Write Well Me

Good Writing About Music

I love my birthday.  Sadly, it's over, but I'm happily looking forward to next year.  :)

One thing I love about it is that I get to celebrate with people who really love me, people who know me to the core.  Sometimes that manifests as the gifts people give me (and I love gifts!).  Along with a subscription to the Turner Classic Movies monthly magazine, homemade cookies, lovely products from Lush, Sarah Brightman music, and a cool card deck on tea, I also received this book, 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die.  (Thanks for the above to Antonette, Lee, and Stacy. Sniff. I love you guys.)

Here's why I'm calling out this particular gift: Tom Moon makes you SEE his love of music, how pivotal it can be.  Reading his introduction, I absolutely want to follow his direction and "flip through the pages, land on something at random, seek out the music, and have an unexpected eureka! moment."  It makes me want to read -- and listen.

A longer taste of his introduction as he talks about how he compiled this massive, 1000-plus-page book:

Should this project focus on single songs, individual movements, or larger pieces--that is, old-fashioned long-laying albums? No question, these days the single-track download is king. I spotlighted some singles here, but eventually concluded that the lone track doesn't reveal enough about an artist. Spend a while inside an album, and a deeper impression emerges--of the artist, and the time of the work's creation.  Whether or not the tracks are conceptually linked, there are usually "threads" of ideas and images running through great albums: It's one thing to hear the magnificently ruminative second movement from Schubert's B-Flat Piano Sonata; it's quite another to follow the piece from its initial phrase.  The only way to "get" the composer's intent is to take the full ride. Likewise, by grabbing just "Money," the single from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, you miss the sweep and grandeur of the album.

Listening this way requires patience, curiosity, and that most precious commodity, time. I'd argue it's worth it. No matter how fast the download speed, music still unfolds in real time, one stanza after another.  It's a journey. Not every recording will come jumping out to leave a strong first impression. Sometimes great music takes a while to get under your skin. But when it does, it stays there.

Then there was the question of how to organize the book.  Categorizing the music by genre was an obvious route, but on reflection it seemed the only way to honor the spirit of the project was to present the entries dictionary-style, alphabetically by artist. Finding renegade jazz pianist Cecil Taylor next to sensitive singer-songwriter James Taylor, who abuts the Russian composer Tchaikovsky underscores the astounding range of musical expression available, while subtly discouraging people from hanging out in the genre neighborhoods (ghettos?) they know best. This journey taught me that there's great treasure waiting on the other side of wherever you draw your territorial lines.

Of course, I'm probably drawn to Moon's description because it's been a journey for him, and music obviously stirs his soul.  There's a passion there.

And his book includes Loreena McKennitt's The Visit, immediately followed by Sarah McLachlan's Surfacing.  Yeah, he knows his stuff.  :)

(Feel free to ask me to look up a particular artist or group. I'd love to dive in and find something I might not have stumbled upon on my own.)

What Is Your Theme Song?

I believe in appropriate ring tones. My general ring tone is "Who Can It Be Now" by Men at Work.  Anytime I'm out and about and my phone rings, I always get a chuckle from the poeple around me.

My ring tone for home is "Country Roads" by John Denver. "Country Roads take me home to the place I belong" - appropriate, yes?

If I were to call myself, what song would be my ringtone? My only guess is Pachelbel's "Canon in D" because it has such an effect on me. Music, in general, touches my soul, but "Canon in D" reaches deeper and soothes me. I don't know if that's an appropriate theme song for me, though.

Maybe if my friends want to have a specific ringtone for me, they'll just have to get me to record one. That's what I made Stacy do. I can't think of a theme song that embodies all that she is (maybe because she's so complex and deep?), so I asked her to record a message for me. And every time she calls me, I crack up. And feel loved. ("Hey you. Where the heck are you? 'Cuz I really want to talk to you. Otherwise, I wouldn't be calling. Yanno?")

What's your theme song?

(Note:  If you follow Stacy at all, check out her new website. It gives you a glimpse into the amazing person she is and the incredible programs and services she offers.  Check it out at www.stacybrice.com.)

Sad or Not Sad?

Is it just me, or does "Dog and Butterfly" by Heart seem to be one of the saddest songs ever?  Read the lyrics below and tell me what you think.

