Saturday, May 27, 2006
nepotism roolz - ok?
The offspring gigs again. Sons Of Mothers Website The Rob Roy Melbourne Pubs - Wiki Brunswick Street - Wiki
Monday, May 15, 2006
ivor cutler music eccentric
"My way of writing poetry was to go to a jazz concert and just let the music come through me and just write nonsense poems, so that one was listening to the noise of the words rather than the meaning. I wouldn't allow my intellect to get in the way. After six years I found certain sounds more to my taste than others and I gradually began to use actual words".
Ivor Cutler was born in Glasgow on 15th January 1923 to a Jewish middle-class family.
"My parents were orthodox Jews. My father moved from the orthodox to the progressive synagogue. He had been able to read Hebrew but wasn't understanding the traditional service. For me the language was then exposed as boring. I liked the incomprehensible noise of foreign words."
Victimised by anti-Semitic teachers at school for not being a "real Scot" he got the strap 200 times for not being able to write. In his twenties he looked into other religions, visiting various churches on Sundays. He converted to atheism and then, in his early twenties, having explored astronomy, he decided to become an agnostic.
When he was fifteen he thought;
"I'm going to be a composer. I'm going to make simple but strong melodies like Drove or Schubert. I've got a thing which I call my first Piano Concerto and it's only in three lines, because I didn't know what a concerto was. I took it to school and showed it to the music teacher and she was knocked out. It was a load of rubbish. Then I did a serious one called "Funeral Bells", because being a humorist I'm naturally a lugubrious kind of bloke, and suicide always has a big attraction to guys like me."
In 1950-51 he taught at A S Neill's Summerhill. He then moved to the Inner London Education Authority in 1954 for whom he worked until 1980. From 1961 to 1970 he taught music, African drumming, movement, drama and poetry to 7-11 year-olds.
Fame first came in the late Fifties. He was lying on his bed with a primitive tape recorder for company and, as he puts it, a story came out of his brain. Surprised at the ease at which he could bypass his intellect he tried again, and a second story emerged and was also recorded. Then a third. Writing poetry then began to manifest itself.
"One day I went into a place called Box & Cox and the boss man there was a fellow called Boxy. I was dressed up all peculiar, a big bag on my back with paintings in it and a dirty old duffel coat. I put on a deadpan voice and said, "I understand you buy songs here." He said, "Yes", carefully. I said, "Would you like me to sing one of my songs for you?" He said, "Yes", it was five o'clock in the evening, he had a fire going, he was relaxing.
So he got one or two of his chums and pointed to a piano that was against the wall and he sat behind me. I said "I've got different songs. It could be a funny one or it could be a serious one." He said, "Oh, play what you like." So I sat down and played this funny one. After a while I was listening, I heard. I carried on to the end, turned around, and Box was lying on the floor, his face purple. I said, "It's OK, you can laugh." He said, "We get some funny people in here and they would be terribly hurt if we laughed, because they see themselves as being very serious." So he took me on and started me in my music career"
Cutler was invited to read his idiosyncratic poems and stories on the forerunner of BBC Radio 4. Frequently he performed to the accompaniment of a pedal-driven harmonium which could only, as far as listeners could tell, play in a depressive minor key. He broadcast thirty-eight stories on the BBC's Monday Night At Home between 1959 and 1963. Cutler's artistic career started with a gig at the Blue Angel in Islington in 1957, which he reckoned was "an unmitigated failure". In the 60s he became a popular figure on UK radio, and in 1961 released his first record, the "Of Y'Hup" EP. He started writing poetry aged 42 three of his poems appear in Faber's collection of Scottish verse edited by Douglas Dunn.
Cutler found an avid fan in John Lennon, who persuaded him to take the role of Buster Bloodvessel in the Beatles vehicle Magical Mystery Tour (1967). Beatles producer George Martin produced his album Ludo (1967), released as the Ivor Cutler Trio.
Cutler remained active in his later years. He wrote children's books as well as collections of poetry and prose; recorded albums for such influential labels as Virgin, Rough Trade and Creation; and continued to record radio sessions for John Peel and Andy Kershaw. In February 2004 a frail looking Cutler gave a farewell performance of poems, songs and stories at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. Highlights from the show were later broadcast on BBC Four under the title Cutler's Last Stand as an accompaniment to a documentary, Ivor Cutler: Looking For Truth With A Pin.
He died age 83 on 3 March 2006.
Some examples of Ivor's Music
Jackfish - A Cowboy Song MP3 1.9MB
Women of The World MP3 1.2 MB
I Built A House (around a mouse) MP3 1.2 MB
(I am going to watch my woman walking down the street with a) Bounce Bounce Bounce MP3 2.1 MB
Poem
I Ate A Ladies Bun MP3 0.4 MB
Cobbled together from various BBC sites, Wiki and here, and more downloads here.
Ivor Cutler was born in Glasgow on 15th January 1923 to a Jewish middle-class family.
"My parents were orthodox Jews. My father moved from the orthodox to the progressive synagogue. He had been able to read Hebrew but wasn't understanding the traditional service. For me the language was then exposed as boring. I liked the incomprehensible noise of foreign words."
Victimised by anti-Semitic teachers at school for not being a "real Scot" he got the strap 200 times for not being able to write. In his twenties he looked into other religions, visiting various churches on Sundays. He converted to atheism and then, in his early twenties, having explored astronomy, he decided to become an agnostic.
When he was fifteen he thought;
"I'm going to be a composer. I'm going to make simple but strong melodies like Drove or Schubert. I've got a thing which I call my first Piano Concerto and it's only in three lines, because I didn't know what a concerto was. I took it to school and showed it to the music teacher and she was knocked out. It was a load of rubbish. Then I did a serious one called "Funeral Bells", because being a humorist I'm naturally a lugubrious kind of bloke, and suicide always has a big attraction to guys like me."
In 1950-51 he taught at A S Neill's Summerhill. He then moved to the Inner London Education Authority in 1954 for whom he worked until 1980. From 1961 to 1970 he taught music, African drumming, movement, drama and poetry to 7-11 year-olds.
Fame first came in the late Fifties. He was lying on his bed with a primitive tape recorder for company and, as he puts it, a story came out of his brain. Surprised at the ease at which he could bypass his intellect he tried again, and a second story emerged and was also recorded. Then a third. Writing poetry then began to manifest itself.
"One day I went into a place called Box & Cox and the boss man there was a fellow called Boxy. I was dressed up all peculiar, a big bag on my back with paintings in it and a dirty old duffel coat. I put on a deadpan voice and said, "I understand you buy songs here." He said, "Yes", carefully. I said, "Would you like me to sing one of my songs for you?" He said, "Yes", it was five o'clock in the evening, he had a fire going, he was relaxing.
So he got one or two of his chums and pointed to a piano that was against the wall and he sat behind me. I said "I've got different songs. It could be a funny one or it could be a serious one." He said, "Oh, play what you like." So I sat down and played this funny one. After a while I was listening, I heard. I carried on to the end, turned around, and Box was lying on the floor, his face purple. I said, "It's OK, you can laugh." He said, "We get some funny people in here and they would be terribly hurt if we laughed, because they see themselves as being very serious." So he took me on and started me in my music career"
Cutler was invited to read his idiosyncratic poems and stories on the forerunner of BBC Radio 4. Frequently he performed to the accompaniment of a pedal-driven harmonium which could only, as far as listeners could tell, play in a depressive minor key. He broadcast thirty-eight stories on the BBC's Monday Night At Home between 1959 and 1963. Cutler's artistic career started with a gig at the Blue Angel in Islington in 1957, which he reckoned was "an unmitigated failure". In the 60s he became a popular figure on UK radio, and in 1961 released his first record, the "Of Y'Hup" EP. He started writing poetry aged 42 three of his poems appear in Faber's collection of Scottish verse edited by Douglas Dunn.
