Schools Spec always has a bunch of standout performances, in addition of course to my own daughters, and to your own children should they be participants.
But this year there was Meriana Gyory, who we’ve seen at a couple of other schools events. I don’t think there are many people who could make charming indie-pop comic singer-songwriting work in a room that big, even with the help of puppets, but she had us eating out of the palm of her hand. I’ll be surprised if she isn’t on Spicks and Specks within twelve months.
The boy’s ensemble deserves a mention too. They were getting Beatlemania-level screams from the girls in the choir.
While I’m on comic songwriting, Peter is crediting me for one of the gags in his song inspired by this week’s events, so linking to it would be an act of shameless self-promotion, if I could remember making it.
This Nation’s Saving Grace Skips a generation
My mother pulls a face
At This Nation’s Saving Grace
And my kid’s all indignation
At her eponymation This Nation’s Saving Grace Skips a generation
I have many fond memories of the Hopetoun Hotel but I’m faintly surprised that it lasted as long as it did. I think I first saw a band there in 1986. For comparison, I wonder how many music venues in Sydney from 1963 were still in operation in that year? The old Capitol Theatre, perhaps. This post puts things in perspective.
Two of my daughters have become Michael Jackson fanatics in the weeks since his death, and the copy of The Essential Michael Jackson I bought for them has been on high rotation, causing me to realise a few things:
Everything up to and including the singles from Off The Wall is faultless, except for that one note he hits really sharp in “I Want You Back.” And the song “Off The Wall” could probably do without the creepy laughter in the intro.
Speaking of creepy, “Ben” is a beautiful little ballad, and probably the oddest chart hit in pop history.
“Rock With You” is sublime. I liked it a lot when I was ten, and now I know why. Those vocal harmonies in the chorus are incredible.
“Black or White” is surprisingly enjoyable, considering how much I disliked it at the time of its release.
The girls reckon Bad was when it all started to go wrong. I think it was Thriller. “Billie Jean” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” are as good as anything else he did, but the title track and “Beat It” aren’t quite as good.
It’s strangely fascinating to hear his vocal style as it dissolves into twitches, hiccups and mannerisms.
[a shivery, whining tinkle, a screwdriver scraped down an electric guitar tuned to a whole-tone scale]
There was this girl
in line for coffee
in a Sonic Youth t-shirt
with the Raymond Pettibon cover from Goo that I thought was trying too hard to be confronting
when I bought that album.
[creaks and thumps like the sound of the couplings on an old freight car plugged into a Marshall stack]
I never listen
to that record anymore
because my pet rabbit jumped on it
while it was playing
one day in 1993.
The record span down
with a sudden EEEEOOWP.
Much to my rabbit’s surprise.
[EEEEEEEEOOOWP. Silence for 7"]
Rock on,
girl in the Sonic Youth t-shirt.
[Explosion of loud distorted guitar with lots of feedback. Repeat till fade.]
This is a rerun of an old post, with the extra songs Laura contributed in the comments. Mostly because I want to see if Peter has any extra suggestions.
“If It Be Your Will” – Leonard Cohen
“Your Song” – Elton John and Bernie Taupin
“If I Were a Carpenter” – Bobbie Darin
“Six Ribbons” – Jon English
“If You Could Read My Mind” – Gordon Lightfoot
“If I Can Dream” – Elvis Presley
“If You See Her, Say Hello” – Bob Dylan
“If She Knew What She Wants” – The Bangles
“Time after Time” – Cyndi Lauper
“If I Were a Rich Man” – Harnick and Bock
“If I Knew You Were Coming I’d’ve Baked a Cake” – Cookie Monster
