When I was in college, “grunge” was all the thing … except for the really cool alterna-kids, who were going through a Sixties retro phase. As much as I hate to think of anyone taking their cultural cues from Bill Clinton, that’s what happened. 1988-2001 was the great swan song of Boomerism; Bill Clinton was their avatar; Forrest Gump their valedictory (and, really, what could possibly sum up the Baby Boomers better than the story of a simpleton who lucked into a starring role in the greatest, wealthiest, healthiest, freest society on earth … then fucked it up and threw it all away on some dumb broad, because they were too goddamn stupid to see what they were doing? Hillary Clinton being the dumb broad in question).
If that’s harsh on the Boomers, well, sorry, Moonbeam — History don’t care about your feelings. But “the Sixties” isn’t the gravest charge History can lay against you. This is: After all that, you gave the world us, Gen X, the Dumbest Generation of Narcissists in the History of the World. Yes, you guys are responsible for both “Rocky Raccoon” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
Severian, “The Look”, Rotten Chestnuts, 2020-10-09.
February 7, 2021
QotD: The greatest sin of the Baby Boomers
February 5, 2021
The 369th Infantry Regiment in WW1 – the “Harlem Hellfighters”
Lawrence W. Reed remembers the US regiment that spent the most days in combat during WW1 and was awarded the French Croix de Guerre for the unit’s incredible fighting efforts:
“Some of the colored men of the 369th (15th N.Y.) who won the Croix de Guerre for gallantry in action.” Left to right. Front row: Pvt. Ed Williams, Herbert Taylor, Pvt. Leon Fraitor, Pvt. Ralph Hawkins. Back Row: Sgt. H. D. Prinas, Sgt. Dan Strorms, Pvt. Joe Williams, Pvt. Alfred Hanley, and Cpl. T. W. Taylor.
Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs via Wikimedia Commons.
Formed from a New York National Guard unit, the men of the 369th learned basic military practices at Camp Whitman, New York, before being sent to Camp Wadsworth in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for combat training. They were not welcomed by many of the locals there, and some were subjected to discrimination and vile epithets for no more reason than their color. In December 1917, they were shipped to France where they expected to see action on the front lines.
Their high spirits were quickly dashed when it became apparent the Army did not want to deploy them for anything other than manual labor, far from the fighting. Even the rifles they brought with them were confiscated by US Army officials.
The commander of the American Expeditionary Force, General John J. Pershing, was reluctant to commit any US troops to the front until he felt he had assembled them in sufficient numbers to ensure victory. The French, meanwhile, were desperate for manpower. Finally bowing to French pressure, Pershing gave them the 369th. While some regarded black troops as expendable, they ultimately proved themselves indispensable.
Consider this amazing record of the Harlem Hellfighters: No American unit experienced more time in combat than they did — no less than 191 days under fire. They never lost an inch of ground. The enemy never captured a single of their number. They suffered the highest casualty rate of any US regiment. None deserted. The grateful French bestowed their highest military honor, the Croix de Guerre, upon the entire regiment. Many individuals of the regiment received the US Army’s second-highest award, the Distinguished Service Cross. Posthumously, Henry Johnson received America’s Medal of Honor in 2015. The 369th ended up as the most decorated US regiment of the war.
Another distinguishing feature of the Harlem Hellfighters was their band, the largest and best-known of any regiment. Its leader was James Reese Europe, whose enlistment in 1917 proved to be a boon for recruitment. He was one of America’s best-known black musicians and others like Noble Sissle, who became Europe’s lieutenant and lead vocalist, were eager to serve with him.
Europe’s band was extremely popular with the French, even when Europe introduced his own arrangement of La Marseillaise, France’s national anthem. The Hellfighters’ band brought both jazz and ragtime music to France, where nobody had heard either before.
January 31, 2021
QotD: Sixties music wasn’t what you think it was
Tom Jones is great, I love his stuff, but he’s not going to melt your face with his guitar riffs, and he’s there at #8, right in front of “Build Me Up, Buttercup.” Which is one hell of a catchy tune, and compared to “Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet” (#15) it’s practically Slayer, but rock it ain’t. Ray Stevens is at #61, for pete’s sake, with “Guitarzan.” If that hasn’t convinced you that The Sixties were nothing like they show in the movies (and that maybe the Viet Cong deserved to win), I don’t know what would.
Severian, “Entertainers (III): Hair Metal Attains Nirvana”, Rotten Chestnuts, 2020-10-08.
January 28, 2021
QotD: Art for art’s sake
Severian, “The Entertainer”, Rotten Chestnuts, 2020-10-08.
