dual personalities

Tag: music

February 13, 2013

Praising my savior all the day long

by chuckofish

Frances Jane Crosby was the most prolific writer of hymn texts and gospel songs in the American evangelical tradition of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She wrote more than eight thousand sacred texts in addition to other poetry.

crosby

Born in Putnam County, New York, on March 24, 1820, she lost her sight as an infant as a result of complications from a childhood illness. At the age of fifteen, she entered the New York Institute for the Blind where she would later teach for a number of years. In 1858, she married Alexander van Alstyne, a musician in New York who was also blind. Crosby was a lifelong Methodist.

Fanny Crosby is honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America on February 11, even though none of her hymns are included in either the 1940 or 1982 Hymnal. Go figure.

Here is an excellent rendition of one of her most famous hymns, Blessed Assurance, performed by Third Day. Listen to the whole thing and start your Lent on a positive note.

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January 10, 2013

And that’s my opinion from the blue, blue sky

by chuckofish

I am obsessed with this song: “Stubborn Love”. And, yes, I am 15 again. No apologies.

And by the way:

“Movement and change are the essence of our being; rigidity is death; conformity is death: let us say what comes into our heads, repeat ourselves, contradict ourselves, fling out the wildest nonsense, and follow the most fantastic fancies without caring what the world does or thinks or says. For nothing matters except life.”

Virginia Woolf, Montaigne

9 Comments
January 4, 2013

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

by chuckofish

Did I mention that we got a lot of great DVDs for Christmas? Well, we did. This should not be surprising to our readers.

movies2

When I was growing up Christmas was about exchanging books and records (LPs–remember?) Many jokes were made about those oddly shaped packages–was it a coloring book?! Oh, hahaha. Later CDs took the place of LPs and lately there haven’t been many of either, what with iPods and downloading to iTunes.

This year daughter #2 gave me an actual CD–The Lumineers–and it was a big hit! I have listened to it non-stop in my car. (Yes, I am an old-fashioned girl. I still listen to CDs in my car.)

Anyway, it is good to have a new bunch of DVDs from which to choose. When daughter #2 leaves this weekend for the east coast, I will have some solace to fall back upon. (Unfortunately, some of those DVDs are hers so they will be going with her.) Sigh.

2 Comments
November 19, 2012

Time for some thrilling heroics

by chuckofish

Well, while my dual personality was posting about Achilles and The Illiad and heroes ‘n such and carrying on a deep conversation with the boy in the comments section, I was busy enjoying a Firefly marathon.

What a great show, though sadly short-lived. You may recall that it follows the exploits of a rag-tag bunch of misfits on a small spacecraft 500 years in the future. It’s an old story, but one we can relate to, can’t you? “We’re deep in space, corner of No and Where.” You gotta love it.

Meanwhile, back in reality, it is already the week of Thanksgiving. How did we get here? We haven’t even begun to post about all that we are thankful for! We have been side-tracked. We’ll have to do better.

For starters, I am thankful that the boy and his lovely bride came over for dinner last night. I made sloppy-joes and french fries. I am thankful that they live here in town and that they are always happy to come over.

We are going over to their place for Thanksgiving dinner with her parents. I am bringing my cheesy potato casserole. How wonderful, after all these years, to have an extended family!

Finally, here’s a little treble heroics ( Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford: “Jubilate Deo”) to perk up your day:

4 Comments
October 17, 2012

Happy birthday, Marshall Mathers!

by chuckofish

Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), better known by his stage name Eminem (often stylized as EMINƎM) and by his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter, and actor. And he turns 40 today!

And, yes, I am a big fan. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. I think Em is a latter-day poet and an example to all frustrated, unhappy, unchallenged kids in bad family environments who need to express their anger and channel their emotions into a creative outlet like writing. Using their words, as teachers have been saying for years, instead of violence. He is the real deal.

I suggest we all watch 8 Mile in honor of his birthday. This is a great movie, directed by the talented Curtis Hanson in 2002. It is not just a “rap-version of Saturday Night Fever“, a movie I despise. Eminem is really good in this movie and very appealing. I also have to hand it to him for not wanting to be a movie star and for turning down all offers to make more movies.

This is not to say that I didn’t feel like Ned Flanders at a Chris Rock concert while watching this movie. And I am no fan of rap or hip-hop. No, I am not. But Eminem works hard at his craft. I can appreciate that. He bettered himself. I like to think that under the vulgarity and the bravura is a fine young man who wants to do the right thing.

Happy Birthday, Marshall!

15 Comments
October 8, 2012

Embarrassing picture Moday

by chuckofish

Well, it’s that time of year again when the old Halloween pictures come out, much to the chagrin of some people. Here is a picture of daughter #1 (age 5) and the boy (not quite 3) in 1989. Daughter #1 is (yet again) a witch, wearing the costume my mother made for her a few years earlier. The boy is (of course) a super hero. He is happily wearing his sister’s leotard and tights and her old white snow boots, which he loved and wore frequently–and why not? They were the next best thing to cowboy boots. He is also wearing the Batman kerchief (as a cape) that he wore every day to school that year. Yes, the boy always displayed a unique personal style.

