What album do you play over the holidays?
Okay, your turn...
Nutcracker by the Russian dude Tchaikovsky! One thing that never changes over Christmas/New Year in my household, it kinda reflects my wish of being born British with a British sense of continuity and "tradition". The one I got in my genes is so boring: drink yourself to death with Stoli and die young! Neverending fight for yours truly ;-( especially for the Christmas season! |
Another great reminder, Jackson Browne. He is by far my favorite of the L.A. Laurel Canyon crowd, a really, really good songwriter, and fine singer. He has also always had a great band. I sure wish he hadn't let his political/social causes take over his lyrical content, but that's artists for ya! Too literal and "sincere", ya know? I felt the same way about Lennon in the 70's. At least Jackson didn't put his wife in his band, and call her Mommy ;-). |
Eccentric, crazy?, etc.... There must be some basic aspects of song writers/musicians/performers that drive them and differentiate them from a normal human being. I think it IS these differences that make their songs speak to us "earthlings"? I was listening to "Double Fantasy" recently and thought that even though Yoko's voice can be irritating, she did have a basic vocal instinct of musical timing. Whoever...John?, put those songs to music... I found it pretty enjoyable. It was like early Blondie.? |
where one draws their inspiration from is (key) I think. However (we) chose to dissect (this) inspiration is of no consequence as far as how a particular song is perceived by the masses. Surely, John drew great inspiration from his wife. (I think that was a key to his later success after the Beatles). Have you ever heard an isolation of Paul's wife's vocals in WINGS? I could not imagine Paul putting Linda in a record. Her voice is not at all musical in any form. May she rest. |
Yep Slaw and tostado, poor Linda had to suffer that indignity. She was a fine photographer, though. What, John had his wife in his Band, so Paul had to too?! A lot of Beatle people blame Yoko for the breakup of their favorite Group. I don't---it was going to happen anyway, and in fact should have earlier (listened to the Let It Be album lately? Oh, it's painful.). Actually, Ringo had already quit and was talked back by John, George had pretty much checked out, and the famous Lennon/McCartney writing partnership had long since been a reality. They were very different people in 1969 than they had been in 1963, and the era of the solo singer/songwriter was in full bloom. It was time to move on, separately. It's too bad it had to end the way it did, with John hating Paul, Paul bossing everyone around, and even George making snide remarks to John about Yoko. As did George, I found it pathetic that John had to bring Yoko to work with him, as well as just wrong. Being in a Group or Band is a job, a profession, and you just shouldn't bring your Wife (or Mommy) to work with you. Be a man, dude. But Lennon's emotional problems were coming to the surface (remember his flirtation with Primal Scream Therapy? He recorded some of the vocals on his first album under it's spell. Just awful, as bad as Yoko imo), and he was making a fool of himself. Remember him telling everyone what a genius he was? Uh, John, you're suppose to let other people say that about you. How embarrassing. |
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The best version of "Carol of the Bells" I can find. Here's a good one... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKkzbbLYPuI |
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