Connection

Trying to name each blog post after a song, "Connection" was a Rolling Stones song redone by Montrose, which fits nicely into this post.

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I have become enthralled and mesmerized by a show on TV called "I Survived...and Came Back", which is on the Bio channel on Sunday nights. It has two airings, one at 9pm and one at 10pm central time. It is bascially about people who have been declared dead and have come back to life.

The believer in me says that there is some truth to these stories , but my scientist friend says it's nothing more than a dying brain that pretty much does the same thing in everyone. Each story is relatively similar, in that the person feels very much at peace and is content.

One woman said she was swimming in colors and heard the voice of God. Another said he walked toward his mother and grandmother, both deceased, and they were very young and beautiful. One man talked of having his life story played out like a movie projected on a wall and found himself at the bottom of a hill and on top of the hill, he saw a ten foot tall man with long, flowing dark hair and and beard. Another man, who was a pest exterminator, was shocked by a 110 volt electrical line, heard God call to him. It affected him so much, he became a preacher.

The way the stories are set up borders on hokeyness, but the stories seem to be real. I understand those who don't believe, I get it. But for those of us who do, it reminds us of the true miracle of faith. What do you think? Maybe you should watch and see.

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Happy birthday Lou Reed. Lou is 69 today. He gives me hope for the future, knowing that as much as he abused his body and has made it this far, I shouldn't have much trouble.

I first saw Lou Reed in 1974, right after "Rock and Roll Animal" came out. "Rock and Roll Animal" is one of THE best live albums ever, only due to his back up band with Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner on dual lead guitars and Prakish John on bass. This was the line up I saw in Iowa City when he opened for Jethro Tull. He blew J.T. off the stage. My friend Gary and I also noticed that he shot heroin on stage. We were pretty wiped out ourselves but we are certain to this day that he wrapped the microphone cord around his arm and stuck a syringe in his arm that night.

My next encounter with Mr. Reed was in 1985, when I interviewed him at the first Farm Aid for KSHE in Champaign Illinois. I don't remember what I said to him (I believe it was about the mixture of country and rock acts on the bill), but he flew into a rage and stomped off, right in the middle of a live interview on the air. I guess I should wear that as a abdage of honor that Lou reed got pissed at me live on the air. I just thought he was rude at the time. One of my favorite live songs by him...

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I get to spend tomorrow morning getting radioactive dye shot into my head. How about you? The headaches continue and no one, NO ONE can find out what the hell is wrong. My neurologist has weaned me off caffeine (which actually, has been good for me) and I get the dye job tomorrow. The old joke remains is that they will have a look at my head and find nothing at all. He's not convinced it's migraines, becasue I got them too late in life, I'm not sensitive to light and sound and they are constant. Bloody hell.
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This weekend on the old www.planetradio.us, it's cover tune weekend. That means, throughout the weekend, I'll throw in the originals and the cover songs that may or may not have made the originals more familiar. It starts at 7 on Friday and ends Sunday night at midnight. BTW, one thing I can offer that the terrestrial stations can't is programming like that and the opportunity to play new music from classic rock artists. I have the new Gregg Allman, Buddy Guy, Leon and Elton, Stevie Nicks, Robbie Robertson, Steve Miller, The Cars and Bob Seger all in rotation. The Bob Seger is such a disappointment. It's a cover of a cover. he does "Downtown Train" by Tom Waits, which has been done by Patty Smythe and Rod Stewart.