It’s easy to get swept up in emotion, and it’s easy to give in to the desire to have an opinion with incomplete information. Especially right now and all future ages where we are bombarded with constant news, resist the pressure to have an opinion right away.
There’s plenty of time to get one, but having one immediately marries you to a point of view that may be hard to break once new information comes. And new information will come.
Some characters in A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones have some serious similarities to characters in Der Ring des Nibelungen. But first:
If you haven’t read the books comprising George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and watched the show Game of Thrones, then you should stop right here, because I’m getting into spoilers right away. Some of them involve spoilers that are show only, which have – as of this writing – gone beyond the books’ plots. On Reddit, this would correspond to a SPOILERS EXTENDED post.
Ok?
I recommend the books whole-heartedly. I also recommend the show (the moments of greatness more than cancel out the moments of not-so-greatness), but the books are the real love of my heart when it comes to this story. Part of the joy is not knowing what the books are actually about through most of their telling, which spoilers ruin.
I also think you should watch or listen to Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen since it’s an incredibly grand fantasy with moments that stand as pinnacles of musical drama 1. If you’ve noticed the recurring musical motifs that accompany Star Wars or Game of Thrones, you have Richard Wagner’s influence to thank.
That said, I don’t think spoilers ruin the Ring in the way they might for A Song of Ice and Fire, so you can read on.
Thank you, President Barack Obama, for the last eight years. I and many other Americans wish you the best as you transition to back to normal-ish citizen life, and although I’m sad that you will no longer be president, I am excited to see what you and your family will do next.
Here are some things that caught my attention this past week that you might enjoy as well.
Jazz Samba Encore! is probably the greatest album I’ve ever heard for instantly curing winter blues. Germany gets very dark, cold and wet in the winter, and I’ve always been affected by seasonal depression.
Enter Stan Getz, and it’s an instant transformation. A grey day seems light and breezy, and the grey days shift to light pastels in my inner eye. Combine this with looking at the beautiful film photo set called “California Dreaming” from Johnny Patience, and it’s a great way to brighten up your inner world.
“Samba de Duas Notas” and “Menina Flor” are particular favorites, though the whole album is terrific.
I heard the track “Two 16’s” as the final selection on the Mr. Choc Takeaway Abstract Radio episode, and I was immediately taken. It’s hard for me to speak intelligently about hip hop, but the backup tracks are musically engaging in their own right, and the lyrics are adventurous and self-aware.
The whole album is strong, but I keep returning to a few tracks. The first track “Medicine Man” is a startlingly strong argument for creativity as the answer to inner turmoil. “Two 16s” has backup vocals that might trick you into thinking the subject is lighter than it actually is. “She Sucks” is, cough cough, not what you might think it’s about, and there’s something about horror-themed tracks that I find really fun. There may also be some commentary on addiction in it as well. Also be sure to check out “Introverted”, “CoSIGN” and “Keep Dreaming”, which is both confrontational and inspirational.
Yes, there are some explicit words on this album, though not every track earns an “Explicit” warning.
Kirk McElhearn writes:
unCLASSIFIED, an affiliate of the Naxos Music Group, a large independent classical record label and distributor, creates playlists. They’ve been doing this for Spotify for a while, and they are now on Apple Music…
As the description says, whether you “need a soundtrack for studying…” As if there aren’t any other reasons to listen to classical music. Oh, wait, there are: there is “Serenity Now,” because classical music is “serene.” Or classical music for running, because, I don’t know, you run better with Mozart? And Supper Club, so you can seduce your date with some subtle Bach playing in the bachground.
I’d suggest that it’s marginally better on Spotify simply because public playlists on Apple Music are completely under their official curators’ control. Which is too bad since Apple Music has actually made some terrific improvements for classical organization. I’d love to see better playlists and even a Beats 1 classical show.
That last bit might just be pie in the sky wishful thinking, but their other shows are often excellent, and seeing classical get the same treatment would be a delight.
Link: Here’s What’s Wrong with Classical Music on Streaming Services (Part Whatever)