Robert B. Parker, R.I.P. Spenser is one of the great figures in crime fiction--and we sometimes took that for granted.It is very hard to convey the excitement I experienced on reading his first books as they arrived on my library shelves. (No way I could afford hardbacks, nor wait for the paperback).
What made him special to me was his use of things like cooking, a girlfriend, how he got to a desintation, what he wore to pull you into his story. He was accessible--lived in our world. Drank from it.
Literary writers like Bobbie Ann Mason and Raymond Carver routinely did this. But it seemed special in a crime novel. And the plotting was so good. Every woman loved Spenser. He was like a slightly tamed Jim Rockford. I think we let Robert B. Parker go without acknowledging the iconic nature of Spenser, his special place.
What music are you listening to a lot lately?
With me, it's THE DEFINITIVE VINCE GUARALDI-bought it for my husband for Christmas, but it turns out he just like the ones associated with the holidays. (Peanuts music). I love Guaraldi's version of When You Wish Upon a Star.
Phil's listening to The Very Best of Victoria De Los Angeles (opera arias) and at a very high volume, I might add. If I put on the Stones at that volume, he'd have a fit.
How about you? What's on your turntable?
45 comments:
For the last two months I've been playing Richard Thompsons Walking on a Wire-a 4 cd retrospective of his career. Also Tom Wait's live Glitter & Doom and End Times by The Eels.
Did you say, "Turntable"? I haven't had a turntable in so many years that the mere mention of it takes me back to Ian and Sylvia, Spiro Gyra, Luciano Pavarotti, and Fleetwood Mac. No, my eclectic music interests have not changed since then (even though the LPs sit in the corner of a closet collecting dust), but I still break out the Pavarotti CDs (which share the limelight with Mozart, various artisits from the Windham Hill label, and almost anything Baroque.
Wasn't turntablle a lovely word. Richard Thompson is wonderful. Didn't he used to sing with a Linda or something. Ian and Sylvia-I first heard them at a coffeehouse in Massachusetts in 1966. (We were there to hear Joan Baez's sister and her husband). He wrote the book Been Down SO Long It Looks Like Up to Me. Can't remember his name.
You will recall that Ian Fleming gave all the same information about Bond: what he was eating, drinking, driving, all by brand name, the roads, skies, buildings. Certainly Parker wasn't being original with the way he filled the Spencer novels with near ground detail, but he did a very good job of it.
Music? I'll bet you could guess. The soundtracks to Avatar, Last of the Mohicans and New Moon. Also, the piano concertos of Tcherepnin. Also, for a change of pace, some David Sanborn.
That's true, Rick. But Bond was remote. Spenser felt like someone you might meet at the neighborhood bistro or grocery story.
Romanza by Bocelli. I hardly understand a word,[he sings mostly in Italian,] but this disc gives this old geezer the warm fuzzies.
Van Morrison-The Healing Game.
Humble Pie-Rocking The Fillmore.
As mentioned last week, everything by Alison Krauss.
Les McCann& Eddie Harris--Swiss Movement. Finally got it on cd!! And on a recent long trip on the e-way I pounded down the highway to AC/DC's If You Want Blood You've Got It & Black Sabbath's Master Of Reality [with an honorable mention to Uriah Heep's 1973 live album.] And of course...jeez this damn post is getting long...
Rock on Patti!!
John McAuley
My turntable: I think I have a LP of MGM Busby Berkley tunes that I bought a while back.
As for listening: Elien Jewell is a roots rock singer who's single Sea of Tears (from the album of the same name) has been getting a lot of play along with the rest of the album. I am going to have a post about her next week sometime. Mark Pickerel and Patricia Vonne have both been getting a lot of play as has the song Thru The Wire by The Leningrad Cowboys which will be the next installment in my 12 Crime tunes for 2010 post.
Robert B Parker: If anyone deserves the blame for my love of crime fiction and my desire for truth, justice and living by a code it is Robert B Parker. It was Spencer for Hire that got me to his books and it was his books that helped me survive high school. I dropped off reading in the mid 90s, not just Parker but Hillerman as well. My Parker Collection vanished in the great Black Eyed Mansion purge of 2002, but I have a couple copies of his books I have rescued from the recycle bin at work and I need to at least re-read the The Godwulf Manuscript soon, maybe after I'm done with my current book.
Patti, yes, Richard & Linda Thompson. My brother introduced me to their music years ago.
Mimi & Richard Farina were the other names you were looking for - Joan Baez's sister and her husband.
Well, nothing is "on my turntable" because I no longer have one.
We've listened to the original cast recording of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC several times because we just saw the new production with Catherine Zeta-Jones and the incomparable Angela Lansbury. No, it wasn't quite as good as the original (the bigger orchestra did make a difference) but we enjoyed it more than the critics suggested we would.
