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Art Of Noise, Bernard Herrmann, Bo Hansson, Brian Eno, Bruce Smeaton, Carla Bley & Escalator, FourPLay String Quartet, Frank Zappa, Gato Barbieri, Grace Jones, Hatfield And The North, Judith Wright, Keith Jarrett, King Crimson, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis, music, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Snowgums, SPK, Sweat & Tears, The Durutti, Trevor HornBlood, Warrigal, youtube
Snowgum
Playlist and Image by Warrigal Mirriyuula
South Of My Days
Judith Wright
South of my days’ circle, part of my blood’s country,
rises that tableland, high delicate outline
of bony slopes wincing under the winter,
low trees, blue-leaved and olive, outcropping granite –
clean, lean, hungry country. The creek’s leaf-silenced,
willow choked, the slope a tangle of medlar and crabapple
branching over and under, blotched with a green lichen;
and the old cottage lurches in for shelter.
O cold the black-frost night. The walls draw in to the warmth
and the old roof cracks its joints; the slung kettle
hisses a leak on the fire. Hardly to be believed that summer
will turn up again some day in a wave of rambler-roses,
thrust its hot face in here to tell another yarn –
a story old Dan can spin into a blanket against the winter.
Seventy years of stories he clutches round his bones.
Seventy summers are hived in him like old honey.
Droving that year, Charleville to the Hunter,
nineteen-one it was, and the drought beginning;
sixty head left at the McIntyre, the mud round them
hardened like iron; and the yellow boy died
in the sulky ahead with the gear, but the horse went on,
stopped at the Sandy Camp and waited in the evening.
It was the flies we seen first, swarming like bees.
Came to the Hunter, three hundred head of a thousand —
cruel to keep them alive — and the river was dust.
Or mustering up in the Bogongs in the autumn
when the blizzards came early. Brought them down; we brought them
down, what aren’t there yet. Or driving for Cobb’s on the run
up from Tamworth — Thunderbolt at the top of Hungry Hill,
and I give him a wink. I wouldn’t wait long, Fred,
not if I was you. The troopers are just behind,
coming for that job at the Hillgrove. He went like a luny,
him on his big black horse.
Oh, they slide and they vanish
as he shuffles the years like a pack of conjuror’s cards.
True or not, it’s all the same; and the frost on the roof
cracks like a whip, and the back-log breaks into ash.
Wake, old man. This is winter, and the yarns are over.
No-one is listening.
South of my days’ circle
I know it dark against the stars, the high lean country
full of old stories that still go walking in my sleep.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kuxwXg0Nmg
Carla Bley & Escalator Over The Hill Hotel Overture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uQNkFmgyzI
Gato Barbieri Last Tango In Paris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFWRbXFZvvY&feature=fvst
Mahavishnu Orchestra Vision Is A Naked Sword
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBO2iPDfolY
Hatfield And The North Lobster In Cleavage Probe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKlAIhuXRLE
Frank Zappa Peaches En Regalia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1NqkFKqt3c
SPK The Garden of Earthly Delights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wivo94ylmhE
Keith Jarrett Köln Concert
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUUGut4M8Ig
King Crimson The Peacock’s Tale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUsTY0d1L38
Bo Hansson Solen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0NPlrhINxI
The Durutti Column Sketch For Summer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVZq9Lk2hYQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emd0vJfyk2E&feature=fvwrel
Miles Davis Concierto de Aranjuez Parts 1 & 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEAb8JNfvXs&feature=fvst
Bernard Herrmann Concerto Macabre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlM1XEIWhsU
FourPLay String Quartet Reptillia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCMotJ4R24k
Bruce Smeaton Realm of The Universe (from “Iceman”)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9kPIp4MtX0
Brian Eno Music For Airports
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1iR965rexM&feature=fvst
Ryuichi Sakamoto Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl1FnycngW8&feature=fvst
Art of Noise Moments In Love (Quiet Storm)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72d5-xP5SnM
Grace Jones & Trevor Horn Slave To The Rhythm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3nu-qmxM0w
Blood Sweat & Tears Sometimes In Winter
Keywords: Carla Bley & Escalator, Gato Barbieri, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Hatfield And The North, Frank Zappa, SPK, Keith Jarrett, King Crimson, Bo Hansson, The Durutti, Miles Davis, Bernard Herrmann, FourPLay String Quartet, Bruce Smeaton, Brian Eno, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Art of Noise, Grace Jones, Trevor HornBlood, Sweat & Tears
Window Dresser's Arms, Pig & Whistle 
I am the last person to know much at all about anything, except perhaps a little about my own village just outside Bratislava in Slovakia. Even then, memories are somewhat clouded by having to moonshine about with the slivovitz my nan used to supplement her meagre income with. Thank you Emmjay for the opportunity to exalt in Finnish things and Finland.
