Hot New Mexico Action

I spent a few days last week in New Mexico, bringing the number of states I've visited to 43. (However, 15 of those I haven't spent a night in, and in two of 'em -- Florida and Nebraska -- I didn't even get outside the airport. Still haven't been to Iowa, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Vermont, or either Dakota.)

Anyway, upon touching down last Sunday at the Albuquerque airport Sunport, I visited Isotopes Park (above), home of the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes (so named after a certain Simpsons episode). Then I drove down a nearby stretch of Route 66, though I was disappointed that it didn't look as cool as in this 1969 Ernst Haas photo. Time for a late lunch, so I had a footlong and Frito pie at the Dog House...

After checking into my downtown hotel, I drove up to the Santa Ana Star Center (a small arena on the edge of the desert) for a performance of Batman Live. Despite the Cirque du Soleil-type bullshit, I enjoyed it anyhow -- it was a good story, and besides, I'm a sucker for all stuff Batman. For dinner I ate a burrito at the Frontier Restaurant, then headed over to the Launchpad to see the Melvins on their record-setting tour. Nobody rocks a muumuu like King Buzzo...

Monday morning I rode the Sandia Peak Tramway to its 10,378-foot summit, the highest elevation I've ever been on land...

Back in the city I had a so-so Lotaburger at local chain Blake’s...

Belly full, I motored four hours to the south and west through desert, mountains, and Truth or Consequences to my sister and her husband's house outside Silver City, where I spent a couple nights in their Airstream...

On Tuesday we drove an hour north to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (below), and soaked in some nearby hot springs.

Wednesday I headed back to Albuquerque and flew home, changing planes at the Phoenix airport Sky Harbor. Next time I visit, I'll fly into either Tucson or El Paso, both of which are closer to Silver City than Albuquerque, and neither of which has a stupid airport name.

New Mexico's license plates refer to the state as a "Land of Enchantment," though I also found it a land of hot-air balloons, Kokopellis, dreamcatchers, green chile, blue crystal meth, and bloody, crusty boogers, which I woke up to every morning (I'm not used to the dry climate). However, thanks to melatonin and proper hydration, I slept much better at these relatively high altitudes than I had in the past. Still, I was glad to get home, down at sea level during a rainy stretch of weather.

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97 Self-Referential Song Titles

"Anthrax" by Anthrax, from the album Fistful of Metal (1984).

"Bad Company" by Bad Company, from the album Bad Company (1974).

"We're the Banana Splits" single by the Banana Splits (1968)...


"Doin' the Banana Split" by the Banana Splits, from the EP Kellogg's Presents The Banana Splits Sing'n Play Doin' the Banana Split (1969).

"Beastie Boys" by the Beastie Boys, from the EP Polly Wog Stew (1982).

"White Belly" by Belly, from the album Star (1993).

"This Is Big Audio Dynamite" by Big Audio Dynamite, B-side of the 7" single "Medicine Show" (1985).

"In a Big Country" by Big Country, from the album The Crossing (1983).

"Reverend Black Grape" single by Black Grape (1995).

"Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath, from the album Black Sabbath (1970).

"Blacktop (Intro)" and "Blacktop (Outro)" by Blacktop, from the album I Got A Baaad Feelin' About This (1994).

"Blue Öyster Cult" by Blue Öyster Cult, from the album Imaginos (1988).

"Bust Out" single by the Busters (Arlen, 1963).

"Butthole Surfer" by the Butthole Surfers, from the album Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac (1984).

"Bo Diddley" single by Bo Diddley (1955).

"Diddley Daddy" single by Bo Diddley (1955).

"Hey! Bo Diddley" single by Bo Diddley (1957).

"Bo Diddley 1969" single by Bo Diddley (1969).

"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" single by the Chipmunks (1958).

"Clash City Rockers" single by the Clash (1978).

"This Is Radio Clash"/"Radio Clash" single by the Clash (1981)...


"We Are the Clash" by the Clash, from the album Cut the Crap (1985).

"Hey Hey We’re the Cowlicks" by the Cowlicks, from the album Hey Hey We’re the Cowlicks (2009).

"This is Cracker Soul" by Cracker, from the album Cracker (1992).

"I'm Cramped" by the Cramps, from the album Songs the Lord Taught Us (1980).

"Cramp Stomp" by the Cramps, from the album Big Beat from Badsville (1997).

"The Funky Cypress Hill Shit" by Cypress Hill, from the album Cypress Hill (1991).

"D.O.A." by D.O.A., from the album Hardcore '81 (1981).

"Milkmen Stomp" by the Dead Milkmen, from the album Death Rides a Pale Cow (1997).

"Dead Moon Night" by Dead Moon, from the album Unknown Passage (1989).

"Destroid" by Destroid, from the album At Birth/Till Death (2013).

"Devo Corporate Anthem" by Devo, from the album Duty Now for the Future (1979)...

"Theme from the Dirtbombs" single by the Dirtbombs (1998).

"Dirtbomb Blues" by the Dirtbombs, from the album Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit (2001).

"Dr. Octagon" by Dr. Octagon, from the album Dr. Octagonecologyst (1996).

"Bob Dylan's Blues" by Bob Dylan, from the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963).

"Bob Dylan's Dream" by Bob Dylan, from the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963).

"Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" by Bob Dylan, from the album Bringing It All Back Home (1965).

"Essential Logic" single by Essential Logic (1981).

"Flat Duo Jets Anthem" by Flat Duo Jets, from the album Go Go Harlem Baby (1991).

"Hey, Hey We're the Gories" by the Gories, from the album I Know You Fine, But How You Doin' (1990).

"Green Day" by Green Day, from the album 39/Smooth (Lookout!, 1990).

"Green Fuz" single by Randy Alvey and the Green Fuz (Wash-Tex, 1968).

"Heartless" by Heart, from the album Magazine (1978)...


"The Hives - Declare Guerre Nucleaire" by the Hives, from the album Veni Vidi Vicious (2000).

"The Hives Introduce the Metric System in Time" by the Hives, from the album Veni Vidi Vicious (2000).

"The Hives Meet the Norm" by the Hives, from the album Tyrannosaurus Hives (2004).

"T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S." by the Hives, from the The Black and White Album (2007).

"Do You Remember?" by Hüsker Dü, from the album Everything Falls Apart and More (1993).

"Iron Butterfly Theme" by Iron Butterfly, from the album Heavy (1968).

"Iron Maiden" by Iron Maiden, from the album Iron Maiden (1980).

"Hey Jean, Hey Dean" single by Dean and Jean (1964).

"JFA" by JFA, from the EP Blatant Localism (1981).

"Inside the World of the Blues Explosion" by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, from the album Extra Width (1993).

"Kissin' Time" by Kiss, from the album Kiss (1974).

"The Loved One" single by the Loved Ones (1966)...


"Madness (Is All in the Mind)" by Madness, from the album The Rise & Fall (1982).

"Meat Puppets" by Meat Puppets, from the album Meat Puppets (1982).

"Metal Church" by Metal Church, from the album Metal Church (1984).

"Hey Y’all We’re Miami" single by Miami (1975).

"Minor Threat" by Minor Threat, from the EP Minor Threat (1981).

"Monk Time" by the Monks, from the album Black Monk Time (1965).

"(Theme From) The Monkees" by the Monkees, from the album The Monkees (1966).

"I'm Just a Mops" by the Mops, from the album Psychedelic Sounds in Japan (1968)...


"Motörhead" by Motörhead, from the album Motörhead (1977).

"Mudhoney Funky Butt" by Mudhoney, from the album My Brother the Cow (1995).

"Hey Y'all We're Nice and Wild" by Nice and Wild, from the album Energy, Love and Unity (1987).

"Legend of Paul Revere" single by the Paul Revere & the Raiders (1967).

"Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag" single by Pigbag (1981).

"Porno for Pyros" by Porno for Pyros, from the album Porno for Pyros (1993).

"Pretty Thing" by the Pretty Things, from the The Pretty Things (1965).

"My Name is Prince" by Prince, from the Love Symbol Album (1992).

"Public Enemy No. 1" by Public Enemy, from the album Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987).

"Public Image" single by Public Image Ltd (1978)...


"This is PiL" by Public Image Ltd, from the album This is PiL (2012).

"Killer Queen" by Queen, from the album Sheer Heart Attack (1974).

"Queen of the Reich" by Queensrÿche, from the EP Queensrÿche (1982).

"The Ballad of Railroad Jerk" by Railroad Jerk, from the album One Track Mind (1995).

"Rainbow Eyes" by Rainbow, from the album Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978).

"R.A.M.O.N.E.S." by the Ramones, from the album Greatest Hits Live (1996).

"Like a Rolling Stone" by the Rolling Stones, from the album Stripped (1995)...


"Samhain" by Samhain, from the album Initium (1984).

"Shaggs' Own Thing" by the Shaggs, from the album Shaggs' Own Thing (1982).

"S.O.U.N.D.S." by the Sounds, from the album Living in America (2003).

"SuperHeavy" by SuperHeavy, from the album SuperHeavy (2011).

"Talk Talk" by Talk Talk, from the album The Party's Over (1982).

"They Might by Giants" by They Might be Giants, from the album Flood (1990).

"Tin Machine" by Tin Machine, from the album Tin Machine (1989).

"Voivod" by Voivod, from the album War and Pain (1984).

"Wailin'" by the Wailers, from the album The Fabulous Wailers (1959).

"Wailers House Party" by the Wailers, from the album The Fabulous Wailers at the Castle (1961).

"The Wailer" by the Wailers, from the album Wailers Wailers Everywhere (1965).

"Who Are You" by the Who, from the album Who Are You (1978).

"Wilco (The Song)" by Wilco, from the album Wilco (The Album) (2009).

"Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit" by Wu-Tang Clan, from the album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993).

"Young Fresh Fellows Theme" by the Young Fresh Fellows, from the album The Fabulous Sounds of the Pacific Northwest (1984)...


...Lemme know if you can think of any others -- like my pals JP, Kris, Heidi, Ken and Paul did -- I'm sure there are many more.
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Apropos of Nothing #7

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Happy 50th, MAD!

MAD magazine hits the big five-oh this month, joining the Seattle Monorail, the Seattle World's Fair, the Rolling Stones, and Spider-Man as cool things that hit the big five-oh this year.

Other than the MAD Presents Batman special I picked up over the summer, I probably haven't bought a single issue since the '80s. (For that matter, I don't think I've ever sat through a full episode of MADtv.) Perhaps the best MAD-related thing to come out in the last 25 years is the awesome, unauthorized Roctober tribute issue -- here's a better look at the cover.

MAD meant the most to me between 1977 and 1984 or so (ages 8 through 15), when it spoofed the first Star Wars and Indiana Jones installments, along with the other movies and TV shows and video games (above) that I was tuned into. I didn't quite get all the political humor and social commentary, but I dug Spy vs. Spy, the Fold-ins, and all the stuff by Al Jaffee, Don Martin, Mort Drucker, and especially Jack Davis. And I must've played that stupid Makin' Out flex-disc a million times.

Anyway, congrats to the usual gang of idiots!
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