'The time has come, the Elvis said...'

'to talk of many things, of foreign food, and music fests, of barbeque and wings'-a variation on 'The Walrus and the Carpenter' by one very inept poet. heh heh.

Anyhoooo, it's that time of year again. The Beale Street Music Fest is this weekend and it actually doesnt suck. We got some good stuff this year, my friends! Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Iggy and the Stooges (weeeehoooooo!), Jerry Lee Lewis, The Allman Brothers, Social Distortion (yesss!!), Old Crow Medicine Show, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Steely Dan, Wolfmother, Taj Mahal, Billy Lee Riley, Corinne Bailey Rae, John Legend, and yes even DAUGHTRY will be performing (just kidding about that last one, by the way, but the others are VERY worth our time, to say the least).

The old man and I will be making the trip on this weekend (mainly to see family of course) but Friday night, we're planning on leaving the kids w/ nanna and checking out Social Distortion and The Stooges -aka: staying out LATE. :) I've always loved Mike Ness and the chance to see Social D is a long-awaited one that I won't pass up. Plus, Iggy Pop LOOKS pretty healthy now, but who knows when that heavily embalmed cadaver won't just shake apart in the middle of a performance?

To get you in ze mood, here are some fun songs to aquaint or 're-aquaint' yourself w/ these two great bands:

First off, Social Distortion w/ 'Story of My Life'- http://www.badongo.com/file/2908256

Iggy and The Stooges, one of their newer songs, 'My Idea of Fun'-(no offense please :o),

http://www.badongo.com/file/2908301

( Those of you who knew Iggy Pop in the eighties and nineties will have to get used to The Stooges again...very similar to their origina albums and nothing like his solo stuff. )

The Ultimate Survey...

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for surveys. I'm always getting them on myspace and so I wrote my own 'ultimate' survey. This is a copy of my myspace survey w/ a couple little extras thrown in. If you don't know your friends after they fill out this baby, you never will! ;)

p.s. I deleted some of the questions that have been on other surveys

Name: Sharron Ashley Westmoreland

Call me: Ashley

It means: dweller of the ash-tree meadow

1. Age: 31

2. Place of Birth: Memphis Tn

3. Current Location: Pleasant Shade Tn

4. And where is that? About 40 miles outside of Nashville...going towards Knoxville. In the foothills before the Cumberland Plateau and awful purty. :)

5. Height: 5'6" or so

6. Right Handed or Left? Right

7. Heritage:Anglo Saxon all the way...the skinheads love me.

8. The Shoes You Wore Today: Bone colored dress shoes for the meeting

9. Your Weakness: Whipped Cream-the real stuff

10. Your Pefect Pizza: I haven't ever had it, I don't think...but I like olives.

11. Goals You Would Like To Achieve This Year: increased service time, scultping, toning, etc.

12. First Thought Waking Up: What a pretty view!

13. Favorite Movie: To Kill a Mockingbird

14. Ok, now your REAL favorite movie (the one you watch over and over w/out a hint of stopping): Urban Cowboy, Jaws, and the Shawshank Redemption....oh! and The Quiet Man. All movies I could watch an infinite number of times....and darn near have.

15.Favorite musical group/artist: Simon and Garfunkel

16. Favorite work of fiction: The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo

17. Favorite Song of all time: In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel

18. Your Average Bedtime:9:30

19. Your Best Vacation Memory: The World Showcase at dusk

20. Pepsi or Coke? Coke Zero

21. Mcdonalds or Burger King?Burger King-love that whopper! (however, since I've been pregnant I've had crazy cravings for the Big Mac!)

22. How Far is the Nearest Wal Mart? 13 miles

24. Pet's Name: Helen Roper, (Beagle) Aunt Bea ,(another Beagle) and Albert (cat)

25. Favorite alcoholic Beverage: Korbel (brut)

26. Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla

27. Cappucino or Coffee? Cappucino, Iced

28. Do You Sing? all the time...and I can belt Harper Valley PTA w/ the best of them!

29. Are You Inlove? yes, madly

30. Do You Have Any Kids/ How Many? yes, two and one on the way

31. Their names: Johnson Edgar and Nathan Edward (Victor James or Helen Abigail-Blue in the oven)

32. Do You Shower Daily? pretty much. Lately, I have been trying to skip washing my hair every day because the red is fading too fast...but I'm clean.

