Odds & Ends

[stoutfellow]

Sindbad: The 13th Voyage is, indeed, a strange book. I think it's best that I regard it as a series of adventures, not progressing towards anything in particular. I'm just not sure what the point is, if any.

I didn't expect Iron Butterfly's music to be quite as interesting as it is. (It probably helps that I generally don't pay attention to the words.) I like their use of the organ. It seems to me that there's not enough variety in instrumentation in popular music these days. I don't recall good use of the saxophone since Gerry Rafferty - I'm not counting pure instrumentals - or of the more subtle kinds of percussion, for instance. On the other hand, I'm not exactly up on the popular music scene, so I may be mistaken here.

A couple of days ago, I was the only person on the bus en route to work. The driver amused himself by singing a medley of soul music. I don't recall what-all he sang, but "Dock of the Bay" was one of them. Not a bad voice, although I might quarrel with his pacing. (See what I'd miss if I drove?)

Comments

[kd5mdk.livejournal.com]

"Dock of the Bay" is one of a long list of popular 60s folk songs (and some earlier, perhaps) I first heard of on a CD I have of Vietnam filk, taken from recordings distributed in theatre by Army & Air Force semi-offical bands. It's very interesting, and remarkably different, I'd say, from what a lot of people think of. This one in particular is done as "Sitting in the cab of my truck", a Ho Chi Minh trail truckdriver describing the war from his point of view (there are several of these). Very interesting, and quite sympathetic.

Iron Butterfly

[hornedhopper.livejournal.com]

The only song from Iron Butterfly that I remember was "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." When I was around 14-15, they came to give a concert. Being the little hippie that I was from 13-15, of course I was in attendance. What MOST struck me after they began playing said song: it seemed to go on FORRRRRever. After about 40 minutes, I went out into the hall to walk around the Coliseum. When I returned 20 minutes or so later, they were STILL playing it. Man, I've had boring moments in my life, but that hour of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" ranks right up there among the top 5. (g)