikman - Aikman brings a little life to the dullness of Joe Buck. If this was baseball he'd fall asleep 10 minutes into the game. Fortunately for Buck, McCarver talks to much to fall asleep in baseball. Aikman knows what he's talking about and does a fair job. He's definitely the #1 analyst FOX has.
Clark Kellogg - Alliteration was obviously Clark's strong suite in grammar school. "The seriously scintillating super-star supreme is acting absolute among all-Americans". Is there any need for this? His move from the studio to court-side has improved my view of him since he doesn't have time to make up these ridiculous alliterations during the game. He's done better than Billy Packer as Jim Nantz' sidekick.
THE WORST
Dick Vitale - Without a doubt the most annoying analyst in history. Punishment for criminals should be listening to him with Bryant Gumbel broadcast a game. Fortunately that duo hasn't happened. All the Duke love, all the yelling, all the annoying catch-phrases. Shut-up, aren't you in your 70s? He was in Starkville to do a game while I was in college and before the game he came out to the student section and told them he wanted to crowd surf and get it on camera. This guy is a camera hog, and just wants to get his ugly mug on TV to spout off his bogus opinions. None of this has even touched on him terrible call of the game in which he relays through the NFL, baseball, breast cancer awareness, global warming, the last restaurant he went to, how great his wife is, and of course how Coach K is the prettiest man alive.
Jay Bilas - Maybe the biggest elitist of all broadcasters, his Duke 'I'm smarter than you' attitude is really annoying. He's constantly bashing any school outside the ACC or Big East and claiming anyone who thinks differently is an idiot.
Dave Rowe - "The goal here is to get 10 yards so they'll have a first down". That is the kind of insight you get from Dave Rowe. Hey, no wonder I can't find him on college football broadcasts anymore.
Bill Walton - The incredibly (1) annoying (2) lisping (3) hippie was a penchant for using three adjectives to describe everything in the NBA. I can do without the long descriptions of how "wonderfully majestically serene" a player is.
Bill Raftery - (At every tip-off) "Well, Mr. Lunquist, starting off with some man-to-man from Mr. Pearl!" or "2-3 zone a killer from the green and white!". Nothing like that weird voice he does to describe a defense on every single tip-off. And don't forget, "the kiss!" or "nothing but nylon! the assassin!" Bill, really, aren't you a little old for this. Good thing for you Dickie V is around or you'd be the aging hipster doufus of college basketball.
All FOX NFL Analysts - Just line up the parade of worthless chumps who try to imitate John Madden. "I love the way he hits, he's a real football player, a tough guy." They all sound the same, they've got to get some different personalities in there instead of the same meat-heads.
Ron Jaworski - "He sees the eyes of the quarterback as he rolls out, and watch as he signals the safety to watch for the tight end...now comes the part that separates the men from the boys - the hook and dive....he'll hook the guard and dive to sack the quarterback for a loss of 3 yards! That is how it's done!" Please, Ron, can you dissect another play?
Tony Kornheiser - He's good on PTI, but his experiment on Monday Night Football was excruciating. Absolutely terrible, he was trying to be funny but it just came off as awkward and stupid. MNF was unwatchable when he was in the booth.
Tim McCarver - Captain of the obvious, and master of long, drawn-out, pointlessly detailed descriptions of what we can see on the TV screen. "Well you see, Joe, the catcher lines up behind the plate, and when he does that he is in front of the umpire. Now the umpire sometimes puts his hand on the catcher, but sometimes he doesn't. When I was a catcher I liked to line up behind the plate, but I always said to the umpire, don't hold onto my gear. You see, if he holds onto my gear, I won't like it. I think Jorge Posada is doing the same thing now. He's lining up behind the plate, and he's telling the home plate umpire not to hold on to his gear. This could cause Posada to be uncomfortable and he won't like it. That is what they are talking about, Joe. That, or the strikezone."
Joe Morgan - I've gone back and forth with Morgan over the years. He's always done Sunday Night Baseball and he did the World Series when NBC had it prior to FOX. He is insightful but there is a constant bickering about today's players that gets annoying. No one is ever as good as they were in the 1970s. I'm tired of him.
