Sheer Lunacy
I've tended lately to write about a variety of fairly serious stuff so I thought I'd let you in on a secret - I'm having some fun.
The guys here at the house have been getting caught off guard and more than a little freaked out by some of the things I've done lately. Full voice renditions of Belefonte's 'Day-O' as I'm touring the house (especially scary as I can't sing worth a tinkers damn); getting their attention during bus rides by whipping out my harmonica and tearing off a blistering signature blues riff; egging on our Jamaican bus driver until he submits and serenades us with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh songs - next thing you know 25 guys are singing 'Get Up, Stand Up', 'No Woman No Cry' or 'Redemption Song'. I conduct the choir and get them to sing louder. Smiles and laughter all round, no age limitation.
Shortly before I left for home Tuesday morning a massive thunder and lightning storm passed over the house from the north. When I left here it was still raining a bit but I was following the storm south to Oshawa and I was treated to an incredible light show. One must have the appropriate music for such an event so I threw Jeff Beck's latest in the deck, cranked it to 20, drank in lungfuls of ionized air and enjoyed the spectacle. Talk about high on life; if I were able to watch that half hour drive on video I'd think I was loosing it. Alone in the car, music on overdrive, guitar swooping, lightning flashing, thunder crashing and there's me beating the dash, driving way too fast and whoopin' & hollerin' like it's a hog calling contest in Kentucky. I couldn't believe the lightning; it seemed some part of the sky was illuminated at all times. Just jumping around continuously and some of those bolts must have been 10 miles long. Nah, I don't get excited about this natural world of ours at all. No wonder I couldn't sleep when I got home.
(the only other piece of music that would have suited is Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries' but unfortunately it's not something I usually ride with - maybe next time)
Just so no one thinks I'm Jeff's uber-fan; there are a few tracks I don't like as they are a little too shrill or discordant. On these live recordings he does hit the occasional bum note but he's so talented that with the next phrase he's able to pull that note back into context & make it sound like he'd done it on purpose, just to make sure you're listening and paying attention. Very highly recommended, if you're able to find them: Cuz We've Ended As Lovers, Angel, Nadia, Brush With The Blues..........some of them are on video on YouTube..........check'em out.
The guys here at the house have been getting caught off guard and more than a little freaked out by some of the things I've done lately. Full voice renditions of Belefonte's 'Day-O' as I'm touring the house (especially scary as I can't sing worth a tinkers damn); getting their attention during bus rides by whipping out my harmonica and tearing off a blistering signature blues riff; egging on our Jamaican bus driver until he submits and serenades us with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh songs - next thing you know 25 guys are singing 'Get Up, Stand Up', 'No Woman No Cry' or 'Redemption Song'. I conduct the choir and get them to sing louder. Smiles and laughter all round, no age limitation.
Shortly before I left for home Tuesday morning a massive thunder and lightning storm passed over the house from the north. When I left here it was still raining a bit but I was following the storm south to Oshawa and I was treated to an incredible light show. One must have the appropriate music for such an event so I threw Jeff Beck's latest in the deck, cranked it to 20, drank in lungfuls of ionized air and enjoyed the spectacle. Talk about high on life; if I were able to watch that half hour drive on video I'd think I was loosing it. Alone in the car, music on overdrive, guitar swooping, lightning flashing, thunder crashing and there's me beating the dash, driving way too fast and whoopin' & hollerin' like it's a hog calling contest in Kentucky. I couldn't believe the lightning; it seemed some part of the sky was illuminated at all times. Just jumping around continuously and some of those bolts must have been 10 miles long. Nah, I don't get excited about this natural world of ours at all. No wonder I couldn't sleep when I got home.
(the only other piece of music that would have suited is Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries' but unfortunately it's not something I usually ride with - maybe next time)
Just so no one thinks I'm Jeff's uber-fan; there are a few tracks I don't like as they are a little too shrill or discordant. On these live recordings he does hit the occasional bum note but he's so talented that with the next phrase he's able to pull that note back into context & make it sound like he'd done it on purpose, just to make sure you're listening and paying attention. Very highly recommended, if you're able to find them: Cuz We've Ended As Lovers, Angel, Nadia, Brush With The Blues..........some of them are on video on YouTube..........check'em out.
posted by Norm at 5/17/2007 01:31:00 AM
2 Comments:
if lunacy is left field, or right brained, then count me in
it's always fun to bring some outside the box antics to work
I find it lightens the mood here as well. By days end the guys have been presented with a lot of new information and are worn out from processing it. Upset by it sometimes, too.
'Hey, I can have fun clean & sober - so can you.'
Sober not somber.
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