As a matter of fact, if I thought I could be a decent musician, I’d probably not even be a photographer.

My music choices tend to be pretty eclectic since I’m always exploring what’s out there. I’m actually pretty embarrassed to admit some of the songs I’m in love with at any given time, but now I’ve decided I’m going to start writing what’s on my playlist – who knows, maybe you’ll like some of these songs too.

My first: Pure Imagination (from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) performed by Maroon 5.

I’m in love with this song – just the right blend of creepy and cool (though they could have been even more edgy and it would have still worked). Wish the guitar part was a little better around 2:09, but you know me, my expectations for guitar riffs tend to be pretty high… Enjoy!

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Nobody plays Soul Serenade quite like Derek Trucks and his band. This is hands down the best version I’ve ever heard of the King Curtis classic. Unfortunately the recording isn’t that great since it’s from a live performance and the speakers cut in and out a bit. But it’s still the best version I’ve ever heard. Below is the recording (it’s 10 minutes long, but so worth it).

By the way, you can hear lots of full recordings of the Derek Trucks band on the official Derek Trucks website.

If you get a chance, definitely also listen to Duane Allman’s version of Soul Serenade too, which happens halfway through the song You Don’t Love Me (Dreams disc).

(As a note, King Curtis died in 1971. He was stabbed to death in front of his apartment. The story goes that it was during a heat wave and he was bringing back an air conditioner to his home. There were two guys shooting drugs on his front stoop who refused to get out of his way. They got into an argument and, well, one thing led to another. King Curtis’s funeral was led by a young Rev. Jesse Jackson, and an hour-long version of Soul Serenade was played. The intro to You Don’t Love Me by Duane is referencing this incident. -Sorry, just can’t seem to find the right online recording of it but I’ll post it if I do find it.)

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If you like these, you should definitely check out the CandyRat video collection.

Hope you enjoy!

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These three Nike Freestyle ads are almost 10 years old now, but I think they stand the test of time. I’m still trying to figure out if it would be possible to do something similar with rowing…

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The part of the movie I always come back to is when the boy has just fallen in love, and his mentor tells him the story of the Italian soldier to explain what being in love is all about.

Alfredo (Mentor): Once upon a time……a king gave a feast. The most beautiful princesses were there. A soldier who was standing guard saw the king’s daughter go by. She was the loveliest one, and he fell instantly in love. But what is a simple soldier next to the daughter of a king? One day he managed to see her and told her he could no longer live without her. The princess was so taken by the depth of his feeling that she said to the soldier:”If you can wait for 100 days and 100 nights under my balcony, I shall be yours.” With that, the soldier went and waited one day, two days……then ten, twenty. Each evening the princess looked out and he never moved! Always there, come rain, come thunder. Birds shat on his head, bees stung him, but he didn’t budge. After 90 nights, he had become all dry and pale. Tears streamed from his eyes. He couldn’t hold them back. He didn’t even have the strength to sleep. And all that time, the princess watched him. When the 99th night came……the soldier stood up, took his chair, and left.

Toto (Boy): How come? Right at the end?

Alfredo: Right at the end, Toto. Don’t ask me what it means, I don’t know. If you figure it out, you tell me.

It took me about 2 years to figure out why the soldier walked away at the very end, though I’m sure everyone has their own explanation for it.

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I’m always exploring the guitar world, and while I have no doubt I’ll be back with Duane and Clapton in a month, for right now I’m completely Phunkdified by Justin King. I hope you enjoy!

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It isn’t always easy doing something that hasn’t been done before. When figuring out how to create this rowing book, I’ve spent an awful lot of time making up as I go along. And when I really have no clue as to what the next step is, this is the movie that usually has the answer.

Almost Famous is Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical film about his journey documenting a rock band. I relate to this movie more than I’d like to admit.

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