Rock and roll, and rocking chairs

Great bike ride this morning. I'm getting more miles in now that the kids are in school. I'm up with them at 6:30 a.m., so by the time Jayne takes them to school on her way to work, I've had coffee and breakfast and can hit the road.

Today was just great fall riding weather -- little wind, a mist still hanging about the fields and the smell of wood burning from fireplaces still fresh.

Leaves are falling steadily, like a rain shower in some places, and I could reach out and grab them as I rode under the trees. And, of course, the colors and view are just stunning.

Get a look yourself. It's Goose Festival weekend. See the parade Saturday and enjoy the ride through the game preserve.

Old time rock and roll

Someone at work asked me the other day if I was going to see Bob Seger in Grand Rapids. I gave him the same reponse I gave someone else who asked me if I planned to see Eric Clapton, and the other person who thought I might enjoy seeing The Who:

No. They're all has-beens. I'm not paying $50 to $75 a ticket (plus parking and something to eat, and gas!) to see what was once great. I have their CDs and can listen for free. And the CDs sound better.

That's a little harsh, I admit, because these guys were great. They played huge rolls in rock music. Eric Clapton's links to The Beatles alone, not to mention his roll in Cream, put him high up the ladder, but he's not breaking new ground anymore.

Same with Bob Dylan (talk about a dinosaur!) and Paul McCartney (still creative, but in an esoteric sort of way). Greats, but I might as well go to a museum instead of a concert.

This really hit me when I went to see The Moody Blues a few years back. Great show. They played all their hits, but that was the problem. Nothing new, just the oldies. When I saw them 20-plus years before, they had a new album out, "Long Distance Voyager," with some stellar new material that now is their greatest hit parade.

Thought: Rock and roll never forgets, but sometimes I wish it would act its age.