It is what it is...but, it doesn't have to be.

There is an expression that never fails to make me bristle.

"It is what it is."

In my view, that is not necessarily so.

Certainly, the intention of this trite platitude is innocuous and, in some contexts, cogent. It simply means, "Accept things you cannot change and don't let them get you down", whether it was a missed commuter train or the local ice cream shop was out of your favourite flavour. 

Which got me thinking. 

Maybe "it" is...but can I do anything about it? 

After all, isn't it a good thing that people like Mother Theresa, Jonas Salk, Oskar Schindler or Albert Schweitzer didn't think that way.

As it has grown in popularity, "it is what it is" has become shorthand for dismissing things, particularly things with which we are uncomfortable. In September, in a televised interview, Donald Trump was presented with data about the staggering death toll due to the Coronavirus pandemic. His response was an off-hand, "it is what it is." 

Really? 

Did the sitting U.S. President just dismiss the daily loss of a thousand American lives out of hand? 

Or

Has he fallen into the trap of trying to move past an uncomfortable situation with a catch phrase, not recognizing that his words, despite their intention, have an impact.

I began to wonder:

What words do I use that have an impact I am not recognizing?

I stumbled on a Tweet from a fellow educator. She suggested that teachers stop referring to a mixed-gendered group of students as "guys'.

I do this all the time and have for 24 years. Certainly, no offense was intended. My meaning was to address all my students in a friendly way, regardless of gender.

Did the students in my class who identified as female take offence?

So, I asked and, almost unanimously, they agreed with a couple shrugging indifferently. They did not mind but, given the choice, they would prefer not to be called "guys".

For the last two months I have challenged myself to change my choice of nouns. Here's what I've done and what I've learned:

• I asked my students to remind me, politely, when I slip.
• I also asked them to come up with a list of gender neutral terms that they would prefer I use. After some comical debate, the following list was created and turned into a poster.

• The poster has been prominently displayed around the classroom as a reminder to me. 
• Any time I make a mistake, I apologize and correct it.
• I've agreed that if I err more than ten times a week...I will buy them each a can of coke. So far, so good, but I am going to drop the number to five in November.

My progress has been good. I catch myself once in a while and I can tell that my students respect my efforts. One girl even told me that she appreciated how hard I was trying.

Old habits are tough to break -- but, with the right support, strategies and incentives, change is possible. It was what it was and now it is something better.

The 500 - #399 - Rain Dogs - Tom Waits

 I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 399

Album Title: Rain Dogs
Artist: Tom Waits 
Genre: Experimental Eclectic Everything
Recorded: RCA Studios
Released: September, 1985
My age at release: 20
How familiar was I with it before this week: One song
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Clap Hands

Rain Dogs Cover - Tom Waits (1985)

There was a small rush of dopamine that accompanied the keystrokes that placed "Album #399" into the header of this post. When this marathon journey began in January, 2019, there was certainly some trepidation on my part that this was a "fool's errand" that would fizzle-out. However, with 100 records in the rear view mirror, completion of this nine-year task seems far more likely.

Tom Waits (1985)

What a phenomenal record was waiting at #399. Tom Waits' Rain Dogs is the middle album in a trilogy of experimental music that began with Swordfishtrombone (1983) and would conclude with Franks Wild Years (1987). All three records are notable for Tom's embrace of a broad spectrum of musical styles and wide range of instrumentation, as well as the use of eclectic background sounds gathered through natural sources rather than studio trickery. Indeed, Waits prides himself on being a Luddite who eschews technological sleight of hand in the studio, wonderfully captured by this somewhat salty, but perfectly Waits-ian, quote:

"If I want a sound, I usually feel better if I've chased it and killed it, skinned it and cooked it. Most things you can get with a button nowadays. So, if I was trying for a certain drum sound, my engineer would say, 'Oh, for Christ's sake, why are we wasting our time? Let's just hit this little cup with a stick here and make it bigger in the mix.' I'd say, 'No, I would rather go in the bathroom and hit the door with a piece of two-by-four very hard.'"

Much of the record was composed in a squalid, basement apartment at the corner of Washington and Horatio Street in the West Village of Manhattan. 

