Music

[clvrlad]

i dont know what you mean im always nice
Deriving from the Latin nescius, "ignorant" (from nescire, "not to know"), it's meaning in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries commonly was "foolish" or "wanton." To refer to someone as a "nice person" was no compliment in Chaucer's day.

[Bunnylump]

Well, I'm now a bit confused as to whether I'm insulting you ("You're being nice") or me ("to me"!!!) Probably a bit of both...

[SparkOut]

How big is the snowman you've built then, Bunny? I'm guessing you're not in school, looking at the news.

[MBH]

Since this is the Music thread, she's probably wandering around singing:

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Hi Sis - I'm at work, but on a public access computer, so I can have this in the background while I'm typing up plans in word processing

[Bunnylump]

No, but my son (who did eventually get home last night in his plimsolls btw) is, bizarrely, whistling that- he must be telepathic like his scary witch mother.

No - can't get there! The school is shut this time though - last day of term stupid headmaster kept it open. The staff tried to struggle in - 46 of them made it (eventually), as did 45 children!!!!!!! (Out of about 1,200 children). The thing is that although it's a secondary school, it's in a village and at the top of a long, steep hill*, and a lot of the kids have to get in by bus from all the surrounding area.

*It is, in fact, the hill made famous by the "Grand old Duke of York" - the one he marched them up to the top of!!

And no, haven't gone out yet (still in pjs) - it's still snowing hard!

[clvrlad]

you work in wakefield?
i thought you were down south

[Laura]

No, but I'm in Wakefield, and that hill is rather snowy too. With more snow being added as we speak. I should be attempting to drive to Sheffield on Friday, the city of seven hills or something. Not looking forward to that!!!

[Bunnylump]

you work in wakefield?
i thought you were down south

Well I was told (by a history teacher) it was here!!

[clvrlad]

looking online i can see several stories for the duke of york in the song

[Bunnylump]

Sooo...

I'm just listening to some of the CDs I got for Christmas, and wondered if anyone had got any music for their Christmas and would like to tell us what they thought / would or wouldn't recommend?

I'm currently listening to
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB - FLAWS

I love some of the guitar finger picking on this, and in general it makes quite pleasant relaxing listening - well, apart from Ivy and Gold which makes me laugh for some inexplicable reason every time I hear it. The tune is such an insufferably jolly little "ditty", but quite fun nonetheless.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV4B4Y6Cr28

I particularly like the track "fairytale lullaby". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWFef4j_2AQ

I also got Sting's "If on a Winter's Night". Some quite interesting stuff - but also some tracks which I would classify as "music to slit your wrists to"...

My son got Smoke Fairies - Through the Light and Trees, which I have also pinched. They are a mix of American blues and English folk and again are quite interesting.

Other recent acquisitions include KT Tunstall Tiger Suit, which I have largely enjoyed. I quite like her slightly gravelly voice.

And before anyone thinks we've all become hippies, my husband got Shalamar greatest hits!!! So when I was cooking Christmas dinner I was also bopping around in the kitchen 1980's style... Don't think I could listen to it for long though.

[LAT]

Well I got one remarkably prescient CD for Christmas. Pirates of Penzance!

I could certainly recommend it for anyone struggling with a certain puzzle.

[Bunnylump]

How weird is that??

Gill's just recommended me a guitarist I hadn't heard before - this is good (if you like guitar!!)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVuupi2KOtw

[gill216]

I just sent this in a Pm to Bunny. Jon is a friend or ours and I've known him since he was a hard up student. I'd forgotten he owes me big time now he's getting where he should be. He used to play live country for me when I was teaching linedance. He must cringe at that now but he always mentions his linedance days in his roots and bio's.

I've just had a look back at some of Jon's stuff on youtube. I appear on stupid blues at the mixing tin 2005 . Grey jeans, black t shirt, stiff as a board right at the front with a drink in my hand. That was the night his car broke down - I drew the short straw and had to drive him!!!! Then again I drove him often in the days before he could drive. Then he passed his test but couldn't afford a car so I still drove him. Then he bought a car and didn't realise you had to put oil and water in it. So I still had to drive him

[pebbles]

No CDs, just a DVD about Harry Nilsson. Makes me want to listen to his CDs again.

[dramaticat]

I got The Moody Blues - A Question of Balance and Claire Martin and Richard Rodney Bennett - When Lights Are Low. (I haven't listened to either of them yet!).

Claire Martin is a great jazz singer. I've got lots of her CDs and have seen her live a number of times. I highly recommend her as she doesn't just stick to jazz standards.

I bought Ian Olias of Sunhillow by Jon Anderson.

[giraffe]

Wow! I've never seen anyone play the guitar like that, using the left hand on the wrong side of the neck, and changing the tuning of the B string whilst playing. (Although I have played pieces where you have to change the bottom string from E to D half way) Also never seen a capo that only covers 5 strings. You live and learn.

Thanks for posting that link.

[Bunnylump]

OK so this was yesterday but I am only just starting to catch back up with myself. Yesterday I went to see D's band at The Horns in Watford. I was quite shocked to see that the band now has no fewer than 10 musicians in it (D on drums, lead singer, guitar, keyboards, bass, sax, trumpet and three BVs). Not really my thing (Steely Dan covers) but I must say that they had done a really good job. It's very complicated, multilayered stuff with some interesting harmonies. The pub was packed and they went down really well.

[MBH]

That sounds very impressive Bunny The music may not be to your taste but you appreciate the skill.

I'm making the most of my computer bus with two laptops switched on side by side. On one I'm doing works email (and sneaking on here) while on the next one I've got BBC iPlayer blasting out the "Hooray for Hollywood" BBC Proms session from Radio 3 Now that music is right up my alley

Oooooh - smooth move from 42nd street to Top Hat. That's it - forget the emails.... I'm having a dance

[Bunnylump]

Just listening to Mahler's first symphony on the telly. I'm pretty gobsmacked that I USED to be able to play large chunks of this on the double bass with the orchestra at school!! (Can't play anything now!) I'd totally forgotten about the section (funeral march) which is based on "Frere Jaques"

[LAT]

I love that symphony (we were watching/listening too) Way back when I was sharing a house in London with friends one of them was at The Royal Academy studying music and this was a piece she studied so she played it a lot. And I've loved it ever since. (And I did remember the Frere Jacques bit - I could virtually hum the whole symphony all the way through )