Dear Friends,
Ergonomic Mischief has certainly been a gift I have given myself. I hope that for a few of you it has been something you have benefited from as well. Even if only to confirm that you are not alone. None of us are as unique as we think we are.
I am convinced of that.
Christmas Eve has always been a source of excitement for me. Back when I was a kid, it was the day I celebrated Christmas with my mom and/or my grandparents on my mom’s side. I remember the year when Star Wars came out, Christmas 1977, and I got a Darth Vader watch from Granny and Papa. It was so cool.
I held onto that thing for a good long time, but I have no idea what happened to it now. I do remember being pretty darn happy with it. That year I would have been eight years old.
Granny and Papa had a fireplace in their den, I guess they called it, that was off the kitchen. It might have also been a dining room. We would have big meals there sometimes. It was a good room. It’s where my grandfather’s piano was, too. That piano sits in our home now.
As I got older, we would still gather together as a family and do a gift exchange. Those were often fun times and various family friends would join us, too. Some of those people are no longer with us. I will think of them today.
I will also be thinking of Doug today, of course. For the past four years, he has been with us on Christmas Eve. I also remember wondering what Rangeley looked like on Christmas eve back when we would call him and wish him a Merry Christmas before he retired. It will be strange this year without him.
My heart is full of love, though, for our family. Even though our number has gotten smaller this year, we are very fortunate. We have healthy children who are making their way in life. They are growing and learning and becoming the people they want to be right before our eyes.
I am proud of them all and carry nothing but hope in my heart for their continued growth in the search for love and joy. It sounds sappy, I know, but it is true. That is what we are here to do, isn’t it? There are much worse pursuits than searching for love and joy.
This is really what Christmas is about.
My wish for all of you who might read this is that tonight is magical and full of love.
*****
One of the first punk rock records I ever bought was T.S.O.L.’s self-titled EP that came out in 1981. They were my first show and one of the first punk rock t-shirts I owned, too. I became a big fan after watching Suburbia.
It seemed like there was a big connection between T.S.O.L. and Phoenix, too. Guys who would later become my friends were in a band called Response and they seemed to play with T.S.O.L. a lot. In fact, when Response added my brother from another mother, Bill G., on second guitar, his first show with them was opening for T.S.O.L.
I quit my job to be at that show, but I think I have told that story already. I didn’t really like the job, but that was not the point.
That first T.S.O.L.’ EP, though, is a thing of beauty and power.
“Superficial love/only for a fuck/but love is incest/and it’s only for a fuck.”
That’s the opening line, although I always thought the second part of the line was “But love isn’t death” not “but love is incest.” I didn’t think it could be darker, but it is. I’ve been mangling these words for almost forty years.
It’s crazy to me to think that I have had this EP for just about that long. It makes it one of the possessions of mine that has traveled around with me the most over the years. It was my insurance against being called a poser, too.
Those early days of being a punk were rough. The pre-existing punks at my school, Deer Valley High School, were not the most welcoming bunch. I got called a poser a lot, but I just kept buying records and going to shows and figuring out my own way.
“Army, Navy, Air Force, or jail!”
That’s what I’ve always done.
I think T.S.O.L. kind of espouses that attitude, too. They had their dalliance with hair band infamy and came back to reclaim their punk rock roots. In fact, when I first saw them, Joe Wood was singing but they were still doing all the early classics, too.
“Superficial Love” is only 1:18 seconds long. It gives way to “Property Is Theft” which is a whopping 1:25 minutes of pure punk rock fury. I love every one of the 85 seconds that song lasts. I must’ve played this first side, which also has “No Way Out” (1:10) about a million times in 1985 alone.
It sounded great on my little Magnavox stereo.
“There’s a noose around my neck.”
When “Abolish Government” kicks off to start the second side, I’m so far in that I could just ride around in the back of T.S.O.L.’s van for the rest of my life if they promised to play this song every show. The dual threat of “Silent Majority” and the songs are listed as “Abolish Government/Silent Majority” is just kickass.
“America/Land of the free/Free to the power of the people in uniform.”
“Promote freedom/let it be heard/but don’t forget that it’s only a word.”
Jack Grisham wrote some amazing lyrics for this EP. This was an example of punk rock from the beach at its best. Mike Roche’s bass on the record is totally killer, too. When he comes in on “World War 3” it so damn good.
“Third world war/we’re the victims/third world war/we’re the victims!”
Ron Emory’s guitar work is totally on point on this E.P., too. I wonder if these guys were as stoked on the record they had made back in 1981 as I was to on it a few years later. I hope they were proud as hell of themselves.
This record was a game changer for me. I loved the T.S.O.L. stuff on the Suburbia soundtrack, but this EP was so much better. The energy and power of these five songs (well, I count them as six, but maybe I’m totally wrong) is off the charts and sofa king good.
I have gone back to this record throughout my life, and it has never disappointed me at all. Even though I sometimes forget what a huge T.S.O.L. fan I am, I am quickly reminded of it when I listen to this first, self-titled EP.
*****
See you there.
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