12/16/2008 8:13:00 AM
About four years ago today, a great writer, Dietrich Schwanitz, passed away.
He was one of those few characters who have been able to address the history of
all countries, including his own, with absolute honesty.
If you haven't decided what to read over Christmas yet, get his bestseller on
Bildung/Education from 1999. It's available in most languages these days. It
will definitely spice up your small talk.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dietrich-schwanitz-754521.html
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Know your rights
12/11/2008 8:08:00 AM
The media coverage on the 60th anniversary of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was exactly what I expected - lawyers explaining to us the differences between international humanitarian law, customary international law and public international law. I'm sure this was followed with great interest in the Chinese prisons.
God, I wish Joe Strummer was alive.
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/clash/know+your+rights_20031891.html
The media coverage on the 60th anniversary of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was exactly what I expected - lawyers explaining to us the differences between international humanitarian law, customary international law and public international law. I'm sure this was followed with great interest in the Chinese prisons.
God, I wish Joe Strummer was alive.
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/clash/know+your+rights_20031891.html
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Pad history
12/5/2008 10:04:00 AM
Some sounds have an interesting temporal identity. One of them is the bang of the Simmons SDS-V electronic percussion set which automatically invokes the early '80s and you feel like putting on some black lipstick again. They were those white hexagonal pads you saw on stage in front of the drummer.
Here are some of the masterpieces featuring that beautiful piece of kit:
Fantastic fills that sound like a bunch of meteors coming down.
The highlight comes towards the end where Mark Hollis sings "Belle Malissima"
and the pads go to a sort of a march beat.
Interesting blend of French passion and cool English production.
If my memory serves me well, Warren Cann played this drum part standing up on the unforgettable Monument Tour. Those were the days.
Some sounds have an interesting temporal identity. One of them is the bang of the Simmons SDS-V electronic percussion set which automatically invokes the early '80s and you feel like putting on some black lipstick again. They were those white hexagonal pads you saw on stage in front of the drummer.
Here are some of the masterpieces featuring that beautiful piece of kit:
"Planet Earth", Duran Duran
"Today", Talk Talk
"On meurt tous d'amour", Valérie Lagrance
"The Song (We Go)", Ultravox
If my memory serves me well, Warren Cann played this drum part standing up on the unforgettable Monument Tour. Those were the days.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Cranberry sauce
11/28/2008 6:29:00 PM
Some songs are like enigmas. You keep coming back to them and you never quite figure them out. And each time you rediscover them they sound different.
I have two theories about these riddle songs. First, they usually have weird chord progressions. They don't do what you'd expect and leave this uneasy feeling that someone's messing with your musical brain. Second, something strange usually happened during the recording.
42 years ago today at Abbey Road, London one kaleidoscope started to fall into place. That is I think it's not too bad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry_Fields_Forever
Some songs are like enigmas. You keep coming back to them and you never quite figure them out. And each time you rediscover them they sound different.
I have two theories about these riddle songs. First, they usually have weird chord progressions. They don't do what you'd expect and leave this uneasy feeling that someone's messing with your musical brain. Second, something strange usually happened during the recording.
42 years ago today at Abbey Road, London one kaleidoscope started to fall into place. That is I think it's not too bad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry_Fields_Forever
Friday, September 5, 2014
I want my G7sus4
11/20/2008 10:38:00 AM
The last time I heard an interesting new chord in a pop song was around the release of Hunky Dory in 1971. Try playing "Life on Mars" and you know what I'm talking about.
The only bright spots I can think of since then were Nik Kershaw ("The Riddle" is more complicated than you think) and Crowded House ("Into Temptation" has all the forms of minor chords I can think of).
Thanks to the software all the major record companies are using, all the chords you hear in pop music will have three notes only and our brains will get smaller.
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1718612
http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2008/11/beatles-hard-days-night-mystery-chord-solved/
The last time I heard an interesting new chord in a pop song was around the release of Hunky Dory in 1971. Try playing "Life on Mars" and you know what I'm talking about.
The only bright spots I can think of since then were Nik Kershaw ("The Riddle" is more complicated than you think) and Crowded House ("Into Temptation" has all the forms of minor chords I can think of).
Thanks to the software all the major record companies are using, all the chords you hear in pop music will have three notes only and our brains will get smaller.
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1718612
http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2008/11/beatles-hard-days-night-mystery-chord-solved/
Thursday, September 4, 2014
It hurts
11/13/2008 7:44:00 AM
... to note that stories are slowly disappearing from songwriting. What we get, most of the time, is "emotions" that are as genuine as decaf.
And it's not that difficult. Put yourself in someone else's shoes. The results can be really touching:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbpIw4X7Kww
... to note that stories are slowly disappearing from songwriting. What we get, most of the time, is "emotions" that are as genuine as decaf.
And it's not that difficult. Put yourself in someone else's shoes. The results can be really touching:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbpIw4X7Kww
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
I get around
11/7/2008 9:54:00 AM
Looking at most web pages you wonder why you're wasting your youth tied to the mouse. Wouldn't it be better to just go back to bookstores, newsagent's and the last remaining record shops and get something real with a shape, a smell and some real content?
Then, when you're about to log off for good, you run into a web page that's actually inspiring. Here's one:
http://www.panoramicearth.com/
Try to find a hill that you sat on as a child and take a look around. It's mind-boggling. Where did all those trees come from?
Looking at most web pages you wonder why you're wasting your youth tied to the mouse. Wouldn't it be better to just go back to bookstores, newsagent's and the last remaining record shops and get something real with a shape, a smell and some real content?
Then, when you're about to log off for good, you run into a web page that's actually inspiring. Here's one:
http://www.panoramicearth.com/
Try to find a hill that you sat on as a child and take a look around. It's mind-boggling. Where did all those trees come from?
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