Haggard al pastor

Okay, one more about Pastor Ted.

I see in the video interview that Pastor Ted "never kept [the meth] very long," and that one of the voice mails asks "if we could get any more." And he keeps insisting he bought it once and threw it away before using any.

It's almost as much fun to parse Pastor Ted as it is to compare him to his Boss.

(You didn't think I meant the Big Guy, did you?)


FMFM: Mahlathini: The Lion Of Soweto. I can't say exactly what's so entrancing about the mbaqanga township-jive sound, but lately I can't get enough. Unlike some other rhythmically complex musics -- say, funky soul records from New Orleans -- the musicians rarely if ever lag behind the beat, preferring to stay right on the so-called "indestructible" beat. They still had their own unique way with downbeats and upbeats, though.

I'd know those trebly, high-pitched guitar runs anywhere. Ray Phiri did this on Graceland too, but the guitar player on this record -- probably Marks Mankwane -- has his own unique thing going on. And he's fast, too! [UPDATE: Actually it might have been someone else after all. The jacket says it's Ndlondlo Bashise, aka the Mahlathini Guitar Band. Unclear who played guitar.]

I wonder exactly which rock and soul records made it all the way down there, how much of this is derived from local folk music and how much is the players' own pure creativity at work. It's a big world.

Oh, and the "groaning" singer is terrific too. No wonder he was such a big star. (Helpful English translations provided on the back cover!)