Bob Dylan on the phone:


"It was last Tuesday. I came home at half past six, tired after a long day and put the phone in the hall. A couple of minutes later, I discovered a missed call from New York. It turned out to be Bob Dylan! He called me through his manager in New York, Jeff Rosen. I had expected that he would let us know - sooner or later, he would call - but I was still taken by surprise.  It was a nice conversation. After a while, I asked if he wanted to receive the Nobel Prize "of course" he said that the news about the Nobel Prize had left him "speechless" and that he didn't know what to say. He felt very honoured, he added, and also said that he's considering to get to Stockholm but The Nobel Awards week in December is still far away, he finds himself in the middle of a large US tour. We spoke for about a quarter of an hour. Dylan was kind, humble, and humorous". - Sara Danius' Facebook page

Sara's FB Professor Danius is on the board of the Nobel Literature Prize from Stockholm University

This from the always fascinating 

see here, see hear

Sevens (Politiko) :: Drive-by Truckers – Ramon Casiano

“It all started at the border / and that’s still where it is today / someone killed Ramon Casiano / and the killer got away.” The opening line to “Ramon Casiano” sounds as much like the invocation of a Cormac McCarthy novel as it does the lead track from a Drive-by Truckers album. But the first song on the Truckers’ most thoroughly political album, American Band, opens with what seems like ought to be its most salient detail. Instead it becomes something much larger in the details.
The titular person was a 15-year-old Mexican boy killed in a disagreement with a 17-year-old American named Harlon Carter in 1931. Carter was convicted and sentenced to three years before an appeal overturned his sentence based on the judge’s instructions to the jury before deliberation. He was never re-tried and the incident itself stayed buried until Carter was confronted about it in 1981.
This doesn’t sound like an intensely important event, aside from the lack of justice, until you trace out Carter’s life afterward. Throughout his adult life, he served as a border patrol agent and even became the head of all federal border operations during the time of the infamous Operation Wetback during the 1950s. He also became an active member of the National Rifle Association, then a fairly benign group dedicated to promoting sports shooting and hunting activities. But that would change in 1968.
The Gun Control Act of 1968 was the first legislation passed to restrict gun sales and transport in some way since the 1930s. The NRA leadership found itself supporting some parts of the law and not others, but Harlon Carter was insistent that the NRA should opposed all gun legislation at all times. As a piece from the Washington Post noted about Carter: “Asked in 1975 if he would rather let convicted violent felons and the mentally deranged buy guns than endorse a screening process for gun sales, Carter did not hesitate to say yes. That’s the ‘price we pay for freedom.'”
Carter would lead a revolt from within the ranks of the NRA, and in 1977 he would become its president. Over the eight years of his leadership, he would push the NRA to become one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the United States – powerful enough to almost permanently derail more serious consideration of further gun control.
Drive-By-Truckers :: Ramon Casiano

The shadow of the NRA has loomed large over American politics since, and the issues of gun and border control are linked together by Mike Cooley’s songwriting in “Ramon Casiano.” “Since [Carter] ran the operation / there’s hardly been a minute since / there ain’t a massing at the border / from Chinese troops to terrorists,” Cooley muses in the second verse. The Chinese troops reference may be a bit of a head scratcher, but in an unpublished part of AD’s interview with Cooley back in September, he noted: “When I was [researching the story for the song], I found that the obsession with the border that we seem to have today is nothing new. There’s a line in the song – there was a group in the early 60s – I think they might’ve called themselves the Minutemen, too – and this group in southern California claimed to have a stockpile of fully automatic weapons and knowledge of Chinese troops massing at the Mexican border.” In the post-9/11 U.S., concerns about terrorists coming across the border have long been talking points, but clearly even in the 60s and some of the heights of the Cold War, the border-crossing boogeymen still existed under a different guise.
“Ramon Casiano” is another great example of the Drive-by Truckers’ gift as story tellers who spin specific yarns that spool out into grander themes. The injustice of Casiano’s death – which itself sees echoes in the numerous killings of unarmed black men by police in recent years – and Carter’s connection to the bolstering of a belligerently pro-gun segment of American culture and of the longstanding issues with the border make for a powerful opening statement. So when Cooley ends the song by singing “someone killed Ramon Casiano / and Ramon still ain’t dead enough,” the heat and the dust of that day in 1931 feels as pertinent as ever. words / j neas

Paul

 . . . . the Dad

I do strongly believe that Paul must have been and continues to be a wonderful Dad and the test is his relationship with Mary, Stella and James and they always seem to have been able to rely on him and get support when needed but the true test of fatherhood it seems to me is how any adopted children may get on with you. Although Linda McCarney's daughter, Heather, went to live with her father in later life, as a 6 year old the world is a scary place when you parent's part and to go on record as saying that although See (her Dad) had a lifelong influence on her, she considers Paul McCartney to be her father is a true testament to Paul's parenting.

 Some may find this joke cruel and or believe that there is some truth in all jokes but you need to be secure in your love of your child and, more importantly, your child secure in your love of her to carry off a joke like this. It is revealed in the expressions. First check out Paul's gauging how it might go down and then check Heather's face - clearly she adores him!  . . . . . and vice versa

I love this sequence and it is a true 'Dad' joke! They are unsurpassable, make EVERYONE cringe and are known to be truly dreadful, as it should be!

