Just Dreaming |
|
|
Friday, October 10, 2003
Years Ago Ugh, why? This morning, I was thinking fondly about a friend from many years back... Then, after a while, I remembered some things about that relationship, and....Hmmm, I wonder if I was really such a good friend then. Friendship is hard. {Edit: I wonder if I was really such a good friend now.} Find That Magic Man, this is killing me.... I put together a "quick" CDR of some of my favorite Skatalites, availiable digitally on my own CDs, etc.... Most of it sounds fine. I'm missing things I could get from vinyl, but there's still plenty to fill a CD of 80 mintues, with tracks to spare... And I'm talking only some of their very best, most emotionally affecting stuff. The kind that can turn around a "blah" day, just like that. Anyway, I had the best Top Deck stuff from a digital source (my own CD actually.) So I thought, "well, they don't sound *that* bad, so why not include them on this CDR..." I did, four tracks... Ugh though, listening, they just don't measure up. Trouble is, I know how fantastic they sound on the original vinyl. So I will never be satisfied with these four tracks now... It's possible that if I'd never heard how good they could sound, I might have used them anyway, because the performances are that good. Now I cannot though.... This is a little like the sweet friend I had recently. I might be satisfied with a lot less from her, but I already experienced several of her best years, her late twenties. Then she changed, not unlike these Top Deck tunes. Difference is, I know I can get back almost all the magic of these four tracks, with the right PC interface for the beloved vinyl. If only you could restore a friend like that. Thursday, October 09, 2003
Dhanni Like Dad  That boy looks remarkably like his dad, George Harrison. That's one of the cooler things about having your own children. They may look a lot like you. Well, I suppose it's cool when you like how you look. :-) ...Now, why would they have wanted to call him 'Dhanni'? One of my brothers is named Daniel, and he looks significantly like George Harrison. I suppose if you called someone 'Dhanni' you wouldn't have to worry about them shortening a name like Daniel, to Dan, or Danny. Just make it Danny in the first place, only spell it weird. ;-) Rather See Her Dead Just listening to my "The Beatles - Selected Takes" CDR this morning. It starts with a short snippet of Run For Your Life: "Well I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man." Wow! I mean, that's a pretty radical sentiment, for the Beatles... Wednesday, October 08, 2003
The most accurate source I've found says tomorrow, for me: "You may delve too much into what could and should have happened. Let go of past events and move ahead in life. A bright future awaits you." Yeah. Now, how could they have timed a statement like this? People can think it's B.S. all they like.... Just Ordinary Odd how, when you think someone is better than the average person - more interesting, sweeter, just better.... Then if they turn out to be just an ordinary person, with faults like everyone else.... They don't seem ordinary. Compared to what you thought you had, they seem positively awful. Which isn't really fair. They just proved not so extraordinary after all... Once?  This woman keeps talking too loudly for me *not* to hear. So, this afternoon she was talking about getting married (sort of late in life... later than most anyway.) She kept saying, constantly "you only get married once." While talking about wedding photos, one of the people she introduced was her step-mother. Once? Right. As if one knows the promise the other person gives today, will be followed in five years, or ten. As if that person will remain true, will remain loyal, as you would wish.... She seems so happy, I hope it works out for her. Go Ahead, Buy Her.... The Mercury's got some great stuff... It's entertaining the way Willamette Week used to be. I love the descriptions of native types in this week's issue. Especially a certain type of young woman, with the attitude of, "I'm better than you, but I might let you f*** me if you buy me something." Hey, she might even marry you, if you buy her lots of things! ;-) Somthing There To Remind You Just put back in my CD changer and started listening to a CD I put together back in October, 1999, to celebrate Brian Wilson's tour at the time. Some great stuff! Some of the most charming tracks are from the Fireside Sessions, at the time not available on CD, except.... I had sent a video of those Fireside Sessions to my friend Laura, and she kindly shared the CD edits she later made, with me. Very well done, and a result of some good sharing. We did a lot of that then..... I think my old friend Laura later got so involved with another band, and I suppose with the responsibilities of being a homemaker, that somehow that old sharing partnership dissolved, little by little. Ah well, at least we still have the remnants of those good times... Reminders of a once close friendship. Tuesday, October 07, 2003
