Blogcritics Author: JP

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Why America's Sense of Unity After 9/11 Was Lost

JP — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 09:41:20 EDT

I read an article recently--one of many--that was lamenting the loss of national unity felt immediately after 9/11. Given the numerous personal accounts I've read, it's pretty clear that 9/11 deeply affected Americans across the political spectrum--particularly the random subset of Americans who happened to be in the towers on that fateful day.When the right complains about a loss of unity, they tend to blame moderates and liberals for basically veering off course, for failing to stay with the program. They fail to acknowledge that over the last 5 years, the program has shifted from a narrow, focused response to a specific event all the way to a grand desire to spread worldview, ideology and a socio-economic system to another part of the world.This is key to understanding why we're not "all on board."Immediately after 9/11, America WAS unified--and still is, I'd venture to say--in a desire to see the perpetrators of that horrific tragedy brought to justice. That means Osama Bin Laden. Many of us still look forward to his capture and trial, and for a few months after 9/11 it looked as if we were closing in on the top guy. But then, the mission expanded--the fight to bring Bin Laden to justice became the "War on Terror," with its first stop in Iraq. We barely had time to accept that we'd lost Bin Laden at Tora Bora before we were talking up "Shock and Awe," and a VERY QUICK WAR, to rid the world of Saddam's WMD. And don't be confused or think that Tora Bora was unnoticed or has been forgotten among those on the left--a post about the failure to capture Bin Laden got 172 comments this week on liberal site DailyKos. We noticed, and we observed America's short attention span at work. Or was that George's?Some of us recognized before 2000 that "W" might want to get back at Saddam for trying to kill his father, and suspected that if presented with an opportunity he might try to do so. Turns out, that was so much to the forefront of Bush's mind that he asked Rumsfeld--ON OUR NATIONAL DAY OF TRAGEDY, 9/11/01--to try to tie Saddam into the event, as well as Bin Laden who was already suspected.So we're now three and a half years into a war that Rumsfeld dismissed as unpredictable, but estimated "It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months." Now we hear rumors--entirely believable, given this Administration's behavior--that Rumsfeld at one point threatened to fire the next person who tried to plan for securing Iraq post-war. This, mind you, for something many of us consider a diversion from the REAL threat--namely, Osama Bin Laden!As the Iraq situation has become more and more depressing, the mission has now grown to be even more bloated and vague--to spread democracy to the Middle East. Many people don't believe our sons should be dying to "spread" our worldview, ideology and/or socio-economic system, or that Iraq had anything to do with 9/11, but many of these are people who DO believe chasing and capturing Bin Laden--who DID perpetrate 9/11--would have been worthwhile. In conclusion, the problem boils down to the Bush/Cheney expansion of the mission from a response to 9/11 to the grand spread of freedom to the Middle East. Bush has tried to sell this as a way to combat the prevalence of terrorism, but no-one knows if it will work. Plus, many educated individuals--Wes Clark, to name just one--believe there are other strategies we could choose instead of bombing people into democracy--tightening our borders, examining cargo from ships, and playing nicer with our neighbors is one example. So if Bush wanted to change the mission and maintain the sense of unity he had to begin with, he did a poor job of selling the bait-and-switch job.

Visit Blog and Tan: Progressive centrism, rational and civil in tone.

