So I’m sitting at work listening to Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream, which I believe came out in ‘93 (Its called a break, beat it). It occurred to me that it may not be that far off until this is considered classic rock and its playback on the radio (not that I listen to radio) is sandwiched between some Bro Jake style blow hard making jokes about Lindsay Lohan.

That got me wondering when it is exactly rock turns into classic rock. It seems right now that the line is somewhere around 1980. I don’t think anyone considers Joy Division to be classic rock, but Led Zeppelin sure as hell is. But then when I look back to 1993, I’m pretty sure the line was in the same place; 70’s was classic rock, 80’s wasn’t. Maybe I’ve just got the genre wrong? Are Bon Jovi or U2 classic rock?

And most of all, why do I care? I guess I’m just thinking about getting older and when the music I grew up with becomes “classic,” then so too do I become “classic.”

Next up on the Bro Jake show, we’re going wayyyyyy back with a hit from Bloc Party, followed by the Arctic Monkeys!

So its 2007 and I just started a blog. Now I can’t be certain, but I think I may just be the last person on the planet to start a blog. And on a Saturday night no less. I suppose I could say at least I’m not out drinking for once, but I’m sipping on a Crown & Ginger at this moment. Oh well, cheers I guess.

In the future I plan to blog whatever seems interesting at the moment. Thats the point I suppose. So what seems interesting at the moment? Lets see, listening to the new Modest Mouse album - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. Also good. Took a bit to get into, but a few listens and I was groovin right along. Apparently James Mercer of The Shins does backup vocals on a few songs, which is interesting. Both very good bands but stylistically quite different.

Was watching some Bill Hicks videos on YouTube today. For those who haven’t heard of him, he was a comedian, though thats a pretty limiting description. He made it his personal mission to tell the truth as he saw it in his routines, and goes further in slamming the american way of life, the military, religion, etc. then any popular figure I’ve ever seen. His sets can be pretty rough at times - and offensive to most people probably - but he also gets to the heart of things, and preaches compassion for others as equals.

He died in ‘93 of cancer, I think, which is unfortunate because we need as many people as we can get right now that aren’t afraid to speak the truth. He was a very vocal critic of the Reagan and Bush Sr. administrations. Not that we’re lacking in critics of George W, or even of the rising religious right, but he seemed willing to take it farther than virtually anyone else. I find that watching/listening to him is a good wake up call, both in thinking for yourself, and not taking things too seriously. And hes quite hilarious to boot. Definitely someone that I think everyone should hear at least once.

Anyways, enough of my heavy-handed explanation, watch for yourself:

Bill Hicks - Revelations 1 of 8

The world is like a ride at an amusement park. And when you choose to go on it, you think it’s real because that’s how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills and it’s very brightly coloured and it’s very loud and it’s fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: Is this real, or is this just a ride? And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, they say, “Hey – don’t worry, don’t be afraid ever, because this is just a ride.” And we … kill those people. “Shut him up. We have a lot invested in this ride. Shut him up. Look at my furrows of worry. Look at my big bank account and my family. This just has to be real.” It’s just a ride. But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok. But it doesn’t matter, because – it’s just a ride. And we can change it anytime we want. It’s only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money. A choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one. Here’s what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace - Bill Hicks