World Series 2011

The St. Louis Cardinal will be hosting the Texas Rangers in the World Series starting October 19th and at this point I just don't care. Yeah, Texas is big, bad and powerful and seems destined to get their championship after being sacrificed to the arms of the San Francisco Giants last year. The Cardinals will be going for their second World Series victory in five years while making their third appearance in seven. Why does the sports media always seem to count them out from getting into the playoffs? I thought it was a simple.

As horrible as it may seem the teams are reduced to this. A Texas team with this guy as their brightest star.

Josh Hamilton who is a born again Christian who was a party animal throwing away his extremely rare talents, skills and millionaire career with drugs and alcohol. (and questionable women it seems)

There's also a St. Louis team that thought hiring  Mark McGuire as the hitting coach was a smart step. This guy?

Pujols was psyched!

Anyway, I guess in the end I'm pulling for Ron Washington and his Rangers to steam roll the National League team.  Not only does Wash look like the grandfather I always wanted but he reminds me in some ways of gentlemen who inhabit the Tenderloin.

One last thing, who did the Cardinals get Jeff Reardon young again? This year's beard belongs to Jason Motte who grew out his whiskers and became the clone of one of the 80s best relievers.

Jason Motte

Jeff Reardon: The Eliminator

Maybe Brian Wilson has been paying tribute to Reardon as well. Though he's beard apparently has nothing but fastballs beneath it.

Brian Wilson

Go Rnagers!

Deep Madness

Phil Spector had a production style that created a sound that could so deep it couldn't come from anywhere but the bottom of the ocean. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', River Deep Mountain High, Be My Baby, My Sweet Lord and Imagine are just a few examples of this fathomless production. While these are pop gold standards of the 60s and early 70s there is something more here and it has something to do with the bass that causes you to recalibrate your stereo and feel the sonic effect throughout your body. One feels they are floating upon an ocean of music and one can see the sounds as they flow through air around you. With the deep he also gets beautiful vocals from his performers like John Lennon, George Harrison, The Righteous Brothers, The Ronnettes, The Crystals and Tina Turner; each distinct in personality and emotive quality that can hook you in. The songs he worked on however drives one into madness (not the band) Mr. Spector's (why do I want to call him Dr. Spector) history is notorious and has ultimately brought him down. He held the Ramones at gun point so they would put strings on their album, he stole John Lennon's Demos (at gun point), smashed through his windshield in a car accident in Hollywood, marrying one of his artists, wearing crazy wigs, locking Leonard Cohen out of the studio and threatening him with a crossbow as well some other bizarre, controlling stuff. All this must have been caused by the dense wall of sound he conjured up from the abyss bringing with it the end of sanity. I can also point out that Brian Wilson who was obsessed with Spector's production tapped into this sound with beautiful songs like Don't Worry Baby, and Good Vibrations is also known for his pour mental state; hell, he used the theremin in pop music. This sound also cursed the family with drug addiction and fatalities. While Wilson balanced the impossibly low drowning with gentle cascades of twinkling sound into what we must perceive as beach music his inspiration is obvious. There is a sadness beneath that transcends the fun. This all may sound out there but listen to three or four of these songs in a row and you may find that something has slipped through the transom.
My Suggestions:

River Deep-Mountain High - Ike and Tine turner
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers
My Sweet Lord - George Harrison
Be My Baby - The Ronnettes
Don't Worry Baby - The Beach Boys
Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
and a bonus, I have no idea who produced this song, maybe it was the Walker Brothers but the Spector, specter is obvious
The Sun Ain't Gonna' Shine Anymore - The Walker Brothers