DIG THIS WITH BILL MESNIK AND RICH BUCKLAND- THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS
My Fellow Americans, Life is actually just a microscopic, deluded moment in time, so let's cut to the freakin' chase. One look at our impending election debacle can solidify my case. It has been my contention since birth, that the answer to every difficulty we encounter on this sacred yet demented Stone, can be revealed with ultimate clarity through the ultra neurotic engagements of Music, Art, Literature, Film, Poetry and a good Pastrami sandwich. Why would any sane human spend so must time on a film set (Do you know how long you gotta wait until your 8 second deliverance of an edited beyond repair line gets a chance to become a professional embarrassment etched in time forever? ) or expend so much energy in a recording studio, piecing together another ode to a man or woman who could not care less how much love existed within your digestive tract? It's all about hymns and prayers and a quest for mercy and forgiveness and silence and faith. We were blessed with Charles Bukowski, Gene Chandler, Lenny Bruce, Mitch Ryder and a legion of creative explorers whose influences provided the air we breathe. So Let's Dance! This site shall explore the reaper, find a way to disarm the stench of injustice, discover some true loves and talk it all over before it's all over. So what's the worst that our desires could produce? Failure? So sue me. I'm going to require your assistance in making as much trouble for the grown-ups as possible. Let the record show that my childish heart yearns to disrupt the madness. Join me Ladies and Germs!
With Gratitude For Gena Rowlands, Nancy Sinatra, Jerry Quarry, Leo Gorcey, Arthur Alexander and Joey Heatherton, Your Splendid Bohemian, Rich Buckland.
DIG THIS WITH BILL MESNIK AND RICH BUCKLAND- THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS
A SPECIAL VALENTINE'S DAY TWO-FER SPECIAL FROM BILL MESNIK'S "SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET" SONGS: ANNE BRIGGS SINGING "SHE MOVED THROUGH THE FAIR", AND ELVIS COSTELLO PERFORMING "OPPORTUNITY"! NO NEED TO ASK WHATS LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT- JUST ENJOY
Hello Young Lovers!
Welcome to a special Saint Valentine’s Day TWOFER from The Splendid Bohemians:
Today we’re featuring two enchanting, encyclopedic British song stylists: Anne Briggs and Elvis Costello. First up: the majestic Ms. Briggs.
SHE MOVED THROUGH THE FAIR by Anne Briggs (Topic, 1963)
Barefoot and bedraggled, Anne Briggs became the muse of the British Traditional Folk Boom in the early nineteen sixties. Her short performance career of mystical magic was retired at age 27, leaving behind a limited, but monumental discography.
I first heard She Moved Through the Fair on Irish Heartbeat, made by Van Morrison and the Chieftains, and it’s ethereal message left me paralyzed with romantic longing. But, that was just the prelude to my discovery of the plangent tones from this Goddess of acapella Celtic song.
OPPORTUNITY by Elvis Costello and the Attractions (Columbia, 1980)
This cut from my favorite Elvis Costello album, GET HAPPY!!! Is R&B funky with a Stax inspired beat and tasty organ punctuations by Steve Nieve. The music is absolutely giddy, and although the acrid lyrics - (so typical of the former Declan Patrick MacManus during this early period) - may be pessimistic and sneering, the overall effect is energizing.
In fact, the recurring refrain: “this is your big opportunity….”, with the caveat: “don’t turn around” indicates the intense, forward-looking dedication with which this artistic social climber fueled his rocket-like ascent to the firmament of the musical masters. Although Elvis succeeded handily, his early anti-authoritarian stance reminds me of so many other also-rans that, in preparation for their inevitable fall to irrelevance and obscurity, padded the ground below with a protective “fuck you” attitude. But, you knew all along that underneath the bravado that they really craved the gatekeepers recognition.
The jaunty music belies the message of the sour lyrics, implying an alternate, more inspiring interpretation: Be alert! Recognize your opportunities and grab them while you can.
