Later that night...

Egg - Fugue in D Minor
(1970: Egg)

Yoko Ono Oh Yes

The world is made up of two types of people... those who hate Yoko Ono and those who love her.  What Yoko Ono type are you?  Positive or Negative?







John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Sisters, O Sisters (1972: Sometime in New York City)
 - Killer chorus... cool string arrangement.  Awesome reggae-pop groove.

John Lennon & Yoko Ono - We're All Water (1972: Sometime in New York City)
 - Elephant's Memory is the backing band on this album... not the greatest backing band... but they're great on this track.

John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Yes, I'm Your Angel
(1980/2010: Double Fantasy - Stripped Down)
 - This is from the stripped down/remastered version of Double Fantasy released last year.  This sounds like an 'ending credits' type of song to me.

Yoko Ono & the Plastic Ono Band - The Sun is Down!
(2009: Between My Head and the Sky - Chimera Music No. 1)
 - Some credit should be given to Cornelius for this song who was part of the Plastic Ono Band on this incredible album.  Remember... in 2009 Yoko Ono was 76 years old!!

Yoko Ono & the Plastic Ono Band - Unun. To
(2009: Between My Head and the Sky - Chimera Music No. 1)
 - She starts talking in English at 1:20.  Listen to this earnestly or don't listen.

Yoko Ono & the Plastic Ono Band - I'm Alive
(2009: Between My Head and the Sky - Chimera Music No. 1)
 - "It's Me, I'm Alive"

p.s. there were a lot of other songs I wanted to post but it would have gotten out of control... if you need more Yoko Ono let me O-know!

For 25 P&P Points: What does 'Unun. To' mean?

Why George Harrison's Solo Career Sucked

It's not that it completely sucked... it's just that his career was such a big disappointment that, all things considered... it sucked.  Here's why (and remember this is just my opinion... feel free to disagree):

Abbey Road was released in September of 1969... just after the summer of love.  Sadly, the love between the Beatles was waning.... but they were all at the top of their game.  Harrison contributed Something and Here Comes the Sun to Abbey Road.  'Something' was by far his most successful song while he was in the Beatles... it was his only A-side single and his only song to top the American charts.  'Here Comes the Sun' is probably his best known song now and was the most downloaded of all the Beatles' songs when the 2009 remasters were released.  Just listen to the brilliant moog melodies starting at 2:12. Because of these two hits... Harrison's solo career was actually getting public attention as being the most promising of the four Beatles... (click read more below)

Rage Over a Lost Penny

I bought a digital recorder a few years ago. One of the first things I did with it was to go the MoMA and record random people talking. At one point I sat down on a bench; two little kids sat down near me and I was able to record their adorable conversation.

Here's the recording: Pennies

And here's a transcript:

Boy: Do you know how many pennies         I found last week?
Girl: What?
Boy: Do you know how many pennies I found like a month ago?
Girl: How many?
Boy: NINE, at once!
Girl: What!?  Nine at once?!  ...Who would throw away nine perfect pennies??
Boy: Yeah, who?

I think this conversation says more than I could ever say about the value of money, perspective and lots of other important stuff. And it's really cute.

Beethoven, Ludwig van - Rondo á Capriccio for piano in G Major 
     (Rage Over a Lost Penny), Op. 129 (1993: Anatol Ugorski)

We Dance to the Beat

It's top 40 music, be warned... but I like it:

Robyn - We Dance to the Beat (2010: Body Talk Pt. 2)

     - awesome lyrics

Happy Easter!

Nelson Riddle - Easter Isle (1958: Sea of Dreams)

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Here's a few songs from a film called, "Brother Sun, Sister Moon"... a biopic of Saint Francis of Assisi. It's a beautiful movie. The music was all written by Donovan (he performed most of it too). There was never an official release of his soundtrack (though the orchestral score by Riz Ortolani was released). Donovan was not happy about this fact so he re-recorded the soundtrack in 2004 and released it on his own... it pales in comparison to the original version:

Donovan - Lovely Day

(1972: Brother Sun, Sister Moon)

 - All these songs sound like they could have come from an animated children's movie from the late 60's or early 70's... but they have a tinge of something extra (Simon and Garfunkelness?) that I think transcends the typical folk song of the time.

Donovan - Lullaby (sung by Valentina Cortese) (1972: Brother Sun, Sister Moon)

 - Often mislabeled as 'Mother's Love' this song inspired me to watch the film... such a pure, timeless song... sounds like it could have been written hundreds of years ago... Donovan really nailed it with this one.  Thanks to J for turning me on to this.

Donovan - Brother Sun and Sister Moon (1972: Brother Sun, Sister Moon)

 - The main theme.

For 15 P&P Points: Who plays the Pope in this movie?

It's getting late... time to reflect

François de Roubaix - Les dunes d'ostende (1970: Les levres rouges 7")

Glass Ghost - Violence (2009: Idol Omen)

A Hawk and a Hacksaw - Lassu (2009: Délivrance)

For 20 P&P Points: Who's holding that mirror?

Guest Post: Pick it up, put it down, sit it up, sit it down.

