Tuesday, August 14, 2007

So in ditching derby practice, I find myself home on a Tuesday night with ABSOLUTELY nothing on tha TEE-vee - I've got 97,000 cable channels and there is nothing on*, and just before I'm desperate enough look for a dvd or *gasp* read a book, I happen to see a Johnny Cash show on PBS - I know, PBS, right? But, whatever, this is Johnny Cash that we're talking about here so I turn it on - it's not just a Johnny Cash show, it's "The Johnny Cash Show."

What the hell is "The Johnny Cash Show"? It was Johnny Cash's very own variety show that aired from 1969 - 1971 - not a cheezy variety show with sketches and dancing bimbos, just really a showcase of musical artists and this special was a compilation of some of the performances from the show - performances from people like Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Derek and the Dominos, Neil Young, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis - performances by musicians who were actually performing - actual musicians who actually wrote their music actually performing - these were some of the biggest performers of the time, most of whom are still icons, performers who didn't have to rely on choreography and giant stage productions to put on a good show. Sure, these people may not have been the most attractive bunch (I'm pretty sure Neil Young was the inspiration for the Geico Cave Men), but they didn't look like carbon copies of each other - and you've got to love these guys who could rock the leisure suits and ascots without the slightest whiff of irony (but we won't mention Johnny Cash wearing a collection of pleated, ruffled and/or silky shirts that would be flamingly gay on anyone else).

In conclusion, the music and performers of yesteryear rock and 98% of "musicians" of today suck.

Little sidenote, I get that PBS is all about the pledges and volunteers and crap, but would it freaking kill them to have a host who has the tiniest modicum of charisma? I mean, if you want to get some money out of me, don't lull me to sleep with your boring monotone voice, okay?


*I swear, if I watch "The Devil Wears Prada" one more time, I'm going to poke out my eyes with a Manolo Blahnik