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Thursday, March 30, 2023

Avalanche, Ian Hunter, Rant outtake

This song emerged somewhere between the Artful Dodger sessions and described as a Rant outtake. The lyrics are about a man who does not want to appear to be an animal but he has strong feelings for his girl.

In a clever twist of images, the guy will light up as the "Blackpool Illuminations," an annual lights festival, all over the Sackcloth and Ashes, which were an Old Testament outward sign of mourning, repentance, or abasement. Hunter re-uses the name Alice again, as in the Mott The Hoople song about a prostitute but here the reference is more fantastical as in Alice in Sunderland from the 2007 graphic novel exploring the links between Lewis Carroll and the Sunderland area, with wider themes of history, myth, and storytelling.

Both the narrator and the girl suggest they don't have to do anything but "hoping and praying" they understand each other. Alice comes to bed while "Christopher Robin" or the innocent slips out. The lovers are hit by an avalanche.

Christopher Robin is a character created by A. A. Milne, based on his son Christopher Robin Milne. The character appears in the author's popular books of poetry and Winnie-the-Pooh stories, and has subsequently appeared in various Disney adaptations of the Pooh stories.

Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment is a 2007 graphic novel by comics writer and artist Bryan Talbot. It explores the links between Lewis Carroll and the Sunderland area, with wider themes of history, myth and storytelling.

Sackcloth and ashes were an outward sign of mourning, repentance, or abasement. It was a type of cloth made of black goat’s hair that was thick, rough, and coarse material. It was uncomfortable to wear, and later it was used as a sack. It was also used as an outward sign of mourning and submission (Genesis 37:34; 42:25; 2 Sam. 3:31; Esther 4:1 Esther 4:2; Psalms 30:11).

Alice in Sunderland

don't have to do it, what's that song where we can just be here as well?

hoping and praying

Christopher Robin

Both lovers have been hit by an avalanche.

Blackpool Illuminations is an annual lights festival, founded in 1879 and first switched on 18 September that year,^[2] held each autumn in the British seaside resort of Blackpool on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire. Also known locally as The Lights or The Illuminations, they run each year for 66 days (since 2020, this has been extended to 100+ days),^[3]^[4] from late August until early November at a time when most other English seaside resorts' seasons are coming to an end.

Avalanche

(Ian Hunter)

Here I am, trying to be a man
Hoping that you won't think I'm an animal,
I'm so scared
Cos I get these feelings, strong
How can they be so wrong?
Touch me and I'll turn the Blackpool Illuminations on
The Sackcloth and Ashes all over the bed
Alice in Sunderland takes off her coat and she says,
"It hit me, it hit me like an Avalanche
When I saw you I knew
If love's gonna bury me
I want it to be here with you".
Don't let go, torture me there real slow
Hold me until I come to my senses again
The Sackcloth and Ashes all over the bed
Alice in Sunderland takes off her dress and she says,
"It hit me, it hit me like an Avalanche
Oh, like a bolt from the blue
If love's gonna bury me
I want it to be here with you".
We don't have to do it if you really don't wanna do it
No, we don't have to do it at all
We don't have to do it if you really don't wanna do it
Well I'm hoping and praying you know what I'm saying that's all
Alice in Sunderland lies on my bed And Christopher Robin slips silently out of my head
I've been hit, I've been hit by an Avalanche
Oh, like a bolt from the blue
If love's gonna bury me
I want it to be here with you
If we're ever gonna set the world on fire
For you know it takes two
If love's gonna bury me
I want it to be here with you
I've been hit by an Avalanche

Avalanche

5:00

Outtake from the Artful Dodger sessions, released on The Journey and (described as a 'Rant outtake') on Tilting The Mirror - Rarities (box set only).

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

The Artful Dodger, Ian Hunter, The Artful Dodger

The title track The Artful Dodger of the LP was recorded in 1995 but there is an early version released on Experiments - Previously Unreleased Recordings (box set only). Ian starts the tune with a spy reference as he used in American Spy but takes it in an entirely different direction. Here he is a bit of a scamp trying to score with a woman in a bar. The woman is having G 'n Ts which is a shortening of gin and tonic, a cocktail made out of gin and tonic water. The dysfunctional Artful Dodger, Jack Dawkins, is a rogue character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel Oliver Twist. The Artful Dodger hopes drinking will do the trick since she's drinking heavily. The song is a fun tune and one of few straightforward macho type tracks that Hunter has written. They go back to a flat for a romp. It's a change of pace and occasionally Hunter has released simply humorous songs such as Skeletons (In Your Closet) and The Artful Dodger is in that vein and no more serious than picking up a woman in a bar and having sex.

The cleverness in the lyrics is that the words are more playful and cryptic than a simple let's do it in the road blandness and bluntness. Darrell Bath is the Artful Dodger. The verse on the liner notes about running it up and down the flagpole are actual words of Bath. Hunter asked him to repeat them when they came out one day and he wrote them down; Darrell is a character.

This was released as a single and included the non-album track F*ck It Up on the flip side.

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

PC Plodger

When the girl you are having sex with is a PC and you bang on the front wheel, whilst the sirens are off, making a loud noise and making people watch you .

Plodger - To voilate somone in the Bum Bum

PC f

and insult used by prisoners from the general population to describe someone who is either in protective custody or someone who they feel should be in .

Jolly Rodger - Urban Dictionary

Urban Dictionary

https://www.urbandictionary.com › define › term=Joll...

1.Where one or more males go to the toilet to have a pleasurable urinate involving conversations about birds, a form of male bonding. 2. A pirate ...

jolly roger - Urban Dictionary
https://www.urbandictionary.com › define › term=joll...
punching someone in the head, face, stomach, or nuts hard.

The Artful Dodger

(Ian Hunter)

How ya doin' - all right?

I-I-I spy with my little eye
Something beginning with you
Drool drool drool nearly fell off me stool
I hope you fancy me too
Now I don't wanna set the world on fire
Any old iron, any old iron will do (all right)

Smirk smirk smirk the G 'n T's work
She can knock 'em back like a fish
Smarm smarm smarm I turned up me charm
I think I'm on a promise (he thinks he's on a promise)
Some say yes 'n some say no
And my old man says 'Mind how you go'
A little bit o' this, a little bit o' that
If you can't take a joke well sod ya
(Oh) I'm a dysfunctional chap
'n they call me the Artful Dodger

Chat chat chat it's back to the flat
I strum me little Spanish guitar
Gloat gloat gloat she said 'n I'll quote
'You can take down my particulars' (take down her particulars)
It's a funny old life if you weaken, innit?
You gonna have a laugh, yeah you've gotta give it
A little bit o' this, a little bit o' that
Look out for PC Plodger
If a job's worth doin' it's worth doin' well
'n they call me the Artful Dodger

(Get on yer bike!)
I said yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
If you can't take a joke well sod ya
(Oh) I'm a bit of a lad
'n they call me the Artful Dodger
(Now) a little bit o' this, a little bit o' that
Hoist up the Jolly Roger
That's the way to do it!
Call me the Artful Dodger
'n I'm doin' all right
Yes I'm doin' all right, yes I'm doin' all right
Yes I'm doing very well, thank you
How ya doin' all right (We're doin' all right)
How ya doin' all right (We're doin' all right)
How ya doin' all right (Yeah we're doin' all right)
How ya doin' all right (We're doin' all right)
They call me the Artful Dodger
They call me the Artful Dodger
They call me the Artful Dodger

... (repeat and fade)

Ian recorded his 1997 album in Canada and Norway in 1995. Ian used a variety of musicians on this album, but he retained Bjørn Nessjø as producer because Ian was impressed with his work on Dirty Laundry. Ian jointly owns this recording with Bjørn (recordings are normally owned by record companies), and is now leasing it to record companies. Ian felt he needed management before he could do this in the UK and USA, which is why this album was released initially only in Norway (in 1996).

