Who Says A Tiger Can't Change Its Spots?

A.A. Bondy
Album: American Hearts
Song: Vice Rag

Scott Bondy, lead singer of the glam rock outfit, Verbena, in 1997:



Pretty typical of the genre. Nothing too spectacular. A nice little groove but Stone Temple Pilots did it better, and did it earlier. And the faux rock star moves -- kicking over the mic stand etc -- are ridiculous, even if they   are meant to be ironic.  Or post-ironic.  Or something.

A.A. Bondy, solo artist, singer-songwriter, 2007:



Remarkable what a decade'll do to a guy.

Now this music, I like.  Tasty little guitar licks, a world weary voice, and a wink and a nod to the addict in all of us.  What more do ya need?  Incidentally, the tune is fucking awkward to play.  I spent the better part of two days trying to learn the guitar line and failed huge.  Just couldn't force my fingers to mimic the correct finger picking patterns and still scrape out the melodic line.

Doesn't help, I suppose, that I suck royally at guitar.  In fact, if I had one wish right now* it might very well be to have learned the guitar (and good technique) at a young age.  I love the instrument, but I hack my way across it like a blind yak.

*If I had two wishes right now, the first would be for the guitar learning, and the second would be for all the children of the world to get together and to sing as one in the spirit of harmony and peace.  Bless you, Steve Martin.