Cutler found an avid fan in John Lennon, who persuaded him to take the role of Buster Bloodvessel in the Beatles vehicle Magical Mystery Tour (1967). Beatles producer George Martin produced his album Ludo (1967), released as the Ivor Cutler Trio.
Cutler remained active in his later years. He wrote children's books as well as collections of poetry and prose; recorded albums for such influential labels as Virgin, Rough Trade and Creation; and continued to record radio sessions for John Peel and Andy Kershaw. In February 2004 a frail looking Cutler gave a farewell performance of poems, songs and stories at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. Highlights from the show were later broadcast on BBC Four under the title Cutler's Last Stand as an accompaniment to a documentary, Ivor Cutler: Looking For Truth With A Pin.
He died age 83 on 3 March 2006.
Some examples of Ivor's Music
Jackfish - A Cowboy Song MP3 1.9MB
Women of The World MP3 1.2 MB
I Built A House (around a mouse) MP3 1.2 MB
(I am going to watch my woman walking down the street with a) Bounce Bounce Bounce MP3 2.1 MB
Poem
I Ate A Ladies Bun MP3 0.4 MB
Cobbled together from various BBC sites, Wiki and here, and more downloads here.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
kiko and the lavender moon
Los Lobos gig. Melbourne. The Forum. 2006. Tuesday 11 April.
Due to the rural brethren arranging the meet spot I went to Federation Square. The night was surprisingly warm and mild for this time of year enabling me to sit outside with a $6 pot of Stella . By 6:30 pm the country cousins were just entering the Tulla Freeway and I was wishing I had ordered a Guinness and by 7 pm they had parked and were strolling into Transport, (beware arty FLASH web site) which I'm told is trendy and cutting edge.
Cutting edge means sharp on prices and badly tuned doof music on small inadequate but ubiquitous tweeters masquerading as speakers. Not a good start to a night of music. [no points to readers who can detect a theme lately or can see where I might be heading here]
Anyway seeing as the wind was only occasionally strong but still warmish we skulked outside and found a defunct speaker and propped at a table with Stellas and some food. Unfortunately I ordered a huge plate of Tapas $17 which contained some nice bits, olives, grilled capsicum, lettuce , bread but also some items I do not eat, grilled baby octopus and mushrooms. Luckily the rurals are more sophisticated than me and they managed to scoff a few baby octopii and mushies. But really it was more like an anti-pasta than a proper tapas. After a few more beers it didn't matter so much.
After spending a lot of time finding the well hidden toilets in Transport we shuffled over the road to the venue - The Forum. If you haven't been to the Forum click onto a few of the pictures, like this one, or this one, or this, to get an idea of what it is like inside or from the outside.
We were a bit early and were pleasantly surprised to discover that there was booze on sale inside and seats. The usual suspects were gathered to the fray, boomer guys with balding heads, pony tails and earings, the women in either stuck in 70's hippy gear or trying hard with jeans and jackets, with the odd feet on ground person who just arrived from work in a suit and tie. Plenty of room inside, didn't look as if it would be a sellout at 8 pm.
The opening act was some young guy who looked about 16 playing guitar in a fast and flash way. Amongst other competent stuff he knocked out a few versions of some Beatles songs which seemed to go down well with some of the punters. Luckily he seems influenced by Leo Kottke and John Fahey, so when he pulled back the speed a bit it sounded sweet. I didn't catch his name but he said he was off to Byron.
After he went off there seemed to be about a 3/4 full crowd. I'd say break-even crowd. Given that on that same Tuesday night in Melbourne there was a choice of Keb Mo, Hothouse Flowers, Daniel Lanois and Los Lobos, it seemed to me the gigs would appeal to the same markets and that the promoters were segmenting the market and giving punters an impossible choice. So I'm guessing attendance at all those Tuesday gigs were down. My country pals had seen Lanois the previous weekend up at the Palais in Daylesford and pronounced it a good show.
Wandering around during the first act we attempted to find the sweet point for sound. Seemed to be up front, leaning on the stage middle.
Los Lobos arrived. Loud. Tight. Wall of sound. Huge bass thump. Sounded a bit muddled up in the seats, standing down the front was clearer but very loud. The sound tends to wander around in that huge cavern up the front at the Forum. As usual I thought the sound could have done better.
Anyway. Good concert. Not great because of sound muddle. Highlights. Anything where the accordion featured. A very good version of Kiko, vocals clear, accordion clear, atmospherics clear. The real highlight you ask? End. Crowd demands encore. Band comes back to encore and launches into a loud, chord, riffing, rolling version of, guess what, Cinnamon Girl. Crowd, well me at least, go beresque, band plays tribute to Neil at end of song. No La Bamba.
Due to the rural brethren arranging the meet spot I went to Federation Square. The night was surprisingly warm and mild for this time of year enabling me to sit outside with a $6 pot of Stella . By 6:30 pm the country cousins were just entering the Tulla Freeway and I was wishing I had ordered a Guinness and by 7 pm they had parked and were strolling into Transport, (beware arty FLASH web site) which I'm told is trendy and cutting edge.
Cutting edge means sharp on prices and badly tuned doof music on small inadequate but ubiquitous tweeters masquerading as speakers. Not a good start to a night of music. [no points to readers who can detect a theme lately or can see where I might be heading here]
Anyway seeing as the wind was only occasionally strong but still warmish we skulked outside and found a defunct speaker and propped at a table with Stellas and some food. Unfortunately I ordered a huge plate of Tapas $17 which contained some nice bits, olives, grilled capsicum, lettuce , bread but also some items I do not eat, grilled baby octopus and mushrooms. Luckily the rurals are more sophisticated than me and they managed to scoff a few baby octopii and mushies. But really it was more like an anti-pasta than a proper tapas. After a few more beers it didn't matter so much.
After spending a lot of time finding the well hidden toilets in Transport we shuffled over the road to the venue - The Forum. If you haven't been to the Forum click onto a few of the pictures, like this one, or this one, or this, to get an idea of what it is like inside or from the outside.
We were a bit early and were pleasantly surprised to discover that there was booze on sale inside and seats. The usual suspects were gathered to the fray, boomer guys with balding heads, pony tails and earings, the women in either stuck in 70's hippy gear or trying hard with jeans and jackets, with the odd feet on ground person who just arrived from work in a suit and tie. Plenty of room inside, didn't look as if it would be a sellout at 8 pm.
The opening act was some young guy who looked about 16 playing guitar in a fast and flash way. Amongst other competent stuff he knocked out a few versions of some Beatles songs which seemed to go down well with some of the punters. Luckily he seems influenced by Leo Kottke and John Fahey, so when he pulled back the speed a bit it sounded sweet. I didn't catch his name but he said he was off to Byron.
After he went off there seemed to be about a 3/4 full crowd. I'd say break-even crowd. Given that on that same Tuesday night in Melbourne there was a choice of Keb Mo, Hothouse Flowers, Daniel Lanois and Los Lobos, it seemed to me the gigs would appeal to the same markets and that the promoters were segmenting the market and giving punters an impossible choice. So I'm guessing attendance at all those Tuesday gigs were down. My country pals had seen Lanois the previous weekend up at the Palais in Daylesford and pronounced it a good show.
Wandering around during the first act we attempted to find the sweet point for sound. Seemed to be up front, leaning on the stage middle.
Los Lobos arrived. Loud. Tight. Wall of sound. Huge bass thump. Sounded a bit muddled up in the seats, standing down the front was clearer but very loud. The sound tends to wander around in that huge cavern up the front at the Forum. As usual I thought the sound could have done better.
