The 6000 miles… Yachting Correspondent recently told me that my taste in music is “weird”.
You’re gonna love this one, mate.
(Spoiler: I doubt it).
And I fully recognise that this new one from James Blake won’t be to everyone’s taste, but put it through a decent set of speakers on some hazy, booze-soaked late night and it will hit the spot.
Promise.
But can we please agree that this video is spectacular, and even perhaps that James’ thoughts on Eisenbahnscheinbewegung* are also worth a mention:
If the car beside you moves ahead
As much as it feels as though you’re dead
You’re not going backwards.
I think this basically means “never give up”.
*The false sensation of movement felt when looking out of the window of a stationary (no pun intended) train and seeing another train departing.
Yeah, I know that the S is next to the A on the keyboard, but this was no unintentional typo.
This are a plural.
And the Africas we are talking about is this one.
The wild dogs cry out in the night
As they grow restless, longing for some solitary company
I know that I must do what’s right
As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti
I seek to cure what’s deep inside, frightened of this thing that I’ve become
So yes, it’s a music post, but it’s one that the 6000 miles… yachting correspondent might even enjoy. Wow.
Well, it’s actually just an excuse to share a couple of cover versions of that great song. But it’s apt and relevant because we have no rains to bless down in Africa right now, and also because I have plans for the weekend: I’m gonna take some time to do the things we never had.
That doesn’t even make sense. It doesn’t even matter.
First up, Mathieu Terrade on the Harpejji. I’d never heard of one before either, but it seems to be a mashup between a harp, a guitar and a piano. (And is (ever so) vaguely similar to a hammered dulcimer*.) (But only in appearance.) You can learn about it here. A full size harpejji starts at $3,999 and that’s before you’ve added “racing stripes” or “deluxe trim material”.
And then Maryland residents have to pay another 6% in sales tax as well – presumably to help fund The Guru’s G&Ts on his next boating trip.
So it is expensive, but it does sound good too: just watch (and listen) to Mathieu playing it here:
It’s a lovely version of a great song. But (sorry, Mathieu) for me it’s nowhere near as good as this one. Step forward (and sideways etc) the Angel City Chorale with their (interactive) version:
Fast forward to 2:10 if you’re in a rush and you just want to hear the vocal bit. Such a great version. And that conductor: I’ve been conducted by a good few conductors in my time, some good, some bad. This one looks like she’s just a whole lot of fun. In fact, the whole choir does. Doing music for the right reasons. And it shows.
Right, thank you reading this far, but I’m sad to say that this is the end of the post, and I know that it’s gonna take a lot to drag you away from me, but hurry boy, she’s waiting there for you.
The second release from Baxter Dury’s new album is the title track.
It’s very catchy.
Second release, because he has already given us Miami which is really good and has an excellent video, but which contains far too much nasty language to be allowed a post of its own on here.
At the sad news of the sudden death of The Cranberries lead singer Dolores O’Riordan yesterday, there’s every reason to enjoy this (and/or any other examples of their work) today:
Another voice from the soundtrack of my student days is gone.
