Blood and Fire

My first blog of the year and it's taken a little longer than it usually does to post one of these.  So what lol  I've been on a real funky schedule lately.  I've been put on mornings, which is usually lead-in to full time.  So it looks like good times and good money are ahead.  And as far as I'm concerned, it's about damn time.  It's been nearly five years since I've been hired by Publix, and for the first time since I've been hired by the company, it feels like all of my hard work has been finally paying off.  There have been so many times in my career that I've felt like I've wasted my time, and that me busting my ass has been overlooked, but no longer.  Finally, I don't feel like I'm just in it to grab a paycheck and go.  I finally have something worth looking forward to.  And that makes me feel good about my job.  Kinda weird really.  But what the hell, I'll go with it.

Tax time, well, for me at least, has come and gone, AND I've still gotta little bit of money to spare.  My big purchase this year was (finally!) a smartphone.  Yes, the Killer has joined the Land of the Living.  That, and, as always this time every year, plane tickets.  At the end of this month me and Heather are heading up to Ohio for a week to visit my family.  This is actually a big step for me.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I go up there every year around this time, and it's always been a good time every year.  This time it's different, because this is the first time since Jennifer that I've brought a girl I've been seeing back home to meet the family.  So that kinda gives you a little clue as to how serious our relationship is.  It's gonna be a good time, for sure.  I just know that it's going to be a lot colder than what she's used to.  Given the fact that she's born and raised in Florida, yeah, that's gonna be a litte bit of a shock.  I'm looking forward to seeing that reaction more than anything :-D

2nd Chance CD of the Week
Van Halen
A Different Kind of Truth (2012)

Tracklist
Tattoo
She's the Woman
You and Your Blues
China Town
Blood and Fire
Bullethead
As Is
Honeybabysweetiedoll
The Trouble With Never
Outta Space
Stay Frosty
Big River
Beats Workin'



I could probably write a book on my lifetime experiences, live or otherwise, about my favorite band of all time, Van Halen.  The first Van Halen album I've heard from beginning to end was Fair Warning, which my dad owned the cassette to.  I was nine years old.  The first CD I ever owned was For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, which I bought in Japan when I was 14.  Their album Balance changed my life forever, again at age 14.  There've been so many issues with the band over the years.  The ugly departure of original and current singer David Lee Roth, the coming and going of second vocalist Sammy Hagar, to Eddie Van Halen being in and out of rehab so many times they might as well have a revolving door in place, and that is only to name a few.  Ever since 1998's trainwreck Van Halen III I've waited patiently for new material from the band, no matter what the lineup was.  When the band announced a reunion tour in 2007, I was bombarded with a ray of hope.  Original bassist Michael Anthony was no longer with the band, which I can live with, even though he's one of my favorite musicians.  Being replaced by Eddie's 20-year-old son Wolfgang, the band announced early last year that a new album was in the works.  To say that I was excited would be like saying that the bomb dropped on Hiroshima was nothing more than a wet fart.  Fast forward to this year, and the song "Tattoo" was released to the public.  It took me a couple listens but it really grew on me, and I had hoped it would.  And then, the big day came...February 7, just a few short days ago, A Different Kind of Truth hit stores all over the world.  Needless to say, my heroes in rock have still got it.  For years singer David Lee Roth has sounded like shit as a vocalist, dating back to his solo album, 1994's Your Filthy Little Mouth.  But on A Different of Truth, he's sounded better than he has in years.  Wolfgang Van Halen is a beast on the bass guitar, as he's a great fir for the band.  Eddie and Alex Van Halen sound better than ever on guitar and drums, respectively.  The album kicks off with the aforementioned "Tattoo" and just continues to kick you in the face for the next 50 minutes.  Roughly half the songs on this CD are rewrites of music they've done in their early club days, pre-first album.  Not necessarily a bad thing, as finally a lot of these songs have finally hit the official light of day, such as "She's the Woman," "Bullethead," "Big River," and "Blood and Fire."  One of the more fun songs on the album would be "Stay Frosty," which is reminicent of "Ice Cream Man" from the band's debut 1978 album.  Some other personal favorites of mine would have to be "You and Your Blues," "As Is," and the blistering "China Town."  I really didn't know what to expect to hear when I first bought this album, I just know that I wanted it to be as good as their classic material from the 70's, 80's, and 90's.  But after a couple of listens, I'm going to have to say that I was surprised, amazed, and ultimately satisfied with the end product.  Welcome back guys.  It's about time.

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Miller