ASK ROD

Photograph by Bob Gentry 8/5/99

A Thought for Today

I'll try anything once and anything that doesn't hurt, more than once.

Lots of unusual questions today, from friends and new friends.

WALT, ST. GREGORY & ARNOLD

Hi Rod, This is only my second letter in a year as I don't want to onerous on your time. What has prompted me this time was that I was listening to two of my favorite albums, Whitman 2 and Turntable.

"Whitman 2" because I think the selection of poetry reflect some of his very best and especially because the music is I believe some of the most beautiful and evocative you have written. I also think the sound mix is much better than "Whitman 1"

With "Turntable" I just think it's a real quality album with some
exceptional songs-some ahead of their time-especially with Sunday NY City with its mixture of Rap, Gregorian chant and disco!!! But one song that has puzzled my wife and I is "Arnold." What is this song about? I won't go into details but please tell me it's not about what I have come to think its about. Could you explain the story and inspiration behind it and put my liberal but moralistic mind to rest.
Best wishes always, Paul Dolman, Birmingham England

Dear Paul, Thanks for the chance to discuss two albums that I am especially fond of. The reasons are many.

"The Body Electric, 2" which I haven't heard in ages and intend to pull out and give a listen to again now that you've peaked my interest and the 1980 "Turntable," which I feel is one of my most neglected albums. And, in terms of diversity, perhaps one of my best.

First "The Body Electric, 2 (which you term "Whitman 2); It's no secret that I've always refereed to Walt Whitman as "the father of modern American poetry" and that I've been a scholar and collector of the 'Good Gray Poet' all my life, received a commision by The Louisville Symphony to set Whitman's words to my music in a Cantata for Narrator, Soprano and Symphony Orchestra.

One of my greatest thrills was being able to purchase a First Edition of "Leaves of Grass" and after checking it with some of the subsequent and vastly different printings I decided I would like to write original music to the original poetry for a series of albums. I felt Jesse Pearson, the voice of "The Sea," would be the perfect person to read Whitman's words. He certainly was.

Like you, I believe the 2nd album is superior to the first. My only hope is that I had brains enough at the time to record Jesse's voice on an isolated track so that I can go back and remix the first album to bring it up to the level of "The Body Electric, 2." Because of the often homo-erotic impact of Whitman's verse and Jesse's impassioned readings, both albums were banned on radio, even some of the more progressive college stations refused to air them. The underground buzz remains strong on both records, as each new generation discover them, so that they are still steady sellers on LP.

"Turntable" is pretty eclectic. That's an understatement considering it contains Mick Jagger's "Salt of the Earth," Judy Collins' "Continue," "Hang on Sloopy" and the first appearance of "Baby It's Cold Outside" as a duet with Petula Clark. It also contains a melody by Francis Lai that Pet asked me to write lyrics to after our success with "I Think of You." I entitled it "Friendly Sounds." Most unusually the album has seven new McKuen songs I'd never sung before and haven't since.

All this is academic, I'm sure, because what you really want to know concern's what Billboard referred to as 'the tender and menacing' "Arnold." Well, Paul, it is what it is. Is it about child abuse? Yes. Is it about a punch-drunk ex-boxer and an unloved child? Yes. Is it about society's inability to care about anything but there own sense of self-importance? Yes. And, you can dance to it.

It pleases me that you've asked about it, Paul, because nobody else ever has. Which proves what I set out to prove, that nobody listens. Well, that's not exactly true. Apparently one couple in Birmingham does. Thanks and love, Rod

SPRING CAN REALLY HANG YOU UP THE MOST

Hello again Rod; what a thrill and joy to be able to hear (sort of) from you and about you on a daily basis. Question: Whose recording do you like the best of a song too many people may not be familiar with? "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most." Thanks, John Olsen, Long Island, New York.

Dear John, In all due modesty (yeah, right) my favorite is the version I'm recording next week. No kidding, am doing it as part of a new recording project and I plan to sing the hell out of it. As far as existing recordings go, I'd say it's a close tie between June Christy & Ella, with the edge to Christy because it was the first one I heard. Have heard it done by Chris Connor and Johnny Hartman live, but as far as I know neither recorded it.

"Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" has always been one of my favorite songs. It was written by Fran Landsman & Tommy Woolf, the team that wrote "The Ballad of the Sad Young Men." Cheers, John, Rod.

AM I VEGITARIAN?

