the witch of portobello

the latest novel by brazilian author paulo coelho
his most famous book is titled the alchemist
that and one titled the zahir are the only ones i have read
though enjoyed them both so not too much hesitation in taking on this one
the witch of portobello is a lady named athena
born to romanian gypsies in transylvania
abandoned and then adopted by a lebanese couple
who relocate to london to escape war-torn beirut
from the start of the book it is stated that athena has died
so the book is in effect an investigative journal of her life
presented as a series of transcripts of interviews
some provide first-person accounts of people's relationships with athena
others provide expert opinions in relationship to the investigation of her death
each chapter is in chronological order starting from her adoption
so her new mother provides an insight to athena as a young child
she was unusually and strongly drawn to the church
and claimed to have had a vision of 'a woman dressed in white, like the virgin mary'
this points to her strong spiritualism and independence
which leads to difficulties initially with her parents
then with the man she marries at a very young age and has a son to
she is forced out of the church when she is divorced
further isolating her and triggering a quest for meaning in her life
she turns to travel and subsequent meetings with spiritual guides
one of which turns her on to music and dance leading to trance
this as a means to contact the mother goddess
this power then manifests itself as another being in her body
able to provide words of wisdom and healing advice to mere mortals
so a cult springs up as she encourages her followers in portobello
naturally the conventional church is concerned about her power
and via the press launches a campaign to discredit her
they adopt a name for her and hence the title of the book
it's all very readable and has an unexpected but believable twist at the end
i particularly related to her discovery of music
and it's ancient and universal power to transcend
the author also uses the book to discuss some contemporary issues
including the relevance of traditional religions in the modern world
and the likely continuing evolvement of alternative dogmas
this is all cleverly done by the author in the various transcripts
this from a ficticious 74 year old french historian interviewed about paganism
we may be witnessing a very important moment in the history of the world
when the spirit finally merges with the material and the two are united and transformed at the same time
i imagine there will be a very violent reaction from organised religious institutions
that are beginning to lose their followers - there will be a rise in fundamentalism
if 'new age' was still a fashionable genre then in one sense paulo coelho belongs there
as traditionally his books have delved into spiritualism, self-improvement, oneness, etc
the witch of portobello contains all of that and more
for one thing it is a cleverly constructed straight-up novel
but it is much more than that as he discusses current issues
and further to demonstrate his willingness to evolve and adapt
the book is now the subject of an online film competition
conceived and encouraged by paulo coelho himself
he has invited people to submit a film via youtube on any of the 42 transcripts
presumably to be assembled into one complete film in 2008
looking forward to seeing the results of that

random tunes part 13

back to an an old favourite listening and blogging pastime
stick the iriver on random play and see what comes out
2 things happened today of significance
that prompted a resurrection of this exercise
firstly a long and enjoyable walk in the summer sun
with iriver on and filling my head with music
and a realisation that since the last random tunes blast
i had stacked some new and good albums into the magic box
secondly a good few hours spent today reading a book
that in no small way connects the importance of music
in the human psyche with a truly happy and calm life
amongst other things of course but it's up there
more on the book in a subsequent blog rave
but in the meantime - spinning the dial - and....
nostalgia by david sylvian
yes yes yes this man can do no wrong in the ears of this long-time fan
this one from his first solo album titled brilliant trees released in 1984
a slow brilliantly produced tune that straddles his work with japan (the band)
and his solo work that still continues to impress with it's originality
there's some random trumpet work and gentle cruisey ambienty-stuff happening
dugu by aurelio martinez
this performer from berlize on south america strikes me as another performer
that given the same break, airtime, adulation, as say mr bob marley from jamaica
should achieve the same level of success - but - it's the language barrier you see
the style of music is known as garifuna and is quite infectious
totally acoustic - guitar-based, percussion, harmonising vocals, beat, rhythm, melody, great
neon bible by the arcade fire
i think i'm kind of cool having hooked into this band several years ago
they are now huuuuuge on the festival circuit - a headline act at big day out 2008
so there - me first - told you so - love their early stuff, etc, etc, etc
this one is totally stripped back which demonstrates their absolute originality
acoustic guitar, percussion, violin, whispered vocals, addictive verse/chorus thing
nothing seeker by the church
from another one of their largely ignored albums titled forget yourself
one day the world will wake up and realise this outfit does not understand
the meaning of the words - repetition, safe, expected, formula, etc
but they certainly know the meaning of - integrity, confidence, originality, etc
this one again showcases their production values and sense of uniqueness
gnid jougouya by amadou and mariam
another outfit unfortunately given that horrible label of 'world' music
which i think does no favours to anyone - musician or potential fan
saw this duo and backup band perform at the basement in sydney last year
have rarely been so mesmerised and taken away by a performance
this a fine example of their guitar based, african female vocalist and brilliant production
vete de mi by bebo and cigala
a trip down memory lane now with this piano based tune
diego cigala is a young gypsy flamenco singer with a hugely emotive voice
bebo valdes is a much older cuban based jazz pianist
somehow their paths crossed and a single album was recorded titled lagrimas negras
lots of lovely tunes including this one that in a parallel (english) universe would be a huge hit
slowly surfacing by inga liljestrom
had the utter pleasure of seeing this stunning lady perform twice in 2007
she is absolutely and totally unique in the delivery of her music
the rest of the world has been switched off - she delivers as though transcending
not fair to link other artists to her unique style but sigur ros is the closest i can think
intense, spacious, evocative, demanding, relaxing, contemporary, timeless music
lucky days by laughing clowns
speaking of contemporary - recorded in the early 1980's but forget that
ed k was way ahead of his time then as he pulled this outfit together
played and recorded the most dischordant music that must have offended a few
but another case of an artist fulfilling his/her vision and damn those that disagree
this one typically is full of riffs and sounds that seem so natural now
tonight the streets are ours by richard hawley
he's done it again - put together an album of gems of songs
one of the albums of 2007 - for me he is the modern day crooner - no challengers
i blame radio, etc, etc but he really should be rich and famous
move over elton john, robbie williams, michael buble, etc, etc, etc
this one another case of wonder who originally wrote it - yup - him - timeless stuff
time by leroy young
another musicican from the south american country of berlize (see above)
but in this case he sings in english so has an immediate and necessary accessibility
especially as his style and him are labelled as 'dub-poet'
the first time i heard him i thought he should/could/would be famous
for his lyrics alone as in this one that speak of disaffected and restless youth

damn - no big surpises tonight from the large number of albums in there now
the beast said feed me i'm hungry and i obliged
but nothing new has come up tonight
maybe next time

benazir bhutto rip

i read the news today oh boy
about a lady being gunned down
in a cold-blooded assassination in pakistan
these days try as i might
i seem to get less and less moved by bad news
is it age or is it weariness or possibly both
this one has reverberated more than most
so tv news has for a change been watched
online newspapers have been sited and read
democracy now has been resurrected in my daily viewing
i was not looking forward to seeing amy's face
unlike every other news reader i can think of
amy's heart is worn on her face
she is totally and impressively professional
but when it comes to bad news
especially the fall of a beacon of hope
her forlorn expression is in a way comforting
no flippant rendering of the news for her
so if she is sad which too often she is these days
then we can be sure this is serious, mum
some time today the democracy now broadcast was online
the first one after the murder had taken place
amy was as expected sad but about a scale of 7
which meant there was more to this story
than the loss of a beacon of hope
in a nation of despair and desperation
they dedicated their hour long show to this event
allowing for some in-depth reporting and analysis
including a very articulate and knowledgeable observer
mr tariq ali - pakistan born author, activist and commentator
he had some very interesting things to say
seems ms bhutto was effectively sent back by the u s of a
against the advice of those wanting to boycott the upcoming election
that was bound to be rigged by president mushareef
it is claimed she would not stand up to washington
in their wish to have her settled in again as prime minister
similarly she had rolled over to the military machine
seems personal ambition outweighed long-term planning
despite her father being executed by the military
with the support of washington
more recently in her last stint as p m
tariq ali claims she did nothing for the poor
but instead accumulated 1.5 billion dollars through corruption
he is staggered at the piety being displayed
as the global media has conspired
to effectively whitewash her sordid past
but wait things get even worse
seems her brother who had also been assassinated
while sister was in power as prime minister
was taken out with orders from the top
which really is a staggering claim
so even on the day of her funeral
there's not such a pretty picture emerging
which explains amy's less that overwhelming grief
but it's not all doom and gloom
there's a compelling argument put forward
the u s of a needs to sort out afghanistan
which is destabilising pakistan
there is no major issue with militarists in pakistan
the people there know what they want
they just want the u s out of their faces
and not have a government on their knees to the u s
that is leave 'em alone
don't meddle in their affairs
don't try and manipulate their leadership
then maybe people like benezir bhutto would not get killed
more blood on the hands of that dude in the u s
she may not have been perfect
amy wasn't her biggest fan
but she didn't need to die
we shall watch and wait

