Saturday - January 29, 2011
Not What You Expected
via comments at Rachel Lucas, from the post after the one linked to by Rich K
Welcome to the wonderful new world of Mash-Ups, twisting musical reality through an alternate universe to prove that oil and vinegar can mix after all.
Posted by Drew458
on 01/29/2011 at 11:37 AM
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Permalink • Monday - January 24, 2011
Learning New Things Each Day
I ran across this thing while thinking about the song from the previous post, and looking up a few songs that I thought had bits in common. I found this instrument in a Scottish rendition of one of those songs. Now, I have heard the name of this thing a few times in my life. Is it also sometimes used as a synonym? But what I did not know was that this device has been around since the early Middle Ages and is still made today.
It’s a cross between a violin, a guitar, and the bagpipes, driven by a crankshaft, with keys to play chords like an autoharp. And then mated to a half coil of rusty barbed wire. So “mechanical droning nasty violinitar” describes it, but that’s not it’s real name. You have heard this instrument before, and probably not realized it. It’s still popular in the near east, and thus part of the musical themes that we recognize as Greek, Gypsy, and maybe Arabic as well.
When I found out what this was, my first reaction was “But aren’t they bigger?” which was a correct one; sometimes these devices are nearly as big as an upright piano. A bit more searching and listening showed me another odd thing: the 60s song written about a guy who plays one of these things does not contain a single note created by one of them of any size.
Listen: it comes in at about one minute, after the ethnic techno rhythm is established, but near the end it takes over the sound in all it’s rough-edged I-stepped-on-the-cat glory. Truth be known, this instrument can be tuned and played to have a lovely sound. This bit was an experiment in extremism.
Posted by Drew458
on 01/24/2011 at 01:17 PM
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Permalink • roots are glue too
American folk music has it’s strongest roots in the Irish and English tunes that arrived here in the middle of the 19th century. Before today I had never heard this tune, but I can hear parts of several other songs that I do know within it. Sometimes songs like this get called sea chanties, sometimes they’re labeled “celtic” or “traditional”. It’s all the same really. But if it’s a moderately happy or lively tune with sad lyrics, or a sad tune with happy or comical lyrics, then it’s folk music.
On a more personal note, and another dose of glue, the tune dates back to the early to mid 19th century, my favorite era of history. And if you’re really Aching to know, Nanny Ogg knows the words too. It’s not all just hedgehogs with her.
For all I know, my UK readers are having a great laugh at my naivety here. I found loads of versions of this song over at YouTube, spanning 70 or more years, recorded in pubs where the crowd joins in, or in cathedrals for that wonderful ambient sound, to the point where I’m beginning to feel the whole bunch of you know the words to dozens of these things and are are liable to burst out in song at your local after a few pints. Believe me, spontaneous group song simply does not erupt in bars in America. Not unless it’s Irish night at some old guys bar in Boston. Almost none of our sports teams have songs either. And the schools no longer teach the old songs to our children; all that has been lost. So I’m not the only Yank who’s in the dark on this one.
Posted by Drew458
on 01/24/2011 at 12:26 PM
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Permalink • Saturday - January 08, 2011
Strike Two
The first unit died after 5 days. It went back. The replacement unit showed up this afternoon. Somehow I was sent one from the service tech. It arrived with the faceplate sheared off and half the buttons missing, even though the double box packaging was perfect. I’m not even going to plug it in. In went in the box broken, so it’s going back in the box broken.
There will be a rather emphatic phone call to customer service tomorrow. I wrote a red-hot letter, which I read out loud, then threw away. That’s usually the best approach in these circumstances.
I don’t know the build date for this one, but the serial number is double that of the first one. And the remote is way fancier, and the manual for the remote is dated December 2009. So maybe the first one had been sitting around the shop for years? Maybe because they knew it didn’t work???
I am starting to run out of patience.
Posted by Drew458
on 01/08/2011 at 10:09 PM
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Permalink • Sunday - December 26, 2010
Music To Be Snowed In With
Here is Diana Krall covering Tom Waits’ Temptation. If honey were human, it would look and sound like Diana Krall. 5’9” worth of leg, blond, voice, and talent; she’s been the driving force behind the resurgence of torch singers and jazz standards over the past decade and a half. Soft? Smooth? Warm? You don’t know the half of it.
