Music
White Christmas, almost, here in Des Moines
We had a dusting of snow a few days ago, but the ground is barely covered. So, it’s going to be a sort of a White Christmas here in Des Moines.
What a perfect opportunity to enjoy this Christmas classic, written by the great Irving Berlin, and sung by Bing Crosby and Martha Mears.
Merry Christmas, Quiner’s Diner readers!
Read More“All I want for Christmas is you”
Advent has many components, beginning with our preparation for the coming of the Lord.
It also allows us to revel in a season of great music, both sacred and secular.
The secular song above is a catchy, newish Christmas song that I never get tired of listening. Mariah Carey wrote it and sings it above with Michael Bublé.
Happy Advent!
Read More“The Man I Love”
By Tom Quiner The song failed not once, not twice, but thrice. I’m talking about the classic song from the Great American Songbook, “The Man I love.” Written by the legendary songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin, they attempted to place it in three of their musicals but had it bounced by the director…
Read MoreA call for an injection of creativity in the arts
The most basic interval in music is a perfect third.
If you listen to much popular music, and I admit I don’t, you’ll be clubbed over the head with the sound, as the video above demonstrates.
A good friend of mine taught music theory at a local university. He is an outstanding musician in his own right, with a Phd in music. He explained what the public appreciates the most in song writing: predictability.
Their minds expect a certain, predictable ‘next note’ to occur following a series of (usually predictable) notes that precede it. It is almost as if God had hard-wired man to appreciate certain tones, and the progression of these tones, more than others…
Read MoreSappy songs we love
It’s the worst song ever written.
It depends on the poll, of course, but Jimmy Webb’s 1968 hit song, “MacArthur Park,” is legendary for its maudlin smaltizness, its preposterous imagery, and its mushy lyrics.
Add in Richard Harris’ legendary over-the-top performance, and you’ve got a recipe for a song people love to…
Read MoreAnother gem by Nina Simone
By Tom Quiner Thanks to Quiner’s Diner reader, Barb, for recommending this gem by the great Nina Simone.
Read More“I Loves You, Porgy”
“How great thou art”
By Tom Quiner One of my favorite hymns is “How great thou art.” I’ve made it clear that I want it sung at my funeral Mass one day. I prefer the hymn sung more up tempo than the typical church organist. When I’m on the piano, I play it in a more gospel music style,…
Read MoreMass murder in the United States
Some men simply snap.
Some feel that the world, the system, their boss, or whatever, have been unjust to them, and they’re filled with rage and desire revenge.
Some are mentally ill.
Some are terrorists bent on advancing a cause.
And some are just plain evil.
Sometimes it’s all of the above.
Read MoreHallelujah
It’s a simple song.
The refrain uses but two chords, alternating between A minor and F major in 6/8 time.
Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is one of those soulful songs that stops you in your tracks. Cohen knows how to tell a story. In other words, his lyrics are wonderful, provocative, soul-searching.
But let’s face it, it is his one-word refrain that makes this song a masterpiece: Hallelujah sung against a minor chord.
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