Dear Nathaniel,
Hello again my angel, we brought you a present today to light up your little grave. I hope it lights it up tomorrow night once it's had a full day of sunlight. I don't know how I'd be able to cope with this if we hadn't got all the time we did with you.We were able to spend so many hours together all three of us in the same room, but it really makes me miss being able to hold your hand or kiss your little forehead. I suppose it's far better to miss doing these things than to never have been able to at all.
Today we're listening to a nice little concept album by then psychedelic geniuses The Pretty Things. This is truly an essential album in music history, and a really enjoyable one at that. It's so easy to just get whisked away in the story and psychedelia. There's something quite special about this period in British music, there are so many overtly British bands all making their own interpretation of popular music. From the Yardbirds, to Cream and everything in-between.
It's the Blues Jim, but not as we know it. As the early 60's Blues immitators became the next wave of British innovators the Pretty Things were right in the thick of it. There was a huge shift in the sound of rock in general around this time moving into the 70's and it's just great to hear all the different bands takes on what it should turn out like.
Of course once the 70's actually hit music became even more hugely fragmented and there would never really be another defining sound to an era, only fading fads. In the end it was for the best of music, at least for awhile, and of course the genres set in motion here in the late 60's by guitar heavy bands willing to experiment and make a bit of noise are the only hope of good music still being made today. But that's a point for another day.
While the album's story itself is amazingly depressing it's always cheered me up for some reason. I suppose it's because I tend to shy away from the idea that, with a few notable exceptions, rock musicians are good lyrical storytellers. It's always better to focus on the music itself rather than the lyrics, of course lyrics are still important, they should just always take second place behind the music. That doesn't exactly apply to all genres of music, but it's a general rule of thumb.
I'll have to play you some more psychedelic rock soon, since I can imagine it being really fun for kids too, and it's something that Americans are actually good at too, so we'll get to play some more non-British music. Although the origin of music isn't as significant as the music itself of course, it can be a good gauge of quality.
I probably prefer Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd as the height of British psychedelic rock but for me this album comes in at a close second. Nothing can quite match Syd Barret's whimsy and straight up flair for the genre.
I hope you're not getting into too much trouble my little angel, I predict you'll be getting up to all kinds of mischief if you're not watched closely. I know you'll be having lots of fun and getting lots of love, that's a given since you already have all of ours. Goodnight my sweet angel Nathaniel.
Love from Dad.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Friday, 23 September 2011
Day 17: Gentle Giant - Octopus
Dear Nathaniel,
Sorry about yesterday, I was too ill to do anything, let alone use a computer. But we were thinking about you the whole time, I knew I just had to get better for you. I'm still not completely well which is why I'm a bit delayed in doing this today. The days I'm not able to write to you make me feel very unfulfilled, I'm glad I'm able to do this for you at least.
We went to see your grave today, the white flowers on the teddy and heart are turning purple and it looks really nice. I hope we're able to pick a lovely gravestone for you, it might feel more complete once one is put in, things still don't feel real, and it's really difficult to cope with that. I know that I'll get through this for you my love.
Today we're listening to an old favourite with Gentle Giant's Octopus. It's one of my favourite Gentle Giant albums, but it is really difficult to pick a favourite out of their first seven albums. They're all really good and there is a distinctive change in their sound between each album, but it still retains that wonderful GG charm. I could listen to Gentle Giant all day if I had the choice, and there have been days where I've done just that.
As a progressive rock band Gentle Giant haven't drifted towards the long compositions and 20 minute epics, rather going for fast paced multi-instrumental songs to make the best of their talents. It can be very refreshing to listen to this style of prog from time to time. Gentle Giant were never a band to just go with the crowd like that, and write 20 minute epics because that's what was expected.
The high-point of this album for me is the instrumental The Boys in the Band, I just really enjoy high energy instrumentals like it, and it really shows what the band was capable of. I know you'll love this, it's just really nice and fun, and I hope you don't mind I was a bit late today. We were just out visiting you for awhile and then we went to get some shopping in .
I love you so much my little son, Yngve Nathaniel William Fjermestad. It's really nice to see your name, and to say it and write it out. One of my little daily pleasures is writing the Dear Nathaniel at the start of each letter to you, it just feels so nice and right. I'm really glad I can do this for you my sweet angel.
I think everyone should give this album a go, it's a real gem even for people who have written off prog completely. It's just straight up good music, and I think anyone should be able to appreciate that. I hope that I didn't wake you my sleepy little angel, and I hope that you have a great night. Goodnight my sweet angel Nathaniel.
