@Woodsman If you enjoy tone poems and spoken word albums you might really enjoy sitting out on the porch or in your backyard during the evening listening to the series of CDs from the artists Celestial Navigations. The band has a series of spoken word albums featuring actor Geoffrey Lewis. Lewis is a master storyteller who assumes a variety of characters as he narrates each track accompanied by two talented musicians who add the perfect background music to his tales. The stories can be humorous, sad, thought provoking, terrifying, suspenseful, or just plain enjoyable. They can put a smile in your face, a tear in your eye, or just make you sit and think. Think of it as spending an evening with Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, Jean Shepard (the guy who wrote the story made into the movie "A Christmas Story"), the guy you work with who weaves the best yarns, the bartender with the best jokes, sitting at the knee of your Grandfather as he rambles on about the good old days, or a group of well traveled hobos yakking around a campfire. For anyone who thinks the art of storytelling is dead ... I'd recommend any of their seven or eight Celestial Navigations CDs.
You might not recognize the name Geoffrey Lewis but the guy is a character actor who has been in hundreds of TV show, dozens of movie ... including several with Clint Eastwood (Every Which way But Loose, Any Which Way You Can, Bronco Billy, Pink Cadillac, and my personal favorite - the gravedigger in the Stephen King mini-series "Salem's Lot). And as for TV shows he's been in damn near every one at some time or another beginning with "Then Came Bronson" on 1970 up to an episode of the doctor series "House" in 2007. Lewis passed away April 7, 2015 at the age of 79.
@ghostsofpompeii, Geoffrey Lewis was one of those character actors who almost everyone might recognize the face, but not recognize the name. Back in 2005, when he played the character "Roy Sullivan," in The Devils Rejects, I googled his name, while researching the cast. Not only was I surprised at his list of Filmography credits, I was also intrigued to learn that this character actor I had been watching play various roles my entire life, was in fact the father of Juliette Lewis.
I will have to check out the Celestial Navagations CD collection, on your recommendation.
You left out one of the greats in your list, that being the Canadian trio Rush, who were very much a prog rock band through most of their early to mid-career years and certainly their final album is prog through and through. In fact, they were huge Yes fans and the guitarist and bassist will be inducting Yes into the RRHOF Friday night. I was a big Moody's, and King Crimson fan too. I should also throw the original Kansas on the prog rock list. And thanks for posting about Fireballet. I'll look them up.
@jim102864 Sorry about omitting both Rush and Kansas - both excellent prog/rock bands. The list of excellent bands I omitted is far greater than those I included - but opted for the names I did mention because I thought they might be the most recognized since they did have cross-over hits. Some great US bands from that era actually were not that far from my hometown of Gary, Indiana like Ethos (from Fort Wayne Indiana), Yezda Urfa (for Portage Indiana), Starcastle (from Schamburg Illinois), STYX (Chicago) and a host of others. These guys were almost as good as the legendary greats from England, France, Italy and Germany. And were I to mention all those great International progressive rock groups which make up a majority of my CD music library I'm afraid I'd turn this from a pipe forum to a music forum. But from time-to-time I'll toss one of these well deserving bands a bone on this particular music discussion. And if it intrigues a few like-minded members to seek out their music all the better.
Got behind updating the This Pipe Life playlist on Spotify, sorry. Mostly caught up but it's out of order since my computer didn't like page 5 of this list for some reason. It's fine now except for the real hard ones I couldn't find.
Probably going to listen to it on shuffle anyways.
Spent a good deal of time in the garage smoking and listening to The Moody Blues. Worked my way from "Days Of Future Past" up to "Seventh Sojourn". What people refer to as the Classic Seven.
@PappyJoe -- Please don't be offended, but I am curious as to your age. I'm 70.
I know, I know, I don't look 70 in my picture, but I have maintained a youthful appearance, thanks to good genes. Yes, my folks were older than I am at the same age, but they went through WWI and WWII and the depression. I was born in 1946.
@motie2 and PappyJoe: based solely on your music interests, I think it would be a great time to smoke a bowl and chat with you both. I don't mean to exclude anyone in this string. In fact, I'd love to meet all of you if it were possible to do so.
@jim102864 - I have very ecletic taste in music. There are few genres that I don't listen to - Rap, Hip Hop and mostly anything considered mainstream/current pop/rock/country. In other words, if its what is being produced these days in those fields I don't listen.
I was born in 1953 in SE Texas. My parents listened to the Grand Ole Opry, country music and Cajun music which is often hard to describe. I grew up listening to the rock, pop & folk music of the 60s - Elvis, Beatles, Beach Boys, Mamas & the Papas, Everly Brothers, George Jones, Mel Tillis, Hank Snow - but also listened to a lot of Motown. In the mid to late 60s we listened to The Doors, Pink Floyd, Chicago, The Who, Black Sabbath, Iron Butterfly, Janis Joplin, etc. There are too many great bands and artist to list.
