Tuesday 3 June 2008

Memed again...

Rob of the madly eclectic blog Eine Kleine Nichtmusik has "memed" me with an interesting one: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to.

Shaping my spring? Hmmmn. Well number 1 is easy; I just blogged about it --- You'd Think by Now by Carrie Newcomer, one of those songs that get into the sore spots of your life, then presses down. Lovely song, tough situation to be in...

2. Well, as I blogged yesterday, we've just seen The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and while the music isn't the strongest point of the show (songs are pleasant enough, but the overall humour is what makes the show entertaining), I have had the theme song stuck on the brain (watch for special guest Al Sharpton in this excerpt performed at the Tony Awards):

3. I'm been turning to The Proclaimers for comfort quite a bit this spring, but I really have a soft spot for "When You're In Love" from their Perseverance album: "Romantic love rots your brain, no doubt about it/ You're out of your mind..." Oh darlin', no truer words spoken (or sung):

4. For some Can/Con, I've been singing Had Enough of You Today, my favourite song from Bark by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings (a sort of folk/rock/country super-group comprised of Stephen Fearing, Tom Wilson, and Colin Linden - okay, they're reasonably well-known as solo artists in Canada). Can't find a decent You Tube performance of this rocker so the 30 seconds at Amazon.ca will have to do. I think this is Tom Wilson's song (ooh, just checked and he co-wrote it with Davor Valuma [a record producer in Vancouver] and Bryan Potvin of The Northern Pikes -- no wonder I love it!) and he wrote it after a road trip with his mother and his ex-wife, but we've all had days like this. Love the grrrrind...

5. I was listening to Colin Murray's "In the Company of" on BBC radio with guest star David Tennant, and right afterwards they played this amazing song, "Oxford Comma" by Vampire Weekend: Just to give the illusion that I'm in the know...

6. I've loved "Face the Face" by Pete Townsend for years, but lately have been attempting to find a clean version of the original video, which features, among other things, a turn by Pete's daughter. All I can find is this posting with the first verse missing: Oh hell, let's jive!

7. Another one I loved for years is the Rankin Family's version of Ho Ro Mo Nighean Donn Bhoidheach. I just heard a version in English yesterday "Ho Ro My Nut-Brown Maiden" which was all testosterone, lust, and thrusting. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be sung, but I adore this dreamy wistful interpretation with its lovely harmonies and round-like ending:


So there, I guess, is my musical spring this year. It's actually not the meme that's tough; it's the tagging. I tend to "lurk" at most blogs, and those where I actually speak up are darned busy blogs. Darnit, I'm only going to tag three people. (Does this mean I'll die at midnight, or lose a million dollars or something?) I tag Vanessa of Stopping to Eat the Roses for her no doubt interesting perspective from her perch in the Philippines, Jonas of Poetry in Motion who has recently rejoined us in blogger-land, and Jane Henry of Maniac Mum who, as a writer and mother of four, clearly doesn't have enough to do. Now I suppose I have to go tell these lucky people that they're "it"....

9 comments:

P said...

Loving the Pete Townsend clip. I'm going to have to send your link to Fauxhawk - he's a rabid fan of PT and The Who.

Persephone said...

Lovely (as always) to hear from you! Tell Fauxhawk I also love "Let My Love Open the Door" and "Don't Let Go the Coat".

Jane Henry said...

Hi Persephone. Ooh. This is exciting. I've only ever been tagged for a meme once, and I wasn't quite sure what I was doing... This one looks easy, but have a feeling it won't be... I think you may guess half the songs on it!!

I did come by your blog this morning and was going to post about your incredibly moving piece on your daughter, but found myself somewhat speechless. My lot all grumble that I favour one above the other (as if!) and I always say I couldn't pick one. I use the example of the tsunami story about the mum who let her five year old go because she thought he had more chance of survival then the two year old. Miraculously they all survived, but I read that story and thought - we'd have all drowned. Unless the water had physically wrenched one of the kids away I couldn't have chosen which one to save...

But I like the one I've loved the longest. Sometimes I worry that maybe my oldest gets more of my love but less of my time, but I think that's because she's easy too, and older and more interesting. As soon as I'm with one of the others I'm interested in them too. Like I say, couldn't possibly pick!

I hope you are looking forward to Saturday as much as I am. Am hoping to get back from the Derby (big horse race near us) in time !!

btw notice you don't have an email addy - am happy for you to email me direct at: juliacwilliams@btinternet.com
cheers jx

Persephone said...

Hello Janejulia, and many thanks for your kind words. I'll make a note of your email, but am trying to stay an "international woman of mystery" (staying anonymous makes me feel freer to blog --- only one of my closest friends actually knows about it, although the "one I've loved the longest" has guessed). If I do email, it will be through my yahoo address, which doesn't give my real name...
Have fun with the meme!

Vanessa said...

Ooooh my first tag on the Internets! I will get on it stat. Thanks for thinking of me for this. Me and my, um, dubious taste in music would be happy to oblige. :-)

Jane Henry said...

oh ok, fair enough! I can go with international woman of mystery. Was just some of the things you said in your blog struck chords, but ones I'd not necessarily like to share with the whole world... I started my blog as Jane to keep my anonymity, but now having a fight with my publisher about being Julia - now I'm published it makes sense, but I do like Jane! Should really start a Moffatt blog, shouldn't I?
Meant to say yesterday, I have several friends with special needs children and they have to fight so hard for all the help they can get, it's quite heartbreaking sometimes. Just written letters for two of them to try and get their kids statemented (you need an educational statement here to get the requisite help). BOTH children are coming to the end of their second year at school, why does it take so long? One of them has been given 15 hours a week help when all the psychiatric reports clearly states he needs constant one to one. He is actually the same age as my youngest and like I say, it breaks your heart.

Jane Henry said...

Just emailed you, you enigmatic woman, you...
And loved your songs. I chose a Who one too...

Lisa Rullsenberg said...

I can't believe I havent been over here (much) and really feel that you should be on my blog roll - given we often communicate in the comments of Marie et al!

Persephone said...

And welcome you are, Lisa! You have a point; I've updated my blog links accordingly.