This was part 2 of a 4 part series. I'll do the best and worst sideline reporters next week.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Music
I enjoy listening to music. I also really enjoy finding new songs to listen to instead of the same old ones. I like listening to classic country stations that play songs from the 80s and 90s that I've never heard. I like finding deep album tracks from artist and listening to them. It's always good to find something new to listen to because these days there just isn't enough good music coming out that can fulfill my listening requirement.
One of the great things about being born decades after rock & roll started is that I can be introduced to an artist and it is brand new to me. Not only is it new, but you don't have to wait two or three years for the second album to come out, just go get it, and then the third, and the fourth, etc. That may make me sound like a music novice, but really I'm not. I spent my junior and senior year of high school spending every last cent of my paychecks to buy every classic or new album I could get my hands on. I've probably bought at least 150 albums and had at least 50-60 more burned for me. So I've heard all the most critically acclaimed ones and many others.
I've seen who all the best musical artist are and I know what Rolling Stone and VH1 think about it, but their opinion doesn't have an effect on me. If I like it, I like it. It basically comes down to does it sound good or do I like the lyrics. I don't care what rock critics say. This is my personal top 20 artists, which includes their album material; I'm not going to be short-sided and only listen to 10 hit songs and claim them in my top 20. And to be in this list surely you have to offer something more than straight ahead rock songs like Tom Petty or Aerosmith. I like those bands but they don't give me much variety and tons of great songs I can listen too. I don't care for Rap or Punk Rock, my interest in R&B, Jazz, Raggae, Hard Rock, Dance and Pop is mild, I like New Wave a little more - along with of Pop/Rock, and Folk-Rock, then a step above would be Blues, Psychedelic Rock, and Southern Rock. But my favorite genres are Soft Rock, Country, Jam Bands, Rock, Christian & Blues-Rock. With that said, here is my Top 20:
20. Brad Paisley - I thought about going with Brooks & Dunn here buy Paisley's signature sound put me over him over the edge. If all I hear is a guitar, I instantly know it is him playing...that is rare.
19. The Beatles - It is hard to deny they have made some great songs and great albums. I would put them with Pink Floyd as the masters of album rock.
18. R.E.M. - I have owned all but one R.E.M. album, and that is a lot considering they have 14 of them, and they really aren't too popular or considered classics. Their 80s stuff is ok, the 90s is the best, and then the 00s are back to pretty good. They have a lot of good songs and consistently put out good albums.
17. Sister Hazel - I really never listened to Sister Hazel very much until 2009. I only had "Fortress", but my brother has got me into them and I now have a several more albums. They create a lot of good guitar and bass sounds, good melodies. I really like Sister Hazel.
16. Tim McGraw - Tim McGraw is just great country. He pumps out hit after hit. His old stuff (early 90s) is great, his new stuff is great. I've always enjoyed some McGraw.
15. Pat Green - Pat Green is one of the most underrated country artists out there. I guess he's not commercial enough, but he's got a bunch or really great songs.
14. Eric Clapton (which includes Cream, Derek & The Dominos and solo career) - I really love to hear Clapton play the blues. Derek & The Dominos is probably his best stuff, but he's got some other great material. I'd have him higher if he was a better singer, sometimes I wish he would just play with instruments only.
13. Pink Floyd - I'm not a huge fan of psychedelic rock but it's hard to turn a Pink Floyd album off since it's so good. I don't have a problem with a 17 minute song, I like it when 75% of a song has no vocals.
12. Third Day - Third Day is basically like a Christian version of Sister Hazel...modern Southern Rock. They are my favorite Christian band. They've got a bunch of different sounds as well which I like, you're not getting the same thing with every album.
11. John Mayer - Kind of like Sister Hazel, I've only gotten into John Mayer recently. I used to think he was just some guy chicks liked, but then I started listening to more of his stuff and realized his worst songs are the ones they play on the radio. So aside from those songs, his albums are great, a ton of great guitar work.
10. Jack Johnson - Perhaps what I like most about Jack Johnson is his different sounds. Maybe they all are based with an acoustic guitar, but they all take a different direction and have a different beat. He fits almost any mood, great musician...short easy to listen to songs.
9. O.A.R. - I'm glad O.A.R. finally 'sold out' because they've been making great music for years and it's about time they got paid for it. And really they sold out on one song (Shattered) because the rest of that album is pretty much the same old O.A.R., although it's one of my least favorite. I love the saxaphone and they use plenty of it, great jams and a different sound on virtually every song.