the lovely bones

i've seen this book in all sorts of best-selling lists
also in prominent display in bookshops for many years now
author alice sebold has a new book on offer now that is getting the treatment
joining a public library provides the opportunity to take risks on a few more books
and so despite continually raising a feeling of scepticism from the cover notes
i decided it was time to form my own proper opinion on this best-seller title
the opening chapter describes the horrific rape and murder of susie salmon
at the hands of a loner neighbour who turns out to be a serial killer
she is from a normal family living in a normal town attending a normal school
the not so normal twist to the book is that susie tells her story from heaven
she lives in the lives of her family, friends and classmates
as they all attempt to come to grips with the suddenness of her death
the author then successfully spins off many different story lines
tracing the decline in her parents marriage and health
her younger siblings have growing up and puberty issues as usual
and various other boy-girl relationships are developed and followed
there's also a sympathetic police officer who is intimitely involved with the family
all in the shadow of the crime that has taken place in their world
the murderer evades capture and the body is never found so that adds fragility to all their lives
the on-going life of the murderer is another thread in the book
providing a background to his motives and the way his life is also affected
so quite cleverly the author explains each persons character and personality
then allows the reader equal attention to and time with each of them
including susie sitting up in heaven with her deceased relatives and pets
on occasions she comes down to earth in spirit form to add another dimension
the book spans almost a decade from the murder (early 70's) to the conclusion
i must admit by the end of it i was flipping forward checking the number of pages remaining
a sure sign that my interest in the story had waned and i was wanting a wrap-up
unfortunately this came just all too neatly for my liking in the happily ever after ending
in fact i kind of felt betrayed by the author when the ending unfolded
she had put some work into some of the characters that indicated that would not be possible
but even they seemed content to return to the normality of their lives
my last hope was that the murder would be solved in an interesting way
but no chance as the baddie got despatched by nature in a closing chapter
this was only hinted at but presumably at the hand of susie up above
there is no challenge at all to the concept of an intervening heaven
and therefore probably an appealing factor with the religious right
that could explain why the book has sold in such huge numbers
i hope the film has more grit, substance and controversy
with peter jackson directing there's some hope for that
starring mark wahlberg and saoirse ronan as susie
last seen as briony in atonement
due for release in 2009

we're here to help

more post-christmas traditional activities planned for the day today
involved a 2-car expedition and 7 related people from 4 different families striking out
destination - mount cook via the lakes of the mackenzie country
weather - clear, heads - clear, roads - clear, route - all clear
pulled in lakeside at lake tekapo to enjoy a picnic lunch
as the clouds also moved in to reduce the temperature significantly
a quick survey of the approximate area of destination and some black clouds overhead
so the decision was made to not push our luck and instead make an early return
which meant i found myself passing through geraldine town
one if it's more famous attractions is ye olde world geraldine cinema
timing meant that a film previously considered for viewing was due to start in 20 minutes
still early evening and plenty of the day left so money and ticket exchanged
dave henderson is a small-time but successful property developer in christchurch
he has a happy life with a beautiful maori lady and her son
he asks her to deliver some documents to the tax (inland revenue) department
where she is verbally insulted, threatened and intimidated by an officer there
upon hearing this dave makes a return visit to return the insults in kind
which starts the ball rolling of a 3-year battle with the department
as they methodically try to pull him and his business apart
he goes bankrupt, losing his business, his house and his partner in the process
but adversity is his second name and detecting some chinks in his adversaries armour
he proceeds to record every conversation he has with the i r d
then pulls in the assistance of a newly elected maverick m p
who boldly states he needs the publicity as he takes dave's case up
which makes it all the way to question time in the nation's parliament
before it then falls back on the other side and sees the department humiliated
heads roll, charges are dropped, refunds (with interest) paid and apologies extended
so all in all a david versus goliath story with the same outcome
it's actually a well told and well acted story with quite a few laughs along the way
the fact that it is a true story only adds to the appeal of the film
i was hoping that it would not be too stereotyped in its good guy, bad guy portayal
and to the credit of the director we see bad and good on both sides
so not a complete damnation of the i r d as they deal with the golden boy
the action is all set in the early 1990's and attention to detail has been made with the props
down to dave's mobile phone being the original brick with extender antenna
and his letters being written on a early model hybrid typewriter / word processor
so the short trip down memory lane to the early 90's was also enjoyable
however a bigger nostalgia trip was provided by the theatre itself
for the first time in living memory the film shut-down halfway through for an intermission
i don't think reels had to be changed but other intermission activities were completed
including the tacky and amateur slide-show of the local businesses
the lowering of lights so the mirror-ball could have a spin
and then back into the film proper
big drive, good film, nostalgia trip
not such a bad day really

the bee movie

continuing forward with a christmas tradition established many years ago
sees me dragging along sundry nieces and nephews to the film of choice
usually another installment of one or other of the ongoing trilogies, etc on the big screen at end of year
this year i had some influence in the decision and opted for this film
mainly on the presence of jerry seinfeld as creator and main character (i.e. voice)
the movie show (abc tv) had also reviewed it favourably so off we went
i had read somewhere that jerry seinfeld had spent many years on the project
his first major piece of tv/film work since pulling the plug on his tv sitcom almost 10 years ago
i find these days that it is no longer just enough to have excellent animation
it's now so entrenched that the so-called 'wow' factor is not going to happen with just that
a good story, lots of laughs, and big-name voice actors are also mandatory
i think it also helps if there is some element of even subtle education in the film
for example thinking back to happy feet from this time last year all the essentials were delivered
but so too was the presumably accurate depiction of the various types of penguins found in the antarctic
and so with great expectation i was hoping something would be delivered in the bee movie
it's a fairly straightforward story that sees barry b benson (seinfeld) graduating from college
then expected as usual to select a job for life and work in the honey industry
but barry yearns for life outside the hive and gets a break flying with the pollen jocks
some excellent animation here as the squadron is scrambled like fighter pilots
they then take to the air in obviously new york city to collect honey and do their pollination duties
our junior pilot becomes separated and ends up alone and in the apartment of a florist named vanessa
she is sympathetic to all things living and saves barry from an unpleasant death at the hands of her boyfriend
as a result he breaks one of the cardinal rules of beedom and talks to this human (voice of renee zellweger)
a bond is established despite protestations from his parents and friends
before long they are on a mission to save bees from slaving away to produce honey for humans
this all leads up to a hilarious court scene with atypical legal types and others being parodied
musician sting is also on the stand as a witness to the defamation of bees
in his case for the false and derogatory use of his name
this also from chris rock doing the voice of a mosquito now lawyer
i was always a blood-sucking parasite so what's the difference
which is quite typical of the very many one-liners found throughout the film
the big climax of the film sees the bees winning the court case and so released from honey production
which naturally leads to flowers and plants dying due to no pollination from the bees
so that becomes the big lesson in the film but not at all in a heavy-handed way
but of course there is a compromise that means we all live happily ever after
there are a lot of subtle messages conveyed in the film - if you are looking for them
overall i left the theatre feeling well entertained and educated
as did my younger companion
to quote a line from the film
it gets a b from me
(the best grade possible)
grab a child
go see it

christmas day 2007

unto us a saviour will be born and you will find him lying
in a manger and he will be of middle eastern appearance

decided a spot of christmas humour would be appropriate for this day of celebration
spent way too long going through websites containing christmas humour
which just goes to prove that there really is no such thing
as a good and original christmas cracker joke
so back to mr reliable michael leunig
this one is dated from a year ago
but just as relevant today
an oft used expression
blame apportioned
fingers pointed
goat scaped
lesson lost
merry
xmas

