Everything's Gonna Be Alright...

Sorry I’ve been absent here a bit this week, but it’s for good reason. I’ve been enjoying some off-line email exchanges with an old member of the notorious West Point Skateboard Gang as we were referred to by many distaining parents, teachers, civic leaders, girlfriends mothers, etc… This guy has been MIA since I last saw him here in Atlanta within the first couple of weeks of moving here myself back in 1991. He came in to the city for the day, we attended a Braves game with some of his friends, deeked back a bunch of beers later that night, and ended up playing guitar and singing a couple of tunes on the deck of some bar in Buckhead into the wee hours. Either we weren’t half bad, or the hour was so late that the Life College undergrads who were calling out requests were lying to us. We did a scorching rendition of Elton’s “Daniel” as I recall. Oh yeah, did I mention that he’s a smokin’ guitar player? We were in a couple of bands together during high school and shared a house of ill repute for a year or so afterwards before everybody split in all different directions.

Although the reconnection didn’t come via the blogosphere, the word of his return to the land of the living has benefited from the mediums viral effect, this post included. Turns out that out of our little gang of skateboard rock and roll delinquents, he can count himself amongst what seems like a growing cadre of doctorial conferred members (here too), and a larger group of those in the profession of high learning. Who’d of thunk it?

From the conversation we’ve shared, he’s happier than he’d ever expected to be and is STILL as obsessed with music as the rest of us are. It’s truly great to be back in contact with him.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Dr. David Palmer.


In honor of the occasion, I’ve added a song to the player in the blog's margin that was written with the lone MIA member of our gang in mind. It was recorded in 1989 here in Atlanta, written by Jackson and myself. A thunderous Brian Spears (RIP) can be heard keeping it all together with some superb drumming, along with what I think is the greatest Joe Walsh like guitar solo ever to be played by none other than Mitch Turner. Bass is being handled by my good friend and neighbor Dr. Bryan R. Caldwell who was Brain Spears roommate at the time, and long time fellow studio rat. If you can keep my woeful Ozzy like vocal from turning you off, you can hear a bunch of guys who can actually play. The lyrics Jackson pulled together for this were perfect IMHO. I’ll say it again, other than sex, there is nothing more fun than recording music, even bad music.

Welcome to the fold Dave, and here’s hoping our MIA guy is out there somewhere, is as happy as the rest of us are, and living the life he always wanted.