Here's the Stones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzcWwmwChVE
Small House of Everything
Friday, March 31, 2017
MUSIC FROM THE PAST: TIME IS ON MY SIDE
99 years ago today -- much to Crider's displeasure -- Daylight saving time went into effect in much of the United States for the first time.
FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE GUNSLINGER
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (revised and expanded edition) by Stephen King (2003)
The Dark Tower, Stephen King's epic fantasy series, was a long time a-coming. Although it was born in 1970, it really began as a series of stories in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction from 1978 to 1981, These five stories were collected as The Gunslinger in 1982. The series then lay fallow until 1987, when the second book, The Drawing of the Three was released. four years after that, the third volume, The Waste Lands, was released. It then took another six years for the fourth volume, Wizard and Glass, to come out in 1997. Seemingly the author was channeling his inner George R. R. Martin's writing pace. The Dark Tower series was a labor of love for King and he approached it as such, taking his tine and working on it slowly, in between his other, more popular work. After all, King had all the time in the world...
Then came that day in June 1999 and a distracted driver and his pickup careening down a Maine road. King's injuries were extensive; he was lucky to be alive. It was a long recovery and King realized that he didn't have all the time in the world, after all. He began work on the last three novels in the series. While doing this, he realized that the first book was somewhat "out of sync" with the rest of the series, and so we have the revised and expanded edition of The Gunslinger. When this edition was published, the fifth book in the series was due to be published and the remaining two books were completed and just needed revisions. The final book in the series was published in 2004. (Since then, King published and eighth book, The Wind Through the Keyhole, containing two novellas that take place chronologically between the fourth and fifth volumes. There have also been a number of graphic novels by Peter David and Robin Furth that have helped flesh out the series.)
I read the original stories in The Gunsmith when they were first published in F&SF and again when the book originally came out. I wasn't overly impress: the stories seemed too diffuse and it appeared to me that King was writing the tales with no definitive idea where the series was going. The Drawing of the Three marked the point where the series really began; it was a well-written, imaginative, fully-formed novel that led, inexorably, to the rest of the series. And the books kept getting better. Roland's journey to stop the Walking Man and to save the Dark Tower which holds the universes together.
The revised version of The Gunslinger brings this early work into synergy with the remainder of the series. Variants of fact and incident that did not agree with the overall opus were corrected and the book meshed much better into the series. Although King completely rewrote the book from start to finish, there is really only about 35 pages of material that has been added, the inclusion of a few scenes. It's a much better book. The series itself has an epic sweep that I find astounding, and is an essential read that anchors much of King's other work.
After years of false starts, The Dark Tower is finally a movie, to be released this July. Reportedly the movie is partially a sequel to the series. The fate of Hollywood projects is always an iffy thing, but this movie may (or may not) be a huge blockbuster. For anyone who wants to catch on the books before the movie is released, The Gunslinger is the place to start.
The Dark Tower, Stephen King's epic fantasy series, was a long time a-coming. Although it was born in 1970, it really began as a series of stories in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction from 1978 to 1981, These five stories were collected as The Gunslinger in 1982. The series then lay fallow until 1987, when the second book, The Drawing of the Three was released. four years after that, the third volume, The Waste Lands, was released. It then took another six years for the fourth volume, Wizard and Glass, to come out in 1997. Seemingly the author was channeling his inner George R. R. Martin's writing pace. The Dark Tower series was a labor of love for King and he approached it as such, taking his tine and working on it slowly, in between his other, more popular work. After all, King had all the time in the world...
Then came that day in June 1999 and a distracted driver and his pickup careening down a Maine road. King's injuries were extensive; he was lucky to be alive. It was a long recovery and King realized that he didn't have all the time in the world, after all. He began work on the last three novels in the series. While doing this, he realized that the first book was somewhat "out of sync" with the rest of the series, and so we have the revised and expanded edition of The Gunslinger. When this edition was published, the fifth book in the series was due to be published and the remaining two books were completed and just needed revisions. The final book in the series was published in 2004. (Since then, King published and eighth book, The Wind Through the Keyhole, containing two novellas that take place chronologically between the fourth and fifth volumes. There have also been a number of graphic novels by Peter David and Robin Furth that have helped flesh out the series.)
I read the original stories in The Gunsmith when they were first published in F&SF and again when the book originally came out. I wasn't overly impress: the stories seemed too diffuse and it appeared to me that King was writing the tales with no definitive idea where the series was going. The Drawing of the Three marked the point where the series really began; it was a well-written, imaginative, fully-formed novel that led, inexorably, to the rest of the series. And the books kept getting better. Roland's journey to stop the Walking Man and to save the Dark Tower which holds the universes together.
The revised version of The Gunslinger brings this early work into synergy with the remainder of the series. Variants of fact and incident that did not agree with the overall opus were corrected and the book meshed much better into the series. Although King completely rewrote the book from start to finish, there is really only about 35 pages of material that has been added, the inclusion of a few scenes. It's a much better book. The series itself has an epic sweep that I find astounding, and is an essential read that anchors much of King's other work.
After years of false starts, The Dark Tower is finally a movie, to be released this July. Reportedly the movie is partially a sequel to the series. The fate of Hollywood projects is always an iffy thing, but this movie may (or may not) be a huge blockbuster. For anyone who wants to catch on the books before the movie is released, The Gunslinger is the place to start.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
UNDERAPPRECIATED MUSIC: FRANKIE LAINE
Frankie Laine (1913-2007) would have been 104 today, March 30. Although perhaps best known today for his western songs, Laine's repertoire covered the gamut, from musicals to pop standards, from calypso to gospel, and from operetta to romance; it seemed as if there was nothing he couldn't do. While at Columbia records alone, Laine had 39 hit records. He performed with many of the great popular singers of his time: Patti Page, Doris Day, Jo Stafford, The Four Lads,and Johnnie Ray, while hosting such talents as Ella Fitzgerald, Georgia Gibbs, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Shirley MacLaine, Teresa Brewer, and Jack Teagarden.
