What makes you feel nostalgic?
In order of frequency: 1.) music; 2.) some random memory; 3.) a pattern of colors.
PROMPT: Nostalgic
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Tag Archives: music
PROMPT: Album
What’s your all-time favorite album?
I couldn’t even begin. I have favorite albums of some particular acts (e.g. “Let it Bleed” Rolling Stones; “Born to Run” Springsteen; “Rumours” Fleetwood Mac; “Sgt. Pepper’s…” The Beatles; “Toys in the Attic” Aerosmith; etc.) but not overall.
I think MIPSO’s “Dark Holler Pop” is pretty much a perfect album, and I’m quite fond of Ben Sollee’s “Learning to Bend.”
But I have no favorite album.
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PROMPT: Music
I would not like it. Music is a fastpass to bliss.
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BOOKS: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick RubinMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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This book offers Rick Rubin’s philosophy of creativity and art. For those unfamiliar with Rubin, he’s a ZZ Top-looking music producer who contributed to a lot of successful albums, ranging from hip hop to the rock-n-roll of Tom Petty. He was a major player behind the Run DMC cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” that blew peoples’ minds in the 80’s. Interestingly, Rubin is neither a musician nor a technologist, and I heard him say in an interview that his great value-added was having an extremely high level of confidence in knowing what he liked. Rubin has a persona that is as much guru as music producer, and this book reflects this broad insight and wisdom.
In the book, Rubin lays out his view of the creative process and the mistakes people make with it, but along the way he offers insight into such interesting questions as why some artists only seem to have one major work in them. While Rubin’s experience is mostly with music (though he also worked with comedian Andrew Dice Clay on Clay’s albums,) his book is broadly targeted towards all artists, and he seems to use as many examples from literature and graphic arts as he does from music.
Rubin does sound a bit woo woo here and there, but I found that many statements — e.g. those that spoke of the universe’s role in artistry — could be interpreted in a way that wasn’t necessarily superstitious. While woo woo sounding statements often get on my nerves, I felt Rubin’s use was poetic and spoke to a broader truth.
I’d highly recommend this book for artists and creative types, regardless of field.
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PROMPT: Listening
Nothing whatsoever. I can tolerate instrumental music, but I find anything with human voices isn’t conducive to cognitive activity.
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PROMPT: Music
What is your favorite genre of music?
I don’t like music by its genre, much to the chagrin of the streaming service that would like to make recommendations but is stumped by the mix of folk, symphonic, rock, instrumental, jazz, international, country, heavy metal and easy listening music that I bounce through.
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Music Appreciation [Free Verse]
Not by hearing or listening,
but by feeling the rhythm,
body / mind resonating to it,
being effortlessly attuned to it:
That is how the music transports one --
how it changes one's mind.
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Good Neighbors [Common Meter]
In caverns below the city lives a beast, reviled. It's fierce and ancient and patient -n- won't come up unless riled. When you read of disappearance: kidnapped or ran away? It might be neither one, rather, it's breached the light of day. So, if this beast is not one you wish to look in the face, When you take to song and dance: don't stomp or over-Bass!
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A Horse Is a Horse… [Haiku]
BOOK REVIEW: Hendrix: Electric Requiem by Mattia Colombara
Hendrix: Electric Requiem by Mattia ColombaraMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Release Date: September 6, 2022
This is a biography of the life of Jimi Hendrix in graphic novel form, from his youth in the Jim Crow South to his untimely demise. The book takes narrative license here and there, rather than being a just-the-facts scholarly or journalistic biography. This license is most extensively seen in the mystical and surreal dream and death sequences, but the back matter suggests that there was at least one event depicted in the book that didn’t happen in reality (or, at least, there isn’t evidence to support its occurrence.)
Hendrix’s life was so short and his death was now so long ago that few people know more than that he was a guitar prodigy with a penchant for playing in wild and unusual ways. The story digs into moments of poignancy and drama in the guitar phenom’s life as well as emphasizing his interactions with major artists of the day: e.g. Clapton, McCartney, and The Rolling Stones.
I found the book intriguing and valued the fact that there were notes and a bibliography in the back that help to clarify what’s well-supported and what events take creative license. The art is well rendered and colorful. If you’re interested in learning more about a rock-n-roll legend, it’s worth looking into this book.
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Tiger Riding for Beginners 