SOUNDTRACK: STEVEN KATZ-In the Garden of Earthly Delights (2009).
Since I mentioned an album my Aunt Marg gave me, I’m also going to mention this one, that she gave me the following Christmas. She told me that Steven Katz is a classical guitarist in St Croix. They saw him play when they were on vacation and they were amazed that he this amazing guitarist who was just sort of hanging around in St Croix (that’s the life, eh?)
I enjoy classical guitar, although I suspect if I was able to play it I’d enjoy listening to it even more. As it stands, I can appreciate the fast trills (and Katz is masterful at them) and the general feel for the form. On the other hand, I’m a terrible critic of this kind of music. It all sounds kind of samey to me. This is not a criticism of the genre or of Katz, it’s simply an admission that I like the stuff, but I couldn’t tell you a grand master from a regular master. The one big difference I can say is that unlike the Gipsy Kings (of whom I am quite a fan) there are no extended clapping sections (well, a small clapping section in “Moroccan Roll”).
All of Katz’ composition are beautiful (all the songs are original except for one cover). They often feature slow sections that are very moody as well as virtuosi parts (that I’ll bet are amazing to watch). Katz is an amazing guitarist (of course I think anyone who can play this style is amazing). He plays a Flamenco acoustic guitar over some simply keys and percussion on most of the tracks. If I had any song to quibble with it would be “Parting at the Ganges” which has a cheesey keyboard in the background and chimes that are clearly sampled–that isn’t a bad thing necessary, except when they stop abruptly and start again. But I only noticed that on my third listen. But most songs have simple arrangements (bongos and whatnot).
On the plus side there’s some really unexpected guitar lines at the end of “Gypsy Caravan” and the whole feel of “Moroccan Roll” is very cool. “Shake It Up” diverges from style on the rest of the disc with some interesting and familiar south of the border musical setups (before returning to some amazing fretwork). I also really liked the opening of “Desert Rain Cry” because it sounds (I’m sure completely unintentionally) like the opening of Rush’ “Xanadu” (without the wooden blocks). (The rest sounds NOTHING like the Rush song).
I mentioned the Gipsy Kings above and the comparison is apt because like the Gipsy Kings, Katz also does cover of Hotel California. Unlike the Kings’ version, there are no vocals. Also unlike their version, this version is quite subtle. He uses his guitar to play the vocal line, but he does it in a flamenco style–incorporating the melody into the fingerwork–it’s very cool. He also incorporates the famous guitar solo into his playing–you hear it but he’s not “just” playing the solo. It becomes and entirely different song than the original.
I went to Katz website and he is funny and self-deprecating, but he also tells us that he has played with all kinds of people including Dr. John, Mavis Staples, Edgar Winter and Mountain (this last one shows that he’s not a young man). But I’m also quite certain he is not this Steve Katz who was in Blood Sweat and Tears.
[READ: February 21, 2012] “Thief”
I have read two other things from Walter, both of them via McSweeney’s journals. It’s interesting to read him outside of that context as this piece is different from those two (I’m also amazed that he is releasing his sixth novel!).
I didn’t like the way this story started out, but once we got past the awkward introduction, I thought it was extremely compelling. And then when it ended, I had some weird feelings about the conclusion. But more on that later. (I’m learning that when I say things like “I didn’t like the beginning, it’s usually like the first paragraph or two, which isn’t really fair, but which can often make or break someone’s interest in a story).
So the story starts out with observations about the Girl from her dad (capitalized because all three kids are apparently referred to as Little, Middle and Girl). Wayne is watching his daughter sleep. He had her when he was just 19 and she changed his world. Now she’s 14 and he doesn’t like that Girl hangs album covers on the wall and wears her hair like Peter Frampton (I did enjoy the very simple pop culture references that set the time of this story perfectly). Then he looks in on the sleeping Middle (who is so unlike Wayne that he thinks of him as the Milkman’s kid) and Little. Any of the three could be the thief. Little is a greedy sumbitch (I love the detail about his first words). Middle is a pretty unlikely candidate (he’s bookish and timid). And then there’s Girl. She walks to the bus stop but sneaks a ride with the guy in the Nova; she’s probably smoking pot.
One of them is definitely the thief.
Wayne has a giant jug in which he dumps his change. It is the family vacation jug. After two years of change, it will be full enough for a vacation. And this year’s is Kelowna, BC and the Bedrock City there (yes a Flintstone’s Theme Park–which was real, but is now sadly closed). Wayne suspects that the Girl doesn’t want to go to Flintstones land and is stealing money to sabotage the trip. His wife thinks he’s crazy, but he has set little traps and he knows the vacation jug is moving and emptying. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 