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Sunday, April 24, 2016

Miscellany: 4/24/16

Quote of the Day
The sign of intelligent people is their ability to control emotions by the application of reason.
Marya Mannes

Tweet of the Day
Image of the Day


Inspirational

I don't know why I'm so attracted to the cochlear implant activation; maybe it's because Dad had a hearing disability from his Air Force career years on the flightline. It was almost impossible to have a phone conversation, and he went through hearing aids like I used to go through answering machines or weight scales (I've literally bought about 5 over the past 3 years--long story).





Political Cartoon
Courtesy of Eric Allie via IPI
Courtesy of Dana Summers via Townhall
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists

Rod Stewart, "The First Cut Is the Deepest". I got introduced to the Cat Stevens classic through this Top 40 remake, although I eventually came across the original and somewhat prefer its more explosive chorus. (There were artists I used to collect every artist release--like ABBA, Gary Wright, the Beatles of course (I actually first bought the red and blue anthologies and then backfilled), ELO, Springsteen (yes, including the boring acoustic albums), and Stevens. For others, it was normally hit retrospectives or the occasional singles if I really liked the song. In Stevens' case, I stumbled upon one of those early years retrospectives with "Matthew & Son" (not crazy about the lyrics, but the arrangement is spectacular).

I stopped collecting artists several years back. I might consider buying a new album from Elton John, Neil Diamond, Madonna, etc., but I would probably preview the songs on Youtube first. I may have bought a copy of  Springsteen's "The Rising" but partly because of his abysmal politics, I've basically tuned him out since "Human Touch". My favorite Spingsteen album is "Darkness on the Edge of Town" (with probably the greatest rock track of all time, "Candy's Room").  I don't know in the cases like Dylan and Springsteen if they just peaked too early, because in my view Springsteen never had another "Darkness" in him. I especially found it ironic that his antiwar "Born In the USA" became a patriotically correct anthem in the same way that the Turtles' "Happy Together" became a love song versus the desperate plea of some guy with unrequited love. I guess as an artist you just go with the flow and accept the fact people don't get it. It's just that the musical arrangements didn't fit the lyrics; as an amateur songwriter, I want the listener to focus on the lyrics and the arrangement should dovetail to songwriter intent. In Springsteen's shoes, I probably have written a patriotic song and then sampled it in a more somber arrangement, e.g., as a little boy, I used to dream about the excitement of war, the stirring marches, etc., but in the reality of war, I experienced hell, etc. I've written something of the like in an unpublished, unfinished song, "After the Parade Is Over". Think of  how "The Logical Song" starts out.(as a former philosophy major, I just LOVE that song).



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