"You've got a friend in me"

"There's something happening here"

Stephen Stills is one of my favourite songwriters. I say that, because well at his peak during the late 60s till the mid 70s, he delivered guitar work and love song writing that was second to none. He started off as arguably the leader of the short lived but much influential Buffalo Springfield, and looked set for the better solo career than his bandmate Neil Young and it's not hard to see why. Gorgeous melodies, soulful vocals and sublime guitar playing. He wrote and sang lead on their only hit "For What it's Worth". At his peak he was the white Ray Charles.

When he joined forces with David Crosby and Graham Nash in '68, he referred to them as his harmony singers and he's not wrong, playing all the non strumming guitar, bass and keyboards parts on their landmark 1969 debut. In theory, the band shouldn't have worked. Still has an odd, gruff singing voice, Crosby has a poor rock and roll but gorgeous harmony voice and Nash sounds, well to be blunt a kid. Yet it worked. Crosby was used to singing the high parts in the Byrds, yet here he blended well with Stills' vocals. Yet the lyrics. Oh the lyrics. The opening on their debut "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" must go down as one of the best songs of the time. Stills has an unorthodox setting for the guitar. Most songs in popular music are set to EADGBE while for this, and many other Stills song it's set to EEEEBE. Check out the Woodstock performance for the proof.

Many critics, like Robert Christgau, dismiss Stills as a chauvinist but I think he has got it wrong. Still if anything puts women on a pedastal, constantly insecure in his songs and who thinks he is inferior. The songs where he seems to be full of it are just bluster. In "Change Partners", he seems to be wounded by the ladies dancing with others. Neil Young has actually said Stills is full of doubt and has low self confidence. Someone I can relate too. It's unfortanate he blew all his talent in coke binges. I saw him live in 2010, and while his voice is gone, his guitar playing was very good.


Oh yeah. and he also had kick ass side burns.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to one and all! I hope you all get what you wanted. Me? All I want is to gorge myself on all the finest crap sweet companies have to offer. I have mince pies, After Eights, Celebreations, Christmas cake, wine gums and a Kinder Santa all ready for the next days till I go back to work. I feel sorry for my belly already, but I will work it off.

Christmas always makes me think of those childhood ones that will never be replaced. The kind where you got a shitload of cool toys. I hate getting older :)

The great British tradition

So today I had the great British holiday tradition; the office Christmas party. It was pretty fun to be honest, I stayed for 6 1/2 hours as did most people, but more importantly I felt closer to my colleagues than I had in a long time. We laughed, danced and hugged. Good times :D When looking back over the pictures of it, for once I actually like what I see which more of a shock with short hair. Looking forward.

The most romantic gift ever?

In 1969, folk singer Joan Baez's husband David Harris was put in jail for refusing to join the army, quite a noble reason to do porridge. He often wore cowboy hats, and his affinity for western wear wasn't his only love; he also loved country music. As a gift to him, she recorded an album of country music for him using largely same session men as her Bob Dylan cover album Any Day Now, regrettably not including Stephen Stills. The highlight was her version of The Byrds classic "Hickory Wind"; the album serves also for me as the most romantic gift you could ever have. What could be better than someone recording in your favourite genre and drawing a portrait of you on the cover? <3

Worthless

I know this blog seems mainly to be about my life and lovelife at the moment, and i'm sorry for that, it's just it's all that plays on my mind. Today, I arranged to meet a date at 6pm, which was a 50 min travel from work. We had talked online for about 2 weeks and even had a skype video chat, so she was real. Of course, she no shows and me being the twat I am waited an hour, knowing she wouldn't come. And she didn't. I feel worthless :(

Weak

I'm not in a good condition, physically or mentally at the moment. I fainted when I woke up for work Tuesday, and am struggling to regain some kind of good mental condition. I cried yesterday for the first time in a while, and I hurt. Talk to me, someone, please?