Dear Friends,
Yesterday was my brother’s birthday. I don’t talk about him very much because I really don’t know him all that well. What I do know makes me angry and sad a lot of the time. Fucking drugs are terrible things for some people. My brother is one of those people.
I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of toll it has taken on my dad and stepmom, not to mention my step grandmother, too. Watching my brother slowly smoke his life away from afar has been bad enough. To have a front row seat must be brutal.
It was his birthday, though, so I reached out and our exchange was pleasant and hopefully honest. He doesn’t have a reason to lie to me. I told him that I worry about him but I’m also rooting for him. I also said that wanted him to get away from the “stuff.” He didn’t try to bullshit me, but he also didn’t say that he was going to quit.
I hate that.
The bottom line is that I hope to one day get to be more than just a brother in name, but an actual brother to him. I hope he wants to be a brother to me. We can all use a brother.
I have been very lucky to have a number of brothers from other mothers in my life. I have been blessed with some amazing friends and I think they know who they are. It would be great, though, if my little brother could join that club.
*****
The students were little a-holes yesterday. We had to have a little come to Jesus chat. I enjoy those, in a weird way, because I am getting good at understanding the 9/10-year-old mind. I can push the right buttons here and there and make them think a little bit.
I saw more than a few faces looking a little guilty during the lecture, so I scored a point for myself. I also saw a few eye rolls, too, so I need to get my game going a bit better. They aren’t going to get the best of me.
I’m going to get the best out of them.
*****
Tonight is a visit from King Buzzo at the Rebel Lounge. The boys are all going, so it should be fun. I hope I can stay awake. It should be a good one, though, I get to see Jeff Pinkus, too.
*****
It hurts me a little bit, sometimes, when I think about the fact that I could have been listening to some of these records that I love a little bit longer. My love affair with the Circle Jerks really took off when I first saw them in 1986. Markus and I went to the Mason Jar and saw them play. It was rad.
I liked them a lot and had several dubbed tapes and such by that point. I may have even had Golden Shower of Hits already, too. I can’t remember when I bought the record. It was either in late 1985 or sometime in 1986. Needless to say, I loved it.
I love the Circle Jerks so much that I can pretty much listen to any of their albums and be taken to a moment in time. I’ve also seen them live a lot, so most of the songs on Golden Shower of Hits hold special live moments for me, too. This is a great record to listen to when skateboarding, as well. It’s got the get up and go you need to hit some banks or an empty pool.
“In Your Eyes” is pure punk rock fury. 41 seconds of fun and frolic with Keith Morris yelling at you. I love that guy so much. Everything about the Circle Jerks is just one big love fest for me.
“Parade of the Horribles” is one that I love to hear played live, too. It’s fantastic. “Under The Gun” is the longest song on side one. Greg Hetson’s guitar part on “Under the Gun” is one of my favorites.
“When the Shit Hits the Fan” is just brilliant. I wrote about the lounge version they did for Repo Man recently and I’ll take either version whenever I can get it. Just a hilarious and pointedly excellent song.
“Bad Words” and “Red Blanket Room” are a little bit of filler, but I still dig them. I prefer “High Price on Our Heads” and “Coup d’Etat,” though. For a long time, “Coup d’Etat” was my favorite Jerks song. I think that happened after seeing them live the first few times. They rule when they play it live.
‘Product of My Environment” is also a favorite of mine, too. The words are great and it’s a short one but doesn’t seem that way. It seems just right. “Rats of Reality” and “Junk Mail” are also kind of filler here, but again, they are good songs. They just aren’t as good as the ones that precede them.
The title track, “Golden Shower of Hits (Jerks on 45)” is so fun. I busted a gut the first time I heard it and I played it over and over. We used to sing it quite loudly when we all went skating or were listening to this record in our apartment. Jeff, Markus, and I were (and are) all huge Circle Jerks fans and for several years, this record was in heavy rotation. “She’s having my baby” will always make me think of this one.
I’ve already laid a bunch of superlatives at the feet of the band here, but I have to say it again. I love the Circle Jerks and I love Golden Shower of Hits. They are raw and heavy and firing on all cylinders on this one. If I had to choose just one of their records to listen to forever, it might be this one.
It really might. I don’t want to have to make that call, though.
*****
See you tomorrow.
Well done, AI, well done.
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