spacemonk

i think most folks, that is, most folks mature and intelligent enough to appreciate my blog (that's right, both of you) probably realize that much of the best music, across all genres, is made by musicians outside of the mainstream.

a case in point is the husband of JenBen, Nick Bennett and his collaborators in various forms. I received a sampler from twin songs records which is filled with great music.

i am horrible writing about music (someone once said "writing about music is like dancing about architecture" (if anyone can give me a verifiable source of that quote, i'll write a haiku about them (please don't sue me for gimmick infringement, karen))), so really your best bet is to listen to the samples on the site.

i love the interplay between the musicians - which i believe includes electric guitar, acoustic guitar, fretless bass and chapman stick - really great textures - the singing is also very heartfelt - (and if you listen close, you might even hear ms. bennett) - all in all a wonderful record by truly talented musicians - check them out.

crikey!

elvis costello to marry diana krall

?!

so, the nerdish, bespectacled patron saint of software developers (uh, not that i identify with him or anything), finally gets the girl.

i think, as a wedding present to the happy couple, perhaps when the term ends and i have a bit more free time (hah!, no rest for the wicked), i will compose an operetta about their romance with the text coming from their respective lyrics - here's a start - feel free to add your own suggestions:

Diana:

There's nothing in this whole world too good
For a boy so sweet and true
Gee, baby ain't I good to you

Elvis:

You never asked me what i wanted. you only asked me why.
I never thought that so much trouble was restin' on my reply,
I could say it was the nights when i was lonely
And you were the only one who'd come.
I could tell you that i like your sensitivity,
When you know it's the way that you walk.

Diana:

Peel me a grape, crush me some ice
Skin me a peach, save the fuzz for my pillow
Talk to me nice, talk to me nice
You've got to wine and dine me

Don't try to fool me, bejewel me
Either amuse me or lose me
I'm getting hungry, peel me a grape

Elvis:

Baby's gotta have the things she wants.
You know she's gotta have the things she loves.
She's got a ten-inch bamboo cigarette holder
And her black patent leather gloves.
And i'm doing everything just tryin' to please her,
Even crawling around on all fours.
Oh, i thought by now that it was gonna be easy,
But she still seems to want for more.

Diana:

Hit that jive Jack
Put it in your pocket till I get back
Going downtown to see a man
And I ain't got time to shake your hand

Elvis:

You're upstairs with the boyfriend while i'm left here to listen.
I hear you calling his name, i hear the stutter of ignition.
I could hear you whispering as i crept by your door.
So you found some other joker who could please you more.

Diana

Was there something more I could have done?
Or was I not meant to be the one?
Where's the life I thought we would share?
And should I care?

Elvis:

Oh, i said "i'm so happy, i could die."
She said "drop dead," then left with another guy.

another reason to listen to bbc6: they played a song by jerry lee lewis' sister don't wear mascara if you love a married man

among the reasons to listen to bbc6: who else, in 2003 (or ever, for that matter) plays this much ian dury and the blockheads - always a favorite of mine - and not just for the couple of his songs that got airplay here in the usa...

today's chestnut: sweet gene vincent
"blue gene baby

skinny white sailor, the chances were slender
the beauties were brief
shall I mourn you decline with some thunderbird wine
and a black hankerchief?
I miss your sad Virginia whisper
I miss the voice that called my heart

sweet gene vincent
young and old and gone
sweet gene vincent

who, who, who slapped john?

white face, black shirt
white socks, black shoes
black hair, white strat
bled white, died black

sweet gene vincent
let the blue roll tonight
at the sock hop ball in the union hall
where the bop is there delight

here come duck-tailed Danny dragging Uncanny Annie
she's the one with the flying feet
you can break the peace daddy sickle grease
the beat is reet complete
and you jump back honey in the dungerees
tight sweater and a pony tail
will you guess her age when she comes back stage?
the hoodlums bite their nails

black gloves, white frost
black crepe, white lead
white sheet, black knight
jet black, dead white

sweet gene vincent
there's one in every town
and the devil drives 'till the hurse arrives
and you lay that pistol down

sweet gene vincent
there's nowhere left to hide
with lazy skin and ash-tray eyes
a perforated pride

so farewell mademoiselle, knicker-bocker hotel
farewell to money owed
but when your leg still hurts and you need more shirts
you got to get back on the road"

p.s. i forget who, but the last time i posted an ian dury reference, someone complained the tune stuck in their head all day. hope this one does too. so there.
:-)~

new food of the day: aduki beans
recipe suggestions appreciated...

from my local paper: chewey got a bum rap

new link: very black

my wife got some pistachios for a recipe and the rest she put in a little container on our counter. i am physically incapable of walking past the container without stopping an having a few - although they are delicious - it's almost like they have some kind of strange addicitive property...

