A review of the 1957 classic album by Miles Davis – ‘Round About Midnight.
Miles Davis – ‘Round About Midnight (1957) — The Ultimate Music Library
Miles Davis – ‘Round About Midnight (1957) — The Ultimate Music Library (Reblog)
Category: jazz
Brooklyn Charmers: A Fine Dan ‘Tribute Band’…
Steely Dan are one of my favourite bands. Walter and Donald wrote some of the finest music… ever imho.
Here are wonderful covers of two of my favourite Dan tracks, ‘Your Gold Teeth’ and ‘Your Gold Teeth II’, sown together in a great medley. These two tracks demonstrate everything I love about the Dan; the jazz infused, yet totally accessible rock and roll, all with that cutting edge of intellectual idiosyncrasy that exudes wisdom.
This band, ‘Brooklyn Charmers’, is simply amazing. I haven’t seen a better cover of these tracks. Check them out.
Copyright Francis Barker 2020
Steely Dan: Pick a Song — Ticket 2 Ride
Pick one song from each album and list why. I accept that challenge. Let’s roll. Can’t Buy a Thrill – “Do It Again” gets the nod. Some have called this a strong Latin beat, the percussion obviously drives this song and provides the framework for the electric piano and expressive guitar solos. The album […]
Tanka: Where is solace?
This crazy island
in this ridiculous world
Where is solace?
Somewhere the news cannot reach
and opinions have no sway
copyright Francis Barker 2019
Stockhausen: Neptune, Uranus and the Nature of Genius. Astrology Musings
Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of the most important composers of the 20th century, was also one its most controversial. The outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are generational in influence, but if one or more of them touch sensitive parts of our birth chart, they can put us in touch with powerful trans-personal energy.
According to his known birth data, he was born with Leo rising, with a Leo Sun exactly conjunct Neptune.
A fount of inspiration
Here is a powerful, creative individual, with a personal connection to the numinous through Neptune, with all the inspirational, spiritual qualities associated with that planet. He was certainly a major visionary in musical terms and has had a huge influence on jazz and popular music as well as classical.
As we have seen previously, Neptune is invariably prominent in some way in the birth charts of creative artists, but he was clearly no idle dreamer.
Practical application
With Mercury and Venus in Virgo in house 2, the latter trine Jupiter in Taurus in house 10, he was very keen to apply his undoubted inspiration practically, effectively, in detail, and to disseminate it, not only in way to earn a living, but in building a successful career out of it. Indeed, he was also a fine writer and communicator too, teaching his ideas successfully. Without this grounding effect, his genius may well have been lost to the world.
What is more, revolutionary Uranus was very close to the MC (midheaven) in Aries in house 9.
The shock of the new
This midheaven point is traditionally associated with the career or life direction and with Uranus in Aries activating this very personal angle of his chart, we can see the unusual, avant-garde, revolutionary and pioneering qualities he brought to bear in his career. Revolutionary literally means turning upside down: he essentially did this, being a pioneer in the sphere of electronic music.
More than once, his music has been described as ‘disruptive’ (Uranus) and unfathomable (Neptune). He also has Mars in good aspect to Uranus, bringing much supportive, instigating energy and (in Gemini) variability to his repertoire.
copyright Leofwine Tanner 2019
Ciscography 