MR. BREEZE

I just heard this sad news....

J.J. Cale, a quietly influential singer-songwriter who stayed in the background while better-known musicians had hits with his songs, including “After Midnight,” “Cocaine” and “Call Me the Breeze,” died July 26 of a heart attack in La Jolla, Calif. 

He was 74.

Cale won a Grammy Award for best contemporary blues album for “The Road to Escondido,” a recording he made in 2006 with Clapton, but for years he was content to live in obscurity and let his understated songs speak for themselves.

Cale was considered a reclusive enigma because his records seldom had his picture on them and because he rarely went on extensive tours. He lived for years in a rural area outside San Diego without a telephone. Survivors include his wife of 16 years, Christine Lakeland, a musician who often played in his bands.

Rest in peace, Mr. Breeze!

CALL ME THE BREEZE

COCAINE

AFTER MIDNIGHT

THE SADDEST THING IN LIFE PART EIGHT

All you need to learn in life you can learn from watching "A Bronx Tale."

Okay, maybe that is a bit of a stretch.

I know this is a music blog, but on a couple of occasions (HERE and HERE), I have participated in blogfests listing my favorite movies.

One movie that always makes the cut is 1993’s A Bronx Tale, starring Robert DeNiro in his directorial debut and featuring/written by Chazz Palminteri.

This excellent film opens with the sounds of romance in the Bronx (“Marie! Get in the f*&king car!”). There are a few violent scenes, but mostly the story is about a boy who is drawn to the local gangster against the wishes of his bus-driver father.

I also love the film because of all the important life lessons contained within. You may think I say this in jest, but all you need to know in life, you can learn from watching this film.

And I am going to prove it.

Today continues a series of posts describing the valuable  lessons contained in the film.

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever.”

Lesson 8: Being A Gracious Host (And Guest)

In one of the violent scenes in the film, some bikers walk into Sonny's bar.

 

 

Initially, the bartender refuses them service due to their attire. Sonny talks to them, and they assure him they just want to grab a cold beer and hit the road.

Sonny tells the bartender to serve them, and the bikers start getting out of hand.

Sonny asks them to leave, and they ignore him.

Sonny walks to the front door and locks it.

And says, “Now youse can’t leave.”

And Sonny’s gang beats the tar out of the bikers.

A lot of lessons to be learned here.

Be a gracious host (Sonny was) and a grateful guest (the bikers were not).

Don't mistake patience or a gentleman's demeanor for weakness.

 

This is a great scene, but heads up for the language and violence....

 

 

THE SADDEST THING IN LIFE PART SEVEN

All you need to learn in life you can learn from watching "A Bronx Tale."

Okay, maybe that is a bit of a stretch.

I know this is a music blog, but on a couple of occasions (HERE and HERE), I have participated in blogfests listing my favorite movies.

One movie that always makes the cut is 1993’s A Bronx Tale, starring Robert DeNiro in his directorial debut and featuring/written by Chazz Palminteri.

This excellent film opens with the sounds of romance in the Bronx (“Marie! Get in the f*&king car!”). There are a few violent scenes, but mostly the story is about a boy who is drawn to the local gangster against the wishes of his bus-driver father.

I also love the film because of all the important life lessons contained within. You may think I say this in jest, but all you need to know in life, you can learn from watching this film.

And I am going to prove it.

Today continues a series of posts describing the valuable  lessons contained in the film.

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever.”

Lesson 7: Don’t Worry What Other People Think

 

Colagero and Lorenzo share a love for the Yankees.

 

 

One day Sonny asks C why he cares about Mickey Mantle, when Mickey Mantle doesn't care about him.

Sonny tells C that nobody cares about anyone but themselves.

And while in life we should not take this to the point of being hurtful to others, it is a good lesson to be true to yourself.

You should do what you want with being obsessed with other people's opinion.

Take care of yourself.  No one else will.

 
 

THE SADDEST THING IN LIFE PART SIX

All you need to learn in life you can learn from watching "A Bronx Tale."

Okay, maybe that is a bit of a stretch.

I know this is a music blog, but on a couple of occasions (HERE and HERE), I have participated in blogfests listing my favorite movies.

One movie that always makes the cut is 1993’s A Bronx Tale, starring Robert DeNiro in his directorial debut and featuring/written by Chazz Palminteri.

This excellent film opens with the sounds of romance in the Bronx (“Marie! Get in the f*&king car!”). There are a few violent scenes, but mostly the story is about a boy who is drawn to the local gangster against the wishes of his bus-driver father.

I also love the film because of all the important life lessons contained within. You may think I say this in jest, but all you need to know in life, you can learn from watching this film.

And I am going to prove it.

Today continues a series of posts describing the valuable  lessons contained in the film.

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever.”

Lesson 6: Nobody Likes A Rat

In the opening scenes of the film, C had a tough decision to make.

