What to Do;What To Do...

Have you ever been in the situation where you thought that you knew in your bones who somebody was and completely trusted them only to later find that they had been playing you all along? Have you ever been in any situation that you felt in your bones that you understood, only later to find that you were completely wrong? Have you ever looked at someone and felt that you instantly knew their life story...and loved them, anyway? Have you ever felt like giving up on love and relationships because they always inevitably seem to bring more pain and heartache into your life than joy and pleasure?
Have you ever thought that you were finally on your way to becoming a happier,better version of yourself only to be told that you have to hide that part of yourself in order to be successful or to be accepted by a particular audience or by the business world? Or have you ever found that you could not be with the person you really loved because they were not available to be with you or vice versa? Or, have you ever felt that there are people who dislike you so intensely that they root for you to fail?
In spite of all of these types of life experiences, is there some part of yourself that remains desperately optimistic and hopeful about life,love and the world?
All of these things, to one degree or another, are what I have been living through over this most recent(and,God willing,not last) chapter of my own life. The only constructive thing that I could think of to come up with was to make each of these little problems into the subject of a song.
So,for the low, low price of probably $13, you will soon be able to buy my CD and hear all about it, while you shake your ass.
We'll laugh,we'll cry,we'll dance. You'll be glad you came.
Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown.

 

My Weekend With Chappy

Bulls' game...Slim's Downtown...buying out Macey's for my Raleigh apartment...playing guitar late at night in the hotel room and ordering $20 club sandwiches at midnight...watching some amazing recording sessions for Keith's upcoming DOUBLENAUGHT RECORDS RELEASE!...listening to Dan Baird talk about vasectomies,today's singers, New Zealand,the weather,songwriting,teaching Paul Westerberg a certain chord progression,the 'old days' of recording and mastering,how to tell a 5 star key board player apart from a 4 star keyboard player...You name it, Dan held court about it-and it was all funnier than shit...IHOP at 3am...listening to Keith talk about the time he went to jail-and loved it.....

 

Need A Good Laugh?

I don't know about you, but it seems to me that the second best thing to do in life is to laugh. I love a good comedy movie. Seems like making a good comedy movie, that can sustain the laughs over a 100 minute or so time duration, must be about the most difficult thing you can pull off as a writer, director or actor.
What makes each of us laugh is uniquely subjective. I'm not at all sure what it is that makes me fall in love with particular comedies, although I'm guessing, as you will see from my own personal list below, that it pobably has something to do with making fun of those pompous, self-important types who take themselves way too seriously. I also think that it has to do with having dialogue that is so memorable that I find myself quoting the lines in every day life, in response to whatever is unfolding in real time before me. Or sight gags that are so memorable, you find yourself trying to describe it to folks who have not seen the movie.
What follows is my own list of personal favorites. I have pretty much ranked them by considering how well they have held up over time. Warning-I cheated:I had to assign some "ties" because I just could not leave some films off of my 'best of' list:
(10)Monty Python and the Holy Grail(I first saw this in a crowded theatre in Chicago when it originally debuted and the laughter and noise of the crowd was so loud that you had to see the movie again because you missed every other joke. However, it's only #10 on my list because, over time, I'm not at all sure that it really holds up, as much as I hate to admit it);
(9)Tie: Duck Soup-The Marx Brothers(this movie, on the other hand, is like a priceless Bordeaux-but wouldn't have been, but for the work of the GREAT Harpo Marx-truly the Keith Richard of American Comedy)and;"The Ritz"(Hysterical mid-70's farce-Jack Weston is trying to escape his crazy Mafiosa brother-in-law,Jerry Stiller, and hides in the last place in NYC he think he'll be found-a gay 'bath house'. Rita Moreno should have won an Oscar for her portrayal of the worst chicano lounge singer in bath house history('Are u chure u r no a prrrrodcher,sheecko?').
(8)Tie:Play It Again Sam/Sleeper-Woody Allen(For me, probably his funniest and most universally accessable films-"Play It Again Sam" is a must see for any Bogart fan or movie buff. Woody was on fire in the early 70s and, if you never saw "Sleeper", his side splitting and mostly accurate prediction of what the future would be like-get to Blockbuster immediately!);
(7)Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex-Woody Allen and ensemble cast( A freaking masterpiece! Woody appears in only a couple of the sketches-but the Gene Wilder sketch, in which he plays a psychiatrist who falls for another man's sheep, is pure gold);
(6)Another tie-Blazzing Saddles/Young Frankenstein(Mel Brooks was on fire in the mid-70s!);
(5)Borat-The Movie(not sure that it will really hold up over time-but I nearly wet myself the first time I saw it);
(4)Reno 911-Miami(I cannot say enough about this film or the TV Show. Both get funnier every time I see them and, if you are not yet a fan, go rent the movie and then work your way back by renting or buying the TV seasons-trust me-in the years to come, this will be viewed as ground breaking as was Monty Python when it was exported to this country-and the DVD commentary by the key members of this improv comedy troupe is worth the price of the DVD);
(3)This Is Spinal Tap(this movie should by now require no explanation and is mandatory viewing by anyone who reads this blog or who one day wishes to listen to my record-if you do not think this movie is funny, you probably are a dipstick);
(2)Another tie:Raising Arizona/The Big Lebowski(When they are on their game, nobody makes a funnier movie than the Coen brothers);
(1) Arthur(For pure one liners that remain emminantly quotable in real life and because the acting between Dudley Moore and John Gielgood(sp?)is so spine tingling good-just fast forward or advance when Liza gets to be too irritating and you are assured a great movie watching experience-I promise).

