TERRY'S LIBRARY: Music

3rd Qtr, Jul-Sept 2024

I am a huge Pet Shop Boys fan!

I feel like I grew “out” with these guys!!! LOL!

When I look back upon my life
It's always with a sense of shame
I've always been the one to blame

Perhaps no other pop song’s lyrics have spoken to me in the way their hit “It’s A Sin” did.

For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common too

Some of my best memories out on the dance floor were happening while the techno thumpin’ beats of the Pet Shop Boys were electrifying the club.

It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin

Thank you 'boys'
for being the soundtrack
for so many great times!

This synth-pop duo formed the year I graduated high school in 1981. They have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music history in The Guinness Book of Records.

Celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary at their Dreamworld Tour concert filmed at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen. In this lavish stage show with a full backup band and mesmerizing visual backdrops, the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe perform their greatest hits including “West End Girls” “What Have I Done To Deserve This” “Opportunities” “and “It’s A Sin.”

At school they taught me how to be
So pure in thought and word and deed
They didn't quite succeed

It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin

Get your glow stick ready, boys!

Pet Shop Boys: Dreamworld is
now available streaming on
PBS Passport!

________________________

2nd Qtr, Apr-Jun 2024
Audio DVD recommendation

Lakmé; 2023 DVD.

When I reflect on my favorite soprano Arias many come to mind:

“Casta Diva” from Bellini's Norma, 'O mio babbino caro' from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, 'Un bel dì vedremo' from Puccini's Madam Butterfly...

But my favorite soprano Arias that I listen to most often are found in Delibes'

Lakmé: The "Flower Duet" - a duet for soprano and mezzo-soprano in Act 1 of this tragic opera and, of course, the beautiful "Bell Song" ("L'Air des clochettes") in Act 2.

1971

Lakmé remains one of the most popular of all French operas. Reflecting contemporary tastes, the original source material presented a tragic liaison between a French officer and a Tahitian woman on a Pacific island, but Delibes moved the location to British-ruled India where the two central characters are torn between passion and loyalty, and assailed by a fanatical religious leader. For this opera Delibes wrote music of indelible beauty, including the much-loved ‘Flower Duet’ and ‘Bell Song’.

For years I have treasured within my CD collection the 1971 EMI release, a recording of the opera performed under the direction of Alain Lombard. It was a gift from a former partner, Mark Rocha, who introduced me in 1993 to this masterpiece Delibes composed in 1883.

Today I am enjoying the 2023 DVD release of a performance of Lakmé at the Opera Comique in Paris and it is blowing me away! Sabine Devieilhe is magnificent!

I highly recommend!!!!

_____________________

1st Qtr, Jan-Mar 2024 - Highlighting

I grew up listening to Queen's "rock operas", Meatloaf's hits that were perfectly made for musical theater productions, and then developed a penchant for the amphitheater-designed "protest anthems" of U2. Weird, I know, but I have a thing for front men who can wax on poetically -and even better when they can tickle the ivories at the same time (think Dave Gahan,
Hot front man,
Brandon Flowers
Depeche Mode).

Along came The Killers and I was drawn to their hard driving sound in their hits "All These Things That I've Done", "When We Were Young", "Mr. Brightside", and "Somebody Told Me." I held them in my peripheral vision - perhaps that should be peripheral audio - in that way meaning not actively seeking them out for my home soundtrack or driving queue, but definitely turning up the radio when their hits were played.

Not until 2020 did I happen upon their 2019 release, the protest anthem titled "Land of the Free" -- and suddenly I was like, Whoa, wait a minute, who is this Brandon Flowers who writes such words as these --

So how many daughters,
tell me, how many sons

Do we have to put in the ground

Before we just break down and face it
We got a problem with guns?
(Oh oh oh oh)
In the land of the free
Down at the border, they're gonna put up a wall
Concrete and Rebar Steel beams
(I'm standing crying)
High enough to keep all those filthy hands off
Of our hopes and our dreams
(I'm standing crying)
People who just want the same things we do
In the land of the free

Flowers is co-founder, lead vocalist, primary songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional bassist of the Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers, which he formed with bandmate Dave Keuning in 2001. Raised in the Mormon church - and still a member of that faith community by all accounts - Flowers had this to say about the song's inspiration in a Rolling Stone interview:

"The lyrics originated in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting. December 14th, 2012, I woke up, unlocked my phone and, like so many others, saw the pleas to ‘Pray for Sandy Hook. The news was devastating. Heart-wrenching. A gut punch. But, sadly for some Americans, not as shocking as it should have been. As a father I’ll never fully comprehend what that community and those parents went through. But my church upbringing taught me to mourn with those that mourn and I did it the best way that I knew how. I cried for those kids and teachers. I got on my knees and I prayed for those families.

