Purloined from Tosy, who stole it from someone else.
GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OR TWO OF AN ESPECIALLY GOOD OR INTERESTING:
1. Movie score. Last Exit from Brooklyn by Mark Knopfler. I assume this means not the soundtrack, where I would pick “The Harder They Come” or “West Side Story”.
2. TV theme. Hill Street Blues. In fact, I have a whole album of Mike Post TV theme songs (Rockford Files, L.A. Law) on vinyl, and except for “The Greatest American Hero”, I like ’em all.
3. Melody. There’s an old country song called “Beautiful Brown Eyes”; “Gethsemene (I Only Want to Say)” from Jesus Christ, Superstar; “Cryin’ “, though I prefer the k.d. lang/Roy Orbison version to the Orbison original.
4. Harmonic language. Beach Boys “God Only Knows” or “Our Prayer””
5. Rhythmic feel. “Moby Dick” – Led Zeppelin. I think the bass, even more than the drums, create the rhythm. “Expressway to Your Heart” – Soul Survivors. Pretty much any uptempo Motown song of the 1960s; “Love Is Like An Itchin’ In My Heart” is running through my head presently.
6. Hip-hop track. Not my area of expertise. “White Lines (Don’t Do It)” – Grandmaster Flash.
7. Classical piece. The Samuel Barber Adagio. Beethoven’s 7th Symphony.
8. Smash hit. Oh, like I could narrow it. “I Only Have Eyes for You” – the Flamingoes; “Since You’ve Been Gone” – Aretha Franklin, which is perfect song because, after one note, it goes right to the tune, not allowing disc jockeys to talk over the opening; “The Boxer”- Simon & Garfunkel.
9. Jazz album. I’ve recently recommended Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck. I’m thinking some compilation album that hits on some varied vocalists. If pushed, one of the songbooks that Ella did.
10. Non-American folkloric group. Afro Celt
11. Book on music. Most of my books are list books: Top Pop Singles, Top Pop Albums” Forced to pick a narrative form, “Blues People” by LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka.
***
An attempt at humor, sent to me:
A woman goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Chanukah cards.
She says to the clerk, “May I have 50 Chanukah stamps?”
The clerk says, “What denomination?”
“Oh my God,” the woman says, “Has it come to this? Give me 6 Orthodox, 12 Conservative, and 32 Reform.”
Happy Hanukkah!