iPod morning commute music: Big Star, #1 Record/Radio City (1992)
Big Star was a great power-pop band, though almost no one heard of them during their brief recording life, myself included. #1 Record was originally released in 1972 and went nowhere. The two main songwriters, Alex Chilton (the famed vocalist from The Box Tops [The Letter], though he sounds nothing like that here) and Chris Bell fell out, and Bell left the band. Radio City came out in 1974, again went nowhere. They recorded but didn't officially release a third album before breaking up for good.
I first heard about them when the third album, titled Third/Sister Lovers was finally released in 1992: I read a review, bought it and loved it. I then bought the reissue of the first two albums on a single CD. A great band, wielding a big influence on a lot of groups including REM, this is the disc to own. Third/Sister Lovers is also great, but very dark.
Yesterday I finally got a much-needed haircut. I couldn't make an appointment at my regular shop, so I found a barber shop in Umeda (the main business district in northern Osaka, and where I change trains every day)on my way home from work. It was a no-frills cut, not even a shampoo, for 1,500 yen (about $13). There's no tipping here, so that was the total cost.
Usually I go for the works when I get a haircut. They really pamper you for around $25-30. I love getting shaved, the hot towel on the face, the straight razor. They shave your whole face, including the forehead and, if you are brave, the eyelids (I have no idea why, but I let them do it anyway). The haircut is also great, with an initial shampoo, rinse, cut, second shampoo and treatment, blowdry, all followed by a mini-massage (shoulders, face and scalp). The whole thing takes about an hour (in comparison, yesterday's cut took 20 minutes).
When I got my hair cut on Vashon Island last, I told the stylist about this. She insisted that her male customers would balk at any cut taking longer than 15 or 20 minutes. I don't think I know any men of my generation in America who have ever had a professional shave. This is a thing of the past, something you see in movies only. I think I would miss this greatly in the States.
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2 comments:
Craig, its your friend "bartime". I read a few of your blogs. Did you see in the paper today about the doctor who bribed a Dietman (congressman) to get his son into medical college. I guess the dietman couldn't pull it off, so now the father is suing in court for the money back. Japan has its problems with health care too.
(It is a bit like another article where the Republicans are investigating who leaked the existence of US torture prisons, rather than who authorized them in the first place.)
If you want reasonable care for a long hospital stay, tax free "Appreciation" money is customarily paid to the doctor. When my grandmother-in-law was hospitalized, the nurses simply cut the cord on her call button because it was annoying them.Well back to work.
Yes, Bartime, a lot of money goes a little way in this country at times. I love the idea of suing to get his illegal bribe back. Only in Japan!
I didn't know about the "appreciation" money. My one long-term stay in the hospital was when I came down with pneumonia 3 years ago. I was in for 10 days, and I got great treatment. Of course, it probably helped that the head nurse was once a private student of mine!
C.
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