Jimmy Webb - American Songwriter With Many Connections To Genre Fiction

 

Jimmy Webb is a songwriter, composer, and singer with a long and storied history within the music business. The son of a US Marine veteran of the WWII island hopping campaign against Imperial Japan and Baptist preacher, Jimmy began his career working by crafting songs for various Motown artists. 

His work was performed by a wide range of artists including Vikki Carr, The 5th Dimension, and The Supremes. He developed a close relationship with singer Glen Campbell whose performances of "Galveston", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", and "Wichita Lineman" became standards in the American songbook. 

Glen Campbell also popularized the Jimmy Webb song "Highwayman" which includes an interstellar reference:

I fly a starship 
Across the Universe divide
And when I reach the other side
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can

Jimmy's relationship with genre figures includes the late Richard Harris who was the first incarnation of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies. It was Richard Harris' recording of "MacArthur Park" that first popularized that song. Harris was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1968 for the best pop male vocal performance of "MacArthur Park". [Also nominated were Glen Campbell for another Jimmy Webb song "Wichita Lineman" and the ultimate winner in the category José Feliciano who covered The Doors' "Light My Fire".] 

Harris' version of MacArthur Park went to number 2 on the Hot 100 chart. Webb's only number one hit in his career was when Donna Summer's version went to the top of the chart. 

Jimmy Webb proceeded to write and produce two full albums of music performed by Richard Harris. The first album released in 1968 was the Grammy nominated A Tramp Shining album. The second album "The Yard Went On Forever" was released later the same year. 

As evidenced by the starship reference in "Highwayman", Jimmy has had a long relationship with genre fiction. 

A long-time fan of Robert A. Heinlein, Webb proceeded to write "The Moon Is A Hard Mistress". Robert Heinlein offered no opposition to using that name for the song. 

The song is more of a love song than a paean to science fiction with the moon representing a woman who is hard to hold in love.

"The moon's a harsh mistress
And the sky is made of stone
The moon's a harsh mistress
She's hard to call your own"

The song was first performed by Joe Cocker and has been subsequently recorded 30 times by artists including Glen Campbell (natch!), Pat Metheny, Linda Ronstadt, Joan Baez, and Maureen McGovern. 

Jimmy Webb talked about his relationship with genre fiction and Robert A. Heinlein specifically in a 2009 interview for Penny Black Music by Lisa Torem.

Penny Black Music: Another beautiful ballad ‘The Moon is a Harsh Mistress’ (1977, 'El Mirage’, Rhino Handmade) was inspired by science- fiction literature. Does literature often inspire you?

Jimmy Webb: Well, it always has. In that particular case, you know, Robert Heinlein, was a kind of early mentor of mine. I started reading his books when I was eight years old. He really wrote juvenile novels – ‘Starship Trooper.’ But, he had a lot of political content and sociological content. I guess I was really getting more of my education out of science-fiction than out of public school. I was reading Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov and learning a great deal about the patois of the language itself and how these words were being used to create emotions. I was learning this from writers without even knowing it.

And since science-fiction is my cup of tea and I don’t think I turned out to be wrong – I think it’s dominated the film industry over the past few years and it turned out to be a legitimate form of expression.

When I first started reading sci-fi they were debating whether it as a legitimate art-form. I’m not going to get into that…

This isn’t really art – these are just stories that people make up. People like Arthur C. Clarke invented the communications satellite and Jules Verne – as a visionary – what they were was futurists. And so what I was doing was looking with a glazed look on my face and my father would say, “Where are you now, Jimmy?”

But, I guess I always knew that. ‘The Moon is a Harsh Mistress’ was one of the best titles I’ve ever heard in my life. I really am guilty of appropriating something from another writer. In this case I had contact with Robert A. Heinlein’s attornies. I said, “I want to write a song with the title, ‘The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.’ Can you ask Mr. Heinlein if it’s okay with him?” They called me back and he said he had no objection to it.

