Ramblin' with Roger

Film Music: "Real" Music?

I’ve been reflecting on the whole conversation about whether movie music is “real” music (as opposed, I suppose, to “just reel music”). I’m sure both Tosy and Jaquandor have weighed in on this, but I’m too lazy to check where.

In any case, I started thinking about this when I went to the Albany Symphony back on March 25. I was supposed to go with my wife, but she was still suffering the effects of oral surgery. so I ended up going with my father-in-law to this American music series concert. The first half was contemporary composers, and the second was listed as by Hermann. I thought, “Hmm, I don’t know an American composer named Hermann.” Then I read the notes: oh, BERNARD Hermann, the composer for movies. I too was biased about thinking of a composer for movies as a composer.

The performance, mostly of music written prior to his movie career, was wonderfully lush. The concert ended with the overture for one of the movies he scored, North by Northwest. It stood up well without the visuals of the movie. Here’s the article Hidden Herrmann: ASO resurrects movie music master’s works from obscurity from the local paper.

Somehow, this got me to start thinking about Elmer Bernstein. I’ve long been aware of how effective his “serious” music is, never put to better effect, I think, than in “Animal House”. If it weren’t for wonderful juxtaposition of his artistry with the hijinks of the characters, I don’t think the movie would not be nearly as funny. Likewise, his music for Airplane! lends a mock seriousness to the proceedings, one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Separate from the films, though, and it works as well as fine listening. Next time you watch either one or any of the other comedies he’s scored, listen for the “background music” as music.

I note this today because would have been Elmer Bernstein’s 85th birthday; he died back in 2004. I think it’s too bad I can’t separate his, well, magnificent theme for the Magnificent Seven from the tune’s use as a Marlboro commercial, something I can still hear and see in my head, even though President Nixon signed legislation banning TV and radio ads back in April 1970, effective January 1971.
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MLK, Jr. was assassinated 39 years ago today. Since he was 39 when he died, that was now nearly a whole (short) lifetime ago.

Pieces of April

This is what I have going on for the next month:
1. Take Lydia for her physical today.
2. Participate in the Maundy Thursday service at my church service, and rehearse for Good Friday.
3. Go to the Capital Area Council of Churches ecumenical Good Friday service, also at my church.
4. Participation in the Good Friday service. We’re singing The Seven Last Words of Christ by Theodore DuBois. Please come if you’re in the area. The soloists are great and the organ part is very dramatic. Hope my voice comes bck; currently, I have laryngitis, probably from seasonal allergies.
5. Easter Sunday service. No wonder some choir directors refer to to this, ironically, as hell week.
6. April 10 – As mentioned, I’m going to see a scion of a rock legend. Sean Lennon at the Egg.
7. April 11 – I was asked do to this just yesterday: talk to a bunch of librarians about guerrila marketing.
8. April 18 – I am taking a CPR course. Also donating blood for the 120th time.
9. Thursday, April 19, 7 pm. writers Christopher Ringwald and Amy Biancolli will be speaking at the Albany Public Library, main branch, sponsored by the Friends of the Albany Public Library. He writes on religion and philosophy, she writes movie reviews for a Houston newspaper, but is syndicated nationally. BTW, they’re married. Since I’m in charge of the event, if you’re in the area, please, PLEASE come. It’s free. I just want folks to come.
10. Friday, April 19. Carol and I are going to the Symphony! A world premiere based on William Kennedy’s new book, Roscoe.
11. A work conference in Utica at the end of the month. Not only do I need to prepare my share of the library presentation, but I’m also writing the questions for a JEOPARDY! segment of another prrsentation. That’s 61 questions, in 12 categories plus the final.

I’m sure I’m forgetting something.

