Spitball Army

Approximate playing time: 80 minutes.

1. Radiohead  “Faust Arp”  (2007)
2. Nada Surf  “Whose Authority”  (2008)
3. The B-52’s  “Ain’t It a Shame”  (1986)
4. Evelyn “Champagne” King  “Shame”  (1978)
5. Scissor Sisters  “Do the Strand”  (2009)
6. Joe Jackson  “Sunday Papers”  (1979)
7. Horace Andy  “Airbag”  (2006)
8. Mark Ronson with Alex Greenwald  “Just”  (2006)
9. The Beatles  “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road (demo)”  (1968)
10. Tammy Wynette  “It’s My Way”  (1968)
11. Ry Cooder  “Always Lift Him Up / Kanaka Wai Wai”  (1976)
12. The Louvin Brothers  “Dying from Home, and Lost”  (1959)
13. Quarry Hill  “Under the Bottom”  (2008)
14. Richard Ashcroft  “Brave New World”  (2000)
15. Brad Mehldau Trio  “Exit Music (for a Film)”  (1998)
16. Jamie Cullum  “High and Dry”  (2004)
17. Carole King  “Smackwater Jack”  (1971)
18. Simon & Garfunkel  “For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her”  (1966)
19. Nadine  “Brother”  (1999)
20. Radiohead  “Palo Alto”  (1998)

[audio:Fred_FM_playlist_060610.mp3]
Fred FM playlist (6 June 2010)

Some notes on the songs:

• There’s a loose theme today.  Who can spot the (at least) six instances of it?
• Quarry Hill is a band featuring Seth Rothschild, formerly of Gingersol and a multitude of recording and producing projects.  MySpace sucks, but because I can’t find a proper website for the band, here is their MySpace page.
• Gingersol and Nadine toured together for a while in 2003.  They played a double-bill in-store together at Laser’s Edge that year and I became a fan of both bands and the folks within them.  I am only now – several days after compiling this program – noticing the coincidence that landed members of both bands on this playlist; I wasn’t thinking of it at the time, except maybe subconsciously.  Funny how that works.

 
Gingersol & Nadine, 7 August 2003 (photos: spitballarmy.com)

• Notice how Paul switches between his “Helter Skelter” and his “I Will” voices on that demo?  It’s kinda schizo.
• Beverly Lyte taught me how to dance The Rock to Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King’s “Shame” many moons ago when we were freshmen in college.  I know that I’ve said this before, and I’ll likely say it again.  (Did she teach you The Rock, too, DP?)
• Virginia Wynette Pugh (her real name) released two of her biggest hits (“Stand By Your Man” and “D-I-V-O-R-C-E”) in 1968, the year before her marriage to George Glenn ‘Possum’ Jones, and seven years before their own D-I-V-O-R-C-E.
• Top 3 Simon & Garfunkel songs?  That’s one of ’em.

I’m thinking about writer, actor, memoirist and monologuist Spalding Rockwell Gray this evening.  Today would have been his 69th birthday.  I miss his insight and humor, and his remarkably unique view of the world around him.

I remember seeing Swimming to Cambodia at the Harvard Square Cinema upon its release in 1987.  I was so struck by this man and his power to communicate story that I returned the following evening and watched it again (I’m the guy who took a cassette recorder and three blank tapes into the theatre the night after seeing Citizen Kane in college, just so I could re-listen to the dialogue at will later, so this fact shouldn’t surprise you).  Ever since then, I have been a devotee.  For an hilarious example of his story-telling, check out this audio-clip from his work Terrors of Pleasure, which I posted some time ago on this here website.

For many months now, I have been following and communicating with a group of writers who share creative nonfiction microessays on Twitter.  I hadn’t thought of Spalding Gray in terms of creative nonfiction before; his work seems more like memoir, and there is a debate among some about the legitimacy of placing personal memoir within the context of CNF (my view: if it’s true, it’s not fiction, and it’s creative, then…).  But, tonight, I went over to youtube and watched a few clips from Spalding Gray’s monologues and the one I present to you below seemed to really make the case for him as a creative nonfiction artist (not just a creative nonfiction memoirist).

In the clip, taken from Swimming to Cambodia, Gray explains the genesis of the Khmer Rouge, as if he were that self-righteous, slightly demented history teacher we had sophomore year in college, yet with all the facts presented in such a way that the story leaves you feeling a punch to the gut.  I hope you enjoy it, and hope you’re encouraged to seek out his other works, too.

The quote in this post’s title can be heard at about 2’20 in the video clip.

[Written to Alice in Frankfort, Indiana. Return addressed: Richard, Co. G, 2nd Bn., 1st Mar., c/o F.P.O., San Francisco, Calif. Postmarked at U.S. Navy, on 2 Jan 1944, P.M. Envelope stamped on front, “Passed by Naval Censor,” and initialed by the Censor.]

