Spitball Army

I guess I should first thank the handful of folks who sent messages to me regarding my decision to discontinue the weekly Fred FM playlists: your kind words were and are appreciated.  As you can see (since you are reading this post), the weekly program is back again today.  You made it so.

Secondly, and related to ‘firstly,’ it was not my intention to solicit those responses from you. But, seeing as you sent them, I have decided to keep on rolling out the playlists for the time being.  And if you want them to continue beyond ‘time being,’ go ahead and send me more messages telling me how wonderful I am, and how you can’t make it through the week without a playlist from me.  Go ahead.  My inbox is open.  You can leave a flowery comment in the box at the end of this post.  Really.  C’mon.

This week’s playlist is dedicated to my Freshman year college roommate, Mr. David Pinto, who operates a staggeringly detailed and lively blog about everything Baseball.  You really should check it out.  He will know which songs are meant for him.

Approximate playing time: 80 minutes.

1. Magnolia Electric Co.  “The Dark Don’t Hide It”  (2005)
2. Blind Boys of Alabama  “Lift Me Up (Like a Dove)”  (1988)
3. Robert Cray  “Poor Johnny”  (2005)
4. The Roches  “The Train”  (1979)
5. Ricky Nelson  “Waitin’ in School”  (1957)
6. Elvis Costello  “Chewing Gum”  (1989)
7. Talking Heads  “No Compassion”  (1977)
8. Blondie  “Fade Away and Radiate”  (1978)
9. The Sleepy Jackson  “Sunglass Man”  (2002)
10. Ed Harcourt  “Those Crimson Tears”  (2001)
11. Bruce Springsteen  “Spirit in the Night”  (1973)
12. Badfinger  “I’d Die Babe”  (1971)
13. Reverend Organdrum  “Black and Crazy Blues”  (2007)
14. Squeeze  “Striking Matches”  (1987)
15. Shack  “Comedy”  (1999)
16. Marshall Crenshaw  “My Back Pages”  (1999)
17. Marian McPartland with Donald Fagen  “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be”  (2002)
18. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young  “Almost Cut My Hair”  (1970)
19. Peter Case  “Small Town Spree”  (1986)

[audio:Fred_FM_playlist_041810.mp3]
Fred FM playlist (18 April 2010)

Some notes on the songs:

• The Blind Boys of Alabama’s “Lift Me Up (Like a Dove)” is from the 1985 gospel musical The Gospel at Colonnus.  Gospel at Colonnus is based on Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus at Colonnus. The Blind Boys played a dual role in the production, as both the character of Oedipus as well as the Chorus.
• The four-hands version (or is it a two-piano version?) of “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be” is taken from a broadcast of Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, a nationally-syndicated Public Radio program. This particular episode found Ms. McPartland interviewing and performing with Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan.

Thanks for listening…see you next time!

[Written to Alice in Frankfort, Indiana. Return addressed: Richard, Co. G, 2nd Bn., 1st Marines, c/o F.P.O., San Francisco, Calif. Postmarked at U.S. Navy, on 15 Oct 1944, A.M.  Envelope stamped on front, “Passed by Naval Censor,” and initialed by the Censor.]

Oct. 10, 1944

Hi Sweetheart,

     I’ve been assigned to an outfit and one of these days we may get a little training. Nothing has happened since I wrote you. We are still on work details. We work during the day, and at night we can do two things. We can either go to bed or to the show. You can’t read or write very well at night. The only light we have is candles and I think my eyes are bad enough the way they are. We get some pretty good shows here. Last night I saw Mickey Rooney in “Girl Crazy.” Th To-night is “Paris After Dark” and “The Sultan’s Daughter.” I’ve seen all three of these but that’s about all. They have only had one other show since I’ve been here that I’ve seen. It was “Claudia.” Remember when we saw the Playshop production? I’d like to see more of them. Oh yes, when you write, keep me posted on the Purdue athletics. As far as I know now, we have just played Great Lakes and lost. What all has happened since then?

     Tell the folks hello for me. I sure wish I could be there to run the corn-picked corn-picker this year. I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it though. My – vacation – just doesn’t come at the right time for it.

     I don’t know when this letter will go out, we don’t have a censor. That is the reason there is so much time between this and my first letter. I’ll write again as soon as we get a censor and we can mail our letters.

     Well, Sweetheart, that’s not much but that’s about all I can think of to tell you now. I miss you, Sweetheart. I go to sleep every night thinking about you. One of these days we will be back together again like we should be. I love you, Sweetheart.

     Good-night Sweetheart
I love you with all my heart.
     Pleasant Dreams
          ‘Nite Sweetheart
               x x

Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in a clip from Girl Crazy (1943):

–  Jesus Camp (2006)
The subculture chronicled in this film – a splinter hyper-evangelical Christian group that is determined to be the primary culture of America – seems stronger today than in the 2005 period portrayed here. Think about that while you’re watching this very well-made cinematic document. And try not to get ill when Ted Haggard tells the young boy that he’s got a “cute kid” thing going on.