Laine grew up in Chicago's Little Italy, where his father was once Al Capone's barber. His wide range of musical interests became evident when his early influences were the very diverse Enrico Caruso and Bessie Smith. His outspoken opinions on equality had many persons confused as to his race. Her was a close friend to Nat King Cole and was one of Cole's pall bearers. He joined Black singers in giving a concert to Martin Luther King's supporters during the Selma to Montgomery march. He was noted for his charity work, especially with the homeless, the Salvation Army, and Meals on Wheels, and donated much of his time to these and other charities.
His last song, "Taps/My Buddy," was recorded shortly after the September 11 attacks and was dedicated to the firefighters of New York; all profits from that recording are donated in perpetuity to the NYFD.
"That's My Desire"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSKrvEdLXaM
"That Lucky Old Sun"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL3kvxN3xFc
"Cool Water"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jj7qab6KC4
"Mule Train"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ62MOvS2hQ
"Gunfight at the O.K. Corral:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU84PcOcxuM
"There Must Be a Reason"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgaSvpO2es
"The Cry of the Wild Goose"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttr_kZDM8lg
"The 3:10 to Yuma"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdG2ohk5LtE
"North to Alaska"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDkJu8-WcFw
"Answer Me, My Love"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0R0LrEF_GA
"The Wayward Wind"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zghTtGg5-Pg
"Rawhide"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EjbzCX3enA
"The Kid's Last Fight"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhFZZNgUVpc
"Granada"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8xOtrZxkA0
"Ghost Riders in the Sky"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ-J6sSo5lw
"Stars Fell on Alabama"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzvCukVIMz8
"Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD3Lyq6VK5A
"Robin Hood/Champion the Wonder Horse"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD3Lyq6VK5A
"I Believe"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCh6DM5xZ3M
and there are so many more...
Laine grew up in Chicago's Little Italy, where his father was once Al Capone's barber. His wide range of musical interests became evident when his early influences were the very diverse Enrico Caruso and Bessie Smith. His outspoken opinions on equality had many persons confused as to his race. Her was a close friend to Nat King Cole and was one of Cole's pall bearers. He joined Black singers in giving a concert to Martin Luther King's supporters during the Selma to Montgomery march. He was noted for his charity work, especially with the homeless, the Salvation Army, and Meals on Wheels, and donated much of his time to these and other charities.
His last song, "Taps/My Buddy," was recorded shortly after the September 11 attacks and was dedicated to the firefighters of New York; all profits from that recording are donated in perpetuity to the NYFD.
"That's My Desire"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSKrvEdLXaM
"That Lucky Old Sun"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL3kvxN3xFc
"Cool Water"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jj7qab6KC4
"Mule Train"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ62MOvS2hQ
"Gunfight at the O.K. Corral:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU84PcOcxuM
"There Must Be a Reason"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgaSvpO2es
"The Cry of the Wild Goose"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttr_kZDM8lg
"The 3:10 to Yuma"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdG2ohk5LtE
"North to Alaska"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDkJu8-WcFw
"Answer Me, My Love"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0R0LrEF_GA
"The Wayward Wind"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zghTtGg5-Pg
"Rawhide"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EjbzCX3enA
"The Kid's Last Fight"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhFZZNgUVpc
"Granada"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8xOtrZxkA0
"Ghost Riders in the Sky"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ-J6sSo5lw
"Stars Fell on Alabama"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzvCukVIMz8
"Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD3Lyq6VK5A
"Robin Hood/Champion the Wonder Horse"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD3Lyq6VK5A
"I Believe"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCh6DM5xZ3M
and there are so many more...
PHILO VANCE: BUTLER MURDER CASE
Philo Vance (that "pain in the pants") goes drilling for murder when he investigates the death of a dentist. This was radio's third incarnation of S.S. van Dine's famous detective and featured Jackson Beck in the title role. Purists may be upset that Beck's Vance had little to do with van Dine's character other than the name while others may be pleased that Vance's insufferable personality traits are not evident.
From February 15, 1949:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVsl_aCB0nk&index=23&list=PLHqtXmwpmH0JvOilyzME5tULcLIPrsFnv
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
MUSIC FROM THE PAST: WHEN I'M WITH MY BABY
Lee Mckinley & the Magnetics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC6LUQL4AHM&list=PLt4bWvuRKY7oNCv4xVy4GVULXbtGJcN9o&index=6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC6LUQL4AHM&list=PLt4bWvuRKY7oNCv4xVy4GVULXbtGJcN9o&index=6
BAD JOKE WEDNESDAY -- WITH APOLOGIES TO MY FRIENDS IN BOTH STATES
What's the difference between a Texas tornado and a Tennessee divorce?
Not much. Either way, someone's gonna lose a trailer.
Not much. Either way, someone's gonna lose a trailer.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
MUSIC FROM THE PAST: THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE
If you shoot J.R. people may talk about it for a summer, but if you shoot the sheriff or Liberty Valance, they make songs that people will be humming for years.
Here's Gene Pitney.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-sjvz6YKnQ
Here's Gene Pitney.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-sjvz6YKnQ
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