AfricaBrass

I purchased both of those Rascals albums, but I don't have them here with me (they're in storage). I remember liking the album Peaceful World better than the Island of Real album. I'd check out the sound samples at Amazon. They should give you some idea of what these albums are about.

Skippy was a trip! I read some interview with Peter Lewis (from Moby Grape) about how Skippy would just get possessed and try to attack him. I believe he had found religion before his passing. I hope that gave him some peace. I always loved the image of him getting out of Bellvue and heading south on a motorcycle to record Oar.

I've only begun listening to his later albums recently. I had stopped after Blood On the Tracks. Some of the production (80's styles) doesn't knock me over, but I have found gems on almost every album I've heard of his. No mention of his Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid soundtrack? This has long been a favorite Sunday morning album for me.

Thanks Ron, That's a good idea (for me).

I wish you a very happy birthday! I hope it's a great day for you.

Great idea!

Then I say return the set to Caiman and get another one. It may have been a terrific deal, but it's still 50 bucks and you're entitled to a perfect set. And Caiman will pay the return shipping and send you a brand-new set. Unless it doesn't bother you at all, and/or you have no huevos--oh yeah, I forgot. Sorry about your wife--maybe you should try serenading her with one of your 57 guitars. I don't mind sending it back, but I'm concerned I won't end up with a set at all. It's a hard call, it's just one track...

I'm almost tempted to have you call me on the phone and play it for me. I can't do that right now. My wife and I are having a fight... I'm just chillin' on the computer. You'd know you had the error if you heard it. It's very obvious.

I can't even rip my disc 6.

I'm sure if you buy more sets in the future from them, they'll forgive you. Thanks for your courage.

That guy handled it all really well. I would have unleased a stream of profanities... $#%#$^@#$%^@%$^$%@^ I felt like I could feel his pain at the end.

I'm too busy looking at flat wound jazz guitar strings on the internet. B-) Someone told me to do that. Right on!

Thank you for having the guts to call, John. I think I just got a funky disc then...

Well, I think Mosaic is still responsible for producing it, even though it's marketed by Universal/Verve. Mosaic's name is all over the CDs and booklet. It's not like Mosaic licensed the master tapes to Universal, who then remastered and did who knows what to them. In fact, it's the opposite--Universal licensed the tapes to Mosaic, who then remastered them and produced the sets, including the ones Universal then distributes. So even though Mosaic didn't retail the "European" sets, it did produce them and may have answers for these types of questions about those sets. But you still don't have the huevos. I can just see the phone call to Mosaic going well. me: "My Farlow set is messed up" them: "Let us send you a replacement disc" me: "Um... well I bought a European set from Caiman for $50" them: "I guess you should contact Caiman, you cheap @#$%@$%@" I'm not going to do it, you do it...

I used to feel the same way. I LOVE the track, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb off of Love and Theft. I wish all his stuff was in that style.

My favorite shop class memory: I was in the 8th grade and our shop room had a room where they kept the varnish. There were these two guys (I WASN'T one of them) that were always getting yelled at by our teacher, Mr. Wesley, to stop making pipes (for rope smoking). One day these two got the bright idea to test out their new pipe in the varnish room. Needless to say, the can of varnish was soon on fire. It was shooting flame about 4 feet up from the can. Thankfully, someone grabbed a notebook and put it over the can, which put out the fire. The sad part of this is the guy (Pat) whose notebook it was was in my Algebra class with me. We had this teacher by the name of Ms. Simpson; who we all thought she was a witch (now I know there are nothing wrong with witches, but I was 13 and this was 1982). She looked like one, and her class was covered in cat posters. She was really uptight and made sure we always called her Mssssssssss Simpson, not Mrs. or Miss. We're sitting in Algebra class the following period and Ms. Simpson asks for our homework (which you HAD to have done or else) and she's collecting it from us and walks up to Pat and gets angry that he doesn't have his homework. He proceeds to hand her his notebook which had a hole (the size of a coffee can) burned all the way through it. I piped in and told her what happened (I sat next to him) and she didn't believe us until she spoke with the shop teacher. I felt so bad for that guy. All his work for the whole semester was now a hole.