Dear Mr. McKuen, I would like to know if you are a vegetarian. I noticed that most of your home pictures show you with pets and some of your writing shows so much compassion for animals-especially for the cat that you lost all those years ago. Your writing and recordings have given me much joy over the years. Thank you. Erika Miller

Dear Erika, I'm working my way toward becoming a complete vegetarian, but so far I haven't reached that Utopia. I don't eat red meat but I still have chicken or fish once or twice a week. Including a chicken-turkey loaf now and again. And so far I haven't been able to kick buttermilk, but I will. Thanks for asking. Regards, Rod

POETRY WORKSHOP

Dear Rod, Have you ever taught a class in Poetry or held any workshops for aspiring poets? I will be doing a workshop in my Writers Loft, and would value any suggestions in that area that you could pass on to me. I will be reading passages from your books and others, and will introduce settings that will inspire all the senses. Maybe write a "group poem" have everyone play off the beginning of another poem. This is important to me, as I want to help resurrect the interest in poetry in my hometown, and I want to help other poets realize their potential as writers and help them to get published.

Can you suggest other exercises or subject matter I should include in my workshop? Thank you for taking the time to read my letter, as you already know, you are my Mentor, and I value your opinion highly. Much Love, Randi

Dear Randi, I never have taught a class in poetry, nor can I imagine myself ever doing so. I'm not sure it is one of the arts that can be taught very easily. There are definite rules that shouldn't be broken where any kind of writing is concerned, perhaps even more with poetry. For instance if you plan on writing a sonnet knowing it consists of fourteen decasyllabec lines isn't enough. It helps enormously to know the differences between the three universally accepted sonnet forms; Miltonic, Shakespearean and Petrarchian.

What relationship do sonnets, odes and ballads have to today's free form verse? Not a lot, I suppose, but an understanding of the basics of clay is as necessary to the bricklayer as it is to the ceramicist. The more you know about words and form the better your writing will be. The toughest thing about writing a column like this on deadline every day is not being able to rewrite and spend time with words. I do want to plant the thought in your head that the most enjoyable part of writing is rewriting.

My own feeling about poetry is that you learn by writing. And, of course, by reading the masters. So much great poetry has been written that there is plenty to draw from. I think it's wonderful that you want to expand the appreciation of poetry in your own hometown, but I'm the wrong guy to ask for ideas on how to accomplish that. I don't go to readings myself and have never been to a poetry workshop. Maybe if I had I'd be a better writer. Writing a poem is such a private experience that I can't imagine writing one with anyone else. Could be I'm missing out on something important and who knows, one day I might give a workshop a try.

The 'group poem' sounds like nothing more than a parlor trick to me. In a recent exercise on the 'message board' where lines were being taken at random from my work to create new poems, I was even a participant on the first one. But they went on and on and I began to see lines I'd worked on for weeks, even months being tossed around like refrigerator magnets and I stopped reading them. I started to feel the way I first did when a record company took lines out of context from "Time of Desire" & "Beatsville" to create false McKuen albums such as "Desire Has No Special Time," "R. M. Takes A San Francisco Hippie Trip" and "About Me." It was all very depressing. Worse those kinds of things take on a life of their own. I've seen mixtures of my lines that certainly weren't my intention picked from those albums and credited to me as poems.

Certainly I don't want to leave this world without passing on some of the things I've learned about writing words and music, and about performing. A while back I tried mentoring a talented young songwriter but it didn't work out. Probably because neither of us had enough patience. Then too, it's been my experience that most people don't want to learn how to make a poem better, they want you to praise their work and find no fault with it. That probably means I wouldn't make a very good teacher. I would want to be as hard on my student's work as I am my own. That would be fair and might be of real use.

I know I haven't been very encouraging here, but I do want to offer some help. Why not start off by reading something you like to your group and explaining why you enjoy it. Then ask each of the other members to do the same. That will start a dialogue. Remember a study group is as much about what they want to learn as it is about what you want to teach them.

Good luck with this difficult task you've set for yourself and with your own writing. And thanks for sending me your book. Affectionately, Rod

WORK

Is there a place to find the words to your work?

Have been listening to a lot of your albums...you have always been a big part of my life...Thank you Rod McKuen...I hope, before the sky welcomes me that I will have the luck of the draw and see you just once! God Bless Cindie in Maine. P/S...do you like Neil Diamond? He is another performer who has inspired me...smile

Dear Cindie, You can find my work in 60 books or so and on this page every day, but so far no milk cartons. Seriously, I still say the most complete source for my books, CD's, LP's & cassettes is Stanyan By Mail.

