Back on the Bloggy Horse

Yo, Dudes, I got a new computer and am ready to hit the reset button on my blogging game, and start all over, with best of intentions, of course. So a lot has changed since I last got at you. I'm back in Chicago, I've reunited with a lot of folks and met some really interesting new people, read tons of books, taken some neat photographs, seen lots of great art exhibits, eaten some really tasty food, and have be turned on to some really rad music.

MUSIC!!!

James Carr - You Got My Mind Messed Up (1966 Gold Wax)




So this record is one of my favorite recent acquisitions. If you are out of the vinyl game, you should know we are now living in a re-issue bonanza (sorry crate diggers), and this gem could be yours for a little as 8 dollars and 99 cents cash money. Anyway, for any of you unfamiliar with James Carr, he is basically the only other deep soul musician that can fuck with Otis Redding in terms of raw and passionate vocals. Unfortunately, James Carr's musical career was cut short after two great albums by manic depression. Sad, sad stories about him wandering off and getting lost on tour or freezing on stage secondary to anti-depressant overdose. Every track on this piece is a jammy jam, with stand outs including: Pouring Water On a Drowning Man, These Ain't Raindrops In My Eyes, and of course the often imitated never replicated, Dark End Of The Street. This particular upload features some really great tracks not featured on the original record and alternative recordings to boot. Everyone, I think, relies on certain albums to get them through break-ups, this one is mine. So download it, listen to it, and feel sorry for me!!!

Bonus Video of an older James Carr preforming with some very tripped out dudes:




PHOTOGRAPHY!!!

Edward Burtynsky is a Photographer that documents the relationship between nature and industry, presenting his viewers with vividly beautiful representations of man's parasitical connection with the earth. I really like him because his works are both ascetically rewarding and punishing at the same time. Oil spill, why are your color patterns so attractive to my sensibilities!? Quarry, why are your geometrical formations so pleasing to look at!? And so on and so forth...I know conservatism and industrial regulation are played out topics. But it's nice seeing a dude take out a worn out topic, man's self destructive nature, and make it fresh, relevant, and new. I've linked up his section on China, because, China is also a hot topic, and because there are some very informative essays attached, but really check out all of his stuff out, because he has an awesome web site and the large format photographs are pretty!
Side note: Ed's web evil designers have foiled my attempts to directly link y'all to the China section with their evil technology, you will have to navigate there all by yourself, good luck.

Edward Burtynsky