Retrospective: The Band’s “The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show”
Earlier this week, Universal Music reissued the Band’s third album, Stage Fright, for its 50th anniversary, never mind that the original album was released in August of 1970. Most notable about the reissue isn’t just the luxurious extras, the Calgary Hotel jam sessions or the live set at the Royal Albert Hall in 1971, but that […]
Franz Schubert’s Piano Trios and the Power of Trills
The trill is when a musician alternates rapidly between two adjacent notes. During the Baroque era, the trill was used as an ornament, a decorative flourish of just a few oscillations. During the romantic era, the trill had developed–quite literally, sometimes taking up entire measures–to deserve its former name of the shake as it could […]
“Rain Song” by Emile Mosseri and Han Ye-ri: Tender Theme of “Minari”
Minari has three central conflicts: The conflict between the father and mother characters; the father who cares deeply about his farm, which symbolizes the American Dream in its possible success and way out of menial chicken sexing, and the mother who cares deeply about her children. The conflict between the grandchildren – specifically the grandson […]
Retrospective Review: Alain Bashung’s “Je t’ai manqué”
Listening to the opening song of Alain Bashung’s 2008 album Bleu pétrole, “Je t’ai manqué,” without knowing any of the context behind it makes it play like a conventional singer/songwriter track, albeit with a slight rock bend and even jangle pop piano chords mixed in for good measure. The choruses, which go, “Je t’ai manqué / […]
Retrospective Review: Laurie Anderson’s “Sharkey’s Day”
The first lyric of this song–that opens Laurie Anderson’s second album, Mister Heartbreak–are: “Sun’s coming up…like a big bald head poking over the grocery store.” With just that, Anderson has already invited you into the world of Sharkey, whoever that person might be and wherever they are. The feeling of morning has already been fully communicated […]