We dishonor our values, our ancestors and our heritage when we tear gas our brothers and sisters seeking asylum,” Flowers continued. “I see my family in the faces of these vulnerable people at our border. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that my grandmother and her family immigrated from Lithuania to escape the U.S.S.R.’s oppression. They chose to leave everything they knew behind to come to America and work grueling jobs in dangerous coal mines, rather than endure tyranny at home.”

“And ‘enough was enough’ is basically where it comes from. It started in my mind around when Sandy Hook happened, and as a father how that affected me. And then it just started stacking up – things like Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin, things like what’s happening at the wall. This stuff didn’t seem to be in harmony with the values that I believe my country was founded on. I would start the song and then I would put it away and I’d say, ‘I’m not the guy to do this,’ or I’d feel inadequate, waiting, somebody’s going to write this song. Then it just piled up … Las Vegas, Orlando, Parkland, and it just kept coming and I was just like, I have to get this out.”

VIDEO: The Killers, "Land of the Free"

Spike Lee directed the track’s arresting video, which highlights the struggles and resiliency of real-life migrant families near the U.S./Mexico border. The Killers gave the filmmaker full creative control for the clip, which he filmed over a few weeks toward the end of 2018.

Today in 2024 one of our two major political parties in 'the land of the free' persists in blocking any sensible gun legislation that would target military-style assault weapons and require tougher registration background checks for gun purchasers -- all aimed at ending the horrific number of mass shootings we have in this country;
and, this week this same political party's leaders proudly told their base they will reject any proposed legislation aimed at fixing our immigration crisis (without having seen the bi-partisan drafted proposal) simply because they don't want the opposing party to get credit for it.

Making it clear that for all they care, we should all simply
"Move on, there's nothing here to see!"

Move on, there's nothing here to see!
In the land of the free
(but, I'm standing crying)
In the land of the free...

__________

Most Pleasant Surprise in 2023?
Cher’s New Christmas CD!

That’s right! The most pleasant arrival in this whole year came at the end of this year. Cher’s new CD Christmas is so good I cannot stop listening to it – and I’ve been listening to it on my AmazonMusic and Spotify since November 1!

Cher said in a recent interview that her Mom never interfered or made recommendations about her musical recordings -- except for one wish, that Cher would make a Christmas album. It is Cher's one regret that she didn't fulfill that wish for her Mom before her passing in 2022. Well, it has arrived!

Warning:
This ain’t yo grannie’s Christmas album!

This is a fun holiday feast of tunes meant to generate smiles and, better still, get you rockin’ 'round the Christmas tree. People, prepare to dance!

I've been dancing in my kitchen and bouncing behind my steering wheel to the new hit single from the project, my favorite track on this gift from Cher:

“DJ Play A Christmas Song!”
This song is so much fun!

British producer Mark Taylor (responsible for much of Cher’s bombshell comeback album Believe in 1998) – is responsible for generating this hit single, one that is sure to become a Christmas standard the likes of which we ain’t seen since Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas!

Cher debuted "DJ Play a Christmas Song" on October 3, 2023, at Silencio nightclub in Paris, performing at a private event hosted by H&M and the tune spread like wildfire before the jack o’ lanterns were coming down at WalMart!

Cher’s Christmas project features duets with --

my favorite crooner Michael Bublé with whom she remakes his holiday classic “Home” and it is beautiful and heartwarming;
Cyndi Lauper and it is my 2^nd favorite track on the CD “Put A Little Holiday In Your Heart”;
Stevie Wonder who rides along with Cher on “What Christmas Means To Me”;

Cher and Darlene Love perform at the
lighting of Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center, NY.

and with the legendary Darlene Love the pair recreate “Baby Please Come Home” a hit for Ms Love that Cher performed backup on 40 years ago!