Music Review: Miles Davis - Cool and Collected

JP — Sat, 2 Sep 2006 11:53:58 EDT

One could sum this up with a single sentence: Miles is cool. This CD is subtitled "The Very Best Of," which is somewhat of a stretch, but this one succeeds as a great single-disc selection of Davis' cool jazz for a party.Miles Davis' career covers 50 years and encompassed roles including bandleader, trumpeter and composer. Davis' Kind of Blue is often cited as the ultimate jazz album, the one jazz CD a music fan should have in his collection if only one were an option. Given his influence on classic jazz, it's hard to imagine condensing his best work into a skimpy 13 track CD. Only in its extreme ambition does this collection fail; it succeeds glowingly as a teaser, an overview of the great man's work that is easy to listen to and includes enough well-known material to keep a casual fan interested. It adds other quality album tracks and lesser known material that both help respect the artist's "cool" reputation while being strong enough to motivate a new listener to explore.The compilation starts with "So What" from Kind of Blue, that title's only representative here, which starts the album off with an easy swinging tone. Other well known tunes represented here include "Summertime," the Gershwin number from Porgy and Bess; and "Milestones," the fantastic up-tempo masterpiece. The fantastic "Seven Steps to Midnight" features an up tempo bass line and great interaction between Miles' horn and the piano, and shows his evolution after the disbandment of the Kind of Blue quintet. Mixed in with the other classic selections is a rarity for Davis single disc compilations, the relaxing track "Générique" from the 1957 French film Ascenseur pour L'Echafaud. Altogether, there's plenty of great music to keep listeners entertained, relaxed and amazed.The material spans from 1956 to 1984, unfortunately skipping his earliest recordings for other labels. While most of the selections from the 1950s and 1960s are intriguing, the decision to skip Davis' jazz/rock experimental work in the 1970s and to feature two pop music covers from the 1980s is slightly surprising. "Time After Time," an interpretation of the Cyndi Lauper hit, and the Michael Jackson single "Human Nature," while part of Davis' exploration of pop music interpretation in his later career, add accessibility rather than coolness to the collection.The CD ends on a high note with a remix of a 1969 track called "It's About that Time" featuring Carlos Santana on guitar; this is a nice touch that complements the fantastic sidemen featured in the rest of the album's work -- such as John Coltrane, 'Cannonball' Adderley, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea among others. Overall, the disc is a great -- if slightly unpredictable collection of tracks from the most influential part of Davis' career, and is strongly recommended.

Visit Blog and Tan: Progressive centrism, rational and civil in tone.

Music Review: Roy Orbison - Crying (Re-Issue)

JP — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:23:22 EDT

One of the rock era's great vocalists took the spotlight recently as the Roy Orbison reissue project by Legacy Recordings began. The series led off with three of his classic Monument titles on August 8: Crying, In Dreams and Lonley & Blue. Outside of the release of numerous permutations of "The Best of Roy Orbison" in the 17 years since his death, this marks the first remastering of his classic albums from the 1960s. Crying was Orbison's second album for Monument, and it features the classic Orbison sound of haunting, operatic vocals surrounded by lush orchestral arrangements and lonesome lyrics.Crying was released in 1962 featuring nine songs. Orbison co-wrote a few of them with Joe Melson with the rest being written by others. The title song, "Lana" and "Running Scared" became staples of Orbison's live performances, and the title track was named to Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." This new Legacy reissue adds four previously released songs that were recorded during the same time period as the songs on the album: "Candyman," "Let the Good Times Roll," "Dream Baby" and "The Actress." The sound quality on the reissue is excellent, and Orbison's voice benefits from the cleaned up recordings.The original album's material, unfortunately, is a little uneven in terms of its quality. The title track, "Love Hurts" and "Running Scared" rank highly among Orbison's classic work, and have aged much better than one or two of the filler tracks on the album. "She Wears My Ring" -- written by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant who also penned classic hits like "Bye Bye Love" for the Everly Brothers -- is an adolescent ode to the significance of a girl wearing a boy's ring, which is a simple and innocent romantic expression that would be rare to find in pop music today. Orbison's cover of "The Great Pretender, like some of the other tracks on the album, is pleasant but not definitive.What makes the album classic is its expression of emotion -- and in that respect, Orbison is almost without peer. While some of the songwriting sounds a bit aged, the orchestration and vocal performances are outstanding. Knowing that unlike his later work with the Traveling Wilburys, the recordings here were all captured in real time in a single take makes the performances even more amazing. For those looking to complete a collection of Roy's early recordings, this set is essential. For the casual fan, there are more balanced and interesting titles available -- though it must be noted that the added bonus tracks provide more quality material than the original track listing by itself.

Visit Blog and Tan: Progressive centrism, rational and civil in tone.

