It's been a mighty cold and snowy winter all over the northern hemisphere. Now, it seems even little old Chucktown might get a taste of the white stuff. From teh Wethurdotcom:
The storm will reach a position just off the South Carolina coast by late tonight. Once it reaches this point it is expected to intensify which will spread snow up the South Carolina coast bringing accumulating snows to places like Charleston and Myrtle Beach before pulling out to sea Saturday morning.
Very excited about seeing palm-trees with snow on them!
Grey. Grey is the theme. Grey is created through the mixing of complementary colours - colours on opposing sides of the colour wheel doing battle and finding agreement in mulch. Grey is the colour of the day at present. However, it is also the hue of better things. In the grey corner then I present to you, mon petit chaumes, Papercuts - Future Primitive:
And the chromatically similar and similarly sinister, Acts Of Man, by Midlake:
A final wikipedic raid tells us that the first recorded use of grey as a colour name in English was in AD 700. So, um, there.
A pearl, like many precious stones, is an accident of nature. It is for precisely this reason it is held in high esteem; such accidents are rare.
The oyster seeks only to salve an irritation; the result, in the the hands of man, becomes a gem.
It's no secret to most of you P-clubbers that I'm a big - neigh - massive Janis Joplin fan. That said, I'm not an expert on Jople-trivia, so perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that I recently stumbled on an interesting tidbit from the life of the Queen of Rock. I knew that Pearl was posthumously released and that it was her best selling album, however, I was not aware that the instrumental track, buried alive in the blues, was never intended to be instrumental at all. Here it is, have a listen:
Joplin was scheduled to record the vocals for buried alive in the blues on October 5th, 1970; tragically, she was found dead on the 4th. The odd thing is, you almost wouldn't notice. The track is already chocked full of instrumental fabulousness (fabulocity?), which is why it's always been one of my favourite songs on the album. It acts as a foil, providing a break from Janis's vocals - yet at same time emphasizing them by their absence - and it also showcases the talents of the sublime Full Tilt Boogie Band backing her.
And it's a curious thing to contemplate: the song that never was. The unfinished work is a common theme in art and science, to be sure; however, the unfinished work that works despite being incomplete, is a rare thing indeed - perhaps that's an awkward way to put it, but I trust you follow my drift. Moreover, what does it mean for art and the intention of artists? I'm reminded of a few of Blue Cupboard's works that Beigey and I found in his studio. They seemed to be complete, yet by their context - their placement in the studio, for example - it seemed equally clear that he did not consider them 'finished'. If we're all postmodernists now - aren't we all? - then who is to say that a work is 'finished' or 'unfinished' anyway? Before this 'post' becomes a rant I'll leave you, dear ponies, but it is something to ponder, no doubt.
This seems so silly, I can't believe I'm writing to you like this, but somehow it makes sense too. Maybe a blog post or an email is the 21st century version of sending a letter up the flue? I don't know, and I guess it doesn't matter. The point is, I miss you. Terribly. Your absence leaves me achingly, wretchedly alone. I don't really know what to do with myself sometimes, all I want is to have you say one thing - just one thing - back to me. Sometimes I think if I say (or write) bad things, things you wouldn't approve of, maybe you'll send me a signal - any signal would do - and at least I'd know you are there, somewhere. But that's just it, isn't it? You aren't there. For fuck's sake, why aren't you there? Why? For the love of fucking everything, why are we - all of us - denied you? This really isn't fair, or right or anything. I just want one moment, just one split fucking second with you again. Is that so much to ask?
You had a look in your eyes sometimes, often in the last few years, like you knew that I was squandering my time. Did you know this was coming? I hope not. I think sometimes you worried it would, but I hope you didn't dwell on it too much. It's a funny thing really. I find myself alternating between missing you so much that I wish you could see us, even though you're gone, and worrying that if you were able to see us, you'd see how much we we're all suffering and that would be the worst thing in the world. I hope you didn't think this out too much - who am I kidding - I know how vivid your imagination could be, and I'm sure you imagined a million terrible versions of all this. Did you think about what this would do to me, and Annabel and Ella, and our folks? Did you see all this? Was that the sadness in those sweet blue eyes? I really hope you didn't dwell on it too much. After all, that would hurt you more than any shitty tumour could. Isn't that ironic? No, I agree, fuck that.
I miss you so much - it hurts too much - I just can't bare it. I love you so much. I just turned over the record again... I skipped ahead to "You don't have to cry". Remember how we used to laugh about this song, the hippy-dippy lyrics about "living a reality blah blah blah and telephones" and all that shit. Christ on a bike, who will stay up all night with me and talk about that sort of nonsense now? You've left this enormous hole in my life - in our lives - and how the buggery bollocks are we supposed to fill it? There's just no way. No way. I don't even want to think about this - about you - anymore, but can I stop? Can I fuck. It's just the most achingly lonely feeling, not having you in the world. It's just so wrong. and even worse, there is no making it right.
Here's OUB - another installment from the rare and previously unreleased "Rue de Spa Sessions" by Mattoy. I think you'll agree - it's is pointy little number with a swagger several pints wide. The footage, as you all bloody well know, is from a certain past New Year's Eve party. There's a Simon clip in there too, but then it wouldn't be a Zvayam video if it didn't feature Simon. You can click here for a larger version, or watch it below:
I stumbled on this the other day and it occurred to me it was pretty damn Pony worthy. By the way, there are lots of other really good TED talks out there on the intertubes to watch too...
Well the P Club finally went global. Recorded and edited literally a quarter of the world apart, here is "Kramfundstum" by Mattoy, with some half-arsed video provided by Zvayam.
Haven't felt much like posting things lately, but Beigey just played this for me, and it took me back to a long, long time ago when Blue Cupboard and I were foals.
P.S. You can watch (most) of the town-hall meeting here - just click on the link at the right-hand side for the next part.
P.P.S. You really really should watch the whole speach I linked above, it's just marvelous. If you need any more incentive, here's a little nugget of joy from "prt2":
"As it was in the darkest days after World War II, when a continent lay in ruins and an atomic cloud had settled over the world, we must make the journey together.
We know that transformational change is possible...
for all our differences, there are certain values that bind us together and reveal our common humanity: the universal longing to live a life free from fear, and free from want; a life marked by dignity and respect and simple justice.
Our two republics were founded in service of these ideals. In America, it is written into our founding documents as "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." In France: "Liberté" -- (applause) -- absolutely -- "egalité, fraternité." (Applause.) Our moral authority is derived from the fact that generations of our citizens have fought and bled to uphold these values in our nations and others.
And that's why we can never sacrifice them for expedience's sake.
That's why I've ordered the closing of the detention center in Guantanamo Bay. (Applause.)
That's why I can stand here today and say without equivocation or exception that the United States of America does not and will not torture. (Applause.)"
