As of 5 Minutes Ago, This Guy Officially Irritates Me

His name is Aaron Johnston. A month ago I was blissfully ignorant of his existence. Then I decided to read the Ender’s Game prequels. These were cowritten by Orson Scott Card and this guy. I was curious because I’d read all the Ender’s Game books up to Children of the Mind and Ender’s Shadow, and because I was curious how much of a collaboration it was or if it was mostly Johnston with Card adding his towering name to it for marketing purposes.

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Rocking to the Real Oldies, part 2

In part 1, I presented eight rock and roll or folk songs that were based on classical music from as far as back as the early 1000’s. In part 2, I’ll let you hear the original classical works they were based on. Obviously, you should read part 1 first, which I’m certain you did. You did read part 1 first, didn’t you? What? You didn’t? Then get your ass over there and read it!

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Rockin’ to the Real Oldies, part 1

Let’s face it, most regular people aren’t that into classical music. My condolences to them. They don’t know what they’re missing. There’s a reason that classical music is classic and stood the test of time.

But there are those among the rock and rolling and folk musicians of our times that are familiar with classical music and have based some of their songs on it. Perhaps you didn’t know that some of your favorite tunes of the classical age of rock and roll derive from the classical age of classical music, written by such noteworthies as Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin.

As Chuck Berry once sang, roll over Beethoven. A new crop of musicians has arrived.

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Did James Horner write The Sound of Music?

Of course he didn’t! It’s a stupid question! Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote The Sound of Music.

But I ask that question because James Horner, among all composers, produced some of the most beautiful sounds of music ever to grace the silver screen. He’s easily in my top five favorite movie score composers, and I say that only because once you reach that level of greatness, it’s meaningless to rank them any further.

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Is It Better to See the Movie or Read the Book First?

It’s one of life’s dilemmas to decide whether it’s better to read the book before seeing the movie or vice versa. Long ago I settled that question to my satisfaction.

There are arguments for either side. If you see the movie first, your experience of the book will be tainted by the images you see on the screen. You’ll never know what images the book would have created in your mind. You’ll always see the sets and the actors in the movie as you read the book and never your own imaginings, even if the movie’s images and the author’s descriptions conflict.

Yet reading the book first and seeing the movie afterward usually results in being disappointed with the movie. The two media are worlds different from each other. Continue reading Is It Better to See the Movie or Read the Book First?

Mary’s Face on a Mosaic? It Could Happen!

There’s a mosaic that archaeologists unearthed in the ancient city of Sepphoris in Israel. Colloquially it’s called “the Mona Lisa of Sepphoris.”

The city was destroyed by the Romans for rebellion sometime around the switch from B.C. to A.D. Later Herod Antipas, the head-chopper of John the Baptist, came along and rebuilt the city to make it his capital for Galilee. He built a huge metropolis (by the standards of the time).

This occurred during the childhood and young adulthood of Jesus, and Nazareth was six miles away from Sepphoris.

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More Than Just a Theme Song

Television show theme songs come in a colorful spectrum of styles, from forgettable to downright works of art. But they all have one thing in common: they’re short. At least when they play during the opening credits of the show.

But what you hear in that minute or so while you go grab some chips and dip from the kitchen isn’t always the whole story. Lurking behind many of the songs introducing the show and its actors is a more developed piece of music that you rarely or never get to hear.

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What Shakespeare, Stephen King, and a Lovelorn French Composer Have In Common

Stanley Kubrick did it. Stephen King hated it. The rest of the world loved it. Shelley Duvall had a nervous breakdown from it.

What was it? Kubrick’s film The Shining, of course.

But we’re not here today to talk about the film. We’re here to talk about the music that overlays the opening title sequence from it. That deep, disturbing horn. Those wailing damned souls.

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“Edelweiss” and “The Laendler”: Authentic Austrian?

In The Sound of Music are two beautiful songs that represent themselves as originating from Austrian folk culture. One is sung as if it were a national song celebrating Austrian pride, and the other is purportedly music for an Austrian folk dance.

So are they?

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What’s So Unchained About the Melody?

In 1965 the Righteous Brothers recorded a love song that became a blockbuster and a staple of pop music culture ever since: “Unchained Melody.” It was released on their album Just Once In My Life and, amazingly, as the B-side of a 45 rpm single, with the song “Hung On You” as the A-side selection.

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