Van the Man
I was lucky enough to see Van Morrison perform his 1968 masterpiece Astral Weeks live in concert last year (he's recently added new performances of this album around the country) and I listened to the album a lot to prepare for the concert and I haven't been able to stop since. Its unique blend of free-wheeling jazz, romantic swing and mystical Celtic soul is certainly unique among rock's canon. It lacks the concise pop punch of its more popular successor Moondance, but it more than compensates with a depth of feeling and intensity. I almost can't listen to the album's centerpiece Madame George without tears coming to my eyes, especially since I discovered the song's connection to Bruce Springsteen's Backstreets from the Born to Run album. Springsteen guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt said Astral Weeks was "like our Bible." The connection is clear between these two songs' repetition of the word "backstreets" and even more so on bootleg live versions of Backstreets from the 70's.
(Links removed upon request.)
Van Morrison--"Domino" (mp3)
Van Morrison--"I've Been Working" (mp3)
Hammerin' Hank
Not Hank Aaron, but Hank Greenberg, the first Jewish baseball star who almost broke Babe Ruth's home run record back in the 1930's. I recently re-watched a terrific documentary The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, which effectively details both the tumultuous times and the discrimination faced by Greenberg, which one fellow player said was second only to that endured by Jackie Robinson. The quiet strength and dignity of this man shines through via period footage and recent interviews with such prominent and varied figures as Walter Matthau and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsberg. I was reminded of this movie by the recent theatrical release of director Aviva Kempner's new documentary entitled Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg. This film, currently showing in major cities, shines a light on the now little-remembered first queen of television comedy Gertrude Berg. The show she created on radio and brought to TV, The Goldbergs, reigned until I Love Lucy despite, or maybe because of, its distinctly ethnic nature. It's a fascinating story of one woman overcoming both gender and ethnic discrimination to become, for a time, the second most admired woman in America behind Eleanor Roosevelt.
Arrestingly Funny
Not sure why I resisted this show when it was broadcast, probably because Fox news makes me hate the Fox network generally, but I've only recently been introduced by a friend to Arrested Development. A change of pace from popular comedies of awkwardness like The Office, this show is flat out wacky and so quickly paced that is actually exhausting to watch. Then again, maybe that's from all the laughing. From main character pros like Jeffrey Tambor, Jason Bateman and Michael Cera (in his career-making role) to guest casting like Henry Winkler and Liza Minelli (!), the cast is an incredible collection of comedic talent, while the writing out-crazies even 30 Rock. Thank God for Netflix so I didn't miss out on this treasure.
French Kiss
My first trip to France this summer had me trying to digest as much French and French culture as I could in preparation. I failed miserable on the first, relying on my brother's high school French for communication, but a book clumsily titled Sixty Million French Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but not the French really helped with the second. Using part history, part current events, part pop psychology, the authors Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow (both Canadians!) help explain why the French are the way they are and how that causes problems sometimes with American customs and mindsets. An insightful, well-researched and funny guide for anyone---tourists, diplomats or businessmen---trying to understand the French people.
Both Van Morrison tracks come from his classic CD, His Band and Street Choir, which followed both Astral Weeks and Moondance, available at Itunes.
I was lucky enough to see Van Morrison perform his 1968 masterpiece Astral Weeks live in concert last year (he's recently added new performances of this album around the country) and I listened to the album a lot to prepare for the concert and I haven't been able to stop since. Its unique blend of free-wheeling jazz, romantic swing and mystical Celtic soul is certainly unique among rock's canon. It lacks the concise pop punch of its more popular successor Moondance, but it more than compensates with a depth of feeling and intensity. I almost can't listen to the album's centerpiece Madame George without tears coming to my eyes, especially since I discovered the song's connection to Bruce Springsteen's Backstreets from the Born to Run album. Springsteen guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt said Astral Weeks was "like our Bible." The connection is clear between these two songs' repetition of the word "backstreets" and even more so on bootleg live versions of Backstreets from the 70's.(Links removed upon request.)
Van Morrison--"Domino" (mp3)
Van Morrison--"I've Been Working" (mp3)
Hammerin' Hank
Not Hank Aaron, but Hank Greenberg, the first Jewish baseball star who almost broke Babe Ruth's home run record back in the 1930's. I recently re-watched a terrific documentary The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, which effectively details both the tumultuous times and the discrimination faced by Greenberg, which one fellow player said was second only to that endured by Jackie Robinson. The quiet strength and dignity of this man shines through via period footage and recent interviews with such prominent and varied figures as Walter Matthau and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsberg. I was reminded of this movie by the recent theatrical release of director Aviva Kempner's new documentary entitled Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg. This film, currently showing in major cities, shines a light on the now little-remembered first queen of television comedy Gertrude Berg. The show she created on radio and brought to TV, The Goldbergs, reigned until I Love Lucy despite, or maybe because of, its distinctly ethnic nature. It's a fascinating story of one woman overcoming both gender and ethnic discrimination to become, for a time, the second most admired woman in America behind Eleanor Roosevelt.Arrestingly Funny
Not sure why I resisted this show when it was broadcast, probably because Fox news makes me hate the Fox network generally, but I've only recently been introduced by a friend to Arrested Development. A change of pace from popular comedies of awkwardness like The Office, this show is flat out wacky and so quickly paced that is actually exhausting to watch. Then again, maybe that's from all the laughing. From main character pros like Jeffrey Tambor, Jason Bateman and Michael Cera (in his career-making role) to guest casting like Henry Winkler and Liza Minelli (!), the cast is an incredible collection of comedic talent, while the writing out-crazies even 30 Rock. Thank God for Netflix so I didn't miss out on this treasure.French Kiss
My first trip to France this summer had me trying to digest as much French and French culture as I could in preparation. I failed miserable on the first, relying on my brother's high school French for communication, but a book clumsily titled Sixty Million French Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but not the French really helped with the second. Using part history, part current events, part pop psychology, the authors Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow (both Canadians!) help explain why the French are the way they are and how that causes problems sometimes with American customs and mindsets. An insightful, well-researched and funny guide for anyone---tourists, diplomats or businessmen---trying to understand the French people.Both Van Morrison tracks come from his classic CD, His Band and Street Choir, which followed both Astral Weeks and Moondance, available at Itunes.
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