3 Chords & the Truth: Chill, being

Ever feel the need to dial it back? To tone it down some? To mellow out, man?

To just chill?

Yeah, me, too. So the Big Show will this week. Yes, it will.

That's not to say it'll be moribund (stick that in your Funk and Wagnall's, pally). It's just going to be outstanding in a non-frenetic manner.

I guess I could say more, but how chill would that be? It wouldn't. It would be stretching . . . straining . . . trying too hard.

Nope. This week, we just let the show come to us. I'd recommend you do the same.

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: Going all the way

 

Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it.

 

Let's do it. Let's listen to 3 Chords & the Truth.

What the hell did you think your Mighty Favog was talking about?

After all, the Big Show IS everybody's favorite freeform musical phantasmagoria. Look that up in your Funk and Wagnall's, skipper.

But first, listen to the show. You'll be glad you did.

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all.  Be there.  Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: Anybody really know what time it is?

Does anybody really know what time it is?

Does anybody really care?

Do we go forward or backward?

This, I do know, however. Any time is the right time for a little 3 Chords & the Truth. Or a lot, for that matter. 

Personally, I'd go with a lot. It's that good.

And that's good enough, because it's the Big Show. It's as simple as that.

Period.

I said period.

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: Dropping the needle

Well, it's time to drop the needle on another stack of hot wax on the Big Show, Daddio.

That used to mean something, and it says nothing young about me that I know what it used to mean. Man.

That incomprehensibly said, it's another episode of 3 Chords & the Truth. As per the norm, it's another good one. 

Right on. 

I am copacetic with the lingo, for I am a groovy dude. Get it? Groovy, as in hot wax on the record machine. 

Forget it.  Let's just drop the needle and get on with it. The times are too dark to go on without some music to get us through. 

Find joy where you can -- the message of the day on the Big Show. 

It's  3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha. (Click.)

Be there. Aloha. (Click.)

Be there. Aloha. (Click.)

Be there. Aloha. (Click.)

Be there. Aloha. (Click.)

Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: Russia . . . go #@&! yourself

The other day, a Russian warship demanded the surrender of a tiny Ukrainian outpost on a small island off the coast of Odessa. Or else. 

The radio response of the 13 soldiers stationed there? “Russian warship, go f*** yourself.” Those were the last known words of the soldiers before the shelling began and their lives ended.

We live in a chaotic world, and malefactors abound. Fascism and tyranny are ascendant, particularly in the United States, which has many Vladimir Putin wannabes. Thus, those last words of the Ukrainian martyrs are, today, a rallying cry for those of us who love freedom, seek decency and hate authoritarianism. 

AND THAT'S where we are, both mentally and emotionally, this week on 3 Chords & the Truth.

Vladimir Putin, go f*** yourself. Donald Trump, go f*** yourself. Tucker Carlson, go f*** yourself. American Nazis, go f*** yourself. MAGA nation, go f*** yourself.

Here in Nebraska . . . Gov. Pete Ricketts, go f*** yourself. Gubernatorial candidates Charles Herbster and Jim Pillen, race-baiting fascists both, go f*** yourselves. No retreat, no surrender. 

Like Russian missiles slamming into apartment buildings in Kyiv, such American fascists represent high explosives aimed square at American civil society. At our very soul. That these charlatans call themselves "Christian" makes the offense all the more grievous. 

The brave defenders of Ukraine, outgunned though they are, show us all how to respond to tyrants and their evil doings. We fight. That's the underlying spirit of the Big Show this week. It, really, is the underlying spirit every week.

It's just that we do what we can . . . with music. Good music. A diversity of music. And we all know what the fascists think about diversity. 

Well, they can go f*** themselves. 

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: America on the hoof

You know how your parents told you that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all? 

Today's subject on 3 Chords & the Truth is American corporate capitalism.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTHERWISE, we have a lot of great music on the show today -- which is typical for the Big Show. 

I think you'll like it.

That pretty much covers everything, so you can get to listening now.

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: The long and shorts of it

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . yeah.

I've been known to not wear pants -- and for all you know, I'm not wearing pants now -- but you don't need to see that. This is why some of us are in radio. 

Well, this is another edition of 3 Chords & the Truth, and it's as good as usual.

And, as per the norm, the river of sound runs broad and deep. I guess that's one reason why it's called the Big Show. After all, we have more than 30,000 songs to pick from, and the music library grows by the week.

For true. 

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: That old feeling

The internet is out. Again. So, I'll be brief here on the cell connection.

This week's edition of 3 Chords & the Truth takes a musical journey spanning almost a century and covering the gamut of style and content. In other words, not that big a departure from what we do every week.

And, boy, is it good. 

WHICH, again, is no departure at all from the usual here on the Big Show.

For example, the program features . . . nah, I'm not going to tell you. That would just completely remove the mystery from your listening experience. 

And, after all, what's the fun if you really and truly know what's coming next? That's our trademark. 

Well, the missus informs me the Internet is back on. Bully for Cox, he says sarcastically. Now, I'd better wrap this up before the damn thing goes out. Again. 

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: The lost world

It's a terrible thing to die of spite. 

