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Lately I have listened to music a lot. I have always listened to music a lot but now I have listened to a lot of different kinds of music. As always, I've listened to Paul Simon (Songs from the Capeman is really a great work even though the American press totally slated it - probably just because the lyrics and the musical itself did question the justness of death penalty). I'm waiting for Bob Dylan's next album, Modern Times. It's been said that it is the third part of a trilogy (the other parts being Time out of Mind and "Love & Theft"
- which were both powerful albums full of songwriting that only a guy like Dylan could produce). I also realized how talented a songwriter, singer & instrumentalist Joni Mitchell was when she still used to make music. She's a great painter as well. Just check www.youtube.com for her work. One of Mitchell's most emotional song is called Amelia, about Amelia Earhart, "an American aviator and noted early female pilot who mysteriously disappeared over the Pacific Ocean during a circumnavigational flight in 1937." (from Wikipedia).
I've also been reading a book (applause please), Philip Roth's (how come all the great cultural figures are Jewish?) The Plot Against America. I love history. I love historical novels, even though Roth's book is not purely historical. (And the book also mentions Amelia Earhart - it's funny how everything is related to everything (and in genealogical research it seems that everyone is related to everyone).
I have made a lot of genealogical research of my family. There are a number of reasons why I do that. For the one thing, I'm interested in knowing my roots and secondly I'm interested in history (as I did mention, and which actually brought the subject of genealogical research to my mind). I'm also interested in biology and genetics. And the most important thing: it's interesting. Well, that was an unnecessary thing to add.
I've also watched a lot of movies, good and bad ones and some really bad ones. Let's not talk about them.
I recently did lend a copy of Don Rosa's The Life &Times of Scrooge McDuck which actually made me want to read Carl Barks' and Don Rosa's comics which are a big part of my childhood. Don Rosa is, by the way, a movie freak and that can be noticed when reading his stories: there's a great
deal of references to different movies.
I'm so excited about all this: Bob Dylan has been rumoured to release a new album soon, Paul Simon releases his new album in the merry month of May, Bruce Springsteen's new album will be released soon, and just a while ago the knowledge that mr. Neil Young will release a new (anti-Bush!) album less than a year after his latest, Prairie Wind. All my favourite artists (except maybe Randy Newman and Joni Mitchell who has already retired from music business and ... the list goes on) will release an album in a short period of time!
Mr. Young is my god!
This is a review that someone posted in one of my favourite Bob Dylan fan sites (you can read it here
Neil turns up the distortion like only Neil can. It has the best guitar tones of Ragged Glory, but don’t look for the long jams. Neil has too much to say.
The drumming here is urgent and goes places Crazy horse has never gone.
And then there’s this trumpet, which turns out to be a perfect compliment to Neil’s relentless guitar.
Musically, it's an assualt.
Lyrically, well same thing.
I was moved the most by “Let’s Impeach the President”. By this point in the record, the reason that America needs a new leader is obvious. Neil comes up with his strongest melody for this song, and 100 voices all come in from the top of the song. It sounds like the whole country is singing it. The melody is strong enough so you can sing along by the 2nd verse.
“Flags of Freedom” parallels Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom”, and even calls out Dylan by name.
The record ends with America the Beautiful. No instruments, just 100 voices. I knew it was coming, yet you couldn’t help but be moved. And you couldn’t help but wonder what the fuck happened to America?
I am certain this will be remembered as one of Neil’s greatest records. No record of his has ever sounded more urgent, more timely, and with more to say.
I need to hear it again.
This sounds very promising.
My life is saved! The future of music is saved!
I will download it as soon as it is possible, and I'll let you know whether it's crap or a true masterpiece.
What about you people, what do you think of all this? Even though you may not be familiar with Neil Young's music, don't you think that a song title like 'Let’s Impeach the President' is quite strong? Do you share your views with mr. Young, or do you think that Bush was right when he decided to occupy Iraq?
This is the first post of my blog. I hope it won't be the last.
My blog is the thing that you end up reading when you are bored and have nothing else to do. My blog is the thing that I end up writing to when I'm bored and have nothing else to do.
This was the first post of my blog. I'm not sure whether I want it to be the last one, too. Thank you for reading it anyway. You're so kind.
ivalo