Music
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My Education Continues
Until this morning, I did not know that the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche composed music. I did a bit of poking around and found a selection. Thought I would share it here. ~ S.K. Orr
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The Seal Lullaby — Eric Whiteacre
I treasure those songs that can impart peace to me when I listen to them. This is one of them. ~ S.K. Orr
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One Day More
Another electric color day in these mountains. The month is half over, which means the scenery will soon diminish and dull itself. But for now, it is a boon to the soul. I did a bit of spray painting when I got home this evening. Didn’t seem like that big of a deal. But then I walked into the bathroom and saw myself in the mirror. I think I screamed. Cirque du Face. Tragic, tragic times. Did you know that errant spray paint can affect the little hairs inside one’s nostrils? *** When Jinx and I walked this evening, the bats were thick in the air over us, swooping and…
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The Death of Edward Van Halen
I received news yesterday that Edward Van Halen died of cancer. He wasn’t that much older than me, and his music was a constant through my twenties. As the conflicts within the band surged and receded, and as Mr. Van Halen’s personal life was ravaged by his fondness for drink, and as I grew older and my tastes evolved, I lost interest in the California quartet that strutted through the late 70s and early 80s with a wink and a knowing grin. Oh, the memory is so clear, the first time I heard Van Halen. It was the Fourth of July in 1978. My girlfriend and I had been invited…
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The Bales Of October
We were up this morning in the silver moonlit dark of a mountain October, Mrs. Orr preparing the dogs’ breakfast and the coffee. We watched the dogs with some wariness, as we had an incident last night. Each evening about 830 or so, I take them outside for what we call the biscuit run. They do their business in the backyard, and then tumble back inside to await their treat: a dog biscuit for Jinx and a half-biscuit for Dixee. Usually, it’s a mellow time. But last night, Jinx was snuffling up a few crumbs from his biscuit when Dixee decided to come over and insert herself between him and…
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Two More Gone
Like we baby boomers tend to do, I always pause when notable public figures from my young years die. This is true even if I didn’t like or appreciate their work or their persona. This pause is an inner reaction to the reminder of the passage of time, and is a sort of superficial memento mori. Yesterday, a pop star and a country star from my youth died on the same day, at the same age. Mac Davis and Helen Reddy, both 78, departed this life. Ms. Reddy was reportedly in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s Disease, and Mr. Davis had recently undergone cardiac surgery. I was not a fan…
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Friday Dreams
I was very weary on the drive home today, the week having taken a toll on me. I was daydreaming of seeing my wife and the dogs when I arrived home. I turned on the radio, selecting a classic rock station out of Knoxville, TN, that I can sometimes pick up clearly. The fatigue melted away for a few minutes when this song came on. Took me back to the days before everything Southern was scorned and hated. The days when Southern Rock was a genuine sub-genre of rock music. The days when I had never filled out a tax return. The days when the length of my hair was…
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For Lauds, Saturday, August 8th A.D. 2020
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Unseen Enemies
Yesterday Jinx cornered two black snakes. Like all of his kind, he has a special hostility for the legless, undulating creatures that appear in our nightmares and in certain gardens. I’m sure Jinx would join me in my disdain and mistrust of anyone who keeps a snake as a pet. Such herpatalogical husbandry is certainly a type of virtue signaling. A very bad type. The bark Jinx used to alert me to the snakes was an interesting cross between his “Hey, there’s a cow coming up the driveway and I think I’ll go herd her out of here!” rhorf and his “There’s a rabbit! I think I’ll see if I…
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La Musica & Certain Degrees of Billy Bob Thorton
In honor of his recent wedding (who woulda thunk it?), I thought I’d post one of my favorite Dwight Yoakam songs. I agree with Johnny Cash’s assessment of Dwight as one of the best voices in country music. Yes, his sound is very high-in-the-throat (not “nasal,” as the snark crew have consistently and erroneously maintained), but it’s also very musical and layered. I picked this song because it highlights Yoakam’s vibrato, as regular as a sawtooth pattern and second only to Merle Haggard’s. And since I was on a blogging hiatus when he died, I thought I’d also include one by John Prine. Such a potent songwriting talent. ~ S.K.…