Personal Blogs

So not really all change after all, but a break from certain activities whilst wishing that I was able to ‘Drive into springtime’! These words, btw, are lyrics from the track “Springtime” which is on the 1993 (ooops, typo spotted... I originally had 1999!) album KAMAKIRIAD by Donald Fagen - and a fine piece of listening it makes for an’ all

The big do for Mum’s 80^th (on Saturday last) went well by all accounts and much togetherness was had by many. I was able to touch base with a load of cousins that I haven’t seen for ages and also to meet again some of the people that my parents have known for years and that I knew from my younger days. Long may they all live

TMA01 for DD131 was duly dispatched on Sat eve, leaving me the somewhat more difficult task of TMA05 and iCMA45 for S104 to complete this week. Although it gets a bit much some days, on the whole it is still worth persevering with...

Another iCMA and TMA now sent - 4^th pair of S104. "I wouldn’t Dwell on it..." as the passing alien remarked when regarding ‘our’ planet "…there’s plenty more of these to come on this journey"

And so it came to be that Pete realised there will be many more TMA’s that won’t be so good, or worth dwelling on!

Hmmm, can’t wait for level three studies…

So, back to the 80s then? Well, actually, as Donald Fagen ‘won’ over Dvorak this last 10 days, I dug out THE NIGHTFLY. This is DF’s first solo album and one of the best produced of the time, and although it is early eighties (1982) it is not like the jangly ‘pop’ stuff that I put back in the box. Music to keep me sane

… and not forgetting Dvorak.

TMA03 for S104 has been marked and I’m glad to say that, with my somewhat disappointing TMA02 %, it shows some improvement. It’s less than I scored for TMA01, but all in all not too bad so far, and with a bit of effort through the next few TMA’s I might even be ok with the Exam in June! I am still having a good percentage worth of ‘silly’ mistakes being pointed out to me, so I really ought to plan an earlier start for the next two TMA’s especially with DD131 starting in Feb. Book 4 (Chemistry) - TMA04 - is taking up a lot of my time at the mo, with both this and Biology (coming up after) being new areas for me… not even a GCSE (or equivalent) in either subject

Anyway, with Dvorak’s 1st symphony now in my cd player I find myself relaxing to a movement or two of it here and there. This symphony dates from 1865 and as far as I can make out it is the only one that is performed as an ’original’ - all the other symphonies seemingly were revised during the 1880’s. This first symphony also has the title of The Bells of Zlonice, which refers to the town where Dvorak spent some time learning music during the 1850s.

I must say however that I can’t study and have music (any music) playing at the same time. I tend to chose either a particular musical genre or an orchestral piece by Dvorak after I’ve ‘had enough’ of the science stuff! Over the last few days Dvorak has had ‘competition’ from Morph The Cat, a 2006 album by Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan fame). I am currently finding most of the 1980s ‘pop’ stuff a bit jangly, so back in the box it goes, for a while

… as I’m not studying quite so hard at the mo - even if things will become a bit hectic soon, what with DD131 starting in a few weeks, an’ all!

Locomotion, by OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark) from 1984 and with no particular memories attached to this, I can enjoy it for the music and I also happen to like the lyrics

Crossing every ocean for the sake of locomotion… crossing every ocean for the sake of locomotion…

Across every ocean; For the sake of locomotion; But I wouldn't have a notion; How to save my soul.

I walk down the sidewalk; Run down the boardwalk; Stop and make small talk; But I can't say no…

To you.

I can't say no I can't say yes
I can't even write down my own address
I can't touch Heaven it's a little too far
It's the only way to travel
Got dreaming on a parr
I'm staring through the window
Wonder where you are
Moving through the landscape at a million miles an hour

Across every nation
From the harbour to the station
It's a form of inspiration
It's a power to the state

They run down the railways
Sail across the seaways
Fly through the airways
But they can't say no…
To me.

I can't stand up I can't stand still
I know you wouldn't like it if I told you how I feel
I just want to say that it's only common sense
But the words always fail me at my own expense
I'm staring out the window
Wonder where you are
Moving through the landscape at a million miles an hour

…steel drum ‘interlude’

Across every ocean
For the sake of locomotion
But I wouldn't have a notion
How to save my soul

(repeat)

I walk down the sidewalk
Run down the boardwalk
Stop and make small talk
But I can't say no to you

Crossing every ocean for the sake of locomotion (repeat x 4), and fade…

A bit of a musical period for me now I think and I shall in fact be in church later tonight, playing through a few hymns. This is in preparation for the Mass on Sunday 13^th Jan, the 2^nd Sunday of Epiphany. This also happens to be the day when the Bishop of Willesden - Peter Broadbent - is in attendance. The Bishop’s task on this occasion is to carry out ‘confirmation’ of those keen enough to have their Christian undertaking ‘officially’ blessed by said Bishop.

Whilst busy not doing TMA03 today but absorbing a 2011 Radio 4 (In Our Time) broadcast about The Neutrino, I have been spending some time with my recent re-kindling of listening to 1980s ‘popular’ music - see pages below! Here is a list of songs that have titular connections to S104 and this was ‘sparked’ off by Yesterday’s entering of the list of In Our Time programs that I’ve also recently listened to.

Atomic - Blondie (1980)

Tesla Girls - OMD (1984)

Together In Electric Dreams - Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder (1984)

Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & the Waves (1983)

Planet Earth - Duran Duran (1981)

What ever next...?

... ah yes, must concentrate!

Even so, I am still listening to Dvorak and now swapping between symphonies three and four. One of the issues I am now concentrating on is conductor, orchestra and sound recording abilities, as some of the more 'polished' examples do not create my preferred performance. That said, some of the more 'budget' productions do have their fair share of mistakes and 'out-of-tuneness' which I find somewhat off-putting. Talking of which... TMA03 is still calling for my attention

Whilst not studying though (ahem...) I put together a number of my favourite Midnight Oil tracks that I have selected from their down-loadable Essential Oils compilation. A blast from the past for me as I have 4 of the original albums from 'back in the day' - "10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (1982)", "Red Sails In The Sunset (1984)", "Diesel And Dust (1987)" and "Blue Sky Mining (1990)". My interest in this band being sparked off by hearing Beds Are Burning on the radio in 1987 but I haven't really listened to these for well over 10 years.

More later - when I'm less frazzled.

A Christmas break?

A study break?

These break are fake!

What does it take

To bake the cake

From which we take

The answers -

That are not fake?

- -  - -

Pete: "Waiting for the music to come" (2012)

… is also from Reasons to be cheerful (part 3) and is “where I’m at” some days!

I actually eat porridge every day (with the odd exception) and always with water - bottled, not tap - and nothing added. For me it tastes great and starts the day well. If it is not a going out day, I usually have a peppermint tea after… Most of the other reasons don’t really do it for me, but it is a good ‘pop song’!

So, there we are then, and, as if keeping up with S104 wasn’t enough, I am now constantly minded of 70s and 80s music - Funkin’ for Jamaica (Tom Browne), Making Plans for Nigel (and others from XTC), Blondie’s Sunday Girl and many many more.

Seriously though (!) I am now listening to Dvorak’s Hussite Overture and looking up details on Jan Hus (who was ‘martyred’ in the early 15^th century) and some of the history surrounding the Hussites.

...so now best get on with the 'book 3' that is called Energy and Light!

Music listening now swaps between Dvorak's first symphony and Smetana's Ma Vlast (My Country or My Homeland).

Sometimes I put 'modern' stuff on to hear, but very rarely the 70s/80s pop that I listed a few weeks back. In the case of these 'Old Pops', I like them for the memories they hold which can be as big a distraction as living with my parents is! So the pleasure is mainly derived from what they bring to mind and not from actually listening to them as music. Steely Dan is the current exception, as this group (and some of the solo albums) is the one I listen to most often when not indulging in 19th C orchestral music.

My present musical choices may well be down to the lack of associative memories connected with most of Dvorak, Smetana and Steely Dan, although I do have fond memories of playing Dvorak's eighth symphony whilst in a couple of youth orchestras - all the way back to them there 70s/80s!

