Being For The Benefit of Mr. Mena

Is it wrong to admit that I love that Jamie Foxx/T Pain song? I’ve tried for years to blame it on the alcohol, no one ever believes me.

SPORTS

Mark Cuban is a groupie. A geek who could never actually play, but when he got rich decided to buy a team. So when Cuban calls Kenyon Martin a thug within earshot of his mom, neither one of them should take this fool seriously. I’m sure Martin’s mom could kick Cuban’s ass.
How interesting have these NBA playoffs been? I haven’t been this excited since the Jordan days. People should start recognizing that LeBron James is the greatest all around player since Magic Johnson. LeBron can’t pass like Magic (no one could) but just imagine if Magic had shot more and played above the rim…yeah I know…terrifying.

BEING FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR. MENA

For the first time in the 3 year history of The JB Random Report, I am dedicating a segment to one of my good friends. Don’t get me wrong, anything I write is for all my readers to enjoy and if I were to have anything private to say to anyone I would just use
my powers of telepathy and mind control (Halle Berry…you will call me…Halle Berry…you will call me).
So the other day we were talking about my all time favorite band, The Rolling Stones and their creative output over the past 20 years. Now I wasn’t born when they had their best creative years of the late 60’s-early 70’s, and there is no way Mena was old enough to appreciate that era beyond attempting a sing-along with the radio from his crib. However, we both agree that was their best creative period, with a few good records on either side.
When a band has been around as long as the Stones and their best era so well documented, it’s easy to ignore the rest of their output. Both of us also agree that with the exception of a few drug-hazed clunkers, the late 70’s-early 80’s was also a respectable era for the Stones, with its best record, “Tattoo You” coming at the end of it. A record that was, ironically enough, a collection of outtakes from previous recording sessions that ended up being “Emotional Rescue” and “Some Girls.” They wanted to tour in 1981 and just decided to mix these songs. Keith Richards said of Tattoo You, “We had ‘Start Me Up’ in the can for years… critics called it ‘the freshest sounding Stones album in years,’ we all had a good chuckle.”
Now I would have seen the Stones in concert during the last 20 years regardless of whether or not the records were good because it was the era in which I was finally old enough to do so, and since everyone thought that the 1981-82 Tattoo You tour was going to be their last. Over the past 20 years I have seen this band 9 times, and they were amazing. They could have toured behind an album of polka music and I still would have gone. 1994 in particular was one of the best shows I have ever been to.
So now it is time for the student to become the master, for the falcon to hear the falconer, for The Karate Kid to get the headband from Mr. Myagi, as now I give Mena a playlist. A playlist of Stones songs from the last 20 years that I think he will respect.

Steel Wheels 1989

Sad Sad Sad
Mixed Emotions
Almost Hear You Sigh

Voodoo Lounge 1994

Sparks Will Fly
I Go Wild
Thru and Thru
Jump On Top of Me (rare B-Side)

Bridges To Babylon 1997

Flip the Switch
Already Over Me
Thief in The Night

40 Licks 2002

Don’t Stop

And just for good measure, here’s a short playlist of…

Songs on solo albums that I believe were actually written for the Stones

Mick Jagger

“Just Another Night” should have been on Undercover
“Throwaway” should have been on Emotional Rescue
“Don’t Tear Me Up” should have been on Black & Blue

Keith Richards

“Make No Mistake” should have been on either Emotional Rescue or Tattoo You
“Eileen” should have been on Some Girls
“Demon” should have been on Steel Wheels