January 21, 2021
“A horse with no name” cover in Latin (BARDCORE) Original song by America
the_miracle_aligner
Published 20 Oct 2020“Oh no Consul White, the Parthians found us!”
&
Oh, Crassus you doink. You, I don’t care about but why did you have to drag Publius down with you 😢 NEVER FORGET MAY 6th 53 B.COriginal by @America – Topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIYgs…
BIG shoutout to @Canticles Please go check out his covers NOWWW!!!
https://www.youtube.com/user/theyoung…Another BIIIG shoutout to @Juan Necessarium PLEASE go and support his work too yao
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ8O…Wanna follow me?
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4y9XM…
https://twitter.com/KholeJa
https://www.instagram.com/the_miracle…Source of the BG: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publius…
This was a really fun one to do. As always thank you so much for all the support people. I am edging closer and closer to 100K subs 🙂 Got my special coming, it’ll be a pleasant surprise. Leave a like if ya liked it, and if you haven’t subscribed yet, please consider doing so 🙂
Take care my lovelies and until we meet again.
Consider supporting the channel, I know what I do ain’t much but its honest work ❤: https://www.patreon.com/the_miracle_a…
Here be the lyrics, all credits goes to Juan
In prima itineris parte
Omnia vitae intuebar.
Erant plantae, aves, saxa et res
Arena, colles et orbes.
Primum quod vidi musca bombans fuit
Et caelum sine ulla nube.
Calor magnus et tellus sicca
Sed aer soni plenus erat.Eremum transii vectus sine nomine equo
Mihi placuit pluviam nullam pati.
In eremo, tuum nomen recordaris,
Nam nemo adest quin te ullo modo vexet.Post duos dies sub eremi sole (DUos DIes)
Pellis mea iam rubebat,
Post tres dies in gaudio illius loci, (loCI)
Antiqui fluminis alveum vidi.
Et quod narrabat de flumine antea vivo
Me maximopere contristavit. (maxiMOpere CONtrisTAvit)Eremum transii vectus sine nomine equo,
Mihi placuit pluviam nullam pati.
In eremo, tuum nomen recordaris,
Nam nemo adest quin te ullo modo vexet.Post novem dies, equum liberavi,
Cum eremus mare factus sit.
Erant plantae, aves, saxa et res,
Arena, colles et orbes.
Sub mari enim vita certe floret
Sed id eremus videtur supra.
Sub urbibus cor terra factum iacet,
Sed homines amorem nullum dabunt.Eremum transii vectus sine nomine equo
Mihi placuit pluviam nullam pati.
In eremo, tuum nomen recordaris,
Nam nemo adest quin te ullo modo vexet.#America #Latin #Bardcore
January 14, 2021
Frankenstein and the Socialist Origins of Electronic Music | B2W: ZEITGEIST! | E.09 – Harvest 1920
TimeGhost History
Published 13 Jan 2021There is a surprising connection between sci-fi films and the technological policies of Soviet Russia. Watch to find out …
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Indy Neidell and Francis van Berkel
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Indy Neidell and Francis van Berkel
Image Research by: Daniel Weiss
Edited by: Daniel Weiss
Sound design: Marek KamińskiColorizations:
Daniel Weiss – https://www.facebook.com/TheYankeeCol…Sources:
Some images from the Library of CongressFrom the Noun Project:
– Mansion By Shane Stieben
– signal by Adrien Coquet
– cowboy man by Adrien Coquet
– signal by Adrien Coquet
– room By Batibull, ESSoundtracks from Epidemic Sound
– “One More for the Road” – Golden Age Radio
– “Dark Shadow” – Etienne Roussel
– “The Inspector 4” – Johannes Bornlöf
– “The Inspector” – David Celeste
– “Wind Chimes” – Farrell Wooten
– “Last Point of Safe Return” – Fabien Tell
– “Puzzle Of Complexity” – Jo Wandrini
– “What Now” – Golden Age Radio
– “Out the Window” – Wendel Scherer
– “Symphony of the Cold-Blooded” – Christian AndersenArchive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
January 1, 2021
“Wolfpack” Pt. 2 – The Torpedoing – Sabaton History 100 [Official]
Sabaton History
Published 31 Dec 2020The Allies had cracked the secret codes, deprived the German Kriegsmarine of their best U-Boat aces, and sunk more submarines than the Germans could replace. Yet the Wolfpacks returned. From the depth of the sea they continued their hunt, even far away from the busy routes of the Atlantic. On their way south, along the coast of Africa, Wolfpack “Eisbär” would engage in a fateful encounter. An encounter that would demonstrate how the old rules of conduct, honor and mercy had become a thing of the past.