P.S. I also want to let you faithful readers know that the concert I went to on Friday night was possibly the best ever.

I have seen Dylan, Springsteen, Sting, Haggard, Knopfler, Lyle Lovett (several times), and Guster (to name a few), but Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives were awesome. It didn’t hurt that I was sitting in the fourth row of a smaller venue. But it was wonderful. Great musicians all, they were in fine voice and having fun. Priceless.

And earlier that evening the Cardinals beat the Braves!

10 Comments
October 4, 2012

Fabulous Superlatives

by chuckofish

My ship has come in. An email from a co-worker came around asking if anyone wanted 4 free tickets to see Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives on Friday night. I jumped. No one else probably knew who Marty is.

BUT YAHOO.

He’s been touring since he was twelve years old, and I’ve been a fan almost that long. For awhile Johnny Cash was his father-in-law. How cool is that?

Besides being a country music star and famous musician, Marty is a renowned collector of artifacts that represent the history and cultural heritage of country music. As such, he donated a treasure trove to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. “The costumes, the guitars, the set lists, the manuscripts that the Country Music Hall of Fame couldn’t get to out in the hinterlands, I simply bought and stored,” he said. “I still see it as American culture-and our culture, as country musicians.” A collector and a generous one. My hero.

Rock on, brother! I can’t wait to see you on Friday.

Here’s Marty on David Letterman’s show…Watch the whole thing and notice who the drummer is–Harry Stinson!

9 Comments
August 5, 2012

Going up yonder

by chuckofish

Last Sunday daughter #1 and I went to the Choral Evensong service at my church Grace Episcopal. This service was the culmination of the Royal School of Church Music summer camp and the music was all performed by the children who attended the camp. The boy went to this for several years and was a proctor there once or twice as well. It was a lovely service and the large choir of young voices was a treat to hear.

This was my favorite song–“I’m Going Up Yonder” by Walter Hawkins. Although I love the traditional Anglican chants et al, this was a wonderful selection. And I admit–I had to get the Kleenex out. Turn up the volume and listen to the whole thing. (And thank you to whoever posted this on Youtube.)

If anybody asks you
Where I’m going
Where I’m going soon

I’m goin’ up yonder
I’m goin’ up yonder
I’m goin’ up yonder
To be with my Lord

If can take the pain
The heartache that it  brings
There’s comfort that in knowing
I’ll soon be home

If God gives me grace
I’ll run this race
And soon I’ll see my Savior
Face to face

I’m goin’ up yonder
I’m goin’ up yonder
I’m goin’ up yonder
To be with my Lord

If anybody asks you
Where I’m going
Where I’m going soon
Goin’ home

3 Comments
April 25, 2012

The party ain’t over yet

by chuckofish

Lately I’ve been listening to the lovely Miss Patty Loveless on my rides to and from work. I have been a fan of her eastern Kentucky twang and ladylike demeanor for many years. She was born in Pikeville, the hometown of another favorite of mine, Dwight Yoakam. (Patty and Dwight are contemporaries of mine and I’m sure we would be fast friends if we ever met.) She is also a distant cousin of Loretta Lyn and Crystal Gale.

We have seen Patty at the Grand Ole Opry and once at the Ryman Theater where the boy famously yelled, “We love you Patty!” in that quiet moment after the thunderous applause suddenly dies down. I remember she turned and looked up at the balcony where we sat.

“How Can I Help You to Say Goodbye” always makes me cry, but my favorite Patty song is this. Listen and enjoy! (They played this song once on Justified, but it was the Brad Paisley version, which though good, cannot hold a candle to Patty’s.)

4 Comments
January 31, 2012

Words of wisdom from Ben Folds

by chuckofish

I have been listening to old mixes that I unearthed while putting away CDs and DVDs one day. They are wonderful and always set one to remembering what was going on when such and such a song was popular. You know. Anyway, I was playing a mix that daughter #1 made when she was preparing to drive to Indianapolis for a January internship her senior year at DePauw back in 2007. Remember Shania Twain? Rascal Flats? And then ol’ Ben Folds came on and his song Cooler Than You, which was always a favorite of mine. You remember the chorus:

Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
‘Cause there’s always someone cooler than you
Yeah, you’re the s**t
But you won’t be it for long
Because there’s always someone cooler than you

I do appreciate my children introducing me to all kinds of new music. I shudder to think that I could be one of those people who is still listening exclusively to Beatles tunes or Motown medleys.

It is fun to go to estate sales and see the LP collections that people who must be the same generation as my parents leave behind and that clearly their children do not want. They all have the same records that my parents had!

Harry Belafonte!

Tijuana Brass!

Show Tunes!

The Kingston Trio!

I’m sure they thought they were pretty cool back in the day, forward-thinking and not shackled to ol’ Blue Eyes and those other crooners. Then their children started bringing home Bob Dylan and the Kinks and Joni Mitchell…Sometimes it’s hard to keep an open mind, but my parents tried, and I try, and I’m sure my kids will too when the time comes. But you know, there’s always someone cooler than you.

P.S. I still have all my parents’ old records. Will my children want them? Will they even have a record player?

7 Comments