YouTube has about 20 videos of her doing this song, but I chose this one because it has the strongest and cleanest sound. Even through the PC speakers she sounds good. She’s reason all by herself to own a fantastic stereo, and nearly all of her albums are very well recorded. On the hi-fi downstairs, you hit the Play button and she comes out of the speakers, sits in your lap, and purrs in your ear while leaning close enough so that you can feel her breathe. Drambuie and butter. Nice work if you can get it, and quite the challenge because she’s managing to play the piano at the very same time!
Ms. Krall has been married to Elvis Costello for 7 years now, and they have twin boys who just turned 4. I’m pretty sure they live somewhere up in Canada when they aren’t bopping around Mahattan. Who really cares? And honestly, I’d love her work if she looked like Barney the Dinosaur. But I’m so glad she doesn’t.
Posted by Drew458
on 12/26/2010 at 09:27 PM
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Permalink • Sunday - November 07, 2010
Conservatism means…
Conservatism means we like the good stuff! Even if performed by flaming liberals.
Example? I direct you to this YouTube video of the following: The Smothers Brothers (okay, I don’t know that they are/were liberal), Donovan, and Peter, Paul, & Mary (three flaming extremist liberals. Only such could make a fire-breathing dragon seem ‘cute’.)
Posted by Christopher
on 11/07/2010 at 03:00 AM
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Permalink • Friday - September 03, 2010
Banjo for a Friday afternoon
Along with a bit of harmonica, some mandolin, a bit of sitar and some tabla drumming.
What more could you want?
Oh. Ok.
... and including a sexy blond who gets at least a B+ in wiggling. One with a pretty good voice too.
Enough?
Equal opportunity? Something for the ladies?
Fine. We’ll put some guy in the video too.
How about tennis pro Rafael Nadal?
Complaints? [crickets chirping] Didn’t think so.
The same tune comes in English, but I think the lyrics are better in her first language.
But hey, it’s all about the banjo. And about Peiper not speaking Spanish. So nobody tell him what “Que soy gitana” means.
Posted by Drew458
on 09/03/2010 at 03:55 PM
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Permalink • Sunday - August 08, 2010
The First Thing You Know
Wow, what a prescient statement of liberalism from a Lerner and Loewe musical.
Oh, yeah. Drew, I think you were thinking of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. That movie spawned the TV show ‘Here Come The Brides’ starring Bobby Sherman and David Soul.
In the comments I mentioned having to suffer hearing Clint Eastwood sing. I forgot that Lee Marvin also has a couple of songs. If they can sing, so can I. Now, how do I get paid to sing?....
UPDATE
Found my favorite Clint Eastwood solo.
Posted by Christopher
on 08/08/2010 at 12:29 AM
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Permalink • Sunday - July 25, 2010
Bwhahaha!
Alright. Let’s set the stage. Here’s the song:
Okay. We’ve set the scene. Now, here’s the fun part:
I got a big kick out of this. Me and my sisters used to do this sort of thing. We usually used the Archies or Josie and the Pussycats, (yeah, I’m dating myself) but we all were taking guitar, and I was doing drums. The only thing missing was the Internets. 
Been there. Done that. Showed my sisters, who are embarrassed.
Posted by Christopher
on 07/25/2010 at 06:25 PM
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Permalink • Monday - May 10, 2010
Christmas In Joisey
Who says I can’t plug a Christmas album in May? Why not?
This is pretty funny if you’re from New Jersey. Well, certain parts anyway. Chatham and Bernardsville excluded. It might be even funnier if you’re not from New Jersey.
I found it really adorable, because I only know the singer via her alternate reality ... in other words, what she does for a living when the band isn’t playing. And yeah, that’s her real hair. Every day.
Lucy’s webpage is here. Visit, have fun, and don’t forget to vote - Gravy or Sauce. [ real NJ people don’t need to ask “gravy or sauce for what?” and have already had this fight many times before, usually at holiday get-togethers. ]
Posted by Drew458
on 05/10/2010 at 10:34 PM
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Permalink • Sunday - January 17, 2010
Weekend Videos
This brings back some memories. Some of them aren’t that long ago either!
