Surreal Situations #1 and #2
#1: Came out of Carrefour (think French Wal-Mart) a couple of weeks ago. I hear music playing…loud. This, alone, is very, very unusual in Saudi Arabia. On occasion, you hear some kid blasting hip-hop or Arabian music, but it is really, really rare. So, I hear this music, and it sounds familiar, but I can’t quite place it. I get to my car, open the door, and sit in the seat. Then, it dawns on me. “Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant….”
#2: This morning, I stop at Starbucks on the way to work and order my usual Iced Venti Americano (for REAL coffee drinkers). Selling incense and custom perfume and cologne (often made of the same stuff) is a big business here. Any place with Oud in the name is a giveaway, and there is one of those places right next to the Starbucks. As I am waiting for the barrista to finish my espresso drink, I notice a placard attached to one of the pillars out front, advertising a 50% off sale. As I stare at the placard, trying to see if there are any Arabic words I recognize, I realize that the image providing the background is one of holly leaves and berries. Ho, ho, ho.
Discoveries in the Sand – Episode 3
Some more things I’ve discovered since coming to Riyadh to work…including one rediscovery. This will probably seem like the iTunes love affair entry, to be honest.
1. iTunes – I am sure most people who read this blog know about iTunes. A lot of folks who never log onto the Internet know about iTunes. iTunes has been an important element of maintaining my connection with the USA. Although music is the key and most well known category of media available on iTunes, there is so much more. You can get televsion shows, movies, news programs, video blogs, audio books, language lessions…the list continues. Yes, there are things one can criticize about iTunes – the fidelity of the music, the missing artists, the often dismissive and condescending customer support – but, the convenience of it all tends to overcome the limitations. Sort of like PCs over Macs – yeah, the Macs are better quality, but the PCs give me what I need 90% of the time at a much lower cost. I gave up on my love affair with music fidelity when I got married, got kids, and realized the money I was spending on high-end stereo equipment would go a long way toward paying for school clothes for the kids. If I ever get rich, that might change. For now, however, iTunes is more than adequate and offers plenty of ways to acquire legal media. One important note: It is NOT necessary to own an iPod to enjoy what iTunes has available. The desktop client is free and can be downloaded, installed, and run on just about any computer that runs Windows or MacOS. I am unsure if it is available for the various shades of Unix or not.
2. Podcasts – Not everything on iTunes costs money. Among the free content are podcasts covering almost every possible subject in which one might cultivate an interest. Fan of NPR and its various programs? No problem. iTunes hosts nearly every show distributed via the NPR and PRI networks. Want to learn a foreign language? Excellent. A huge number of language learning podcasts exists in all major languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Chinese, etc.), as well as many less prevalent languages (Tagalog, for example). Interested in religion? Plenty about Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism. Sexuality? Yep. Etiquette? Yep. One of my very favorites is America Abroad a monthly podcast from PRI, which provides an in-depth look at the effects and condition of American foreign policy throughout the world. Yes, these podcasts are available at the source, in most cases; but, iTunes provides a central location for acquiring hundreds, perhaps thousands, of podcasts – much simpler and easier than having to go to each website or blog to acquire them. Podcasts are in .mp3 format and can be played on just about any media player, which hosts .mp3 format.
3. iTunes University – I don’t know which I like or use more, the podcasts available on iTunes or the college level courses available via iTunes University. Like the podcasts, the material in iTunes University is free, and there is a treasure trove of material covering practically any subject you might want to know more about from an academic point of view. Currently, I am listening to a complete semester, grad-level, course in Middle East history, taught by Dr. Graham Leonard at East Tennessee State University. The course contains the lecture content, as well as several video lessons associated with the subject. While smaller schools offer a lot material, many of the courses are offered by major universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Stanford, et cetera. These are great to listen to in the car during a commute or a road trip or while working in the shop or around the house. I cannot recommend this material highly enough. The courses are in .mp3 format and can be played on just about any media player, which hosts .mp3 format.