Anyway. Good concert. Not great because of sound muddle. Highlights. Anything where the accordion featured. A very good version of Kiko, vocals clear, accordion clear, atmospherics clear. The real highlight you ask? End. Crowd demands encore. Band comes back to encore and launches into a loud, chord, riffing, rolling version of, guess what, Cinnamon Girl. Crowd, well me at least, go beresque, band plays tribute to Neil at end of song. No La Bamba.
Out dreaming 'bout green shoes
Haircuts and cake
And then he wishes
The world away
And then he kneels
As if to pray
He dreams and dreams
Kiko and the lavender moon
Monday, April 10, 2006
wasted days and wasted nights
Ellen Fanning nearly wasted my night by managing to take an opportunity to talk to the Stones for 30 minutes and with Channel 9 turn it into an hour of ads plus a few truncated live clips plus nonsense from Ellen. What on earth is that woman on about. Bert Newton would have done a better job of interviewing. Stupid questions about their age and nudge nudge wink wink smirks about sex. Then a bit about drugs. Nothing about the music. No context. No comment that in comparing some live footage on a few songs Jagger's voice seems to have improved over the years. Still not up to his admitted hopes of a Howlin' Wolf sound but fuller and more authoritative nonetheless. Pity his lyric writing is still stuck in the teenager stage.
Luckily I had my new DVD of The Mavericks LIVE in Austin TX @ Stubbs BBQ. It is good to see my favourite beer when in USA Dos Equis are only $3.75 at Stubbs. The DVD arrived 10 months after I had ordered it, so long ago I had forgotten all about it. I could have got the bloody thing direct from Amazon delivered to my doorstep in about 7 days for less than half the price it cost me to wait 10 months then have to drive to the shop and wait 20 minutes while they tried to find it. When will retailers learn who they have as competition.
Anyway after I gave the Stones special away as a bad joke I started sampling the DVD. The band is augmented by horns and extra other musos on this concert. They are in great form and deliver the goods. Raul Malo is a chunky sublime singer who manages to sound like all his influences at the right times and to also sound uniquely Raul. He channels the best of Elvis, Roy Orbison, Merle Haggard and a bit of Hank as well as Frank and even croon like Humperdink. And do it all well to a driving country, tex-mex, rockin' ska showband. Or something like that. He also writes great songs and even does Besame Mucho on this concert.
Trampoline is a landmark album that should be in every serious collection. I'll take a few paras off the web page below:
From the opening salsa swing of Dance The Night Away, the rip roaring rhythm and blues of Tell Me Why, the pop blizzard of I've Got This Feeling, right through to the funky sounds of the exotic/erotic I Hope You Want Me Too and the dance hall jazz of the 20's inspired Dolores. The Mavericks do all this without forsaking any of the fabulous melodies or sparkling musical touches of past efforts. In fact, due to the method of recording the album; the band, singers and orchestra all playing together in one enormous renovated church; they have captured the spirit of The Mavericks in the most powerful and vibrant cool-lection of songs recorded to-date. This is the album which spawned 'The Havana Horns', who would accompany The Mavericks on the road and in additional new recordings, through to 2000.
This vibrancy was well and truly pounced upon by the European audiences throughout 1998 and 1999, especially in the UK, where Dance The Night Away managed to reach No 4 on the 'pop' charts. (It also achieved the status of most played 'live' song of 1999 by the UK Performing Rights Society.) During 1998 the album sold unexpectedly well in Europe, exceeding 850,000 by the end of that year. However, their homeland only showed comparatively scant regard for this joyous triumph; with mainstream radio (both country and pop) unable to cope with this outburst of originality, and promptly threw up the shutters. Consequently, Trampoline in the USA suffered minimal sales.
I just love Raul and the band. Get on the train.
Further info:
Raul runs a well written blog or journal. It is worth reading his most recent entry about his relationship with Buck Owens.
Introduction to the band The Mavericks.
Info about Raul.
New CDs coming out
Review of CDs by BBC
THE MAVERICKS , The Definitive Collection , (MCA Nashville), US release date: 28 June 2004
Luckily I had my new DVD of The Mavericks LIVE in Austin TX @ Stubbs BBQ. It is good to see my favourite beer when in USA Dos Equis are only $3.75 at Stubbs. The DVD arrived 10 months after I had ordered it, so long ago I had forgotten all about it. I could have got the bloody thing direct from Amazon delivered to my doorstep in about 7 days for less than half the price it cost me to wait 10 months then have to drive to the shop and wait 20 minutes while they tried to find it. When will retailers learn who they have as competition.
Anyway after I gave the Stones special away as a bad joke I started sampling the DVD. The band is augmented by horns and extra other musos on this concert. They are in great form and deliver the goods. Raul Malo is a chunky sublime singer who manages to sound like all his influences at the right times and to also sound uniquely Raul. He channels the best of Elvis, Roy Orbison, Merle Haggard and a bit of Hank as well as Frank and even croon like Humperdink. And do it all well to a driving country, tex-mex, rockin' ska showband. Or something like that. He also writes great songs and even does Besame Mucho on this concert.
The Extras bit on the DVD is a long "interview" with the 4 core band members, it focuses on the music and is better by a factor of about 100 than the Channel 9 attempt with the Stones. A nice touch in the extra at one stage they break into Van Morrison's Bright Side of the Road in a practice session.
In The Mavericks' arrangements, and they are arrangements, and especially in Raul's voice you can also hear, Bob Wills, Louis Jordan, Patsy Cline, Ray Charles and Buddy Holly, Bing Crosby, Ray Price, BB King, Roger Miller and George Jones, The Beatles, Burt Bacharach, Gram Parsons, Elvis Costello, The Pretenders, Steve Earle.Trampoline is a landmark album that should be in every serious collection. I'll take a few paras off the web page below:
From the opening salsa swing of Dance The Night Away, the rip roaring rhythm and blues of Tell Me Why, the pop blizzard of I've Got This Feeling, right through to the funky sounds of the exotic/erotic I Hope You Want Me Too and the dance hall jazz of the 20's inspired Dolores. The Mavericks do all this without forsaking any of the fabulous melodies or sparkling musical touches of past efforts. In fact, due to the method of recording the album; the band, singers and orchestra all playing together in one enormous renovated church; they have captured the spirit of The Mavericks in the most powerful and vibrant cool-lection of songs recorded to-date. This is the album which spawned 'The Havana Horns', who would accompany The Mavericks on the road and in additional new recordings, through to 2000.
This vibrancy was well and truly pounced upon by the European audiences throughout 1998 and 1999, especially in the UK, where Dance The Night Away managed to reach No 4 on the 'pop' charts. (It also achieved the status of most played 'live' song of 1999 by the UK Performing Rights Society.) During 1998 the album sold unexpectedly well in Europe, exceeding 850,000 by the end of that year. However, their homeland only showed comparatively scant regard for this joyous triumph; with mainstream radio (both country and pop) unable to cope with this outburst of originality, and promptly threw up the shutters. Consequently, Trampoline in the USA suffered minimal sales.
I just love Raul and the band. Get on the train.
Further info:
Raul runs a well written blog or journal. It is worth reading his most recent entry about his relationship with Buck Owens.
Introduction to the band The Mavericks.
Info about Raul.
New CDs coming out
Review of CDs by BBC
THE MAVERICKS , The Definitive Collection , (MCA Nashville), US release date: 28 June 2004
Saturday, April 08, 2006
the last week in lent
Tonight I'm off to the famous Rainbow Hotel (pity about their web site) to hear Rob Luckey and The Lucky Bastards on the recomendation of Amanda F. E. Mule and Denise. [I think you might be able to stream TWANG if you check this arvo]
On Tuesday, yes Tuesday, I'm off to see the only band to be a living history of rock since The Band. Los Lobos.
