Content warning: This post contains references to the Canadian Residential Schools system. I was horrified and deeply saddened by the news that the remains of 215 Indigenous children of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation had recently been discovered at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. My country, Canada, wasContinue reading “I’m Going Home”
Tag Archives: America
In a Big Country
Well, happy Friday, friends! Another week has gone by so quickly… how does that happen when we are still so restricted and isolated? Surely, time should be dragging! If you’ve been following along here in the last few weeks, you might have noticed I have a bit of a thing going on with the 1980s.Continue reading “In a Big Country”
Heaven
I remember one night very clearly, after closing time, at the McDonald’s restaurant where I worked part-time during the mid- to late-1970s. The night-time cleaning crew had arrived; two grown men with long hair and beards, and plenty of attitude and bravado. They would work all night, cleaning the greasy kitchen and all areas ofContinue reading “Heaven”
In Your Eyes
In 1993, Peter Gabriel was touring in support of his 1992 album Us. I’m not sure all the places that his Secret World tour played, but during two nights at the Palasport Nuovo in Modena, Italy, a crew filmed the concerts. The resulting film was Secret World Live, released in 1994 on VHS tape, thenContinue reading “In Your Eyes”
Gather Round the Table
Yesterday morning, I was listening to Colorado Public Radio’s classical music stream. It’s a station often recommended to me by a dear friend who lives there. At one point, CPR Classical host David Ginder played a new piece by American pianist, composer, music scholar and author Bruce Adolphe, titled “Gather Round the Table.” Adolphe setContinue reading “Gather Round the Table”
Yesterday Once More
In one of my previous posts (Herb Alpert’s “This Guy’s in Love with You,” February 11, 2020), I tell a story about Saturday shopping trips with my parents and what felt at the time like an ordeal, following them around women’s clothing stores all day. In that post, I mention that Alpert’s songs remind meContinue reading “Yesterday Once More”
Papa Don’t Take No Mess
I think I need more funk and soul in my life! Last evening while puttering with dinner — one of the few times I’ve made it lately (or rather, reheated it, if I’m honest!) — I was trying to find an online radio station to listen to. I landed on BBC 6 Music, and duringContinue reading “Papa Don’t Take No Mess”
Les Enfants Terribles, VI: Terrible Interlude
That’s quite a title, isn’t it? I promise, the piece is far from terrible… Today, I’m featuring a relatively new release I found today on the Deutsche Grammophon YouTube channel, played by the French piano duo Katia and Marielle Labèque. “Terrible Interlude” comes from an 11-part suite for piano duet, Les Enfants Terribles. The workContinue reading “Les Enfants Terribles, VI: Terrible Interlude”
This Is Our Home (8:30 Newfoundland)
Happy Friday! So, the country I live in, Canada, is a vast land that extends from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, to the North Pole and the border with the United States of America. It’s a big country, at 9.9 million square kilometres (3.82 million square miles). We occupy six time zones (Pacific, Mountain,Continue reading “This Is Our Home (8:30 Newfoundland)”
What a Wonderful World
“And I think to myself / What a wonderful world…” (from “What a Wonderful World,” by Bob Thiele [aka George Douglas], George David Weiss) Today’s my birthday. It’s my second pandemic birthday, and while last year I felt a slight tinge of sadness about not gathering with family and friends, this year my feelings ofContinue reading “What a Wonderful World”
Coat of Many Colors
American singer-songwriter, author, actor and philanthropist Dolly Parton has been in the news recently. She donated USD one million for research into COVID-19 vaccines and recently celebrated her vaccination. But true to her style, Parton deferred her own jab until others received it. During her rise to popularity in the 1970s, I remember it wasContinue reading “Coat of Many Colors”
Birds and Stars
In November 2020, I shared with you a song by the American transcendental folk band Elephant Revival. When active, the group based itself in Nederland, Colorado, a beautiful little town I spent time in with some friends in the summer of 2012. My sweety and I have come to know many people in the vicinityContinue reading “Birds and Stars”
Walking on Sunshine
Katrina and the Waves were a British-American band active from 1981 to 1999. The band actually started in 1975 as The Waves, but never recorded any music and morphed into Mama’s Cookin,’ a pop cover band from England which featured American Katrina Leskanich as singer and keyboard player. Some more personnel changes led to theContinue reading “Walking on Sunshine”
Almost Home
Today I was thinking about music by American electronica singer, songwriter, musician, producer, philanthropist and animal rights activist Moby, whose songs I’ve posted before. Cruising around his YouTube page, I found a version of “Almost Home” recorded as a lyric video featuring cats and dogs in the Best Friends Animal Society, a Los Angeles, CaliforniaContinue reading “Almost Home”
The Best Is Yet to Come
Happy Friday! With a title like “The Best Is Yet to Come,” today’s song seems like a good one on which to ride into the weekend. Wikipedia tells me composer Cy Coleman (1929-2004) and lyricist Carolyn Leigh (1926-1983), both of America, wrote it in 1959. They also co-wrote “Bewitched,” another piece sung by American singer,Continue reading “The Best Is Yet to Come”
Wild Is the Wind
Today one of my lads reacted to my Facebook post of Saturday’s blog entry on Nina Simone’s (1933-2003) “Lilac Wine,” from her 1966 album Wild Is the Wind. He commented that yesterday was the late singer’s birthday. I hadn’t noticed the date when looking up information about her. My blog piece on “Lilac Wind” mightContinue reading “Wild Is the Wind”
Lilac Wine
In 1966, American singer, songwriter, musician arranger and civil rights activist Nina Simone (1933-2003) released her sixth studio album, Wild Is the Wind. The album was assembled from recordings left over from previous recording sessions. (Please check out my post on Simone’s cover of “I Put a Spell on You” for more about her lifeContinue reading “Lilac Wine”