I know, Meat Loaf can go bad over time. Here’s some more recent Meat Loaf. Only a couple of years old!
Now, a little America:
Below the fold, due to very suggestive content, Clarence Carter is Strokin’ and “sassifying” his woman.
Posted by Christopher
on 01/17/2010 at 07:43 PM
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Permalink • Tuesday - December 08, 2009
Fashion Tips
OMG, I have to go meet the Queen of England! What do I wear???
Something formal, obviously. Demure, sophisticated, classic, and classy. Be absolutely certain that your shoes coordinate, and don’t speak until spoken to.
And make sure you do something with those eyebrows first, m’kay?
Sounds like good advice. Of course, if you’re Lady Gaga, you find a unique way to do exactly what’s expected, but still keep your freak flag flying ...
Posted by Drew458
on 12/08/2009 at 06:07 PM
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Permalink • Thursday - December 03, 2009
I’ll publish anything
Rich K gets inspired by the Muse and cranks out a little Obama poem/tune.
The Muse Clio, reading a scroll, 435 BC
Except his muse has a bit more modern incarnation ...
My name’s Barak Obama and I don’t have a clue
So let invite a bunch of folks to tell me what to do
And after that Ill go to town
And let you see I’m just a clown
So smile and wave and don’t be shy
I’m hope and change and I don’t lie
Life is great and green as grass
I’m here to stay so Kiss My Ass!
Not bad for a first effort. So let’s push him for bigger and better. Poems, posts, graphics.
While I’ve got you here, I want to mention a failed Christmas present. I’ve got Conservative friends and relatives, so it’s always a no brainer to pick up Conservative books for Christmas. Funny thing though, I order them real early and then carefully read them first!
Anyway, I picked up a copy of Michelle Malkin’s Culture of Corruption. Horry Clap. You WANT to read this book. Even if you thought you were on top of the cronyism and all it’s corrupt interconnectivity, it’s bigger than you realized. And uglier. This is a fantastic read, but ... it’s pretty dark. Ann Coulter books make better presents; at least she’s a wise ass half the time and that’s good for a chuckle or two. CoC is serious stuff. And it will scare the shit out of you, upset you, piss you off, and make you afraid for the future of America. Thanks ever so much, 52ers.
Posted by Drew458
on 12/03/2009 at 08:46 PM
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Permalink • Friday - November 20, 2009
Musical Interlude
Part 1
Related to the previous post ... we get a whole lotta mileage out of old Dvorak’s Symphony #9.
Here’s Academy Award winning actress Deanna Durbin, who at 87 continues to live in peaceful seclusion, signing Goin’ Home. Eye candy for Peiper, because I know he likes the old time ladies. She’s 25 in this video.
The music is straight from the Largo in #9, and the words were written by his assistant William Arms Fisher. Two DWEMs ( Dead White European Males ), yet the song is so evocative of a Negro Spiritual that it’s probably considered racist these days to watch a white woman sing it. Yet ... the underlying themes, the soul of the song, is just as authentically Bohemian as it is authentically Black. And some say the tune is even older, that it was an old Scottish song long before any negro slave every heard it. Go figure.
These days it’s mostly played at funerals, but that was not the intent of the original. Like I said, ya learn something new here every day.
So here she is, cut from the film It started with Eve from 1941 ...
Part 2
While running down a couple of versions of Goin’ Home I found Mary Fahl doing Going Home, one of the tunes from the wonderful Gods and Generals film. Gonna hafta get myself a copy of that show one of these days, along with the Ken Burns series. I’ve always loved how deeply the Celtic blood runs in American folk music. This one is lovely. And so is the song! 
Posted by Drew458
on 11/20/2009 at 03:27 PM
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Oh, and here's some kind of visitor flag counter thingy. Hey, all the cool blogs have one, so I should too. The Visitors Online thingy up at the top doesn't count anything, but it looks neat. It had better, since I paid actual money for it.
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