Cool & Strange Music Vol. 2, Number 8by
Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers
Yes. Yes, how amusing. How very droll, indeed. But that Bon Jovi comment has just about got to be the bottom of the barrel. Bon Jovi? I have never bought a single Bon Jovi recording in my life. In fact, I’ve never even listened all they way through a Bon Jovi song to the end. Although I have noticed a few LRCr’s recently actually having the guts to admit listening to, er, "rock classics," like the Eagles, Foreigner, or Journey – Yeech! I have a hint for you folks, if you want to stay cool, you won’t admit listening to that – to put it mildly – commercial pabulum (ahem) to anyone. Oh, and hide those CD’s when friends that you wish to impress might want to come over. Those bands are not cool; they never were cool; they never will be cool; and they are about as un-cool as they can get – and that’s pretty bad. So keep it under your hats. It’s one thing to promote individuality and Austrian economics and self-government – so good so far – but it seems a tad bit ridiculous if while doing so, you’re damaging your brain listening to the Hit Parade of Hades. Well that is, unless of course, you are listening to some great rock with cool lyrics like this:
Let’s see here: Down, town, around…. Action, satisfaction, that… Well at least it rhymes in a sideway sort of manner. Anyhow, that’ll be enough of that – we immediately terminate the stereo with extreme prejudice – and get back to the cool music. (By the way, if you know the name of the above song and artist who "performed" it, write to me and I’ll never speak to you again.) But what am I if not a delicate (but strict) teacher to you, the gentle reader who wishes to become knowledgeable in coolness? I’ve been saving the best for last but since getting hammered by readers over the last several issues of this column, the kid gloves come off now.
Okay, here’s the scene: You and your friends are out on an anti-stately evening enjoying the panoramic view of the city lights and wish to take in an evening of fine wine and song when some huge black Dodge van pulls up at the red signal blasting away the latest by Heavy Metal band, The Long-Haired Screaming Headless Torture Chickens. The guy driving the van looks like some Hippie from some 1970’s made-for-TV movie. He’s got a long beard, the requisite "Mom" tattoo, and looks like he hasn’t washed his hair or brushed his teeth in weeks. Next to him, sits his "old-lady" who looks tough enough kick all of our derrieres by herself – with one hand tied behind her back. The lead vocalist is screaming out some Death-Metal from Dantes and Mr. Hippie turns the volume knob just up a tad to eleven as they pull next to your just washed car. The noise screams in from the window like an F-16. You look out and have eye contact with the savage and he gloats, gold front tooth glinting in the light. What to do? Well, to roll up your window and ignore him would not be a very neighborly thing to do, now would it? What would Miss Manners do in this case? I know. Miss Manners would gently remove this CD from the casing, insert it into yon CD deck, and put the volume on full blast while lightly opening her window giving our long-haired friend a hellacious blast of Wagner. Trust me. They won’t know what hit them! You see, dear reader, you must understand the beast if you wish to tame him. Most of these metal-heads think that a four-piece band with Marshall amplifiers stacked to the ceiling can roar (no doubt they can) but nothing can roar like a full ensemble symphony orchestra. Where do you think these heavy metal bands get their inspiration in the first place? This is the best collection of invigorating symphony classics ever assembled. Whether for driving a car, a brisk morning eye-opener, or an unforgettable evening about town; this CD is for you. 15 classics of the classics from Wagner to Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky to Borodin; you get these greats, The Valkyrie; 1812 Overture; The Damnation of Faust; The Planets; Symphonie No. 1 In D "Titan"; The Firebird; and many more! You must have this CD.
Sometimes readers write to me and challenge me to tell them what kind of music I really listen to – I mean really listen to for my pleasure and relaxation. Well, I often like Perrey Kingsley, but when I’m not in the mood for that or classical music, then I am in the mood for some real musicianship and some fantastic sound quality. Tone Poems is that music. This is the perfect album for relaxing on a Sunday morning. Imagine yourself on a beautiful summer beach without a care in the world. Throw in a few drinks and a barbeque cracklin’ nearby and you can just smell the relaxation with this CD. Rice and Grisman are the tops in their fields when it comes to modern guitar and mandolin collecting and playing. The instruments used on this album are the originals – models built around the turn of the 20th century – and do they ever sound amazing. The tuning for instruments of that time is different than what is the standard today and it comes out in the most beautiful music that this album features. And what better musicians to play those instruments than these two guys? I dare anyone who loves beautiful music and the nostalgia of the old days to give this album one listen and not tell me that this is one of the finest CDs ever made.
About 25, 30-some odd years ago, someone wrote a book that spoke about the problems of modern-day parenthood. The main idea of the book boiled down to: If you don’t have quantity time to spend with your kids, spend quality time. This idea was all well and good, but it is wrong. The problem is, from a child’s eyes, all time spent with a parent is quality time – it doesn’t matter what you are doing together. Parents (especially American dad’s) mistook this idea as a way to allow them and be lazy in regards to their child. It allowed them to rationalize the notion that they could get off the hook of spending real time with their kid by spending money on the little time they did spend together. Nonsense. Quality time does not mean relieving your laziness and guilt by spending a bunch of money by allowing your kids to run amok at Aquarium World on the weekends. Read a book to your child every night; sing songs with them. Now that’s quality time. To prove that I am right and the creator of this quality over quantity idea when it comes to raising children is wrong, comes with just a look around you. And don’t think your child doesn’t want to do that or you don’t have energy for it. Heck, most 1-year-old kids will get bored after 15 to 20 minutes of book reading, so just do it. And when you don’t have hands free to read a book, put on this CD and sing along with your kid.
Look at that dumb kid. Would you just look at ’em? You know who I mean – the neighbor’s brat. Do you want your kid winding up like that? I didn’t think so. What a dumb kid. If your kid is between 1 month old to 2½ years, do yourselves a favor and pick up this CD too while you’re buying Beethoven’s Wig. The liner notes on these CD’s speak for themselves:
Sure this is a bit dorky music. But all mild mannered and intelligent kids are dorky outsiders nowadays. Buy both of these CDs. If you have kids, or know someone who does, in a few years you’ll all be glad you did.
Now that we are talking about spending time with your kids and raising them not to be morons, I’m going to brag about my son. Thanks to some wonderful advice from Linda Shrock Taylor (as well as shutting up when my wife decides something) I am proud to announce that my son could sing the entire ABC Song – as well as say the individual letters in a random order – and speak sentences when he was only 18 months old. Not only that, he now can read the entire Japanese Hiragana alphabet (50 letters) at 1 year and 10 months old… None of his friends, even ones who are 6 months older than him can, do that. His friends all are still stuck with saying one word like, "Mama," etc. But my son says stuff like "Let’s go to the park." As one of my Japanese friends who graduated from London University said when he witnessed for himself my son’s ability, "That’s almost frightening." How did this happen? How can you help your child or a loved one’s child do the same? I think I know the answer. I wrote to Linda Schrock Taylor to ask for some advice on what kinds of books to read to 6-month-old children. Linda actually wrote back to me and recommended "series" types of books. She said, "Small children just love repetition." And was she ever right on the money with that advice!
We started our son on Baby Signs from about 3 months old. Then I went to reading simple books to him from 6 months old. The times my hands weren’t free (like when I was washing dishes or whatever) I allowed my son to only watch videos – No TV! The video that we started off with was – the logical choice considering Linda’s advice – Thomas The Tank Engine. I chose this particular DVD because I am a huge fan of Richard Starkey (Also known as Ringo Starr). The later versions of Thomas are good too as they feature either George Carlin or Alec Baldwin but, being an oldie, I like the originals best, so I stuck with Ringo. I think it’s also a plus to have your child hearing proper English with a proper accent that sounds, how do you say? Refined.
Thomas
The Tank Engine: All Aboard With Thomas! (Comes with a toy, too!)
– Various Artists Then, a few months later, when your child is old enough to understand and to play by themselves without screaming that mommy is not around (about 8 months), throw this CD on and watch your child as they start to sing along by themselves and learn to speak. You’ll find yourself singing along too as the songs are all wonderful and very catchy. Some of the songs I’ve thought that some big British rock band should cover. They are just that good.
Oh my God! Would you look at this box set? A thousand dollars, and then some, for a 153-CD box set? Let’s see, that works out to about $7.83 per CD (a good deal) but still, that’s a mighty impressive collection. Wow! Someone must really – or know someone who really – likes Bach to buy this! I guess I’d only buy this for someone I really cared for and only for an unforgettable Christmas present. Let’s check it out and see what Amazon has to say (and they’d better have a lot to say about this ultra-amazing CD collection):
This CD collection is for serious music lovers only. And get this, gang, there is only one box of these left in stock, so it is selling well – a heck of a lot better than my book.
If you are interested in World Music but don’t know where to start (a common problem) then I can direct you to this CD for traditional Japanese chamber music. This CD features music from the main musical instruments of traditional Japan, namely the Koto, Shamisen, and Shakuhachi. Of course, all of these instruments originated in China during the Golden Age known today as the Tang Dynasty but made their way to Japan and now they are a lost art in any country except Japan. The sound quality of this CD is excellent and the musicianship superb. Click here for a free sample listen. The music is mesmerizing and quite relaxing. Put this CD on and close your eyes and be taken away to old Japan. I have to admit, that this is the only CD that I can recommend for you folks that are interested in the enigmatic and intriguing sounds of the way Japan was 150 years ago. A lost art, but not a lost CD – Pick one up while you still can.
And while we are there, I’d like to strongly recommend this CD too. The title is Japanese Children’s Songs, but don’t be fooled by that. This also is a relaxing collection of traditional Japanese music heavily relying on the Koto – with some equalizing to make it even more enjoyable and accessible to the uninitiated and adults too. The music is lilting and smooth. The sound quality is world-class and the musicianship is tops. This album sounds more typically like the kind of background music that you’d expect to hear in a Sushi shop or traditional Japanese restaurant or at a Zen master’s residence. To get a taste of what this music sounds like, and how it will melt even the hardest of hearts, click here. I suggest you give a short listen to track number two, Furusato, to hear what this music is all about. Furusato means "hometown" in English and this particular track may remind you of what life was like in Japan during the heyday of the Samurai. Anyone with even a passing interest in Japan needs this CD for everyday meditation, relaxation; and for creating that special mood of natural bliss.
Do not be fooled by the record jacket! This is jazz. This album is my cool, soft jazz pick for today. Jacques Loussier may not be all that well-known to you, but in the music world, he is legendary. He was born in France in the mid 1930’s and was a piano prodigy by the age of ten. In the late 1950’s Loussier decided that he could make a splash on the international scene by combining jazz music with classical (unheard of at the time) and it was a smash success.
Well,
that’s all for this edition of Cool & Strange Music. I suppose
these great CDs ought to keep you busy until next time. Don’t forget
that Christmas is right around the corner and with gas prices going
up like they are (you just know that gas will not be cheaper in
November) it’s a good idea and smart to get at least some of your
shopping out of the way. October 8, 2005 Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers [send him mail] was born and raised in the USA and moved to Japan in 1984. He has the distinction of being fired from every FM radio station in Tokyo – one of them three times. His first book, Schizophrenic in Japan, is now on sale. Copyright © 2005 LewRockwell.com |
Okay,
now I’ve had it. My last few Cool & Strange Music articles got
me blasted by a bunch of readers with comments like:
Tone
Poems – Tony Rice & David Grisman
Beethoven's
Wig: Sing Along Symphonies
Beethoven's
Wig, Vol. 2: More Sing-Along Symphonies
Thomas
the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection
Thomas
The Tank Engine And Friends – The Early Years
Bach
2000: The Complete Bach Edition (Includes Commemorative Book) (Box
Set)
Art
of Japanese Koto, Shakuhachi and Shamisen
Japanese
Children's Songs [Import] – Mizuyo Komiya
Satie:
Gymnopedies Gnossiennes – Jacques Loussier
In
fifteen years, the Jacques Loussier trio sold over six million albums.
He was so influential to rock music and its innovators that he also
hosted musicians in his studio in Nice, France. Among the more famous
include Pink Floyd, Elton John, Sting and Yes. 