I Didn't Just Lose You

 
Found on the Book of Faces under The Pooh Lover.

Maybe I'm saving this because my friend Gary just lost his wife.  The one he spent a lifetime waiting for.  The one he will spend a lifetime missing.

Maybe I'm saving this because I fear experiencing his fate.  Losing my beloved bride wouldn't just be losing a partner.  It would mean losing in integral piece of what make me who I am.

Maybe I'm saving this for day when memory truly fades and I'm looking around for someone familiar in a sea of faces all claim to be friends or family and in whose faces I experience only vague recollection.

Maybe I'm saving this for you, my unknown reader, so you will know that it is OK to miss someone with all your heart.  Your world has changed.  And it will change again.  And so will you.  And while there will be someone missing in your life, you will still be here.  You too will be missed in turn.  So stay with us.  Be the place that feels "like home" for someone else for as long as you can.  And then a minute more.

SPFBO Champions League

Now that SPFBO has completed 10 competitions, Mark Lawrence has started a "Champions League" where each of those winners will be ranked against one another.  The competition has concluded with the winners announced on Facebook and on Mark's blog.

I've read most of the winners, but not all.  With that in mind, here is how I would rank these champions.

I've segmented this into tiers as there are some books that far outshine the others.  And other books that...welllllll.  You get the point.  Links to my reviews are included where available.  Included in the comments is where the book ended up in the competition.

First Tier - Must Read
Book	Author	Dann's Rating	Brief Comments
	J. Zachary Pike	5 Stars	Solid mix of humor, old-school, hack-and-slash AD&D, economics, and the financial crash of 2008. Our hero is an adventurer in the old school D&D sense.  He assembles a team to go acquire treasure.  Along the way, he learns how his expedition gets monetized and how the adventuring system creates victims unjustly. [Came in second in the competition.  Great book, great series.]
	Jonathan French	5 Stars	A bunch of half-orcs are charged with defending civilization (read humans) from predation by full orcs.  This is a surface level "guys" book that includes an important subtext about questioning the accepted narrative.  A "must read" for any fantasy fan. [Came in 8th in the competition.  I'm not sure why.  I may have to read the judges reviews.]
	Morgan Stang	4 Stars	I should not like this book.  It combines a Cthulu-esque mythos, with a Sherlock Holmesian protagonist, with a steam punk vibe. But I love this book.  Our hero and her sidekick are engaging and entertaining.  The mystery takes time to resolve and kept me guessing.  Lots of dry British humo(u)r. Well worth the time to read. [Came in 7th in the competition.  Again, I'm baffled, but to each their own dentifrice.]
	M.L. Wang	5 Stars	The book is a tour-de-force of Asian inspired fantasy storytelling.  Our protagonist isn't supposed to be good with a sword.  Turns out she is great with a sword. Lots of culture/norms busting subtext included with a main story and characters that are engaging and thought provoking. [Came in 1st in the competition.  This is a worthy victor and well worth your time.]
Second Tier - Good Books, Solidly Entertaining
	Olivia Atwater	4 Stars	[I haven't formally reviewed the book.]  This is one of those "cozy" novels that have become popular lately.  Great characters.  The storyline is mostly OK and would be great were it not for the unforeseen resolution that smacks mightily of Deus ex machina, literally. It turns out that angels and demons really do live among us.  And sometimes they do miracles.   [Came in 4th in the competition.  It's a good book.  If you like "cozy" coupled with "don't think too much about it", then this is a great read.]
	Justin Lee Anderson	4 Stars	I'd almost put this book above "Small Miracles".  It was a well told story with engaging characters.  At the end of the book, there is a big reveal that causes you to reconsider all of the other actions in the book.  A real mind-bender. [Came in 5th in the competition and 6th on my list, so pretty close!!]
	J.L. Odom	4 Stars	While I enjoyed this book and wish the author, a fellow Marine, great success, it just left something out.  Mostly this is the first book of a series and it largely sets up the later books without really resolving any issues in the first book. [Came in 3rd in the competition.  There was a lot of great writing and worldbuilding in the book.  But it isn't a complete story.  And the fantasy elements were minimal.]
Have Never Read - I'm working on it.
	Michael McClung	--	I haven't read this, but I've heard lots of good things about it. [Came in 6th in the competition.]
	Rob J. Hayes	--	I haven't read this one either.  But the author is well known in the self-publishing and Grimdark communities. I'm reading this book right now.  Not the best first few chapters.  I thought this was going to be a DNF for a while.  It's picking up.  Unless it sticks the landing, it will end up in the Second Tier, above. [Came in 9th in the competition.]
Last Tier
	J.D. Evans	2 Stars [2.5 Stars]	This is a romance novel smeared with a layer of fantasy-ium.  Our protagonists smash for no good reason.  The magic and political intrigue is stated but never really shown.  There are the bones of a good story here that are occluded by "romantasy". [Came in 10th.  I agree!!]

