music

My Multimedia Adventure Continues

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It’s been a while since I updated you on my latest music and Netflix intake, so here goes.

I picked up a live Bob Marley and the Wailers album from the clearance section of Target. It’s called Easy Skanking in Boston ’78 and it’s classic reggae from my favorite decade, musically speaking. The title’s a little weird, but the music’s great. It helps if you have speakers with lots of bass.

I pre-ordered the new Lindsay Buckingham/Christine McVie album from amazon.com. I’m very much intrigued by the pairing and I’m hoping for a little old-school Fleetwood Mac vibe on this one.

Right now, I’m reliving my high school glory days with The Best of Both Worlds, a Van Halen best-of compilation. It’s amazing how those songs take me back to when I first heard them. And for the record, I prefer David Lee Roth over Sammy Hagar, but I like ’em both.

I foresee some serious Allman Brothers Band marathons in my future. I do believe that southern rock is good for the soul, especially when that soul has a lengthy commute to and from work.

Currently, my Netflix mainstays are Gilmore Girls (halfway through season 6) and Bates Motel (just started season 2). Gilmore Girls still has that fantastic dialogue that reminds me a lot of the old movie His Girl Friday (with some similarities to one of my favorite John Cusack movies, Better Off Dead). I have a fairly decent idea of where Bates Motel is headed, having already seen Psycho (and Bates Motel is the backstory to that movie).

I’m always open to suggestions for what to listen to and watch next, especially when it comes to Netflix. I’d really like something that has a similar vibe to Stranger Things and The OA, but I’m pretty much open to any kind of shows or movies out there.

More to come at some later (and probably randomly picked) date. Stay tuned.

 

 

Jeff Buckley on the Brain

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I’ve been listening to a whole lot of Jeff Buckley lately.

I’m well aware that most people probably have no idea who he is (or was, since he died in 1997 in an accidental drowning).

He was the son of Tim Buckley, a very famous and accomplished folk musician. Jeff was very gifted in his own right with an amazing voice. Although he only released one official album during his lifetime, he left behind a wealth of music that begs the question of what he might have become had he lived.

All of us have known people who died with untapped potential and unrealized talent. So many died so very young, way before it was their time. Too many who could have contributed beautiful things into the sometimes grey world we live in.

In Jeff’s case, he did leave behind that one fantastic album which features his cover of the Leonard Cohen song “Hallelujah,” which became famous in the wake of the 9/11 attacks four years after his death. That’s the one song that most everybody knows but which very few know who sang it.

I myself know very little about the man. I only know that though he’s dead, his music still speaks to those who are discovering his unique artistry.

What’s the point? Don’t die and leave behind unfulfilled dreams because they were dangerous and scary. Step outside of what’s safe and pursue what’s in your heart, even if it doesn’t succeed like you want it to. At least you will have tried.

Also, listen to Jeff Buckley’s music. It’s great. Some of it has a raw and unfinished quality, but even then there’s beauty to be found. It’s not safe and predictable radio-friendly music, but it’s good. It’s sometimes a little scary, but it can also be haunting and  lovely as well.

 

 

 

 

Ryan Adams for the Road

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I’m officially a fan of Ryan Adams. Well, his music anyway. I don’t really know Ryan Adams the human being, so I can’t really comment either way, but I’m working my way toward owning his entire music catalog.

I was listening to Heartbreaker in the car tonight. It’s one of those that I consider worthy road trip music. I almost felt like I needed to hit one of those open highways, roll down the windows, throw the road map out the window, and just drive.

I didn’t. Plus, I don’t really have an actual road map to throw out the window.

Ryan Adams is one of those rare artists whose music feels crafted rather than manufactured. It feels more like art painstakingly created by people than a commodity that’s mass produced by machines.

I’ve stopped caring whether the music is rock or country or jazz or pop or indie. I only care that it moves me on a deep soul-level and paints images in my mind and speaks to my condition.

I have a wide variety of musical tastes, not all of which fall into the hipster category (and some of which probably fall into the “I know, please don’t judge me” category).

I’m eagerly anticipating the new Ryan Adams album, due to arrive very shortly from the good people at Amazon. It will immediately go into heavy rotation in my Jeep.

I also look forward to the next Patty Griffin album, which I hope will arrive sooner than later. Fingers crossed.