This is a strong album, though it takes a couple of listens to get used to. This is mainly the fault of Too Much, which is a slow opener - the rockers come later, but it is not another Laundry (that said, tho', a friend of mine bought this album immediately after the Burnley gig purely on the strength of Too Much). The standout tracks are Now Is The Time, Something To Believe In, 23A Swan Hill and The Artful Dodger. Michael Picasso, Ian's tribute to his mate Mick Ronson is quieter and more subdued than the live version we'd grown used to (from tapes of the Ronson Memorial show). Resurrection Mary is also a different tempo from the version performed at the Mick Ronson Memorial Concert in 1994.

Ian has described this album as being his most focussed. He also says that he is still writing... maybe his next album won't take another six years!

The album was released in the UK on 21st April 1997 on the Citadel label (CIT1CD); the title track was released as a single on the same day (CIT101CDS). This single included the non-album track F*ck It Up.

The UK release is a picture CD and comes with some nice photos of Ian, together with lyrics.

The Artful Dodger	4:20	Originally issued on The Artful Dodger; also on the compilation Old Records Never Die.
Artful Dodger (early version)	4:07	Originally released on Experiments - Previously Unreleased Recordings (box set only).

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Arms and Legs, Ian Hunter, Man Overboard

About Arms and Legs which is a catchy heartfelt love song Ian says "A good song!" It is and he is honest with his work when some songs don't make it but this one does. It's a song of being all in at 100% and you've given the relationship your all. The deftly structured track possesses a killer chorus describing "a ghostly shadow of a man," unsteady of his feet, pondering a lost opportunity, performed in a most reflective manner.

This song is one of those should have been a hit sensitive love songs that Ian excels in. Hunter has enough maturity to be self-reflective, vulnerable, and sensitive all at the same time.

Ian confesses that his poor unfocused sleep is caused by not taking a chance since he "walked away from love." He questions himself: "I don't know know what I was thinking of."

Yet, he emboldens himself and looks for a second chance repeating: "If you want to know what love is" he is saying hey, here I am! The core of the song is here are my arms and legs because my thoughts are "I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do, 'Cause nothing really matters but you." Hunter convincingly exclaims that the beloved is his "illness" and "disease." He continues: "You're up there on that pedestal and I'm down here on my knees. You are my obsession every waking hour. All I do is think of you, wondering where you are." Hunter plumbs the depths of emotion and not only expresses his love but romantically embraces his love. Talk about a turnaround!

The song still seems to be about unrequited love despite his devotion since he is "watching from a distance, can't believe you're smiling without me." The singer asks for that second chance because he repeats the conditional clause "If you want to know what love is" I am available.

Hunter hits some high points in his lyrical creativity that remind me of the classic Temptations hit Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong from 1971 as in both songs the singer doesn't even really know the object of his affection. Ian sings:

"I still got your picture hanging in my soul
Every time I look at it tears start to roll
I still got your laughter buried in my brain
Every time I hear it I start tearing up again

I'm the guy you never seemed to notice
A passer-by, our eyes never meet."

The song should have been a huge hit. It is a classic in its own right.

There is also a live version of the song on Live In The UK 2010.

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing's TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

The first time I heard it live was in NYC (https://bpca.ny.gov/place/rockefeller-park/) and even in the rain-soaked park the lyrics pierced through the drizzle.

After two albums that were somewhat political in nature (2001's Rant and 2007's Shrunken Heads), 2009 find Ian in a more mellow frame of mind. After a long and successful career he has time to look back on his life and say "Yeah... I've no complaints..."

The album opens strongly with The Great Escape, which tells of the singer's narrow escape after a "lack of respect" for a local thug. Indeed, several songs seem to be telling tales of the rougher side of life, such as the title track which informs us "They say crime doesn't pay, well take a walk down my way..."

Ian doesn't forget his working-class roots either, with the delightful Girl From The Office, which is reminiscent of the Kinks at their best and has a very English feel to it, and tells the story of a factory-floor romance. As always with Ian's songs of this nature, it has a happy ending (he gets the girl).

Ballads have always been a strong point with Ian, and these are prominent especially on the second half of the album. Not all work, however, with These Feelings being a particular weakness.

More up-tempo songs are on the first half of the album. I hesitate to say "rockers", as medium-pace is about the best we get these days (I did say Ian is more mellow these days) and guitars, although present, are rarely high in the mix any more. Those expecting another Just Another Night or Cleveland Rocks should perhaps look elsewhere. That was then and this is now... That said, Arms And Legs is a strong guitar-led song that will really work well in a live setting, as is the next track Up And Running.

Ian hopes to tour with the album both in the USA and UK, so we will wait and see how the songs work in a live setting. Reports from the two gig so far (at the time of writing, end July '09) are positive. As for where this album fits in Ian's extensive back catalogue time only will tell. It is more immediately likeable than its predecessor (sometimes it takes a few plays to "get" an Ian Hunter album, but I liked this straight away), but ulimately I feel it may end up a notch or two down from his very best.

Arms And Legs

(Ian Hunter)

Up in the morning, unsteady on my feet
I can't seem to focus, didn't get much sleep last night
I look in the mirror, what do I see?
There's a ghostly shadow of a man staring back at me

I'm the one that walked away from love
Couldn't take that chance, I don't know what I was thinking of
If you want to know what love is
If you want to know what love is

These are my arms, these are my legs
These are the thoughts running 'round in my head
I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do
'Couse nothing really matters but you

You are my illness, you are my disease
You're up there on that pedastal and I'm down here on my knees
You are my obsession every waking hour
All I do is think of you, wondering where you are

I'm the one watching from a distance, can't believe you're smiling without me
If you want to know what love is
If you want to know what love is

These are my arms, these are my legs
These are the words running round in my head
I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do
'cos nothing really matters but you

I still got your picture hanging in my soul
Every time I look at it tears start to roll
I still got your laughter buried in my brain
Every time I hear it I start tearing up again

I'm the guy you never seemed to notice
A passer-by, our eyes never meet
But if you want to know what love is
If you want to know what love is

These are my arms, these are my legs
These are the words running round in my head
I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do
'cos nothing really matters but you

Arms And Legs	4:34	Originally issued on Man Overboard.
Arms And Legs (live October 2010)	4:37	This live version (recorded at an unknown UK venue) issued on Live In The UK 2010.

Monday, March 27, 2023

Apathy 83, Ian Hunter, All American Alien Boy

There is an alternate version although it is unclear if this is just another studio take or a demo and the song of unknown provenance is simply entitled Apathy; while the regular release of the song Apathy 83 emerged on Hunter's second solo album. The number 83 has no obvious reference.

With accordion and congas Hunter captured aspects of Dylan's work but he makes it his own by describing the decline of rock 'n' roll to give way to the music of the young and the sickly sound of greed. There are several intriguing aspects of the lyrics in this song and as typical on the album release Ian is making profound social observations. Most importantly is Ian's observation that the music business was declining drastically replaced by coke and corporates. In several verses he states that there is "no rock 'n' roll no more just the music of the youth," "greed," and "rich."

In 1976, the music industry was dominated by a few major record labels such as CBS, RCA, and Warner Communications. The industry was highly centralized, with record labels controlling most aspects of the business. This meant that artists had little bargaining power when it came to contracts and royalties. Touring allowed artists to promote their albums and connect with fans while generating revenue from ticket sales and merchandise. However, touring was also expensive, with artists often paying for their own travel and accommodations.

With the title, Hunter makes an off hand reference to "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones. "Sympathy" is a track from The Rolling Stones' 1968 album "Beggars Banquet." The song is known for its controversial lyrics that depict the devil's role in various historical events, including the crucifixion of Jesus and the Russian Revolution. The song's percussion section, featuring congas and bongos, is particularly notable and creates a driving rhythm that underpins the entire track. The song's lyrics also touch on themes of power, violence, and revolution, suggesting that these are recurring themes throughout history.

Hunter confirms that the song is related to the Stones. He relates a story that he had just seen the Stones at Madison Square Garden, and who should he meet at the concert but Bob Dylan. Bob asked him what he thought of their show and Ian responded: "Insipid"and Dylan responded "apathy for the devil." Dylan gave Hunter the idea for the song. The rock 'n' roll of Little Richard and Fats Domino according to Hunter was associated with innocence while the 1970s apathy was only punctuated by David Bowie.

Another important theme is social upheaval by punk rock. Bands such as the Sex Pistols, The Clash (big fans of Mott The Hoople), and The Ramones gained popularity with their anti-establishment message and DIY approach to music production.

References to the American Civil War and "gone with the wind" tie in with the themes of power and violence in the song. Rhetorically he asks: "Was it your General Sheridan who once said, "The only good, good man is a dead good man." It wasn't Sheridan because he transferred from command of an infantry division in the Western Theater to lead the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac in the East thus he was not in the March to Atlanta associated with the phrase gone with the wind. Sherman's March to the Sea was a military campaign conducted through Georgia in 1864 by William Tecumseh Sherman.

Moreover, the quote "The only good, good man is a dead good man" fits in well with ideas of power and violence and is commonly attributed to the character Deke Thornton, played by Robert Ryan, in Sam Pekinpah's 1969 film "The Wild Bunch." Hunter must like the film so much he wrote a song entitled, The Wild Bunch.

The phrase "gone with the wind" refers to the well-known book and film of the same name when the tide of war turns against the Confederacy after the Battle of Gettysburg. In one of the most brutal experiences during war Sherman commanded a scorched earth policy against the South and the phrase `war is hell' is usually attributed to him. As experienced by many Southerners Scarlett the leading character loses her beau Rhett to the war, her home deserted and pillaged by Union troops, the fields untended, and finding out that her mom died of typhoid fever while her father lost his mind. Scarlett vows to ensure her and her family's survival.

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

Ian recorded his second solo album in NYC, and this finds him in an altogether softer mood - there are none of Ian's trademark rockers on this album. Management differences meant that Mick Ronson was absent ("I'll never work with Mick again so long as Tony DeFries is his manager" - Ian), so Ian brought in Chris Stainton on keyboards to act as a balancing force in the studio ("I need someone who'll argue with me").

Highlight of the album is Irene Wilde (which Ian maintains is a true story), and You Nearly Did Me In (which features Queen's Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor on backing vocals).

The 2006 reissue sees excellent sound quality, and a host of bonus tracks none of which have been released before. It also comes with an excellent booklet written by Campbell Devine. The original version of Rape has been restored, which some may see as a disappointment compared with the rare intro on the previous 1998 CD.

This is the third release of this album on CD. This album was previously available on a USA CD. Sound quality was good, considering that by all accounts the master tapes were not in good shape. No bonus tracks. In 1998 this album was issued in the UK as part of Sony's Rewind series. Sound quality was excellent, audibly better than the USA CD. The 1998 CD also came with a previously-unavailable version of Rape, which had the Singin' In The Rain intro. This version was previously available only on a few US test pressings and had never been issued officially before!

Sheridan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Sheridan)

William Tecumseh Sherman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman%27s_March_to_the_Sea).

(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065214/)

"The Wild Bunch."

book and film of the same name (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031381/)

"The Wild Bunch" is a Western film that explores the lives of a group of aging outlaws who are looking to pull off one last heist. The film is known for its graphic violence and gritty realism, depicting the harsh realities of life on the American frontier. The character who utters the quote, Deke Thornton, is a former member of the Wild Bunch who has been hired by the authorities to track down his former comrades and it captures the film's underlying themes of violence, death, and betrayal, and reflects the harsh realities of life on the American frontier.

Apathy 83

(Ian Hunter)

Standin' on the edge of Vesuvius - my mouth is runnin' dry
Drunk on wine & wisdom - giving it all away
Old enough to hate tomorrow - young enough not to know where to run
Oh there ain't no rock'n roll no more - just the music of the young

Apathy for the devil Apathy for the devil
Apathy for the devil 'N Apathy for the son.

The moon shines brightly on some summer lawn - and envy caught like a leaf
Comes floating down upon this frozen desert sand - 
spitting bullets through the night
The siren wails on the ambulance - compassion touches my head 'n it bleeds
There ain't no rock'n roll no more just the sickly sound of greed.

And it's Apathy for the devil And it's Apathy for the devil
And it's Apathy for the devil 'N Apathy for the creed

No more gardens for the gardenless - no more - havens for the havenless
No more helpers for the helplessness - no more - somethings for a less
For the law is now the lawless
'N the flaw is now the flawless
'N the crime is now accepted
'N the criminal respected
'N now evil gets elected
'N now sinful get selected
Heed a president proven rotten

Now officially forgotten

Was it your General Sheridan who once said 
"The only good, good man is a dead good man."
It was not me babe
I just said keep your head 'n your bread well down under them floorboards

'N you - you look like you gone with the wind
Running naked through the streets
Wired out - tired out - transcendental mental - only laughing in your sleep
Nostalgia is starting to focus too late, imagination is starting to itch
There ain't no rock'n roll no more just the music of the rich

'N it's Apathy for the Devil 'N it's Apathy for the Devil
'N it's Apathy for the Devil Apathy's at fever pitch

Apathy 83	4:43	Originally issued on All American Alien Boy. It can also be found on the compilations Gold and Once Bitten - the CBS Collection.
Apathy 83 (alternate version)	4:40	An alternate version (called just Apathy) is on the 2006 and 2016 CD reissues of All American Alien Boy.

Sunday, March 26, 2023

Another Fine Mess, (Ian Hunter/Darrell Bath/Honest John Plain), Ian Hunter, Ian Hunter's Dirty Laundry

Another Fine Mess almost can apply to the album it appears in but the project turned out to be stimulating. The can be viewed as a reflection on life on the road with Mick Ronson: Hunter is Stan Laurel with Ollie Ronson. The title referenced the well-known comedic catchphrase of Laurel and Hardy, the British-American comedy duo during the classic Hollywood era of American cinema.

This album originally came out in 1995 on a small Norwegian label, with the US label Cleveland International also picking it up and later released by Cherry Red with an accompanying booklet.

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957).

This 1995 album is an oddity. Not quite a full solo album, but more than just a collaboration. It started life as a project by Norwegian keyboardist Casino Steel with Ian invited to sit in in the studio. It soon became much more than that, with Ian writing a number of songs (some of which were written in the studio) and contributing to a few others. More importantly, it marked the return of Ian to the recording studio following the death of his long-time friend Mick Ronson.

With vocal duties shared as well this has something of a "band" feel to it. Despite being recorded at a number of studios, it also has a good live feel to it, which is no bad thing. Dancing On The Moon opens things up nicely, while Another Fine Mess looks back to life on the road with Ronson. My Revolution is another standout track, this time looking back to Ian's Mott days - fans will appreciate the reference to "a revolution for fun", while Ian acknowledges the advancing years in the next line with "you'd better lock up yer mums!" Sheer brilliance.

Darrel Bath's Never Trust a Blonde is great fun, as is Honest John Plain's Psycho Girl and Good Girls. All have a good, earthy 1950's rock n roll feel to them. The album ends with a trademark Ian weepie, this time the great The Other Man in which he forgives his lady but not the guy who shagged her.

This album originally came out with little fanfare in 1995 on a small Norwegian label, with the US label Cleveland International also picking it up. In the days before Amazon, etc, it meant getting hold of copies in the UK was difficult (but not impossible). This release on Cherry Red, therefore, makes it the first time this album has been available in the UK. This time round you also get a good booklet, explaining the background to the recording of the album.

This is a fun album. Not Ian's best but by no means his worst and certainly worthy of consideration.

(Ian Hunter/Darrell Bath/Honest John Plain)

Well you rang me up you say you wanna get high
Now I'm underpaid and I'm overtired
Riding shotgun 'round the world
I'm too young to die, too old for the girls
You wanna know something, I've had it with you
Another Fine Mess you got me into

Well, you're always in one hole or another
And I come runnin' just like a brother
When are you ever going to get yourself cleared
You'll keep on running 'til we disappear
I can't believe the things you do
Another fine mess you got me into
Another fine mess (3)
Well that's what you get when you settle for less
Another fine mess yeah, another fine mess

Look on the bright side - smile smile smile
Relive our childhood just for a little while
Can't you see it's catching it up on you Hit me, Darrell
Well, that's another fine mess you got me into

How many more times are you gonna get pissed?
How many more asses have we gotta kiss?
How many more songs have I gotta write?
How many more sessions into the night?
For some dumb fuck who don't got a clue
Another fine mess you got me into

Well you say I'm kicking up too much fuss
Twenty-four hours is too long on the bus
The band's all moan and the driver's slow
There's not enough people - too many shows
Down in the bus with the birthday blues
Another fine mess you got me into
Another fine mess (3)
Well, that's what you get when you settle for less
Another fine mess (2)
Oh, I said another fine mess - another fine mess

Another Fine Mess

3:28

Originally issued on Ian Hunter's Dirty Laundry.

Saturday, March 25, 2023

American Spy, Ian Hunter, Rant

On American Spy the rhythm section is really tight here as they were coming together as a band. It is a mid-tempo rocker that never lets up and it has a strong bridge of intermixed lead and rhythm guitar. The harmony vocals are also a standout of the tune as the voices are in unison behind Ian's lead vocals.

Hunter has reflected on and written about his experiences as both a Brit and as an American outsider and this song uniquely reflects on his Hamilton, Scotland background. As he identifies as an almost Scot is clearer in his song Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman) from When I'm President. The song continues his thoughts and contrasts on his British-American life.

An American audience would not understand his reference to the "bovver boys" and that remark would take a bit of explanation. It represents a nonstandard or dialectal (in particular Cockney) pronunciation of bother and is British slang for violence, especially that associated with youth gangs; in particular, in the UK it is a hooligan who creates bother (trouble), specifically a member of a skinhead gang.

Hunter deliberately contrasts America ("I left home on the 4th of July") and now he is a spy or "pirate with a patch over one eye." A good number of Ian's songs are biographical and he refers to his "fourteen years on the factory floor" as he was an apprentice or worker who kept getting fired or he left jobs as he pursued music. He apprenticed on the "Centre Lathe" which is used to manufacture cylindrical shapes from a range of materials including steel and plastic. Many of the components that go together to make an engine work have been manufactured using lathes.

Ian has a clever phrase explaining his disenchantment with lathe work but seeking a better life:

Tryin' to get it done quick
I was always in the red - never in the black
You make a little money 'n they take it all back
This ain't the way to spend the rest of my life

Hunter indicates mixed feelings about the USA remarking that "Englishmen don't commit suicide - they move to the USA" and they have

They got "big back yards, "Platinum cards," and a "holiday" but he strenuously indicates they are "Seedy little snobs - I don't wanna know 'em." Although he went West moving is just casting your fate to the winds!

The song was inspired by a story from long time mate Miller Anderson. He knew a spy who joined the Army and went to a bar in Cuba proclaiming: `Do you wanna' buy a drink for an America spy?' The authorities took him away never to return. The line stayed in Hunter's mind for years thinking it would be a great title for a song. Ian has never been to a Cuban bar but since he left England in 1975 he wrote the story with a twist and used the same line. Of course no one wanted to buy a drink but the idea provided good fun for a song.

A live version of the song is available from 2002 on Bag of Tricks Vol. 1 (box set only).

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

Cockney) pronunciation of bother and is British slang for violence, especially that associated with youth gangs; in particular, in the UK it is a hooligan who creates bother (trouble), specifically a member of a skinhead gang.

(https://technologystudent.com/equip1/mlathe1.htm)

American Spy

(Ian Hunter)

Neon lights in the pouring rain - it's just another Saturday
Avoid the bovver boys comin' out the Indian - looking for a fray
I left home on the 4th of July - in nineteen hundred and seventy five
I'm just a pirate with a patch over one eye
Wanna buy a drink for an American Spy?

I spent fourteen years on the factory floor
I never took a day off sick
I was workin' away all day on the Centre Lathe
Tryin' to get it done quick
I was always in the red - never in the black
You make a little money 'n they take it all back
This ain't the way to spend the rest of my life
Wanna buy a drink for an American,
Wanna buy a drink for an American Spy?

Englishmen don't commit suicide - they move to the USA
They got big back yards and Platinum cards
'N everyday's a holiday
Seedy little snobs - I don't wanna know 'em
I don't trust them fuckers as far as I can throw 'em
Cast your fate to the winds say I
Wanna buy a drink for an American Spy?

Don't ask me - sounded like a plan
Go west, go west, go west young man
I've had enough of that old school tie
Wanna buy a drink for an American
Do ya wanna buy a drink for an American (Spy)?
Do ya wanna buy a drink for an American Spy?

American Spy	4:30	Originally issued on Rant.
American Spy (live 19th May 2002)	5:06	This live version (recorded Life Cafe, Manchester England) can be found on Bag Of Tricks (Vol 1) (box set only).

Friday, March 24, 2023

American Music, Ian Hunter, YUI Orta

Hunter started working with John Jansen in 1987 on American Music which is a majestic tribute to the great early rockers that inspired Ian to pursue music and also features a terrific video montage with Ian and the late great Mick Ronson on guitar. Ronson got interested in playing guitar again and getting back to recording with strong songs such as this one. An early version and demo can be found on Sampling In Reality while the single and album track was originally issued on YUI Orta. Finally, there is a live 1988 version on Missing In Action.