salegy (madagascar)

madagascar - that huge island off the east coast of africa
twice the size of the whole of nz and 5 times the population
another former french colony and now independent
here's what songlines magazine had to say about the most popular style of music there

madagascar has a great diversity of music
but the salegy is universally popular across the island with it's fast 6/8 beat
like many of the contemporary african dance rhythms
it's made with a fusion of western instruments and local styles
eusebe jaojoby is probably the most popular singer in madagascar
and has been the king of salegy since the 70's
his band features crooning sax and horns over rippling guitars

there are a bunch of videos on youtube for the artist still known as jaojoby
in many he comes across as the fela kuti of madagascar
he's out the front leading and directing the musicians
and always surrounded by women dancers and singers
despite the reference to brass in the songlines article
it seems he has dispensed with that part of the band
and instead has very brass-like sounds coming from the keyboards
so that would suggest some modernisation (or economisation)
as expected there is some commonality with other african music
juju music (nigeria) seems a close relation with it's similar chiming guitars
but no doubt to an expert ear they as as different as can be
the clip i have selected is one featuring jaojoby
a superstar in his home country
(35 of 50)

slow man

the second book i have read by nobel prize winner (literature) j m coetzee
this one based in adelaide with a lot of references to familiar places in that town
the title of the book would seem to refer to the physical condition of the central character
a man by the name of paul rayment struck by a car when riding his bike
the opening chapter vividly describes the accident and the subsequent leg amputation
so a major change in lifestyle is forced upon the leading character
he's not a young chap and is already dealing with some regrets in his life
particularly the conspiring of circumstances which sees him childless
so when he now finds himself without a right leg it seems it's all downhill from here
he is advised and agrees to take on a day nurse to attend to his injuries
a lady formerly from croatia then becomes his daily visitor and companion
the nature of his injuries requires that he submit to some close physical contact
at the same time she tells him more of her own life in an australian city
with a displaced technician husband forced to work in a car factory
and 3 children of croatian descent but adopting australian values
so for a man already sensing some emotional voids
he allows his emotions to run unchecked and falls in love with marijana
which naturally is not what she requires and so complications arise
about this time another woman arrives in his life from it seems nowhere
her name is elizabeth costello and the subject of another of j m coetzee's novels
she is an author and before long our amputee is on to her motives
he believes her arrival in his life is purely predatory as she seeks another character
another person she can observe, manipulate and document for a future novel
she is one very sharp lady both in observation and in verbalisation
from here we learn the real meaning of this book's title as she continuously berates her host
in her opinion he moves too slowly in decisions and action and nicknames him the tortoise
this as her reaction to the announcement that paul has sent a letter to his love (nurse)
a letter, another letter! what is this - a game of postal chess?
we will all die of boredom before we have a resolution
this is not the age of the epistolary novel paul - go and see her!
contront her! have a proper scene! stamp your foot! (i speak metaphorically)
which in many ways sums up the various themes encountered in this book
a man clinging to his past and tradition and grappling with his current circumstances
a woman very clear about how to deal with situations and pushing the man forward
and so a very general concept worked into a very specific situation
stepping back a little from the details and complexities of the relationships in this book
i found that the author had successfully discussed some very contemporary issues
certainly the issue of loneliness, ageing and regret is a constant in the book
the multi-cultural society also is a theme with the croatian family adapting to their new home
similarly there's a thread running through the book of inter-generational issues and problems
but most prevelant is the issue of differences in the male and female psyche
and in this case handled with respect, candour and good humour
which makes the book very readable
slow man
him
me
or
all
of
us
?

rumba (cuba)

rumba emerged in the ports of matanzas and havana, cuba in the 19th century
among black workers beating rhythms out on anything to hand from boxes to bottles, clave stocks to spoons
while one of them answered by a chorus sang improvised verses about life
it thrived in the patio fiestas of the communal solares, tenements populated by a family per room
sailors took it to cadiz, spain where it was absorbed into flamenco
and to barcelona from whence rumba catalana emerged
that is how rumba is described in songlines magazine article on their 50 rhythms of the world
staying true to the origins of this one limited the choice of clips to include
it seems as implied that the word rumba has been widely used
meaning many musicians from around the world claim to be playing rumba
which may well be true in reference to their own derivation of the style
but cuba is where rumba was born and developed
so cuba is where the youtube clip of choice is from
by all accounts the following clip is from a 1967 film
it features a group called clave y guaguanco
they formed at the havana docks more than 40 years ago
and strictly adhere to the afro-cuban style of music
which basically means lots of drums and percussion and not much else
though laterly their music is being integrated with flamenco style
so presumably now working towards another strain of rumba found in barcelona
i enjoy seeing some of these older clips of the music at it's roots
the documentary film is titled y tenemos sabor
not sure what that means in english
but seems to be the real deal
(34 of 50)

atonement

atonement - satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury
this film is going to be raved about and will clean up all sorts of awards
there are just so many elements that are bang on
keira knightley is gorgeous and don't they know it
her beauty is the jewel in the crown of this very english film
i'm not at all familiar with the classics of english literature
though i sensed the early scenes in this film were as classic as it gets
lovely countryside, huge mansions, the coldness of aristocracy
children should be seen and not heard, no sex we're english kind of stuff
so a scandal on the property is dealt with swiftly, deftly and unjustly
leaving the younger sister of our beauty with a lot to answer for
and hence the title of the film in her role as the central character
james mcavoy is the innocent victim heart-throb romeo in the film
so that makes for 2 young and beautiful characters - 2 boxes ticked
the middle part of the film is set mainly on the beach at dunkirk in ww2
as the english beat a retreat and our hero is part of the action
if during the first part of the film i felt a witness to sunday night tv theatre
then the producers went for broke in this part with it's impressive cinematography
taking up the challenge for the longest single take with the most actors
it's all very cleverly done and reminds us this is a serious film folks
then we are back in england with the younger sister now older and played by another actor
she has turned to nursing to do something useful and her need for atonement is driving her
but the director hasn't finished with telling us about the horror of war
so we see returning soldiers in various states of mangle
somewhere in this part of the film we switch to fantasy mode in a very subtle way
as we see young sister finally find her disgraced sibling and her now reunited love
she puts forward her case for seeking atonement for the sins of her childhood
in return the 2 lovers accept and apply their stringent conditions
at which point we are jolted out of this period and end up in the current day
as we see young sister as an elderly woman telling her story on a tv show
seems she has written a book called atonement (very neat)
she is now a famous author and is explaining the background to this her last book
which confirms the suspicions of the fantasy sequence earlier in the film
vanessa redgrave plays the character of the now older sister/nurse
she provides a performance that i thought was exceptional
not like the rest of the film which lacked any real emotion i could connect with
there are a lot of actors impressively strutting their stuff
but it seems the directors/producers are looking in another direction
it actually felt like an english version of that other big war-drama film titled pearl harbour
complete with the stunned and beautiful brunette and the heroic man off to war
at least in that one they loaded up the action on the screen rather than feign it
as for atonement - theme, what theme?
it scrambles home in the final scene thanks to vanessa redgrave
i think i'd rather go for another 3-syllable 9-letter word
bombastic - high-sounding, high-flown, inflated, pretentious

reggaeton (puerto rico)

another new one for me from songlines magazine list of 50 rhythms of the world
a bit of research reveals that it is a distant relation to jamaican reggae
and a lot younger also having been gestated in the 1970's
modern day reggaeton seems to be another derivation of american hip-hop
especially in the lyrics where sexual innuendo seems to be a common theme
here's what songlines had to say about this rhythm from puerto rico
reggaeton moves to various latin rhythms and the crucial dembow beat
created by late 90's reggae star shabba ranks from soca, ragga and hip-hop
in panama, el general introduced dembow to his latin-ragga mixes and unwittingly conceived reggaeton
influential bomba mixes by the puerto rican rapper vico c were formally labelled reggaeton and p r it's capital
from there daddy yankee's 2004 hit gasolina with catchy girl choruses and bomba beats propelled it internationally
today's electronic merengues and cumbias, real instruments, gangsta lyrics and erotic dances
including perreo (doggy style) have lured eminem and usher on board
which pretty well sums up what clips can be found on youtube
the most popular ones have had millions of viewings
which confirms it's international popularity
i must admit i found current reggaeton too close to rap
wanted something more authentic and original
so went back in time a bit and found the following clip
the song is called el meneaito and is performed by an artist known as gaby
wiki advises that this was the first international hit for reggaeton
it also smoulders with sexual innuendo
obviously an essential component
go the macarena
(33 of 50)

raising sand

robert plant has been in the news a lot lately
seems he has succumbed to that now common allergy gettheoldbandbacktogetherinitis
i don't know about all that malarkey - in his case how could they match it with led zep of the 70's
i saw jimmy page being interviewed pre-show and oh dear his age it seems has caught up with him
anyway i wasn't one of the 20 million people who went in the ballot for tickets
but i was one of the much smaller number who bought his latest album
recorded in partnership with american bluegrass singer-violinist alison krauss
i'd read a little bit about it but the tickler notes on the cover from mojo magazine did the trick
the musical relationship between krauss and plant is so gentle, attentive, and respectfully intimate
it feels more like a courtship dance - one of the best albums of the year
rich woman
sparse, echoey, drum introduction leads in their harmonising voices
takes about 2 seconds to realise what a beautiful combination it is
and hints at what is likely to follow on the rest of the album
a kind of bluesy, pop, country, jazz, southern mix of styles on this one
mr plant holding back on his trademark vocal power - nice start
killing the blues
a slow number with all the markings of a traditional country tune
significantly the deft use of a pedal steel guitar
ms krauss has a lovely voice that is just there
which seems to have the same effect on her singing partner
end result being a tune i would normally avoid but now very easy on the ear
sister rosetta goes before us
same pace on this one but a banjo taking the place of the pedal steel
ms krauss now clearly out front with her honey-rich voice dominating
there's some very subtle backing vocals cutting in and out presumably being r p
i hear roseta singing in the night - echoes of light that shine like stars after they're gone
tonight she's my guide as i go on alone - with the music up above
polly come home
straight-up 3 piece instrumentation of drums-bass-guitar
an even slower number that just about stops it is so slow
unbelievably beautiful harmonies between the 2 stars
seems a million miles away from what he will be doing on stage with led zep
which goes further to prove that he has well and truely moved on from those days
gone gone gone (done moved on)
the big single from the album - a cover of an everly brothers tune from the 60's
the pace has picked up and we're now in real toe-tapping territory
the liner notes advise that producer t-bone burnett is playing the guitar on this one
i'm quite ambivalent about this tune - probably because it does sound so 60's
mr plant sounding more like the lead singer for a well-known rock band also
through the morning, through the night
phew - bit worn out with that last one so things are slowed again
another real country feel tune with pedal steel crying away in the background
believe me when i tell you i could never kill a man
but to know that another man's holding you tight hurts me little darling
through the morning, through the night
please read the letter
very interesting - written by 4 chaps including robert plant and jimmy page
mr plant takes lead vocals and ms krauss providing lovely backing
builds up slowly, a great catchy chorus, and mr plant sounding very led-zep ish at times
please read the letter i nailed it to your door
it's crazy how it all turned out we needed so much more
trampled rose
that slow laconic beat with the unusual percussion noises
and no wonder - credited to a songwriter known as tom waits
not like any other tune on the album and sounding almost experimental
alison krauss low into the microphone and working some quite high notes
toy piano, pump organ, dobro all used to good effect
fortune teller
another tune from the 60's sounding like it comes from the 60's
quite an up-tempo number with the full band at work backing up r p
he again sounds quite comfortable returning to normal operation
does his bit setting up the tune and gives the band space to have a rock out
alison krauss taking a back seat on this one maybe doing some minor backing vocals
stick with me baby
nice production work means the echoey chiming guitar dominates
rp and ak harmonising beautifully and quietly on vocals
another tune from 1960 but sounding quite contemporary because of the production
one of those tunes that washes over quite gently but then gets lodged in
come on and stick with me baby we'll find a way
nothin'
big noisy slow heavy metal intro points to led zep connections again
this one written by townes van zandt in 1970 so of the same vintage
mr plant has lots of space doing vocals with quite light instrumentation
then steps back between verses for the band to take over in very h m mode
alison krauss credited with fiddle playing which sits in there with the cranking band
let your loss be your lesson
starts out with an introduction like a typical west coast (eagles) tune
then alison krauss steps up to the microphone and belts out an up tempo country lament
at times on this album she has such a sweet gentle voice - here she has a real wail at work
steps back and lets the band rock out and a return to the starting point
the guitar break particularly sounding like something from hotel california
your long journey
album closer and a gentle number featuring banjo and autoharp
our two stars again providing lovely and unlikely vocal harmonies
this one creditied to 'traditional' so presumably a standard bluegrass tune
though the lyrics would indicate a gospel connection
with references a long journey, heaven and the family of god

quite like this album actually as there's plenty of variety in the tunes both musically and vocally
t bone burnett would have to be the third star on this record as the production is exemplary
get the impression robert plant has been taught a musical lesson by his younger musical companion
which only makes me think re-gurgitating led zep tunes must have been quite painful
hope he gets over that little distraction soon

reggae (caribbean)

surely the most popular of all world music genres
certainly at least in the list of 50 rhythms nominted by songlines magazine
the rhythms collectively known as reggae - ska, rocksteady, reggae proper and ragga
first emerged in the early 60's when jamaican musicians started playing r&b boogies and shuffles
with an increasing emphasis on the offbeat - reggae rhythms have been mutating ever since
and provided the raw material for deejay music and dub - the templates for rap and remix culture respectively
and some classic rhythms are endlessly recycled within reggae music itself
i was tempted to look for someone less popular than bob marley to showcase reggae
but it's hard to ignore the massive popularity of this most authentic performer
one clip (could you be loved) had been viewed over 4 million times
there were at least 4 others all credited with over 1 million viewings
so sorry jimmy cliff and all other contemporaries and followers
but bob is the man when it comes to reggae
this clip is a lesser known song
but showcases b m and the wailers well
with a song called roots rock reggae
presume wife rita is one of the backup singers
and maybe son ziggy is there too
(32 of 50)

the sea

there's a bit of a pattern emerging of the books i have read lately
this one by john banville comes emblazoned with an eye-catching phrase on the cover
winner of the man booker prize 2005 - another prize winner of an unknown prize
that and a quick read of the synopsis on the back cover is enough
and shifts the book from one of thousands laid out before me seeking attention
to one of a new constant companion as it is given that attention
they departed, the gods, on the day of the strange tide
all morning under a milky sky the waters in the bay had swelled and swelled rising to un-heard of heights
the small waves creeping over parched sand that for years had known no wetting
save for rain and lapping the very bases of the dunes
the rusted bulk of the freighter that had run aground at the far end of the bay
longer ago than any of us could remember must have thought it was being granted a relaunch
i would not swim again after that day
the seabirds mewled and swooped, unnerved, it seemed
by the spectacle of that vast bowl of water bulging like a blister, lead-blue and malignantly agleam
they looked unnaturally white, that day, those birds
the waves were depositing a fringe of soiled yellow foam along the waterline
no sail marred the high horizon - i would not swim, no, not ever again
someone has just walked over my grave, someone
that from page 1 of this story of a man and his trip down memory lane
recalling summers from his childhood spent at the seaside
where he discovers a world outside his own distant parents
and befriends another family of visitors who take up residence in a house called the cedars
they are a family fraught with internal conflicts and allegiances
and through them he discovers the meaning of friendship, lust and love
sadly he is also exposed very early in his life to the grief of death
the book moves between the time spent in his past at the sea
and in current times tending for his now terminally ill wife
which in turn means dealing with his own daughter and her chosen partner
it's a beautifully written book with such descriptive phrasing
i found myself going along for the ride just to enjoy the way the story is told
without too much thought given to the actual story itself which seems quite secondary
there is no doubt that the author's intention is to very clearly remind us
that our childhood days and experiences affect and stay with us for life
and in the end quite possibly it is those times that resonate most strongly
as in this case leading to a physical return to the place of his youth
which quite surprisingly and cleverly connects quite a few dots
a very satisfying read

