This will be a moody post.
Just finished watching Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz, a documentary/ concert video featuring "The Band". In 1976, "The Band" gave their farewell concert. A few rock legends turned up to perform with them.
On the DVD, the songs (concert footage) are interspersed with sections of the band members in conversation with Scorsese, as he asks them questions about how it used to be, what it meant, and so forth. Between tokes of whatever it is they're toking, they answer in simple, spontaneous, honest sentences. That hit you hard.
I'm fairly ignorant on the early rock movement in general, but that's the beauty of emotion: it-don't take-no, aeyy-ju-cayy-shun.
I haven't heard even one of these songs before (shame!). The music transports me (on a damn weekday!) into a surreal state of mind. The mental fatigue from the workday helps me surrender. The band members' candidness touches my heart. There is a tragedy unfolding, as "The Band" begins to end. I empathize. And I suspect I begin to understand. About the generation that didn't give a damn. About the folks who yearned for freedom of the spirit. And sang about it.
The feeling I'm left with: Rock-n-roll is dead.
[you were warned at the beginning of this post.]
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Godspeed, Sheru!
There's a guy in my office. He's not one guy. He's many (a la the recent Nokia ad, "There's a thing in my pocket" - interesting, but fairly irritating after the first few times, methinks).
Anyhow. Sheru joined us when the company he used to work for, got acquired by the company I work for now (soon to become the one he used to work for. Simple!). He joined it around the same time as I did, albeit at a senior level, commensurate with his superior skills, experience and luck (hah! I love it when it's my blog). Snigger!
We got to know each oher through the new hire indoctrination sessions that companies believe in so strongly. And we had quite a bit in common. We came from similar companies (both said to be relatively less 'structured' in their approach to business, both having a more 'hardcore' approach to sales, and both having iconic brands in their stables). We were also bound together by nicotine, us smokers. We loved 80's rock. And video games (nerds!). We shared a bittersweet love for Calcutta. And above all, I think, we both seemed to appreciate, with seemingly deliberate nonchalance, the slightly dark sense of humour life seems to show, on occasion.
We had plenty of differences too. He is a regular freak of cricket (and of beer-friendly sports in general, I guess). The only game I have any amount of passion for is badminton. His approach to movies is transactional gratifcation (popcorn; intermission; thank you, ma'am!). I tend to bore all who would listen with passionate renditions of what I loved (or hated) about such-and-such film. I am pretty much a vegetarian. He eats anything that moves (and moves what does not move).
We also had the good fortune of being attached to the same team, hence working in somewhat close proximity. I came to see him as the one guy on my floor, who would laugh out loud with me, at all things dark, real or perceived. Even better, who would subtly chastise me when my frivolousness got too far (yeah now, it was funny, but get back to earth, cause I have to catch my bus home at 6, dude).
Where do you find such people? How do you locate them? I can't buy companies all by myself.
Long story short, I am truly (yes, that's B, I and U) sad to see him go. I don't claim to have become one of those he would remember on his death bed, nor do I think I am one of his transactional gratifiers. I lie somewhere in the middle, perhaps. Perhaps I have made him feel there is another soul that bends around similar bumps in the spacetime fabric, that makes the same mistakes when drunkenly humming that legendary rock song. Perhaps his belief in humanity has become a bit less easy to shake. I hope.
Godspeed, Sheru! These paths shall cross, I promise.
Anyhow. Sheru joined us when the company he used to work for, got acquired by the company I work for now (soon to become the one he used to work for. Simple!). He joined it around the same time as I did, albeit at a senior level, commensurate with his superior skills, experience and luck (hah! I love it when it's my blog). Snigger!
We got to know each oher through the new hire indoctrination sessions that companies believe in so strongly. And we had quite a bit in common. We came from similar companies (both said to be relatively less 'structured' in their approach to business, both having a more 'hardcore' approach to sales, and both having iconic brands in their stables). We were also bound together by nicotine, us smokers. We loved 80's rock. And video games (nerds!). We shared a bittersweet love for Calcutta. And above all, I think, we both seemed to appreciate, with seemingly deliberate nonchalance, the slightly dark sense of humour life seems to show, on occasion.
We had plenty of differences too. He is a regular freak of cricket (and of beer-friendly sports in general, I guess). The only game I have any amount of passion for is badminton. His approach to movies is transactional gratifcation (popcorn; intermission; thank you, ma'am!). I tend to bore all who would listen with passionate renditions of what I loved (or hated) about such-and-such film. I am pretty much a vegetarian. He eats anything that moves (and moves what does not move).
We also had the good fortune of being attached to the same team, hence working in somewhat close proximity. I came to see him as the one guy on my floor, who would laugh out loud with me, at all things dark, real or perceived. Even better, who would subtly chastise me when my frivolousness got too far (yeah now, it was funny, but get back to earth, cause I have to catch my bus home at 6, dude).
Where do you find such people? How do you locate them? I can't buy companies all by myself.
Long story short, I am truly (yes, that's B, I and U) sad to see him go. I don't claim to have become one of those he would remember on his death bed, nor do I think I am one of his transactional gratifiers. I lie somewhere in the middle, perhaps. Perhaps I have made him feel there is another soul that bends around similar bumps in the spacetime fabric, that makes the same mistakes when drunkenly humming that legendary rock song. Perhaps his belief in humanity has become a bit less easy to shake. I hope.
Godspeed, Sheru! These paths shall cross, I promise.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Muzak!
I've been longing to create some music for a while now. Came across GarageBand (digital music authoring and mixing software - lets you create/mix your own music from scratch using 'soft' instruments, on your computer) on a Mac and fell in love with it too, but, as teenage probably taught you, baby, sometimes love just ain't enough. Can't afford a Mac just for a Mac's sake. Not yet.
I don't take rejection particularly well, so about a month ago, I located the limited-time trial version of Mixcraft (www.acoustica.com/mixcraft) which works well on my domesticated laptop. While not quite up to GarageBand's versatility (you can't load up, say, an electric guitar and use your keyboard to create your award-winning riff from scratch, for example), but it's a lot of fun for anyone interested in throwing pre-recorded loops together to create what sounds like music. For me, it was a HUGE rush.
Excited by my new toy, I created my first monstrosity. To listen, download it at http://www.MegaShare.com/232112
Emboldened by how the first one sounded, here is what I unleashed next -
http://www.MegaShare.com/232116
Warning: The vocals have been rendered by an upcoming struggler with great potential. They may thus fall a bit short of high expectations (if any)!
Tech Help - When (rather, IF) you click on the above links, you will be taken to Megashare.com. Select the "Free Download" option. There will be a short wait time, after which you should be able to download the file.
I don't take rejection particularly well, so about a month ago, I located the limited-time trial version of Mixcraft (www.acoustica.com/mixcraft) which works well on my domesticated laptop. While not quite up to GarageBand's versatility (you can't load up, say, an electric guitar and use your keyboard to create your award-winning riff from scratch, for example), but it's a lot of fun for anyone interested in throwing pre-recorded loops together to create what sounds like music. For me, it was a HUGE rush.
Excited by my new toy, I created my first monstrosity. To listen, download it at http://www.MegaShare.com/232112
Emboldened by how the first one sounded, here is what I unleashed next -
http://www.MegaShare.com/232116
Warning: The vocals have been rendered by an upcoming struggler with great potential. They may thus fall a bit short of high expectations (if any)!
Tech Help - When (rather, IF) you click on the above links, you will be taken to Megashare.com. Select the "Free Download" option. There will be a short wait time, after which you should be able to download the file.
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