Christy/Lee set booklet -- I'm bemused

[Larry Kart]

Am enjoying the set, which arrived Tuesday, but reading through Friedwald's booklet, I came across this:

"'I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me' provides a swinging opener.... Lee sings with such clarity that it amplifies the oddness of the opening lines, 'Your eyes are blue/Your kiss is too.' (What does that mean? What is a blue kiss? Punk lipstick?)"

The answer of course is that the song's lyric begins: "Your eyes of blue/your kisses too/I can't believe/that you're in love with me."

But then I once believed that paramedics were medics who arrived at isolated accident scenes by parachute.

[AllenLowe]

yes, as I know a white head is pimple composed of pus - and I used to worry that I might contract a shit head-

[Ron S]

As Hendrix used to sing: 'scuse me, while I kiss this guy.

A whole web site devoted to this kinda stuff.

Edited February 19, 2009 by Ron S

[AllenLowe]

and to the republic, for Richard Stands -

[Ted O'Reilly]

"Lady Mondegreens", I think they're called. (Misheard from an old folk song which included the line "laid him on the green". The problem is, too many are just people trying to be a wise guy... I do understand kids mistaking the hymn "Gladly, the cross I bear" as "Gladly the cross-eyed bear". (A biblical stuffed toy, no doubt.)

But at the same time, every time CSI comes on, I'm sure the song is saying "OOH, Ollie..." Try as I might, I can't make out what I'm told the song says: "Who are we..." or is it "Who are they..."?

[JSngry]

Isn't Friedwald supposed to be our Guardian Of The Great American Songbook Tradition for the first part of the 21st Century? Isn't he supposed to know shit like this?

[Christiern]

Isn't Friedwald supposed to be our Guardian Of The Great American Songbook Tradition for the first part of the 21st Century? Isn't he supposed to know shit like this?

Guess you didn't read this...

[Larry Kart]

Isn't Friedwald supposed to be our Guardian Of The Great American Songbook Tradition for the first part of the 21st Century? Isn't he supposed to know shit like this?

His writing often has a random, off-the-top-of-my-head quality, and sometimes the top of his head randomly ends up where it ought not to be. Some people seem to think that writing about jazz means that you should "improvise."

[JSngry]

All I've read is his Sinatra book and some liner notes, none of which have "convinced" me, but damn, the guy is making the move, ain't he? Must have a great agent and/or a lack of humility.

[Ron S]

From his Wikipedia entry:

He is Also the Owner of the Largest iTunes Library with more that 170,000 tracks.<citation needed>

More here.

Edited February 20, 2009 by Ron S

[jazzbo]

Remind me never to let you guys know when I've written a book!

[AllenLowe]

Will's a good guy and I find his writing on singers to be convincing, and I think the Sinatra book is important -

[Christiern]

The Sinatra book is much better than the one on singer in general, but Jim is right about humility being in short supply. Incidentally, although I have in the past been critical of Will's writing, he gave the later edition of my Bessie biography a glowing review, for which I have personally thanked him.

[JSngry]

I found the Sinatra book good overall, enjoyed it and have recommended it, actually, but there are some seriously blatant WTF!?!?!?! moments/statements, almost inevitably always having to do with more technical matters, rarely, but occasionally with matters of taste/evaluation/etc.

I mean, the latter is cool, that's what the game is, right, putting your own POV out there, right? But when you start describing things "technically" (or in the case of the opening post, quoting lyrics), unless you know for a fact that you got it right, run it past somebody you know knows first & spare yourself some embarrassment and loss of probably-otherwise-deserved credibility.

It's true, opinions are like assholes. But it's also true that facts are like shit - pretending it's pudding after you've stepped in it won't change the fact that you've still stepped in shit.

[Don Brown]

My favourite Will Friedwald bit is in his notes for one of Mosaic's Stan Kenton sets. They're not close at hand right now so I can't quote Will precisely, but his comments on Halls of Brass kill me. He feels the piece should have been called Balls of Brass since the music sounds like the soundtrack to every teenage boy's masturbatory fantasy.

[jtaylor]

Will's a good guy and I find his writing on singers to be convincing, and I think the Sinatra book is important -

Absolutely. He contributed excellent notes to the Nat Cole Bear Family boxes, an assignment I cannot imagine going to anyone else.

[Chuck Nessa]

Sometimes he's a twit.

[Christiern]

I would say sometimes less of one than at other times. But I think we all have moments when it just isn't coming out right—the prose, that is.

[Chuck Nessa]

I would say sometimes less of one than at other times. But I think we all have moments when it just isn't coming out right—the prose, that is.

Nah, I always think and type good.

[JSngry]

My favourite Will Friedwald bit is in his notes for one of Mosaic's Stan Kenton sets. They're not close at hand right now so I can't quote Will precisely, but his comments on Halls of Brass kill me. He feels the piece should have been called Balls of Brass since the music sounds like the soundtrack to every teenage boy's masturbatory fantasy.

I feel sorry for any woman who loses her virginity to a man who thinks that sex should be like Stan Kenton sounds.

[jazzbo]

NO SHIT!

[Chuck Nessa]

Will is to song as Loren is to swing so I quit.

[Larry Kart]

I feel sorry for any woman who loses her virginity to a man who thinks that sex should be like Stan Kenton sounds.

Yes, but I wouldn't mind a woman who thinks that sex is like June Christy sings.

[JSngry]

Would that make Pete Rugolo, like, a porn director then?

[Larry Kart]

Would that make Pete Rugolo, like, a porn director then?

Don't need Pete, just June -- a cappella.