Richard Strick

It's the day after Christmas. But sometimes it takes me a long time to write these things. So I'll get started.

Reading David Leemings biography of James Baldwin. Fascinating. Inspiring. A great deal about preaching and prophesy. He was a preachers kid, and a preacher himself when he was 14.

My dad was a preachers kid. My dad never talked about his father much. I never knew him as a kid. We lived in California and he lived in Illinois, near Chicago. I visited him once when I was older (21 or 2) . He called black people the n word. Not very Christian. I kind of understood why my dad put some distance between himself and his dad. Seems being a PK is not necessarily a blessing. 

Recently read a collection of essays by Jelani Cobb called “Three or More Is A Riot”. In it he quotes a Rev. Dr.William Barber concerning The Moral Majority's' version of evangelicalism. “They speak so much about areas where the Bible says very little” (like abortion and homosexuality) “and speak so  little about the issues where the Bible says so much.” (like poverty, empathy, justice).

Jack White talks about this in a song on his record, “No Name” called “What's The Rumpus?”.

           Well when I feel frustration coming when I hear them call his name.  Like they did so long ago  

           It feels just like his reputation is back on the line again. It doesn't matter who you know.  

I'm covering this song now.

Speaking of Christianity, or what passes for it in the eyes of some, I was going through a pile of notes; random bits, ideas on scraps of paper that I tend to collect, and I found the lyrics for a song on this subject. I had set it aside because it is so angry. I have come to think of anger as a negative emotion, and when it can't be avoided, it should at least be tempered with love for its object. Perhaps when I feel I have done that  in this song, I will consider it finished.  

I gave up the idea many years ago that the churches that call themselves Christian have any connection to Christ. Since roughly 300 AD, when “the church” was integrated into the Roman government, and it was determined by those in power what texts should be burned and which ones would be incorporated into the doctrine  of the church for the purposes of that government, the real teachings of Christ have been obscured. Martin Luther made a step in the right direction when he broke with some of the teachings of that organization but went too far by starting another one.   

Emanuel Swedenborg, (1688 to 1772) was another who made a step in the return to the real teachings of Jesus. He was a Swedish scientist and industrialist who, in his mid fifties, began receiving communication from angels and other spiritual entities, and spent his remaining years writing about his experiences and interpreting scripture according to instruction from the spirit world.

This communication between heaven and earth is the foundation of real Christianity. If it's not there then it's nothing but a man-made religion.  Jesus told us to do as he did, the will of our father in heaven.  How is this to be done? By following some interpretation of a set of rules? That is not what he was talking about. He was talking about following guidance from above.

I recently attended a meeting at the Swedenborg church in San Francisco. My interest in this group is based on the fact that these folks follow a guy who talked to spirits. You would think that following a guy like that, you would want to do that as well. That does not seem to be what this group is about. Seems like it's about studying what he wrote instead of doing what he did.

That's about enough of my rant about Christianity. I'll conclude with the words of the chorus of that Jack White song.

          I've got a feeling that the truth's become opinion these days

          That train has left the station, but our love will grow

          It's floor to ceiling unappealing but who cares what they say

          Cause it doesn't matter who, it only matters what you know

In music news, Barbed Wire Valentine is coming back around with our friend Andrew back from heart surgery and once again able to play drums. We're looking forward to playing the feature slot at Ceni's Open Mic (HopMonk, Sebastopol) on March 17th. Be sure to put that on your calendar.

Thanks for reading,

Richard

So here we are at the middle of December 2025.  Time to write my monthly blog post.

Just so happens that , since my goal in the coming year is to play my music for as many people as possible, I need to write a new profile for Instagram. I guess a profile is a profile, and it really doesn’t have to be for  one thing only… might as well be my monthly post as well!…kill two birds etc. etc.

So I’m thinking about this profile idea, and it seems as if you’re trying to say what it is about you that’s different from all the other singer/songwriters out there. And in order to do that effectively, I will need to reveal a little about myself… something I am more comfortable doing in my songs than just straight up writing about it. But that is the chore.