reel (ireland)

not sure about all this irish jig stuff
i suspect i may have had too much exposure to it in my childhood days
playing piano in various local competitions and seeing and hearing girls competing in irish dance
that's my theory anyway as i do have a real (pun intended) aversion to this style
but for the sake of completeness we shall press on - here's songlines magazine bit about reel
the reel is reckoned to have reached ireland towards the end of the 18th century
this rapid 4/4 dance form subsequently became the king of ireland's traditional music
which apart from slow airs consists almost entirely of dance tunes
all incorporated from other parts of europe
the mag goes on to recommend an album of music from noel hill and tony macmahon
lo and behold those 2 have some videos posted on youtube
so have selected the following clip recorded in 1994
one wag posted a comment suggesting noel hill is actually gerry adams with glasses
apparantly the instruments being played are the box and concertina accordians
in the second half of the video the floor is taken over by 4 couples
providing what appears to be an example of traditional irish dance
to go with this example of traditional irish music
(31 of 50)

once (again)

it's been ages since i have been to see a film twice or more
baraka takes the award for me for film most likely to endure repeat viewings
but considering there is no dialogue and instead music and images
it's not like second, or third, or more, time around you know the plot, climax, etc
which was certainly not the case for a repeat visit to see the film titled once
a rare saturday night in the company of 3 teenagers and 1 just-over-teenager
and lack of choice in the film department meant repeat viewing was considered and agreed to
it also meant a visit to a small town with a theatre needing patronage
requiring a drive through the countryside on a beautiful summer evening
we arrived 20 minutes early to find the theatre all locked up - uh-oh
but the small scale of the theatre meant that the few patrons could be dealt with quickly
we started in the smaller theatre (the snug) with room for 15 people
and then moved to the larger theatre (30 people) as a few more people showed up
and it was generally agreed on this hot evening the air conditioning would also be required
i generally go to films in the company of myself
something to do with not wanting to inflict my preferences on anyone else
so rather than the usual excitement of mostly unknown self-indulgence
this one came with a known outcome and the complication of 4 young people
used to films of action, fantasy, animation, effects, superheroes, teen idols, etc
that is everything that the film we were locked into was not
so i settled in thinking i would have a possibly slightly boring time on repeat play
this film has such a simple story that you could miss large chunks of it and still get it
but even second time through i was picking up bits of dialogue i had previously missed
which added a depth to the film that though not essential made it very satisfying again
maybe because of that the old heart strings got tugged again
when we could see that our 2 main characters were just so right for each other
but the pull of past love and current responsibility overcame that connection
the music in the film really does dominate
it could be as high as a 50/50 split music/dialogue
it is worked in very naturally with the theme of the film
and so the film goes by quite quickly and very easily
the big test of course was whether our 4 guests enjoyed it
the unanimous decision was that it was 'really good'
leading to a bit of discussion in the car on the return journey
through the late dusk of the lovely summer night
once - not enough - twice - is good

raqs sharki (middle east)

never heard of the term of raqs sharki - the music used to accompany belly-dancers
though i have had my share of exposure (ahem) to belly-dancing usually at lebanese restaurants
and of course my share of embarrassment when hauled up to try and wiggle the tummy
i've always been in awe of the skill of the ladies who have mastered this dance
here is how songlines magazine described raqs sharki
literally eastern dance but better known as belly dance
raqs sharki uses a whole range of rhythms from around the middle east
as a backdrop to the sensuous flowing movements of the performers
the mood of the dance is wholly dictated by these beats
from the most basic maqsoum rhythm with it's immediately recognisable pattern
dum-tak tak-dum tak
to the rolling and subtle turkish chiftitelli or the quixotic 7/8 laz
make no mistake - despite worthy attempts to rehabilitate it as a cosy alternative to pilates
belly dancing is meant to stir the loins
no shortage of clips on youtube associated with raqs sharki
had a great time reviewing them to select one to embed here
the one i have selected of course features a beautiful lady
but significantly the music seems most authentic
and the colours and lighting used in the video are excellent
setting a great mood for the lady to do her thing
go sandra
(30 of 50)

lions for lambs

i feel a little bit better about this film after reading a couple of reviews
better in that i came out of it not sure what i was supposed to be feeling
thought i had missed the point or some crucial bit of dialogue
i think i had very high expectations that were not fulfilled
i'd seen robert redford interviewed and talking about the importance of this film
also a snippet of meryl streep expressing her enthusiasm
i'd forgotten tom cruise was also a lead character
but maybe just as well as that may have counted against it
there are basically 3 threads to the film
tom cruise is a high-level republican senator trying to sell the next military move
to a sceptical and influential reporter played by meryl streep
in the meantime the military operation is underway in afghanistan
central to the operation are 2 soldiers who have volunteered to make a difference
the third thread involves robert redford as a university professor
who had previously taught the 2 soldiers now trapped in afghanistan
and now is trying to rev up a brilliant but disaffected student
the film is evenly split for the most between the 3 situations
so we witness a very convincing senator arguing the neo-cons case
while seeing a high-tech military operation failing against the unseen enemy
and the liberal professor arguing that effectively apathy is not an option
the one-on-one scenes are done very well
i've not seen a lot of him lately but tom cruise is excellent
i hope it was his acting skills and not his beliefs that made for that
meryl streep questions, debates, responds, reacts very naturally
and similarly robert redford comes across very well as the sage
but in a way i suspect as the director he has messed up a little
rather than desist totally from props and action
or go all the way with very convincing effects
particularly for the mountaintop scene in afghanistan
he has instead included a fairly badly portrayed situation
and lays on the nationalism and soldier as hero stuff quite heavily
i had no idea really how long the film was supposed to run for
but at the point where it was all set up and things were getting interesting
bang - end of film - finish - gotcha - no answers you see
almost an admission that this whole war on terrorism is beyond figuring
the best we can do is show the world by film how confused we all are
and maybe that is the point of the film
so mission accomplished in my case

m.o.r.