You are right, Sibelius’ ” Finlandia” says it all about Finland and, may I add, far more eloquently than I ever could. It is about the only piece of music banned from actually being played during Russia’s occupation of Finland. It was stirring the Finns up to such a national fervour the Russians were y frightened of losing their hold over Finland even quicker.
Ah well, Wagner’s music is only ever heard in Israel, during the dark of the night and curtains closed.
It wasn’t till I met my lovely Finn back in the 1960’s and travelled to Finland that I got to know that forgotten corner of Europa. The first impression, a most important one, was its stunning modern architecture, simplicity of design and sparseness of ‘giving form’ to almost anything man made was such a welcome relief from the experience of Parramatta Rd and Revesby some many years earlier that I knew there was a visual justice around somewhere in the world .
The next thing I was struck with was Finnish language. How extraordinary that it survived with being suppressed during the hundreds of years of occupation, swinging between Sweden and Russia.
At present, Finland is still a country of neutrality between East and West but much easier now that East is so much more like West.
The best anyone can do in understanding Finland is to try and get a handle on its national epic, ” The Kaleva” on which much of present Finland is based, especially its design. Last but not least, check out Arabia ceramics and the success of Marimekko.
http://www.marimekko.com/products
http://www.arabia.fi/web/Arabiawww.nsf/en/home
Cheers,
Brkon
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Brkon,
After I listened / watched Sibelius’ Valse Triste, I went straight on to his Finlandia (complete with story) and it made me painfully aware of my total ignorance of things Scandinavian beyond Ikea, Volvos and rollmops. I was completely ignorant of Finland’s history – as a duchy under Czarist Russia…. just a starting point for my ignorance, really.
And then, reflecting on the words set to Finlandia, the passion one feels for one’s homeland – won by struggle against an oppressor. I began to think about how the Finn’s might see the big picture – the rise of militant islam, the decline of the American Empire, the rise of China, revolution around the Middle East and North Africa. Global warming.
Are the Finns an inward looking people, or lackies to Uncle Sam – like Aussies. Are they in NATO ? DO they give the slightest tinker’s cuss about these things ?
…… cue H…….
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Gee WM, some alternate stuff here. Can’t listen to it all but will do my best.
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Love the Snowgum, I’ll have to take the skis out.
Judith’s poem is beautiful.
For my Winter listening I’ll choose Bernard Herrmann’s Concerto Macabre and Cato Barbieri’s Last Tango in Paris, I might also add the missing Winter in America.
So glad I have a reason to wear my Alpaca hat, gloves and the hand-knitted scarf!
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I studied Judith Wright for matric English in 1983… Loved this one. She certainly has a way with verbal imagery… And the pic is beautiful too! Later I’ll have a listen to the music…
🙂
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Looks a good list. Beautiful, beautiful picture. What a place we do live in.
I’ll listen later. Love that song fro B.S & Tears. Haven’t heard it for over twenty five years, I guess. I remember when there 1st album came out. I was living in Mallorca, so it must have been 1969. I’ll check to see if I’m correct later too.
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Very reflective collection this time. It all has a rather autumnal feel but I hope winter will be short and that spring will make everything feel better. ‘Keith Jarrett has always been one of my favourite artists.
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