Walkin' In Memphis

An obvious title for the weekend ('sorry about that). Spousal Unit, me and our couple-friends went to see the city while attending a regional church leadership conference. Now back, and digesting the highlights. First, Memphis is lovely in April. I know, what place isn't lovely in April? You got me there... but if you go, I would suggest April or May.

First, you know it's a Music town; one that I suspect will one day change it's name to Elvisville. It's not only about Elvis, but if the town were a mall, E would be the Macy's.
Wisely, they promote their other historical figures, WC Handy, and all the fellas recording in Sun Studios along with the soul men of Stax Records, etc. As I write I'm thinking of all the places we did not get to in our few days (We did have to put time in at the conference).

I'll talk about the conference separate from this post... 'just talk about the town here.

It does have that Southern city atmosphere you get in Atlanta, Jackson, etc. It comes down to the history of the way people relate to each other; they're more polite to start with. Local cuisine I give an A+. Really, southern cooking is what my Grannie fed me as a tiny cubil, I was right at home there.

First off, 'saw the Peabody Ducks make their appearance in the lobby and march to the fountain. 'Been wanting to see that for many years, and was not disappointed. Since I seem to be rambling, I'll condense this: We took the City Tour where they brought us by for a once-over of the highlights-

The (empty) Pyramid
Mud Island (NEW THIS YEAR: LESS MUD!)
St Jude Hospital (Please don't pose with the sick kids)

GRACELAND (see below)
Sun Studio (nifty)

Gibson Guitar (cool, but next visit)
The Rock and Soul Museum (ditto)
Beal Street (must do, day or night)
Stax Museum (next visit)

And that was just the beginning. You need a solid week to soak it up. The first two items on the list I was not familiar with. The Pyramid is much like our Astrodome; a big empty white elephant. 'Used to have basketball games and concerts in it. I'm not an acoustician (oh wait, yes I am 'just can't spell) but I'm thinking a pyramid would be a nightmare place to hear a concert. Don't know what the other problems were, but they ditched it after 10 years of use for a regular arena venue.

As appalling as Mud Island sounds, it seemed like a cool place to spend an afternoon. A park on the Mississippi river where the family can hang out a do park things. Cool feature: you ride a monorail to the island. AND it is not just mud, it is green and nice looking.

Let's cut to the Queen Momma of all: Graceland!!!

After pining to see Big E's home, I finally arrived. "The Platinum Tour Please". Sounds pricey, and it is a little. But this is the real reason to come to Memphis so you don't care. The airplanes are right out front so you know this is going to be cool! I don't want to critique it or give much away, just to say (Hoping I'm not the only one reading this that hasn't already been there) if you have not been, GO!

Alright, so I was 10 before I realized Elvis was not an actual member of our family, but we are talking the King of Rock and Roll here. So Go.

Born to Run: The Greatest Rock Recording of All Time

Rolling Stone publishes lists of the top 100 'This' and 'That' every month or so. These lists do what they were intended to do: piss people off. Marketers know a pissed-off person will tell 7 people of their ire, while a satisfied person will tell 3 (or no one at all).

When the magazine did their list of the 100 greatest rock songs of all time, it is little wonder they picked Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone as #1; after all, they named their magazine after it.
While I agree L.A.R.S. is one of the greatest songs of all time, it is closer to a jam session than a masterpiece.

Born to Run just came on the radio this morning and it brought tears to my eyes for perhaps the 139th time. I've been listening to this song for about than 35 years - surely I should be immune to it by now.

But I'm not, and here's why: The song embodies everything

youth
rebellion
dreams
hope and
triumph

is about.

BTW, these things are exactly what Rock and Roll is about.

From the explosive first chord to the last, the music makes it clear; there will be no compromise, this is do or die trying. If there were no words to the song, the music would make you believe you were at the start of a race that IS your life.

Then you've got Springsteen's vocal: OMG! This kid is singing like his life depends on it. There is a desperation, not just to survive, but to come out on top. He is passionately singing HIS story and (many of) our stories at once.

The making of this tune and the album were well documented and is a must for any fan. Born To Run was the first song for the album and it alone took 6 months of extraordinarily long days and nights to finish. Then the trick was to make the rest of the album to that standard. ha!
Amazingly enough, they did. That was one hell of a learning curve.

Some connected with the project say Bruce Springsteen went temporarily insane while doing this work. That would put him in the company of other artists, some who, unfortunately did not find their way back. Thank Everything, The Boss did.

Born To Run

In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream

At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines

Sprung from cages out on highway 9,Chrome wheeled,

fuel injected and steppin' out over the line

Baby this town rips the bones from your back It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap

We gotta get out while we're young

'Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend

I want to guard your dreams and visions

Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims

and strap your hands across my engines

Together we could break this trap

We'll run till we drop, baby we'll never go back

Will you walk with me out on the wire

'Cause baby I'm just a scared and lonely rider

But I gotta find out how it feels

I want to know if love is wild girl

I want to know if love is real

Beyond the Palace hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard

The girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors

And the boys try to look so hard

The amusement park rises bold and stark

Kids are huddled on the beach in a mist

I wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonight

In an everlasting kiss

The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive

Everybody's out on the run tonight

but there's no place left to hide

Together Wendy we'll live with the sadness

I'll love you with all the madness in my soul

Someday girl I don't know when

we're gonna get to that place

Where we really want to go

and we'll walk in the sun

But till then tramps like us

baby we were born to run

One of the better live versions of the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rGFfO5fUvE