22nd & 23rd November, 2004
|
|
Rod in “The Best is Yet to Come” 11/6/04
Photo by Shira Greenburg ©2004 by Broadway.com. Used by Permission
A Thought for Today
Let go of your anger. It doesn't justify
the memory chips it takes to store it.
FLIGHTS FROM6THE
PAST
10 October 1998
"HOME TO THE SEA"
No one, not even Anita Kerr herself, can imagine what fun I had working
with her on the San Sebastian Strings series that we did together. Her
music was inspiring and her arrangements were always stylish, inventive
and unexpected. Best of all she was and is one of the sweetest,
funniest, kindest and most talented people I’ve ever worked with or
known as a friend. Could anybody ever ask for a better working
environment?
I was a racer in those days, trying my dandiest to be a thoroughbred,
and Anita always kept up. We never failed to finish neck & neck. From
the first shot out of the barrel, in this case "The Sea" we sold so many
records that nobody from the record company ever bothered us. I was able
to not only push the envelope but shred it if I wished. I got away with
saying things that made Anita blush, but that never stopped her from
coming up with music to compliment every word.
Each album we did was a concept album. It had a beginning, middle and an
end. Lyrically there was a story that had to carry the album. Musically
there was a main theme that underscored the story and vast amounts of
additional music that helped flesh out my flights of fancy. I like to
think the best tracks stood on their own, lyrically and musically.
Jessie Pearson, the extraordinary late actor, was the voice of our "Sea
Trilogy": The Sea, The Soft Sea & Home To The Sea. Nobody ever spoke any
of my words better and directing him was a treat. I didn’t always write
poems for the San Sebastian Strings series, sometimes just a line or two
between musical passages or maybe a paragraph.
These passages, never in print before, are merely thoughts, not poetry
but I hope they help to bring the album back in memory.
- R.M. 10/3/98
Three Paragraphs from "Home to the Sea"
1. Another Evening With The Gypsies: I know I’m nearing home...there are
gypsies in my dreams again. Caravans of minstrels with castanets and
crystal balls. Dogs of every color following the wagons. I can smell the
strong coffee coming from a hundred gypsy campfires. I wonder, do the
gypsies still accept runaways’ to their own? Or must I find another
Foreign Legion?
Never mind, the gypsies all belong to me. . . . at night anyway.
2. There Are No Beaches In Magic City, Texas: The day before Magic City
Texas blew away and new nuts predicted the world’s end, we made love in
the grove of cottonwood trees. . remember? You weren’t afraid of me
then. You weren’t afraid of anything. Being young does that. When you’re
young, there are only beaches and no battlefields. There were and are no
beaches in Magic City Texas, so I got the hell out of there.
3. Running Out Of Strangers: Passing by on trains I see it on the hills.
The same face sometimes walking a little bit ahead of me. Opening my
eyes in strange hotels . . . last night’s memory clouded mixed with all
the other memories. . . . following neon after nine o’clock, watching
people like my cat watches me. I’m running out of tomorrows and arms to
run to, strange or familiar. There are no strangers to me anymore and
that begins to worry me.
- from the album Home to the Sea, 1970
A Belated Happy Birthday wish to our editor at large, Bruce Bellingham
who turned sixteen (again) yesterday.
If you are off to somewhere this week for the holiday travel safely and
don’t start partying before your arrival. Sleep warm and join Webmaster
Ken on Wednesday for This One Does it For Me.
RM 11/22/04 3:05AM PST
Click
on the Stanyan House logo to buy Rod McKuen books, CD's and lots more
Click on the heart logo to
subscribe to the Rod McKuen mailing list
Catch Rod McKuen live!
Click on the links below for details of
concerts and appearances.
ROD McKUEN
CONCERTS
ROD
McKUEN APPEARANCES
|