Clip from Jesus Camp, featuring the Harry Potter sermon:

“No more wishee-washee!  No more hypocrisy!”

He discovered Mom’s strategy when he opened the Lincoln Logs canister in August and found two painted, smelly, rotten Easter eggs.

[Written to Alice in Frankfort, Indiana. Return addressed: Richard, 10th Repl. Draft, 3rd Amphib. Corps, c/o Fleet P.M., San Francisco, California. Postmarked at U.S. Navy, on 3 Oct 1944.  Envelope stamped on front, “Passed by Naval Censor,” and initialed by the Censor, “CRD.”]

Oct. 2, 1944

Hi Sweetheart,

     Believe it or not, I’m finally getting around to writting a letter. I guess you know about when we left camp. We went within [CENSORED] morning. Then we [CENSORED] the next morning. We were on a pretty nice ship. Naturally, it was crowded but we made it in good shape. We were aboard 15 days and was I ever glad to get off. As you know, I can’t tell you where we are. Your guess was wrong, however. We are in the South Pacific. We crossed the International Date Line and the Equator. Crossing the Equator is where the fun came in. We were initiated and I am now a trusted Shellback. The price I had to pay for the great honor was 30¢. 30¢ is the price of a hair-cut. After they were finished with me, all I could do was have my head shaved. It’s cooler that way but I doubt if you would like it. It’s growing out fast though. It’s at least ¼ an inch long now. I can’t quite comb it.

     We’re on a nice little island – no natives – and we are living almost as good as when I first got at Pendleton. We aren’t settled, I’ve only lived in 3 different tents in the last 4 days. Nobody seems to know anything – as usual. We just lay around and go on work details.

     It is very dangerous here. One of 2 things might happen to us: We may get bit by a mosquito (I haven’t seen of heard one yet) or we might get hit on the head. The place is covered with coconut (or something like that) trees and the darned nuts like to fall. A few of the guys have patches on the heads from them.

     We picked a good time to get over here. The rainy is coming on pretty soon. We had a good preview all day yesterday. This is a dam-p place.

     When you write, send your letters by air mail. I think that is the fastest because of the 4 days difference in just getting to Calif. I think from there, all the mail comes out the same way.

     The Skuttlebutt is flying thick and fast. So far, it says we are going to [CENSORED], and even back to the States. You can take your choice of the stories and believe the one you like best. It won’t make any difference anyway.

     Your picture is right here in front of me. Chester and I made is a little table between our cots and there you are, just about a foot from me at all times. I spend more time just laying here dreaming. I wish we were back in Lafayette or even Oceanside. We had a lot of fun in both places, didn’t we? We’ll take up where we left off one of these days. – one of these days –

     Goodnight Sweetheart.
          I love you with all my heart.
               Pleasants Dreams
                    Goodnight Sweetheart
                         [CENSORED]

My fever spikes. Sister takes me from class to the convent and makes me drink peach nectar from a can. Now I have a stomach ache.

Card is titled: “Stone Mountain, 16 Miles from Atlanta, GA.”

Printed on the back of the postcard:

Stone Mountain is located 16 miles from the city of Atlanta and is the largest body of solid granite in the world.  It is 8,000 feet long, several miles in circumference and ascent up the sloping side is a mile long.  Is part of the ancient Laurentian Rock, the oldest geological stratum in the world.

Card is postmarked in Atlanta, GA on 26 March 1943, at 9:30 PM, and addressed to Mr. Mark Mason in Hellenville, Illinois.  Written message is:

Dear Dad:

     Having a nice time in Georgia.  Will sure have lots to tell when I get home.  I want to see this before I come home.  I think you would enjoy a trip like this.

Vera

Postcard is published by R. & R. News Co., Atlanta, GA.  “Natural Color Post Card Made in U.S.A. by E.C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, Wis. – (HLY).”

Today, a similar view of Stone Mountain looks like this (below), now with the addition of the massive Confederate bas-relief, which was completed in 1972.  A fascinating brief history of Stone Mountain can be read on the Wikipedia website.

So.  This past Sunday: no playlist.  I really like putting these together.  But the hit count on the Sunday Fred FM playlist pages was lower than most all of the other pages of the week, on average.  And not one single comment had been left for any of them, telling me (in my roughly intuitive thinking) that the traffic was minimal.  And with minimal traffic, I assumed that chances were the playlists may have been lightly visited but were almost certainly not being listened to.  I still think I was right about that.  I decided to stop doing them, and reclaim the couple of hours of time I’d been spending to construct them.

But, on the Monday just past, I received a comment on the prior day’s post – the post that replaced the regular Sunday playlist.  It read: “I missed your Sunday playlist this week.”  Heck, yeah, it surprised me…I didn’t think that anyone was listening!

The comment was left by Blair Cox, who has been visiting this website almost daily since I started it back in November of 2007.  In honor of Blair, I put together this playlist to honor his loyalty to Spitball Army, and to reflect his superb tastes in music, especially jazz-flavored genres and female vocalists.  Thank you, sir!