Support Sabaton History on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sabatonhistory
Listen to “Wolfpack” on the album Primo Victoria: https://music.sabaton.net/PrimoVictoria
Listen to Sabaton on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/SabatonSpotify
Official Sabaton Merchandise Shop: http://bit.ly/SabatonOfficialShopHosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Markus Linke and Indy Neidell
Directed by: Astrid Deinhard and Wieke Kapteijns
Produced by: Pär Sundström, Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Executive Producers: Pär Sundström, Joakim Brodén, Tomas Sunmo, Indy Neidell, Astrid Deinhard, and Spartacus Olsson
Community Manager: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Editor: Iryna Dulka
Sound Editor: Marek Kaminski
Maps by: Eastory — https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory
Archive: Reuters/Screenocean — https://www.screenocean.comSources:
– Design vector of baseball elements created by macrovector official – www.freepik.comAll music by: Sabaton
An OnLion Entertainment GmbH and Raging Beaver Publishing AB co-Production.
© Raging Beaver Publishing AB, 2019 – all rights reserved.
December 31, 2020
Louis Armstrong and the Beginning of the Jazz Age | BETWEEN 2 WARS: ZEITGEIST! I E.08 – Summer 1920
TimeGhost History
Published 30 Dec 2020Louis Armstrong will be one of the greats of the American Century. But before that, others have to blaze a trail for him. No mean feat in a land of racial tension…
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Indy Neidell and Francis van Berkel
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Indy Neidell and Francis van Berkel
Edited by: Michał Zbojna
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Colorizations: Mikołaj Uchman and Spartacus OlssonSources:
Some images from the Library of CongressFrom the Noun Project:
world by Arafat Uddin
Stamp by Made
questions by Gregor Cresnar
Money by DARAYANI
Money Bag by HAMEL KHALED
people by Florent LenormandSoundtracks from Epidemic Sound:
“Epic Adventure Theme 3” – Håkan Eriksson
“You’re Trouble” – Rich in Rags
“1920s Chicago 2” – Magnus Ringblom
“It’s Not a Game” – Philip Ayers
“Weapon of Choice” – Fabien Tell
“On the Edge of Change” – Brightarm Orchestra
“For the Many STEMS INSTRUMENTS” – Jon Bjork
“Easy Target” – Rannar Sillard
“Step on It” – Golden Age RadioArchive by Screenocean/Reuters https://www.screenocean.com.
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
December 25, 2020
“Swedish Pagans” – Vikings & The Russ – Sabaton History 099 [Official]
Sabaton History
Published 24 Dec 2020It was a sword-age, a spear-age — an age when fearsome Northmen, savage Vikings, and mysterious pagans from across the sea haunted the shores of northern Europe. The Swedish pagans, believing in the fate of the old Norse gods, traveled south across the Baltic Sea and deep into modern-day Russia. With their sleek longships, they sailed along the big rivers, ever southwards to reach Miklagard. Miklagard — the Great City — that was Constantinople, where the Swedish Pagans sold slaves and goods from the north for silver and coin. Those who made the long hazardous journey and survived the treacherous country were to be rich men.
Support Sabaton History on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sabatonhistory
Listen to “Swedish Pagans” on the album The Art of War: https://music.sabaton.net/TheArtOfWar
Listen to Sabaton on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/SabatonSpotify
Official Sabaton Merchandise Shop: http://bit.ly/SabatonOfficialShopHosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Markus Linke and Indy Neidell
Directed by: Astrid Deinhard and Wieke Kapteijns
Produced by: Pär Sundström, Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Executive Producers: Pär Sundström, Joakim Brodén, Tomas Sunmo, Indy Neidell, Astrid Deinhard, and Spartacus Olsson
Community Manager: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Editor: Karolina Dołęga
Sound Editor: Marek Kamiński
Maps by: Eastory – https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory
Archive: Reuters/Screenocean – https://www.screenocean.comSources:
Swedish National Heritage Board
Kulturhistorisk museum
Museum of Cultural History, part of the University of Oslo, Norway
Pictures of Runestone courtesy of: Berig, RJürgen Howald & Bjoertvedt from Wikimedia
AU Library, Campus Emdrup, http://galleri.au.dk/aul/#14891850309…
Longship sketch with a keel courtesy of Cornelis from Wikimedia
Map from 878 courtesy of Hel-hama – from WikimediaAll music by: Sabaton
An OnLion Entertainment GmbH and Raging Beaver Publishing AB co-Production.
© Raging Beaver Publishing AB, 2019 – all rights reserved.
Bonus QotD: Modern services in church
Back then, you could still visit an average (Protestant) church and hear a pastor actually teach real doctrine and share authentic insights. You could hear his thoughts on how to live an upright Christian life, or on why bad things might happen to good people, or how Christian marriages might be improved. And you could hear it all supported by actual Bible passages.