alabama 3 are an outfit from brixton, london, united kingdom
known in the u s of a as a3 to avoid legal hassles with an american band called alabama
the english group are described as being a acid house, blues, country and gospel band
their main claim to fame being that a track of theirs is the theme song for tv show the sopranos
that track is titled 'woke up this morning' from their 1997 debut album titled 'exile on coldharbour lane'
this their latest album simply titled m.o.r. has had some impressive reviews in respected mags
so without hearing anything of them and one day in search of some new music i made the investment
check in
ok got me interested on this brief intro at 1 minute and 21 seconds
aircraft noises, airport announcements, random noises
and then an aircraft captain's welcome announcement
though not as normal as he announces it may be a bit of a bumpy ride
flying to the outer rings of saturn - sounds a bit like ronald reagan actually
fly
now i know why this band is so hard to categorise
great production of harmonising female vocals, 70's style electric piano
very catchy beat, call-and-response lead vocals, funk feel in there also
leading up to a electric guitar put through some kind of effects box
and winding up with the captain once again cutting in with announcements - phew
lockdown
starts out sounding like some kind of kraftwerk cover band - sparse electronica
vocals come in singing lyrics that defy summarising - too random
band kicks in with an up-tempo beat and some brass or brass synthesizer
then it all falls away to a fairly flat bridge part
and then an attempt to get the tune back on track with key changes - hmmm
monday don't mean anything
gospel meets electronica which is a first for me
very catchy repeated singing of the title with all sorts of electronica backing
then standard percussion and some real brass comes in to keep things interesting
there's also a rap-break in the middle of the tune which sits quite well with the gospel sound
it seems quite clever but maybe too much so - catchy but kind of annoying
amos moses
switch off all the electronica noise making machines
get into dirty almost grunge alt.country southern blues mode
production values have changed also to a do-it-in-one-take approach
a simple echo-laden track with an electric guitar providing most of the noise
they named him after a man of the cloth - they called him amos moses
are you a souljah?
leads in with sounds of missiles and exploding bombs with an acoustic guitar
and then a voice not unlike samuel l jackson as a preacher
gives way to a smooth electronica sound and the now recognisable vocals
another one with all sorts of things happening musically
female harmonies, a couple of rap verses, brief hard-rock guitar, fades out with the last post
the klan
full-on country feel now despite an distracting electronica introduction
then it's real instruments only working away on this tune that seems quite familiar
lyrics that make reference to the kkk but otherwise difficult to work it out
a repeat chorus of - come-on and stand by me - repeat, repeat, repeat
before fading out with a mandolin and various other instruments taking it away
hooked
screaming jay hawkins kind of lead-in and some basic instrumentation
then kicks in with another tune relying on 80's sounding electronica
i think the lyrics refer to a dude's feelings to a lady who has taken his fancy
it would be tempting to take this song as a serious attempt at a pop song
actually not totally familiar with them but machine gun felatio springs to mind
the doghouse chronicles
a male voice not heard yet on the album leads the way
took a while to pick it but sounds like a leonard cohen rip-off
acoustic guitars and boys doing vocal harmonising moves into the main song
lots of talk (sing) of dancing on graves, visiting graves, other related (?) lines
bit of a non-song really but ok considering it is in the middle of the album
the middle of the road
presumably the title track for this album and another style rip-off
sounding very much like a west coast country-rock band a-la the eagles
ok i'm convinced this is a piss-take of that genre
let it go - you can do it, you can do it - let the music save you - oooh-ahhh
very funny really they would have a lot of fun doing a video for this one
work it (all night long)
trademark lead-in - random electronica noises, ditto on the vocals front
there's a story in there somewhere - work it (all night long) gets sung over and over
it could be a traditional song re-worked with their electronica influence
hard to be sure really - there seems to be reference to a lady working in a casino
not a bad song but on the whole quite average
way beyond the blues
like the start to this tune - some electronica then a standard drum set kicks in
this one will be a bit of a grower i suspect - first time - very average
second time - now - the groove gets in and locks in
will be on the lookout for this tune to pop up on the portable mp3 player
when you've nothing to lose - then you're way beyond the blues
holy blood
intro could be any band - then a piano is used to introduce a female voice
quickly followed by the voice most associated with alabama 3
relative to other tunes on the album this one is an epic at over 5 minutes
a hammond organ is used also and the music is mainly around the lovely piano playing
the last minute or so is a big rousing chorus repeat singing about holy blood
sweet joy
album closer and longest track at nearly 10 minutes
the usual quiet acoustic introduction before a quick and loud change to the main song
rock band mode with mouth harp out front as the lads get down to sing big harmonies
falls away to a great drum beat, wah-wah electronica and then female voice takes over
this is a seriously good big, long, epic tune that will improve big time with repeat playing

confession time - first listening of this album had me eject it part way through and shelve it
second listening - here and now - convinces me that this could be a real grower
will definitely give it repeat playing
could be a big hit
somewhere

polska (sweden)

off to scandanavia now on this musical journey inspired by songlines magazine
tracing their 50 rhythms of the world using youtube posted videos
here's what songlines had to say about polska
not to be confused with polka - a fast duple-beat dance from bohemia
the polska is a slow lop-sided waltz from sweden
which can be tricky for newcomers to get their feet around
rather than accenting the first beat as in a waltz
the polska accents beats one and three
once you've fallen under it's spell it's quirky magic
is powerful both in concert and on the dance floor
do a youtube search for polska and mostly what comes up is polish based music
so there seems also to be a genre of music out of that country labelled polska
which would make sense when separating the syllables in that word
songlines also suggested a 3 piece outfit called frifot
but nothing i saw was that inspiring so i then dug through the amatuer videos
it seems most searches on youtube will throw up any number of such clips
fans emulating their heroes or wannabees seeking fame and fortune
which youtube has provided on any number of occasions
but in this case i found a short clip of a swedish chap named fredfredrik
here's the text accompanying the tune he recorded and posted
finally my mandola (octave mandolin) arrived in a brown package today
a mandola has been on my wish list of instruments forever
(10 yrs? probably since I discovered swedish traditional folk music)
but not untill today i finally have my own
he belts out a very strong tune on his new instrument
sounds like a cross between a mandolin (obviously) and a steel guitar
thanks fredfredrik - very nice
(29 of 50)

into the wild (soundtrack)

i was totally impressed by the sean penn directed film of the same name
at the time of viewing it seemed that eddie vedder had delivered up an appropriate soundtrack
saw said cd on display and beautifully packaged so the purchase was made
setting forth
mix of electric and acoustic guitars lead in before that voice arrives
totally, absolutely and instantly recognisable - pearl jam he is
in this one he hits the highest notes he can in the short tune of 1 min and 37 seconds
a very appropriate opener to the film and cd as our adventurer sets out
setting forth in the universe, out there realigned, a planet out of sight
no ceiling
another short one about the same length as the previous track
a gentler less rousing number featuring strummed banjo
a lot of respect due to vedder and penn for providing such appropriate music
this one has a great introspective feel contemplating life on the road
i leave here - believing more than i had - this love has got - no ceiling
far behind
sounding more like something from his main and regular band
another road tune with a real feel of freedom and correct decision made
quite a rock-out track actually and extending the length now to 2 minutes plus
my shadow runs with me underneath the big wide sun
my shadow comes with me as we leave it all - far behind
rise
mandolin used to great affect to lead in the main man's distinctive vocals
quite a rousing tune this one with a quite singalong chorus
no other instruments so the mandolin is worked quite hard
can't remember where this one was used in the film
but conjurs up scenes in the desert around the campfire with his road buddies
long nights
another gentle little number with his vibrato voice to the fore
bass guitar, light percussion and a lightly picked steel guitar (maybe)
the mood of this one very well captures the feeling of isolation and redemption in the film
i'll take this soul that's inside me now - like a brand new friend i'll forever know
i've got this light and the will to show - i will always be better than before
tuolumne
beautiful little acoustic guitar piece that gives us a nice mid-album break
wiki tells us that tuolumne is a small-ish under-populated county in california
the name originates from native indian meaning people who live in caves
i can't remember the actual time this tune was used in the film
but i suspect it was hanging out with the hippies in the desert easy-rider style
hard sun
when i walk beside her i am a better man when i look to leave her i always stagger back again
so begins this most memorable verging on anthemic tune off the album
eddie vedder seems most relaxed and natural sounding belting out this one
great production also means everything works well together
it starts out strong and builds to an even better finish - big, big song
society
back to basics with this one with mr vedder alone with an acoustic guitar
as a standalone song there's depth and meaning to this tune and it's lyrics
but in context of the film it is part of it then this tune is quite exceptional
society have mercy on me i hope you're not angry if i disagree
society crazy and deep i hope you're not lonely without me
the wolf
sounds like a pump organ at work on the introduction to this tune
then e v cuts in doing some vocal chord workouts in harmony with the organ
in this case as a standalone tune it doesn't make much sense beyond that
another case of not sure where it was actually placed in the film
but certainly implies the knowledge and fear of total isolation as seen in the film
end of the road
i won't be the last i won't be the first - find a way to where the sky meets the earth
it's all right and all wrong - for me it begins at the end of the road - we come and go
that's the extent of the lyrics in this ode to life on the road
the song starts out quite simply, lyrics sung, then a mix of drums, organ , guitar
take the song out with an almost haunting but quite memorable and loose arrangement
guaranteed
leave it to me as i find a way to be - consider me a satellite, forever orbiting
i knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me - guaranteed
another simple tune featuring eddie vedder on voice and acoustic guitar backing
an amazingly natural way for his voice to be showcased without all the argy bargy of a full band
the final track on the album and a beautiful way to wrap it all up

summary begins here - not a big fan or serious listener of film soundtracks
toooooo many examples of music being added as an afterthought or as a marketing exercise
but in this case the music seems to have been worked in as part of the creative process
meaning that in the first instance the music enhances the action laid out on the screen
but then it brilliantly serves the purpose of being a reminder of the film
yet means it also stands on it's own as a cd of totally listenable music
eddie does good again