I do like Neil Diamond; we've even exchanged songs. He recorded "If You Go Away" and I did his "I've Been This Way Before," Cheers, Rod

GEORGE SHEARING

Would you believe an 80 year old SINGING a la McKuen - let's face the music and dance, and something dedicated to Mel Tormé from WWII - think the title was don't say goodbye. He was fabulous in a concert at The Sheldon here last night. Really took me back to SF College days at the Blackhawk. Can't believe how he can still play with the same sound at his age. Didn't do anything really fast like Pick Yourself Up - but he did all kinds of songs, many I didn't know, but all with his own very recognizable style. A tribute to Joe Williams too.

Was disappointed how few of my sisters even knew his name- I went with a woman who worked in our health system office who also is of my era....our era! And think how great it will be one day when you come back around. The Sheldon was packed full - I'd say 80% over 60! .. Well - make that 55! And very surprisingly - a totally white audience. I wonder why? Had to share the evening with you - knowing you'd appreciate him too! Love 'n prayers, Sister Mark

Dear SM (Patron Saint of Great Musicians,) Wish I could have been with you. It seems like yesterday that we both discovered Shearing, what a talent. Remember how often DJ Bruce Smedly on that great Berkley jazz station used to play his records? I'm not surprised that he did a tribute to Mel. For the last dozen years or so he and Mel have teamed to do concerts all over the world. It was Mel who encouraged him to sing. They made several albums together. In case you think Shearing's singing is a one-time thing, he has a thoughtful vocal of "Send In The Clowns" on one of his solo discs

I'm sure the song you heard was "We Mustn't Say Goodbye," from "Stagedoor Canteen." I like to take credit for Mel singing it on an album he did with Shearing ""Mel & George Do World War II" (Concord Jazz 4471) Mel was a fan of the 10 disc set I was putting together at the time (it took about a decade to assemble) called "Songs That Won The War." When he and George were getting ready to record their album I reminded him of my record of it on the "I'll Be Seeing You" disc from the set and he said "Oh Yeah, we gotta do that one." They close their album with Mel singing it and at the end of the reprise George goes out underneath Mel playing Gordon Jenkin's "Goodbye." It's an absolutely wonderful track on a great album. What a nice gesture for George to sing it now as a tribute to Mel.

I've always loved the song and despite liking my own track of it, mostly because of Arthur Greenslade's arrangement that features a gorgeous Don Lusher trombone solo, my all time favorite version of "We Mustn't Say Goodbye" is by Jo Stafford on her "G.I. Jo" disc (Corinthian 105).

I did a tribute to Sinatra at Carnegie Hall a few years back with Joe Williams & Michael Fieinstein. Joe was eighty, handsome as ever and that dreamy baritone still had all of its smoothness. To lose Sinatra, Tormé and Williams in such close proximity was a near death knell for the kind of music you and I have always loved so much. Thank heaven they all made plenty of records.

I'm not surprised about most of your sisters not knowing who George Shearing is (No, I won't make any cloistered jokes). Don't forget that before you came to the decision that your vocation was to serve God you were a constant club and concert goer, record collector and loved music of all kinds. In fact I've always thought that your love of music went hand in hand with your faith. I wouldn't be surprised if music didn't help lead you to your strong religious beliefs. They make awfully good partners.

Speaking of concerts, tonight is opening night for Petula Clark in "Sunset Blvd." I have tickets for both opening and closing nights. Pet's an old friend and I can't wait to see her, let alone as Norma Desmond. She toured all over the country with it and will continue through April, with only December off. The plan is to talk her into making some records that month.

Anyway, back to Shearing. Sounds like a memorable evening and thanks for sharing it with me. He's one of the greats and always will be. I'll send you the Tormé/Shearing CD & pick up another for myself. Know you'll like it.

Love to you from me. Keep me in your prayers. Something's getting me through this life on pretty good terms. Gotta be those thoughts that you send skyward. PS: I wonder how many of the names you'll remember in today's poem.

Thanks to all of you for dropping by today, Tomorrow Ken comes by with his weekly feature "This One Does It For me." Hope you'll join him. Meanwhile, sleep warm.

                                                 - RM 10/04/99

GOING HOME:
A QUESTION OF BALANCE

                                - from "from "Suspension Bridge," 1984