4. I hate being fat. Now, you might be sitting there going, “Well, duh.” Fair enough. Or, maybe not. Some people are more than happy with their weight and physical condition. But, I hate the tight clothes, the belly shoving up against the table top in a booth, the breathlessness after climbing a set of stairs. This is the major motivator behind my current weight-loss and success (48 pounds as of this writing). I HATE BEING FAT!!. While never a very talented athlete, except as a swimmer, I was an athlete during high school, and as an adult I used to swim a strong, daily 1/4-mile and/or run 3 1/2 miles/day. In my late-20s and early-30s, I was in GREAT shape. Then, I let myself get fat. I am responsible for it. No one else. Adverstisers did not force me to eat all the crap they sell. Nobody used a cattle prod to pry me from my chair to go back for 2nds or 3rds or to pile on portion sizes large enough to feed an elementary school. Carl’s Jr. didn’t cram Western Bacon Double Cheeseburgers down my gullet. Nope. I did it. So, now, it is up to me to get rid of it. Nobody else can do it for me. Not my wife. Not my kids. Not Oprah. Not Dr. Phil. Not Weight Watchers (though I use their program and recommend it). Not some personal trainer who helps celebrities stay stick thin and under-nourished. I, alone, am responsible for my physical condition. I, alone, can get back to a healthy weight that will lessen my risk of heart attack, stroke, or diabetes. I, alone, can get up off my ass and move for 30-60 minutes 4-7 times/week. And, that is what I am doing. Because I hate being fat.
5. The Outlaws – This is my rediscovery. No, I am not talking about the platinum country album of the 70s, which included Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Coulter, and Tompall Glaser – though a most excellent offering. No. I am talking about the Southern Rock band of the same period, out of Tampa, Florida. One of my favorite bands from my early adult years, I had sort of forgotten about them until last month when I just happened across them on iTunes. They’re one of those bands whose songs you hear then attribute them to some other band – unless you’re a fan. For me, they epitomize Southern Rock: a blend of the more mainstream sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the edginess of Molly Hatchett, mixed with an overt acknowledgement of the country roots that influenced ALL Southern Rock bands. Some of their better known songs are: There Goes Another Love Song, Ghost Riders in the Sky (their biggest hit), Green Grass and High Tides (the song that first led me to them), Stick Around for Rock and Roll, You Are The Show, Hurry Sundown, and Take It Anyway You Want It. Most folks will be fine with a “best of” album. If you only want to try a couple of songs, go with Ghost Riders and Green Grass. But, I highly recommend giving these guys a listen.
Music I Like
Anyone who peruses our record collection will find that Cristina and I have a very eclectic taste in what we enjoy. Again, the following recommendations may not represent what I consider as “the best” or “my favorites,” they do represent excellent choices that will expand your horizons a bit. There are tons of other pieces I could recommend, but these will do for today.
American Idiot – Green Day
Amazon Link: http://tinyurl.com/mngjx
Dookie – Green Day
Amazon Link: http://tinyurl.com/ljjlx
So, I’m in a used CD store, and after about an hour of onerously going through the available titles, I approach the counter with a selection of four or five CDs. Among them were Some Kind of Blue by Miles Davis (jazz), a classical selection, a couple of others, and Dookie by Green Day. The clerk, a kid in his mid- to late- twenties glanced through the selection as he prepared to log the order, and he paused. He looked at the selection; he looked at me. He looked at the selection; he looked at me. “Who’s this one for?” he ventured. “Me,” I responded, almost certainly unable to hide my amusement. He chuckled and went on with the process.
So, what in the world is a 40-something guy, who clearly likes his classical and jazz doing with a punk album in his selection? It’s important to remember that I was only about 17 when punk hit the musical scene, a clear reaction to the overblown production of 70s bands such as Styx and Journey. Edgy and raw, punk is a very pure form of rock and roll…sort of a journey back to the roots of early rock and roll…only with exceptionally explicit lyrics and an attempt to shock everyone who listens. I’m not easily shocked, and I love the raw guitar bass and drums. Green Day does an excellent job of holding onto that rawness while folding in musical instrumenation not normally associated with punk.
