Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle in a burgundy snood. Does anyone still wear a snood? And while we’re on the subject of a burgundy snood, does anyone still eat corned beef hash or any hash? Is corned beef hash a thing of the past? And whatever happened to Chicken Kiev, a once popular dish that I haven’t seen on a menu in thirty years. You see, this is what is called changing tastes, but I, for one, like the old tastes. I used to love both corned beef and roast beef hash. I used to love Chicken Kiev with the bursting butter.
How about Veal Oscar? Is that still with us? Do these wretched nouveau French jernts serve classic duck ala orange. I used to love that, too. Crepes had their moment in the sun – we had tons of crepe places all over LA – even a chain called The Magic Pan. Who remembers The Magic Pan? I do.
There we had photographic proof of The Magic Pan. Now I not only want some hash, I want a damn crepe and not one of those icky dessert ones, but one with cheese and stuff. I’m suddenly waxing all food nostalgic, aren’t I? As long as I’m going down this road, what I really want is Piece o’ Pizza (Had a Piece Lately?). Anyone remember Piece o’ Pizza? LA was loaded with them. We had one four blocks from my first childhood house, on La Cienega and 18th. I loved their pizza and their spaghetti was good, too, and they had a great Eyetalian salad with great Eyetalian dressing. There is but one Piece o’ Pizza left, on Venice Blvd. in West LA.
I gotta tell you. LA was a great restaurant town back in the day, although no one thought so back then. But I’m here to tell you that eating in LA was the cat’s pajamas, whatever the HELL that means. Of course, to top off all that great food, one simply wanted a C.C. Brown’s hot fudge sundae. One can still get such a thing at Lawry’s or Tam o’ Shanter here in LA because they bought the rights to it, but it’s just not quite the same, I’m afraid. There was a time in the 1980s when I went to C.C. Brown’s three or four times a week. I was like family. And I was there on the closing day at a private party for their most loyal customers, where we all got to have one final sundae and say our goodbyes. I kept in touch with the Schumachers for several years after they closed and I made sure they got a copy of Benjamin Kritzer so they could read what I wrote about it. What a place and much missed. If I could just get in our patented haineshisway.com Time Machine and go back right now.
What are these notes, the Food Channel all of a sudden? This is making me too hungry and too nostalgic so back to the future and on with the notes. But before we go on with the notes, here’s another song from the Kritzer Time CD – Toots Thielman’s immortal Bluesette, a song I was completely obsessed with as a child (and the East Coast Singer will be doing it on her album). We’re not quite through with the Kritzer Time CD – one more to go, and then there are several Kritzer originals to come.
Yesterday was a most pleasant day. I managed to get a little over eight hours of blessed sleep. I did some work on the computer, then the Sprinkler People came and replaced a bunch of the sprinkler heads and got everything working beautifully so that we can now plant some pretty flowers everywhere. That will happen on Saturday when I’m at the recording studio. Then it was time to mosey on over to the Eclectic Café for luncheon with Miss Andrea Marcovicci and Mr. Shelly Markham. I had the grilled salmon, which was low calorie and really good – just some veggies with it and no salad. We discussed many things and it was a very fun lunch.
After that, I picked up a couple of packages, including the full score to Yearbook, so I now have actual sheet music on my two songs. I answered e-mails, printed out some orders, had a couple of telephonic calls, and then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture entitled Lord of the Flies, the original version from 1963, directed by Peter Brook. I’d read the book in 1962, I think, and I absolutely loved every page (it was, at that time, not required reading). I actually saw Lord of the Flies at a sneak preview at the Lido Theater near my house. I thought it was very powerful and did a really good job of capturing the essence of the novel. The young non-actors were all very good and I just loved the feel of the film and the way it was shot. It was, of course, shown in the ratio of 1.85 as the Lido and every other theater in LA save for a couple of older run-down jernts could ONLY show that ratio and scope. I’m saying this for a reason that will become clear in a moment. A few weeks after the sneak preview, the film opened at the Lido and I saw it many times during its run there. While I had the Criterion DVD, I’d only watched the first five minutes and never got around to watching the rest. Therefore, I haven’t really seen the film since 1963. It’s still terrific and very powerful and raw and I still love the look and feel of it and I still feel it captures the essence of the novel very well. The Blu-ray transfer is excellent but, and it’s a big but, it’s full frame. The transfer was supervised by the guy who operated the second camera (he wasn’t the cameraman) and who was one of the editors (there were many). Now, I’m not saying he’s crazy, but this film wasn’t shown anywhere in full frame. Theaters could simply not project in Academy ratio by 1963 and I’m here to tell you these filmmakers and producers weren’t just shooting a movie for their health. I think the idea was that it would be shown in theaters, which it was – and not full frame. Watching it, I found 95% of the shots would have framed perfectly at either 1.66, 1.75 or 1.85, although in the US it was only shown in the latter ratio. In England it was either shown in 1.66 or 1.75. It’s a shame they didn’t put two versions on the Blu-ray – this guy’s open matte transfer and then the theatrical ratio. Then we could have chosen, but no – for On the Waterfront they did THREE transfers in different ratios, none of which are correct because the full frame that all were derived from is slightly zoomed in, which means none of the three transfers are actually accurate. But I still recommend this Blu-ray highly for the film itself. Being full frame doesn’t hurt it really and the contrast is good and it’s sharp and detailed. It’s funny, but my memory of the film was that the only music used was in the opening sequence, the main titles. So I was very surprised to find the film has a great score by Raymond Leppard, and while it isn’t that long, it does run throughout the film.
After that, I had to find some stuff in the garage, which I did without too much bother. Whilst looking I found this fun photograph of me directing The Creature Wasn’t Nice (aka Spaceship, aka Naked Space, aka whatever else they called it). I actually found a bunch of behind the scenes photographs. But I liked this one best.
Today, I shall do a jog, have a lunch meeting, finish liner notes and get them on their merry way, hopefully pick up some packages and then try to relax a bit.
Tomorrow, I have an early lunch meeting (unless it’s canceled – this person has canceled several already), then I’m meeting with the East Coast Singer and Lanny Meyers. Saturday we record the first of our two orchestra sessions. I think we’re doing six full orchestras and one or two smaller tracks, plus some background vocals on one song. Sunday is our final orchestra session – not the full group, though. Then we may try to get a couple of final vocals done that day, and then I have to go straight to The Federal to see Sharon McNight. Monday and Tuesday nights we do the final vocals and that’s that.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, have a lunch meeting, finish liner notes, hopefully pick up some packages and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What once popular foods that are seemingly out of favor would you like to bring back, the ones you’ve craved but have disappeared with changing tastes? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, dreaming of Piece o’ Pizza – had a piece lately?