Washington & Horatio Streets, NYC

It was, as one might expect of New York City in the mid-eighties, a rough area, frequented by a diverse group of wandering artists, addicts, sex workers, pimps, hoodlums and the homeless. It was from this landscape that Waits drew his inspiration for both the music and his extraordinary lyrics. These urban vagabonds also provided inspiration for the album's title. As Waits put it:

"I kept thinking about people who live outdoors. You know how after the rain you see all these dogs that seem lost, wandering around. The rain washes away all their scent, all their direction. So all the people on the album are knit together, by some corporeal way of sharing pain and discomfort."

However, I couldn't help but think how this applies to all of us. We are all wandering the face of the earth, knit together by invisible forces. Fortunately, for many of us, we have the solace and comfort of a home and the ties that bind us are often love and belonging. Perhaps Waits is just reminding us to eschew the hectic whirlwind of our world and embrace the eclectic background. Maybe that will grant us a little more sympathy for the rain dogs in our world.

The 500 - #400 - Anthology - The Temptations

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

(On September 14, 2020, Rolling Stone released an updated version of The 500 List. I am sticking with the 2012 edition. When I get through it, I may circle back and discuss the new additions.)

Album # 400

Album Title: Anthology
Artist: The Temptations
Genre: R&B, Soul, Disco, Funk, Psychedelic Soul
Recorded: Motown Records
Released: Three Releases (1973, 1986, 1995) 
My age at release: 8
How familiar was I with it before this week: Somewhat
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Papa Was A Rolling Stone

Usually, I am not a fan of "Greatest Hits" or "Compilation Anthologies" being put on The 500 list. I suppose it is because I see a conventional record as a piece of art, crafted by creators who have invested time and passion into everything from the order of the songs to the art on the front and back covers. Compilations often feel as if they have been assembled by the record company with the purpose of cashing-in on previously released material.

The original Temptations line-up (1965)

However, when it comes to The Temptations, an Anthology on this list makes perfect sense. It is an ideal way to encapsulate a 60-year career of a group that is the most successful R&B act of all time.

• 15 Number One Singles
• Three Grammy Awards
• Two American Music Awards
• A Soul Train Music Award
• The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
• Inducted into 
• The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1989)
• The NAACP Hall of Fame (1982)
• The R&B Hall of Fame (2013)

20 musicians have rotated through the band over the group's history. The Temptations have moved with the times by branching away from their Motown R&B roots to experiment with other musical genres such soul, funk, disco, rock and psychedelic fusion. Despite their longevity, the band continued to perform until the Coronavirus pandemic shuttered live venues. Otis "Big Daddy" Williams, the group's baritone, is the only surviving original member. He was also the guest on last week's episode of The 500 Podcast with Josh Adam Meyers. 

The story shared on the podcast that struck was the tragic tale of Motown Record Label's staff writer, Roger Penzabene. Penzabene wrote three hits for The Temptations, including I Wish It Would Rain and I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You). The songs, two of the most melancholy in The Temptations' expansive catalogue, were released in 1967. Penzabene crafted both from his own personal heartache. He had recently learned that his wife had been unfaithful and was leaving him. On January 31, 1967, a week after the release of I Wish It Would Rain, Penzabene took his own life. He was only 23.

Roger Penzabene (High School)

I've included that story because it is an opportunity to remind the reader that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. (The Crisis Services Canada helpline is always available at 1-833-456-4566 and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255).

One can only despair at the talent that was lost to the world considering, at 23, he had already penned five hit songs for Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye and The Temptations.

Although the Penzabene songs are beautiful, I selected Papa Was A Rolling Stone on my The 500 Spotify Playlist. In part, it was because I would always be reminded of the tragic death of a remarkably talented young man if I picked Penzabene's songs. Additionally, the "psychedelic period" for The Temptations is my fascinating and "Papa" is without question, my favourite Temptations' song. 

  

The 500 - The First 100 Albums

 

Milestone One has been reached!

I recently published my blog post about album #401 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. I am officially 1/5 of the way through my journey. 

