Just can’t lose that hypnotic rhythm guitar part… part of the Haitian thing, no doubt.
Along with some of the most obscure lyrics the Dan ever penned.
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Musical Aside
Over the past weekend I was listening to Steely Dan’s Can’t Buy A Thrill album, and it staggers the imagination to think that this was their debut album. I mean, first albums are generally a band’s attempt to get things together, and one expects that things can only improve. That wasn’t the case here: Fagen and Becker got it absolutely right, the very first time. There’s not a single weak song — let alone a bad one — on the entire album.
Which would lead one to think, “Oh well, they’ll probably bring out another album or two, and things will just get worse.” Except that Steely Dan never did: every single subsequent album just got better — or maybe they didn’t, they just restated the obvious. As one commenter said: “These guys were from a superior musical universe and still are.” And Can’t By A Thrill, when compared to other albums of 1972 (!!!FFS!!!), just establishes the truth of that statement.
Which brings to mind something that annoys me about the Dan: every time I listen to one of their albums, it becomes my favorite Steely Dan album — until I listen to the next one.
Reconquista
Well, well, well…
“But but but what about TOLERANNNNCE, Kim?”
Yeah… what about it?
Given that Islam is the most intolerant socio-political institution ever inflicted on mankind, it’s about time we had a little turnaround, methinks. And if the famously-tolerant Porros are doing this, then ya gotta know things are getting bad.
Caption Competition #455
Your suggestions in Comments.
The Ultimate Q-Ship
Forgive me a little mansplaining here, but I was recently taken to task because “not everyone has had the education you’ve had, Kim” — leveled at me because I was talking about something that I just assumed everyone already knew, but in this particular case, not.
Anyway, the “Q-ship” concept came from the First World War, when, in an effort to combat the U-boat menace, the Royal Navy took ordinary merchant steamers, and added droppable shields to the desks — “droppable” in that when a U-boat would surface to sink the helpless merchant ship (which is what they often did), the prospective victim would lower the shields to reveal a nasty-looking gun which could easily sink said U-boat, and often did.
So put plainly, the Q-ship concept is to disguise power in an apparently-innocuous outer packaging. Like in this case:
Now that’s a 1993 Mercedes E-class car, done in Standard Boring Mercedes Trim & Shape. So why would this one, in particular, be on sale for just under $240,000?
Because it’s no ordinary Merc E-class; it’s an E500, which has under its hood a growling monster 6.0-liter AMG V8, putting out 369hp. (I know, that’s small potatoes compared to today’s behemoth engines, but back in the 90s it rivaled Ferraris.)
As I recall, Mercedes only ever made a couple hundred or so of these beasts, so the scarcity no doubt contributes to the price.
I once knew a guy who loved cars that looked unassuming, but were hidden dragons, simply because they didn’t attract the attention of Los Federales in the same way that his rosso Ferrari Testarossa did.
I have to say that if I were in the market for a powerful car and had a spare quarter-million to drop on it, I’d want it to look just a leetle more impressive than something that looks like a banker would drive. This Maserati MC20 comes to mind… and they cost a lot less than the E500.
I guess I could have just called it a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and saved myself the tiresome mansplain at the beginning, but that only occurred to me after I’d written the thing.
Besides, I think “Q-ship” fits this E500 better than “wolf”, anyway.
Only For People Of That Ilk
I’ve stayed at Claridges before, but it was on a client’s tab. Two of the best nights of my life, they were.
Now here’s my story. I went back about eighteen months later — not to stay, but just for a teatime meeting with someone.
The concierge remembered my name. And was absolutely distraught that I wasn’t staying with them this time. (I didn’t dare tell him that I was staying at some flophouse in Earl’s Court, since demolished thank gawd.)
Per night cost in an ordinary room nowadays: about $4,800. It was a hell of a lot less back in the late 1990s. I very much doubt if a client would put me up there now.
And before anyone gets all sniffy about the price (having spent most of their traveling nights in Ramada or Red Roof Inn), just remember that most stays at places like Claridges are done on expense accounts, and/or written off against taxes as a “business” expense.
It’s the world we live in — or rather, the world we mortals just look at through the bubble of their privilege and wealth. And no, I’m neither envious or jealous. If I were some kind of crypto- or Silicon Valley nouveau riche guy, I’d probably do exactly the same… because I’ve stayed at Claridges, and honestly? the experience is kinda worth it.