Dec. 31, 1944

Hello Sweetheart,

     I’m going to try to write this letter as you write yours to me.  In other words, I’m laying on my sack.  I don’t feel much like writting but I’ll see what I can do.  I feel more like laying here and dreaming.  I want to think about you, Sweetheart, and then I realize a little but just how much I love you.  It seems like I’d rather think more about the future than the past.  I like to think about the things we will do and how happy we will be together rather than to think about the fun we’ve had.  Of course I can’t keep those memories out of the picture.  That would be impossible.  It would be imposible to forget the Parkmoor.  That was quite a while ago.  We had fun at I.U. and Chicago too.  I suppose you are in Chicago right now or did something happen to your plans.  Hope you and M—- are having fun now.  How is she?  Is she having difficulty with her male yet?  I have a little trouble with my mail ever now and then.  Lafayette is where most of my thinking takes place – both past and future.  Sorry, Sweetheart, it seems like I can’t do anything but dream.  I’m surely not doing so good at putting it on paper.  I guess this just isn’t my letter writting day.

     Well, Sweetheart, I just finished reading your last 4 letters over again.  They are very nice, wished I had more.  There were 3 questions that I could answer so I’ll take care of that right now.  Send the cigarettes.  I’ll use them and the longer you keep them there, the staler they will get.  You asked about the buttons on my dungarees.  I guess they are O.K.  I haven’t worn them since I got off the ship.  We wear khaki around here all the time.  I didn’t get any certificate for being a Shellback.  They didn’t have enough to go around.  That’s why I don’t have it.

     Did you get that roll of films developed?  Why don’t you take some pictures with the little camera?  Those films won’t be good much longer and I sure would like to have some snapshots of you.  You know of course, I only have that one picture of you.

     ‘Fraid I’ll have to give up for now.
          Goodnight Sweetheart
               I love you with all my heart
                    Pleasant dreams
                         ‘Nite Sweetheart

I really like my neighborhood, and I enjoyed getting my neighborhood association’s newsletter back when one was being produced.  The newsletter contained all the essential phone numbers (for things like trash collection and getting in touch with representatives) and updates on upcoming gatherings and meetings.  But sometimes, as you are about to see, our friendly neighborhood President got a little crazy with his quotation mark usage (No offense intended, Frank…I think you are the best!).

Yep, City Hall is closed on “Veteran’s Day,” yet again.  And on a Tuesday, no less.  Those so-called veterans, they’re just faking it to get another day off from work, and maybe a parade.

New?  Sure.  Right.  These people have been trying to get a liquor license for years.  They’ve probably just lost the other one they had.  Anyway, we all know what that liquor license really is.  Wink, wink.

[I’ve been hanging onto that old neighborhood newsletter for nearly two years! Now, into the circular file you go.]

Miss Thing leads me to a table, her two-inch claws ten shades of brown, with glitter. My BBQ plate, by comparison, is a flat Sienna.

[Written to Alice in Frankfort, Indiana. Return addressed: Richard, Co. G, 2nd Bn., 1st Mar., c/o F.P.O., San Francisco, Calif. Postmarked at U.S. Navy, on 1 Jan 1945, A.M. Envelope stamped on front, “Passed by Naval Censor,” and initialed by the Censor.]

Dec. 29, 1944

Hello Sweetheart,

     I’m in a peculiar mood tonight.  I can’t figure it out – either the mood or the way I got in such a mood.  I don’t have the slightest idea about either.

     We received a ration of 5 bottles of beer today and I’ve been watching how it effected the different guys around here.  One fellow drinks occassionally and when he does, he gets drunk.  I guess he decided that this was the night for him.  At first, everybody was having a lot of fun.  He was either drunk or putting on a good act.  But he wouldn’t stop.  He kept up the act till everybody was disgusted with him.  Then he started getting tough.  Part of the time he would be just as sober as I am.  Then, it seems, when a few guys got around him, he would get extremely drunk all of a sudden.  I guess he thought he was impressing somebody.  He’s still drinking.  In fact, he just fell on the deck here in front of the tent.  It’s dark and I couldn’t see very well, but he seemed like he was drunk, now.  He had another fellow to walk him around.  I don’t think he knows what he’s doing now.  He acts like he’s out on his feet.  In a way, I feel sorry for him.  If he is so “weak” that he has to get in that condition, he has my sympathy.  However, I don’t think he is that weak and he is very disgusting.  I don’t feel sorry for him at all.  I’m afraid if I were the one to take care of him he would just stay where he falls.  I would not feel like messing with him.  I know all these guys will be in good shape for the inspection tomorrow.  There is another guy that doesn’t drink or at least he hasn’t since I’ve been here.  He drank tonight.  It seems rather funny to see him staggering around here.  I can’t figure out why he started tonight but I guess he’s having fun, at the present anyhow.  Another fellow wrote his girl and made love to her throughout his whole letter.  He wrote in such a way to build up to a question at the end.  I know the girl will be very excited & thrilled when she reads it.  He’s the kind of guy that the girls “go for.”  Then at the end, he asked a complete disconnected and foolish question.  He read me the letter and got the biggest laff out of it.  I hope the girl does too but I have my doubts.  I don’t think he would normally do anything like that but there is such a thing as “beer.”  Now, he is singing and throwing nut shells at me.  He seems to get a big kick of it.  If he just would sing as he can, instead of so loud and slushy.  He can sing pretty good without the beer.  One group of fellows are singing everything they can think of as loud as they can sing.  Another group are singing slow, sweet songs as they should be sung.  One of the guys has a harmonica.  When I can hear it, it sounds pretty nice.  Another group are having a quiet little party – with food and beer.  They all think they are having fun.  I hope they are.  In the long run, I know they won’t be happy about the beer.

