By Michael Simmons Thursday, May 13 2010

On May 18, the Rolling Stones’ 1972 classic Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street will be re-released in three editions: the remastered album, a version with bonus tracks and a superdeluxe set with vinyl, DVD and booklet (rumors of a super-duper-deluxe set complete with hypodermic and burnt spoon remain unconfirmed). The DVD is a super-cool behind-the-scenes during the making of “Exile on Main Street” in the early 1970′s. A must see for rock music fans and Stones fans.

Time has justified Exile’s mythological standing as a masterpiece of murk, an ??ber-bluesy collection of spooky grooves. Fans know of (and have mythologized) the band’s infamous sessions at Nellc??te in the south of France . And while it’s true that most of the album’s basic tracks were recorded there, where the Stones had been taxed into self-exile, Exile was actually wrapped and mixed right here in Los Angeles .

The sunlight, the drive to work, the way the girls look. L.A. ‘s got a very strong set.

Marshall Chess
president of Rolling Stones Records

After the French heat got hip to Nellcote’s pharmaceutical follies, the Stones fled and arrived in L.A. on November 29, 1971. ” L.A. added a whole dimension to Exile’s mixing and assembly,” recalls Marshall Chess, who, as president of Rolling Stones Records, was privy to the inside. “The sunlight, the drive to work, the way the girls look. L.A.’s got a very strong set.”

Chess says Mick Jagger was in charge of sessions at Sunset Sound Recorders, still open for business today at the same spot: 6650 Sunset Boulevard, at Cherokee. “We utilized Dr. John and Billy Preston for help. Dr. John got us backup singers. Billy brought that gospel sound to the vocals. They were crucial to the overall sound of the tracks. In some ways they might’ve been called part-writers. A lot of times it’d be stagnant and Billy Preston would put his shit on it and it would change the riff and texture.” Chess remembers “Happy,” “Casino Boogie,” “Ventilator Blues,” “Torn and Frayed” and “Loving Cup” getting extensive overhauls at Sunset Sound.

Former Beatles employee Chris O’Dell was personal assistant to the Stones at the time: “Keith [Richards] was going through his usual Keith stuff. They weren’t organized in the studio. I remember many nights being there for hours. It felt like it didn’t ever click. Maybe that’s the way they recorded. I was used to the Beatles and how refined their sessions were.”

O’Dell leased homes for Jagger, Richards and Mick Taylor in Bel Air, while Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts usually stayed at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. “They were the toast of the town. They got invited to everything that happened,” O’Dell recalls. “Mick’s a very social person. Always has been.” The boys partied with Papa John Phillips and Natalie Wood and visited Ike and Tina Turner’s studio in Inglewood.

O’Dell’s then-boyfriend, former Band road manager and Mean Streets producer Jonathan Taplin, recommended photographer Robert Frank for the album cover and sent Jagger a copy of Frank’s heralded photo collection The Americans. Frank was flown in from New York and they all went down to L.A. ‘s Skid Row on pregentrified Main Street to shoot ??? hence the album’s title.

“I just remember how easygoing it was, just walking down the street and people following us and everybody getting high,” says O’Dell. “The street people came out and went, ‘Heeeyyy, are you Mick fucking Jagger?’ He’d laugh and they’d follow us.” Frank used a Super-8 movie camera and the Stones stills on Exile’s cover are frames from that film.

Chess says 1 a.m. business meetings with lawyers were not uncommon, and fondly recounts regular jaunts with Keith to Canter’s on Fairfax for strawberry shortcake with real whipped cream. Both he and Keith bought Ferrari Dinos at Hollywood Sports Cars, a legendary dealership that’s no longer in business. But there was a dark side too.
“After Altamont there were death threats from the Hell’s Angels,” says Chess. “When we got to L.A. , Mick and I bought pistols. I had a .38 hammerless Smith & Wesson. Mick was paranoid about the Angels.” But overall, Chess says, L.A. was a positive experience that put the icing on one of the great rock & roll albums of all time. “They were drawn to all things American. The Stones love American music and fit really well in L.A. ”

Bringing it all back to 2010, it’s the jones for new music on the bonus tracks that has Stones freaks scratching. Don Was, the Stones’ producer since 1993, was brought in last year to mix and oversee overdubs for unfinished outtakes. He recounts his marching orders: “Keith sent me a fax sayin’, ‘You don’t have to make it sound like Exile. It is Exile.’”

