Though it has been covered many times in various musical styles, the song was written by Jesse “Lone Cat” Fuller, an eclectic musician and inventor who was a major force in the 1960′s folk music scene. For those who are unfamiliar with his remarkable life and work, the book provides a wonderful biography of the man as well as sheet music for the song. Yet it is the artwork in the book that truly makes it stand out.

As anyone who has heard the song knows, the tune is infectious and the lyrics paint a great picture of the simple little story. Bringing those lyrics to colorful life was the task put to illustrator David Opie, and he has done an extraordinary job of doing so. The colors truly pop off of the page, and the attention to detail is outstanding. Every read-through offers more things to pick up, not only to tell the story, but also giving a bit of the history behind the song. One scene even has Jesse Fuller playing his many homemade instruments on the platform of the railroad station.

The promotional website at www.redpsychproductions.com offers a couple different versions of the song, and it can also be found on the Grateful Dead’s live album, Reckoning. Though David Opie has not yet illustrated any more books, his work can be found in a variety of magazines and newspapers. We can only hope that he and the people at Red Psych Productions continue this trend and bring new life to more beloved songs.

We’re offering one lucky Modern Hippie Mag reader a chance to recieve their very own copy of The Monkey and the Engineer!

Here’s how:

To be eligible you must be a Modern Hippie Mag subscriber receiving our updates via email or RSS, Facebook fan, and/or Twitter follower (tell us your Twitter name in your comment below).

Contest requirements:

1. Visit redpsychproductions.com, then comment here telling us an interesting fact about Jessie “Lone Cat” Fuller not mentioned above.
2. Become a fan of The Monkey and the Engineer on Facebook and follow on Twitter.
3. Use the tweetmeme button above to retweet this giveaway.

More details:

• Open to U.S. entrants only.
• Recipients chosen at random using random.org.
• Giveaway ends 12 midnight on Sunday, Dec. 20^th, 2009.  Winner will be announced on Monday, Dec. 21st 2009.

The Monkey and the Engineer is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag

The film follows the good reverend and his flock as they cross the country, counting down the days to Christmas, and having a rollicking good time as they comically try to get people to reconsider their shopping habits and rampant consumerism. From his arrest in the Disney Store for preaching that Mickey Mouse is the anti-Christ to him being the first person ever to be banned from Starbucks in California, Reverend Billy and his choir, though they make an amusing spectacle of themselves, are very passionate about their message. Even after their bus is hit by a runaway tractor trailer, sending thirteen of them to the hospital, they charter another bus and continue on their crusade of sermons and songs.

Reverend Billy’s dire warning is for Americans to be wary of the “Shopacolypse”, that learned penchant for consumerism that has caused us to surpass $2.4 trillion dollars in credit card debt, a number that will increase by $100 billion dollars this holiday season. Their hope is that we get back to realizing what is important about the holiday and the relationships that so often take second place to our consumption. As the film points out, the average American spends one hour a week in church and five hours shopping. And while the average 8 year old watches over 40 hours of media programming a week, he only gets about 40 minutes of meaningful conversation with his parents.

Although named the Church of Stop Shopping, that is not entirely their mission. They do understand that people need to purchase items in order to survive. Even members of the choir purchase things occasionally. Nevertheless, when they make purchases, they look for products created in America where the profit goes back into the local community. The film also addresses the plight of local business owners and how many are put out of business by the low, low prices of Wal-Mart, and how the use of slave labor in other countries affects product price points. There is an exhilarating scene in which three teenage girls start to research where their clothes are made and are made aware of the horrible conditions sweatshop workers endure.

Most of these points are only glossed over as the film revels more in the antics of Reverend Billy and his choir. Yet the message is loud and clear as they head into the holiday season. Billy reminds us of the only account in the Bible where Jesus got violent was with the money changers in the temple. Imagine how he would feel today about the rampant commercialization of the celebration of his birth.

The church’s month long journey across the country as they preach the gospel of stop shopping and attempts to exorcise the demons of Wal-Mart culminates in a well timed demonstration down Disneyland’s Main Street on Christmas Day. As Reverend Billy leads the choir through the crowd awaiting the Mickey Mouse parade, he is accompanied by numerous Disney security officers, each echoing the mantra, “You need to stop now.” But Billy is consumed by the power of the spirit of not shopping and is soon arrested by the Anaheim Police. While his flock holds a candlelight vigil for his release, Reverend Billy is seen preaching a more somber and sincere sermon to close out the film.

His final plea is a hope that we can change just a little this Christmas season. He asks that we buy half as much as we did last year, and give twice as much. He reminds us that Christmas is the celebration of a child born who would one day bring us peace. As we head into this season, may we all be a little more conscious of what we are buying, why we are buying it, and at least consider if there might be a better way to show love to our loved ones that does not involve increasing our financial debt.

What Would Jesus Buy? is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag