'TELEVISION' AT 'HOME'

 I've been listening to music during the day - on the laptop through headphones because The Old Girl was working. I mostly accessed YouTube and searched for favourites and rediscovered lots of good stuff.

Here's a clip of Television's 'Marquee Moon' which has great guitar work and a nifty bass line. Maybe Robert has never listened to this. I'm interested in his opinion.

I also found on YouTube a copy of the 'lost' live recording of Bonnie Raitt, Lowell George, and others at Ultrasonic Studios New York in 1972. This made for interesting listening with the highlight being Raitt performing Steve Winwood's 'Can't Find My Way Home. There are 'tidier' versions out there that she's sung but this one just shines.

Note: This is not a filler post it is just sharing something nice OK?

"STEADY ON, IT'S ONLY PALMERSTON NORTH" *

 Robert look away now. This post has positive references to an article in the latest New Zealand Listener.

Richard will be interested though. The article is about Don McGlashan's coming national tour and profiles his musical career. This covers his work with familiar bands like Blam Blam Blam, The Mutton Birds, The Front Lawn, From Scratch, The Plague, The Whizz Kids, and musicians Harry Sinclair, Mark Bell, Tim Mahon and others. I'd like to see him and will check out the dates and venues.

There are lots of McGlashan's songs I like. They fit nicely in the New Zealand music history and stand up well to international offerings.

Remember Don't Fight It Marsha, It's Bigger Than Both Of Us ?:

That song reminds me of the Australian band Mental As Anything's song If You Leave Me Can I Come Too:

They all look so young!

It's worth a read and, like me, a trawl through YouTube to listen again to some great songs. 

* "We'd all get up and go crazy and at the end of the night everybody on stage would be crying and hugging each other. One night, somebody from the audience said, "Steady on, it's only Palmerston North." I always remember that."

- Don McGlashan ' The road, his dominion'.  - NZ Listener

"TURN THAT JUNGLE MUSIC DOWN"

 I mentioned in an earlier post that I got the stereo CD changer going again so, while The Old Girl's still away (back in a few weeks) have been enjoying my '70s music (as she calls it).

This morning it's been a selection of Steely Dan songs with 5 CDs in the changer and set to random play.

I have my strong favourites like 'Do It Again', 'Pretzel Logic', 'Riki Don't Lose That Number', 'Deacon Blues', 'The Royal Scam' etc. but today the sublime 'Babylon Sisters' stood out.

This is from Steely Dan's 'Goucho' album that has this great image on the cover.

This song is so slick and smooth it slips into the consciousness with its sleazy lyrics and subtle chords. I love it.

The word is that when Donald Fagan put this song together (as usual using many great session musicians) he pushed them to hundreds of takes and, when finished, brought some back for a redo because he didn't like one bass line. The guy's a perfectionist but the result in this and in almost all of Steely Dan's music is an enduring sound that perfectly matches the quirky and esoteric lyrics.

I strongly recommend this.

IT'S AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE

Not these nutters

 

Unkind readers might suggest that this is a filler-post but The Music Curmudgeon hasn't posted for a while and needs to get the ratings up.

Besides, the other bloggers haven't been doing much and one of them complains if my posts are too long, have no images, don't mention him and have no fawning references to imaginary beings.

Given the latest musical offerings from all both of them I thought that this might inspire them to get cracking.

COFFEE AND A ROLL

 I saw this photograph of the Popular milk-bar in Courtenay Place (no year attributed) in the Neighbourly site 'Old Wellington Region'.

It's a great photo - very evocative and would be great inspiration for a Tom Waits-type songwriter. There's a story behind the woman in the hat.

Mind you, the great Ray Davies wrote and sang this song about a cafe which is good.

But here's Tom Waits:

A REQUIEM ...

 ... of sorts.

It doesn't have to have particular meaning but there's a sense here of relevance to a generation of people in my age bracket.

I listened to a couple of versions of "Shine on you crazy diamond" today and the music and theme is evocative and has a disturbing relevance.

The video clip above by Pink Floyd is impressive with Gerald Scarfe artwork (like in The Wall) and the music is nicely paced to creep up on you. I particularly like the saxophones.

The other version of the same piece of music is by Christy Moore which, without the big production and effects is more visceral and I can see people using this as a eulogy for lost ones at funerals in the way that W.H. Auden's powerful and moving 'Funeral Blues' poem was read by John Hannah.

Here's Christy Moore's rendition of "Shine on you crazy diamond."

Now there's class.

CONCERT NEWS

 News has just come to hand of two pending library concerts featuring Richard of Richard's Bass Bag.

Richard bangs on about mentions these in passing: HERE , HERE , HERE , HERE , AND OH GOD HERE AGAIN

There's already a buzz at the selected libraries in Johnsonville and Tawa with tickets selling out fast being available to anyone who asks.

Homer Lesperson said: I've already reserved my seat ... well, to be honest, after I've used it no-one ever wants to sit there.

Stay tuned for updates which will be on Richard's Bass Bag the very popular  the original the only Bass Bag blog on the internet. Admittedly it's hard to find and the easiest access is via the link on Robert the apathetic sanctimonious sinner toilet cleaner threatener of eternal damnation and music snob's blog which can be found in the 'When Hell freezes over' section.