PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS

I've been looking forward to what music we will play on Christmas morning this year.
While we have no plans for a big Christmas bash and will not have a house full of guests this year - being just the two of us we plan to have a nice Christmas as, who knows, it might just be my last one.

No doubt The Food Curmudgeon, The Wine Guy, The Religious Curmudgeon and The Cultured Curmudgeon will all be making plans also but the responsibility for music will fall to me.

In the past we have had a tradition of putting on a mixture of classical, jazz and old popular classics  in the morning before a christmas lunch.

CHRISTMAS MUSIC

This year should be no different but I think that we'll pre-select (or at last I will and surprise The Old Girl) some 'tunes' that will set the mood.

One of them that I listened to this evening will be Enigma's Sadeness from the album Enigma MCMXC a D.

SADENESS

This provides the right amount of irreverence combined with voluptuous indulgence to start the day off.

I hope that Robert approves.

MOVE OVER ORANGE FUCKHEAD

I went to see David Byrne's American Utopia show on Saturday.


This was stupendous! The best show that I've seen for some time. It wasn't just a rock concert but was more like an opera that Kurt Weill or Benjamin Britten could have put together. The constant movement and rhythm used Brazilian samba beats and USA high school marching band motifs.
The musicians and singers  - 12 of them including Byrne - carried their instruments including percussion on body harnesses so were able to move in a choreographed two hour performance - vibrant and alive.

I ZIMBRA

David Byrne is no imitator and once again sets a new standard for on-stage performance - not that his Stop Making Sense has ever been eclipsed.

I normally hate it at concerts when people stand up in front of you to dance but at this show everyone, from the second piece of music in stood up and moved and it was infectious. Byrne certainly knows how to motivate an audience unlike that fat foolish fuck Donald Trump who thinks he does. American Utopia is political of course and alludes to the fact that The United States of America had its beginnings as a utopian experiment that has largely failed. If David Byrne had been born in the USA then I have no doubt the man could be President.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICHARD (OF RBB)

TURNING IT UPSIDE DOWN

I was listening to Barry Crump's Nights programme on National Radio last night and he was interviewing a composer who talked about the use of objects other than musical instruments when making music.

LUCIANO CHESSA

I liked his music and what he was saying. No doubt Richard will disagree with this because I'm wrong and Chessa is crap or something and Robert, who has a snobbish attitude that anyone who doesn't play a musical instrument should not have any opinion on music will pooh pooh, but hey, who cares - I've said before that I like music that is a bit off centre like Scott Walker's Bish Bosh and Stephen Sondheim, Kurt Weill and  Benjamin Britten operas,

 Stockhausen's Music For Helicopters was referenced: HERE
Which I listened to and liked the idea of reminding me of Bish Bosh although real instruments were used.

I was reminded that Richard, the most accomplished and educated musician I know talked sometimes about how his household appliances would (when they thought that no-one was listening) perform in various musical keys. Sadly these posts have disappeared having been obliterated in THE GREAT BLOG DESTRUCTION OF JULY 2016.
A story of music making (in secret) by household appliances would be worthy of Roald Dahl or Dr Seuss.

TWICE IN A LIFETIME

I'm going to see David Byrne in November this year.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

I've seen Talking Heads perform before back in 1979. They have long been one of my favourite bands. I like Byrne's music and lyrics and his The Catherine Wheel is one of my favourites.

THE CATHERINE WHEEL

He has dabbled in experimental theatre a lot and this partnership with Twyla Tharp (choreographer) really hit the spot with me in 1981 to the point where I planned to go to New York to see it but work commitments interfered.


I'm going on my own as The Old Girl, while liking Talking Heads thinks that Byrne's solo works like The Catherine Wheel are  'a bit weird'. Hopefully she'll remind me to go on the date as a couple of years ago when I had a ticket to go to see Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) I forgot to go. See HERE

BEWARE THE MACHINES

I've been watching the Netflix drama series Lost In Space which is a kind of remake of the '60s tv series of the same name. It has many good points with some great cinematics but is let down by silly science, wooden acting, dumb story lines and the Americans' love of over-sentimentalising everything.

In the series the robot (remember: "Danger Will Robinson, danger") is much scarier and more powerful. It, and its fellow machines have more sophistication and potential than the humans.

This was on my mind when I watched this YouTube clip on modern music and the formulaic way it is being created.


THE TRUTH WHY MODERN MUSIC IS SO AWFUL


Now this is his opinion only but the guy's essay is pretty good and it's worth listening to.

It kind of reminds me of the differences between Richard's and Robert's approaches to creating music.
Richard uses learning and experience and Robert uses programmes.
Maybe this is why Richard has more 'Timbre'.

He certainly has more pine trees up behind his house.


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SITTIN' ON THE DECK BY THE BAY - WASTIN' TIME ........

Yes, we all remember those classic TV themes like Rawhide, The Flintstones, The Andy Griffith Show, Mr Ed, The Monkees, The Beverly Hillbillies, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Steptoe and son, Doctor Who, Coronation Street, Z Cars, The Onedin Line etc. etc. etc.

More recently there have been some outstanding American TV series where music is especially chosen by the directors and producers and match so well as if it was written just for the series.
In these cases the signature theme song or music can be iconic and synchronistic.

Here are some of my personal favourites.

****************

1. THE WIRE

Way Down In The Hole by The Blind Boys of Alabama

WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE

2. THE SOPRANOS

Woke This Morning by Alabama 3

WOKE UP THIS MORNING

3. MR MERCEDES

It's Not Too Late by T-Bone Burnett

IT'S NOT TOO LATE

4. JUSTIFIED

Long Hard Times To Come by Gangstagrass

LONG HARD TIMES TO COME

5. TRUE DETECTIVE

Far From Any Road by The Handsome Family

FAR FROM ANY ROAD