As far back as I can remember, I’ve had this feeling that we’re living in a world that has lost its way. As a teenager, I began searching for a deeper reality, that , for some reason. I felt certain was there, underlying this confusion that is this world we live in. When I was about fifteen, deeply perplexed, I took a walk to think about this stuff, and I had an experience that changed my life. I write about this in my song, “A Million Miles Away”. I will quote.

A million miles away

A flash of light, so clear and fleeting

And what did it convey?

I couldn’t say, I just kept repeating

A million miles away

I was ecstatic!  I tried to tell everyone about it, but only convinced them that I’d lost my mind. As I’ve thought about this over the years, I think something was telling me, in a way that was beyond words, that we are in very good hands. In any case, since then I have tried to learn about the source of this light, and have found that , beyond the ancient writings, people have continued to receive knowledge from this source and write about these things. And I have studied these writings and have tried to live accordingly.

So how has this influenced my songwriting? Well, for one thing, I’ve stopped trying to write songs. If a song presents itself to me, I try to write it down. For another, this sense that the world has lost its way seems to seep into all of my creations in some way. Also my conviction that we are about to take a leap that is not political, or cultural, or economic, but evolutionary. All of this stuff seeping into my songs can give them an edge.

Add to that the fact that I’m a rocknroller, and even if I’m playing solo on an acoustic guitar or mandolin, it’s still rocknroll. Not all of it, but most of it.

I’m not doing this to entertain. This world already has more than enough entertainment. I’m doing this because it’s the only way I can think of to communicate these things. I’m trying to connect with people.

My musical influences include, (but are not limited to), James Brown, Jimmy Reed, The Temptations, Jackie Wilson, John Cipollina, Moby Grape, Joan Armatrading, Howlin Wolf, The Band, Fiona Apple, Jack White, and Bob Dylan.

What inspired me to write songs was the music of Bob Dylan that I first heard when I was in my teens. Since then, I have been writing songs, forming bands, and working to get better at connecting with my listeners.

Thanks for reading,

R.

Whan you're a song writer, you are often asked about your influences. In this months letter, I'm going to discuss mine.

I'd have to start with my parents. we always had a piano or an organ in the house.My mother played from a book. We had piles of them inside the piano bench. My dad was more improvisational.  I remember him feeling around for the right chord for something he was trying to play. They both sang in the choir at church. (Lutheran) There was a children's choir as well, and I sang in that.

So my first connection to music was in church.One of my earliest memories (I must have been 3 or 4) is being in church on somebody's lap and hearing them sing “hosanna” in part of the liturgy. I started singing along, thinking they were singing “Oh Susanna”

In the fifties, Hi-Fi started to be a big deal, and my dad was into it. There was always a record player or a radio playing. My mom liked musicals. One of the first movies I saw in a theater was South Pacific. I still remember some of those tunes.

I had an older cousin that I would have spend-overs with and he turned me on to rock and roll. That was very exciting. Transistor radios came out around that time, and I started listening to what I liked.

More importantly,he turned me on to what was called soul music. There were four stations (AM) that we listened to back then. KYA and KEWB were the Top 40 stations, and KDIA and KSOL were the soul music stations. I always gravitated toward the soul stations.

I remember the first time my cousin played one of those stations for me. It was a Sunday night and there was a church service on. It was jumpin'. I thought “This is way better that our church”. I think that was the first time I heard music that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Prior to that I had been exposed to classical music, show tunes from musicals, and a certain amount of big band type stuff from my parents listening habits at home.

As I got into my. teens, my own tastes began to broaden. I had a friend next door who had an older friend of the family move in with them. This guy had a large collection of records, and he would play them for us, and let us play them. He was into blues and folk music, both of which were starting to become popular. I remember hearing Little Richard, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Joan Baez, Judy Henske, Richard and Mimi Farina, Bob Dylan, and many others.

It was around this time that FM radio started to respond to these awakening musical tastes, as well as an explosion of rock bands that were influenced by these things, and breaking away from a lot of the bubble gum kind of Top 40 stuff and creating music that , to me was more exciting.

All of these things I would call influences. But I never thought of creating music myself until I heard Bob Dylan. When I heard “The Lonely Death of Hattie Carrol” I realized the power a song can have. “You who philosophize disgrace And criticize all fear Take the rag away from your face Now ain't the time for your tears .” I knew that music could be exciting, but when I heard Dylan, I thought about writing myself.

