Compare and contrast
Girls just want to have fun. And so do boys. In Colombia. And Italy. And then again in Colombia (hmmm, is there something about the water?) And now let’s segue into something a lot more fun: Ah, the 80s! Oh, … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Music
James Bond theme songs
Here’s a PJ article on the 5 worst and 5 best James Bond theme songs. My question is: why, why, why is there no “Dr. No” there among the best? Is it because there was no conventional “song” (with words, … Continue reading →
Jeepers creepers, winter’s back…
…in New England. But only for a little while. March is usually quite cold here, and often snowy, although by then we can comfort ourselves with the idea that the long winter is nearly over. But this March it’s been … Continue reading →
Mesmerizing music
Every now and then I become mesmerized by a certain musician. Luckily, the force of each palls after a while, or I would be sliding inexorably into obsession territory, like the woman in Richard Thompson’s “From Galway to Graceland,” whose … Continue reading →
Old friends: how terribly strange to be seventy
Simon and Garfunkel have had their share of ups and downs. They met as 6th graders at PS 164 in Queens (oh, those ever-so-creatively-named New York City public schools! I went to one of them myself.) They teamed up as … Continue reading →
Tornado: the best-laid schemes
Here’s a poignant photo of a man named Greg Cook hugging his dog Coco after his East Limestone, Alabama home was destroyed by a recent tornado and Coco was found inside the ruins: It’s one of many photos in this … Continue reading →
RIP Davy Jones
Davy Jones of the Monkees has died at the age of 66. Of course I remember Jones and the Monkees and their Bieber-foreshadowing cuteness, and although I wasn’t much of a fan I did like “I’m a Believer.” Did I … Continue reading →
Neil Young—and old.
Here’s Young singing “Old Man” as a young man: Here’s Young singing “Old Man” as an old[er] man: He’s a lot like he was. [Hat tip: commenter “AGA.”]
Continue reading →Concert fashion
Yesterday I commented on Julia Fischer’s concert decolletage. But perhaps I’m behind the times in classical music fashion, as commenter “Les” pointed out in that thread, when he directed me to highly-acclaimed pianist Yuja Wang’s orange minidress that rocked the … Continue reading →
Julia Fischer, Suzanne Farrell, music and dance, dance and music
I came across this video by accident, because YouTube in its infinite wisdom had recommended it for me. I was struck first by the beauty of the piece, then by the intensity of the performers, then by the gorgeous youthfulness … Continue reading →
Knopfler’s voice
Mark Knopfler, founder of Dire Straits and now solo artist, is known as an astounding guitar player. And that he most certainly is. His playing is unusual, too, in that he almost never uses a pick. His riffs are especially … Continue reading →
Companion pieces: Millay and others
When I hear a song or read a poem, other songs and poems often spring unbidden into my mind. They have some relation to the first, as a sort of harmonic vibration or echo. Sonnets are a particular form of … Continue reading →