Technology and Ne'er-do-wells - Music Edition

I am generally in favor of technological development.  The benefits are almost uniformly worth the effort in the long run.

Almost.

I ran across a circumstance today where it seems that technology is not working in favor of humanity in the arena of music.  There has been a longstanding issue with AI created music being added to Spotify.  I haven't encountered much AI music.  A few of the podcasters/YouTubers to whom I listen have expressed mixed reactions.  

Some of the AI music wasn't bad.  It had musical hooks.  The lyrics weren't totally off the wall.  In their opinion, AI music lacked something.  In comparison, the human-produced music has more completely explored the depths of "bad".

Today I was looking to explore some new groups.  That led me to looking at the "new releases" section on Spotify.  Their algorithm is usually pretty good at picking out stuff that interests me.  I came across this "new album" supposedly by the band GTR.

For the uninitiated, GTR was a "super band" from the 1980s that incorporated some of the best guitarists of the day.  They put out one album that did reasonably well.  Finances and internal conflict between the band members caused GTR to disband.  Their one album was the self-titled "GTR".

The ownership of this album is listed on Spotify as:

The other album (with the AI generated cover featuring some sort of dog) is apparently owned by someone else.

Despite being released in 2025, the website for "GTR Entertainment" is already defunct.  I do corporate research from time to time professionally.  I checked a couple resources and the business registration information looked highly suspicious. 

It appears to me that someone is using the popularity of a good band [GTR from the 1980s] coupled with the lack of current interest by the band to slip content to unsuspecting listeners.  As we have been learning over the last few years, one such instance isn't very profitable.  But creating thousands of albums and tens of thousands of songs can result in enough streams to generate a non-trivial amount of revenue.

For the record, I have no interest in listening to the 2025 content.  

That's Not The Point - That IS THE POINT!!

Due to Michigan's proximity to Canada, we are exposed to semi-regular news stories detailing the issues with the Canadian healthcare system that drive Canadians to America to receive needed care.  That is one reason among so many why I remain steadfastly opposed to any further movement toward a nationalized healthcare system in the US.

One of the primary criticisms of healthcare in the US is that healthcare is rationed by virtue of cost.  If you can't pay, then you can't have.

With national healthcare systems such as those in Canada and the UK, healthcare is rationed by virtue of time.  You can't have any until the government approves the procedure.  In some cases, approval takes a very, very long time.  Approaching "never"...or just simply never.

Along comes the case of Jolene Van Alstine, a citizen of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.  She suffers from a rare parathyroid condition.  The solution to the condition is the removal of the parathyroid.  This is a standard procedure that is known to resolve the problem.

So to solve the issue one sets up an appointment with a doctor and has the procedure done.  Spit.  Spot.  Move along.

Except, one must first get a referral to an appropriate doctor to perform the surgery.  No such qualified doctor exists in Saskatchewan.  And their NHS has (thus far) declined to offer a referral outside of Saskatchewan.

