Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby,
Well, today we finally had a day of sunshine, and semi-warmth (72 degrees). It was actually very beautiful outside, so I took The Crew (Pearl & The 'Ster) to Lake Balboa. I think that many others were feeling the same urge to enjoy the sunshine, which has been in short supply for the past month, because the park was crammed with dog walkers, seniors on benches, joggers, and loads of kids on the playground. In the trees you could hear the continuous and permeating sound of bird chatter, all kinds of cheeps, chirps and the original kind of tweets, pre-computer. It was great to get out, even moreso for Pearl & Kobe, both of whom were in need of exercise.
Having said that, it looks like more rain is in store. They are reporting something called an "atmospheric river" that is supposed to hit Northern California tomorrow, the biggest storm in ten years. They are gonna get creamed. Thankfully, we will only get the tail end of it down here. But, it looks like it will be more rain, on and off, for the next week.
Tonight's movie was called "Enemy" (2013), starring Jake Gyllenhaal, and directed by Denis Villeneuve, with whom Jake worked on the excellent "Prisoners" (2014) and who also directed the art-house alien flick "Arrival" from this past Fall. Villenuve, a Canadian, is an interesting director. He has all the technical ability of the best in the business. He knows how to direct actors to maximum potential. He can build plot and tension like Hitchcock. He can set a mood through use of color and setting. He's got all the tools. I loved "Prisoners", which was ultra-dark, and I liked "Arrival", which was really good though a bit murky in it's story. "Enemy" I had not heard of, but since I found it at the Libe, and since it starred Jake (one of my favorite actors), and since it was directed again by Villeneuve, I figured I'd give it a try.
It is the story of a college professor who, because a friend suggests a movie to him, watches that movie, sees an actor who looks exactly like him, and through investigating the actor, discovers he has a doppleganger. The man is him, in all respects. Thus is set off an engrossing mystery, as he contacts and finally meets the actor. All manner of intrigue and suspense ensue, also involving the girlfriend and wife, respectively, of Jake and the actor. It is a weird, weird movie, almost Lynch-like, and because Gyllenhaal is so good, and because Villeneuve is such a talented director, it grips you from the start and doesn't let go. You are hooked.
Unfortunately, all movies have to have an ending, and nowdays, the state of screenwriting being what it is, a great many modern movies are let down by a crummy script, or a tacked-on crummy ending, or both. This movie was excellent on all counts, except for an especially tacked-on and crummy ending, which took it from a "10" down to a "7" in my book. But worse, it made you wonder why you bothered watching to begin with.
I won't reveal any spoilers, because it still gets a Thumbs Up from me, but it could have been a great film were it not for the ending. And that, SB, is why I love, love, love old movies from the Golden Era over most movies being made nowdays (note I said "most" and not "all" because there are many great modern movies), but it is because there used to be a desire to tell a complete story. Every movie back then, even if it was B-grade, had a good plot and story, often with a few sub-plots. There was always so much going on in those films. Nowdays, a director thinks he can get cute, or just plain lazy, and leave it up to the audience to figure out what the hell happened. I don't think laziness is the case here, just a screenwriter who couldn't come up with an ending, and SB, if you don't have an ending, you basically don't have a movie.
Sorry for the tirade, but "Enemy" was so well done, and then "boom", it just collapsed at the end. Oh well, I've got a whole bunch of old classics on order from the Libe, so all is well.
I hope your day was good. I didn't see any posts, but no doubt you are working on your music, and probably other things too. :)
Tomorrow at 1pm we will be going to a memorial service for a long-time church member who just happened to be my old High School Principal as well. He was 93. When I first started working with Pearl back in 2010, on one of the very first times I took her to church, I recognised this gentleman and said, "you're Principal Sanders, aren't you"? He said he was, and he was very friendly to me, and in fact he once sent me a card of congratulations during my tenure at Cleveland High School, after a photo I took at CSUN was published in the L.A. Times (and I think I've mentioned that before). I may have already mentioned Principal Sanders' passing as well, but anyhow, the service is tomorrow. I imagine it will be jam packed, as he was a well liked man, and very well known in the community.
I will be around in the morning, though, until about 12:30, and then again in the afternoon, probably by 3pm.
See you in the morn.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Friday, January 6, 2017
Recording (you) + Rainy (me) + "Fixed Bayonets"
Happy Late Night, my Darling,
I hope you had a nice day, and I just now saw your post, via Sarah, where she says her solo album is in full swing, so I suppose you might mean that the same applies to you! You are probably working hard on finishing it, I imagine. If you have it on cd, I will be able to listen to it while reading at night, like I do with my other piano music cds. :) As for Sarah, good for her that she is at NAMM, and for her album too.
Still raining today, though for now we have a break in the clouds. I will be excited to see what all the trails and parks will look like with all the new growth they will have from the rain. I have only ever seen them in "drought mode", a little bit green in the Spring maybe, but basically in the Dry State you see in all my pics, with the golden dry grass (which I love as you know). But when Spring hits this year, we should have a lot of new wildflowers and maybe types of greenery I haven't seen before on my hikes. So I look forward to going, but we are gonna need some sun and warmth so the trails can dry up. It would be a mudslide right now.
As such, I continue to hibernate except for my CSUN walk. In the afternoons of late, it's just read and listen to music, play guitar also.
And watch movies at night. Tonight's film was not romantic; it was a War Movie, which is very exciting for me to watch, but probably not so exciting to read about for you. Still, a brief review is in order, as I am on a roll with movies lately, and have been reviewing each one. This was called "Fixed Bayonets", a macho title if there ever was one, and so it had to be directed by the macho Sam Fuller, who also wrote the excellent and real-sounding script. It's the story of a platoon of infantrymen fighting in the snowy mountains of Korea during that war. It's freezing cold out, they are vastly outnumbered, and they have to use trickery to make the Chinese, who actually fought on the Korean side, think they are a larger force. Luckily they have a cave to hide in, and they are led by two battle tested sergeants who know their stuff. The plot centers around Richard Basehart, as an up-and-coming Corporal. He has courage to burn, except in a most important respect: he can't bring himself to kill an enemy soldier.
Because Samuel Fuller wrote the script, this aspect - of the psychology of war - is explored : how ordinary men can be turned into soldiers and then can "learn" how to kill. It is crazy stuff when you think about it, which is why I said at the beginning "interesting for me but perhaps not for you". War has always been a Man Thing. Women neither start wars or - basically - fight in them (though I know they do now, somewhat, but it is still against their nature).