This venture began on January 29, 2019, after discovering that comedian Josh Adam Meyer had made the decision to podcast about each record. I had maintained this blog for about four years and, formerly, the topics were usually gleaned from the world of education. However, I wanted to write weekly and when I heard about Josh's podcast, I decided to listen to and write about each record. The initial, goal of two posts a week was unsustainable, however, I'm currently on a pace of a blog post every 6.24 days.

Rather than review each record or give a track-by-track analysis, I wanted to uncover something different about the stories behind the music. As I looked over The 500 List, I felt that I had some personal anecdotes to share; however, there were many albums with which I had little familiarity. My goal was to "find the story" within. I don't think there is a better example of this than my Gram Parson's post from May, 2020.

Grievous Angel by Gram Parsons (1973)

Just as I was approaching the 100th record, Rolling Stone released an updated list. Consequently, albums I have written about have been removed from the list and, in some cases, rated higher. The Nas record, Illmatic, which I recently wrote about, has been (justifiably) moved from position #402 to #44. I have decided to stick with the 2012 list and, if I get to the end of this journey, I may double-back and write about the records that were added to the 2020 list, but that decision is seven years away.

September, 2020 edition of Rolling Stone Magazine 
with the updated 500 list.

Speaking of lists...here are a few of my own.

A big shout-out to the ten people who generously "guest blogged" with me...

• Nick Bishop - My Morning Jacket, Z (#457)
• Rob Hodson - John Prine, Debut (#452)
• Jay Dubois - Beck, Sea Change (#436)
• Oscar Macedo - The Police, Outlandos D'Amour (#428)
• Jeff Lewis - Bruce Springsteen, The Rising (#424)
• Steve "Lumpy" Sullivan U2, Boy (#417)
• Glen "Archie" Gamble - Van Halen, Debut (#415)
• Claudio Sossi - The Minutemen, Double Nickles On The Dime (#413)
• Karen Snell - PJ Harvey, Rid of Me (#406)
• My Dad - Who has proofread every blog post since the beginning. I love our weekly chats.

My Top 5 discoveries while on this journey and the albums that got the most plays after first hearing them are...

• Beck - Sea Change (#436)
• The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs (#465)
• My Morning Jacket - Z (#457)
• Gang of Four - Entertainment (#483)
• Manu Chao - Proxima Estacion: Esperanza (#474)

It is gratifying that my readership has grown since I began this project. Some of my first posts garnered 30-40 readers and I now average 80. Some posts are more popular than others. It might be the record or the artist.  It might just be fortuitous timing on my part and when I chose to promote the blog. Regardless, these five posts had the most readers:

1. Kiss - Destroyer - 143 readers, Published 19/03/2019
2. Nas - Illmatic - 118 readers, Published 03/10/2020
3. George Michael - Faith - 114 readers,  Published 02/07/2019
4. Loretta Lynn - All Time Greatest Hits - 101 readers, Published 20/05/2019
5. Portishead - Dummy - 98 readers, Published 27/06/2020

Here are the stats on the dates of the first 100 records:

• Two from the 1950s
• Eight from the 1960s
• 38 from the 1970s
• 22 from the 1980s
• 16 from the 1990s
• 14 from the 2000s

A few highlights on my journey:

• Getting to meet Josh Adam Meyers when he was in Toronto for the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival and seeing him record an episode of The 500 Podcast live. Episode #448 - The Police, Synchronicity. 
• Getting likes and Twitter mentions from comedians, actors and musicians that I admire, including Russell Peters, LL Cool J, Joe Satriani, Zainab Johnson and Wayne Federman.
• Receiving the comment "A brilliant essay" from actor and comedian Jay Mohr (SNL, Jerry Maguire, Action, Gary Unmarried) who read my blog post about Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel of Love. (#467)

There are five artists who are not on The 500 list and deserve recognition. In each case:

• They were commercially successful
• The musicianship is excellent
• The record is considered influential by many other artists
• And, I really like them and I'm disappointed they are not on the list

In no particular order:

• Rush - Moving Pictures (This record is on the 2020 list at #379)
• Supertramp - Crime of the Century or Breakfast in America
• Boston - Debut
• Duran Duran - Rio
• Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

What do you think? I'd be delighted to hear your thoughts, feel free to post in the comment section below. 

