Fruitive Activity

The Saddest Poison

If you've ever been angry, wanting to hurt another person, I'll bet you have. If you've ever been proud considering yourself superior to another person, then you have been just a few steps away from extreme violence; maybe you've even done something akin to extreme violence.

Daniel Goldhagen points out that such an atrocious crime as genocide is merely an escalation that begins with exclusion. My own thoughts are that it begins a little closer to our own hearts than Goldhagen realises, or perhaps he's not able to make such a statement in his "quasi-authoritative" book(s). My own slant on this phenomenon is that it starts as close as resentment.

Well, now look at yourself. Who have you excluded from your group? Was it a "political" act? Was it about a group, or sub-group with whom you merely disagree? Look around you, look what's going on in your street, in your life. This ain't just governments and militia groups, this is deeply ingrained and very widespread.

I leave you with a few clips from YouTube by people who've experienced extreme violence first hand, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, growing up in the US of A, one can imagine, often feared for their life; their crime: black skin.

First Billie

Billie Holiday Strange Fruit 1939



Next, a little background to let you in on why we have to learn to love each other, not just get our way, by anger and violence. Billie didn't write the song, she sang it, but she sang it in such a way that it rammed the message home; sang it in such a way that only one who understood what living in fear for one's very life, 24/7, is all about. One who understood, how evil we can become with so little, or even no provocation, merely the greed for an easy life whilst others do all our work. What horrendous karma these poor people are generating for themselves and for those whom they teach their horrific ideas.

The story behind Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit"



And then cam another African American who also took up the cause of awakening the people of the world via her vocal music. Who else but the inimitable Nina Simone.

Nina Simone - Strange Fruit

An altogether effective rendition of a haunting song.



After all that, a little doco (sorry no music to speak of in this clip) by Captain Brian Steidle, author of "The Devil Came on Horseback" (an eyewitness account of the genocide in Darfur).

I have read Captain Steidle's book. If you read it, prepare to be shocked.

All people are children of God. Punish them if it's your duty before God, if not, tolerate, cooperate and try your best to love whoever you can as well as you can. 

If you get caught up in this shit, your life is gonna be a whole lot worse than it currently is and for many lifetimes to come. 

Make music not war.

Joy to all beings

Hey it's Warren

Purple Ha(n)ze

For all those who think that Dave Matthews is just some hillbilly country hick, hick-pickin' his thar hillbilly geetar and singin' down home soooeee blues, this clip of Dave and Tim accompanied by southern rock guitar maestro Warren Haynes will serve to demonstrate that Dave is a revered member of the international music professional elite.

The broad smile on Warren's face towards the end can attest to the virtuosity of Tim Reynolds, and Tim, as always, is nothing short of magnificent, but "than agan" we never doubted good ole Dave and Tim, did we? The more I see Tim Reynolds the more I realise that Dave was right when he said that he couldn't believe how well Tim can play guitar. Tim, of course, just smiles and bows humbly.

Warren tends to get "cut off" here on Sonic Explorer, this here hillbilly down home country high hills wild weed smokey cloud hazey dazey music blog, cuz weez made the left hand division a long time ago prior to widescreen (it's a tad shy of wide enough); so if yoood like ta see thar who-o-o-ole thing right dere on YousTube, including Warren, you jes click on this link right here, go on, y'orl! It's finger pickin' good!

Joy to all beings

Personal Personality

Nina Simone Bares Her Beautiful Soul

I first heard Nina way back in the middle '70s but Sunday arvi at Graeme's, stoned to the tips of the tree, gutsing down tequila as we often did (just for fun) "perhaps" does not generate the ideal mood required for listening to Nina (or listening to anybody, for that matter).

Listening to this 1985 concert (which, by default, wasn't available to listen to during the 1970s) for the first time just last night, I truly began to understand the depths of Nina. What an amazing individual and incredibly talented person. I adore her.

Nina Simone at Ronnie Scott's 1985

Joy to all beings

Danger

Skeptics Beware

This concert is addictive. It goes for almost three hours and is absolutely brilliant.

It features people and guitars, both. If you like either, or both, or all four (2 people, 2 guitars) you are bound to become addicted. I liked all four and now I am hopelessly addicted to Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds. Dave can sing and play, good. Tim can really, really play, very good.

Actually Dave plays a variety of guitars, mostly his Martin and his Taylor, but somtimes others. Tim has a Martin, interestingly enough, with a 3 piece back. All the guitars are masterpieces, all the playing is brilliant.

Before seeing this concert, I had heard of Dave Matthews but not Tim Reynolds. After seeing this concert once, I am a hopeless addict. The people are beautiful, the music fantastic.

Three hours is long time, but like a good book, this is hard to put down.
Here is a link in case you'd rather watch it on YouTube or full screen, as Blogger doesn't appear to display the full width of the video.
http://youtu.be/nGp31HY0QIg

Joy to ALL beings

Marcus Miller

Basic Bass Based Base

Well, not actually basic at all; it just sounded good to say that.

Some people have never heard of Marcus Miller (how, may I ask you, have people never heard of a legendary bassist that was a member of Miles Davis's band, played with Eric Clapton, etc, etc, in any gendre one can imagine, etc, etc, have people never heard of Marcus Miller? Sad, I know).

Hard to imagine Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata played as a laid back bluesy funk, let alone played as a laid back bluesy funk on an electric bass guitar. Yes, that's right, this is Marcus Miller we're talking about, and he's probably the only bassist in the world who could even imagine the concept let alone pull it off this nicely.

Enough talk ...

And Dean Brown's pretty good at struttin' his strat, too!


Joy to ALL beings

Reflections

More of the Same

Just a little more of similar stuff to the post from the other day, only these ones are a little more sweet, or tender as one person commented regarding Aneli Drecker (vocalist) on Ketil Bjornstad's (pianist/composer) "Grace."

The other track wherein Peter Gabriel is joined "with" (by) vocalist Sinead O'Connor is "Blood of Eden," one of Peter's prettier tracks.

Both are beautiful, outright.

First Peter and Sinead ...









There ...

Joy to ALL beings

Beauty

What is Beauty

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, get it out with Optrex.

Spike Milligan

Seriously folks, there are different kinds of beauty. I post here a couple of items of beauty. The grand piano tones of Ketil Bjornstad are easy to identify with beauty but perhaps those with "good eyes" can see the beauty of Peter Gabriel's Digging in the Dirt.

Joy to ALL Beings