THE CAT’S PAWS

This book comes in an orange box, and slides out. First things first, though. I have a bit of experience in layout and bindery, and this item undeniably cost a fortune to make. Glassine pockets riddle the pages with odd-cut ‘ticket stubs’, press releases, and replicas of actual inter-office memos that went from tray to tray in Columbia Records’ NYC headquarters. I am stunned that somebody would go through the immense expense of this book’s layout, production costs and hair-pulling, but I’m grateful that somebody had the patience to bring this project to fruition. It sure had to have required some serious time. (more…)

To some, this is material they could write well more of than I. To others, though, it epitomizes bewilderment. A group can be together at a party, teasing each other about who’s ‘right-sided’ and who’s the ‘left-sider’ in the room.
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Handel had rather a handle on instruments, instrumentation, composing, performing, conducting, and stiffly-charming adoring audiences by the time he was a teenager. He was reportedly mastered the harpsichord and it’s smaller version instrument, the spinet (which Mozart loved to play as he composed) when he was younger than twelve years old.

‘Water Music’ was designed as a pagent-like presentation for England’s King I (father of King George III whom the American Colonists raised a ruckus against toward the latter part of the 18th century), and this performance remains a greater feat than the blaring-est and brightest rock concert ever to stand on firm ground. (more…)

In the post-century decade, few if any dads of late-teenager-boys can avoid hearing, and feeling, the pulsating poundings of rap music. As a prominent StL music radio show host told us during the early nineties…

…’I'm afraid that rap is here to stay.’ This wasn’t his only dead-on remark to the 94.7 KSHE listenership area; it surely fits what we’re dealing with from here on out.

My protestations surrounding rap stem not from the beat or chords, or complete lack of lead guitar (let alone guitar), or vocal intonations that seldom reach speaking (or shouting) monotones. Tupac’s vocals were of the former type, a mellower and more laid-back delivery. By this, I mean he didn’t shout into the mike, so I’m weighing this aspect to his music as a major plus. (more…)

This recording isn’t what you think.

Actually, I rather doubt you know what to think.

The music is blended in clear demarcations of tracking–one moment Krauss’s in the far back, and in the next strain, she’s up front. Plant does a fine job of harmonizing, an issue that came up during recording where he humbly admitted he hadn’t had to do that, going as far back as Moby Grape’s sessions, when his acclaimed young co-starring sensation Allison was but an idea. (more…)

It’s hard to tell worse. Outsourcing and the devastingly permanent loss of jobs, or a company’s scott-free enlivenments and incentives to do it.

Call me a liberal. Call me one who screams for action when bewildered millions aren’t able to express their outrage. Call yourselves ‘comfy’ when it doesn’t affect you…

…but go ahead and scream when it all happens to your children. Just don’t let youself be the one, see, who was apathetic and quiet. (more…)