Saturday, December 27, 2003
Signage: "In what honor and dignity this art was anciently held amongst the Greeks and Romans, the old authors sufficiently testify; though afterwards all but lost, while it lay hid for more than a thousand years. It has now at length, only within the last two hundred years, by some Italians been brought again to light. For it is the easiest thing in the world for the Arts to be lost and perish; but only with difficulty, and after long time and pains are they resuscitated."
Friday, December 26, 2003
Ride Off Any Horizon
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall
where it may-
on the hot wheat,
on the dark yellow fields
of wild mustard, the fields
of bad farmers, on the river,
on the dirty river full
of boys and on the throbbing
powerhouse and the low dam
of cheap cement and rocks
boiling with white water,
and on the cows and their powerful
bulls, the heavy tracks
filling with liquid at the edge
of the narrow prairie
river running steadily away.
*
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall
where it may-
among the piles of bones
that dot the prairie
in vision and history
(the buffalo and deer,
dead indians, dead settlers
the frames of lost houses
left behind in the dust
of the depression,
dry and profound, that
will come again in the land
and in the spirit, the land
shifting and the minds
blown dry and empty-
I have not seen it! except
in pictures and talk-
but there is the fence
covered with dust, laden,
the wrecked house stupidly empty)-
here is a picture for your wallet,
of the beaten farmer and his wife
leaning toward each other-
sadly smiling, and emptied of desire.
*
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall
where it may-
off the edge
of the black prairie
as you thought you could fall,
a boy at sunset
not watching the sun
set but watching the black earth,
never-ending they said in school,
round: but you saw it ending,
finished, definite, precise-
visible only miles away.
*
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall
where it may-
on a hot night the town
is in the streets-
the boys and girls
are practising against
each other, the men
talk and eye the girls-
the women talk and
eye each other, the indians
play pool: eye on the ball.
*
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall
where it may-
and damn the troops, the horsemen
are wheeling in the sunshine,
the cree, practising
for their deaths: mr poundmaker,
gentle sweet mr big bear,
it is not unfortunately
quite enough to be innocent,
it is not enough merely
not to offend-
at times to be born
is enough, to be
in the way is too much-
some colonel otter, some
major-general middleton will
get you, you-
indian. It is no good to say,
I would rather die
at once than be in that place-
though you love that land more,
you will go where they take you.
*
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall-
where it may;
it doesn't have to be
the prairie. It could be
the cold soul of the cities
blown empty by commerce
and desiring commerce
to fill up the emptiness
The streets are full of people.
It is night, the lights
are on; the wind
blows as far as it may. The streets
are dark and full of people.
Their eyes are fixed as far as
they can see beyond each other-
to the concrete horizon, definite,
tall against the mountains,
stopping vision visibly.
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall
where it may-
on the hot wheat,
on the dark yellow fields
of wild mustard, the fields
of bad farmers, on the river,
on the dirty river full
of boys and on the throbbing
powerhouse and the low dam
of cheap cement and rocks
boiling with white water,
and on the cows and their powerful
bulls, the heavy tracks
filling with liquid at the edge
of the narrow prairie
river running steadily away.
*
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall
where it may-
among the piles of bones
that dot the prairie
in vision and history
(the buffalo and deer,
dead indians, dead settlers
the frames of lost houses
left behind in the dust
of the depression,
dry and profound, that
will come again in the land
and in the spirit, the land
shifting and the minds
blown dry and empty-
I have not seen it! except
in pictures and talk-
but there is the fence
covered with dust, laden,
the wrecked house stupidly empty)-
here is a picture for your wallet,
of the beaten farmer and his wife
leaning toward each other-
sadly smiling, and emptied of desire.
*
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall
where it may-
off the edge
of the black prairie
as you thought you could fall,
a boy at sunset
not watching the sun
set but watching the black earth,
never-ending they said in school,
round: but you saw it ending,
finished, definite, precise-
visible only miles away.
*
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall
where it may-
on a hot night the town
is in the streets-
the boys and girls
are practising against
each other, the men
talk and eye the girls-
the women talk and
eye each other, the indians
play pool: eye on the ball.
*
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall
where it may-
and damn the troops, the horsemen
are wheeling in the sunshine,
the cree, practising
for their deaths: mr poundmaker,
gentle sweet mr big bear,
it is not unfortunately
quite enough to be innocent,
it is not enough merely
not to offend-
at times to be born
is enough, to be
in the way is too much-
some colonel otter, some
major-general middleton will
get you, you-
indian. It is no good to say,
I would rather die
at once than be in that place-
though you love that land more,
you will go where they take you.
*
Ride off any horizon
and let the measure fall-
where it may;
it doesn't have to be
the prairie. It could be
the cold soul of the cities
blown empty by commerce
and desiring commerce
to fill up the emptiness
The streets are full of people.
It is night, the lights
are on; the wind
blows as far as it may. The streets
are dark and full of people.
Their eyes are fixed as far as
they can see beyond each other-
to the concrete horizon, definite,
tall against the mountains,
stopping vision visibly.