Apparently, this condition is quite painful.  Ms. Van Alstine is in sufficient distress that she has begun the process of applying for MAID from the Canadian healthcare system.

MAID stands for Medical Assistance In Dying.  The stated purpose is that a person suffering from an incurable, intractable medical issue can request assistance in committing suicide.

For the record, I think the approach stated above is a sound basis upon which to create assistance in dying.  If a person dying from cancer (or Parkinson's, or nerve damage rendering them a quadriplegic, or...so on)  is faced with the choice between several months of increasing pain or a quick exit at the moment of their choice, then the latter is the most humane and ethical option on the table.

But in this case, the problem persists because their NHS refuses to give permission to a qualified doctor to set up a practice in Saskatchewan.  And they have, thus far, declined to issue a referral to Ms. Van Alstine to visit a qualified doctor outside of Saskatchewan.

You may want to read [one] and [two] articles on this event.

What I find unconscionable is the response from various officials responsible for healthcare in Canada.  From the articles:

Starting with this bit of mealy-mouthed non-responsiveness.

"Due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment on specifics of an individual’s case and outcomes," the spokesperson said. "The Government of Saskatchewan expresses its sincere sympathy for all patients who are suffering with a difficult health diagnosis.

"The Ministry of Health encourages all patients to continue working with their primary care providers to properly assess and determine the best path forward to ensure they receive timely access to high-quality healthcare."

After an American broadcaster steps into help:

Tom McIntosh, a professor of politics and international studies at the University of Regina who focuses on health policy, says Canadians should not allow political posturing to draw their attention away from the real problems.

“Whatever kind of foolish opportunism that Glenn Beck is demonstrating for his own purposes, we, I think, should try not to be distracted by that,” McIntosh said in an interview on Wednesday.

 And this from the government health ministry:

A Ministry of Health spokesperson confirmed the meeting shortly after and sent CBC a statement.

"Due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment on specifics of an individual’s case and outcomes," the spokesperson said at the time. "The Government of Saskatchewan expresses its sincere sympathy for all patients who are suffering with a difficult health diagnosis.

"The Ministry of Health encourages all patients to continue working with their primary care providers to properly assess and determine the best path forward to ensure they receive timely access to high-quality healthcare."

The point, from their perspective, is not that their system is broken in a way that leaves people vulnerable to not receiving needed care.  The point is not that they need to take quick action to resolve the issue to keep a person from the alternative; preventable suicide.

Their point seems to be that this is all just an American circus pitching its tent in Canada for fun and profit.

That's not the point.  The point is that nationalized health care systems deny citizens their ability to access needed care.  Nationalized health care systems fail to respond to market pressures because they destroy the market signals that reveal those pressures.

Had they allowed physicians to open an office where ever the physicians saw an opportunity to serve people (and earn a profit), then this wouldn't have been an issue.  Ms. Van Alstine would have had multiple doctors from which to choose.

Had their system allowed a local doctor to make a referral to ANY qualified doctor in Canada, then this would not have been an issue.

The problem is created by rationing care which is the inevitable result of any nationalized health care system.

Sauce The Gander But Never The Goose

I am something of a middling fan of Larry Correia's fiction.  I have not been attracted to his various MHI series.  But I love his Saga of the Forgotten Warrior series and consider it to be one of the 5 best fantasy series to have been published this century.

Some of you may recall Larry's interactions with the WorldCon community over the years.  Basically, he asserted that the Hugo Awards have been compromised by those that put politics ahead of quality storytelling.  I think it is fair to say that he made that assertion inelegantly.  I think it is fair to say that elegance has never been a priority for Larry.

From that issue flows a tangential connection with George R.R. Martin, author of a bunch of stuff along with the unfinished A Song of Fire and Ice series.  Along with other fans, I'd love for George to finish the series.  Along with other fans, I suspect that he won't for various reasons.

Over the last 5-10 years, Larry has made it a habit to taunt George.  He even wrote the dedication to the capstone novel of his Saga of the Forgotten Warrior series to George.

