RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

I just came back from walking my dogs.
It was an extra long walk because
I got one of those tiny little I-pod shuffles
out of a vending machine at the supermarket.
My main I-pod is loaded, but old, and the battery
doesn't hold out very long. I can leave it
on my dock for days of entertainment,
but if I take it out, it lasts like three minutes,
but it's been good to me, and I will remain loyal.
In-house, that is.

I got an extra one to run with,
and to walk my dogs to.
I got the new little, cheap one,
because since 1992, I have only listened to
one band, one cd, while running.
Over and over again.
Year after year.
Rage Against The Machine's first record
(entitled "Rage Against The Machine")
has been my mainstay, my life saver,
my pace, for that many years.
Through Walkman's, Portable CD players,
and I-pods, I run,
I listen to THAT record (or tape, CD, Digi).
Every now and then I try and convince myself
to give a go at running to something else.
But I never have, not once.
So, what is that?
How many times have I listened to that record?
Who knows?
But it remains the most important recording to
me ever (Jeff Buckley's "Grace" has another
little piece of my heart, but for other reasons,
and you can't really run to it, but EVERYONE
should own Jeff Buckley's "Grace", EVERYONE).

I put only ONE band on my new little I-pod,
Rage Against The Machine.
It's all I need.

I have only two big regrets in my crazy life,
I think that is pretty good.
The big one is everything having to do
with ever meeting the person I do not name,
and the other is not seeing RATM in L.A. at the
Democratic Convention in 2000.
And I was IN L.A. at the time.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

"Master Militant Poetry".
That's what it says,
That's what it is.
I would never persuade the faint of heart,
to go check them out because
They lay it down,
Straight Up...
Everything.
Government.
Xenophobia.
Capitalism.
Education.
Racism.
Everything.
And it's hard core.
And most do NOT want to hear that.

I know every lick and lyric on that record
and I still listen to it every day.
Every day.
I am grateful for that record
Every day.

They broke up,
That's what bands do.
Tom Morello (guitar god) is doing other projects
(Audioslaving with Tim and Brad and Chris Cornell)
and I heard that
Zach De La Rocha (lyricist/singer)
wanted to sit on a mountain and write
( WORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! )
but has also worked with Chuck D and
has done some solo stuff.

But That Recording.
That one.
Rage Against The Machine,
"Rage Against The Machine".
Timeless,
Perfect.
I love "Evil Empire" and
"Battle Of Los Angeles"
A Whole Lot
But the first one,
That's my record.
That's the one.
It's a part of my soul and life.
I keep several copies around,
just in case,
and it's on every computer and I-pod I have.

And I'm Very Grateful For It.
Whew...
Thank You, RATM.