Was explains what he believes to be the key to Exile’s off-kilter sound: “It reminded me of what Miles [ Davis ] was doin’. There’s this apparent looseness to it, but it’s holdin’ together. The thing that makes [the Stones] great is that they all feel the beat in a little different place. If you listen to the tracks individually, you go, ‘This is a mess.’ When you put it all together, it creates this looseness, but it still grooves. There’s a centrifugal force that holds the band together. With Exile, they pushed the centrifugal force as far out as you can and still have the center hold.”

Speaking of the Stones, what do you make of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8CtWUY7nvg

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Featuring the art of:

Amanda Sage, John Park, Michael Pukac, Catherine Andrews, David Lawell & live high art model Natalia Iswara.

OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION

Friday, May 7th, 2010
6pm to 12 midnight
1108 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice 90291

DJ’s
Primal Luxe
Derrick
& Rik Sharaj on Sitar/ Cyrrus on Drums

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If you’ve never listened to the The Watt From Pedro Show, perhaps you should.

Founded by punk rock legend Mike Watt (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE, Banyan, Hell Ride, and many others), assisted by Brother Matt with an assortment of excellent and unusual guests of the music art art world.

If you’re at all interested, sometimes I, Twan, am a guest on the show. Usually for no good reason.?? A recent great guest was the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s extraordinary bass player Flea.

Go to the TWFPS site and look for:

the february 21, 2010 edition
of the watt from pedro show
w/on-air guest flea up now at:

http://twfps.com

If you like the show, you might want to download The Watt From Pedro Show Podcast as well.

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I always support Kevin Booth’s efforts to raise awareness and exposing the ridiculous and dangerous draconian drug laws in the USA. I first learned about Kevin Booth many years ago, by being a huge fan of the late great comedian/satirist Bill Hicks. Kevin and Bill had been childhood friends. I feel that part of Bill’s long-silenced voice is still heard through he works of his friends such as Kevin Booth.

Free Preview Screening
Venice Beach, Feb. 13

On Saturday February 13th at 8:00PM, the new feature length documentary from Sacred Cow Productions, ???How Weed Won the West??? will be screened at the Organica dispensary in Venice Beach (13456 Washington Blvd.), the site of the LAPD raid from last year as shown in the film.

“How Weed Won the West??? is the story of the people who probably would not die if you took their weed away. People who feel it is their right to smoke a dried flower instead of ingesting dangerous pharmaceuticals for medicine, or alcohol and cigarettes to simply catch a buzz.

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I received a message from the Drug Policy Alliance with a request that I compose and send a note to President-elect Barak Obama to help guide him in who he will choose to be his drug czar.

Based on suggestions provided by the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), I wrote the following letter to Obama. Feel free to copy it, change it, enhance or use it in some way to create a custom letter of your own to the new President of the United States. Once you compose your message you can send it to Barak Obama via his new website: www.change.gov. The process is quick and simple. And well worth the small effort.

Don’t be fooled. You make a difference. You make an impact. The more proactive you are, the larger your impact. It only takes a moment to compose and send a letter like the one I wrote below:

Drug Reform Message to Barak Obama

Dear President-elect Obama,

Please choose a drug czar who will champion drug policy reform in the USA. This is a very important step in delivering the change you and I and a majority of our great nation and the world so obviously desire… and need!

It’s easy to understand why you are considering to nominate Republican Congressman James Ramstad to be your “drug czar”. Rep. Ramstad is in recovery from alcohol abuse and has a track record in support of increasing access to drug treatment. However, Ramstad is still mostly married to the failed punitive drug war policies of the last 30 thirty years. This is a no-brainer: These policies don’t work. Never have. Never will.

These failed policies need to change. More importantly, we need to do something different. Just as you had so boldly stated: “Doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity”, WE MUST do things differently in drug reform in order for profound change to occur. I figure that you already know this somewhere deep inside your obviously good heart. Please step into it, and we will support you.

Ramstad has voted against medical marijuana five times. He has voted against making sterile syringes more available to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS three times. Even though his colleagues are increasingly supporting sentencing reform, including eliminating the crack/powder sentencing disparity, he hasn’t stood up on the issue. Perhaps Ramstad is not the right choice.

Our nation’s next drug czar should be chosen based on the following criteria:

1. Are they committed to enacting and supporting evidence-based policies? ONDCP should make decisions based on science, not politics or ideology.
2. Are they committed to reducing the harms associated with both drugs and punitive drug laws? We need a new bottom line for U.S. drug policy.
3. Do they think drug use should be treated as a health issue not a criminal justice issue? To paraphrase former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke, we need a surgeon general not a military general or police officer.
4. Do they welcome and encourage debate and research? We need a drug czar who is open-minded and willing to consider every alternative.
5. Are they committed to reducing the number of nonviolent offenders behind bars? Our country’s next drug czar should be fully committed to major sentencing reform.

President-elect Obama, who you choose as your drug czar will affect everyone. Please nominate a drug czar who supports marijuana law reform, syringe availability and treatment instead of incarceration.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Best regards and best of luck,

Your Name

Where to Send Your Drug Reform Letter

Once your message is ready don’t forget to send it to www.change.gov.

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Today marks the 14th anniversary of the sad and unfortunate passing of comedy legend Bill Hicks, arguably the best stand up comic social commentarian that ever lived. In honor of this great man (who was hugely popular in Great Britain), listen in on internet radio:

Kerrang Radio – Featuring Bill Hicks

Tonight at 12 Midnight (London Time) or 5PM (US Central) or 3PM (California)

Nick Margerrison is the host of The Night Before will interview Bill Hick’s producer/ friend/ biographer Kevin Booth on the 14th anniversary of Bill’s passing. Topics will include – Mushrooms – Flying Saucers – Waco – Bill’s longevity and a plug for a live tribute show for Bill taking place in NYC Feb, 26.

If you happen to be in London, you can listen over your WW2 ham radio or whatever you use in London, or tune in to the Karrang Radio Website – Bill Hicks Tribute

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A message and an invitation from the one and only Dr. Groovy:

This week: I am back from Tanzania and Kenya and will have stories of Nairobi, Shirati, and the clinic there and my climb up Kilimanjaro (I made it!) and a little bit of London thrown in for my friend Nick. I may even mention the peaceful days at my parents’ farm in Virginia (beautiful)

Sit back, tray tables in the upright and locked position and join me on the quest for understanding…

Dr. Groovy

Saturdays 4:30-6 pm Pacific time

on

Phrequency&Phrenology

• aol IM: killradiostation
• phone: 213-252-0998

You can also check out old shows by getting to the downloads here

Coming soon… “Ask Dr. Groovy” on YouTube!!!

Yeah baby yeah-

Peace,

Dr. G

Phrequency&Phrenology 4:30-6pm PST

Saturdays on killradio.org

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Dunning-Kruger Effect

The Dunning-Kruger effect is the phenomenon whereby people who have little knowledge systematically think that they know more than others who have much more knowledge.

The phenomenon was demonstrated in a series of experiments performed by Justin Kruger and David Dunning, then both of Cornell University. Their results were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in December 1999.

Kruger and Dunning noted a number of previous studies which tend to suggest that in skills as diverse as reading comprehension, operating a motor vehicle, and playing chess or tennis, that “ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge” (as Charles Darwin put it). They hypothesized that with a typical skill which humans may possess in greater or lesser degree:

1. incompetent individuals tend to overestimate their own level of skill,
2. incompetent individuals fail to recognize genuine skill in others,
3. incompetent individuals fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy,
4. if they can be trained to substantially improve their own skill level, these individuals can recognize and acknowledge their own previous lack of skill.

They set out to test these hypotheses on human subjects consisting of Cornell undergraduates who were registered in various psychology courses.