"To George R. R. Martin. See? It’s not that hard"

Recently, Larry posted a writing update where he noted that he has a lot of irons in the fire.  He stated that we shouldn't take his lack of attention to our personal favorite series as a personal slight.

And the worst frequently asked question of all (which is really more of a perpetual whine) here’s my perpetual answer: I’m terribly sorry that I’m working on (the series you despise) rather than (the series you love) and yes, even though I claim to write different things at different times for logical business or creative reasons you don’t grasp, in reality writers are like those soda machines with a hundred flavors and you just push the button you want and wonderful stories effortlessly come out super fast on demand, so clearly I am only writing books in this order because I am cruel and spiteful against you personally, even though I don’t know you at all. Cool? Run with that.

Given that George also has many creative irons in the fire, one would hope that Larry would have been a bit more tolerant over the years.  Or that he might acknowledge the irony of choosing the properties he works on and those that get ignored while simultaneously castigating George for making precisely the same choices.

I'll read more books from the Song of Fire and Ice series if George ever finishes them.  I'll be reading more books by Larry as well.  (His most recent Kickstarter is in my Kindle queue.  I have high hopes!)

I also think calling all of the balls and strikes is a useful habit.  

The Star Trek You Never Knew

So what was life on the USS Enterprise really like? I mean...really, really like? Did the Star Trek episodes really cover all the best events? Were there events that are more important in retrospect but were treated as mundane and left on the cutting room floor? Was life on the Enterprise a bit spicier than you thought?

The good folks at Quadrivo [Patreon link - they have a "free" option!] have their NetDystopia Music project on YouTube where they offer a variety of electronic music. They also have a unique collection of Star Trek scenes that somehow never made it into the TV shows!

These clips are mildly episodic. Watching them in order will be more satisfying than watching them randomly.

Episode 1 - Picard and Q had an infamously fraught relationship where each tried to outsmart the other in a sort of mental chess. Did their relationship ever break down into something simpler? Checkers? Tic-Tac-Toe? Trading insults? Your mom!

 

Episode 2 - Commander Riker's escapades were legendary. Going on planet-side liberty with Riker guaranteed an "interesting" time. As a result, Picard is compelled to have an HR discussion with Riker about some of his more disturbing conduct aboard the Enterprise. But that man sure knows how to use a chair! Leg up!

Episode 3 - Nothing works forever. While the holodeck is offline and Picard has to use a gaming console with all the RGBs to play Borderlands 44, but the lag is a killer.

Episode 4 - Commander Riker's antics rubbed off on some of the crew. And now Picard has to have an HR discussion with Troi. She successfully invokes a Kirk originated fleet directive.

Episode 5 - Kirk and company have trouble complying with a new fleet safety instruction. Kirk's twin brother impersonates Kirk to get the last of the "good" safety gear. Rather than deal with the older tech, Kirk issues one of his infamous fleet directives.

Episode 6 - Harry Mudd has a new podcast. The Warp Factor! Harry interviews the Ferengi Fur about the console performance requirements for Fur's latest video game, Borderlands 44. Episode sponsored by Dr Crimson and her OnlyScans channel. Yoga!

Coming soon! Chief O'Brien and the transporter!

I enjoy solid animation. The scenes in the above have a bit of a rotoscoped feel with a bit of Studio Ghibli tossed in. Most of the character animations are pretty close to how the live actors appeared. From the Quadrivo Patreon page, it appears that these video clips are all created using some level of AI.

As always, the Internet is replete with diamonds amidst the sludge. For those with an ear for relaxing electronica, Quadrivo has a channel on Spotify.

Also, while doing the research I had a moment of serendipity and discovered this piece titled "Dave Brubeck - Golden Brown" which is a piece inspired by Dave Brubeck's "Time Out" and the Stranglers' "Golden Brown". The music is original, but the video is cut from a video of Dave Brubeck's band playing Time Out. The algorithm for the win!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope this provided some enjoyment to your day.