Nights In White Satin

Some things do it to me every time. I cry almost anytime I hear "Nights In White Satin" by the Moody Blues.

I remember that at the end of every year the radio (and I cannot remember which station[s]) would have a countdown (sometimes commercial-free!) of the top 100 songs in Rock of all times. I know that while Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" always won, somewhere in the top 10 or so would be the Moody Blue's "Nights in White Satin". I always loved this song. It is Rock but it is Classical, too. I appreciate Classical music as much as I do Rock music. It is just a completely different kind of sound. But listen to Beethoven and then listen to nearly any good musician drom the fifties. Can you hear it? Sometimes it is all the same chords. Change the tempo, change the accompaniment, you have something completely different... and yet, something completely the same. If you ever have the chance to watch "Mr. Holland's Opus", which is a teensy bit preachy but a delightful movie, do so. There is a scene where Mr. Holland, played with Richard Dreyfuss' usual talentedness, is trying to find a way to inspire his music students to appreciate music. In the 50s there was a lot of narrow-minded thinking about Rock and Roll music (an attitude quite delightfully embodied by the officious character played by William H. Macy, another actor I very much admire. He was the Vice Principle at the High School). He realises that thte kids are not going to respond to the Classical music, then thought of as Long-hair music, whithout understanding the way it relates to its predecessor.

A brilliant scene.

One Christmas, my aunt, a professional cellist, played Mozart for me... I really asked her to do it. And I was blown away... not that I haven't been to any of her concerts or heard her playing, but to hear the rich sound filling up the small living room was... wel... awe-inspiring. And beautiful. I had tears in my eyes. It was stunning, moving, lovely in way that no recording can ever be. Maybe after years of playing, the music does not move Amy the way it does me, as I think she was quite surprised at my reaction.

But music is beautiful and brings laughter, delight, richness, beauty and peace. Or it can be moving - moving in a happy way or a sad way, but moving none-the-less. I remember when telly shows really did not offer much in the way of music during scenes. In fact, it was either really hokey, only in the opening and closing parts, or non-existant. Now, watch any show. There are some shows that have constant background music... some with scenes where the actors are doing things with only music, and scenes that would not be the same without that. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation often - in every show - has scenes where the criminalists are doing things in the lab, with some song playing... sometimes it is very heavy-metal stuff, but some episodes stand out with music I know. One had New Order's "Elegia" playing. (This is a brilliant instrumental that is so rich in sound and the music starting so sftly it is inaudible and then swelling to huge proportions. Wonderful!) It made the scene so much richer... Not just because it is music I know and love but because it is not just noise but music to make you think and consider.

We went to the movies and saw "The Thomas Crowne Affair" when it came out... gods, when was that? I guess it was at least five years ago... Anyway, the movie was good, but it was made great by the score and soundtrack. (There is a difference between movie scores and soundtracks. I will let you discover that...) There was a very hot - and I mean, steaming hot - scene with Pierce Brosnan (absolutely nothing wrong with him naked!) and Renee... uh... Russo (that's it! Couldn't think of her surname for a moment) where they were having some really passionate sex all over the house. Now, that would have been some scene without music... maybe. With the music, there wasn't a person in that theatre squirming with sudden heat from that. (It was actually quite funny - I think every last person was completely discomfitted from that!)

People at work find it quirky but amusing that I absolutely must - must - have music. I do. I had one day without it when my little music player (not the RCA one I still have that is gods know how old and holds a max of 125 songs) died. I had a Rio Carbon then and it was wonderful. I loved it. It held about 2500 songs and was filled. It held MP3s and WMAs, the Windows format. I think it held other formats too, but I don't know which ones. It was a delightful piece of technology. It died in October (right before my vacation, which seriously limited how much music I had for my four-hour journey north). I had the little RCA thing to tide me over until Christmas when Luis, that wonderful man, far exceeded my expectations by getting me an iPod Nano. I am filling it up fairly quickly... Unfortunately it takes only the Mac - Apple - format and MP3... This meant that only some music made it (it was quite staggering how much music we lost when Luis' server died), and a lot of it had to be re-ripped and re-purchased from AllofMP3.com. I started out with around 1,000 songs. Now I have 3,304 songs (and climbing) - but I only put the four- and five-star rated songs on the iPod, or they'll not all fit! It currently has about 1440 songs on it and it is about 70 - 75% full (I think).

"Cold hearted orb that rules the night,

Removes the volour from our sight.

Red is grey and yellow white,

But we decide which is right.

And which is an illusion?

Pinprick holes in a colourless sky,

Let inspried figures of light pass by,

The mighty light of ten thousand suns,

Challenges infinity and is soon gone.

Night time, to some a brief interlude,
To others the fear of solitude.
Brave Helios wake up your steeds,
Bring the warmth the countryside needs.
Breathe deep the gathering gloom,
Watch lights fade from every room.
Bedsitter people look back in lament,
Another day's useless energy spent.
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one,
Lonely man cries for love and has none.
New mother picks up and suckles her son,
Senior citizens wish they were young.
Cold hearted orb that rules the night,
Removes the volour from our sight.
Red is grey and yellow white,
But we decide which is right.
And which is an illusion?"