Next Tuesday must have a certain alignment of the planets, because if I wasn't off to see Los Lobos I would be off to see Daniel Lanois at the Atheneum, or Hothouse Flowers at The Corner Hotel,or Keb Mo at the Prince. I see Lanois is doing something at Readings Carlton @ 6 pm Monday - I might pop along.
Thursday I'll probably be along at the West Papuan Benefit at The Grand Central.
The next week Eddie Reader is doing gigs with Boo Hewerdine.
Phew!
On Tuesday, yes Tuesday, I'm off to see the only band to be a living history of rock since The Band. Los Lobos.
Next Tuesday must have a certain alignment of the planets, because if I wasn't off to see Los Lobos I would be off to see Daniel Lanois at the Atheneum, or Hothouse Flowers at The Corner Hotel,or Keb Mo at the Prince. I see Lanois is doing something at Readings Carlton @ 6 pm Monday - I might pop along.
Thursday I'll probably be along at the West Papuan Benefit at The Grand Central.
The next week Eddie Reader is doing gigs with Boo Hewerdine.
Phew!
Friday, March 31, 2006
van honoured in nashville
Oldies songster Van Morrison was as excited as a scientologist on Oprah and showed his usual exuberance when graciously accepting his Van Morrison Day plaque from Nashville Mayor - Bill Purcell. 
Monday, March 20, 2006
artic monkeys - my arse
I've just upped 2 X MP3s of my offsprings band.
After a sell out gig at Bar Bushka in Smith St, Sons Of Mothers will be playing The Rob Roy and the Barleycorn and others.
very 'eavy, very 'umble but tight and enthusiastic, all originals - motto - "Go Hard Or Go Home"
Web site coming soon.
Grab March 2006 fresh and crusty demos for your pussyPod now : http://rapidshare.de/files/15899160/Track03.mp3.html
Next track here soon: .... http://rapidshare.de/files/15903119/Track01.mp3.html
Following David's advice I've lowered my standards. Here's track 1 done with VBR and lower top rate. http://rapidshare.de/files/15940260/Track01.mp3.html Comes in at 4.5MB rather than 10.5 above. Make your choice. Given that most people listen on crappy PC speakers I'm guessing it doesn't matter much.
David has done a piece on Augie March and MOO and made me want to have a listen.
After a sell out gig at Bar Bushka in Smith St, Sons Of Mothers will be playing The Rob Roy and the Barleycorn and others.
very 'eavy, very 'umble but tight and enthusiastic, all originals - motto - "Go Hard Or Go Home"
Web site coming soon.
Grab March 2006 fresh and crusty demos for your pussyPod now : http://rapidshare.de/files/15899160/Track03.mp3.html
Next track here soon: .... http://rapidshare.de/files/15903119/Track01.mp3.html
Following David's advice I've lowered my standards. Here's track 1 done with VBR and lower top rate. http://rapidshare.de/files/15940260/Track01.mp3.html Comes in at 4.5MB rather than 10.5 above. Make your choice. Given that most people listen on crappy PC speakers I'm guessing it doesn't matter much.
David has done a piece on Augie March and MOO and made me want to have a listen.
Friday, March 17, 2006
vale michael dugan
My ex-next door neighbour and friend of 25+ years Michael Dugan died yesterday. Michael had not been well for some time.
When I first met Michael he was in the King Hippo Poetry Band and played at Frank Traynor's Jazz Club although it was more like a "folk" venue. ( I think in Little Lonsdale St).
Extract from Laurie Duggan's (no relation) diary 1971:
"..6th December. I am committed to the poetry reading — SAVE THE PRAM FACTORY — Friday night. An ad. in the Review — Charles Buckmaster, Garrie Hutchinson, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Russell Deeble, King Hippo poetry bank (sic.) & others. I despair that anyone would listen & fear that I will have lost all the courage I had in Canberra and Sydney in May. [The misprint should have read ‘King Hippo poetry band’, an outfit put together by Michael Dugan. I remember them on one occasion playing a folk-rock version of Keats’ ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’ before an audience of septuagenarians at a P.E.N. Club gathering.] "
I don't know a lot about Michael's writerly life but he always was proud of the fact that he had never held a "real" job except for a bit of writing for the infamous Institute of Multicultural Affairs when he did There goes the neighbourhood - Australia's migrant experience.
Michael was generous in his help to young and beginning (and experienced) writers and was Vice-President of the Victorian Fellowship of Australian Writers.
He was long associated with Overland magazine and according to John Jenkins (another ex-neighbour from Michael's house if I recall correctly) :
"....after Overland 112, he (Barrie) handed the laurel wand (which could sometimes be a thorny one) on to Michael Dugan. During this time, Barrie also sought occasional input from Shelton Lea, myself and others. Michael continued to select poetry after John McLaren became editor in 1993 (for Overland 131-147) and for the early period of Ian Syson's stewardship, beginning in 1997, up until Overland 149. Pam Brown was formally listed as Poetry Editor in Overland 151, winter 1998. Previously, the role had not been publicly defined and was even sometimes shared between several people, with ad hoc input from Overland's 'extended family' of editorial helpers, although Michael Dugan, tirelessly and always meticulously, did the lion's share of this work. "
Kris Hemensley writes:
"We were thus excited to discover Crosscurrents magazine, edited in Melbourne by Michael Dugan, which appeared two weeks before my own. Both Taylor and I wrote to Dugan immediately, sending him our life work!, inviting him to our next La Mama reading. It is interesting that even in this small city, Dugan hadn’t heard of the La Mama readings, that presumably without co-ordination groups might exist in mutual isolation.
The poets published in the first issues of Our Glass and Crosscurrents make interesteing reading: Beard, Hemensley, Dugan, Taylor, Shelton Lea (who joined with the short-lived rivals of La Mama, Sweeny Reed’s glam-poets at Strines, Carlton, featuring that enigma, Russel Deeble!), Paul Smith (then a Cheshire’s bookseller), Romeril, Rushbrooke, Charles Buckmaster (whose address, Gruyere, was so unlikely that I was sure it was a hoax, but on consulting Mike Dugan, found that the same young poet, experiencing problems at high school, inspired by a single line of William Golding’s Pincher Martin he claimed, and a prolific poet if ever there was one, was real), Mal Morgan, Terry Gillmore (“influences — Pound, W.C. Williams, Olson, et al”: reading that in Crosscurrents made my heart flutter!), Geoffrey Egglestone, Frances Yule, Andy Jach, Norman Campbell Thomson, Maurice Benton. Add to these, Ian Robertson, who was a friend of Buckmaster, whom Buckmaster published in his own type-sheet, The Great Auk, in September, 1968, just prior to the first La Mama Poets Workshop Reading, and you have the nucleus of the poets who gravitated towards La Mama and/ or the little magazines, type-sheets, that sprang out of the place.
I don't know what to say except that as far as I know Michael never held a driving licence and always tipped taxi drivers a bit too generously for me.
When I first met Michael he was in the King Hippo Poetry Band and played at Frank Traynor's Jazz Club although it was more like a "folk" venue. ( I think in Little Lonsdale St).
