As I said last time, I put out a number of ‘blind requests’ for musicians to rebuild the band. I got a bunch of people who listened to my stuff and then replied that though they thought what I do is nice enough, it sure as shit ain’t prog, buddy! I beg to differ. And I’m gonna tell ya why using a number of specific examples from my ‘oeuvre’ to demonstrate the points I wish to make. But first, I’m gonna tell ya why I’m gonna tell ya why!

In my last rant pondering what is ‘prog’? I talked about Charles Snyder’s three defining characteristics of progressive rock. I ponder this today because of my recent involvement in on-line adverts.

As I’ve blogged (man do I hate that expression. I think it’s no accident that it sounds like a synonym for vomitus.) Where was I. Oh yeah, as I’ve recently written here, I’m trying to rebuild the band locally. So, in addition to talking to old mates and people clued in, I’ve also put out ‘cattle call’ ads in all the local papers and CraigsList to try and get some action. Who knows? I’ve had one or two decent blind dates. Ya never know.

So far? These ads have yielded bupkus in terms of finding the guitarist, keyboardist and drummist necessary to re-take the champeenship, but I’ve definitely gotten responses.

Hi,

I’m interested in forming a group to perform my work. I’m looking for guitar, keys and drums to supplement my voice and bass.

What I do is often described as in the […]

I actually started this post back in August. So the immediacy has worn off. But, like world hunger, the war in Iraq and my various ex-wives, it’s an issue that just won’t seem to go away. 😀

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2009/aug/14/beatles-rock-band-videogame-preview

I have rarely had such a combination of out and out fear, revulsion and lust as when I first saw this. And both times, the lawyers got the lion’s share of the leavings. 😀

Look, you know I’m totally with the arriere garde (I do prog rock fer cryin’ out loud!) But, this, like nuclear science, begs the question that even Einstein couldn’t figure out: just because we can do a technology, does it really mean we should? Are there not some machines that ought not be built?

Does the need to have a machine that women in bikinis will ride in the water merit something as loud as a Waverunner? Is it really crucial to mankind to develop a strain of marijuana that doesn’t cause cancer? A microwave-able pizza with a genuinely crispy crust?

Like […]

Hey dude, I’m trying to preserve the legacy of the brand here. As if.

The little ‘suntower’ logo was created twenty something years ago during another life I had as a software guy. It was supposed to represent “Tir Na Gréine” a real place in the west of Ireland, literally ‘the tower of the sun’. It always had a magical sound to me. Back when the record company was ‘suntower music’ it made sense. But then again, no one associated ‘suntower music’ with ‘JC Harris’ so we changed the business to JCHMusic to make it easier for people to find us. The ‘sun’ is a bit of harmless nostalgia.

Yeah, but what about Siberian Khatru?

D’Oh! I knew you were gonna ask. I had no idea it had anything to do with the rock band ‘Yes’ and that fabulous song, until after I started selling my own CDs and people started pointing it out. Really truly. (Look, could you understand any of the lyrics to that song when you heard it? Me […]

Cue the tiny little violins. Years ago, I was out of town and my then-wife decided to get a cutey-wooty little $1,000 black fluffball of puppy love. This creature turned into the most miserable piece of yappy vermin to ever have the unmitigated gall to be described as ‘dog’.

After my divorce, my dear, departed informed me she was also getting rid of the dog. For some reason, I snapped and, instead of doing the rational thing and replying, ‘What took ya so long?’, instead I replied, ‘He’s coming with me!’

Some inner voice spoke to me and said that if I could get this poor excuse of a life form whipped into shape, why then, I should be able to handle just about anything life was throwing my way. (Is there anything more important to survival than magical thinking?)

It took a year, but in the end, Ruaráigh truly became ‘man’s best friend.’ So much so that, over the years I’ve taken in dozens […]