scotts saddle track

scotts saddle track runs from a point way up the mt hutt ski-road
to a picnic area at the very base of the mountain
today was a one-way expedition only - and the easy way
so the ascent to the starting point was done by motor vehicle
a quick survey of the mt hutt skifield in naked eye's distance
then onto the track and the start of a 3 hour descent
the weather had started out as overcast but had cleared beautifully
so the air was clear, crisp, fresh and very quiet
as you would expect near the top of a not-so-small mountain
the first part of the journey was spent climbing up the path
traversing across the peak of scott's saddle
and then gingerly following the almost goat-like track
cutting it's way across a quite steep shale-covered mountainside
well above the tree-line and in an area normally covered in snow
needless to say the views at nearly 4,000 feet above sea-level
were quite stunning and required constant stopping and assessing
particularly as the cloud cover continued to roll away
to expose more and more of the canterbury plains
laid out in a patchwork quilt in the distance below
there seemed no reason at all to want to hurry the descent
such was the timelessness of the journey
so it was a very leisurely couple of hours later
that the tree-line was finally reached
and then into a marked difference in temperature
there was also a strong odour permeating from the black beech forest
together with the sight and sounds of fresh mountain water streams
this being the runoff of the last of the snow melt still occurring up mountain
the early afternoon sun had become quite strong by now
so it was certainly quite comfortable being shaded by tall trees
a sense of almost-there had come over since stepping into the tree line
but in fact another hour was spent zig-zagging down the path
to finally arrive at the picnic spot
drinks and food consumed
stories exchanged
injuries compared
cars retrieved
smiles all round
happy

ravi coltrane

ziggy marley
julian lennon
jason bonham
norah jones
neneh cherry
femi kuti
jakob dylan
teddy thompson
liam finn
deni hines
jeff buckley
rufus wainright
martha wainright
natalie cole
bebel gilberto
zak starkey
nancy sinatra
lisa marie presley
roseanne cash
anoushka shankar
vieux farka toure
chynna phillips
and....
ravi coltrane the latest it seems of children of famous and successful musicians
out in the world carrying forward a legacy or carving out their own place
i saw this show advertised and the initial thought was gotta see that one
but then second thoughts about one artist moonlighting another kicked in
in this case father john coltrane he of legendary jazz musician status
something of the musical snob in me meant i was not sure it was for me
however on the day of the show i found myself in christchurch
and decided to let fate play it's role in my attendance, or not
if i could get a good seat i would go if not then no show
bingo - 1 seat available 4 rows back smack in the middle - decision made
the james hay theatre at the christchurch town hall is an excellent venue
lots of wood and height, comfortable seats, great views
as the band was introduced and picked up their instruments
the other major feature of the venue came forward - superb acoustics
the upright bass in particular was strong and dominant
allowing the other instruments of piano, tenor sax and percussion to live on top
and that generally is how the music was for the entire performance
ravi coltrane may have big shoes to fill or at least high expectations to meet
but my impression was that he his finding his own way
some reading indicated to me he is very well regarded
not only as a musician but also as a composer, producer and archivist
some of the tunes in the evening's performances were back-announced
the most memorable ones were his own compositions
plenty of variety in beats, feel, and rhythm
and total consistency in the standard of musicianship
he really did make his saxophone sing
head-down, toe-tapping, melodic playing of his instrument
and also a lot of standing aside to allow his fellow musicians to perform
luis perdomo on piano often slightly behind the beat and with a gentle and melodic touch
dre gress on upright bass totally fluid and holding it all together
ej strickland on drums providing exceptional high end percussion
these 3 in flight were outstanding and worth the admission price alone
ravi coltrane allowing and providing appropriate recognition of their skills
the night's music just got better and better
2 hours went by very quickly
ending with a spontaneous standing ovation
john who?

venus

peter o'toole is the big drawcard with this british film

he plays maurice an ageing actor of some repute and still well respected

gets bit parts on stage and in film to supplement his income

but more than likely to keep the ego in check and fed

his best friend ian also a retired actor who takes in his unknown great niece to look after him
jessie is presented as a typical bad-mouthed, badly-dressed, under-educated flighty girl
but for some reason maurice takes a shine to her and she to him
so in no time at all we see her accompanying him to the theatre, art galleries and on city walks
things develop uncomfortably when she allows him to touch, kiss and smell her
words and feelings are expressed with no hint of embarrassment or offence
i have a feeling we are supposed to see this as charming, decent, affectionate
but to me it verged on paedophilia and so i was squirming in my seat
which may well have been the desired effect from the director
things were taken up (down) a level with some nudity
firstly in the form of a art class at which jessie poses nude
as in venus therefore the film's title
and later as an attempt by jessie to impress her (much) elder suitor
i sat there thinking am i just being prudish or responding as required
my conclusion was that in fact the director was wanting to create a situation
whereby the behaviour of the characters was quite possible and acceptable
but possibly because of flat acting or lack of character development
the emotional connection did not seem to exist
and therefore their actions to me seemed at the least unlikely
vanessa redgrave has a part as an ex-wife of maurice
so we presumably are meant to fawn at the sight of these 2 past greats
reminiscing about the good old days and possibly about their own off-screen lives
for that seems to be another major theme of the film
an ode to the main actors lives, careers, skills, stardom
i was almost taken in by that until maurice is contronted by jessie's obnoxious boyfriend
and is accused in no uncertain terms of being a dirty, dirty old man (a valid point)
so methinks maurice will floor this chap with some incisive wit and candour
but no he resorts to violence and punches him severely in the breadmaker
which is about where i gave up on the film and i couldn't wait for it to end
the death in the arms of true love was where it should have stopped
but a couple of extra scenes just seemed pointless and a waste of time
hope peter o'toole isn't planning on this film being his acting swansong
bloody awful actually old chap
yup me the prude

into the wild

sean penn is not a prolific director of films
but he seems to know what he wants when he takes control
in the same manner in which he delivers mesmerising performances on the screen
this film has had little publicity that i had been aware of
a 5 star review from margaret pomeranz and almost the same from david stratton
was all i needed to put it at the top of the to-see film list
chris is a 23 year-old university graduate from west virginia
has done a fine job all his life living up to his parents expectations
but some undisclosed dirty linen in the family's past
and a realisation of a now-or-never moment
means he walks in an opposite direction
leaving behind an understanding but distraught sister
and parents who then have to discover that life is not always controllable
the ultimate destination for chris is 'not city alaska but alaska alaska'
the film opens as he is deposited there from his last hitch
from where he walks most assuredly through the snow into the wild
we then backtrack in time to his university graduation
to understand why he has felt compelled to make this journey

leading to his final destination inhabiting a abandoned bus in deep alaska

between start and finish the film moves constantly back and forward in time

he meets and befriends men and women of all ages along the way
each wanting to pass on wisdom and experience
but it is each of them in a very subtle way that becomes the student of life
meanwhile the underbelly of american outback culture is well and truly exposed
as is the beauty and harshness of the nature of southern america and alaska
many times i thought during the film how it may have been better told chronologically

the jumping around, the on-screen text and the occasional technical trick

all i thought detracted a bit from the overall feel of the film
but there's a great soundtrack built in featuring some new tunes from eddie vedder
and the acting is first rate - william hurt again excellently playing the man you love to hate

marcia gay harden once again playing a sad mother with a lost child

and katherine keenan excelling as a middle-aged hippy
emile hirsch who plays chris looks like a leonardo dicaprio with sincerity
this film is based on a book about a true story of a young man striking out

there are any number of mostly subtle messages planted in the film

not the least being the last entry seen written by chris

happiness is not a reality until shared

resonating stuff

a day in the life of the modern, go-ahead, blue ribbon liberal party man

michael leunig is without doubt my favourite cartoonist
his love of the hate of the right-wing of politics is legendary
pulls no punches when in the mode of simplifying and illustrating some point
as in this one published in the melbourne age on this day
i.e. shortly after the liberal party of australia was dumped from office
and the call went up again for the new federal government to make a symbolic apology
to the indigineous people of australia who had suffered at the hands of previous governments
even out of office the liberal party was still divided over the issue
but that may also be true of the new government - we shall see
for those like myself short of sight the embedded text in the cartoon reads

i will not say sorry to the aborigines never ever no no no
no way will i ever say sorry to aborigines
under no circumstances will i ever say sorry to the aborigines
never never never will i say sorry to the aborigines
i utterly refuse to say sorry to the aborigines
how was your day darling?
it was a day of successful goal achievement
and positive visionary enterprise
as usual thankyou dear
...how nice

