Well, dear readers, let’s just put it out in the open, shall we? And what is it, exactly, that we should put out in the open? Well, I did not care for yesterday at ALL. There, that’s now out in the open and it will probably color everything in the notes. For example, it may color things green or it may color things brown. Then again, red might be the ticket, or orange, or purple. If I get really irritated, perhaps burnt umber. Of course, we could always think pink and turn things around by making these here notes cotton candy rather than raw liver with no accouterments. And couldn’t we all use accouterments right about now? You see how my not caring for yesterday has already colored the notes and made them completely incoherent? Perhaps a side of accouterments is in order. But in order of what? And what color shall said accouterments be? I’m thinking azure with a pinch of yellow, which is, of course, wolley spelled backwards and, for me, wolley is a much more fun word than yellow. Other than that, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to conductor Louis Lane, who is not the father of Lois, conduct Music for Young America, his Epic Records album that has never been issued on CD. Did you know Epic Records was a subsidiary of Columbia? It’s a wonderful album – Copland, Menotti, Reigger, and other American composers – gorgeous sound (I have no idea where the YouTube tracks came from because it certainly doesn’t sound like an LP transfer to me – maybe there was a reel-to-reel tape. The band is the Cleveland Pops and they’re great. I had the album as a young lad and am glad to have been able to grab it is such good sound. I also did more Requiem listening, back and forth between all the versions I have – I still like the Barbirolli, and the Ormandy is splendid, but I think it’s a toss-up right now between the Leinsdorf and Reiner. I’ll hear only a couple more. I also heard a bit of the Mozart Requiem and even though Mozart doesn’t do it for me, I liked what I heard. Maybe there’s something about composing a Requiem that brings out the best in composers – after all, the Faure Requiem is magnificent. Well, I’m glad that yesterday, the day I did not enjoy, has colored these here notes, because colorful notes are just the ticket to get me out of my both foul and fowl mood.
Yesterday was a day that I did not care for. I got somewhere between six and seven hours of sleep, got up, had lots of e-mails to answer, which I did, then I wrote the two cast stories, which I’ve been enjoying doing. But Facebook and its denizens were being super annoying, and I got sucked into a few things that were irritating. I think perhaps it’s just time to get rid of the people who post inane things repeatedly so that I do not have to see their drivel. But I have to be on this week, because we’re trying to make sure we have a good crowd on both Facebook and YouTube Live come Sunday. So, all that irritated me no end.
Then I went and picked up one package from the mail place, then came right back home. I fired up the broiler – first time doing so – and broiled the top sirloin steak. I did pretty well, save for charring the ends on a couple of corners. I also sauteed some onions and mushrooms to put on top of the steak. It all tasted very good I must say. I can’t do a steak that often, but every now and then, why not. After that, I was full, so I decided to save my salad for later.
I did some work on the computer, had some back-and-forths via e-mail, and then the day was somehow over and I went and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched the new Blu and Ray of the uncut Psycho, finally back the way it when the film was released. I’m told it’s a new scan, most likely because of restoring the fifteen or so seconds that had been cut, but frankly, at least on Blu-ray, it doesn’t really look all that different to the previous Blu-ray. But the big foul-up is that what they’re calling the original mono track is not the original mono track – it’s a mono fold-down of the new track created for the stereo mix and it has missing sound effects, new sound effects – it’s not horrible, but it’s certainly not good nor is it right when they’re advertising the original mono. The UK release of the previous Blu-ray had the original mono mix, and comparing that with this new version, the biggest thing is how much cleaner and more dynamic Bernard Herrmann’s score is in the original mono mix. I will never understand why, for a black-and-white film originally in mono, why anyone would think it necessary to do a 5.1 or 7.1 track – it’s inanity at its finest. But the film is still a masterpiece any way you slice it and I’d be curious to see the 4K version but since I do not own a 4K TV or 4K player, that won’t be happening anytime soon.
After I finished watching and then comparing – and perhaps someone can explain to me why the menu has terrible music accompanying it NOT from Psycho – I did a few more things on the computer, after which I began nuking things out of iTunes that I’m never going to play, trying to make some more room, but no matter how much I nuke more room doesn’t appear, which is quite weird. And then I listened to the various Requiems and now Louis not Lois Lane’s Music for Young America. I did a little research and it did indeed come out on four-track tape.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll actually write not only the final two cast stories, but a co-producer story, too, covering both of the co-producers we’ve had over the years. After that, I’ll probably do tuna sandwiches for food, hopefully pick up some packages, and then we have to make sure we’re ready for tomorrow’s one and only Facebook and YouTube Live test. Otherwise, I’ll do whatever needs doing until it’s time to watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow we’ll do our one and only Facebook and YouTube Live video test at 6:00 PDT and 9:00 PDT, answering each and every question that was submitted on Facebook, so I’m hoping that will be fun and fancy free and I hope some of you dear readers will join in the fun. I’ll have the links in tomorrow’s notes. Then it’s making sure all our ducks are in a row for Sunday’s show, so that’s Friday and Saturday’s business, then Sunday I’ll relax until it’s show time at 5:00 PDT and 8:00 EDT.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, get up when I get up, write the final two cast stories and the co-producer story, eat, hopefully pick up packages, do whatever needs doing, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall hopefully have colorful dreams to match the colorful notes.