01-10-2023, 12:49
GHOST TRAIN ORCHESTRA AND KRONOS QUARTET ~ Songs & Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog
![[Image: a3729125711_16.jpg]](https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3729125711_16.jpg)
Sorry about the massive pic! Not possible to categorise, so here we are, in Alternative.
Although re-imaginings, the essence of these pieces remains one of a certain era. They are whimsical, quirky, and somehow have a quality of innocence, or almost (dare I say) purity about them. Moondog, for all his eccentricities, seems to me to have been a true creative. There is something a bit childlike about wildly creative people but that’s not a critique – it’s to do with the way they see and interpret things – something most people lose in adulthood. There is a song here about coffee beans, for example – crazy right? An ode to the simple yet vast pleasure of a good brew. And a “Choo Choo Lullaby” - complete with clever train sounds in both music and vocals. He made songs about everyday stuff with wry humour, absolute sincerity, great intelligence and a good dollop of the surreal. I have known one other person like this in my life.
Moondog knew about composition and was prolific in his writings. I’m glad this collection has been put together – his pieces deserve an airing. I doubt you will ever hear anything else like it again – he was one of a kind. I expect his “Enough About Human Rights” will strike a chord! LOL! So relevant in this day and age! A highly developed sense of the absurd is probably an apt summation – at the same time profound too, with occasional glimpses of pathos – a very unusual personage was he.
The Kronos Quartet and Ghost Train Orchestra are both credible groups comprising skilled musicians and IMHO, the album has been tastefully compiled and executed, including by the various guest artists chosen for each track. Since he carefully notated ALL his work, and going by what I have heard of it, I would imagine that the music is fairly faithful to the Moondog originals although that is conjecture and I could be totally wrong. I think I’ll pick it up for the sheer joy of it all. It’s kinda old fashioned without being anachronistic - if that makes any sense! Or maybe it IS anachronistic and I’m just making excuses because I like it – quite possible.
If anyone wants to know more about Moondog – a short profile and some links in this post - https://www.music-discussion.com/showthr...#pid150028
And I just found this article too, which is worth a read - https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/s...mphoniques
An instrumental track "Caribea" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKaI25TiIiw
The aforementioned "Enough About Human Rights" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4KScujLZOs
"Be a Hobo" with Rufus Wainwright ...
"I'm This, I'm That" with Jarvis Cocker ...
Sorry about the massive pic! Not possible to categorise, so here we are, in Alternative.
Although re-imaginings, the essence of these pieces remains one of a certain era. They are whimsical, quirky, and somehow have a quality of innocence, or almost (dare I say) purity about them. Moondog, for all his eccentricities, seems to me to have been a true creative. There is something a bit childlike about wildly creative people but that’s not a critique – it’s to do with the way they see and interpret things – something most people lose in adulthood. There is a song here about coffee beans, for example – crazy right? An ode to the simple yet vast pleasure of a good brew. And a “Choo Choo Lullaby” - complete with clever train sounds in both music and vocals. He made songs about everyday stuff with wry humour, absolute sincerity, great intelligence and a good dollop of the surreal. I have known one other person like this in my life.
Moondog knew about composition and was prolific in his writings. I’m glad this collection has been put together – his pieces deserve an airing. I doubt you will ever hear anything else like it again – he was one of a kind. I expect his “Enough About Human Rights” will strike a chord! LOL! So relevant in this day and age! A highly developed sense of the absurd is probably an apt summation – at the same time profound too, with occasional glimpses of pathos – a very unusual personage was he.
The Kronos Quartet and Ghost Train Orchestra are both credible groups comprising skilled musicians and IMHO, the album has been tastefully compiled and executed, including by the various guest artists chosen for each track. Since he carefully notated ALL his work, and going by what I have heard of it, I would imagine that the music is fairly faithful to the Moondog originals although that is conjecture and I could be totally wrong. I think I’ll pick it up for the sheer joy of it all. It’s kinda old fashioned without being anachronistic - if that makes any sense! Or maybe it IS anachronistic and I’m just making excuses because I like it – quite possible.
If anyone wants to know more about Moondog – a short profile and some links in this post - https://www.music-discussion.com/showthr...#pid150028
And I just found this article too, which is worth a read - https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/s...mphoniques
An instrumental track "Caribea" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKaI25TiIiw
The aforementioned "Enough About Human Rights" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4KScujLZOs
"Be a Hobo" with Rufus Wainwright ...
"I'm This, I'm That" with Jarvis Cocker ...
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson