music | dual personalities

July 7, 2020

“I ain’t askin’ nobody for nothin'”

by chuckofish

Well, that long-haired country boy Charlie Daniels (1936-2020) died yesterday.

Before becoming a superstar on his own, Charlie worked as a Nashville session musician, including playing guitar and electric bass on three Bob Dylan albums during 1969 and 1970.

I bet you didn’t know that.

Skilled on guitar, fiddle, banjo, and mandolin, Daniels was also known for his song-writing over his long career and was honored as a BMI Icon at the 53rd annual BMI Country Awards. Throughout his career, his songwriting garnered 6 BMI Country Awards. He also made a musical guest appearance in the Veggietales episode “Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Samson’s Hairbrush,” writing, producing, and performing the Minnesota Cuke theme song.

As Marty Stuart said on Instagram yesterday, “Charlie Daniels will forever be remembered as a true American folk hero. The joy he brought to our lives is inestimable. I admired Charlie for not only standing up for what he believed in but living it out on a day to day basis. We’ve lost a true statesman. Connie and I send our love and prayers to Hazel, the family and Charlie’s extended musical family.”

This 1970s classic says it all.

So a toast to Charlie Daniels. Into paradise may the angels lead thee; and at thy coming may the martyrs receive thee, and bring thee into the holy city Jerusalem.

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June 30, 2020

“Thus we salute thee with our early song”*

by chuckofish

Today is the 332th anniversary of the day the Immortal Seven issued the invitation to William of Orange which culminated in the Glorious Revolution in England in 1689. One of the Seven was, of course, the OM’s ancestor Henry Compton. Perhaps we should watch The Magnificent Seven (1960) in honor of the occasion.

Perhaps you think I have gone ’round the bend, but, no, that is always how my mind has worked.

Today is also the birthday of John Gay (1685-1732), British Poet and Playwright. He is best known for “The Beggar’s Opera,” a ballad opera upon which “The Threepenny Opera” is based. Laurence Olivier filmed his version of “The Beggar’s Opera” in 1953 (his only musical film), and I think I may have to find it and watch.

At the very least, we should listen to “Mack the Knife” on repeat.

It is also the birthday of singer-songwriter Dave Van Ronk (1936-2002) upon whose life the movie Inside Llewelyn Davis (2013) is loosely based (according to Rolling Stone Magazine.)

So here’s something for your listening pleasure in honor of Dave–can’t help thinking the wee babes would really enjoy this.

So you see, everything is loosely based on something else. I am cool with it. And there is plenty to toast at the end of the day.

*John Milton, “Song on May Morning” (1632–33)

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March 7, 2019

Song

by chuckofish

Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest;

Home-keeping hearts are happiest,

For those that wander they know not where

Are full of trouble and full of care;

To stay at home is best.

Weary and homesick and distressed,

They wander east, they wander west,

And are baffled and beaten and blown about

By the winds of the wilderness of doubt;

To stay at home is best.

Then stay at home, my heart, and rest;

The bird is safest in its nest;

O’er all that flutter their wings and fly

A hawk is hovering in the sky;

To stay at home is best.

–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Looking forward to staying home this weekend, but in the meantime, enjoy Thursday, hawks and all.

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December 1, 2016

Lighten up

by chuckofish

“I hear that in many places something has happened to Christmas; that it is changing from a time of merriment and carefree gaiety to a holiday which is filled with tedium; that many people dread the day and the obligation to give Christmas presents is a nightmare to weary, bored souls; that the children of enlightened parents no longer believe in Santa Claus; that all in all, the effort to be happy and have pleasure makes many honest hearts grow dark with despair instead of beaming with good will and cheerfulness.”

–Julia Peterkin, “A Plantation Christmas,” 1934

Today is the first day of December. Let’s try not to get all stressed out.

Remember that Jesus is the reason for the season–not some unattainable perfection of decorating or entertaining. Relax. Pay attention. Have fun.

And listen to this:

I feel better. Don’t you?

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October 11, 2016

Drawing the line

by chuckofish

Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon completed surveying for the “Mason-Dixon line” separating Maryland and Pennsylvania on this day in 1767. The work was done between 1763 and 1767 in order to resolve a border dispute involving Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

In popular usage, the Mason–Dixon line still symbolizes a cultural boundary between the North and the South.

Reading about this, it suddenly occurred to me that the name “Dixie” (used as a historical nickname for the southern states) must derive from Jeremiah Dixon’s name!

Mind-blowing that I just thought of that. Did you know that?

Anyway, here’s a great song by Mark Knopfler (with James Taylor) about Mason and Dixon, which was itself inspired by the book Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon.

P.S. I read that book back in the 1990s and liked it.

