Sunday, March 29, 2009

Music for Sunday #1

I'm not quite sure what I want to do with this. But maybe I've hatched a new weekly meme. I don't know.

Not that many people listen to what I post. Which is fine. Not only is listening to people's youtube postings and jukeboxes time consuming but there are so many musical choices for so many tastes, that I'm the first to admit that it's not always easy to relate to what people consider to be good music. I'm guilty of this. I am mostly out of sync with mainstream music. I know very little classical music. I like jazz a lot but I'm not an expert. I'm not sure how I would characterize my favorite music. With that said, posting music is mostly a self-indulgent habit. I come to groove on my own blog, look at the images, ruminate and play the song du jour very loud on my cordless headphones (thanks WP!).

I like loud music. Everything from Beatles to Aboriginal digeredoo. I like folk music and country (see this post featuring Loretta Lynn) but not "new country". I like music that is theatrical to my ear like XTC and the songs of Tom Waits. Well-written, literate and poetic. And by poetic, I don't necessarily mean like Simon and Garfunkel were poetic. Although I do like them, too. Poetic as in Joni Mitchell and Peter Gabriel, Suzanne Vega and Bob Dylan.

Quirky female singer-songwriters like Jane Sibery and Kate and Anna McGarrigle are another genre, if it is one, that floats my boat. The McGarrigles are eccentric and lovely and very Canadian. I love the French songs they include in some of their recordings. I think I may be in a small league as one of their biggest fans.

And Jane Sibery with her songs about cows and red wagons and love and death, all from a perspective that can only be described as grown up fairy tales and magic of all sorts. I adore her songs.

But my choice for today is really pretty accessible, I think. I'm going way back to a song I loved as a kid and doubtless will want to play for my grandchildren. James Taylor (the gorgeous then and always), Sweet Baby James.

And you? If you want to post something musical on your blog and link to it from comments here, I will make it a special point to listen with open ears and open mind. :-)

Have a good week, kids.

All the Love,
Pagan Sphinx

13 comments:

  1. you know what, i got off kilter on the other comment and completely forgot what i was going to say on here and so, won't ... it was about bandwidth on the other hand and youtubes in general...they eat it up like crazy and being on a satellite, well, we have to keep the consumption down or they will blast us off to the moon for sinning...now have dante on my mind ;)
    xoxoxox

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful choice, culled from your expansively eclectic taste-file!

    JT's joked that he can show up as a headliner at Tanglewood, walk out on stage and sing,

    "The First of December was covered with snow;
    So was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston,"

    Then leave to a standing ovation, rave reviews and a thoroughly satisfied audience.

    He's probably right about that! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Linda: Oh, I see. I guess I didn't give that much thought. :-)

    CR: If you live Massachusetts, that line in the song really speaks to you.

    Good to see you! Not blogging much these days, huh? Your posts are missed.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I enjoyed this one very much. Haven't heard it in a long time.
    My musical tastes are varied, and mostly out of kilter, as you say, with most other people's. That's why I started a second blog, just for myself. Nothing but music videos, and several other odd things. I go to it every so often and look back on old favorites. It's so much easier than hunting through CD's.
    I do like some of the music you have put on your blog. Others - not so much. That's OK

    Have you ever heard more from Singing Bear? I think bout him often.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bobbie: regretfully, I have not heard from Singing Bear. I never had an email address for him, and his blogs are all gone. I think of him often also. And you read my mind, because I thought of him while I was writing this post.

    I'll have to check your music blog. It's about time I did!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi, Pagan Sphinx,
    I follow your musical line all the way.
    My husband and I traveled across the country to attend a Bob Dylan concert last Wednesday.
    That man is pure gold, so genuine in lyrics, composition and performance.
    Wish you were there.
    from Felisol

    ReplyDelete
  7. Felisol - welcome! Bob Dylan is a legend. Glad you got see him perform. I only did once. In '99, I think it was. Great band, excellent performance. I'd love to see him again!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kate and Anna McGarrigle are another genre, if it is one, that floats my boat

    oh yeah, I can relate!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good post! I am at my work today so I shall listen as soon as I come home. I myself am looking forward to listening to "The Passion of St Mathew" by J.S.Bach. I like the "oldies". Thanks for the visit! Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  10. How much I would like to "speak" about music with you ! We can come to an agreement (or not) about sound, specificly. But it'll be harder about the writing. It's so difficult to catch all the words meaning when one doesn't know perfectly the language. It makes part of our own culture. For instance, a few days ago, I chose Bob Dylan in my blog playlist : Ballad of the Thin Man. I love its music, but I don't understand all the meaning. It seems to be a little more difficult than Bob Dylan's other songs. It must have hidden meanings. I understand just the whole idea.
    Here, we get many, many singers who write excellent "poetry". But I can't share it with you, unfortunately. There are songs that I can listen again and again because of their chosen words. These songs seem sometimes written for me : ) I'm sure you get the same songs written for you in English !

    ReplyDelete
  11. Awesome!

    I love your taste in music... it mirrors my own!

    Have you ever heard Roberta Chevrette? (sp?... I should go look it up) I like her stuff, you might as well.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Reader: Bach is so intense and so good and yet I hardly ever seek out the music on my own. When the station is tuned to a classical program, I'm always willing to listen but I'm quite fussy about what sounds good to my ear. And as far as knowing any but the most notorious pieces, forget it! Thanks for coming by. I like your comments. Enjoy your Bach.

    Catherine: I know what you mean about the language of the music. I find that with opera. I can get carried away with the emotion of a piece but often really wish I could understand it fully. I do understand spoken Italian fairly well but not enough to get the full meaning.

    I also understand some French. I find it more difficult language to understand and speak than the other romance languages. I can read it okay at a basic level. And I spoke it fluently as a child because I lived in a suburb of Paris when I was very young. When I learned English, the French just left me through disuse. A major regret.

    I will play some Porguguese Fado next week, perhaps. Very emotive musical style and uniquely Portuguese.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Kay: I'm glad you enjoy the music! If play some Roberta Chevrette, let me know, I'll pop over for a listen. It's more fun that way.

    Did you see my envy post?

    ReplyDelete

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