![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Good Morning
Oct. 20th, 2019 09:24 am
Oct. 20th, 2019
John Peel "The Olivetti Chronicles" (Bantam Press)
A posthumous collection of 20 years worth of writings.
John Peel was a bit of a hero of mine - a true champion of music in all it's shapes and forms (and when I say all, I mean all). He had a late-night BBC Radio 1 show in which he would play the most eclectic selection of music you'll ever come across. It was almost guaranteed that in the space of an hour, he would play something that you absolutely hated, but also at least one thing that you would love - at any rate the one thing he would definitely do would be to introduce you to a whole range of music that you'd never heard before - or thought to have listened to. In fact, a quote from the last piece in the book:
"The programmes I do for Radio 1 have always been (roughly) based on the principle that what you're buying, listening to and enjoying is all very well but there exists also something else, less favoured, but equally worthy of your attention. I mean, there's a guitarist in a Peruvian band (and I'm not making this up) who's a knock-out - and who knows what marvellous bands there may not be in, say, Poland or Zaire or Iceland. I want to know about them - and to let you know about them."
(Sounds magazine, 20 Jul 1974)
There was, and still is no one on Radio to match him for broadening your horizons - and, almost single-handed, he influenced my own musical tastes alongside those of Giles Peterson and the all-encompassing Wire magazine. But basically, he was a very big influence on me and many others of my generation and the generation before as we were growing up.
He was also the kind of DJ that made you feel like he was speaking just to you. Maybe some of your friends. He was cosy. His writing style, while variable, not careful, often rambling, sometimes bizarre and quite frequently off topic, is very similar to the way he spoke - every time I picked up this book, I could hear his voice - something that made me a little sad on several occasions.
If you're looking for literary style, you're not going to find it in this book. But charm, humour, a passion for music and Liverpool FC and a hefty dislike of the Osmonds, you will find in spades. A joy to read.
A posthumous collection of 20 years worth of writings.
John Peel was a bit of a hero of mine - a true champion of music in all it's shapes and forms (and when I say all, I mean all). He had a late-night BBC Radio 1 show in which he would play the most eclectic selection of music you'll ever come across. It was almost guaranteed that in the space of an hour, he would play something that you absolutely hated, but also at least one thing that you would love - at any rate the one thing he would definitely do would be to introduce you to a whole range of music that you'd never heard before - or thought to have listened to. In fact, a quote from the last piece in the book:
"The programmes I do for Radio 1 have always been (roughly) based on the principle that what you're buying, listening to and enjoying is all very well but there exists also something else, less favoured, but equally worthy of your attention. I mean, there's a guitarist in a Peruvian band (and I'm not making this up) who's a knock-out - and who knows what marvellous bands there may not be in, say, Poland or Zaire or Iceland. I want to know about them - and to let you know about them."
(Sounds magazine, 20 Jul 1974)
There was, and still is no one on Radio to match him for broadening your horizons - and, almost single-handed, he influenced my own musical tastes alongside those of Giles Peterson and the all-encompassing Wire magazine. But basically, he was a very big influence on me and many others of my generation and the generation before as we were growing up.
He was also the kind of DJ that made you feel like he was speaking just to you. Maybe some of your friends. He was cosy. His writing style, while variable, not careful, often rambling, sometimes bizarre and quite frequently off topic, is very similar to the way he spoke - every time I picked up this book, I could hear his voice - something that made me a little sad on several occasions.
If you're looking for literary style, you're not going to find it in this book. But charm, humour, a passion for music and Liverpool FC and a hefty dislike of the Osmonds, you will find in spades. A joy to read.
Edward Said "Music At The Limits" (Bloomsbury)
As well as being a great scholar Edward Said was also a great lover of music, albeit classical music, but music in general. In this book I've found that Said was a big fan of Glenn Gould which I totally approve, but however he endlessly talked on topics of opera (not my personal forte, I prefer instrumental music any day), and plenty of interesting discussions, reviews, and critiques on composers, conductors, pianists, and other musical events, and such contemporaries. This is quite an amazing book fermented with insights on music that are a must for the ardent musician and the amateur fans of the world of Classical music, and for anybody who wants to take part in Paul Gambaccini's difficult Counterpoint quiz on BBC Radio 4.
Read this to be insightful into the world of classical music!
As well as being a great scholar Edward Said was also a great lover of music, albeit classical music, but music in general. In this book I've found that Said was a big fan of Glenn Gould which I totally approve, but however he endlessly talked on topics of opera (not my personal forte, I prefer instrumental music any day), and plenty of interesting discussions, reviews, and critiques on composers, conductors, pianists, and other musical events, and such contemporaries. This is quite an amazing book fermented with insights on music that are a must for the ardent musician and the amateur fans of the world of Classical music, and for anybody who wants to take part in Paul Gambaccini's difficult Counterpoint quiz on BBC Radio 4.
Read this to be insightful into the world of classical music!
Pizza Sunday!
Oct. 20th, 2019 01:01 pmAnother sunny autumnal day here in Kent. I am having pizza as I just popped down to the local shop to get it.
Also, we now have- finally - a communal website and wi-fi running up. So , when I need to be in the community lounge, there is Wi-Fi available.
Listening to the Art Ensemble of Chicago album "Les Stances A Sophie" -music based around an obscure French movie that was reissued by Soul Jazz, but now the DVD is rare as hen's teeth. Wished I bought it when it came out in 2008 on that DVD.
Anyway, time to eat my pizza.
Also, we now have- finally - a communal website and wi-fi running up. So , when I need to be in the community lounge, there is Wi-Fi available.
Listening to the Art Ensemble of Chicago album "Les Stances A Sophie" -music based around an obscure French movie that was reissued by Soul Jazz, but now the DVD is rare as hen's teeth. Wished I bought it when it came out in 2008 on that DVD.
Anyway, time to eat my pizza.
Sunday Music Selection #1
Oct. 20th, 2019 02:34 pmSome music to relax to or whatever-
Broadcast - Black Cat
Stereolab - Ping Pong
Bardo Pond - The Stars Behind
Enjoy.
Broadcast - Black Cat
Stereolab - Ping Pong
Bardo Pond - The Stars Behind
Enjoy.
Tomeka Reid Quartet - Old New
Oct. 20th, 2019 03:11 pmFresh and transformative jazz from Tomeka Reid.
Tomeka Reid, cello
Mary Halvorson, guitar
Jason Roebke, bass
Tomas Fujiwara, drums
"...a stimulating and mesmerizing work that showcases the superlative cellist's artistry at its best. Her exquisite instrumental prowess as well as her brilliant writing make this a singular record...programmed with an excellent sense of pace and point.” – All About Jazz
Tomeka Reid, cello
Mary Halvorson, guitar
Jason Roebke, bass
Tomas Fujiwara, drums
"...a stimulating and mesmerizing work that showcases the superlative cellist's artistry at its best. Her exquisite instrumental prowess as well as her brilliant writing make this a singular record...programmed with an excellent sense of pace and point.” – All About Jazz
Sunday Music Selection #2
Oct. 20th, 2019 03:23 pmA few more tunes for the quiescence -
Slowdive - machine Gun
Led Bib - Fields of Forgetfulness
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - The Dead Flag Blues
Enjoy.
Slowdive - machine Gun
Led Bib - Fields of Forgetfulness
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - The Dead Flag Blues
Enjoy.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}