Nothing Compares 2 U

I didn't post about her passing yesterday, but I surely was thinking about Sinead O'Connor. I listened to Nothing Compares 2 U somewhere in the range of a billion times when I was a teen, full of angst and anger and unrequited love. I didn't know what Sinead was singling about, necessarily, but I felt it. I listened to her sing and I cried, internally or externally, my gloom of teenage tears.

Later on I learned that this song, Sinead’s song, was actually a cover, and that Prince had written it. Which seemed like such an odd match of two completely different artists. But you know, it was really as much Sinead’s song as it was Prince’s song as it was my song. She just felt it the most.

In 2015, I went to see Chris Cornell on his Higher Truth tour. It was him and his guitar, that was it. He played a cover of Nothing Compares 2 U and though no longer a teen, I may have cried a bit. For past me, past heartbreak, for past Sinead, and I didn't know it then, but for future Chris.

In 2018, Prince or I guess his estate released his version of Nothing Compares 2 U. Ironic but not the first time that a songwriter's version of their own song was the least famous. (I'm sure there are a zillion other NC2U covers out there, but you know what I mean.) It is still a fantastic song, though, his version of it. But it’s the third best version.

But about Sinead.

You know I saw somewhere, not bothering to click on the link, but Morrissey said something along the lines of, You praise her now that she's gone, underlying message: you're a hypocrite. While I am no Morrissey fan, in this instance he's not necessarily wrong - a lot of people f'ing hated Sinead back in the day, especially after that SNL performance. But also, while you're still here, Morrissey, let me say this: fuck off already.

I don’t really know anything about Sinead O’Connor other than what I’ve read here and there. But I will forever feel a connection to her because of that song, and how she sang it. It was like her voice transcended the laws of science as we know them, to ascend to magic, something with no explanation, that we can only witness in awe.

I started singing the song after I saw Chris Cornell play it, but in my mind I’m always singing Sinead’s version. And probably will sing it to her tonight.

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A post by Rob Harvilla on Nothing Compares 2 U.

Love Lance

By the by, there are a lot of people talking about Jordan Love, how the Packers are optimistic, how we haven't seen much of him in the NFL yet, hell how he hasn't played much football at all since 2019, but there's a reason he was drafted in the first round.

There are also a lot of people labeling Trey Lance as a bust already. Uh.

Every word about Jordan Love above should be directly applicable to Trey Lance as well. Is this not logical?

Love has appeared in 10 NFL games, attempting 83 passes. Lance has appeared in 8 NFL games, attempting 102 passes.

There are differences between the two, obviously, but the similarities are many. And these are both young (24 and 23) highly athletic men being coached by offensive geniuses (Matt LaFleur - a Shanahan disciple, and Kyle Shanahan himself), having been coached by the same head coach - essentially also their offensive coordinators - their entire careers.

Jordan Love, under difficult circumstances, looked terrible in his only start last year (due to Rodgers' failed immunization to covid). Trey looked pretty bad under terrible conditions in his first start last year (against the Bears in a crazy ass rainstorm). In his second start, he was injured.

(Against the Texans the year before, he actually looked good. Say what you will about the Texans and their defense at the time, but this was still an NFL game.)

So, please, people who are labeling one a bust while looking at the other with "optimism". Please, stop it already.

And please, Mike Florio, the idea that Shanahan, with both Brock Purdy and Trey Lance still on their rookie contracts, would enter a "tug-of-war" with Sean McVay next offseason for Kirk Cousins*. Jesus. Shut up already.

* I don't actually think Cousins is a bad QB by any means. He's solid, but not spectacular. But going after him would mean that not only has Purdy regressed immeasurably AND Lance has failed at the Zach Wilson level, but they'd be willing to trade Deebo and maybe someone like Greenlaw to make salary cap room for Cousins, who will be a $40-50m man. Rather than sign say Darnold for a few mil (unless he has ALSO flamed out a la Wilson Lance AND PURDY SMFH). It just defies all logic. Ergo, shut up already.

Syd from the Bear reminds me of the best pasta I've ever eaten in my life

So I'm watching the Bear s2 ep3 and Syd is out on the town eating for inspiration, and she wanders into a restaurant with these beautiful wood walls and stools, and I immediately recognize this place, but is it possible that they haven't changed the interior or the f'ing stools in 15 years?? Can't be.

But it is. It is Avec.

(This photo is from the NY Times and it is not the pasta that I had there, but it's close - in appearance anyway.

The version I had did not have mushrooms, though they would be at home in this sauce.)

It was at Avec that I had pappardelle with chicken livers and cream sauce. My shoddy memory stored it as tagliatelle until I re-read my old post - but otherwise I recall a lot of details from this night, from this dish. I remember sitting at that bar, in that beautiful room, and eating what I believe is the best pasta I've ever eaten in my life. I remember less about the beet salad or the affogato that bookended the pasta. But I remember the hell out of that pasta, and more specifically the joy, comfort and luxury I experienced while eating it.

There are certain indelible imprint vehicles - and maybe yours are different than mine. But for me music, a certain song in a certain circumstance; smell; and of course food - those three things can grab a lot of surrounding details from a moment, some important and some not as, and grip them and then burrow forever into my brain, to be stored there like a mosquito in amber.

And then all it takes is Sydney wandering into that same place on a TV screen 15 years later to bump the thread and release the t-rex of pasta.

(Not that I haven't thought of that dish since I ate it. Honestly, it would not be inaccurate to say I think about that dish between one and four times a year.)

One final note on this: I look at what I ate there and am struck by how little my ordering style has changed in 15 years. Fifteen years later there's a high chance that I would order the exact same meal! That's sort of ... disturbing. Like, I'd like to think that with today's menu I'd order a hummus or maybe the tabbouleh - but I know damn well that, I'd contemplate everything and then order the brussels sprouts fattoush with beets aka beet salad. And the coconut sorbet affogato with biscuits I mean biscotti. So in conclusion, I have grown none.

And final final by the way, there is absolutely no way they have the same stools from 2008. But did they just buy extremely similar ones as replacements? Two or three times over?? I dunno. Maybe it's okay that neither I nor the restaurant have changed that much in 15 years. I mean, okay sure we've grown, we've aged, hopefully become more mature, but some things, like stools and tastes, are eternal.