Random Thoughts

[ody@apache.att.com]

Just a few random Red Shoe notes:

I've loved "And So Is Love" since I picked up the 3 .au files off the Internet
ftp site (I forget which one). I'm glad the fidelity of the CD is better than
the sample in the .au file, but the first Clapton break still sounds fuzzy.
BUT he plays a GREAT hook just before the first occurance of "You let it slip"!
This hook ranks right up there with a Lindsey Buckingham lick that makes
"You Make Lovin' Fun" worth wading through. Funny how the pay-off to a whole
song can occupy a mere 5-6 seconds.

As far as "The Song Of Solomon", I love the spacey, distant, echoey intro,
the background stuff that continues throughout the song. And that's enough
to make me like the song, even if I didn't love the rest of it anyway.

I love hearing the re-appearance of Gary Brooker. Procol Harum is "of" my time
(i.e. I'm an old fart). Yes, I know they re-united, but I passed on that
episode (only so much concert/CD money to go around). His playing on "And So Is 
Love" is tasteful and a good complement to Clapton's bluesy guitar. On "You're 
The One" it's prototypical Brooker. And on "Constellation" it's something 
completely different, which is welcome.

And perhaps my view is tainted by 24 years as a Deadhead, but "You're The One"
IS a Grateful Dead song, or easily could be. The structure, the changes,
the Hammond. Sounds like any number of their mournful ballads. Maybe that's
why some of you hate it so much ;-) Perhaps they'll cover it in concert 
(they've covered stranger things!)

A few Sensual Notes:

I think it's a great album! Sure, the initial bells aren't the clearest.
Could've gotten better bells from a sound effects album. But they're probably
the real bells from KaTe's childhood church and probably sound that way in 
person.

"Reaching Out" is a throw-away, except for the a-capella section at the end.
Still, it's a lot to wade thru just for that. "Deeper Understanding" should
be the official theme song of all of us Net-heads, anyway. And personally,
"Never Be Mine" is my favorite from the album. Just touches something deep in
me. "This Woman's Work" and "Walk Straight..." close the album strongly.

I don't understand the complaints, either about the content or the recording
quality. And all your whining about it won't change it from being one of my
all-time favorites, IMVHO, of course.

Finally, an observation on Jon:

Now I see the appropriateness of Druckman's "extreme violence" signiture! 
"Splattering YOUR entrails", really! I'm usually pretty stressed out, too, 
Jon. But since I've been studying Shaolin, my Kung Fu workout drains my 
hostility away pretty fast. Maybe you ought to find something like that and 
give it a try ;-)

Love,

Mike

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<*>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
<< Michael Ody                     | Our Motto:                      >>
<< AT&T-Bell Labs    (908) 957-4532|  We're all here                 >>
<< MT 1A-237  ody@apache.mt.att.com|     'cause we're not all there! >>
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<*>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>