- This topic has 279 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 1 month, 1 week ago by
.
- Topic
The place to share what you’re doing, thinking, planning on a daily basis, with a group of sociable friends and acquaintances.
Joss
Current car: Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol"Men fight for liberty & win it with hard knocks. Their children brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves" - D.H. Lawrence
- Replies
Well done, Joss. Thanks for this. I can now witter on at great length without bunging up Weather. Will be back soon with a question for POPS and other interested in music…
In all honesty, The idea is @Pops. He just asked me to do it as a stick for him as his “marbles” have broke 😁
Joss
Current car: Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol"Men fight for liberty & win it with hard knocks. Their children brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves" - D.H. Lawrence
Great idea, will keep a eye on this not much excitement for me lately due to circumstances, however I have my moments..
Must add Georgie could bring a few smiles and jaw drops here, as will Tharg..
Great way with words that I admire tbh..
The sun was shining on my front garden earlier and I got quite excited about the joys to come in the next few months. There are already a number of different coloured heathers in the borders and the centre of the garden seen here is showing a lot of variegated greens in the sunlight.
This picture was from last year.
Right then, @POPS and indeed anyone else. You’re obviously well immersed in music of many types. Me too – from Shostakovich through Cole Porter to Macca and Marc Knopfler. One thing I find fascinating is The Popular Song. I’ve compiled a list on Amazon Music thingey and listen it it while cooking in the after noon. Just off to Just about to make poached tarragon salmon with compilation in background. It is not simple hits that get to No. 1. I’m meaning compositions that get covered again and again and seem to appeal to very wide age ranges. So, ages ago, I thought I’d try to compile a list of what might be considered the Top Ten Popular Songs. Well, I’ve got 54 now and still discovering more.
Biggest problem, of course, is that beauty is in the ear of the listener. However, if you set yourself a set of criteria, like: engaging lyric that can make you smile or cry or both; good tune with melody one can remember; something a bit different musically (like The Beatles Help! switching the lead lyric to the chorus singers and chorus to solo singer); number of covers by succeeding artists. Plus anything else you can conjure up.
Despite vast number compiled, I reckon the top three should contain Bridge Over Troubled Water by S&G; Stardust by Hoagy Carmichael; Eleanor Rigby. Maybe not in that order though.
Loads of problems, of course. Trying to push away personal preferences; unusual recording performance, like Goin’ Back by Carole King only really ever done by Springfield; “obscure” little numbers by McCartney which you suddenly remember (Mother Nature’s Son, say).
What do you think? Am I really bonkers to even try? What would you choose? What criteria do you think are right? Any thoughts, suggestions, votes or whatever will be gratefully received from anyone . 🎶
My two companions Forest the long haired Chihuahua (a little lion dog) and Winter our 6 month old Border Collie. He’s a blue merle with a champion dad.
You can never be lonely with this pair of cuddle bugs around. I love them to bits!
I’ll have a think about it Tharg.
Check out the lyrics to ‘Drivers License’ by a young singer Olivia Rodrigo.
I know it’s an ultra modern take on heartbreak with a couple of F words thrown in, but it makes me emotional when I listen to it, and that’s a measure of a good lyricist.
I love classical music. Edward Elgar is buried less than half a mile from my house, and he used to give piano lessons next door. I’ll put flowers on his grave as soon as the weather improves. I also love the ballet and Opera, and I really enjoy going to musicals when I can. Blood Brothers is playing with a top touring cast at the beginning of March at the renowned Malvern theatre just a few minutes from us.
I grew up back in the 60’s in the pop and rock era with a chunk of reggae and Ska thrown in, followed by Motown of course, and with two of the family currently rehearsing for a return to gigs, one in a rock band and the other in a tribute band my head is filled with music.
My musical tastes are totally eclectic. I’ve got loads of tracks covering all genres on usb which I play through a good hifi system in the car when I’m out and about, and when I’m home I play it through a Yamaha Stagepas 600BT PA system (the clarity and tone is exceptional) with a Yamaha DSX15 subwoofer linked in when I feel like feeling the floor move …. the subwoofer alone pumps out up to 1000watts.