I think it is against man's nature too, as in male.
I am reading all about The Fall Of Man in my book "Genesis, Creation and Early Man" by Fr. Seraphim Rose, and according to him, man lived in an exalted state - along with all of the animals too - before the Fall. There was no violence, not even among the animals, and all creatures, man and animal, were plant eaters.
But I digress. In my lifetime, I was brought up on war movies, because my Dad was in a war, and so I must say that while I hate war, I do love the movies they made about all the various wars that have been fought. So to finish up, "Fixed Bayonets" was a top notch, very realistic look at a close knit band of soldiers trying to hang in there, in one of the worst situations they could be in, high in snowy mountains in freezing cold.
There were no wasted scenes, the action moved from start to finish, and it was shot in outstanding Black & White, using the "day for night" technique of shaded filters over the lens to create an unusual nighttime effect.
I love movies, SB. Mostly old movies these days, but I love 'em. I love that era.
See you in the morning.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I hope you had a nice day, and I just now saw your post, via Sarah, where she says her solo album is in full swing, so I suppose you might mean that the same applies to you! You are probably working hard on finishing it, I imagine. If you have it on cd, I will be able to listen to it while reading at night, like I do with my other piano music cds. :) As for Sarah, good for her that she is at NAMM, and for her album too.
Still raining today, though for now we have a break in the clouds. I will be excited to see what all the trails and parks will look like with all the new growth they will have from the rain. I have only ever seen them in "drought mode", a little bit green in the Spring maybe, but basically in the Dry State you see in all my pics, with the golden dry grass (which I love as you know). But when Spring hits this year, we should have a lot of new wildflowers and maybe types of greenery I haven't seen before on my hikes. So I look forward to going, but we are gonna need some sun and warmth so the trails can dry up. It would be a mudslide right now.
As such, I continue to hibernate except for my CSUN walk. In the afternoons of late, it's just read and listen to music, play guitar also.
And watch movies at night. Tonight's film was not romantic; it was a War Movie, which is very exciting for me to watch, but probably not so exciting to read about for you. Still, a brief review is in order, as I am on a roll with movies lately, and have been reviewing each one. This was called "Fixed Bayonets", a macho title if there ever was one, and so it had to be directed by the macho Sam Fuller, who also wrote the excellent and real-sounding script. It's the story of a platoon of infantrymen fighting in the snowy mountains of Korea during that war. It's freezing cold out, they are vastly outnumbered, and they have to use trickery to make the Chinese, who actually fought on the Korean side, think they are a larger force. Luckily they have a cave to hide in, and they are led by two battle tested sergeants who know their stuff. The plot centers around Richard Basehart, as an up-and-coming Corporal. He has courage to burn, except in a most important respect: he can't bring himself to kill an enemy soldier.
Because Samuel Fuller wrote the script, this aspect - of the psychology of war - is explored : how ordinary men can be turned into soldiers and then can "learn" how to kill. It is crazy stuff when you think about it, which is why I said at the beginning "interesting for me but perhaps not for you". War has always been a Man Thing. Women neither start wars or - basically - fight in them (though I know they do now, somewhat, but it is still against their nature).
I think it is against man's nature too, as in male.
I am reading all about The Fall Of Man in my book "Genesis, Creation and Early Man" by Fr. Seraphim Rose, and according to him, man lived in an exalted state - along with all of the animals too - before the Fall. There was no violence, not even among the animals, and all creatures, man and animal, were plant eaters.
But I digress. In my lifetime, I was brought up on war movies, because my Dad was in a war, and so I must say that while I hate war, I do love the movies they made about all the various wars that have been fought. So to finish up, "Fixed Bayonets" was a top notch, very realistic look at a close knit band of soldiers trying to hang in there, in one of the worst situations they could be in, high in snowy mountains in freezing cold.
There were no wasted scenes, the action moved from start to finish, and it was shot in outstanding Black & White, using the "day for night" technique of shaded filters over the lens to create an unusual nighttime effect.
I love movies, SB. Mostly old movies these days, but I love 'em. I love that era.
See you in the morning.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Kobester Groomer + "Broken Arrow" + "The Temple Of Man" by Schwaller de Lubicz
Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby,
Another drizzy day here, steady rain since afternoon. Didn't do much but take The Kobester to the groomer. I think I mentioned a few months ago the unusual coincidence that his new groomer is located right across the street from the legendary homestead at 9032 Rathburn, or simply 9032 for short. That is where I lived from 1970-95. The quake blew the house up and we had to move, and I think I've mentioned all this before, but anyhow, that's where Dr. von Kobermeister's groomer is located, directly across the street from 9032.
Kobe was there for quite a while, almost three hours. She said she had to go real slow with him because he was stressing out big time, and she is aware that he had a seizure one year ago that was likely groomer related. He is on anti-seizure meds since then, and he was okay today. He has to at least get his nails cut every couple months and his eyes cleaned. At his age I might not subject him to stresses if he were my dog, but anyhow. He looks beautiful and the groomer did a good job.
I got my walk in despite the rain, thanks to the invention of the umbrella, and then I watched tonight's movie, "Broken Arrow" from 1950, a classic Western starring James Stewart, Jeff Chandler and Debra Paget. Man, what a great movie. I am on a roll lately, SB, one great movie after another, and this one has got to be one of the best Westerns I have ever seen. Jimmy Stewart plays an ex-Army officer who now prospects for gold and silver in Apache country in Arizona in the 1870s. The character was apparently a real person, and in the movie he decides he wants to meet Cochise, the legendary leader of the Apache tribe, so he can attempt to negotiate a peace treaty, in order to stop the endless cycle of killing between the Americans and the Indians.
The story is all about the friendship he forms with Cochise, and their mutual attempt to forge a peace treaty, in the face of opposition of both other Apaches and American ranchers who don't want peace. Jeff Chandler was fantastic as Cochise. I had not seen a lot of his work, and I knew he was yet another of Hollywood's "tragic" actors who died young, but he deserved the Academy Award nomination he got for this portrayal. And Jimmy Stewart.......well there is a reason he is probably my all-time favorite actor, and that's because he is great every single time, in every movie he is in. This time, while in Cochise's Stronghold (an actual piece of land in Arizona) he meets and falls in love with a young Indian maiden (Debra Paget), who he then intends to marry. This forms another piece of the plot, and I am sorry to say it ends in tragedy. But the love story is so beautifully told that the tragedy is transformed into a spiritual uplifting.
