The KSHE Klassics Program, Christmas Day, 2016

Quotation du jour ~ Prince:  Music is spirit, it’s therapy. It makes me feel a certain way, and if played with conviction and soul, the same thing occurs in other people.

Sitting here battling a debilitating case of alcohol poisoning with my usual Xmas Day remedy: rum and egg nog. Insanity doesn't run in my family, as far as i know, but i'm working on it....

I discovered KSHE about four years and so of course this is the first time i've listened to the Klassics show on a Christmas morning, but i wasn't really surprised that there was no seasonal music included. As Uman said when the show began, some people aren't religious, many people aren't Christian, so it's business as usual. I'm glad i was able to listen to it at all, considering the technology nightmare before Christmas i've just come through (and which i intend to blog about later). Here's the playlist:

Rockpile -- Teacher Teacher
Foghat -- My Babe
Headboys -- Shape Of Things To Come
Loggins & Messina -- Peace Of Mind
April Wine -- Shotdown
Journey -- The Girl Can't Help It
Saga -- On The Loose
Creedence Clearwater Revival -- Sweet Hitch-Hiker
Sniff 'n' The Tears -- Driver's Seat
Robin Trower -- Bridge Of Sighs
Michael Murphey -- Geronomo's Cadillac
Tony Carey -- The First Day Of Summer
Graham Parker -- Don't Ask Me Questions
Eric Clapton -- Mainline Florida
Jefferson Starship -- Ride The Tiger
Bruce Springsteen -- 10th Avenue Freeze Out
The Nazz -- Open My Eyes
Heart -- Dog And Butterfly
Bob Seger -- Get Out Of Denver
Electric Light Orchestra -- Showdown
Toby Beau -- Westbound Train
REO Speedwagon -- Son Of A Poor Man
Jo Jo Gunne -- Run Run Run
Alice Cooper -- Under My Wheels
Rainbow -- Man On The Silver Mountain
Bob Dylan -- Positively 4th Street
Steve Winwood -- While You See A Chance
Elton John -- Harmony
Shooting Star -- Last Chance
Uriah Heep -- Lady In Black
Chicago -- Make Me Smile
Gerry Rafferty -- Baker Street
Slade -- Get Down Get With It
Budgie -- I Ain't No Mountain
The Tubes -- Talk To Ya Later
Quicksilver Messenger Service -- Fresh Air
Prism -- Julie
Dicky Betts -- Hand Picked
The Grateful Dead -- Playing In The Band
Steely Dan -- Aja
Grand Funk Railroad -- Footstompin' Music
Robert Palmer -- You're Gonna Get What's Coming

And my own personal (incomplete thanks to technology woes) playlist for the week:

Tori Amos – Little Earthquakes
The Albion Band – An Evening With The Albion Band
Bruce Springsteen -- Born To Run
Neil Young – Unplugged
Loreena McKennitt – A Winter Garden
The Jeff Beck Group – Beck-Ola
Various Artists – Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy Of Sun Records
John Renbourn – The Hermit
Florence + The Machine – Unplugged
The Cocteau Twins – Heaven Or Las Vegas
The Beatles -- Yellow Submarine
Kate Rusby -- Little Lights
The Albion Band -- Another Christmas Present From The Albion Band
The Chieftains -- The Bells Of Dublin
Dan Fogelberg -- The First Christmas Morning

KSHE Klassics, Dec. 18, 2016

Quotation du jour ~ Bruce Springsteen: The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with.

Well, it was another fuck-me-blind-tear-my-hair-out-smash-my-face-into-the-desk computer experience this morning. Ten minutes before the program was set to begin, my browser crashed. Not a complete disaster -- i could have listened on my phone (if my phone hadn't died on Thursday); i could have listened on my iPad -- i have the KSHE app. Erm, well, no, the app wouldn't open. I wound up have to re-boot the desktop PC and all went well after that, although i missed the first half of "Ride My See-Saw."

And Uman played Rory for the second week in a row, and also what's quite possibly my favourite Allman Brothers song, whoo!

The Moody Blues -- Ride My See-Saw
Electric Light Orchestra -- Tightrope
Foghat -- Drivin' Wheel
Loggins & Messina -- Nobody But You
Tucky Buzzard -- Gold Medallions
John Mellencamp -- Hot Night In A Cold Town
The Jimi Hendrix Experience -- The Wind Cries Mary
Robin Trower -- I'm Out To Get You
Poco -- Rose Of Cimarron
Ray Gomez -- Make Your Move
Fleetwood Mac -- Oh Well (live)
Wet Willie -- No No No
Cheryl Dilcher -- Who's The Captain (Of Rock And Roll)
The Michael Schenker Group -- Cry For The Nations
Rory Gallagher -- Brute Force And Ignorance
Dire Straits -- Skateaway
Elton John -- Take Me To The Pilot
Climax Blues Band -- Couldn't Get It Right
The Who -- I Can't Explain
The Edgar Winter Group -- Round & Round
UFO -- Too Hot To Handle
Stillwater -- I Reserve The Right
Mama's Pride -- Can I Call You A Cab
The James Gang -- Midnight Man
Genesis -- Dance On A Volcano
The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver -- Slipstream
David Bowie -- Rebel Rebel
The Grateful Dead -- Sugar Magnolia
Trooper -- Raise A Little Hell
Chilliwack -- Arms Of Mary
Morningstar -- Sad Lady
The Babys -- Turn And Walk Away
Nils Lofgren -- No Mercy
Prism -- Hello
Bob Dylan -- Blowin' In The Wind
Yes -- Wondrous Stories
Journey -- Kohoutek
Kansas -- Play The Game Tonight
John Waite -- Change
The Allman Brothers Band -- Revival
Derek & The Dominos -- Bell Bottom Blues

And my own personal playlist for the week:

Roger McGuinn -- Roger McGuinn
Dan Fogelberg -- The First Christmas Morning
Amy Grant -- Home For Christmas
John Kirkpatrick, Rosie Cross et al. -- Wassail!
Marillion -- F.E.A.R.
Jackson Browne -- Running On Empty
Rory Gallagher -- A Blue Day For The Blues
Steeleye Span -- Winter
This Mortal Coil -- It'll End In Tears
Yes -- Going For The One
Sparks -- Kimono My House
Richard Thompson -- Mirror Blue
Various Artists -- All Through The Year
Dan Fogelberg -- River Of Souls
The Beatles -- Complete Christmas Collection 1963-1969
Mike Oldfield -- QE 2
Kim Mitchell -- Ain't Life Amazing
Genesis -- Foxtrot
Jethro Tull -- The Jethro Tull Christmas Album
New London Consort -- Susato: Dansereye 1551
Al DiMeola -- Casino
Various Artists -- Blue Christmas
Jeff Beck -- You Had It Coming
Jane Siberry -- The Speckless Sky
Runrig -- The Big Wheel
Rory Gallagher -- Fresh Evidence
Van der Graaf Generator -- Pawn Hearts

KSHE Klassics, Dec. 11th, 2016

Quotation du jour ~ H.L. Mencken (in 1923): On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

Yay, Uman played Rory this morning! Oh, and all kindsa other great schtuff.

I wrote recently, in one of these posts, that if i could find a radio station that played nothing but deep tracks from the classic rock era, i might never leave the house. Fortunately, for me and my paycheque (and for my employer, too!), i couldn't find one. Oh, there are loads of classic rock stations out there, but i found nothing as good as this.

I love St Louis! (My current plan is to return there for the 4th of July in 2017. My
 savings account isn't filling up quite as quickly as i had hoped, but it's seven months away, it should be a doddle.)

Atlanta Rhythm Section -- Another Man's Woman
Van Morrison -- Into The Mystic
Rory Gallagher -- Country Mile
Jethro Tull -- Nothing Is Easy
Rare Earth -- Get Ready
Shooting Star -- Tonight
Canned Heat -- On The Road Again
Jackson Browne -- Here Come Those Tears Again
Jim Capaldi -- Living On The Edge
Novo Combo -- Tattoo
Kansas -- Two Cents Worth
Pousette-Dart Band -- Amnesia
Jefferson Starship -- Can't Find Love
The Outlaws -- There Goes Another Love Song
Strawbs -- Heartbreaker
The Beat -- Don't Wait Up For Me
April Wine -- Like A Lover, Like A Song
Uriah Heep -- Stealin'
Greg Kihn Band -- Jeopardy
Les Dudek -- Old Judge Jones
Journey -- Look Into The Future
Dave Mason -- So High (Rock Me Baby, Roll Me Away)
The Who -- Athena
Trooper -- Round Round We Go
Grinderswitch -- Higher Ground
Todd Rundgren -- We Gotta Get You A Woman
The Firm -- Radioactive
Electric Light Orchestra -- So Fine
Thin Lizzy -- Dancing In The Moonlight
Creedence Clearwater Revival -- Midnight Special
Jimi Hendrix Experience -- Stone Free
Rush -- Test For Echo
Good Rats -- Back To My Music
UFO -- Cherry
New Riders Of The Purple Sage -- Panama Red
Joe Walsh -- Indian Summer
Kim Mitchell -- Go For A Soda
King Crimson -- 21st Century Schizoid Man
Krokus -- Screaming In The Night
The Police -- Invisible Sun


And my own personal playlist for the week:

Sarah McLachlan -- Afterglow
Dan Fogelberg -- Phoenix
The Beatles -- Help!
Jethro Tull -- The Minstrel In The Gallery
Peter Gabriel -- Secret World Live
The Bee Gees -- 1st
Home -- Pause For A Hoarse Horse
Maddy Prior -- Year
Marillion -- F.E.A.R.
Mama's Pride -- Mama's Pride
Lucinda Williams -- Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Dan Fogelberg -- The Wild Places
Van der Graaf Generator -- Do Not Disturb
Rory Gallagher -- Fresh Evidence
Mose Allison -- The Best Of Mose Allison
Ashley Hutchings et al -- Son Of "Morris On"
Greg Lake -- Greg Lake
Peter Hammill -- pH7
Dan Fogelberg -- Nether Lands
Rod Stewart -- Camouflage
Terje Rypdal -- Descendre
Atomic Rooster -- Death Walks Behind You
Kate Bush -- Before The Dawn

KSHE Klassics, Dec. 4th, 2016

Quotation du jour ~ George Harrison: Sometimes I feel like I’m actually on the wrong planet. It’s great when I’m in my garden, but the minute I go out the gate I think, “What the hell am I  doing here?"

