Thank you for this beautiful song and cover, didn’t know this artist. The poignant poetry, the mood and depth reminded me of Leonard Cohen, whose songs I love (seeing him live in the Kremlin in 2010 was unforgettable).
First paragraph is chilling, so short and simple yet holds so much uneasiness and feeling.
L. Cohen, ding ding ding!!!! He is a saint in our house. Lucky you, getting to see him. I imagine that was one trippy audience to be sitting in.
So, you probably know Kris Kristofferson as an actor though, he was in the Star is Born with Streisand, for example. He was literally working as a janitor in a studio, and Johnny Cash was recording (and knew Kris) and said "we're only recording this song you wrote if you do it with me." He was a generous man, and it broke Kristofferson as a singer as a result. The song is Sunday Morning Coming Down, which I would have recorded instead of this one, if I had the chance. It was a coin toss.
Definitely, him swaying on stage in his little hat simultaneously looking like he might die any minute and also the hottest man alive + I met my crazy American philosophy professor who was a couple of rows across, and we congregated at the буфет like a bunch of ecstatic groupies while my husband silently downed whiskies in amusement.
I don’t even know him as an actor but just read the story of him stealing a helicopter and landing it on Johnny Cash’s lawn so the latter would listen to his tape, now feel like I must know more.
Oh that sounds like a total scene. I imported a few blacklisted philosophy books to Moscow back in the day, for a psychologist (who I later learned was sleeping with all of his patients). I remember giving him the package, I think it was some Heidegger (this was a long time ago, not sure) and he was shouting "this book is fucking Rolling Stones, man!!!"
There was a time in NYC when every single girl I fell for was listening to L Cohen, typically Chelsea Hotel, Famous Blue Raincoat era. They would put it on the jukebox at Sophies and I would be lost in it all.
There is a posthumous Cohen album produced by the one and only Daniel Lanois that is lovely. Cohen's son Adam is on it too.
By Jewish Museum do you mean the one built at Garage in Moscow? If so, would you believe my old dear friends from NYC were the architecture firm that built it, even the sound and video people are from that team. They also did the Yeltsin museum in Yekaterinburg, not sure if that one ever got finished though.
Last new space I saw in Moscow was Renzo Piano’s Ges-2 https://www.archdaily.com/973759/ges-2-house-of-culture-renzo-piano-building-workshop very close to my house. Have you been? It’s fabulous! I also really love the neighborhood in general and my whole life has passed with those pipes in the background, from prom to every picture of my kid in his buggy
I've been going to campaign rallies and hoping we can bring sanity back to the country. But it's a tough gig here in Tennessee where Republicans dominate the political landscape. Georgia is more hopeful while still being an uphill climb. All we can do is fight the good fight. The current political climate is surreal, and let's call it like it is, Trump is literally using the Nazi playbook going so far as to hold a rally at Madison Square Garden mirroring the Nazi rally there in 1939. Don't tell me that it was just a coincidence. It was pretty clearly intentional. And these people could be leading the country? To call it crazy is a major understatement.
At the same time, people who aren't crazy are finding a very real sense of community. As I've said before I have a number of trans individuals who regularly contribute to my spoken word show. It's a rather liberal-leaning affair and while we may be a minority in the Volunteer State, we are united in our sense of right and wrong and will keep on swingin' through the storm.
David - I woke up to clips from the MSG rally, no surprises there but profoundly disturbing. I also woke up to news that Orban (the dictator of Hungary, a Putin puppet) is personally coming to visit Tbilisi to congratulate the Russian puppet government here for stealing the election this week in Georgia. Massive voting fraud, ballet stuffing, the whole playbook. it is one world, the same characters in every dark corner.
A high profile trans person here was brutally murdered, the day after the latest anti LGBTQ legislation was forced through parliament (a carbon copy of an existing Russian law).