I admire your choice of a top three Tharg. The penmanship for all three is top notch. It will take me a while to do justice to a top three, because already I’m having a crisis about the songs I will have to discard. 😀👍
Dammit! Just lost my first reply here. Shortened version follows:
Gorgeous dogs. Must get and post some new snaps of our Tilly-dog, Mrs Soppy Staffie.
Too many thing to say to get into one post. I’ll hunt out Olivia Rodrigo and take a listen. In return may I refer you to one Gaby Moreno, a Guatemalan girl now in LA. Heard her first as a guest on a Hugh Laurie NOLA blues/jazz album. She has an astounding voice. Massive range, jumping two octaves as though it’s quite effortless. Also gets so much emotion and engagement into her words. Touching; intriguing, LOL amusing and downright sexy. Also writes award winning songs. I prefer her Spanish numbers but she’s done some marvellous English stuff too; sometimes in the vein of Cole Porter or Macca, sometimes just herself. Try Illusion, O Me or Aldous.
More later…
We could be in for some great reading here, guess we’re lucky being able to post pics here..
Love the dog companion pics POPS, has to take ours to the vet yesterday, booster jabbing..
Not sure if you’ve seen Tilly the rare pear dog, hopefully later on in the year maybe, or even Joss’s inquisitive cats looking in on screen..
Dentist today, got a headache from hell before I start too, Oh well nice hot bath should be calling by now…🛀🏿🧴🪒🪥🛀🏿🚰
Quite right about Ms Rodrigo, POPS. She has that trick in the voice that pours emotion into her words. Moving and powerful.
Share your enthusiasm for Elgar; cello concerto, obviously, but also love his Empire compositions – Crown of India has some lovely melodies. Other English composers from the end of his period are George Butterworth and Peter Warlock. The former died at war in France in 1916. Great loss he would have gone on to great things. Vaughan Williams was a close friend and mentor. VW’s “Pastoral” is really a War symphony and never fails to bring a tear to the eye.
The evocative power of music …. You mentioned English composers and the back of my neck tingled as I rushed to Youtube to put on the Pastoral symphony which I’ve not heard for too long.
What a haunting and beautiful piece it is! Confusing as well, because I see two landscapes. The blasted bloody fields of France and the tranquil fields of England that soldiers would never get to return to. Brilliant.
The trumpet (horn?) cadenza in the second movement with its not-quite-right Last Post always gets me. My paternal grandfather died in the first battle of the Somme. Obviously, I never knew the chap but those haunting, evocative notes bring alive all the tragedy and loss of those terrible times. It is even worse than Howard Goodall’s ultimate theme for Blackadder Goes Forth. Very hard to listen to that.
I remember the end of Blackadder. The juxtaposition of comedy and pathos closed by the short variation of the usual theme into a chilling ‘end theme’, which was played as they went over the top was a real tear jerker.
That was both great emotive comedy and inspired writing.
Talking about writing, I posted a photo a few days ago of the spine of the Malvern Hills above my house, and I’ve just read that C.S. Lewis who was a local boy and who wrote ‘the Chronicles of Narnia’ used to walk these hills on a regular basis from the point the photo was taken, with his good friend from Oxford University JRR.Tolkien. They used to end up in my local pub ‘The Unicorn’ and sit drinking and smoking while discussing the topography which later influenced them both. Tolkien in particular said that walking the hills inspired the idea of a much larger scale ‘White Mountains’ in ‘Lord of the Rings’.
I’ve reposted the photo to show the start point for their long walk.
Yes, I can understand that landscape inspiring both of them. Looks like pure Hobbit country. Can’t say about Narnia, confess I’ve never read those. Did read Lewis’s Out of the Silent Planet trilogy as a lad. The science-fiction elements attracted me. Read them again recently. Very odd.
Mentioning Goodall drove me to listen to his Inspired CD. Some great tunes on there – an even more tear-jerking version of the Blackadder and a charming, classical piano treatment of the silly dance number Tongue Tied from Red Dwarf.