Also, I must drink lots of water. This is based on an incident on Friday. I’ve finally gotten my bicycle out, on Wednesday. This involves putting the bike on the bus to day care; riding the 2.6 miles to the Y to play racquetball – by taking the bike, I actually got there 20 minutes sooner than I would have if I had taken the bus; playing racquetball (for over an hour -yay!), then taking the bike to the bus stop (another quarter mile), take the bike on the bus to Corporate Woods to work. I had to leave early to get my Internet connection fixed, so I get the bike to put on the bus to town, ride the bike to the bank and then home (1.6 miles+); then, after the cable guy comes, go to another bank to get a bus pass and back (maybe a mile each way). Then about two hours later, get the most painful cramp I’ve ever experienced in my life, noit in my calf, which I’ve had before, but in my left inner thigh. Utterly excrutiating, and wouldn’t go away until after three glasses of water, some Motrin and 15 minutes.

Re: the cable guy, I need to con my friend Mark to come up and help me install a couple things on my computer, not the least of which is more memory.

Meanwhile, I want to be more current with the newspaper. I’ve been almost constantly a week behind, reading about our local Extreme Makeover: Home Edition family in Colonie, which will be broadcast as the season finale next month. This is a show I’ve actually never seen, but I’ll probably catch this one.
There was also Dan Savage movie review of a couple weeks ago that I just read in Metroland: “Have you seen 300 yet? It’s about a handful of lightly armed ancient Greeks—the Spartans—who take on the mighty and massive Persian army. Some feel the film is homophobic; some feel it’s a conservative, pro-war piece of agitprop.
Homophobic? It’s Ann Coulter on a meth binge.”

I’m looking forward to listening to lots of Emmylou Harris and Marvin Gaye, since their birthdays were yesterday, as well as hearing some Richard Thompson, Willie Dixon, and assorted others.

Finally watched this video that’s been sent to me TWICE so far, so if I post it, I won’t get it again:

glumbert.com – The Apple iRack

Plus the usual stuff. So it’ll be a busy month. And May will be equally so. I almost never wish my life away, but I’m REALLY looking forward to mid-June.

Florida beat Ohio Stste, and I fell from 1st to 4th in my pool. At least I picked out There’s No Such Website on the first try.

7 Songs I Am Enjoying This Week

Part of the social contract of the blog is, whenever possible, to respond to the tag. Lefty tagged me to “list seven songs you are into right now. No matter what they are. They must be songs you are presently enjoying.” How to limit it to seven? there’s that Bing Crosby/Andrews Sisters I’ve been listening to, and the new Sean Lennon album; I’m seeing him at The Egg on April 10.

Not surprisingly, most of these folks were born in March.

God’s Gonna Cut You Down-Johnny Cash (February 26). From the posthumous American V, this is a remake of Moby’s Run On, which was a remake of Bill Langford and the Langfordaires’ 1930s Run On for a Long Time. A morality tale. BTW, Nik has a link to a great Johnny Cash team-up.

Let’s Make More Love-Nat King Cole (March 17). From the Billy May Sessions of the 1950s, this song has a certain call-and-response quality. This song fascinated me musically, but also because the composer is listed as “unknown”.

Who Needs You?-Aretha Franklin (March 25). From The First 12 Sides, an album she did for Columbia before she moved to Atlantic in ’67 and became the Queen Of Soul. Not sure it was released until later, though, since the © is 1973. More pop than soul, but quite enjoyable.

My Father’s Gun-Elton John (March 25). Always liked his early albums such as Tumbleweed Connection, and always especially love the choir in this chorus. An album I own on vinyl, so went to the library to burn a CD, guilt free.

Circlesong Six- Bobby McFerrin (March 11). There’s a 1997 album called Circlesongs, essentially a dozen or folks standing around doing eight interesting vocalizations. As the liner notes indicate: “No words are necessary, and, in fact, words only get in the way of the interaction between the singer and the Divine.”

Papa Was a Rolling Stone-the Temptations. The 12-minute version from the 2003 collection Psychedelic Soul. I love this era of the Temps, the Norman Whitfield-produced, Whitfield-and Barrett Strong-written period, even more than the early stuff. Did you know Barrett Strong had the first Motown hit single with “Money”?