To sum this all up, I would say that I have been influenced by all these kinds of music, as well as others that have not been mentioned like Country and Western and Jazz that I have enjoyed. But the music that has influenced me the most is probably Rock, Blues, RnB, Folk, and Bob Dylan. (not necessarily in that order)

But I see other influences popping in my songs up all the time. An example of that is a song I've recently started covering called Baltimore Oriole. I heard it sung by Judy Henske in the 60's. The song has stayed in the back of my mind all these years and one day I was listening to it in my head and I thought I would learn to play it. I went to Judy's version, and found that it was written by Hoagie Carmichael (music) and Paul Webster (lyrics) in the 1940's. From there I went on to a version that George Harrison did on a solo record in the 80's and stole his arrangement.

The upshot of all this is that musical influences for me are deep and wide and I never know how a song is going to sound until it starts, of its own accord, to become itself.

Thanks for reading.

Richard 

It's been three years since my wife, Rhonda passed away, and I'm coming back to something that she would always tell me when she would see me struggling to form, or keep a band together. “You don't need a band. Just go out and play.”

I guess I always knew she was right, but I never could let go of that feeling of power you get with a band behind you. So I've always tried to make that happen. And since I've known that feeling, I always feel a little naked when I perform solo.

Well I think she's finally brought me around. Not that I will ever give up on fronting a band, but in the meantime, I need to just get out and play.

So I've been working on my solo act. A part of that work is learning to use a looper, a great little bit of technology that lets you record a musical part during a song and play it back during a solo part. I'm a slow learner, but I'm getting the hang of it.

The cool thing about playing solo is you don't have to coordinate with a bunch of people to book a gig. Just one calendar to look at.

Now it's just a matter of finding some gigs. Open for suggestions.

Thanks for reading,

Richard

I begin this months newsletter/commentary without a subject in mind. And yet, the condition we find ourselves in as citizens of the U.S.A. seems to cry out. So I am choosing that as a subject.

I am not a highly educated person. When I was young I felt that I was coerced by the educational system. I thought that once I learned to read and write and do arithmetic I should be free to choose the direction I wanted to expand my knowledge, and that is what I have done. 

But even with my limited formal education, (I graduated from high school), I am aware that our government was formed with features intended to prevent an individual or group from exercising arbitrary control over its citizens. These features are known as checks and balances, separation of powers, due process, the bill of rights, etc. 

Now, it seems that our political practices have become so corrupt that these features no longer protect the freedom we cherish. So what are we to do about it? Unfortunately there is no unifying force to create this “we”. My opinion is that the force that will create it is abject failure. Till thenI'm going to keep doing what I have always tried to do with my music; raise hell.

There is another important aspect of our present situation that I need to at least mention, and that is the alignment of the agenda of the current administration with a particular segment of the Christian religion. This is not a new or even recent development, since this voting bloc  is large and can be very reliable. The motives of those in power are obvious; securing that support.

The motives of this religious group, I would argue, are equally obvious. And it is not “hunger and thirst for righteousness” but rather hunger for power, and that is what this administration is offering.

To conclude this discussion, I'll quote “The Book” (Revealed Translation Of John's Revelation) which you can find on my website (richardstrick.com), available to download as a PDF, that speaks of this abject failure that, I believe, is an imminent step in the evolution of mankind. “ And when the fourth angel sounded its trumpet, the results of men's efforts will turn to confusion, and the earth shall lose its ability to support its own laws. All will become entangled, and men will be unable to locate the cause of it.” Bob Dylan alluded to this time when he said “It's not dark yet, but it's getting there.”

In other news, Barbed Wire Valentine is just me and Eric Bredt now since our drummer,Herb Gura has moved from the area. With that said, tomorrow Eric and I meet up with a drummer that we've never played with. Hopes are high! We are also hoping to add a guitarist to the lineup.

Nothing but open mics on the schedule.

Thanks for reading. 

Richard

This month I've decided to write about form verses function, especially as it relates to musical performances. Sometimes I feel inclined to advise friends and acquaintances, fellow songwriter and performers regarding this subject. But you know what you call unsolicited advice…criticism. So, instead of advice, this is just going to be commentary;  a discussion of these concepts.