He saw Sonny commit a murder, and could have told the police.

He knew better than to be a rat because as he said, "A rat is the lowest thing you can be in my neighborhood."

C is not only saving his reputation, he could be saving his father's life. Maybe his own life. 

There are times in life when you'll have to do things you know aren't right for the greater good.

It's life. It's not a goddamn fairytale. People have a hard time with life's gray areas, but everything is not black and white.

Except for those cookies....

If the local tough guy gives you a gun to hide for him, hide it and shut up.

Capisce ?

THE SADDEST THING IN LIFE PART FIVE

All you need to learn in life you can learn from watching "A Bronx Tale."

Okay, maybe that is a bit of a stretch.

I know this is a music blog, but on a couple of occasions (HERE and HERE), I have participated in blogfests listing my favorite movies.

One movie that always makes the cut is 1993’s A Bronx Tale, starring Robert DeNiro in his directorial debut and featuring/written by Chazz Palminteri.

This excellent film opens with the sounds of romance in the Bronx (“Marie! Get in the f*&king car!”). There are a few violent scenes, but mostly the story is about a boy who is drawn to the local gangster against the wishes of his bus-driver father.

I also love the film because of all the important life lessons contained within. You may think I say this in jest, but all you need to know in life, you can learn from watching this film.

And I am going to prove it.

Today continues a series of posts describing the valuable  lessons contained in the film.

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever.”

Lesson 5: Being There         

 

Sonny talks a lot about availability.

He chooses to live in his neighborhood because he can stop trouble immediately.

The people that love him in the neighborhood see him every day, and they feel safe.

His enemies think twice about crossing him, because they know he's close.

Staying close to the action lets Sonny spot problems before they become cancers.

This is a universal lesson to stay close to the things that are important in your life.

If you are a people manager, stay close to your team.

 

Stay close to your friends; stay close to your home.

If you are a parent, make yourself available to your kids.

 

MARILLION-FOREFATHERS OF CROWD FUNDING

I've talked about Marillion on these pages before, and how they paved the way for efforts like Kickstarter with their revolutionary approach to pre-order campaigns .

In this video, Marillion's Mark Kelly talks about how he came up with the idea of having the fans fund the recording process, and how three different campaigns resulted in a return to the Top Ten UK charts after a twenty year absence.

http://youtu.be/AJZvJ2lqZnU

THE SADDEST THING IN LIFE PART FOUR

All you need to learn in life you can learn from watching "A Bronx Tale."

Okay, maybe that is a bit of a stretch.

I know this is a music blog, but on a couple of occasions (HERE and HERE), I have participated in blogfests listing my favorite movies.

One movie that always makes the cut is 1993’s A Bronx Tale, starring Robert DeNiro in his directorial debut and featuring/written by Chazz Palminteri.

This excellent film opens with the sounds of romance in the Bronx (“Marie! Get in the f*&king car!”). There are a few violent scenes, but mostly the story is about a boy who is drawn to the local gangster against the wishes of his bus-driver father.

I also love the film because of all the important life lessons contained within. You may think I say this in jest, but all you need to know in life, you can learn from watching this film.

And I am going to prove it.

Today continues a series of posts describing the valuable  lessons contained in the film.

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever.”

Lesson 4: How To Pick A Life Partner

 

One of the young turks in the movie talks about doing a “test” on a girl by taking her on the highway, getting the attention of a truck driver and seeing if she blows you in front of him. If she does, don't make plans to marry her.

 

The test sounds stupid, but it's legitimate. If a girl has no respect for herself, especially in public, she's no good. Drop her like a bag of yesterday's bread

This is the “Mario Test.”

After hearing about how C feels about Jane, Sonny tells C about the “Door test.”

 

I've been doing this one since I first saw the movie, although with the proliferation of electric locks (I may be the only person in America without power door locks on his car), it becomes harder to implement.

When you take a lady out for the first time, lock the door on your side of the car.

Walk her to her door and hold it open for her, letting her in the car first.

Walk around the back, and see if she unlocks the door for you.

If she does, she's a keeper.

If she doesn't, she's a selfish bitch and you should consider yourself lucky to have recognized that early on.

 

 

 

 

 

THE SADDEST THING IN LIFE PART THREE

All you need to learn in life you can learn from watching "A Bronx Tale."

Okay, maybe that is a bit of a stretch.

I know this is a music blog, but on a couple of occasions (HERE and HERE), I have participated in blogfests listing my favorite movies.

One movie that always makes the cut is 1993’s A Bronx Tale, starring Robert DeNiro in his directorial debut and featuring/written by Chazz Palminteri.

This excellent film opens with the sounds of romance in the Bronx (“Marie! Get in the f*&king car!”). There are a few violent scenes, but mostly the story is about a boy who is drawn to the local gangster against the wishes of his bus-driver father.

