I’m apparently in the minority here, but I really like this song. The lyrics in the middle eight seem completely wrong for the song, but the rest of it is very well-written. I like the way ‘pine’ is just hanging there with no rhyme word until it finally gets it in the last verse — ‘[feeling] fine’. The chords in the middle eight are cool, but I’d like the record better if those parts were instrumental.
Thanks for the reminder, Hrundi. Now you know what I went through, being stuck in the audience at the first RTH get together, watching your perform.
Again:
I have no problem with any old fart playing pop. Playing pop music is always a great time. But for the sake of the public, play it in private, nowhere near an audience. Nobody in their right mind wants to see a bunch of balding overweight ex-scenesters play anything that comes near the dartboard of pop. And if one does want to see it, know that he or she is in greater need of help than the players. For the sane spectator, it may be amusing for a song or two, but that’s it. Should the old farts responsible for a musical get together find themselves with a surprisingly large crowd, they should remind themselves continually that the gathered are absolutely and positively not there to hear the music. They are there to reminisce with folks they haven’t seen in quite some time. Should the players keep this in mind, mental stability will remain.
Again, no sane human being or genuine lover of pop wants to see it performed by a bunch of weathered slugs, even if the musicians muster up a brew with a surprisingly incredible sound. Great pop is about great music and interesting young looks, and ugly and/or strange looks can be interesting as long as they’re young ugly or young strange looks. Those who refuse to acknowledge that point should seek counseling.
From where I stand, the only pleasantly presentable forms of music presented by old farts are the obvious: classical, jazz both instrumental and vocal, and folk of the Peter, Paul, and Mary type, i.e. stuff that old farts listened to when it was initially released.
Go ahead and form your band, have a good time, but don’t fuck up an old fart get together by playing at 11 for 3 hours or so, making it utterly impossible for memorable reminsicing between old friends and lovers.
I’m more than aware that my company is not wanted. That said, I too cannot understand the need for all the poo pooing of “Mrs. Brown”. Any songwriter should be able to say, “Well, the accent drives me up the wall, but the construction of the song itself is pretty clever.” The break is especially well done, real nice chord changes. I’m big on breaks (middle eights or whatever you want to call them). And by the way, THAT would be a good topic of discussion -what’s your favorite middle eight and why?
Gosh, I might have won that Roy Orbison dvd if I had thought of this…
I’m apparently in the minority here, but I really like this song. The lyrics in the middle eight seem completely wrong for the song, but the rest of it is very well-written. I like the way ‘pine’ is just hanging there with no rhyme word until it finally gets it in the last verse — ‘[feeling] fine’. The chords in the middle eight are cool, but I’d like the record better if those parts were instrumental.
Thanks for the reminder, Hrundi. Now you know what I went through, being stuck in the audience at the first RTH get together, watching your perform.
Again:
I have no problem with any old fart playing pop. Playing pop music is always a great time. But for the sake of the public, play it in private, nowhere near an audience. Nobody in their right mind wants to see a bunch of balding overweight ex-scenesters play anything that comes near the dartboard of pop. And if one does want to see it, know that he or she is in greater need of help than the players. For the sane spectator, it may be amusing for a song or two, but that’s it. Should the old farts responsible for a musical get together find themselves with a surprisingly large crowd, they should remind themselves continually that the gathered are absolutely and positively not there to hear the music. They are there to reminisce with folks they haven’t seen in quite some time. Should the players keep this in mind, mental stability will remain.
Again, no sane human being or genuine lover of pop wants to see it performed by a bunch of weathered slugs, even if the musicians muster up a brew with a surprisingly incredible sound. Great pop is about great music and interesting young looks, and ugly and/or strange looks can be interesting as long as they’re young ugly or young strange looks. Those who refuse to acknowledge that point should seek counseling.
From where I stand, the only pleasantly presentable forms of music presented by old farts are the obvious: classical, jazz both instrumental and vocal, and folk of the Peter, Paul, and Mary type, i.e. stuff that old farts listened to when it was initially released.
Go ahead and form your band, have a good time, but don’t fuck up an old fart get together by playing at 11 for 3 hours or so, making it utterly impossible for memorable reminsicing between old friends and lovers.
Hope all that helps,
E. Pluribus
Big Steve,
I’m more than aware that my company is not wanted. That said, I too cannot understand the need for all the poo pooing of “Mrs. Brown”. Any songwriter should be able to say, “Well, the accent drives me up the wall, but the construction of the song itself is pretty clever.” The break is especially well done, real nice chord changes. I’m big on breaks (middle eights or whatever you want to call them). And by the way, THAT would be a good topic of discussion -what’s your favorite middle eight and why?
Hope all is well,
E. Pluribus
Best break ever? “We Can Work it Out”‘s gotta be up there.
Mockcarr, how about it?
E. Pluribus
E., I took your lead and created a dedicated post to this fine topic.