     Well, Sweetheart, about 2 hours have passed since I wrote the last sentence.  I’ve been talking to “Pop” F——.  He’s one of my tent-mates.  I don’t know how old he is, but he got quite a few years on me.  He was studying for the Ministry before he got in the Corps and we’ve had quite a nice talk.  We started talking about some of the things that are going on around here and somehow we got around to an altogether different subject.  I suppose you can guess what it was.  You know, regardless of what a bull session or a conversation starts out with, it usually ends up with the subject of women.  This conversation ran true to form.  Except – – – he was talking about his wife and I was talking about you, my wife.  I love you, Swetheart.  I enjoyed our little talk just telling him how wonderful you are.  I can’t remember much he said.  I was too busy thinking about you.  Telling him about what fun we had in Diego and Oceanside and Purdue.  Darn it, it so much easier to talk than it is to write.  Why can’t you be with me (or me with you).  It would be so much easier and nicer.

     There go taps, Sweetheart.
     Goodnight Sweetheart
          I love you with all my heart
               Pleasant Dreams
                    ‘Nite

Good morning,

     I was going to get up a little early this morning and finish this letter.  Fraid I didn’t wake up.  So, I’ll just have to stop it here.  I’ve work to do.  I must get ready for inspection etc.

     Goodnight Sweetheart
          I love you with all my heart
               Pleasant Dreams
                    ‘Nite

Got northbound accomodations, riding with two peckerwoods. Am hungry, must have dropped my nosebag when I flipped this rattler.

•

From the Wikipedia entry for “Wobbly lingo:”

Wobbly lingo is a collection of technical language, jargon, and historic slang used by the Industrial Workers of the World, known as the Wobblies, for more than a century.

Postcard is untitled on the front.

Printed on back of postcard:

HEADWATERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Itasca State Park, Minn.
Here, at the Source of the Mississippi River and many other historical spots around Lake Itasca, the State of Minnesota has created its largest park, known as Itasca State Park.  The river itself plays a great part in inland water transportation and flood control for our central states.

The tree-trunk marker pictured on the front of this postcard has been carved with the following inscription:  Here 1475 ft above the ocean the mighty Mississippi begins to flow on its winding way 2552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico.

Publishing information: Northern Minnesota Novelties, Crosslake, Minnesota.  Authentic Minnesota Scene I-101.

I took a week off from playlisting last Sunday, and later found out that one of this website’s visitors – left adrift without the weekly dose of tunes from me – took matters into his own hands and created his own program.  Great! says I.  He even posted it as a comment here for me to see.  An interesting playlist it is, as you will doubtless find out soon enough, and a fun and entertaining hour of music.

Bureaucratist, as he calls himself and his blog, also posted the list of songs that make up this playlist on his own website.  There, it extends past the 63 minute length that you’ll find on this page.  If you can scrounge up those additional songs, you’ll be treated to double doses of Steely Dan and The Housemartins…perfect for a Sunday (or any day).  Run with it, and enjoy.

Approximate playing time: 63 minutes.

1. Paul Westerberg  “Runaway Wind”  (1993)
2. The Beatles  “From Me to You”  (1963)
3. Lomita  “Mr. Execution”  (2005)
4. Dr. Dre  “Big Ego’s”  (2008)
5. Iron & Wine  “Calm on the Valley”  (2002)
6. Coldcut  “True Skool (Armani XXXchange remix)”  (2006)
7. Blonde Redhead  “Dr Strangeluv”  (2007)
8. Longmont Potion Castle  “My Bowel Is Not Magnetic”  (2006)
9. Steely Dan  “Barrytown”  (1974)
10. The Fiery Furnaces  “Inca Rag / Name Game”  (2003)
11. The Housemartins  “Everyday’s the Same”  (1988)
12. The Chills  “Bee Bah Bee Bah Bee Boe”  (1986)
13. Matt Pond PA  “Several Arrows Later”  (2005)
14. David Bowie  “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere”  (1973)
15. David Crosby  “Orleans”  (1971)
16. Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson  “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town”  (2007)
17. Eric Bachmann  “Genie, Genie”  (2006)
18. Peter Gabriel  “Sledgehammer”  (1986)

[audio:Fred_FM_playlist_053010.mp3]
Fred FM Bureaucratist’s playlist (30 May 2010)

[Written to Alice in Frankfort, Indiana. Return addressed: Richard, Co. G, 2nd Bn., 1st Mar., c/o F.P.O., San Francisco, Calif. No postmark. Unshrunken V-mail stamped on front, “Passed by Naval Censor,” and initialed by the Censor.]

[This letter previously appeared on spitballarmy.com on 25 December 2009.]