mr leunig's typically incisive wit in fine form
...brilliant

nongak (korea)

amazing the connections that pop up when working on this project
finding youtube examples of songlines magazine 50 rhythms of the world
i thought i had not experienced nongak in any form
as described by songlines here
nongak is the energetic drum-led farmers music of korea
which is linked to shamanic ceremonies and traditionally played at celebrations and harvest
it's been transformed into an exhilarating performance art by kim duk soo
the four percussion instruments involved are -
the changgo (hourglass drum) puk (barrel drum) and a small and large gong
while playing the musicians do acrobatic dancing and spin ribbons on their hats
but then i recalled seeing a korean group that particularly impressed me at womadelaide a few years ago
i could not remember the name but thanks to the power of google
a search through some archive material on womad revealed all
the group's name is dulsori and they performed twice in 2005
i saw both performances and was particularly impressed with their athleticism and musical skill
they also had a sense of humour and worked very well with their audience
the opening part of their show featured an artist painting on a huge piece of cloth
i was not sure of their relationship to the nongak style under the spotlight here
chances are they could be to nongak as the sex pistols are to english folk music
but even more digging revealed an entry by a fellow blogspot contributor josy-diary.blogspot.com
seems she saw them in concert in singapore and opened their concert with a piece called samul nori
she also did some research and quoted the following from wiki
samul nori originates from nong-ak, consisting of music, acrobatics, folk dance, and rituals
and was performed in villages to wish and celebrate a good harvest
nongak is steeped in traditional animism and shamanism, but also shows influences from buddhism
good enough for me - the group dulsori do represent the rhythm known as nongak
unfortunately they are not well represented on youtube
apart from a bunch of amateur videos taken by fans mostly at womad shows around the world
the best i could find is the brief one here filmed at a roots music festival in holland
it does convey the energy of the group - and that most of them impressively are female
(28 of 50)

morna (cape verde)

yippee - time to do a plug for an old favourite
old as in long-time not in reference to the relative age of this performer
cesaria evora has been listened to and admired by myself for many years
i own a dvd of her performing at a concert in paris that bears up to repeat playing
she seems to be the one that has carried the light for morna music
is treated like a goddess in her native island country of cape verde
and has respect and recognition on a global scale
here's the quote from songlines magazine re the rhythm known as morna
sitting several hundred miles off the coast of west africa
the cape verde islands' unique geographical location has fostered a rich set of hybrid rhythms
combining african and brazilian elements with strong hints of portuguese fado
most famous of all is morna - a slow, blues-like minor key shuffle that is both poetry and dance
and the soundtrack to the nation's soul
they go on to recommend cesaria evora as the reference point performer for morna
no argument from me though a close second is a lovely young lady by the name of lura
who i had the fortune to see perform at womadelaide a couple of years ago
she was also a delight to watch but she has a huge shadow to step out from underneath of
the following youtube clip of cesaria is taken from the aforementioned concert in paris
a beautiful tune called soudade that to me carries that touch of portuguese fado music
further investigation reveals that soudade is a word that cannot be accurately translated to english
but is used to describe the longing and missing of home
i.e. typical fado music - the want and almost enjoyment of loss and despair
the band is another standout feature of this tune
particularly the handsome lead acoustic guitarist
and...the big news...cesaria evora at womad in 2008
woo-hoo
(27 of 50)

we shall overcome

the boss put this album out earlier this year (i think)
i read quite a few glowing reviews at the time that had me tempted
springsteen covering traditional american tunes previously written/performed by pete seeger
i have more than a passing interest in alt.country, americana whatever it is labelled
and certainly an interest in roots/world music even that out of the u s of a
my main deference to this album was the boss himself - not a huge fan
but bob dylan taught me earlier in this year to put aside prejudices with his modern times album
so in the end when i saw this cd at a bargain price in a store the commitment was made
old dan tucker
the boss counts in the band, banjo leads and then all are at it
a full complement of musicians and instruments jiving away
it's hick music no doubt conjuring up the appropriate images
chooks in the yard, straw-chewing, tea-chest bass, end-of-the-day singalong
the lyrics tell us of a hardened old chap - get out the way of old man tucker
jesse james
get the impression the boss is enjoying the excuse to lay on the american drawl
an up-tempo jig of a song again with everyone it seems contributing
the accordian adds a nice texture and lead break to the tune
the song tells the story of the outlaw and like the recent film seems to make him a hero
that dirty little coward that shot mr howard he laid poor jesse in his grave
mrs mcgrath
fishermans blues by the waterboys and we shall overcome by bruce springsteen
decades apart but very closely related - the real reason i went for this album
this tune is so irish it makes springsteen sound authentically irish himself
features that irish jig riff that is heard so often and done with style
some nice key changes in the string section add to the appeal of this tune
o mary don't you weep
solo and deliberately off-key violin leads in the brass section
now sounding like a dixie jazz band working up for a big number
the boss then leads an up-tempo very singalong kind of tune
accordian does a lead break followed by violin and everyone else having a turn
it's all very recognisable, catchy, and quite acceptably repetitive
john henry
the boss working the vocal chords quite hard - shouting/screaming the lyrics
there's a very distinctice pattern emerging in the music
the stand-up bass lays down a quite simple repetitive pattern
and everyone else works around that coming in and out
relying on the main man as vocalist to deliver the uniqueness to the tune
erie canal
now sounding like a tune sung by workers slaving away at their work
in this case 15 miles on the erie canal and at some place near buffalo
google to the rescue to find out the erie canal is a 363-mile man-made canal
built in the early 19th century to allow full-scale settlement of the western part of new york state
this appealing tune tells the story of a mule and his owner hauling barges along the canal
jacob's ladder
we are climbing jacob's ladder, we are climbing jacob's ladder...repeat, repeat
we are brothers, sisters, all - every new wrong just makes us stronger...repeat, repeat
the band all working away as one on this big singalong feel-good tune
philistine me knows nothing about the history of this one but it is very recognisable
no doubt a big part of american folklore - maybe a pete seeger standard?
my oklahoma home
a slower more gentle number with bass, banjo, snare drummer doing the backup deed
tells the story of a young man setting up home and farm in a very windy, dry place
blown away, blown away, all the crops that i planted blown away
well you can't grow any green if you ain't got any rain
everything except my mortgage blown away
eyes on the prize
the boss leans up to the microphone and whispers/talks the lyrics
banjo is plucked in background, voices harmonising, bass gently comes in
things start building as he continues to tell us to keep our eyes on the prize - hold on
then sure enough the brass section kicks in with an almost dixie type sound
and the song winds out with a big all-in singalong rousing chorus
shenandoah
fisherman's blues territory again - lovely gentle accordian and violin sounds
this is used throughout the tune so it makes for a nice break from the other rousing tunes
the song seems to refer to shenandoah as an indian elder who has a beautiful daughter
living on the banks of the missouri river he gives up when bribed with fire-water
shenandoah i love your daughter - i'll take her across the rolling river
pay me my money down
a very familiar tune thanks to a rendition done by mr edmund kuepper
it implies the chap insisting on being paid like now is the captain of the ship
some freeloader has been busted and is being told to pay up or go to jail
an interesting springsteen-ism i wish i was mr gates with all my money in those crates
lots of key changes being shouted out by the boss also so maybe quite spontaneous
we shall overcome
what can be said about this classic tune covered here by the boss himself
though with what goes on in the u s today and his known stand on the current leadership
it would be more than a desire to cover an american classic tune that drives him on this one
quite a laid-back style with minimal instruments and gentle female backing
almost uttering in prayer-like fashion that here in my heart that i do believe we shall overcome one day
froggie went a courtin'
interesting to add this one at the end of the album when the previous song is the obvious closer
but maybe in an attempt to close things out on a high note
we return to american-irish mode and a version of another american classic
not sure if there is some deep and meaningful content to the lyrics
but it seems to be intended as a simple, fun, singalong tune done quite pleasantly

well he seems to have made a successful visit to his roots
for me as an outsider i wouldn't need to go any further afield than this album
if i wanted to get a great representation of american roots music
not sure that i will have it on high rotation but a fine album anyway