"Caps and Kepis..."

Cough Cough...

Hack Hack...

Good Lord!!!

I just can't get over this lung crap...  and I've lost my voice again today.

We are out of class today so I had planned to go to Vicksburg today and look at the Confederate line positions...

The last time I went down, I spent so much time looking at specific places that I had never studied before that I only got through the Union lines before the park closed for the day.  I wrote about that trip HERE and HERE.  

... but I figured I would be better served staying at home and trying to get somewhat better so I can try to teach tomorrow.

I remember when Dad took us to Vicksburg back once upon a time... and he bought me a "soldier's cap"...

Being from Mississippi... 

I had to have one of these.

... but I don't know...

it didn't look right.

It didn't look like the ones on TV that Johnny  Yuma wore...

'Johnny Yuma...'

Nick Adams

... and it didn't look like the one that Mushy wore on 'Rawhide'...

'Mushy'

A couple of years ago... while working on my genealogy, I discovered that I had family members who served in the Civil War... on both sides... but then again, it was the war that was brother against brother, wasn't it?

During the time that I was researching battalions and campaigns, I became interested i the head wear that the soldiers of that war and time wore.

Of course, I knew that there was great interest in re-enactors who go to great troubles to attend various battle re-enactments... and they pay such detail to clothing, arms... shoes... even the stitching on the hats and clothing.

There are people who even have established themselves as sutlers, and they attend various re-enactments... and sell clothing and gear to the re-enactors just as the sutlers actually did in the Civil War.

I decided that I wanted a "real" Civil War cap... and since I had discovered that I had two great-great uncles who were at Vicksburg with the 87th Illinois infantry... I had one of these individuals make a cap for me...

1858 Forage Cap

This cap is SO cool!!!  These are the hats that the average Union soldier in the Western theater would have worn...  it was called a forage cap because the soldier could use the bill as a handle, and go out and collect berries and other things he may later want to eat.

James Garrison Coles

Great Great Uncle

This is the same kind of hat he is wearing in this photo... and although the photo isn't too clear, notice that he is wearing it with the bill bent upwards... like Mushy's above... and not like Johnny Yuma's... which is bent more like a baseball cap.

I just recently had this fellow HERE to make a Confederate kepi for me... he also crafted the Union Forage cap above!  The workmanship is incredible!

It is magnificent!

Incredible workmanship!!

He is in such demand for his work!  He has such a backlog of work that there is about a three-month waiting period.

I have learned of another relative from that time what was a captain in the 46th Virginia Infantry...  I am thinking that I need a cap for him as well...

This would have been the style of cap he would have worn... 

This is all way too cool to me...

Now if I can just get over this pulmonary issue...

ARGH!!!!

~shoes~

"The Eagles... Part IV"

In my opinion, the Eagles peaked with the release of "Hotel California"...  egos and issues seemed to arise with the passage of time...

It took over two years to produce and release "The Long Run"...  the degree of perfectionism that had developed had heightened... even Don Henley and Glenn Frey were at odds with each other... supposedly, the single, "The Long Run", was about their relationship.  Relationships within bands can't be immune from the problems of any other kinds of relationships...

Bernie Leadon had tired of the touring, demands on his time, and bickering within the group... supposedly, it peaked one evening, in 1975,  when, in an  argument with Frey, he poured his beer over Frey's head and quit.  Of course, he was promptly replaced by Joe Walsh... and Life continued forward for all...

There was another breakdown of a relationship within the band... and that involved Eagle bassist (and my favorite Eagle), Randy Meisner.

Randy Meisner

Meisner was a wonderful vocalist... but a bit on the shy side... he said that he always preferred to be stage-right when they performed and out of the spot light.  Unfortunately, one of Meisner's songs (that he wrote and sang) was a huge hit on "One Of These Nights"... and that song was obviously in rotation when they toured...

"Take It To The Limit"

Sing it, Randy!!!!

AUGH!!!!!  You  can almost see at the 4:00 mark that he looks tentative about his voice... that is when he started the falsetto... and at the 4:30 mark, he hits a home run with it...