CD Review: Muse - Black Holes and Revelations

JP — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 16:12:16 EDT

Muse, a British three-piece band with tremendous following in the UK and winner of multiple "Best Live Act" awards in 2004 and 2005, recently topped the UK charts and further introduced itself to American audiences with its new CD, Black Holes and Revelations. The album surprised some by debuting at #9 on the Billboard 200 album chart -- proof that its profile is increasing in the States.Muse first gained radio airplay here with "Muscle Museum" from its first album Showbiz, which reached number 25. Its second album, Origin of Symmetry, showed a great deal of growth, and is probably its most cohesive and consistent record -- although its American label allegedly considered the work "too European," so it was not released Stateside until after its subsequent album Absolution, which reintroduced the band to America. The heavy hook-laden single "Hysteria" from that album broke the top 10 on modern rock radio, and the band toured small clubs followed by somewhat larger ones in an effort to bring its powerful live show to the audience and thereby to develop interest in its work.Four years later, Black Holes is released and is easily the band's most diverse and most developed work to date. It both shows the maturation of a gifted act and simultaneously overwhelms some listeners with its diverse instrumentation. Lyrically, the band continues on. It's definitely worth ignoring the naysayers, as this is a brilliant work that establishes the band among the upper echelon of modern rock acts.The first single in the UK, "Supermassive Black Hole," is a sparingly-arranged dance-rock/disco tune sung in falsetto--which though debuting at #1 in the UK, was not chosen to be released here. This is perhaps due to the perception of singer Matt Bellamy's high-register vocals as unpleasant. The single chosen instead is the epic "Knights of Cydonia," which has thus far peaked at #19 on the Alternative charts. I find this a peculiar choice as the first two minutes are instrumental-only, reminiscent of early Genesis--its driving instrumentation is a good choice for heavy rockers among the audience, but the song lacks the sing-along chorus that gave "Hysteria" wider appeal.The album starts with "Take a Bow," featuring arpeggiated keyboard reminiscent of "New Born," the concert staple that opened Symmetry. This song expands into vocal histrionics, an electronica break, and then heavy guitar -- in essence a good introduction to the band. Other themes and sounds are explored as the album progresses, including some Depeche Mode-style keyboard riffs in "Starlight" and "Map of the Problematique," some broad and precise Queen-like background vocals on "Soldier's Poem," military-march drumwork on "Invincible," and an infectious flamenco rhythm on "City of Delusion." In keeping with its modern rock roots, several other tracks honor the band's alternative-rock influences, which are said to include Rage Against the Machine.Muse has outgrown its earlier comparisons to Radiohead, and is no longer simply what Radiohead might have become had it continued in its OK Computer direction. Bellamy's classical piano interludes, prominently featured in Absolution, are only the beginning of the band's experimentation on this album. Muse has truly grown into its own.

Visit Blog and Tan: Progressive centrism, rational and civil in tone.

Concert Review: Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, Chastain Park, Atlanta (July 17, 2006)

JP — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 20:50:15 EDT

Elvis Costello recently made his second appearance in Atlanta within three months, and true to his reputation as a musical chameleon, he put on a two and a half hour show of almost entirely different material than he did back in May. In a different vein than his classical-and-pops show in April, Costello put an energetic and sometimes angry voice to the entire song list of his collaboration with legendary New Orleans R&B producer Allen Toussaint. To that album’s worth of material was added a number of tunes from Toussaint’s back catalog and eight of Costello’s songs — some well known and some album tracks — augmented by Toussaint horn arrangements. Four of those eight songs -- plus the title track of the pair's current album The River in Reverse -- were the entirety of the material repeated between both shows.The show was part of the 2006 Delta Concert Series, and many of the series ticket holders who attended were too busy eating and drinking to notice the passionate musical creativity taking place on stage between two members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is a consistent complaint among performers at this venue, and Costello made note of the distractions by pointing out that the audience should take time away from its imported cheese and such to pay attention to the great Allen Toussaint, of whom it was obvious Costello was in awe.Costello allowed — or prodded, as he put it -- Toussaint to take the lead on several numbers, and Toussaint’s smooth soulful voice did not disappoint. The first bit of the encore features Toussaint playing piano with Costello standing and watching. Toussaint plays some variations of the Professor Longhair classic “Big Chief,” and this leads into the reworked minor key variation of “Tipitina” to which Costello added words to create “Ascension Day.” The show featured the dancing and blowing of Toussaint's Crescent City Horns, and their impassioned playing led one to think that the nine-piece combination of Elvis’ Imposters and Toussaint’s horns would have created an even better album by recording it with more live playing under their belts — perhaps after this tour rather than before.Though the album was inspired by the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, home to some of the musicians who strongly influenced Costello such as Dave Bartholomew, the political implications were kept within the music for the most part -- except when Costello mentioned his one stage prop, a tiny George Bush doll. The rest of the time, the band let the music do the talking -- and it was powerful!Outside of the reserved tables, there were only six or eight rows of seats filled — it’s as if people didn’t recognize that this would be a nontraditional Costello performance. As it was truly an R&B show more like Costello's early '80s album Get Happy! than anything else he’s recorded, those who did attend were tapping their feet throughout the performance. Don’t miss it — this one’s worth catching!