8. Kenny Chesney - Kenny Chesney is like John Mayer, his worst songs (for the most part) are the ones that make it to the radio. With that said, he hasn't put out much of anything good since 2005. But I can make a list of about 40 really great country songs by him...just that alone gets him up here.
7. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin is the most hit or miss band in history for me. Pretty much every album has 4 or 5 great songs - legendarily good songs - and then they'll have 3 or 4 that suck in my opinion. How can you have a crap song "Misty Mountain Hop" following "Stairway to Heaven"? It's like that on every album. But with all those incredible songs they make it up to this point for me.
6. Lynyrd Skynyrd - I used to just think Lynyrd Skynyrd was a feel good Southern Rock band with a couple famous songs. But really they've got a bunch of famous songs and even more classics that should be a staple of everyone's collection. Their first two albums are a necessity, and from there they keep going with excellent work through the 70s. Of course, I'm ignoring any new material (post 1979). But even "Skynyrd's First and .....Last" (album of work that didn't make any albums) is filled with great songs. Everything they did in the 70s was great.
5. Jimmy Buffett - How can you not like Jimmy Buffett? He's been making great music for 40 years. He's got a ton of great songs, and he's the ultimate good time musician...and the ultimate island musician. So "the ultimate" in two fields, that gets you in the top 5.
4. The Allman Brothers Band - The Allman Brothers are simply one of the greatest bands of all time. They are definitely underrated. They often get pigeon-holed as just another Southern Rock band, but they are more of a Blues-Rock band..certainly in the first couple of albums. A 20-minute jam can be hard to take for the impatient, but there just isn't any denying their great musicianship.
3. Dave Matthews Band - DMB is yet another band whose worst songs get played on the radio. Although theirs is not that the extreme of Kenny Chesney or John Mayer because a bad song for them is few and far between. If you really listen to the musicianship and different instruments they use on each song you can get the true appreciation for them. They are the master of the 6-minute song...making it as though you don't even realize it was 6 minutes because you get lost in the song so easy.
2. George Strait - George is definitely the King of Country. Admittedly, I have no full length George Strait albums. To my own defense, when I started listening to country in 2003, he was already into a 20 year career. And at roughly an album a year that was too much of a daunting task to try and accumulate that many albums. But based on the 100 some-odd great songs he's produced I think that is enough to land him at #2. Not to mention that at almost 30 years in his prime, he is still putting out hit after hit.
1. Bruce Springsteen - A lot of people wouldn't have The Boss touch their Top 20, and without a doubt you either love him or you hate him. Well, I hate his politics but I love his music. He's got so many great albums and songs that I've probably listened to 100 times over the past 10 years. He's still putting out great music, even though his heyday has passed by 20 years. There aren't many songwriters like The Boss, who puts a different character in each song that you can relate to. Then, he fuses guitar solos, saxophone jams, piano, etc. to make a great sound. Him and the E Street band make a great combo which easily tops my list.
Thare is my list. You might say it sucks or it's pretty good. You might say, how could you not have the Rolling Stones or The Jimi Hendrix Experience? Well, I have all of Jimi Hendrix songs and a lot of Rolling Stones and The Who and countless others but I just don't like listening to them as much as these. That why it is my favorite, and not "the best". Perhaps there are some new artist that have come out with only one or two albums so far that I will like more than these, but until they produce some more material I can't put them up there. 4 albums is the minimum.
JB
One of the great things about being born decades after rock & roll started is that I can be introduced to an artist and it is brand new to me. Not only is it new, but you don't have to wait two or three years for the second album to come out, just go get it, and then the third, and the fourth, etc. That may make me sound like a music novice, but really I'm not. I spent my junior and senior year of high school spending every last cent of my paychecks to buy every classic or new album I could get my hands on. I've probably bought at least 150 albums and had at least 50-60 more burned for me. So I've heard all the most critically acclaimed ones and many others.
