I agree. So, someone asks Stephen King what his favorite CDs are each year, what's the big fucking deal? Most every year each of us also contribute our thoughts on our favorites. Other than King being a well known author, I really don't see much difference. It's always interesting to me to read other's thoughts at the end of the year on their favorite releases no matter who they are.

If you ever find yourself with a few extra minutes on your hands be sure to sample some of their tunes at MySpace, they presently have two new albums out, Giving Machines and Loveless: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...iendID=24787615

I believe I read somewhere the other day that Bullitt is about to recieve the deluxe reissue treatment on DVD. Anyway, I hate to derail this thread any further but now that the subject is on Steve McQueen I just had to pass on these lyrics from a Drive-By Truckers song. They used to perform with a tapestry of Steve McQueen behind them, right next to that was a Lynyrd Skynyrd banner. Steve McQueen Steve McQueen When I was a little boy I wanted to grow up to be Steve McQueen Steve McQueen The coolest doggone motherscratcher on the silver screen I’d drive real fast everywhere no one would ever catch me and I’d kick your ass if you pissed me off so be careful what you ask me and I’d never have an empty bottle or an empty bed and as cool as Paul Newman is I bet Steve could whup his head Steve McQueen............................ Bullitt was my favorite movie that I’d ever seen I totaled my go-cart trying to imitate that chase scene That Duster had six hubcaps, know what I mean? and I love the way they all flew off when it landed in that ravine Steve McQueen............................ I really loved The Getaway back when I was eight that pussy Alec Baldwin sucked in the remake and speaking of pussy, I guess Steve got it all He fucked Faye Dunaway and he fucked Ali McGraw! Steve McQueen Steve McQueen When I was a little boy I wanted to grow up to be Steve McQueen Steve McQueen The coolest goddamn motherfucker on the silver screen (yee-haw) (Suddenly the scene turns slow and somber, as a campfire harp plays in the background) I went to see The Hunter on my first date The Hunter was the last movie Steve McQueen lived to make They took my drivers license when I was just sixteen the year Mesothelioma killed Steve McQueen Lyrics by Patterson Hood Music by Drive-by Truckers (Cooley, Hood, Howell, Lane, Neff, Stacy) ©1998 Soul Dump Music Dedicated to my grandfather W. M. Patterson (Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the lining of the lung caused by exposure to asbestos. It’s mortality rate is known to be extremely high.)

If all you know of his "style" is his work with the Drive-By Truckers over the years then you owe it to yourself to check out the work he's done with some of the literally hundreds of other bands out of Athens. You will immediately be surprised by the man's versatility, not just stylistically but his prowess on a variety of instruments. Some of his work is in the honky tonk vein (Chasers, Star Room Boys) but there is also some of it, such as Japancakes, that is very out there and nothing like you've ever heard him do with the Drive-By Truckers. He's not the Athens go-to musician for no reason. I'm a huge Cooley fan myself and his songs sound the most promising for the new record (although I've only heard one of Shonna's, "I'm Sorry, Huston"). That's also not to discount Patterson, as Goode's Field Road is finally going to make it onto an album, albeit in a radically re-worked version. As for Patterson's updated comments in the discography section of their site, I discovered those totally by chance when going there to check out something else. I mention them only because I thought you might be interested in his musings regarding A Blessing And A Curse (and some of the other Jason albums) now that time has allowed a little water to pass under the bridge since Jason left the band. I also thought the vinyl thing was pretty cool too, although I hope more care is put into these vinyl issues than was put into the newer release of SRO. It was advertised by Lost Highway as being some sort of new version when in reality it appears to be a way of clearing out old stock. Newer versions apparently also don't come with the "libretto" so I'm glad I snatched it up the first time.

No, I'm not but I used to work with him. He got out of radio totally. Like me, he's become increasingly dissatisfied with the direction it's taken. "Bob the Blade" from the now defunct WRDU in Raleigh took his place in afternoon drive time and from what little I've heard, has actually breathed new life into the station. Tell me about it. Our former residence is located on that stretch between the Wildlife ramp and Dudley's Marina. We were in a flood zone, a huge strike against us in the event of a hurricane. We had been hit so many times we had become a special case with FEMA but they never saw fit to fund us the money to put our house on stilts. That was only one of several factors which eventually led us to sell, the encroaching highway was another. We were always close to the road and had several accidents along there over the years to prove it. The most recent being a truck flipping and landing on our back porch just a few years ago. Yes, I do although I've only seen her perform one time (at a friend's wedding). The last I heard she was homeless and in very ill health out west somewhere. Some of her local friends have banded together to try to help her out and get her back home. According to the blog entries on her MySpace site she is back in NC and under treatment for her illness: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...iendID=53286239

I don't see how any of these lists affect anyone's opinion. Now, if I keep seeing a record listed over and over again it's naturally going to raise my curiosity level a bit, quite possibly to the point where I might even check out that record but that doesn't mean I'm automatically gonna like it. So, someone asks Stephen King what his favorites are each year, it's no different than everyone here doing the very same thing.

