Happy New Year Donald!
Posted on January 1, 2026
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Happy Holidays 2026
Behold
At first sight, Dr. Trumpenstein shrinks away from the MAGA monster that he had created in his own image. Like so many demigods before him, however, the doctor could not control his offspring and, like Kronos, he’s afraid he will be castrated. Thus the good doctor hastens to open the door into summer in the hopes of escaping to a better world, one with joy and happiness for all.
To everyone on the other side, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.
Illustration by Theodor von Holst adorns the frontispiece of the 1831 edition of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
Posted on January 1, 2026
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This is Harley Lond’s curated guide to long-form musical performances (excluding classical and jazz) released over a span of some 75 years. This list is coordinated to an Amazon Playlist, which can be found here. Included are some 72 songs offering 12 hours of listening enjoyment … to blow your mind.
1952
- Duke Ellington – Take the ‘A’ Train – (Ellington Uptown, 1952; release March 1953)<'i?
1962
- Dick Dale and the Deltones – Miserlou Twist (Surfers’ Choice, 1962)<'i?
1965
- Bob Dylan – Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (Highway 61 Revisited, August 30, 1965)<'i?
- Bob Dylan – Desolation Row (Highway 61 Revisited, August 30, 1965)<'i?
1966
- The Rolling Stones – Goin’ Home (Aftermath, April 15, 1966 – UK)<'i?
- Bob Dylan – Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (Blonde on Blonde, June 20, 1966)<'i?
- Paul Butterfield Blues Band – East-West (East-West, August 1, 1966)<'i?
- Love – Revelation (Da Capo, November 1966)<'i?
1967
- The Doors – Light My Fire (The Doors, January 4, 1967)<'i?
- The Doors – The End (The Doors, January 4, 1967)<'i?
- The Velvet Underground – Heroin (The Velvet Underground and Nico, March 12, 1967)<'i?
- Grateful Dead – Viola Lee Blues (The Grateful Dead, March 17, 1967)<'i?
- Country Joe and the Fish – Section 43 (Electric Music for the Mind and Body, May 11, 1967)<'i?
- Beatles – A Day in the Life (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, May 26, 1967)<'i?
- Vanilla Fudge – You Keep Me Hangin’ On (Extended Hollywood Mix) – (Vanilla Fudge June 2, 1967)<'i?
- Pink Floyd – Interstellar Overdrive (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, August 4, 1967)<'i?
- Pink Floyd – Astronmy Domine (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, August 4, 1967) (Ummagumma live version, November 7, 1969)<'i?
- Love – You Set the Scene (Forever Changes, November 1, 1967)<'i?
- Jefferson Airplane – Spare Chaynge (After Bathing at Baxters, November 27, 1967)<'i?
- The Chambers Brothers – Time Has Come Today (The Time Has Come, extended version, November 1967)<'i?
- Rolling Stones – 2000 Light Years from Home (Their Satanic Majesties Request, December 8, 1967)<'i?
1968
- Blue Cheer – Doctor Please (Vincebus Eruptum, January 16, 1968)<'i?
- Spirit – Mechanical World (Spirit, January 22, 1968)<'i?
- Spirit – Elijah (Spirit, January 22, 1968)<'i?
- The Velvet Underground – Sister Ray (White Light/White Heat, January 30, 1968)<'i?
- Quicksilver Messenger Service – Gold and Silver (Quicksilver Messenger Service, May 1968)<'i?
- Quicksilver Messenger Service – The Fool (Quicksilver Messenger Service, May 1968)<'i?
- Iron Butterfly – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, June 14, 1968)<'i?
- Cream – Spoonful (Wheels of Fire, June 14, 1968)<'i?
- Pink Floyd – Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (A Saucerful of Secrets, June 29, 1968, UK)<'i?
- Pink Floyd – A Saucerful of Secrets (A Saucerful of Secrets, June 29, 1968, UK)<'i?
- Grateful Dead – That’s It for the Other One (Anthem of the Sun, July 18, 1968)<'i?
- Super Session – His Holy Modal Majesty (Super Session, July 22, 1968)(Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield)<'i?
- Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo Chile (Electic Lady Land, October 16, 1968)<'i?
- Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (Electic Lady Land, October 16, 1968)<'i?
1969
- Led Zeppelin – Dazed and Confused (Led Zeppelin, January 13, 1969)<'i?