Other than that, we've been listening to the usual suspects, including John Fogerty, Los Lonely Boys, Santana and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Jeff M.
But as to what we're playing, I find I'm listening to a lot less music than I used to do.
I had been scratching my classical itch, but I got three Tom Waits CDs for my birthday, so I'll be down in the hole for a while.
At this moment: Peter, Paul & Mary, Dave Brubeck, Scruggs & Flatt and the Kingston Trio. Brings back memories of my youth.
What did I do with that Chuck Berry CD?
The music of Jerome Kern. Just played the 1947 musical, 'Til the Clouds Roll By. Old Man River still tears me to pieces, though I wish it had been Paul Robeson singing.
Hearing that sung in SHOWBOAT stays with me still.
That is a great description of Robert B. Parker and Spenser, he lived in our world. Perfect. Thanks for posting that.
As for music, I just bought a Peter Frampton album, of all things - it actually came out a couple of years ago (and won a Grammy for instrumental recording) and has some great guitar playing.
And another sad note, folk singer Kate McGarrigle died yesterday.
These days she's probably mostly known as Rufus Wainright's mother (and Martha Wainright's) but the McGarrigle Sisters were an institution in Montreal.
We seem to listen to more, Jeff. Not sure why. I think because I borrow CDs from the library and copy them and my library has a good collection. Right, the Farinas. She died a few years back. We were supposed to hear Joan Baez that night at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival and Peter or Paul filled in. Sang Puff for twenty minutes.
Chuck-Brubeck- our favorite joint CDs, Can you feel your BP drop?
Tom Waits has the most unique voice in our library.
John-I have the McGarrigle Family Hour-my favorite album. I love every song on it. Esepcially What'll I Do. So sad: Parker, McGarrigle, Segal.
Peter Framptom. He was between your age and mine. At that moment I was knee-deep in diapers, stuck at home with two little kids. I listened to Mr. Rogers and missed the early to mid seventies.
Patti, Here it is for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh9WayN7R-s
Dang, I miss Parker already. My favorite writer. Ever.
Been listening to "Congo Life" by the band Kekele from Zaire. Some blues from Portland's late great harmonica monster Paul DeLay, and my favorite Brubeck album, "Jazz Goes to Junior College".
My wife and I are big fans of Vince Guaraldi.
Right now, I'm listening to Diana Krall's All For You.
Jazz Goes To Junior College. Great title.
Diana Krall-makes me miss my mother, who loved her.
Richard-Gonna play it tomorrow at work. On a seven year old laptop here with no sound. I saw Showboat in Toronto about 20 years ago. It knocked me out. And then I heard the Robeson version.
A friend just gave me the soundtrack for "Jackie Brown." Bobby Womack, Bill Withers, the Delfonics-- it doesn't get much better.
Richard Thompson came to fame with Fairport Convention, who have never recovered from his loss (though his last album with them also demonstrated the lack of the female voices and instrumentalists/songwriters Judy Dhyble and Sandy Denny made a huge difference--a Fairport side project, THE BUNCH, was the first recording Linda and Richard Thompson did together, I think). There's a radio doc playing in Philly about the Byrds, the great inspiration for Fairport Convention (among so many others)...and the most bluegrass-infused of major rock bands, I'd say.
Dave Brubeck playing free, much as I've posted video of, isn't so very mellow...unless Thelonious Monk or Cecil Taylor are, too.
Also when playing with Bill Smith.
Trusty: "Honey Mustard" Best pop-punk song about a serial killer couple, at least, I've encountered (contrast X's "Johnny Hit and Run Pauline").
Was up too late watching the Sam Cooke AMERICAN MASTERS last night. Tragedy after tragedy.
Easiest shower song: Muddy Waters's "Don't Go No Farther," whistling the Little Walter part, "wetly" whistling for the overblowing.
Dug out some Blue Rose after recommending them in re: bluegrass.
That's rotten news about Kate M, she so very much more talented than her son (I haven't heard her daughter, afaik)...much as with Robert Parker, who was certainly a better writer than Ian Fleming, however lazy some of his later work might've been. But happy news about MA's nom!
I heard about Parker. SOrry to hear that. As for music, lately I've been listening mostly to White Zombie and Rage against the machine.
My current listening list:
Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence (incredible album)
Darcy James Argue's Secret Society - Infernal Machine (steampunk big band; yes, really)
John Adams - Violin Concerto
Sting - If on a Winter's Night
The Bad Plus - For All I Care; These are the Vistas
Sigur Ros - ()
Apparat Organ Quarter - s/t
I'm listening to perhaps far too much Noel Coward and Jake Thackery and a bit of Ivor Cutler.
beyond the normal routine random play stuff. I have been focusing for some reason on Native American chants and prayers lately.