Poor Poor Pitiful Me
This afternoon I was in the car on errands and listening to SiriusXM’s The Bridge (soft rock stream) when a song came on that somehow reminded me of the (now-retired) American singer Linda Ronstadt. My thoughts then went to Ronstadt’s top-40 hit rendition of a song by American musician Warren Zevon (1947-2003), “Poor Poor PitifulContinue reading “Poor Poor Pitiful Me”
Kiss Them for Me
I can’t say I followed the punk rock scene of the mid-1970s, though I suppose I observed from a distance what was going on due to my constant fascination with music. But English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer Susan Ballion, better known as Siouxsie Sioux, sure did. She first saw the English punk rock bandContinue reading “Kiss Them for Me”
Carry On Wayward Son
“Carry on my wayward sonThere’ll be peace when you are doneLay your weary head to restDon’t you cry no more” (from “Carry On Wayward Son,” by Kerry Livgren) If you were living in the 1970s, I think it would be nearly impossible not to immediately recognize the above lines as the unaccompanied introduction sung byContinue reading “Carry On Wayward Son”
Goose Snow Cone
Content warning: this post contains discussion of mental health. I first heard Aimee Mann’s music in the film, I Am Sam, which starred American actor Sean Penn as a single father with an intellectual disability, at risk of losing custody of his daughter. The soundtrack is made up entirely of covers of Beatles songs; MannContinue reading “Goose Snow Cone”
Things to Live For
Jackson Maloney is an American poet and singer-songwriter living and creating art in Colorado, USA. I came to know him through a mutual friend and at online community gatherings held early in the 2020 lockdown, including early-morning poetry sharing sessions. He released his first collection of poems, Becoming, in 2018, and the ten-song album ThingsContinue reading “Things to Live For”
Cinderella, Op. 87, Act I: No. 1, Introduction (Andante Dolce)
Many years ago, one of my brothers and I and our partners were together a lot to watch movies and listen to classical music long-play records (it was a long time ago, so we most likely were watching VHS tapes!). He quizzed, coached and helped me learn who composers were through their different styles andContinue reading “Cinderella, Op. 87, Act I: No. 1, Introduction (Andante Dolce)”
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding
The English singer-songwriter and actor Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick McManus) began his musical career in the London pub early in the 1970s. In 1977, he released his debut album, My Aim Is True, which lit a rocket taking him to stardom in the still-forming new wave music scene. Costello’s band, the Attractions, joined himContinue reading “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”
All the Young Dudes
Here’s my third and final instalment in observance of David Bowie’s birth and death. Bowie was a longtime fan of the English rock band Mott the Hoople and encouraged them to stay together when there was talk of a break-up. He wrote “All the Young Dudes” for them and produced their 1972 album of theContinue reading “All the Young Dudes”
Symphony No. 1, I: Subterraneans
Two days ago, I posted a song by David Bowie (1947-2016) on the 74th anniversary of his birth. Today is the fifth anniversary of his death. On Sundays since June 2020, I’ve been posting classical music pieces. Today, I’m sharing one that has a deep connection to Bowie’s music, written by American composer and pianistContinue reading “Symphony No. 1, I: Subterraneans”
Handle With Care
The Traveling Wilburys were a British-American supergroup formed in early 1988 after joining together to record a song to accompany a single by ex-Beatle George Harrison (1943-2001). “Handle With Care” was meant to be that song, but when it was complete, it was decided the track was far too good to be used as aContinue reading “Handle With Care”
Maple Leaf Rag
Released on Christmas Day in 1973, the film The Sting starred American actors Paul Newman (1925-2008) and Robert Redford as a pair of grifters who join forces to pull a complicated con job on a mob boss played by British actor, playwright and novelist Robert Shaw (1927-1978). George Roy Hill was director for the filmContinue reading “Maple Leaf Rag”
Elevator to Heaven
Neither any of my siblings nor I have musical talent. It wasn’t something any of us learned as children, though we all share a deep love for music, and that certainly was something influenced by our parents, and later by friends and the bands we grew up listening to and sharing as a family; somethingContinue reading “Elevator to Heaven”
Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’
As promised a few days ago, tonight, I’m sharing a Charley Pride (1934-2020) song, one that was his biggest hit. As most people know, the American country music legend died on December 12 from complications related to COVID-19. I don’t know Pride’s music well, so I called upon my sweety for a suggestion, and herContinue reading “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’”
Belong
This morning, I listened to part of the archive of Friday’s episode of KEXP’s The Morning Show with John Richards, as I’d missed the start of the program that day. In Richards’ opening set, he played “Belong,” an R.E.M. song covered by the Hobart, Australia band, Quivers. I Shazamed the piece, but the app couldn’tContinue reading “Belong”
Hurt
Hurt. There’s a lot of that going around. Many of us hurt because of what’s going on in the world. And we cannot hug our loved ones in the pandemic time. In Manitoba, we can’t even gather with anyone outside our home as of Thursday. Lockdown 2.0. I felt really stirred up today learning ofContinue reading “Hurt”
Lonely People
The day before yesterday, in the car just getting on the road, I flipped on the SiriusXM soft-rock radio channel, The Bridge, as I wasn’t yet sure what playlist of my music I wanted to hear. (We still have Sirius as, whenever I call to cancel, they offer me a ridiculously cheap, six-month extension ofContinue reading “Lonely People”
Song of the Day for Today 