२२ सप्टेंबर, २०२१

"As 'Norwegian Wood' played faintly on a crappy stereo, Courtney led me down a short hallway to the bedroom."

"I got to the door and opened it to find Kurt lying in a little bed in a little room, his back against the wall, facing the doorway, his shocking blue eyes gazing at me through the subdued lighting. His bare feet stuck out past the bedsheets, and his toenails were painted a rosy hue. The smell of jasmine flowers wafted through the screen of the window above his head. To this day, whenever I smell jasmine I’m transported to that moment. 'Hi,' he said, and two things struck me instantly. The first was: oh, wow, I know this guy. He wasn’t some sort of rock-and-roll space alien—he was actually like a lot of the stoners I went to high school with. (I was kind of a stoner in high school myself.)... I asked Kurt what he was like as a kid, and he said something about being small for his age. I stood up, unfurled my wiry five-foot-six-inch frame, and said, in a theatrically manly voice, 'I don’t know what you’re talking about!' We exchanged smiles, and our bond grew from there. Somehow I got to talking about Arlo Guthrie’s 'The Motorcycle Song' and how I’d play it on the family record player and run around the house pretending I was a motorcycle. And Kurt said, 'I did that, too!'"

१६ टिप्पण्या:

Enigma म्हणाले...

Kurt Cobain never intended to be a rock star. He wanted to play sloppy grungy music in clubs attended by other underground stoners. This was the "alternative" rock subculture in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He copied the song structures of the early Pixies (releases: Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa, and Doolittle) to break through with Smells Like Teen Spirit.

The Pixies were never significant stars, are are known only by those who care to know. Had Cobain come first and never achieved rock star status, he'd likely still be alive. Had Charles Thompson aka Black Francis of the Pixies let go of his ego and not kicked out Kim Deal, the Pixies may well have become major stars. The documentary loudQUIETloud tells the story of the Pixies and is the most "anti rock star" movie of a rock band that I've ever seen.

Kai Akker म्हणाले...

Story has 25 I's referring to writer in the first five paragraphs. A contender.

Patrick म्हणाले...

Relationships with junkies are always disappointing

Temujin म्हणाले...

Ah yes...The Motorcycle Song. Years ago I left school after a couple of years, and with a friend, drove out west from Michigan to find the world. We made it as far as San Francisco. It was 1972. We thought we were going to change our lives, which we did. Just not as we expected. Ten months later I was back in East Lansing, hat in hand, back to school. But on that drive out west, and back, we had a handful of 8 track tapes to play, among them, Alice's Restaurant. I do believe we sang and spoke along with Arlo Guthrie for hundreds of miles. I hadn't been able to listen to Alice's Restaurant or The Motorcycle Song since then and frankly, had forgotten either existed. Until now.

Synchronistically, last week I was in Michigan for family biz and made a stop to see my old friend who I went out west with years ago. I stole him from his family and drove up to East Lansing to walk around the campus and town, a place I had not been in 40 some years. This was the person who drove across the country with me, 49 years earlier, listening to The Motorcycle Song.

What is going on?

madAsHell म्हणाले...

One time....at band camp....I met a rock star, and now I'm writing about it.

How cool am I???

Ron Winkleheimer म्हणाले...

I have that one on vinyl, along with Alice's Restaurant.

BUMBLE BEE म्हणाले...

He blew his mind out in a car...

Captain BillieBob म्हणाले...

I prefer Alice's Restaurant. Guthrie is funnier if you listen while stoned or so I've heard.

Jay Vogt म्हणाले...

Already been done:

"So you want to be a rock & roll star. Well listen now. Hear what I say . . . . . "

William50 म्हणाले...

Arlo Guthrie, barely passable comedian, ditto folk singer.

Richard Aubrey म्हणाले...

He killed himself the same month Lew Puller, Jr. did. Cobain got the ink. Screw it.

Guildofcannonballs म्हणाले...

She had him killed and Althouse jills off to it, like we all knew she would.

Howard म्हणाले...

Nirvana is okay. Not in the same league as the Red Hot Pearl Jams. Jack Elliott liked to ramble on about Arlo and Bob.

retail lawyer म्हणाले...

Arlo was overrated, its true, but I've always enjoyed that song. It "spoke to me", because sometimes you just want to ride your motorcycle. Not much more to say about it. I feel the same way about Queen's Bicycle Race which is not about racing, he just wants to ride his bike "where I like". Simple wants are good!

stephen cooper म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
Joe Smith म्हणाले...

Sounded like the set-up to a porno...wtf?