Love from Dad.
Sorry about yesterday, I was too ill to do anything, let alone use a computer. But we were thinking about you the whole time, I knew I just had to get better for you. I'm still not completely well which is why I'm a bit delayed in doing this today. The days I'm not able to write to you make me feel very unfulfilled, I'm glad I'm able to do this for you at least.
We went to see your grave today, the white flowers on the teddy and heart are turning purple and it looks really nice. I hope we're able to pick a lovely gravestone for you, it might feel more complete once one is put in, things still don't feel real, and it's really difficult to cope with that. I know that I'll get through this for you my love.
Today we're listening to an old favourite with Gentle Giant's Octopus. It's one of my favourite Gentle Giant albums, but it is really difficult to pick a favourite out of their first seven albums. They're all really good and there is a distinctive change in their sound between each album, but it still retains that wonderful GG charm. I could listen to Gentle Giant all day if I had the choice, and there have been days where I've done just that.
As a progressive rock band Gentle Giant haven't drifted towards the long compositions and 20 minute epics, rather going for fast paced multi-instrumental songs to make the best of their talents. It can be very refreshing to listen to this style of prog from time to time. Gentle Giant were never a band to just go with the crowd like that, and write 20 minute epics because that's what was expected.
The high-point of this album for me is the instrumental The Boys in the Band, I just really enjoy high energy instrumentals like it, and it really shows what the band was capable of. I know you'll love this, it's just really nice and fun, and I hope you don't mind I was a bit late today. We were just out visiting you for awhile and then we went to get some shopping in .
I love you so much my little son, Yngve Nathaniel William Fjermestad. It's really nice to see your name, and to say it and write it out. One of my little daily pleasures is writing the Dear Nathaniel at the start of each letter to you, it just feels so nice and right. I'm really glad I can do this for you my sweet angel.
I think everyone should give this album a go, it's a real gem even for people who have written off prog completely. It's just straight up good music, and I think anyone should be able to appreciate that. I hope that I didn't wake you my sleepy little angel, and I hope that you have a great night. Goodnight my sweet angel Nathaniel.
Love from Dad.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Day 16: David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World
Dear Nathaniel,
Hello again my angel. I kinda like this new time since it's always nice and bright outside when I write to you, at least until winter sets in a bit more. I had really been looking forward to winter, and having you all snuggly with us, we'll have to get extra snuggly for you if we're here for winter. My mam is on her way home now. We went down to visit you this morning and everything around you is very beautiful. I feel lucky that I'll be able to visit whenever I'm here, and I'll always know where you are.
I mentioned David Bowie earlier when talking about Frank Zappa, maybe it wasn't the most popular portrayal, but Bowie's music went significantly downhill later on in his career. This is his third album and definitely one of his best. I really like this Bowie period, it's 70's rocky pop at it's finest. While there is not much positive to be said about pop after the 70's there was a lot of good poppy albums released in the 60's and 70's. Of course those albums are those that relied mainly on rock mainstays such as the guitar or on solid musical background like Billy Joel.
I feel very comforted by the thought of you being safe and surrounded by love, it is one of the things that really help me keep going. It's already two days since your funeral, and it just feels like hours. It's so hard to put a perspective on things, especially when it's so hard to sleep. Everything just makes it a lot more difficult, it should be so easy to sleep since I can dream of you, but it's just so hard to settle down and drift off. So we end up staying awake for a long time between sleeping, and of course that ends in us sleeping for a long time.
I suppose we should just go about things day by day and not worry too much about things like sleeping patterns. I want to start getting into better shape soon though, maybe starting on Monday if I can, it's something I wanted to do after you were born, and I feel like I should still do that for you. I just want to make you proud and do right by your memory.
There's something quite intriguing about David Bowie, in that even when he was making good music, the whole style of his albums never seem to quite gel like the album of a real band would. There's always a jumbled mix of styles and musical themes that sometimes detracts from the experience. It's quite clear that Bowie viewed the album as more of a mix of songs than as a cohesive piece. Even on Ziggy Stardust, a concept album in it's own right I still get that feeling.
It might simply be because I'm so overly used to progressive rock albums that always somehow seem to come together really well because the band are all focused on one the one sound. Even Frank Zappa's Freak Out! for example where the whole point is to parody different genres it still feels cohesive because of that theme, which is especially significant since it's a double album.
I hope you enjoy this album, and David Bowie's good years as a whole, it's a nice view into the lighter side of guitar music. It always feels like it's more geared towards sales than music, but sometimes that can still result in good music. The title track is especially brilliant, but feels isolated from the rest of the album. I know I can be overly critical but I do really like David Bowie, it's just important to learn about criticising something that is overall very good.
Yet again we reach the end of another album, I really hope you're enjoying this as much as I am my little love. I love you so much, and I miss you. I hope you sleep very well tonight, and don't worry about us, we'll find sleep when we need it. Goodnight my angel Nathaniel.
Love from Dad.
Hello again my angel. I kinda like this new time since it's always nice and bright outside when I write to you, at least until winter sets in a bit more. I had really been looking forward to winter, and having you all snuggly with us, we'll have to get extra snuggly for you if we're here for winter. My mam is on her way home now. We went down to visit you this morning and everything around you is very beautiful. I feel lucky that I'll be able to visit whenever I'm here, and I'll always know where you are.
I mentioned David Bowie earlier when talking about Frank Zappa, maybe it wasn't the most popular portrayal, but Bowie's music went significantly downhill later on in his career. This is his third album and definitely one of his best. I really like this Bowie period, it's 70's rocky pop at it's finest. While there is not much positive to be said about pop after the 70's there was a lot of good poppy albums released in the 60's and 70's. Of course those albums are those that relied mainly on rock mainstays such as the guitar or on solid musical background like Billy Joel.
I feel very comforted by the thought of you being safe and surrounded by love, it is one of the things that really help me keep going. It's already two days since your funeral, and it just feels like hours. It's so hard to put a perspective on things, especially when it's so hard to sleep. Everything just makes it a lot more difficult, it should be so easy to sleep since I can dream of you, but it's just so hard to settle down and drift off. So we end up staying awake for a long time between sleeping, and of course that ends in us sleeping for a long time.
I suppose we should just go about things day by day and not worry too much about things like sleeping patterns. I want to start getting into better shape soon though, maybe starting on Monday if I can, it's something I wanted to do after you were born, and I feel like I should still do that for you. I just want to make you proud and do right by your memory.
There's something quite intriguing about David Bowie, in that even when he was making good music, the whole style of his albums never seem to quite gel like the album of a real band would. There's always a jumbled mix of styles and musical themes that sometimes detracts from the experience. It's quite clear that Bowie viewed the album as more of a mix of songs than as a cohesive piece. Even on Ziggy Stardust, a concept album in it's own right I still get that feeling.
It might simply be because I'm so overly used to progressive rock albums that always somehow seem to come together really well because the band are all focused on one the one sound. Even Frank Zappa's Freak Out! for example where the whole point is to parody different genres it still feels cohesive because of that theme, which is especially significant since it's a double album.
I hope you enjoy this album, and David Bowie's good years as a whole, it's a nice view into the lighter side of guitar music. It always feels like it's more geared towards sales than music, but sometimes that can still result in good music. The title track is especially brilliant, but feels isolated from the rest of the album. I know I can be overly critical but I do really like David Bowie, it's just important to learn about criticising something that is overall very good.
Yet again we reach the end of another album, I really hope you're enjoying this as much as I am my little love. I love you so much, and I miss you. I hope you sleep very well tonight, and don't worry about us, we'll find sleep when we need it. Goodnight my angel Nathaniel.
Love from Dad.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Day 15: Magma - Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh
Dear Nathaniel,
Yesterday was so strange in many different ways. I hope we were able to give you the most beautiful funeral possible, one that was able to honour your memory. I have found it very comforting that I was able to speak at the church and say what I wanted. It was so hard seeing you lowered into the ground but it's in a beautiful place that we can visit whenever we want.
Because your funeral was yesterday obviously there was no need to write to you, as I know you were able to hear my words and be there with us the whole day. It breaks my heart though that I will never be able to see your face again in person. But I know it will always be in my memory and we've been fortunate enough to get a lot of pictures of you.
I feel so fortunate that we were able to get all this time together and we were able to do so much for you. I love you so much my angel. What I'm afraid of now though is that there are no longer any plans. We're going out with family tonight for a meal which will be nice, but after that there are no plans at all which is quite scary in a way. I hope we can do you proud in whatever we plan to do for the future.
Tonight I'm playing us some Magma, specifically their 1973 album MDK. It's a great album, and I think you'll enjoy it too since it's very silly in some ways. Magma's front-man Christian Vander made up his own language Kobaian for all of Magma's albums and in doing so created a sub-genre of progressive/experimental rock called Zeuhl. Since it's all essentially in gibberish I can see a good appeal for children enjoying it.