The "Hotel California" tour was a hard one... and unknown to the public, there was a great deal of fighting and bickering going on between band members.  Meisner was having health issues on this tour (ulcers and the flu)... and it culminated one night when Meisner refused to sing "... Limit" because he felt he wasn't going to be able to hit the high notes at the end of the song.  One thing led to another, and Meisner announced he would leave the band after the last date of the tour. Supposedly Meisner said...

 "All that stuff and all the arguing amongst 

the Eagles is over now. Well at least for me."

Needless to say, The Eagles still perform "Take It To The Limit" in concert, but Frey sings the lead vocals... For the record, he can NOT hit those high notes!!!

Meisner had come to "The Eagles" from a band called "Poco,"  who promptly replaced Meisner with a bassist by the name of Timothy B. Schmit.

Well... when an opening for a bassist occurred with the Eagles, they promptly replaced Meisner with...

Timothy B. Schmit

Schmit is quite an accomplished bassist and vocalist as well...

This was his contribution to 

"The Long Run" album...

"I Can't Tell You Why"

What a solo by Felder!!!!

Of all the videos associated with "The Long Run," this is my favorite video... 

You can watch the video by clicking 

HERE

Bickering... fighting... falling outs all ensued.  The band broke up... 

The Eagles were still under contract to their recording company... and owed them a live recording... the result of this obligation was this album...

No one was talking... communicating... and whatever collaboration occurred, did so at a great distance... I've read that the names of five attorneys are credited on the album.

... and it was over...

but you know better than that!

~shoes~

"The Eagles... Part III"

Back in the early 70's, I began to hear of a fellow by the name of Joe Walsh... and a group called The James Gang...

Joe Walsh

He played loud and over the top... and had the worst best guitar face I've ever seen...

One of my-all time favorite Joe Walsh songs is this one...

'Funk #49'

The Eagles were preparing to go into the studio to work on a new release... Bernie Leadon was wanting out... he was becoming disillusioned with the direction of the band... he preferred the "more country" feel of the band... Leadon's replacement was named... and it was Joe Walsh... there were some fears from inside the band that Walsh may have been "too wild" for them...

... but I think it was the best move the band ever made.  Walsh became a tighter, even better performer, and The Eagles kicked their sound up a few steps!!

The first Eagles' album to feature Joe Walsh was 'Hotel California'... and to me, the song that best exemplifies Walsh's guitar licks is this song...

'Life In The Fast Lane'

This song just drips and oozes Walsh...

Unbelievable!!!

The signature song for The Eagles has to be 'Hotel California'... the musical score was written by Don Felder... the lyrics by Felder, Frey, and Henley...

'Hotel California'

My favorite part of the video begins at the 4:00 minute mark when Felder starts his solo... and then segues to Walsh at the 4:30 mark... WOWOW!!!!!

'Felder and Walsh'

For me, this was the ultimate guitar line-up for this band.  Everything was ramped up to another level...

Another great song from 'Hotel California'... written in part by J.D. Souther...

"New Kid In Town"

AUGH!!!!

What a performance!!!!!

In fact, they had now become such perfectionists that it would take over four years to record their next album... 

~shoes~

"The Eagles... Part II"

In 1974, the band would go into the studio to record their next release...  looking for a bit more of an edge to their sound, they utilized the services of a studio musician by the name of Don Felder...

Don Felder

... and it was during the making of this album that Felder was asked to become a member of the band.

To me, this marked a definite change in the sound of their music and would begin to steer them towards the high point of their existence...

... one of the songs from this time would be 'Already Gone'...  a great break up song...



The guitar work on this album has more of an  edge than what had existed on the previous two efforts... and a great deal of this is due to  Felder's influence...

For me, this next song shows Felder at his best... at least for at this stage of the Eagles' career...

"A  Good Day In Hell"

His slide guitar work on this song is phenomenal...

I think...

Another great song from this effort is...

"James Dean"

Now, they hadn't totally forsaken the formula that got them notoriety...

also included on this album was...

"Best Of My Love"

This song is greatly reminiscent of what they had 

done on their previous two albums...

Henley, Felder, Frey, Leadon, Meisner

There were changes to be made to this line up that would redefine who 

The Eagles were, and what their future would be...