Jeff, I'm now wondering if this is something in the original source tape that is only apparent when played back on certain equipment. As you and I discussed earlier, these "European" sets were in fact manufactured in the U.S., presumably at the same place and time as the regular Mosaic sets, so there's no reason to believe they should have--as a group--manufacturing defects that the U.S. Mosaics don't have. Maybe it's time for someone to call Mosaic. It's really curious. I don't have the huevos to call Mosaic and ask about the super cheap European set... I'm still happy with the set; I just don't know about copy protection and I was curious.

Hamers do have a great reputation. I've never tried one, though. It's really sad about Gibson's prices and quality control. They're having a field day ripping on Gibson at the Harmony-Central forum about poor Gibson quality. I don't know if I'd even buy one, with all their corporate shenanigans and quality control issues. I'm glad you're diggin' your Epiphone. Talk about G&L lust. Those guitars are so freakin' addictive. I have five now I'd love to have more. For me, Telecasters and ASAT's are the perfect guitar.

On my disc 6/track 1 (from Caiman), I'm getting a oscillating/phasing type of sound, but after that it's fine. Here's my question. Is this disc copy protected? I have never dealt with copy protection, but I think it is. When I tried to rip it using EAC, it's taking forever to rip. When I try to just play it in my computer, it skips around a bit. When I play it on a regular cd player, it sounds fine (except for that oscillating/phasing sound on track 1 I mentioned).

Same here. If I wasn't broke, I'd be all over that.

I see that you also have a copy of "The Worst Rock & Roll Records Ever Made!" I don't have that book... maybe I should get it. I just picture the guys from Journey smoking a big ol' joint and having a deep philosophical conversation about the "wheel in the sky". Let's listen in: Steve: Hey man, you know there's this wheel in the sky... It keeps on turning. Neil: Really man... Wow... that's pretty profound... it never stops turning Steve: Yeah... just keeps on turning... around and around, just turning. Neil: Dude! You should write a song about it. Steve: Yeah, great idea! I can work on it tomorrow... oh yeah, but I don't know where I'll be tomorrow. Neil: Yeah! Put that in the song too! The Wheel in the Sky keeps on turning - BUT I don't know where I'll be tomorrow. Steve: WOW... that's PROFOUND! The Wheel keeps on turning yet I don't know where I'll be tomorrow. It's just like life, man... Neil: Yeah it is. I'll come up with this cool guitar part. Man! We'll have a hit. Steve: Yeah... and speaking of hits, pass me that bong. I need to reload. That's my vision of the creation of that song.

I understand. I'm in the same boat with other artists.

I always wondered what the heck that Wheel In the Sky was that Journey talked about. Where is it? Are there any pictures of it. It's so deep.

That's a hard question. I like Dylan in his different periods for different reasons. I like his protest stuff because I thought he told amazing stories and really called attention to stuff that needed to be seen. I like his early electric period because of the music itself. I enjoy his lyrics and even his singing then, but I really love the music that was backing him. Mike Bloomfield is one of my favorites and I thought the stuff that Dylan did in '66 with the Hawks (later the Band) was great. I enjoy his countryish stuff because I love the lyrics and just enjoy the mood of it all. His album, Blood On The Tracks, is a favorite because his lyrics really speak to me. It's like he's been in my head. I enjoy the rauciousness of the Rolling Thunder Tour recordings. Nowadays, I mostly enjoy the bands that backup Dylan. I love the type of music they play behind him. I think he's one of those guys that you either love or hate. I understand why a lot of people don't like him, but for some reason he speaks to me.

I'd love to hear that. I'm a huge fan of pedal steel and Dylan's Nashville Skyline is a favorite.