New Review: A Man for All Seasons (1966)

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

Back to Vegas...

For years now, my husband and I have been 'hemming and hawing' about whether to make the trip to Vegas for the yearly 'Rockabilly Weekender' held at the Gold Coast (www.vivalasvegas.net). Well, even though we just went to Sin City (stupid name) in October, we have decided to 'post haste' and make the trip again in April. The main reason(s) being that w/ the advent of the new baby, we may not make it again any time soon and also that we really didnt need that much of a reason to blow our tax refund anyway. I mean, who needs an excuse to enjoy three full days of phenomenal bands, gorgeous cars, jive classes, sock hops, shopping fabulous vendors, playing dress-up, and hanging out in Vegas? Plus, I hear they have this 'chocolate massage' at the Orleans hotel. Mmmmmm.

And so it is settled. I made our reservations this morning for airfare and hotel and bought the three day event pass also. Now that it is done, I feel very peaceful in my mind.

I'm sure morning sickness in Vegas will feel different...heh heh.

Bliss

Songwriters: Paul Simon

I think Paul Simon is the best songwriter of all time. Mouthful isnt it? But that is my honest opinion and has been for a long ol' time. Ever since I was a kid, I have adored Simon and Garfunkel but as I got older I began to have a deeper appreciation for the songwriting and the realization hit me that this guy has written more fantastic songs than anyone I can think of!

For our five year anniversary (nearly 7 years ago!) my husband bought me the Simon and Garfunkel 4 disc cd anthology and, needless to say, I have listened to it until it's pretty ragged-especially for a cd set. From the sometimes politically charged folk songs of Wednesday Morning 3am to the quiet beauty of Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme and the swelling impetus of Bridge Over Troubled Water, they never made a mistake-at least not in my book. Of course, it was Paul Simon who made this group what it was. Garfunkel had a lovely voice that blended perfectly w/ Simon's own vocals but without Paul's gift of melody and lyric, the group would have become another flash in the pan. Even his instrumentals like the beautiful guitar piece Angie are phenomenal for the simple and understated way they build without your realizing it.

As a solo artist, Simon has also succeeded magnificently. Some of my favorite of his tunes were written after the breakup of Simon and Garfunkel and this in itself is a proclamation of his great talents as a writer. His voice has never been spectacular but the songwriting, once again, has buoyed his career into legend-hood. Some consider his album Graceland to be one of the best of all time-and I'm, of course, one of them. It's a totally original piece of work that is full of amazing melodies and gorgeous lyrics.

Paul Simon will always be a huge part of me since his songs have been with me thru my whole life . And he's still going strong! His newest album Surprise was released in 2006 to critical acclaim and several nominations, including an oscar nomination for the track father and daughter. That makes me proud, I must say. Not sure why.

(Oh, and I bet if any of you have some young pictures of Bill Bouldin, they probably look a LOT like that one of Paul that I have posted. Those of you who know Bill, can't possibly deny the resemblance...LOL!)

Here are a few examples of Paul's wonderful poetry which , when coupled with their great melodies, make for some of my absolute favorite songs:

The Dangling Conversation

It's a still life watercolor/ on a now late afternoon/ as the sun shines through the curtain lace/ and shadows wash the room.
And we sit and drink our coffee/ couched in our indifference/ like shells upon the shore/ you can hear the ocean roar.
In the dangling coversation/ And the superficial sighs/ are the borders of our lives.

And you read your Emily Dickinson/ and I my Robert Frost. / And we note our place with bookmarkers/ that measure what we've lost. /Like a poem poorly written,/ We are verses out of rhythym/couplets out of rhyme/ in syncopated time/ Lost in the dangling conversation/ And the superficial sighs/ are the borders of our lives.

Yes we speak of things that matter/ with words that must be said./ 'Can analysis be worthwhile?' / 'Is the theater really dead?' / And now the room has softly faded,/ And I only kiss your shadow, / I cannot feel your hand/ you're a stranger now unto me./ Lost in the dangling conversation/ And the superficial sighs/ are the borders of our lives.
_______________________

America

Let us be lovers /we'll marry our fortunes together./ I've got some real estate here in my bag./ So we bought a pack of cigarettes and mrs. wagner pies/ and walked off to look for America.

'Kathy' I said as we boarded a greyhound in Pittsburgh, / 'Michigan seems like a dream to me now./ It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw / I've come to look for America.'

