We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Buddy wanted y'all to hear this sociopathic one about blaming others: Crisis Site 13 (wait for the metal intro to end). "I can kill you and never go to jail, cuz I'm 13 and I'm cute and I hope you die."
That's interesting, but this is Terry Allen Country:
Attended a wonderful Chopin recital last night, perfomed by Benjamin Hochman.
Among other pieces, he performed Chopin's Barcarolle, Op 60. It's a mind-blowingly charming piece, and there is something about the relatively-rare key of F# Major that works for me.
Piano Quintet, Op 44, ll. I remember when I used to confuse Shubert and Schumann. Love 'em both, but it doesn't get any better than this. My brain is semi-music retarded, and I have to hear a whole piece many times before I begin to get it. I do like piano quintets, but sometimes feel they need a little drum. (Yes, I know that pianny is a percussion instrument.)
It's been a long time since I have heard this one. It takes me back...so innocent. ""Kathy, I'm lost,' I said, though I know she was sleeping. I'm empty and aching and I don't know why..."
I was fortunate to recently hear a noted quartet play one of Brahms' masterpieces, his Piano Quartet in G Minor, Op.25, in an intimate setting. I am fortunate to live where there is plenty of live chamber music, and I am always happy to go listen.
I love chamber music as much or more than orchestral (too bad chamber music didn't have drum sets, though) but, with my tin ear and my slow brain, it takes me several hearings to get the structure, intent, and the direction of a composition unless I have studied it in advance. (Folk, blues, and pop are easy for my brain.) I mentioned this disability to Mrs. BD in reference to the G minor, and she replied "What do you mean? This is as clearly structured, developed, and disciplined a chamber piece as I have ever heard. The structure is transparent."
Listen to the whole piece for a day or two, if you need that as I do. It's a musical journey.
Here's just the familiar Finale, Movement 4 - the Rondo alla zingarese - a dance piece if there ever was one:
They've been saying "The 60's are over" for years. And now, for Mr. Bob Dylan, they finally are.
Ol' Bob turns 70 today.
Pic: Not a recent photograph
There's a decent little article on him here, and lots of birthday links here.
Bob Dylan can agitate people — much like the way he used to when he was in his 20s and being branded as “Judas” for daring to play loud rock music to folk-loving audiences.
I'll say. Most people I knew would have been happy to put a knife through his eye for dragging an electric guitar onto the stage. In the world of folk music, there can be no greater blasphemy.
On the flip side, if it hadn't been for electrics, we never would have been blessed with 'Blood On The Tracks', my personal fave Dylan LP*.
*For those of you under 50, 'LP' stands for 'Long Playing', as in "record album", as in "vinyl", as in "precursor to the frisbee", as in "the worst form of storage media ever used in the history of the universe after aluminum foil canisters." However, simply because they were so fragile, we treated them like gold, thus imparting a certain feeling of 'personal protection' over our music stars; a feeling you certainly don't get in the throwaway world of CDs and memory sticks.
The way I see it, the reason Dylan successfully pulled off the switch to electrics is twofold. The main thing was that, even with electric guitars and drum sets banging away in the background, they still sounded like Dylan songs. Credit his squeaky voice and simplistic chord structure if you will, but it was actually a little deeper than that. Maybe it would be more appropriate to say that, despite the guitars and drums, his songs were still Dylanesque. That 'intangible something' was still there. And that, in the final analysis, was all that mattered.
But another reason is, while he used electric instruments, he never 'went electric' like the way so many bands did, bringing in moog synthesizers and fuzz guitar and electronic sitars and all the rest. He was still, in that final analysis, the quintessential Dylan we had known and loved for years.
Squeaky voice, simplistic chord structure, and all.
Near-holy perfection for a dear pal who died a week or so ago. We expect our friends to stick around forever, but they do not. I have been losing too many, lately.
A sweet and gentle fellow, a true gentleman, who always would lend a hand despite his many life struggles and sorrows. Devoted to doing for others, and never doing enough for himself. A true humble child of God, and everybody who knew him could see that in him and loved him for it. He touched many people with his gentleness and relentless generosity of spirit. His warmth and humility came from God, I believe.
Too young. I'll smoke a good ceegar for ya, dear friend, and raise of glass of semi-decent Cabernet for ya as I know you would like me to do, and as we have done many times in the past.
He would appreciate this tune. If heaven has internet, Bob will hear this. I hope so.
My kids are also gonna see these guys next weeK - Toots and the Maytals - another favorite of some Maggie's readers. These guys were doing ska in the early 60s, before reggae was invented -
They've been saying "The 60's are over" for years. And now, for Mr. Bob Dylan, they finally are.