Flash Reforms with Ray Bennett & Colin Carter, CD

And I can tell you that I love a really good flash once in a while ... even at my/our old age a good flash is a wonderment! And always appreciated, too!

 

Note: I hope you don't mind some wax'ing poetic and philosophical and this is (obviously) not the same issue for everyone.

 

At 61, I can look back and tell you that there were a lot of things I loved ... and I still have not stopped loving them.

 

There are some things, in life, that live forever. One of them we all know, and we have a word for it. That is a 4 letter word that at one time was valuable and meant something ... that was forgotten. We all know that word, but we tend to forget what it means, and many times, we wish we had not mis-interpreted that word, and then made a mistake that we do not always think ... very well about, or care to look at it ... and appreciate it.

 

There is one other thing in my life, and I will use a couple of examples on my short stories. I have not written any of these for almost 22 years or so, and when I look at them today, I admire the ability to have written it, and I look at it as ... very interesting, and I am happy that I wrote it, and still give credit to that one woman in my life, that still means more to me than ... just about anyone else. 

 

Because it reminds me of her, and she went her own way a couple of years later ... it would be easy for me to think that ... this and that ... and this and that ... I never have. I have always respected and appreciated her for who she was and being herself ... and made her decisions ... which in this case did not feature me.

 

Since then I have had many other poems and stories and they might, or might not connect ... "You ... are no longer a vision, or a poem" is one of the strongest ones ... but in the end, I have a tremendous love, care, and appreciation for the work that was done, even if today I would do it differently.

 

So I'm talking to Holger one time, and I happened to love the first two albums ... he didn't. The "insanity" and the "craziness" was not what he was about ... and yet, there it is in the music and the work ... and experimentation at its best ... which he never did again -- at least in the totally crazy way and style that was there.

 

Now, there was one funny thing here ... and one day I had a nice discussion with a couple of folks that are a part of Gong, with whom I have a warm sympathy based on the "literary'ness" of their work, and how for them, yesterday is today, and tomorrow is today and tomorrow was yesterday ... and that's that. And this past week I saw that film that talks about Ken Kesey's big trip ... and there is something in there ... that is really valuable, although a lot of folks might think ... that's insane ... but listen to what Ken says about the trip itself towards the end ... it's so subtle, quite, soft, and important ... that the whole thing is almost ... nothing when compared to that comment ... and it explains why some folks went (to have fun and whatever) ... and what it meant for Ken ... that some never understood on that trip .... which comes across in one other example to give you an idea of how we mis-interpret ... our own lives ... the comment about Nurse Ratchet ... she's not evil ... she's just doing her job for a society that demanded it, or a hospital that demanded it ... we still look at it, when we read the book, that she is the nasty one, not just an employee ... that was trapped like everyone else!

 

Now comes the saddest part of my life. Nowehere, in my life have I seen more __________________ (use your own words here) than I have in the world of music. If it was not this, it was that. If it wasn't Mr. Balloon Balls that ripped so many folks off, or someone else, it was this band and that band not getting along, or some folks that did not get along, or some folks that supposedly ripped off someone else (don't ask Patrick Moraz about that!)  and what not ...

 

And you know the saddest part of all that? ... the quantity of music and beautiful work that people put together that got lost, hidden, and buried alive ... and you know what I just thought of?

 

I do not know of many of us that want to bury our children or the results of our hearts ... it may not be perfect and be with someone ... but in the end, it is work that we did, and helped us learn something about ourselves, and hopefully something that is far more important than ourselves ... the obvious question is ... do we know what that is, and are we interested in the one and only muse that will ever help us create something more meaningful ... than just a few notes of music. It will be you for a moment ... and someone else the next ... and a fleeting wind ... or thought ... right after it ... gone ...

 

With much heart and i wish the band the very best ... but don't forget the source ... there is only one that matters!

 

I like "Flash4word"

 

And yeah ... a word like that would probably require another Hipgnosis cover, just not sure ol' Stormm wants to do it though!

 

Only concern is that the word would suggest something more internal and psychic than the band's music and work might entail and the idea or concept is not on par with the band's work at all.

 

But a cigarette in the nose?  Really?

hmmmm...."Out Of Our Way"?  Nice followup to "Out of Our Hands"!  

And, the cover BETTER involve nude female parts & lots of 'em!  We Flash fans demand no less!!  

Thanks, Sherry!  Like you, I also love "Manhattan Morning," first time I heard it was in concert, it blew me away!