When you go away for two years you miss a lot of stuff, apparently. I was never too disappointed to have missed TLC's "Waterfall", for example. But I was disappointed to have missed "Reality Bites", which turned out to be only okay when I finally saw it, but it did have Winona Ryder and that was a huge plus.
But the strangest part about missing out on popular culture for two years is finding out about stuff years after it happened. Just this week, I learned two things I had never known before:
1. BYU won an NCAA tournament basketball game in 1993. They beat SMU 80-71 and then lost to Greg Ostertag and Kansas in the next round. The Cougars will change that in about two weeks, when they finally get back into the NCAA tournament win column. Count on it.
2. Jeff Buckley was a rising star that flamed out way too early. I had never heard of Jeff Buckley, but apparently he released an album, "Grace", that was critically acclaimed. I downloaded the album this week and I feel like I've discovered a hidden treasure.
It's an interesting find. The style is a mix of late 70's anthem rock and early 90's grunge, but with all of the delicate phrasing of folk music and coffee-shop fare. It is at times Geddy Lee, at times Joni Mitchell, with some Chris Cornell mixed in for good measure.
I found this quote from him:
"the only way to really make it ~ anywhere ~ is to put every bit of your being into the thing that only you can provide. the only angle is the art that you choose, that only you can provide. and to do that, you have to be quiet for a long time and find out what you bring forth. you have to know what's in youself~ all of your eccentricities, all your banalities, the full flavor of your woe and your joy. what does it look like? what makes it different from everybody else's? it's totally subjective. you're just given the task of bringing it up."
~ Jeff Buckley
From what I've learned this week, Buckley died in 1994 and "Grace" is the only full-length label release he ever had.
It's strange to find out these things fourteen years later. It makes me wonder about all of the other things I should know about, but haven't yet discovered.
8 comments:
I bet you didn't know that in 1993, I had a "bowl" haircut. Of course, maybe deep down you did know that.
Oh quit your sniveling you big baby and stop trying to live in the past. lol And answer my damn calls. : ) Otherwise I hope all is well with you.
Hey Scott, a bowl haircut isn't that bad...in 1993 I had a mullet. Then again, in Alaska, it was still cool...there and construction sites. In fact I think it's considered the in thing in both places still today.
Captain, I played Jeff Buckley's album "Grace" for you in my car on the way to one of our acclaimed lunches. I remember distinctly for some reason. It was "Last Goodbye", my personal favorite.
You were probably too busy pressing the case for some bad restaurant to hear the beautiful music. Plus, it was one of those times where someone tries to force music on you, making it impossible for you to like it.
I too have Jeff Buckley on my ipod, but trying to get you to embrace new music is nearly impossible. Like trying to get you to watch a great super hero movie.
Shane, there are no great super hero movies.
Derek, it's true what you say - it's hard to get someone to appreciate music unless they're ready. For example, Scott always tried to get me to like Elliott Smith but it wasn't until I took an interest in his life and story that I really appreciated his music. I'm someone who likes to find things on my own schedule - as is apparent from my new "find" of Jeff Buckley.
P.S. - You were right about another thing: Mama Chu's is gross.
Mama Chus is not gross. How can you say such things?
Dude, they totally changed their chips. They got rid of the good, grease-soaked ones and now they serve these stale, cardboard-tasting chips that actually make the meal grosser. In typical Mtrecian fashion, we have sleuthed answers to what happened to the old chips and we have applied our considerable consumer weight in an effort to convince them to bring those chips back. All efforts have been unsuccessful to date. So, Mama Chu's is officially gross now.
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