The virus does not care about your "freedom," which now truly is "just another word for nothing left to lose." 

At least we still have memories of a lost world here on the Big Show. They will have to suffice, to bring us the balm of nostalgia in a world where we seem to prefer death over life . . . and science. Bile over balm. 

Mad promotional skillz for this episode, right? Trust me, this week's music is a lot better than my state of mind here in Plagueland. Crank it up. 

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all.  Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: Always darkest right before the show

Well, it was a nice two or three months. 

But all temporary reprieves from 'rona hell are just that -- temporary. Especially if you live in a state filled with people who don't do science but do politics. Which leaves you in deep doo. 

It's always amazing to contemplate how folks who accuse people of "living in fear" insist upon running around with firearms and are scared spitless of a simple vaccination. And as the sun sets on the Disunited States of America, there's one thing you can count on: It's always darkest before the Big Show. 

And it's dark indeed right about now. 

So rail against the dying of the light, then put on this episode of 3 Chords & the Truth. I figure we all need that about now. 

As usual, it's another good one. Hey! Like some don't do science, we don't do suck. 

That is all. 

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: Any show for just . . . FREE!

You want a great musical deal? We'll give you a great musical deal. 

What would you think of 23 great songs -- all quality songs selected for your listening pleasure -- absolutely free! Well, your fondest desire is our stone-cold command here at 3 Chords & the Truth. 

This week, you'll get an insane number of songs for the low, low price of . . . absolutely nothing. And most every week, you'll get 90 minutes for the best listening your money can't buy for that same low, low non-price, downloaded to your digital device or conveniently streamed over the Interwebs. 

We here at Favog House call it the Big Show, and it's absolutely yours, absolutely all the time. 

HERE'S ALL you have to do, and the biggest thing you have to do, you've already done. You came here!

Now all you have to do is to click on the link, then download a carefully curated sonic cornucopia, or you can stream effortlessly by using the handy player right here at your fingertips. That's all! 

Really, how can you say no to the best bargain in music today? Forget the radio; we have radio done right, right here at 3 Chords & the Truth. And it costs you squat. That, my friend, is a deal that cannot be beaten. 

Ever. 

Are you ready for some entertainment? Some real mind-expanding stuff? 

We knew that you were. And you have to send in absolutely nothing to get what's yours. It's yours for a simple click. 

Right here, right now. 

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: Uhhhhhhhhh . . . .

I was working on putting together this week’s episode of the Big Show, last night and it was going just fine, but then something happened.

We had a bit of weather here in Omaha, by God, Nebraska.

By “weather,” I mean all hell broke loose. For about an hour, conditions varied between “strong tropical storm” and Category 1 hurricane. This, mind you, 1,000 miles from the nearest coastline. 

In the Midwest, we call that “a pretty good thunderstorm.” And some fallen limbs, a neighbor’s fallen tree, a blown-off downspout, no cable or Internet and a battered and blacked-out city later, we’re going to see how it goes trying to post 3 Chords & the Truth using the 4G connection from my iPhone.

WELL, at least the apocalypse bunker still has electricity, though there were doubts about that during the storm as the lights flickered and transformers blew up here and there in the night.

That said, it’s a pretty good edition of the Big Show. When everything is surveyed and considered, all you need is love . . . and electricity.

This week, there’s some of this and a bit of that, and it’s all primo stuff, man. If I were you, I’d give it a listen. After all, it took a little doing (and some duct tape and jury rigging) to get it to you.

C’mon. Show a little gratitude. Is what I’m sayin’.

It’s 3 Chords & the Truth, y’all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: It's 100% fun

The Big Show is 100 percent fun, once you get used to it.

And, if you ask me, it's nice to get used to not hearing the same 100 songs -- if you're lucky -- over and over and over again on the radio. Then again, some folks just can't handle expanding one's mind . . . or one's horizons. 

Thanks for not being one of those people. Because you're here at 3 Chords & the Truth and not there. And, boy, are you gonna get some variety today.

There's not really anything more to say, is there? So let's get on with the Big Show. 

 It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha. 

3 Chords & the Truth: Well, I don't know about that

It's a colossal phantasmagoria this week, coming to you live -- recorded to hard drive -- from the www.revolution21.org apocalypse bunker here in Omaha, by God, Nebraska. 

Well, I don't know about that. 

But this episode of 3 Chords & the Truth may be a colossal something. You be the judge.

I mean, there's some wild sh . . . uh, some wild things going on. Mushroom hunting is a tricky thing, and I may have picked the wrong batch. Is what I'm sayin'. 

And, well, I don't know about that. 

It's all this week on the Big Show. 

Teacher, does this have to be 500 words? Because I'm done.

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: Operator, get me Internet

Listen, I'm trying to just phone in the program this week, but Ernestine kept wanting me to feed the pay phone with quarters. 

Wait. What's this "cell" thing you keep talking about? Smart what? I phone? 

No, I not a telephone. I am Mighty Favog. What the hell is wrong with y'all?

Anyway, you have Ernestine the Telephone Operator to thank for having a reasonably engaging and well curated edition of 3 Chords & the Truth this week. Otherwise. . . .

So. There's a pretty good show. 'Nuff said.

Hey, just because I couldn't phone in the Big Show this week, it doesn't mean I can't just phone in the description of it. Peace . . . out. 

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: Those were the days

Those were the days, my friend. We thought they'd never end.

But they did.

The virus saw to that -- the end of what passed for normal life. Of course, there have been those who think the virus didn't apply to them and insisted on normality. A certain percentage will not make that mistake again . . . or any other mistake, for that matter.

But what does that have to do with 3 Chords & the Truth? 

FOR ONE THING, it's sort of why there wasn't one last week. I got the second Moderna vaccine, and (at least for me) it's true what they say: It kicked my butt for a couple of days. And you know what? I've never felt so good about feeling bad. 

Now I'm counting down the last handful of days until peak immunity. And freedom, or what passes for freedom as the COVID pandemic endures, in large part because too many Americans refuse to get vaccinated.

We think we'll sing and dance forever and a day.

I don't know what to do with that. 

So, I guess all of that has influenced this week's edition of the Big Show. The lost past and an uncertain future. The relentless tick tock of racing to vaccinate an obstinate public as the virus continues to mutate. 

All this mess kinda does make you want to turn back that clock up on the wall, doesn't it? Turn it back to the day. 

Back when we could live the life we choose. When we could fight and never lose. 

Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days. 

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: Listening on the corner

It's long been a cliché, the group of misunderstood teenagers passing the time by standing on the street corner and singing in perfect harmony. 

There, they are discovered, taken to the recording studio, make a hit record, then find fame, girls, a turbulent lifestyle and drugs.

Our corner is a bit different here at 3 Chords & the Truth. 

FOR ONE THING, over there is Emerson, Lake and Palmer with a crapload of electronic gear.

Pete Townshend is across the way smashing his guitar on the sidewalk.

On the other corner, Herb Alpert is playing some mean trumpet between taking calls regarding some record-label business.

Paul Mauriat is looking for a corner big enough for a full orchestra and string section.

And you don't want to know what the New Wavers are doing.

Pretty interesting corner here on the Big Show. 

If I were you, I'd stick around to listen. You never know what you're going to hear next.

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha. 

3 Chords & the Truth: We got the beat

We got the beat.

We got all the colors of the rainbow. 

We got the music. 

We 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. And we still hangin' in there and holdin' out against the 'rona. While we're waiting on the miracle vaccine jab, we'll just play some really good music for you.

Truly, it's been a terrible year since the world stopped last March. The Big Show has done what we could to make it a little less intolerable, because what else can you do that doesn't involve curling up into a little ball under the covers?

Now there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and if we don't do stupid things and if we keep masking up for a bit longer, there's every chance that light won't just be the 'Rona Blossom Special. All you have to do is keep calm and listen to the music. Right here.

It'll take the edge off.

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all.  Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: The point of it all

Somewhere, there's a point to this show.

Maybe the music is the point to 3 Chords & the Truth. (OK, obviously the music is the point to the show.) But beyond that, I mean, for this week's tunefest. 

You discuss. I'll wait. 

OK, THIS WEEK I guess the point to the Big Show is whatever you want it to be. I'm open-minded that way.

It's 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.

3 Chords & the Truth: Stereo rock

I pity those who never  got the chance to be inspired by the radio -- at least inspired to do something other than storm the Capitol. 

I suppose this is yet another step down the road to old farthood, the compulsion to tell the young'uns how much better it was back when we were whippersnappers. Some of that is, undeniably, bullshit. The thing about how special radio once was -- especially that brief moment where freeform radio shined -- definitely is not.

This week, I find myself thinking of my first encounters with enlightenment, my early forays into subversion of the constipated world The Man desperately was trying to foist upon my young self all those years ago. And remembering lying in bed out at our camp in south Louisiana, which was within the range of the glorious FM signal of Rampart 102 in New Orleans, WWL-FM.

Rampart 102, named for the street where the good music lived, was a middle finger in the face of The Man. Kind of fittingly, it was owned by the Jesuits back then. And it played what my parents would call "hippie music," which was what they called it when they were in a good mood. What they called it when they weren't would make them, if they were still with us, MAGAs of the Year. 

I'D LIKE to think 3 Chords & the Truth carries the torch today for that lost moment in time -- the subversive moment, not the reactionary one. The reactionaries today have no problem carrying their own torches. Literally.

If you'd like to authentically relive the 1971 experience of kids like me, surreptitiously listening to The Music of Which Your Parents Would Not Approve, the music that would get your ass labeled an Enemy of Right Thinkin' (say this in your head with a Southern accent), you'll listen to the Big Show late at night, in bed, under the covers, with an earphone to hide your inner subversiveness from the agents of repression. 

For the full glory of the music, however, I recommend a good stereo system or listening through good headphones -- not crappy earbuds. 

And remember the days when listening to the radio -- listening to the FM radio -- could be an enlightening experience, a chance to connect with that late-night radio host, sitting with an audio board and a couple of turntables in a darkened studio somewhere in the ether, through the music. It was a supremely human thing.

It's Rampart 102 . . . er . . . 3 Chords & the Truth, y'all. Be there. Aloha.