~shoes~

"The Eagles... Part I"

Leadon, Meisner, Henley, Frey

 I like music... a lot... there are many many many bands and musicians that make up the sound track of my Life...   one of these groups is The Eagles...  they formed this band in 1971... after performing with Linda Ronstadt at a number of dates.

Don Henley and Glenn Frey had asked Bernie Leadon (of The Flying Burrito Brothers) and Randy Meisner (of Poco) to form a band... which later became The Eagles...

I think The Eagles can be defined by three different eras... or time frames.  This composite of The Eagles wrote and recorded songs, that by today's standards, would fit into the realm or genre of country music.

One such song would be 

"Take It Easy"

My favorite part of this song is Randy Meisner's background vocals... he always sang the high range...  a remarkable voice, I think... and really added to the tonal quality of their songs....

Another great song from this time frame is

"Witchy Woman"

These songs all have a 'country feel' to them, I think...

Both of these songs came off of their first album, "Eagles"...  their second album from this time frame was "Desperado"... and is one of my favorite recordings of theirs... this album wasn't the commercial success compared to the previous, but I think that it is marvelous.

This song was from "Desperado"...

"Tequila Sunrise"

They also included a couple of what I would call "story" songs on this album... this is one of them... and they always seem to play this song at any of their concerts...

"Desperado"

By the time their next album would come along, there would be an addition to the band that would start to change the direction of their music...

~shoes~

"I Don't Need No... Redux..."

Steenkin' New Year's Resolutions...

Happy New Year to all of you...

I can't believe that 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 2013 is gone.

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'...

Into the future...

What is it about the past that we each remember so?

Are the memories of good and wonderful things?

... or do we remain haunted by what went amiss?

... things that just didn't turn out the way we wanted?

Is there some form of 'Pre-destination' 

that we follow through Life???

Or, are our Lives and our ultimate ends/destinations 

more determined by Karma??

Are the events that we experience directly related

to how we have lived our lives and treated others?

Is there really a difference between the two?

I wonder why I selected 'Calvin and Hobbes'cartoons for a post that asks rather serious questions?

What makes a good cartoon be a 'good cartoon?'

I always have enjoyed the messages from comic strips like 'Calvin and Hobbes,' or 'The Far Side'...  Some of the creators of such strips have such a wonderful insight into the  psyches of our souls, it seems. They seem to capture those fleeting moments and thoughts that we have all experienced...

A counselor that I was seeing after the death of my Dad and during my divorce suggested that I hide a great deal of hurt and pain behind humor... I do suppose that there is a great deal of truth to such a statement.

I fear that my direction has been determined

by the method indicated in the cartoon above...

... that I have just let things happen and I've drifted along with the flow.

Like clouds in the sky...

Like a limb in the river...

Like a fart in a whirl wind...

In 2013, I would like to be more direct in what I desire for the rest of my Life.

I will be more pro-active.

I will take some of my own  advice that I talked about at commencement...

__________

2013 brought one great change in my life... 

that was the death of my sister, Jane...

I have been amazed at how Death seems to redefine families.

It certainly has changed mine...

So, my siblings are now dying... 

I guess it's our turn now...

All the more reason to look for more out of 

each year we are alive, and to make sure

that we leave no stones unturned...

No missed opportunities...

So...

What are your goals, desires, aims for

the upcoming

2014?

I love these guys...

Happy New Year!!!

~shoes~

"Silent Night...:

Repost from Last Christmas...

We, Three Kings Of Orient Are...

I think my favorite Christmas Story is that of the Christmas Star and the Three Wise Men...  at least that's what we called them back then... today we know them as the Magi...

According to the Gospel of Matthew, The Three Wise Men found the Baby Jesus by following A Star...  whch later became known as the Star of Bethlehem...

History makes allowances for many names for the Magi, but Western Christianity recognizes them as being Balthazar, from Arabia, Melchior, from Persia, and Gaspar, from India.

Each of the Magi brought a gift for the Baby Jesus... Gold, frankincense, and myrrh...
Myrrh was the most ominous of the gifts... Myrrh was an embalming lotion and was symbolic of Death.

Luke 2:10-14

¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

By no stretch of the imagination do I profess to be a very religious person, but this Bible passage, for some reason, gives me great hope...

Merry Christmas to All...

And to All a Good Night!!!

~shoes~