Wry Cooder. Who is Wry Cooder? Sadly I have had to clumsily explain to a number of people old enough to be my children who this Ry Cooder dude is.
So I went to a concert on Saturday night where a man in his prime spent an hour and forty five minutes visiting his back catalogue of never-were hit songs. This man who plays slide guitar like no one else; a man who leaves out so many notes it's like a meditation on the unspoken, the invisible, the insubstantial; a man who plays his guitar much better than he communicates in the spoken form - shut up Ry and just play.
How do you explain to people who were't born in the 70s, the significance of a musician who never had a hit; who is better known for his collaborations with Cuban musicians and African guitar maestros like Ali Farka Toure (love saying that name); thirty somethings who haven't heard of the Buena Vista Social Club and for whom Cuba only conjures up images of over proof rum, Bill Clinton's unusual habits with cigars and, well, it's part of America isn't it? ; who've never heard of Castro or the Cuban missile crisis or perhaps even JFK; who ask where Paris Texas is, assuming I've become very confused about my geography.
Am I getting old?
So I went to a concert on Saturday night where a man in his prime spent an hour and forty five minutes visiting his back catalogue of never-were hit songs. This man who plays slide guitar like no one else; a man who leaves out so many notes it's like a meditation on the unspoken, the invisible, the insubstantial; a man who plays his guitar much better than he communicates in the spoken form - shut up Ry and just play.
How do you explain to people who were't born in the 70s, the significance of a musician who never had a hit; who is better known for his collaborations with Cuban musicians and African guitar maestros like Ali Farka Toure (love saying that name); thirty somethings who haven't heard of the Buena Vista Social Club and for whom Cuba only conjures up images of over proof rum, Bill Clinton's unusual habits with cigars and, well, it's part of America isn't it? ; who've never heard of Castro or the Cuban missile crisis or perhaps even JFK; who ask where Paris Texas is, assuming I've become very confused about my geography.
Am I getting old?
6 comments:
No you are not getting old. It is just that everyone else is getting young.
Anyway. Where have you been?
I've been to a funeral, to work, to work, to work. I've been carrying a double bed and a sofa, a fridge, a carload
of crockery and kitchen stuff - helping Jess move into her new place. I've been swimming, walking, eating, cooking, catching up with friends and sleeping sleeping sleeping. And I've been to a book launch by a big boofy bloke who loves writing about fish and oceans. Note to self: time to do my book review.
Who's the big boofy bloke?
love the leithalthinking tag leithal. Big boofy bloke's anme is Julian pepperell whose book in called "Fishes of the open ocean".
Full colour, illustrated. Available at all good book stores (Mary Ryan in particular).
Julian is a marine biologist who works alongside the game fishing industry and is the partner od loani prior - she of 'Wild Tea Cosies'.
Ah I see. Yes I'm quite pleased with the leithalthinking too. Saying good bye too all old tags. Time to move on, sigh.
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