The Chances

How a 250+ Pound Couch Potato Got Healthy

Friday, February 07, 2003

Back around 1982 sometime, there was an up and coming South African musician named Trevor Rabin. He was shopping around a solo album to various record companies, and Atlantic Records (ATCO for short) was interested, but they weren't interested. Three songs in particular, they said were not "hit" material (we'll get to that later).

At the same time, Trevor's management said there were two sets of people who were interested in putting together a band, completely separate from the solo project. One was Jack Bruce formerly of Cream. The other was Chris Squire and Alan White, formerly of Yes. He was interested in working with the Yes guys, who were just coming off a failed project with Jimmy Page, called XYZ (appropriately, Ex-Yes/Zeppelin).

At any rate, the band they formed was called Cinema, and they started working with another ex-Yes member, Tony Kaye. Shortly thereafter, yet another ex-Yes member, Jon Anderson, rolled into town to hang out with the guys, and loved the material. On a whim, Jon sang on one of the tracks, and Yes of the 80s was born.

Many of the tracks that Trevor Rabin was working on in 1982 became the basis of the biggest selling album Yes ever had, 90125. The three tracks I mentioned earlier were the three hits from that album: City of Love, Hold On, and the only #1 hit Yes ever had, Owner of a Lonely Heart.

So the big question is, why am I telling you this?

The original demos that Trevor Rabin was working on back in 1982 are being released next week as a CD called 90124. So far it's not being released in the US, but this should be an exciting CD.

Trevor did an interview with Notes From the Edge recently in regards to the project. Here's hoping it'll be really good!

Thursday, February 06, 2003

So I put up a blog and what did I do? Refused to find time for entries for almost two weeks.

1. The tivo was successfully upgraded, although with one drive instead of two. Those jumper settings finally got the best of me and I said forget it. It does, however, now have a 120GB drive instead of a 40, so I can record something like 135 hours in basic mode, 41 hours in best. I leave it at best. Now all I need to do is find time to watch the 8 Sliders episodes that keep adding up.

2. So this week I've eaten more salad than I have in the past year. The upside, though, is that I like salad, which goes a long, long way. I met with a dietitian, who gave me portion sizes, and joined Weight Watchers again, which helps a bit on the support side. Then there's Body Express, which helps on the exercise front, although I must admit, I haven't been going often enough. I saw the doctor yesterday, who told me that my blood levels have been really good, and doesn't want me to come back for another MONTH. He gave me prescriptions for the blood pressure medication and the diabetes medication, but said that if I keep going the way I'm going, he'll take me off the diabetes meds! This is a Good Thing(TM).

That's it for now. I just wish I had more time, but don't we all.