He was stubborn, astute, determined, cunning, art-loving, gregarious, solitary, humorous and wonderfully compassionate and generous in his dealings with the Foundling Hospital, the Fund for Decayed Musicians and the Lock Hospital for women in distress. -Review, Handel in London: The Making of a Genius, Financial Times, September 29/30, 2018 Fund for Decayed Musicians? …
Tag Archives: Music
Scaling Up
This week’s Science class got me thinking about Frank Zappa. All I knew about him was that he was a good musician and that he’d given his children names that, uh, never made my shortlist. So I watched a documentary on him. An interesting cat, to be sure, but I’m afraid music based …
Reading Comprehension
Last summer Rod Stewart came through Boston for a private concert. The newspaper mentioned he’d dined someplace downtown. I was surprised because I’d been there once myself, for a fundraiser. It’s one of those shiny Irish pub simulacra. The thing was, the article said he dined there twice. I remember thinking: Huh? I’d have …
G.I. Blues
Concerned about the prospect of a third world war now that China has invaded Vietnam, Maurice, 29, expresses the fear that he could be eligible for an emergency draft call since he is a U.S. resident. – “The Bee Gees Are Earthly Angels,” Rolling Stone, May 17, 1979 It was sixty years ago …
Ill Communication
I get ill all the time, but no one wants to hear about that. – Paul Theroux I was in Dick’s Sporting Goods recently and found myself laughing in the aisle. Twin 2, who has begun to suspect her father is unusual, asked what was so funny. “They’re playing a silly song,” I …
The Nimrod Variations
Jules, if you give that… nimrod fifteen hundred dollars, I’m going to shoot him on general principle. -Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction Listening to Radio Free Amazon the other day I was all: But soft, this is my jam! But the thing was I didn’t know what it was. So I lifted myself …
Sic Transit
I watched a documentary on Chicago the other night. Quite a career, transforming from a rather terrific horn band – with Hendrix-approved guitarist – to earnest power ballad millers. I did spill my bedtime tea when I saw Peter Cetera wearing, in this video, a Bauhaus t-shirt. It’s got the artwork from their …
Triomph
There is so much crap in this world, and then, suddenly, there is honesty and humanity. -Ryszard Kapuściński, The Soccer War If you were to recommend a band to me, and describe them as a Thai funk/surf soul trio, my central nervous system would probably execute some sort of armadillo maneuver. And if you were …