DIG THIS WITH BILL MESNIK AND RICH BUCKLAND- THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS
My Fellow Americans, Life is actually just a microscopic, deluded moment in time, so let's cut to the freakin' chase. One look at our impending election debacle can solidify my case. It has been my contention since birth, that the answer to every difficulty we encounter on this sacred yet demented Stone, can be revealed with ultimate clarity through the ultra neurotic engagements of Music, Art, Literature, Film, Poetry and a good Pastrami sandwich. Why would any sane human spend so must time on a film set (Do you know how long you gotta wait until your 8 second deliverance of an edited beyond repair line gets a chance to become a professional embarrassment etched in time forever? ) or expend so much energy in a recording studio, piecing together another ode to a man or woman who could not care less how much love existed within your digestive tract? It's all about hymns and prayers and a quest for mercy and forgiveness and silence and faith. We were blessed with Charles Bukowski, Gene Chandler, Lenny Bruce, Mitch Ryder and a legion of creative explorers whose influences provided the air we breathe. So Let's Dance! This site shall explore the reaper, find a way to disarm the stench of injustice, discover some true loves and talk it all over before it's all over. So what's the worst that our desires could produce? Failure? So sue me. I'm going to require your assistance in making as much trouble for the grown-ups as possible. Let the record show that my childish heart yearns to disrupt the madness. Join me Ladies and Germs!
With Gratitude For Gena Rowlands, Nancy Sinatra, Jerry Quarry, Leo Gorcey, Arthur Alexander and Joey Heatherton, Your Splendid Bohemian, Rich Buckland.
DIG THIS WITH BILL MESNIK AND RICH BUCKLAND- THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS
BILL MESNIK'S SUNNY SIDE OF MY STREET PRESENTS: "THE BRAMBLE AND THE ROSE" BY MARY MCCASLIN AND JIM RINGER (PHILO, 1978) - EPISODE #81
I’d like to say that this is one of the best love duets ever recorded, but I demur from superlatives generally. However, I can say with certainty that it’s one of my favorites. Maybe it’s the simple, straightforward vocal delivery of these two raw-boned, pioneer types that makes me cry every time they ease into the sinuous harmonies of the chorus. And, the lyrics complement the American Gothic soundscape as they sing: “See how the bramble and the rose intertwine…” It’s a performance for the ages from two people who obviously loved and trusted each other and were dedicated to their mission to share the folk music they cherished.
I’d never heard of Mary McCaslin or Jim Ringer when I ran across their album in the cut out bin at the old Rhino Records store on Westwood in Los Angeles. And, I’m not sure what induced me to buy it - perhaps it was the inclusion on the track list of “Oh, Death,” - a song I knew from Ralph Stanley-, that clinched the deal; Maybe it was the primitive portrait of the two lovers: Mary, with her modest, down cast eyes opposite the barrel chested, ruddy cheeked Ringer, who stares directly, and challengingly, from the cover. Whatever the draw, I’m thankful I spent the $3.99, and I’ve kept it close to my heart ever since for solace, to remind me that true love, even with all its thorns, is worth fighting for.
