WorldB3

What the hell is going on in San Diego? I don't think anybody last night with Cole Hammels on the mound with an 7-1 lead was expecting the Padres to win. Its early but this is totally unexpected. Bobby Crosby came out of the witness protection program last night and actually contributed for the A's for a win.

Review: The Chris Potter Underground had a lineup change in that Scott Cooley is now on Bass replacing Craig Taborn on Fender Rhodes. No offense to Scott Cooley as he is a monster in his own right but at first I was disappointed because the sound of the Underground with Taborn and Nate Smith making up for the lack of a Bass player was so unique, It also freed Adam Rogers from being chord based so he could just go nuts along with Chris Potter. So the first couple songs I was really missing the Fender Rhodes but once my ear got use to the fact that this is the band they are now I was enjoying how it opened up the sound for everybody, while the hard hitting rhythm was still there with the amazing Nate Smith the music was less dense without Taborn. There was certainly no lack of intensity though. At one point last night Smith and Cooley were so locked in on over a blazing Adam Rogers solo I started laughing, it was just freaking ridiculous. Halfway through to the end I wasn’t missing the Fender Rhodes at all. Where I felt the version of Radiohead’s Morning Bell on the studio record Underground was a missed opportunity as that it played too close to the original, the version last for the encore was a thing of beauty. With the keyboard taken out Cooley and Rogers could navigate over the melodies and chord structure more freely and it was superb. They have a new record coming out next month, safe to say it’s going to be very good. The only downer of the night was that the venue was only about 45% full but that didn’t stop the band from putting on a great show.

I have the two disc version of Alive In The House Of Saints and Spark with Marty Ehlrich. I pretty much enjoy all of it but I tend to prefer the more bluesy melodic side like the tracks Some Other Blues and Night off the titles listed above. If anybody has other recommendations for her I would be into checking them out.

Chris Potter - Underground at the Palace Of Fine Arts - SF. trying to meet Bev's gig a month challenge.

1981 Oakland A's Billy Ball team vs Brewers. Rickey Henderson stole two bases and hit a homer. Mike Norris pitched a shutout. Fun Team.

Do the A's have fans ? yes but the fans are in wait and see mode and torn between supporting the players but not wanting to give the owner their money who has made it clear he hates Oakland and the fans that support the team. I am torn myself as I think the team is worth watching but I don't want my money going to Lew Wolff because I hate him. That and the recession hit Oakland pretty hard.

Earth to Dan, get off the ledge. Jim Leyland didn't have the deepest pitching staff in baseball last year. The offense will be fine (see Drew just hit a home run). The Red Sox going in this year are still the team to beat. When they go on a 2-22 run and are 20 games out of the WC then you can write them off. Teams that aren't expected to do anything that get off to bad starts need to worry. I think anything less than going 162-0 with the Yankees going 0-162 would make you happy. Whatever.

I love that record, fun record and he is one hell of a player. Agree great mix of Elginton, Monk, Advent and electronica. I picked it up after hearing him with Rava. For those that find the Rava Quintet not upbeat enough will love this. Kalideo is not available in the states yet.

He didn't do any favors for himself by escalating it afterwards. From what I gather Beckett sent him a message pitch old school style and I think the head office sent a message to make sure the situation doesn't escalate. You can bitch about the MLB becoming sissyfied but don't tell me Beckett is not at fault. Its one start, if a position player charged the mound they can get multiple days. Not a big deal and if it helps to cool the situation then its good for the league.

Even though I don't like what Beckett did, and he strikes me as a little too "figjam" for me, this is a raw deal for Boston & Beckett. Its only one start, not a big deal, its a little more for starting pitchers so they don't just switch rotation slots. I personally think it should be more like 14 days if you want to put a stop to things like that.

and now the Bird too http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/11626148 RIP Mark Riddrych and of course Harry also. strange week.

Al, I don't want to knock any of the gilt off your early season lilly, but Texeira is a notoriously slow starter. I agree, but this is NY and slow starters are not suffered gladly. Especially $180-million slow-starters. Meanwhile, the Rangers have surged right back down to .500. It was fun while it lasted. I would love to be 500. Great idea by the A's to get swept at home by the Mariners before 3 with the Red Sox and a road trip to NY and Tampa. One bad inning in each game cost them the sweep. Boston fans don't know what pain is. Every fucking Bay Area team for the last 3 years (except Hockey which I don't follow)has been determined not eligible for the playoffs after the first two weeks of the season. I guess Seattle has had it pretty bad with their college and pro teams the last few years also. Im done, screw em all.

I think at this point it has been so widely distributed with the Betty Board sound so good I don't think it would be a big seller. But I could be wrong. I guess the Hartford 77 show was a highly distributed Betty Board as well and they just released that. But 5/8/77 is one that people that don't even collect shows have. A road trips or vault comp of 5/7,8 and 9 would be welcomed. Speaking of Hartford 77 Terrapin release, how sweet is the Not Fade Away into Wharf Rat? The Sugaree, Jack Straw and Row Jimmy all sound great.

