How Terribly Strange to Be 70

Paul Simon turned 70 yesterday. His original singing partner, Art Garfunkel, is right behind. How did this happen?

In the song, "Old Friends," from the 1968 album, Bookends, they sing the words that are contained in the title above.

I've followed Paul and Art since 1965, when their giant hit, Sounds of Silence, hit the airwaves. The two started out as a pop duo in the 1950s--Tom and Jerry--and become folkies in the early 1960's with Paul's sensitive, poetic lyrics matched with an acoustic guitar. When the record company decided to add electric tracks to their acoustic recording of Sounds of Silence, the two singers weren't even around, but they found out soon enough that their song had hit the big time. Folk rock had arrived, and the 1960s were the heyday of Simon & Garfunkel, but after A Bridge over Troubled Water came out, they separated.

I was pretty broken up about it. After all, the Beatles disbanded around the same time. And Paul's early solo efforts were good, but sounded empty without Art's high harmonic voice. But Rhymin' Simon turned out to have staying power, and as I fell for Kodachrome and the Hearts and Bones album, the best was yet to come--Graceland. That may be his best work ever.

Recently, a new album arrived, So Beautiful or So What, and a brand new, specially selected collection is arriving in a week or so called Paul Simon, Songwriter.

Paul recently sang Sounds of Silence at the dedication of the Word Trade Center Memorial. It was great to see him, but it would have been nice to see Garfunkel there, too.

But I guess I have to face the fact that if Paul's 70, I'm no longer a teenager myself--I'm not that far behind him.

Do You Erhu?

I was discussing music, particularly bass playing, with my cube neighbor, Jane, when she happened to mention that she played the erhu. Huh?

The erhu is known as the "Chinese violin," although it has a hexagon-shaped box for a sound body and only two strings. These strings are tuned in a fifth, and are the same as the two middle strings of the violin. Unlike a violin, there's no fingerboard--the player presses the string between his or her fingers.

We went to YouTube to see an example of erhu playing. We saw a dignified older gentleman playing and then found something really exciting. An eight-year-old girl played an astounding "horse racing" piece that was completely riveting. I'll bet she's been practicing hours a day since she was old enough to hold the bow.

Honda Civic Si - A Little Extra Oomph

The Honda Civic Si is the performance version of the popular compact--and has been so for decades. My experience with a loaded up 2012 model proves that it's still got what it takes to entertain--while going easy at the gas pump. My Rallye Red coupe earned over 28 miles per gallon--admittedly spending more time on the freeway than it should. This is a car made for taking the entertaining roads.

The Canadian-built Civic stretches out significantly longer than the 1986 model I owned. That was the first year of the Si. It still had some connection to the tiny, MINI Cooper-sized hatchback Civic of the 1970's, but with more sharply-drawn lines and a rear window that dropped off like a cliff. The new Si comes as a much roomier coupe or sedan.

Putting 201 horsepower under the hood (a 22 percent boost over last year) makes the car a quick performer. My '86 featured 90 horsepower--which was about 50 percent more than the standard Civic that year. Today's car offers a six-speed manual transmission, versus the, for the time, advanced five-speed in my car.

The new for 2012 Civic is an upgrade on the radical look of the previous generation, with the kinds of shapes you'd expect on BMWs. The interior retains the two-level instrument panel and in the Si, a sporty character with lots to move the eye. The plastics feel a little inexpensive and there is a lot of "rice paper" pattern surface.

Priced at $24,475, my Civic is positioned to give VW GTIs and other sporty compacts some serious competition. The reputation alone, on top of the sharp new look and upgraded power, should be enough to keep the Si popular.

Stunning Radisson Blu Aqua in Chicago

Chicago, known architecturally for its brutal 108-story Sears Tower (Willis Tower now), now has a gentler but still imposing new building to show off. It's the 81-story Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, which opens November 1. It's the first Radisson Blu hotel in the United States, and the tallest tower in the world designed by a female architect.

Jeanne Gang, of Studio Gang Architects not only came up with an amazing looking building for her first skyscraper, but made it energy efficient, too. The undulating, irregularly-shaped balconies not only convey the rippling of water but also work as solar shades for the room or apartment below. The shapes also interrupt the wind flow off Lake Michigan, so there can be usable outdoor space up high in the air.

The hotel takes up 18 floors of the tower, has 334 guest rooms and suites, and flaunts an 80,000-square-foot green roof and recreation deck.

I probably can't afford to stay there, but when I go to Chicago, I'll definitely want to check it out.

Three Beatle Weekend

What a musical/Beatle oriented weekend! Saturday night, I watched both parts of the Martin Scorsese special on George Harrison, Living in the Material World. In it, Scorsese features interviews with those who knew and loved him, including the two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as both of his wives and his son, Dhani, who resembles his father a lot. Racecar champ Jackie Stewart spoke of George, too. George, besides spiritual activities, was a racing enthusiast. You may not have known that. There was significant footage of conversations with his friend Eric Clapton and fellow musician Tom Petty (from the Traveling Wilburys period).There were many photos I had never seen, and we gain more insight into George's post-Beatle and nonmusical activities.

Sunday, October 9th was what would have been John Lennon's 71st birthday (imagine an elderly John), which I commemorated by playing "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away in front of a party crowd with my band, Red Paint. The 9th was also the day that Paul married his third wife. We'd gotten word of this in the Spring. I wish him happiness, and things appear to be good so far.

Fab Four forever.

Doing the Right Thing -- Liberty Mutual Ad

As I was folding my laundry this morning I happened to look over and see an ad for Liberty Mutual that touched me. It showed how people witnessed the example of someone helping someone else -- and were inspired to do the right thing themselves later. From the man removing the obstacle from the blind woman's path to the woman helping the businessman whose papers fell from his briefcase, it spread from one person to another. And then--it came full circle. Beautiful.

Now, this company is selling insurance--a form of protection that you provide to help others. But this thoughtful way in presenting themselves makes me like the company, even though I know essentially nothing about them. Now THAT'S good advertising.

"Every day, millions of people choose to do the right thing..."

Battle of the Dads Bands - Everybody Wins

Today, my band, Red Paint, competed against five other bands in the Battle of the Dad Bands. It all happened on a tennis court of a local athletic club on a beautiful 70-degree day. We didn't win but it sure didn't feel like a losing proposition.

What is a musical competition, really? Sure, there was a prize, but how to compare a band that plays faithful covers of famous bands' songs with Red Paint, whose 7 songs included one cover, which we "painted red?" What makes punk rock better or worse than blues? It's all good.

It came down to votes, and we didn't have as many as at least one of the other bands--the winner. I heard them--and they were plenty good--playing blues. The bottom line was that the event raised nearly $1,000 for the Susan G. Komen foundation to find a cure for breast cancer.

We had a fine time, enjoyed our two free beers (no free food tickets though) and I got a kick out of talking with some of the other musicians. If they'd been giving away, say, a car or a contract for 12 paid gigs, that might have gotten the musicians into more of a fighting spirit. But part of being a "dad band" in the first place is in realizing that we have full lives to live, which include music. We're not on the road as professionals. "Real Musicians Have Day Jobs," says the famous bumper sticker (and T-shirt).

Two treats--I got to see my old friend Clyde after many years. He and I were in high school together and both picked up the bass at same time--our 50th birthdays. I also had a high quality Beatles-centered conversation with Drew Harrison of the Sun Kings. They bring the Fab Four to life with their note-for-note recreation of this "classical" music.

Music brings people together, even if it's a battle, and everybody wins.