The Hot Air tribute to the passing of a musical genius
posted at 8:08 pm on July 7, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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I’m tired of all the demands from the closed-minded, telling us we should ignore this tremendous talent taken from us far too soon. Stop the resentment, people. Unlock your hearts and give this man his due. Click on the image to watch:
Decades later, that music still grabs me by the heart. When he left us, a simpler time passed with him as well.
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That is just wrong. Go in the corner and let all the other uncouth geeks stand on you.
cozmo on July 8, 2009 at 10:43 AM
LOL..going back to corner
Jeff from WI on July 8, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Oh, no! They did reissue it on CD in 1995. They want $180 for it new or $150 used. Cheaper to buy one of those vinal to computer gizmos. Jeesh.
Blake on July 8, 2009 at 10:49 AM
My own confession:
Bright blue 1975 Gremlin with the straight 6 engine (engine weighed more than the rest of the car combined, so it ran like a bat out of hell). I was so proud of the 8-track I installed myself, installing the speakers under the seats (where they were almost completely muffled, silly me). Like most AMC cars a total piece of junk, one that tried to kill me with malice aforethought on numerous occasions. Since then I’ve owned many cars that were infinitely better and served me well, but I don’t think I’ve loved any of them more than I loved the Gremlin.
Drove it for 6 years as it rusted and broke down around me.
Near the end, the driver side door would drop about 2 inches when you opened it. To close it you would have to lift the door with your left arm, pull it to within 8 inches, reach your right hand over and grab the arm rest, align the door latching mechanism, and slam the door shut. Curse and repeat as necessary until door actually latches.
The passenger door eventually began to rattle, so on long trips I’d have to roll up a jacket or blanket and wedge it between the passenger seat and passenger door so the rattling wouldn’t drive me nuts.
And I always kept a supply of Bic pen caps in the ashtray to wedge into the 8 –track player to keep it from double-tracking.
I had a job that would take me to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where AMC cars were made. There is a lot of AMC nostalgia there, and one day a week during the summer (Friday, I believe) people who still have them will drive them. Not at all unusual to see Gremlins, Javelins, Hornets, and God help us, the Pacer driving around Kenosha.
I once considered trying to track down my old Gremlin for nostalgia’s sake. But I realized that: 1) it’s probably serving as steel wool or nails or something more useful than its original purpose, and 2) it’d be much less stressful and expensive to simply set fire to a small pile of $20 dollar bills in the driveway.
brushman on July 8, 2009 at 10:50 AM
I liked the 1.5 inch thick seat cushions upholstered in plaid vinyl and the “home made” looking dash board.
258 inch six was a screamer thoughand great “Weather Eye” heater for those cold Wisconsin winters.
Jeff from WI on July 8, 2009 at 10:53 AM
This morning on Fox & Friends, Brian mentioned that he had had a 69 Mustang which should have secured him as a magnet but found out too late the carpet on the dashboard was indeed chick repellent. Funny.
Cindy Munford on July 8, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Thanks ED!
Comedy Genius! Gave the start of my day a great laugh! Well done!!!
wtng2fish on July 8, 2009 at 11:25 AM
I preferred ‘Time In A Bottle’, but I’m with you.
DanaSmiles on July 8, 2009 at 11:25 AM
When Major League baseball players go up to bat, they have a particular song played over the loudspeaker as they walk to the plate, and they get to choose which one. If I was ever in any such situation, I would choose Jim Croce’s I’ve Got A Name.
backwoods conservative on July 8, 2009 at 11:41 AM
Jim Croce was awesome!
-Dave
Dave R. on July 8, 2009 at 11:44 AM
LOL-After reading some of the comments on this thread, I bet Ed is ROFLHAO!
Not only do we have a bunch of people here at HA who don’t click, they apparently don’t read, either.
-Dave
Dave R. on July 8, 2009 at 11:46 AM
A friend told me about this place. I’ve always wanted to go. I wonder if his widow still ownes it?
http://www.sandiegorestaurants.com/info.cfm/restaurant/110/Croces
DanaSmiles on July 8, 2009 at 11:46 AM
I learned how to play the guitar by learning all the Croce songs…
He sure beats the hell out of the Glove’d One.