 

 

Taking a Break from Reality

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I had some quality old-school music playing on my trek home this afternoon. I have the smooth, velvety baritone voice of Johnny Hartman singing me home.

I confess I know next to nothing about this artist. I know that he made a fantastic album with John Coltrane and apparently had a lengthy recording career that started around 1947 and lasted until his death in 1983.

I’m all for staying current with world events and being informed when it comes to issues and politics, but I firmly believe that occasionally we all need a break from reality. As in a good fantasy novel or a fun movie or, in my case, old school jazz crooner music.

I suppose if I had to pick between music, books, and movies, I’d go with music. Nothing seems to calm and quiet my soul quite like the right song at the right time. Especially when driving on a warm summer night with the windows rolled down and the volume cranked up. It’s magical.

There’s also the therapeutic effect of having a cat (or a dog) camp out on your lap. If you don’t have one, you should definitely look into it. They’re great for lowering blood pressure and reducing stress and generally helping you to find peace.

My advice is to limit your news intake. First of all, I’m not convinced that what you’re seeing is accurately represented of what’s actually happening out there in the real world. Second, a steady dose of it can only serve to stress you out and make you angry.

Find your medium that relaxes you. Set aside time for to read or Netflix and chill or to put on the headphones and let the music carry you away, even if it’s only for when you’re driving to and from work.

You won’t regret it.

 

A Writer’s Advice

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“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt” (Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath)

I don’t claim to be the best writer or blogger ever. I do know that I feel most alive when I’m writing and the words seem to flow out of me like they’re coming from somewhere else. Sometimes looking back, even the posts that I thought weren’t that great at the time seem to have improved with age.

I’ve been at this blog post business for going on 7 years and nearly 2,400 posts. That’s a lot of words. Not all of them have flowed out of me. Some days, I feel like Moses attempting to draw water from a rock.

If I have any advice for those who want to be writers, whether professionally or otherwise, it’s this– just write. Write a lot. Write every single day, even if what comes out feels like pure stupidity.

I’d also add one more thing. Find your own voice and be true to it. Don’t write or sing or paint or sculpt or film what you think will appeal to a mass audience. Do what speaks to you and what makes you happy and what makes you come alive. Create for an audience of one– yourself.

Ultimately, it’s not about numbers or popularity. It’s about expressing yourself and leaving a bit of yourself behind, whether on canvas or paper or vinyl or film. Success as I see it is staying true to your original vision.

Again, just write, write, write. That’s the only way to truly get better and to develop your own unique voice. The more you write, the better you will get at it.

Here endeth the lesson.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

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It’s Wednesday, January 11, 2017. I’m so tired that I originally typed that it was Thursday. It’s not.

My traveling music adventures continued today as I chose Gillian Welch and her new album to accompany me on my homeward trek. Yesterday, the choice was the lovely Norah Jones. I’m keeping it mellow.

All the continued rhetoric over the election is making me tired. I don’t know how  praising one side and bashing the other has ever really changed anyone’s mind. All it does is further polarize and alienate us from each other.

I’m thankful that my ultimate allegiance is not to this or any other President. It’s not to a flag or a country or a platform, but to a King and a Kingdom that will last well beyond any President or Congress or Supreme Court. It will last forever.

In these hectic, crazy days, it’s helpful to sit still for a bit and practice breathing in and out slowly, remembering that because of the resurrection, the worst thing is never the last thing. Every trial is temporary and all pain is passing. The Prince of Peace and what He brings will be eternal.

So chill out. If you must err, err on the side of grace and forgiveness rather than judgment and condemnation. Remember that each of us is walking a difficult path.

I still believe that if you want to see difference in your life and in the world around you, you have to be the difference. Once you start doing that, you won’t have time to snipe and criticize from the sidelines.

As always, keep the music recommendations coming. I’m alway on the lookout for good new (or old) music to add to my already ridiculous collection.

Thanks and good night!

 

 

Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, and More Musical Magic

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Let it be known for the record that I was a Bob Dylan fan BEFORE he was a Nobel Prize recipient. I actually can’t remember when I became a fan, but it’s been at least ten years.

i geek out whenever I find one of his bootleg series albums at Grimey’s. I’m still buying CDs over vinyl because the former fits into my budget much better than the latter. Plus, I don’t really have a record player.

