8mm Kodak Brownie

Happy New Year Fellas!
Check out the newest member of the Payne Manor museum. My neighbor gave me a box of his Dad's old cameras and this little beauty was in it. I can't wait to get some film and try it out. As always thanks to the internet I was able to come up with some instructional video. Let me know if any of you have any expertese in this area.
Hogshead Cheese and Blackeyed Peas!!!
-BP

The Tentacle Blog

This is a custom made computer mouse. Check this guys site out for other cool homemade gadgets.

http://thetentacleparadox.com/blog/

Buckcherry

CD Source

Fellas,
This place is Mecca for finding used music at a great price. If in Dallas you must stop in and take a look at the selection. These are definitely some UTR folks. Located in an unassuming strip mall they more than deliver if you have the time to browse. They also are user friendly if you want to call and ask them to check inventory for a rarity you suddenly have a yearning for and yes they will ship to Europe or Hawaii if need be. Many thanks to Susan D. for getting me there, it was a great end to a wonderful day of taking in Dallas.-BP

214-890-7614
5500 Greenville Ave #201
Dallas, Tx 75206

Houston Mctear/ The World's Fastest Man

I am fascinated by the story of Houston Mctear. His life has been part myth part legend and part horrible reality. There has not been anything new on the guy and his whereabouts in a couple of years but thanks to this great NBC article on him we now know he is alive and living in London although no new pictures or info on what he is doing were available. I have always thought his would be a great story for a movie and was glad to hear someone is shopping the idea in Hollywood right now. I have some other info on him I will have to dig up and post. I really think you will like the article even if you never heard of

him. -BP

NBC Article:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/trackandfield/news/newsid=142543.html#im+houston+mctear

Website:

http://houstonmctear.com/who.htm

Article w/ info on '76 Olympics

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Houston-McTear

Tower of Power on Soul Train

Many thanks to Cuzin Dave for the mention of Tower of Power. A quick search of the net turned up some real gems. What an incredible melding of powerful horns and great soul singing.

The footage alone here is worth the four minutes or so out of your life just to get a look back at everybody styled out and getting down 1973 style. -BP

Video below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DptRJzHNI6A&feature=related

Nils Lofgren

I have been a fan of Nils Lofgren for a long time and recently ran across this video of him that I though I would share. This is taken from a BBC documentary on Neil Young that I have not yet seen but if this is any indication it is most likely very good. Does anyone remember the Nils solo album from about 1980 with the semi hit No Mercy? He is another guy that is out there touring that I would love to see.

Video Below:

//www.bbc.co.uk/musictv/neilyoung/video/nilslofgren/2/

Acoustic Version of "No Mercy"

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=nils+lofgren+no+mercy&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#

Sports Dissapointment

Of course, Randy Coutour was beaten by the younger stronger Brock Lesnar Saturday night. So much for the old guy. I must break out of that age old habit of rooting for the underdog. I think it is a a holdover from growing up in Arkansas. Well here is a little sports music video that will put anyone in a good mood. Now these guys are true athletes. -BP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TCEPETXlVo

Mixed Martial Arts

For all you cage fighting fans out there I ran across a great site that covers all the sport. If you register with them you can click on upcoming events and predict the outcome. If you print out your pics you get a cool bracket sheet ready for filling out. The big match up this weekend is Randy (The Natural) Couture against Brock Lesnar. I have to root for Coutour because he is such a bad ass fighter and a great guy and mainly because he is forty-five years old. Lets hear it for the old guy!

http://www.mmapredictions.com/

Funk Under the Radar

Fellas,

How about a little early 70's funk on Friday. I ran across this tune from Shuggie Otis off his album from '72 titled "Freedom Flight." You old bastards out there will faintly recognize the song as it was remade into a disco slow song by the band called Brothers Johnson in '77 that was a hit. This version is way more cool and soulful than the more popular remake. Dig it.-BP

"Strawberry Letter #23" by Shuggie Otis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78ad762mqok

The following is an unsolicited UTR product endorsement.

Fellas,

Above and to the left you will see the image of some damn fine booze, Jose Cuervo Black Medallion Tequila. As some of you know I am usually a beer drinker but I will on occasion take a drink of the harder stuff. Because it is a bourbon and tequila blend it is excellent with Coke or by itself over ice or shit for that matter straight out of the bottle "cannonball" style. It isn't super expensive either so all of you cheapskate drinkers out there don't fret. Pick up a bottle soon, you'll be glad you did.-BP

Gone Dead Train

I have e-mailed many of you to tell of my quest to find out the story behind the lyrics on the Crazy Horse song "Gone Dead Train." It is such a cool song with some funky lyrics that must have come from listening to some old men in prison or something similarly evil.

The song was written by the late Jack Nitzsche and the living Russ Titleman but I don't have a clue as to who came up with what part of the song. It was originally recorded by Randy Newman (of "Short People" fame) for the 1969 Mick Jagger movie "Performance." He does a cool version that I only just heard today. Check out the lyrics below for those of you who haven't seem them before, and check out the link for the Randy Newman version it is well worth a listen.

LYRICS

http://lyricsfly.com/search/view.php?cdd85f1ea3&view=319915

-BP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk0EGJCpQAg

-BP

Juicy Lucy

I have been stalking a band from the 1969 era called "Juicy Lucy" the last couple of weeks. I was lucky enough to get a copy of a greatest hits CD this past weekend and it is pretty damn awesome. They fit well into the UTR theme as they had some hits in the UK but had a international following that lasts until modern times. I think they sound a bit like Crazy Horse due to the use of a lot of steel guitar. They will most likely appear in the UTR Volume II lineup as soon as I can decide on a song. If you have an opinion let me know, as always I am open to suggestions. Below is a link to a great article from 1997 that gives plenty of interesting info on the band. At the end of the article there is a link to the official band website. I am glad to say that the band in some form or another is alive and touring in on the UK pub circuit which would be a great place to see a band like this. Read and Enjoy.
-BP

Addendum: (11-22-08) I recently gave a shout out to one of the original founders of Juicy Lucy Chris Mercer who played tenor sax for the band and asked him to visit the site and give us a comment. I am hoping against hope that this happens. I would love to hear a comment from him. Chris, if you are out there make our day. -BP

Article:http://www.alexgitlin.com/juicy.htm

Song:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXmi6MokHsw