putting the j in jjosh

it is astonishing how much trouble we can get into if we work at it.

and astonishing how much trouble we can get out of, if we simply assume that everything will, somehow or other, work out for the best.

listening to the Hendrix track “are you experienced” this morning and I got a whole new take on it. I wS doing that thing I sometimes do (maybe you do it too) were a song comes on the iPod and even though you don’t really want to listen to it, you make yourself, and you kind of try to listen to it in a new way or something.

I had always thought the lyrics to “are you experienced” were about JH bragging about what a badass he was and how much acid he had done. you know like “are you experienced? have you ever been experienced?” meaning “ever done acid?” and then he says “well I have”.

and I always figured, chill dude great, we’re all excited for you, and I know it’s the 60s and acid is new and all but still, stop being so full of yourself.

listening to it this morning though, I started thinking about maybe he’s saying you know, has anyone ever experienced you. have you ever been experienced? and then the “I have” is actually eferring to this very moment where you the listener are hearing this song, i.e., experiencing him. he’s not bragging about doin acid, he’s telling you to get out there in the world and have someone experimce you.

or maybe he’s saying both.

sometimes when these alternate interpretations arise, I find myself wondering of everyone else has known this for ages and soomehow I just missed it…

still, it made the song more enjoyable…

great bit. this guy si standing on the edge of the platform, eating a banana with the peel hanging down, cartoon gorilla style. a woman walks by, eating a banana in the same style. he raises his to her as thought it’s a drink and does a little head tilt as if to say “cheers!” and “nice, youve got a banana too! nice style!” she does the same and continues down the track.

to add to the headphone revelation series:

cornershop "heavy soup/outro" – how could I have never noticed that there’s a bass clarinet mixed in there?! amazing!

nightmares on wax, from smoker’s delight  "track 1" – wow. just wow.

doors "break on through" – the use of stereo in this is fantastic! and though the music is great, JM’s voice in the middle of your head is SUPER fierce.

since we movedast week I haven’t been able to find the box where I packed my small headphones. so I’ve been using my big Sony pro headphones for the subway trip to work. yeah, they’re bigger and bulkier but you know, I’ve seen lots of muso heads on the subway wearing big phones so no big deal.

what is a big deal though is the way the music sounds! this is amazing, the quality is so critical, how did I ever not notice this? the rolling stones sound phenomonal, ratatat are crisp and amazing, and hip hop beats? don’t even get me started. how am I supposed to go back now? why would I?

how you gonna keep em down on the farm after they’ve seen Paris?

Friday morning.

taking a picture of a sleeping MTA guy on the subway, I’m reminded of being at burning man and mike h coming up with this great art project: he would take polaroids of people sleeping and then tuck the photo into their hands for them to find when they woke up. I loved it because there was something mildly creepy about it (who’s watching me while I sleep?!) and kind of beautiful too (everyone looks so innocent while they sleep). great stuff…

2 obnoxious girls in their 20’s buying salads.

GIRL A: Can I get just like a side of chickpeas?
GIRL B: She brought her lunch but she just wants some chickpeas. That’s so weird!
GIRL A: I know, I’m weird!

(they are laughing really loudly)

GIRL A: We are so annoying right now, I love it!
GIRL B: I know, if I was sitting next to myself on the subway, I’d totally put a gun to my head.