The update from ESPN: SAN DIEGO -- San Francisco Giants pitcher Joe Martinez has a concussion and three small fractures in his head after being hit by a line drive. The rookie reliever was stable and alert in a San Francisco hospital Friday, and the Giants said the right-hander was expected to make a full recovery. Martinez will remain hospitalized for observation over the next three or four days. Martinez was struck by Mike Cameron's line drive on Thursday night, and sustained hairline fractures on the right side of his face. The accident occurred with two outs in the ninth inning of the Giants' 7-1 win over Milwaukee. The Giants put Martinez on the 15-day disabled list and purchased the contract of right-hander Justin Miller from the minors. That was a scary hit he took... He is being kept in the hospital for up to four days to make sure he doesn't have a delayed-reaction injury, such as that which killed actor Natasha Richardson after a ski accident. the great thing about baseball is that its an escape form so much crap that goes on in the world but after the last couple days it also seems so meaningless.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/athlet...ndexn?blogid=21 Brett Anderson for the A's was going to to make his first MLB start tonight. " I'm just devastated for Nick's family and friends and for the Angels. It's terrible. Whatever happens with the game, I'll take it in stride - whatever is best for the Adenhart family and for the Angels."" Mark Ellis: "It's so fresh, just facing him last night, You could tell he was enjoying himself, you could see he was confident. He should have felt good, he pitched great. It's just so awful he's gone." Pretty heavy week for the A's as opening night on Friday they are doing a tribute and matching fundraiser for the four Oakland cops who just got killed. I believe three of them if not all four all worked the games and were well known by players and staff.

Puts things in perspective. I was all fired up after the A's win last night, damn. I feel terrible for his family, only 22.

Big Al, I still think considering that the average Beatles album runs less then a half hour and CD's can go up to 80 minutes that if EMI weren't in it only for the money they could easily put the Mono and Stereo version of Revolver on 1 CD with room to spare for the singles Rain and Paperback Writer. As much as I really want to hear the mono version of Sgt. Peppers I don't want to spend 200 dollars for the privilege. Thats just me. I am still holding out for the Grant Green version of Guitar Hero.

Took him out after 78 pitches? That is weak. I know you don't want to stress the arm of you franchise player on the first game of the year but...

UEFA Champions, Liverpool vs. Chelsea. Might have to sneak down to the pub for the second half for that one tomorrow.

I don't know, for some reason I am a bit disappointed. With the CD format there is enough room to include the Stereo and Mono versions of the albums on each CD with a couple of bonus tracks or demo's. Even though I have the first take of I'm Looking Through You from the Anthology how cool would it have been to have that tracked on at the end of the Stereo/Mono remastered version CD of Rubber Soul? I guess its all about selling as many units as possible but everybody already has these so they could have done more than just a remastered re-release of the same titles that are already out. I reckon I will pick up Revolver and Abbey Road for the heck of it but it would have been nice to have the option to buy a single CD w/ the Mono release. Maybe Capitol will do a mono single CD release of Beatles 64 and 65.

I feel the same, I don't know why more people are not talking the DBacks. Solid rotation with Webb, Haren at the front, young guys who can play and are getting better. For some reason this year is harder to predict then others because of the economy and so many teams already out of the running there will be some massive fire sales come the end of May, Seattle and Detroit come to mind right away. Not to give Big Al a heart attack but I like the Rangers to take the AL West but hoefully my A's will make them work for it. Last year was flat out depressing watching the A's. ahh. best sports day of year with opening day and the NCAA final.

For those that think Bley was unbluesy should check out the live records he did with Abercrombie and Sco in Live at Sweet Basil and Hot. They both have versions of When Will The Blues Leave and the Live At Sweet Basil also has a blues Waltz. As for Lalene vs Ida Lupino if I had to choose one song over the other I would choose Lalene but as a record I prefer Open To Love to Facing You.

Thanks for bringing this up, I have this on my save for later list on emusic and will see if I can track it down on vinyl today at the local shop. I look forward to hearing it.

I will check it out, coming from you that is high praise. As for the RT how awesome is the VIOLA LEE BLUES from (1/23/68 Seattle)? I can't stop playing it. I think I spend so much of my Dead listening in the 73 and 77 era that I am not use to Jerry sounding like this. The blusey sustains is almost Peter Green like.

Right now I couldn't pick a winner for the central, I don't see either the Twins or Wt. Sox running away with it. K.C seems to be a trendy dark horse pick but where is the pitching? I need to read up on all the teams a little more as I haven't been following them that much this off season. As for the AL West I think Big Al and his Rangers might surprise but I like the Halo's to take it and my A's to come in 3rd.