Wednesday, December 24, 2003
Tuesday, December 23, 2003
Sold Amazing Sea Monkeys, X-Ray Specs in comic books: "But von Braunhut's piece de resistance was Sea Monkeys -- which come from dried-up lake bottoms, not the sea, and are not monkeys but brine shrimp. His extravagant claims for the crustaceans -- for example, that they come back from the dead and that they can be trained and hypnotized -- are convincing because they are sort of true. "
Monday, December 22, 2003
Perfect Sound Forever- always lots here, this time including a nice long piece on Elvis in Memphis 1969...
Today is the 25th anniversary of Bernadette Mayer's "Midwinter Day"-- (please excuse reformatting)
"...Sophia's mittens come off,
The disappearing scene from a dream I'd remember is lost
To comparisons of past exertion for the slight Main Street hill,
I blink at seeing, being seen a little
I wonder why we write at all
These trees have seen this all before
But they are glad of an encore"
"...Sophia's mittens come off,
The disappearing scene from a dream I'd remember is lost
To comparisons of past exertion for the slight Main Street hill,
I blink at seeing, being seen a little
I wonder why we write at all
These trees have seen this all before
But they are glad of an encore"
Sunday, December 21, 2003
dec47: "The final week of the month and of the year of 1947, leads off with the announcement that 'Peg 'O My Heart' by The Harmonicats for the small independent label Vitacoustics is the largest selling record in modern history for an independent. Sales figures are put at more than one and a half million. . . . . . Other recent million sellers are 'Near You' by Francis Craig for the indie label Bullet, and Frankie Laine's Mercury recording of 'That's My Desire'. . . . . . . best bets of the last week of the year are 'When You Come To The End Of The Day' by The Inkspots (Decca), 'The Best Things In Life Are Free' by Jo Stafford (Capitol), 'Unison Riff' by Stan Kenton (Capitol), 'I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling' by Perry Como (RCA), 'Sierra Madre' / 'Don't Call It Love' by Freddy Martin with Stuart Wade-voc (RCA), 'My Old Flame' by Spike Jones (RCA), and 'Two Loves Have I' by Guy Lombardo (Decca). . . . . .John Hammond is named vice president of Mercury Records . . . . . .Jack Owens Tower Records artist is known as 'the cruising crooner' on ABC radio's 'Breakfast Club' . . . . . .new on the best seller list at year's end are : 'How Soon' by Dinah Shore (Columbia), 'I Can't Give You Anything But Love' by Rose 'Chee Chee' Murphy (Majestic), 'Serenade Of The Bells' by Sammy Kay (RCA), 'How Soon' by Vaughn Monroe (RCA), 'I'll Dance At Your Wedding' by Buddy Clark and Ray Noble (Columbia), 'How Soon' by Jack Owens (Tower), 'I'm My Own Grandpa' by Guy Lombardo (Decca), 'Civilization' by Woody Herman (Capitol), and 'You Do' by Vaughn Monroe (RCA). . . . . two albums hit the top five this week - 'Good News' the original cast (MGM) and 'King Cole Trio - vol. 3' (Capitol). "
Charlie Parker Sessions: "December 21, 1947 (11 items, 18:51)
United Sound Studio, Detroit
Commercial for Savoy
Charlie Parker Quintet
Charlie Parker (as); Miles Davis (tpt); Irving 'Duke' Jordan (p); Tommy Potter (b); Max Roach (d)
Another Hair-Do (C. Parker) (take 1 (inc))0:14
Another Hair-Do (C. Parker) (take 2 (inc))0:44
Another Hair-Do (C. Parker) (take 3 (inc))1:04
Another Hair-Do (C. Parker) (take 4 (master))2:37
Bluebird (C. Parker) (take 1)2:53
Bluebird (C. Parker) (take 2)0:03
Bluebird (C. Parker) (take 3 (master))2:49
Klaunstance (C. Parker) [The Way You Look Tonight]2:44
Bird Gets the Worm (C. Parker) (take 1) [Lover Come Back to Me]3:00
Bird Gets the Worm (C. Parker) (take 2 (inc)) [Lover Come Back to Me]0:09
Bird Gets the Worm (C. Parker) (take 3 (master)) [Lover Come Back to Me]"
United Sound Studio, Detroit
Commercial for Savoy
Charlie Parker Quintet
Charlie Parker (as); Miles Davis (tpt); Irving 'Duke' Jordan (p); Tommy Potter (b); Max Roach (d)
Another Hair-Do (C. Parker) (take 1 (inc))0:14
Another Hair-Do (C. Parker) (take 2 (inc))0:44
Another Hair-Do (C. Parker) (take 3 (inc))1:04
Another Hair-Do (C. Parker) (take 4 (master))2:37
Bluebird (C. Parker) (take 1)2:53
Bluebird (C. Parker) (take 2)0:03
Bluebird (C. Parker) (take 3 (master))2:49
Klaunstance (C. Parker) [The Way You Look Tonight]2:44
Bird Gets the Worm (C. Parker) (take 1) [Lover Come Back to Me]3:00
Bird Gets the Worm (C. Parker) (take 2 (inc)) [Lover Come Back to Me]0:09
Bird Gets the Worm (C. Parker) (take 3 (master)) [Lover Come Back to Me]"
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