As a computing experience went, listening to this week's program was much smoother than last week's. (As my regular reader will recall, i was beset by multiple problems with both my browser and my Internet connection last Sunday.) There were a few times when Firefox stopped responding and i lost the audio stream, but it was never for more than a couple of seconds, unlike last time, when i wound up having to listen to part of the show on my phone.

Bob Welch -- Sentimental Lady
Dave Mason -- World In Changes
Emerson, Lake And Palmer -- Still ... You Turn Me On
Electric Light Orchestra -- Telephone Line
Rare Bird -- Beautiful Scarlet
Wet Willlie -- Street Corner Serenade
Jonathan Edwards -- Shanty
Jackson Browne -- Boulevard
Genesis -- The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
The Greg Kihn Band -- Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)
Badfinger -- Perfection
Axe -- Rock 'N' Roll Party in the Street
The James Gang -- Must Be Love
Uriah Heep -- Sweet Lorraine
Mama's Pride -- She's A Stranger To Me Now
Santana -- Dance Sister Dance
The Band -- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Aldo Nova -- Fantasy
The Police -- Canary In A Coalmine
Nick Gilder -- (You Really) Rock Me
Rare Bird -- Turn Your Head
Derek & The Dominos -- Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?
Ambrosia -- Time Waits For No One
King Crimson -- 21st Century Schizoid Man
Nantucket -- California
New England -- Don't Ever Want To Lose Ya
Joe Cocker -- She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Trapeze -- Midnight Flyer
Kenny Loggins -- Easy Driver
Trevor Rabin -- Finding Me A Way Back Home
Steely Dan -- Pretzel Logic
Foghat -- Dreamer
Bad Company -- Live For The Music
The Doors -- The Wasp
Wiggy Bits -- Oh Captain
Runner -- Run For Your Life
Jethro Tull -- Cross-Eyed Mary
Stillwater -- Mind Bender
Shooting Star -- Hollywood
April Wine -- I Like To Rock

And my own personal playlist for the week:

John Renbourn -- The Lady And The Unicorn
Maddy Prior -- Lionhearts
Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick -- Walnut Creek
Dan Fogelberg -- River Of Souls
Yes -- Close To The Edge
June Tabor -- On Air
Talking Heads -- The Best Of Talking Heads
Colin James -- Blue Highways
Hothouse Flowers -- The Platinum Collection
Terje Rypdal -- Odyssey
Dan Fogelberg -- The Wild Places
Jeff Beck -- Emotion And Commotion
Rant Maggie Rant -- Latitude
Chicago -- Chicago II
The Jimi Hendrix Experience -- Axis: Bold As Love
The Fray -- How To Save A Life
Emerson, Lake & Palmer -- Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970
Saga -- Images At Twilight
Rory Gallagher -- Blueprint
Buddy Guy -- Blues Singer
The Faces -- Long Player
Dan Fogelberg -- Windows And Walls
Ray Davies -- Return To Waterloo
Collective Soul -- Dosage
Marillion -- F.E.A.R.
Alanis Morissette -- Havoc And Bright Lights
Dan Fogelberg -- The First Christmas Morning

KSHE Klassics, Nov. 27th, 2016

Quotation du jour ~ John Ralston Saul: Muzak: A public noise neither requested nor listened to by individuals. It is the descendant of a school of public relations invented by the Nazis.

What a pain in the arse this computer schtuff is. Up until about an hour before the program was to begin, i had no Internet connection. Diagnostics proved it to have been a server problem, which was resolved around 8 a.m., thereby enabling to enjoy one of the highlights of my week, i.e., this program. But there were further probs. In the middle of Genesis's "A Trick Of The Tail," my default browser, Pale Moon, decided to stop playing the audio stream. The Internet connection was fine, so i tried my secondary browser, Vivaldi. Nope, no luck there, either. WTF (i said to myself). I had to listen to the rest of the program on my phone, except that -- just as the show was winding down, my Internet connection died there, too. Grr. (It's still pretty intermittent as i write this.)

Anyway, today's program was excellent as always, but John Ulett is on holiday and there was no presenter apart from the man KSHE calls "Otto Mation." I knew he was going on hols, from the ten minutes i'm able to listen to the Morning Rock Show before i have to leave for work during the week, but i thought maybe he'd pre-record it. I know he loves doing the show -- he told me when i met him.

Glass Moon -- Killer At 25
Bob Dylan -- Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Paice Ashton Lord -- Remember The Good Times
Electric Light Orchestra -- Mr Blue Sky
Wet Willie -- Keep On Smilin'
UFO -- Shoot Shoot
Badfinger -- Day After Day
Detective -- Recognition
The Dixie Dregs -- Take It Off The Top
Fleetwood Mac -- Emerald Eyes
Patti Smith -- Because The Night
Jackson Browne -- That Girl Could Sing
America -- Don't Cross The River
Dave Mason -- Only You Know And I Know
Status Quo -- Is There A Better Way
Chilliwack -- Fly At Night
The Tubes -- Sushi Girl
The Band -- The Weight
David Bowie -- Golden Years
Molly Hatchet -- Gator Country
The Doobie Brothers -- Jesus Is Just Alright
Heart -- Dreamboat Annie
Alice Cooper -- Hello Hurray
Eric Clapton -- Blues Power
Steely Dan -- Don't Take Me Alive
Marillion -- Kayleigh
Bruce Springsteen -- Cadillac Ranch
Genesis -- A Trick Of The Tail
April Wine -- Say Hello
Head East -- City Of Gold / Fly By Night Lady
Journey -- Spaceman
Heartsfield -- House Of Living
Santana -- Everybody's Everything
Utopia -- Love In Action
Blue Oyster Cult -- In Thee
Shooting Star -- Hang On For Your Life
Stingray -- Lovesaver
Ambrosia -- Life Beyond L.A.
Traffic -- Light Up Or Leave Me Alone
Little Feat -- Rocket In My Pocket
Firefall -- Livin' Ain't Livin'
Touch -- Don't You Know What Love Is
Triumvirat -- Spartacus
Pink Floyd -- San Tropez
Yes -- A Time And A Word

And my own personal playlist for the week:

John Hiatt -- Walk On
Keane -- Night Train
Paul Simon -- So Beautiful Or So What
Pat Metheny Group -- Imaginary Day
Bonnie Raitt -- Home Plate
Hothouse Flowers -- The Platinum Collection
Jeff Beck -- Loud Hailer
Dan Fogelberg -- Souvenirs
Coldplay -- A Rush Of Blood To The Head
The Beatles -- Beatles For Sale
Various Artists -- Common Ground
Mike Oldfield -- Tubular Bells II
Dan Fogelberg -- First Christmas Morning
Manfred Mann's Earthband -- Angel Station
Various Artists -- Shining Bright: The Songs Of Lal And Mike Waterson
Pink Floyd -- Meddle
Dan Fogelberg -- The Wild Places
Miroslav Vitous, Terje Rypdal & Jack DeJohnette -- Vitous Rypdal DeJohnette
Andy Irvine & Davey Spillane -- East Wind
Fish -- Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors
The Anderson Ponty Band -- Better Late Than Never
Brian Plummer -- No Questions
Dan Fogelberg -- High Country Snows
The Band -- The Band
James Taylor -- October Road
Steeleye Span -- Wintersmith
Harry Nilsson -- Pussycats
Jimi Hendrix -- Voodoo Soup
Dave Edmunds -- The Collection
Van der Graaf Generator -- World Record

KSHE Klassics, Nov. 20th, 2016

Quotation du jour ~ Chrissie Hynde: What writing Reckless reminded me is that, if you’re a rock’n’roll figure, you don’t change. Lemmy couldn’t retire from being Lemmy. He was Lemmy until the end. I mean, I talk to John McEnroe about this – if you’re a sportsperson, youwork like a dog for a few years and, by 35, you gotta find something else to do. People in rock’n’roll have a duty be themselves. I’m 65 and I’ve barely changed since I was 17!