Martha &  Heather McCartney - by Linda McCartney

seminal moments in music history  . . . . . .

THE PRETENDERS - BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG

Chrissie was on TV last week and seemed comfortable, relaxed and funny on a hokey One Show setting she might have cause to be uncomfortable it seemed but she was delightful and the band proved they were just still rocking and on fire in terms of being able to set up and just play live in front of BBC studio outside.

I sometimes forget or take for granted how brilliant Chrissie is and consider her one of the finest songwriters and voices of the era, she is a rock chick with poetic sensibilities and great writing skills . . . . . . check this out if you don't believe me. I think this is as close to perfection as modern 'pop' songs have ever become. This arrangement with the bass, drums and fine fine guitar augmented by Chrissie on rhythm and a pedal steel is down right wonderful. TURN IT UP!

Sanatana Dharma

 Samkhya and Mimasa 

Fascinating piece about Atheism and Hinduism here from the wonderful blog site Atheist Republic . . . . . . . . 

This week, Atheist Republic social media manager and guest writer, Utsav, shares some of his thoughts about atheism in India.

When westerners answer census questions, they are usually given the chance to answer "non religious" in the religion section. India does not provide this option for their census records. Is India trying to ignore the atheism that exists in the country?India is the only country in the world with a majority population following Hinduism, or as it was originally known: Sanatana Dharma. As described by the apex court of India, Hinduism is "a way of life" and barely falls in the category of a religion. I was baffled when I was told this. I'd been taught all my life about millions of gods and goddesses in the religion into which I was indoctrinated, and how it was a religion that offered salvation. In actuality, Hinduism respects all other religions, proclaiming all of them as different paths to the same god.One very noticeable thing in ancient Hinduism is the acceptance and celebration of atheism. Yes, atheism. Samkhya and Mimasa are ancient schools of philosophy within Hinduism which not only refute the existence of God, but provide logic to support their claim. While some views may be recognized as pantheism, they still preach materialism and maintain that this is the only life. They were allowed to teach atheism and materialism in schools, or what were referred to as "gurukuls" in ancient times.So, is a religion really allowed to promote atheism? By definition, no. Hence, the term "way of life" was coined by the Supreme Court of India. However, Hinduism fell prey to the rise of institutionalized religion in India in the past few centuries. Samkhya and Mimasawere obviously not concerned about God and praying, so they weren't affected by this institutionalization, which left us with institutionalization of the rest of Hinduism which attempted to explain God and salvation. It grew over centuries into what we see now - a sad, divisive, money laundering group, i.e. a religion.Returning to the original question: Why isn't atheism an option on the Indian census? Because of institutionalized Hinduism which is threatening to infringe on the rights of the individual, and establishing social norms for everyone.

Atheist Republic

Seminal moments in music history . . . . . . . . .

On this day: October 15, 1984 - “Stop Making Sense”, the seventh album by Talking Heads is released. Produced by Gary Goetzman, it is recorded at The Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, CA in December 1983. Recorded during the tour in support of the bands then current album “Speaking In Tongues”, the album is issued as the companion piece to the live concert film directed by Jonathan Demme (“The Silence Of The Lambs”, “Philadelphia”). The band’s main line up is augmented with additional musicians including Bernie Worrell (keyboards), Alex Weir (guitar), Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt (backing vocals). The original LP release contains only nine songs and is heavily edited in order to fit it on one album, and also comes wrapped in a full color picture book. In 1999, an expanded edition of the album is released featuring the complete performance, matching the contents of the fifteenth anniversary theatrical re-release of the film. “Stop Making Sense” peaks at number forty one on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified 2x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

Having a Rubbish Day?

Turn it up!!!!!!

340 plays

Ça Plane Pour Moi–Plastic Bertrand

POLITICS!

SHIRLEY COLLINS - LODESTAR

NEW ALBUM COMING SOON

NOTES from the wonderful weblog Aquarium Drunkard

Shirley Collins first album in 38 years, Lodestar, is out next month via Domino Records. The album features songs from the 1500s to the 1950s, from the American, British and Cajun canons. “Pretty Polly”, culled from the set, came to Collins attention in 1959 while touring the south doing field recordings with Alan Lomax. Collins, in her own words, below . . .

A song found throughout England and the US. This version is the one I recorded from Mrs Ollie Gilbert in Timbo, Arkansas, in 1959. Alan Lomax, with whom I was working, had settled down to talk and drink with Oscar Gilbert, a fine singer, fiddle player, maker of moonshine, and known as the fightingest man in the county. I’d been banished to join the womenfolk – but I had the recording machine with me, and took down several songs from Oscar’s wife Ollie, a good singer in true Ozark mountain style, and a great source of songs. “Pretty Polly” remained a favorite of mine for over fifty-five years; I could never quite get out of my head her use of Nunited instead of United and the way she fitted in ‘I’m a Nunited States soldier from George Washington I came’ in a line that didn’t quite have enough notes.

Bob Dylan - Press Conference 1965

On writing . . . . . and more besides . . . . . .the legendary press conference in San Francisco 1965 - how Bobby ever decided to let this go on for an hour is amazing and later on he would not be so accommodating it seems to me . . . . . . . .as per usual parts are very very funny as to how out of sync such journalists are but also parts are very frank and compelling and deeply interesting . . . .



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