Approximate playing time: 79 minutes.

1. Duke Ellington  “A Night at the Cotton Club, Part 1 / Cotton Club Stomp / Misty Mornin’ (live)” (1929)
2. Greyboy  “Mastered the Art”
3. Eddi Reader  “Bell, Book and Candle”  (1999)
4. Lobo  “Don’t Expect Me to Be Your Friend”  (1973)
5. Darrell Scott with Mary Gauthier  “Joan of Arc”  (2008)
6. Dawn Landes  “Picture Show”  (2007)
7. Blue Jays  “White Cliffs of Dover”  (1960s)
8. Christopher Wilson  “Dezilde al Cavallero Que”  (1992)
9. Scott Walker  “The Old Man’s Back Again”  (1969)
10. Dave Collins & Ansel  “Double Barrel”  (1971)
11. Cheri Knight  “That I Might See”  (1995)
12. Ana Egge  “Wedding Dress”  (2004)
13. Destroyer  “Blue Flower / Blue Flame”  (2008)
14. Oscar Peterson  “Blues in the Night”  (1954)
15. Oleta Adams  “You’ve Got to Give Me Room”  (1990)
16. Charles Brown  “I Put Myself Together”
17. Rory Block  “Pictures of You”  (1996)
18. Bill Frisell  “Del Close”  (2004)
19. The Bear Quartet  “Bastard”  (1997)

[audio:Fred_FM_playlist_041110.mp3]
Fred FM playlist (11 April 2010)

Thanks for listening…Cheers to you, Blair!

[Written to Alice c/o Helen M., Encino, Calif. San Fernando Valley. Return addressed: Richard, Plt. 622, R.D.M.C.B., San Diego 41, Calif. Postmarked in San Diego, Calif., on 25 July 1944 at 8:00 PM.]

July 25, 1944

Hi Sweetheart,

     What do you say? Shall we start off with the bad news first? Well – here it is! There will be no furlough. It justs looks like we aren’t supposed to have a honeymoon in California. Oh well, there isn’t much I or you can do about it, now. We’ll have to wait until later and see what we can do. Don’t be too disappointed, Sweetheart.

     Now, I have some news you might like a little better. The reason I don’t get a furlough is because I decided I would rather go to radio school without a furlough than take a furlough and go to the infantry. Don’t you think that is the best choice? If you don’t, maybe I can put up more of an argument. Saturday, when we break up, I will catch a train. That train will take me to – guess!! – That’s right. It will take me to Chicago. I’ll be there for a month and then moved someplace else for my schooling. That will last 10 months and I’ll g come out a Technical Sgt.

How will that be?

     As to what you will do – you run right down to the train station and get the best accommodations you can get. I may have a few hours lay-over in L.A. I don’t know how long. But what I would like, is for you to meet me at the station and then if at all possible, to ride to Chicago with me. I say “with me” because the Marines pay for my ticket and they tell me what trains I will ride. I don’t have any ideas as to when I get there or on what train I will leave on. You inquire about it and find out as much as you can. All I know about the time is that I won’t leave the base here until after 10 A.M. Sat. As to what time I get to L.A., nobody knows. I’m just hoping that you can get a ticket, meet me and we can go to Chicago together. Whether you get the ticket or not, meet me at the station. We may be able to see each other for an hour anyway. Then, of course, I want you to head for home as soon as possible.

     I hope you can make the arrangements and we can go back together – even if it’s in the chaircar.

     Goodnight Sweetheart.
          I love you with all my heart.
               Hope you can arrange things.
                    xx
                         Pleasants Dreams
                              ‘Nite
                                   x x

Maybe this will help a little.  [Did Richard enclose some money with this letter?]

–  (500) Days of Summer (2009)
This film was sweet, with some really imaginative touches (I really enjoyed the split-screen “expectations vs. reality” segment) and a richly musico-centric point of view. But at its core, this is still just a boy-meets-girl romance…which, of course, didn’t take away from my enjoyment of it. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt reminded me of Heath Ledger, with those same low-spoken, squinty-smile mannerisms (good thing, not a criticism).

Joseph Gordon-Levitt discovers that love is a lot like a Hall & Oates song, a marching band, and Disney’s Song of the South:

–  Golden Days  (2009)
Great band making great music gets record deal and hits a wall.  I feel like I’ve heard this same story hundreds of times, though I imagine it has happened thousands of times.  And, despite the fact that I was really hoping to see more than that 2.5 seconds (which was a literal “shout-out”) of Birmingham footage (I know the filmmaker accompanied The Damnwells here on at least one of their many visits), this was an engaging film document. My favorite scenes in this film were the long conversational takes in which frontman Alex Dezen spins a yarn, either about his father or his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend. He has always been one of my favored songwriters, and one of the supplements tells that he has moved on to the Iowa Writers Workshop now, and is teaching rhetoric there – that seems a perfect fit to me.

The Golden Days trailer: