Until about 5 mintues ago I'd never heard of Tessa Violet, and I still don't know much about her, but I stumbled across her video for "I Like (the Idea of) You" and kinda fell in love with its retro, Nancy Sinatra vibes. More like this, please.
As I've grown older, I've come to appreciate a number of musical artists I didn't care for in my youth. Cyndi Lauper is one of them. Couldn't stand her back in the 80s, but my stance softened in the 90s and now I like most of her stuff. Odd, then, that my absolute favorite song of hers is a cover of Roy Orbison's "I Drove All Night." As a rule, I prefer originals over covers, but damn, I like this one more than Roy's version, and I adore Roy Orbison. I could've sworn I'd posted this one before, and apparently I thought that about eight years ago as well, but extensive searches of my blog turn up nothing. Which is weird. This video is fantastic. Stylish and sexy and filled with intense longing. Cyndi really brings her A game to this, so I find it odd that her music career was fading during what should've been a high water mark. What can I say? The public's tastes are fickle. Yours truly is a case in point.
One of my children intends to enter the Armadillocon Writer's Workshop this year (a great program to get into if you're a new writer interested in writing science fiction or fantasy). The problem, though, is that said child complained all their ideas spiralled out into epic sagas comprising tens of thousands of words, if not more. They simply didn't know how to write a self-contained story under the 5,000 word limit. So I sat down with them and watched, through the magic of YouTube, the vintage video of "Sylvia's Mother" by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show. This song, written by the legendary Shel Silverstein, is a masterclass in telling a complete story in three minutes. There is so much information that is implied rather than spoken. My goodness, more information is conveyed by what is unsaid that all the lyrics combined. Of course, Dennis Locorriere's mourful delivery lifts the emotional impact into the stratosphere, but it's Silverstein's lyrics that give him so much to work with (interesting note: The song is autobiographical, about Silverstein's lost love, Sylvia Pandolfi. This song's like a puzzle box). I can't write that spare, or emotionally, or precisely, although I often strive for this level of mastery. I remain in awe of this song to this day, even if Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show is quite possibly the scruffiest, most disreputable-looking band in history.
When the song was over, my child and I talked for a bit, and they said that it sparked a story idea as we watched. Mission accomplished.
Previously on Friday Night Videos... ZZ Top.
Now Playing: Emerson, Lake & Palmer Return of the Manticore Chicken Ranch Central
I'm catching up with two episodes today. First up is Episode 31 of A Moment of Tiki, my August installment which is now live on the YouTubes! This time out I walk viewers through two different approaches to home tiki bar lighting. One is decidedly low-tech, and the other is not quite as low-tech, but still involves off-the-shelf components. When someone starts working on a home tiki bar, the natural inclination is to focus mainly on the wall coverings--I know I did! But the lighting you choose has as much, if not more, impact on the environment. An 80s ceiling fixture or a bare bulb does nothing to further the illusion of a tropical getaway. Fortunately, there are many avenues available for the homeowner to tikify the available lighting. A little bit of basic electrical knowledge doesn't hurt, either.
The other video I have for you is my installment for July, Episode 30, which I didn't get around to posting here when it went live because I was in the middle of a Southwest/West Coast road trip. On this episode of A Moment of Tiki I offer my thoughts on Clairin Vaval, an unaged spirit distilled from the fermented juice of Madame Meuze sugar cane. It is sold by La Maison & Velier. I don't do a lot of straight rum tastings because I don't feel my palate is developed enough to offer insightful commentary most of the time, but this one's special. Here are a few stats to get you started: Clairin Vaval is a 2018 vintage sugar cane juice rhum, produced by Distillery Arawaks in Cavaillon, Haiti. Bottled at 48.7% ABV (pot still proof). Wild yeast fermentation. My biggest tasting note is that it is not unlike licking a 9-volt battery. For reals.
