Once upon a time there was a lovely plant called a "Shamrock". Its big and bountiful purple leaves stretched up towards the sun, healthy and strong. I was in awe, and asked it's owner if I could have it.
Fast forward two weeks. The same Shamrock, stems withered and dried, slumped over the edge of the planter, a mound of dead leaves on the floor.
I'm a deficient care giver. Wittingly and unwittingly, plants seem to fall victim to strange and often fatal ailments while in my hands. I have good intentions, although they don't seem to manifest themselves.
My shamrock. Many would have written it off as a lost cause, and tossed it to the curb. I've killed enough plants to know better - this one wasn't completely done for - but it wasn't going to respond to traditional treatments of water, fertilizer, or simple care either.
I knew that if this plant was to see another day, I needed to take it to the next level, reach back to 1984 and invoke the power of music in a way that only 5 guys from Boston could: I needed New Edition.
Back in the 80's they were the masters of barely-pubescent pop; Ricky, Ronnie, Michael, Bobby, and Ralph. Their jheri-curls, the gold chains, the thin line of peach-fuzz above each of their mouths. I'd felt their transformative power, and I knew my plant could too.
My mission was clear: Resurrect the Shamrock. My apparatus, nothing but a turn-table and a well-played 12" of "Cool It Now", New Edition's greatest beat. The Plan: A daily dose of the track fed to my Shamrock for two weeks.
The days were well-documented. Click here for the highlights »
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