The CroomBlog

2009 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Motown - or Tamla Motown as we Brits knew it. Whilst an avowed Led Zep fan and lover of the heavier side of things, my antecedents and still major influences on my musical taste are captured in some of the earliest tracks I was drawn to for one reason or the other. The first three records I ever bought were Smokey Robinson's 'Tears of a Clown', Desmond Dekker & the Ace's '007' and the Monkees 'I'm a Believer'. My brother had Motown LPs - I remember vividly the supremes, Four Tops, and Temptations being played (I kept those albums until about 5 years ago too!)
I just downloaded 200 Motown tracks form iTunes for the princely sum of $99 - originally I was just selecting the tracks I liked the most but after 120 or so realized that I was being picky. Has there ever been a more powerful, influential label than Motown? I doubt it very much.
Think of your automatic reaction to this -

Yes, I too find myself thrusting my hand out at the plaintiff 'STOP!':-)

Motown captured so much of life and hope in the 60s - the appearance of black musicians in the pop mainstream and the beauty of their music seemed so apposite in the UK as multiculturalism truly began thanks to the magnificence of the many immigrant cultures - In my primary school I had the contradictions of the world map (Mercator) with the British Empire in pink, studied the history (ie Propaganda and Myth) of the glorious expansion of said Empire and sat side by side with with Jamaican, Pakistani and Indian kids. Sadly, unlike my own kids, we were taught nothing of the culture, religion geography or history of those countries (other than through the pink lens of the Empire).

So Motown captured for me the excitement, pleasure, ecstasy that music can bring to one's life and hearing again so many great songs, watching the documentaries and listening to the many humble people responsible for undoubtedly some of the greatest songs ever produced has been a great joy. Motown also provides the soundtrack to the loves of my life - I still get wistful when I hear 'Three Times a Lady' - it was played at my first wedding and will always be the song that captures the joys and the sorrow of my true love....but less of the maudlin nonsense, celebrate!! Get on you feet and play the Supremes one more time....

Davy Graham died in December. I have previously posted on here about his contribution to so many great bands, not least of which Led Zep. Like Nick Drake, he had such a major impact on guitarists and musicians the world over but failed to achieve personal success, partly due to luck and partly due (in both cases) to some element of mental health challenges. It does seem that 'tortured genius' is an apt description of the cost of talent.
As 2009 eases in to life, personally it seems a new life is opening up as it may for many. Financial markets are completely redefining many of our plans and aspirations, but more than that, it feels like a dawn of a new era and I am sure in years to come we shall see that 2008 marked a major global social and political shift.
One of the ways this is emerging seems to be foremost in my thoughts just now. I and many of my friends have kids in their mid 20s who are struggling with the phase of their life that should mark their establishment of identity, independence and influence their path to destiny. Sadly so many kids seem to be finding it tough. I was married and a father at 26 but know of none of my friends who are grandparents even though their kids are a similar age. I also had my own home and a job...yet these also escape our kids' generation.
Finally - my New Years Resolution: to follow my intuition rather than rational thought!

28 years ago today John passed from this life. This is just one of many, many examples of why he remains the greatest drummer to have wlaked the rock halls.

Amazing!

So it's 4 months since I posted? Jeepers! And what a lot has gone on. Kids have been here, been to New York for a conference and then spend the weekend celbrating Alan's 50th with him and his family; then to St Louis for a busy, busy conference. New initiatives, new friends and on and on.

This is a most amazing, Astounding, version of the Leonard Cohen song.

So Led Zep are to reform for a one off gig. And of course I spent a day or two without sleep trying to register for the ballot for tickets.

One has to rely ont eh judgment and wisdom of the guys in choosing now to reform. Robert's latest album (with Alison Krauss) shows his versatility, enthusiasm for mixing genres and willingness to 'take a punt' on new areas. JPJ, ever the consummate musician, has been ploughing a more gentle furrow in his performances. Jimmy, well, ever the technician, Jimmy has been working diligently on the movies, remastering, digitization, iTunes etc. So noe have been idle

An underrated talent...for now

Undoubtedly a classic

Despite the Mirror contending that Led Zeppelin are to reform, nothing seems further from the truth. The question is, would this be a good thing or not? For sure, seeing the aged Zeps perform would be a treat beyond belief, but harking back 30 years is not necessarily a good thing. I missed the Page & Plant era - strangely I went to see an opera at Kenilworth Castle in 1995 rather than P&P at the NEC Birmingham! From the DVD that tour was a wonder, but not Led Zep.
I have seen Robert Plant in concert 4 times in as many years, and have viewed the Strange Sensation DVD too. Also a wonder. But not Led Zep.
I feel that it is right to consign their heyday to memories, reissues and DVD collections. It's not time to wheel out these 60+ guys to relive what was, essentially, the embodiment of young male sexual urges and tastes via sanitized blues! I have seen the Stones recently - they are good, and have continued to perform over the years, but it isn't the same as seeing them perform Jumpin' Jack Flash on the TV when I was 7..couldn't be really now could it?

Somethings are absurd, others surreal. Bill Bailey is both at the same time

Want to see how information tehnology can support new product supply chains?

Do you want to understand the important questions in today's supply chain management? This is an interesting video. It also gives some great insights into how students should approach real life projects.

Davy Graham is another great guitarist - the guy who seemed to have invented DADGAD!
Listen to this and then Jimmy Page's White Summer...well, Jimmy claimed it was a trad. arrangement.

Some more research into guitar influences and especially innovators in acoustic style. Here's just one example of brilliance in playing from Michael Hedges (http://www.nomadland.com/). I will try to find all along the watchtower - one of the few tracks to make me stop what I was doing and listen when Johnny Walker played it for the first time on Radio 1 in...errr..probably 1981!




OK - so he isn't lighting up the stage - old T-Shirts are so 1990s - but this is just one man and a guitar!

Time to revisit friends in Bath and attend the IPSERA conference. Some great papers and an opportunity to see again the evidence of a growing depth of capability amongst the emergent 'youth' of the supply management research community.

Undoubtedly the best Zep track! I can listen to the guitar on this and many other versions forever...

Managing global supply networks is not particularly easy. Just trying to understand the characteristics of 'global' requires some deep understanding of how one should try to think about the international environment is problematic.
Scholars of International Relations tend to fall into 3 main schools - the realist perspective in which the focus is on states and security; the social constructivist perspective which concerns itself with interdependence and globalization; and the radical perspective which explores the inherent conflict caused by inequalities in class, economy and power...in essence taking the Marxist-Leninist perspective.
Of course, no one perspective has all the answers - in fact the focus of any academic perspective is to help shape the questions - but the opportunity to make sense of ones global network by examining the consequences from each viewpoint should not be overlooked.