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[This review was written and originally published 2006, March 5th.]
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GREATEST HITS, VOL. 3:
BEST OF THE BROTHER YEARS, 1970-1986
by The Beach Boys
released: Feb. 1, 2000
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THE BEACH BOYS are one of those bands that have provided the soundtrack to my life. Growing up in Southern California, their music really does become a part of one's experiences.
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Examples: I can't hear 'Help Me, Rhonda' or 'The Girls On The Beach' without recalling my years of bodysurfing the waves near Santa Monica's Lifeguard Station #26. 'Good Vibrations' automatically transports me back to Santa Monica High School -- located conveniently 2 blocks from the Pacific Ocean. (Sometimes the sound of the surf called more insistently than did the school bell.) Samohi's official school song, 'Hymn Of Praise' written by Ken Darby from the Class of 1927, starts out,
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Oh Samohi, dear old Samohi
Queen of the setting sun
For you we toil, for you our banners fly
We win for you when victory's won!
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But every pep rally I attended from '74 through '77 ended more "excitationally" with...
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Good, good, good, good vibrations
(oom bop bop)
I'm pickin' up good vibrations
She's giving me excitations
(oom bop bop)
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'In My Room' humorously reminds me of the time in 1986 when I found it on a jukebox in a Reno lounge and drove every other patron out of the place with it. I was in the bartender's doghouse, but what are ya gonna do with a liquidated cowboy who wants to hear 'In My Room'... 18 consecutive times?
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And while the richly melancholic 'The Warmth Of The Sun' is my all-time favorite Beach Boys song, there is a lot to be said for many of the tracks found on this compilation.
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This is the final part of Capitol's Beach Boys Greatest Hits trilogy series. This one -- which features 20 of The Boys' late period minor hits and non-hits -- will be ignored by the casual Beach Boys fan, and that is an unfortunate mistake. True, these "leftovers" were recorded and released after the height of the band's popularity and creative success according to the music critics, but the Beach Boys --though they had largely moved away from their gorgeous and complex trademark vocal harmony arrangements -- were still making some magic music. And some of it as sensitive and more intense than anything that preceded it.
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For every lightweight and silly 'SUSIE CINCINNATI' and 'PEGGY SUE' on this collection, you'll also find a brooding 'TIL I DIE', or nostalgic 'DISNEY GIRLS (1957)', or yearning 'SURF'S UP'. No, we didn't need another version of 'ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC' or 'COME GO WITH ME', and yet I'd hate to have missed out on the world-weary but defiant 'LONG PROMISED ROAD' (my personal "Fight Song") or the intricate protest song 'THE TRADER', with its catchy movements that force my toes to tap or my feet to stomp.
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Some of these songs, being more melodically subtle and lacking that instantly recognizable sound of The Boys' early hits, will require a bit more patience from the listener, but with time, that open-minded patience will certainly be rewarded. Of course, 'SAIL ON, SAILOR' you probably already know (I invented my pen name while it was playing through the sound system in a Coco's Restaurant); the lovely 'GOOD TIMIN'' is reminiscent of that lush harmonizing adopted from The Four Freshmen during The Beach Boys' infancy. And the well-chosen closer, 'CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'', with its urgent tenor sax solo actually eclipses the classic Mamas And Papas version. (Yeah, I couldn't believe it either!)
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If all you desire is a balanced career retrospective of some of The Beach Boys' best music on a single disc, then go with 'Classics: Selected By Brian Wilson'. But the REAL fan will want the 3-part Capitol compilation series: 'The Greatest Hits, Vol 1: 20 Good Vibrations'; 'The Greatest Hits, Vol. 2: 20 More Good Vibrations'; and this disc, 'THE GREATEST HITS, VOL. 3: BEST OF THE BROTHER YEARS, 1970 - 1986'.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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THE QUICK AND THE DEAD
starring Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman
released: 1995
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In THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, Sharon Stone plays a cheroot-smoking, Clint Eastwood-mimicking 1800s gunslinger, and Gene Hackman plays Gene Hackman -- think of a wood plank; you know, something just a little less rigid and a little more emotional than Clint Eastwood.
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For the intelligent reader, this is all the review that should be necessary. Sure, I could proceed point-by-point in illustrating what makes this movie such a putrid corpse (a real “Boot Hill” special), but frankly, it is not even worthy of a serious critique.
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THE QUICK AND THE DEAD -- along with Jack Nicholson’s THE SHOOTING (1967) and Jane Russell’s THE OUTLAW (1943) -- represents “The Dreck Of The West” on celluloid, and it is a good example of why I completely stopped going to the movies two decades ago. I was tired of paying money to have my intelligence insulted (as well as having Hollywood’s immorality paraded before my eyes).