"Broken Arrow" - which I was surprised not to have heard of until a week ago - was truly great. From what I read at IMDB, it was also one of the first movies to depict Indians in a positive light (and yes, it's okay to call them Indians, they call themselves that at the CSUN Powwow). I give the movie a 10/10, and it is also beautifully shot in Technicolor on location in Arizona, directed by the great Delmer Daves.
Well, this blog continues to be the Movie Report for the time being. If it ever stops raining and freezing then I can get back outside. I did order a book yesterday that I am super excited about : "The Temple Of Man" by esoteric Egyptologist R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz. I heard of the book and the author via Dr. Farrell, who has referred to de Lubicz many times in his own books. "The Temple Of Man" runs over 1000 pages and is supposed to be a masterwork of examination of the symbols, heiroglyphics and physical works (pyramids, etal) of the Egyptian civilisation, from the alternative viewpoint of de Lubicz, a scholar of the first degree who proposed that the symbols of ancient Egypt were placed everywhere (in writings, on buildings and in mathematics of archetecture) to remind human beings of a forgotten legacy. That Egypt was a Legacy Civilisation, left to the Egyptians by a highly advanced, departed culture that no one knows the origins of.
As I am always In Search Of Answers and Don't Subscribe Much To Standard Issue Ancient History, I can't wait to receive this book. It wasn't cheap, but I was aided in my purchase by an Amazon gift card given to me as a Christmas present, so super cool all the way around.
I hope your day was good, and you are no doubt working on one aspect of your album or another. I only saw one post, from Sarah, a pic that looked like it was from NAMM. Perhaps she will be at this year's as well.
That's all I know for tonight. See you in the morn.
I Love You.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Another drizzy day here, steady rain since afternoon. Didn't do much but take The Kobester to the groomer. I think I mentioned a few months ago the unusual coincidence that his new groomer is located right across the street from the legendary homestead at 9032 Rathburn, or simply 9032 for short. That is where I lived from 1970-95. The quake blew the house up and we had to move, and I think I've mentioned all this before, but anyhow, that's where Dr. von Kobermeister's groomer is located, directly across the street from 9032.
Kobe was there for quite a while, almost three hours. She said she had to go real slow with him because he was stressing out big time, and she is aware that he had a seizure one year ago that was likely groomer related. He is on anti-seizure meds since then, and he was okay today. He has to at least get his nails cut every couple months and his eyes cleaned. At his age I might not subject him to stresses if he were my dog, but anyhow. He looks beautiful and the groomer did a good job.
I got my walk in despite the rain, thanks to the invention of the umbrella, and then I watched tonight's movie, "Broken Arrow" from 1950, a classic Western starring James Stewart, Jeff Chandler and Debra Paget. Man, what a great movie. I am on a roll lately, SB, one great movie after another, and this one has got to be one of the best Westerns I have ever seen. Jimmy Stewart plays an ex-Army officer who now prospects for gold and silver in Apache country in Arizona in the 1870s. The character was apparently a real person, and in the movie he decides he wants to meet Cochise, the legendary leader of the Apache tribe, so he can attempt to negotiate a peace treaty, in order to stop the endless cycle of killing between the Americans and the Indians.
The story is all about the friendship he forms with Cochise, and their mutual attempt to forge a peace treaty, in the face of opposition of both other Apaches and American ranchers who don't want peace. Jeff Chandler was fantastic as Cochise. I had not seen a lot of his work, and I knew he was yet another of Hollywood's "tragic" actors who died young, but he deserved the Academy Award nomination he got for this portrayal. And Jimmy Stewart.......well there is a reason he is probably my all-time favorite actor, and that's because he is great every single time, in every movie he is in. This time, while in Cochise's Stronghold (an actual piece of land in Arizona) he meets and falls in love with a young Indian maiden (Debra Paget), who he then intends to marry. This forms another piece of the plot, and I am sorry to say it ends in tragedy. But the love story is so beautifully told that the tragedy is transformed into a spiritual uplifting.
"Broken Arrow" - which I was surprised not to have heard of until a week ago - was truly great. From what I read at IMDB, it was also one of the first movies to depict Indians in a positive light (and yes, it's okay to call them Indians, they call themselves that at the CSUN Powwow). I give the movie a 10/10, and it is also beautifully shot in Technicolor on location in Arizona, directed by the great Delmer Daves.
Well, this blog continues to be the Movie Report for the time being. If it ever stops raining and freezing then I can get back outside. I did order a book yesterday that I am super excited about : "The Temple Of Man" by esoteric Egyptologist R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz. I heard of the book and the author via Dr. Farrell, who has referred to de Lubicz many times in his own books. "The Temple Of Man" runs over 1000 pages and is supposed to be a masterwork of examination of the symbols, heiroglyphics and physical works (pyramids, etal) of the Egyptian civilisation, from the alternative viewpoint of de Lubicz, a scholar of the first degree who proposed that the symbols of ancient Egypt were placed everywhere (in writings, on buildings and in mathematics of archetecture) to remind human beings of a forgotten legacy. That Egypt was a Legacy Civilisation, left to the Egyptians by a highly advanced, departed culture that no one knows the origins of.
As I am always In Search Of Answers and Don't Subscribe Much To Standard Issue Ancient History, I can't wait to receive this book. It wasn't cheap, but I was aided in my purchase by an Amazon gift card given to me as a Christmas present, so super cool all the way around.
I hope your day was good, and you are no doubt working on one aspect of your album or another. I only saw one post, from Sarah, a pic that looked like it was from NAMM. Perhaps she will be at this year's as well.
That's all I know for tonight. See you in the morn.
I Love You.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Mega-Wow! + Looking Forward To It + "The Rains Came"
Okay Elizabeth........
Of course I wish you the usual Happy Late Night and all, and as usual I hope you had a nice day.
But I only have one word to say at the moment : Wow!
Sometimes that's all you can say, right?
So I repeat : Wow. And now I have much more to say. First of all - and you don't need me to tell you this because it's obvious, but - that painting looks great! Great as in fantastic. Your friend nailed it, and I don't even wanna ask how much time it took, or anything like that. It looks amazing, and as others remarked, your eyes stand out beautifully against the paint.