I've seen who all the best musical artist are and I know what Rolling Stone and VH1 think about it, but their opinion doesn't have an effect on me. If I like it, I like it. It basically comes down to does it sound good or do I like the lyrics. I don't care what rock critics say. This is my personal top 20 artists, which includes their album material; I'm not going to be short-sided and only listen to 10 hit songs and claim them in my top 20. And to be in this list surely you have to offer something more than straight ahead rock songs like Tom Petty or Aerosmith. I like those bands but they don't give me much variety and tons of great songs I can listen too. I don't care for Rap or Punk Rock, my interest in R&B, Jazz, Raggae, Hard Rock, Dance and Pop is mild, I like New Wave a little more - along with of Pop/Rock, and Folk-Rock, then a step above would be Blues, Psychedelic Rock, and Southern Rock. But my favorite genres are Soft Rock, Country, Jam Bands, Rock, Christian & Blues-Rock. With that said, here is my Top 20:
20. Brad Paisley - I thought about going with Brooks & Dunn here buy Paisley's signature sound put me over him over the edge. If all I hear is a guitar, I instantly know it is him playing...that is rare.
19. The Beatles - It is hard to deny they have made some great songs and great albums. I would put them with Pink Floyd as the masters of album rock.
18. R.E.M. - I have owned all but one R.E.M. album, and that is a lot considering they have 14 of them, and they really aren't too popular or considered classics. Their 80s stuff is ok, the 90s is the best, and then the 00s are back to pretty good. They have a lot of good songs and consistently put out good albums.
17. Sister Hazel - I really never listened to Sister Hazel very much until 2009. I only had "Fortress", but my brother has got me into them and I now have a several more albums. They create a lot of good guitar and bass sounds, good melodies. I really like Sister Hazel.
16. Tim McGraw - Tim McGraw is just great country. He pumps out hit after hit. His old stuff (early 90s) is great, his new stuff is great. I've always enjoyed some McGraw.
15. Pat Green - Pat Green is one of the most underrated country artists out there. I guess he's not commercial enough, but he's got a bunch or really great songs.
14. Eric Clapton (which includes Cream, Derek & The Dominos and solo career) - I really love to hear Clapton play the blues. Derek & The Dominos is probably his best stuff, but he's got some other great material. I'd have him higher if he was a better singer, sometimes I wish he would just play with instruments only.
13. Pink Floyd - I'm not a huge fan of psychedelic rock but it's hard to turn a Pink Floyd album off since it's so good. I don't have a problem with a 17 minute song, I like it when 75% of a song has no vocals.
12. Third Day - Third Day is basically like a Christian version of Sister Hazel...modern Southern Rock. They are my favorite Christian band. They've got a bunch of different sounds as well which I like, you're not getting the same thing with every album.
11. John Mayer - Kind of like Sister Hazel, I've only gotten into John Mayer recently. I used to think he was just some guy chicks liked, but then I started listening to more of his stuff and realized his worst songs are the ones they play on the radio. So aside from those songs, his albums are great, a ton of great guitar work.
10. Jack Johnson - Perhaps what I like most about Jack Johnson is his different sounds. Maybe they all are based with an acoustic guitar, but they all take a different direction and have a different beat. He fits almost any mood, great musician...short easy to listen to songs.
9. O.A.R. - I'm glad O.A.R. finally 'sold out' because they've been making great music for years and it's about time they got paid for it. And really they sold out on one song (Shattered) because the rest of that album is pretty much the same old O.A.R., although it's one of my least favorite. I love the saxaphone and they use plenty of it, great jams and a different sound on virtually every song.
8. Kenny Chesney - Kenny Chesney is like John Mayer, his worst songs (for the most part) are the ones that make it to the radio. With that said, he hasn't put out much of anything good since 2005. But I can make a list of about 40 really great country songs by him...just that alone gets him up here.
7. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin is the most hit or miss band in history for me. Pretty much every album has 4 or 5 great songs - legendarily good songs - and then they'll have 3 or 4 that suck in my opinion. How can you have a crap song "Misty Mountain Hop" following "Stairway to Heaven"? It's like that on every album. But with all those incredible songs they make it up to this point for me.
6. Lynyrd Skynyrd - I used to just think Lynyrd Skynyrd was a feel good Southern Rock band with a couple famous songs. But really they've got a bunch of famous songs and even more classics that should be a staple of everyone's collection. Their first two albums are a necessity, and from there they keep going with excellent work through the 70s. Of course, I'm ignoring any new material (post 1979). But even "Skynyrd's First and .....Last" (album of work that didn't make any albums) is filled with great songs. Everything they did in the 70s was great.