The Marshall Tucker Band -- Take The Highway
The Doobie Brothers -- Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me)
David & David -- Welcome To The Boomtown
Dave Mason -- Let It Go, Let It Flow
Roger Hodgson -- Had A Dream (Sleeping With The Enemy)
String Driven Thing -- Starving In The Tropics
Starz -- Cherry Baby
Dire Straits -- Lady Writer
Blues Image -- Ride Captain Ride
Captain Beyond -- Sufficiently Breathless
The Grateful Dead -- U.S. Blues
Thin Lizzy -- Showdown
Angel -- Rock & Rollers
Crabby Appleton -- Go Back
Jackson Browne -- The Pretender
Moon Martin -- Rolene
Steely Dan -- Any Major Dude Will Tell You
Loverboy -- Hot Girls In Love
The Jimi Hendrix Experience -- Little Wing
The Charlie Daniels Band -- The Devil Went Down To Georgia
Ian McLagan -- Little Troublemaker
Kansas -- Can I Tell You
America -- Sandman
Jefferson Starship -- The Girl With The Hungry Eyes
The Steve Miller Band -- Living In The U.S.A.
Strawbs -- Keep On Trying
Brave Belt -- Another Way Out
Bruce Cockburn -- If I Had A Rocket Launcher
Lake -- On The Run
Pete Townshend -- Pure And Easy
Peter Gabriel -- Solsbury Hill
Heartsfield -- Shine  On
The Michael Stanley Band -- Last Night
Bruce Springsteen -- Jungleland
The Who -- The Kids Are Alright
Roxy Music -- Love Is The Drug
Traffic -- Freedom Rider
April Wine -- Roller
Couchios -- Do It In Darkness


And my own personal playlist for the week:

Rant Maggie Rant -- Latitude
Dan Fogelberg -- Phoenix
Dick Powell -- Lullaby Of Broadway
Colin James -- Blue Highways
Fairport Convention -- Live In Finland 1971
Terje Rypdal -- Waves
Yes -- Fragile
Dan Fogelberg -- The Wild Places
James Taylor -- Sweet Baby James
Richard Thompson -- Acoustic Classics
Kate Bush -- Never For Ever
Happy Rhodes -- Equipoise
Various Artists -- All The Young Dudes
The Albion Band -- An Evening With The Albion Band
Dan Fogelberg -- River Of Souls
O.S.T. -- Buster
Jethro Tull -- Heavy Horses
Quintessence -- In Blissful Company
Genesis -- Calling All Stations
Oysterband -- This House Will Stand
10 c.c. -- How Dare You!
The Kinks -- Arthur
Dixie Chicks -- Taking The Long Way
The Move -- Message From The Country
Peter Gabriel -- So

KSHE Klassics, Nov. 13th, 2016

Quotation du jour: Harry S. Truman: You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog!

Dave Mason -- We Just Disagree
Electric Light Orchestra -- Turn To Stone
Breathless -- Takin' It Back
The Michael Stanley Band -- Don't Stop The Music
The Doobie Brothers -- South City Midnight Lady
Joe Walsh -- At The Station
Canned Heat -- Going Up The Country
The Steve Miller Band -- The Stake
Utopia -- Love Is The Answer
Shooting Star -- Bring It On
City Boy -- 5.7.0.5.
Santana -- Everything's Coming Our Way
J. Geils Band -- Looking For A Love
Lake -- Angel In Disguise
King Crimson -- The Court Of The Crimson  King
Rainbow -- Stone Cold
Stephen Stills -- Love The One You're With
The Marshall Tucker Band -- Heard It In A Love Song
Bob Dylan -- Lay Lady Lay
Stillwater -- Women (Beautiful Women)
Wet Willie -- Everything That You Do (Will Come Back To You)
Billy Joel -- Say Goodbye To Hollywood
Russ Ballard -- Rene Didn't Do It
The Babys -- Looking For Love
Tony Carey -- A Fine, Fine Day
Mama's Pride -- In The Morning
John Stewart -- Gold
Badfinger -- Baby Blue
Flame -- Beg Me
George Harrison -- All Things Must Pass
Touch -- Black Star
Mott The Hoople -- All The Way From Memphis
Jefferson Starship -- No Way Out
Brewer & Shipley -- One Toke Over The Line
Rod Stewart -- Gasoline Alley
Real Life -- Send Me An Angel
Jethro Tull -- Living In The Past
The Alan Parsons Project -- I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You
The Jimi Hendrix Experience -- Manic Depression
Steely Dan -- My Old School
Gypsy -- Gypsy Queen (Part One)
Rocky Burnette -- Tired Of Towin' The Line


And my own personal playlist for the week:

Richard & Linda Thompson -- I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Steeleye Span -- Please To See The King
Bram Tchaikovsky -- Strange Man / Changed Man
Van der Graaf Generator -- Do Not Disturb
Jane Siberry -- Ulysses' Purse
Dan Fogelberg -- Captured Angel
Dan Fogelberg -- Full Circle
Bob Dylan -- The Times They Are A-Changing
Bruce Springsteen -- Born To Run
Max Webster -- Mutiny Up My Sleeve
Procol Harum -- A Salty Dog
Nanci Griffith -- Flyer
Dan Fogelberg -- Home Free
John Kirkpatrick -- Going Spare
Survivor -- Vital Signs
Hothouse Flowers -- The Platinum Collection
Rory Gallagher -- Tattoo
Dan Fogelberg -- Captured Angel
Steve Rothery -- The Ghosts Of Pripyat
Mike Oldfield -- Music Of The Spheres
Kim Mitchell -- Ain't Life Amazing
Dan Fogelberg -- Souvenirs
Paula Cole -- This Bright Red Feeling
Paul Simon -- Graceland
Thunder -- Laughing On Judgement Day

Dan Fogelberg And Me

Dan Fogelberg (1951-2007) is primarily remembered as a soft-rock singer whose heyday was in the seventies and eighties. He was far more than that, though: he was an excellent blues guitarist, he recorded a bluegrass album, and i would call a lot of what he did “country rock” à la early Eagles. Although i knew his name, i don't think i'd ever actually heard his music until about two years ago. I have since become obsessed with the man, his music, and his life.

The first song of his i ever heard was “Part Of The Plan” (with Graham Nash on backing vocal). John Ulett played it one Sunday morning about two years ago on the KSHE Klassics program – about which i write with predictable regularity. I was immediately struck by both the catchiness of the tune, and the beauty of his voice, and i downloaded the song from iTunes and played it almost every day – and liked it more each time. The lyrics are profound, the message is sincere, and it was his first hit single (1974).

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I went to my local CD shoppe, Video+ -- just on the off chance that they might have something of his and they had a greatest hits collection which i of course snapped up, and, wow, just wow. I was hooked. So many wonderful songs.

When he died, of prostate cancer, many people wrote, in tribute, that he had written the soundtrack of their lives. I don't think that's true for me. He wrote some extraordinarily beautiful music but i'm first of all a blues-rock fan (with prog and folk-rock closely behind). (I would, for the sake of convenience, consider a lot of his music as folk-rock.) But, from beyond the grave, he speaks to me. I don't know how to explain it, but i connected.

I now have around fourteen of his albums and just ordered another one yesterday. This has caused problems. So much great music in so short a time, i am trying very hard to become familiar with all of it, but it's taking time. For instance, there will be a song i really like, but i can't remember what it is or what album it was on!

Somehow, Dan, the city of St Louis and i are interconnected. Intertwined in some way. I first heard him on a St Louis radio station. The only other radio station i can recall ever hearing him on, was a different St Louis station. His concert DVD “Greetings From The West” was recorded at the Fox Theater in St Lou.... (I don't often watch concert DVDs but i've watched this thrice now, may in fact watch it again tonight, it's superb.)

Yet, he wasn't a St Louisan – he was born in Peoria, Illinois. In fact, in the state of Illinois, his birthday, August 10, is officially “Dan Fogelberg Day.” I have a commemorative t-shirt. And one of his best songs was entitled “Illinois,” which includes the lyric “it looks like you're going to have to see me again, Illinois,” and dammit all anyway, don't i feel the same way?

One last thing. His widow, Jean, is an artist (and a very good one). On behalf of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, she designed a set of Christmas cards – very attractive ones, too. I bought a set. Sixty dollars, yikes! (The cards were $20 US, the postage was $25 US, = $60 Canadian. But what the hell, i have more money than i need and it was for a worthy cause.)

Apparently there is “new” album coming out, “Live At Carnegie Hall” (iTunes only, i think) and a biography in the works. I look forward to both.

God bless you, Dan.

KSHE Klassics, November 6, 2016

Quotation du jour ~ Jane Siberry: Don't worry about my health, My body is just fine. Don't worry about what other people think of me, just laugh about my ways and be glad that i have faith and for what times is left, let's just enjoy each other's company.

Another exceptionally good morning today!

The Moody Blues -- Questions
George Harrison -- Bangla Desh
Toto -- I'll Supply The Love
Strawbs -- Little Sleepy
David Bowie -- Jean Genie
Thin Lizzy -- Don't Believe A Word
Cheryl Dilcher -- High
The Little River Band -- It's Not A Wonder
Michael Bolton -- Fool's Game
Little Feat -- All That You Dream
Blind Faith -- Sea Of Joy
Charlie -- She Loves To Be In Love
Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes -- Call Of The Wild
Crawler -- Stone Cold Sober
The Grateful Dead -- Estimated Prophet
Wings -- Venus And Mars
Santana -- Winning
The Byrds -- Eight Miles High
Jay Ferguson -- Shakedown Cruise
Journey -- Of A Lifetime
Grinderswitch -- Kill The Pain
Bruce Springsteen -- Thunder Road
Spirit -- Nature's Way
Robin Trower -- Sweet Wine Of Love
Jackson Browne -- In The Shape Of A Heart
Jethro Tull -- Bourée
The Boomtown Rats --I Don't Like Mondays
Rod Stewart -- Handbags And Gladrags
Leon Russell -- Tightrope
Climax Blues Band -- Mighty Fire
Wishbone Ash -- Blowin' Free
Mama's Pride -- Ole St Lou
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils -- Spaceship Orion
Foreigner -- Headknocker
The James Gang -- Alexis
Heart -- Even It Up
Rick Derringer -- Don't Ever Say Goodbye
The Jeff Beck Group -- I Ain't Superstitious
Head East -- Since You've Been Gone

And my own personal playlist for the week:

Kate Rusby -- 20
Dan Fogelberg -- Greetings From The West (DVD)
Def Leppard -- Rock Of Ages
Florence + The Machine -- Lungs
Dan Fogelberg -- The Wild Places
Collective Soul -- Afterwords
Runrig -- Transmitting Live
Steeleye Span -- Storm Force Ten
Lisa Gerrard -- The Mirror Pool
Colin James -- Fuse
Steely Dan -- Aja
The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver -- Beat Of The Street
Van der Graaf Generator -- Do Not Disturb
Dan Fogelberg -- The First Christmas Morning (I must point out that i generally don't approve of listening to  Christmas music this early in Movember, but i just received this in the mail and so of course had to listen to it. And it's lovely.)
Various Artists -- Great Grandson Of "Morris On"
Rant Maggie Rant -- Latitude
Dan Fogelberg -- Souvenirs
Cassandra Wilson -- Silver Pony
Linda Ronstadt -- Heart Like A Wheel
June Tabor -- Apples
Susan Tedeschi -- The Best Of Susan Tedeschi, Episode One
Jeff Beck -- Loud Hailer
Dan Fogelberg -- Captured Angel

The KSHE Klassics Program, Oct. 30, 2016

Quotation du jour ~ William Butler Yeats: Come Fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame!
A fair bit of music i'd never heard before, this week, and no Rory Gallagher, Dan Fogelberg or Mama's Pride -- although two numbers by the J Geils Band. Still and all, though, it was, as usual, a highlight of my week.

707 -- I Could Be Good For You
Bruce Springsteen -- Badlands
String Driven Thing -- Circus
Cheryl Dilcher -- Together
J Geils Band -- Whammer Jammer
Loverboy -- Lucky Ones
Charlie -- Killer Cut
Roger Daltrey -- One Man Band
Off Broadway -- Full Moon Turn My Head Around
The Babys -- California
Little River Band -- It's A Long Way There
Kenny Loggins -- Love Has Come Of Age
Slade -- Gudbuy T'Jane
Brownsville Station -- Lady (Put The Light On Me)
Badfinger -- No Matter What
Rod Stewart -- Blondes (Have More Fun)
Charlie Daniels -- The South's Gonna Do It Again
The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver -- Arms Of Mary
Jackson Browne -- Red Neck Friend
Shooting Star -- You Got What I Need
J. Geils Band -- Musta Got Lost
Automatic Man -- My Pearl
Gypsy -- Tomorrow Is The Last To Be Heard
Dixon House Band -- Sooner Or Later
John Kay -- Easy Evil
The Dwight Twilley Band -- Twilley Don't Mind
Hudson-Ford -- Take A Little Word
Chicago -- 25 Or 6 To 4 (live)
Ronnie Montrose -- Town Without Pity
Van Morrison -- Wild Night
Eric Clapton -- Let It Grow
Ian Hunter -- Cleveland Rocks
The Allman Brothers Band -- Jessica
April Wine -- All Over Town
Kansas -- It Takes A Woman's Love (To Make A Man)
Peter Frampton -- Baby (Somethin's Happening)
Chris De Burgh -- Don't Pay The Ferryman
Traffic -- Medicated Goo
Budgie -- Sky High Percentage
B.B. King -- The Thrill Is Gone
Santana -- All I Ever Wanted
Henry Gross -- One More Tomorrow

And my own personal playlist for the week:

Filarfolket -- Smuggel
Ashley Hutchings -- 5
Eliza Carthy -- Rough Music
Genesis -- Selling England By The Pound
Mark Knopfler -- Shangri-La
Van Morrison -- The Healing Game
Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane -- Rough Mix
Neverending White Lights -- Act I: Goodbye Friends Of The Heavenly Bodies
Pink Floyd -- A Saucerful Of Secrets
Dan Fogelberg -- Nether Lands
Alan Stivell -- The Best Of Alan Stivell
Home -- Pause For A Hoarse Horse
Dan Fogelberg -- Phoenix
Black Country Communion -- Afterglow
Jethro Tull -- Crest Of A Knave
Rory Gallagher -- Tattoo
The Beatles -- Live At The Hollywood Bowl
Keane -- Perferct Symmetry
Fish -- Raingods With Zippos
Bruce Guthro -- Guthro
The Beatles -- Revolver
Dan Fogelberg -- High Country Snows
The Nice -- Ars Longa Vita Brevis

St Louis Adventure, Day The Last

St Louis => Chicago => London => Stratford

The end of a holiday, maybe -- but there had also been many new beginnings.

Not a lot to say about the city of St Louis on this day. My flight to Chicago was at around eleven o'clock. Chuck, as generous as ever with his time, drove me to Lambert Airport and we reached it at about 10 a.m. We hugged and he suggested that he might, just possibly, be able to put up with my antics again next year LOL. Anyway, i had ample time to search for a gloriously greasy breakfast, which i needed after all of the beer i'd consumed yesterday. Alas, the airport didn't seem to have one available. I had to settle for a croissant instead, and then it was time to board the plane.

The day before, there had been a terrorist bombing at the airport at Istanbul, so security was considerably tighter than it had been on my way down. I hadn't had to take my shoes off then; i did now. Glad my socks were clean. (They were, in fact, new -- i'd bought them at the Wal-Mart in Belleville a couple of days earlier -- the first and only time in my life i've ever been in a Wal-Mart.) And the agents were a little doubtful about the bottle of sunscreen in my carry-on bag, but ultimately let it go.

The flight to Chicago was very smooth, and i was able to supplement my croissant breakfast with some United Airlines pretzels, and we arrived at O'Hare actually a bit early -- which meant i had a couple of hours to wait for my flight to London.

O'Hare is huge, O'Hare is magnificent. Hordes of people everywhere and usually hordes of people intimidate me but i loved the experience, so many smiling happy faces. And again, as on my first day, i could see, away off in the distance, Chicago's skyline, and it looks like an extraordinarily beautiful city. I may stop over there for a few days when i return to St Louis next year.

Also, at O'Hare, i did something i hadn't done in maybe twenty years -- i went into a McDonald's. And had a Big Mac! Well, i recalled immediately why i hadn't had one in two decades -- it was a grease bomb! But it was also exactly what i needed. I was gasping for a cigarette, too, but asked the lady at the exit door if i went outside, would i be able to get back in? She replied, "Sure, if you have your ticket and your boarding pass. And you'd have to go through security again." I skipped it....

Flying over Lake Michigan was an amazing experience, and i hadn't noticed it on the way down, but, looking out of the window, literally all i could see was blue. From that height, it's impossible to see boats or foam or anything but blue. It's really quite disorientating, and i was glad when the shoreline of the state of Michigan hoved into view -- it gave me something to fix on.

United Airlines landed me safely at London International Airport and, going through customs, i discovered i had yet another problem, thanks to the fact that i hadn't traveled anywhere in so long. Apparently, as a British citizen residing in Canada, i need a Permanent Resident Card to prove that i actually live here. I'd never heard of a Permanent Resident Card! All i had was a forty-year-old paper document indicating my status. So i'm not in a computer database anywhere.

Fortunately, the customs lady was an older woman who recognised my paper document, but she said that some of the younger agents would not have known what it was and that i could have had a major problem getting back into the country. She suggested i apply for a PRC right away. (Which i did and that has turned into another bureaucratic fiasco along the lines of my passport application... But that's a story that can wait for another day.)

Peter met me at the airport and drove me home. I have to thank him and his wife Sandra, who drove me to the airport on my departure date, for making my path to St Louis that much easier.

And that was it. The end of one of my best holidays ever. And i shall definitely return to St Louis.

The KSHE Klassic Program, Oct. 23 1016

Quotation du jour ~ P.G. Wodehouse: He had just about enough intelligence to open his mouth when he wanted to eat, but certainly no more.
Mistress -- China Lake
Jethro Tull -- Bungle In The Jungle
Stanley Clarke -- School Days
The Steve Miller Band -- Space Cowboy
Foreigner -- Starrider
Cat Stevens -- Bitterblue
The Climax Blues Band -- I Am Constant
The Rolling Stones -- Wild Horses
Off Broadway -- Stay In Time
The Doobie Brothers -- Natural Thing
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young -- Dark Star
The Marshall Tucker Band -- Can't You See
Journey -- On A Saturday Night
Fleetwood Mac -- Bare Trees
Yes -- Going For The One
Gary Wright -- Silent Fury
Loggins & Messina -- Vahevala
Jimmy Barnes -- Working Class Man
Rod Stewart -- Every Picture ells A Story
Styx -- Snowblind
The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver -- You Got Me Anyway
Queen -- Bicycle Race
Elvin Bishop -- Travelin' Shoes
Uriah Heep -- Look At Yourself
Good Rats -- Injun Joe
The Who -- Another Tricky Day
Joe Vitale -- The Lady On The Rock
Michael Stanley -- My Town
UFO -- Only You Can Rock Me
April Wine -- Oowatanite
Strawbs -- Lay Down
Steely Dan -- Doctor Wu
Graham Nash -- Chicago / We Can Change The World
Billy Joel -- The Entertainer
Roger Daltrey -- Say It Ain't So, Joe
Mott The Hoople -- All The Young Dudes

And my own personal playlist for the week:

French, Frith, Kaiser, Thompson -- Invisible Means
Cassandra Wilson -- New Moon Daughter
Rod Stewart -- Never A Dull Moment
Genesis -- Foxtrot
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel -- The Best Years Of Our Lives
Bonnie Raitt -- Give It Up
Genesis -- Duke
Dan Fogelberg -- River Of Souls
Roy Wood -- Main Street
Talking Heads -- Remain In Light
Jeff Beck -- Truth
Dan Fogelberg -- Live
Tyrannosaurus Rex -- A Beard Of Stars
Peter Hammill -- Sitting Targets
Humble Pie -- Performance: Rockin' The Fillmore
Dead Can Dance -- Aion
Rory Gallagher -- Top Priority
Paul Simon -- Stranger To Stranger
Dan Fogelberg -- The Innocent Age
Terje Rypdal -- Descendre
Donovan -- Neutronica
The Beatles -- Rubber Soul
Peter Hammill -- What, Now?
Robert Fripp -- Exposure
Rod Stewart -- Every Picture Tells A Story
Fleetwood Mac -- Shrine '69

The St Louis Adventure, Day 8

It was my last full day in the city and there were so many things i still wanted to do. I'd never explored too far beyond the MetroLink line, which only runs east to west, and the north and south seemed beyond my ability to reach without walking for miles. So my first stop on this day was Forest Park. Again. I'd been there on my first day and visited the St Louis History Museum, which had been excellent. Today my goal was SLAM -- The St Louis Art Museum.