By Jason Silverman

Kandinsky wrote of the Klänge: "Color is the power which directly influences the soul. Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with the strings."

You see the color? You feel the resonance? Open your eyes up real wide and flop around! Did you forget how to crawl? Did you forget how to jitter-pinch? Contortions jog memories, too. Get into shapes. Shapes are positive. Be positive.

For all your worker bees out there, Ted Lattis wrote of the Klänge: "Took a minute to get going but then I was like "4:50 pm on a Friday!!!"

Get going.

Summer and Smiles of Finland

A few tracks from a great compilation of Finnish indie music from the past decade:

TV-Resistori - Intiaanidisko
(2004: Intiaanidisko)

Shogun Kunitoki - Montezuma
(2006: Tasankokaiku)

Es - Les fleurs sont des bonnes auditrices
(2006: A Love Cycle)

Guest Post: True Story...

By Alanna Gluck

This is the song you wait to hear all night.  You do not want to leave the dance party until it plays.

 

When it's 2am and you finally decide to leave, it's because the dj hasn't turned this track yet.  So, you put on your coat and walk out the door...

 

...and guess what comes on the speakers?! And it's too late!!!

  

Play on, playette. 

Blackstreet - No Diggity (1996: Another Level)

Trivia time!

For 20 P&P points: What artist is the sample in "No Diggity" taken from?

For 5 P&P points: What is the name of the puppet featured in the "No Diggity" music video?

GOOD MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Led Zeppelin - Good Times Bad Times (1969: I)

Ennio Morricone - Vocette ostinate (1967: Matchless)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mysteries (2006: Show Your Bones)
 - Take it away NICK!

I just was wondering...

...and I'd like to know...



...How does one keep from being a hypocrite?



Real Estate - Fake Blues
(2009: Real Estate)



For 10 P&P Points: lemme know...

oh Ravel.

Maurice Ravel wrote his String quartet in F major in 1903; he was 28.  It was poorly received by critics.  Two years later, Calude Debussy, realizing its genius said of it, "In the name of the gods of music and in my own, do not touch a single note you have written in your Quartet."  It is now one of the most commonly performed quartets.  And I think it's the bee's knees.  The second movement is the most famous (of the four) and it is certainly amazing... but I like the first movement the best.  It's got everything... serenity, movement, nostalgia, tremulousness, mystery, and a hurricane-like climax in the middle that knocks my socks off.

Ravel, Maurice - String Quartet in F, Op. 35: I. Allegro moderato - Trés doux
(1927: International Quartet)

 - I believe this is the first recording of this piece ever made.... Ravel himself actually heard earlier takes by this group and gave them feedback and direction.  In the end he said of this recording that he was, "completely satisfied as much with the sonority as with the tempi and the nuances."  This version is basically the 'official' source if you want to know what was in Ravel's head.  So there you go!  Intonation wasn't as big of a deal earlier last century... they went more for the vibe.... totally rock and roll.

Ravel, Maurice - String Quartet in F, Op. 35: I. Allegro moderato - Trés doux
(1934: Galimir Quartet)

 - Here's another recording supervised by Ravel.  The story goes that he was in the recording booth not saying much... finally he said, "It's really very good; who wrote it?"  Apparently he wasn't well; he had suffered a blow to the head two years earlier that kind of scrambled his circuits... he died three years later.

Ravel, Maurice - String Quartet in F, Op. 35: I. Allegro moderato - Trés doux
(1928: Quatour Capet)
 - Another early recording from France.  I love this one because of the heavy use of glissando... these guys are slip-slidin' all over the place, too much red wine probably.

Ravel, Maurice - String Quartet in F, Op. 35: I. Allegro moderato - Trés doux
(2001: Belcea Quartet)
 - Here's a great newer recording... not much to say about this... it's just plain great.

Ravel, Maurice - String Quartet in F, Op. 35: I. Allegro moderato - Trés doux (?)

 - Lastly here's the first recording I ever owned of this piece.  It's my favorite.  It's not overstated or understated; very well played, good intonation (which I really care about), well chosen tempi...  not the greatest recording quality but it's certainly decent.  Here's the thing though... I have no idea who made the recording!  I've done some research to no avail.  I'm crazy curious.  So....

For 500 P&P Points!!!  Who recorded this version?

The Supremes

Some of my favorite slightly lesser known Supreme hits... all Holland-Dozier-Holland of course:

The Supremes - When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes
(1963: When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes)

The Supremes - The Happening (1967: The Happening)

The Supremes - My World is Empty Without You (1965: My World is Empty Without You)

The Supremes - Run, Run, Run (1964: Run, Run, Run)
 - This song is alright... but I love it because when I listen to it I can picture the poor piano player on the verge of having a heart attack from having to play those repeated chords so fast.  If you listen he drops out of time just a hair here and there... you can tell his job is on the line.

Some Sunny Day Tunes...

The Young-Holt Unlimited - Soulful Strut (1968: Soulful Strut)

The Alyn Ainsworth Orchestra - Cast Your Fate to the Wind (1975: Big City Soul)

For 5 P&P Points: What's your favorite sunny day song?