REAL News for REAL People
Musical Differences
Kathy Manos Penn is a native of the “Big Apple,” who settled in the “Peach City” – Atlanta. A former English teacher now happily retired from a corporate career in communications, she writes a weekly column for the Dunwoody Crier. Read her blogs and purchase her book, “The Ink Penn: Celebrating the Magic in the Everyday” on her website theinkpenn.com.
My husband and I have similar interests in many areas, but in others, our preferences diverge. Take music. He truly does think the music died when Buddy Holly did. He tolerates Beatles music but thinks it's second rate, and he likes only a few Eagles songs. To be sure I know what he thinks of both groups, he refers to them as the Beagles.
I did get him to accompany me to see the Eagles at a Piedmont Park concert a few years back, and he confessed he enjoyed it. Paul McCartney, though, is a different case. I went with girlfriends in 2009 when Paul did Piedmont Park. We thought it was the experience of a lifetime. That's why I wanted to see Paul McCartney perform in Atlanta this year.
Did my husband want to go with me this time? Not a chance. So I went with a girlfriend. Think about it: Paul isn't getting any younger; the date worked for me; he was conveniently appearing in Gwinnett County; why not go? And yes, it was a fantastic performance.
There's some rock and roll music we both like, performers who actually came along after Buddy Holly. We both like Bob Seger, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison, John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, Fleetwood Mac, and the Allman Brothers. Yes, I realize all of these are considered a bit dated, but hey, we're a bit dated ourselves.
There's one genre my husband loves that I can only dip my big toe in-cowboy music. If it's folk rock or what's coming to be known as Americana, I can go there. I like Nancy Griffith and Ian Tyson and Suzy Boggus, and I can listen to a bit of Don Edwards. I just can't listen to it nonstop, as he does. I have kindly gone with him to hear Don Edwards-several times-and our last musical adventure together was a visit to Eddie's Attic in Decatur to hear Tom Russell. I had no idea who the guy was until my hubby educated me.
You may have heard of Ian and Sylvia, or then again, maybe not. I had no idea that Ian wrote "Someday Soon" and that Sylvia wrote "You Were on my Mind." They recorded both, but the songs became more popular when recorded by other artists. Both went on to solo careers after their divorce, and Ian shifted to cowboy music.
And, what, you ask, do Ian and Sylvia have to do with me seeing Tom Russell? Because he wrote and recorded music with both Ian and Sylvia and has an album out covering some of their lesser known songs, my husband wanted to see him.
I enjoyed the evening and enjoyed learning more about Russell's connection to other musicians. Wikipedia reports that his songs "Tonight We Ride' and "Navajo Rug" were chosen by members of the Western Writers of America as two of the top 100 Western songs of all time." See the things I learn by venturing out musically.
You will note that I am more flexible in my listening tastes than my husband. That means he'll continue to have me as a date for the occasional cowboy music performance, and that I'll continue to find girlfriends to go with me to hear my favorite groups. Now, if only I could get him to cease constantly playing cowboy music in the car. Maybe I'll substitute a few Neil Diamond and Bob Seger CDs and see whether he notices.
Look for Kathy's new book "Lord Banjo the Royal Pooch" due out in late August and find her collection of columns, "The Ink Penn: Celebrating the Magic in the Everyday," on Amazon. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com.
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Kathy Manos Penn
I did get him to accompany me to see the Eagles at a Piedmont Park concert a few years back, and he confessed he enjoyed it. Paul McCartney, though, is a different case. I went with girlfriends in 2009 when Paul did Piedmont Park. We thought it was the experience of a lifetime. That's why I wanted to see Paul McCartney perform in Atlanta this year.
Did my husband want to go with me this time? Not a chance. So I went with a girlfriend. Think about it: Paul isn't getting any younger; the date worked for me; he was conveniently appearing in Gwinnett County; why not go? And yes, it was a fantastic performance.
There's some rock and roll music we both like, performers who actually came along after Buddy Holly. We both like Bob Seger, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison, John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, Fleetwood Mac, and the Allman Brothers. Yes, I realize all of these are considered a bit dated, but hey, we're a bit dated ourselves.
There's one genre my husband loves that I can only dip my big toe in-cowboy music. If it's folk rock or what's coming to be known as Americana, I can go there. I like Nancy Griffith and Ian Tyson and Suzy Boggus, and I can listen to a bit of Don Edwards. I just can't listen to it nonstop, as he does. I have kindly gone with him to hear Don Edwards-several times-and our last musical adventure together was a visit to Eddie's Attic in Decatur to hear Tom Russell. I had no idea who the guy was until my hubby educated me.
