Sunday, September 27, 2009

Bob Dylan- Oh Sister

with Scarlet Rivera, the violinist he picked up off the street and who joined the Rolling Thunder Revue.

ROLLING THUNDER SALTY THUNDER

Monday, September 21, 2009

I believe in music

There's something about hearing a song you love on the radio, or in a shopping mall, just when you least expected it. It's just not the same listening to it at home by yourself or plugged in on the train. It makes you want to jump up and float to the ceiling, declaring, 'That song, I love that song' Last friday, at ntuc, they played Beyond the Sea (I felt like waltzing among the cereals and cheeses and purposefully shopping Singaporeans), and just now on gold 90 fm they played Beautiful Boy. And now as I type, Natalie Cole's This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) has just come on! The Parent Trap!

This will be
You and Me
Eternally
Yes Sirree

:-D

Is this strange or what? The Lovin' Spoonful's Do You Believe In Magic has just come on. It's midnight and the world is right again, all because of music.

p.s. Singapore really needs a radio station that plays Bob Dylan, with djs who really DIG oldies, can tell you about Garfunkel's Voices of Old People experiment, and will play the loudest most spirited songs of The Who late at night for whoever's listening.

I wanna play cricket on the green
Ride my bike across the stream
Cut myself and see my blood
I wanna come home all covered in mud

Sunday, September 20, 2009

I will be your Ferdinand and you my wayward girl

Last night my little miss sunshine (my primary one cousin) and I painted after dinner. She painted a rainbow coloured limousine with many levels, and later when she was peeing she said, 'Wah, your house so nice leh...photographer a lot of money right?' And I realised she didn't realise that I'm still a student. I tried to explain that the money came from my father's job and when she asked what his job was the simplest way I could explain it was, 'He builds HDB flats' and her jaw dropped as she was pulling up her panties. (Earlier, over dinner, her primary four brother asked what our other auntie's job is, and I said she's an astronaut. And he said, '...You're lying right? She never even go to the moon.')

Later, little miss sunshine lamented on her friendship woes.

'AIYAH they keep saying, you must do this, you must do that, you must this you must that, if not I won't be your BF anymore!'

'Just because I am their BFF, they think they can get anything!'

'It's a bit....childish, you know.'

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Elope with me miss private and we'll sail around the world

This morning on the train, standing in the corner near the door, was a rather short chinese guy who at first glance would look like a typical sleepy psp-obsessed guy hunched over completely engrossed in his game. But decidedly not. He had red panda eyes, short hair that ended at the back in a long ponytail, and the slightest paunch. He wore huge rubber orange and grey Sumajin headphones, a big rather old black shirt, with some shapes as the design in front, black wrist-sweatbands, black jeans and smart black shoes. On his left he had a waistpouch for what looked like another psp. On his right was another waistpouch for his handphone, and he had a huge grey and black bag slung on his shoulder. And a big maroon umbrella hanging from his wrist. All in all he looked ready for the games convention. The train was terminating at ang mo kio and we were all advised to take the train on the middle platform, which was already waiting for us when we reached. When the train doors opened, he almost ran out (undoubtedly to get a seat on the middle platform train) and as he turned I saw the back of his shirt and it said in big white letters, Anything Is Possible.

(I felt like he was in a computer game and I was watching the game. Later on the new train he sat with his umbrella behind his back at the very last seat (where two people can sit) and when he bent down to take out his shoes the umbrella slid and hit on the head the sleeping old man next to him, who glared at him till he sat up again and realised it.)

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Oh Mama, can this really be the end, to be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again

I have decided on a petite mission for next year. I have vague ideas of going to the UK after graduating, driving around little towns and b&bs and visiting everyone I know who is studying or living there. But this mission is to see Bob Dylan on his Never Ending Tour when he goes there (I hope he does go there next year). This year he stopped at Cardiff, Wales. That's where Harris is moving back to. And the set list for his 28 April 2009 concert at Cardiff includes Mr. Tambourine Man, and Tangled Up In Blue and the above. Imagine swinging by Cardiff to visit old Harris and then going to watch Bob Dylan in concert. Who cares if he is a croaking crunchy rough old grasshopper, I have decided I can't not go see Robert Zimmerman this lifetime, like how he had to look for Woody Guthrie at his sickly bedside.

Thursday, September 03, 2009

john paul george ringo and yoko

The contrasts grew even more stark as the years went on. McCartney increasingly composed everyman narratives and celebratory calls; Lennon was writing from what he saw as a more authentic and troubled viewpoint. (I disagree) "Paul said, 'Come and see the show,'" Lennon said later. "I said, 'I read the news today, oh boy.'"

I never really knew how the beatles broke up but when I saw the Rolling Stones September issue on it, it seemed the right time to read about it. It was sad and nasty, but here's a funny bit:

(p)
There were only two options, "to oppose Yoko and get the Beatles back to four or to put up with her." He opted for the latter, because he didn't want to lose John. In addition, he said, he felt he had no place in telling John to leave Yoko at home. It did, however, always rankle McCartney when Ono would refer to the Beatles without the "the" - as in, "Beatles will do this, Beatles will do that." Paul tried to correct her - "Actually, it's the Beatles, luv" - but to no avail.



"It was all such a long time ago," George Harrison said years later. "Sometimes I ask myself if I was really there or whether it was all a dream."