Chill.
Grab a coffee, English Breakfast tea, Chai, cognac, scotch, bourbon, water and maybe a smoke,
all depending on where you are in the world of time zones.
Plug in some decent headphones and give yourself 7:40 minutes to just . . .
Chill.
This is ‘Both Sides Now’,  Herbie Hancock from River: The Joni Letters
Hancock is and has been a jazz piano God to me.
Forever.
And believe it or not he is 70 years old. (born in 1940)
At any rate, get a drink, perhaps a smoke and just
Chill.
for 7:40 . . .
Your brain will thank me.
This is musical/cerebral Zen at its finest.

Pamela-

I’ve always dreamed of singing this song for you.
In my heart, I know that I have, maybe someday I actually will.
It’s everything I’ve always wanted to say to the only person in the world that I could ever say it to.
Our love is a slow, sweet dance . . .
Happy Anniversary, my Pamela
(put on the headphones I’ve left for you. Loggins is simply amazing LIVE.)

Forever

Now, while we’re here alone and all is said and done
Now I can let you know because of all you’ve shown
I’m grown enough to tell ya
You’ll always be inside of me.

How many roads have gone by
So many words left unspoken
I needed to be be your side
If only to hold you.

Forever in my heart
Forever we will be
Even when I’m gone
You’ll be here in me
Forever

Once, I dreamed that you were gone
I cried, I tried to find ya
I begged the dream would fade away and please awaken me
The night took a hold of my heart
And left me with no one to follow
The love that I grasped in the dark,
I’ll always remember

Forever in my heart
Forever we will be
Even when I’m gone
You’ll be here in me
Forever

Forever in my heart
Forever here you’ll be
Even when I’m gone
You’ll be near to me

Forever in my life
Always thought I’d be
I’d be yours

Forever . . .

Sometimes when I’m having a hard time coming up with something to write about
I put on a piece of music guaranteed to stimulate a brain wave or two.
I’m currently listening to Charles Ives and his Concord Symphony,
specifically ‘Hawthorne’, the second movement of the piece.
Ives isn’t for the average listener, believe me.
It’s some strange and beautiful stuff.
When I first listened to this particular piece years ago,
I wondered how one man could physically play it.
About three minutes into ‘Hawthorne’ you hear these pentatonic (all black notes) clusters,
an impossibility for the right hand alone given what the left hand is doing at that point.
Trust me.
It’s impossible.
Or so I thought.
I would find out years later that the performance notes for the Concord
require a piece of wood that must be cut to a certain size and
must weigh approximately 8oz or some crazy ass shit like that.
The board is gently ‘layed’ across the black notes on the piano giving the massive ‘cluster’ effect that I heard (and loved)
Nope Ives is not for the faint of heart simply because of the harmonic complexity of his music.
One minute he can sound like Chick Corea while the next he’s Scott Joplin on an acid trip.
I would recommend that everyone listen to Ives but I fear you’d call me insane.
If you want to experience something insanely creative by a lowly insurance salesman from Danbury, Connecticut,
go for it.
Ives is incredible and one of a kind.
I heard someone play something by Ives many years ago and it was something of a religious experience.
Truth.
Check it out.
Be sure and stop back for Weird Wednesday!

~m

For those of you that choose to listen:

Hawthorne Part 1
Hawthorne Part 2

These are performed by Marc-Andre Hamelin,
an amazing pianist and great interpreter of Ives.

Strange mood this evening, peoples
Felt like some appropriate night music.
Enjoy.

The year was 1978.
About the time I met the woman that would ultimately change my life.
And I met my wife . . .
:mrgreen:
I’m sorry but they don’t write stuff like this these days.
A pop song with a #11 chord?
Questions about the above observation are welcome.
Though you may not understand the answer.
I used to play this song and loved the chord changes . . .
As always, headphones are highly recommended.
The sound is great.

25 years.
I keep saying it to myself like it was an impossibility.
Reality tells me I am definitely wrong.
25 years ago, I put on a cream-coloured tuxedo on a Sunday afternoon
(like I’d done on an almost weekly basis back then while playing a gazillion weddings)
To me there seemed to be little that was special about this silly monkey suit of mine.
I remember I had a nasty head cold and the November 6th sky was grey and almost foreboding.
I was currently living alone in the rented apartment that Pamela and I would live in for the year to come.
Although, my tuxedo felt pedestrian, the day was bubbling with anticipation and excitement.
I was getting married at 3pm.
My best man, Donnie, picked me up around two.
Parts of the day seem crystal clear to me: my mother and father walking down the aisle to be seated, my soon to be mother-in-law looking more beautiful than I’ve ever seen her look.
Our parents were so damn proud they should have been holding signs.
The years have brought us many things, some good, some bad.
That’s life I guess.
The most important thing is that after 25 years I am still
totally in love with this woman you’ve all come to know as ‘my’ Pamela.
This is the woman that three beautiful, intelligent and free-spirited daughters call, ‘Mom’.
She loves me for many things: my cooking, my strange sense of humor, my writing and the thing that ultimately brought us together, my music.
After 25 years, I wanted to find a nice tune that I thought she would like.
This tune, much like her, is funky, infectious and filled with a smattering of sultry musical innuendo.
Use headphones because the sound is really incredible.
The name of the band is Toto, a favorite of mine.
I think you’ll be able to guess the title of the tune by the time the first chorus comes around.
If my bride can guess the name of the drummer (another favorite of mine, sadly he died several years ago) she’ll make my day.
{*she will be allowed to ask me for a hint, though she may not need it}  :lol:

So, a Happy 25th to the beautiful other half of my very soul.
Here’s to our future and a love that will simply never die.
Ever.
Love you, Pamela . . .