I also love the film because of all the important life lessons contained within. You may think I say this in jest, but all you need to know in life, you can learn from watching this film.

And I am going to prove it.

Today continues a series of posts describing the valuable  lessons contained in the film.

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever.”

Lesson 3: Cut Your Losses

In the movie, Louie, a neighborhood punk owes Calogero twenty dollars.

Louie always avoids C and one day, reaching the breaking point, C chases after him.

They pass by the corner Sonny is standing on, and Sonny flags C down and asks what he is doing.

Before C catches Louie and starts an altercation, he gets some good advice from Sonny.

"It costs you $20 to get rid of him."

The point was that for $20, this punk from the neighborhood would never ask C for money or bother him again. For twenty dollars, this guy is out of his hair for good.

Your lesson? Sometimes you're better off cutting your losses and moving on.

This scene is great, but there are a few f-bombs that drop.

R.I.P. Brett Walker

Most of my readers will not recognize Brett Walker.

Although Brett has been in the music business for more than 20 years with various accolades to his credit, he never quite found the success that the fans of his work felt was his due.

Brett was known in industry circles for his musical work on TV shows and film, although he released several albums as a recording artist, with a new CD is due to be released in August.

Brett was looking forward to his concert performance at the Melodic Rock Fest in Chicago which would follow his new release.

Carl Brett Walker died peacefully in his sleep on July 8, 2013, a few months short of what would have been his fifty-second birthday. As of this writing, the cause of death was not known.

A celebration of Brett's life will be held in Southern California at a later date. Brett's band is planning to attend Melodic Rock Fest, and several vocalists are planning to front them for their set in what will be a bittersweet tribute performance.

QUICKSAND

HARD TO FIND AN EASY WAY

THE SADDEST THING IN LIFE PART TWO

All you need to learn in life you can learn from watching "A Bronx Tale."

Okay, maybe that is a bit of a stretch.

I know this is a music blog, but on a couple of occasions (HERE and HERE), I have participated in blogfests listing my favorite movies.

One movie that always makes the cut is 1993’s A Bronx Tale, starring Robert DeNiro in his directorial debut and featuring/written by Chazz Palminteri.

This excellent film opens with the sounds of romance in the Bronx (“Marie! Get in the f*&king car!”). There are a few violent scenes, but mostly the story is about a boy who is drawn to the local gangster against the wishes of his bus-driver father.

I also love the film because of all the important life lessons contained within. You may think I say this in jest, but all you need to know in life, you can learn from watching this film.

And I am going to prove it.

Today continues a series of posts describing the valuable  lessons contained in the film.

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever.”

Lesson 2: Leadership Qualities

C asks Sonny if it is better to be loved or feared.

Sonny says, "It's nice to be both, but very difficult."

He goes on: "Fear lasts longer than love... it's fear that keeps them loyal."

 "I treat my men good, but not too good, or I'm not needed. I give just enough so that they need me, but they don't hate me," says Sonny.

“Love is fleeting, that's why I don't trust it. Friendship? It's BS. Most friendships in my business are based on money and are meaningless once the money stops.”

The lesson-don't be a pushover. Demand respect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE SADDEST THING IN LIFE PART ONE

All you need to learn in life you can learn from watching "A Bronx Tale."

Okay, maybe that is a bit of a stretch.

I know this is a music blog, but on a couple of occasions (HERE and HERE), I have participated in blogfests listing my favorite movies.

One movie that always makes the cut is 1993’s A Bronx Tale, starring Robert DeNiro in his directorial debut and featuring/written by Chazz Palminteri.

This excellent film opens with the sounds of romance in the Bronx (“Marie! Get in the f#&king car!”). There are a few violent scenes, but mostly the story is about a boy who is drawn to the local gangster against the wishes of his bus-driver father.

I also love the film because of all the important life lessons contained within. You may think I say this in jest, but all you need to know in life, you can learn from watching this film.

And I am going to prove it. To do so, I will have to stray from the main theme of this blog (music), and I hope you will indulge me.

Today begins a series of posts describing the valuable  lessons contained in the film.

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever.”

Lesson 1: The importance of family

Calogero (“C”),  Lorenzo’s son in the movie, doesn't listen to his father and you can't hold that against him; we all have to make mistakes.

The movie is about C being torn between his father and Sonny.

Deep down, C knows that what his father tells him is in his best interests.

It is hard for C to ignore what Sonny offers-especially when his friends in the neighborhood are Sonny-wannabees.

Sonny wears the flashy clothes, gets the good seats at the fight, has everyone looking up to him. Lorenzo drives a bus. For a young kid hanging out on the stoop, those are polarized role models.

Through everything C has to go through in the film, Lorenzo was always there to support him.

And the values that Lorenzo taught him kept him from being killed before he was old enough to shave.

You only get one family.

You only get one father.

Never forget how important they are.