Visit Blog and Tan: Progressive centrism, rational and civil in tone.

Concert Review: Pete Yorn, July 18, 2006

JP — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 16:33:20 EDT

Pete Yorn brought his "Acoustic" Tour to Atlanta, and wowed an appreciative crowd that was happy to see Yorn in an intimate setting of approximately 150. "Acoustic" is in quotes because while the show starts off with just Pete and his guitar, it expands to include the rest of his band (Minibar from the UK) by the fourth or fifth song.Yorn sings and plays with emotion, and is considered a rising talent in the singer-songwriter world. On Tuesday, he brought a subtle confidence to the stage, arriving in all-black and looking as relaxed as he might in his living room. He proceeded to preview Nightcrawler, the third in his "full day" trilogy of Musicforthemorningafter, Day I Forgot and the new album scheduled for release next month. Pete wowed the crowd with a few of his better known songs, and a few interesting covers to keep everyone entertained. The show moved at a good pace, and the backing band's bass player added a whole dimension to the songs on which he played--fast, nimble fingerwork and interesting countermelodies. He was worth the admission price alone!The show was pointedly in reference of possible recent events in Yorn's personal life, as several references to divorce were made within the banter between the opening few songs. Yet, though there is some melancholy in Yorn's work, he also includes a bit of hopefulness--a standout tune called "The Good Advice" from his recent EP Westerns features an infectious melody and had the crowd dancing in their limited personal space! Yorn comments, "I've been in this lonesome cowboy phase for a while...I've been really inspired by guys like Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash. ['Westerns'] has a twang to it and is a real departure for me [but] 'Nightcrawler' is most definitely the rock record."The "Acoustic" Tour is winding up, so you'll have to wait until next go-round to see this one. Don't miss it!

Visit Blog and Tan: Progressive centrism, rational and civil in tone.

What Did You Expect?