I'm a songwriter, a musician, singer, and bandleader, so this discussion will be from that perspective.  I should add that I am also a music lover who sees many live musical performances on a regular basis, so the discussion will also be from the point of view of the listener.

What do we mean by form; by function? Simply put, form is the appearance, or in the case of music, the sound. Is it a finger-picked classical guitar or a distorted electric? Is it a solo performance or an ensemble? Genre is an element of form. Is it the lovely voice of Lana Del Rey or Muddy Waters shouting the blues?

Function means purpose. It's why the music was created and why it's being performed. The reasons for creating music are, obviously, quite varied, so I'm going to discuss purpose from my personal perspective. I think that a lot of songwriters will be able to relate.

Function for me is communication, so lyrics are very important. The lyrical content determines the sound, feel, and even the genre of my songs. For me, form serves the function.

As a listener I am the same way. I want to hear the lyrics, and if the instrumentation is too loud, ot the singer is performing in a way that obscures them, I look at it as form failing to serve the function.

Then there's the listener who just came to dance. Totally different function. Probably not too many in that crowd that cares a whole lot about hearing the lyrics. But if you're a writer of lyrics that you consider meaningful, even if you're playing for a dance crowd, I would think you would still want that meaning to be accessible. And even for the dancers, it could enhance the experience.

When I listen to a singer, one of the first things I notice is if I can hear the words. Sometimes singers with excellent voices are not good at making the words understandable. Not always sure of the exact problem, but clearly this is something that can be mastered if one wants to, since some singers do it without a problem. Perhaps just a matter of intent.

With an ensemble, the problem can be more complex.  Especially with certain styles that tend to be loud and aggressive. Even in those styles of music I think it is possible to give the vocalist the spotlight.  And I think when that is done it enhances the performance. 

Just my opinion. Form should serve function.

A reminder: Your last chance to hear the present lineup of Barbed Wire Valentine is August 29th at Banshee Wines, 5110 Highway 128, Geyserville from 4 till 7. There's a $30.00 door charge, good food, good wine, and good music. After that our drummer, Herb Gura is leaving the area and we'll be reforming. Hope to see you there.

Thanks for reading.

Richard 

Starting July in June!  Seems I have a lot to discuss, the first of which is happiness.

Happiness is overrated. It goes along with the shopping thing.  If you're not happy , go shopping!  Find something that will make you happy!  I think this is what everyone is doing when  you see them scrolling on their phones.

What's wrong with sadness?  Seems to me that sadness comes quite naturally to anyone who cares about others.  Seems to me that instead of trying to escape this, why not try to give this world the repairs it needs so it's not so sad?  

Trouble is, to fix the world you need to fix the people.  So it is sad.  People don't want to be fixed.  People don't even want to entertain the notion that they need to change; that they need to improve.  They don't have any problem seeing that others need to improve, but the truth is that for the world to get better, we are all going to have to embrace a much different way of life.

I am sickened when I see the leader of our nation, and the leader of one of our states getting amusement from their crocodile gulag. They think it's funny that a bunch of their fellow humans will be imprisoned in cages in a swamp.

And the guy loves to talk about hate; all the people who hate him and hate America, and how he hates them.  I don't hate him.  I feel sorry for him.  He gained the world and lost his soul.  It's very sad, though I'm not saying this shit is not arousing my anger.  It is, but that doesn't get us anywhere.  Anger is a negative emotion.

I began by saying that happiness is overrated.  That's not exactly it. Trying to make yourself happy is, I think, the wrong approach.  If you want to be happy, find yourself something useful to do.  Then get busy doing it. Then you'll be happy, even when you're sad.

All that aside, I want to remind everyone that I'll be performing with my band, Barbed Wire Valentine at a few upcoming events.  August 12th we'll be the featured act at Ceni's open mic (HopMonk, Sebastopol) at about 8 to 8:30.  Then on August 29th we'll be at Banshee Wines in Geyserville (5110 CA-128) from 4 till 7.  Also planning to play at Porchfest, Sebastopol on September 13th.  Details on that will be coming later.

Well I was patting myself on the back about starting early, and here it is , July 18th, and I'm just wrapping this up.  Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to congratulate myself. 

Thanks for reading.

Richard

Ah… the blank page…endless possibilities, and yet…lacking a clear subject .. allow me to meander if you will.

Just finished Liz Pelly's book,Mood Machine (The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist).  Prior to that I read  Sarah Wynn-Williams book, Careless People, about Facebook/Instagram/Meta, subtitled; (A Cautionary Tale Of Power Greed And Lost Idealism).  A couple of books about organizations we are told are essential to success as independent musicians.

I must say that these two books have reinforced a feeling I have that I need to move beyond this sort of mind-set to a model based on actual connections with people, independent of those structure. It would seem that these monthly posts are a step in that direction. Trouble is, I've been relying on Facebook and Instagram to disseminate them, and that approach seems to have failed.

To remedy this, I am asking those folks interestd in getting these dispatches, for permission to send them directly to your email address. (or by text message if that is better for you) Contact me at richard@richardstrick.com .

Currently working with my old friend Henry Goias, a bandmate in my first band, Jawbone. We've recorded a couple of covers; Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing, and Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia composition, Stella Blue. Planning on releasing Stella Blue soon. Those joining my  email list will receive the MP3 in reply.

Also working on a new song with Kent Hayden.  When I started writing lyrics for this, my plan was to have Kent compose the music.  This arrangement has had such great results previously, with Reno Girls, Just Like the Hand of God, and Million Miles Away. Prior to those songs, the only lyrics I wrote for someone's music were those for Me and My Jawbone, with Henry Goias.

Barbed Wire Valentine will be the featured act at Ceni's Open Mic (HopMonk Tavern, Sebastopol) on August `12; a thirty minute performance from 8 to 8:30. Many thanks to Ceni! Perfect time to plug our show at Banshee Wines in Geyserville on August 29th from 4 to 7.

The search continues for a drummer to replace Herb when he moves out of the area in September.We would also like to add a guitarist, making BWV a four piece band. Any leads would be appreciated.

Just want to add that the two books I mentioned earlier were both, for me , worth reading. I would recommend them to anyone interested in modern media and its effects.

Thanks for reading.

Richard

A little late this month… not that unusual.  Still needing to push myself to maintain these scheduled musings.This month I'd like to share a learning experience I had years ago that I think may be helpful for others.

I went to the dentist (something I had been neglecting for some time) because of very unhealthy gums.  The prescription was a procedure called root planing, which required two visits.After the second visit, I asked the hygienist how i could prevent this from happening again.  He showed me a little device called a perio-aid. It is a holder for a toothpick very similar to a dentists tool, and he recommended using it daily to go along te gum line. 

I began doing this and discovered that brushing and flossing as I had been practicing it was leaving a lot of residue between the tooth and gum that could be removed by the perio-aid.  This resulted in a gradual improvement in my brushing and flossing practice, to the point where I usually am not removing much, if any residue with the perio-aid.  

My routine is to clean my teeth before bed thoroughly, (brush, floss perio-aid).  This has prevented gum problems ever since. (25 years)  I am often complimented on my healthy gums when visiting the dentist.  The reason I'm discussing this rather personal matter is that I think others could benefit from the use of this tool as I did.  It took the mystery out of the process of cleaning teeth.

This has been a bit off the beaten path for this news-letter, blog…whatever you're supposed to call it.  Certainly not a first. 

Next month, I hope to return to subject matter more closely linked to our musical endeavors.

Till then,

Richard

This month I'd like to point my readers to a playlist I created on Spotify called Bob Dylan Mystery Man Playlist. I compiled this playlist to highlight this thread running through Dylan's work, that I think is a reference to a specific individual;  one who has had a foundational influence on his work. I believe this individual is the author of "The Book" (as I call it on my website) i.e Revealed Translation of John's Revelation, Archie J Inger.

This belief arises from my study of that book, and specifically from it's statements regarding the two prophets who are to appear in the end times to show the way through the troubles mankind has caused itself. Now I have to say that, on it's face this belief is absurd, since, according to wikipedia, Mr. Inger died in 1954.  My response to this is that, like Mr. Dylan, I believe in the impossible.

The Wikipedia entry noted above is very limited and needs to be filled out with links to his work. I intend to contribute to that in the near future.

Thanks for reading,

Richard