I also enjoy Blues and Jazz and listen to Classical when I feel like meditating. I forgot to mention old time Gospel and Bluegrass Gospel.
As I said, I enjoy good music.
I hate disco. I find nothing of interest in the current mainstream country music coming out of Nashville. Current pop is irritating and annoying.
The bright side, in my opinion, is what is being produced as "Americana" or Alt-Country. I like groups like Blackberry Smoke, Southern Gothic, Alabama Shakes, JJ Grey & Mofro, etc.
Groups that are making great music that you don't here on major radio stations.
By the way - I grew up in SE Texas. I remember hearing ZZ Top before their first album was released.
Yesterday, I sat outside on the deck in northern NJ, and smoked a bowl of Molto Dolce/Maple Street mixed 50/50, and listened to Hergest Ridge by Michael Oldfield.
@PappyJoe -- I, too, am known amongst my friends as having "eclectic taste" in music. (Others have used the words "bat-crap crazy" when I've followed Miles Davis-Sketches of Spain with King Diamond-Abigail.) In addition to what might best be described as 60's/psychedelic/classical/reggae/reggaton/new age/mash-ups/metal/jazz/progressive/Japanese koto&shakuhachi music in my collection, I also cherish having the complete works of Firesign Theater/Theatre.
My favorite meditative pieces are Environments 1: Psychologically Ultimate Seashore and Environments 3: Dusk in New Hope PA, both by Syntonic Research. Remember them?
In my musical world there seems to be a time and place for everything but blues, country, polka, rap, pop, and disco. De gustibus......
(Everything mentioned above is available for your listening pleasure at YouTube.)
My sons are 38 and 40. (The 40 year old's middle name is Dylan; the wife wouldn't let the younger one have Bruce for a middle name.) Until they were in their teens they mostly listened to what SWMBO and I played in the house and car. Once they had a musical culture of their own, and got their own stereos and Walkmans and 'puters, both boys got a lot of this growing up:
And yes, @jim102864 -- after a while the folks on here start to feel like friends. I should mention that this forum is the closest I'm ever going to get to being roped into Facebook. I've seen how it can consume some folks (like, oh, say....SWMBO) <small, shy grin>
Comments
@Woodsman If you enjoy tone poems and spoken word albums you might really enjoy sitting out on the porch or in your backyard during the evening listening to the series of CDs from the artists Celestial Navigations. The band has a series of spoken word albums featuring actor Geoffrey Lewis. Lewis is a master storyteller who assumes a variety of characters as he narrates each track accompanied by two talented musicians who add the perfect background music to his tales. The stories can be humorous, sad, thought provoking, terrifying, suspenseful, or just plain enjoyable. They can put a smile in your face, a tear in your eye, or just make you sit and think. Think of it as spending an evening with Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, Jean Shepard (the guy who wrote the story made into the movie "A Christmas Story"), the guy you work with who weaves the best yarns, the bartender with the best jokes, sitting at the knee of your Grandfather as he rambles on about the good old days, or a group of well traveled hobos yakking around a campfire. For anyone who thinks the art of storytelling is dead ... I'd recommend any of their seven or eight Celestial Navigations CDs.
You might not recognize the name Geoffrey Lewis but the guy is a character actor who has been in hundreds of TV show, dozens of movie ... including several with Clint Eastwood (Every Which way But Loose, Any Which Way You Can, Bronco Billy, Pink Cadillac, and my personal favorite - the gravedigger in the Stephen King mini-series "Salem's Lot). And as for TV shows he's been in damn near every one at some time or another beginning with "Then Came Bronson" on 1970 up to an episode of the doctor series "House" in 2007. Lewis passed away April 7, 2015 at the age of 79.
@ghostsofpompeii, Geoffrey Lewis was one of those character actors who almost everyone might recognize the face, but not recognize the name. Back in 2005, when he played the character "Roy Sullivan," in The Devils Rejects, I googled his name, while researching the cast. Not only was I surprised at his list of Filmography credits, I was also intrigued to learn that this character actor I had been watching play various roles my entire life, was in fact the father of Juliette Lewis.
I will have to check out the Celestial Navagations CD collection, on your recommendation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNPdn-idlNM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxLitELHx08
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58Vk9gVxjWo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH0qYhAvtXk
With the Easter holiday coming I thought you might enjoy this track from the band Marillion called "EASTER".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLTitnGJSjY