Chimesfreedom has written a few posts about being sad about the demise of rootsy musical group The Cash Brothers, confirmed by Andrew Cash‘s election to Parliament in Canada. But other brother Peter Cash is still making music and has been touring with his old band Skydiggers (a band he helped start) on their “Slow Burnin’ Fire” tour.
The Skydiggers recently released a new performance of a song that Peter wrote called “Ramblin’ On.” On the new version, the band is joined by singer Jessy Bell Smith. Check it out.
Meanwhile, brother Andrew does what he can to stay in touch with his musical roots. He recently made a statement in Parliament about the importance of music education.
Long live The Cash Brothers. Leave your two cents in the comments.
On June 28, 1927, F. Sherwood Rowland was born in Delaware, Ohio. You may not recognize the name, but you should. He helped save the earth.
Rowland was a chemist at the University of California-Irvine several decades ago when he attended a talk on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). At the time, CFCs appeared as refrigerants, as propellants in aerosol cans, and in other uses.
Rowland began thinking about the effects that CFCs might have in the atmosphere when they broke down. Eventually, his studies confirmed that CFCs did break down at high altitudes. And the released chlorine atoms worked to destroy the ozone layer that protects the earth from ultraviolet radiation.
He and a colleague, Mario Molina, published the results in the journal Naturein 1974. For a more technical explanation, here is a 2-minute video about the effects of CFCs.
How Rowland’s Work Saved the World
After Rowland published the findings, corporations attacked the study. Some of Rowland’s colleagues shunned him. No chemistry department in the U.S. invited him to give a lecture for most of a decade after the article appeared.
But eventually other scientists discovered that Rowland’s conclusions were accurate. Rowland worked to get CFCs banned, and the discovery in the mid-1980s of an ozone hole above the South Pole helped persuade politicians to act.
At the time of the treaty and years afterwards, several songs invoked the growing concerns about the disappearing ozone layer. Public Enemy had one of the earliest songs mentioning the ozone layer, when they referenced it on “Public Enemy No. 1” on 1987’s Yo! Bum Rush the Show.
Public Enemy also used the words a few years later on “Fear of a Black Planet” from the 1990 album of the same name: “I’m just a rhyme sayer/ Skins protected ‘gainst the ozone layers.”
Neil Young has one of the most famous songs mentioning the ozone layer with “Rockin’ in the Free World” from 1989’s Freedom album (“Got Styrofoam boxes for the ozone layer”). In 1989 in “Sick of You” on his New York album, Lou Reed sang, “The ozone layer has no ozone anymore/ And you’re gonna leave me for the guy next door.”
Dire Straits sang “Don’t talk to me about ozone layer” on “My Parties” from On Every Street (1991). On “Run Straight Down” from Traverse City (1991), Warren Zevon sang, “Fluorocarbons in the ozone layer/ First the water and the wildlife go.”
Don McLean wrote about the ozone layer within around three years after the publication of Rowland’s initial study. In 1977, he released “Prime Time” on the album of the same name, singing, “The weather will be fair, forget the ozone layer.”
In more recent years, artists continue to sing about the ozone layer. David Lee Roth mentioned it on “You’re Breathin’ It” (not available on YouTube) from Your Filthy Little Mouth (1994).
Eminem claimed some credit for damaging the ozone layer in “Role Model” on 1999’s The Slim Shady LP, “I’m not a player just a ill-rhyme sayer/ That’ll spray an aerosol can up in the ozone layer.”
The Cranberries took a more environmental approach in “Time is Ticking Out” from 2001’s Wake Up and Smell the Coffee. In the song, they conclude, “Looks like we screwed up the ozone layer/ I wonder if the politicians care.”
Remembering Sherwood Rowland and Others
It is funny that I knew the names of all of these artists who mentioned the ozone layer, but I did not know the name of the people who saved it. I also do not know of any song that mentions Sherwood Rowland or Mario Molina by name.
