Saturday, July 11, 2009

Serendipity

Here is Michael S. Rulle Jr.:
He is manager of his very own financial firm and loves the Red Hot Chili Peppers:
I have been trying to figure out how to work the Red Hot Chile Peppers’ (RHCP)* 1999 hit, Californication, into a blog.
This is a wonderful coincidence, because prior to moseying over to Big Hollywood to nutpick I had spent upwards of twenty seconds trying to figure out how to work this picture "into a blog":



Shall we finish up the first paragraph?
I had known and liked the song for some time. Who doesn’t?** But other than simply liking the song and having a general sense of what it was about, I had never listened closely. Of course, the title itself has almost the entire meaning of the song within it. I had recently read economist Russell Robert’s Hayekian novel, “The Price of Everything.” It is a simple yet spiritual characterization of the mystery of what Hayek called the “spontaneous order” in human organization.
What follows are a couple thousand words of similar character and spontaneity in an attempt by Mr. Suit and Tie Guy to have a more dignified midlife crisis than his buddy who got the clap. After a painful verse-by-verse examination of the lyrics, we wind up here:
Lets put it all together. We know this “Californication” thing is “bad” but what is it? Californication is libertinism, crass materialism, solipsistic interactions and spiritual emptiness. It is our modern secular world, in short. Who knew RHCP shared something in common with cultural conservatives?
Like Hitler, Anthony Kiedis is fond of children and dogs.

*My gratitude to the author for clarifying what might have been a confusing acronym later in the article.
**Me.

57 comments:

M. Bouffant said...

He likes the drivel music of those limp-dicked drug weasels (Bassist Flea actually a nice guy & OK, but the band sucks to high & low heaven.) but he's opposed to "libertinism?"

Let me process that.

Urrrp.

Done.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

I am reminded of the time I tried to figure out how to work a picture of a flying squirrel and a Jonathan Richman song into a blog.
~

Caliph Garrett said...

I'm reminded of Patrick Bateman's discourse on Phil Collins' "Sussudio," right before he bangs the prostitutes.

herr doktor bimler said...

Work this "into your blog" if that's what the kids are calling it, Mr Rulle!
[imagine link to picture of gerbil about here]

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

well, I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I even like "Californication"

But hey, I'm a zombie. Notably, zombies are smelly but tasteless. I probably can't even figure out how to work a picture of a squirrel into a blog.

Michael S Rulle (JUNIOR, no less) is none the less a dweeb and cobag.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Normally I only nitpick spelling on people I like, but it is also worthwhile to point out that he misspelled "Chili" in the first graf.

He spelled it like a South American Dictatorship!! Why does Michael Rulle (Junior) hate America? WHY DOES HE HATE DEMOCRACY?!?!?!?

choad.

fousubi.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

He doesn't have much of a forehead either. Or eyebrows.

The pre-emptive combover is also not a good look. Maybe someone should tell him.

J said...

Californication's a decent ditty-- sort of gloomy like most Keddis product--but fairly tame RHCP, compared to the RHCP of Bloodsugarsexmagick. That be libertinism---Libertinism, especially with the Flea-chad monster groove, moves product, jefe.

Righteous Bubba said...

Normally I only nitpick spelling on people I like, but it is also worthwhile to point out that he misspelled "Chili" in the first graf.

It's also misspelled in the tags for the post, so he really doesn't know how to spell it. I'd highlighted it with a The Blink Tag but technology has left that joke behind.

mikey said...

I'm just not cool enough to "get" the Red Hot Chile Peppers. All of their songs sound unfinished to me. Like if they'd just put the lead and melody tracks down over the rhythm and background vocals, they might have something.

I woke up one day early last week with the word "Aldershot" stuck in my head. I could remember where it was from, but google quickly led me to Kipling's "Gunga Din". Cool. I LIKE first person narrative poems where the narrator gets gutshot. THAT'S keeping it real, Mr. Fiddy.

Anyway, I've been desperately trying to work "Aldershot" into anything I can, from blog posts to facebook comments to casual conversation. So far, I've had less luck than this Rulle fellow...

Righteous Bubba said...

I dislike the Chili Peppers in general. A band that never really got better than its debut record, which wasn't that great to begin with, but at least sounded intesting.

The best song I ever heard from them was Give It Away, which keeps Kiedis from singing - a good thing - and on which Rick Rubin had to show Flea that playing the same thing over and over again was actually good for a song.

Saw 'em some time in the 80s; not only were they assholes but they seemed to be able to create a remarkable hostility in the crowd.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

so, he is also lying about 'loving' the Red Hot Chili Peppers. At least, loving them enough TO BOTHER LEARNING HOW TO SPELL THEIR FARGIN NAME.

mikey, the Peppers make more sense, at least to me, if you start with their earlier albums, like Uplift Mofo Party Plan, which is much more punk-influenced. Like a punk band playing James Brown.

But then, I don't have a fossilized dinosaur pelvis.

capcha sucks at spelling also: expodled

J said...

I dig their early 90s sort of metal-funk (like Mother's Milk and BSSM), with Smith and Fruciante mo' than the first punk-funk stuff. They still have the energy, but more rock, and Smith a bad-ass stixman, great bass from Flea, and alright gtar from Fru. (who plays a few Captain Beefheartish licks now and then).

RHCP a bit too much LA heroin & whores-noir for 'Mericans maybe. Sorta a southside thang.

J said...

And who could not get into the RHCP version of

Brandy.

Nearly bust a tear for dat.

I just don't think you've ingested a sufficient amount of narcotics, Burtie.

mikey said...

Speaking of punk, I haven't heard the whole thing yet, but does it seem to anyone else that Rancid just phoned this one in?

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

No, mikey, I liked it a lot. Maybe seeing them throw some of it out there live last week helped.....

It's maybe less punk than the last couple, and certainly less ska than Wolves, but hey, you know they've done that already, yanno?

Also, iTunes had a bunch of extra acoustic stylee songs in the pre-order, so I got it at like 40 cents a song....

mikey said...

I think you're right. It's like Rancid, now with 30% less Rancid. Or maybe Tim and Matt just don't seem as PISSED as they were. Or maybe I'm not.

I suppose I'm one of those less thoughtful music fans who never wants their favorite band to evolve. I'm WAY ok with doing the same thing again if I like it. I was a HUGE springsteen fan, and yet I HATED pretty much everything after The River.

I spent the second half of 1994 in a court ordered residential recovery house in San Jose. 12 step programs are like communism - fantastic ideas in concept but then when people get involved they fuck 'em all up. And when I'd get all twisted up, about the only thing that kept me from walking away was Rancid.

Righteous Bubba said...

And who could not get into the RHCP version of

Brandy.


Me. Once again, bad singing and busy bass.

Righteous Bubba said...

I suppose I'm one of those less thoughtful music fans who never wants their favorite band to evolve.

Six of one, half-dozen of the other. If the quality's there I do not care if a band wants to stay put or move towards math rock.

It was sad, however, that The Shaggs learned to play along with each other rather than independently...

J said...

Au cuntraire RB! Tony K's vocals fairly dread: he's improved from the earlier rappish stuff, really. Under the bridge as authentic a tune as any usual grunge-rock-rap whatevah. OK, not Placido Domingo or somethin' but resonant, mostly on key. He's like f-n sinatra Compared to say a Dylan.

And flea-bass like usual rockin', drums hot. Fru. may not be eddie van halen but solid grooves, sorta Hendrix-y and weird junkie-irony everywhere.

Tho' there have been better bands in last two or three decades: like Alice in Chains

Righteous Bubba said...

He's like f-n sinatra Compared to say a Dylan.

Not at all. Vocally speaking, Sinatra's ambition matched his talent. Dylan's ambition matches his talent. With Kiedis, seems pretty obvious that he wants to sing things he cannot.

I can pretty easily forgive people who can't hold a tune if they're not really promising a tune.

J said...

They're LA street rats, man (tho' now rather wealthy street rats). And that's what Kiedis's voice sounds like. At least he keeps it real. Dylan's another college-town phony.

Now, here's Karaoke material, at say 140 dbs, or so. Connell not a bad singer either.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

well, I'm a Mekons fan, so I've had the expectation of a favorite band repeating themselves fairly well burned out of me. Anarchic socialist punk bastards took three albums to even figure out WHO was playing WHAT, let alone learning to play their instruments.

Then they invented alt-country. and a few years later, wrote, played, and performed in a cross-dressing lesbian pirate musical.

I like bands that evolve. I also appreciate bands who know their own sweet spot, such as AC/DC. But my favorites are almost always somebody who's willing to challenge themselves. and me. Maybe it won't work out, but at least we're all acknowledging that it isn't 1994 anymore.

And I say that as someone who ALWAYS turns that Wolves album all the fuckin way up.

Righteous Bubba said...

They're LA street rats, man (tho' now rather wealthy street rats). And that's what Kiedis's voice sounds like. At least he keeps it real.

There's a difference, though, between this and this. The former three girls cannot do it, the latter three can. Kiedis is closer to the cannot than the can side as far as singing goes. For chanting and shouting he's perfectly adequate. See also Mick Jagger.

Another Kiwi said...

and performed in a cross-dressing lesbian pirate musical.
Highlight song "Show us your cutlass or we'll poop on your foredeck"

Capcha Rapture says it's the untime

herr doktor bimler said...

The pre-emptive combover is also not a good look. Maybe someone should tell him.

It's an hommage to P. J. O'Rourke.
Incidentally, it turns out that if you opt for hair transplants instead of a combover, the scrotum is not the best source. It's not the short-and-curly effect, so much as the tattooed messages that seemed a good idea at the time but aren't so funny when transplanted to the top of your head.

mikey said...

And here all this time I thought alt-country was solely the invention of Maria McKee and Tanya Donnelly...

I'm proud to be a hippie from ecogie

mikey said...

They're LA street rats...

That may be an identification, an explanation, or an excuse. It may even be a justification. It is not, however, a compelling reason to listen to them make music...

