The Relevance of Heroes

A week of work over, a night of drinking capped - what better time to come home, pour a Johnny Walker Red and digest my thoughts. Heroes... not super, not extraordinary, just the regular folks who bring such joy into my life. Sorry to say cops and firemen are not in this list (tonight); yes I know the job is hard, but this about my heroes and not some standard group chosen by a women in stretch pants who read Grisham every night.

Nope my two heroes (at least this week) are Chester A. Burnett and Bill Hicks, and I will explain why. First Chester A. Burnett - better known as Howlin' Wolf. The Wolf was a blues man who came up from the Delta and proceeded to not only provide gritty blues music, but also influenced a great many bands who in turn influenced the next generation of great rock. The American music scene is nothing without the contributions of Black culture and sound. Jazz and Blues... the foundation of everything else, is one iteration or another.

The reason I chose Howlin' Wolf is the overwhelming affect it had on the two greatest British Invasion bands - Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones (not a Beatles Fan... at least not above Zeppelin and the Stones). Any who blasts Zeppelin I and II into their ears, as I did during this week's discourse of work should know of the Wolf's influence in both sound and lyrics. Though grittier and enhanced by pulsating electric guitars and feverish drum solos the music of Zeppelin and the sound of the Stones is just a next generation of the Wolf. From Zeppelin and the Stones how many bands have copied their sound? I do not claim to be a musicologist, but the connection is undeniable. I am a person who believes in roots, perhaps other should follow suit.

The second of my weekly Heroes is the man who single handedly brought comedy back from the shitty blazers and bad 80s haircuts that nearly destroyed the genre - Mr. Bill Hicks. I know I am not going out on some anti-establishment plane by claiming the genius of Hicks. Many relevant and contemporary comedians and savvy people already know this. However, it is never too late to chime in my accolades for a genius, whose works transcend time by maintaining a relevance even in today's political and social climate. I channeled ever megabyte of Bill Hicks through my headphones this week as I trudged away on my dual monitors.

His opinions on media, politics, and the general fucked-upedness (if that is a proper noun/ adjective) of society are still viable even in today's political climate. I am sure, without a doubt, Hicks would have a field day prancing around the stage and denouncing the general hypocrisies and bullshit surrounding contemporary political, social, and religious figures. Everyday I see the kind of assholes who were the targets of Bill Hicks' scathing commentaries and jokes.Now more than ever do we need Hicks, even with a spawn of great satirists and comedians like Patton Oswalt and David Cross. My hope is those who have never heard his message and are fed up with ongoings of this country, go out and listen to what Bill Hicks was trying to say.I am no rebel like Bill Hicks, though every word he speaks rings true in my ears, he had balls as big as Buicks and was not shy to use them for any purpose. For those not in the know, feel free to peruse his collection at www.billhicks.com, I promise this is worth your time.

With an ode to my weekly heroes over, it is time I sleep off the numerous amounts of Belgium beer I poured down the esophagus in hopes to appear witty and charming, only to wind up sleepy and cranky.