- Led Zeppelin – How Many More Times (Led Zeppelin, January 13, 1969)<'i?
- Quicksilver Messenger Service – Who Do You Love Suite (Happy Trails, March 17, 1969; recorded at the Fillmore East and Fillmore West, November 1968)<'i?
- Neil Young – Cowgirl in the Sand (Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, May 14, 1969)<'i?
- Blind Faith – Do What You Like (Blind Faith, August 9, 1969)<'i?
- Santana – Soul Sacrifice (Live at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, August 16, 1969)<'i?
- Frank Zappa – Willie the Pimp (Hot Rats, October 10, 1969)<'i?
- Pink Floyd – Careful with That Axe, Eugene (December 6, 1968) (Ummagumma live version, November 7, 1969)<'i?
- Grateful Dead – Dark Star (Live/Dead, Recorded February 27, 1969, at Fillmore West, released November 10, 1969)<'i?
1970
- Colosseum – The Grass Is Greener, (The Grass is Greener, January 1970, US only)<'i?
- Black Sabbath – Warning (Black Sabbath, February 13, 1970)<'i?
- Jimi Hendrix – Machine Gun (Band of Gypsys, 1970, recorded January 1, 1970, Fillmore East; released March 25, 1970)<'i?
- Soft Machine – Facelift (Third, June 6, 1970)<'i?
- Traffic – Glad (John Barleycorn Must Die, July 1, 1970)<'i?
- Spooky Tooth – I am the Walrus (The Last Puff – July 3, 1970)<'i?
- Creedence Clearwater Revival – I Heard It Through the Grapvine (Cosmo’s Factory, July 16, 1970)<'i?
1971
- The Doors – L.A. Woman (L.A. Woman, April 19, 1971)<'i?
- The Allman Brothers Band – Whipping Post (The Allman Brothers Band, November 4, 1969; live version on At Fillmore East, July 6, 1971)<'i?
- The Who – Baba O’Riley (Who’s Next, August 2, 1971)<'i?
- Hawkwind – Master of the Universe (In Search of Space, October 8, 1971)<'i?
- Pink Floyd – Echos (Meddle, November 5, 1971)<'i?
- Traffic – The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Traffic November 26, 1971)<'i?
1972
- Deep Purple – Highway Star (Machine Head, March 25, 1972)<'i?
- Khan – Space Shanty (June 2, 1972)<'i?
- Can – Pinch – Ege Bamyasi (November 29, 1972)<'i?
1973
- Blue Oyster Cult – Screaming Diz-Busters (Tyranny and Mutation, February 11, 1973)<'i?
- Gong – Flying Teapot (Flying Teapot, May 25, 1973)<'i?
- Golden Earring – Radar Love (Moontan, October 26, 1973)<'i?
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Karn Evil 9 (Brain Salad Surgery, November 19, 1973)<'i?
1974
- King Crimson – Starless (Red, October 6, 1974)<'i?
- Kraftwerk – Autobahn (Autobahn, November, 1974)<'i?
1976
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama (Second Helping, June 24, 1974) (live version, recorded at Atlanta’s Fox Theater and included on the album One More From The Road, late 1976)<'i?
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird (Pronounced ‘Leh-‘nerd ‘Skin-‘nerd, August 13, 1973)(live version, recorded at Atlanta’s Fox Theater and included on the album One More From The Road, late 1976)<'i?
- Gong – Chandra (Shamal, February 13, 1976)<'i?
1986
- Sonic Youth – Madonna, Sean, and Me (EVOL, May 1986)<'i?
2002
- New Order – Elegia (Retro box set, 2002; this 17.30 extended version was originally edited down to fit on the band’s 1985 album Low-Life)<'i?
2004
- Wilco – Spiders (Kidsmoke)(A Ghost is Born, June 22, 2004)<'i?
Posted on December 23, 2025
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Longer Is Better: Prog Rock, Jams, and Rock Concertos
This is Harley Lond’s curated guide to long-form musical performances (excluding classical and jazz) released over a span of some 75 years. This list is coordinated to an Amazon Playlist, which can be found here. Included are some 72 songs offering 12 hours of listening enjoyment … to blow your mind.