33. Do You Get Motion Sickness? sometimes

34. Afraid of Heights? yes, secretly

35. Are You a Health Freak? nah, but I love working out

36. Do You Like Thunderstorms? yes, but they make me nervous

37. Do You Play an Instrument/ which one? I have mastered the cowbell

38. In the Past Month, Have You Been on a Date? yes, thanks to my babysitting friend, Naomi!

39. Where did you go? To The Melting Pot in Nashville and then to a bookstore...we're a wild and crazy couple.

40. In the past month, have you been on stage? yes, at the KH

41. Have you ever been skinny dipping? yep

42. Were you caught? errrr....yep

43. Have you ever been beaten up? no, I'm very non confrontational

44. What country would you most like to visit? Italy

45. Why? Scenery and Culture (and food)

46. Number of cd's you own: a couple hundred-joint ownership

47. Favorite Color: Peacock-bluegreen

48. Your Theme Song: Into the Mystic-Van Morrison

49. Can Mark Hammil Act? Nope, but I love him anyway.

50. Ever walk out on a movie? Yes

51. Which One? The Ring-I was so scared!

52. The Most Important Thing Is: Relationships

53. Favorite Sushi-roll: California Roll-still my favorite

54. Favorite Restaurant: The Melting Pot

55. Store where you could drop a thousand bucks the quickest: Pottery Barn

56.Best show on tv: Seinfeld re-runs (still the 'king of the county'!)

57. The Car you Drive: Honda Civic 1998

58. But you'd rather be driving: a fully restored 56 Chevy Bel Air-ahhhhhh.

59. How Many Miles on your car? 110,000+ and I will run it into the ground before I get another...

60. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? 'I Wanna Check You For Ticks' a song by Brad Paisley that I wanted my husband to hear because it's funny.

61. Have you ever licked a 9v battery? Yep...and aren't these questions getting interesting? ;)

62. When was the last time you swam in a pool? In Vegas a few weeks ago

63. Type of music you dislike the most: Experimental Jazz (yes, I know it requires talent but it drives me BATTY!)

64. What is your favorite comic strip? I have always had a deep affection for Bloom County and The Far Side

65. Do you know all the words to 'The Star Spangled Banner'? I am ashamed to admit, yes.

66. Favorite Candy Bar: Toblerone

67. Which of your current friends have you known the longest? Heddo, probably.

68. Have you ever won a trophy? When and for what? Yes, for the math-a-thon in sixth grade.

69. Favorite arcade game: Pole Position...heh heh.

70. What shows did you watch religiously as a kid: Little House on the Prairie, Inspector Gadget, Scooby Doo, Thundercats, and Silverhawks. Oh, and VOLTRON...loved that show!

Have fun guys! You KNOW you want to. :D

Never Say Never...

No matter how content you are or how settled you may be, there is always the possibility that you may eventually think of change. The catalyst may be environmental (ah, for a warmer climate), health related (where can I go to relieve my chronic sinus problems) or economical (wow, THAT'S how much my job pays out there?). Or it could be a combination of all three mixed w/ a little old fashioned curiosity.

Before last month's visit to Vegas, we had only off-handedly discussed moving out west...perhaps when we retired. But since we've returned, I think we've determined that such a drastic move is not proving to be as daunting as we once thought.

As with everything else in our relationship, this decision to consider relocating was entirely mutual. There was no coaxing, hinting, or sighing to speak of on either of our parts and really, there was no reason for such since we are not the impetuous kind , the kind that make sudden decisions based on whim or fancy. We both have carefully considered the expense, spiritual aspects, and impact of such a move and plan to continue doing so over the next year or so before we finally decide to take that step. But there are several serious 'positives' that make this seem so right.

1)We have chronic sinus problems that seem to foster a weakness in our immune systems and thus we are sick ALL THE TIME. The doctors have told us that this problem (allergies, sinusitis ) is inescapable as long as we live in Tennessee and therefore, we will probably have to be on medication for the rest of our lives. Needless to say, a dryer climate is a definite improvement on this problem.

