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Thursday 5 January 2012

Generation gap gets wider

POP EXPLORED, part eight. Resuming Cool Kid’s list (December 11)

Danny le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip. Letter from God. But not from an avenging Yahway, rather one who’s down in the dumps. To heavy three-chord guitars, increasing in tempo and volume throughout, this panicky accountant Deity, burdened with an estuarine accent, praises Man for “all the beautiful art you’ve created with such grace and finesse.” but whinges that “a lot of the good I tried to do was corrupted when organised religion got into full swing.” In unmusical recitative he apologises “to Mother Nature because I created you.” Not a whole lot of fun.

Bright Eyes. Lover I don’t have to love. Ding-dong introduction. Whispering monotone vocalist gradually assumes an understated melody. Lyrics tend towards incoherence “I picked you out of a crowd… I said ‘I like your shoes’” plus repeated reference to a man with chemicals. I’m much too old for this. YouTube commenters are very acrimonious to each other about this piece: “I’m through with you and your stupid mouth; you give people a bad name.” and “You disgrace literature with your blatant corruption”.

Ed Sheeran. Small Bump. (Cool Kid admits Sheeran is the most popular singer on his list). Although modestly employed the guitar has a plucked theme to introduce things and there are sufficient chords thereafter to identify a tune. An incredibly young-sounding voice sings about a child “unborn for four months then brought to life”, capable of wrapping its fingers (“nails the size of half a grain of rice”) round the singer’s thumb, then “torn from life and maybe you were needed up there but we’re unaware as to why”. Some pediatric inconsistencies here. But it’s a song with a tale to tell.

Pic: The LdPs’ latest act of patronage crossed a very significant price barrier.

6 comments:

  1. I do like that artwork. Can you tell me more about it? The image begs to be enlarged, so the detail can be appreciated.

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  2. Not absolutely certain, but I think the egg in third column from the right, fifth row down is a crow egg.

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  3. HHB: I take it you have double-clicked on it. The origins of the painting (which is a mixture of acrylic, water-colour and I don't know what) couldn't be simpler. For four or five years now Mrs LdP has been taking instruction in what I believe are called the plastic arts and, intermittently, I have shared the job of getting her to her teacher who lived along a magically beautiful little road leading to the village of Kentchurch. During this period there have been social events like Christmas lunches which I have attended and I have watched that painting evolve as Mrs LdP's teacher, Sue, a professional artist, worked on it. Now Sue is moving North (ironically to the city where I was born - Bradford; there've been lots of jokes) and I decided I had to have the painting - not because of any sentimentality about Sue but for reasons which I suppose - though I cringe at the word - could be described as aesthetic. Having seen some of Sue's other paintings and known their asking price I knew a largish sum would be involved. Since I'm coy about this I can put the figure into some kind of perspective: the cheque I eventually wrote was twice that I paid for the sculpture of our two grandchildren (we now have three) which we commissioned nearly twenty years ago and which I blogged about in my BB days:

    http://bbworkswell.blogspot.com/search?q=Patrons+late+in+life

    All pretty crass this money talk but I include it for a reason. When I announced my intention Mrs LdP offered to go halves. Which was nice.

    Not satisfied with the frame, though. May have to order another.

    The Crow: When I've got time - and a handy footstool - I'll look a little closer. Some of the eggs have labels and we may be lucky.

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  4. The Crow: Just checked: ninth column from left (it's more confusing from the right), fourth from back. A carrion crow, in fact.

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  5. Thanks for that. Yes did double click (but working on a Netbook, limits screen size). Re the frame, maybe something fairly fine and in a pale wood?

    I think whatever you paid, it is worth every penny.

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  6. HHB: The frame. You hint at one which happens to be our default mode: fairly plain, woodish. But for the first time ever - and because of the nature of the painting - I feel myself tempted towards something slightly more ornate. However I won't be precipitate and it will be the subject of much discussion.

    The price. That's exactly how I feel. Interestingly yesterday was Mrs LdP's first lesson without Sue and she was asked by the other students (all good friends of longstanding) how much we paid. She told them and they nodded between themselves saying it seemed about right.

    Buying original art is one of the logical developments of a retirement which, purely by luck, has turned out to be financially comfortable. Gradually reproductions are going off the walls and one is left with an interesting exercise, often extended over months, of trying to decide whether one made the right decision. During this exercise any considerations of price are completely forgotten.

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