Finally, thank you for reading and joining me on this journey through The 500 greatest albums of all time.  Next up: The Temptations Anthology at #400

 

The 500 - #401 - Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

(On September 14, 2020, Rolling Stone released an updated version of The 500 List. I am sticking with the 2012 edition and, when I get through it, I'll circle back and discuss the new additions to the list.)

This blog post also marks my hundredth in this series. I'll post about the first 100 soon.

Album # 401

Album Title: Californication
Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Genre: Funk Rock, Alternative Rock
Recorded: Cello Studios - Los Angeles, California
Released: June, 1999
My age at release: 33
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Around the World

There is an expression I've always liked: 

"Show me who you're with and I'll show you who you are."

I suppose I like this quote because it casts me in a positive light because my friends are kind, clever, generous and, perhaps most importantly, funny.

Paul Dawson is no exception. 

Paul and I met in the autumn of 1982 at a house party in the east end of London, Ontario. A part of the city, East of Adelaide (EOA) as it is known, which came with a reputation -- blue collar, tough and hard scrabble...even dangerous.

East of Adelaide Book, published in 1989

My friends and I were from the middle class areas of Westmount and Byron on the opposite side of the city. However, as we walked down the steps of a small bungalow into a crowded, smoke-filled, wood-panelled basement, we surmised how we were being perceived. 

We were interlopers...spoiled rich kids who had no business in this end of town. Again, that is what we thought.

These supositions were, of course, entirely in our heads. These East-end rockers were behaving exactly like most teenagers do...standoffish, skeptical, suspicious and painfully cool. Sure, we were "the unknown", but we had been invited to this gathering and, in short order, we found ourselves socializing and, in several cases, making friendships.

Just as I was getting comfortable, Paul arrived. He was a giant of a man, he was only 18 but he looked like an full grown adult --standing over six feet tall with a head full of thick, black hair. He thundered down the stairs with confidence and was welcomed by many of the partygoers. It was clear he was popular with this crew.

Paul (Circa 1983)

It wasn't long before he made his way across the room to me. His first words were, "So, I hear you're a Dungeon Master?" 

Plainly, he was referring the fantasy role-playing, game Dungeons & Dragons which I played every Sunday with the same group of friends who were at the party with me. 

"Uhm, yes," Expectantly, I paused for an insult, perhaps a joke or sarcastic barb. Playing "D&D" was not considered cool in the early 80s and I was quiet about in most high school social circles.

"Cool", he responded brightly, "I've always wanted to play. Can I join?" With those few sentences, a 38-year friendship was forged.

The reason I mention Paul in the context of Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP) is because it was he who introduced me to the band. He discovered them in the mid-80s, long before they achieved mainstream success. Paul, a bass player, was fascinated by the work of Chili Peppers' bassist Michael Peter Balzary...aka: Flea. 

Paul is well known in our friendship circle for his unusual, but comically charming, non-sequiturs. It is one of my favourite things about his humour. One day, while sitting in his living room, he turned to me abruptly and said: "True Men Don't Kill Kie-yotes". I would later learn it was a reference to an early RHCP song entitled, True Men Don't Kill Coyotes. (Coyotes pronounced Kie-Yotes)

While I was still trying to figure this out, Paul pushed in a VHS cassette into the player on his television, which was cued up to this interview with Flea and Chili Pepper singer Anthony Kiedis. Paul had recorded it earlier from a broadcast on Much Music Television. It included, in true Paul non-sequitur fashion, an entirely different Chili Peppers' song at the end -- Jungle Man from their 1985 album Freaky Styley. 

When it finished playing he said, "I like these guys." I had to admit, I did too and became a fan. Eventually, I owned the band's entire catalogue, up to and including their 1995 release One Hot Minute. However, as their popularity grew, their music became an overplayed staple on rock radio stations. In fact, if you listen to FM96 (London's Rock Radio Station) for more about an hour, you can likely win money with the wager: "I'll bet we hear a Pepper's song". 

Eventually, I grew a little tired of the band's sound and my interest waned. This record, Californication, boasts six singles (all played regularly on FM 96) -- so I am familiar with it. However, over the past week, I have listened to all the tracks and I admit my interest has been renewed. This is an entertaining record.