No Illusions Hmm, I was thinking about what I wrote earlier about someone appreciating one's musical taste/knowlege/picking ability. More generally, it's that you want to be with someone who appreciates the best things about you. Then you feel good. You feel good about something that is true about you. No illusions. Shooting At Snakes That was funny! Just overheard a woman talking to a guy... "Why don't they go snake hunting instead? That would make me happy." Deer hunting has never seemed too popular with women around here. Can't say that I blame them.... OK, a few hours later, a woman sneezes. This woman has a real feminine sounding sneeze, that's actually not annoying at all. Quite unusual for a sneeze. Now, I'd always thought this to myself. She clears her throat in a real agreeable way too - and that usually drives me crazy with most people. Women or men. Anyway, as far as I've known, I was the only one who really noticed or cared that this one woman has an agreeable sneeze.... Then this afternoon, she sneezes. The same (other) woman who made the snake comment above then said, "I wish I could sneeze like that." Ha haha! Sneeze envy! Getting High The Mercury has a great "Back To School" issue, for those not necessarily going back to school. Getting High: The Ultimate Extracurricular Activity, may be the most entertaining article on drugs I've ever seen. It's short and to the point.... The girl pictured in her "school uniform" graces several different articles, in the paper edition. I went to a high school, where the girls wore uniforms something like this. Nice... A Certain Sensation There's a certain sensation, when you're into something deeply, you're in the mood for it like nothing else. For me now, it's original 60's era Skatalites. Various studios, Drummond's compositions, and others. It's so fantastic. It deserves to be heralded as among the best music of the century. Actually, throw out the century. It's among the best music in history. As good as any, any genre, any time, by anyone. I had a particular girlfriend once, in a doomed relationship, who loved the stuff I loved. I was the musical selector. I think that's the only sort of relationship I am able to really relax and be fully and happily myself in. The opposite is true as well. If someone, a friend or a lover, knows she doesn't know all that much about music, however doesn't recognize that I do, well, it doesn't work. She'll be either blissfully ignorant, or searching, searching for her musical guru - foolishly ignoring the one she could have had. It's much cooler when she recognizes what she's got - which is rare, but it does happen. Shredded Wow, that's one of the strangest things I've ever done. Hmm.... Not feeling too hot anyway, and it still being way too early in the morning, someone walked into my office and called me "Mr. Barnett." Well, she had her twisted logic, but it was quite insulting. Not exactly the way to get me to help with something..... So there I was, over at the copy machine, a little later. I needed to copy something from my wallet to help get re-registered to vote. As I took it out, I noticed some photos in there, of someone who used to be a close friend. "What is she doing in here!?" I thought. "Well, that's ridiculous. She doesn't belong in there." Hmmm, what would I do with those photos? "Oh! The shredder." I had them shred before I had a chance to think twice. That smiling face, smiles no more for me.... Monday, October 06, 2003
Friendships Hard "Love demands infinitely less than friendship." (George Jean Nathan) Especially when you're talking close friendships. It's tricky intimacy. Sunday, October 05, 2003
Still So Alive Mmm, this Essential Live Collection of Beach Boys... They still sound(ed) great. Beautiful slice of the past. Hushabye, Don't Worry Baby. Nice and warm. Looks like whoever put together this multiple volume, multiple sourced CD set has done a fine job of choosing and producing.... That's one huge advantage of following a once very popular and still quite popular with many fans band, like The Beach Boys. You have a huge bunch of boots of live shows, studio work, etc. to choose from, to add to their regular albums. Compare that with the Skatalites, who were big (mostly in Jamaica) about the same time as the Beach Boys were. For them, there is virtually nothing live, and few alternate takes etc. available to choose from, from the early years, with Don Drummond. Although, there are the obscure singles and the like. Oh man, of course, I've been in a major ska mood for the last couple weeks. Now Ska In Vienna Woods.... They feel so alive! I can't believe this is some 40 years old..... |