There I was with the old man
Stranded again so off I'd ran
A young world crashing around me
No possibilities of getting what I need
He looked at me and smiled
Said 'No, no, no, no, no child.
See the dog and butterfly. Up in the
Air he like to fly.' Dog and butterfly
Below she had to try. She roll back down
To the warm soft ground laughing
She don't know why, she don't know why
Dog and butterfly

Well I stumbled upon your secret place
Safe in the trees you had tears on your face
Wrestling with your desires frozen strangers
Stealing your fires. The message hit my mind
Only words that I could find
See the dog and butterfly    
Up in the air he like to fly
Dog and butterfly below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground
Laughing to the sky, up to the sky
Dog and butterfly

We're getting older the world's getting colder
For the life of me I don't know the reason why
Maybe it's livin' making us give in
Hearts rolling in taken back on the tide
We're balanced together ocean upon the sky

Another night in this strange town
Moonlight holding me light as down
Voice of confusion inside of me
No begging to go back where I'm free
Feels like I'm through
Then the old man's words are true
See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he like to fly
Dog and butterfly, below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft
Ground with a little tear in her eye
She had to try, she had to try
Dog and butterfly

I Am the Biggest Dork Ever

I'm madly working away in my office, and I have some music playing to keep me company.  I'm working so hard that I'm not really paying attention to the music.

Every now and then, I stop and go, "That's a good song.  Cool!"

I work some more.

Again, "Wow.  That's another good song."

It occurs to me that I'm listening to MY playlist on iTunes.

The Show Must Go On

I'm watching the Freddy Mercury Tribute Concert on DVD, and chills run up my body as "The Show Must Go On" plays.  It's one of my favorite songs of all times, and my second favorite Queen song (first is "Somebody to Love"). 

It feels especially meaningful to me with what I've been going through with my writing and editing (more on that tomorrow).

Here's to all of us who try to climb out of empty spaces and abandoned places.

    Empty spaces - what are we living for
    Abandoned places - I guess we know the score
    On and on, does anybody know what we are looking for...

    Another hero, another mindless crime
    Behind the curtain, in the pantomime
    Hold the line, does anybody want to take it anymore
    The show must go on,
    The show must go on
    Inside my heart is breaking
    My make-up may be flaking
    But my smile still stays on.

    Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance
    Another heartache, another failed romance
    On and on, does anybody know what we are living for?
    I guess I'm learning, I must be warmer now
    I'll soon be turning, round the corner now
    Outside the dawn is breaking
    But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free

    The show must go on
    The show must go on
    Inside my heart is breaking
    My make-up may be flaking
    But my smile still stays on

    My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
    Fairytales of yesterday will grow but never die
    I can fly - my friends

    The show must go on
    The show must go on
    I'll face it with a grin
    I'm never giving in
    On - with the show -

    I'll top the bill, I'll overkill
    I have to find the will to carry on
    On with the -
    On with the show -

    The show must go on...

Non-randomness of iPods

I have plenty of playlists on my iPod, and I use them well.  One reason to have playlists is so that your music is organized a little differently.  You can pick a playlist, a genre, an album, an artist, and so on.  However, when I pick one of my playlists, it's because I don't want to get stuck in a music rut.

The other day I was listening to my big, random-music-inducing playlist that has 2,664 songs.  The playlist is made up of a mixture (again, very random!) of rock, classical, Celtic, and soundtrack music.  Out of the first 21 songs, only 3 were rock/pop songs.  I've looked up how many of each kind of music I have on that playlist.  Here's the breakdown:

Classical music:  298 - 11%
Celtic:  172 - 6%
Soundtracks:  368 - 14%
Everything else:  1826 - 69%

How did I only get 3 "everything else" songs?  Seriously, 18 of the 21 songs were classical or Celtic, not even soundtracks. 

Is it really not random, or is my brain just trying to find a pattern, any pattern?

And it's not just me.  Chris was listening to his big monster playlist (2007 songs), and out of 14 songs, 4 were from Rocky Horror Picture Show.  How the heck does that happen?

Old and New

It struck me as I was listening to ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All" that the song is the precursor to Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know." 

They both deal with girl loses boy to other woman theme.  Alanis's version is a bit more vulgar, although the music, as well as the lyrics, conveys a definite anger and betrayal.  ABBA's version is more melodic and a bit sadder because of that easy melody.

You can view "The Winner Takes It All" lyrics here and "You Oughta Know" lyrics here.