The second thing is : what a great idea for an album cover! I mean, I didn't even know you were making an album, but now that I know, I think that is an ingenious idea to make your face the canvas for the artwork. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone doing that before. Big time kudos to you and Annalisa.
The third thing is, as I just mentioned, it's a surprise to hear that you are recording an album! I know you were planning one, way back a few years ago, but then a ton of other things happened. So it's exciting to hear about it now. Because you mention an album cover, I am guessing you are gonna make some CDs, as in physical copies? That would be great if you do. I will be excited to get a copy. :)
Well........ wow, again. That was a stunner to see the face/artwork photo this morn. :) I look forward to hearing your music!
Today a typical Tuesday Golden Agers day. Did some New Year-inspired straightening up of The Pad. Tonight's movie was called "The Rains Came" (1939) with Myrna Loy, George Brent and Tyrone Power. Brent plays an aristocratic though devil-may-care artist living in India, post independence from British rule. He is a Brit himself, who gets invited to a party thrown by the Maharisha (female leader) played by the great character actress Maria Ouspenskya. At the party, he meets Myrna Loy, also English, who he had once had a fling with. She is now Lady So-and-So, an aristocrat herself. The film is actually an adventure story, and so what happens next is a monsoon and humongous earthquake, and I must say that the special effects for the quake were downright incredible for a movie made almost 80 years ago. Following the disaster, all the rich folks have to "get real", as they are now on the same footing as everyone else. Loy volunteers to work at a hospital, treating the wounded, and there she falls in love with the ultra handsome Ty Power. George Brent finds himself at the attention of a young lady (Brenda Joyce), who idol worships him, and from there the various romances play out, amidst the tragedy of the natural disaster.
It was a great movie, and I have gotta say that Myrna Loy is one of the great Movie Stars of the Golden Era. Pure class, intelligence and ability. Looks, too. There is so much to be said for movies (and Movie Stars) from that time, and though the films were stylised, and photographed in a glamourous way, there was always a story to be told, and the scripts in those days were so full of themes and threads. There was rarely a wasted moment. And the acting was excellent, too.
I've been on a roll with my movie watching of late, and I will try to keep going. But I've also gotta keep up on my reading, too. And my music listening. And, I've gotta start my new drawings for 2017; one per month, just like last year. I am tellin' ya, SB, I have gotta get a bigger place to live. I've got so much stuff in The Tiny Apartment that I can barely move. Well anyhow.........it's gonna be a great year!
See you in the morn. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Of course I wish you the usual Happy Late Night and all, and as usual I hope you had a nice day.
But I only have one word to say at the moment : Wow!
Sometimes that's all you can say, right?
So I repeat : Wow. And now I have much more to say. First of all - and you don't need me to tell you this because it's obvious, but - that painting looks great! Great as in fantastic. Your friend nailed it, and I don't even wanna ask how much time it took, or anything like that. It looks amazing, and as others remarked, your eyes stand out beautifully against the paint.
The second thing is : what a great idea for an album cover! I mean, I didn't even know you were making an album, but now that I know, I think that is an ingenious idea to make your face the canvas for the artwork. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone doing that before. Big time kudos to you and Annalisa.
The third thing is, as I just mentioned, it's a surprise to hear that you are recording an album! I know you were planning one, way back a few years ago, but then a ton of other things happened. So it's exciting to hear about it now. Because you mention an album cover, I am guessing you are gonna make some CDs, as in physical copies? That would be great if you do. I will be excited to get a copy. :)
Well........ wow, again. That was a stunner to see the face/artwork photo this morn. :) I look forward to hearing your music!
Today a typical Tuesday Golden Agers day. Did some New Year-inspired straightening up of The Pad. Tonight's movie was called "The Rains Came" (1939) with Myrna Loy, George Brent and Tyrone Power. Brent plays an aristocratic though devil-may-care artist living in India, post independence from British rule. He is a Brit himself, who gets invited to a party thrown by the Maharisha (female leader) played by the great character actress Maria Ouspenskya. At the party, he meets Myrna Loy, also English, who he had once had a fling with. She is now Lady So-and-So, an aristocrat herself. The film is actually an adventure story, and so what happens next is a monsoon and humongous earthquake, and I must say that the special effects for the quake were downright incredible for a movie made almost 80 years ago. Following the disaster, all the rich folks have to "get real", as they are now on the same footing as everyone else. Loy volunteers to work at a hospital, treating the wounded, and there she falls in love with the ultra handsome Ty Power. George Brent finds himself at the attention of a young lady (Brenda Joyce), who idol worships him, and from there the various romances play out, amidst the tragedy of the natural disaster.
It was a great movie, and I have gotta say that Myrna Loy is one of the great Movie Stars of the Golden Era. Pure class, intelligence and ability. Looks, too. There is so much to be said for movies (and Movie Stars) from that time, and though the films were stylised, and photographed in a glamourous way, there was always a story to be told, and the scripts in those days were so full of themes and threads. There was rarely a wasted moment. And the acting was excellent, too.
I've been on a roll with my movie watching of late, and I will try to keep going. But I've also gotta keep up on my reading, too. And my music listening. And, I've gotta start my new drawings for 2017; one per month, just like last year. I am tellin' ya, SB, I have gotta get a bigger place to live. I've got so much stuff in The Tiny Apartment that I can barely move. Well anyhow.........it's gonna be a great year!
See you in the morn. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Rose Parade + Sub-Zero + "A Taste Of Honey" + Energy/Time/Money
Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby,
I hope you had a nice day and that all is well heading into the new year. Today was technically the January 1st holiday, so we watched the Rose Parade as we always do here at Pearl's. Most often we have bright blue skies to show on TV, but today it was overcast with heavy clouds, and continuing sub-zero temps. The Parade was great as always, though we missed the presence of long time hosts Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards, who retired last year.
The rest of the day was low key. I'll be glad when the days get longer and the weather warms up so I feel like my Outdoor Self again.
Tonight's movie was "A Taste Of Honey" (1961) from Criterion, directed by Tony Richardson. Like last night's film, this is again a realistic look at the lives of working class people, in Northern England this time, and it all looks kind of grim. Rita Tushingham (again) is a teenager still in school, living with her neglectful mother, who frequents bars and chases men. They don't have money for rent and have to move. In doing so, she meets a young sailor and has a brief fling with him before he sets out to sea. He is black, and this film caused quite a sensation at the time because of the black/white relationship. The story focuses on outcasts, and so, after Rita gets a job at a shoe store and moves out on her own, the next man she meets is gay (played by the brilliant Murray Melvin, who was in "Barry Lyndon" by Stanley Kubrick, and a bunch of other movies). She and the gay man move in together, and she finds out she is pregnant. Not by Murray Melvin, but by the black sailor who departed earlier.
