Saturday Matinee: Uncle Pen, Randy Lynne Rag, Dooley, Steam Powered Aeroplane

Bluegrass has its roots in northern Britain according to my ear. The chord patterns of early country music from Appalachia follow those of Scottish and Irish reels. In the immigration wave of the early 1800’s, the Scottish and Irish tended to venture southward, away from the constrictions of the north, to where they could work their own land. No wonder that early southern recordings sound similar to those of Ireland and Scotland.

Bill Monroe & his Bluegrass Boys popularized it and gave the style it’s moniker: Bluegrass. This song (video from 1956) is a tribute to Pendleton Vandiver, Monroe’s uncle. Monroe joined his uncle Pen’s band as a kid; his sound dates back to the turn of the century.

Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs put Bluegrass on the popular map as pickin’ speed demons.

The Dillards were the Darlings clan on the Andy Griffith show. The Dillards decided that L.A. had more to offer than the Missouri Ozarks, and advertised themselves on the streets in the early 1960’s.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band were influenced by the Dillards, and took Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. BoJangles” for a ride.

What I was really looking for when all this linkyness began was New Grass Revival‘s version of “Steam Powered Aeroplane,” one of the prettiest bluegrass songs I ever heard:

"Well I went away on a Steam Powered Aeroplane.
Well I went and I stayed and damn near didn't come back again.
Didn't go very fast on a steam powered aeroplane,
The wheels went around, up and down, and inside and then back again.

 Sittin' on a 747 just watching them clouds roll by,
Can't tell if it's sunshine, if it's rain.
Rather be sittin' in a deck chair high up over Kansas City,
On a genuine old fashioned oil finish Steam Powered Aeroplane.

 Well I'd could be PILOT on the Steam Powered Aeroplane.
I'd pull that pilot wheel 'round, then back again.
And I'd wear a blue hat, YEAH, on the Steam Powered Aeroplane,
With letters go 'round the brim and then back again.

Sittin' on a 747 just watching them clouds roll by,
Can't tell if it's sunshine or if it's rain.
Rather be sittin' in a deck chair high up over Kansas City,
On a genuine old fashioned oil finish Steam Powered Aeroplane."

Here’s the songwriter, John Hartford, with Tony Rice, Vassar Clements and others. (Yeah, his vocals don’t do justice for the song.)

Great pre-sunrise morning roadtrip music, just like Pat Metheny’s “New Chataqua Highway,” or anything by Django Reinhardt and Stephan Grappelli.

[Bunk’s compiling his roadtrip list for next month. Lemme know your favorites.]

TGIF: The .gif Friday Post 33- Meet the Hypnoids

Individually, these .gif’s are kinda bland, but patch ’em together and they’re kinda cool. Scrolling your mouse wheel up and down like you just did doesn’t faze ’em either. Too hot to handle and too cold to hold.










[Standing orders: If anyone recobanizes these and knows the original source we’ll give proper credit here.]

Several Sumos Succumbed to Sleep Sunday – Some Sources Suspect Somnambulistic Solipsisms

I think it’s just a blind groupmoon. Notice that the floor mat happy face looks kinda puzzled in a slightly disturbed pensive kinda way.

Gravity is not a constant when objects of large mass interact. Sumomass in foreground floats erratically in the presence of a more massive opponent as Captain Pickard watches from ringside.

There’s something just not right with gaijin sumo wrestlers.

[First image from here via here; 2nd from here; Flabby Road image here.]

Happy Birthday to Karen!

Karen Less at SNTC just turned something, and we all wish her. Well?
(At least she got a bottle of Freixenet Brut.)

[Image from here.]

Doodleboards

I really need one of these for when pens become obsolete. The complex shapes you can create while leading on and convincing telemarketers that you’re REALLY interested in their product/service/investment scams almost rival my own analog version.

Reminds me of The Stress Calendar. It was an 18″x 24″ blotter type pad that sat on top of a file cabinet adjacent to one of the office telephones. The boss didn’t believe in letting underlings have telephones at our desks so we had to go to the one next to The Stress Calendar. Very efficient.

Here’s a sample:

[Doodle Keyboard images from here. The Stress Calendar doodles from Bunk’s Garage.]

“Obamadoowop-Obamadoowop-Obamadoowop-DooWah”

“I’ve met Norman Fox & the Rob Roys, and I can tell you that Barrack Obama is no Norman Fox.”

–Senator Lloyd Benson, 1896.

yellow

[Original undoctored image from here.]

“Weld-A-Cat”

As seen on TV.  Not available in stores.

[Image from somewhere in here.]

Wool Sausages

Gotta be pretty hungry to make these. I have no idea what this is all about, but it’s disgusting and intriguing at the same time. Looks like me and the tads are gonna be busy this weekend.

“You will then need to soak and rinse the wool sausages (leave that roving in there!!) until the water runs clear. The water should be the same temperature that the sausages are. That temperature does not have to be EXACT, but close. I do the last rinse in the washing machine in order to spin all the moisture out afterwards. And make sure that your washing machine does not dump water on things during the spin cycle.”

[Image and caption from here.]

Negotiation works for all circumstances. Right.