JSngry

"Rated X" alone makes that one a milestone, but...in comparing those two albums, you're comparing one made by a bunch of jazz musicians who were in the middle of questioning and actively redefining just what the hell that could mean with one made by a road band which for the most part really didn't give a damn about being "jazz musicians" but who were very focused on playing a very distinct & personal music that had next to nothing to do with the MilesMusic of just a few years before in terms of intent, content, and methodology. I''ve said it before, etc., but to my way of thinking, the music of On The Corner thru Agarata/Pangea is in may ways the most personal & intricate music Miles ever made. It's also the densest, which means that you can hear the surface right away, but much less so the details. And at some point, you need to get to the details if you want to know the music.

There's plenty of times when you can be grabbed by something without really grasping the details right away, or even knowing if you like it or not for sure. Unless you operate at the level of a chimp or something, delving into the details over time is not a bad thing, and might in some quarters be seen as a healthy thing. Then, you might find that you like it, love it, hate it, or...nothing - and you can back up your opinion with an awareness of the details. On the other hand, there's always room for the Rate-A-Record approach to listening.

Hey, I dig both of these folks well enough (and recommend Cindy's old Muse sides to those who might have overlooked them at the time...very Miles/ Tony derivative, sometimes disturbingly/annoyningly so, but with a quite real ravenous energy nevertheless), but speaking as somebody who's been married for 27 years and is more in love with his wife now more than ever, may I humbly suggest that they keep some of that rainwater handy for the first time one of them stinks up the bathroom beyond redemption, or vomits all over the carpet, or some shit like that. Because that's when you both really need some mercy and so me clearing.

Dude, sometimes you are like the kid brother I never had...another one is "Careless Whisper", an otherwise fine (enough) song interrupted by a creepy soap-opera-theme-sounding alto. (no disrespect to the decesed intended, btw. "Stuck In The Middle..." has long been a favorite, and it sounds like the man's last years were painful. Sorry to hear that, and RIP)

Pondering a trip to the HOF at some point over the next few years....is the HOF a one-day visit, or is there enough to keep you busy for more than that? Also, local lodging, are we talking pricey or affordable, generally speaking? And finally, what else of note is there in the area to sell to those whose idea of a good time does not necessarily include a steady diet of baseball memoribilia? As always, thaanks in advance!

Pretty much my story...heard it first in the summer of 1971, I was just 15, and heard big swaths of tonal color, but no real specific muscic other than the most obvious. Tha shit is dense and layered, and recorded live but assembled methodically. I didn't begin to get it until I was 17 or 18, and didn't really start to hear it as actual specific music instead of a lot of cool jamming until my mid-20s. Like I said, there's lot of music on that record. Be sure you know what you're hearing (or not yet hearing) before deciding how you like it or not. The interaction between all the keyboards, that's good for a few years just itself!

I said top players, not gifted jackwagons.

Like it, love it, or remain unmoved by it, it takes longer to hear it than it does to listen to it, if you know what I mean. There's a lot of music on there, very little of it particularly obvious...I'd give it more than one listen (or year) myself, but obviously YMMV.

Not legit. JazzLine is a grey-market label. This gig has been out there for a while in collector's circles. It's from the tour w/Miles, a date where Miles didn't make the gig.

Exactly: If the sixth year is voided, it costs $80 mil, not $96. Granted it's a lot of money either way, but this is a franchise that needs to prove that it is willing to spend the "big bucks" as it feels necessary. I don't want to see them become the Yankees and adopt the spend-whatever-it-takes-for-anybody-they-want philosophy, but after losing Lee "simply" because they failed to guarantee a seven year deal, and after hearing Nolan last week on the radio talking about how expensive getting top-tier free agents has become, this at least begins to establish them as legit players in the salary market, which helps in getting top players to want to come here. That has never happened before. I think it's better to have more players wanting to come to your team than you want than the other way around. We still got a long way to go in that regard, but hopefully this is a start, and hopefully the front office is focused on results, not just flash. Time will tell. But this is a truly new Rangers organization, a type we've never had before. Not some stupid let's pay A-Rod 18 bajillion dollars and let it go at that foolishness, but a group that really seems to be thinking baseball. However, I still want Vlad back. That, and better pitching. Always.

Maybe $96, maybe not. http://www.lonestarball.com/2011/1/4/1915713/details-of-the-adrian-beltre-contract

Beltre's offense should be adequate. The Rangers never lack for offense, so his non-contract-year average production will be adequate. His defense, though, will represent a significant upgrade over Young's, which has been roundly and loudly criticized in these parts. As for Young, current plans are to have him serve as a "super-sub" (aka busier than average utility player) and sometimes(?) DH. He's gone public with being ok with this, although you gotta wonder what his real feelings are. Right now he's being hailed as a consummate team player, etc. How this affects the resigning of Vlad remains to be seen. I think we need to have him in order to make the stated plans for Young viable, but who knows how this all plays out. Bottom line - between Andrus and Beltre, the left side of the Rangers infield is none too shabby defensively. I'll take it over Young & Andrus any day. As well as some more pitching... The 6th year, btw, is contingent on meeting performance standards in years 4 & 5. At least it was per the grapevine.

Beltre appears to be all but a done deal: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110104&content_id=16387130&vkey=news_tex&c_id=tex It's funny listening to all the sports media & vocal fandom....we're just not used to the Rangers making serious attempts to play at this level in the marketplace. An odd mixture of excitement & apprehension is in the air, people just not knowing quite what to make of this.

Totally badass, Dinah is here.

I would have said "card game", but these days I'm all about rhythm.

The noise is getting louder... http://www.lonestarball.com/2011/1/4/1913650/grant-with-more-details-on-the-adrian-beltre-deal

Take an iPod to a movie? Hmmm...that's kinda like wearing shoulder pads to a baseball game....

I don't go to the movies too much anymore, but this one might get me out, should an opportunity present itself. I'd still like to hear the song, though. I know it's anything but dark, but not-dark is a field of darkness unto itself, sometimes...

Lots of noise right now about Beltre being all but signed to the Rangers... I like the defensive upgrade a lot, if it does come to pass.

So, how dark is this movie, really? I like a really dark Western if the darkness isn't sentimentalized, sensationalized, or otherwise ized out of The Truth Zone.

James Spaulding!?!?!?!?!?!

Technology is not yet that advanced...

I thnk the deal was that Columbia signed the Jazz Messengers when they were still somewhat of a co-led venture. Then, when that blew up, there were Blakey & Silver albums in the wake, or something like that.

http://www.cueroisd.org/index.htm

http://www.unioto.k12.oh.us/uniotohigh.htm