Dookie and American Idiot represent the best of Green Day in terms of execution, the latter being something of a concept album aimed squarely at the current Bush Administration. Despite the use of strings in the production, both albums retain their edginess and are best played at the loudest possible volume while on a road trip…a long road trip. Not for those bothered by profanity. Kudos to my son, James, for turning me onto Green Day. I’ve been a happier man ever since.
Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
Amazon Link: http://tinyurl.com/mpzwf
This is truly one of the best albums ever recorded. Jazz, Rock, Country, Classical…it really doesn’t matter; this album should be in your musical collection. Smooth, sexy, and smoky. I don’t know any other way to describe it. Miles Davis is often cited as one of the best musical minds of the 20th Century, and this album proves that assertion. This is a great album for being at home when you just want to be at home, be quiet and just be. Send the kids away, send the spouse to their Mother’s, pour a glass of wine, sit in the easy chair and listen to the essence of jazz.
Red Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson
Amazon Link: http://tinyurl.com/lzzpu
The consummate concept album, this collection represents why thousands of fans still flock to his concerts and gaze in adoration as he and his band play through fifty years of hard road, drinking, drugging, and tax fights. This album is Willie Nelson. My best friend in high school turned me onto Willie via this album, a musical collection of Country, Western, church piano, and old-fashioned polka. No wonder it set the Country Music establishment on its heals when it was pressed, establishing the battlefront for artists like Waylon Jennings, David Allen Coe, Jessi Coulter, Tompall Glaser, and Jerry Jeff Walker — people with a clear talent, but who did not fit neatly within the seams meant to constrain what is “really” Country. If you own no other Willie Nelson album, this is the one to own.
Baroque Music for Trumpet by Wynton Marsalis
Amazon Link: http://tinyurl.com/pcbam
I wore out the cassette tape of this album! One of the first CDs I ever bought (yes, children, there was a time before CDs), this album has remained one of my very favorites throughout the years. I don’t play it as often as I used to; but, when I do, it’s a feast for my ears. Wynton Marsalis was, and remains, the greatest and most talented living trumpet player. He pioneered trumpeting techniques that are commonplace today, but were amazing breakthroughs when he first employed them and shocked those who listened. I cannot recommend this album high enough.
If you dare to take a chance on any of these albums, I truly hope you enjoy them. I know I have.
Carole King – The Living Room Tour
My introduction to Carole King came in my sixth grade music class way back in 1971. Our teacher tried to interest us in the idea of singing for pleasure by having us sing lyrics contemporary for the time from handwritten charts that she hung on the wall at the front of the class. Sometimes, she’d sit down at the piano and play the song as we sang; other times, she’d put the LP (those vinyl things, kids) on the record player, and we’d sing along with whatever artist she’d chosen to play.
One of the LPs that we just about wore out that year was Carole King’s quintessential pop masterpiece Tapestry. The very first song we sang from that album was “I Feel The Earth Move.” Somewhat more illicitly, since the lyrics were considered a bit inappropriate for eleven- and twelve-year-olds, we knew every word of “Smackwater Jack” and its murderous tale. Thirty-four years later, I still find myself breaking out into a forgetful version of one or both of these songs. I know I’m not the only one, either.
The longevity of Carole King’s pop standards – dare I use that term? – are one of the key points in history that ties those of us over forty back to our childhood. I suppose that’s one of the inviting aspects of her newly released CD, The Living Room Years, a compilation of live performances in three separate venues across the United States: Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis, Massachussetts; Auditorium Theatre in Chicago; and the very famous Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Perhaps the most engaging aspect of this 2-disc set is just how intimate the recordings come across…it would be easy to believe that one was actually in a small bar listening to her play her piano, or, as she puts it to the audience, right there in someone’s living room.
For the most part, the songs are all of the old ones…many of them straight off of the Tapestry album, but with a more comfortable casualness that one might expect if a group of old friends got together to sing at a party. Not every single note is perfect, and there is more than one example of improvisation – but, it’s all fun stuff. There’s no self-aware modifications to the lyrics or the melody itself, it’s just a singer and a crowd having fun together.
This is an excellent CD, available at a fine Starbucks coffee shop near you. I recommend it for your collection and a gentle, warm, comfortable evening with an old friend.
