Simple things make me happy

Aquariums make me happy.
NYC in the a.m. makes me really REALLY happy (so quiet and nice!)
Singer songwriters that arent bob dylan make me happy.
Hearing* a new good record make me happy also, but especially when they are good ones that i probably wouldnt have strolled across had it not been for someone else's generosity/musical know!

So im SPREADING THE WEALTH!

Ouch man!


This whole record is like if Cat Stevens (guitar), Shuggie Otis (hippie) and JJ Cale (bottom dweller/diane arbus subjects) all beat up Bob Dylan. Van Morisson was there, but he was too drunk to do anything except pee on himself. I really hate the whole "comparison list of artists who people sound like" but if you cant beat them, join them I guess. And while all the articles on him mention BD, and some mention SO and CS, no one mentioned the similarity to JJ Cale. And im like, "why not?".

In my opinion, they sound similar-ish, but their content is different. Wheras this Rodriguez guy sorta covers the "gil scott heron drug junkie sad people territory" but with an added "foo foo at you" twist (more later), JJ Cale got the dirty folks doing dirty things and was sort of a lover about the whole thang. Even when he was ripping his subject a new one.

Even when the lyrics arent dirty, the songs are still dirty, right? This is a nice one of his.


But back to Mr. Sixto.

A cursory review of Mr Sixto Rodgriguez shows that he was pretty much ignored in the USA, but ran for public office in Detroit.
Full circle huh? He also kinda looks like Carlos Santana. Which would make me ignore him also. On a physical level. The content of his songs would make me ignore him on a sexual level. But more on this later.

So this catchy record played a time or so on my speakers while i did stuff. And i liked it. A more thorough review of his record in the shower revealed a sort of inner layer to this otherwise catchy in a sneaky way record.

Yes. i listen to music in the shower. But i digress: the majority of songs on this record are dis' songs. Sure they are kinda like, tame by todays standards, but a dis is a dis! Im wondering who this Rodriguez dude was writing about- she (or he) must have been something else! He doesnt love her, insinuates that shes a slut, and then writes a record about her. Which means he protests too much. Which can make for sonic entertainment if done properly. And its done properly here. Plus, how many years its been (if ever) have you have heard the word "sex" used as a VERB in a song? (ok: i wanna sex you up: sex is a verb there). Although its not my favorite song on the record, "I wonder" is worth a listen. Sounds like Buddy Holly, but twisted lyrics about said whore and who she's been spreading it around to and whether she knows who is next. Hey Rod! She knows who ISNT next! You brother. You got a bad attitude!