Periodically, I go back and revisit the older stuff, like Blonde on Blonde or The Times They Are A-Changin’, but my sentimental favorite is still Slow Train Coming, partly because of the Muscle Shoals sound he incorporated on it and partly because of the overt faith elements.

For my commute, I’ve embarked on Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings 1952-1959. I’m in music heaven. You really get the sense that you’re sitting in on the birth of R & B (although true musical purists will probably disagree with me). What no one can deny is that this music holds up even 60 years later.

I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new Timothy B Schmit album via snail mail, hopefully by sometime in 2016. I’ve heard snippets on the radio, and I really like the old-school 70’s vibe on it. Think a dash of Eagles with some Poco thrown in, plus elements of country rock, funk, soul, and everything else in there.

I hope to continue my classic country music trend in the days to come. I hope I make it to McKay’s to supplement my already ridiculous amount of music.

I do love music. I still think one of my favorite things is driving at twilight on an overcast fall day with the windows rolled down and the perfect song playing. It takes me to my inner happy place.

That covers my musical adventures for the month of October. More to come at some undetermined time in the future.

 

Perfect

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There’s still nothing better than good music playing in the car with the windows rolled down as the sun is going down. A good song can transport you into a place of calm and peace and make you feel good all over.

I’m still old-school when it comes to my music. Occasionally, I will plug my iPhone into my car stereo and play a random selection of all my downloaded music. Usually, I have CDs.

I know that some people are content to turn on the radio and leave it on whatever station they find. I’m not judging, but I find that I am less and less of a radio person the older I get. I’m less and less of a top 40 songs kind of guy.

What music are you listening to in your car? I really want to know. This isn’t a question meant to take up space on my blog post so I’ll have a bigger word count. I’m always open to broadening my musical horizons, to discovering new artists and new kinds of music.

PS If you want to find me on Facebook, look for Greg Johnson. My profile picture is of my geriatric feline doing one of her sleepy poses. I welcome friend requests.

 

More Musical Goodness for Your Consideration

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Recently, I picked up Natalie Merchant’s Paradise Is There: The New Tigerlily Recordings. For those of you who missed the 90’s, Tigerlily is one of the defining albums of that decade.

It was Natalie Merchant’s breakthrough as a solo artist after fronting 10,000 Maniacs for over a decade. Listening to that album always takes me to a place where my soul is at rest and worries fade away.

The 90’s saw a renaissance and resurgence of singer-songwriters, particularly female artists. Some of my favorites from that era are Sarah McLachlan, Paula Cole, Fiona Apple, and– of course– Natalie Merchant.

I can’t wait to hear the new takes on old tunes. Of course, I will have to revisit the original recordings first. I can envision a scenario where I’m in my car with the windows rolled down, driving at dusk toward my destination. That’s still my favorite way to experience music.

I’ll let you know my thoughts on Paradise is There. In the mean time, I remain as always open to your musical suggestions. The further off the beaten path of the usual radio fare, the better.

 

 

Things Everyone Should Have (or Do)

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I’ve decided there are a few necessary things everyone should have in order to make their lives better. No, you won’t cease to exist without any of these, but they do make your existence (particularly on Mondays) more bearable:

  1. Everyone needs a place to escape. My place is Radnor Lake State Park. It’s as close as I’ll probably ever get to Middle Earth this side of Heaven. It’s hard to believe this panacea is probably about 10 miles from where I live.
  2. Everyone needs a geriatric pet who loves to cuddle. I’m partial to my 16-year old feline, but I love older dogs as well. It’s nice to have a furry friend to come home to.
  3. Everyone needs some good music for the road. You may let the radio do the picking for you, but I prefer the path less travelled. I have my vast CD collection and (on occasion) a considerable playlist on my iPhone.
  4. Everyone needs a good novel. Right now, what I’m reading doesn’t technically fall under the category of novel, but it’s worthwhile reading nonetheless. I’m working through Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
  5. Everyone needs a good shower. I prefer mine in the morning to help me wake up, but I’m all for those who like a steaming hot shower just before bed. Either way works for me.
  6. Everyone needs something bigger than themselves to believe in and hold on to. I choose Jesus because He’s the only one strong enough to keep all the pieces of my world in orbit and hold me together.
  7. Everyone needs chocolate. Or vanilla if you’re one of those weird people who don’t like chocolate. The end.