Extract from Laurie Duggan's (no relation) diary 1971:
"..6th December. I am committed to the poetry reading — SAVE THE PRAM FACTORY — Friday night. An ad. in the Review — Charles Buckmaster, Garrie Hutchinson, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Russell Deeble, King Hippo poetry bank (sic.) & others. I despair that anyone would listen & fear that I will have lost all the courage I had in Canberra and Sydney in May. [The misprint should have read ‘King Hippo poetry band’, an outfit put together by Michael Dugan. I remember them on one occasion playing a folk-rock version of Keats’ ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’ before an audience of septuagenarians at a P.E.N. Club gathering.] "
I don't know a lot about Michael's writerly life but he always was proud of the fact that he had never held a "real" job except for a bit of writing for the infamous Institute of Multicultural Affairs when he did There goes the neighbourhood - Australia's migrant experience.
Michael was generous in his help to young and beginning (and experienced) writers and was Vice-President of the Victorian Fellowship of Australian Writers.
He was long associated with Overland magazine and according to John Jenkins (another ex-neighbour from Michael's house if I recall correctly) :
"....after Overland 112, he (Barrie) handed the laurel wand (which could sometimes be a thorny one) on to Michael Dugan. During this time, Barrie also sought occasional input from Shelton Lea, myself and others. Michael continued to select poetry after John McLaren became editor in 1993 (for Overland 131-147) and for the early period of Ian Syson's stewardship, beginning in 1997, up until Overland 149. Pam Brown was formally listed as Poetry Editor in Overland 151, winter 1998. Previously, the role had not been publicly defined and was even sometimes shared between several people, with ad hoc input from Overland's 'extended family' of editorial helpers, although Michael Dugan, tirelessly and always meticulously, did the lion's share of this work. "
Kris Hemensley writes:
"We were thus excited to discover Crosscurrents magazine, edited in Melbourne by Michael Dugan, which appeared two weeks before my own. Both Taylor and I wrote to Dugan immediately, sending him our life work!, inviting him to our next La Mama reading. It is interesting that even in this small city, Dugan hadn’t heard of the La Mama readings, that presumably without co-ordination groups might exist in mutual isolation.
The poets published in the first issues of Our Glass and Crosscurrents make interesteing reading: Beard, Hemensley, Dugan, Taylor, Shelton Lea (who joined with the short-lived rivals of La Mama, Sweeny Reed’s glam-poets at Strines, Carlton, featuring that enigma, Russel Deeble!), Paul Smith (then a Cheshire’s bookseller), Romeril, Rushbrooke, Charles Buckmaster (whose address, Gruyere, was so unlikely that I was sure it was a hoax, but on consulting Mike Dugan, found that the same young poet, experiencing problems at high school, inspired by a single line of William Golding’s Pincher Martin he claimed, and a prolific poet if ever there was one, was real), Mal Morgan, Terry Gillmore (“influences — Pound, W.C. Williams, Olson, et al”: reading that in Crosscurrents made my heart flutter!), Geoffrey Egglestone, Frances Yule, Andy Jach, Norman Campbell Thomson, Maurice Benton. Add to these, Ian Robertson, who was a friend of Buckmaster, whom Buckmaster published in his own type-sheet, The Great Auk, in September, 1968, just prior to the first La Mama Poets Workshop Reading, and you have the nucleus of the poets who gravitated towards La Mama and/ or the little magazines, type-sheets, that sprang out of the place.
I don't know what to say except that as far as I know Michael never held a driving licence and always tipped taxi drivers a bit too generously for me.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
no t-shirts - collar and tie please
Inspired by a discussion over at the rock and coffee blog Larff At Us Pros on the talent of Charlie Watts I put together a small set of the elegantly dressed one's wisdom.
"You don't think I take this seriously do you? It's just a fuckin' rock and roll band"
"When I'm at home I listen to classical music most of the time on the radio. If I put CDs on I usually play jazz. But my wife plays ah, what do you call it, rock 'n' roll or soul music, Motown, things like that, so I hear all of it."
"I don't need to hear Bill to go through a song. I need to hear Keith to go through a song. I know Bill will be playing what I'm playing anyway. I need to hear Keith because it's all there: the time, the chord changes, and all the licks you have to follow."
"I never had lessons. Used to try to play to records, which I hated doing. Still can't play to them."
"I've seen Keith fall asleep at business meetings about millions of dollars for him-because of heroin, just nod out and then wake up and answer a question."
"Keith is the start and the finish. I have to hear Mick, but I can follow Mick like lip-synch almost if the mic goes out. It's not as much fun, but I can do that. But if I don't hear Keith, I get completely lost in things."
"My whole block used to listen to Savoy jazz records as kids. I never used to listen to Elvis Presley or anything. It's only through meeting Mick and Keith, really that I got interested in things like that. The only person I suppose I really loved a lot was Fats Domino."
"The world of this is a load of crap. You get all these bloody people, so incredibly sycophantic."
"Usually I can hear the pianos, the saxophone, and usually I can hear Ronnie. But I really need to listen to Keith and Mick. The rest of the band is sort of an embellishment to that."
"When people talk about the '60s I never think that was me there. It was me and I was in it, but I was never enamoured with all that. It's supposed to be sex and drugs and rock and roll and I'm not really like that. I've never really seen the Rolling Stones as anything."
"Another drummer who's quite brilliant is Jerry Allison. He used to play with Buddy Holly and The Crickets. He's probably the best player that I know. He doesn't really play the drums-he plays the songs, and that is really more important within the context of that music."
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
van pines for crystal set
VAN MORRISON has launched a scathing attack on the internet, insisting it is responsible for the dumbing down of society and modern culture.
The GLORIA hitmaker is convinced the worldwide web has caused more problems than it has solved, and insists Earth would be a better place without it.
"Now, because of the internet, everyone's suddenly a big shot. I'm talking about people who think that because they've looked up a website, they know everything.
"You used to have to study things but now you can just find it on the internet, and everybody feels very important because they have access to this stuff.
"It was a different culture when I was young. Quality, respect - they seem to have vanished."
FXH says: I can only agree.
Oh and Amanda I think he means YOU, you young whippersnapper.
Silly old prick. But I love him.
The GLORIA hitmaker is convinced the worldwide web has caused more problems than it has solved, and insists Earth would be a better place without it.
"Now, because of the internet, everyone's suddenly a big shot. I'm talking about people who think that because they've looked up a website, they know everything.
"You used to have to study things but now you can just find it on the internet, and everybody feels very important because they have access to this stuff.
"It was a different culture when I was young. Quality, respect - they seem to have vanished."
FXH says: I can only agree.
Oh and Amanda I think he means YOU, you young whippersnapper.
Silly old prick. But I love him.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
plumpness leads to broken social scene
j_p_z the mysterioso americano newcomero commento over at country & latte music blog Larva Arse Rodeo said:
I saw you referencing the Lucky Strikes ’so round, so firm, so fully-packed’ as a song lyric. Thought you’d be amused to know the phrase was also used in a (modified) form in the great old polka classic, “Who Stole the Kishka?” I quote the version recorded by the Pennsylvania polka kings, Frankie Yankovic and His Yanks…
“Round and firm and fully-packed,
It was standing on the rack.
Someone stole the kishka
When I turned by back!”
Love them accordions….
FXH further research: Who Stole The Keeshka (Kishka) is the third (3rd) song on the "Frankie Yankovic & Friends - Songs Of The Polka King" album. It is an original song by W. Solek & W. Dana. Both Frankie Yankovic & "Weird Al" Yankovic play accordion throughout the song. Frankie Yankovic & "Weird Al" Yankovic are not related.
There is a post and comments praising currently touring Canadians Broken Social Scene over at LP. j_p_z goes on to ask me what I think of of them. I could pretend I knew all about them but I only vaguely recall mentions of the name. Somehow I found a local blog talking about Broken Social Scene. Dave in Melbourne has a review of them over at his blog Sympathetic Stupid. Here's the intro:
Broken Social Scene. Broken Social Scene. Broken Social Scene. That's all I've got. I'm still buzzing (and my ears are, in fact, still ringing) after seeing these guys yesterday. They played the best festival set I've seen, hands down, bar none. Not that there's a heap of contenders as festivals are regularly disappointing.
