Entries Tagged 'Music' ↓

Shannon and I felt The Dave Matthews Band were particularly good this summer when we saw them on their West Palm Beach Florida stop. We saw Friday’s show – September 14, 2007. My take on it was that they’re getting too old to be stoned all the time and therefore were sharper – more on tempo. Maybe it was the addition to the touring band of Trumpet player Rashawn Ross? Whatever the reason they were great. We had a wonderful time. I was just cleaning out my office and rather than just chucking away the ticket stubb or secreting it in to a box I’ll never do anything with I thought I would scan it for posterity. Long live Dave and the band.

For pretty much all of my waking life that I can remember I’ve loved music. There is no passion that runs hotter through my veins. But that passion hasn’t ever translated to learning to read, write, and play music.

After 38 years of life the time has come for me to do so. I’ve debated between the piano and guitar since they’re both instruments that you can solo on well and also write music with which is a main goal of mine.

I tried to play guitar when I was about 11 but I completely underestimated the reality of the hard work of practice that learning music requires. I believe I have the staying power and a life full of want, desire and pent up music creativity to drive me forward now that I didn’t possess back then.

I was going to go with Piano because of a recommendation from my friend and long time musician Dan who played harmonica (his first love), guitar and then Sax (his current love). Dan said you couldn’t go wrong with either but that the Piano might give me a better sense of playing, reading, hearing, and visualizing music (my own interpretation of what Dan said). I looked at electric pianos and keyboards but ultimately for what I want they’re all a bit too pricey for me.

Then I had a good idea. I dug my old cheapie Hondo Fender Stratocaster ripoff from 1980 out of my closet all got all set to take it to Guitar Center for some TLC. Unfortunately it’s been rusting in its case since it’s days in Fremantle and the heat from various garage storings has left the area around the pickups warped. It looks shot. It’s also left handed – like me – and I really want to try and play right handed. Huh? Lots of reasons. Bigger selection of guitars, more low priced offerings, and I think an interesting right/brain left/brain challenge (if music itself wasn’t already)!

There’s another practical purpose. I’ve owed Shannon a guitar since her 26th birthday when we lived in Alameda. I almost bought her one and then did something else. It’s a long running joke that I still owe her that guitar. In any event I reasoned that if I went right handed she could play it as well. The final reason for a righty-guitar are my kids. I really want my kids to love music. And so far they do but I want them to play as well. All my kids are right handed. Max, 16 has already started (I got him an Epiphone Dot two years ago). He hasn’t played much but he’s still toying a bit with it which is better than nothing.

Selecting my guitar. Price and quality of sound were my two criteria. I also wanted all acoustic because I want to do something that completely contrast my online life. I did what any online geek would do. I researched the hell out of really good inexpensive acoustic guitars. Every review I read mentioned the Canadian made Seagull S6 – usually as their top pick.

I called up Guitar Center and spoke to David yesterday. I asked him for his pick for the best three inexpensive and great sounding acoustic guitars. He talked about some Parkhill guitars (think I have the name wrong) that sounded really great and also Yamaha and Seagull. He closed by saying what a lot of people say about the Seagull S6 online. To paraphrase: I bought the Seagull S6 as my beginning guitar and I still love its sound, even compared with guitars I now own (insert blank name of really expensive two or three thousand dollar guitar here). I listened to a lot of acoustic guitars and my ears confirmed the Seagull is amazing, and for a list price of $369 US. With a stand, bag, picks, strings, tuner, and guitar strap we settled on $430 out the door. I think that’s pretty amazing considering how little you can get these days for four-hundred bucks.

I’ve started reading a guitar and music book and have strummed my first notes. Played Twinkle, Twinkle little star to John and Julia last night for bed. They loved it! They’ve also been unable to separate themselves from playing it. Fantastic! I think I’ll go down and buy them both a small kids guitar today so we can make some music together.

Dreams can come true. Wish me luck! I’ve got to learn to play so I can put some notes to the song lyrics I wrote a while back (yeah my first song – Area code).

What a great word and what a great song!

Just a couple of days ago Shannon’s Uncle Sam was asking me for the musician, author and album that this great song appears on. I was was wondering how he knew the song and it turns out Shannon heard him singing it while we were out on the golf course on Sam and Pat’s recent visit. Shannon played our favorite version for Sam later that day in our truck on our ride home. The song has bee covered to death – the Rufus Wainwright version being one of the newer attempts. And for good reason – it is such a sweet song. I pretty much get goosebumps every time I listen to this track. Sam, the short answer to your question is that Rufus Wainwright is the musician you heard Shannon play and his version of Hallelujah is on the 2001 Shrek Soundtrack. Buy a copy online from this link.

