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Twenty and some change

“All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music.”

CBC Radio 1, on their flagship program Sunday Edition, has been doing something really interesting s’far as music goes.  Ambitious even: 20 Pieces of Music that Changed the World.

Can music change – actually affect the course of  – human affairs?  Daniel Levitin wrote This is Your Brain on Music partially to argue the point. Or rather, to argue against the idea that music is merely an accidental social construct with no deep purpose whatever.

Robert Harris (of CBC’s I Hear Music fame) is the chief proponent of this big idea.  And since September of last year, he’s been guiding us through a history that makes Alan Cross’ effort seem… shallow.

Don’t get me wrong; I love the OGHONM.  It’s just that this is different.

The first song of the first episode comes from the Race Charts of 1946; That’s All Right, by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup.  It’s not the first of Harris’ 20 songs.  But it’s clear that without it, that first one wouldn’t have come to pass.

It was the song that launched the rock and roll genre. Crudup’s song covered by Elvis Presley.

For those who like their music light and fluffy (for some reason, I’m thinking Katy Perry here) this series is likely not for you.  But then again, neither is this blog, so on your way you go.*

If you want to learn a thing or two about the real roots of popular music, and gain an appreciation for one man’s take on what’s influential and why, you’d do worse than catching up on these segments.  There are 11 segments up right now,  but I’ll just list the first ten (in keeping with the spirit of the playlist).

You can catch up with back epis, since they’re all streamed for your listening pleasure.

The First Ten Songs (that changed the World)

1. That’s All Right, Elvis Presley - 1954

The song that launched the rock’n'roll genre.

2. La Serva Padrona, Giovanni Pergolese – 1733

The libretto that inspired Rousseau and the French Revolution.

3. We Shall Overcome, Joan Baez – 1962

The rise of the anthem; a catalyst for the civil rights movement.

4. Vesti la Giubba, Enrico Caruso – 1907

The first recording to sell a million copies.

5. Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan – 1966

Arguably, the  most influential transformation of musical genres; folk goes electric at the Newport Folk Festival and, later, the Manchester Free Trade Hall.  Judas, indeed.

6. The Eroica Symphony, Beethoven - 1805

Music to bring in the dawn of the Enlightenment.

7. West End Blues, Louis Armstrong – 1917

The first conjunction of African with western music.

8. I Shot the Sheriff – Bob Marley – 1974

The first truly non-western genre to rise in popularity.

9. Fight the Power, Public Enemy – 1989

The third conjunction of African with western music.

10.  Hey Brother Can You spare a dime

Interesting Asides

• Daniel Levitin has roots… in 1998, he founded  MoodLogic.com, a Website that proposed to recommend music bases on your own tastes.  I don’t remember it, but I do use (on a daily basis) the site that it morphed into:  Allmusic.

• Walter Pater, quoted above, was sent to Enright Grammer school after his father died.  Micheal Enright, host of The Sunday Edition,  might have been amused.

* Regarding my “so on your way you go” comment, above…  I’m a snob.  There, I admit it.  Back in 1988 I hosted my first (and only) alternative radio show in Yellowknife, wherein I suggested that you’d want to listen to my show (this is in a promo) to hear “real music”.  Even back then, some thought I was over the top.

Emm’s infinite sadness

There’s a lot to be said about Emm Gryner. I’m just not sure that I’m the guy to say it.

I know I’d heard her music before, and I think I’d even seen her perform at one of those endless summer concert series somewhere.  But all I could say when she appeared on the big screen, in a scene from the movie One Week, was: “I’ve seen her somewhere…”.

Yes, I left it dangling like that.

Anyhow, Emm’s got a Website, the Emmbassy, and I’ve been following it ever since I saw the movie a couple months back. In her latest post, she talks about being in a bit of a mood, wanting to soak in a tub, and creating a playlist to match:

The Essential Drowning Playlist.  Here it is:

1. Hard Days 1.2.3.4. – Loney Dear
2. Up To My Neck In You – Mark Kozelek
3. The Chance is Gone – Howie Beck
4. Sullen Girl – Fiona Apple
5. Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones
6. Not Over You – One Day International
7. Heroine – Matt Mays
8. I Can’t Make You Love Me – Colleen Brown
9. If The Ocean Gets Rough – Willy Mason
10. Helpless – Neil Young

Now… seeing as how I know only four of the ten artists here, there seems to be a little bit of research in store for me. Which is precisely what I started up this blog for.  And of course, it puts me in the mood to throw together a little playlist of my own.