2) Cold weather is making me tired! I remember loving the snow as a kid and maybe its my natural age progression or the sudden appearance of arthritis since my auto accident of 1996, but now, I can't stand it! I am SO on board w/ being in a place where the winter temperatures average in the 50's. No wonder so many old people move to Fl!

3)Job availability-my husband has a few areas of expertise but plumbing and pinstriping are his two choice occupations and in the vegas area, plumbers get paid more-even factoring in the higer cost of living. This is no doubt due to the enormous ammount of construction going on in the city. In addition, his pinstriping abilities are just in demand out there...whereas here, especially in our rural area, he has to pretty much create the demand in order to get business. Because of this, the prospect of his getting a painting business off the ground is a lot greater in that area than it is here.

Stipulations are definitely a factor. If we do move, I don't want to have to pull in an income, focusing instead on the ministry and my kids (that is my goal here as well) and I want us to be making enough monthly to make regular visits to Tennessee to see my family. So this is by no means set in stone and may indeed never happen.

I've always said I'd 'never' move out of Tennessee. We love our new house. We adore this area...you guys have seen pictures. It's GORGEOUS out here and even though our city of choice (Boulder City Nv, pictured above) is somewhat 'green' for a desert city and located directly on Lake Meade, it would be a shock to my spoiled senses to be confronted w/ so much sand-beautiful mountains or no . We also have family that would be very sad w/ the absence of the kids and a wonderful congregation that we would miss. My husband's uncle has just bought some property about 2 miles from us and I know his close proximity will definitely be a pleasant thing that we would hate to give up. We don't know ANYONE in that area and the neighborhoods are grouped together rather tightly, meaning a large lot is absolutely unheard of . So going from 20 acres to less than 1/2 an acre would be a huge adjustment. Boulder City is a smaller city (about 15,000 people and pictured above) and a little more appealing to us than Las Vegas or Henderson ( a 'suburb' of Vegas w/ about 250,000 people- on the top 100 places to live list last year) but the neighborhoods are still 'cozy'. As you can see, there is lots to consider.

We've both decided that if we do this, we will start w/ a clean slate. Sell everything, in other words, and begin again. I am pretty changeable-I've moved many times in my life-and I have no problem with that at all. I only own a few things that I can't do w/out...mostly art. So starting over is no big deal for me. But the truth is, we feel so good when we're out west...sinus and allergy-wise especially. And we're starting to think that deep down, we're warm weather people. Even when the temp is over 100, we don't notice it like we do here, due to the lower humidity. So though it may not happen, we are going to think in terms of 'planning' and set a nice deadline to make our decision. In the end, opening up to change is half the battle and I think we've done that.

Fill in the blanks-an autobiography...

FIRST NAME? Sharron

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No. My dad liked Sharron but my mom was leery of naming me that whilst living in Tennessee because of the proclivity of most Southerners to forget the 'two syllable' thing and call me 'Shern'. So I go by my middle name, which is Ashley.


WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Not sure. I like to cry, I guess. At least, I do it alot. Movies, books, songs, frustration..,just give me an excuse

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes. I'm notorious for changing it based on my mood so that my signature very often looks like a forgery of my own signature.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Pastrami is my favorite lunch meat but I'm also a sucker for the ol' childhood favorite, balogna.

KIDS? 2 and one on the way.

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think I'm nice. I don't have any enemies that I am aware of, anyway.

DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL ? I guess this here 'web-log' qualifies.

DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Yeah, right.

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yep, and 'when I was a kid, I wasnt allowed to hang out w/ people who didnt have their tonsils'. (Seinfeld fans unite!)

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? It depends on the ammount of safety precautions involved. Yes, if sufficent harnesses and double checks are there.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I love that waffle crisp and those Reeses Peanut butter puffs...but I usually eat Vanilla Creme Mini Wheats for 'love' because they're 'whole grain'.

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Rarely


DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically? No. Emotionally? eh...no. Spiritually...yeah but there's always room for improvement.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Udderly Cream from Maggie Moos (w/ a chocolate chip and Cherry mix in)

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? What they are wearing-yeah, I admit it.

RED OR PINK? Red


WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My lack of patience.

WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Bonnie my Bonnie.

WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARIING?I'm wearing black yoga shorts and Ryka cross trainers (I just finished working out)

THE LAST THING YOU ATE? I ate some beef n broccoli and chicken lomein last night. I rarely get Chinese take out but last night it hit the spot!

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? 'Stanley' on playhouse disney. I usually let littlun watch cartoons in the am. But I'm planning on listening to Lil Gizelle later today.

IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Blue-green just says 'me', I think.

FAVORITE SMELL? The smell, not unlike baking bread, of millions of grass seeds parching in the sun on a hot summer day.


WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My dad.

FAVORITE DRINK? Coke zero followed closely by Kirin Ichiban.

FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Figure Skating and gymnastics

HAIR COLOR? Red. I think I'm gonna put a layer of blonde on the top though before convention. What do ya'll think? Too 'trendy'?

EYE COLOR? cold coffee, baby. Somebody told me that one time and I liked it so I go with it. :)

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Not anymore. A few years ago I went from 20/400 vision to 20/15 through the miracle of 'lasic surgery'. Weeehoooo!

FAVORITE FOOD? I absolutely love real whipped cream w/ just a little brown sugar in it. But I also like sushi. Right now, both together doesnt sound that bad!


SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Why can't it be a scary movie w/ happy ending?

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? I saw 'The Ladykillers' on tv the other night and it was okay. Obviously heavily edited and couldnt hold a candle to the original, Cohen brothers or no Cohen brothers. Everyone go rent the original Ladykillers NOW. :)

WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Almost the exact same color as my skin...kinda funny, actually.

SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer! I am a hot weather girl!

HUGS OR KISSES? Either works for me.

FAVORITE DESSERT? A perfect Creme Brulee is hard to beat.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? Giant by Edna Ferber and I'm still struggling over the last 20 pages of "The Man in the Iron Mask' by Alexandre Dumas. It was such a downer!


WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Nathan at about 6 months.

WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST ON TV LAST NIGHT? Started watching 'Hot Rods to Hell ' again but got yawny so switched to 'House Hunters International' and promptly fell asleep.

FAVORITE SOUNDS? Littlun laughing at older brother telling him a story. A perfect tenor or soprano, Leo Khotke playing guitar, Tom Waits, and a horse pushing a rush of air outof its nose

ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Neither please

THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? I went to Hawaii when I was little.

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? My arm bends in some scary angles that freak most people out.

WHEN WERE YOU BORN? July 22nd, 1975

16+ WEEKS...

So I'm at sixteen weeks now. No picture to post currently. I will eventually get around to posting that, I suppose.

Monday's doctor's appointment was uneventful. I won't go in for my ultrasound until 3 weeks from then so-a little more than two weeks to go. I am a little apprehensive because I almost don't WANT to know. But, I'm trying to prepare myself to be disappointed and accepting if it's a boy. Ultimately, I know I just want a healthy baby and if I find out it's another boy-I know I'll be very happy when it comes time to welcome little Victor James into the world. Monday, they did get the heartbeat very quickly on the doppler so I guess my uterus has 'popped' now. The kid's heartbeat was so loud, actually, they had to turn the volume down on the little speaker...heh heh. 160 bpm (incidentally, this heart rate is more in keeping w/a little boy than a girl. Boy's heartrates tend to be higher, I understand...sigh.)

So funny how the perfect little girl's name will pop out of nowhere! We were on our way home from the airport a couple of weeks ago, listening to this great Rockabilly compilation cd we got (for free) w/ our tickets to Viva Las Vegas , and this song came on called 'Abigail Blue' by the Starkweather Boys. The song is soooo great (you can hear it on their myspace page http://www.myspace.com/thestarkweatherboys) and somehow, 'Abigail Blue' started to really grow on us! Now, if it were just up to me, that would be her name- Abigail Blue Westmoreland...but unfortunately, I've made this itty promise to my grandmother that any possible little girls will carry her name. So, I think we've decided on Helen Abigail. After all, Abigail IS the number 2 name in the country right now (gheesh) and I just can't bring myself to side w/ the masses by putting it in the number one spot on the birth certificate...heh heh. But, we'll undoubtedly be calling her 'Abigail', in keeping w/ my family habit of calling kids by their middle names (I myself am a Sharron Ashley) unless she just LOOKS like a Helen, which I doubt. ;)

But she'll always be Abigail Blue to me.

