More random thoughts about music Hot, muggy, hazy August days in the country make me want to do absolutely nothing but sit out on the porch with a couple bottles of beer and Django Reinhardt playing - especially some of the slower, more melancholic tunes. Perfect too-hot-to-move lazy day music for me.
Re: More random thoughts about music Django would have to be early evening music for me. During the day in a similar scenario, I'd kick it to Iron & Wine.
Inaugural "A thread for random thoughts about music (Volume 2, Electric Boogaloo)" Band Name of the Week: AC/DShe I don't know what it means either, but there you have it.
I'm on my third listen through so far. It could use some more rockers. I haven't formulated a total opinion yet. It does seem to disapointy a bit after the opener, though.
In spite of all the hoopla, the backlash, the revisionism, and "the Liverpool Oratorio", the Beatles were really ********ing good.
- I was disappointed to find that the Jack Johnson DVD I received as gift was just surfing porn (in the figurative, not literal, sense). I mean, yeah, the oceans are pretty and all, but for a non-surfer, watching these guys just ride the wave after wave does nothing for the mojo. - Everyone should get the album shown in my avatar. - That's what I would say if I had the Garden State soundtrack album cover as my avatar.
Even today I still think that next to Bob Dylan's early stuff, Bulat Okudzhava has songs with the best lyrics I've ever heard.
What a criminally underappreciated band. They're playing at the House of Blues in Chicago tomorrow night. Wish I could go . . . .
Here's a random thought. Is John Coltrane the best part of "Kinda Blue" ? I listened to it for the 1000th time, but this time I put on some good headphones. It made me appreciate this recording even more. Coltrane just blows me away.
John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk and Miles Davis are the Bird, Magic and Jordan of 20th Century music. When Elliott Smith died, I regretted not having gone to single one of his live shows. Now, I'm not so sure. As much as I would have loved to see him live, I think his music is best enjoyed in the intimacy of one's headphone, not with 500 other people.
Today, I had occasion to borrow my Dad's truck to pick some stuff up. So I get in and start it up, and he's got the oldies station on. Not that I really ever listen to those stations, but I'm familiar with most of the songs they play...because we all are by this point, aren't we? A few minutes in, on comes "Young Girl", by Gary Puckett and The Union Gap. Even if you don't know it by the title, chances are you know it from hearing it. I'd never really listened to it before, but today I did. And now all I've got to say is holy sh/t is that the creepiest fvcking song EVER or what? Don't believe me? Try the lyrics on for size. Young girl, get out of my mind My love for you is way out of line Better run, girl, You're much too young, girl With all the charms of a woman You've kept the secret of your youth You led me to believe You're old enough To give me Love And now it hurts to know the truth, Oh, Beneath your perfume and make-up You're just a baby in disguise And though you know That it is wrong to be Alone with me That come on look is in your eyes, Oh, So hurry home to your mama I'm sure she wonders where you are Get out of here Before I have the time To change my mind 'Cause I'm afraid we'll go too far, Oh, Young girl That's some messed up sh/t right there.
Related thought: Cannonball Adderley never sounds blue, even on that record. He could be playing a funeral dirge and his solos would still have that happy, bouncy feel to them.
He sounds even less blue when you hear him talk. Some of the best parts of Cannonball records are his spoken intros to songs, like "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" or "Azule Serape." "Groovy" and "Jolly" are the words that come to mind. And this guy:
More marimbas! More marimbas! I don't care who -- The Magnetic Fields, Billy Bang, doesn't matter, doesn't matter. Just play that goddamn marimba!
The intro to "If youre feeling Sinister" (the song) by B&S is brilliant. Seriously. I could listen to that intro all day long.
I love the marimba. Steve Reich turned me into a fan. They love the marimba in Japan. When I used to work at a performing arts center, we had a ton of Japanese marimba players come through town. I can't believe this, I just decided to look up some marimba players before I posted this and low and behold.... Nanae Mimura played a few months ago at my high school! She was giving a marimba workshop. For some reason, the high school I went to has a monster percussion program and some fine marimba players have come through there. That really sucks. She does some fluffy crap, but she also plays a lot of modern classical, etc.
Okay, after listening to "A Ghost is Born" all of the way through for the sixth time, it's finally hooked me.
Merge Records is celebrating their 15 year anniversary with a three-CD compilation titled, Old Enough 2 Know Better. The third disc is entirely unreleased material. Happy Birthday to a great record label. Murf