It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and, while the rest of my mind is in lockdown, I’m making the following list.  My favorite vocalists of all time.  I’m not sure if these truly go in any particular order, but hell, I need to write something.

1. Neko Case - I’ve had a thing for her voice since I first heard her album “Blacklisted” played on WXRT.  Her previous album, “Furnace Floor Lullaby” was one of my picks for best albums listened to in 2007.  I eagerly await future releases.

2. Jack Lukeman - Not really known on this side of the pond, Jack L sells out shows months in advance in Ireland.  A bit of an anachronism.  One of the last great crooners, expressive baritone–and also one of the more unique musicians I’ve discovered over the years. I would very much like to see him in concert, and steal his voice.

3. Chris Cornell - I was first exposed to Chris Cornell with his Temple of the Dog project.  I didn’t pay his music much mind till Soundgarden’s “Superunknown” and its follow-up “Down on the Upside”, both of which are still in heavy rotation.  His first solo record “Euphoria Morning” showcases his voice quite well–equally home at screaming heavy metal or belting the blues, he has one of the most expressive voices I’ve heard on record.

4. Billy Bragg - Billy has one of the best voice tones and sounds good with or without reverb.  A lot of people I know can’t get past the heavy cockney accent, but that’s all part of the charm.  Even putting politics aside, he’s a great singer and songwriter.

5. Tom Waits - Arguably one of the most influential musicians of the late 20th century, Tom Waits voice really has grown on me.  His later works are mind-blowingly bizarre–for better or for worse.   Whether he’s singing sad bar-room ballads or losing his sanity, one thing Tom Waits has is passion.  One of my musical heroes.

6. David Bowie - Another expressive voice, once you hit the 1980’s.  His earlier work is great fun and set many a trend, blazed many a trail.  But as Mr. Bowie’s matured, his songwriting, experimentation, and vocal range has improved dramatically.  Check out “Sunday” from his “Heathen” album, dirge-like as it is–beautiful. Another of my musical heroes.

7. Martin Sexton - I cannot say that there is a single album of Martin Sexton’s that I actually like, but the live material I’ve heard from him is probably the impressive live performance I’ve ever heard.  Smooth, soaring, Mr. Sexton has an incredibly range both in vocal ability as well as his guitar playing.  I’d love to catch him live some day.

8. Elvis Costello - Another musical hero of mine.  Partly because I’d like to do what he did with his life.  Like me, Mr. Declan McManus (for that it is his real name) was a computer programmer who finally got his break after a few years.  Elvis is hit or miss with me, depending on the album.  I like his early and later career probably the best. Both have piss and vinegar and demonstrate a keen pop sensibility, biting lyrical wit, and strong musicianship.

9. Nina Simone - Wow.  How did she get so far down this list?  Probably because I don’t listen to her music nearly as much as I’d like to.  One of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard.  Now that I think about it, she has one of those voices that stops you dead in your tracks and you can hardly pay attention to anything else going on around you.

10. Keely Smith - Music and life partner (at least for a time) of Louis Prima.  I actually like her voice much more than Ella Fitzgerald.  Probably because she didn’t scat nearly as much.  Smooth as silk and rich as cream.  I caught her on late night television a few years back.  Conan O’Brien I believe it was.  She still has it!

Honorable mentions: Pat Dinizio (of the Smithereens), Ella Fitzgerald, Yukimi Nagano, Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil), Nick Cave, Maynard James Keenan (Tool), Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel), Erlend Oye (Kings of Convenience, Whitest Boy Alive), John Grant (The Czars)

Well, it is January 29, 2008, and my Dad, Allan Wade Walldren would have been 74 years old today. Happy Birthday, Dad!

As I have become an adult, I have learned a lot about my Dad that I wouldn’t have fathomed as a child. I have learned that he, like you and me, was a human being. He had his flaws. He also had things that made him one the greatest human beings on the planet, especially to me.

Losing him when and how I did was a terrible blow. My life would have been very different if he was still alive. I know this to be true. Going what we went through together engendered in me a perspective, respect for life, and sense of compassion I do not think I would possess without his loss. While I am feeling a bit under the weather today, it is not because of grief. So I will take this time to remember you, Dad, and what you mean to me.

Horse

My Dad and I used to play “Horse” in the backyard. As a kid, I wanted nothing more than to play my Dad and my brother Chris. We’d stand around outside making up crazy shots. One afternoon in the hot sun, my Dad said he had to take a break. (I later learned that this was because he was having some chest pains.)

“Scotty, I’m 50 years old and need a break.”

“So’s Donald Duck!” I protested.

He laughed and said “You have me there!” He picked up the ball and we finished our game.

Sense of Humor

Dad did a great Donald Duck impression. And I reckon it is from him that I developed my propensity for mimicry. I remember waiting with baited breath for him to do his Donald Duck voice. I still can’t do it, but it made me laugh.

Dad was known for his sense of humor, especially his joke-telling ability. When he was in my Mom’s store, he was notorious for making our customers laugh.

Even facing his own mortality, he maintained a sense of humor. That was his choice, to try to laugh about it. I remember visiting him in Evanston Hospital, where he was for an extended stay, and he had asked me to bring him something to make him laugh.
I brought him the Religious “Shit Happens” list, and read it to him. He laughed so hard he cried. I laughed and cried too.

I think it is from my Dad and my experiences with my Dad that I came to appreciate Albert Camus’ absurdism and its core values of revolt, freedom, and passion. Even though I don’t think my Dad was into Camus, he upheld a lot of these principles.

Love of Learning

My Dad loved to learn and shared that love with those around him. He was a career academic, but never shied away from hard work. He was everything from a mover and truck driver to a teacher and personal librarian to W. Clement Stone.

Dad always stressed the importance of education, understanding different disciplines, and learning how to do things well. He taught middle school and directed programs for Northwestern University and Oakton Community College (where he met my Mom).

Dad had at least four degrees, to my knowledge. His concentration was in science, although I believe his doctorate was in Media Studies (but was about “how people learn”).

I didn’t want to finish high school (even though I had good grades), but Dad insisted. I made good on that. Now I have a Master’s.

I remember Dad told me a story of how he didn’t want to go to college, but his father insisted.  He went away to school for one year and came back disappointed.  He told his father he wasn’t going back.  His father made him a bet that if he could outrun his old man down the block, he wouldn’t have to go.  His father was wearing galoshes at the time (and apart from playing ball for the Decatur Staleys, was a Veteran of World War I).  Dad lost the race.  Dad decided to pick the hardest college he could find to get into, which was Lawrence University, figuring no one would let him in.  He lost that bet too, and ended up loving it so much there that he never really left the education sphere.

Dad was always curious about how the world worked and theories about how it does. Despite some of his conservative views (sorry Dad, with what I know today I could not support Reagan), he very much had an open mind. He was reading something, always working on improving himself and his knowledge of the world around him.

Loyalty

Always learning, Dad was also always helping somebody. Dad was a fierce friend. He befriended some very unique people and stood by them. He was incredibly forgiving and generous, to a fault.

In Closing

Dad, I feel very lucky to be your son. While we only had 18 years together, they helped make me who I am. I want to thank you for our time together, wish you well wherever you are now, and thank you for meeting Mom, as I am grateful to both of you for the life I have today.

So, a lot’s been going on–too much to comfortably blog about without raising too much suspicion–but to make good on my promise from January 2nd’s post, I’m going to update everyone on our overall wedding plans.

After a couple of weeks of investigating locations, caterers, and all things wedding-y, Christina and I came to a mutual decision of, “Let’s Keep It Simple.” While we did find a great location within budget, the money we’d spend on food became a bit more than we were comfortable spending, starting our new life together. So I am pleased to announce that we have come to a really great compromise.

The actual ceremony will be kept to immediate family only, followed by an intimate dinner. A potluck picnic / “forest preserve party” to celebrate the event with our friends and extended family will be held after. So goes the plan, and we’re both very pleased with our decision.

Very soon we will announce the date, and a fun project for the big day.  Please stay tuned!

Another great record I listened to a lot this year is from Alt-Country songstress Neko Case. Furnace Room Lullaby is a rare treat: when Neko Case’s song writing skills and vocal chops shine equally.

I first became acquainted with Neko’s music in 2002 when cuts from her Blacklisted album were played on the local radio station WXRT. The swelling acoustic reverb drone and her soaring pipes really captured my attention.

I started out with Blacklisted and progressed back into her first two albums. Of all her recordings, Furnace Room Lullaby stands out as her best all around piece of work to date. Her lyrics (for which her “eccentricity” is widely known now) are not as cryptic on this outing and the songwriting is well-sustained by the collaboration of her fellow musicians on the record.

While not as sonically interesting or atmospheric as her latest work, Furnace Room Lullaby resonates as the most significant. I highly recommend checking this album out if you’re looking for a solid alt-country kick.

For Christmas, Christina and I received Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action! from my Mom. It’s truly a wonderful trivia game for the Xbox 360, utilizing an original control device called the Big Button Pad.

Basically, up to four players can play using the pads. You are presented with a wide variety of puzzles ranging from Pictionary-like drawings, compositing, multiple choice, and film clips.

We began playing last weekend, and I kept cleaning up with my finely tuned video-gamer reflexes. However last night Christina displayed some impressive buzzer skills and defeated me in a no-holds barred cage match! The final scores were:

Christina: 78,342
Scott: 78,338

Congrats, Christina! The rematch is on!

Having worked in the web on a variety of projects and in varying capacities over the last 10 years, I’ve always questioned the need for sales people. Well, not exactly the “need” for sales people, but rather the tools and talent that comprise an organization’s sales force.