JP — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 14:26:57 EDT

At least 70% of the time, the folks at Kos are too extreme for me -- and I'm too moderate for them, based on the poor response I've gotten to posts I've occasionally put there -- but I ran across a well written front-page article today that makes a point I've often stressed in my own writing: Those who inherently dislike something aren't likely to do it very well.Applying this to current events, there are two ways to look at the struggling Bush administration: (1) It's implementing good policy, but failing to do so effectively; or (2) the policies themselves are flawed. I tend to vote for the latter -- that is to say the problems Bush & Co. are experiencing are directly related to the policies themselves, and their underlying belief system.SusanG asks some insightful questions in her post: Would you hire cops who think laws are stupid and useless and should be abolished? Would you hire a conductor for your orchestra who believes music itself an abomination? Then why would you hire - and you did hire them, America; they are your employees, after all, not your rulers, despite their grandiose pretensions - members of a political party who think government is useless, ineffective, bloated and untrustworthy?...Good thinking, USA, and stellar results: Katrina, Iraq, Medicare D, trade and budget deficits, mine disasters and on and on and on and...Wikipedia features a page listing 90 individual "controversies" surrounding the Bush administration that are elaborated upon in that online encyclopedia. This number itself is arbitrary and meaningless; however it's no difficult task to rattle off four or five major issues for which the supposed "liberal media" has gone after the President without even lifting a finger. These guys have been under attack from day one, starting with the secretive Cheney energy task force -- and I've argued that if it weren't for the excessive secrecy, there wouldn't be such attention paid to many of its actions.Given that scrutiny began from day one -- no doubt partially in reaction to the personal slandering the previous President was subjected to during his administration -- it's rather amusing to hear people argue Bush's opponents are attacking the "War on Terror" for political advantage, or as Sean Hannity might say, to "undermine" the President. In fact, I argue that the characterization of attacks on the President as "undermining" is a conspiracy theory itself of sorts -- it is a convenient way to avoid discussing the issues in a substantial way, allowing one to simply argue that the President's opponents are arguing merely for the sake of argument. People like Hannity seem to forget that to characterize EVERY opponent as trying to "undermine" is like crying wolf -- it takes the force from the term when it's applied to the few who truly deserve it.But, I digress. The Republican Party is one of "Small Government," and in principle this is where the party's problems often begin. It is my personal opinion that we should strive for "Effective Government," rather than government of any specific size. An agency which cannot outperform the private sector should be eliminated; an agency that can outperform should be supported. Using that guideline, the optimum should be discoverable -- whether small or large.By striving for a specific size, and by basing decisions upon the premise that private industry is better, we see tainted results -- perhaps subsconsciously as a self-fulfilling prophesy. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, FEMA was headed by an unqualified Bush appointee, Michael Brown, rather than the effective and respected James Lee Witt -- and the agency's poor performance was a direct result. If one believes that it's not up to the government to respond to a disaster, respond they will not. No argument here that the local and state officials should have been more prepared, mind you; but at the same time, no letting Brownie off the hook.In the sense of being custodian for a country -- and already being aware that a massive hurricane was the second biggest disaster FEMA was expected to confront -- emergency planners should have been aware of the extreme poverty in inner-city New Orleans. They also should have been aware that the unacceptably poor education system there made people less likely to be aware of the true risk they shoulder living in a bowl below sea level, even if their families have been there for generations.In the wake of 9/11, the administration has narrowed the scope of what is considered the responsibility of government to mainly national security and - begrudgingly - tax collection. Much of the hostility in the Middle East toward America comes from America's large footprint over there, and America's intent to only allow regimes supportive to its economy to exist -- but rather than acknowledging the soverignty of those nations and the desires of their peoples, we instead increase the degree to which we pull the strings in the region and somehow expect this to work out in our favor and increase our sense of security.There clearly is a threat to this country from radical Islam - no denying that, in my opinion - but our government's foregone choice of an aggressive foreign policy to counter it has done more harm than good. It doesn't help to put our heads in the sand, unilaterally support Israel no matter what, and expect to be seen by the world as "fair and balanced."That aside, there have been many other examples of the disaster that results from overconfidence and from the "it's not our job" mentality, too many for me to cover here. We need a political philosophy that recognizes our common existence and recognizes that there are some investments we make as a people -- healthcare, also education -- that aren't simply dollars and cents. We need to recognize that in some cases, unregulated capitalists make poor choices for their own benefit rather than for that of the consumer -- and for that reason, a degree of regulation of the "free market" is a necessary evil.Finally, we need to recognize that "drowning government in the bathtub" and being rid of it all results in anarchy -- remember Enron? Rather than emphasizing just how minimalistic it can become -- and keeping in the back of our mind that a bloated government doesn't do us any good either -- we should be concerned with balancing cost and benefit: efficiency.

Visit Blog and Tan: Progressive centrism, rational and civil in tone.

