I. I've gotten rid of most of my CDs, but am holding on to this one -- the James Brown compilation Roots of a Revolution (plus The CD of JB I & II). It samples Mr. Brown's musical output from 1956 to 1964, when he seeded the ground for a full funk revolution in the later 60s and 70s. To me, James Brown's wild style and slamming rhythms are hard to beat (pardon the pun). And his art remains subversive, the kind of music parents in many places don't really want to hear, long after almost everything else a quarter century or more old has merged into the mainstream, and easy listening acceptability. Favorite song from this one is still the last one: "Maybe the Last Time."
II. Goya is another favorite. Got to see this at the Prado in Madrid: El 3 de mayo de 1808 en Madrid: los fusilamientos en la montaña del Príncipe Pío / The Third of May 1808. This incredibly powerful 1814 painting heralds in the modern world, the one we still live in nearly two hundred years later.
In this case, French soldiers before dawn shoot down Spanish prisoners rounded up during wartime occupation and insurgency. The particulars hardly matter for the audience (compared to participants in the actual events). Substitute X for Z in Year X. Not exactly Tickle Me Elmo, but there you have it -- it's real and it's relevant.
III. Snippets from "Maybe the Last Time," at least how I hear it:
Maybe the last time
It may be the last time we shake hands
It may be the last time we make plans
Oh I, Oh I . . . I don't know. . .
Look around you over and over again
Shake hands with your best friends
You might never never never see them again . . .
Today's Rune: Fertility. Happy birthday, James Brown et alia!
6 comments:
I like Goya paintings, he was such a starnge accentric character. And I like that painting in particular
I like the painting. I get how you mean that it's still relevant. And the color scheme is beautifull. For dark colors they look vibrant.
And James Brown rocks. ^_^
I wish I could sing...or dance...or...live large...Like the Hardest Working Man in show business always did.
Goya and James Brown. What's the connection? hummm.
Love me some James Brown too!
That painting really affects me as well-- I know a little bit about the historical context, so that helps-- the term "guerilla" came from that war. It's strange how artistic icons from great artists about the brutal use of force keep coming from Spain over the ages-- Guernica, too.
Eric, saw JB at Freedom Hill some years ago. He rocked! My friend said as we walked in, "this ends your life--before JB. Everything after this is post JB. It will be a gauge for your life!" He was right...
Post a Comment