Her instructions are our instructions:

I will now create for you the ultimate Drowning Playlist out of what I already have in my computer. Follow my instructions and you will have the perfect soundtrack to A. wallow in your hormonal abyss B. wander through your lovelorn hell or C. just chillax on a rainy day wondering why the Jesus you were ever born.

The Drowning Playlist; music to soak to.

1. The Day We Hit the Coast – Emm Gryner (Girl Versions)
2. As Time Goes By - Ibrahim Ferrer (Rhythms del Mundo)
3. This is Not the End – Laura Gibson (If You Come to Greet Me)
4. Carline Says Pt. II – Lou Reed (Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse)
5. Rabid  Bits of Time – Chad VanGaalen (Soft Airplane)
6. The Blower’s Daughter – Damien Rice (Migratory Birds)
7. I Get Along Without You Very Well – Nina Simone (The Very Best of Nina Simone)
8. Borrowed Tune – Neil Young (Tonight’s the Night)
9. I Know It’s Over – The Smiths (The Queen is Dead)
10. Brick – Ben Folds Five (Whatever and Ever Amen)

I’m afraid that lacking empathy with the hormonal thing, the modo of this one is more resigned and meloncholy, less desperate that Emm’s original intention.

And yes, there’s more than one breakup song, fodder for its own sampler/playlist.

Three obviously hurting songs that don’t fit the mood…

• Hurt – Johnny Cash
• Eleanor Rigby – The Beatles
• It’s Not Easy Being Green – Kermit the Frog

Asides

In thinking and researching the post, things – asides – come up that are worth mentioning.

• If you’re in Calgary, Emm is playing the Marquis Room on Friday May 15.  To quote Pete (author of the photo, above):

I  believe there’s an ancient Chinese proverb that says, roughly translated, “You can never have too many photos of Emm Gryner“.

I hope to get some of my own.

• The Walrus, that Canadian rag of high culture and snobbishness, the one that refuses to die, published an article last year around this time: Minor Keys.  And for some stupid reason, it’s available in its entirety.  Fun read.  So far as depressing songs goes. They also have some onbline content to accompany the article, The Saddest Music in the World.  With “special content”.

• Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers is a blog that’s been working overtime since 2006.  It seems to include posts consisting entirely of current CDs os (presumably) sad sad releases.  Pedro from Ireland, could you possibly be more enigmatic?  No, didn’t think so.

• Missing artists:  Tom Waits and Radiohead come to mind.  Any others?

And so, that’s all folks.  If you’ve read this far, then why not put your own playlist together and post in the comments section.  Best collection (as selected by a  jury of your peers) gts a copy of mine, above, burned on a CD.

Photo credit:  Pete Nema from December, 2006, at the Drake, in To.

I want one

I want a circle.

In fact, I need a circle. And I want it to be an eclectic, wonderfully weird, multi national effort.  I don’t know if that’s what you want, but it’s what I want to do.

Since this is the first burning circle associated with this effort (I hope that there will be many many more), I’ve created a page for us.  Please discuss in the comments over there.

The germ of an idea

The idea of a Burning Circle is not my mine.  But I do recognize a good one when I see it.

I was introduced to the idea while dropping in on a  new neighbour.  And a nice glass of wine or four.  (Actually, since I’ve just moved into the neighbourhood, and he’s been around for ten years now, I’m sorta the new guy on the block.)

Anyhow, the story; we were chatting and I had become distracted, for a moment, by a picture of a boat and, upon opening the jewel case, an intriguing script that spelled out one word:  Siboney.

“si-BO-nee”, I said to myself, emphasis on the middle syllable.

Siboney, you see, besides being the title of an Ernesto Lecuona masterpiece (which I didn’t know of at the time) was also the theme of Miles’ (the neighbour) very recent contribution to his burning circle.

The idea is deceptively simple;  a group of indeterminate size (the “circle” part of the equation) takes turns producing a mix-tape (the “burning” part) and distributing it to the circle members.

What a great way of introducing people to new music!

Now, the mixtape idea has it roots from way back in the day.  In my own circle of audiophiles, we called them “samplers”, and there is a story or two to tell about them as well.  Another time, another place.  But the Burning Circle allows us the possibility of sharing our music with not a dozen, but with (potentially) dozens.  Or hundreds.

Such is the power of the Intertubz.

And so, in a fit of motivation that only four glasses of rather good plonk (Miles’ own admission) can encourage, I have created this, The Burning Circle.  A blog to share good music, and to encourage the formation of other burning circles.

And so just for the record, and for Miles (who had trouble finding the original version), here is Ernesto Lacuono with Canto Siboney. And it’s pronounced “si-boh-NEH”. Emphasis at the end.