I'd particularly like to point out the similarity in these two passages:

But tell me does she kiss
Like I used to kiss you?
Does it feel the same
When she calls your name?

and

Is she perverted like me
Would she go down on you in a theatre
Does she speak eloquently
And would she have your baby
I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother

A bit of a difference in expression, but the same idea.  Who knew that one could find a connection between ABBA and Alanis Morissette?

My Apologies to Jimmy and Robert

When we were in Texas in May for my brother's wedding, he introduced us to a new radio station, KZPS.  We'd never heard a radio station like this before.  Craig described it as men's country and classic rock (by men's country, I think he meant no whiny, sappy country songs - the kind I happen to like).  We listened to KZPS while we were there, and when we got home, Chris was thrilled to find out he could listen to it over the Internet.

Chris did some research, and found that KZPS is an experiment in radio.  (Uh, yeah, if the format is any indication.)  There are no traditional commercials; instead, each hour's sponsor gets a plug, but I have to say I never even notice them.  It is interesting.

So, the other day we're listening to KZPS, and a song comes on.  The beginning is instrumental, and I say, without thinking, "I wonder what this is.  It sounds Led Zeppelin-y."

Led Zeppelin-y?

Fans around the world are groaning.  Chris won't even talk to me.

The song was not from Led Zeppelin; it was from someone I'd never heard of (must be that men's country thing going on), Robin Trower. 

While Chris has found a new music interest, I'm hiding my head in shame over the very uncool use of Led Zeppelin as an adjective.  May the music gods forgive me.

How We Use Words - Part II

There must be something wrong with me that I'm so fascinated by other people's playlist names. 

I keep reading over Word Lily's playlists, and I get excited.  "Oh, she likes LOTR, too!"  "Ooooh, I wonder what's on her Soothe playlist."

Really, it's another example of how the words that people choose clue us into who they are.  I can tell quite a bit about Word Lily from her playlists, and I feel that people can learn about me from mine.

The power of words.

How We Use Words

While words are of primary importance to me and how I take in the world, music also stirs my soul.  My iPod is one of my most favorite things in the world, and I'm constantly analyzing music I hear to determine whether it should be on my iPod or not.  I make new playlists all the time, and as I created my newest playlist, I thought about how I use words to create these playlists. 

Of course, I think in words (really - if someone says "Stacy" to me, I see the letters S - T - A - C - Y; I don't see an image of the woman Stacy in my head), so I pay particular attention to the words I've used for the playlists I've created.  Some playlists are easy (70s - pretty simple to decide what word I should use for that playlist), but it started me wondering how others name their playlists.

If you have an iPod, please share the names of your playlists!  I want to see what words you've used!

Here are my/our (Chris has an iPod, too) playlists:

• 70s
• 80s
• Celtic
• Chris's Monster Playlist
• Chris's Rare Finds
• Christmas
• Country
• Dawn's Mega Playlist
• Halloween
• Healing and Meditation
• Hip Hop
• KMGC (okay, some explanation for this one:  when I was growing up in Irving, Texas, my favorite radio station was KMGC - can't remember the frequency - and it played what I guess we might call easy listening, soft rock, that kind of thing.  Radio stations have all gone corporate, so a radio station like KMGC used to be doesn't exist anymore.  I had to create my own.  This playlist contains songs from Gordon Lightfoot, Bread, Air Supply.... Before you laugh at me, also know that I'm a huge Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and Ozzy fan.)
• Movin' and Groovin'
• Party Party Party
• Rock and Metal
• Songs We Just Don't Hear Enough
• Super 60s
• Witchy Magic and Music
• XL Chris
• Xmas

Music Reigns Supreme - Even Before the Spectre of Anesthesia and Surgery

On our way to Johns Hopkins for my eye surgery, Chris and I are happily (sort of) driving along when we hear the Sheriff song, "When I'm With You."  Because I'm such an iPod dork, I took out a napkin (no paper anywhere to be found in the car, and it wasn't so important that I was going to write on the car registration), and wrote down the key lyrics. 

A couple of days after the surgery, Chris searched for the song on iTunes.  Alas, the only place it was to be found was on a soundtrack for Joe Dirt.  I don't even remember this movie, and as the cover shows David Spade with a mullet, I didn't think it was one I'd ever see.

However, the soundtrack had some great songs, including "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive, "Cat Scratch Fever" by Ted Nugent, "Burnin' for You" by Blue Oyster Cult, among others.  There was no cross-over, so we bought the soundtrack (and now I have my beloved Sheriff song).

