Old video

And if you wonder how he looked in real life, here is a videolink from Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.

And here is how he sounded.

New statue

"I've searched all the parks in all the cities / and found no statues of committees."
G.K. Chesterton

While there still are no statues of committees, there is at least one of GKC - soon.

Bloodline bashing

Mania.com has a good review of the latest Da Vinci Code wannabe, the movie Bloodline, written, directed and produced by Bruce Burgess.

Not the least interest has been tied to the DNA test of the alleged Mary Magdalene discovered in a tomb in the Rennes Les Chatteâu area. Discovered by amateur archaeologist Bill Wilkinson, in true Indiana Jones style, by dropping his video camera down a hole in a clumsy moment. No doubt to outwit the local nazis.

How the test went? Not that good.

The central piece of evidence revealed in Bloodline is a mummified corpse found in Wilkinson’s accidentally discovered tomb, wrapped in a white linen mantle emblazoned with the red cross of the Knights Templar. The linen looks remarkably white, well-preserved, and rot-free for having survived a millennium of dampness at the base of a subterranean cave in the French Pyrénnées.

Open boxes of gleaming polished chalices near the body were similarly unaffected by time and oxidation, not unlike the props on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland.

Hairs extracted from the head of the corpse (the extraction was not shown on camera) were sent to the Paleo-DNA Laboratory at Lakehead University (Canada) for analysis. According to Barnett and Burgess, the result of Mitochondrial DNA testing revealed a Middle Eastern origin for the deceased (ergo, this could conceivably be Mary Magdalene, although they seemed to have arrived at that conclusion well in advance).

Well - yes and no. The report from Lakehead was shown on camera and identifies the mtDNA sample as belonging to Haplogroup I, which migrated out of the Near East and into Europe between 30,000 and 40,000 years ago prior to the last Ice Age. It is virtually unknown outside of Europe, but is no stranger to the French Pyrénnées. One major subculture belonging to this haplogroup settled in southern France and Northern Spain 10,000 to 20,000 years ago during the period archaeologists refer to as the "âge du Renne", or Age of the Reindeer.

And, perhaps tellingly, this group is called the "Magdalenian Culture" - the name being derived not from Mary Magdalene, but from an excavation site called La Madeleine in the Dordogne region of southern France where its relics were discovered in the 19th century.

But forget all those bothersome dates and inconvenient details that tend to unnerve alternative historians and spoil a good story - "Renne", "Magdalenian" - close enough, right? Why split hairs?

Indeed, just relax and have a good time. It helps if you leave your brain at the door.

Jazz jam at Typhoon

A review of his sitting in with Bruce Lofgren on monday at Typhoon is available here.

Besides Monk and such, they also performed a brand new tune by Keith, After All Of This.

I don't think I am all that alone in not quite being able to wait for his new album to be relased in July followed by a short (?) tour.

Anyone with a handy time machine to spare for a second?

If needed you may even get it back before you lent it.

Larry tops the lists

On a related note, Upon This Rock is #1 on eMusic!

At least it was last week, according to Larry's brother Charles:

We just got the word today, Larry's album Upon This Rock just shot to numero uno on eMusic! For those of you who don't know, eMusic is the second largest digital distribution channel on the internet after iTunes. This is the first time a Christian rock recording has topped the charts in eMusic's history. We're all very happy, and while we can't say that Larry would've been thrilled since he didn't care much about record charts, we know it would've brought at least a smile to his face...

So what it took for Larry to reach # 1, was simply to leave this planet.

It is the same old story.

Rebel Poet, Jukebox Balladeer

Another note, this time about Larry, as the long awaited anthology Rebel Poet, Jukebox Balladeer is due May 27th.

We're talking here about an ultra deluxe remastered CD with 24 page booklet featuring exclusive photos, printed lyrics, and a song-by-song description of how and why the songs were written. Whether one has all and every album by Larry (a human impossibility) or not, this is a nice addition and of course a brilliant gift option.

"To best understand Larry Norman, you should realize that the man is a dichotomy, in the grandest sense of the world. While other rock stars existed to follow the prepackaged template to a tee even if that meant punishing another seemingly innocent hotel room Norman existed on an entirely different plain. He was the church boy holding his own in the decadent world of rock music, an insubordinate jester with a rebellious streak that stretched out long before the birth of punk, and a performer whose raw energy, spiritual force, and playful wit made him the endearing rock icon he is today.

In Norman you have it all. A man unfairly saddled with the hefty burden of the ''father of Christian rock,'' yet he is a singer whose defiant lyrics and actions were shunned by the church-going status quo. Norman is a saint in a world of sinners, and at the same time, to some, he is a sinner amongst the saints. While other rockers spent their lifetimes trying to emulate Norman, they just couldn't catch the man."

-J Bacca (excerpt from the linear notes)

Even if I may not be on the very best terms with Rolling Stones Magazine for rewriting the story of the 70s, it is nice to see their review - 4 stars of 5.

Highly deserved, though I ponder why it didn't get a 5. An ill adviced attempt to convey that the devil have even better music?

In the Moog for Jazz?

Just a quick note to anyone planning to visit Santa Monica tonight.

Pig Alert

Watch out for this beauty flying about in a sky close to you.

And take care to read this.

Then you'll know who really rocked the ropes.

UPDATE 13:56 (GMT +1): The bacon has now been brought down. In tatters.

In memory of Brian Davison (1942-2008)

The drummer of The Nice and Refugee sadly passed away two days ago.

Brian Davison (pictured pointing at left) was perhaps the least known among the finest drummers in the world. Still he is remembered fondly by many, and has been mentioned on more than one musical forum the last days.

Personally, I had the great fortune to see him and the rest of The Nice on their too brief comeback tours in 2002 and 2003.

If you want to celebrate Brian today, you could do worse than buy a CD with The Nice and Refugee.

Some of his great drumming is available here and here. It is also possible to see a live version of one of The Nice's most experimental numbers (they played ballads, blues and Bach as well), Ars Longa Vitas Brevis which continues here , and a track by Refugee.

Thanks for all, Brian. Rest assured, there is still some of us who hang on to a dream.

Note also the wonderfull tribute here.

Keith with new album in July

Not easy to find news about Keith Emerson's projects, however this 43 seconds video interview may provide some clues. There are also some more hints in the related videos.

CD and DVD.

Wow and all that.

Friday again

Time for some blasphemy.

And so had almost this blog

Though, after a hiatus it may very well be back. Stay somewhat alert.

In the meantime, here are some links to check out on the Grand and Dignified Themes of

- Is Theology a subject? (Yes, it is)

- Is the Renaissance scholar dead? (My vote goes to Grayling, for once)

- Is Emerson's 1st Piano Concerto to be performed again? (Indeed)