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Although this movie is an empty-headed, overly-produced, ultra-dippy “cartoon” (the Biblical allusion was especially stupid and any Yosemite Sam cartoon would be funnier and equally believable), it did amply show me what I borrowed it from the library to see -- namely, MESCAL.
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MESCAL is a frontier town movie set where numerous Westerns have been filmed. It is located near Benson, Arizona, just three miles North of Interstate 10 (exit #297) and on “the other side of the tracks.” (I’ve always wanted to say that!)
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My brother, Napoleon, my friend, Pooh, and I sneaked into MESCAL quite a number of years back (a REAL Outlaw Trio), but I have since longed to take the “official” $8.00, 45-minute guided tour, and on a day in May, that dream was finally realized.
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The tour begins in the large saloon built specifically for THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, and there are no phones, johns, or refreshments available. (No saltwater taffy here, folks! This is the REAL West... uhm... built for moviemaking.) Some other FAR BETTER Westerns than The Quick And The Dead that have largely or partially utilized the MESCAL set include:
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The great [link> MONTE WALSH (1970) featuring Lee Marvin and Jack Palance. MESCAL represented both towns, Harmony and Charleyville.
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MESCAL was Roy Bean’s Langtry, Texas, in THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN (1972), and Paul Newman’s courthouse/saloon is still standing!
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If memory serves me, it stood in for (if memory serves me) Hays, Kansas in THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES (1976), where that old cigar-store Indian of an actor, Clint Eastwood, asked the Confederate soldiers, "Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?"
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And it played the part of Tombstone, Arizona, in Val Kilmer’s TOMBSTONE (1993). On the MESCAL tour, you will walk into The Oriental saloon (now an empty shell of its former self) where Kurt Russell slapped around Billy Bob Thornton and where, later, Ol’ Doc Holliday matched Ol’ Johnny Ringo’s gun tricks with a fancy exhibition of silver cup-handling.
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The MESCAL Tour operates on a very limited schedule, so call ahead: (520) 883-0100; press menu option #7.
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I watched THE QUICK AND THE DEAD -- filmed entirely at MESCAL -- solely to see the movie set. And if you haven’t got any gardening to do; a house to clean; children to watch; a good book to read; quality music to hear; a dinner to cook; letters to write; bills to pay; windows to wash; a dentist to see; a room to paint; a leaky faucet to fix; a friend to visit; a car to repair; a play to attend; a wife (or husband) to love; a drawing to sketch; a good movie to view; an enemy to fight; a dog to walk; a cat to kick; a geriatric to help; a mouse to catch; a fly to swat; a walk to take; dishes to scrub; laundry to fold; prayers to pray; shopping to do; a bank to rob; a supermodel to stalk; a nap to sleep; a game of solitaire to play; or a Louisville Slugger-wielding friend to batter you into unconsciousness, then by all means, I recommend that you borrow THE QUICK AND THE DEAD from your local library.
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But be forewarned, if you do borrow it from your library and your trigger finger doesn’t hit that “eject” button QUICK enough when the movie turns stupid (which it does very QUICKLY), then this movie might render you brain-DEAD. Of course, if you actually PURCHASE this movie, then you probably already are!
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For more information about Mescal and Old Tucson Studios, click HERE.
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"Sneaking In Directions":
Take I-10 East out of Tucson approx. 35 miles to exit #297 -- Go north 3 miles to where the pavement ends. Proceed West up the hill to town. Be quiet so as not to wake the security guard sleeping in the old recreational vehicle.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS BASEBALL CAP
by New Era Cap Company
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"...For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of The Living God? ... Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield; but I come against you in the name of The Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ... And all this assembly shall know that The Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is The Lord's and He will deliver you into our hands'... And David put his hand in his bag and took thence a stone, and slung it..."
~ 1 Samuel 17
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Certainly there have been many upsets in world history: Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson; the Jets beating the Colts in Superbowl III; the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team triumphing over the Russians. Of course, when Al Gore lost the 2000 Presidential election to George "W", he was plenty "upset", too! And there's no denying that when Eve tasted the forbidden fruit, she really "upset" the applecart.
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One of the biggest upsets in the world of professional baseball was the 2001 World Series when the New York Yankees, 3-time world champions with the most storied legacy in professional sports (and not coincidentally the deepest pockets) met the 4-year-old underdog Arizona Diamondbacks -- a team comprised mostly of has-beens, cast-offs, and overachievers. It was supposed to be "no contest" and it very nearly was, but not in the manner that the Yankees had imagined.