Here’s a sample of our favorite version to listen to by Rufus Wainwright, recorded for the Shrek soundtrack. Wainwright ring any bells? It should – Rufus is Louden Wainwright Jr’s son. Who the hell is Loudon Wainwright Jr.? Man, if you don’t know look him up!

According to the write up on Wikipedia the original song author was Leonard Cohen, who wrote the song for the 1984 release Various Positions. It also appeared on Cohen’s greatest hits album titled The Essential Leonard Cohen from 2002. Here’s a sample of the master’s version (clicking on this link opens a music player in your web browser – hit your browser back button to get back to this post).

Many people think the song was written by Jeff Buckley, where the song appeared on his 1994 release Grace. Many also attribute the song to John Cale where his version appeared on Fragments of a Rainy Season from 1992. Cale’s version is often the most well known due it appearing on the Shrek Soundtrack and the T.V. Shows Scrubs and MTV’s Orange County.

Here are samples of all the versions that I own (clicking on any of these links opens a music player in your web browser – hit your browser back button to get back to this post):

Here’s a live John Cale version and also the version that you may know from Shrek (update I’m still trying to find this one in my CD’s so I’ll put a sample up later).

Jeff Buckley.

You can get these songs from iTunes, Amazon’s music store, Rhapsody (subscription required) and I’m sure many other music retailers online. Of course, you can also walk, run, ride, skate, or drive down to your local music shop and grab a copy of these great versions pretty easily since most albums and musicians cited are popular enough to have wide distribution.

I was reading the latest Rolling Stone Magazine and an article on Akon. Akon is a pretty interesting character and artist in his own right. I enjoy his music.

Akon mentions some of the artists that he’s listening to right now and the list includes John Mayer, The Dixie Chicks and 50 Cent. 50 Cent is what you’d expect, but John Mayer and The Dixie Chicks? I took it as a sign that Akon is a real musical artist. Well, that and some compelling supporting evidence in the Rolling Stone article and on the radio.

I get a hold of John Mayer’s album Continuum because I’ve already heard a couple of tracks off it (like Gravity) and they’re the first Mayer songs I’ve really liked. What came as a shock to me, and not to any of his fans, is that Mayer is a blues man and a fantastic blues guitarist. I’m floored by Continuum. It’s an amazing album.

Here’s a song sample that hit me right between the eyes.

Lyrics: In repair

Too many shadows in my room
too many hours in this midnight
too many corners in my mind
so much to do to set my heart right
oh it’s taking so long i could be wrong, i could be ready
oh but if i take my heart’s advice
i should assume it’s still unsteady
i am in repair, i am in repair

stood on the corner for a while
to wait for the wind to blow down on me
hoping it takes with it my old ways
and brings some brand new look upon me
oh it’s taking so long i could be wrong, i could be ready
oh but if i take my heart’s advice
i should assume it’s still unsteady
i am in repair, i am in repair

and now i’m walking in a park
all of the birds they dance below me
maybe when things turn green again
it will be good to say you know me

oh it’s taking so long i could be wrong, i could be ready
oh but if i take my heart’s advice
i should assume it’s still unready
oh i’m never really ready, i’m never really ready
i’m in repair, i’m not together but i’m getting there
i’m in repair, i’m not together but i’m getting there

Listen to a sample of John Mayer’s In Repair and then go out and buy the album

I found this deus song called There’s nothing impossible by watching a great video about web 2.0 on YouTube. Nice beat.

Listen up:

I’ve been using musicovery.com for the last week or so.

Try it!

This “new to me” music service features a great user interface that makes exploring music fun. Well, to be honest I always find exploring music fun. I’ve found musicovery to be very reliable in different browser/OS combos (note: I have not tried musicovery in Linux yet).

What really differentiates Musicovery.com the most is the decidedly rich user interface that will remind you of mind mapping. It’s very functional, not just a pretty face, allowing you to see upcoming music, see the branch of music you are exploring, along with useful basics like artist name and track info. There are built in links to Amazon music and iTunes if you’re ready to purchase a track or album. If you fork over $5 a month you can get your music in high quality bit rates.