Note:  These are songs I really like, but I've never gotten into the groups as a whole.  However, I would like a Blue Oyster Cult cd (as I have several songs I've bought off iTunes) and a Lynyrd Skynyrd cd or two.

This marks a first in which I've bought a soundtrack to a movie that I've never seen.  Contrast that with the fact that I've seen Music and Lyrics twice, and I ordered the soundtrack the night we came home from the first trip to the movie theater.  I guess there are two reasons to buy soundtracks:  one solely for the songs, and two for the memories of a great movie.

Music I Miss

Since I got my iPod over a year ago, music has become part of my soul like it never has before.  It took us about four months to rip our entire CD collection, and we've spent more money on iTunes than I care to admit. However, there are some songs I just can't get on iTunes, and although I'm willing to spend some money on music, I'm not keen about the idea of buying a whole CD for just one song.

Here's my perfect CD mix that I'd buy in a heartbeat to fill out my music collection:

"Waiting for a Star to Fall" - Boy Meets Girl

"Cruel Summer" and "Venus" - Bananarama

"Girl, You Know It's True" - Milli Vanilli (I don't care if they're lip-syncing; it's a groovin' song)

"Nasty" and "Black Cat" - Janet Jackson.  8/4/08 Update - iTunes has them!!!  Just goes to show - if one can be patient, one can get what one wants.  (The sad truth is that Dawn isn't very patient, though.)

"Got My Mind Set On You" - George Harrison

"Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" - Urge Overkill from Pulp Fiction. I have the Neil Diamond version, which is great, but I like this version, too.  iTunes sells some of the songs from the soundtrack, but not all of them.  Explain that one to me.

Note:  There are a few songs that used to be on this list, like "Heart and Soul" by T'Pau, but every now and then I check back at iTunes, and I'm pleasantly surprised to find them there.  Yay!

1/21/07 Update - I remembered another song I can't get on iTunes:  "I Love Rock 'N' Roll" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.  Bummer!  1/31/07 Update - Stacy found it and sent it to me on iTunes.  Yay!

2/3/07 Update - "The Promise" by When in Rome, and I do NOT want the version from Napoleon Dynamite.

2/19/07 Update - "Hands to Heaven" by Breathe

3/24/07 Update - "Let's Go All the Way" by Sly Fox (it's only available if I buy the whole album - not gonna happen).  8/4/08 - The single is now available on iTunes!!!  It pays to keep checking back!

1/30/08 Update - Antonette shared her Bananarama CD with me so I finally have "Cruel Summer."  Thank the music gods.  George Harrison's "I Got My Mind Set On You" has been added to iTunes.  Dawn's a happy girl!

An Ancient Muse Releases Today!

Don't expect to find me in my office today.  For one, it's Tuesday, and Tuesday is my no-work, no responsibilities day.  For another, it's the day that Loreena McKennitt's new CD, An Ancient Muse, releases in stores.  I'll just trot myself right over to Barnes & Noble and use my nifty birthday gift certificates to bring this hot little item home.

For those of you who don't me well, Loreena McKennitt is my all-time favorite artist.  I love her music, her voice, and the stories she tells.  I've subscribed to her newsletter, and so I get updates on concerts (she doesn't tour much) and new music (this is her first CD she's released in several years).

The music is haunting and captivating, and her new CD promises to be so as well.  Take a look at the e-cards that were sent to newsletter subscribers:  this and this.

Just to show you how much I adore Loreena McKennitt's music, let me tell you what I considered doing in 2005.  We were planning on going to Canada (Quebec, specifically) with Stacy and Dominic.  It was going to be a nine-day trip, and we were driving from Maryland to Quebec and back again.  A few days before we were due to leave, I got notice in her newsletter that Loreena would be holding a concert in Canada.  "Hey," I thought.  "We're going to Canada!  I'll just pop on over for the concert."

Well, the concert was on the west coast of Canada, thousands of miles from where we were going to be.  It wasn't exactly a hop, skip, and a jump.  So I didn't go.

But there's hope yet!  Today I'm looking at the Quinlan Road website, and I see Loreena is actually going to be in the U.S. December 14!!!  She'll be holding an in-store appearance at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square in New York City.

Um.  That's a no-brainer. 

Now, I just have to convince Chris that I'll go on yet another trip (I'll only be gone for a day or two!!), and I'll get to see and maybe even meet Loreena in person.  Omigosh!!!

Anyone up for a trip to New York?