There are all kinds of class and social issues in this film, just as in "The Catered Affair". The late 50s to early 60s were a time to explore all kinds of issues not previously discussed in movies. Director Richardson was known for his realistic look at English life after WW2, and from the location shooting in Manchester in 1961, it looks pretty grim. Old brick buildings and cramped living quarters, cities that look like tentaments, just like New York at that time. Very industrial looking. But Richardson always adds a lighthearted touch. Tushingham's character is depressed, but can snap out of it at any moment and find happiness in any spoken thought of bit of conversation. This is another case where I can truly say "they don't make movies like this anymore", and in this case they can't, because life isn't like this anymore - it doesn't even look the same.
The movie looks like someone took a camera and filmed real people in a real period in time, early 1960s economically depressed England. And it's a lost time, and a lost look, all of which makes a movie like this a real treasure. Shot in Fantastic Black & White, it's a small classic all the way, especially for an Anglophile like myself. I will be looking for more by Tony Richardson, and Rita Tushingham. The song I posted on FB tonight was also from the movie. :):)
I saw your post about "Time/Money/Energy" via Joel Wanasek. Though the punchline to that graphic was about the life of a music producer, lol, the other stuff could apply to things we have long talked about.
Just from my own perspective - and because it's my own, it doesn't fit everybody - I would say, after years of experience, that energy is the #1 thing you want to have a lot of when you get to be My Age (Man, I hate when people My Age use that phrase, which is why I capitalised it, but in this case I had to use it!).
I had to go on a tangent, because it's really weird, SB. Here's what's weird : when you get to be My Age, you still feel like you're Your Age. I mean.....you do! It's really weird. You don't think of numbers, or How A Person Is "Supposed" To Feel At A Given Age. You just plain Feel Like Yourself, as you always felt. Ever since you were Your Age.
Except : you do get tired easier, which is why I put "Energy" as my #1 criteria. Without energy, you got nothin'. And it doesn't matter if you've got all the time in the world, without energy.
So, to finish up, Energy is #1 for me, followed very closely by Time at #2. You've gotta have Time, and it's gotta be Your Own Time. Of course we have discussed the need to pay bills and all of that. But think about it, SB.........time.
Think about that. It's really all we've got, the most precious commodity.
Energy surpasses time from a personal standpoint, only because you cannot enjoy your time, nor make the best use of it, without good energy. This is the reason to take care of yourself both physically and mentally.
But Time is a commodity, something that is limited and runs out eventually, and so it "Trumps" money on the list of the three things in that post.
Again, this is my viewpoint only, but I am glad that I literally was born without a materialistic gene. This doesn't mean I don't like or appreciate nice things. But I have been able, as I grew into my life, to realise things for what they are. A car is a car, for instance. If a car gets me where I want to go, it has done it's job. And a house is a house. If it provides shelter and privacy, and comfort, it has done it's job.
Would I rather have a Ferrari than a jalopy? Certainly. And I'd probably prefer something in the middle. Just like I wouldn't want a Mansion vs. The Tiny Apartment, but rather a nice house in between.
But my point is that I do not - and cannot, by my nature - focus on materialism, because my mind and heart and spirit are all focused on the non-material side of life, and the questions that lie therein.
We have been over many of these questions : What it means to Be Human, most importantly. And I won't belabor them tonight.
But definitely, as to your post : Energy > Time > Money.
That's all I know for tonight. I will see you in the morn.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I hope you had a nice day and that all is well heading into the new year. Today was technically the January 1st holiday, so we watched the Rose Parade as we always do here at Pearl's. Most often we have bright blue skies to show on TV, but today it was overcast with heavy clouds, and continuing sub-zero temps. The Parade was great as always, though we missed the presence of long time hosts Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards, who retired last year.
The rest of the day was low key. I'll be glad when the days get longer and the weather warms up so I feel like my Outdoor Self again.
Tonight's movie was "A Taste Of Honey" (1961) from Criterion, directed by Tony Richardson. Like last night's film, this is again a realistic look at the lives of working class people, in Northern England this time, and it all looks kind of grim. Rita Tushingham (again) is a teenager still in school, living with her neglectful mother, who frequents bars and chases men. They don't have money for rent and have to move. In doing so, she meets a young sailor and has a brief fling with him before he sets out to sea. He is black, and this film caused quite a sensation at the time because of the black/white relationship. The story focuses on outcasts, and so, after Rita gets a job at a shoe store and moves out on her own, the next man she meets is gay (played by the brilliant Murray Melvin, who was in "Barry Lyndon" by Stanley Kubrick, and a bunch of other movies). She and the gay man move in together, and she finds out she is pregnant. Not by Murray Melvin, but by the black sailor who departed earlier.
There are all kinds of class and social issues in this film, just as in "The Catered Affair". The late 50s to early 60s were a time to explore all kinds of issues not previously discussed in movies. Director Richardson was known for his realistic look at English life after WW2, and from the location shooting in Manchester in 1961, it looks pretty grim. Old brick buildings and cramped living quarters, cities that look like tentaments, just like New York at that time. Very industrial looking. But Richardson always adds a lighthearted touch. Tushingham's character is depressed, but can snap out of it at any moment and find happiness in any spoken thought of bit of conversation. This is another case where I can truly say "they don't make movies like this anymore", and in this case they can't, because life isn't like this anymore - it doesn't even look the same.
The movie looks like someone took a camera and filmed real people in a real period in time, early 1960s economically depressed England. And it's a lost time, and a lost look, all of which makes a movie like this a real treasure. Shot in Fantastic Black & White, it's a small classic all the way, especially for an Anglophile like myself. I will be looking for more by Tony Richardson, and Rita Tushingham. The song I posted on FB tonight was also from the movie. :):)
I saw your post about "Time/Money/Energy" via Joel Wanasek. Though the punchline to that graphic was about the life of a music producer, lol, the other stuff could apply to things we have long talked about.
Just from my own perspective - and because it's my own, it doesn't fit everybody - I would say, after years of experience, that energy is the #1 thing you want to have a lot of when you get to be My Age (Man, I hate when people My Age use that phrase, which is why I capitalised it, but in this case I had to use it!).
