dual personalities

Tag: music

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.)

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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?

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December 22, 2011

Guiding the pilgrims through the night

by chuckofish

Yesterday while driving to work, I was listening to Emmylou Harris’s Christmas album from 1992 Light of the the Stable, one of my favorites.

I had been listening to another favorite, the King’s College Choir album, On Christmas Night. Like our favorite movies, it is sometimes difficult to fit in all our favorite Christmas CDs. But I am so glad I switched from the wonderful boys’ choir over to Emmylou! I sang along enthusiastically with Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem. I could not find a Youtube video of Emmylou, but here are the Judds. And here are the words so you can sing along too.

O beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shining far through shadows dim
Giving the light for those who long have gone
Guiding the wise men on their way
Unto the place where Jesus lay
O beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shine on

O beautiful star the hope of life
Guiding the pilgrims through the night
Over the mountains ’til the break of dawn
Into the land of perfect day
It will give out a lovely ray
O beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shine on

O beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shine upon us until the glory dawns
Give us a lamp to light the way
Unto the land of perfect day
O beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shine on

O beautiful star the hope of grace
For the redeemed, the good and the blessed
Yonder in glory when the crown is won
Jesus is now the star divine
Brighter and brighter He will shine
O beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shine on

O beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shine upon us until the glory dawns
Give us a lamp to light the way
Unto the land of perfect day
O beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shine on

O beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shine on

6 Comments
September 27, 2011

A thing of shreds and patches

by chuckofish

Today while driving to work I sang along with Nanki-Poo and The Mikado chorus. It put me in a fine mood for facing a day which boded not such smooth sailing. I recommend Gilbert and Sullivan to everyone who drives to work:

A wandering minstrel I —
A thing of shreds and patches,
Of ballads, songs and snatches,
And dreamy lullaby!
My catalogue is long,
Through every passion ranging,
And to your humours changing
I tune my supple song!

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