Stuff I'm Listening to #56 - The Four Seasons - Summer

Artist: Nigel Kennedy
Composer: Antonio Vivaldi
Title: Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, "Summer" (L'estate)
Why?: Welcome to the heat! I think this piece isn't presented often enough. Everyone knows "Spring". I think if Vivaldi was a pop star, The Four Seasons would have been his top 40 album. "Spring" would have been his top 10 single from the album. (AND everyone knows "Winter" from those diamond commercials too).  

I recall Nigel Kennedy explaining how he was always able to relate to this part. Unlike the sparkly sound Spring and Fall, this concerto is slow, a little sad, a little oppressive until the climatic release in the third part. If a thunderstorm had a soundtrack, this is it. He (Nigel) said that he suffered from asthma(?) (and apparently so did Vivaldi) and in those especially humid and uncomfortable days, he suffers. I am no fan of humidity so this piece fits for today and the rest of any long uncomfortable days of summer. 

Below are the other two parts of the "Summer" concerto. I've also included Vanessa Mae's take on the third "Storm" part of the piece, which I absolutely enjoy rocking out to. 

Stuff I’m listening to #55 - Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man

Artist: Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man Title: Mysteries 

Favourite Lyrics:  
Mysteries of love
Where war is no more
I'll be there anytime

Why?: Rustin Man decided to share his memories about the album this gorgeous song came from. I am just discovering it now because as you all are aware I got stuck in the 80s and haven’t come out yet. It was a keyboard smashing moment of “OMG! It’s a beautiful song!” (Actually... the exact keyboard smashing result was "adfkls;nvb/bm hj!")

Then there was immediate self-anger because I’m so slow to the game. Like “Damnit! You should have known about this sooner!!!” I’ve shared his Facebook link below because I thought it was interesting and because he has a new album out that you might like and there’s more info on his page about that too. 

Stuff I'm Listening To: Special Happy Birthday John Taylor edition

Artist: Duran Duran
Title: Lonely In Your Nightmare
Lyrics:
Must be lucky weather when you find the kind of wind that you need
C'mon show me all the light and shade that made your name
I know you've got it in your head, I've seen that look before
You've built your refuge turns you captive all the same

Why?: Well, it's John Taylor’s birthday. He is one of my favourite bassists. If you haven’t figured it out, I have a thing for hot bassists (Paul Webb, Paul McCartney, Sting, Sandy Horne). I think his work on this song is beautiful and I discovered that it’s a fretless bass that's giving this beautiful sound. I love his work on Last Chance on the Stairway too, but I’ve already posted it before (on FB anyway). 

Also, I need to show of my John Taylor swag. I had met him during the same autograph session that had Nick Rhodes remembering the photo of us was taken on (sic) my birthday (it was near my birthday) and pulled that out of the blue three years after the fact. John was far more interested in my friend's Cult T-shirt (thinking it was Guns and Roses) than me. I don't take it personally. There was a lot going on that day as the autograph session was poorly planned and by the time I'd made my way to the front (injured knee and all) we were being paraded past them as if they were zoo animals on display. 

So below is his book, In the Pleasure Groove and the audio CD signed (purchased from Amazon). 

I can't tell you it's a great book without sounding biased. But it was a good read. If you liked the 80s, grab it. If you like biographies, grab it. If you like Duran Duran, shame on you if you don't already own it. ;) 

Happy birthday John Taylor, hot bass guitarist. :) 

Stuff I'm Listening to #54 - Manic Street Preachers

Artist: Manic Street Preachers
Title: Love’s Sweet Exile
Favourite Lyrics: 
Our lives drift into a faceless sense of void
Everything of meaning becomes destroyed
There's too much concrete for us to breathe
We are kept down 'cos we hate
 
Why?: I’m not 100% sure what it was about this song that slapped me across the face. There are a handful of songs where upon first hearing them, I sit and am awed into stunned silence and just listen. One day I will eventually sit down and toss out a list of the songs I consider to be perfectly crafted songs/albums. In the meantime, there is this song. I love it. I have no explanation why, only that it pulls at my heartstrings whenever it is on and if I listen hard, I might be brought to emotional tears. And sometimes, it is as simple as a progression of guitar notes or chords. There are a few songs that can do this to me. This is one of them. I just wanted to share. Sorry if you were expecting some deep rooted reason or meaningful explanation. And for those who believe it might have something to do with the video, you’re probably right. I have a weak spot for hot men wearing makeup. ;)  #childofthe80s

Stuff I'm Listening To - Special Birthday Edition - Happy Birthday Nick Rhodes

Artist: Arcadia
 
Title: Missing
 
Lyrics: 

And as I wander down to where you lay
The blood rushed up to meet the roses
In your hair
I thought I saw you smile
But now I don't see you anywhere
Whispering your love song in my ear
How can you touch me
When you're not really there?
 
Why?: If anyone out here thought I would neglect to mention my first rock star love, Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran birthday, you’re sadly mistaken. And if you all thought I wouldn’t take this opportunity to repost, yet again, our photo together… you clearly don’t know me that well. HAHAHA! Happy birthday Nick! 