American Music received some push by Ian's record company with the promo video as few of Hunter's song were marketed well but this is a well-done professional effort for once. Ian consistently has released songs appreciative of the roots of rock and this is clear in the lyrics of this song as well. During the video that accompanied the release of the song early rock, blues, gospel, and rhythm and blues stars appear in the background complementing the lyrics.

He writes of dreaming to get out of his hum drum youth with "honky tonk heroes" of American music from Memphis, Harlem, Nashville, New Orleans, and the Windy City. Hunter has noted his fascination with American cities, history, and names at times and this tune is a celebration of American music that crossed the pond and touched him during his youth in England. The celebration of youth and music that inspired Ian is brilliantly portrayed by picturing a young boy playing air guitar in the mirror.

"The Killer," Jerry Lee Lewis, is one of the most highly visible and appropriately depicted stars in the video since he was a big influence on Ian. The blandness of the black and white world of Hunter's British upbringing accurately contrasts Ian's youth with the joy of American music. An English kid bearing a resemblance to the floppy blonde haired locks of Jerry Lee looks longingly at a music store and dreams of what could be.

The pioneers and groundbreaking artists such as Lewis that appear are Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Otis Redding (including a direct tribute quoting "sitting on the dock of the bay"), Bill Haley, and Little Richard.

This is one of the those songs that seems like it should have been a hit since it had so many things going for it. Great guitar work by Ronson, a tribute to the power of rock by Ian, and a strong marketing video push.

Writing the song Hunter resisted calling it by the title since it sounded like it could be an Exxon commercial but there was no way around it. After three months he felt it was complete and it is a sincere tribute to American music. As kids they listened to the Light Program on the BBC but twice a week they would play Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On or Hound Dog. Young people listened all the time since there was no warning when the good music was coming on. Ian says it was like a letter from a friend when the great tunes came across the air waves.

An awesome promotional video was filmed at a disused mental institution at Teddington in Middlesex which accompanied the song.

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

American Music

American Music

(Ian Hunter)

I have a dream-its only one dream
But I know dreams can come true
And I have a wish-its only one wish
But I know wishes can too

I wanna be-faraway from here
With those honky tonk heroes-burnin' my ears-oh

Love American music-I play it all night long
Just me n' records-n' a vivid imagination
I love to dance in the mirror-I practice every single word
And it seems to me American music-is all I've ever heard
Oh oh oh-oh oh oh its lonely on the underground
I sit and watch my world go round n' round n' round n' round n' round
I sit and watch the world go round

I hear the sons of Memphis-I hear the brothers or Harlem
I hear the Nashville Cats n' the rag time mamas outa New Orleans
I hear the Windy City-I hear a gospel singers hymn-and it seems to me
American music is all there's ever been

C'mon baby oh oh -oh oh-oo-oo
I love the names of the cities-I hear the echo echoing
And it seems to me American music is all there's ever been

Sittin' on the dock of the bay 2x

With my girl yes

With my girl

Repeat

https://youtu.be/X67Scbwrdn4

American Music	4:13	A single and album track, originally issued on YUI Orta. It can also be found on the compilation Family Anthology.
American Music (live 11th June 1988)	3:49	This live version (recorded at Rock and Roll Heaven, Toronto ON) can be found on Missing In Action (not on the box set).
American Music (early version)	3:49	This early version/demo can be found on Sampling In Reality.

Reading since summer 2006 (some of the classics are re-reads): including magazine subscriptions

