Americana Movie Music Rock

Shine On You Crazy Harvest Moon

Sometimes things work out perfectly. Recently, the song title “Shine On, Harvest Moon” popped into my head. It’s a classic, great song that is evocative of a simpler and for some people happier and more innocent time. It’s the type of song our grandparents sang. (Actually, not mine. Mine were too busy running from Nazis and Cossacks. But you get the idea, I’m sure.) I decided to feature it.

The first step, of course, is to consult Google and YouTube to find the best version. I typed in “Shine On” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” appeared. Two great songs that are as different as possible. Why not feature both? The best part is that great videos of each exist.

I like Pink Floyd and feel a deep connection to Laurel and Hardy. I always have wanted to feature the latter’s version of “Shine On, Harvest Moon,” which is from the movie “The Flying Deuces.”

Laurel and Hardy occupy a small but important place in western culture, in my opinion. The great comedians are philosophers with laugh tracks. Those that were on the scene during the dreadful middle of the truly awful 20th century were vital. They were commentators on the same changes in society that produced a century of violence and death.

Charlie Chaplin dealt with the dehumanizing elements of modernity. (Check out “Modern Times” or “The Kid.”) The Marx Brothers were political philosophers who debated authority versus anarchy. W.C. Fields was about how to maintain autonomy and a personal code — and whether an independent person (drunk or sober) can survive. (He also had two of the best titles: “You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man” and “Never Give a Sucker an Even Break.”)

Laurel and Hardy are about innocence and its inevitable loss. They were two little boys who weren’t really aware of the adult world or that the old times were inexorably fading away. The adults around them indulged and insulated them, just as people indulge and insulate children. There also was a touch of sadness, because the viewer knows that it all is going to come crashing down. The merciful thing would be for them to be gone before they are forced to take their places on the assembly line of this grim new age.

I don’t know as much about Pink Floyd, except that they are a great band. Songfacts says that “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” is about Syd Barrett, an original band member who wrote many of its early hits. (Note the letters “SYD” in the words of the song’s name.) Mental illness had forced the band to kick him out. From Songfacts:

During the final mixing sessions of this song in June of 1975, Barrett wandered into the studios, ready to help out. He was fat, bald, and as crazy as they remembered, but they let him stay for a while. Barrett wanted to rejoin the group, but they learned in 1967 and 1968 that having an insane member was not good for a band. Before he was kicked out, Barrett would get on stage and either refuse to play or play the same note over and over.

Syd (actually, Roger Keith) Barrett died in 2006.

Wikipedia and Songfacts were used to write this post.

Our New Things: Links to Music Sites and Info on Analog Tech and Vinyl

TDMB has focused on music and musicians. We will continue to do that, of course. We're also expanding our coverage to include vinyl and analog equipment.

More specifically, we'll look at this huge and interesting world from the perspective of music lovers who want a better experience, not committed non-audiophiles.

Check out is some of what we've written so far:

-- Assessing the Value of Vinyl Records: An Overview

-- 7 Quick Tips on Optimizing Your Turntable Cartridge

-- Why Vinyl Records Continue to Thrive

-- Finding the Best Amplifier

-- Finding the Best Phono Preamp

-- What Speakers Do I Need for My Turntable?

Check out more articles on analog equipment and vinyl.

The site also is home to The Internet Music Mapping Project, an effort to list and describe as many music-related sites as possible.

Our Music

--A Tribe Called Quest to The Dick Hyman Trio (In other words, A to H)

--Indigo Girls to Queen Ida (I to Q)

--Radiohead to ZZ Top (R to Z)

Reading Music

The stories of the great bands and musicians are fascinating. Musicians as a group are brilliant, but often troubled. The combination of creativity and drama makes for great reading.

Here are some books to check out.

Duke Ellington brought class, sophistication and style to jazz which, until that point, was proudly unpolished and raucous. His story is profound. The author, Terry Teachout, also wrote "Pops," the acclaimed bio of Louis Armstrong. Click here or on the image.

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What else is there to say? Here is the story behind every song written by The Beatles. Click here or on the image.

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The Grateful Dead don't get enough credit for the profound nature of its lyrics. Many of the band's songs are driven by a deep and literate Americana ("I'm Uncle Sam/That's who I am/Been hidin' out/In a rock and roll band" and "Majordomo Billy Bojangles/Sit down and have a drink with me/What's this about Alabama/Keeps comin' back to me?").

David Dodd's exhaustive study tells the story, song by song. Click here or on the image.

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