Boomer here, thankfully the Fran Magazine archives will show a nod was made to Brian Wilson. Music lovers interested in Brian's musical chops should look also for a documentary about The Wrecking Crew, an L.A. studio session group that played on so many songs from Sinatra to Byrds et al it is remarkable. None of the Beach Boys except for Brian played an instrument on Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations and all that. And the bass player so pronounced on many of The Beach Boys tracks, including Pet Sounds, is Carole Kaye, truly one of the great musicians of our time.
The NY Times Boomer editors placement of these rock star deaths is always of interest to me. Last week we had back-to-back huge obits...first Sly Stone, of Sly and the Family Stone, and next day, Brian. Front page start of obit, with a 2 column picture, and then jumps to 2 full pages inside...that's very exalted real estate coverage. Plus the music writers columns, either music appreciation, or those 12 songs you've got to know, etc. Love and Mercy, indeed.
And I have been listening this morning to Paul Calvacante, the weekend host at WQXR, and now listening to Beethoven String Quartets.
Fran, here's one of the comments a reader posted to the digital NYT article on Brian's passing, mentioning a song you mentioned in your post. Just one more reason to put Brian way way up there in the pantheon: Says the reader: "At the end of the Introduction to "God Only Knows" a walk-up of the chords A/E, B/F#, C/G leads to D/A, the first chord of the verse. Each of these chords has a fifth in the bass rather than the root. Other than Burt Bacharach, who Brian Wilson admired, no other songwriter used such sophisticated harmony."
Fantastic rec - thank you so much! And for sharing the NYT comments... I have been deep in the NYT comments section this week, but about much less fun stuff (mayoral election) and it's nice to read when folks are contributing stuff they like rather than bickering (or suggesting Scott Stringer should be mayor so Al Franken can... return to SNL??? anyway).
If I think too hard about the ages of many artists I know and love, the thoughts overwhelms. I'm grateful artists of this caliber can get this much pagespace dedicated to them. I had a roommate in college whose father wrote obits professionally - he said it was a truly great job. I've done informal ones at work sometimes, and it's quite a cathartic and moving task. I worry a lot about Billy Joel, who is ill right now, though he told Howard Stern he's not dying so I have to believe him.
I absolutely love Paul Calvacante!!! Him & Terrance McKnight are my favs
I know very little about classical music (what little I do is mostly thanks to a survey course in college) but I have always like Beethoven (and I don’t think it’s because of Schroeder). This was a really nice piece and I look forward to reading more about classical music (metrics be damned).
Great post! Beethoven 7 is not overrated!!! Reading this I realize that I have played far more Beethoven Symphonies than I’ve seen live (violist): I’ve played 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 - and seen maybe only 3, 5, and 7? I don’t think I’ve ever even heard 2. Playing 9 was really intense. Much more intense and moving and difficult than I anticipated. Ode to Joy seems like a cliche but playing it live - or hearing it in context with the whole piece - is awesome, thrilling. It really does slap. I’ve been thinking so much about what drives someone to make art, and that shift from creating art that exalts or grapples with God/a higher power and creating art that’s more inward or that deals with something else. It all started when I saw last year’s great Met show about religious art/altarpieces from Siena, and now I can’t stop thinking about it every time I encounter a piece of visual art. Interesting to think of it with music too.
I've been sort of fascinated by the rise of admiration in Beethoven 7, which is played constantly on WQXR. When I was a kid/young adult musician, it was all about Beethoven 5, which is still in the ether, but now I see the common refrain being that 7 is the actual "best" one. It's worthless to compare, but seeing 7 live a few years ago for the first time was completely mind-blowing. That + 6 are probably my "favorites," though 9 was in a whole other league, and I'll always have a fondness for 3 which was the first one I played.
As a #musiclistener I wanted to say I love the way you write about music. It feels really revelatory and inspires me to re-open my ears to the things I might have been missing when I've listened previously.
I’m so glad that you keep writing about classical music, this was really lovely. Early in May i was able to get free tickets to Yo-Yo-Ma — he played some Beethoven and Dvorak here in Seattle. I think it was my first time at the symphony in 6 or 7 years, and i honestly felt intimidated even though i played in band and orchestra for a while. But it was so revelatory and special! it takes real attention and discipline to focus on an hour-long symphony, but it’s such a rewarding experience that is hard to replicate outside of a concert hall.
I need to read Beethoven’s letter!! you’ve inspired me
Thank you!!!! I've never had the pleasure of seeing Yo-Yo Ma PLAY, though he's been present at a few concerts I've been to as sort of a guest of honor. He looms so large in culture (voice on Arthur) that I feel like I've seen him. I should really make it a point to see him, but I'm still chasing my Yuja Wang white whale ... if only I had $600 to drop every time she did Carnegie.
omg he was a voice on Arthur, how did i forget that!! I had seen him like ~7 or so years ago at a free concert he had at millennium park, and that was awesome too but it’s totally different to see him in a concert hall. He totally commanded everyone’s attention. It was really sublime. I think i was worried that he was going to be overhyped, but he was so captivating, 10/10 i really recommend trying to go see him
I was crazy about Brahms between, say, 2012-2017, and now find myself a bit burnt out on it all, but I LOVE his first and third symphonies. It’s been years since I went to see one of his live.. I should remedy that asap.
WQXR has put Beethoven 7 at the top of their end of year list (in the 1 or 2 spot) for the past several years, but it does feel like a piece of music that’s had a surge post-pandemic. It surprises me that there’s always a consensus on it these days that it’s the best (?) one!!
hi fran!! we leave for our Big Road Trip of The Summer in less than a week so we’re really excited.
i picked up lies of p again for the dlc but i haven’t actually played any of the dlc yet…i got sucked in too hard to base game…i love lies of p.
and i have been laughing constantly at some of the ridiculous sabrina carpenter takes like of course yall cant handle complicated discourse surrounding sex, you cant even handle an extremely milquetoast image of a woman Being Sexual. christ.
beep beep i’m super excited to go back to san antonio! we got reservations at a fancy restaurant and we’re gonna go to the riverwalk it’s gonna be great
Boomer here, thankfully the Fran Magazine archives will show a nod was made to Brian Wilson. Music lovers interested in Brian's musical chops should look also for a documentary about The Wrecking Crew, an L.A. studio session group that played on so many songs from Sinatra to Byrds et al it is remarkable. None of the Beach Boys except for Brian played an instrument on Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations and all that. And the bass player so pronounced on many of The Beach Boys tracks, including Pet Sounds, is Carole Kaye, truly one of the great musicians of our time.
The NY Times Boomer editors placement of these rock star deaths is always of interest to me. Last week we had back-to-back huge obits...first Sly Stone, of Sly and the Family Stone, and next day, Brian. Front page start of obit, with a 2 column picture, and then jumps to 2 full pages inside...that's very exalted real estate coverage. Plus the music writers columns, either music appreciation, or those 12 songs you've got to know, etc. Love and Mercy, indeed.
And I have been listening this morning to Paul Calvacante, the weekend host at WQXR, and now listening to Beethoven String Quartets.
Fran, here's one of the comments a reader posted to the digital NYT article on Brian's passing, mentioning a song you mentioned in your post. Just one more reason to put Brian way way up there in the pantheon: Says the reader: "At the end of the Introduction to "God Only Knows" a walk-up of the chords A/E, B/F#, C/G leads to D/A, the first chord of the verse. Each of these chords has a fifth in the bass rather than the root. Other than Burt Bacharach, who Brian Wilson admired, no other songwriter used such sophisticated harmony."
Fantastic rec - thank you so much! And for sharing the NYT comments... I have been deep in the NYT comments section this week, but about much less fun stuff (mayoral election) and it's nice to read when folks are contributing stuff they like rather than bickering (or suggesting Scott Stringer should be mayor so Al Franken can... return to SNL??? anyway).
If I think too hard about the ages of many artists I know and love, the thoughts overwhelms. I'm grateful artists of this caliber can get this much pagespace dedicated to them. I had a roommate in college whose father wrote obits professionally - he said it was a truly great job. I've done informal ones at work sometimes, and it's quite a cathartic and moving task. I worry a lot about Billy Joel, who is ill right now, though he told Howard Stern he's not dying so I have to believe him.
I absolutely love Paul Calvacante!!! Him & Terrance McKnight are my favs
I know very little about classical music (what little I do is mostly thanks to a survey course in college) but I have always like Beethoven (and I don’t think it’s because of Schroeder). This was a really nice piece and I look forward to reading more about classical music (metrics be damned).
Thank you!
Great post! Beethoven 7 is not overrated!!! Reading this I realize that I have played far more Beethoven Symphonies than I’ve seen live (violist): I’ve played 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 - and seen maybe only 3, 5, and 7? I don’t think I’ve ever even heard 2. Playing 9 was really intense. Much more intense and moving and difficult than I anticipated. Ode to Joy seems like a cliche but playing it live - or hearing it in context with the whole piece - is awesome, thrilling. It really does slap. I’ve been thinking so much about what drives someone to make art, and that shift from creating art that exalts or grapples with God/a higher power and creating art that’s more inward or that deals with something else. It all started when I saw last year’s great Met show about religious art/altarpieces from Siena, and now I can’t stop thinking about it every time I encounter a piece of visual art. Interesting to think of it with music too.
I've been sort of fascinated by the rise of admiration in Beethoven 7, which is played constantly on WQXR. When I was a kid/young adult musician, it was all about Beethoven 5, which is still in the ether, but now I see the common refrain being that 7 is the actual "best" one. It's worthless to compare, but seeing 7 live a few years ago for the first time was completely mind-blowing. That + 6 are probably my "favorites," though 9 was in a whole other league, and I'll always have a fondness for 3 which was the first one I played.
Viola is an amazing instrument !!!!
As a #musiclistener I wanted to say I love the way you write about music. It feels really revelatory and inspires me to re-open my ears to the things I might have been missing when I've listened previously.
Thank you so much!!!
Lovely post
Thank you!!
I’m so glad that you keep writing about classical music, this was really lovely. Early in May i was able to get free tickets to Yo-Yo-Ma — he played some Beethoven and Dvorak here in Seattle. I think it was my first time at the symphony in 6 or 7 years, and i honestly felt intimidated even though i played in band and orchestra for a while. But it was so revelatory and special! it takes real attention and discipline to focus on an hour-long symphony, but it’s such a rewarding experience that is hard to replicate outside of a concert hall.
I need to read Beethoven’s letter!! you’ve inspired me
Thank you!!!! I've never had the pleasure of seeing Yo-Yo Ma PLAY, though he's been present at a few concerts I've been to as sort of a guest of honor. He looms so large in culture (voice on Arthur) that I feel like I've seen him. I should really make it a point to see him, but I'm still chasing my Yuja Wang white whale ... if only I had $600 to drop every time she did Carnegie.
omg he was a voice on Arthur, how did i forget that!! I had seen him like ~7 or so years ago at a free concert he had at millennium park, and that was awesome too but it’s totally different to see him in a concert hall. He totally commanded everyone’s attention. It was really sublime. I think i was worried that he was going to be overhyped, but he was so captivating, 10/10 i really recommend trying to go see him
Anytime the Allegretto from the 7th shows up in a movie or show, all one million times, I perk up and say "neat!"
SAME
Beethoven's 7th - not overrated! It is either underrated or simply "rated."
Like you, I have limited my exposure to the 1st and 2nd. I surely played them once to tick the box, but I have not sat with them. I should do that.
Of course, tied for first place for me of all the Beethoven symphonies is "Beethoven's 10th," a/k/a Brahms' 1st. Perhaps you feel the same way?
I was crazy about Brahms between, say, 2012-2017, and now find myself a bit burnt out on it all, but I LOVE his first and third symphonies. It’s been years since I went to see one of his live.. I should remedy that asap.
WQXR has put Beethoven 7 at the top of their end of year list (in the 1 or 2 spot) for the past several years, but it does feel like a piece of music that’s had a surge post-pandemic. It surprises me that there’s always a consensus on it these days that it’s the best (?) one!!
hi fran!! we leave for our Big Road Trip of The Summer in less than a week so we’re really excited.
i picked up lies of p again for the dlc but i haven’t actually played any of the dlc yet…i got sucked in too hard to base game…i love lies of p.
and i have been laughing constantly at some of the ridiculous sabrina carpenter takes like of course yall cant handle complicated discourse surrounding sex, you cant even handle an extremely milquetoast image of a woman Being Sexual. christ.
Omg have fun be safe beep beep! What destination are you most looking forward to?
I think the Sabrina album cover is literally awesome.
beep beep i’m super excited to go back to san antonio! we got reservations at a fancy restaurant and we’re gonna go to the riverwalk it’s gonna be great