Patriotism, Freedom, and Nationalism

JP — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:53:43 EDT

Independence Day approaches, and we're in the danger zone of overinflated patriotism. Can one be too patriotic? This post and comment exchange at Peach Pundit lead me to conclude that indeed, one can love one's country too much.The article concerns a Mike Luckovich cartoon depicting American soldiers training Al Qaeda members to torture. The cartoon was - in an unfortunate and hurtful editing decision the paper should apologize for - printed on the same page as a photo showing two American soldiers brutally killed in Iraq. The printing of the cartoon itself has drawn outrage from some on the right, who insist the paper should be reprimanded for allowing such content -- and not surprisingly, due to its being highlighted on right-wing RedState, the cartoon received an unlikely number of negative votes.The cartoon brings some questions and issues to light:Can one be patriotic and also critical of his country's strategy?What limits - if any - should define American reaction to terrorism?What limits - if any - should there be on free speech?What's the goal of the "war" on terror? And is the fight against terror really a war?Americans are fighting what the government calls a "war" on terror -- a fight which, as you may rightfully conclude from my enlcosing the word in quotes, I do not believe to really be a war. Military action, sure -- not a war. President Bush described the enemy on September 20, 2001: Americans are asking, why do they hate us? They hate what we see right here in this chamber -- a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms -- our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.This explanation ignores history and distorts the truth about our enemy. No-one should take Osama Bin Laden as an unintelligent or uneducated man -- and his letter to America in 2002 states the truth clearly within the context of history. It begins- begins!! - with a profoundly simple statement:Why are we fighting and opposing you? The answer is very simple: (1) Because you attacked us and continue to attack us. a) You attacked us in Palestine...The creation and continuation of Israel is one of the greatest crimes, and you are the leaders of its criminals.Though the letter expresses many other concerns, the first three reasons listed in this letter concern Israel -- and for Americans to ignore that many Muslims resent America's involvement in the creation of the state of Israel is equivalent to burying our heads in the sand and ignoring what we do not wish to hear. If one attempts to reconcile the statements of Bush and Bin Laden, one could conclude:America is exercising its freedoms in its support of Israel;Muslims do not believe America has the right to interfere in Palestine on behalf of the Israelis;therefore, Muslims are fighting against American freedom.This presents a serious problem, as both sides of the fight see the other as the instigator. The truth is, suggesting, as the administration does, that "9/11 changed everything" is misleading. 9/11 was a reaction to American foreign policy. It's encouraging to see the possibility of an agreement between Palestine and Israel, as a two-state solution is probably the only thing which could potentially quiet the storm. Sadly, considering the reality of the situation, our current strategy of aggressively attacking terrorists is only perceived as continued instigation by our enemy.The fact is that we CAN NOT win this war of ideology against terrorism while our leadership fights AGAINST restrictions on interrogation methods such as waterboarding, as well as against restrictions on renditions. We must be beyond reproach in this war -- and if it weren’t for freaks like Cheney arguing that we shouldn’t limit our methods, maybe people’s impression of incidents like Abu Ghraib or (the alleged) Haditha would be seen as an exception, rather than as policy approved from above.If we are going to continue blatantly ignoring the fact that our enemy considers the creation of Israel as the starting point of the conflict, the best we can do is to make it clear that we'll only go after those who are actively attacking our citizens. A "pre-emptive war" strategy only increases the degree to which we're seen as instigators, and that strategy is therefore outside the limits we must set for ourselves if we are to ever "win" this conflict.It is within that framework that the freedom of Americans to question their nation's strategy becomes obvious. First, if we are truly fighting for Freedom, it is hypocritical to suggest that those who disagree should be silenced. Second, the strategy by which we fight terror - and the goal of such a fight - is precisely what needs to be collectively determined. Leadership is naiive to think that they can set a strategy and expect everyone to follow behind in suit just because they're "supposed to." When people define patriotism as mindless support of one's country, and criticize as traitors anyone who dissents, what they're really doing is confusing patriotism with nationalism.Nationalism, in this context, is the view that one country is superior to another. Many forms of this viewpoint exist in America -- from simply ignoring the other side's perspective and framing it only from one's own perspective, to a view of exceptionalism or even "manifest Destiny." For us to position ourselves as the morally superior culture -- and the only ones standing up for what is "right," much like Christianity and Islam both claim to be the only true faith -- amounts to a nationalistic view that encourages fanatical viewpoints such as support for a flag-burning amendment to the Constitution.Putting boundaries on the degree to which one can disagree with his country -- or what a newspaper may print or report -- is a betrayal of freedom, ironic in a fight against what we obscure as "the enemies of freedom." The free press that reports what government does in the people's name -- remembering that in America, the government derives its power from the people -- encourages Americans to actively set the boundaries its government can work within in the name of the people. Those who print provocative cartoons also encourage people to consider to what ends we are willing to go in our quest to fight terror. In both cases, arguments to silence these voices are entirely counterproductive.

Visit Blog and Tan: Progressive centrism, rational and civil in tone.