It has a lot of fun melodies and vocals which are all supported by some amazing music in it's own right. Magma are just a great band, I've also decided to change the time I write to you to 6 PM UK time, so an hour and a half earlier so you can get to sleep a bit earlier my little love. I might change it again but I will always tell you of course.
I feel like I was able to do as much as I could yesterday, but it breaks my heart that it will be my last responsibility as your dad in this world. I find that very hard to accept, so I will always continue to do things that I hope you will approve of and make you proud. I find it hard to know what to do when our world has been torn down around us like this, but I know we will find out, for you.
I hope you like this album, it's always cheered me up to listen to Magma, even if for just a short while. Their music is obviously very unique which means I have to turn to Magma when I want to listen to anything as good with this sound. In a way I suppose that's good because I'll always be in familiar territory with them. I think I will have played Magma for you quite early on too, as long as it didn't scare you, although I'm sure it won't.
We played Close to the Edge for you at the pub, I'm sure you heard, it was nice to hear it again, it just reminds me of you so much, and I'm really glad for that. I don't want to let things make me sad like that, rather I want the memory of you to be a happy one, always. After the whole service when everyone had gone we went back home to pick up the cat and the rat and bring them back up here. I think we'll stay here for awhile, but I don't really know.
We've also arranged to donate to the charity that made your memory box, I hope we'll be able to help in that way, because it really helped us cope and there was lots of great advice. And once again we near the end of the album. I feel so grateful that I am able to do at least this for you going forward.
I love you, and goodnight my sweet angel Nathaniel.
Love from Dad.
Yesterday was so strange in many different ways. I hope we were able to give you the most beautiful funeral possible, one that was able to honour your memory. I have found it very comforting that I was able to speak at the church and say what I wanted. It was so hard seeing you lowered into the ground but it's in a beautiful place that we can visit whenever we want.
Because your funeral was yesterday obviously there was no need to write to you, as I know you were able to hear my words and be there with us the whole day. It breaks my heart though that I will never be able to see your face again in person. But I know it will always be in my memory and we've been fortunate enough to get a lot of pictures of you.
I feel so fortunate that we were able to get all this time together and we were able to do so much for you. I love you so much my angel. What I'm afraid of now though is that there are no longer any plans. We're going out with family tonight for a meal which will be nice, but after that there are no plans at all which is quite scary in a way. I hope we can do you proud in whatever we plan to do for the future.
Tonight I'm playing us some Magma, specifically their 1973 album MDK. It's a great album, and I think you'll enjoy it too since it's very silly in some ways. Magma's front-man Christian Vander made up his own language Kobaian for all of Magma's albums and in doing so created a sub-genre of progressive/experimental rock called Zeuhl. Since it's all essentially in gibberish I can see a good appeal for children enjoying it.
It has a lot of fun melodies and vocals which are all supported by some amazing music in it's own right. Magma are just a great band, I've also decided to change the time I write to you to 6 PM UK time, so an hour and a half earlier so you can get to sleep a bit earlier my little love. I might change it again but I will always tell you of course.
I feel like I was able to do as much as I could yesterday, but it breaks my heart that it will be my last responsibility as your dad in this world. I find that very hard to accept, so I will always continue to do things that I hope you will approve of and make you proud. I find it hard to know what to do when our world has been torn down around us like this, but I know we will find out, for you.
I hope you like this album, it's always cheered me up to listen to Magma, even if for just a short while. Their music is obviously very unique which means I have to turn to Magma when I want to listen to anything as good with this sound. In a way I suppose that's good because I'll always be in familiar territory with them. I think I will have played Magma for you quite early on too, as long as it didn't scare you, although I'm sure it won't.
We played Close to the Edge for you at the pub, I'm sure you heard, it was nice to hear it again, it just reminds me of you so much, and I'm really glad for that. I don't want to let things make me sad like that, rather I want the memory of you to be a happy one, always. After the whole service when everyone had gone we went back home to pick up the cat and the rat and bring them back up here. I think we'll stay here for awhile, but I don't really know.
We've also arranged to donate to the charity that made your memory box, I hope we'll be able to help in that way, because it really helped us cope and there was lots of great advice. And once again we near the end of the album. I feel so grateful that I am able to do at least this for you going forward.
I love you, and goodnight my sweet angel Nathaniel.
Love from Dad.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Day 14: Frank Zappa - '
Dear Nathaniel,
I am writing to you now, even as you lie across from me in your beautiful coffin. This will be the last time I will ever be able to play you a full album with you in the room. I know you like this one too since I've already played you it when you were born. This is quite a silly album and I think it fits well.
Tomorrow we have the impossible task of finally putting you to rest. I really hope I'll be able to make you proud and say what I have written for you well. I know I will never again have the pleasure of being able to sleep in the same room as you. So for now this will probably be the last time in a long time that I will be able to sleep as well as I could before. I love you Nathaniel, and I know you are well within the gentle arms of angels.
I really think this album is appropriate for you tonight. It's the type of album a little boy would find a lot of joy in. I had always wanted to play you Frank Zappa to teach you more about the fun that music can be, I will of course play you more of his albums as time goes by, I really hope you like this one. Playing it, just like playing Close to the Edge and the Hermit by Mountain Ash bands, the three albums I played you the night you were born makes me feel very close to you again.
Writing these I have always felt like you've been right in the room with me. Now that you're right here I feel it even stronger than before, and I'll always have this memory with me forever. I know I started late tonight, but I just wanted to play it for you when we were all settled in bed as a nice goodnight.
This is also a really short album, a little longer than Pink Moon, but still ten minutes shorter than most 70's albums. Either way it's a great little experience. It's really hard to describe exactly what type of music Frank Zappa plays. It can be described under the general banner of experimental or progressive rock, but I think Frank Zappa with all his different styles and periods can simply be looked at as it's own genre. His music was always changing, but unlike David Bowie Frank Zappa's music wasn't defined by the music that was popular at the time, but rather by Frank Zappa himself. This is something that I find really admirable about Zappa's music.
I love the jammy style of all of Frank Zappa's recordings, it has a very loose and organic feel to it, something that I really do like in music, especially if it turns out sounding this good. I feel like I've just daydreamed this whole album away, but that is one of the beautiful things about music I suppose.
I love you so much my angel Nathaniel, in a way I am really looking forward to tomorrow, but I'm also dreading it. It feels like I will be able to say goodbye tomorrow in a way that I could never do before, but I just don't know if I'll ever be ready to do so. That's why I suppose it's good that a date had to be set eventually.
I'm glad I'm starting to feel tired, I want to be all rested for tomorrow, and I know that I'll be able to sleep so safe and sound when I'm next to you and your mam. We have the window all open too so the morning light can come in. I hope we get some sunshine tomorrow, it would be nice. I hope you like all the silly songs tonight, especially this last one, Stink-Foot.
I will dream of you, as always my love, even as you lie right next time me. I hope you like the service tomorrow. We have our lovely Vicar Gareth looking after the whole thing, he's a great man and will make everything just perfect, just like you. Goodnight my sweet angel Nathaniel. I hope you sleep well tonight.
Love from Dad.
I am writing to you now, even as you lie across from me in your beautiful coffin. This will be the last time I will ever be able to play you a full album with you in the room. I know you like this one too since I've already played you it when you were born. This is quite a silly album and I think it fits well.
Tomorrow we have the impossible task of finally putting you to rest. I really hope I'll be able to make you proud and say what I have written for you well. I know I will never again have the pleasure of being able to sleep in the same room as you. So for now this will probably be the last time in a long time that I will be able to sleep as well as I could before. I love you Nathaniel, and I know you are well within the gentle arms of angels.
I really think this album is appropriate for you tonight. It's the type of album a little boy would find a lot of joy in. I had always wanted to play you Frank Zappa to teach you more about the fun that music can be, I will of course play you more of his albums as time goes by, I really hope you like this one. Playing it, just like playing Close to the Edge and the Hermit by Mountain Ash bands, the three albums I played you the night you were born makes me feel very close to you again.
Writing these I have always felt like you've been right in the room with me. Now that you're right here I feel it even stronger than before, and I'll always have this memory with me forever. I know I started late tonight, but I just wanted to play it for you when we were all settled in bed as a nice goodnight.
This is also a really short album, a little longer than Pink Moon, but still ten minutes shorter than most 70's albums. Either way it's a great little experience. It's really hard to describe exactly what type of music Frank Zappa plays. It can be described under the general banner of experimental or progressive rock, but I think Frank Zappa with all his different styles and periods can simply be looked at as it's own genre. His music was always changing, but unlike David Bowie Frank Zappa's music wasn't defined by the music that was popular at the time, but rather by Frank Zappa himself. This is something that I find really admirable about Zappa's music.
I love the jammy style of all of Frank Zappa's recordings, it has a very loose and organic feel to it, something that I really do like in music, especially if it turns out sounding this good. I feel like I've just daydreamed this whole album away, but that is one of the beautiful things about music I suppose.
