19
Dec
2007
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Kim
Wiseman & Mark A. Johnson, Visiting
Old Friends at Christmas
Ron
Paul, the 10-term Republican congressman from Texas, is running for
president, and his candidacy warrants much more exposure than the
mainstream media has afforded the voting public. Dr. Paul, an OB/GYN
and former Air Force flight surgeon, has a sterling conservative,
limited-government voting record over 20 years. The Wall
Street Journal wrote last
week, "As the GOP front-runners address crowds of dispirited
primary voters, Mr. Paul has been tearing across the country, leaving
a trail of passionate devotees in his wake."
With so many recent pop albums offering up only one or two decent, memorable songs and top-selling artists taking years upon years between mediocre releases, it's no surprise that music continues to slide into nothing more than computer files shared between MP3 players, personal computers, and 10-cent blank CDs. Not to sound like a crusty ol' curmudgeon, but sheeeee-it, I can feel my cerebellum shake when I think that over the course of 28 months, from August of 1965 to November of 1967, the Beatles released Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Magical Mystery Tour. Imagine my joy, when my teenage son's pals' Christmas wish lists are yearning for "real" copies of The White Album or gift certificates to buy "classic" used vinyl LPs at the ever-dwindling local record store. Wanna save American youth? Pick up any working turntables you might come across at yard sales, and place them at the feet of the next generation.
The
Chicago Afrobeat Project could not have a more plainly descriptive
name, yet the band's new CD transcends the ordinary. The group,
which returns to the Quad Cities with a show on Friday at the
Redstone Room, does its fair share of aimless jamming - all
pleasant - but on several occasions it reaches highs that lift up
the whole endeavor.