CD Review: Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse

JP — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 20:54:58 EDT

Elvis Costello shifts genres yet again, this time into emotional and driven New Orleans R&B. His partner on this voyage is Allen Toussaint, a prolific songwriter and producer in his own right who is also in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Together, they pay respectful homage to a number of classics from Toussaint's catalog as well as to several new tunes written by the pair.The title track was written solely by Costello in a quick session after he heard about the tragedy destroying the city whose musical legacy he has long respected; the collaborations were written by the pair in October, and the recordings took place in late November and early December. The first week of sessions was in California, while the second week of recording took place among the ruins in New Orleans. This no doubt added an immediacy and a deluge of emotions, as Costello insisted that he be shown the hardest-hit 9th Ward when he arrived.Costello has approached the New Orleans sound before, and recorded with Toussaint in the past on his 1989 album Spike. Costello's 2003 hit "Monkey to Man" referenced a song by Toussaint contemporary Dave Bartholomew, "The Monkey Speaks His Mind." The love Costello has for this genre of music shows in the vocal performances. Toussaint's lengthy career includes piano-playing sessions with Fats Domino; producing the Meters and songs such as "Right Place, Wrong Time" by Dr. John; as well as authorship of well-known songs such as "Workin' in the Coal Mine," "Mother-in-Law," and "Southern Nights" (made famous by Glen Campbell).Musically, the teaming of Costello's Imposters as the rhythm section with Toussaint's Crescent City Horns and A.B. Brown on guitar makes an interesting musical gumbo, deftly handling the Toussaint R&B rhythms atypical of Costello's own work. Toussaint takes vocal duties on "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further," his smooth voice expressing a question Costello can't quite morph into form to pose himself. On the other twelve tracks, it's Costello's voice and Toussaint's piano-playing that take the lead. One standout track is "Ascension Day," the marriage of new lyrics by Costello with Toussaint's minor-key inversion of "Tipitina" by Professor Longhair.Costello's vocals are in the spotlight throughout, and they hold up generally well. Costello's vocal abilities have improved greatly in the latter part of his career, and the improved delivery serves him well here on material that's somewhat outside his typical range. His vocals fit well with his strong expression of anger and frustration at the scene that he and Toussaint reflect with this artistic statement.It is because of Hurricane Katrina that this collaboration took place at all, and given the situation, it's impossible to listen to this record outside of the influence of that massive event. For Costello, this is an inspired collaboration -- one with more energy and passion than some of his others in the past. The pair manage to convey frustration and anger, but they express just as much hope and light-heartedness, as if to hold onto and protect the threatened spirit of New Orleans. That spirit infuses this record, and makes it a very special title worthy of adding to one's collection.

Visit Blog and Tan: Progressive centrism, rational and civil in tone.

CD Review: Stereophonics - Live from Dakota

JP — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 10:15:21 EDT

Stereophonics strike me as the Matchbox 20 of Welsh rock - well-written melodic pop-rock marketed as "alternative," earnest and genuine, hugely successful on their home country's radio charts, but barely making a dent overseas. No Matchbox 20 song has never reached past #38 in the UK, and Stereophonics have never charted in the US. In the UK, mimicking Matchbox 20's success here in the States, Stereophonics have scored four successive number one albums, numerous top five singles, and finally hit number one on the UK singles chart with "Dakota."Live from Dakota is a solid, if not flashy, snapshot of Stereophonics on tour supporting their 2005 studio album Language. Sex. Violence. Other? The band is in fine form, with Kelly Jones' raspy vocals highlighting energetic performances of "Maybe Tomorrow" and recent hit "Dakota." The band is tight, and their material is generally well represented. The sound is mixing board quality, but still a little distant; in some spots, the vocals are hard to distinguish as they blend with the frequencies of the crunchy guitar work.The song selection is a bit heavy on Language selections, and with only 20 tracks over 90 minutes is a bit short for a two-disc collection; in that respect, this collection passes on the opportunity to showcase some of the band's better known songs, such as the Beatlesque UK top five "Have a Nice Day." With one or two more of the band's previous top fives from the UK, it would be a stellar introduction and recap of the band's output so far. Sadly, it's just a bit below that mark.As a companion piece, the band is preparing to release a DVD also titled Language. Sex. Violence. Other? The DVD will document the making of L.S.V.O?, and is slated to include videos and live performances of some of the songs from the band's 2005 tour. It is unclear whether the live performances on the DVD are the same ones from which the audio on Live from Dakota is taken.Live from Dakota is a solid but not stellar live compilation, and a reasonably good (though not great) choice for someone seeking a single Stereophonics title for their collection. If a comprehensive single-title collection is desired, a possible future "Greatest Hits" might be worth waiting for. For fans, it's a likeable live release that makes a good addition to the Stereophonics catalog.

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