Capcha apparently thinks this is a whing

Righteous Bubba said...

But my favorites are almost always somebody who's willing to challenge themselves.

It depends on what you mean. I think Richard Thompson, for instance, is a god walking the earth. What he does is write songs about stuff in a fairly straight-ahead rock or folk fashion and that's just not going to change. The challenges in his case might be purely technical: can he sound like three guitarists at once?

Bands like The Mekons don't really have a choice but to evolve: when you're not a player to start with the process of learning is really fun and stretching out is completely natural.

J said...

The Peppers created a unique sound--maybe not to everyone's taste, but a bit superior to the usual classic rock, or brit-pop-punk whatever/. It's sorta performance ahht too: the disorientation stuff at beginning of jams interesting. And they got some chops (though I'd vote to replace Fru--say with some dread axe man, like Buckethead--tho' im sure flea and tony wouldnt do it), Not my fave's (really i prefer say stravinsky) but ah'd listen to RHCP instead of the latest elvis costello or mekons wannabes

Righteous Bubba said...

Could this be the best Red Hot Chili Peppers song ever written?

J said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
J said...

No.

Try again.

Righteous Bubba said...

The Minutemen were better than the Peppers on their own turf. Shitty singing a constant though.

Righteous Bubba said...

I'd forgotten about this.

J said...

Watevah. My punker phase ended like 1990, like most reasonable androids, tho' have an X or DK CD around somewhere. I jus' don't think you care for the funk aspects, brutthrr. Or is it the libertinism.

The RHCP mellowed out over last decade anyway, as with Californication. I'm not even down with much rock (prefer jass and classical), but RHCP at times showed a sort of punk-jazz sensibility.

That sort of Richard Thompson hepcat brit acoustic-punkrock bugs the F. outta me though. Even say King Crimson however pompous mo' entertaining.

J said...

ah here's some KC Karaoke

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

hey, you know it's kind of subjective. I readily admit the Mekes are an acquired taste at best, I may not understand why more people haven't acquired the taste, but hey, I have never gotten Radiohead either; except for that gnarly "Creep" song.

Tom Waits can usually clear a room too.

But if we REALLY wanna get into a music flame war, hey, how about that Rush?

J said...

RB refuted re RHCP


alright cover, but rox (and sorta original punk way 'fore NY and brit wankerz).

Righteous Bubba said...

I'm okay with Radiohead and King Crimson both, and yeah, The Mekons are a fine band, but I've never owned a record.

Seriously, though, "The Stroke" is not different in form or funkiness from "Fight Like a Brave".

For what it's worth, the last thing I really listened to was me setting up a bunch of loops of marmot sounds in Reason, which I suppose is a progression from playing "Sunshine of Your Love".

mikey said...

Where can I download the Marmot MP3?

J said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mikey said...

Dammit!

I wanted to read that one...

Righteous Bubba said...

Where can I download the Marmot MP3?

That was a high quality AIFF, mikey. Strong stuff!

Righteous Bubba said...

And hey, isn't that picture great?

J said...

well, mikey it's probably around your favorite silicon wally neo-con sites, or maybe ask one of your palsteins from CT, or similar sites

mikey said...

Gadzooks.

This is hard. I have questions.

What are "palsteins"?

And why are they in Connecticut?

And other than the Washington Times, and AEI, what exactly is a "neocon site"?

Another Kiwi said...

I saw a book today in the library. I just thought I'd share that. No...no it was called "Cute cat name and the Kiwi Con" It is an American book and is about a cat detective or somethin'
*gigantic effort to tie up loose ends* Is this something like a neo con?

Another Kiwi said...

I think Richard Thompson, for instance, is a god walking the earth.
So you arranged for me to hear a song of his as I drove to work? Look it's not The freakin' Truman show you know!

J said...

It's like a insta-Koan, mikey. Or Capn Beefheart lyrics. We don't have to agree on RHCP. They're sort of 90s anyway (and bit too exhausting at this stage).

No biggie.

mikey said...

Um, sure. Ok.

Man, last time I was THIS confused I was trying to hang around 3 Bulls....

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Don't worry, mikey.

No one goes to 3Bulls! anymore, it's way too crowded.
~

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

I was a HUGE springsteen fan, and yet I HATED pretty much everything after The River.

I think maybe it was you doing a little changin also. You just went a different direction.

Myself, I didn't care much for springsteen until recent albums, starting about Nebraska.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

No one goes to 3Bulls! anymore, it's way too crowded.

...with Ombudspants.

fish said...

For me, RHCP early stuff was wild and new. Later as they understood music better, I think they took a turn for the worse. A clear case of a little knowledge can be harmful.

mantrapp certainly describes me in those hot pink pumps.

Righteous Bubba said...

That sounds about right.

You in the pumps, I mean.

J Neo Marvin said...

The Red Hot Chili Peppers may be good or bad or indifferent (to me they're pretty much "mehh"), but to bring it back to topic, you have to marvel at a pundit who actually uses a bunch of guys known for wearing socks on their dicks in the same sentence as "cultural conservatism". As capcha just muttered to me, what a total culker.