Lately, I’ve been listening to this acoustic blues musician named, Kelly Joe Phelps.
I first heard him after receiving his first solo CD last Christmas from my friend J0jo (who comments on the blog from time to time)
Phelps is an exceptional guitarist and my ears immediately perked up the first time I listened to him.
He has a way with his vocal as well. For some reason he sounds “familiar” to me, though I’m not quite sure why.
As I type this I’m listening to “Lead me on”, his first solo CD now residing peacefully in my Itunes.
Check out the video and give a listen to some new Kelly Joe with the assistance of the cool MP3 player at the bottom of the post.
If you like acoustic blues, Phelps is the man.

A couple of gals have some funky stuff going on over

HERE!!!!!!

I visited there tonight and a post reminded me of an old musical nugget I used to love.
Check it out below.
Anyone remember The Brothers Johnson?
Classic stuff.
I found a Quincy Jones video that has Ray Charles singing the lead vocal. (Chaka Khan, too!)
How hip is that?
Please visit the GIRLS and tell them I sent you alright?
They’ll be good to you.
If you have headphones, plug ‘em in a watch this wonderful video.
The sound is frickin’ awesome with cans.

This one is just too weird.
Click the “Stairway to Heaven” pictured above and give a listen to a segment of the tune
played backwards.
I realize it’s all about interpretation but I still think it’s pretty frickin’ creepy.
Check it out.
Have a serene weekend folks.

~m

I got this from my good friend Annie.
This will meme me out for a while but this one was damn good . . . and fun too.

These are the rules:
1. Go to the Billboard #1 Hits listings (scroll down and you’ll seen them separated by decades on the left in the sidebar)
2. Pick a year you were in high school
3. Get yourself nostalgic over the songs of that year
4. Pick 5 songs and write something about how these songs affected you
5. Pass it on to 5 more people

Fame – David Bowie

What I remember most about this song is its infectious beat.
It had all the elements of a cool funk tune blended seamlessly into a rock anthem. Girls liked to dance to it and us guys used to like to watch.
I also loved the weird vocal stuff Bowie did with his vocals in the studio.
A classic tune for me. I love Bowie.

You’re having my baby – Paul Anka

I’m going to cut to the chase here.
This song buuuhlows and Anka should have had his junk blown off just for recording it. This is a total lameass piece of musical shit.
And that’s giving it something.
This ‘baby’ should have had a clinic visit long before it ever gave birth on the AM airwaves.
This song makes Rosemary’s Baby seem like a Walt Disney character.
Really crass . . . sorry.

The Joker – Steve Miller

“Some people call me the space cowboy yeah
Some call me the gangster of love
Some people call me Maurice [insert your woo-woo HERE]
Cause’ I speak of the pompetous of love”

When they talk about songwriting it’s all about “the hook”, the line that grabs the listener.
This song had more hooks than my Uncle Bill’s tackle box.
IMHO, when you can combine space cowboy, gangster of love and pompetus ( a word that doesn’t even exist) in one song and make it sound like pure poetry, you’re a frickin’ genius and Steve Miller is damn close.
To this day, Miller remains prolific and ultimately solid as a songwriter.
His melodies will hopefully be around for generations to come.
Aren’t they lucky?
You bet your bippie.

Free Ride – Edgar Winter Group

This song brings me way back.
Remember Tango, Blackberry Brandy and Sloe Gin Fizz?
I used to go to concerts played by popular area bands on Saturday nights at the Middle School in my hometown.
Ah, the memories.
There was usually one stall in the boy’s room coated with Tango splash monkeys by the end of the night.
This song made you feel better even though you were already feeling pretty damn good.
How can you not love that?

You Light Up My Life – Debbie Boone

Another song from the gurgling bowels of some netherworld I’m obviously unaware of.
It even has one of the smarmiest lines of lyrics anyone ever had the sack to write:

“It can’t be wrong, when it feels so right . . .”

It makes me feel better when I make believe the songwriter was talking about sticking his head straight up his ass, an observation this song truly deserves.
If you must know, yes, I’ve played this song for many weddings (and spit anything coming up into an empty Heineken bottle)
(and yes, I’m kidding…I usually vomit after the set, I’m a pro).
The only thing that would have made this song even remotely salvageable is if it were totally re-worked (and I mean totally) by the Talking Heads or Devo.

A few songs that didn’t make the list—

We gotta get you a woman – Todd Rundgren (I love Rundgren)

Tears of a Clown – Smokey Robinson (how can you not like this tune?)

How can you mend a broken heart? – Bee Gees (I know. Gay.)

Uncle Albert – McCartney (weird tune. that’s me.)

Frankenstein – Edgar Winter Group (albinos just can’t be this funky, he must be an alien)

There’s my list of 5 (+) tunes.
I could go on for days but . . .
I’m not tagging anyone but I’d love to see Hannah, Evyl, Miriam, Yvonne and Zoe do a post.
How’s about it guys?

~m