Now, of course, it would be flat out foolish to think a services company could thrive without a sales force. However, what has always ground my gears has been the sales force’s typical lack of knowledge of the services being sold. (I certainly have worked with my fair share of sales people who do know what they’re doing, but I’m always amazed that at least half of the sales forces I’ve worked with could as easily be selling carpet, used cars, or up selling you on banking services you don’t really need.) And what I find even more remarkable, is that this problem is fairly commonplace.

The sales person is really the “gateway” person of any organization. They are the person responsible for the first impression, and for introducing potential clients to the organization.

Let’s now examine the definitions for a moment.

According to dictionary.com, the definition of “doorman” is:

the door attendant of an apartment house, nightclub, etc., who acts as doorkeeper and may perform minor services for entering and departing residents or guests.

And the definition of a “salesman” is:

a man who sells goods, services, etc.

The problem I typically encounter with sales people is when they migrate from being one who sells goods, services, etc. into “performing minor services”. Such as quoting out additional work for free, or for a pittance without really considering the implications of the addition of such work to the project or service. The problem is, so to speak, when the doorman behaves like the CEO of the company.

This ramble is not meant to denigrate the truly skillful sales people who are out there, but rather to remind us all that your function is to focus on the relationship not so much as the deliverable–but to know enough about the deliverable you are selling to answer questions about it.

How many doormen don’t know what the interior of their building looks like? Where the concierge is located? Have you ever had a doorman give you the keys to the penthouse suite with a wink and a smile?

Perhaps I am stretching my metaphor a bit, as since sales people are responsible for building relationships with clients. However, as I have been reminded in my different capacities over the years: once the client is in, we don’t want the sales people bothered until they are ready for the next upgrade. If such is the case, then I submit to you that they need to be aware of the organization’s capabilities and research & development.

This is of key importance: stay on top of things. Know what can be done before saying “Yes, absolutely.” There is nothing worse than a boiler-plate proposal that has been “modified” by Salvidor Dali.

Happy Friday to one and all. Today’s word of the day is “smuggling”.

“Scott,” I hear you ask me, “how should I use this word today?”

It’s very simple. When you’re speaking with a coworker, friend, or relative, and they begin to verbally list some things, throw it in there.

So whether you’re reading this while working, relaxing, drinking, or smuggling, keep it in mind.

That is all.

As we ring in the New Year, I’d like to share some of the best albums I’ve listened to in 2007. So, without further ado, let’s begin…

A few months prior to his death, I discovered the wonderful music of Lee Hazlewood.

Emusic had a couple of his early albums available for download and I managed to grab two of them before they were taken down. These wonderful records were Trouble is a Lonesome Town and Requiem for an Almost Lady.

I was most taken by Lee’s moody, tired, sage voice introducing each track. It’s as if the country singer-songwriter-producer-to-the-stars was going to share something important with you. With Trouble we get to meet the corny, crazy characters of the town of Trouble.

Highlights include the anthem of the town’s undertaker “We All Make the Flowers Grow”, and “Long Black Train”, a song about how childhood friends go different ways when they grow up. And of course, I modified this song during our drive to Tennessee. While eating Hostess Donettes, I ate them and fed them to Christina while singing “The White…Donette…the white…donette…” to the refrain of “The Long…Black Train…the long..black train.” You had to be there.

Some songs are easier on the ears than others, with a few “doodles” thrown in to fill out the short album–but they all definitely feel like they fit together, creating the mood of sitting down in a Podunk town and being regaled by its best storyteller.

“Trouble’s little and it’s lonesome. You won’t find it on any map. But you can take three steps in any direction, and you’re there. It’s a place to be born. And it’s a place to live. And it’s a place to die and be forgotten. It’s a town called Trouble, and Trouble is a lonesome town.”

I also highly recommend Requiem for an Almost Lady. Its moodiness helped me get through some seasonal blues early last year.

While there is an abundance of things to blog about (and I shall), this quick posting is merely to wish all of my readers a very Happy New Year. May 2008 bring you all the happiness of 2007 and then some.

Where does the time go? It certainly hasn’t gone into this site, although I must admit I’ve done quite a bit of work on this blog since we started back in February or so.

As you can see, I’m trying out a new theme for my Wordpress blog. This one is pretty sleek and seems to do everything I need it to do so far.

Things to come in my blog:

1. Wedding Plan Update
2. Trip to Meet Christina’s Parents, Tennessee Christmas
3. Side-trip to St. Louis
4. New Music
5. Best Music I’ve Listened to in 2007
6. Best Movies I’ve seen in 2007 (a possible Movienik tie-in?)
7. Birthday / Christmas with my family
8. Hopes / Resolutions for 2008
9. Quitting Smoking Success Story (so far)

If I can write about these things and get my thank you notes done by the weekend, I’ll be in good shape!

All the best until next time!

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