Bring It On Home-Sonny Boy Williamson. Apparently, this is the “second” (though older), more famous Sonny Boy, born Dec 5, 1899, rather than the first (Mar. 30, 1914). Anyway, this is a song Led Zeppelin stole for their second album. It’s not that I minded them doing the song. I DID mind that they credited themselves. And musically, I really like LZ.

I now will tag…no one. Tosy, Gordon, Jaquandor, Marconi: do it if you feel like it. Or not.
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At least Lefty namechecked me here. I tried to figure out what song the Beatles were doing without the sound; impossible.
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I love the music of Emmylou Harris. I own at least four of her five LPs from the 1970s; several of her recent discs, including the pivotal Wrecking Ball; Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions with Linda Ronstadt; All the Roadrunning with Mark Knopfler; both Trio albums with Dolly Parton and Ronstadt; and probably others that I’ve forgotten. Not to mention lots of backup singing, notably on Ronstadt’s oeuvre. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I’ve long had a bit of a crush on her. Happy birthday, Emmylou, who turns the big six-oh today.
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Georgetown lost to Ohio State, but I can still win my pool if Ohio State beats Florida tonight. GO, BUCKEYES. This is at least the third year in a row that I’ve been around for the final game; maybe the third time will be the charm.

ROG

George W. Bush Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize!

It being April Fools’ Day, and my brother-in-law Dan’s birthday, he of the terrible puns, I figure I’d list some songs that feature the word fool that I actually own.

Chain of Fools-Aretha
Dancing Fool-Frank Zappa
If You Want to Make a Fool of Somebody-Vanilla Fudge
Ship of Fools-Erasure
What a Fool Believes-Doobie Brothers
Wicked Woman, Foolish Man-August Darnell
Won’t Get Fooled Again-the Who
Why Do Fools Fall in Love-Joni Mitchell
Fool-Elvis Presley
Fool for the City-Foghat
Fool for You-Impressions
Fool in the Rain-Led Zeppelin
Fool on the Hill-Beatles; Sergio Mendes; Ramsey Lewis
Fool Such as I-Elvis Presley
Fooled Again-Tom Petty
Fooled Around and Fell in Love-Elvin Bishop
Foolish Games-Jewel
Foolish Little Girl-Shirelles
Fools-Deep Purple
Fools in Love-Joe Jackson

There are undoubtedly tons of other songs with the word fool inbedded. Seems Sinatra has a bunch, and I have a bunch of Sinatra. There’s that classic What Kind of Fool Am I, which I must have by somebody. Of course, there’s that duolog in Jesus Christ Superstar, appropriate for the season, with the line, “You’re a fool, Jesus Christ, how can I help you?”
One of my favorire song that doesn’t have fool in the title is Tell the Truth by Derek and the Dominoes (“who’s neen foolin’ you?”)
But my favorite fool song is Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love: “You need schoolin’, Baby, I’m not foolin'”.
No, I never owned albums by The Fools, that Boston band with a couple albums in the early ’80s.
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Here’s one version of my favorite terrible joke:
There once was a famous pitcher named Mel Famie. He was a great pitcher, a 0.45 ERA, and averaged 1.6 SO’s per inning. He did have one flaw though, he liked to sneak a six pack or two into the bullpen during games.

It is the bottom of the ninth in Milwaukee, the game is tied at 0-0. Mel had started on his beer at the seventh inning, figuring that he wouldn’t be used. One, two, three, four, the cans go by. By now, Mel is feeling a bit heated. The starting pitcher suddenly gets a cramp in his arm and can’t continue. The coach calls Mel to the mound to relieve him.

Mel quickly stuffs his beer can into his back pocket, and gets out there. His first batter comes up…BALL ONE! The ump yells. Soon the count is full, and sure enough, Mel loses him. The next batter comes up…Mel has him at 0-2, but then throws four straight balls and walks him too. The coach wants to pull him, but Mel snows him into leaving him in. Mel strikes out the next batter with three straight fastballs.