I love you so much my angel Nathaniel, in a way I am really looking forward to tomorrow, but I'm also dreading it. It feels like I will be able to say goodbye tomorrow in a way that I could never do before, but I just don't know if I'll ever be ready to do so. That's why I suppose it's good that a date had to be set eventually.
I'm glad I'm starting to feel tired, I want to be all rested for tomorrow, and I know that I'll be able to sleep so safe and sound when I'm next to you and your mam. We have the window all open too so the morning light can come in. I hope we get some sunshine tomorrow, it would be nice. I hope you like all the silly songs tonight, especially this last one, Stink-Foot.
I will dream of you, as always my love, even as you lie right next time me. I hope you like the service tomorrow. We have our lovely Vicar Gareth looking after the whole thing, he's a great man and will make everything just perfect, just like you. Goodnight my sweet angel Nathaniel. I hope you sleep well tonight.
Love from Dad.
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Day 13: Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Dear Nathaniel,
Hello again my son. You got to meet your grandmother today, it was very nice that she was able to see you. Knowing that soon I won't be able to see you again is just pulling my world apart, but I know that we can't leave it like this forever. I love being able to kiss your little forehead and nose and see you all snuggled up as you are. It's just such a help for everything that we have been given this gift of being able to still see you when we want. Your great granddad has decided to come from Norway to be at the funeral too which is very nice. I have decided the two passages that I want to read for you, but I have yet to find the perfect words to say from my own heart.
I know that I will be able to find the words that I need, and I just hope that they will be as beautiful as you. I love you, and I always will my sweet beautiful little angel. I hope you like what I have decided to read, I am reading a poem of unknown origin and a verse from the Norwegian national anthem so that you may know of the country of my birth. And I had always wanted you to be able to speak Norwegian too.
Today I just knew I wanted to listen to Thick as a Brick to further your progressive rock listening experience. This is a truly seminal album of the genre as it represents not only the humour and lightheartedness which I love about prog but also the pretentious element that has caused it much disdain. The latter is mostly tongue in cheek. It all started with Aqualung, the album Jethro Tull released before Thick as a Brick.
Many critics and fans speculated that Aqualung was a concept album, based on two songs being similar in theme, however it was only those two songs in which any story was interlinked so as such wasn't a true concept album and was never intended as such. Especially considering the musical theme shifts throughout the album as well. When Jethro Tull learned of aqualung being considered a concept album they decided to show them what a concept album really looked like.
The result was Thick as a Brick, which has only one song (divided into two parts because of the limitation of vinyl) a true concept album in every sense of the word. And that is the tongue in cheek look at what it means to make pretentious music. Of course Thick as a Brick, and most good progressive rock is as far away from pretentious as possible, but it will still be labelled as such.
I love Jethro Tull, even their questionable 80's period, although I haven't actually listened to anything released after Crest of a Knave due to poor reviews, they most certainly managed to make great music for a significant amount of time. Starting as a blues band with a twist and ending up as a hard prog band in the 80's after being one of the defining progressive rock bands of the 70's.
There's something so enticing and unique about Ian Anderson's flute and vocals that just separate Jethro Tull away from other progressive rock bands. Accompany that with a very strong and dominating guitar performance by Martin Barre and you have a great sound for all of Tull's albums. We'll get loads of time to listen to more Jethro Tull in the future as well, so this won't be the last time you'll hear them.
I enjoy this album so much ever time I listen to it, it's just really good. Like all good albums it just ends so quickly that there doesn't seem to have ever been any time for reflection about the music during the album itself. It feels like all the albums I play you are over in a short second and I'm left to think about you in silence. I think more people should embrace music as a way to mourn, it's really helping me to be able to do this.
Also today we were delivered a huge basket of flowers, well they were for your mam from my uncle and aunties and they were absolutely beautiful, the flower delivery man said he hadn't seen anything so nice and big. It's really nice to know that there are so many people out there that love all three of us and that care so much.
We're seeing the Vicar Gareth tomorrow, he is the one that will be handling your service and he's just a great and kind man that will do everything he can to make it as special and beautiful as possible. It feels very nice to have that being done by someone we know. You'll have the most lovely service, I know it my son. In a way it will be nice when it's done, it might help ease the pain, and give us even more to remember you by.
I love you my angel Nathaniel, my beautiful baby boy. Goodnight my lovely son, may your dreams be filled with warmth, love and lots of cuddly things.
Love from Dad.