After the sermon, you could hear the congregation sing hymns affirming the importance of obedience, humility, faith, courage, or some other Christian virtue. They were something, the old hymns: bold, clear, impactful, sometimes even militant, like “Onward, Christian Soldiers” or “God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand”, or particularly thoughtful, like “How Great Thou Art”.
Things are different now. Wander into a typical Christian church these days, and, far from hearing a sermon challenging you to live an upright life, you’re more likely to hear an unsuccessful attempt at a Jeff Foxworthy-style stand-up comedy routine, Hallmark-style stories of dubious veracity, and utterly vacuous “praise songs” which all sound like U2 album rejects from 1986. (They even feature the thumping eighth-note bass parts, echo-drenched guitar, and melodramatic vocal performances.)
Oh, and I forgot: At some point, you’re also going to see the pastor dutifully hand the mic over to his overly-assertive, overly-eager, overly-made-up wife (presumably on pain of divorce, or possibly even death), who will then speak loudly and rapturously — all about herself — for the next half hour.
Not all Christian churches are like this, of course. The problem is, too many are. As the years roll by, contemporary Christian churches increasingly abnegate their scripturally-prescribed role as fortified beacons of divine truth, and instead transform themselves into vehicles for a social justice pseudo-gospel completely incompatible with Christian (or Jewish, for that matter) scriptural teachings.
Tal Bachman, “Christians, Come Back”, Steyn Online, 2020-09-03.
Repost – “Fairytale of New York”
Time:
“Fairytale of New York,” The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl
This song came into being after Elvis Costello bet The Pogues’ lead singer Shane MacGowan that he couldn’t write a decent Christmas duet. The outcome: a call-and-response between a bickering couple that’s just as sweet as it is salty.
Update: Looks like the video I’ve linked to has been taken down, so here’s a more recent version on the “official” Pogues YT channel.
December 23, 2020
QotD: Christmas songs
On balance, I prefer the approach of the London Borough of Brent, one of Britain’s sternest loony-left councils but far more sporting than the Scrooge-packed school boards across the Atlantic. Back in the Eighties, Brent decreed that it would permit municipal performances of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” as long as they were accompanied by a couple of non-heterosexist choruses of “I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus”. That’s a lot less vicious than replacing the entire seasonal repertoire with obscurantist dirges for solstice-worshippers. Anyone can St-Nix “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, the hard part is finding something to put in its place.
There are very few good Hannukah songs, never mind Kwanza or the Islamic festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The reason for the dearth of Hanukkah songs is that for most of the last century the Jews were too busy cranking out Christmas songs — Irving Berlin wrote “White Christmas”, Mel Torme wrote “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire)”, Jerry Herman “We Need A Little Christmas”, Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” and “The Christmas Waltz”, Johnny Marks “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Have A Holly Jolly Christmas”, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and a zillion others. As far as I know, the only Christian to offer to return the compliment was stiff-necked Mormon Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah (whose “Come To The Manger” has been recorded by Donny Osmond). Senator Hatch confirmed to me during his short-lived presidential campaign in 1999 that he was working on a Hanukkah song. I don’t know whether he’s finished it, but I would have to say on balance that, musically speaking, the Christians got the better end of this deal.
Mark Steyn, “Imagine Christmas”, Steyn Online, 2019-12-23 (originally published in The Spectator, 2004).
December 22, 2020
Repost – The Monkees – “Riu Chiu”
Uploaded on 15 Dec 2015
The Monkees perform “Riu Chiu” from Episode 47, “The Monkees’ Christmas Show”.
H/T to Kathy Shaidle for the link.
December 21, 2020
Horrible Christmas music in retail stores – X-mas Music
Viva La Dirt League
Published 14 Dec 2020Rowan thinks its a good idea to play X-mas music in the store for the entire Christmas period … and the staff aren’t happy
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QotD: The evolving style of John Coltrane
Coltrane’s late style emerged in his 1960s quartets. Now leading and writing for his own group, and newly clean of drink and drugs, he was finally able to pursue his vision and the possibilities of the music to the limits of form and expression — and ultimately beyond both. The further he went, the more ambitious and less accessible the music became, until it was incomprehensible to almost all of his audience and even to some of his closest collaborators. In the logic of modernism, further means better. But “faster” and “louder” aren’t necessarily better, so why should “further” be the supreme critical value? To judge Coltrane’s late-style art is, in an important sense, to judge modernism itself, and especially American modernism.
Dominic Green, “John Coltrane and the End of Jazz”, The Weekly Standard, 2018-08-26.