So, Mel feels confident and sneaks the beer out of his pocket, and sucks the whole thing down, and slyly drops the can behind the mound. He faces his next batter…and can barely see the plate. He throws a ball just a bit outside, and then a strike. Then three more balls in a row. Now the bases are loaded, and only one out, but Mel somehow convinces the coach he can throw a double play ball. He gets the count to 2-2, then 3-2, and then he throws a curveball wide for ball four, walking in the winning run.

One of the Brewer players quickly runs out behind the mound and picks up the discarded beer can. One of his teammates says “What on earth do you want that thing for?”

To which he replies, “Don’t you know?

This is the beer that made Mel Famie walk us!

(In another version, the opposition sneak beer to him.)

ROG

Depressing Songs QUESTION

E-mail from a friend:

So there is this book called “I hate myself and want to die, the 52 most depressing songs you’ve ever heard” by Tom Reynolds

it is divided into chapters

1. I was a teenage car crash
2. I hate myself and want to die
3. I’m trying to be profound and touching but really suck at it
4. If I sing about drugs, people will take me seriously
5. She hates me, I hate her
6. Horrifying remakes of already depressing songs
7. I’m telling a story nobody wants to hear
8. I had no idea that song was so morbid
9. I mope, therefore I am
10.Perfect storms
Honourable Mentions

So I sat around in the Saratoga Last Vestige which is as close to High Fidelity as one is apt to get and 4 of us threw around songs and managed to guess over 20 of these songs and propose many others.

SOOO for the first thing I am making a set of CDs with the 52 most depressing songs of the book in order (from most depressing to the 52nd most depressing)

AND we are creating our own lists of 52 most depressing songs and combining them to make a second set of cds. And you are obviously the best qualified person I know to contribute to this endeavor. [Oh, the PRESSURE!] so please make a list. If you include any songs from the book I will let you know and you can submit another or submit 75 songs in order and i will just take the first 52 that qualify.

The book starts in the late 50s and goes to the present. My list is only going to go to the end of the 20th century unless i decide to include “White Flag” by Dido (I know I did horrible unforgivable things to you and that you can’t possibly ever want to think of me again that is why I have decided to stalk you for the rest of your life and make you miserable all in the name of this perverted love I think I have for you).

OH and including a pithy explanation as to why you are including the song such as I just gave you above on white flag is appreciated but not required.

With an invitation like THAT how could I refuse?

So, off the top of my head I provided:

My Baby’s the Star of a Driver’s Ed Movie-Blotto (1) – “her underwear was clean”
Leader of the Pack-Melissa Ethridge (1, 6) – this one you certainly know, if not by this artist
The Needle and the damage done-Neil Young (4) -a paean to his dead friend
Abraham, Martin and John/What The world needs Now-Tom Clay (6,7)
Timothy-the Buoys (7,8) – cannibalism
1941 Mining Disaster-Bee Gees (3,7) – self-explanatory
Ebony Eyes-Everly Brothers (plane crash – yet hokey) – why is the plane late? maybe it left late. Can everyone waiting for the flight please report to the chapel?
People Who Died-Jim Carroll Band (3)- “they were all my friends and they died”; a Q104 staple
Tears in Heaven-Eric Clapton (7) death of his son
Strange Fruit-Cassandra Wilson (7) lynchings of black people; a Billie holiday song
I Am Rock, Richard Cory, Sound of Silence-Simon & Garfunkel; “I have my books and my poetry to protect me”; suicide; “hello darkness, my old friend”
The Mercy Seat-Johnny Cash death row
– indeed several songs from Folsom Prison – “shot a man in Reno just to watch him die”
to Sting’s I Hung My Head – another shooting, followed by regret
Biko–Peter Gabriel (7) – death of anti-apartheid leader in South Africa

But I know there’s a lot more, so I’ll make you a deal. Send at least one song, preferably with a brief description, and I’ll make you copies (if you want) of whatever uplifting music I receive from this project.
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And speaking of free music, but not nearly so depressing, I still have a couple copies of my award-winning, Lefty Brown’s Mixed Bag V disc exchange entry, Flick Tunes. Send me an address and I’ll send you some tunes.
ROG