Marty, the owner of the venue where I produce my show, and his wife are dedicated to creating a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. The regular patrons of the place appear to be down with that and that is heartening. It's weird how a bad reality can bring out the best in some people. I'm seeing some of that "best" in these dark times. A week and a day. Whew, the shit might be speeding toward the fan. Whatever happens it's going to be contentious and more than a little scary. We can overcome, but it's going to be close.
thanks Kelly. I've been messing around with covers in this vein for a while, and the rule is - I only cover a song that fits the approach (some I utterly wish would work, but they don't). It is indeed about hearing it fresh, and for the first time if it is done right.
Ah, ding ding! Thank you. I have this rolling 80;s cover project I have been kicking around. Basically, it is the song form the high school dance from when I was a teenager (so much adolescent drama), now sung from the distance of middle age. I am sure you know the song "Forever Young" and all of those heavy synths in it. Now imagine it played on a crusty old guitar, at my kitchen table, with that older voice saying quietly "do you really want to live forever?"
Thank you Dave. I'm struggling here, and in the wake of so much I kept trying to record this song in his honor and the days slipped away. I sat down yesterday to do it, was up until 4am, and the one thought I had was - beauty, if I can make beauty of course, is the one thing I am free to do. I tried.
You should have seen how they booed and shamed Orban and his cabinet, who came in person to congratulate the "winners." Protests have begun, and the election fraud documentation is intense.
Thank you for this beautiful song and cover, didn’t know this artist. The poignant poetry, the mood and depth reminded me of Leonard Cohen, whose songs I love (seeing him live in the Kremlin in 2010 was unforgettable).
First paragraph is chilling, so short and simple yet holds so much uneasiness and feeling.
The photograph too is great!
L. Cohen, ding ding ding!!!! He is a saint in our house. Lucky you, getting to see him. I imagine that was one trippy audience to be sitting in.
So, you probably know Kris Kristofferson as an actor though, he was in the Star is Born with Streisand, for example. He was literally working as a janitor in a studio, and Johnny Cash was recording (and knew Kris) and said "we're only recording this song you wrote if you do it with me." He was a generous man, and it broke Kristofferson as a singer as a result. The song is Sunday Morning Coming Down, which I would have recorded instead of this one, if I had the chance. It was a coin toss.
Definitely, him swaying on stage in his little hat simultaneously looking like he might die any minute and also the hottest man alive + I met my crazy American philosophy professor who was a couple of rows across, and we congregated at the буфет like a bunch of ecstatic groupies while my husband silently downed whiskies in amusement.
I don’t even know him as an actor but just read the story of him stealing a helicopter and landing it on Johnny Cash’s lawn so the latter would listen to his tape, now feel like I must know more.
Oh that sounds like a total scene. I imported a few blacklisted philosophy books to Moscow back in the day, for a psychologist (who I later learned was sleeping with all of his patients). I remember giving him the package, I think it was some Heidegger (this was a long time ago, not sure) and he was shouting "this book is fucking Rolling Stones, man!!!"
There was a time in NYC when every single girl I fell for was listening to L Cohen, typically Chelsea Hotel, Famous Blue Raincoat era. They would put it on the jukebox at Sophies and I would be lost in it all.
There is a posthumous Cohen album produced by the one and only Daniel Lanois that is lovely. Cohen's son Adam is on it too.
Blacklisted philosophy books! My philosophy professor had a similar vibe to your psychologist.
There was an interesting exhibit at the Jewish Museum here about him several years ago that I went to.
I like his moodiness and despair and toska about everything, societal more than personal, First we take Manhattan, Everybody knows etc.
By Jewish Museum do you mean the one built at Garage in Moscow? If so, would you believe my old dear friends from NYC were the architecture firm that built it, even the sound and video people are from that team. They also did the Yeltsin museum in Yekaterinburg, not sure if that one ever got finished though.
