GRIFT

Mule Variations by Tom Waits...

It has your gritty knock down songs, your beautiful ballads, some real oddities, and lyrics that shine on every track.

The thing I find with Mule Variations, though, is that it seems very self-conscious in including "everything"; it's almost Tom Waits-by-numbers, like he's sat down and gone "here's the rocker, here's the ballad, now a creepy spoken word piece"...it's a brilliant album, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't seem to have the flow and feel of some of his other works.

Which, incidentally, would lead me to say that, probably, "Rain Dogs" by Tom Waits would by my ONE album. It flows brilliantly from start to finish, is utterly timeless, unique, and overall just full of brilliant songs.

Honourable mention, though, goes to "Bone Machine" by Tom Waits, "Nebraska" by Bruce Springsteen, "The Velvet Underground & Nico" by The Velvet Underground, "The Queen Is Dead" by The Smiths, "Warmer Corners" by The Lucksmiths, and probably lots of other things.

I always quite liked the flow of Mule, I mean it starts out with a song that absolutely typifies his experimental style and gets the album off with a bang. The next song, Lowside of the Road, continues the feel but slows it down slightly, then Hold On slows it down further. The next few songs balance the ballads until Cold Water (my consummate drunken slurred song, many a night has ended with me and a friend walking arm and arm howling the lyrics at the moon on our way home from the bars) the spoken track splits the album, breaking it from the more traditional folky stuff and the more industrial. A couple ballads later Box spring hog wakes you up, Take it With Me me kills you and breaks your heart, and finally you are delivered when he invites you to Come On Up to the House.

Also I don't know how I missed mentioning Nebraska... on a side note that album has my all time favorite album cover.

Mule Variations by Tom Waits...

It has your gritty knock down songs, your beautiful ballads, some real oddities, and lyrics that shine on every track.

Honorable mention to Born to Run, and also the soundtrack to Be Here to Love Me: A film about Townes Van Zandt, but Mule Variations takes the win here for the Grifterman.

Yes... and on a slightly less related note: http://badnews4batman.ytmnd.com/

So I just completed Operation Slipknot... basically you follow the link on that site to http://www.gothamintercontinentalhotel.com/ and scroll to the bottom of the page where they have the contact number for the Concierge. Then you give them your reference number (the total amount of letters in your name and then your last name with each letter shifted forward one. Example, I am Robert Booth so my reference would be 11cppui) I am awaiting the next bit.

I watched the deleted scenes from Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny... The scene with Bubba at the army surplus store is better than anything in the whole movie. I can't believe that got cut.

The Leprechaun on your shoulder?

The voices in your head?

I watched more Dexter today. I am about to sit down and write a paper on Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolfe? for my Literature into Film class, and then Strangers on a Train. So I'll be watching both of those very soon for the umpteenth time.

Dexter Season 1... I finally get what all the fuss is about. I love this show.

Rescue Me wins. I can't wait for season 4 to come out.

Kottonmouth Kings...

The best of ELO. There something about ELO that just puts a smile on my face.

So for those of you who did the phone call from James Gordon and Acme Security, you probably have received the same email that I did. For those that didn't here it is:

My friend,

Indictments are about to be handed down. If you don't want your name on one, we'll need your full cooperation in an upcoming operation.

In case you haven't heard, we are struggling with a bit of corruption in the department. I'm not about to let the Gotham PD collapse in on itself, so we're taking action. We've identified a group of offenders that need to be apprehended. Problem is, most of these cops are hightailing it out of the city. But a C.I. just like you just gave us some information on their last known whereabouts. Now all we need is to catch them. This is where you come in.

Consider yourself on deck. I'll contact you next week, and let’s just say it's in your best interest to play along. County's not a place you want to spend the rest of your life.

Lt. Jim Gordon, MCU

This viral campaign fucking rules.

Bart's Nightmare on the Sega Fucking Genesis.

I finally got around to watching Mean Streets. 8/10

Deniro and Harvey light up the screen like only they can. Talk about to actors who had "IT" from start to finish.

So like it does to many NFL fans the start of a new season means Fantasy Football to me. The other night my buddy and I got to talking about who the number one pick for this years fantasy draft was going to be and a name that we kept coming up with was Adrian Peterson. I don't think Brady and Moss are going to have the year that they did last year, and while the injury fueled season of last year might make it tough to look at this season I still tend to lean towards AP.

Who do you guys have your eyes on?

No, he was Non-Heinous... or perhaps, dare I say, Non-Non-Non-Heinous.

I am stoked for that... almost as much as I am for the movie.

I mean it has Killer Croc!

Between this and the recent rulings to keep in the scenes that include Ledger in a body bag, I am glad to see that Nolan seems to have a bit of stroke.

The President of the United States debut, in preperation for seeing them live tonight.

I am glad you aren't one of the idiots who thinks it is badluck to listen to a band before seeing them live. Sometimes I'll be driving to a show and I'll toss on some of the band's tunes to get pumped and a friend will start moaning about "The Rule."

I've been a fan of Casey's seen seeing Gerry a while back, and was pleased to see him in a bigger and better role here. This was one of those films that languished at the bottom of my netflix queue for a while as I bumped other things ahead of it. Now I am wishing I watched it sooner.

Your mom is old.

Ben Folds Five covering Bitches Ain't Shit is old too but that doesn't make it any less relevant to the conversation Dragsy.

It isn't exactly what we are talking about but it counts and probably rocks harder than anything listed so far...

Travis Barker + Soulja Boy

Speaking of Bru and noir, has anyone else hear been reading any of his Criminal stuff? Personally I think it is the best stuff he's ever been a part of and beyond that some of the best stuff being printed right now. I haven't started the new arc yet, but I've been trying to get this one as it comes out just because those sales are the only type that will keep the title going.

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss' album. I've had it for a while but hadn't sat down and listened to it from start to finish until last night before bed. It was wonderful. Originally it caught my interest for the cover of Nothin' but now songs like Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us are really shining for me.