I’ve just been watching dusk approaching across the Severn Valley. The sudden increase in birds flying towards my garden to shelter in our tall trees is impressive in the beauty and ease of their passage.
Then I look beyond my garden and see car headlights and rear lights traversing the lanes, and realise that their occupants are doing exactly the same as the birds. They are seeking safe haven for the night.
Well, POPS, nothing so pretty and poetic as that. However, what with the grass being dry and all, I thought it was time for a gentle cut. Half of it got cut then mower gave up. Busted bearing above blade. Not repairable. Dead.
So need new one. Thought I’d go for one of the battery-powered rechargeable ones. Has anyone had any experience of these things? Only have a small lawn so 30ish cm cut is OK. Can they handle a bit of rough cutting as well as a mains powered one. Goolged it and all I get is confused. Any thoughts gratefully received.
We have a Hyundai four stroke petrol mower with an electric start (bought second hand from a guy in Chipping Norton last summer). It’s a walk behind mower with four speeds. If I was mowing I’d have it set on number one 😀. We can’t have an electric mower because the bottom of the lower garden is probably 220/30 feet away from the house.
It’s tremendously robust, and due to the size of the garden it’s a 53 cms cut, but they do a 28cms cut as well I believe. It’s very effective and controllable, and leaves the lawns looking neat.
Thanks, POPS. Have had petrol mowers previously but my lawns here hardly need one. That said, however, I cut the lawns for v. old neighbour because she simply can’t manage it. A small ICE might be handy. I’ll take a look at the Hyundai.
I like muzac myself, that and films and whisky lol. i use roon to control and collate. im now all digital and just use cans these days, but its excellent; sold majority of my hifi, but still have a number of vinyl in house. i have qobuz integrated too so that boosts your collection somewhat. Blues is my no 1, but jazz, and most others too.. as said before it needs to be musical/lyrical too(except perhaps some delta stuff). Ive a large film/classic tv series collection spread between blurays/ plex/amazon/apple and dont have a tv licence as i dont watch tv.
Whisky has been a part of my life forever really. Ive a fair collection still although not what it was as im inclined to nibble away at it occasionally.
Current Car: Hyundai Kona Premium EV...2 way 40kg hoist
Last Car: Toyota C-HR Excel Hybrid...4 way 80kg hoiststruth, thanks for sharing.
I share a number of your musical interests, especially the early Blues up to the Muddy Waters era, and I love the smooth and silky Jazz vocals of Ella Fitzgerald.
I listen to classical music in the car and also in my office/bedroom. I have a pair of Audio-Technica M50x headphones for late night listening and watching, but often belt out garage rock or country through a Yamaha PA system during the day. We do a lot of karaoke in our house, and often sit in front of the log burner singing old favourites while accompanied by my son, daughter in law and granddaughters playing their guitars.
My film watching tends to be of the Netflix/Amazon/Sky variety, although my son has shelves of DVD’s neatly lined up in bookcases for when we want to revisit an old film favourite. I really enjoy re watching good films.
Whisky! I don’t pretend to be a connoisseur, but I generally have a dozen or so bottles in my little collection. They range from light golden Japanese blended to dark and peaty single malts like Laphroaig. There’s also usually an interloper Bourbon (Woodford Reserve) on the shelf. I use to drink Whisky straight but recently my son persuaded me to put two freshly made Malvern Water ice cubes in a glass and pour the whisky over it, then leave it for ten minutes before sipping. The result is amazing, as I’m now able to taste the full range of nuanced flavours that I would have missed by drinking it straight. I sound like an alcoholic, lol!
Cheers struth.
An excellent idea Joss, and enlightening to read about other people’s daily life, musical tastes etc , well done.
Hey Pops, I used to visit the Malvern area quite often with my parents, as a youngster, as my Dad’s family hailed from Richard’s Castle, and Ludlow, and some lived in the Forest Of Dean & Ledbury, which we used to visit often also.
My great grandparents, and then my great Aunt Bess lived in, Marlpool Lane Kidderminster and she had a sweet shop in the Town.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.