And Paul? We are still friends. I reached out to him to clarify details for this story and he sent me the Much Music link that is included above, as well as picking the song for The 500 Spotify Playlist I am curating. After working for the Ford Motor Company for over two decades, Paul is now an educator, teaching construction and woodwork at Lord Dorchester Secondary School near London. I'm sure his teenage students enjoy his comedy and non-sequiturs.

Paul in October 8, 2020 wearing his
Van Halen Crew shirt to commemorate
the passing of Eddie Van Halen 

The 500 - #402 - Illmatic - Nas

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

(On September 14, 2020, Rolling Stone released an updated version of The 500 List. I am sticking with the 2012 edition and, when I get through it, I'll circle back and discuss the new additions to the list.)

Album # 402

Album Title: Illmatic
Artist: Nas
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop, Jazz Rap
Recorded: Unique Recording Studios, New York City, New York
Released: April, 1994
My age at release: 28
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Life's a Bitch

It will likely surprise many who know me, or who have been following my journey through The 500, that I am quite familiar with this record. My taste in music is well documented and "East Coast Hip Hop" is not what most would expect to see under the Jeopardy category: "Things Hodgy Listens To". 

Here's the story: I was an early adopter of the Facebook social media network. My friends are "techie", so we were already on the My Space platform. When Facebook came around in late 2007 we made a quick transition. 

As Facebook gained mainstream popularity, I, like many others, was eager to build my "friend" base and added nearly anyone who asked. Wisely, I did not accept requests from the students in my Grade 8 class. However, less wisely, I agreed to add them post-graduation. I also accepted requests from former students and the parents of any student. Clearly, I hadn't thought this through. Now, my social media world and professional world had been linked, and I had to maintain a "professional teacher presence" at all times. This meant, I had to:

• refrain from commenting on any post that could be considered controversial
• tread lightly when it came to humour and
• remain apolitical (as much as possible).

However, there was one positive. With more than 300 diverse "friends" available for commentary, I could curate a wide range of opinions and ideas when I posed a question about music. Such was the case when, in the summer of 2010, I was preparing for a lengthy road trip (London-Toronto-Ottawa-Albany-Boston-Salem-London) and I posted the following:

"Road Trip Coming Up - Post your favourite song from your favourite album and I'll put it on my playlist."  

I had just purchased my first iPod Touch music player and these were the early days of inexpensive music downloading through iTunes. A world of music was, virtually, at my fingertips.

Responses came in quickly and many were familiar songs already in my collection. Then, I got a direct message (DM) from a brother of a former student -- a person I had never met but, somehow, had been added to my Facebook Friend roster. He wrote..."Anything from Illmatic by Nas. It's the greatest record of all time." 

Over the next few days, we conversed online about the record, hip-hop music and "great records" in general. I agreed to give the album a listen and played it on my computer headphones from YouTube links. At the time, I was working on my Master's Degree, so many weekend days and nights were spent hunched over a keyboard with headphones plugged in.

I didn't like Illmatic at first. Well, I didn't "get it" is probably a better way to contextualize the experience. The lyrics seemed unnecessarily vulgar and the themes appeared to celebrate violence. Then, late one night, the closing section of Life's a Bitch was playing and I found myself lost in the groove and mesmerized by the jazz trumpet that was beautifully layered into the background. The song won me over and I immediately gave it another listen. Slowly, I came around. I wasn't about to put Illmatic in my Top 10, but I was willing to say that I genuinely liked it.

Revisiting this record over the past week has rekindled that flame. This is a terrific album and I better understand the themes Nas was exploring. These are highly personal, first person explorations of the troubled life of an inner-city teenager surrounded by poverty, isolation and the strife created by gang violence. Violence, that Nas managed to minimize through his passion for music.

In 2018, Nas was invited to the Kennedy Centre to perform the entire Illmatic record backed by the National Symphony Orchestra. If you're unfamiliar with East Coast Hip Hop and want an introduction to this terrific record, this performance might be the perfect place to start.

Nas performs Illmatic with the National Symphony Orchestra