I had to go on a tangent, because it's really weird, SB. Here's what's weird : when you get to be My Age, you still feel like you're Your Age. I mean.....you do! It's really weird. You don't think of numbers, or How A Person Is "Supposed" To Feel At A Given Age. You just plain Feel Like Yourself, as you always felt. Ever since you were Your Age.
Except : you do get tired easier, which is why I put "Energy" as my #1 criteria. Without energy, you got nothin'. And it doesn't matter if you've got all the time in the world, without energy.
So, to finish up, Energy is #1 for me, followed very closely by Time at #2. You've gotta have Time, and it's gotta be Your Own Time. Of course we have discussed the need to pay bills and all of that. But think about it, SB.........time.
Think about that. It's really all we've got, the most precious commodity.
Energy surpasses time from a personal standpoint, only because you cannot enjoy your time, nor make the best use of it, without good energy. This is the reason to take care of yourself both physically and mentally.
But Time is a commodity, something that is limited and runs out eventually, and so it "Trumps" money on the list of the three things in that post.
Again, this is my viewpoint only, but I am glad that I literally was born without a materialistic gene. This doesn't mean I don't like or appreciate nice things. But I have been able, as I grew into my life, to realise things for what they are. A car is a car, for instance. If a car gets me where I want to go, it has done it's job. And a house is a house. If it provides shelter and privacy, and comfort, it has done it's job.
Would I rather have a Ferrari than a jalopy? Certainly. And I'd probably prefer something in the middle. Just like I wouldn't want a Mansion vs. The Tiny Apartment, but rather a nice house in between.
But my point is that I do not - and cannot, by my nature - focus on materialism, because my mind and heart and spirit are all focused on the non-material side of life, and the questions that lie therein.
We have been over many of these questions : What it means to Be Human, most importantly. And I won't belabor them tonight.
But definitely, as to your post : Energy > Time > Money.
That's all I know for tonight. I will see you in the morn.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Monday, January 2, 2017
Singin' + Chillin' + Readin' + "The Catered Affair" + The Only Way
Happy Late Night, my Darling,
And Happy New Year once again. So how's your year been going, SB? Yeah, I could try to work a few more "New Year/Time Flies" jokes into the blog, but I will thankfully let the opportunity pass, haha. But only til next New Year's Eve! Then, I won't be able to resist. :)
We had good singing in church this morn, despite having only five choir members present. We sang a vocal harmony piece by a guy named Ralph Carmichael, who worked with Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and a bunch of others, and also wrote music for TV Shows, and then became a leading composer of Christian music. The song we sang, "A Quiet Place", normally would sound best with perhaps 8 to 10 singers, but we pulled off an admirable job I thought.
This afternoon was just spent chillin'. I was tired because of Up Very Late Last Night and then Up Very Early This Morning, but I managed to read a chapter of "The Andreasson Affair Phase Two", which is the sequel to the first book. I dunno if I mentioned that I am reading Phase Two, but anyway, it is gonna be even weirder than the first, which I like (naturally).
This evening, my friend Mr. Freedy (seen on FB) came over with his daughter for a Supremely Chilly walk, almost down to the duck pond and back. Sub-Zero temps are back (though no Gale Force Winds, thank goodness), and it would be safe to venture a guess that the duck pond might have been a solid block of ice with ducks, turtles and Koi frozen in mid-swim, had we finished the distance to see it. :)
After the walk, I returned to my apt. to watch The First Film Of The Year, "The Catered Affair", written by the great Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Richard Brooks. Chayefsky wrote social commentary into his scripts (most famously in "Network" in 1977), and in "The Catered Affair" it is all about love, marriage and the struggle of living within one's means for lower-middle class New Yorkers. Ernest Borgnine plays a cab driver who is married to Bette Davis, a practical woman of lowered expectations whose marriage to Borgnine was fixed by her father. Her own daughter - Debbie Reynolds again - is about to get married, so Davis, who was simply an Incredible Actress (she steals the movie) want to give her a lavish wedding, even though her husband Borgnine can scarcely afford it. The plot of the film revolves almost entirely around the attempt to force the expensive wedding to happen, and in that way it is a thin story, but the social commentary - about class differences and the deadening effect of a loveless marriage - fills in the gaps. The acting is what takes the story over the top, and here you have a Best Actor and Best Actress winner (Borgnine and Davis) and one who was nominated several time (Reynolds). It is the type of gritty New York drama, featuring crowded apartment or tenament lifestyles that they made quite a few of in the 50s and early 60s. This one has a comedic touch, and while all actors excel, it is Bette Davis who runs away with it. She was one of the greatest actresses of all time.
So that was the extent of the day for me.
I saw your post, via Joel Wanasek, about "not having a 'real job' " for 11 years. He nailed the whole issue right on the head, and as we have seen - and as we have talked about and as we have shown long ago, there is no such thing as a "Real Job", which is your friend's point.
We nailed the issue from the Get-Go, right where it counts, at the heart of the matter.
The Heart Of The Matter is that is Has Always Been Imperative To Do With Your Life What Your Heart And Soul Call You To Do.
That is Imperative, and no other pathway will suffice.
We discussed, from the get-go, that the only neccessity for achieving This Imperative is for a person to have their Basic Bills Paid. Once that is achieved, everything else is gravy. The success is in The Doing. The money, after the bills are paid, is secondary, a treat. But the fulfillment is in The Doing, and in Living One's Life One's Own Way.
In his case, your friend also mentions something that stuck home with me. He says that he initially set out to be a lead guitarist in a big rock band. That was me at 21, 1000%.
A lot of factors prevented me from even coming close to that goal, many of which were of my own making. But still, I had already made the most important decision - not to do something with my life that I did not want to do. I could not have made it without help from a few other people, my parents most of all, but in the long run I found that my sense of having another, different purpose in life, could not have been more on the money.
I knew my life was different from normal ever since I was a little kid.
I wanted also to be a lead guitarist when I was 21, but it didn't crush me when that didn't pan out.
Because I found out that something even bigger was in store.
And it was all because I trusted what I felt inside, starting at about 17 years old, when I graduated high school. That was when I was supposed to get a Real Job, which I did (and which was a good experience as well, for a time). But I knew that Real Jobs were not my destiny, and I am glad I followed my instincts, and in my case, followed The Lord, who Has Never Failed To Show Me The Way.