to show what a little hellion i was, pistachios were involved in the most trouble i ever got into when i was in school. me and some of my clssmates ate some pistachios during class. (kind of hard to deny - the dye on the shells made us "caught red handed"). now, perhaps my younger readers might wonder "and...ate pistachios while holding the gym class hostage"? "...ate pistachios while quaffing a few beers in math class"? "...or are 'pistachios' some kind of archaic slang for something illicit?"...

nope, eating pistachios - the little nut - in itself was the offense - you must keep it in perspective - i was in a catholic school in the mid to late 20th century - you could get life for unauthorized snack consumption.

we were told to go to the principal' office after school. to my knowledge i was the only one who did (i was terrified) and the principal said something like "don't eat pistachios in class" and was done with it. with my sterling record, she probably recognized i was not the ring leader.

pretty sad this is the best "youthful school hijinks" story i can come up with...

bbc6 is commemorating the anniversary of great guitarist mick ronson's death...

5 questions from JenBen - just in the nick of time as i have felt not very inspired to blog - if you can't tell...

1) What CD (casette? 8-track?) is currently in your car stereo?
8 track - ur funny
actually, none...the last one in was weather report's mr gone

2) What was the last CD you purchased?
antologia by madredeus

3) What CD, if any, have you had to replace due to wearing it out?
i am meticulous about my cd's - i do believe i've only replaced one - ralph towner's open letter

4) What was the first CD you ever bought?
not sure - i think roxy music's avalon - maybe sting's dream of the blue turtles or maybe something else

5) Is there any CD you are looking forward to being released?
radiohead's new one

sometime later in the week, bbc6 is going to discuss the best rock and roll movie...

for me, it is the last waltz with honorable mention to rock and roll high school

am i missing any?
what's your vote?

idea courtesy of laurie, a 5 minute story based on the word ponder

he pondered what to do next. there was so much to do, and so little time - the mantra of just about everyone these days. somehow everything always gets done - and if it doesn't, the sun still rose the next day, at least he thought it did; he was too busy to notice. anyhow, although this comforted him, to a degree, he lived with the nagging feeling that something was left undone - that he was missing something critical. so he kept lists. crossing things off the list when they were completed gave him a great satisfaction. on occasion if there was something he had forgot to put on his list that he did, he would add it even though it was already completed, just for the joy of crossing it out. somehow the lists gave him a feeling of control - look, my problems can't be that big, i can write them down on my pad, pick it up and put it in my briefcase - how big can problems be if you can put them in your briefcase?<sup>1

1</sup>note: italicized words were typed seconds after the five minute mark - as a non-literalist and non-dogmatic, it seemed permissible to complete a sentence - please don't tell on me...

...and now a long distance dedication to all my friends in blogland (though probably only my, um, more mature readers are familiar with the tune) hugh masekela's grazing in the grass. heard it today on the way to yoga. hope your sunday was a beautiful as mine...

Sure is mellow grazin' in the grass (grazin' in the grass, yes, baby, can you dig it?)
What a trip just watchin' as the world goes past (grazin' in the grass, yes, baby, can you dig it?)
There are too many groovy things to see while grazin' in the grass (grazin' in the grass, yes,
baby, can you dig it?)
Flowers with colours for takin', everything outta sight (grazin' in the grass, yes, baby, can
you dig it?)

The sun peekin' out between the leaves (grazin' in the grass, yes, baby, can you dig it?)
And the bir-ir-ir-irds dartin' in and out of the trees (grazin' in the grass, yes, baby, can
you dig it?)

Everything here is so clear, you can see it
And everything here is so real, you can feel it
And it's real, so real, so real, so real, so real, so real
Can you dig it?

I can dig it, he can dig it, she can dig it, we can dig it, they can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it. Can you dig it, baby?
I can dig it, he can dig it, she can dig it, we can dig it, they can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it. Can you dig it, baby?

------ instrumental break ------

The sun peekin' out between the leaves (grazin' in the grass, yes, baby, can you dig it?)
And the bir-ir-ir-irds dartin' in and out of the trees (grazin' in the grass, yes, baby, can
you dig it?)

Everything here is so clear, you can see it
And everything here is so real, you can feel it
And it's real, so real, so real, so real, so real, so real
Can you dig it?

I can dig it, he can dig it, she can dig it, we can dig it, they can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it. Can you dig it, baby?
I can dig it, he can dig it, she can dig it, we can dig it, they can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it. Can you dig it, baby?
[repeat and fade]

saw dirty rotten scoundrels last night... one of the funniest movies i've seen

my brother saw michael caine interviewed at the actor's studio and caine said the way to be funny is by playing the scene seriously - you can see that all over this movie...