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After many years of inattentiveness to baseball, something about that team from Airheadzona caught my eye early on. Come-From-Behind Victory after Come-From-Behind Victory was gradually making a believer out of me. ("My gosh!", I thought, "They really remind me of the '88 Dodgers -- 'The Little Team That Could'.")
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I'll never forget my Brother walking into the room one June afternoon and stopping to stare, dumbfounded. He looked at the TV. He looked at me. He looked at the TV, and back at me. "What're you doin'?"
"I'm watching the ballgame," I answered.
"What! Are you a Diamondbacks fan now?" he asked incredulously.
"Well, I watch 'em once in awhile," I confessed.
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By July I had informed my Ma (the REAL D-Backs fan) that she could get me a Diamondbacks baseball cap for my upcoming birthday.
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September 2001 saw history's most devastating attack on U.S. soil occur in New York. It was quickly followed by the most exciting World Series in baseball history: David (Arizona) versus Goliath (New York). Even if the result had been reversed, I'd still be calling it the greatest Fall Classic ever played (although admittedly less gleefully). The record book shows that David prevailed over Goliath (again), 4 games to 3, in a Series that saw great pitching, 3 remarkable last-gasp victorious finishes, and one historic drubbing: the D-Backs "must-win" Game 6, which ended AZ 15 -- NY 2. (*It was REALLY 16-2, but the umpire horribly missed one call at home plate. And that STILL makes me mad!)
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My Brother and I had driven to our Ma's house to watch Game 7 with her. With Airheadzona losing 2-1, Mariano Rivera struck out the side consecutively in the 8th inning, and my Brother headed for the door. He was sure it was over and that The Wealthy Giant had purchased yet another championship. But I had been watching this little team all season long. "I don't think you should leave just yet," I nearly cautioned him. But then I thought: No, let him go if he has no faith.
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I sat down next to my dear Mother and said, "I might as well watch the end of it with you." I later learned from my Brother -- who had the game's broadcast tuned in on his car radio -- that when Mark Grace led off the bottom of the 9th inning with a single, he stomped on the accelerator and got to our apartment's TV just in time to catch the final, astounding Come-From-Behind Victory of the Diamondbacks' improbable 2001 season.
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For me, the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball cap symbolizes every unlikely victory against overwhelming odds. It is an excellent way to tell the world that you support life's underdogs, its overachievers and never-say-die combatants. It says to all of the philistines that you believe in the little guy -- David over Goliath; you believe that dreams DO come true; a determined person CAN fight City Hall; and that money doesn't necessarily determine every outcome! You, too, can own and wear this Everyman badge and silently celebrate every "David's" victory. Of course, this cap is also a pretty decent way to keep the bright, hot sun outta yer eyes and off of yer headbone.
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The hat is made in the U.S.A. by New Era, a company that has been in the baseball cap business since 1920, and supplies the actual Major League Baseball clubs with theirs. This is really Big League and top quality. It's life-affirming headwear. You ladies shouldn't shy away from purchasing this authentic piece of Diamondbacks' uniform either. You may be interested to know that some guys find a baseball cap on a woman to be unexplainably cute!
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True, this is the Arizona D-Backs' "road" cap, and every game of the 2001 World Series was won by the "home" team, but here in Phoenix, we all prefer the logo on the road cap. (A rattlesnake in the form of the letter "D".) And since it's predominantly black, it goes with everything, and is acceptable attire at Airheadzona black-tie affairs, as well as our funerals. Visit us sometime and you'll see 10 to 15 "road" caps on Phoenician heads to every 1 "home" cap worn.
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After the D-Backs dethroned the mighty Yanks and broke their magic spell (N.Y. hasn't been able to BUY a championship since), naturally, the loud-mouthed New Yorkers loudly protested that Arizona "just got lucky". Let's see what the 2001 World Series statistics have to say about that...
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AZ. TEAM STATS:
65 Hits / 31 Earned Runs / 17 Walks / 3 Errors / .264 Batting Avg. / 1.94 Earned Run Avg.
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NY. TEAM STATS:
42 Hits / 14 Earned Runs / 16 Walks / 8 Errors / .183 Batting Avg. / 4.41 Earned Run Avg.
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The Diamondbacks were superior in virtually EVERY SINGLE IMPORTANT CATEGORY! We may be pretty stupid here in Airheadzona, but we don't call that "luck"; we call that, "A good, old-fashioned azz-whuppin'!" We call that, "Bringin' the Phoenix Heat!"