Hello again my son. You got to meet your grandmother today, it was very nice that she was able to see you. Knowing that soon I won't be able to see you again is just pulling my world apart, but I know that we can't leave it like this forever. I love being able to kiss your little forehead and nose and see you all snuggled up as you are. It's just such a help for everything that we have been given this gift of being able to still see you when we want. Your great granddad has decided to come from Norway to be at the funeral too which is very nice. I have decided the two passages that I want to read for you, but I have yet to find the perfect words to say from my own heart.
I know that I will be able to find the words that I need, and I just hope that they will be as beautiful as you. I love you, and I always will my sweet beautiful little angel. I hope you like what I have decided to read, I am reading a poem of unknown origin and a verse from the Norwegian national anthem so that you may know of the country of my birth. And I had always wanted you to be able to speak Norwegian too.
Today I just knew I wanted to listen to Thick as a Brick to further your progressive rock listening experience. This is a truly seminal album of the genre as it represents not only the humour and lightheartedness which I love about prog but also the pretentious element that has caused it much disdain. The latter is mostly tongue in cheek. It all started with Aqualung, the album Jethro Tull released before Thick as a Brick.
Many critics and fans speculated that Aqualung was a concept album, based on two songs being similar in theme, however it was only those two songs in which any story was interlinked so as such wasn't a true concept album and was never intended as such. Especially considering the musical theme shifts throughout the album as well. When Jethro Tull learned of aqualung being considered a concept album they decided to show them what a concept album really looked like.
The result was Thick as a Brick, which has only one song (divided into two parts because of the limitation of vinyl) a true concept album in every sense of the word. And that is the tongue in cheek look at what it means to make pretentious music. Of course Thick as a Brick, and most good progressive rock is as far away from pretentious as possible, but it will still be labelled as such.
I love Jethro Tull, even their questionable 80's period, although I haven't actually listened to anything released after Crest of a Knave due to poor reviews, they most certainly managed to make great music for a significant amount of time. Starting as a blues band with a twist and ending up as a hard prog band in the 80's after being one of the defining progressive rock bands of the 70's.
There's something so enticing and unique about Ian Anderson's flute and vocals that just separate Jethro Tull away from other progressive rock bands. Accompany that with a very strong and dominating guitar performance by Martin Barre and you have a great sound for all of Tull's albums. We'll get loads of time to listen to more Jethro Tull in the future as well, so this won't be the last time you'll hear them.
I enjoy this album so much ever time I listen to it, it's just really good. Like all good albums it just ends so quickly that there doesn't seem to have ever been any time for reflection about the music during the album itself. It feels like all the albums I play you are over in a short second and I'm left to think about you in silence. I think more people should embrace music as a way to mourn, it's really helping me to be able to do this.
Also today we were delivered a huge basket of flowers, well they were for your mam from my uncle and aunties and they were absolutely beautiful, the flower delivery man said he hadn't seen anything so nice and big. It's really nice to know that there are so many people out there that love all three of us and that care so much.
We're seeing the Vicar Gareth tomorrow, he is the one that will be handling your service and he's just a great and kind man that will do everything he can to make it as special and beautiful as possible. It feels very nice to have that being done by someone we know. You'll have the most lovely service, I know it my son. In a way it will be nice when it's done, it might help ease the pain, and give us even more to remember you by.
I love you my angel Nathaniel, my beautiful baby boy. Goodnight my lovely son, may your dreams be filled with warmth, love and lots of cuddly things.
Love from Dad.
Friday, 16 September 2011
Day 12: Rush - Moving Pictures
Dear Nathaniel,
Hello my angel, it hasn't been long since we went to visit you today, it's so nice to be able to sit with you again. Whenever I see your face I just remember the day you were born and seeing you for the first time, so beautiful and so perfect.
Today as I told you before we're listening to Moving Pictures by Rush, another power trio but this time it's more prog than hard rock, even if Rush did have their roots in simpler music. This is one of my favorite non-metal albums from the 1980's and a progressive rock album at that, one released after prog was well and truly dead as a mainstream movement. Even so this was a very successful album, at least in North America.
There's something about this album which has always intrigued me, in a way it's quite polished, but it seems polished to preserve the often harsh and natural sound of the performance. It's something which is very often missing from modern albums, especially modern Rush albums. Either way the production really goes well with the album and it just sounds amazing.
I know it's different from a lot of the older, British progressive rock bands you've listened to so far but this Canadian effort really deserves acknowledgement for keeping prog alive in the 80's, even for just a short while. I think my favourite song from this album is the instrumental YYZ. Which is based on the airport in Toronto and playing YYZ itself in Morse constitutes the main riff and themes.