The Rockabilly Weekender-A Love Story

To sum up in a few words my feelings about the Rockabilly Weekender in Vegas: More fun than a body has a right to have!


I was completely in my element the entire time and despite the pregnancy, I never felt wiped out or overwhelmed. It was refreshing to be among people who have the same love for the past that I do and enjoy the entertainment that goes along with it.

This was the tenth anniversary of Viva Las Vegas and so many bands signed up that neighboring hotels had to open up their ballrooms and get in on the action. The main event, however, takes place at the Gold Coast Hotel, a nice western-themed resort w/ plenty of showrooms and ballrooms for the gig. At night, bands play from 6pm to 3am and during the day there are jive classes, the shifters car show, and the best shopping I've ever seen! Yes, I spent too much money...but for once, I have no buyers remorse. From records to shoes to accessories to clothing it was just the best selection I've been confronted with. My most luxurious purchase was a pair of one-of-a-kind shoes from Lucky Lou ( http://www.luckyloushoes.com/styles.html) that I fell in love with immediately! They're like little works of art for my feet...sigh. I mulled over it for two days before finally giving in and handing them the visa.
The Shifter's Car Show Saturday was the highlight of the whole trip. So many gorgeous cars, so much pomade, so many cuffed jeans, and such a plethera of oriental umbrellas you've never seen! And even more shopping...but I was able to obstain. I fell in love w/ every 50's model Chevy on the place. By the way girls, whether it's your style or not, those parasols are a lifesaver! I got away w/ little or no sunburn due to that thing. The three girls in the picture (by the blue car) were on roller skates and they were so cute rolling around everywhere.


The music was all pheonomenal...very traditional rockabilly. I made some great discoveries and rediscovered some old favorites like Narvel Felts and Billy Lee Riley ( 'my gal is RED HOT...your gal ain't doodly squat'). The band in the picture came all the way from Australia and we actually bought their cd...they're called The Firebird Trio. Great vocals and excellent upright! And did I mention the dancing? While the bands played, huge areas were opened up on the dance floor for the couples that could jive and they were amazing! One couple was so good, I was simply mezmerized when they crossed the floor. There was also this cute dance for 'girls only' called the Sex Kitten Stroll that strongly resembles the electric slide. It was a blast!



Sunday was the Tiki Pool Party and it was perfect weather. All the girls dressed in fourties/fifties style swimsuits and did their hair in barrel curls w/ flowers. They also carried their signature sun umbrellas and wore rediculously high platform heels. Silly, but it made for great pictures. Needless to say they didnt go near the water. The guys wore white tanks and straw hats very similar to Huckleberry Fin. We sat for hours just people-watching and sipping (non-alcoholic for me) coctails by the pool. Incidentally, I've never seen so many heavily tatooed girls that somehow still manage to be glamorous. One girl beside me had an elephant tatooed over ther entire back. It was so beautifully done, I had to ask her for a shot of it...which seemed to flatter her alot .















The hotel we stayed at was The Orleans and I liked it so much that I doubt I'll ever be staying anywhere else in Vegas. It is extremely reasonably priced and off the strip so away from the hubbub that can sometimes be annoying. There is little lobby area to speak of, just a huge casino w/ cheesy 'Mardi Gras' themed decorations hanging from the ceiling and a registration desk on the right hand side. But there are at least six restaurants ranging from Tgi Fridays to Japanese to Italian and there's a ten screen movie theater, a bowling alley, and a spa. I had a massage, scrub, and facial combo Friday morning that was the best I've gotten yet...and the spa is beautiful. Actually, the rooms are quaint and quite pretty too, completely different from the loud lights and colors in the casino. The pool is the best we've ever visited! It is immaculately landscaped and there is a lagoon style hot tub that sits off in a quiet corner far away from the huge main pool. There is also a lounge pool for those who want to avoid the kids in the main one and tons of trees to relax beneath. We sat out there for 3 hours Saturday night...even ate dinner out there. The weather, again, was beyond belief. Gosh, I love the desert climate.