It's the Only Way.
That's all I know for tonight! See you in the morn, SB. I Love You.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
And Happy New Year once again. So how's your year been going, SB? Yeah, I could try to work a few more "New Year/Time Flies" jokes into the blog, but I will thankfully let the opportunity pass, haha. But only til next New Year's Eve! Then, I won't be able to resist. :)
We had good singing in church this morn, despite having only five choir members present. We sang a vocal harmony piece by a guy named Ralph Carmichael, who worked with Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and a bunch of others, and also wrote music for TV Shows, and then became a leading composer of Christian music. The song we sang, "A Quiet Place", normally would sound best with perhaps 8 to 10 singers, but we pulled off an admirable job I thought.
This afternoon was just spent chillin'. I was tired because of Up Very Late Last Night and then Up Very Early This Morning, but I managed to read a chapter of "The Andreasson Affair Phase Two", which is the sequel to the first book. I dunno if I mentioned that I am reading Phase Two, but anyway, it is gonna be even weirder than the first, which I like (naturally).
This evening, my friend Mr. Freedy (seen on FB) came over with his daughter for a Supremely Chilly walk, almost down to the duck pond and back. Sub-Zero temps are back (though no Gale Force Winds, thank goodness), and it would be safe to venture a guess that the duck pond might have been a solid block of ice with ducks, turtles and Koi frozen in mid-swim, had we finished the distance to see it. :)
After the walk, I returned to my apt. to watch The First Film Of The Year, "The Catered Affair", written by the great Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Richard Brooks. Chayefsky wrote social commentary into his scripts (most famously in "Network" in 1977), and in "The Catered Affair" it is all about love, marriage and the struggle of living within one's means for lower-middle class New Yorkers. Ernest Borgnine plays a cab driver who is married to Bette Davis, a practical woman of lowered expectations whose marriage to Borgnine was fixed by her father. Her own daughter - Debbie Reynolds again - is about to get married, so Davis, who was simply an Incredible Actress (she steals the movie) want to give her a lavish wedding, even though her husband Borgnine can scarcely afford it. The plot of the film revolves almost entirely around the attempt to force the expensive wedding to happen, and in that way it is a thin story, but the social commentary - about class differences and the deadening effect of a loveless marriage - fills in the gaps. The acting is what takes the story over the top, and here you have a Best Actor and Best Actress winner (Borgnine and Davis) and one who was nominated several time (Reynolds). It is the type of gritty New York drama, featuring crowded apartment or tenament lifestyles that they made quite a few of in the 50s and early 60s. This one has a comedic touch, and while all actors excel, it is Bette Davis who runs away with it. She was one of the greatest actresses of all time.
So that was the extent of the day for me.
I saw your post, via Joel Wanasek, about "not having a 'real job' " for 11 years. He nailed the whole issue right on the head, and as we have seen - and as we have talked about and as we have shown long ago, there is no such thing as a "Real Job", which is your friend's point.
We nailed the issue from the Get-Go, right where it counts, at the heart of the matter.
The Heart Of The Matter is that is Has Always Been Imperative To Do With Your Life What Your Heart And Soul Call You To Do.
That is Imperative, and no other pathway will suffice.
We discussed, from the get-go, that the only neccessity for achieving This Imperative is for a person to have their Basic Bills Paid. Once that is achieved, everything else is gravy. The success is in The Doing. The money, after the bills are paid, is secondary, a treat. But the fulfillment is in The Doing, and in Living One's Life One's Own Way.
In his case, your friend also mentions something that stuck home with me. He says that he initially set out to be a lead guitarist in a big rock band. That was me at 21, 1000%.
A lot of factors prevented me from even coming close to that goal, many of which were of my own making. But still, I had already made the most important decision - not to do something with my life that I did not want to do. I could not have made it without help from a few other people, my parents most of all, but in the long run I found that my sense of having another, different purpose in life, could not have been more on the money.
I knew my life was different from normal ever since I was a little kid.
I wanted also to be a lead guitarist when I was 21, but it didn't crush me when that didn't pan out.
Because I found out that something even bigger was in store.
And it was all because I trusted what I felt inside, starting at about 17 years old, when I graduated high school. That was when I was supposed to get a Real Job, which I did (and which was a good experience as well, for a time). But I knew that Real Jobs were not my destiny, and I am glad I followed my instincts, and in my case, followed The Lord, who Has Never Failed To Show Me The Way.
It's the Only Way.
That's all I know for tonight! See you in the morn, SB. I Love You.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Happy New Year! + Radiohead + Vocal Melodies + 2017 Is Gonna Rule
Happy New Year, my Darling!,
Wow, it's almost 1am already, where did the time go?.......the year is just flyin' by. :) I hope you had a nice day and a fun New Year's Eve, whatever you wound up doing. Here at Pearl's, we watched the ball drop in Times Square, hosted by Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin. For some reason this year they didn't have the time synced up with West Coast time, so the ball drop was five minutes early. But we kept our eye on the clock for the real thing, and we wouldn't have missed it anyway because Pearl's neighbor blew off enough fireworks to last until 4th of July. Now all is quiet, and I am listening to the tail end of the KUSC New Year's Eve bash, hosted by Jim Svejda. He always plays a lot of classic comedy stuff on New Year's, and he always finishes up with what he (and I) considers to be the greatest comedy record of all time, "The United States Of America" by Stan Freberg, which was a big hit in the early 60s. My Dad had a copy and I listened to it a lot when I was little, and 50 years later I still think it's a riot.
Well......wow, 2016. What a year it was. We lost so many artists, and then on the other hand I must say that it was one of the greatest years ever for live shows. And for you it was certainly a great year I think and I'm sure you will agree. :)
I saw your post this morning and I am glad to see that you like Radiohead! I did not know you were a fan. For me, I think they are one of the best bands of the last 20 years, they can do no wrong really. It is rare for a band - any band - not to have a bad album, but they don't. Every Radiohead album is at least good. Most are very good and several are great. I would put "Moon Shaped Pool" in the latter category. I just listened to it again tonight because of your post, and my goodness SB........it's just one great song after another.
