What's In A Name?

I always thought "The Beatles" was an incredibly clever band name. According to John Lennon, the group's name was a combination word-play on the insect "beetles", a nod to Buddy Holly's band (the Crickets) and the word "beat" which in the late 1950s and early 1960s carried both musical connotations (the beat of a song) and pop-cultural connotations (relating to the Beat generation).

As clever as "The Beatles" may be as a name it can't hold a candle to some other real band names listed on this webpage - The Canonical List of Weird Band Names. A few of my favorites include Above Average Weight Band, Cindy Brady's Lisp, I Buried Paul, JFKFC, Jehovah’s Witness Protection Program, Lee Harvey Keitel, Nearly Died Laughing While Shaving My Butt, Sandy Duncan's Eye, and Whorgasm.

I think if I ever had a band I'd call it Pearl Jamnation.

Jerry Garcia Autopsy

A Groovy Peek Inside Captain Trips

Here's an interesting site graphically documenting Jerry Garcia's autopsy. You might want to dose before viewing this presentation.

Click here to view Jerry Garcia's autopsy.

New Pearl Jam Album Leaked

Through various means I've been able to obtain the new Pearl Jam album. Simply put--this album is rock and roll at its best. The music, lyrics, power, energy, and flow, ranks up there with some of their best releases including Ten, VS, Vitology, and Yield. You have to remember when it comes to music I'm somewhat jaded. It takes something really special to make me dance and excite me the way music used to when I was younger. This new Pearl Jam album is that special. So much so I can't stop playing it. I've must have listened to this album twenty times since Monday. It's that good. So good in fact that I know I'll still be listening to it years from now with the same enjoyment and satisfaction as I do with the aforementioned PJ albums.

There are 13 songs on this album of which three are slow in tempo. One of these songs is called "Gone." This song is amazing and I can guarantee it will become a concert audience favorite sing-a-long ala "Better Man." "Gone" has actually been released on the Borgata Casino, Atlantic City October 1st, 2005 official bootleg (available through Pearl Jam's website). "Gone" is my favorite song on the album but it was not at first. It took a few listens before it hooked me. I hope you enjoy "Gone" as much as I do.

Listen / Download
- Pearl Jam - Gone

The Original Paul Altobell Pt. II

Philadelphia Zoo in the 1940's

Jump to The Original Paul Altobell - Self Portraits

Chocolate Jesus

Today my wife came home with an Easter picture of my two sons. The moment I saw the picture I remembered something I heard the late great Bill Hicks once say:

I've been travelling a lot lately. I was over in Australia during Easter. It was interesting to note that they celebrate Easter the same way as we do - commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus by telling our children a giant bunny rabbit left chocolate eggs in the night.

I wonder why we're so messed up as a race? You know, I've read the Bible - can't find the words "bunny" or "chocolate" in the whole book.

Listen / Download: Tom Waits - Chocolate Jesus