1952
- Duke Ellington – Take the ‘A’ Train – (Ellington Uptown, 1952; release March 1953)
1962
- Dick Dale and the Deltones – Miserlou Twist (Surfers’ Choice, 1962)
1965
- Bob Dylan – Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (Highway 61 Revisited, August 30, 1965)
- Bob Dylan – Desolation Row (Highway 61 Revisited, August 30, 1965)
1966
- The Rolling Stones – Goin’ Home (Aftermath, April 15, 1966 – UK)
- Bob Dylan – Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (Blonde on Blonde, June 20, 1966)
- Paul Butterfield Blues Band – East-West (East-West, August 1, 1966)
- Love – Revelation (Da Capo, November 1966)
1967
- The Doors – Light My Fire (The Doors, January 4, 1967)
- The Doors – The End (The Doors, January 4, 1967)
- The Velvet Underground – Heroin (The Velvet Underground and Nico, March 12, 1967)
- Grateful Dead – Viola Lee Blues (The Grateful Dead, March 17, 1967)
- Country Joe and the Fish – Section 43 (Electric Music for the Mind and Body, May 11, 1967)
- Beatles – A Day in the Life (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, May 26, 1967)
- Vanilla Fudge – You Keep Me Hangin’ On (Extended Hollywood Mix) – (Vanilla Fudge June 2, 1967)
- Pink Floyd – Interstellar Overdrive (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, August 4, 1967)
- Pink Floyd – Astronmy Domine (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, August 4, 1967) (Ummagumma live version, November 7, 1969)
- Love – You Set the Scene (Forever Changes, November 1, 1967)
- Jefferson Airplane – Spare Chaynge (After Bathing at Baxters, November 27, 1967)
- The Chambers Brothers – Time Has Come Today (The Time Has Come, extended version, November 1967)
- Rolling Stones – 2000 Light Years from Home (Their Satanic Majesties Request, December 8, 1967)
1968
- Blue Cheer – Doctor Please (Vincebus Eruptum, January 16, 1968)
- Spirit – Mechanical World (Spirit, January 22, 1968)
- Spirit – Elijah (Spirit, January 22, 1968)
- The Velvet Underground – Sister Ray (White Light/White Heat, January 30, 1968)
- Quicksilver Messenger Service – Gold and Silver (Quicksilver Messenger Service, May 1968)
- Quicksilver Messenger Service – The Fool (Quicksilver Messenger Service, May 1968)
- Iron Butterfly – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, June 14, 1968)
- Cream – Spoonful (Wheels of Fire, June 14, 1968)
- Pink Floyd – Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (A Saucerful of Secrets, June 29, 1968, UK)
- Pink Floyd – A Saucerful of Secrets (A Saucerful of Secrets, June 29, 1968, UK)
- Grateful Dead – That’s It for the Other One (Anthem of the Sun, July 18, 1968)
- Super Session – His Holy Modal Majesty (Super Session, July 22, 1968)(Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield)
- Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo Chile (Electic Lady Land, October 16, 1968)
- Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (Electic Lady Land, October 16, 1968)
1969
- Led Zeppelin – Dazed and Confused (Led Zeppelin, January 13, 1969)
- Led Zeppelin – How Many More Times (Led Zeppelin, January 13, 1969)
- Quicksilver Messenger Service – Who Do You Love Suite (Happy Trails, March 17, 1969; recorded at the Fillmore East and Fillmore West, November 1968)
- Neil Young – Cowgirl in the Sand (Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, May 14, 1969)
- Blind Faith – Do What You Like (Blind Faith, August 9, 1969)
- Santana – Soul Sacrifice (Live at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, August 16, 1969)
- Frank Zappa – Willie the Pimp (Hot Rats, October 10, 1969)
- Pink Floyd – Careful with That Axe, Eugene (December 6, 1968) (Ummagumma live version, November 7, 1969)
- Grateful Dead – Dark Star (Live/Dead, Recorded February 27, 1969, at Fillmore West, released November 10, 1969)
1970
- Colosseum – The Grass Is Greener, (The Grass is Greener, January 1970, US only)
- Black Sabbath – Warning (Black Sabbath, February 13, 1970)
- Jimi Hendrix – Machine Gun (Band of Gypsys, 1970, recorded January 1, 1970, Fillmore East; released March 25, 1970)
- Soft Machine – Facelift (Third, June 6, 1970)
- Traffic – Glad (John Barleycorn Must Die, July 1, 1970)
- Spooky Tooth – I am the Walrus (The Last Puff – July 3, 1970)
- Creedence Clearwater Revival – I Heard It Through the Grapvine (Cosmo’s Factory, July 16, 1970)
1971
- The Doors – L.A. Woman (L.A. Woman, April 19, 1971)
- The Allman Brothers Band – Whipping Post (The Allman Brothers Band, November 4, 1969; live version on At Fillmore East, July 6, 1971)
- The Who – Baba O’Riley (Who’s Next, August 2, 1971)
- Hawkwind – Master of the Universe (In Search of Space, October 8, 1971)
- Pink Floyd – Echos (Meddle, November 5, 1971)
- Traffic – The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Traffic November 26, 1971)
1972
- Deep Purple – Highway Star (Machine Head, March 25, 1972)
- Khan – Space Shanty (June 2, 1972)
- Can – Pinch – Ege Bamyasi (November 29, 1972)
1973
- Blue Oyster Cult – Screaming Diz-Busters (Tyranny and Mutation, February 11, 1973)
- Gong – Flying Teapot (Flying Teapot, May 25, 1973)
- Golden Earring – Radar Love (Moontan, October 26, 1973)
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Karn Evil 9 (Brain Salad Surgery, November 19, 1973)
1974
- King Crimson – Starless (Red, October 6, 1974)
- Kraftwerk – Autobahn (Autobahn, November, 1974)
1976
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama (Second Helping, June 24, 1974) (live version, recorded at Atlanta’s Fox Theater and included on the album One More From The Road, late 1976)
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird (Pronounced ‘Leh-‘nerd ‘Skin-‘nerd, August 13, 1973)(live version, recorded at Atlanta’s Fox Theater and included on the album One More From The Road, late 1976)
- Gong – Chandra (Shamal, February 13, 1976)
1986
- Sonic Youth – Madonna, Sean, and Me (EVOL, May 1986)
2002
- New Order – Elegia (Retro box set, 2002; this 17.30 extended version was originally edited down to fit on the band’s 1985 album Low-Life)
2004
- Wilco – Spiders (Kidsmoke)(A Ghost is Born, June 22, 2004)
Posted on December 9, 2025
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Harley’s Trader Joe’s Thai Noodle Rice Soup
My mother came from that long line of Jewish cooks who were never satisfied with a printed recipe; she was always potchkeing around with the ingredients, be it from a Jewish cookbook or an LA Times Food Section recipe. She’d add a little bit here, a little bit there. This was also true for leftovers; we might come home from a restaurant with a plate of leftover Fettuccine Alfredo, and, sure enough, for dinner the next night, we were presented with a modified Italian pasta dish she had potchked with. (Any recipe was fair game for being potchked with — except for anything by Julia Child, who was an original potchkeier.)
And a lot of time, a potchked recipe just couldn’t be duplicated: so much depended on the potchked feeling at the time of cooking. A case in point: mom’s chopped chicken liver recipe could never, ever be duplicated. Even working off a hand-written copy of her recipe, no one’s chopped chicken liver could ever come near hers. (How much salt? How much pepper? Just a bissel.)
Well, I inherited the potchke gene and regularly deviate from a recipe by increasing or substituting ingredients. I’ve always found a recipe I liked and then changed it to suit my tastes. And, sometimes, I’d even create a new recipe from my potchkeing around.
Despite battling cancer and fighting off Trump era ennui, I found the time to create this wonderful mixed-genre noodle soup:
Ingredients:
Two cups Trader Joe’s Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
One Knorr’s Chicken Bouillon Cube
One bag Trader Joe’s Thai Wheat Noodles
One egg, beaten lightly
One cup cooked Calrose rice
Green onions, chopped
Salt, pepper to taste
Preparation:
In a two-quart pot, bring the chicken broth to a slight boil and add in the bouillon cube. When the cube dissolves, add in the rice; continue a gentle boil for about one minute. Add in the egg and swirl it around with a fork until the egg is completely cooked. Break up the Thai Wheat Noodles and add them to the pot; continue with a gentle boil for one or two minutes or until the noodles are heated. Toss in green onions to taste.
If you want a thicker broth, let the liquid boil for an additional minute or two,
Serve and enjoy.
You can now experiment with additional ingredients: stir-fried chicken bits, steamed carrots, peas, broccoli, mushrooms, tofu, etc.
Posted on December 9, 2025
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