Random dumb thoughts

This page is to put those little weirdnesses of life that don't really fit anywhere else, or aren't worth a page of their own

Thursday, January 08, 2004

Hmmm --- there has been a request for more information on the guy on the train giving me a random CD. I really thought that that had been blogged about in the past and looked in the archives, but it turns out that it wasn't. When I looked at it, it's most likely because immediately upon returning home from that trip is when I locked my keys in the car, with the car running. Immediate trauma takes precedence over random encounters on trains in blogging.

The other reason that it wasn't blogged about is because nothing particularly earthshattering happened. I was taking Amtrak from Washington to New Haven to attend the wedding of a friend. I can't remember whether I took the empty seat next to this man, or whether he took the empty seat next to me. In any event, on the trip up to New York, where he was due to meet the record executives, we had a very nice chat indeed. While he didn't seem to be completely disinterested, I also didn't get the sense that he was hitting on me, which was later rectified by the mention of a wife, and I think a child. If I recall correctly, he had made a bunch of money in the tech industry, cashed out, and he spent the time on his music, and I think he was part owner of a DC restaurant in Adams Morgan, the name of which I've since forgotten. Toward the end of the journey he gave me one of the CDs. I thought it was a very nice gesture.

The album in question can be looked at here. I think I figured out that the Rob person mentioned was the man on the train.

So, sorry to disappoint -- but there were no quickie encounters in the bathroom on the train, no feelings of "I met my soulmate and he got away and all I have is this glove to find him by", and no pleading professions of undying affection from him. Nice man, nice album.

.: posted by Lily Thursday, January 08, 2004

Tuesday, January 06, 2004

Okay, I did mean to blog more this year, but that pesky life and work thing is getting in the way. Now, I had thought to do a brief critique of the albums I got in 2003, but that would be a very short list. Anyone on the Squeezefan list will now have my opinion of Elvis Costello's "North" (positive -- but I liked the Juliet Letters and like these albums as long as they're occasional). I do note that I still call them albums, even though I don't think anyone's even seen a turntable in a decade. Sigh. Soon I'll be calling people "whippersnappers"

I've pulled out my stack of CDs purchased since 1 January of last year.

1. Reissues with or without extra stuff/old stuff on CD. Several Elvis Costellos, Jesus Christ Superstar, a B-52s compilation, Police "Ghost in the Machine" and "Zenyatta Mondatta". Let It Be....Naked. All pretty much as expected.

2. CD given to me by random guy on Amtrak who was going up to NY to see his producer. It's a real CD and everything -- some kind of fusion/jazz thing with Norah Jones on guest vocals. Not my cup of tea, but quite good for the genre.

3."Almost You" -- Covers of EC songs. Didn't grab me much.

4. Classical Saxaphone concertos, St. Martin in the Fields, conducted by Neville Marriner. Purchased in New Haven when a friend (classical sax player) got married and had some awesome classical sax pieces at his wedding. Who knew?

5. Foo Fighters -- One by One. Well, I like the fighters of Foo, and this is the first album I actually own. Good gym music.

6. Russian Patriotic songs by hunky superstar Russian Baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, with whom we sang in Moscow in April.

7. "6Twenty" by the D4. I had listened to this in the listening post at Tower, liked it enough to buy it, but it never really caught on. Punk-style by the young generation.

8. Darkness into Light by John Tavener. My favorite modern composer. I'm glad I made this list because I forgot I had gotten this album -- probably got it in late July or early August, when I was distracted.

9. Rooney (ST) -- Pretty cute stuff. Nothing earthshaking.

So there you go. I'm waiting to get the latest one by the Bluetones, but Amazon has done it's usual bait and switch where "available in 24 hours" means "available in 24 hours from some Tuesday in February so we'll hold up the whole order including your desk calendar". However, I'll forgive the Bluetones for a lot.

.: posted by Lily Tuesday, January 06, 2004

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