Speaking of Heroes: Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr.Ray Davies

 

"I'm In The Mood..."

I'm settling into my office and I'm hearing, over my computer, John Lee Hooker and Bonnie Rait's version of "I'm in the Mood", and it strikes me how lucky we are these days to be living in an age when you can simply plug in www.wfuv.org, no matter where you live in the world, and PRESTO-you can listen to one of the coolest Public Radio stations in this country-it's Fordham U's station and it's even better than Sirrius. Now I'm listening to Tom Waits, "Always Keep A Diamond in Your Mind".
Telling you-this should be saved in your 'favorites' list and you should try listening to it whenever you can. It will keep you current on the latest roots rock,remind you of how great the music of the early 70s really was,will let you know what the latest local news is in NYC and it is quite simply what FM radio was all about when I was growing up. Truth is, there are a number of great Public/University sponsored radio stations around the country-the one in Philly,the one in RDU,the one in Nashville,the one in Chicago, a great station in SF,a great one in New Orleans, but WFUV is in New York fucking City...so there!
I might just have to pull an "Elvis Costello' once my record is released and play outside their studios until they agree to include my record in their rotation. "Wherever you may wander, wherever you may roam, may you always keep a diamond in your mind...."
Have a great weekend,y'all.

Another Line Crossed

So today's kinda special to me: my Myspace page(www.myspace.com/montywarren)just crossed the 500 threshold(i.e., has been viewed over 500 times). Considering that my record is not even out yet and I have not yet even played my first gig, I'm pretty amazed by the level of interest.
It has been absolutely hysterical for me to see the different reactions that different friends,enemies,clients and 'partners' have had to all of this. To those of you who are rooting for me to finally pursue my longtime hobbie of songwriting and performing(eventhough,obviously, I will never give up my law practice)I just want to thank you and hope that your sincere kind wishes are repayed to you in life 10 fold. To those of you who seem for some reason threatened, or condescending or who have otherwise reacted negatively toward this little adventure of mine, I can only forgive you and remind you that Karma is a bad motherfucker and that you will surely reap what you sew down the road a piece.
Y'all should think about breaking out of your own little comfort zones once in a while and pursue art, writing, photography,stand up comedy, Little Theatre-any damn thing that brings you joy,preferably brings joy to others, and serves to remind you that there is a fuck of alot more to this life than just greedily making as much money as possible and ending up with the most toys to rust after you leave your miserable little life. I have probably smiled more in the last 6 months than in the last 20 years-no exaggeration!
So, if you'll excuse me, gotta get back to my Myspace page. As soon as I get the ok from Jack, I will post some of the record on www.myspace.com/montywarrenandthefrigginwhatevers). Oh yeah-and Jesus loves you...even if I can't stand the sight of you.

The Yayhoos Rock(go to Yayhoos.com and check 'em out)!

 

Got Problems with Women/Men, Ex-es,Friends, Bosses,Substances,Money,People? Get A Damn Dog!