You may have heard of Ian and Sylvia, or then again, maybe not. I had no idea that Ian wrote "Someday Soon" and that Sylvia wrote "You Were on my Mind." They recorded both, but the songs became more popular when recorded by other artists. Both went on to solo careers after their divorce, and Ian shifted to cowboy music.
And, what, you ask, do Ian and Sylvia have to do with me seeing Tom Russell? Because he wrote and recorded music with both Ian and Sylvia and has an album out covering some of their lesser known songs, my husband wanted to see him.
I enjoyed the evening and enjoyed learning more about Russell's connection to other musicians. Wikipedia reports that his songs "Tonight We Ride' and "Navajo Rug" were chosen by members of the Western Writers of America as two of the top 100 Western songs of all time." See the things I learn by venturing out musically.
You will note that I am more flexible in my listening tastes than my husband. That means he'll continue to have me as a date for the occasional cowboy music performance, and that I'll continue to find girlfriends to go with me to hear my favorite groups. Now, if only I could get him to cease constantly playing cowboy music in the car. Maybe I'll substitute a few Neil Diamond and Bob Seger CDs and see whether he notices.
Look for Kathy's new book "Lord Banjo the Royal Pooch" due out in late August and find her collection of columns, "The Ink Penn: Celebrating the Magic in the Everyday," on Amazon. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com.
Comments
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More minutia from an over active mind. Does anyone still publish sheet music anymore? I note that there are numerous sites on the internet with lyrics but most appear to be transcribed from listening to the song. I know that ASCAP and BMI are the judges on song writing credit.
Hmmmm |
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It is probably no surprise that I delve into the minutia of a song from time to time. Here is one:
The Story Behind the Song: 'Midnight Train to Georgia' Published on Jul 15, 2016 NSAI's Bart Herbison interviews songwriter Jim Weatherly in Nashville, courtesy of the BCN Video Search capability. beaufortcountynow.com |
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I need to that to do that more when I sing a song that is from the female perspective. I am starting to really get Joni Mitchell's "River" down, so I will have to turn the "he" to she when singing 'loved me so naughty'; definitely that one... yeah.
Every time I have sung "If You Could Read my Mind", I have sung: "The feeling that we lack". Thanks B.T. for the backstory. |
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It used to be acceptable to slightly alter the lyrics to fit the performer or gender. I used to think courtesy call to the writer to get tacit approval was done, but I have since found out that many times the writer does not even know someone recorded their song until they hear it on the radio or get the residual check. That was all before the lawsuits over copyright issues.
I read somewhere that Gordon Lightfoot changed the lyrics to his Read My Mind song at the request of his Daughter with his former wife. FROM: You'll know that I'm just trying to understand The feeling that you left TO: You'll know that I'm just trying to understand The feeling that we lack |
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Good deal, Bobby Tony. Now, I can do the song and not feel so GAY.
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Also, put me in the "like" column, in a very big way, for: The Eagles, Beatles, Van Morrison, CCR, Allman Brothers and Buddy Holly.
I have learned to play at least one song of a number these musicians as well; however, I may have to wait on the Allman Brothers until my talent level mightily increases and I get a good electric guitar, which I intend to do at some point. |
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After learning to play the guitar since my 60th birthday, and after a long day, I occasionally take the opportunity to sit with my laptop on a stand, with my guitar in my lap, while wife watches TV or does Facebook, I search for songs to try to play (start on them until I eventually get them down), or just play them outright. "Someday Soon" was a song that I played outright, but after getting it fairly down, while continuing to use the song sheet (on the laptop) as a tool (I can't remember all the words or chords), I had a hard time singing:
G Em C G "There's a young man that I know whose age is twenty-one Bm C D7 Comes from down in southern Colorado G Em C G Just out of the service, he's lookin' for his fun Am D7 G Someday soon, goin' with him someday soon" ;without feeling a little GAY. I have to admit that the melody is a sweet one, and if you notice these chords above of: Bm, C, D7, G, Em, Am are some of my favorites, and in the right sequence, with the right rhythm, make a fine melody. |
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Second, you are right about the transcribing of the songs, and that is what I use. I use to search for the easiest ones to perform, now, I search for the transcribed songs that best represent the song, which is often the transcribed rendition of the song, with more chords and more chord changes.
I find it easier to sing the song, if the guitar leads the way, and that means more chords and more chord changes. I now, also, add a few chords or a chord that I think are needed, but not often. A case in point, there are so many versions of "Moon River". I chose the one that was the most complicated because it sounded better, and more original.