Hello Folks. Welcome to my world-------------lonely at 4:30 AM
OK, don’t forget. December 22nd and 23rd at the Concert Hall of the Performing Arts Center at Suny Purchase, Rob Mathes and his troupe of wandering behemoths. Call 914-251-6200 (box office) or The Music Source (203-698-0444). I am supposed to keep this website updated. I am supposed to be a resourceful and responsible person. And of course, I am neither of those things. But........here goes a new blog of sorts. We will keep the old ones because we think they might be valuable to someone someday (Lord help the blind man!!!)
Here is a sentimental moment for us sappy types: My daughter Lily is turning 5 today. AWWWWWWWWWWWW! Maybe I will write her a song and try to get it cut by the Wiggles. She is awful cute.
Ok, a few phrases. Let's discuss.
1. "It's all good." No it isn't. It never has been all good. It never will be all good. In fact, a lot of it is really bad.
2. "I understand what you're going through." No you don't.
3. "I listened to the record. Man, some cool stuff in there. Really nice." Translation: I hate your record. I think you're a poser and I have told all my friends. In fact, they and I both agree that I am much better than you in most categories and more worthwhile as a human specimen than you could ever hope to be.
4. "Yeah, exactly." Translation: I am not really listening and if I was, you would bore me to tears so I am just going to agree with everything you say.
5. Dylanesque. Translation: Songs by songwriters about themselves, all of them.
6. Beatlesque. Translation: Songs by songwriters about themselves produced in a fashion that renders them completely obsolete and causes the listener to be nostalgic for a time when music was really inventive and did not imitate music made 40 years before it (Look who's freaking talking).
7. Hypocrite. Translation: See above.
8. Hip Hop. Translation: No chords, No Melodies whatsoever but GREAT RECORDS and not protooled to death like all the records made by musicians that always wanted to be perfect and now can be. Also------often just men and women yelling really loudly over a four beat pattern that repeats over and over again. Thank the Lord for Missy Elliot, Mary J.Blige, Kanye West, and Just Blaze.
9. Young TV Stars that can't sing but have record deals. Conclusion: Look what being able to make things perfect has gotten us. We make terrible things sound remotely acceptable. Can't wait for the Cloning era.
10. Rob Mathes planning a new album. Forecast: Mother really excited. Brother promises to buy a few extra copies for his friends at the office.
New music to check out: Charlie Peacock's Love Press Ex Curio. Known as a creative producer of Post Modern Contemporary Christian music (I know that is a contradiction in terms), Charlie channels Cecil Talyor and Andrew Hill on a pretty frickin' cool record. Butch Walker "Letters", great crunchy power punk pop. I am going to write the String arrangements on Butch's next record and he is one talented boy. Kanye West's new one obviously. Check out a record by an independent artist named Mike Errico. I worked with his sister, Broadway Star Melissa Errico and Mike is pretty brilliant. His music is, yes, singer songwritery and therefore not always incendiary (not unlike others we know :):):):) BUT... it is smart, beautiful and beautifully executed with a good deal of edge at times and musicianship in the best sense of that word. The album is called "Skimming".
Otherwise, I have been listening to old music, like early U2 and Dylan and Joni Mitchell (Hejira--DAMN). I have been listening to Bartok's Music For Strings, Percussion and Celesta--ridiculous genius and Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 5. I have also been listening to various recordings of the Dvorak Cello Concerto. This must be one of the most perfect and extraordinary pieces of music ever written. Brahms said, "I wish I had known one could write such a beautiful and successful concerto for Cello and Orchestra, I would have written one myself." Check out Rostropovich, both with Giulini and Karajan (Karajan's is one of the great recordings of all time). It is also worth it to look for the BBC live version with Jacqueline Du Pre (the BBC, not the slightly histrionic Teldec recording with Celidibache conducting).
Have we talked about Mahler's 9th????? I don't think we should because if we do, I will never stop. THAT IS THE ONE DISC I WOULD BRING WITH ME IF TAKEN AWAY FOREVER. I would need three versions, the live DVD with Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic which comes out in two weeks (I have a Japanese Import), the live Berlin Philharmonic Bernstein version from 1979 and probably the most perfect performance of the score while remaining deeply personal, Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Phil from 1999. Unbelievable music but NOT easy to get next to. It takes time. Love Branford Marsalis's live DVD of A Love Supreme. He pulls it off and his band is frightening. Love the new Audioslave. Love the now old U2. Love my Mom and Dad and the extremely attractive lady friend I married (not sure why she took me but I am going with it.) I also love Pizza Post Pizza in Cos Cob, CT, not too bulky, not too cheesy, not too greasy (love that too much!!) More soon.
Rob
