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May 2007
 he only proof of the existence of God I need," wrote Kurt Vonnegut, "is music." Mr. Vonnegut died this month, and we at Bluerailroad feel very fortunate indeed that the great man took some time during the last months of his life to write not one but two Favorite Five lists for us. As that opening quote attests, he loved music, and felt it was one of the few things that made life bearable. It gave him hope, he said. It sustained his faith. His musical choices ranged from Brownie McGhee and Billie Holiday to Brahms. Of the latter - the "Piano Concerto #2" as performed by the Chicago Symphony - he wrote, "This gives me hope when I am hopeless. It feeds my imagination. We are not born with imagination. It has to be developed by teachers, by parents. There was a time when imagination was very important because it was the major source of entertainment."
In his lifetime, Vonnegut fed our imaginations with tales both hilarious and harrowing, tales of the past, present and the future (sometimes all at once, as in Slaughterhouse Five), tales of man's foibles and triumphs. His lists for Bluerailroad were among the last things he ever wrote, honoring us and all of you, our readers. Thank you, Mr. Vonnegut.
I'm thrilled that one of my heroes - and most likely one of your's as well - Randy Newman - is our featured artist this month. He's at once one of the most serious and hilarious of all songwriters, and his interview veers from focused to funny and back again many times. I was happy to be chosen as a moderator for an interview with Randy at this year's ASCAP Songwriter's Expo - during which he answered questions and played many of his amazing songs - and my photos herein were taken at that event. I even took some right onstage while he was performing, risking annoying him, but doing what I need to do to deliver to you, my fellow railroaders. There's also an archival interview with Randy I did which is included this month.
Also have many other great folks with us this month - beloved American icon Bob Newhart wrote a Favorite Five list for us this month, as did Diana Krall and also Jerry Maren, one of the only living Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz. (Jerry muses about his time with Judy Garland, and also shares some memories of Groucho Marx.)
John Doe bring us a poem this month by his longtime partner in X and The Knitters, Exene Cervenka, and also two poems by the writer Fay Hart, who was the subject of X's classic song, "Los Angeles." Also great columns by our regular columnists, Parthenon Huxley, Peter Case, Veronique Chevalier, Bob Malone and Deepak Chopra.
We've got some new archival stories this month - interviews with Meshell NdegeOcello and Art Garfunkel. There's a Legends of Music article on Les Brown.
There are many new reviews - including a live review by Harriet Kaplan of one of the best new bands in America, the fabulous Fuxedos, led by the great Mr. Danny Shorago, as well as record reviews, including one I did of an excellent new tribute album to The Band, Endless Highway.
Thanks to all of those who wrote in and said they enjoyed our interview with Rickie Lee Jones on the occasion of her brilliant new album, Sermon On Exposition Boulevard, Rickie herself dropped us a line, which was a thrill to receive. "I thought your 'Sermon' interview was amazing," she wrote, "insightful, very warm." Thank you Rickie. And Rickie's collaborator on the project - and her true companion, Lee Cantelon - musician, photographer, and author of The Words on which Rickie's album was based, wrote us a very moving message which I am happy to share with you:
All of this joy of releasing a new album (the listeners will never know) takes a real toll on the people that are behind the project. When someone, like you, writes about it so eloquently, and gives words to the struggles and heart that goes into an album, it is grasped at, like the golden ring on the carousel. "Paul got it, he really did." So much good is happening around the new album, but at times, truthfully, you just feel tired and quiet and all by yourself, and you think about all that has been happening while you have been out there sharing the energy that was there in the studio when it all began. At these times, you are so thankful for Bluerailroad, and all of the good spirit and voice that has come along and cheered, "Keep at it! You are near the goal!"
Lee Cantelon
Thank you, Lee, for that. Makes life on this railroad worthwhile when one gets letters like those.
And now I'd like to share a song by songwriter Danny Schmidt, which appears to be a tribute to this very magazine, although it was actually written prior to our creation. Regardless, I'm happy to share it with you now, and thank you, all of the readers and the riders, for your support.
P.Z.
Hollywoodland
May, 2007
Bluerailroad Train
By Danny Schmidt
Take me back to Memphis where The King smoked dope
And he drove his gold Caddy through the mirrors and smoke
When life goes drivin' off ahead of you
There's reds and whites and catchin' up to do
On that Bluerailroad Train . . .
Tell me Jimi Hendrix just before you died
Was the rainbow in the tunnel really worth the ride
I'm not to judge a man on what he can or should
But I hope the hope the angels have some funk and that
the sky kissed good
Like that Bluerailroad Train . . .
I'm gonna sing with Janis Joplin, watch her shake that thing
And hear nothing in her pockets but freedom's ring
But don't think for a second you had nothing to lose
Cause it froze your heart and it stole your blues
That Bluerailroad Train . . .
Johnny Cash there's a hymn I've heard that sings
That in the ashes of the fire hides the King of Kings
Well you've crawled through the soot and you've searched alone
And Fourteen Stations later you've rode back home
On that Bluerailroad Train . . .
I know the world's gone crazy and our souls are weak
And that there's sacred and profane along the paths we seek
As long as there are questions there'll be answers tried
But you can't know the destination before you ride
That Blue Railroad Train . .
Copyright 2006 Danny Schmidt.
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