I honestly have to wonder if you've heard any of his work outside of the DBT and there's loads of it, such as Japancakes for instance. If anything, I'd say he's the most accomplished player in the band. I agree with what you're saying in regards to Jason but Neff's style is just that, he's far too laidback and subtle to take the DBT back in the direction they were headed with Jason. In other words, it just wouldn't fit his personality to step up front and start ripping away at some firey leads. That's just not gonna happen. That's why I say this is just another stage of change in a band that's seen their fair share. The DBT is a different beast yet again. It's going to be interesting to see how many stick with them through this next record, especially those still smarting from Jason's departure. In regards to Jason's contributions to the band, I always thought some of his best work (Outfit, Danko/Manuel) was on a par with that of Patterson and Cooley, just more accessible. Some of his songs on A Blessing And A Curse were definitely taking them in a more pop direction but so were Patterson (Wednesday) and Cooley (Gravity's Gone). Still, that was apparently part of the split, also Jason wanting to finally release and tour in support of his solo album. I'm not sure if you've checked the DBTs site recently but Patterson has added new commentary to their discography, most of which will be released on vinyl in the new year: http://drivebytruckers.com/discography.html I think they're still recuperating but from the show I saw this summer (with them opening for the Allmans) the fire is still there. I'm watching from the sidelines a bit myself but firmly believe they'll recover from this just as they've done before. With Shonna stepping out front on a few songs with the next record and a slew of live shows on the way I think the DBT still have a quite few aces up their collective sleeves. To me, the DBT have always pretty much been Patterson & Cooley, with this new album they're getting back to that, the core of what made them the Drive-By Truckers to start with.

Just curious as to why you think Evel was a bad motorcyclist?

I have a simple solution for music I don't like: I don't listen to it. I may not care for artists such as Nickleback but I also don't spend a lot of time hating on them. Time is far too precious for that. I'd much rather spend that time concentrating on more positive things, like music I actually enjoy listening to.

You obviously must have had some interest in King's picks or you wouldn't have clicked on this thread. I also determine what I like on my own, however that doesn't stop me from being interested in what other people are listening to (whether be King or my fellow internet posters). Many times that's how I get turned on to music I otherwise never would have heard of. I can check it out on my own from there. I may or may not like it but at least I made the effort to seek out more new music. As for discussing what we all think is good or bad, of course that's an opinion thing. It's also a very huge part of what "discussion" boards like this are for. There's nothing saying we all have to agree.

Your Evel Knievel experiences pretty much parallel mine, right down to launching the Snake River rocket/cycle over a neighbor's ditch. I even have the old Super 8 footage to prove it, except we didn't use firecrackers. My fascination began with the Knievel movie starring George Hamilton. Then, like you said, Evel fever swept over the neighborhood in the form of bike ramps, the toys, etc. I've been a fan ever since. I'm not sure if it's available online anywhere but in one of the Rolling Stone anniversary type books there's a firsthand account of his Snake River jump. It sounds like some of the crazy shit that would happen at rock concerts years later (naked girls being passed over the crowd by supposedly being groped by audience members). I didn't see the jump footage immediately as it was only being shown via closed circuit television at the time but I very vividly remember watching it when it aired on ABC's Wide World of Sports shortly thereafter. Evel pretty much set the pace for daredevils, with motorcycles and otherwise, it's definitely the end of an era. Looking at YouTube, I'm surprised to see footage of kids doing stunts with their Evel toys that aren't at all unlike what I did with my own. Hey, that stunt cycle was one badass and endurable toy.

I don't think Neff is meant to be any sort of replacement for Jason Isbell, (especially in the lead guitar department) so I wouldn't look for anything to "cure" that. I caught two shows this year, one at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach and one when they opened for the Allman Brothers Band in Raleigh. Both of them were good but the show where they opened for the Allmans was better. I think Jason getting booted from the band dealt them a deadly blow, especially to fans that only know the Truckers from their Isbell years. To me, this is just another change in a band that has done nothing but change since the very beginning (http://oneofthesedays.org/timeline.php). Some will like it, some won't.