In a series of studies, Kruger and Dunning examined self-assessment of logical reasoning skills, grammatical skills and humor. After being shown their test score, the subjects were again asked to estimate their own rank whereupon the competent group accurately estimated their rank, while the incompetent group still overestimated their own rank. As Dunning and Kruger noted:

Across 4 studies, participants scoring in the bottom quartile on tests of humor, grammar, and logic grossly overestimated their test performance and ability. Although test scores put them in the 12th percentile, they estimated themselves to be in the 62nd.

Dunning and Kruger

Meanwhile, people with true knowledge tended to underestimate their competence.

A followup study suggests that grossly incompetent students improve both their skill level and their ability to estimate their class rank only after extensive tutoring in the skills they had previously lacked.

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Mind States, Costa Rica

Wednesday, June 13, 2007 – Sunday, June 17, 2007

Featuring presentations by:

• Joe Coleman, apocalyptic artist
• Erik Davis, author of TechGnosis and The Visionary State
• Earth Erowid, co-founder of erowid.org
• Fire Erowid, co-founder of erowid.org
• Jon Hanna, author of The Psychedelic Resource List
• Jonathan Ott, author of Pharmacotheon
• Mark Pesce, futurist and author of The Playful World
• Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin, chemist & pharmacologist
• Ann Shulgin, co-author of PIHKAL and TIHKAL
• Tommy Thomas, gentleman farmer
• With Sheelo Bohm, facilitating morning Holotropic Breathwork sessions.

Held at an eco-resort on a 2000 acre sanctuary of virgin rain forest set at the juncture of two rivers near the town of Horquetas de Sarapiqui. Swim by natural waterfalls or in the pool, relax in a hot tub, enjoy refreshing beverages at the bar, challenge one of the presenters to a paddle boat race, marvel at the botanical gardens, or arrange a zip-line canopy tour, horseback ride, white water rafting trip, or massage through the resort.

Price includes admission to lectures and workshops, one spot in an incredibly spacious double-occupancy room, and all meals (vegetarian and vegan available).Not included in the price are airfare and transportation to the resort (about 1.5 hours outside of San Jose).

• Space is limited–purchase your ticket soon.
• Cost is $1,400 per person afterwards.

Payment can be made with a credit card through the Mind States site

Or you may send a check or money order to:

Mind States
P.O. Box 19820
Sacramento, CA 95819

For more information, please visit the Mind States Web site

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They say that god works in mysterious ways…

But something has lifted my spirits, if even just a little bit. I’m here watching the end of a mediocre movie called “Devil’s Advocate”. It’s not all that great. But in it, Al Pacino plays Satan in human form… an attorney, no less… And he is giving a belligerent, indignant speech about God, his nemesis. It is this speech that has given my spirits a boost and a grin for the day. A ray of hope and sunshine. Redemption can come in odd, unexpected ways. I’ll take it! I accept!

I hope you enjoy this transcript as much as I enjoy bringing it to your attention:

God? …..Is that it..?

…God!?

Well, I’ll tell ya… let me give you a little inside information about “god”:

God likes to watch.
He’s a prankster.

Think about it :

He gives man instincts…
He gives you this extraordinary gift…

And then what does he do..? I swear, for his own amusement… his own private cosmic gag reel…

He sets the rules in opposition. It’s the goof of all time:

Look… but don’t touch…
Touch… but don’t taste…
Taste… but don’t swallow…

Ha ha ha!

And while you’re jumping from one foot to the next, what is he doing?

He’s laughing his sick f cking ass off..!

He’s a tight-ass..!
He’s a SADIST..!
He’s an absentee landlord..!

Worship *THAT* !?!…

NEVER!

Al Pacino as Satan in Devil’s Advocate

Even though Pacino is playing the devil… that particular description doesn’t sound so devilish at all… Sounds pretty logical to me! And I don’t have much use for those bankrupt, irrelevant concepts known as ‘god’ and ‘devil’….

Update: OK.. I finished watching the movie since I originally posted this message.

Twan’s quick capsule review:

“Piece of Shit!”

But that doesn’t diminish the quoted text above. That much is golden!

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