I meant this one https://thejewishmuseum.org/index.php/exhibitions/leonard-cohen-a-crack-in-everything
Do you mean the Garage museum in Moscow?
https://www.oma.com/projects/garage-museum-of-contemporary-art
It’s beautiful and very well done inside
I know there’s a Jewish museum in Moscow, but have never been, in the Melnikov/Shukhov building https://www.jewish-museum.ru/en/about-the-museum/museum-building/
Last new space I saw in Moscow was Renzo Piano’s Ges-2 https://www.archdaily.com/973759/ges-2-house-of-culture-renzo-piano-building-workshop very close to my house. Have you been? It’s fabulous! I also really love the neighborhood in general and my whole life has passed with those pipes in the background, from prom to every picture of my kid in his buggy
I've been going to campaign rallies and hoping we can bring sanity back to the country. But it's a tough gig here in Tennessee where Republicans dominate the political landscape. Georgia is more hopeful while still being an uphill climb. All we can do is fight the good fight. The current political climate is surreal, and let's call it like it is, Trump is literally using the Nazi playbook going so far as to hold a rally at Madison Square Garden mirroring the Nazi rally there in 1939. Don't tell me that it was just a coincidence. It was pretty clearly intentional. And these people could be leading the country? To call it crazy is a major understatement.
At the same time, people who aren't crazy are finding a very real sense of community. As I've said before I have a number of trans individuals who regularly contribute to my spoken word show. It's a rather liberal-leaning affair and while we may be a minority in the Volunteer State, we are united in our sense of right and wrong and will keep on swingin' through the storm.
David - I woke up to clips from the MSG rally, no surprises there but profoundly disturbing. I also woke up to news that Orban (the dictator of Hungary, a Putin puppet) is personally coming to visit Tbilisi to congratulate the Russian puppet government here for stealing the election this week in Georgia. Massive voting fraud, ballet stuffing, the whole playbook. it is one world, the same characters in every dark corner.
A high profile trans person here was brutally murdered, the day after the latest anti LGBTQ legislation was forced through parliament (a carbon copy of an existing Russian law).
Marty, the owner of the venue where I produce my show, and his wife are dedicated to creating a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. The regular patrons of the place appear to be down with that and that is heartening. It's weird how a bad reality can bring out the best in some people. I'm seeing some of that "best" in these dark times. A week and a day. Whew, the shit might be speeding toward the fan. Whatever happens it's going to be contentious and more than a little scary. We can overcome, but it's going to be close.
That is heartening to hear, about Marty and his wife. Yes, the bad can indeed bring out the good.
In my case, I am set on finding/creating very small bits of beauty. That is the good I am "free" to do.
And I'd say you're pretty dang good at finding/creating bits of beauty.
Nailed it! As always great work.
thanks David. That is my 100 + year old Harmony parlor guitar on this one. when we flew and escaped, that was on the plane with us.
that's beautiful. I didn't know something until I heard you sing it. Thank you for that.
thanks Kelly. I've been messing around with covers in this vein for a while, and the rule is - I only cover a song that fits the approach (some I utterly wish would work, but they don't). It is indeed about hearing it fresh, and for the first time if it is done right.
your voice suits his lyrics which become yours
Ah, ding ding! Thank you. I have this rolling 80;s cover project I have been kicking around. Basically, it is the song form the high school dance from when I was a teenager (so much adolescent drama), now sung from the distance of middle age. I am sure you know the song "Forever Young" and all of those heavy synths in it. Now imagine it played on a crusty old guitar, at my kitchen table, with that older voice saying quietly "do you really want to live forever?"
That's the "big idea".
I like it! Think of all the musicians who have covered great music...and your voice is very full for that style.
Beautiful. And sad. And then beautiful again.
Thank you Dave. I'm struggling here, and in the wake of so much I kept trying to record this song in his honor and the days slipped away. I sat down yesterday to do it, was up until 4am, and the one thought I had was - beauty, if I can make beauty of course, is the one thing I am free to do. I tried.
You tried. You succeeded. Sending good vibes.
As my kid says “same piss, different pants”
I've said it before: smart kid.
You should have seen how they booed and shamed Orban and his cabinet, who came in person to congratulate the "winners." Protests have begun, and the election fraud documentation is intense.
I saw that, been keeping a close eye on whatever's hown on BBC News and Sky News...
Preparing for similar madness across the Pond in a few days.