Ooh, I have just noticed many 'S and D' initilals! I wonder what, but not now, so, erm, yes -  book 3...

S104 TMA02;

DONE (phew...)

and now to play?

I used this pop song title on 5^th Oct, as in ‘We're Lost in Sci-ence’, and as noted then it is by Sister Sledge from them there 80s. Perhaps I’m just lost - certainly somewhat directionless at times, not that I see this as a problem (for me). Other than the newer entries hereabouts, these recently made an ‘entry’ into my head, erm, if you know what I mean…?

So, to provide a bit of balance between the popular broadcast mediums, how about “The Sun Always Shines on TV” (A-ha) “TV dinners” (ZZ Top) and “Lady Writer on the TV” - Dire Straits, from my ‘college days’. Of these, Dire Straits is my favourite group, but TV Dinners is a good ‘rock-pop’ thang!

…back to the radio and there is, of course, Queen with Radio Ga Ga (1984) and slightly out of step is David Bowie’s Station to Station (1976). One of my all time ‘likes’ also occurs to me here and that is My Old  School by Steely Dan from their album Countdown To Ecstasy which came out in 1973. If I go back further still I can dredge up the birth of Radio One that my Aunt pointed out to me in 1968!

From that thought, I move to Bits and Pieces - Dave Clark Five (1964) - and Status Quo’s Pictures of Matchstick Men which was released Nov. 1967 - I was just 8 years old.

... kmt, it's Wednesday already!

Relentless Radio Blog (hmmm, might ditch the tag line) now brings you a programme relevant to this question (amongst other topics) and one that is OU connected no lesshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ntg5h

From their info page: "... is it all over for the weekend? The sociologists, Jill Ebrey and Guy Standing, ask whether or not the weekend as a time for rest, family life and pleasure, is threatened with extinction by contemporary patterns of work."

… is the title of a pop tune sung by Elvis Costello and dates from the late 1970s when I was a lad doing ‘A’ levels and then going to Tech College to study ‘Data Processing’, aka IT…

Firstly the lyrics of above noted song and also to add that it is one of my favourites (not just of Elvis C.) as is his Oliver’s Army of the same period. Although it needs the tune for full effect, the somewhat distrusting and ‘anti’ sentiment (aimed at the establishment) comes across in these words.

“I was tuning in the shine on the light night dial doing anything my radio advised
With every one of those late night stations playing songs bringing tears to me eyes
I was seriously thinking about hiding the receiver when the switch broke 'cause it's old
They're saying things that I can hardly believe, they really think we're getting out of control

Chorus:
Radio is a sound salvation
Radio is cleaning up the nation
They say you better listen to the voice of reason
But they don't give you any choice
'cause they think that it's treason.
So you had better do as you are told.
You better listen to the radio.

I wanna bite the hand that feeds me.
I wanna bite that hand so badly.
I want to make them wish they'd never seen me.

Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed

You either shut up or get cut out, they don't wanna hear about it, it's only inches on the reel-to-reel.
And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools tryin' to anaesthetise the way that you feel

Chorus…”

…but I digress (oops, sorry …) so as noted on the S104 OUSA forum recently and after a little thought - here be radio stuff!

“…created by Blur front-man Damon Albarn, a composition will be played on every BBC radio station at just after 17:30 on the 14^th November to mark 90 years of BBC radio broadcasting. It will apparently be the first simultaneous radio broadcast since 1922…”

So, I thought, what better excuse is there for mentioning radio programmes - keeping the spirit of radio alive

I have recently listened to a number of archived broadcasts, thanks to the BBC, and some of them more than once, in order to get the full content absorbed! I have picked out and will perhaps note (somewhere to view) the ones that are relevant to the studying of S104, and also for a re-listen. My two most recent progs. are entitled Alphabet and Babylon (finished this about an hour ago) and are discussions by learned professors about these things. Not relevant to my studies, modern science or S104, but this one is (and the Environment) - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00y8vg7