Music — Page 8

John Phillips of Mamas And Papas Dead at 65

March 18, 2001 by Michael Boyle

John Phillips of Mamas And Papas Dead at 65.

I can’t remember not knowing the Mamas and the Papas music, and although the band hasn’t retained the same cachet as VU or Dylan some of the others of that era, they were still a giant group. John Phillips contribution in particular was huge – from great songs to his spearheading the Monterey Pop and bringing Jimi Hendrix back to the US.

All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray
I’ve been for a walk on a winter’s day
I’d be safe and warm if I was in L.A.
California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day

Stopped in to a church I passed along the way
Well I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray
You know the preacher liked the cold
He knows I’m gonna stay
California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day

Montreal is one

March 7, 2001 by Michael Boyle

of the weirdest and most wonderful cities on the planet. Exhibit 341 (or so): the Silophone. “Sonic inhabitation of Silo #5”. Yup – that’s grain silo #5. Doubtless the only grain silo cited by Le Corbusier as a masterpiece of modern architecture, I bet it’s also the only one that has become a massive musical instrument.

Liberation Musicology

March 5, 2001 by Michael Boyle

Liberation Musicology: an interesting take on the Napster decision from The Nation. I’m a sucker for phrases like, “The Napster case has much to teach us […] about the liberative possibilities of the decay of the cultural oligopolies that dominated the second half of the twentieth century.”

Ed reports

February 27, 2001 by Michael Boyle

Ed reports (at YULblog) on Les symponies portuaires, literally, “Port Symphonies.” I went a couple of years ago and it’s pretty cool – they take all the boats in the Old Port of Montreal – and anything else that will make big sounds – and develop an original score that they play together. The whole piece is played by ship’s horns, train whistles (on the tracks just up from the water’s edge), and the bells of Notre Dame Basilica, among other things. Be warned though – it’s not classical music or pop or anything – it’s most similar to electroacoustic music, so you should have a taste for the avant-garde if you want to go and listen.There’s more information at the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum’s website, including a clip from last year’s event.

Intrigue and accusations

February 19, 2001 by Michael Boyle

from the world of maple sugar, which means between Vermont and Quebec. Reminds me that a trip to the cabane sucre [caution: embedded traditional music] will be in order in a month or so – a pork, beans, and maple sugar overload! Note that the cabane’s menu underplays the pork content, and calling them “salted pork crisps” is not nearly as evocative as their real name: les oreilles de crisse aka christ’s ears.