Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright.....ALRIGHT!
Gah, I love the Beatles.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Two Blogs In One Day
Being that blog time is one hour behind my real time, I can effectively name this blog as stated above. My wit is astounding. *rolls eyes*
Anyway...
I unabashedly love Neil Finn. I've never made any bones about that to anyone. I try to keep my raving about him to a minimum here, or maybe I'll refer to him discreetly, but this post is dedicated to YOU, Neil Finn, because you deserve it!
Let's get one thing straight first. The man is a phenomenal talent. Even if you don't like his melodies, take a moment to read his lyrics. Then, read them again. Find something different the second time? You'll find something different the third and fourth as well. His words are gloriously open ended, vague, sometimes confusing, but so personal and cohesive that you often find yourself shaking your head and saying "Yes...yes. That's me. I GET it." It's his ability to let the listener find themselves in his songs that makes his music timeless. A Neil Finn song is unmistakable. It's instantly recognizable. It's as close to musical nirvana as one can hope to get.
"It's so far to fall and so hard to climb
Nothing sadder I know, than the passing of time..."
The middle eight from "English Trees", a sublimely melancholy song, with a soft, lilting melody that takes you through grief, pain, mourning, loss...and even though Neil wrote it, it could be about anyone's loss, anyone's grief, anyone's pain. It's one of his more personal songs, but it's written in such a way that it's personal to everyone. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but if you hear the song, you'll understand exactly what I mean.
But even his personal experiences can pop up in ethereal ways:
"Vacant eyes can't describe my hunger for your billowing arms.."
The imagery and the emotion in that line has always struck me. Vacant. Hungry. Billowing. So very beautiful, but rooted in such a subjective response. It sounds like a lovers lament, but really, it's all about missing a departed loved one. And it's perhaps one of the most haunting and passionate expressions of sorrow I've ever heard.
"I lean the slightest bit towards you
White turns into brown
light goes to black
your eyes danced in my reflection
and the horse ate my trousers"
Quite histrionic, isn't it? The play on words, the use of contradictory colors, the good fading into bad, the light going to dark. And to make light of the whole situation, an unfortunate true story of a hungry horse in an open field, nibbling on his pants. I mean...who else can DO that in a song and make it sound so good?
There are too many superb lyrical references for me to start listing them all, but I have my favorites, which I'm sure some of you have seen pop up now again in posts or sig lines and banners. I have my constant favorites, and then, once in awhile, a line will pop out at me from a song I've heard tons of times and suddenly take on new meaning, or it will suddenly become relevant in my life for one reason or another. An example:
"Love this life, even when it's holding you down..."
A line from a song from 1988. I can conservatively estimate that I'd heard this song at least 500 times in the last 20 years, then one day, that line had meaning for me. Significance. Relevance. I was stressed out and feeling generally down on everything...and POP. Talk about putting things into perspective.
When I was finally able to meet Neil last August, it truly was a dream come true. I'd been waiting 20 years...20 YEARS! Music has always been a transcendent thing for me, and to finally shake the hand of the one person who has been a constant for me was a deeply moving experience. He was as wonderful as I always dreamed he would be. He was earnest and thankful, easy and warm. He looked me in the eye. He was genuine. It reaffirmed my faith and my devotion. It validated my admiration.
I now know, at this point in my life, that having a talent based appreciation for someone can often result in a visceral and aesthetic appreciation as well. And an appreciation I certainly do have. I'll admit to having a crush on Neil for a very long time now. What can I say? I'm a sucker for an accent! I won't spend too much time expostulating about his finer features (although there are many) but I'll leave it simply by saying that his innate talent gives me a greater appreciation of ...uh....his OTHER talents.
That's to say, he has the most gorgeous blue-green eyes on earth and the easiest, sexiest smile. There. I said it. Now deal with it.
I won't even get into the hands.
The hands.....
Ahem.
So anyway, there is my short, but honest amblings. I know I've bored you to death, but that's okay. I enjoyed writing it. And now that it's all off my chest, I can go back to my normal, cliched crap.
But that's not to say, there won't be more discreet references....
Anyway...
I unabashedly love Neil Finn. I've never made any bones about that to anyone. I try to keep my raving about him to a minimum here, or maybe I'll refer to him discreetly, but this post is dedicated to YOU, Neil Finn, because you deserve it!
Let's get one thing straight first. The man is a phenomenal talent. Even if you don't like his melodies, take a moment to read his lyrics. Then, read them again. Find something different the second time? You'll find something different the third and fourth as well. His words are gloriously open ended, vague, sometimes confusing, but so personal and cohesive that you often find yourself shaking your head and saying "Yes...yes. That's me. I GET it." It's his ability to let the listener find themselves in his songs that makes his music timeless. A Neil Finn song is unmistakable. It's instantly recognizable. It's as close to musical nirvana as one can hope to get.
"It's so far to fall and so hard to climb
Nothing sadder I know, than the passing of time..."
The middle eight from "English Trees", a sublimely melancholy song, with a soft, lilting melody that takes you through grief, pain, mourning, loss...and even though Neil wrote it, it could be about anyone's loss, anyone's grief, anyone's pain. It's one of his more personal songs, but it's written in such a way that it's personal to everyone. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but if you hear the song, you'll understand exactly what I mean.
But even his personal experiences can pop up in ethereal ways:
"Vacant eyes can't describe my hunger for your billowing arms.."
The imagery and the emotion in that line has always struck me. Vacant. Hungry. Billowing. So very beautiful, but rooted in such a subjective response. It sounds like a lovers lament, but really, it's all about missing a departed loved one. And it's perhaps one of the most haunting and passionate expressions of sorrow I've ever heard.
"I lean the slightest bit towards you
White turns into brown
light goes to black
your eyes danced in my reflection
and the horse ate my trousers"
Quite histrionic, isn't it? The play on words, the use of contradictory colors, the good fading into bad, the light going to dark. And to make light of the whole situation, an unfortunate true story of a hungry horse in an open field, nibbling on his pants. I mean...who else can DO that in a song and make it sound so good?
There are too many superb lyrical references for me to start listing them all, but I have my favorites, which I'm sure some of you have seen pop up now again in posts or sig lines and banners. I have my constant favorites, and then, once in awhile, a line will pop out at me from a song I've heard tons of times and suddenly take on new meaning, or it will suddenly become relevant in my life for one reason or another. An example:
"Love this life, even when it's holding you down..."
A line from a song from 1988. I can conservatively estimate that I'd heard this song at least 500 times in the last 20 years, then one day, that line had meaning for me. Significance. Relevance. I was stressed out and feeling generally down on everything...and POP. Talk about putting things into perspective.
When I was finally able to meet Neil last August, it truly was a dream come true. I'd been waiting 20 years...20 YEARS! Music has always been a transcendent thing for me, and to finally shake the hand of the one person who has been a constant for me was a deeply moving experience. He was as wonderful as I always dreamed he would be. He was earnest and thankful, easy and warm. He looked me in the eye. He was genuine. It reaffirmed my faith and my devotion. It validated my admiration.
I now know, at this point in my life, that having a talent based appreciation for someone can often result in a visceral and aesthetic appreciation as well. And an appreciation I certainly do have. I'll admit to having a crush on Neil for a very long time now. What can I say? I'm a sucker for an accent! I won't spend too much time expostulating about his finer features (although there are many) but I'll leave it simply by saying that his innate talent gives me a greater appreciation of ...uh....his OTHER talents.
That's to say, he has the most gorgeous blue-green eyes on earth and the easiest, sexiest smile. There. I said it. Now deal with it.
I won't even get into the hands.
The hands.....
Ahem.
So anyway, there is my short, but honest amblings. I know I've bored you to death, but that's okay. I enjoyed writing it. And now that it's all off my chest, I can go back to my normal, cliched crap.
But that's not to say, there won't be more discreet references....
I Realized Something Today
You can't force a good blog. Or even a bad one. Sometimes, I can manage something mediocre, but mostly, I just need to wait for inspiration to hit, which is not happening now, so I'll put you out of your misery and end this one here.
I wish I had a bologna sandwich.
I wish I had a bologna sandwich.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
A Vision Spectacular In Grace
So, everything has been good. Life has been chugging along at a nice, slow, even pace. No curve balls, no forks in the road, nothing life altering or even remotely strange. It's been good. Very good.
The house thing is at a stall right now...okay, maybe more of a low idle. My parents have decided to go another route for some reason, so it looks like the big "living together" thing has taken a nosedive. I'm not sure what the reason is for them backing out of this...maybe they just wanted their own place, maybe they couldn't stand the thought of having to live with me....who knows. Either way, it was kind of a surprise after how gung ho they were about it at first. But hey, it's their life, their choices, their decisions. In one of life's great ironies, I find that I have to let my parents go.
We did find a house we liked though. A beautiful raised ranch with a full apartment underneath. It's a gorgeous house, and it would afford us more room AND a source of income if we were able to rent out the bottom. It needs a little bit of updating, but it was a foreclosure and the price is SO right. So right in fact, that we could move on it today, but we're waiting. The bank has lowered the price twice in three months that we've had our eye on it, so we're waiting to see if they lower it again. So either we buy the house or we stay here and expand. Either way, we win.
On a side note, the trees here in upstate New York are about to take center stage. All the trees now have brilliant tinges of strawberry red, yellow, bright orange, and eggplant purple and when the sun hits them just right, it's like they come alive in a sparkling array of glistening light. It truly is one of life's little pleasures to go out your front door and have your breath taken away by the wonder that nature can create. In two weeks time, the colors will peak, the roads will be packed with leaf peepers, and I'll truly remember why it is that I love this part of the country so much.
And then, with a brisk October wind, it will all be gone.
It's good, though. Because watching your children jump into crisp fallen leaves is ANOTHER of life's little pleasures. There's just something about kissing a little nose that's red with cold, cheeks that are flush with the uninhibited abandon of childhood. I sit here and smile just thinking about their faces all wide eyed with laughter and love and mischievous fun.
I mean, truly. Is there anything better?
The house thing is at a stall right now...okay, maybe more of a low idle. My parents have decided to go another route for some reason, so it looks like the big "living together" thing has taken a nosedive. I'm not sure what the reason is for them backing out of this...maybe they just wanted their own place, maybe they couldn't stand the thought of having to live with me....who knows. Either way, it was kind of a surprise after how gung ho they were about it at first. But hey, it's their life, their choices, their decisions. In one of life's great ironies, I find that I have to let my parents go.
We did find a house we liked though. A beautiful raised ranch with a full apartment underneath. It's a gorgeous house, and it would afford us more room AND a source of income if we were able to rent out the bottom. It needs a little bit of updating, but it was a foreclosure and the price is SO right. So right in fact, that we could move on it today, but we're waiting. The bank has lowered the price twice in three months that we've had our eye on it, so we're waiting to see if they lower it again. So either we buy the house or we stay here and expand. Either way, we win.
On a side note, the trees here in upstate New York are about to take center stage. All the trees now have brilliant tinges of strawberry red, yellow, bright orange, and eggplant purple and when the sun hits them just right, it's like they come alive in a sparkling array of glistening light. It truly is one of life's little pleasures to go out your front door and have your breath taken away by the wonder that nature can create. In two weeks time, the colors will peak, the roads will be packed with leaf peepers, and I'll truly remember why it is that I love this part of the country so much.
And then, with a brisk October wind, it will all be gone.
It's good, though. Because watching your children jump into crisp fallen leaves is ANOTHER of life's little pleasures. There's just something about kissing a little nose that's red with cold, cheeks that are flush with the uninhibited abandon of childhood. I sit here and smile just thinking about their faces all wide eyed with laughter and love and mischievous fun.
I mean, truly. Is there anything better?
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