Memphis Rings Own Bell

We come neither to support nor refute the claim by Memphis, Tennessee, to be "Home of the Blues" and "Birthplace of Rock n Roll." It presents its case with a swagged guitar case, trumpeting and drumming home the city's creds with two guitar picks, a button plugging Elvis' 2nd singles compilation CD, a CD of Memphis' best and Memphis' best barbecue sauce. A case could be made that the cultural phenomenon that came to be called rock 'n' roll was born when a particular guy first recorded his particular flavor of a particular songstyle. Thusly, the spot it was recorded in would be the birthplace. Had Sam Phillips been interested in setting Sun in Memphis, not Memphis, that might be rock's creche and The King would be The Pharoah, a fusion concieved of before. Musical influences and sources abound, but considering the U.S.'s top contributions to the icon pantheon -- cowboys and Elvis (smerged here) -- we can grant here their property rights in annexing the title "Birthplace." Possible city motto remaining for claiming: "Wet Nurse to Pop," although that sounds more like a reference on a different blog.

Opening 2004 as rock's 50th year, city wants vistors to blow out candles from the cake and consider all things Elvis Graceland and a docu due. Many herald their Elvis links, even Tupelo honey, deifying and reifying the much-abused icon's puzzling status, often trivialized and toyed with.

What makes him such an American icon? Dysfunctions ...

"I believe that Elvis Presley, the individual and the symbol, will be inseparable from American cultural history so long as we have the courage to tell the truth about ourselves and the age in which we live."

... And an influence too frightening to consider begun just 50 years ago.

Memphis is also closing their Year of The Blues and claims blues' homestead. They don't mean these folks, nor a home for aging blues musicians or these folks, not the album from Nashville, the radio show from Oklahoma or the song from the deep dark abyss. They mean Beale Street where WC Handy brought it up from the Delta. They could claim the title of Castle of the Blues, since this local DJ made good with a new career. His guitar, sorta famous, was born in Memphis too.

Clarions for Memphis' PR push: Elvis sideman Scotty Moore, Isaac Hayes, BB King and ex-'Nsyncer Justin Timberlake, on board to plug Detroit musical legacy with show filmed in Los Angeles. It may seem weird to mention Justin Timberlake alongside WC Handy, but we can't blame the municipality for that. A bigger dichotomy confronts Seattle, which can claim in it's heritage Nirvana and Muzak, Jimi Hendrix and Bing Crosby. Don't forget Mia Zapata and Quincy Jones too.

Even more dubious self-applied proprietary distinctions: C; The burg also makes the assertion of being the resting place for the MGM Lion they say is named Volney, and a lion named Tarzana from a Johnny Weismuller "Tarzan" picture. Other sources differ: Trained by Volney Phifer, this MGM lion rests here in New Jersey, is named Leo, maybe there's another lion but none reportedly named Volney.

Barbecuity: B+; For those who note there's a connection between a intense musical tradition and meat -- Kansas City and Austin, each have a rich music (K.C., A.) & barbecue (K.C., A.) history. And they smerge in Nashville, too.

Jan 22, 2004 at 02:06 PM by James Hames in Destinations | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chocolate, In Lieu of Manna

It was a miracle that even the wrapper remained after swagged chocolate descended here in swagland on the occasion of the Crenshaw Christian Center's 30th anniversary, plugging their Ever-Increasing Faith Ministeries. Being a New World creation, chocolate doesn't figure much in liturgy. But considering the tastiness of some comestibles handed out by clergy, a candy bar suits us fine ... and it's manna-sweet. Biblical account of manna -- bread of the heavens, food of the desert -- gets a second look: "the sudden discovery of a source of pure and attractive sweetness would have been an exciting event," since being lost in the desert bugged them.

Jan 14, 2004 at 11:03 AM by James Hames in Destinations | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hot topic

Heading to Disney World? Don't let this happen to you. "Loss of consortium" ...? "White knuckle ride" indeed.

Sep 11, 2003 at 01:44 PM by James Hames in Destinations | Permalink | Comments (0)

Space, the Final Frontierland

Disney has debuted a new ride, Mission: Space, at the Walt Disney World Epcot Center in Florida. Promised as a "white knuckle thrill ride," the 3-D space travel simulator has its official launch Oct. 9, but the ride has been open since Aug. 10 after previews were positive and problems were few. (Attraction updates here.)

To promote the ride, a new on-site resort and a new performance feature at the Florida park, Disney had made a very elaborate invite, and swagged it to us.

It's a cardboard box, ostensibly like a laptop, designed to look all hi-techy chrome with its printed metallic rivets and sheen. Quality stock and top shelf printing prove this is a deluxe promo. Under the lid is a rounded triangular "device," which when lifted by an awkward tab out of its snug, nest-like slot becomes a handheld thing of no obvious purpose, other than to make an activation button more handy. "You're go for launch," it mumbles when pushed ... for 500 times or so until the battery dies... and releases a shuttle-looking spaceship with flamey exhaust sliding from its sides, spring-loaded much like a kid's pop-up book or a high-priced greeting card of the sort you get for a birthday when you just get a card and no gift. To push the button before removing it won't launch the spaceship and not making sure it's wholly re-inserted will cause damage while replacing it. The inside lid's diecut window lines up to show your "mission training manual" --- which is a promo booklet which also has a sleeve which holds the invite & itinerary for the press junket. It's just their way of saying, it ain't the Peter Pan's Flight.

Boffoicity: A-, It's pretty darn keen but its novelty factor is shorter than a primetime commercial break.

Collectability: B+, Disneyana diehards (and they are many) will want this. It'll be on E-Bay any second now.

Reuse: F, None; because of the battery it's even unrecyclable.

Heading to Orlando? A non-Disney local has tips. Another even has a video download of the new ride.

Bonus links: Walt would be rolling over in his icebox over this non-Disney site, but these astro-buffs called their project Mission: Space nonetheless. Here's Walt Disney on Ice, really.

Sep 3, 2003 at 09:21 PM by James Hames in Destinations | Permalink | Comments (0)