Well, dear readers, it is late and I must write these here notes in a hurry because I am very tired and even a little bit ornery, as well as a little bit country and a little bit rock-and-roll. What am I, Donny and Marie all of a sudden?
Yesterday, to just dive right in, was a fine little day, almost. I had didn’t fall asleep until two in the morning, woke up at four, fell back asleep at four-thirty, slept until the phone rang at 8:45, went back to sleep after that phone call and slept until eleven. At noon, Lanny and Sandy came over and we went out and had our meeting over lunch. I had a prefect grilled cheese and bacon sandwich. We went over her upcoming Ira Gershwin show and all that that will entail. Then we came back to the house, where she sang through a couple of things, and then she and Lanny went on their merry way.
I went and picked up some packages, but none of the overdue ones. I came home, did a three-mile jog, and then had to deal with some irritating things having to do with someone who is being very annoying – it has to do with one of our upcoming Kritzerland shows and I must tell you, we’re working everything out, and when October’s show is done, I do believe I shall have to have a little conversation with this person about behavior and the difference between right and wrong – and believe me, I will be thrilled to have that conversation. Once all that malarkey was done, I wrote more liner notes and finished about half of them before needing a little break. So, I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a really excellent German film from Germany entitled The Silence. Of course, since the idiots who release these things have to “brand” everything, they call it a thriller. It’s not really a thriller in that there are no thrills, but it’s a moody, dark, suspenseful and brilliantly acted film about a murder in 1986 and a similar murder twenty-three years later. The murder involves an eleven-year-old girl and an aggressive pedophile and his passive pedophile friend, who watches but does nothing to stop anything, after which he just disappears and begins a family life. The film is paced perfectly (at just under two hours, it seems more like ninety minutes) – steady, no stupid action sequences or easy heroes and some genuinely interesting characters – in other words, a film of very complex characters and a film that would never be made this way in the US. It’s compelling viewing and refreshingly there are no explicitly violent scenes (you see nothing of either murder) – just a film of mood, a good story, and no easy or predictable plot turns. It’s highly recommended by the likes of me and has a very nice transfer on the Blu and Ray.
After that, I went to Gelson’s and got some damn melon balls, came home and ate some of the damn melon balls, had a couple of telephonic conversations, then finished the first draft of the first set of liner notes, which I have no doubt I will finesse today. These were hard because it involves multiple films so that you can never go into very much about any of them.
Since I’ve been having fun putting up mp3s of songs of mine that few have heard, I thought I’d put up a few from my musical Pals, the only show I’ve ever written that hasn’t been produced. As I wrote in my first memoir, we did a lot of readings of it back in 1985 and then I looked at it again in 1992 and did another reading – I knew then that the book was the problem. The score was fine, but I hadn’t been able to see the book problems prior to 1992. I started a major rewrite and came up with a really good opening, but I was so busy doing Fox’s Totally Hidden Video that I just didn’t have time to do anything more, and then I became a record producer. But over the years I’ve tried to get someone else to take the characters and situation and redo the book – I’m currently talking to someone about doing just that and I’d like to see what could happen. The show is a two person musical – about two close girl friends, and it follows that friendship from seven to thirty-four with the two adult actresses playing the girls at all ages. That was one of the things that was most wrong with the original book – not explaining clearly enough that conceit right up front. Eventually, I came up with a much better opening, which began with the girls as adults, singing in present day about how they’re going to see each other for the first time in many years – so we know right up front there’s been some kind of major rift in their lives, and then at the end of that opening sequence they leave the stage and through a series of photos we de-age them until one of them comes out as a seven-year-old. I put that opening number on the BK’s Rarities CD, along with two others. This song is one of the transition numbers, and I really had fun writing it from a thirteen-year-old girl’s point of view and it’s a song I’m very fond of. So, I hope you enjoy it – it’s called What Do These Changes Mean? and I sing both parts – I think you’ll get the idea, though.
05 What Do These Changes Mean_
Today, I shall try my damndest to take most of the day and evening off – I really need it – haven’t had a day off in about three weeks now. I will finesse the liner notes so I can get those to the designer, but that’s about it. Hopefully I’ll pick up some packages, I’ll do a jog, I’ll eat, and I’ll relax.
Tomorrow I have some kind of something going on, just can’t remember what and I’m hoping we can start comping the vocals either tonight or tomorrow night. The weekend isn’t too too busy, and Sunday night I’m seeing the new act of Joan Ryan. I’ll be very interested to see just how new it is. Then next week is our busy rehearsal week for the August Kritzerland show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, take most of the day off, finesse, jog, eat, hopefully pick up some packages and relax and eat melon balls. Today’s topic of discussion: What one thing that you’ve either never learned or you have no aptitude for would you like to learn and/or be good at? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall dream of melon balls, since I’ve been addicted to them for almost the entirety of this year.