The Rocking Vicar or This time it's pastoral...
The Rocking Vicar is a great site for sad, middle-aged music fans like me, so I sent them details of the blog. See, not that long ago, the only obituries in music mags were for people who died young - yer Jimis and Janis'. But now, Mojo has tasteful features on musos who died from natural causes. And where the artists are going, the fans will follow.
The time of the dying rock dad has arrived with all the dilemmas that entails. To keep buying CDs or just listen a lot more closely to the stuff you have? To admit that, try as you might, you're just not going to get the Arcade Fire? Should you divvy up the CDs prior to going or let people fight over them? Any old vinyl copies lurking in the back of cupboards just waiting to be discovered and to destroy that hard-earned cred?
Important issues, friends. Spiritual issues. I hope you'll join the debate.
The time of the dying rock dad has arrived with all the dilemmas that entails. To keep buying CDs or just listen a lot more closely to the stuff you have? To admit that, try as you might, you're just not going to get the Arcade Fire? Should you divvy up the CDs prior to going or let people fight over them? Any old vinyl copies lurking in the back of cupboards just waiting to be discovered and to destroy that hard-earned cred?
Important issues, friends. Spiritual issues. I hope you'll join the debate.
Labels: rocking vicar pastoral hospice pancreas pancreatic cancer liver music fan rock dad debate
posted by Brian at
4:22 PM
5 Comments:
Hi Brian,
There is more humour, truth and honest-to-God humanity in your blog than anything I've read in ages. (Besides your stories of course!) Please keep writing.
With regard to tickling those musical taste buds, I've never met a man with such an encyclopaedic knowledge of music, books and film. (And I'm sure I only spied the the tip of the iceberg during our weekend of hilarious collaboration.) But I'm also sure there's room in there for more.
Best wishes and much love to you, your wife and little boy.
Nick
PS
I hear that RTE radio have hired Maeve Binchy to do re-writes on a play about two guys and a monkey. Apparently she's polishing it up for a national release, complete with all-star cast. I'm consulting my lawyers in case they try to stiff the real auteurs.
Hi Brian,
Can I recommend "AVALON BLUES, a tribute to the music of Mississippi John Hurt"? (Vanguard, 2001)
It features your ol' pal Steve Earle and others you'll probably know and love: Lucinda, Taj, Gillian (& Beck!)
With all best wishes.
Thanks for this.
Kerry, that's so spooky. I don't just love the contributors to the album, I'm a really big fan of Mississippi John Hurt himself. In fact, earlier this year I picked up a cheapie CD that seems to be a reissue of an old VAnguard album I had in the 70s. It's s live recording from one of his 'comeback' 60s concerts. His stuff was always so gentle and innocent, even when singing something as bawdy as Candyman. If you check out one of Dave Van Ronk's last albums, it has a great deal of reminiscing about the old blues and jazz musicians he met while growing up, and what shocked him as a teenager was the way they constantly bad-mouthed each other. Except for Jon Hurt, who was always gracious. As my granny used to say, 'there's no men these days...'
hi Brian
I lost my dear dad last year. my sister and I enjoyed a good natured squabble over his music collection :)
I'd recommend earmarking certain records for friends / family you know who'll particularly appreciate them - they will be so touched. But don't give them away yet, you're still here!
keep buying the CDs. keep panning for new musical gold. just keep on... keeping on. don't start winding down.
but give up on the arcade fire. if they're not doing it for you by now, it's just not meant to be.
I'm sure you know this already, but please create as many memories of yourself for your son as you can. make him mix cds of music you love, with accompanying notes as to what each song means to you. write him letters to open in the future.
all best wishes
Hannah
Hi Brian,
I have no idea what I'd do in your position. Well done for writing it all down.
Let me suggest some albums that you may hate, but then again you may love.
Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Wainwright
CR Avery Band - Chainsmoking Blues
Blanche - If we Can't Trust the Doctors
Ben Folds - SUPERSUNNYSPEEDGRAPHIC, the lp
Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself
There's some fun in there, some interesting music, and some good get away from it all tunes.
Best wishes, and don't play the Ben Folds album near your son!
John
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