Abbot, Edwin A., Flatland;
Accelerate: Technology Driving Business Performance;
ACM Queue: Architecting Tomorrow's Computing;
Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins, Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome;
Ali, Ayaan Hirsi, Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations;
Ali, Tariq, The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads, and Modernity;
Allawi, Ali A., The Crisis of Islamic Civilization;
Alperovitz, Gar, The Decision To Use the Atomic Bomb;
American School & University: Shaping Facilities & Business Decisions;
Angelich, Jane, What's a Mother (in-Law) to Do?: 5 Essential Steps to Building a Loving Relationship with Your Son's New Wife;
Arad, Yitzchak, In the Shadow of the Red Banner: Soviet Jews in the War Against Nazi Germany;
Aristotle, Athenian Constitution. Eudemian Ethics. Virtues and Vices. (Loeb Classical Library No. 285);
Aristotle, Metaphysics: Books X-XIV, Oeconomica, Magna Moralia (The Loeb classical library);
Armstrong, Karen, A History of God;
Arrian: Anabasis of Alexander, Books I-IV (Loeb Classical Library No. 236);
Atkinson, Rick, The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 (Liberation Trilogy);
Auletta, Ken, Googled: The End of the World As We Know It;
Austen, Jane, Pride and Prejudice;
Bacevich, Andrew, The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism;
Baker, James A. III, and Lee H. Hamilton, The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward - A New Approach;
Barber, Benjamin R., Jihad vs. McWorld: Terrorism's Challenge to Democracy;
Barnett, Thomas P.M., Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating;
Barnett, Thomas P.M., The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century;
Barron, Robert, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith;
Baseline: Where Leadership Meets Technology;
Baur, Michael, Bauer, Stephen, eds., The Beatles and Philosophy;
Beard, Charles Austin, An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States (Sony Reader);
Benjamin, Daniel & Steven Simon, The Age of Sacred Terror: Radical Islam's War Against America;
Bergen, Peter, The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader;
Berman, Paul, Terror and Liberalism;
Berman, Paul, The Flight of the Intellectuals: The Controversy Over Islamism and the Press;
Better Software: The Print Companion to StickyMinds.com;
Bleyer, Kevin, Me the People: One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America;
Boardman, Griffin, and Murray, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Roman World;
Bracken, Paul, The Second Nuclear Age: Strategy, Danger, and the New Power Politics;
Bradley, James, with Ron Powers, Flags of Our Fathers;
Bronte, Charlotte, Jane Eyre;
Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights;
Brown, Ashley, War in Peace Volume 10 1974-1984: The Marshall Cavendish Encyclopedia of Postwar Conflict;
Brown, Ashley, War in Peace Volume 8 The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Encyclopedia of Postwar Conflict;
Brown, Nathan J., When Victory Is Not an Option: Islamist Movements in Arab Politics;
Bryce, Robert, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of "Energy Independence";
Bush, George W., Decision Points;
Bzdek, Vincent, The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled;
Cahill, Thomas, Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter;
Campus Facility Maintenance: Promoting a Healthy & Productive Learning Environment;
Campus Technology: Empowering the World of Higher Education;
Certification: Tools and Techniques for the IT Professional;
Channel Advisor: Business Insights for Solution Providers;
Chariton, Callirhoe (Loeb Classical Library);
Chief Learning Officer: Solutions for Enterprise Productivity;
Christ, Karl, The Romans: An Introduction to Their History and Civilization;
Cicero, De Senectute;
Cicero, The Republic, The Laws;
Cicero, The Verrine Orations I: Against Caecilius. Against Verres, Part I; Part II, Book 1 (Loeb Classical Library);
Cicero, The Verrine Orations I: Against Caecilius. Against Verres, Part I; Part II, Book 2 (Loeb Classical Library);
CIO Decisions: Aligning I.T. and Business in the MidMarket Enterprise;
CIO Insight: Best Practices for IT Business Leaders;
CIO: Business Technology Leadership;
Clay, Lucius Du Bignon, Decision in Germany;
Cohen, William S., Dragon Fire;
Colacello, Bob, Ronnie and Nancy: Their Path to the White House, 1911 to 1980;
Coll, Steve, The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century;
Collins, Francis S., The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief ;
Colorni, Angelo, Israel for Beginners: A Field Guide for Encountering the Israelis in Their Natural Habitat;
Compliance & Technology;
Computerworld: The Voice of IT Management;
Connolly, Peter & Hazel Dodge, The Ancient City: Life in Classical Athens & Rome;
Conti, Greg, Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You?;
Converge: Strategy and Leadership for Technology in Education;
Cowan, Ross, Roman Legionary 58 BC - AD 69;
Cowell, F. R., Life in Ancient Rome;
Creel, Richard, Religion and Doubt: Toward a Faith of Your Own;
Cross, Robin, General Editor, The Encyclopedia of Warfare: The Changing Nature of Warfare from Prehistory to Modern-day Armed Conflicts;
CSO: The Resource for Security Executives:
Cummins, Joseph, History's Greatest Wars: The Epic Conflicts that Shaped the Modern World;
D'Amato, Raffaele, Imperial Roman Naval Forces 31 BC-AD 500;
Dallek, Robert, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963;
Daly, Dennis, Sophocles' Ajax;
Dando-Collins, Stephen, Caesar's Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar's Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome;
Darwish, Nonie, Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror;
Davis Hanson, Victor, Makers of Ancient Strategy: From the Persian Wars to the Fall of Rome;
Dawkins, Richard, The Blind Watchmaker;
Dawkins, Richard, The God Delusion;
Dawkins, Richard, The Selfish Gene;
de Blij, Harm, Why Geography Matters: Three Challenges Facing America, Climate Change, The Rise of China, and Global Terrorism;
Defense Systems: Information Technology and Net-Centric Warfare;
Defense Systems: Strategic Intelligence for Info Centric Operations;
Defense Tech Briefs: Engineering Solutions for Military and Aerospace;
Dennett, Daniel C., Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon;
Dennett, Daniel C., Consciousness Explained;
Dennett, Daniel C., Darwin's Dangerous Idea;
Devries, Kelly, et. al., Battles of the Ancient World 1285 BC - AD 451 : From Kadesh to Catalaunian Field;
Dickens, Charles, Great Expectations;
Digital Communities: Building Twenty-First Century Communities;
Doctorow, E.L., Homer & Langley;
Dodds, E. R., The Greeks and the Irrational;
Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The House of the Dead (Google Books, Sony e-Reader);
Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The Idiot;
Douglass, Elisha P., Rebels and Democrats: The Struggle for Equal Political Rights and Majority Role During the American Revolution;
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan, The Hound of the Baskervilles & The Valley of Fear;
Dr. Dobb's Journal: The World of Software Development;
Drug Discovery News: Discovery/Development/Diagnostics/Delivery;
DT: Defense Technology International;
Dunbar, Richard, Alcatraz;
Education Channel Partner: News, Trends, and Analysis for K-20 Sales Professionals;
Edwards, Aton, Preparedness Now!;
EGM: Electronic Gaming Monthly, the No. 1 Videogame Magazine;
Ehrman, Bart D., Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scriptures and the Faiths We Never Knew;
Ehrman, Bart D., Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why;
Electronic Engineering Times: The Industry Newsweekly for the Creators of Technology;
Ellis, Joseph J., American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson;
Ellis, Joseph J., His Excellency: George Washington;
Emergency Management: Strategy & Leadership in Critical Times;
Emerson, Steven, American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us;
Erlewine, Robert, Monotheism and Tolerance: Recovering a Religion of Reason (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion);
ESD: Embedded Systems Design;
Everitt, Anthony, Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor;
Everitt, Anthony, Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician;
eWeek: The Enterprise Newsweekly;
Federal Computer Week: Powering the Business of Government;
Ferguson, Niall, Civilization: The West and the Rest;
Ferguson, Niall, Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power;
Ferguson, Niall, The Cash Nexus: Money and Power in the Modern World, 1700-2000;
Ferguson, Niall, The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Decline of the West;
Feuerbach, Ludwig, The Essence of Christianity (Sony eReader);
Fields, Nic, The Roman Army of the Principate 27 BC-AD 117;
Fields, Nic, The Roman Army of the Punic Wars 264-146 BC;
Fields, Nic, The Roman Army: the Civil Wars 88-31 BC;
Finkel, Caroline, Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire;
Fisk, Robert, The Great War For Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East;
Forstchen, William R., One Second After;
Fox, Robin Lane, The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to Hadrian;
Frazer, James George, The Golden Bough (Volume 3): A Study in Magic and Religion (Sony eReader);
Freeh, Louis J., My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror;
Freeman, Charles, The Greek Achievement: The Foundations of the Western World;
