Posts in music
Name that tune

On a cool, clear night (typical to Southern California) Warren G travels through his neighborhood, searching for women with whom he might initiate sexual intercourse. He has chosen to engage in this pursuit alone. Nate Dogg, having just arrived in the east side of Long Beach, seeks Warren. On his way to find Warren, Nate passes a car full of women who are excited to see him. Regardless, he insists to the women that there is no cause for excitement.

Warren makes a left turn at 21st Street and Lewis Ave, in the East Hill/Salt Lake neighborhood, where he sees a group of young men enjoying a game of dice together. He parks his car and greets them. He is excited to find people to play with, but to his chagrin, he discovers they intend to relieve him of his material possessions. Once the hopeful robbers reveal their firearms, Warren realizes he is in a less than favorable predicament.

Meanwhile, Nate passes the women, as they are low on his list of priorities. His primary concern is locating Warren. After curtly casting away the strumpets (whose interest in Nate was such that they crashed their automobile), he serendipitously stumbles upon his friend, Warren G, being held up by the young miscreants.

Warren, unaware that Nate is surreptitiously observing the scene unfold, is in disbelief that he is being robbed. The perpetrators have taken jewelry and a Rolex Watch from Warren, who is so incredulous that he asks what else the robbers intend to steal. This is most likely a rhetorical question.

Observing these unfortunate proceedings, Nate realizes that he may have to use his firearm to deliver his friend from harm.

The tension crescendos as the robbers point their guns to Warren's head. Warren senses the gravity of his situation. He cannot believe the events unfolding could happen in his own neighborhood. As he imagines himself making a fantastical escape, he catches a glimpse of his friend, Nate.

Nate has seventeen cartridges (sixteen residing in the pistol's magazine, with a solitary round placed in the chamber and ready to be fired) to expend on the group of robbers. Afterward, he generously shares the credit for neutralizing the situation with Warren, though it is clear that Nate did all of the difficult work. Putting congratulations aside, Nate quickly reminds himself that he has committed multiple homicides to save Warren before letting his friend know that there are females nearby if he wishes to fornicate with them.

Warren recalls that it was the promise of copulation that coaxed him away from his previous activities, and is thankful that Nate knows a way to satisfy these urges. Nate quickly finds the women who earlier crashed their car on Nate's account. He remarks to one that he is fond of her physical appeal. The woman, impressed by Nate's singing ability, asks that he and Warren allow her and her friends to share transportation. Soon, both friends are driving with automobiles full of women to the East Side Motel, presumably to consummate their flirtation in an orgy.

The third verse is more expository, with Warren and Nate explaining their G Funk musical style. Warren displays his bravado by daring anyone to approach the style. There follows a brief discussion of the genre's musicological features, with special care taken to point out that in said milieu the rhythm is not in fact the rhythm, as one might assume, but actually the bass. Similarly the bass serves a purpose closer to that which the treble would in more traditional musical forms. Nate displays his bravado by claiming that individuals with equivalent knowledge could not even attempt to approach his level of lyrical mastery. Nate goes on to note that if any third party smokes as he does, they would find themselves in a state of intoxication almost daily (from Nate's other works, it can be inferred that the substance referenced is marijuana). Nate concludes his delineation of the night by issuing a threat to "busters," suggesting that he and Warren will further "regulate" any potential incidents in the future (presumably by engaging their antagonists with small arms fire).

Regulate (song) - Wikipedia

(via Day of the Dreamers)

music, silly, writingJack Dysonlyrics, regulate, warren g, wish I'd thought of that, wordsComment
When I were a lad...

...this was one of my favourite songs. It's called Country Preacher, and it's by Cannonball Adderley, whose name seems destined to be mispelled for all time. [audio http://dysonology.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/countrypreacher.mp3]

(you should totally buy it)

musicJack DysonmusicComment
It was 20 years ago today...

19 August, 1990. Doesn't seem that long ago really. Leonard Bernstein conducted his final concert, ending with Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He died just five days later. He wrote the music for West Side Story and more, but really the man was best known as a conductor. His conducting style is perhaps best described as exuberant. He strayed far from classic conducting techniques, using his whole body to coax the best out of his orchestra, and had evident fun doing so. One of his tricks was to rehearse an entire Mahler symphony by acting out every phrase for the orchestra to convey the precise meaning, each one accompanied by a vocal manifestation of the effect required.

I don't have the recording of his farewell concert - he had a coughing fit during the Beethoven part, and it almost had to be called off - but here are the first two movements, conducted by Carlos Kleiber:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1qAWcd4rr0]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqtPVEuAbzM]

Just beautiful.

ps - The official Guinness world record for the world's largest baton is currently held by Kenton J. Hetrick, who on 14 October 2006 conducted the Harvard University Band in the introduction to "Also Sprach Zarathustra" with a baton 10 feet (3.0 m) long.

musicJack Dysonbeethoven, beethoven 7, classical music, conductors, leonard bernstein, symphonyComment
Born under punches - Talking Heads

Live in Rome, 1980. "That way of making music, with those rhythms and big ensemble of musicians that make up an Afro-funk band, was a way out of the psychological paranoia and personal torment of the stuff I'd been writing - and feeling - the paranoia of New York in the 70s, my age, my personal stuff, fitting in and not fitting in." David Byrne.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVIKF03KkVM&w=700]

Wish I'd been there. Just brilliant.

FYI, Wikipedia says: "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" is the opening track to the acclaimed Talking Heads album Remain in Light. The track has a prominent bassline and sets the funk tone of the album. A live rendition of the song was included with a long bass intro on the 2004 re-issue of the live album The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads.

"The song was included as the first track to Röyksopp's mix album Back to Mine. It was named as one of the best songs released between 1980 and 1983 in the 2008 book The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present."

ps - here's the opening song from that concert. Psycho Killer. Wicked font in the opening titles!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNAzXlDaHQU&w=700]

music, VideoJack Dysondavid byrne, moments in time, talking headsComment
Songs for whoever

First off, click below to listen to Seu Jorge covering the Roy Ayers/Quincy Jones classic, "Sunshine"Everybody Loves The Sunshine

Nice bit of classic hip-hop plus a fantastic MJ cover...finally a special treat in Nas and Marley, which just HAS to be BLASTED! Funny about 1.30 when Damien Marley suddenly goes a bit cockney...remixes will be better as the Nas verses a bit spoilt by the shouty chorus.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bjsn9ifTwMg&feature=player_embedded]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DptqlP9PYXc&feature=player_embedded]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrrlnGTG-vM&feature=player_embedded]
musicJack Dysondamien marley, michael jackson, music, nas, summer songsComment