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August 30, 2016

“Ya vas lyublyu. What’s it mean?”*

by chuckofish

Last Saturday night the OM and I were home watching the baseball game on the telly. During the commercials I was clicking back and forth to The Great Escape (1963) on TCM. During segments with Steve McQueen we watched for extended periods–we were losing the game–and we saw quite a bit of this really good movie which I have probably seen a million times.

This time I noticed how really terrific the music by Elmer Bernstein is–and not just the famous theme music–but the incidental music, which, we all know, can make or break a film.

The music is quite reminiscent of Bernstein’s score to The Magnificent Seven (1960). In fact most of his scores are reminiscent of each other and that is okay. There are repeated themes and his orchestrations are similar. I mean, watch To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and you will see what I mean. His music was clearly influenced by Aaron Copland who encouraged him in his early musical studies. This also is a good thing.

Bernstein was nominated fourteen times for an Academy Award, but only won once for the mediocre Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). What a travesty! But by now we are used to such things. His scores for The Magnificent Seven and To Kill a Mockingbird were ranked by the American Film Institute as the eighth and seventeenth greatest American film scores of all time, respectively, on the list of AFI’s 100 Years of Film Scores**. But some of his lesser known scores from lesser know movies are favorites of mine: The World of Henry Orient (1964) foremost among them.

Anyway, Elmer Bernstein deserves to be up there in the pantheon of best all-time film composers: Alfred Newman, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Max Steiner, Jerome Moross, Maurice Jarre, Miklos Rozsa…

What is your favorite movie score by Elmer Bernstein? Discuss among yourselves.

*Sedgwick in “The Great Escape”

**This list is so flawed! I mean they have a film score as #1 that is totally derivative (and intentionally so)–please!

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April 4, 2016

Grace to you and peace

by chuckofish

Did you have a nice weekend? The weather here in flyover country was blustery and cool, but the sun shone and it was good to be out and about.

On Saturday the OM and I drove to Washington, MO on the Missouri River to have a yummy lunch at the Blue Duck which is just down the street from this landmark:

We went to a few antique stores/mall on the way home. I found something for daughter #2’s birthday which is around the corner. All in all, a nice day-trip to another part of our scenic state.

On Sunday I had to go to church early for another confirmation mentor class with my 8th grade mentee.

Here are some of them down at the Cathedral for an overnight “Lock-in”–remember those?

Besides other stuff, it was the Sunday when they declared their intentions to be confirmed. Thankfully, mine filled out her little card. I would have felt like such a failure if she had decided not to conform and/or be confirmed! (The year-long course is called “confirm, not conform”–catchy, right?) Well, way to go, Brigid!

The boy and daughter #3 came over to dinner and he told us all about his new job, which he started last week. Daughter #1 is also starting a new job in a week, so we are all in a tizzy of anticipation over new beginnings.

In the middle of all this, the OM and I watched The Martian (2015) with Matt Damon, which was okay, but I have to admit I lost interest halfway through. It all seemed mighty far-fetched, not to mention overly long.

We also started watching a British TV show called The Detectorists, which I just love.

It stars Mackenzie Crook (who also wrote and directed it) and Toby Jones and a cast of wonderful English actors. IMDB describes it as a show about “the lives of two eccentric metal detectorists, who spend their days plodding along ploughed tracks and open fields, hoping to disturb the tedium by unearthing the fortune of a lifetime.” But this is erroneous. They are not looking for treasure. They are interested in making an important historical find. The difference is important. And they do not hate their lives. They have a hobby about which they are passionate. And as for plodding along ploughed tracks, the scenery is beautiful!

Anyway, I highly recommend you watch it (on Netflix). It is very funny and also sweet. And I think the message is that the real treasure in our lives are our family and friends.

And I like the theme song:

Sadly, there are only six episodes and season two is not on Netflix! Ugh.

Well, have a good week!

8 Comments

February 4, 2016

Throwback Thursday

by chuckofish

Here is a photo of our handsome older brother (on the right) with his dreamy best bud Tom at our parent’s home back in 1980. Written on the back of the snapshot is Oct. 18, 1980 which means it was taken on the evening following the wedding of the OM and yours truly. Everyone was relaxing and the bride and groom had left the scene.

Good times. I wonder what they were playing?

P.S. The BB (big brother) is the same age here as the boy is today.

3 Comments

December 23, 2015

All she wants to do is dance

by chuckofish

Tradition says we must play 1980s 45s and dance at Christmastime. Who are we to mess with tradition?

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November 30, 2015

The days are surely coming

by chuckofish

Advent is here, can you believe it?

This lovely long weekend I celebrated Thanksgiving with the boy’s in-laws, went to a “Rock N Roll” craft fair in terra incognita, “shopped local” and online, bought my evergreen wreath from the local Boy Scout troop, and got out all my Christmas decorations. I also got some decorations up, but I have a long way to go. The boy came over for his birthday dinner (honey mustard chicken) and put up our outside Christmas lights–yay!

I went to church–Advent I–and we were warned:

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, ²⁶men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”