He came down pretty hard on Tina Turner, whose Simply the Best he found particularly galling. I think most will agree that funerals are very personal, and there’s quite a mix of ages and backgrounds sitting there dressed in their good clothes in a most uncomfortable setting. At the average funeral, there is the deceased right in front for the duration. To buffer this, an appropriate selection of music is comforting and cathartic at the same time.

For my mom’s service, several pieces were picked for their sorrowful qualities. The menfolk in my family bottle up most of their emotions, and one, especially, needed to let go of some of this. At the end of the ceremony, you guessed it. The only dry eyes belonged to the guys.

I was a mess. But then I cried all through putting together the playlist, which included some of the songs in the above links. But if a person had specified that certain songs be played, however enthusiastic and supposedly out of place, then I sure think those wishes should be honored.

And that is how we were introduced to darkwave/neoclassical music ( Arcana, back in the day). In turn, our lone CD was loaned out to at least one other young man, who found it led to a whole new world of Gothic sounds.

Then there was the time we wandered into a store in North Beach selling various exotic artifacts. The music was primal, mysterious and wildly percussive. Mesmerizing. I was the official asker, and I did. And that is how I learned about X-Tribe. Best played in a dark, musty store full of masks, bones, skins and primitive but very sharp weapons. Excellent elsewhere too.

Back up a few years, the kids were small, and a piano recital was held in a parent’s home. Now as a rule, recitals were not something I looked forward to, being a fidgety person. But the second we walked into the house, I got into that zone of unknown but ravishing music in the background. What is that? Who wrote that? It was classical, and not the usual suspects, but so infused with holiday feeling that I was desperate to find out what it was. We didn’t know the parents well. As the evening wound up, there was the usual mayhem and excited confusion whenever a group of children congregate at Christmas time. And before I knew it, the opportunity was gone.

I never saw the parents again. I have never found that music.

I had been so taken aback by her remarks the other day that I didn’t think to tell her how she could just plug her iPod into her stereo system or her car, thereby getting around using earphones. And it wasn’t that I was understanding, it was more that I was. . . silent.

But I’m not sure I could ever tell anyone their present was inappropriate. Perhaps she saw endless iTunes gift cards in her future. (I did explain she could put the music on CDs.) But can you imagine? Endless iTunes gift cards?

The other recipient does have access to iTunes. Both are incredibly difficult to buy gifts for, and selfishly, I had in mind very easy future gifts of iTunes gift cards, at least for the computer user . Hah.

Both were initially pleased with having a nifty Apple gadget. However, the first giftee soon made it clear that he did not want any more songs added (his nano has a 2,000 song capability), nor did he want any of his music collection on the iPod. I got what amounted to a lecture on why he felt this way, and how the gift was basically useless. He said he didn’t want to hear songs over and over again.

The other person bought one iTunes song, and that was that. She also gave me a lecture on why it was an inappropriate gift, although she did give consideration to my feelings. So I got to see someone hold an iPod in their hand, and go on and on about how they can’t stand to have something in their ear. Or how they could never do yard work with something like this because they want to know if someone is coming up behind them. And I think maybe I should just ask for it back and hold a giveaway for Cooltunes.

I’m going to assume that she did not appreciate the iTunes gift card I just gave her for her birthday. Pre-lecture.

But as these things go, I was curious. Last night, after dinner, I got back into it all. They’ve stepped up the pace, I think.

But at the first sound of the music, I remembered. I’d been wanting the soundtrack forever, and last night at iTunes, I found the early one by Jennie Muskett, plus the more recent by Paul Leonard-Morgan. Just what I need today to ramp up the production that I got behind on in the last few days.

It’s not all adrenaline-driven, there are slower tracks as well - remember all those deaths - that are ethereal and transcendent. In other words, perfect work music for me.

Blank & Jones’ Fallen (with Delerium and Rani).

But I wasn’t familiar with her version of ‘Just a Little Lovin'’ till I read this and did a search. A song that remains powerful after a decade-long hunt is certainly worth looking into.

As usual, go to http://www.bugmenot.com for a path into the NYT.

Whew!

At least I didn’t get the sad iPod icon.

Even the annoying sounds of unwrapping cellophane have been banished by using waxed paper instead.

Today, I checked out the Alison Krauss/Robert Plant album Raising Sand (see previous post for one of the tracks), and found that when I clicked on ‘listen to samples’, it took me right to track 1 where I could indeed hear it. Kudos for a much-needed feature!

Here’s the song, don’t know the origin of the video. Gaze out the window instead, if you have one.

I Put a Spell on You - Queen Latifah
Yellow - Coldplay
Happy Ever After - Julia Fordham
Body Heat - Alicia Bridges
Get Me Through December - Alison Krauss
Wild is the Wind - Nicolas Bearde
Gula Matari - Quincy Jones
California Dreamin’ - Bobby Womack
Don’t You Worry, Baby - Melody Gardot

Nah. Sometimes, the songwriter is ignorant of complex chords, and can only count to four.

I made it through without too much misting up, but totally lost it when I saw this:

A theory about the massive Zune failure is here.

The bug that has me very lightheaded is slowly succumbing to the antibiotic. Meanwhile, I take a look at the info sheet from the HMO that has in all caps, MAY CAUSE DIZZINESS.

So I’ll put a bunch of music on CDs and let her son do the loading. Because she’s kinda fearful of computers, even Macs.

Over the next few days, I will load up the nano with a wide variety of music, the likes of which he has never heard. He’ll probably hate a lot of it, but then there will be happy discoveries.

And because he doesn’t have a computer, I will also have to buy a wall charger.

This promises to be lots more fun than filling up a basket with various foods as I did last year.

When I don’t concentrate fully on my current playlist, back comes Burl, always in the background for another day or so. Oh, please stop.

SeeqPod - Playable Search

The mix of talent seems pretty near perfect, and while there are many videos of Debarge singing his better known songs, this is the only full version of Dindi that I can find online, and it’s mostly showing the album cover. But you’ll get the idea, if you’re unfamiliar with the song.

And yes, this is the Art Porter of the Art Porter Law. More on that in a bit.

I was curious about the use of so many different music influences. The juxtaposition of Celtic sounds and Taiko drums is surprising and dramatic, for example. My search took me here, and if you’ve seen the whole series, you won’t mind reading it. I exited after a few paragraphs. Don’t. Like. Spoilers.

Here they are singing their version of our national anthem:

And btw, do you speak Chet Baker?

In the world of classical music, technological advances are moving the usual group-of-musicians-with-conductor scenario into a more futuristic realm. Nowadays, a concert-goer might see the conductor decked out in a specially wired jacket that allows a Wii-minded directing of an orchestra.

This orchestra would include a section that is not visible to the audience, but gleaned from a database of digital sounds that gives an unprecedented depth and range to the listening experience.

When experts listen to samples of computer-generated music embedded in a Beethoven symphony performance, they find it difficult to tell the difference from the real thing.

According to the link, a Queen song also fills the bill - ‘Another One Bites the Dust’. However, some might feel this one might not be as appreciated by patients.

SeeqPod - Playable Search

‘You’re My Girl’ is the song she wrote for her mother back in the 80s, and with a few changes, has become a song about Valerie. When you know the context of the song, it is almost unbearable to listen to, but so beautiful.

Since lap running is an integral part of junior high, I expect the bombardment will continue.

Today, I’m happy to say that the music of choice is by the Chipmunks, as in Alvin. To hear this blasted over powerful speakers is soul-destroying.

His photographs are awesome.

It is surprising how many gentlemen of a certain age are out there climbing the steep grades on a bike.