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Entry date: 7-30-2024 – Last Say of Dumber – Letters to My Friends

Dear Friends,

 

I knew this guy. For the purpose of today’s lecture, I will just call him “Dumber.” He was always wanting to have the last word. Because of this, he liked to be in charge of when the conversation ended. It got to be comical for me, actually, because I like having the last word, too, but for “Dumber” it was like it was his religion or something.

 

We were having this conversation one time, and I was trying to get off the phone. You know that whole dance, right? You want to get off, so you start dropping hints.

 

“Man, it’s really good to talk with you.”

 

Dumber keeps going.

 

“Jeez, look at the time.”

 

Dumber starts talking about the new digital clock he got at Goodwill.

 

“Well…”

 

There is no hint of any type of social clue being picked up on so as a last resort, I said, “hey, man. I really gotta jump off.”

 

Dumber says, “Okay” and then proceeds to talk about some other nonsense.

 

I don’t remember what he was talking about because by this point, I was completely checked out. I just wanted to be gone.

 

To be fair, I really liked “Dumber.” He was usually pretty fun to hang out with and talk to, but he wanted to be the one to end the call or the conversation you might be having in person at a show or a party.

 

If he said, “Bye” after I said, “Bye,” I would fuck with him and add a “See ya.”

 

It would fuck him up. You could hear him exhale and the frustration would be audible. I would hang on just to hear it and usually give him the courtesy of saying, “See ya” before I hung up.

 

But sometimes, I didn’t want to do that and I would hang up real fast after I got the last word.

 

***** 

 

None of that is true.

 

*****

 

I just liked making the title of today’s blog the “Last Say of Dumber” because for me, it is the last day of summer vacation today. A good title can set me off in any number of directions.

 

My brain. It’s fun.

 

***** 

 

Got some stuff to accomplish today. I’m finishing up my interview with Dave Mustaine and I have some other writing to get to, as well. Not a bad way to stay out of the heat, but a few of my errands require me to leave the house. I’ll survive, though.

 

*****

 

I purchased the Butthole Surfers’ record, piouhgd, pretty soon after moving to Berkeley in 1991. The college radio stations that serve the area, one from UC-Berkeley (can’t remember the call letters) and one from the University of San Francisco (KUSF), started playing songs from it right away. I was in heaven.

 

At that point in my life, the Surfers were everything to me. I spent a lot of time trying to learn as much as I could about them and scoured the Bay Area record stores for the hidden gems and rarities I was missing from my collection. I was constantly hunting for those missing records and compilations from my collection.

 

I don’t remember having too much luck, although I did find some cool stuff here and there. I bought piouhgd at Amoeba Records on Telegraph Avenue on CD and vinyl which put a little dent in my original Berkeley nest egg, for sure. I was a completist in those days.

 

At first, I was pretty disappointed in most of piouhgd. There were a few songs that I really liked, of course, and had heard played live around the same time. “Blindman” and “PSY” are both excellent and I love the cover of “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” I even like how they covered their own song, “Something” by playing it as if it was an old Jesus and Mary Chain song.

 

As I’ve gotten older, though, I like piouhgd more and more. It has some really funny moments. Starting off with “Revolution Part 1” and “Revolution Part 2” is way better now than I thought it was then. I think I was hoping for the scary Surfers and not the funny Surfers.

 

Those first two songs, though, especially when the “Gary Shandling” part starts in “Part 2” are quite entertaining. I also realize that the band was really firing on all cylinders at this point, even if some of the songs didn’t quite seem to live up to the best songs in the canon. It’s ten minutes of fun, psychedelic nonsense.

 

“Lonesome Bulldog” and “Lonesome Bulldog II” are up next. There is a little bit of a similar feel to “John E. Smoke” here and the lyrics are pretty darn funny. It’s just the Butthole Surfers entertaining themselves and not giving a fuck (or even two fucks) about what the listener might think.

 

“Lonesome Bulldog III” and pops up later and adds some noise to the story. Paul Leary’s guitar is pretty epic on this super short track. The final chapter, “Lonesome Bulldog IV” comes before the final track and doesn’t add much to the argument either.

 

Prior to that, though, is Donovan’s “The Hurdy Gurdy Man,” which I also have the 7” single of, as well. Good stuff. “Golden Showers” follows, and again, it is Leary’s guitar work that really steals the thunder on this song. Gibby Haynes’ vocals are typical Gibby, but it’s a fairly forgettable song.

 

As mentioned, “Blindman” is a killer song and one that I have enjoyed hearing live on multiple occasions, especially their show a few months after the record came out when Redd Kross opened for them at the Warfield. Alexa and I went to that one as she was up for a visit, and it was amazing. Redd Kross was a little too fucked up to play, but when I talked to Steven McDonald about it a few years ago, he said the Surfers contributed greatly to their fucked-upedness.

 

“No, I’m Iron Man” is one that I always kind of liked. It was kind of a fun one to add to mixed tapes back in the day, too. I enjoyed writing the title. Then comes “Something” and it’s fun, too. I always kind of liked that early Jesus and Mary Chain stuff, so I got a kick out of this version back then, just as I do today.

 

“P.S.Y.” is one of my favorites from the Butthole Surfers catalog, especially this version. This one has lyrics and the one from the Double Live Bootleg record does not. It’s great as an instrumental, but I like the lyrics quite a bit. I bet I have listened to this song way more than any other from this record except, maybe, “Blindman.”

 

“Barking Dogs” is kind of like something from Rembrandt Pussyhorse, so I like it. It’s just noise and some barking dogs. More good stuff.

 

Piouhgd is not their finest hour, but there is enough super memorable stuff on there to be one of my 366 (leap year) favorite records. I’m listening to it right now and I haven’t skipped through any songs or even thought about it. That’s the way it should be.

 

***** 

 

See you tomorrow.



AI has also not had the experience with Dumber.

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