Wyznowski on July 8, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Here’s another almost-forgotten talent whose life was a tragedy: Jackson C Frank. His life is among the most tragic I’ve ever read about. He lost 15 of his classmates in a school explosion when he was a kid, was horrifically burned and hospitalized for months, became a guitar player and singer, was discovered by Paul Simon, recorded one great album and then succumbed to depression and poverty because of what happened to him. Had a child who was born with cystic fibrosis. Lived his life in and out of homes, was finally rediscovered again by a fan, then got shot in the eye by a bunch of kids and eventually died in poverty. Wrote some pretty haunting music though….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArSBi7An3Jk
Sharke on July 8, 2009 at 12:18 PM
MJ might have died 15 years ago and left people with his music and a sense of grief that the creativity which inspired his music was also embodied in his personal life.
Performers excel at one skill while frequently the adulation can mess with their personal lives. Sinatra and Elvis led less than stellar lives. If Michael Phelps parties too much, then he shouldn’t be a role model–unless you are studying his technique in the pool and want to swim faster.
With MJ gone a lot of people will remember the music and forget the man.
dedalus on July 8, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Michael Jackson always hid his kids from view, so their full exposure on public display was startling.
Beto Ochoa on July 8, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Yeah, with some performers (to me especially Vaughan) you had the sense that there was much much left undone by their early deaths. Very different than MJ.
dedalus on July 8, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Corner, NOW!
Laura in Maryland on July 8, 2009 at 1:01 PM
LOL!
No dessert for you tonight, buster.
Laura in Maryland on July 8, 2009 at 1:04 PM
She sure does Dana. When you go, ask for a table upstairs, you will find original song notes on many of his hits framed on the walls, pretty cool. Some good bands from time to time as well. But go around the corner to “Patricks II” Best Blues and down home rock and roll in town. Love that place.
JusDreamin on July 8, 2009 at 1:36 PM
Box Number 10.
RedNewEnglander on July 8, 2009 at 2:38 PM
LOL
Jeff from WI on July 8, 2009 at 2:59 PM
What the hell kinda CD player is that?!
hehe
soundingboard on July 8, 2009 at 4:40 PM
And this time don’t come out ’til Laura say you can.
haha…serious.
soundingboard on July 8, 2009 at 4:45 PM
I knew instantly who that was in the picture. I know where I was when I heard he had been killed in the plane crash with Maury.
Where were you?
drjohn on July 8, 2009 at 9:17 PM
His music was “white bread” smothered with mayonnaise, no meat or cheese. ZZZZZZZZZZ!
Bill Blizzard on July 8, 2009 at 10:54 PM
He’s got a name.
Dollayo on July 9, 2009 at 12:50 AM
Quite true, but considering the absolute garbage that is a big chunk of the music that’s popular today, white bread and mayo is looking better every day.
Jeff from WI on July 9, 2009 at 7:09 AM
Jackson was a showman, not a musician. He could sing and dance, but I don’t think he played any instruments. If he was a composer, I didn’t find any listing of compositions on the internet, so his composer credentials are questionable, IMHO. Whatever he was, he made his mark in the music world. Now, it’s time to move on.
BottomLine5 on July 9, 2009 at 7:25 AM
I agree with moving on
Jeff from WI on July 9, 2009 at 7:30 AM
Agreed on moving on, though we’d probably agree it was time to move past the train wreck of MJ’s life more than a decade ago.
MJ did have songwriting credits on many of his songs from “Off the Wall” onward–Billy Jean, Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough, Bad, Beat It, etc.
dedalus on July 9, 2009 at 8:21 AM
I’ll tell you what. I won’t bring up his hobby with little children, if no one else brings him up as a great person deserving our time or devotion. In other words, bury him, his songs, his name, all of him.
Jeff from WI on July 9, 2009 at 9:44 AM
CNN and the chattering heads need something to cover. If it isn’t a celebrity death, it might be a missing blond girl or a car chase. They aren’t much of an index of what’s important.
MJ’s work will rise and fall over time on it’s own, increasingly less affected by hype or scandal in the decades to come. I’m not convinced the music will endure as vital to future generations–though maybe the Jackson 5 stuff more than the rest.
dedalus on July 9, 2009 at 10:29 AM
As time goes by, future generation will shake their head and wonder what all the fuss was about.
Jeff from WI on July 9, 2009 at 11:57 AM
Musicians should stay out of small planes… and helicopters.
Croce, Holly, Stevie Ray Vaughan…
profitsbeard on July 30, 2009 at 11:41 PM
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