Your grandmother, my mother, is coming tomorrow. Hopefully she'll get to meet you tomorrow as well, that would be very nice. She's coming all the way from Australia a place that I had always wanted to show you, it gets very hot there at times which I'm not the biggest fan of though. I hope you like how music makes you feel and I hope you can feel how I feel when I listen to it while thinking of you.
I've listened to this album so many times over the years that I pretty much know it off by heart, I always played it when I was in the mood for something with big guitars and a prog rock vibe, which I suppose was a lot. I think the only album I've listened to more is Led Zeppelin's IV, which is a great album, even if it isn't my favourite Led Zeppelin album, that would be Presence. I might have listened to The Mars Volta's Amputechture more too, but it won't have been by much.
Either way I really love what Rush was able to do with three men and forty minutes, in the 80's the decade that good music generally forgot and production managed to ruin so much talent.
I still can't believe how lucky I am to have ever been able to meet someone as beautiful as you and be able to feel the love that I do for you. It just feels so overwhelming and amazing. Even if your time with us has been short, I feel like you have been the brightest flame in my life. And it's so easy to just bask in your memory and our love for you. I know the pain will take a long time to fade, but at least we can focus on the gift that your presence has been to us.
I suppose that this was always the plan all along, even if we didn't know it, so there must have been a reason for you to hold on for so long. I know that whatever was planned for you will find you well in heaven, and that you will know of the joy and love that you brought us, and that you will never know of pain, suffering or sadness.
And once again we arrive at this point, unfortunately the last song of this album is only a short four minutes. Even if it is a very catchy and good song. I love you my angel, you are the light of my life and I know you're looking out for us where you are. I hope you enjoyed Moving Pictures as much as I do.
Goodnight my angel Nathaniel, I'm thinking of you, now and always.
Love from Dad.
Hello my angel, it hasn't been long since we went to visit you today, it's so nice to be able to sit with you again. Whenever I see your face I just remember the day you were born and seeing you for the first time, so beautiful and so perfect.
Today as I told you before we're listening to Moving Pictures by Rush, another power trio but this time it's more prog than hard rock, even if Rush did have their roots in simpler music. This is one of my favorite non-metal albums from the 1980's and a progressive rock album at that, one released after prog was well and truly dead as a mainstream movement. Even so this was a very successful album, at least in North America.
There's something about this album which has always intrigued me, in a way it's quite polished, but it seems polished to preserve the often harsh and natural sound of the performance. It's something which is very often missing from modern albums, especially modern Rush albums. Either way the production really goes well with the album and it just sounds amazing.
I know it's different from a lot of the older, British progressive rock bands you've listened to so far but this Canadian effort really deserves acknowledgement for keeping prog alive in the 80's, even for just a short while. I think my favourite song from this album is the instrumental YYZ. Which is based on the airport in Toronto and playing YYZ itself in Morse constitutes the main riff and themes.
Your grandmother, my mother, is coming tomorrow. Hopefully she'll get to meet you tomorrow as well, that would be very nice. She's coming all the way from Australia a place that I had always wanted to show you, it gets very hot there at times which I'm not the biggest fan of though. I hope you like how music makes you feel and I hope you can feel how I feel when I listen to it while thinking of you.
I've listened to this album so many times over the years that I pretty much know it off by heart, I always played it when I was in the mood for something with big guitars and a prog rock vibe, which I suppose was a lot. I think the only album I've listened to more is Led Zeppelin's IV, which is a great album, even if it isn't my favourite Led Zeppelin album, that would be Presence. I might have listened to The Mars Volta's Amputechture more too, but it won't have been by much.
Either way I really love what Rush was able to do with three men and forty minutes, in the 80's the decade that good music generally forgot and production managed to ruin so much talent.
I still can't believe how lucky I am to have ever been able to meet someone as beautiful as you and be able to feel the love that I do for you. It just feels so overwhelming and amazing. Even if your time with us has been short, I feel like you have been the brightest flame in my life. And it's so easy to just bask in your memory and our love for you. I know the pain will take a long time to fade, but at least we can focus on the gift that your presence has been to us.
I suppose that this was always the plan all along, even if we didn't know it, so there must have been a reason for you to hold on for so long. I know that whatever was planned for you will find you well in heaven, and that you will know of the joy and love that you brought us, and that you will never know of pain, suffering or sadness.
And once again we arrive at this point, unfortunately the last song of this album is only a short four minutes. Even if it is a very catchy and good song. I love you my angel, you are the light of my life and I know you're looking out for us where you are. I hope you enjoyed Moving Pictures as much as I do.
Goodnight my angel Nathaniel, I'm thinking of you, now and always.
Love from Dad.
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