Rowland, who died on March 10, 2012, did receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 with Molina and Paul Crutzen of the Max Planck Institute in Germany. But they deserve much more, including our thanks and that we remember their work.
Photo of aerosol pollution over Northern India and Bangladesh via public domain.
I recently discovered that YouTube features a number of full high quality performances from past Glastonbury Festivals in England. Some of the clips are of individual songs instead of full performances. There are some good ones of Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Buddy Guy, The Gaslight Anthem, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Regina Spektor and OK Go.
For one that you might not expect, check out this 2011 performance by Don McLean, who of course performs “Vincent” and “American Pie.” Here is “Vincent.”
To see Glastonbury performances from the other performers, head over to this YouTube link.
What is or favorite YouTube concert? Leave your two cents in the comments.
On June 25, 1876, Sioux, Arapahoe, and Cheyenne warriors led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse wiped out Lt. Colonel George Custer and a large part of his 7th Cavalry at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Almost 100 years later, the event would provide a key moment in a great American film.
Custer’s Last Stand
In 1876, the 7th Calvary was scouting on behalf of two columns of U.S. soldiers. The soldiers were trying to force the Native Americans onto reservations. Another column had already lost a battle, unbeknownst to the other two groups.
Custer’s scouts warned him about a large Native American village nearby. But Custer thought the numbers were exaggerated and forged ahead instead of waiting for reinforcements.
Custer divided his regiment and proceeded with around 215 men. They were soon cut off by thousands of braves. All of the soldiers, including Custer, were killed at Little Big Horn in what became known as “Custer’s Last Stand.”
“Little Big Man”
My favorite movie with a fictionalized account of the incident is Little Big Man (1970). The movie has a 96% critics rating and 86% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie is based on a revisionist comic Western novel by Thomas Berger. In the film, Dustin Hoffman gives one of his greatest performances as Jack Crabb.
The film follows Crabb, who recounts his life of adventure. He was raised by Native Americans, and he later served as a scout for an inept and somewhat crazy Custer, played brilliantly by Richard Mulligan.
This scene from the film captures Crabb simultaneously warning and daring Custer about what awaits.
Arthur Penn directed Little Big Man, which also starred Faye Dunaway, Martin Balsam, and Chief Dan George. The movie is fictional satire that has moments of great humor. But it also realistically reflects the victory and the tragedy of Little Big Horn and the plight of the Native Americans. If you have never seen the movie, you should.
Although the Native Americans won the day, “Little Big Horn” became a rallying cry for the whites as more soldiers came to eventually track down Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and the other Native Americans. In less than fifteen years in 1889, the area around Little Big Horn became part of the new state of Montana.
“The Custer Fight” painting by Charles Marion Russell via public domain. Leave your two cents in the comments.
Billy Joe Shaver will release his first studio album in six years on August 5, Long in the Tooth. The album, to be released on Lightning Rod Records, features the 74-year-old Shaver performing a duet with Willie Nelson on “Hard to Be an Outlaw.” Other folks appearing on what Shaver claims is his best album ever includes Leon Russell, Tony Joe White, Joel Guzman, Shawn Camp, and Jedd Hughes. Shaver promises the new album will also include a rap song.
Regarding the duet with Nelson, Shaver explained to Rolling Stone that he and Nelson bounced ideas back and forth over the telephone. Nelson included his solo effort on “Hard to Be an Outlaw” on his own new album Band of Brothers (2014), but below you can check out the Shaver-Nelson version of “Hard to Be an Outlaw,” which, not surprisingly, takes the side of Outlaw country music.
Album cover photo via Shaver’s Facebook page. What do you think of “Hard to Be an Outlaw”? Leave your two cents in the comments.
, singing, “The weather will be fair, forget the ozone layer.”
(1994).
, “I’m not a player just a ill-rhyme sayer/ That’ll spray an aerosol can up in the ozone layer.”
(2014), but below you can check out the Shaver-Nelson version of “Hard to Be an Outlaw,” which, not surprisingly, takes the side of Outlaw country music.