5. Jimmy Buffett - How can you not like Jimmy Buffett? He's been making great music for 40 years. He's got a ton of great songs, and he's the ultimate good time musician...and the ultimate island musician. So "the ultimate" in two fields, that gets you in the top 5.
4. The Allman Brothers Band - The Allman Brothers are simply one of the greatest bands of all time. They are definitely underrated. They often get pigeon-holed as just another Southern Rock band, but they are more of a Blues-Rock band..certainly in the first couple of albums. A 20-minute jam can be hard to take for the impatient, but there just isn't any denying their great musicianship.
3. Dave Matthews Band - DMB is yet another band whose worst songs get played on the radio. Although theirs is not that the extreme of Kenny Chesney or John Mayer because a bad song for them is few and far between. If you really listen to the musicianship and different instruments they use on each song you can get the true appreciation for them. They are the master of the 6-minute song...making it as though you don't even realize it was 6 minutes because you get lost in the song so easy.
2. George Strait - George is definitely the King of Country. Admittedly, I have no full length George Strait albums. To my own defense, when I started listening to country in 2003, he was already into a 20 year career. And at roughly an album a year that was too much of a daunting task to try and accumulate that many albums. But based on the 100 some-odd great songs he's produced I think that is enough to land him at #2. Not to mention that at almost 30 years in his prime, he is still putting out hit after hit.
1. Bruce Springsteen - A lot of people wouldn't have The Boss touch their Top 20, and without a doubt you either love him or you hate him. Well, I hate his politics but I love his music. He's got so many great albums and songs that I've probably listened to 100 times over the past 10 years. He's still putting out great music, even though his heyday has passed by 20 years. There aren't many songwriters like The Boss, who puts a different character in each song that you can relate to. Then, he fuses guitar solos, saxophone jams, piano, etc. to make a great sound. Him and the E Street band make a great combo which easily tops my list.
Thare is my list. You might say it sucks or it's pretty good. You might say, how could you not have the Rolling Stones or The Jimi Hendrix Experience? Well, I have all of Jimi Hendrix songs and a lot of Rolling Stones and The Who and countless others but I just don't like listening to them as much as these. That why it is my favorite, and not "the best". Perhaps there are some new artist that have come out with only one or two albums so far that I will like more than these, but until they produce some more material I can't put them up there. 4 albums is the minimum.
JB
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Sam Bradford, How Did You Manage This?
Sam Bradford must be living right. This guy has to be the luckiest guy there is. On any normal year, under any normal circumstances he would not be where he now finds himself now. After his roller-coaster year and a half he's found himself with a 6 year, $78 million contract; with the important number of $50 million guaranteed. This all comes after he had an injury-plagued season in college last year, and of course, he hasn't taken an NFL snap yet.
Well, the $50 million is outrageous, and then consider that it is $8.3 more than Matthew Stafford got in 2009, and $20 mil more than Jake Long got in 2008 (both 1st overall picks). It is the biggest contract in NFL history!
How did this happen? After redshirting at Oklahoma he had a very good freshman year, and then exploded to have a great sophomore year and punctuated it with a Heisman Trophy. But then, after throwing 50 touchdown passes in the Big 12, Bradford was held in check against Florida in the National Championship Game. He didn't play bad, but he wasn't the world beater he was in the regular season. After this, he was expected to enter the NFL draft and be a top 10 pick, but he chose to come back to college to try and win a championship and gain more experience. So he left millions on the table to come back to college, something that could cost him huge if he gets injured in 2009.
Well, Bradford got injured in the first game against BYU; which Oklahoma lost. Then he recuperated over the next few weeks to play against Baylor and then Texas in a last chance effort to save OU's season and his. But he injured his throwing shoulder again in the 1st quarter to end his season.
So after leaving millions of dollars on the table it was looking like this was all a mistake. But fortunately for Bradford he ended up picking the best year of all to enter the draft. He was paired with Jimmy Clausen as the best quarterbacks in the draft, and quarterbacks are usually taken #1, or at least in the top 5 if you're the best in the draft. Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy were the closest to them but they were projected to to in the 2nd and 3rd round. Since Clausen is a cocky snot-nosed kid, the Rams chose Bradford.
With the escalating rookie contracts in the NFL Bradford was able to get $50 million guaranteed..the richest contract in the history of the NFL. If he would've come out after the '08 season he would've been behind Matthew Stafford so we would've probably received around $20 million guaranteed. But by waiting a year to come out with this poor quarterback class he was chosen first and got to take advantage of the escalating rookie contracts.