But this was objectively great. They're touring with just the bare ten members.......FXH says Go read the rest and leave a comment.
I saw you referencing the Lucky Strikes ’so round, so firm, so fully-packed’ as a song lyric. Thought you’d be amused to know the phrase was also used in a (modified) form in the great old polka classic, “Who Stole the Kishka?” I quote the version recorded by the Pennsylvania polka kings, Frankie Yankovic and His Yanks…
“Round and firm and fully-packed,
It was standing on the rack.
Someone stole the kishka
When I turned by back!”
Love them accordions….
FXH further research: Who Stole The Keeshka (Kishka) is the third (3rd) song on the "Frankie Yankovic & Friends - Songs Of The Polka King" album. It is an original song by W. Solek & W. Dana. Both Frankie Yankovic & "Weird Al" Yankovic play accordion throughout the song. Frankie Yankovic & "Weird Al" Yankovic are not related.
There is a post and comments praising currently touring Canadians Broken Social Scene over at LP. j_p_z goes on to ask me what I think of of them. I could pretend I knew all about them but I only vaguely recall mentions of the name. Somehow I found a local blog talking about Broken Social Scene. Dave in Melbourne has a review of them over at his blog Sympathetic Stupid. Here's the intro:
Broken Social Scene. Broken Social Scene. Broken Social Scene. That's all I've got. I'm still buzzing (and my ears are, in fact, still ringing) after seeing these guys yesterday. They played the best festival set I've seen, hands down, bar none. Not that there's a heap of contenders as festivals are regularly disappointing.
But this was objectively great. They're touring with just the bare ten members.......FXH says Go read the rest and leave a comment.
Monday, February 27, 2006
food for thought
Over at Larvatus Prodeo, Shaun Cronin, who also runs the music blog Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation has written a piece headed Survival of the Thinnest riffing on the themes from the TV show, The Biggest Loser. At the refurbished Club Troppo, Nicholas Gruen, who must eat keyboards for breakfast, is moved by the topic to write about his musings on Discrimination.
Over here we are listening to So Round So Firm So Fully Packed (Thats my gal) 1947, by Merle Travis. Naturally we all know the song is built around advertising slogans of the time. (if not then where the bloody hell were you?).
'So round, so firm, so fully-packed; so free and easy on the draw' was a staple of the Lucky Strike radio advertisments.
'She's got the pause that's so refreshing' is from Coke ads.
'You can bet your boots I'd walk a mile Through the snow' from the Camel ads.
'That's my gal Toasted by the sun' Toasted by the Sun again from Lucky Strike.
In fact the whole bloody song is an amalgam of ad grabs. Yes I know you could do it, but the art is putting it together and making it something else. The song has always been one of my favourites.
You can have a short listen online to Merle singing it here.
Someone better versed in, say, neo-retro-country-pop music- post-modernist-post-feminism might write something on the link between cigarette ads and the objectification of women. Putting on my country rock hat, I'd just observe that both are expensive these days, can make you feel good but also be dangerous for your health and the packaging has changed over the years.
Whilst thinking about all that serious stuff you could just hop on over and either download for your poddy thing or listen online to Big Fat Mama Blues (18 Megs d/l) * a collection of blues singers waxing lyrical about their love for Big Women.
* Song list Big Fat Mama Blues
Big Fat Mama Blues - Charlie Spand
Big Fat Mama Blues - Tommy Johnson
Milk Cow Blues - Kokomo Arnold
Big Leg Woman Gets My Pay - Blind Boy Fuller
Fat Mama Blues - Jabo Williams
Skinny Woman - Sonny Boy Williamson
Over here we are listening to So Round So Firm So Fully Packed (Thats my gal) 1947, by Merle Travis. Naturally we all know the song is built around advertising slogans of the time. (if not then where the bloody hell were you?).
'So round, so firm, so fully-packed; so free and easy on the draw' was a staple of the Lucky Strike radio advertisments.
'She's got the pause that's so refreshing' is from Coke ads.
'You can bet your boots I'd walk a mile Through the snow' from the Camel ads.
'That's my gal Toasted by the sun' Toasted by the Sun again from Lucky Strike.
In fact the whole bloody song is an amalgam of ad grabs. Yes I know you could do it, but the art is putting it together and making it something else. The song has always been one of my favourites.
You can have a short listen online to Merle singing it here.
Someone better versed in, say, neo-retro-country-pop music- post-modernist-post-feminism might write something on the link between cigarette ads and the objectification of women. Putting on my country rock hat, I'd just observe that both are expensive these days, can make you feel good but also be dangerous for your health and the packaging has changed over the years.
Whilst thinking about all that serious stuff you could just hop on over and either download for your poddy thing or listen online to Big Fat Mama Blues (18 Megs d/l) * a collection of blues singers waxing lyrical about their love for Big Women.
* Song list Big Fat Mama Blues
Big Fat Mama Blues - Charlie Spand
Big Fat Mama Blues - Tommy Johnson
Milk Cow Blues - Kokomo Arnold
Big Leg Woman Gets My Pay - Blind Boy Fuller
Fat Mama Blues - Jabo Williams
Skinny Woman - Sonny Boy Williamson
Thursday, February 23, 2006
bound for south australia
A birthday in Adelaide. Great catching up with people who flew in from Finnland, England, Flores and Melbourne.
Driving over and back by wandering routes I was struck by the ubiquitous nature of one of the AWB's ventures Landmark, (no silly, not the shonky make money cult). They sell land, machinery, expertise, livestock and just about anything.
Too busy socially to visit bloggers like Tim Dunlop, Saint and Pavlovs Cat. But even if I had tried to hook up with Gary Sauer-Thompson I would have missed him as he was in Melbourne.
I was puzzled by the very short cappuccino I was served at the market when ordering a long macchiato. Young cool (ish) pony tailed black dressed male waiter seemed to be unimpressed when I said I was used to them different in Melbourne. Like long with a dash (streak / stain) of milk. I tested one out again the next day at a different place. The same. Seems as if thats how they do 'em in Adelaide. Thought I recognised the blue skirt and face walking toward me through the market so I said "Good speech on the RU486 debate " Amanda replied "Thanks" and smiled at me.
Having talked to the organ player I was going to see the band with the Hammond B3 and Gretsch guitar at the Wheatsheaf Hotel Thebarton, (which apparently also has other attractions such as the Cougar Leather Club Leather/ denim/bears night 1st and 3rd Thursday each month from 9:00 PM) on Sunday at 5 pm but it got late and no one else was interested. A while back when I watched the documentary Damn Right I'm Cowboy I vowed to go one night to see The Hillbilly Hoot at Radio Three D and especially after talking to one of the cowgirls of the Hoot and Doco on Sat night at the party. I called in to 3D on Sunday to check out if the Hoot was on. Yes and a radio mate with me met an old radio mate there.We chatted radio and music for a while. Ended up leaving earlier Monday so missed the Hoot. Bugger.
While I was in Adelaide they called an election. I kept being told the daily paper was a rag and it was.
Driving over and back by wandering routes I was struck by the ubiquitous nature of one of the AWB's ventures Landmark, (no silly, not the shonky make money cult). They sell land, machinery, expertise, livestock and just about anything.
Too busy socially to visit bloggers like Tim Dunlop, Saint and Pavlovs Cat. But even if I had tried to hook up with Gary Sauer-Thompson I would have missed him as he was in Melbourne.
