Friday, February 17, 2006
Notes on Notes
1. emusic.com is pretty sweet.
2. Aesop Rock is the best rapper I have ever heard.
3. One of the most popular personal tracks of the last few weeks is the Small Brown Bike/Casket Lottery cover from a few years back of 'Under Pressure' of Bowie/Queen fame. I think I prefer it to the original.
4. Ray Charles has possibly the coolest voice I've ever heard, with the possible exception of Stevie Wonder.
5. Big Bill Broonzy's version of 'John Henry' is wicked sweet.
6. I have two songs from the Iron&Wine/Calexico split ('He Lays in the Reins' and 'Prison on Route 41'), and both are great.
7. 'If Ye Love Me', composed by Thomas Tallis, is one of the most beatiful pieces of choral music--or, for that matter, of music in general--I've ever heard.
There. I think that is enough of the superlative for today.
2. Aesop Rock is the best rapper I have ever heard.
3. One of the most popular personal tracks of the last few weeks is the Small Brown Bike/Casket Lottery cover from a few years back of 'Under Pressure' of Bowie/Queen fame. I think I prefer it to the original.
4. Ray Charles has possibly the coolest voice I've ever heard, with the possible exception of Stevie Wonder.
5. Big Bill Broonzy's version of 'John Henry' is wicked sweet.
6. I have two songs from the Iron&Wine/Calexico split ('He Lays in the Reins' and 'Prison on Route 41'), and both are great.
7. 'If Ye Love Me', composed by Thomas Tallis, is one of the most beatiful pieces of choral music--or, for that matter, of music in general--I've ever heard.
There. I think that is enough of the superlative for today.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
The Best Thing I've Read on the Cartoons So Far
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Monks and Dylan
Peter Leithart reproduces the following interesting anecdote:
Joseph Frank closes his review of two recent books on Maritain and early 20th century Catholicism with this charming scene: "Maritain returned for a last visit to the United States in 1966 to say farewell to old friends and to visit the grave of his sister-in-law Vera buried in Princeton. At the same time he went to see others, one of whom was the poet and monk Thomas Merton. The latter regaled him with recordings of Bob Dylan, 'whom he [Merton] considers a great poet, a modern Villon. What a strange scene it is,' writes the friend accompanying Maritain, 'listing in the monstery of Gethsemani to the hard and expressive voice of a young rebel poet.'"