And that's the statue of St Louis himself, in the front of the gallery.

In my naivete, i had supposed that it would be primarily devoted to American art. Ho! How wrong can one be? This a world-class art gallery, right up there with The Louvre (which i've also been to, btw) the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square and the Art Gallery Of Ontario. Art from every country and from every period, Picassos, Matisses, ancient China, even Inuit art from northern British Columbia.

And what happened to me there was the same thing that happened to me at The Louvre: my brain shut down. There was too much beauty, too much magnificence, i couldn't cope. I would walk into a room and see yet another Salvador Dali and think, what's he done lately (yawn)? .... It was overwhelming.

I must go there again.

And so i ventured further into the park, and it's such an amazing greenspace, and i just wandered. Fortunately, as the temperature was well into the nineties (Fahrenheit) there are many public water fountains. I would have preferred a pub, but heck, re-hydration is re-hydration. I walked and walked and ... I came upon The St Louis Zoo. (Here are some random pics from the park.)

I was of two minds about this. I'm not all that comfortable with the idea of zoos but St Louis's is supposed to be one of the world's best and i probably would have gone in (it's free), except that, just as i approached the entrance, so did a couple of school bus loads of screaming pubescent children. I skipped it. It wouldn't have been much fun for me. Or the animals, come to that!

It was lunch time by then and i'd been walking for a long time and i wasn't sure what to do next, on my final afternoon in this wonderful city. There were a lot of places i wanted to visit, but i simply didn't know how to get to them, so i decided to simply revisit some places i already knew i liked. I know, a lack of imagination on my part. My first priority: lunch at a pub.

I wandered over to 2000 Market Street, to one of my favourite places, Maggie O'Brien's, had their St. Paddy Melt (chopped sirloin, grilled onion, American and swiss cheese on grilled marble rye bread) plus a couple of pints of Goose Island. It then occurred to me that my blood alcohol level was dangerously low -- considering the fact that St Louis is known as a beer town, i really hadn't been drinking all that much on this visit -- certainly far less than usual. A pub crawl was indicated.

Now, the way that i pub crawl, is, i go to one place, have a pint there, and leave and walk around, and when the need arises for me to pee (as it tends to do) i'll go into the next available boozer, pee, and have another pint. On this day i managed to find my way back to the Delmar Loop area, and a pub called the Three Kings -- which i hadn't noticed on any of my prior visits to the area. It was great, i loved it there. So much so that i in fact stayed for two pints.

The afternoon was moving inexorably onwards, though, and i knew i needed to get myself east, for one more visit to the Mississippi River if nothing else. But first -- my bladder being the tyrant that it is, one more visit to Tigìn -- where i had a Smithwick's and said goodbye to Kirby, the bartender there who had been so welcoming on my first visit. (Americans are generally like that, it's why i love the country so.)

But enough was enough, and i walked the short distance through Laclède's Landing to the river and just sat there a while, and there was joy in my heart but sadness too, as this would be my final visit with the Father Of Waters, this year, anyway. After maybe thirty minutes of contemplation, i put my hand in the water and promised him i'd be back next year. And i will! One simply doesn't break an oath like that!

Now i had to get back to Belleville. I was taking Chuck out to dinner as a small token of my gratitude for his over-and-above hospitality. There was just one pressing bit of business i had to take care of -- and i do mean pressing. I needed a bathroom. So i went back to the Laclède's Landing area, found a pub called the Morgan Street Brewery, did what i had to do and of course had a pint of Black Bear, a very nice dark beer brewed in-house. I would have liked to have discovered this place earlier.

(The theme of this afternoon seems to have been "my beer and my bladder." Hmm.... But it was so hot that i was sweating all of the alcohol out of my system pretty much immediately, if not close to it.)

But then, at last, i climbed aboard MetroLink, returned to the Swansea Station where Chuck picked me up, and we had a lovely meal at the 4204 -- The Main Street Brewing Company, a brewpub in Belleville with not only an excellent selection of beers but some great food, too. I had a steak salad and a beer with a German name that i couldn't pronounce and can't remember.

And then back to Chuck's for a couple of slurps of the Glenfiddich i'd brought him, after which i started to watch the film "Grumpier Old Men" but i really couldn't stay awake.

KSHE Klassics, Oct. 16, 2016

Quotation du jour: Bob Dylan ~ I consider myself a poet first and a musician second. I live like a poet and I'll die like a poet. (This week, Bob Dylan was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature.)

 



There was a certain amount of panic here at Spriggs Towers this morning, when my computer froze shortly before the program began. I waited, and waited, and then decided to panic. I rebooted and Windows wouldn't load. Not good. I re-rebooted and, whew, it worked. My week was saved!

Icehouse -- Electric Blue
Joe Walsh -- Meadows
Tycoon -- Such A Woman
Jethro Tull -- Teacher
The Babys -- Everytime I Think Of You
The Grateful Dead -- One More Saturday Night
Slade -- Get Down And Get With It
City Boy -- Cigarettes
Couchois -- Roll The Dice
Loggins & Messina -- Back To Georgia
Steve Hackett -- Narnia
Stingray -- The Man In My Shoes
Blue Cheer -- Summertime Blues
Ambrosia -- Holdin' On To Yesterday
Jefferson Starship -- Miracles
Deep Purple -- Space Truckin'
The Fixx -- Red Skies
Billy Joel -- Rootbeer Rag
Free -- Wishing Well
Todd Rundgren -- Can We Still Be Friends?
Zebra -- Tell Me What You Want
The Moody Blues -- Legend Of A Mind
Thin Lizzy -- Romeo And The Lonely Girl
John Mayall -- Room To Move
Steely Dan -- Kid Charlemagne
UFO -- Doctor, Doctor
Crawler -- Sail On
Rare Earth -- I Just Want To Celebrate
Fleetwood Mac -- World Turning
Santana -- Samba Pa Ti
Alvin Lee & Mylon Lefevre -- So Sad (No Love Of His Own)
Climax Blues Band -- Using The Power
Little Feat -- Feats Don't Fail Me Now
Kansas -- What's On My Mind
Creedence Clearwater Revival -- Green River
The Stabilizers -- One Simple Thing
Supertramp -- Poor Boy
Traffic -- The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys
Sammy Hagar -- (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay

And my own personal playlist for the week:

Dan Fogelberg -- High Country Snows
Dan Fogelberg -- Greetings From The West (DVD)
The Beatles -- Beatles For Sale
Def Leppard -- Yeah!
Joni Mitchell -- Wild Things Run Fast
John Fogerty -- Blue Moon Swamp
Ivie Anderson -- I Got It Good And That Ain't Bad!
Donald Fagen -- The Nightfly
Sloan -- The Double Cross
Happy Rhodes -- Many Worlds Are Born Tonight
Al Stewart -- Year Of The Cat
Brand X -- A History: 1976-1980
Buddy Guy -- Heavy Love
Bob Dylan -- Live At The Gaslight 1962
Fairport Convention -- Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
Saga -- Images At Twilight
The Mamas And The Papas -- 16 Of Their Greatest Hits
Oysterband -- Here I Stand
Steve Howe -- Portraits Of Bob Dylan
The Chieftains -- The Ballad Of The Irish Horse
Jeff Beck -- Loud Hailer
Survivor -- Vital Signs
Dan Fogelberg -- Captured Angel

KSHE Klassics, Oct. 9, 2016

Quotation du jour ~ Kurt Vonnegut -- We are here on Earth to fart around. Don't let anybody tell you any different.