Laughing on the bus/ playing games with the faces./ She says the man in the gabardine suit is a spy/ I said ' be careful, his bowtie is really a camera'.

Toss me a cigarette, I think there's one in my raincoat/ We smoked the last one an hour ago./ So I looked at the scenery/ she read her magazine/ And the moon rose over an open field.

'Kathy, I'm lost' I said, though i knew she was sleeping./ I'm empty and aching and I don't know why'./ Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike/ They've all come to look for America.
_______________

Something So Right

You've got the cool water/ when the fever runs high/ You've got the look of lovelight in your eyes/ And I was in crazy motion/ til you calmed me down/ It took a little time/ but you calmed me down.

When something goes wrong, I'm the first to admit it/ the first to admit it/ and the last one to know.
When something goes right/ well, it's likely to lose me/ it's apt to confuse me/ It's such an unusual sight./ I swear, I can't get used to something so right.

They've got a wall in china. / It's a thousand miles long/ To keep out the foreigners, they made it strong. / Well, I've got a wall around me, that you can't even see. / It took a little time, to get next to me.

When something goes wrong, I'm the first to admit it/ the first to admit/ but the last one to know./ When something goes right, well it's likely to lose me/ it's apt to confuse me/ It's such and unusual sight./ I swear, I can't get used to something so right./ Something so right.

__________________

(and the following is one of my favorite lullabies ever)

St Judy's Comet

Oh, little sleepy boy, do you know what time it is? / Well, the hour of your bedtime has long been past/ And though I know you're fighting it, I can tell when you rub your eyes, you're fading fast... fading fast.

Won't you run come see St Judy's Comet roll across the sky/ leaving a spray of diamonds in its wake/ I long to see St Judy's Comet sparkle in your eyes when you awake/

Little boy, won't you lay your body down? / Little boy, won't you close your weary eyes? / Ain't nothin' flashin' but the fireflies

Well I sang it once, I sang it twice/ I'm gonna sing it three times more/ I'm gonna stay until your resistance is overcome/ Cuz if I can't sing my boy to sleep/ well, it makes your famous daddy look so dumb/ look so dumb.

Won't you run come see St Judy's Comet roll across the sky/ leaving a spray of diamonds in its wake/ I long to see St Judy's Comet sparkle in your eyes when you awake.

Little boy, won't you lay your body down? / Little boy, little boy won't you close your weary eyes/ Ain't nothin' flashin' but the fireflies.

Sappy Songs and the Tivo Generation...

I discovered this little song recently and was strangely drawn to its unabashed sappiness,-gaggingly sweet, really. If you are inlove, you'll probably smile when you read the lyrics. If you are not, you will probably ralph on your shoes. I understand it's from an obscure musical called the Apple Tree, by the same guys that did Fiddler on the Roof. So it's a showtune to boot!

What Makes Me Love Him

What makes me love him?
It's not his singing
I've heard his singing
It sours the milk,
and yet, it's getting to the point
where I prefer that kind of milk.

What makes me love him?
It's not his learning.
He's learned so slowly
his whole life long.
And though he really knows
a multitude of things,
they're mostly wrong.

He's not romantic
and yet I love him,
though on occasion, he's used me ill
And though he's handsome
I know inside me,
were he a plain man, I'd love him still

What makes me love him?
It's quite beyond me.
It must be something I can't define.
Unless, it's merely that he's masculine
and that he's mine.

If you want to hear the little tune, the only place I know of finding it is on this so-so album of Sarah Brightman's called The Songs That Got Away. It's got a simple melody that is nice.

(beat)

So today as I was cleaning the bathroom my two year old came running up to me in a panic. Apparently, he wanted me to fast forward the commercials on his favorite cartoon! Isnt it kind of sad how dependant we become on modern technology? I've only had my dvr for less than a year but I rarely watch live tv anymore...so spoiled am I. And evidently the urchins are spoiled too...on the occasion that we do watch something in 'real time', they just don't know what do with themselves when the commercials come on. Hey, maybe those obnoxiously loud ads will become obsolete pretty soon? Here's hoping.

Coo Coo for CaCa!

So, I guess I've lucked out w/ my two year old. He has miraculously potty trained himself, it seems! I have been keeping him 'diaper-less' for a couple of months now when we're home during the day and frustratingly cleaning up little resultant messes here and there for the duration. He just didnt seem to 'get it', only going to the potty after the fact. Last week, he started hitting a little closer to the mark (pun intended) and actually did his business in the can a few times.

Well, last weekend in Memphis-town he proved himself the smartest boy alive and did not have one 'accident'! And on the way home , even when we were stuck for an hour and forty-five minutes on the interstate, he never slipped up even though he had on a pullup and it was completely expected. Since then, I'm forever hearing him trot to the potty throughout the day and haven't seen any mishaps yet...So yay!

His brother was potty trained by 2 1/2 himself but I didnt have such high hopes for littlun since he started a lot later (Johnson started using the potty at one year). But, my worries were unfounded I suppose. So again, Yay! That's a good 40.00 a month saved , for sure!

New Review: Ikiru (1952)

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

The Great Unknown

We went to Memphis last weekend to visit family AND to see Unknown Hinson at the Hitone friday night.

I first discovered Unknown a year or two ago when I heard a song that tickled my funnybone called 'Venus Bound' in which a man sings of visiting Venus since the women there are far superior to his current brand. 'I'm gonna build me a rocket ship/ to go where wormens don't give no lip/ I'm a-blastin' off/ Honey, I'm Venus Bound. ' The songs are truly clever-campy and sophomoric-but really clever and his image as a Rockabilly Vampire tickles me too. His fake sideburns, blackened eybrows and coffin guitar cases coupled w/ his hilarious and off-kilter interviews also made me a fan, I'll admit. Anyway, I guess I had him kind of pegged as a 'novelty' act based on the songs I heard so when I recommended his music to friends, it was usually in homage to his humor.

However, Friday night I was blown away by his guitar ability. He's one of the best guitarists I've ever seen, live. And I realized that the image, lyrics, and hillbilly vocals are just his tongue in cheek way of not taking himself too seriously. If any of you have an oppurtunity to see this guy's act, do yourself a favor and give him a shot. The hilarity of his songs will pale in comparison to the solid musicianship he showcases.

But, until then, why not give 'I'm Not Afraid of Your Husband Baby', 'Polly Urethane', 'Rock n Roll is Straight from Hell', 'Man to Man' (a fuuuuuny kind of 'love song' to an exwife w/ a sex change) or any of 'the king's chart-toppin' hits' a listen? You KNOW you want to.

A Song for January

(another monthly feature)



SONG OF THE MONTH:

Wreck My Car-Scott H Biram

Scott is one of my favorite discoveries of 2006. It's only right he should start off the year.

http://www.badongo.com/file/1953892

2007 and All Is Well...

Here's a new pinup girl that I rushed thru this morning while I had a few minutes...very obviously rushed. I'm still not a fan of the watercolor pencils but I'm bored w/ ink and pencil and until I can get some new supplies, they'll do for practice. Anyway, she's number 5.

Where was everyone at the stroke of midnight? It's been years since I've been 'out' on New Year's Eve. I don't really see myself doing it anytime soon. Yesterday afternoon we had a family outing which climaxed in a record low score of 45 at the bowling alley! It was truly amazing. My six year old bowled 50, if that's any indication of the mockery that should ensue from my admitting such a fact. We decided bowling alley culture is really quite fascinating however, and have decided to do some research on it. A brief 'google' this morning turned up some pretty amazing stories from various bowling alleys around the world. More on that later...?

So after the game, we headed to Sonic for refreshments and home to enjoy Garrison Keeler's New Year's Special at the Ryman. We opted for the radio instead of TV so that we could enjoy it like the days of olde. Guests at this shindig included The Old Crow Medicine Show, Emmylou Harris, Ronda Vincent and many other greats. It was a really fun New Years Celebration though, especially when Keeler counted down the New Year and broke into Auld Lang Syne w/ the audience. His countdown was very understated-almost missed it!

While we listened we put on the Twilight ZOne Marathon on SCIFI and watched it with no sound, competing to see who could guess the episode first without hearing it. Really fun, actually. We let Johnson stay up until midnight for the first time and he was really excited at first but began to get bored quickly. I don't think he got the point of it all. He liked saying 'I'm going to bed next year' though.

Anyway, the induction of 2007 was very perfect for us so hopefully we established a new family tradition, what with the Ryman Celebration and all.

No 'resolutions' this year. Lots of spiritual goals that I'm gonna keep to myself and I still haven't quite vanquished Duran Duran (a brief allusion to last year's Barbarella mission). I'm planning on eating healthier, drawing more, and all that bunk. But nothing official to saddle myself with or anything.

'You've Got Ears, Say CHEERS!'