On the flight home, we ran into a bit of drama when the passenger in front of us passed out and a doctor had to see to him which sent the whole plane into a tizzy. There was scramblings for blankets and pillows, calls to the air-medic, and even an iv was administered. When we got to the Nashville airport, the tarmac was alive w/ red and blue lights as the perimedics boarded to cart him away to the hospital. My husband (who is an avid 'Airplane' fan) bets he had the fish. heh heh.

Anyway, it was a great trip, a wonderful trip, a perfect trip. And though it's always good to get back to children and congregations and the comfort of every day things...I won't be getting over it right away, I assure you.

Edwurd Fudwupper and The Planet Earth

If any of you are not currently catching the ASTOUNDING series on Discovery called Planet Earth, I cannot stress enough how much you NEED to see this show! If your tv has HD capability, you're in for even more of a treat, as the show was purposely filmed w/ this feature in mind. Regardless, however, let me just say that I have NEVER seen footage of this kind before and every single episode is a gem. You will see things you've never seen before, unbelievable vistas that will give you a lump in your throat, and be introduced to species that are almost too incredible to be real.

The shot above is just an example of the type of footage the show endeavored to capture...yes, that's a great white shark jumping entirely free of the waves to catch a bird as it attemped to dive for food. Each episode deals w/ a different terrain of our planet from deserts, to oceans, to mountains. My seven year old son watched the 'Deep Ocean' episode yesterday and literally remained open mouthed for the majority of the all-to-short 45 minute segment.

Though the creators of the show boast relentlessly about the 5 years it took to create the series, the state of the art technology used to capture such quality footage, and the years of research involved, those of us who know better cannot help but be even more drawn to our Grand Creator , Jehovah God, who is the REAL artist behind all these miracles. You just can't look at the desert landscapes, polar vistas, or fantastic creatures without offering a silent prayer.




Another little recommendation: A few years ago I chanced upon this wonderful book at the library called 'Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big' by Berkely Breathed. I remember being drawn to the artwork and also the fact that Berkley Breathed was the author since I had grown up surrounded by 'Bloom County' memorabilia (my dad was a big fan of the comic strip) and I had an abiding love for Berkley's illustrations and his creations, 'Bill the Cat', and 'Opus the Penguin'.

The other day at Barnes and Noble, I ran across the book again and I'm SO happy I bought it. The story is absolutely timeless, written in rhyming language very similar to Dr Seuss (and every bit as clever) and the story (about how lies grow and grow) not only teaches a lesson but also touches a soft spot if you are a bit older. The artwork is fantastic, alternating Breathed's (pronounced bree-thed) unique sketchy illustrative style w/ some of his sock-you-in-the-jaw brilliant paintings that take up two full pages. I strongly recommend you check this one out for your littluns...they will love it and you will want to keep it for yourself!

Yes! Yes! Yes! Sweet Lord Yes!

At the risk of sounding very Meg Ryan w/ that entry title-such was my reaction upon hearing the new Clutch album, 'From Beale Street to Oblivion'.

As I'm sure many of you know, I have been a fan of Clutch for a loooong ol' time. Their first full length album 'Transnational Speedway League' is still one of my favorites but even I will have to admit that the sound of it was befitting the high school graduates shelling the stuff out at the time. Don't get me wrong, the lyrics were great and the rock n roll was loud, meaty, and a bit doomy. But lyricist/ singer Neil Fallon was capable of so much more than that album offered and over the years he's proven what a great artist he is. His love of delta blues definitely shows in this, their newest contribution, and pulls off a completely different sound for them. While my love for his extremely smart and tongue in cheek lyrics was evident in my adulation of their last album 'Robot Hive Exodus' (http://learnthebigapple.blogspot.com/2005/12/bake-sale-of-year.html), I am more enamoured of the music in this release. The songs are very blues-driven in nature but never lack the rhythym and impetus (hey, that was a great song!) that one would expect from a died-in-the-wool rock n roll band. Gotta make a little mention here of Jean Paul on drums, Tim Sult on guitar and Dan Maines on bass for really pulling out all the stops here, musically.

I'm so excited to see them live (again) on this album tour because I know what a wonderful mix of music we'll be hearing. Each album had a different theme and sound that accompanied it and when coupled w/ the great lyrics and vocal delivery of Fallon, there is all kinds of 'great' to expect! Needless to say, I LOVE this band!

Hey! Lissen!:

http://www.badongo.com/file/2636489