My Thermos

On this all hallows eve we have a special (albeit somewhat predictable) Top 5 from our friends over at Music Memoirs:

Top 5 Spooky Halloween Songs

I've decided to focus on some of the things that go bump in the night....

Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) - David Bowie

Vampire Blues - Neil Young

The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) - Fleetwood Mac

Season Of The Witch - Donovan (Although the link is to the Bloomfield, Kooper, Stills Super Session version which I prefer)

Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo

There are really an amazing number of choices for this, Frankenstein, Don't Fear The Reaper, Welcome to my Nightmare, Godzilla, Zombie Wolf, etc..

Happy Halloween everyone.

SB

Our mission this week: There is one week left in the US before the election. This week I want you to pick one song that best describes the candidate of your choosing and tell us why you picked it.

Rather than make this a political statement which I try to avoid here at My Thermos, I thought I would rather choose a song that humorously seems to best describe the good old USA:



Randy Newman - Political Science

I remember when I first heard this, I love it as much today as I did way back then. I love the reaction from the crowd as a good many are obviously hearing it for the first time.

This is taken from the Lyle Lovett Soundstage DVD but it originally appeared on the fantastic Sail Away album from 1972 which I really couldn't recommend more highly. (Note - this is where I should probably insert some sort of Amazon or iTunes affiliate link - but I assume you can find it on your own... If you buy it and like it and want to send me the $0.40 I would have made, leave a comment and we can discuss how you can send it to me)

Enjoy!

SB

(via Music Memoirs)

We lost a great one this last weekend as Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops passed at age 72.



RIP Levi

Oh Hell, I Don't Know What Day it Is

So apparently I've missed a couple of my regularly scheduled posting thingies - let's see if we can catch up.

Tuesday Tunes - Week 52 (from Oct 6th)

What is the best music to chill out to?

This is hard as I don't have a real standard for this. I will say that it doesn't need to be instrumental, or acoustic, or even quiet. Let's just say I don't know how to define it, but I know it when I hear it...

What artist do you think of when you see the word "calm"?

Oddly, the first artist to come to mind is Cowboy Junkies because I just love their catatonia inspired version of Sweet Jane. If I think about it longer, not sure that is the best description of them but for the sake of brevity, let's go with that.

How does music help you to become calm or more relaxed?

Oh - this is a doozy of a question, and if I sat down and really tried to answer it it would probably require quite a bit more space than I would devote here. I guess the way I can explain this best is to do a comparison.

For some, music is background. It is white noise while their brain focuses on something else. They don't interact with it.

For me, music is always the focus, even when I'm doing something else. There is music playing now (Gov't Mule - New World Blues) and even though I am writing, I am still listening and and processing what I am hearing. If I really stop to examine my behavior, I am tapping the side of the keyboard in between typing bursts. Music is grounding for me. Perhaps it occupies the portion of my brain that would otherwise wander, keeping it on track.

What's really great is when I can fully commit to the listening experience - that is when it is most relaxing. Sitting at a live show, or listening to a favorite with headphones and just absorbing it completely. Distractions to a minimum and hearing every note, it's the ultimate escape really.

Top 5 On Friday - Week 194 (from Oct 9th)

Top 5 songs to soothe the savage beast

This is actually a good one to go together with the above as I get to give some specific examples.

"Dreams" - The Allman Brothers Band

See my Dreamy post from a couple of weeks back for an amazing video of this.

"Sweet Jane" - The Cowboy Junkies

I joke about this being catatonic, but it is really only partially a joke...

"Eyes of a Stranger" - Queensryche

Actually, this whole album gets a ton of play from me when I'm working, maybe something about displaced energy but it really does an outstanding job of getting me focused on tasks when I am otherwise distracted

"Aja" - Steely Dan

Quite possibly the world's most perfect song. Love the rise and fall, the ebbs and tides, etc..

"The Köln Concert" - Keith Jarrett

This brilliant and entirely spontaneous recording is really just astonishing. He is lost in it, we get to come along for the ride.

---

Don't Go - There is more after the jump!! Continue reading "It's Tuesday, or Friday - No ... »

The dream is over
What can I say?
the Dream is Over
Yesterday
I was the Dreamweaver
But now I'm reborn
I was the Walrus
But now I'm John
and so dear friends
you'll just have to carry on
The Dream is over

John Winston Ono Lennon
October 9, 1940 - December 8, 1980

--

A couple of things:

The photo is one we took on one of our many trips to New York, this being one of the rare ones in Summer months. We always found time to spend in Strawberry Fields in Central Park. Such a wonderul peaceful place. I don't see anyone with a guitar in this photo but there was likely someone there, or at least would be in a matter of moments. I was there on Dec. 8, 1990 and it was an experience in my life that I will never forget.

I recall Yoko once saying something about while she understood how everyone else felt about losing "Beatle" John, she also lost her friend and husband, and his children lost their father.

John was 40 when he was killed, and I just turned 40 this year. Not that we have led similar lives but it's something that I am having trouble reconciling. This year, because of that common thread, it is really hitting me just how much life he had left, and how much time with him we missed. John would have been 68 this year.

Some call Double Fantasy the album where he made peace with his aging, little did we know at the time that it would be such a final statement.

Happy Birthday John

SB

Today's Mission: Top 5 songs with really long titles

Fun topic this week with a ton of possible answers. I avoided using anything parenthetical which cut out a lot of things.

Don't Think About Her When You're Trying To Drive - Little Village

Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict - Pink Floyd

René and Georgette Magritte with their Dog after the War - Paul Simon

I May Not Have Had Enough of Me But I've Had Enough of You - Robert Fripp

Sigmund Freud's Impersonation of Albert Einstein in America - Randy Newman

What did I miss?

(via Music Memoirs)