I was puzzled by the very short cappuccino I was served at the market when ordering a long macchiato. Young cool (ish) pony tailed black dressed male waiter seemed to be unimpressed when I said I was used to them different in Melbourne. Like long with a dash (streak / stain) of milk. I tested one out again the next day at a different place. The same. Seems as if thats how they do 'em in Adelaide. Thought I recognised the blue skirt and face walking toward me through the market so I said "Good speech on the RU486 debate " Amanda replied "Thanks" and smiled at me.
Having talked to the organ player I was going to see the band with the Hammond B3 and Gretsch guitar at the Wheatsheaf Hotel Thebarton, (which apparently also has other attractions such as the Cougar Leather Club Leather/ denim/bears night 1st and 3rd Thursday each month from 9:00 PM) on Sunday at 5 pm but it got late and no one else was interested. A while back when I watched the documentary Damn Right I'm Cowboy I vowed to go one night to see The Hillbilly Hoot at Radio Three D and especially after talking to one of the cowgirls of the Hoot and Doco on Sat night at the party. I called in to 3D on Sunday to check out if the Hoot was on. Yes and a radio mate with me met an old radio mate there.We chatted radio and music for a while. Ended up leaving earlier Monday so missed the Hoot. Bugger.
While I was in Adelaide they called an election. I kept being told the daily paper was a rag and it was.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
with one hand tied behind my back
Inspired by Tim Dunlop posting Yeah, but can he play Stairway to Heaven? about Preston Reed I remembered I'd meant to link to Bill Clements the famous one armed bassist. There's a video on his site of his amazing technique but you might find it easier on the bandwidth to watch and listen to Bill over at YouTube. I found Youtube by recommendation from Amanda over at Flop Eared Mule.
Talking about bass. Here is a good piece on the physical issues of lugging, or pushing, around a double bass.
Q- How many bass players does it take to change a light bulb?
A- None--they just steal somebody else's light.
Talking about bass. Here is a good piece on the physical issues of lugging, or pushing, around a double bass.
Q- How many bass players does it take to change a light bulb?
A- None--they just steal somebody else's light.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
catholic riots narrowly averted
No ‘Thriller’ – Michael Jackson said unlikely to sing pope’s prayers By Cindy Wooden, 2/7/2006
ROME -- Father Giuseppe Moscati said he never considered having Michael Jackson record all of the 24 prayers of Pope John Paul II he hopes eventually to set to music.
But, the priest told Catholic News Service, to have the pop star of “Thriller” fame sing one of the songs or to be part of a choir singing a song might have helped sales, reaching greater numbers of people.
However, when a Scottish newspaper published a story Feb. 6 saying there had been "secret discussions between the Roman Catholic Church and Michael Jackson to put the prayers of Pope John Paul II to music," the project began to fall apart.
"It would be very difficult for the Vatican to accept the project," said Father Moscati, director of Edizioni Musicali Terzo Millennio, a sacred music publishing and promotion company.
"Although he has been absolved by the courts" on charges of the sexual abuse of minors, it is clear Jackson's image "cannot be put alongside that of the pope," Father Moscati said.
The priest said he still would not mind the singer being involved on some level, but the furor created by the news reports makes Vatican approval doubtful.
"I did not go looking for him or for anyone else," the priest said.
He mentioned the project to an acquaintance who claimed to know Jackson "and I thought he had contact with other singers as well."
"I never met Michael Jackson or his representatives or his lawyers," the priest said. "And it was very inappropriate of them to tell the press."
Father Moscati said he went through dozens of texts of Pope John Paul's homilies, speeches and remarks for various occasions, paying particular attention to the prayers the pope often used to close his remarks.
"Many of them are prayers for peace, for young people, for the family or prayers to Mary," he said.
The priest obtained permission to use the prayers from the Libreria Vaticana Editrice, which holds the copyright to all papal texts.
However, he said, the final project -- including the music and the singers -- must be approved by the Vatican before publication.
Father Moscati has hired two Italian composers to set a few of the texts to music, although he said that if he finds some well-known singers who want to compose the music themselves that would be fine.
"At this point, I am hoping to find a producer, a serious professional, in the United States who would want to join the project and who has contacts with professional singers," he said.
Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
ROME -- Father Giuseppe Moscati said he never considered having Michael Jackson record all of the 24 prayers of Pope John Paul II he hopes eventually to set to music.
But, the priest told Catholic News Service, to have the pop star of “Thriller” fame sing one of the songs or to be part of a choir singing a song might have helped sales, reaching greater numbers of people.
However, when a Scottish newspaper published a story Feb. 6 saying there had been "secret discussions between the Roman Catholic Church and Michael Jackson to put the prayers of Pope John Paul II to music," the project began to fall apart.
"It would be very difficult for the Vatican to accept the project," said Father Moscati, director of Edizioni Musicali Terzo Millennio, a sacred music publishing and promotion company.
"Although he has been absolved by the courts" on charges of the sexual abuse of minors, it is clear Jackson's image "cannot be put alongside that of the pope," Father Moscati said.
The priest said he still would not mind the singer being involved on some level, but the furor created by the news reports makes Vatican approval doubtful.
"I did not go looking for him or for anyone else," the priest said.
He mentioned the project to an acquaintance who claimed to know Jackson "and I thought he had contact with other singers as well."
"I never met Michael Jackson or his representatives or his lawyers," the priest said. "And it was very inappropriate of them to tell the press."
Father Moscati said he went through dozens of texts of Pope John Paul's homilies, speeches and remarks for various occasions, paying particular attention to the prayers the pope often used to close his remarks.
"Many of them are prayers for peace, for young people, for the family or prayers to Mary," he said.
The priest obtained permission to use the prayers from the Libreria Vaticana Editrice, which holds the copyright to all papal texts.
However, he said, the final project -- including the music and the singers -- must be approved by the Vatican before publication.
Father Moscati has hired two Italian composers to set a few of the texts to music, although he said that if he finds some well-known singers who want to compose the music themselves that would be fine.
"At this point, I am hoping to find a producer, a serious professional, in the United States who would want to join the project and who has contacts with professional singers," he said.
Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Friday, January 27, 2006
two tone shoes NQOCD
During the 1930s shoes made of two tones of leather, one light, one dark, and worn by both men and women, were known as "divorce court" or "co-respondent" shoes. It was well known that Wallis Simpson wore them but it would have been considered extremely daring for a middle class British girl to do the same. Mrs R., an MP's daughter from Gloucestershire, remembers
"two-coloured shoes, you know, they were known as co-respondent shoes, everyone knew that. I mean you wouldn't dream of them. Or if you did, you were not quite our class dear, which was, NQOCD. Isn't that awful? That was said sometimes."
From: Keeping Up Appearances: Fashion and Class Between The Wars by Catherine Horwood.
"two-coloured shoes, you know, they were known as co-respondent shoes, everyone knew that. I mean you wouldn't dream of them. Or if you did, you were not quite our class dear, which was, NQOCD. Isn't that awful? That was said sometimes."
From: Keeping Up Appearances: Fashion and Class Between The Wars by Catherine Horwood.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
hunka hunka
From news.com.au:
A WOMAN who allegedly stabbed her partner overnight after he repeatedly played an Elvis Presley song will face a West Australian court today. The woman will appear in a magistrate's court in Northam, 97km north east of Perth, charged with unlawful wounding, WA police said.
Officers will allege the woman stabbed her 35-year-old partner with a pair of scissors during an argument over him playing Burning Love over and over again.
The man was treated at Northam hospital for lacerations to his head, back and legs, police said.