What? No Rory? No Dan Fogelberg? Ah, but we did have Mama's Pride, and overall the show was excellent -- as it always is  :-)

Diesel -- Sausalito Summernight
Franke & The Knockouts -- Running Into The Night
Les Dudek -- City Magic
Harry Chapin -- Taxi
Zebra -- Who's Behind The Door?
Rod Stewart -- Mandolin Wind
Little River Band -- Help Is On Its Way
Snail -- The Joker
Bandit -- Visions Of You
Emerson, Lake & Palmer -- Knife Edge
The Grateful Dead -- Friend Of The Devil
Kenny Loggins -- Celebrate Me Home
Neil Young -- Like A Hurricane
Jo Jo Gunne -- Ready Freddie
Mama's Pride -- Blue Mist
The Outlaws -- Green Grass And High Tides
Steely Dan -- Bodhisattva
UFO -- Lights Out
Sad Café -- Black Rose
Fleetwood Mac -- Heroes Are Hard To Find
Lou Reed -- Sweet Jane
Brownsville Station -- Smokin' In The Boy's Room
It's A Beautiful Day -- White Bird
Michael Stanley -- He Can't Love You
The Animals -- It's My Life
Billy Joel -- The Ballad Of Billy The Kid
Bruce Springsteen -- The Promised Land
Procol Harum -- A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Chilliwack -- Baby Blue
Steve Winwood -- Time Is Running Out
J. Geils Band -- First I Look At The Purse
Finnigan And Wood -- Highway Song
April Wine -- Wings Of Love
Todd Rundgren -- Love Of The Common Man

And my own personal playlist for the week:

Steeleye Span -- Below The Salt
Roy Wood & Wizzard -- Archive Series
June Tabor -- Airs And Graces
The Allman Brothers Band -- Idlewild South
Rory Gallagher -- Defender
Sparks -- Hello Young Lovers
Bonnie Raitt -- Silver Lining
Soft Machine -- Land Of Cockayne
Dan Fogelberg -- Captured Angel
Paula Cole -- This Bright Red Feeling
Marillion -- Clutching At Straws
The Records -- The Records
Dan Fogelberg -- Phoenix
Mike Batt -- Tarot Suite
Creedence Clearwater Revival -- Bayou Country
Yes -- Tormato
Rush -- Power Windows
Pyewackett -- Live At The Sheffield Hallum Wakes Folk Festival
Colin James -- Sudden Stop
Miroslav Vitous, Terje Rypdal and Jack DeJohnette -- Rypdal, Vitous, DeJohnette
Paul Simon -- Stranger To Stranger

The St Louis Adventure, Day 7

Sunday, June 27th

Oh, my, here it is, October already, and i'm still writing about what i was doing back in June. As a blogger, or a diarist, i'm not exactly obsessed. Anyway.

Normally on Sundays, of course, i listen to the Klassics show on KSHE. It's a highlight of my week. Yet here i was in St Lou on a Sunday, and didn't listen. There was so much else to do!

I was so in love with the Mississippi River i decided to take a cruise on it, and in the morning i went back to The Old Courthouse and lashed out $20 for a one-hour voyage upon the Tom Sawyer. That was the name of the boat. They have another boat called the Becky Thatcher (LOL) but that was the next cruise. So Tom it was.

Leaving the Courthouse i came upon a Pridefest parade, which was absolutely extraordinary -- full of the most brilliant colours, and full of so much life, so much happiness, both gays and straights having a wonderful time. (St Louis's City Hall is, i think, the only city hall in all of the USA that flies both the gay and transgender flags, alongside the American flag.)

I would have lingered, but it was 10 o'clock, my boat left at noon and i wanted to explore the Soulard neighbourhood first. Well, i walked and walked -- blazing hot sun, as usual -- and i think that i was heading in the right direction, but after 45 minutes i realised that, even if i did reach Soulard, i wouldn't have much time to explore, and so turned back.

My god, i don't think i've ever felt so peaceful in my life, rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river. The guide's commentary was fascinating, too -- he told us all about the St Louis section of the The Father Of Waters, how, when the Missouri River feeds into it, it flows in two colours for a while, its own blue and the Missouri's brown), the fish that live in it (in that area, mostly drum, alligator gar and different types of catfish), how it changes over the course of the year, pointed out barges that were loading and unloading, or waiting to load and unload, on the Illinois side, gave us a brief history of each of the bridges we passed under: Poplar Street Bridge, Stan Musial Bridge, Martin Luther King Bridge and the Eads Bridge -- the longest arch bridge in the world when it was built (in 1874). I love this river, (I may have mentioned this before.) Here's a buncha pics i took from the boat and from the shore.

But all good things must come to an end and upon disembarking, i decided to try to find Soulard again, a culturally diverse neighbourhood south of downtown. Erm, it didn't work out. Ten minutes into my stroll, an overwhelming need overcame me -- the need to find a toilet ASAP. The only nearby place i could think of was Ballpark Village  -- i'd been there and had an excellent lunch on Thursday, so hastened over with eyes and fingers crossed and, whew! made it.

And i'm so glad i did -- and for reasons well beyond not making, you know, um, er, a mess in my trousers.

One of the things i would have liked to have done on my visit, was see the Cardinals play at Busch stadium. Unfortunately, they were away at Seattle for the week i was there. (How did i screw my dates up? I mean, i ask you.) But i went into the Budweiser Brew House, the bar at Ballpark Village i'd been into before. From my vantage point there, i could see into the theatre and there, on the biggest big-screen tv i've ever seen in my life, was the St Louis-Seattle game live and in living colour.

As i noted earlier in this exercise in self-indulgence, i'm not really a baseball fan, but i AM a Cards fan -- the game was exciting beyond my wildest dreams! Well of course i was indulging in some refreshing alcoholic beverages all through the game, but as i hadn't had anything but a samwidge at the boat dock a few hours earlier, i was feeling a trifle hungry, and so i tried a St Louis delicacy -- toasted ravioli. Oh, my, it was good! (It's actually breaded and deep-fried, if you want to get technical.) (A couple of other local delicacies i had hoped to sample, were catfish and frozen custard -- not together obviously! -- but i never found anywhere that served either.)

Oh, and the Cardinals won, 5-4. Brilliant. Too bad they missed out on the playoffs this season....

Then it was back to Belleville for a quiet evening at home. Well, at Chuck's home. Apparently, the world's best pizza comes from Papa Vito's on Washington Street in Belleville, and that's what Chuck organised for our dinner. Well, er, it was undeniably good, but, as with the pizza i'd had on my first night in town, it had a thin crust and was served in squares. When in Rome, etc., i know, but it wasn't what i'm used to. This is NOT a complaint.  (Of course, very little about my visit had been anything like what i'm used to. That was part of the whole point of going -- an expanding of horizons. But pizza, i dunno, it's almost a religion with me -- almost as much as beer.) (At least i'd found some great beer!)

We watched an hilarious movie as we ate -- "Grumpy Old Men" with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, which i'd never seen before. We also cracked open the bottle of Glenfiddich that i'd bought a few days earlier and, oh, wow, it had been a while since i'd tasted it and and nectar doesn't begin to describe it. We had one glass each. Chuck isn't a big drinker. I am a big drinker but almost solely of beer and i know myself very well -- i love whiskey, but it doesn't like me. I daren't have more than one glass....

KSHE Klassics Show, Oct. 2nd, 2016

Excellent show, as always, even though Mr Ulett (although, as i've met the man, it would probably be ok if i were to call him John) (or even Uman) didn't play any Rory Gallagher this week. He did play "Part Of The Plan" by Dan Fogelberg, though. It was the first song of his i ever heard (although i knew his name) and i heard it on this very program over two years ago and it was the start of my current Fogelbergmania.

Jethro Tull -- Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll, Too Young To Die
Little Feat -- Fat Man In The Bathtub
Gulliver -- Ridin' The Wind
Procol Harum -- Simple Sister
Rod Stewart -- True Blue
Lynyrd Skynyrd -- I Know A Little
Ten Years After -- I'd Love To Change The World
The Grateful Dead -- Shakedown Street
Bob Seger -- Nutbush City Limits
Todd Rundgren -- Just One Victory
The Firm -- Radioactive
The Who -- Magic Bus
Honeymoon Suite -- New Girl Now
Uriah Heep -- Lady In Black
Styx -- Father O.S.A.
Michael Stanley -- One Good Reason
The Allman Brothers Band -- Blue Sky
Prism -- Julie
The Doors -- Backdoor Man
Gerry Rafferty -- Baker Street
Nazareth -- Razamanaz
Gypsy -- Don't Get Mad (Get Even)
Survivor -- Poor Man's Son
John Mellencamp -- Small Paradise
Novo Combo -- Tattoo
Joe Walsh -- Turn To Stone
Nantucket -- Heartbreaker
R.E.O. Speedwagon -- Say You Love Me Or Say Goodnight
Chris Rea -- Working On It
Emerson, Lake & Palmer -- From The Beginning
Dan Fogelberg -- Part Of The Plan
Traffic -- Rock & Roll Stew
Dr John -- Right Place, Wrong Time
The Tubes -- Don't Touch Me There
The Band -- Up On Cripple Creek
Steve Winwood -- Don't You Know What The Night Can Do
Steve Walsh -- Every Step Of The Way
Jefferson Starship -- Stranger
Ian Gomm -- Hold On
Jimi Hendrix -- Crosstown Traffic

And my own personal playlist for the week:

Mike Oldfield -- Ommadawn
Sky -- Sky 2
Dan Fogelberg & Tim Weisberg -- Twin Sons Of Different Mothers
Judy Collins -- 3
Godley & Creme -- Freeze Frame
Godley & Creme -- Ismism
Steve Earle -- Jerusalem
Jimi Hendrix -- Blues
Hothouse Flowers -- Songs From The Rain
Roger McGuinn -- Roger McGuinn
Jack Bruce -- Silver Rails
Dan Fogelberg -- The Wild Places
Jeff Beck -- Flash
Yes -- The Ladder
Mama's Pride -- Mama's Pride
Joe Walsh -- But Seriously Folks
Jethro Tull -- Thick As A Brick
Thin Lizzy -- Live And Dangerous
Various Artists -- All Talking, All Singing, All Rockin'
Paul Simon -- You're The One
Christine Collister -- Live
Cream -- Goodbye
Warren Zevon -- Excitable Boy

The KSHE Klassics Show, September 25th, 2016

Quotation du jour ~ Mark Twain: If the world comes to an end, I want to be in Cincinnati. Everything comes there ten years later.
Great show this week, not least because John Ulett played Rory Gallagher for the second week in a row. Here's the full playlist:

Neil Young -- Cinnamon Girl
Michael Martin Murphey -- Wildfire
Little Feat -- Dixie Chicken
Dave Mason -- Mystic Traveler
Eric Clapton -- Blues Power
Elton John -- All The Girls Love Alice
Bob Welch -- Ebony Eyes
Prism -- Hello
Rare Bird -- Peace Of Mind
The Grateful Dead -- Playing In The Band
Touch -- When The Spirit Moves You
Lighthouse -- One Fine Morning
John Mellencamp -- A Little Night Dancin'
Tommy Bolin -- Post Toastee
The Babys -- Turn And Walk Away
Montrose -- Rock The Nation
Steve Winwood -- Arc Of A Diver
Chicago -- Make Me Smile
The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver -- Slipstream
Procol Harum -- Conquistador
REO Speedwagon -- 157 Riverside Avenue
Queen -- I'm In Love With My Car
Hydra -- Feel Like Running
Black Sabbath -- Black Sabbath
Flash & The Pan -- Down Among The Dead Men
The Fixx -- Stand Or Fall
Justin Hayward -- Forever Autumn
Rory Gallagher -- Brute Force & Ignorance
Graham Parker -- White Honey
Emerson, Lake & Palmer -- Tank
Michael Stanley Band -- Nothing's Gonna Change My Mind
Jefferson Starship -- Play On Love
The Nazz -- Open My Eyes
Steely Dan -- Time Out Of Mind
Jethro Tull -- Thick As A Brick
The Moody Blues -- The Story In Your Eyes
Planet P -- Why Me?
Eagles -- On The Border

And my own personal playlist for the week:

Fairport Convention -- Live In Finland 1971
Loggins & Messina -- On Stage
Dan Fogelberg -- Captured Angel (twice)
Joni Mitchell -- Ladies Of The Canyon
Runrig -- The Story
Jon & Vangelis -- The Friends Of Mr Cairo
Bob Dylan -- Another Side Of Bob Dylan
Manfred Mann's Earth Band -- Chance
The Beatles -- Live At The Hollywood Bowl
Dan Fogelberg -- River Of Souls
King Crimson -- The Night Watch
Rory Gallagher -- Calling Card
Jethro Tull -- Songs From The Wood
The Yardbirds -- BBC Sessions
Home -- The Alchemist
Various Artists -- The World Is A Wonderful Place: The Songs Of Richard Thompson
The Chieftains -- The Chieftains 4
Peter Hammill -- Patience
Big Wreck -- Ghosts
Blues Traveler -- Four
Pretenders -- Learning To Crawl

St Louis Adventure, Day 6

Saturday, June 26th

It was on this day that i finally decided to test my courage and go to the top of The Gateway Arch -- officially the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial -- at 630 feet (half the height of the Empire State Building), the tallest man-made monument in the western hemisphere. For a long time i believed that i was afraid of heights. The last time i went to the CN Tower in Toronto, i somehow found myself on the outside observation deck, and i had to cling to the wall. The phobia is so bad that i can't even watch a film where the good guy and the bad guy are fighting on the edge of a tall building -- even though i know that, in reality, they're really only a couple of feet above a load of mattresses -- without breaking into a sweat.

It seems i don't, though. Getting on that plane at London Airport should have given me my first clue: i had no trouble whatsoever looking down at the earth from 30,000 feet. I was in an enclosed space. So perhaps what i have is a fear of falling...?

But i needed to test myself further -- never a bad idea, how else can you know what you are capable of? So on Saturday morning, i went to the 8th & Pine Metrolink station and thence to the Old Courthouse (one of the oldest buildings in St Louis) where the tickets to the top are sold. $10.

There are tiny claustrophobic tram cars that go up each leg of the Arch, and they take you, in three or four minutes, to.... It's not really an observation deck, more an observation  platform, and yes, the view to east and west is truly spectacular and i had no problem with vertigo whatsoever. Here's some pics i took (1., the approach, 2., the view, looking down at The Old Courthouse, 3., Busch stadium, 4., looking in the other direction, across the Mississippi into Illinois).

It was lunchtime by then so i wandered over to Ballpark Village, which is right next door to Busch Stadium. (I wouldn't call myself a big baseball fan at all, really, but, insofar as i am one, i'm a St Louis Cardinals fan.) http://www.stlballparkvillage.com It's a huge entertainment complex with several pubs, a theatre, a museum, and somehow i managed to blunder in to a pub called the Budweiser Brewhouse. Now, let it be said, that Budweiser is, in my opinion, one of the worst beers anywhere. You know that old joke about making love in a canoe, i'm sure. It's f***ing near water. But i found a very nice beer there, Goose Island Honker's Ale, and had an excellent club samwidge. It wasn't especially, my type of place, but i was enjoying every moment.

After lunch, i wandered, through the deserted streets of downtown St Louis on a Saturday afternoon. It really astonished me how little goes on there, as i've mentioned previously. Most of the cities i know, downtown is vibrant with clubs and pubs and shops, but downtown St Louis is just for working in, and little else in the normal course of things. (Apparently this is true of many American cities -- everything's gone to the suburbs, everyone goes to the mall.) But i enjoy wandering. Too bad i wasn't able to wander into the suburbs, though...

But at 4 o'clock i had to be back in Belleville: Chuck and i were meeting Dave & Cindy for dinner at a restaurant in St Clair, Missouri (where they live) at five and it's an hour's drive and so at around three o'clock i realised it was time to get on MetroLink and get the train back to Swansea. Erm, i had no idea where the nearest MetroLink station was, though! It must be over in this direction, i said to myself, and headed off the wrong way. Starting to panic now, i went into a shop and asked someone -- and it took me a good twenty minutes to walk there. OK, i am 'way late now.

I needed to get to the Swansea station. Oh, guess what? The train went out of service at Fairview Heights -- two stops short of my destination. Bloody hell! But i texted Chuck, told him the situation, and he drove to Fairview Heights and collected me -- and it was in the direction of St Clair anyway, but we were now really late. We didn't have time to go back to Chuck's to pick up the present i'd bought for Dave & Cindy's daughter Jackie, bummer. (She and i adopted each other as non-biological uncle and niece some time ago, and i had bought her a t-shirt with some Haida art on it.)

Thus we entered the Great American Highway System: Interstate 255 to 270 to 44. The highways are huge and vast and magnificent! So wide, i couldn't believe it. I was very impressed by their width (although i couldn't help but wonder about the environmental impact). And we were hit with a torrential rainstorm -- the only rain of my visit -- and that slowed us down some more and now we were really late.

Well, when we finally reached Tres Toritos Mexican Restaurant in St Clair -- the furthest west i've ever been in the USA -- Dave, Cindy & fambly were already well tucked into their meal, we apologised profusely for our lateness, which was mostly my fault, but the rain didn't help.

Tres Toritos is not a restaurant i would willingly go to again. The food was okay -- i had a chimichanga, the portion was huge, i couldn't finish it, what a waste -- but it's simply not my style. Too brightly-lit, for one thing, and they had no draught beer. I asked for a bottle of Corona and when when the waiter brought ir, he didn't bring a glass, and i took umbrage. He brought me a glass. I refuse to drink beer out of a bottle, that's for troglodytes.

I'd met Dave a few days earlier, but this was the first time i'd met his wife Cindy and his daughter Jacklyn and indeed their grand-daughter Taylor. Such a wonderful family. I actually met Dave several years ago, on a Yahoo! forum devoted to cult media. I posted once about the frustrations i was having at the time, trying to find a listenable radio station. (The one to which i had been a devoted listener for years, changed management or ownership or something, all of my favourite on-air personalities -- many of whom were Facebook friends -- either quit or were let go, and their programming changed for the much worse.) Dave responded with the suggestion that i try St Louis's KSHE, and i did and i loved it, and listening to the deejays talking about the city, and hearing about what goes on there, inspired my fascination with the place. Dave changed my life.

After the meal, we went back to their house and i started to think (yes, i did!) that one of the best things about this entire trip was seeing my friends at home, in their own environments. And i felt very much at home with them. We nattered late into the evening and i felt blessed to know such lovely folks.

KSHE Klassics, Sept. 18, 2016

Quotation du jour: Syd Barrett ~I don't think I'm easy to talk about. I've got a very irregular head. And I'm not anything that you think I am anyway.

As some of you may have gathered, the Sunday morning Klassics show is a highlight of my week, but i had a bit of a panic this morning. The program begins at 9 a.m. (my time) and at 8:15 we had a power outage. It didn't last long, but when i restarted my computer ... no Internet connection! The first thing i did -- as usual when this happens -- was re-boot the modem and the router, and that generally solves the problem. Not this time.

Then i used my iPad to check the connection: the connection was fine, it was my PC that was having a problem. Time was marching on, though -- it was about 8:45 by now. So, rather than run Windows built-in network troubleshooter (which is time-consuming and usually useless anyway), i re-booted. It worked! I had my connection back by 8:55. Whew....

Bruce Springsteen -- Kitty's Back
Charlie Daniels Band -- Orange Blossom Special
Moxy -- Sail On Sail Away
Trooper -- Round Round We Go
The Hooters -- All You Zombies
Electric Light Orchestra -- Ma-Ma-Ma-Belle
Kansas -- The Wall
Arlo Guthrie -- Coming Into Los Angeles
Pat Travers -- Boom Boom (live)
Sherbs -- No Turning Back
Yes -- Wonderous Stories
Peter Frampton -- Lines On My Face
The Marshall Tucker Band -- Fire On The Mountain
Denim -- Throw Away
Elton John -- Harmony
Sugarloaf -- Don't Call Us, We'll Call You
Lake -- Paradise Way
Humble Pie -- 30 Days In The Hole
Steely Dan -- The Fez
Jo Jo Gunne -- Run Run Run
Shooting Star -- Breakout
Jefferson Airplane -- Volunteers
John Mellencamp -- Hot Night In A Cold Town
The Allman Brothers Band -- Statesboro Blues
Tony Carey -- The First Day Of Summer
Pete Townshend -- Rough Boys
Dr Hook -- Cover Of The Rolling Stone
Judas Priest -- The Ripper
Michael Stanley -- Let's Get The Show On The Road
Todd Rundgren -- Real Man
Bachman-Turner Overdrive -- Looking Out For Number One
Creedence Clearwater Revival -- Sweet Hitch-Hiker
Rory Gallagher -- Edged In Blue
Loggins & Messina -- Nobody But You
Wet Willie -- No No No
Rod Stewart -- Hot Legs
The Moody Blues -- I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock 'n' Roll Band)
The Grateful Dead -- I Need A Miracle
Starz -- (She's Just A) Fallen Angel
Fleetwood Mac -- Danny's Chant

And my own personal playlist for the week:

Sandy Denny -- Sandy
Dan Fogelberg -- High Country Snows
Saga-- Saga
Little Johnny England -- Tournament Of Shadows
Nanci Griffith -- Other Voices, Other Rooms
Yes -- Going ForThe One
Pink Floyd -- A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
Bruce Springsteen -- The Rising
The Tragically Hip -- Up To Here
Dan Fogelberg -- Captured Angel
Jeff Beck -- Loud Hailer
Peter Hammill -- A Black Box
Genesis -- Nursery Cryme
Roger McGuinn -- Roger McGuinn
Dan Fogelberg -- Love Songs
Pink Floyd -- The Endless River
Genesis -- A Trick Of The Tail
Pink Floyd -- Obscured By Clouds
Creedence Clearwater Revival -- Bayou Country
Marillion -- Clutching At Straws

KSHE Klassics, Sept. 11, 2016

Quotation du jour ~ Julian Barnes: No reading should be compulsory.

Uman, the host of the show, remembered the Sept. 11th attacks at the start of the program and dedicated it to all those who died on this day, 15 years ago, and to all who have died since in the war on terror. I love the U.S.A. and i can do no better.

Jeff Beck -- Rice Pudding
Joe Walsh -- Indian Summer
The Allman Bros. Band -- Whipping Post
Shooting Star -- Hollywood
Chilliwack -- Something Better
Jethro Tull -- Cross-Eyed Mary
Stu Nunnery -- Isle Of Debris
George Harrison -- This Song
Firefall -- Mexico
Billy Joel -- Captain Jack
Bad Company -- Live For The Music
Tony Carey -- I Won't Be Home Tonight
Grinderswitch -- Pickin' The Blues
Strawbs -- Autumn
Kenny Loggins -- Easy Driver
The Grateful Dead -- Uncle John's Band
Rush -- A Passage To Bangkok
The Tubes -- Talk To Ya Later
Spooky Tooth -- Cotton Growin' Man
April Wine -- Like A Lover, Like A Song
Rockpile -- Teacher Teacher
.38 Special -- Chain Lightning
Vinegar Joe -- Never Met A Dog
Greg Kihn Band -- Jeopardy
Climax Blues Band -- Couldn't Get It Right
Steely Dan -- Black Friday
Fleetwood Mac -- Oh Well
Lake -- Key To The Rhyme
Mahogany Rush -- A New Rock And Roll
Head East -- Love Me Tonight
Santana -- Well All Right
Dwight Twilley -- I'm On Fire
Elton John -- Take Me To The Pilot
Ambrosia -- Nice, Nice, Very Nice
Kansas -- Two Cents Worth
The Edgar Winter Group -- Round & Round
The Eagles -- Wasted Time
Trooper -- Raise A Little Hell
Robin Trower -- Bridge Of Sighs
Pure Prairie League -- Two Lane Highway

--------------------------

And my own personal playlist for the week:

Dan Fogelberg & Tim Weisberg -- Twin Sons Of Different Mothers
Jackson Browne -- The Next Voice You Hear
Ian Matthews -- Tigers Will Survive
Dead Can Dance -- Spiritchaser
The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver -- Beat Of The Street
Dan Fogelberg -- Phoenix
Ian Matthews -- If You Saw Thro' My Eyes
Home -- Pause For A Hoarse Horse
Steely Dan -- Aja
Dan Fogelberg -- The Definitive Anthology
Fairport Convention -- Myths And Heroes
Wet Willie -- Keep On Smilin'
Kathy Mattea -- Roses
King Crimson -- Red
Rory Gallagher -- Top Priority
Van der Graaf Generator -- World Record
1992 Broadway Revival Cast -- Guys And Dolls
Dan Fogelberg -- Captured Angel
This Mortal Coil -- Filigree And Shadow
James Taylor -- Sweet Baby James

St Louis Visit, Day 5

Friday, June 25th

On Friday, i was determined to spend some more time in the Delmar Loop neighbourhood and Chuck offered me up as a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter at the Swansea MetroLink station bright and early -- but as the Delmar Loop has its own station, it was actually easy to find -- and it's such a great neighbourhood! http://visittheloop.com/gallery/

In fact, it may be my spiritual home.

I started at The Peacock Diner for breakfast -- an omelette and a beer -- at 10:00 a.m. -- and then just wandered (unfortunately my photograph of the Chuck Berry statue was a disaster, so here's one i've stolen from the Internet),

and although i really wasn't on a shopping trip, i managed to find a book about
Pierre Laclède & Auguste Choucoute -- founders of St Louis -- at Subterranean Books (www.subbooks.com), a St Louis Cardinals baseball cap at Hats-N-Stuff, and, at Vintage Vinyl -- oh, gloriosky -- a CD by Mama's Pride, my favourite St Louis rock band. Their first album is brilliant, and i found their second album there..

Well it's not bad, either!

(Mama's Pride is not well known outside Missouri, but they could have been huge. They were scheduled to go on a nationwide tour opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd which should have brought them fame and fortune, but just prior to the tour so many members of Skynyrd died in that horrific plane crash and of course the tour never happened. Neither did Mama's Pride.)

After a good couple of hours of exploring, i decided to head back east to, speaking of Pierre Laclède, Laclède's Landing, a small area of the city just west of the river where St Louis was founded, in 1764. http://lacledeslanding.com/ My primary reason for wanting to go was that there was a Bank Of America branch there and my bank has an arrangement with them -- it's the only bank in the U.S. where i can use my debit card to make a cash withdrawal, but it's a lovely part of town, too, with cobblestoned streets and buildings dating back to the 1850's (there are no buildings in St Lou that are older than that), and i had a lovely lunch at Joey B's -- the all-American cheeseburger and a beer -- and Joey B's is a bar you can still smoke in! But having been unable to smoke in a bar for so long, this proved to be less of a boon than i had expected. Here's Joey B's

Laclède's Landing is also where i met these guys:

(i was very impressed by the amount of street sculpture in St Louis -- here's one of Monsieur Laclède himself, just outside City Hall.)

From there i took a short walk down to the riverfront and .... You may recall that, the first time i saw the Mississippi River, a couple of days earlier, i cried. Real tears. I wasn't sure, then, if it was the majesty of it that caused my lachrymosity, or simply the relief at finally seeing it after trying to get there for so long. Well, the latter theory was shattered to smithereens, as i wept again. I sat and watched it flow for a long time, i'm glad that there were few people around to see me, it was embarrascating, real tears rolling down my face.... And i stuck my hand into the water and thus shook hands with The Father Of Waters.

I want my ashes scattered upon that river.

But then it was time to go back to Belleville. But i was also desperate for a pee so i nipped into Tìgin (an easy walk) and of course had to have a pint (of Smithwick's) -- because it's simply not done to use the toilet in a restaurant unless you buy something! And thence via Metrolink to Chuck's.

Most Fridays, Chuck does karaoke at Zapata's Mexican Restaurant, in Fairview Heights, and i had agreed to, in fact was looking forward to, accompanying him. I wasn't planning to join in, i sing like a tone-deaf duck with laryngitis, but it seemed like a fun way to spend an evening. As it turned out, it was one of the best evenings i have ever had in my life.

To explain about Zapata's, it's what, in England, would be considered a family pub. Friends and neighbours meet there regularly, lots of people seemed to know everyone, and there were children everywhere. It has a large-ish dining area but also a large-ish bar area (where the karaoke machine lives). I had a magnificent steak fajita -- so big i couldn't finish it -- and a beer whose name is now lost in the mists of time, and met a couple of Facebook friends (Chuck's daughter Mary, along with her daughters Megan and Molly, and his friend Betty), and then the karaoke began.

I was impressed! The singers were mostly very good (sadly i was outside having a cigarette when Chuck did Dan Fogelberg's "Longer," although i caught the end of it and it was excellent!). And there were people laughing and dancing -- i particularly remember a young mother dancing with her infant daughter in her arms and as the evening progressed more people sang, more people danced, more people were smiling and there was so much joy (and not alcohol-induced joy, either) in that room and ... i had an epiphany. No, really, i did.

As i posted to Facebook "I am in the heart of America and loving it." Zapata's capsulised for me, what i love about the USA:  its people.

America isn't about politics, it isn't about the military-industrial complex, it isn't about corruption in high places, although these exist, for sure. It's about its people, its families friends and neighbours. That's the reality of it and that's why i've loved ever since i was little, without really understanding why, until June 25th, 2016.

God bless the USA