So Sam Bradford is pretty lucky on all these accounts, and even more so that he is probably going to be the last rookie to get one of these ridiculous contracts without ever playing. The NFL is probably going to fix this, and they should. They need to have a rookie pay scale like the NBA does. The problem for NFL players is their playing careers are about half a long as NBA players, if that. My suggestion is to give everyone 1-year contracts, which I will detail in a blog on Tuesday, August 10th.
JB
Well, the $50 million is outrageous, and then consider that it is $8.3 more than Matthew Stafford got in 2009, and $20 mil more than Jake Long got in 2008 (both 1st overall picks). It is the biggest contract in NFL history!
How did this happen? After redshirting at Oklahoma he had a very good freshman year, and then exploded to have a great sophomore year and punctuated it with a Heisman Trophy. But then, after throwing 50 touchdown passes in the Big 12, Bradford was held in check against Florida in the National Championship Game. He didn't play bad, but he wasn't the world beater he was in the regular season. After this, he was expected to enter the NFL draft and be a top 10 pick, but he chose to come back to college to try and win a championship and gain more experience. So he left millions on the table to come back to college, something that could cost him huge if he gets injured in 2009.
Well, Bradford got injured in the first game against BYU; which Oklahoma lost. Then he recuperated over the next few weeks to play against Baylor and then Texas in a last chance effort to save OU's season and his. But he injured his throwing shoulder again in the 1st quarter to end his season.
So after leaving millions of dollars on the table it was looking like this was all a mistake. But fortunately for Bradford he ended up picking the best year of all to enter the draft. He was paired with Jimmy Clausen as the best quarterbacks in the draft, and quarterbacks are usually taken #1, or at least in the top 5 if you're the best in the draft. Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy were the closest to them but they were projected to to in the 2nd and 3rd round. Since Clausen is a cocky snot-nosed kid, the Rams chose Bradford.
With the escalating rookie contracts in the NFL Bradford was able to get $50 million guaranteed..the richest contract in the history of the NFL. If he would've come out after the '08 season he would've been behind Matthew Stafford so we would've probably received around $20 million guaranteed. But by waiting a year to come out with this poor quarterback class he was chosen first and got to take advantage of the escalating rookie contracts.
So Sam Bradford is pretty lucky on all these accounts, and even more so that he is probably going to be the last rookie to get one of these ridiculous contracts without ever playing. The NFL is probably going to fix this, and they should. They need to have a rookie pay scale like the NBA does. The problem for NFL players is their playing careers are about half a long as NBA players, if that. My suggestion is to give everyone 1-year contracts, which I will detail in a blog on Tuesday, August 10th.
JB
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Fair Tax
Have you ever heard anyone say they want a fair tax? Well it might have been me because I do. I am an advocate for the fair tax and I have the following reasons to support my stance.
When you do your tax return, have you noticed just how much tax you are paying? Have you ever thought what you could do if you had all the money you actually earned? Maybe you're trying to save for a house or for a car. Well, if we had a fair tax you would get all of the money you earned and you'd be able to save as much as you wanted. The reason is because you only pay taxes on what you buy. So if you want that stereo, but don't really need it, then save your money and you won't pay tax. Just cut back on your spending money and you'll have much more to save.
People are afraid of a fair tax because they don't want to end up paying $2 for a candy bar. They prefer having their company take the money out before they ever get it so they don't have to worry about it. Well, a candy bar won't cost $2. You won't be paying 50% tax on everything you buy. The simple reason is that everyone will be paying taxes so the government will be able to generate the same amount of revenue with you paying less tax! That is because all the drug dealers, illegal aliens, and other people who deal in cash will now be paying taxes. With the current system they are able to avoid paying as much tax by not reporting their income, however, they still purchase candy bars. So as soon as they buy that candy bar they are being taxed, and that formerly lost revenue has now become apart of the pot everyone else has been putting money into all these years.
Bottom line is sales tax would be about 23% with the fair tax. So when you purchase a $20,000 car it will now be $24,600. While that is a lot of tax think about it this way: If you make $30,000/year then you probably bring home about $2,100/month. With the fair tax you'd bring home $2,500. So in the current system where that car is $21,400, your monthly note for 60 months - 8% interest is $433. With the fair tax your note would be $498. So you're bringing home $400 more and only paying $65 more on your note. Of course, you will have to pay for other items as well but the point is you control how much tax you pay by how much you spend.