The thing is, here's why Thom Yorke is such a great songwriter. He knows texture and mood. If you listen to "Daydreaming", it is easy to see that he built the whole thing around two simple piano arpeggios, the first one a slow triplet that builds on itself, and the second a Pink Floydian "space chord" arpeggio that acts as the resolution to the melody. It's a fairly simple (though extremely effective) framework for the song. But then he adds so much texture....through the use of all kinds of sounds via different instruments and effects, including vocal effects. He also wrote an incredibly moving vocal line to sing over the main melody, featuring very beautiful lyrics.
That is a key to so many, many great songs : an ingenious vocal melody. You can start a framework to a song with any number of "tried and true" chordal frameworks, adding a twist here and there, but what really makes a song unique is a great vocal melody that runs somewhat counter to, or accentuates, the chordal framework. For instance, today I learned how to play and sing Joni Mitchell's famous song, "Both Sides Now", which was a humongous Top 40 hit for Judy Collins in 1968. It's one of the great pop songs of all time, and it has a very simple chord structure.
But the vocal line is sheer genius. It's made for a female voice, but I love the song so much I just had to try to play it........and I'll keep it to myself, so no worries, lol. :)
But that's what I mean by a simple chord structure with a unique (and sometimes incredible) vocal melody overlaid. Thom Yorke is a master of that, and also of skewing the instrumentation so that the rhythms are sometimes off just a little bit or the textures are unexpected and used to create maximum emotion.
Man, I love Radiohead. Of course "OK Computer" is considered their classic, and it is indeed a great album, but I think I like "Kid A" even more, and "In Rainbows" was just incredible. Same with "Hail To The Thief". "Amnesiac"......"The Bends"......"Pablo Honey"......even "King Of Limbs".
Just a great, great band, and if you haven't heard everything by them I can't recommend them highly enough.
No movie tonight, too much noise in the apartment building, but I have a few lined up to start the year with. It rained all day again today, too, so while there haven't been any hikes in a while, there should be some great scenery when I do get back to the Santa Clarita trails and Santa Su, when the Sun comes back out.
I also saw your post via your friend Clint, the pic of him and his girlfriend, and I am sure you know that I thought it was a beautiful sentiment, what he said in his comments, and I could not agree more from my own perspective! :):)
Well, church in the morning believe it or not. But that's a good way to start the year also. :)
I don't know how many choir people will be there, but I'll be ready to sing as usual.
And I'll be back at the usual time, around 1pm.
Here we go into the New Year, Sweet Baby! It's gonna be a great one, so get ready.......
I Love You! See you in the morn. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Wow, it's almost 1am already, where did the time go?.......the year is just flyin' by. :) I hope you had a nice day and a fun New Year's Eve, whatever you wound up doing. Here at Pearl's, we watched the ball drop in Times Square, hosted by Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin. For some reason this year they didn't have the time synced up with West Coast time, so the ball drop was five minutes early. But we kept our eye on the clock for the real thing, and we wouldn't have missed it anyway because Pearl's neighbor blew off enough fireworks to last until 4th of July. Now all is quiet, and I am listening to the tail end of the KUSC New Year's Eve bash, hosted by Jim Svejda. He always plays a lot of classic comedy stuff on New Year's, and he always finishes up with what he (and I) considers to be the greatest comedy record of all time, "The United States Of America" by Stan Freberg, which was a big hit in the early 60s. My Dad had a copy and I listened to it a lot when I was little, and 50 years later I still think it's a riot.
Well......wow, 2016. What a year it was. We lost so many artists, and then on the other hand I must say that it was one of the greatest years ever for live shows. And for you it was certainly a great year I think and I'm sure you will agree. :)
I saw your post this morning and I am glad to see that you like Radiohead! I did not know you were a fan. For me, I think they are one of the best bands of the last 20 years, they can do no wrong really. It is rare for a band - any band - not to have a bad album, but they don't. Every Radiohead album is at least good. Most are very good and several are great. I would put "Moon Shaped Pool" in the latter category. I just listened to it again tonight because of your post, and my goodness SB........it's just one great song after another.
The thing is, here's why Thom Yorke is such a great songwriter. He knows texture and mood. If you listen to "Daydreaming", it is easy to see that he built the whole thing around two simple piano arpeggios, the first one a slow triplet that builds on itself, and the second a Pink Floydian "space chord" arpeggio that acts as the resolution to the melody. It's a fairly simple (though extremely effective) framework for the song. But then he adds so much texture....through the use of all kinds of sounds via different instruments and effects, including vocal effects. He also wrote an incredibly moving vocal line to sing over the main melody, featuring very beautiful lyrics.
That is a key to so many, many great songs : an ingenious vocal melody. You can start a framework to a song with any number of "tried and true" chordal frameworks, adding a twist here and there, but what really makes a song unique is a great vocal melody that runs somewhat counter to, or accentuates, the chordal framework. For instance, today I learned how to play and sing Joni Mitchell's famous song, "Both Sides Now", which was a humongous Top 40 hit for Judy Collins in 1968. It's one of the great pop songs of all time, and it has a very simple chord structure.
But the vocal line is sheer genius. It's made for a female voice, but I love the song so much I just had to try to play it........and I'll keep it to myself, so no worries, lol. :)
But that's what I mean by a simple chord structure with a unique (and sometimes incredible) vocal melody overlaid. Thom Yorke is a master of that, and also of skewing the instrumentation so that the rhythms are sometimes off just a little bit or the textures are unexpected and used to create maximum emotion.
Man, I love Radiohead. Of course "OK Computer" is considered their classic, and it is indeed a great album, but I think I like "Kid A" even more, and "In Rainbows" was just incredible. Same with "Hail To The Thief". "Amnesiac"......"The Bends"......"Pablo Honey"......even "King Of Limbs".
Just a great, great band, and if you haven't heard everything by them I can't recommend them highly enough.
No movie tonight, too much noise in the apartment building, but I have a few lined up to start the year with. It rained all day again today, too, so while there haven't been any hikes in a while, there should be some great scenery when I do get back to the Santa Clarita trails and Santa Su, when the Sun comes back out.
I also saw your post via your friend Clint, the pic of him and his girlfriend, and I am sure you know that I thought it was a beautiful sentiment, what he said in his comments, and I could not agree more from my own perspective! :):)
Well, church in the morning believe it or not. But that's a good way to start the year also. :)
I don't know how many choir people will be there, but I'll be ready to sing as usual.
And I'll be back at the usual time, around 1pm.
Here we go into the New Year, Sweet Baby! It's gonna be a great one, so get ready.......
I Love You! See you in the morn. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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