I give a fat turd

[Ghost of Electricity]

It was in 1996, I had just moved back to the midwest after having lived abroad for several years, where a friend had introduced me to the music of Uncle Tupelo. The name was familiar: I remembered seeing posters for them while visiting my girlfriend in Champaign at U of I. Unfortunately, never went to see them or heard their music until they had broken up and I lived, literally, an ocean away. But better late than never I guess.

 

The previous summer I had been home in Chicago visiting and saw one of the bands that "sprung from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo" (at the time the phrase was excusable), had their first record and loved it, so I picked up their new one, "Being There."

 

I threw a party and spun it there. I was hooked from the first sonic dry heaves and rumbling bass drums. And then came the words.

 

Though not cognizant of it at the time, they were strangely a propos my own life: I was mid 20's, had just moved back(wards) and into my parents' place. My time away had lefty its mark: people at "home" while pleasant and nice and at times genuinely interested it what life had been like "over there" no amount of explanation could actually lead them to get it. That said, at the time I didn't think about that. It just hit me at the gut level.

 

The party was a success. Justin hid a condom wrapper behind the stereo, hoping I wouldn't find it and my folks would. I hooked up. And the Wilco went over. So, well, in fact, that someone pilfered disc 2 (I think it was Karen).

 

After the party there were more Wilco records, but none that would be revisited as much as "Being There," which I did, and still do, frequently. By contrast, I haven't spoken to Justin or the girl I hooked up with for years, and I don't think I EVER saw Karen again. Of all those friends, the record is the oldest and truest. And I will be true to those who are true to me.

 

That's why I give a fat turd.

 

Incidentally, I fairly quickly moved back across the pond again and it was years before I heard disc 2 for the second time. I knew disc 1 back to front and treasured every minute of it, so when I finally got a copy of disc two it was wonderful, like looking in your wallet and discovering twice as much there as you had expected.

 

So, if mpolak accuses me of trollism, maybe it's because I don't have the 37,000+ posts of Analogman behind me to make me wise. Let this be my humble penance and an attempt to contribute something positive.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Nice 286th post.

 

[KramkonG]

(clichéd slow clap)

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Nice 286th post.

 

 

There's a difference between shooting the shit, stirring the shit, and talking shit. I'm all for the first one, and think VC is a great place for that 99% of the time.

 

I agree with VC that we could all stand to be a little less dramatic sometimes. I think that one of the easiest ways to do that is to refrain from starting threads that are, essentially, laundry lists of VC negativity - baiting people for a response, whether intended humorously or not.

[Guest Black Witcher]

Being There is a good record and your story is nice.

[kidsmoke]

Not to go all "mom" on you, but do we have to title this "I give a fat turd"? Because that's just childishly gross.

[Guest Alan]

[kidsmoke]