Get Out The Funnel

source: Weekly World News August 2006

Don’t ask me how I got the clipping to the left. It just showed up on my desk one day. What’s important here is that there’s a bald athlete beating drug tests by hooking himself up to an IV that feeds from a six pack housed in a styrofoam cooler. Yes, Weekly World New, YES! The photoshop work here is so choice. As is the copy. The Shu-ting Garruri company’s “portable blood flushing kit” truly appears to be something only the highest paid athletes could afford. We are talking “megabucks” to get yourself hooked up to one of these babies.

This pic reminded me that it has been seriously too long since I listened to Silkworm’s blistering homage to the drinking life, “Firewater.” Check the cd’s cover artwork by Hiroshi Kimura. Yeah. Looking very Shu-ting Garruri up in there. Maybe these were test boards for the portable blood flushing kit?

There’s a cool post about the artwork here. But what an album! After dropping the laser onto this disc a couple of weeks ago, I haven’t stopped listening. Andy Cohen’s guitar playing is astounding. From the solo on “Slow Hands” to the hook on “Severance Pay” to the Stones-y figures in “The Lure of Beauty” to the descending line in “Quicksand,” the guy puts it all out there. So great. So raw. This is what a Strat should sound like. Which kinda makes me what Goldie back. But alas. It’s in good hands now (stage right).

Listen to Firewater: