Monday, October 14, 2013

Twisted Mix Tape Tuesday: Not My Regular Listening Material

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I must remember that this is Twisted Mix Tape Tuesday in this post.


Why?

Because, today, I dealt with an idiot to the greatest degree!

I won't turn this into a political posting.  Still, to listen to a loud mouthed, ignorant ass make numerous false accusations to many people, basically because of their race, was an unbelievable experience.  

This person, obviously one who feels yelling is the only way to get his point across, and that interrupting and insulting others is proving his intelligence, is a sad example of the way America has become.  

I won't bore you with the details, but let me just say his last comment, "I'm not stupid, I can read", was met with my reply, "You might want to start doing that then."  

I walked away to more ignorant insults from one who really doesn't have a clue about human communication, debate, or interaction.  Possibly, turning my back was an ultimate insult to him.  If so, I achieved what I intended.  If not, I kept from kicking his ass and losing my job.


Sometimes I hate my logic!

Perhaps dealing with intelligent people (for the most part) in the blogging world has made me somewhat blind to those that exist in a world of ignorance.  I deal with people every day in my position.  Still, this person was one character that rarely professionals rarely come into contact.  
He is a solid argument for eliminating all abortion laws.

Now, that being out of my system, and this being a music blog, we are supposed to bring about five songs outside of our normal listening genre that we love.  

This is a really tough one for me, as I'm all over the board with my listening habits!  It's like asking an M&M addict to pick out five M&M's that he loves, but doesn't eat often!  


Does that make sense?

Anyway, what I'm going to do is to list some songs that I love, but don't really want to listen the rest of the album.  Not necessarily "One Hit Wonders", but songs that stood out so much from the rest that after hearing them, there's no reason to listen to the others.


Does that make sense?

Okay, here's a song that I love, but I must say, I wasn't a fan of the rest of the album.  It came from a long running Broadway show that drew audiences in the millions. (All who will probably hate me for not loving the rest of the album.)  The song, "Memory" from the show CATS done so perfectly by Elaine Paige.
Who dares not to love that song?

Another song that I loved (at the time) but really had no desire to listen to the rest of the album came from some lovable creations of Jim Henson.  In the early 80's, I was a radio DJ, and sometimes would turn the mic on and horribly sing the last few lines of this song over the air.  (Screeching was more like it.)  Why?  I was a "wild and crazy guy", or DJ as some would acknowledge.  Plus, it kept the audience awake and wondering what in the Hell I'd do next!  From Jim Henson's muppets, it's "The Rainbow Connection."
Did you hear me?  Yep, I just can't resist still letting loose during the last few lines!  
(Consider yourself lucky I'm not still on the air!)

Let's take a trip into the land of Frank Sinatra for a second.  No, you won't hear me listening to Old Blue Eyes as I drive down the road.  In fact, I don't even want to imagine the stares and looks I'd get at stoplights by those with $2000 cars and $10,000 stereo boombox cars!  Still, Frank had some great songs, you must agree.  One that came out when I was young, and has now come to bring about new meaning as I grow old, er ... older, is this one.  It's the Mafia hitman's favorite, "It Was A Very Good Year."
How that song brings back memories of an ancient world and the journey to today.

Another one of the songs in this topic group today, one that I really do melt every time I hear it, was by an Australian beauty.  I'll never admit to listening to her, as will no man, but the way she melted us with her words and breathless voice has no comparison.  She's a remarkable woman, as you'll understand as soon as I say her name, having gone through several of the most ego challenging operations a woman can endure.  No doubt you know who it is by now.  Olivia Newton John and "I Honestly Love You."
 Please, give me a moment to compose myself and reform the ooze 
I melted into during that song.

Okay, I think I'm better now, although a great part of me is wanting to go back and listen to that one again and again.  See, there was this girl back then that .... naw, you don't want to hear about that.  Let's move on!

Now, people that know me understand that I'm a child of Rock 'n' Roll.  BeBop music was a little before my time.  However, I still remember watching many of the older movies on a Black & White TV on rainy Saturday afternoons.  It was during one of those that I discovered this gentleman.  I was amazed.  His energy was astounding!  Plus, he really looked like he was having a great time performing the song!  And, it was a whole movie about him!  The name of the movie, who knows!  I was a young kid and my memory doesn't go back to details like that.  I do remember watching him and Keely Smith do this song, though, and will never forget the way it made me feel.  It proved to me then that music was a factor in life that no one could live without.  Here's Louis Prima and Keely Smith doing "That Old Black Magic!"
Now, wasn't that a lot of fun?  
C'mon, you know you enjoyed it, even if it wasn't guitars and drums!

I guess along this vein of music is one artist that I truly was affected by.  Why?  Well, I'm Italian and so was he!  Besides that, he always ended up with the beautiful women, could sing better than most of his crooner friends, and got away with a sense of humor that others couldn't pull off.  He acted drunk 90% of the time on his television show, even though it was mostly an act. (Hey, if it works, go for it!)  Later, when he became the notorious spy, Matt Helm, he provided a comical look upon the spy movie genre that others had made so serious.  Here's Dean Martin with his signature song.
Wouldn't it be nice if everybody loved everybody all the time?

(Okay, my wife just gave me a dirty look after that comment. "What, honey? You want to see my phone call history?  You're just joking, right?  Please say you're just joking!")

Okay, you know I can't stop at five.  I've saved the best for last, at least in my mind it is. 

 (Damn, I wished I'd have planned this post better.  
Then I'd know what I was going to come up with next!)

I first heard this song when I was in grade school.  We used to sing it in chorus (before the days when music class was deemed unnecessary to the growth of youth by those without brains) and then would sing it with Janie during the Popeye Cartoon Show after school.  I know, it's kind of silly when you think of it, but are we really thinking of it when we sing it?  I mean, even though the political system and the caste system (oops, that slipped) in the United States is totally screwed up, and we have many ignorant asses (like the one I first described above) we can still travel around this country of ours (when the parks are open) and see wondrous beauty of Nature's efforts.  

I've lived in Europe and marveled to the beauty of the Emerald Isle, the Bavarian Woods, the flower fields of the Netherlands, and the magnificent Alps.  The poppy fields in Turkey are something to see, as are the wonders of South Africa, and everything in between.  Yet, in the United States, we have mountains, deserts, long rolling plains, and canyons beyond belief.  If man would only stop messing up what Nature has provided us, before it's too late, perhaps our great grandchildren will have an opportunity to enjoy this beauty as we have done.  Here's a Woody Guthrie song done by the original, "This Land Is Your Land."
Let us stop dreaming and start living the dream.  Isn't it time?

Does that make sense?

Ciao!


23 comments:

  1. Oh man, Rich - what a terrific, eclectic list! I love it. And the new look of your site is really sharp!

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    1. Good to see you here again! Glad you liked the list! It will probably be looked at as elevator music posting time, but it is the roots of what we listen to today. I just wish people would understand that music has so many different directions and give them all a chance. Many Thanks!

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    2. Oh, and thanks for the compliments about the site changes. I was tinkering around with the template last week and decided on this one, and made the title change PNG last night. Glad you like it!

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  2. Wow. Just wow. And you got Dino on there too (my personal favorite of the Rat Pack). My roommate in college was studying music to be an opera singer and her two favorite musicals to play were Phantom of the Opera and Cats. I loved Phantom, but didn't understand a bit about Cats, except for Memory. It was kind of a relief when it came on.

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    1. Good to see you back! Hey, there's no way I could leave out the cool of cool! lol I really loved him on his show when I was only seven or eight years old. He was the epitome of the ultimate singer of class ... unlike Elvis, who was the ultimate singer of rock. Then, the Beatles and the Stones appeared and changed everything! I kind of liked Rum Tug Tugger (or something like that), but nowhere near as much as "Memory." It just carries the listener away. Many Thanks!

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  3. Yep, yep. Not the ones I'd expect you to pick either, but great tunes, whatever the case is! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks for stopping in! Yeah, I may have gone a little too eclectic this time, but what the heck, sometimes you just gotta go to the extremes. lol I'm afraid many will say, "God, how old is this ancient mariner, anyway?" :) Oh well, to me, a classic is a classic! Many thanks!

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  4. hey...talk about times stamps! dude! each and everyone of those had me flashing back. Even the Louie Prima (who btw is a Poster child for a scottian entertainer... wild energy, captivating stage presence the whole magical).

    Yeah, with Linda on liking the new digs

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    1. Glad you enjoyed this little flash of the past. Prima's movie was a comedy about a band (believe it or not), and was almost song after stong. Wow, did it ever stick to my mind. I actually watched four or five of their videos while writing this. I thought it was time for a change in look. I went with the red before because it was all over the place, kind of like I am. This does seem to fit a little better. Many Thanks!

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  5. Give me Frank and Deano whenever, however. Part of my personality would have been great in Vegas with them on the set of Ocean's Eleven in 1960.

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    1. You and I both, my friend! When I played out there, every day I thought, "Man, this is the same city that the greats used to call home!" It made my 13 weeks there a little easier to deal with, as well as remind me that if they could do it, I could do it. Too much of a good thing does get to you after a while, though. Many Thanks!

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  6. Thanks for Rainbow Connection. I adore that song. I always will!

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    1. Happy to oblige! That song, be it because it emulates Kermit's innocence, or the innocence in all of us always makes me smile. Btw, you sing much better than I do! Many Thanks!

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  7. Throw Backs!!! "Back in the Day." Speaking of 'Memories.' You have it covered here. Very nice. Really enjoyed, Slu

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    1. Glad you enjoyed this piece! I was taking a chance by going back so far. I knew not many would remember these (except for History Class), and would be putting myself way out there. Still, everyone seems to have liked them. Who knew? lol Many Thanks!

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  8. Haha, what a mix! I must admit, I secretly like Cats.

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    1. It was kind of all over the page, wasn't it? lol I took a big chance here, but most seem to have liked this oldie but goldie stuff for a change. Cats and I had a long standing curiosity. I heard about it forever, and "Memory" and "Rum Tum Tugger" (I think) had been staples on variety shows. Still, when it finally came to VHS (yeah, right at their end), I snapped up a copy. It was interesting, but nothing I ever watched more than twice. Many Thanks!

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  9. My husband secretly loves Olivia Newton-John, or not secretly. I can't help thinking about the mysterious disappearance of her boyfriend whenever I think of her now. I wonder if maybe he was just trying to get away from her? I mean she seems really nice, but I don't know her.
    I can't imagine a list I could like any better than this one. Talk about running the gamut, yet I love every song, even The Rainbow Connection. Especially.

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    1. I really think that most me that were able to experience seeing Olivia at her heyday fell in love with her. She was an amazing performer with a voice that could whisper you into fantasy or blast you out of the room. Still, we weren't supposed to like her, as she was a pop icon. Don't know about the boyfriend thing, but I admire her for her work after her double mast. This list was out there, I know, but, what the hell, we all need to check out songs outside of our normal realm. And, the Rainbow Connection ... well, it might have been my safety zone song. Who doesn't like it? lol Many Thanks!

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  10. Wow, sounds like a real douche-bag at your work! Good for you for walking away - I hope he was insulted! And the fact that Rainbow Connection is on your lis? Makes me love you even more. Swoon. Yes, it is time to start living the dream. Makes perfect sense.

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    1. He was and is. The way in which he tried to monopolize and intimidate was unbelievable. I actually began to think he was on meth (who knows?) Hey, love you too my sister from another mother, even if it takes the Rainbow Connection to get you there! lol I couldn't resist the message at the end. I don't know if I'm a preacher at heart or what, but it seemed to bring it all together. Many Thanks!

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  11. I remember learning to play Memory on the piano and being so excited when I finally got the sheet music. I also don't much like the rest of the score (or Cats for that matter) - but I really enjoy that song.

    The Sinatra one makes me think of my mother a) because she use to go around singing that song and b) because she kept asking if Sinatra was dead YEARS before he was - it got to be a bit of a standing joke in our house.

    I hadn't heard the Rainbow Connection - but it's a great addition to a lovely list - and a very different one from you - enjoyed it!

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    1. You do what I've always wished I could ... play the piano. There used to be a baby grand in the display area at work, and I'd tinker. One secretary actually thought I'd been playing for years as tunes seemed to come easy. Got me?!?!? Maybe in a past life.... Memory was definitely the one classic that drew me to that play. I think Frank was dead years before he actually was, at least in the minds of many of his fans. He'd been around so long in the spotlight, that when he stepped back, we all associated that with him no longer being around. :) I really am all over the board when it comes to music. I love 90% of it, and try hard to find something attractive with the remaining 10%. Plus, I've lived through so much of it for so long, it just kind of comes natural. Many Thanks!

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