Foreword
This work was inspired by a man who started off as a passing acquaintance, then a fellow-traveler, and then a great and lifelong friend who remained so even though our lives crossed but briefly and would eventually be separated by the oceans. How we lost touch, then regained touch, and discovered that our friendship had endured, is a story for the ages.
So this memoir is dedicated to him. And you’ll meet Max later, as the tale unfolds.
Wait… the 3 Degrees?
Where the hell did that come from?
One of my weekly visits to the EeewwwChoob involves listening to musical theory maestro Doug Helvering’s take on various modern songs. (I’ll link a few of my favorites below the fold at the the end of this piece.)
I was astonished that he had never heard of Mason Williams’s Classical Gas, truly one of the cornerstones of late-60s music, so I looked forward to hearing his opinion.
To my surprise, he didn’t just take in the original, but also a version by legendary guitarist Tony Emmanuel. Not that I have a problem with listening to several versions of Classical Gas, mind you.
Anyway, here’s Doug’s take on the original and Emmanuel’s version. (I’m not so sure about Emmanuel’s version, mind you, although the guy is a frigging legend and a virtuoso, so he gets a pass from me, in spades.)
And speaking of versions, did anyone know that Glen Campbell covered the piece as well, and blew it out the park? Less successful was that of British violinist (and Thailand Olympic skier) Vanessa Mae, but at least her violin-playing is far better than her skiing.
So there you have it: same song, played differently four times. All good, really, because did I already mention that Classical Gas is, truly, a classic? Read more
Kate Bush — one (actually two songs) of my all-time favorites. She wrote this at age 14, and was 19 when she recorded it.
Aaargh woke up with this banal little ditty swirling around in my head.
Rescued by McCartney’s bass line and the lead solo.
As with all these damn things, I have no idea where this one came from.