Friedman, Thomas L. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century Further Updated and Expanded/Release 3.0;
Friedman, Thomas L., The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization;
Frontinus: Stratagems. Aqueducts of Rome. (Loeb Classical Library No. 174);
Fuller Focus: Fuller Theological Seminary;
Fuller, Graham E., A World Without Islam;
Gaubatz, P. David and Paul Sperry, Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America;
Ghattas, Kim, The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power;
Gibson, William, Neuromancer;
Gilmour, Michael J., Gods and Guitars: Seeking the Sacred in Post-1960s Popular Music;
Global Services: Strategies for Sourcing People, Processes, and Technologies;
Glucklich, Ariel, Dying for Heaven: Holy Pleasure and Suicide Bombers-Why the Best Qualities of Religion Are Also It's Most Dangerous;
Goldberg, Jonah, Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning;
Goldin, Shmuel, Unlocking the Torah Text Vayikra (Leviticus);
Goldsworthy, Adrian, Caesar: Life of a Colossus;
Goldsworthy, Adrian, How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower;
Goodman, Lenn E., Creation and Evolution;
Goodwin, Doris Kearns, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln;
Gopp, Amy, et.al., Split Ticket: Independent Faith in a Time of Partisan Politics (WTF: Where's the Faith?);
Gordon, Michael R., and Bernard E. Trainor, Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq;
Government Health IT: The Magazine of Public/private Health Care Convergence;
Government Technology's Emergency Management: Strategy & Leadership in Critical Times;
Government Technology: Solutions for State and Local Government in the Information Age;
Grant , Michael, The Climax of Rome: The Final Achievements of the Ancient World, AD 161 - 337;
Grant, Michael, The Classical Greeks;
Grumberg, Orna, and Helmut Veith, 25 Years of Model Checking: History, Achievements, Perspectives;
Halberstam, David, War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals;
Hammer, Reuven, Entering Torah Prefaces to the Weekly Torah Portion;
Hanson, Victor Davis, An Autumn of War: What America Learned from September 11 and the War on Terrorism;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Between War and Peace: Lessons from Afghanistan to Iraq;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Power;
Hanson, Victor Davis, How The Obama Administration Threatens Our National Security (Encounter Broadsides);
Hanson, Victor Davis, Makers of Ancient Strategy: From the Persian Wars to the Fall of Rome;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Ripples of Battle: How Wars of the Past Still Determine How We Fight, How We Live, and How We Think;
Hanson, Victor Davis, The End of Sparta: A Novel;
Hanson, Victor Davis, The Soul of Battle: From Ancient Times to the Present Day, How Three Great Liberators Vanquished Tyranny;
Hanson, Victor Davis, Wars of the Ancient Greeks;
Harnack, Adolf Von, History of Dogma, Volume 3 (Sony Reader);
Harris, Alex, Reputation At Risk: Reputation Report;
Harris, Sam, Letter to a Christian Nation;
Harris, Sam, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason;
Hayek, F. A., The Road to Serfdom;
Heilbroner, Robert L., and Lester Thurow, Economics Explained: Everything You Need to Know About How the Economy Works and Where It's Going;
Hempel, Sandra, The Strange Case of The Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera;
Hinnells, John R., A Handbook of Ancient Religions;
Hitchens, Christopher, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything;
Hogg, Ian V., The Encyclopedia of Weaponry: The Development of Weaponry from Prehistory to 21st Century Warfare;
Hugo, Victor, The Hunchback of Notre Dame;
Humphrey, Caroline & Vitebsky, Piers, Sacred Architecture;
Huntington, Samuel P., The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order;
Info World: Information Technology News, Computer Networking & Security;
Information Week: Business Innovation Powered by Technology:
Infostor: The Leading Source for Enterprise Storage Professionals;
Infrastructure Insite: Bringing IT Together;
Insurance Technology: Business Innovation Powered by Technology;
Integrated Solutions: For Enterprise Content Management;
Intel Premier IT: Sharing Best Practices with the Information Technology Community;
Irwin, Robert, Dangerous Knowledge: Orientalism and Its Discontents;
Jeffrey, Grant R., The Global-Warming Deception: How a Secret Elite Plans to Bankrupt America and Steal Your Freedom;
Jewkes, Yvonne, and Majid Yar, Handbook of Internet Crime;
Johnson, Chalmers, Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire;
Journal, The: Transforming Education Through Technology;
Judd, Denis, The Lion and the Tiger: The Rise and Fall of the British Raj, 1600-1947;
Kagan, Donald, The Peloponnesian War;
Kansas, Dave, The Wall Street Journal Guide to the End of Wall Street as We Know It: What You Need to Know About the Greatest Financial Crisis of Our Time--and How to Survive It;
Karsh, Efraim, Islamic Imperialism: A History;
Kasser, Rodolphe, The Gospel of Judas;
Katz, Solomon, The Decline of Rome and the Rise of Medieval Europe: (The Development of Western Civilization);
Keegan, John, Intelligence in War: The Value--and Limitations--of What the Military Can Learn About the Enemy;
Kenis, Leo, et. al., The Transformation of the Christian Churches in Western Europe 1945-2000 (Kadoc Studies on Religion, Culture and Society 6);
Kepel, Gilles, Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam;
Kiplinger's: Personal Finance;
Klein, Naomi, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism;
KM World: Content, Document, and Knowledge Management;
Koestler, Arthur, Darkness at Noon: A Novel;
Kostova, Elizabeth, The Historian;
Kuttner, Robert, The Squandering of America: How the Failure of Our Politics Undermines Our Prosperity;
Lake, Kirsopp, The Text of the New Testament, Sony Reader;
Laur, Timothy M., Encyclopedia of Modern US Military Weapons ;
Leffler, Melvyn P., and Jeffrey W. Legro, To Lead the World: American Strategy After the Bush Doctrine;
Lendon, J. E., Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity;
Lenin, V. I., Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism;
Lennon, John J., There is Absolutely No Reason to Pay Too Much for College!;
Lewis, Bernard, The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror;
Lewis, Bernard, What Went Wrong?: The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East;
Lifton, Robert J., Greg Mitchell, Hiroshima in America;
Limberis, Vasiliki M., Architects of Piety: The Cappadocian Fathers and the Cult of the Martyrs;
Lipsett, B. Diane, Desiring Conversion: Hermas, Thecla, Aseneth;
Livingston, Jessica, Founders At Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days;
Livy, Rome and the Mediterranean: Books XXXI-XLV of the History of Rome from its Foundation (Penguin Classics);
Louis J., Freeh, My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror;
Mackay, Christopher S., Ancient Rome: A Military and Political History;
Majno, Guido, The Healing Hand: Man and Wound in the Ancient World;
Marcus, Greil,Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes;
Marshall-Cornwall, James, Napoleon as Military Commander;
Maughm, W. Somerset, Of Human Bondage;
McCluskey, Neal P., Feds in the Classroom: How Big Government Corrupts, Cripples, and Compromises American Education;
McCullough, David, 1776;
McCullough, David, John Adams;
McCullough, David, Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt;
McLynn, Frank, Marcus Aurelius: A Life;
McManus, John, Deadly Brotherhood, The: The American Combat Soldier in World War II ;
McMaster, H. R., Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam;
McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 1: Origins and Destinies (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 2: Persons and Groups (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 3: Religions and Controversies (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
Meacham, Jon, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House;
Mearsheimer, John J., and Stephen M. Walt, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy;
Meier, Christian, Caesar: A Biography;
Menzies, Gaven, 1421: The Year China Discovered America;
Metaxas, Eric, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy;
Michael, Katina and M.G. Michael, Innovative Automatic Identification and Location-Based Services: From Barcodes to Chip Implants;
Migliore, Daniel L., Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology;
Military & Aerospace Electronics: The Magazine of Transformation in Electronic and Optical Technology;
Millard, Candice, Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey: The River of Doubt;
Mommsen, Theodor, The History of the Roman Republic, Sony Reader;
Muller, F. Max, Chips From A German Workshop: Volume III: Essays On Language And Literature;
Murray, Janet, H., Hamlet On the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace;
Murray, Williamson, War in the Air 1914-45;
Müller, F. Max, Chips From A German Workshop;
Nader, Ralph, Crashing the Party: Taking on the Corporate Government in an Age of Surrender;
Nagl, John A., Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam;
Napoleoni, Loretta, Terrorism and the Economy: How the War on Terror is Bankrupting the World;
Nature: The International Weekly Journal of Science;
Negus, Christopher, Fedora 6 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux;
Network Computing: For IT by IT:
Network World: The Leader in Network Knowledge;