Peyote healing
I've been listening to Side by Side, a local D.C. folk duet. Last year was their 25th anniversary and we caught a couple of their concerts. Amazingly talented.
Tommy Makem was always one of my favorite performers. One of the CDs he did with Liam Clancy has been playing in my car for the last week or so.
A lot of Ian and Sylvia, and some of Ian Tyson solo. Gordon Bok, of course, often with Anne Mayo Muir and Ed Trickett. Tom Paxton. Leonard Cohen. Chad Mitchell Trio.
Basically I'm stuck in the 60s folk era. I think everyone resonates with the music of their youth. Most modern popular music does nothing for me.
I remember when I first started reading Parker. It was a joy. And it was an honor when a critic described my protagonists as a new Spenser and Hawk.
But one book is easy.
What I'm listening to? A lot of Whiskeytown and Texas Sheiks. But more than listening, I've spent hours lately, my guitar in my lap, playing old country blues and ragtime.
Based on the random assortment of CDs that I left by the hi-fi today: The Turtles Greatest Hits ("Happy Together," "You Baby," etc.), Amy Winehouse's "Frank" (not as good as "Back to Black"), Lindesfarne (a little-known English folk-rock group from the early 70s, "Lady Eleanore" was there best-known song, sort of faux Medieval), and a record by Shelby Lynne with a title I can't remember but inspired by her love of Dusty Springfield and other "girl singers" of the 1960s.
That should be "...their best-known song...."
I knew that degree in English would come in handy one day!
John I found THE HOUR and liked it although Harrison Ford rambled on for much longer than I'm used to. The host was quite a clever chap.
Jackie Brown-I bet that's a cool one. QT's most underrated movie for me. Busby Berkley-Megan's favorite.
Todd-How did I miss Sam Cooke on there? Thanks for the mention. Also-Rufus is good for a song or two, but his style is too unique and specific for an entire CD. He should sing with other people--like his mother. I like Martha more.
David-Is that bluegrass music?
Like THE BAD PLUS's rendition of Life on Mars. John Adams is more my husband's music. Noel Coward-wow. That is cool.
Jerry-that list takes me right back to 1966 or so.
I love that Shelby Lynne CD. Oh, The Turtles! This is a quick survey of music over the last forty years, folks.
P.S. Chuck gave me one of my favorite CDs. A compilation of various versions of Blue Moon. But then he tested me on the artists.
I'm listening to Duffy's ROCKFERRY and Dusty Springfield's DUSTY IN MEMPHIS. It doesn't get much better than that. I'm also working on my FORGOTTEN MUSIC posting for Friday.
Dusty was the best. Great, George. I was wondering who would do one of those. Sometimes I think music is as popular a topic as books on here.
The humanity in the Parker novels is what hooked me too.
May he rest in peace.
Pasionate fans, Patti. I wish I could stand the sound of Rufus Wainwright's voice for even a few bars, but I can't, and considering the talented family he springs from, and all condolences to them, it's all too bad.
Patti,
Whiskeytown is really smart alt country from the early 90's. The Texas Sheiks is Geoff Muldaur's new CD of early string band blues.
Ooh, and my local library has Whiskeytown.
I just got some new cds this week that I've been alternating: Grails' "Take Refuge in Clean Living" (instrumental rock), Jodis' "Secret House" (extremely minimalist metal), and Spoon's "Transference" (one of my fav contemporary rock and roll bands, yet another strong, original album). I also have on the first Jesu album (self-titled) that isn't new, but is new to me, they are very heavy and dense, but bittersweet as well.
Is it me or has music become more diffuse than ever. Was there a time when we shared the same music more than now? Another good topic.
When I was young we listened to the same music, but that was when you could hear the Beatles, the Supremes, James Brown, Frank Sinatra (really!), the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, Martha Reeves, Sly Stone and lots more, all jumbled up and pouring from my tiny transistor AM radio that I took everywhere.
Today, radio is so market segmented that it's irrelevant.
/old man rant
Recently:
Street Poetry: the final album by Hanoi Rocks
Rain in the City: New one by Freedy Johnston
Patti, this is something my brother and I have talked about many times. When we were growing up, the only way to get music was radio or MTV, or just going out to buy the cd/cassette. Now with the internet, every niche style can find an audience, so there isn't such a direct source of listening to music.
We just tried to find something to listen to on the radio as we traveled across town. Forgot to bring the MP3 or a CD. Darn there was nothing save a Canadian station that plays interesting alt. rock-and today it wasn't so interesting.
I guess we need access to Internet music in the car.
Jeremy-more music I haven't heard. And I thought I was out of touch with books-with music it's worse. However, I have seen more movies than anyone, I bet.
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