The rich will buy more and pay more taxes. The poor will buy less and pay less taxes. And we will all pay less because those who avoided taxes by dealing in cash or offshore bank accounts will now be paying into the system. No more dealing with accountants and confusing tax codes. You go to the store, buy as much or as little as you want and pay the tax there.
JB
When you do your tax return, have you noticed just how much tax you are paying? Have you ever thought what you could do if you had all the money you actually earned? Maybe you're trying to save for a house or for a car. Well, if we had a fair tax you would get all of the money you earned and you'd be able to save as much as you wanted. The reason is because you only pay taxes on what you buy. So if you want that stereo, but don't really need it, then save your money and you won't pay tax. Just cut back on your spending money and you'll have much more to save.
People are afraid of a fair tax because they don't want to end up paying $2 for a candy bar. They prefer having their company take the money out before they ever get it so they don't have to worry about it. Well, a candy bar won't cost $2. You won't be paying 50% tax on everything you buy. The simple reason is that everyone will be paying taxes so the government will be able to generate the same amount of revenue with you paying less tax! That is because all the drug dealers, illegal aliens, and other people who deal in cash will now be paying taxes. With the current system they are able to avoid paying as much tax by not reporting their income, however, they still purchase candy bars. So as soon as they buy that candy bar they are being taxed, and that formerly lost revenue has now become apart of the pot everyone else has been putting money into all these years.
Bottom line is sales tax would be about 23% with the fair tax. So when you purchase a $20,000 car it will now be $24,600. While that is a lot of tax think about it this way: If you make $30,000/year then you probably bring home about $2,100/month. With the fair tax you'd bring home $2,500. So in the current system where that car is $21,400, your monthly note for 60 months - 8% interest is $433. With the fair tax your note would be $498. So you're bringing home $400 more and only paying $65 more on your note. Of course, you will have to pay for other items as well but the point is you control how much tax you pay by how much you spend.
The rich will buy more and pay more taxes. The poor will buy less and pay less taxes. And we will all pay less because those who avoided taxes by dealing in cash or offshore bank accounts will now be paying into the system. No more dealing with accountants and confusing tax codes. You go to the store, buy as much or as little as you want and pay the tax there.
JB
Monday, August 2, 2010
"Duke is the Anti-Christ of College Basketball"
The title of this post is a comment I heard while watching Mississippi State narrowly lose to Duke in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. It is a microcosm of the stupid things guys who think they know about sports say. The fact is, there are a lot of fellows who spout off terrible sports opinions, and the trend is disturbing. My close friend and fellow sports opinion aficionado, Will Duckworth, inspired me to write this post after our many bouts with ill-contrived sports opinions.
You're at the sports bar enjoying some chicken wings and a cold one with your buds. Then the guy your buddy brought from work says Payton Manning isn't that good, he just never gets hit so he has all day to throw the ball. Please, someone get this man a brain. A. Manning is most known for his quick release, thereby being able to get the ball out of his hand before getting hit. B. He uses play-action pass a dozen times during the game to draw the linebackers up and get off a quick pass to the slot receiver. C. He is lethal in his accuracy, and he knows exactly where the receiver will be when he throws the ball. D. He audibles at the line on almost every play because he knows the playbook like the back of his hand and can counter any defense thrown at him. Must I go on? Who brought this bumbling idiot to watch sports with us?
Of course, your next guy gives statements which have to do with the rules of the game. You'll be at the game and hear the guy in front of you telling his girlfriend, "when a team get 5 fouls the other team goes into the bonus, so they have to make the first free throw to get a second one". No, no, no. Please don't spread bad information, you're like a talk show host spinning information and the public is misinformed. Seven fouls puts you in the bonus, 10 fouls and you're in the double bonus. Don't talk like it's a fact unless you're 100% sure.
Then there is the guy who doesn't know the intricacies of the game, but yet they explain them like they are an expert. For example, "a delayed steal is when there's a fly ball and after the outfielder catches it the runner goes to the next base". Wow. No, that's a sacrifice fly. A delayed steal is when the runner sees the infielders not paying attention so he takes off for the next base after the pitch as been thrown.