Network-centric Security: Where Physical Security & IT Worlds Converge;
Newman, Paul B., Travel and Trade in the Middle Ages;
Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, The Nietzsche-Wagner Correspondence;
Nixon, Ed, The Nixons: A Family Portrait;
O'Brien, Johnny, Day of the Assassins: A Jack Christie Novel;
O'Donnell, James J., Augustine: A New Biography;
OH & S: Occupational Health & Safety
Okakura, Kakuzo, The Book of Tea;
Optimize: Business Strategy & Execution for CIOs;
Ostler, Nicholas, Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin;
Parry, Jay A., The Real George Washington (American Classic Series);
Paton, W.R., The Greek Anthology, Volume V, Loeb Classical Library, No. 86;
Pausanius, Guide to Greece 1: Central Greece;
Perrett, Bryan, Cassell Military Classics: Iron Fist: Classic Armoured Warfare;
Perrottet, Tony, The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Olympic Games;
Peters, Ralph, New Glory: Expanding America's Global Supremacy;
Phillips, Kevin, American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush;
Pick, Bernhard; Paralipomena; Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ (Sony Reader);
Pimlott, John, The Elite: The Special Forces of the World Volume 1;
Pitre, Brant, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper;
Plutarch's Lives, X: Agis and Cleomenes. Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus. Philopoemen and Flamininus (Loeb Classical Library®);
Podhoretz, Norman, World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism;
Posner, Gerald, Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK;
Potter, Wendell, Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans;
Pouesi, Daniel, Akua;
Premier IT Magazine: Sharing Best Practices with the Information Technology Community;
Price, Monroe E. & Daniel Dayan, eds., Owning the Olympics: Narratives of the New China;
Profit: The Executive's Guide to Oracle Applications;
Public CIO: Technology Leadership in the Public Sector;
Putnam, Robert D., Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community;
Quintus of Smyrna, The Fall of Troy;
Rawles, James Wesley, Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse;
Red Herring: The Business of Technology;
Redmond Channel Partner: Driving Success in the Microsoft Partner Community;
Redmond Magazine: The Independent Voice of the Microsoft IT Community;
Renan, Ernest, The life of Jesus (Sony eReader);
Richler, Mordecai (editor), Writers on World War II: An Anthology;
Roberts, Ian, The Energy Glut: Climate Change and the Politics of Fatness in an Overheating World;
Rocca, Samuel, The Army of Herod the Great;
Rodgers, Nigel, A Military History of Ancient Greece: An Authoritative Account of the Politics, Armies and Wars During the Golden Age of Ancient Greece, shown in over 200 color photographs, diagrams, maps and plans;
Rodoreda, Merce, Death in Spring: A Novel;
Romerstein, Herbert and Breindel, Eric,The Venona Secrets, Exposing Soviet Espionage and America's Traitors;
Ross, Dennis, Statecraft: And How to Restore America's Standing in the World;
Roth, Jonathan P., Roman Warfare (Cambridge Introduction to Roman Civilization);
SC Magazine: For IT Security Professionals;
Scahill, Jeremy, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army [Revised and Updated];
Schama, Simon, A History of Britain, At the Edge of the World 3500 B.C. - 1603 A.D.;
Scheuer, Michael, Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War On Terror;
Scheuer, Michael, Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq;
Scheuer, Michael, Osama Bin Laden;
Scheuer, Michael, Through Our Enemies Eyes: Osama Bin Laden, Radical Islam, and the Future of America;
Scholastic Instructor
Scholastic Parent & Child: The Joy of Family Living and Learning;
Schopenhauer, Arthur, The World As Will And Idea (Sony eReader);
Schug-Wille, Art of the Byzantine World;
Schulze, Hagen, Germany: A New History;
Schweizer, Peter, Architects of Ruin: How Big Government Liberals Wrecked the Global Economy---and How They Will Do It Again If No One Stops Them;
Scott, Sir Walter, Ivanhoe;
Seagren, Eric, Secure Your Network for Free: Using Nmap, Wireshark, Snort, Nessus, and MRTG;
Security Technology & Design: The Security Executive's Resource for Systems Integration and Convergence;
Seibel, Peter, Coders at Work;
Sekunda N., & S. Northwood, Early Roman Armies;
Seneca: Naturales Quaestiones, Books II (Loeb Classical Library No. 450);
Sewall, Sarah, The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual;
Sheppard, Ruth, Alexander the Great at War: His Army - His Battles - His Enemies;
Shinder, Jason, ed., The Poem That Changed America: "Howl" Fifty Years Later;
Sidebottom, Harry, Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction;
Sides, Hampton, Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West;
Simkins, Michael, The Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan;
Sinchak, Steve, Hacking Windows Vista;
Smith, RJ, The One: The Life and Music of James Brown;
Software Development Times: The Industry Newspaper for Software Development Managers;
Software Test Performance;
Solomon, Norman, War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death;
Song, Lolan, Innovation Together: Microsoft Research Asia Academic Research Collaboration;
Sophocles, The Three Theban Plays, tr. Robert Fagles;
Sound & Vision: The Consumer Electronics Authority;
Southern, Pat, The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History;
Sri, Edward, A Biblical Walk Through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do In The Liturgy;
Sri, Edward, Men, Women and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights from John Paul II's Love and Responsibility;
Stair, John Bettridge, Old Samoa; Or, Flotsam and Jetsam From the Pacific Ocean;
Starr, Chester G., The Roman Empire, 27 B.C.-A.D. 476: A Study in Survival;
Starr, John Bryan, Understanding China: A Guide to China's Economy, History, and Political Culture;
Stauffer, John, Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln;
Steyn, Mark, America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It;
Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories;
Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War;
Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Xenophon's Hellenika;
Strategy + Business;
Streete, Gail, Redeemed Bodies: Women Martyrs in Early Christianity;
Sullivan, James, The Hardest Working Man: How James Brown Saved the Soul of America;
Sumner, Graham, Roman Military Clothing (1) 100 BC-AD 200;
Sumner, Graham, Roman Military Clothing (2) AD 200-400;
Suskind, Ron, The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11:
Swanston, Malcolm, Mapping History Battles and Campaigns;
Swiderski, Richard M., Quicksilver: A History of the Use, Lore, and Effects of Mercury;
Swiderski, Richard M., Quicksilver: A History of the Use, Lore, and Effects of Mercury;
Swift, Jonathan, Gulliver's Travels;
Syme, Ronald, The Roman Revolution;
Talley, Colin L., A History of Multiple Sclerosis;
Tawil, Camille, Brothers In Arms: The Story of al-Qa'ida and the Arab Jihadists;
Tech Briefs: Engineering Solutions for Design & Manufacturing;
Tech Net: The Microsoft Journal for IT Professionals;
Tech Partner: Gain a Competitive Edge Through Solutions Providers;
Technology & Learning: Ideas and Tools for Ed Tech Leaders;
Tenet, George, At the Center of the Storm: The CIA During America's Time of Crisis;
Thackeray, W. M., Vanity Fair;
Thompson, Derrick & William Martin, Have Guitars ... Will Travel: A Journey Through the Beat Music Scene in Northampton 1957-66;
Tolstoy, Leo, Anna Karenina;
Trento, Joseph J., The Secret History of the CIA;
Twain, Mark, The Gilded Age: a Tale of Today;
Ungar, Craig, House of Bush House of Saud;
Unterberger, Richie, The Unreleased Beatles Music & Film;
VAR Business: Strategic Insight for Technology Integrators:
Virgil, The Aeneid
Virtualization Review: Powering the New IT Generation;
Visual Studio: Enterprise Solutions for .Net Development;
VON Magazine: Voice, Video & Vision;
Wall Street Technology: Business Innovation Powered by Technology;
Wallace, Robert, Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda;
Wang, Wallace, Steal This Computer Book 4.0: What They Won’t Tell You About the Internet;
Ward-Perkins, The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization;
Warren, Robert Penn, All the King's Men;
Wasik, John F., Cul-de-Sac Syndrome: Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream;
Weber, Karl, Editor, Lincoln: A President for the Ages;
Website Magazine: The Magazine for Website Success;
Weiner, Tim, Enemies: A History of the FBI;
Weiner, Tim, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA;
West, Bing, The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq;
Wharton, Edith, The Age of Innocence;
Wilcox, Peter, Rome's Enemies (1) Germanics and Dacians;
Wise, Terence, Armies of the Carthaginian Wars 265 - 146 BC;
Wissner-Gross, What Colleges Don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You To Know) 272 Secrets For Getting Your Kid Into the Top Schools;
Wissner-Gross, What High Schools Don't Tell You;
Wolf, Naomi, Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries;
Wolf, Naomi, The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot;
Woodward, Bob, Plan of Attack;
Woodward, Bob, The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House;
Wright, Lawrence, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11;
Wright-Porto, Heather, Beginning Google Blogger;
Xenophon, The Anabasis of Cyrus;
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