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The truth is that the Yankees were very fortunate that a couple of last-minute heroics snatched victory from certain defeat. This Series really shouldn't have gone beyond 5 games. But then that's what made the 2001 World Series baseball's best!
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Remember the great Series and celebrate the overachievers everywhere by proudly donning the ultimate underdog's baseball cap. No, the "D" doesn't only mean "Diamondbacks", it also stands for "DAVID".
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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ORIGINAL INTENT: The Courts, The Constitution, & Religion
by David Barton
published: 1996
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ORIGINAL INTENT by David Barton played a major role in my self-education, which is the only REAL education. (Trust professional educators to direct you to knowledge and you'll get all of the information that seemingly supports their bias, and no more!) ORIGINAL INTENT is a genuine masterpiece of research; it will certainly blow the lid off of what you've been conditioned to believe about "SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE" (it exists neither in word nor concept in ANY Founding Document) and the religious nature of early America and Her Founders.
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As the back cover states:
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"A DIRECT VICTIM OF... JUDICIAL MICROMANAGEMENT HAS BEEN THE RELIGIOUS ASPECT OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT...
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"ADDITIONAL CASUALTIES OF JUDICIAL ACTIVISM HAVE INCLUDED PROTECTIONS FOR STATE'S RIGHTS, LOCAL CONTROLS, SEPARATION OF POWERS, LEGISLATIVE SUPREMACY, AND NUMEROUS OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS.
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"WHY DID EARLIER COURTS PROTECT THESE POWERS FOR GENERATIONS, AND WHAT HAS CAUSED THEIR EROSION BY CONTEMPORARY COURTS? 'ORIGINAL INTENT' ANSWERS THESE QUESTIONS.
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"BY RELYING ON THOUSANDS OF PRIMARY SOURCES, 'ORIGINAL INTENT' DOCUMENTS (IN THE FOUNDING FATHERS' OWN WORDS) NOT ONLY THE PLAN FOR LIMITED GOVERNMENT ORIGINALLY SET FORTH IN THE CONSTITUTION AND BILL OF RIGHTS, BUT HOW THAT VISION CAN ONCE AGAIN BECOME REALITY."
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The thesis of this book is supported by an astonishingly extensive array of quotations and judicial citations -- over 1,400 references to explore for substantiation. The appendix includes THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE and THE U.S. CONSTITUTION in full.
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Sure, you'll encounter the occasional mendacious "Historian" and indoctrinated "SJW" who broadly claim that Barton is a liar, but don't expect them to get more specific; they can't! To be sure, there are liars in the house, however, Barton is not amongst them.
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{Incidentally, regarding "Historian's" comment at Amazon.scum about Donald Lutz: Yes, his 'The Origins Of American Constitutionalism' is cited in ORIGINAL INTENT, along with (by my count) 451 other publications. Barton borrows from his book in only one chapter (#11, which accounts for 14 of ORIGINAL INTENT's 346 pages of non-appendix text) in the form of 2 charts isolating our Founding Fathers' most frequently quoted sources. To say that Barton's statistics are distortion is falsehood unless the findings of Lutz et al., were distorted to begin with.}
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Barton relies strictly on the clear meaning of the Founding Fathers as revealed by their own words and official documents. But what he reveals in his masterpiece so unnerves the Liberals and/or Atheists (read: Communists and/or Secular Humanists) that these flapjacks will say ANYTHING to dissuade you from reading it!
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For a cookie-cutter, milquetoast-looking "Christian", ol' David Barton knows how to linguistically put up his dukes. He's got a strong jab and a knockout "RIGHT" "CROSS". I like that -- I like a punishing counter-puncher! To see how Barton counterpunches "Historians", "SJWs" and other flapjacks, go to his website www.wallbuilders.com and click on "Issues & Articles" (under the category of "Resources") and read the article "Taking On The Critics".
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If I were your Benevolent Dictator, nobody would receive a high school diploma until they demonstrated that they had a comprehensive understanding of the content of the books, 'NONE DARE CALL IT TREASON: 25 YEARS LATER' by John Stormer, 'THE CREATURE FROM JEKYLL ISLAND' by G. Edward Griffin, and 'ORIGINAL INTENT' by David Barton. Read these three and you'll never again slip on the political dog poop that is continually strewn about by your judges, your media, your professors, your politicians, and some of your fellow Amazon.scum reviewers. The TRUTH will not only make you free, but it will keep that smelly stuff off of your shoes and out of your mind!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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