And finally the guy with the dumb statements: "Duke is the anti-christ of college basketball". Well, that doesn't make any sense. Basically, you're saying Duke is taking over college basketball, in turn to tear it down and have all other basketball teams bow to them during their reign. Things aren't going to get that bad. I don't like Duke, but I don't think they are scheming to take over the college basketball world and strike fear into the hearts of all other teams under the dictatorship of Coach K.
As I've gotten older I've tried to be more tactful in my corrections of bad opinions and information relative to sports instead of berating them. I use the, "I may be wrong, but I'm about 100% sure that is not accurate". I just can't let the disease of bad sports knowledge enter the American fabric while I'm present.
JB
You're at the sports bar enjoying some chicken wings and a cold one with your buds. Then the guy your buddy brought from work says Payton Manning isn't that good, he just never gets hit so he has all day to throw the ball. Please, someone get this man a brain. A. Manning is most known for his quick release, thereby being able to get the ball out of his hand before getting hit. B. He uses play-action pass a dozen times during the game to draw the linebackers up and get off a quick pass to the slot receiver. C. He is lethal in his accuracy, and he knows exactly where the receiver will be when he throws the ball. D. He audibles at the line on almost every play because he knows the playbook like the back of his hand and can counter any defense thrown at him. Must I go on? Who brought this bumbling idiot to watch sports with us?
Of course, your next guy gives statements which have to do with the rules of the game. You'll be at the game and hear the guy in front of you telling his girlfriend, "when a team get 5 fouls the other team goes into the bonus, so they have to make the first free throw to get a second one". No, no, no. Please don't spread bad information, you're like a talk show host spinning information and the public is misinformed. Seven fouls puts you in the bonus, 10 fouls and you're in the double bonus. Don't talk like it's a fact unless you're 100% sure.
Then there is the guy who doesn't know the intricacies of the game, but yet they explain them like they are an expert. For example, "a delayed steal is when there's a fly ball and after the outfielder catches it the runner goes to the next base". Wow. No, that's a sacrifice fly. A delayed steal is when the runner sees the infielders not paying attention so he takes off for the next base after the pitch as been thrown.
And finally the guy with the dumb statements: "Duke is the anti-christ of college basketball". Well, that doesn't make any sense. Basically, you're saying Duke is taking over college basketball, in turn to tear it down and have all other basketball teams bow to them during their reign. Things aren't going to get that bad. I don't like Duke, but I don't think they are scheming to take over the college basketball world and strike fear into the hearts of all other teams under the dictatorship of Coach K.
As I've gotten older I've tried to be more tactful in my corrections of bad opinions and information relative to sports instead of berating them. I use the, "I may be wrong, but I'm about 100% sure that is not accurate". I just can't let the disease of bad sports knowledge enter the American fabric while I'm present.
JB
Sunday, August 1, 2010
August: The Month that Can't End Soon Enough
As the calendar turns over to August every year my thoughts are usually that I can't wait for the month to end. I have nothing against August, there is nothing bad that annually happens to me. There is just a collection of circumstances that lead me into the same old feeling, when is this month going to end?
First, the heat is terrible the first two weeks of the month. Every year, the first two weeks of August are the hottest days of the year. It's usually so hot you can't go outside.
Secondly, by the time August rolls around I've already had my Summer fun. The excitement of May when I was making my Summer plans had faded because I've already done those things in June and July. Now it's August, it's still hot and I'm ready for it to cool down.
Once it's August I know football season is near, and it's only going to come when August is finished. I love football season, and while talking about it throughout the Summer is nice, by August training camps it's at a fever pitch and I'm ready for it to get started!
All of these things make August one of the least desirable months. Come on September!
JB
First, the heat is terrible the first two weeks of the month. Every year, the first two weeks of August are the hottest days of the year. It's usually so hot you can't go outside.
Secondly, by the time August rolls around I've already had my Summer fun. The excitement of May when I was making my Summer plans had faded because I've already done those things in June and July. Now it's August, it's still hot and I'm ready for it to cool down.
Once it's August I know football season is near, and it's only going to come when August is finished. I love football season, and while talking about it throughout the Summer is nice, by August training camps it's at a fever pitch and I'm ready for it to get started!
All of these things make August one of the least desirable months. Come on September!
JB
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