Even though they begin as a totally manufactured band they also toured as a live act. The Jimi Hendrix Experience even opened for them for a while. You don't see a lot of mention of it but Michael Nesmith is highly regarded as one of the pioneers of "country rock" from his post-Monkees time period.

Maybe because Stephen is a musician himself? Maybe because King often works some of his favorite bands into his novels? Maybe because he is a very avid fan and follower of music? Whatever the reason, I personally don't have a problem with people that are percieved to be outside of the music world being asked what their favorite albums of the year are. I'm not a musician, can't play a fucking note but I also have my favorites. Funny thing is, the exclusion of Ryan Adams' Easy Tiger, which King praised upon it's release earlier this year. By the way, here's another Stephen King year end best of list (which also includes Southern Culture on the Skids): http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,847439,00.html Stephen King on Easy Tiger: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/42...n-adams-itigeri Stephen King Big Ups Ryan Adams' Tiger One critic who won't be giving Ryan Adams' latest one-and-a-half stars: Stephen King, novel mass-producing machine, and probably your mom's favorite author (mine too). Those trolling Amazon.com recently in anticipation of Easy Tiger's June 26 release may have stumbled across a little nugget of a Product Description whose scribe claims to be King. "I won't say Adams is the best North American singer-songwriter since Neil Young...but I won't say he isn't, either," this King puts forth. "What I know is there has never been a Ryan Adams record quite as strong and together as Easy Tiger." Turns out that the man behind those words is indeed thee Stephen King, according to Adams' publicist. The two are apparently fans of one another's work, and we suspect, one another's ridiculous prolificacy. And the paragraph-or-so-long Amazon.com bit? It's in fact extracted from an even longer Adams bio/homage penned by King, the full text of which you may peruse after the jump. At least, until the interweb Langoliers gobble it up. It was, Ryan Adams says, this girl he's been spending time with; the title of this album is her fault. "She wanted to go out to dinner at eight; I wanted to go right away. She said, 'Easy, Tiger.' And that hit me. It stuck with me to the point where I called up Neal [that would be Neal Casal, guitarist of The Cardinals] and left a message on his answering machine with those two words. 'Don't forget this,' I said, 'cause I want to use it.'" Adams laughs and adds, "I think he's still got that message." And I understand that. Some things you just save, because they're worth playing over again. I think there are really only two kinds of pop music CDs these days. There are the ones you listen to only once or twice, maybe downloading the single good song to your iPod or computer; then there are others that grow stronger, sweeter, and more necessary each time you play them. Gold was that way; Cold Roses was that way; so was Jacksonville City Nights. I won't say Adams is the best North American singer-songwriter since Neil Young...but I won't say he isn't, either. What I know is there has never been a Ryan Adams record quite as strong and together as Easy Tiger; it's got enough blue-eyed, blue-steel soul (with the faintest country tinge) to make me think of both Marvin Gaye and the Righteous Brothers. Probably ridiculous, but true. And the songs themselves are beautiful-- the lyrics tightly focused and brief, the feeling one of melancholy calm that will probably be a revelation to fans that remember the old, sometimes angry Ryan Adams. He agrees that the tone of Easy Tiger is different-- not dark, just different-- and suggests in passing that it may have something to do with both sobering up and growing up (he's 32). Then he goes on to talk about the process, which is clearly something close to his heart. "I write on a manual typewriter," he says. "I get up, I have a cup of coffee, I sit down at the typewriter. I never spent a useless day behind a typewriter." I say amen to that, but he's already going on. "It's like-- I don't know, sometimes it's like chasing a pretty girl on the beach. And things I never thought I could do...I can do." I mention how prolific he is, aware that I might be touching a sore point. After all, there are plenty of critics who seem to think that's a bad thing. Adams, however, just laughs. "Yeah, yeah, in America people give you shit for working hard," he says. "But...it's process, that's all. I process things. I went into the dream business. If people need 'em, I've got extra." He talks enthusiastically about all the unreleased material he hopes to set free in a box set, maybe at the end of the year ("If people hear it all, then they'll get the connections," he says), but that's then. Now there's this, maybe the best Ryan Adams CD ever. And I know you want to listen to it right away. But slow down. Take your time. This album asks for that, and it will reward your full attention. In other words-- easy, Tiger. --Stephen King

I'm a big Little Feat fan but am not so fond of their post Lowell-ouput. Quite a bit of it is really good but some of it sounds like the Doobie Brothers twice removed. I understand long time fan and supporter Jimmy Buffett is working with them on their next record.