The song, recorded in 1972, reached No 2 on the US charts and contains the lyrics:
"The flames are reaching my body. Please won't you help me. I feel like I'm slipping away. It's hard to breath. And my chest is a-heaving ?"
The song's chorus is:
"I'm burning a hole where I lay.
"Cause your kisses lift me higher.
"Like the sweet song of a choir.
"You light my morning sky.
"With burning love"
A WOMAN who allegedly stabbed her partner overnight after he repeatedly played an Elvis Presley song will face a West Australian court today. The woman will appear in a magistrate's court in Northam, 97km north east of Perth, charged with unlawful wounding, WA police said.
Officers will allege the woman stabbed her 35-year-old partner with a pair of scissors during an argument over him playing Burning Love over and over again.
The man was treated at Northam hospital for lacerations to his head, back and legs, police said.
The song, recorded in 1972, reached No 2 on the US charts and contains the lyrics:
"The flames are reaching my body. Please won't you help me. I feel like I'm slipping away. It's hard to breath. And my chest is a-heaving ?"
The song's chorus is:
"I'm burning a hole where I lay.
"Cause your kisses lift me higher.
"Like the sweet song of a choir.
"You light my morning sky.
"With burning love"
Monday, January 09, 2006
see me, hear me, huh? pardon?
One of my fellow bloggers, Pete Townshend, has warned music fans against potential hearing damage caused by headphones as portable players become more popular. Pete has a blogspot blog here, where he is serialising his novella The Boy Who Heard Music. The bit below on hearing is taken from his diary which is on this site.
29 Dec 2005
But today, this very morning, after a night in the studio trying to crack a difficult song demo, I wake up realizing again - reminding myself, and feeling the need to remind the world - that my own particular kind of damage was caused by using earphones in the recording studio, not playing loud on stage. My ears are ringing, loudly. This rarely happens after a live show, unless the Who play a small club. This is a peculiar hazard of the recording studio.The point I'm making is that it is not live sound that causes hearing damage. Earphones do the most damage.
In a studio there are often accidental buzzes, shrieks and poor connections that cause temporary high level sounds. Playing drums with earphones on is probably a form of insanity I think, all those gunshots, so much louder than a real gunshot, but how else can a drummer hear the other musicians? When I work solo now I often avoid using a drummer, simply to keep the overall sound levels lower. Also, one might have to work for several hours to perfect a studio performance. As the work progresses, the ears shut down and one needs a higher volume. If you stop to rest your ears (and you need to do so for at least 36 hours to do any good) you lose the current performance. It is a tough call.
I have unwittingly helped to invent and refine a type of music that makes its principal proponents deaf. It takes time, but it happens. This is, I suppose, no worse than being a sports person or dancer who knows they have a limited working span, and their body will suffer. The rewards are great - money, fame, adulation and a real sense of self-worth and achievement. But music is a calling for life. You can write it when you're deaf, but you can't hear it or perform it.
Last night, I was working with a piece of music that depended on me finding a correlation between the harmonic clusters in a piece composed using a computer - rather electronic in nature - and the overtones of a normal acoustic piano. With my hearing rolling off severely now at around three or four kiloherz, I don't have much luck with high harmonics or piano overtones (I can still hear speech OK). Needless to say, I didn't finish what I started. I drift back to the familiar tools of acoustic guitar and piano with my experimental tail between my legs.
If you watch the movie currently playing on TowserTV, the Who performing at Irvine in August 2000, you will see John Entwistle attempt to play his grand bass solo on the song Five Fifteen. You may find yourself wondering why such a fluid, expressive and accomplished player should continually drift out of time with the drummer (Zak Starkey). It happened because John couldn't hear properly. John still gives an astounding display, but he rarely stayed in time in that solo.
Hearing loss is a terrible thing because it cannot be repaired. If you use an iPod or anything like it, or your child uses one, you MAY be OK. It may only be studio earphones that cause bad damage. I only have long experience of the studio side of things (though I've listened to music for pleasure on earphones for years, long before the Walkman was introduced). But my intuition tells me there is terrible trouble ahead. The computer is now central to our world. If downloading has a real downside it may not be the fact that musicians will get their music stolen - in truth, they appear quite ready to give it away for nothing. The downside may be that on our computers - for privacy, for respect to family and co-workers, and for convenience - we use earphones at almost every stage of interaction with sound.
I am forced to continue to take my time in the recording studio. Those 36 hour hearing rests are infuriating now that a tour is announced, frustrating and agonizing, but compulsory.
29 Dec 2005
But today, this very morning, after a night in the studio trying to crack a difficult song demo, I wake up realizing again - reminding myself, and feeling the need to remind the world - that my own particular kind of damage was caused by using earphones in the recording studio, not playing loud on stage. My ears are ringing, loudly. This rarely happens after a live show, unless the Who play a small club. This is a peculiar hazard of the recording studio.The point I'm making is that it is not live sound that causes hearing damage. Earphones do the most damage.
In a studio there are often accidental buzzes, shrieks and poor connections that cause temporary high level sounds. Playing drums with earphones on is probably a form of insanity I think, all those gunshots, so much louder than a real gunshot, but how else can a drummer hear the other musicians? When I work solo now I often avoid using a drummer, simply to keep the overall sound levels lower. Also, one might have to work for several hours to perfect a studio performance. As the work progresses, the ears shut down and one needs a higher volume. If you stop to rest your ears (and you need to do so for at least 36 hours to do any good) you lose the current performance. It is a tough call.
I have unwittingly helped to invent and refine a type of music that makes its principal proponents deaf. It takes time, but it happens. This is, I suppose, no worse than being a sports person or dancer who knows they have a limited working span, and their body will suffer. The rewards are great - money, fame, adulation and a real sense of self-worth and achievement. But music is a calling for life. You can write it when you're deaf, but you can't hear it or perform it.
Last night, I was working with a piece of music that depended on me finding a correlation between the harmonic clusters in a piece composed using a computer - rather electronic in nature - and the overtones of a normal acoustic piano. With my hearing rolling off severely now at around three or four kiloherz, I don't have much luck with high harmonics or piano overtones (I can still hear speech OK). Needless to say, I didn't finish what I started. I drift back to the familiar tools of acoustic guitar and piano with my experimental tail between my legs.
If you watch the movie currently playing on TowserTV, the Who performing at Irvine in August 2000, you will see John Entwistle attempt to play his grand bass solo on the song Five Fifteen. You may find yourself wondering why such a fluid, expressive and accomplished player should continually drift out of time with the drummer (Zak Starkey). It happened because John couldn't hear properly. John still gives an astounding display, but he rarely stayed in time in that solo.
Hearing loss is a terrible thing because it cannot be repaired. If you use an iPod or anything like it, or your child uses one, you MAY be OK. It may only be studio earphones that cause bad damage. I only have long experience of the studio side of things (though I've listened to music for pleasure on earphones for years, long before the Walkman was introduced). But my intuition tells me there is terrible trouble ahead. The computer is now central to our world. If downloading has a real downside it may not be the fact that musicians will get their music stolen - in truth, they appear quite ready to give it away for nothing. The downside may be that on our computers - for privacy, for respect to family and co-workers, and for convenience - we use earphones at almost every stage of interaction with sound.
I am forced to continue to take my time in the recording studio. Those 36 hour hearing rests are infuriating now that a tour is announced, frustrating and agonizing, but compulsory.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
van morrison tells all
In a rare interview with the NME in 1989, journalist Sean O' Hagan asked Van Morrison the following question:
"Have you ever read anything about yourself or your music that was valid or illuminating?"
The answer he received was a blunt
"No."
"Have you ever read anything about yourself or your music that was valid or illuminating?"
The answer he received was a blunt
"No."
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