Cher with her Mom
Georgia Holt
who passed away in 2022.

Before I conclude, I have to also plug “Angels in the Snow.” I suffered a great loss in my life in 2023. Cher lost her own mother the year before. My first listening of “Angels in the Snow” would choke me up and move me to tears.

Who knew it would be Cher that would come along with the end-of-year catharsis I needed. But perhaps that’s why I’ve been one of Cher’s most ardent fans through the years. Pick it up or download it today – I promise you’ll be having one very, merry Christmas!

____________

4th Qtr, Oct-Dec 2023

Vintage Vinyl...

My parents and grandparents had quite a collection of LPs and I've been cleaning them up and giving them a spin - mostly Classical, Country, and Czech polka bands.

However, I have also found, to my surprise, sweet Pop tunes on 45s. Lordy, how I am lovin' on my turntable hearing Bobbie Gentry deliver his Ode to Billy Joe (Capitol Records, July 1967)and Vicki Lawrence tell about The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (song written for her to sing by her then husband Bobby Russell and released on Bell records in 1973).

I've also discovered some amazing Rag and Blues artists on 78s. Take for instance this rare find [pictured] - I'm A Rattlesnakin' Daddy!

One of the first recordings by Blind Boy Fuller (1907-1941), recorded in New York in 1935. Fuller was one of the most popular of the Piedmont blues artists. He was an amazing guitar player as well as a great singer. Listening to him on this number you'll hear him fingerpicking in a hard edged rocking style that portends the beginnings of 1950s 12-bar rock. There's no doubt the roots lie here.

My paternal grandparents had a rather voluminous collection of Classical LPs. Many of them are recorded works of Czech composers - Dvorak, Smetana, Janacek, and Bohuslav Martinu.

But clearly the family enjoyed classical piano works on their Victrola - and later stereo console. It took a lot of work to get these cleaned up but I have really enjoyed hearing Rubinstein interpret Chopin's Waltzes (RCA Victor, 1964).

A rather interesting find has been their numerous selections courtesy of the Silvertone Record Club. The Silvertone Record Label (1916-1950) had quite a chaotic history - including its on and off relationship with Sears.

Following the Depression era, Silvertone re-emerged for the second time as a label for Sears in 1940 only to be discontinued one year later, in 1941. These 1940-1941 Silvertone records were produced and pressed by Columbia Record Corporation. My grandparents only had one of these.

Silvertone would come back one last time in 1950. These were red Vinylite pressings produced, this time, by Mercury Records. My grandparents had multiple copies of these, clearly because they had joined the club. Shown here is one of the trio sets and it contains numbers by the Allen Roth Orchestra, Glenn Osser Orchestra, and Sylvan Levin directing an orchestra backing up contralto Claramae Turner.

What have I been using to clean my wonderful finds?

BigFudgeVinyl

Get all the supplies you need --

from record sleeves
to safe cleaning supplies

at BigFudgeVinyl.com

3rd Qtr, Jul-Sept 2023

...I love listening to...

Sunday Baroque is a weekly radio program featuring beloved and appealing music composed in the baroque era (1600-1750) and the years leading up to it. The music may be centuries-old, but it’s the perfect antidote for the stress and distractions of our modern lives, so you can relax and recharge for the week ahead.

Host Suzanne Bona is a delight! I'm either doing one of two things on Sunday morning - making my drive in to work or preparing my bi-weekly full course breakfast. In either adventure, Sunday Baroque on
89.5 KMFA - Austin's Classical Music Station is my soundtrack!
____________

...my most recent CD purchase:

I love this CD!

I acquired it essentially for the Nocturne String Quartet in D and In The Steppes of Central Asia but found myself loving every selection found here, including the Overture and Aria from his opera Prince Igor.

Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin was a Romantic composer and chemist of Georgian-Russian extraction and today is a composer unfamiliar to most people. Truly unfortunate. Yet, once they hear his works they will typically say, "Oh, yeah...l do know that one!"
____________

I stay Left on the dial,
and only tune in to these stations
89.5, 90.5, 91.3