Evel Knievel Dies at 69 By MITCH STACY – CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Evel Knievel, the hard-living motorcycle daredevil whose exploits made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69. Knievel's death was confirmed by his granddaughter, Krysten Knievel. He had been in failing health for years, suffering from diabetes and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that scarred his lungs. Knievel had undergone a liver transplant in 1999 after nearly dying of hepatitis C, likely contracted through a blood transfusion after one of his bone-shattering spills.

Local musician Jeff Hart has been working on this site all week and just went online with it today: http://www.myspace.com/davidenloememorial

http://www.top10kid.com/?p=31

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2007...en_kings_t.html 1) Steve Earle - “Washington Square Serenade” 2) Wilco - “Sky Blue Sky” 3) Mika - “Life in Cartoon Motion” 4) Lyle Lovett and His Large Band - “It’s Not Big It’s Large” 5) Ozzy Osbourne - “Black Rain” 6) John Fogerty - “Revival” 7) Southern Culture on the Skids - “Countrypolitan Favorites”

From Don Dixon's Myspace blog: DAVID ENLOE my friend DAVID ENLOE died this morning...he'd been sick for a while & wasn't ready to take care of himself yet... like a lot of talented & smart & funny & creative people, he'd always had a self-destructive streak ...this one finally got the best of him...i won't say i completely understood DAVID but i respected his talent & liked him a lot...there's a small group of people whose songs i've recorded...MITCH EASTER, JOHN HIATT, DAN PENN & DAVID..."Cat Out of the Bag" was his...MARTI recorded a song of his called "I Don't Want Him (Anymore)"...decades later, we still play both of those songs in concert... DAVID toured for the better part of a year with MARTI when his band, The WOODS, was backing her on the road...he played some with me during that time, too...you can hear him on my live cd from '88, "Chi- Town Budget Show"...he was always cool...cigarette-smoke-curling-up- from-the-headstock-of-his-guitar-cool...handsome, great hair, the perfect bored, wicked grin...he should have been a huge star... he was a star to me & to most people that were lucky enough to have seen him play...been his friend...we'll all miss him...we, the lucky ones that knew him...

Methinks you have a whole lot to learn. Whether you're religious or not, there is no rhyme or reason as to who lives or dies in this world.

I hope you get to see them. You haven't seen them live yet have you?

Max Mag is one of the first places I read about Ryan (and his old band Whiskeytown) as well. I used to work at WSFL in New Bern back in the early 90s. I remember someone bringing by one of their early singles but I'm not sure if it ever made it onto the airwaves. I've always been a huge fan of the NC music scene but getting into Ryan and Whiskeytown (as well as lots of other local artists) around that same time renewed my interest. My Dad first discovered Swansboro back when he was in the Navy and stationed at Camp Lejeune. For years we stayed at the Bear Lodge Motel (now the Waterway Inn) for fishing trips but ended up getting a cottage in the early 70s. I moved down there in '92. Nice to make your aquaintance.

ANNOUNCEMENT: THE HOME FRONT WORLD TOUR We are thrilled to announce the beginning of our 2008 touring season. We will be kicking The Home Front World Tour 2008 off with a three night stand at our home base Athens GA's Fabulous 40 Watt Club on January 10, 11 and 12. The first night, January 10th will be a special benefit show for Nuci's Space - Artist's Resource Center DBT will play their new album BRIGHTER THAN CREATION'S DARK live in it's entirety, for what may be the only time ever. Two of our favorite bands: Don Chambers and GOAT and Bo Bedingfield and the Wydelles will open. Friday Jan. 11th and Saturday Jan. 12th will be full on Rock Shows and the premiere of our new tour. Openers will be Glossary (from Murfreesboro TN) on Friday the 11th and The Dexateens (from Tuscaloosa AL) will open on the 12th. These are two of the best bands in America so don't miss them. Stay Tuned for announcements of further tourdates in Europe and USA very soon. See you at The Home Front Rock Show, Drive-By Truckers BUY TICKETS STARTING NOV 30 AT 12PM EST

Believe it not, I haven't dug into it yet but I'll let you know what I think once I do. I actually bought it as a Christmas gift for someone else then changed my mind.