Hey Look. I met this guy. <3

Stuff I'm Listening To #53 - The Jam

Artist: The Jam
 
Title: That’s Entertainment
 
Lyrics:
Days of speed and slow time Mondays
Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday
Watching the news and not eating your tea
A freezing cold flat and damp on the walls
That's entertainment, that's entertainment
 
Why?: There were so many songs when I started listening to mod revival that I had no idea who the artist was. It was always a struggle to find song titles. These days you have apps that can do that for you. While the apps suck for classical music (even more of a struggle), they work pretty good for these songs. It wasn’t until Morrissey did a cover of this song that I finally found out it was Paul Weller. This is one of those instances when I get upset that I discovered this group a bit late. Also, this is my current mood for today.

Stuff I'm Listening To # 52 - Rush

Artist: Rush
 
Title: Tom Sawyer
 
Lyrics: 
No, his mind is not for rent
To any God or government
Always hopeful yet discontent
He knows changes aren't permanent
But change is

Why?: It occurred to me that in the grand scheme of amazing drummers (Both Roger Taylors (the one from Queen and of course, the one from Duran Duran), Lee Harris from Talk Talk, Buddy Rich and of course Animal from Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem) that I don’t mention Neil Peart amongst them. I assume it’s because everyone already knows the Professor is an amazing drummer and it goes without saying. Just popping this tune up because I happen to be listening to it right now. And it came up after a few months of absenteeism on my motorcycle riding playlist. Awesome tune to be listening to on the bike, by the way.

Also - “Alright. It’s a Saturday night, I have no date, a two litre bottle of shasta and my all Rush mix tape. Let’s rock.” Philip J. Fry - Futurama

Before the dew...

Kew Gardens Toronto at Night

I’m fortunate. My shift at work allows me to ride home at night.

It’s the beginnings of summer now. It’s still cool at night. In fact, this spring has been exceptionally rainy and cool.

But it was pleasant and warm today. But I can feel it in the air. Rain is coming but I want to enjoy my ride home, so I don’t rush.

There is something about riding at night that I’ve always enjoyed since I started riding. I’m going to try to explain it. So bear with me.

First, it’s cooler at night. I can be fully geared up and not be uncomfortably warm.

Later in the evenings, things are quiet, especially on the week days. People are home and sleeping and everything feels relaxed. I ride along what is normally a bustling busy street, and there are only a few cars around me. I don’t have to be as defensive, as if everyone is out to kill me. These people in their high end cars are only out now because they need to get somewhere. They’re not unhappy, not stuck in traffic. And it seems that they don’t want to tangle with a biker, so they give me space.

Things at night smell different.

During the day, the sun cooks everything. You get this miasma of scent. It’s a muddled, crowded, dusty, smell. It’s not necessarily a bad smell, but things, subtle things, get lost in the mix. The heat of the day releases the smell of human presence and for me, that’s a stressful smell, especially in a large city.

At night, things smell different.

You can’t enjoy this from being in a car. This is why dogs stick their heads out windows. With the heat of the day gone, the strong odors are gone and you can smell nature and it’s pure. The scent of flowers surrounds you. Summer is coming. You can feel it, smell it, taste it.

The ride home takes me past sleepy neighbourhoods of large homes with perfectly manicured lawns where everyone has settled in for the evening. It’s a work night after all. Of course, these gardens have an obligatory lilac bush. And it’s almost June. The lilacs are starting to bloom and their perfume is beginning to fill the air.

I ride past these personal oases, and everything is floral, beautiful, pruned and clipped. And as beautiful as these gardens are they are missing something.

Further along, I’ve left the subdivision and am going down a country side road past vast fields of sod. The heat rises from the fields and I can smell the earth, and the grass. There it is, that missing thing… the fresh earth, unkempt, dirty, innate. There is a mist coming up from the fields. There’s rain in the air, but not yet. There’s steam from the earth releasing it’s heat from the day. Another lone biker passes me going the other direction. I can smell the exhaust. He’s running a bit rich and then the small of exhaust is gone. He, no doubt, is enjoying the evening as I am. Someone else had traversed through here already. I can smell a cigarette. And it’s gone.

The trees on each side of the road are towering here. It feels like a corridor, I can’t look up at the sky here, because the fields and trees attract wildlife so now is not the time to be star gazing. There are lights at the end of the road that make the the end of the trees look like a portal.

I can concentrate on my other senses. Riding is my meditative state. I’m able to listen to music and really hear it for what it is. And if it’s a song I’m super familiar with, it falls to the wayside and my mind starts filling my head with inspirational thoughts, plot bunnies and the occasional “I wonder what’s for dinner?”

The highway smells different. There isn’t so much exhaust right now. The cars running around this time of the night are few and far in between and I don’t feel threatened by them. There is construction, so I get the occasional whiff of asphalt and tar. Not many people are aggressive right now. You don’t need to be. No one is around. There are no crowds. It’s night and it’s calm. I’m alone with my thoughts. The highway passes under my tires like water in a fast flowing river and I’m flying now.