On The Road With Al and Ivy: Blog

“The good old days were the days, seemingly, when the critics had their way and ran things with a high hand; they made or unmade books and authors. They killed Chatterton, just as, some years later, they hastened the death of Keats. For a time they were all-powerful. It was not until the end of the eighteenth century that these professional tyrants began to lose their grip, and when Byron took up the lance against them their doom was practically sealed.” - Eugene Field (Love Affairs Of A Bibliomaniac, 1896 - Chapter XIV) EUGENE FIELD’S THE LOVE AFFAIRS OF A BIBLIOMANIAC, CHURCH’S ILLIAD, DISNEYLAND AND OTHER THOUGHTS: One of my earliest childhood memories is of two visits to Disneyland. The first time we arrived early and waited in the parking lot. From the outside, it looked a lot like another amusement park that I spent a lot of time at, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.  Once we entered, it was noticeably different. The model for the Boardwalk was Coney Island, but here the intent was ...

Note: The following content is for entertainment purposes only and some parts are works of satire. IN THIS ENTRY: - New! Did 70s Disco Really Suck? - New! Some Thoughts On AI Art - Gear Talk From The Archive: Review Of 2004 Fender MIM Nashville Telecaster - Archive Review From 2014: Classic 60s Album Review - Paul Butterfield Blues Band “East-West” - New! Short Takes on Rap, Blues, and African Music - The Boogie Underground Think-Tank: How To Find The Perfect Expert For All Occasions! DID ‘70s DISCO REALLY SUCK? In every era, great thinkers add to The Pantheon of Slogans that provide hope and inspiration to aid humanity's never-ending quest to combine intelligent thought with the ability to walk on two legs. But, as the Internet has proven, this melancholy crusade is a work in progress. In Ancient times, a Carpenter from Gallalee said, "Love your brother and don't interfere with Caesar's business." In the Renaissance, a poor son of a peasant became the first arti...

NEW REVIEW FOR THE WASHBURN BA-6 SIX STRING BANJO PLUS ARTICLES FROM THE DELTA SNAKE REVIEW ARCHIVES (REVISED IN 2022): - VINYL RECORDS-HOW SWEET THE SOUND? (JUNE 2011) - THE 60s JAPANESE GOLD FOIL PICKUP - A NEW LEGEND OR THE NEXT BEANY BABY? (MAY 2014) - WILL STREAMING DESTROY THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? THE FAIRY GODMOTHER FANTASY (JUNE 2014) Note on picture: I have the truss rod cover off to do some adjustments to the neck. GEAR REVIEW: THE WASHBURN BA-6 SIX STRING BANJO Six-string banjos have been around since the 19th Century. One of the most popular bluesmen of the 1920s, Papa Charlie Jackson, played one.  The older name for a six-string banjo was "banjitar" or "ganjo" The closest modern equivalent is the four-string type mainly used in old-style jazz or Celtic folk. The four-string was a familiar rhythm instrument in 20s jazz because it could play chords, and most importantly, it was loud enough to be heard in an age without electric amplifiers. The banjo, along wit...