Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Musical Differences

It's hard to find anyone besides my Landlady who shares my appreciation for the acid-rock-country-gospel band, Alabama 3, or "A3" as they're legally known in the United States. (Some American soft-country band got a collective bee in its bonnet over the name similiarities. Can you imagine the Rolling Stones and Sly and the Family Stone making such a fuss?) Sure, they had a minor hit with the opening credits song for the television show "The Sopranos," but that's about it. I don't care about their rise to fame, popularity, or any other fancy trappings of the rock and roll world (ahhh, those fancy trappings!), but my Landlady has been bellyaching that they're not going to bring their Outlaw tour to the PNW, let alone the USA. The band and I used to hang out in the early days when I would head over to the UK on weekends away from cooking school. We'd go to raves in Brixton, and jam together from time to time. I even recorded a single with them, called, "Turn the Poacher Inside Out." It has never been released, because there was some major problems with legal issues. I don't know. Personally, I have never troubled myself with legal issues. If Alabama 3 ever get it together to come to the PNW, I will personally make a big pot of spaghetti for them. It's the least I can do.

Recently, Orlando Harrison, a.k.a. "The Spirit," wrote an article in journal form for The Independent. His assessment of Larry Love is apt to a T:

I'm gripped by desire to smack Larry Love in the face. It's an automatic reaction, like tears in the face of a strong onion. Everything he says, everything he does, makes me want to hit him. It's not his wild exaggerations, it's not his narcissism. It's not even his stupid cowboy hat. Actually, it might be the hat. But this whole festival of degeneracy is his idea, the product of his delusion. Trouble is, I quite like him. I settle for drinking him under the table.

I can relate. I really can.

A rare photo of Brad the Gorilla jamming with Larry Love of Alabama 3

6 comments:

Liz said...

Is it really A3 or is it A(cubed)?
I was just thinking the other day that it sucks that my keyboard does not allow me to square and cube things. I like to do that. Like instead of writing Lindsay Lohan I would simply like to put L(squared). Where exactly are you in the photo?

Brad the Gorilla said...

Nonny,
It really is A3. I am in the lower-left corner of the photo. If you click on the photo, you will see a larger picture. I'm jamming on my Bradley guitar. For some reason, the photo came out looking kind of superimposed. Go figure.

Liz said...

Brad, though I enjoy visiting your sight daily (even though you have been rather lax in updating as of late) I do feel you are not reciprocating the comments. Now I realize that I have been posting alot about TV, something which you do not partake in, BUT, you could stop by and say hi, I added a latin phrase in my description just for you, If that's not love I don't know what is.

Liz said...

OK, now I feel like a real shit. I wasn't reprimanding you, I just missed seeing your profile photo!

Brad the Gorilla said...

Thanks, Nonny. You are a sweetheart, with extra emphasis on "sweet" and "heart." Oh no, what's come over me? I must be having a lapse into another personality. Tomorrow, I'll be rough, tough and gruff again. Just don't tell Hitman J that I lapse into silliness every now and then. He thinks I'm a big baddie with whom to be reckoned, and I like it that way. I am GORILLA, hear me roar! Wait, do gorillas roar? Now I'm really confused.

John said...


Like that, Nonny?

haha