SOUNDTRACK: DEODATO-Prelude (1973).
I know this artist because of Phish. For years I thought that they “wrote” the discoey, funky. super cool version of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” which they play at a lot of shows.
I should have realized that the “Deodato” in the credits was the actual arranger of this cool piece, but I guess I never really thought about it. I’ve no idea where the realization came to me, but once it did I decided to check out the album from which it comes.
It turns out that Deodato is Eumir Deodato de Almeida (Brazilian Portuguese: [ẽʊ̃ˈmiχ djoˈdatu]; born June 22, 1942) is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger, and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as pop, rock, disco, rhythm and blues, classical, Latin and bossa nova. Prelude was his first album released in the U.S. (released when he was 31) and eighth overall. In addition to making over 30 albums, he has also been a producer and arranger on everything from Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” to Bjork’s albums Post, Telegram, and Homogenic
“Also Sprach Zarathustra” begins with twinkling and guitar noises for 30 seconds before the 5-note funky keyboard comes in. And then about a minute in the horns join to create the familiar Richard Strauss “Also Sprach Zarathustra” crescendo. Even though that melody is barely a minute long, this version is 9 minutes long with a lengthy funky keyboard solo occasionally punctuated by horns. It then switches to a more rocking sound with a 70s sounding guitar solo. It really never loses the funk for the entirety of the piece.
“Spirit Of Summer” is a slow moody song that sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a noir film with slinky horn lines and jazzy bass. I love the opening and how it then switches to an almost easy listening string section before adding a mellow keyboard solo and a surprising very fast flamenco guitar solo as well. The song is only four minutes and ends with a flute solo and then a return to the opening horns.
“Carly & Carole” is an easy, mildly funky jazzy number. There’s lead flute combined with the keys that push the song along.
“Baubles, Bangles, & Beads” is a jaunty five-minute romp that sounds like it would have been very popular at swinging parties in the 1970s. There’s more flute and keys and two lengthy wild Santana-like guitar solos that run through to the end of the song.
“Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun” opens with a mournful flute that sounds a lot like the weird Snoopy interludes when he is the World War I Flying Ace in the old Peanuts cartoons. The melody is quite nice and is then repeated by several instruments throughout the piece. After 2 minutes it tuns into a swinging jazzy number with a flute solo and wah wah guitars and a bright trumpet solo. I see now that this piece was done by Debussy and this is another arrangement. It is not used in Peanuts although Schulz does reference the song in a strip.
“September 13” ends the disc with an upbeat funky song with groovy bass and keys and wah wah guitars. There’s a wild mildly distorted guitar solo with fun effects put on it. It’s a fun way to end an album that is short but really captures a moment in time.
[READ: September 3, 2019] Herbert’s Wormhole Book 2
I accidentally read Book 3 before Book 2. I am embarrassed that that happened because I am a librarian and I should know better, but I checked on Goodreads and must have read a paperback reprint pub date and though that book 3 was in fact book 2.
Having read book three I basically knew a lot of what happened in book 2. But primarily this is because in book 3 they make offhanded comments to things they did in book 2. Incidentally, while I was reading book 3 I thought it was a really fun, bold move on the author’s part to reference adventurers that we hadn’t read about. That should have dawned on me but I just persisted in believing that the author was being really daring. Oh well.
Knowing what happened didn’t really spoil anything, because the book is silly and funny anyhow.
This book opens with a paneled cartoon recap of book 1.
It’s followed by a hilarious opening sequence in which Alex’s dad has become hooked on video games. He was trying to bond with Alex over Alex’s love of video games. But in book 1, Alex’s memory of video games is wiped out. So now his father is playing them and Alex doesn’t really see the point. But Alex’s father is now as addicted as Alex was. (more…)
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I have seen Trey Anastasio once solo at Newport Folk Festival (amazing) and with the Trey Anastasio Band (super fun). I didn’t expect him to tour so soon because Phish is playing in Atlantic City this summer. So it was great to see that he was going to do two shows this summer.
SOUNDTRACK: LOS LOBOS-“The Circus Comes To Town” (1992).
I have heard Phish play this song many times. I never would have guessed that it was Los Lobos.
SOUNDTRACK: LOS LOBOS-“Guantanamera” (1978).
I never listened to much Los Lobos, although their recent tiny Desk Concert opened my eyes to the,
