Dear Friends,
I can’t think of a title today, so you get “Titular Folly.” It is rather self-explanatory. The brain is dead, Jim.
Yesterday was “get it done” day and I feel like I got a lot of what I wanted to do taken care of before I passed out. I even got a few things done that I didn’t have planned when I got up. All in all, I have no complaints about yesterday.
Well, maybe one.
I had to go to Walmart yesterday. It kind of sucked. I really don’t care for that store very much although in a few weeks, I’ll look forward to going to one. That’s how Maine is, and even though they are the same stores (other than regional products), you get a little excited about Walmart there.
*****
Today will be a good day, I think. Breakfast with Dot, then tile, then a late lunch with my dad, Tom J, Michael S, and the boys. We are going to celebrate Father’s Day a bit early. Not sure where we are going to eat, but I’m guessing the company will be fantastic.
Tonight, I will do very little.
*****
Advice for the day: When mixing up thinset, go a little easier than you think when you are doing a big batch of it. I wasted a lot of thinset yesterday and that bums me out. Waste not, tile not.
Or some such shit.
*****
Like a lot of people, the movie Garden State brought my attention to Nick Drake. I guess I can also blame Volkswagen, too, because they used “Pink Moon,” the title track of today’s record in a commercial in 1999. His story is tragic, but that’s not what I want to talk about today.
I had a tough time choosing whether to write about Pink Moon or Bryter Layter. I like them both very much, but I had to go with the former because I listened to it first. It’s just the way I am.
First and foremost, I find Drake’s songs to be extremely beautiful. I enjoy the way he plays the guitar, too, which makes me think that someday I might be able to do a poor man’s version (in terms of guitar playing talent) of this style on my own.
To be honest, the first time I listened to Pink Moon I was prepared to hate it. I thought “Pink Moon” had to be a ‘one-off’ type of thing where the rest of the record was going to suck, but instead, Drake sucked me into his world rather quickly. I started listening to his stuff quite a lot.
There is a very personal aspect of Drake’s music. I tend to listen to him on my own. I don’t know if I would ever put Pink Moon on in a social situation or spin any of these songs in a DJ set, for example, unless I wanted people to chill the fuck out. Pink Moon is super chill.
“Place To Be” just sort of swims in my head after “Pink Moon.” I think the whole thing kind of flows into itself like a river of melancholy sounds and plaintive vocals. Drake had a wonderful voice.
I love how Drake makes these simple tunes way more interesting by adding in extra notes here and there. Some people might be annoyed by this, but I love it. Some of my bandmates, I won’t say who, chastise me for doing similar things. The last track on Pink Moon, “From The Morning,” incorporates this element to a wonderful conclusion.
This is one of those records that I sit here and think about and it occurs to me that I really wish Nick Drake was able to see what I have written. In a way, this whole exercise has been me writing love letters to the records that have influenced and enhanced my life. I wish he could know that “Things Behind The Sun” always makes me feel better. Even though it is a sad sounding song, the lyrics are fucking great and echo a lot of what I believe about life.
The first verse goes like this:
“Please beware of them that stare
They'll only smile to see you while your time away
And once you've seen what they have been
To win the earth just won't seem worth your night or your day
Who'll hear what I say”
I interpret the song as saying to avoid being judgmental or envious and just be yourself. What little I know about Drake has led me to believe that he struggled with doing this for many years. I think a lot of people spend way more time worrying about what others think about them instead of worrying about how just to practice happiness and seek joy.
The simplicity of “Know” is another wonderful moment on Pink Moon. I really enjoy how Drake kind of plunks away at the riff and towards the end of the song it gets a bit more agitated. The emotion behind it is palpable.
I’m putting it out there to the universe right now that I would like to do a cover of “Harvest Breed” at some point with a band. Just saying…
Towards the end of the record, “Parasite” and “Free Ride” have this mix of exasperation and desperation that reach down into your soul. “Won’t you give me a free ride?” Drake asks. I wish someone would have been able to help him find the ride that would have saved his life.
I wish someone would have heard you calling, Nick.
*****
See you tomorrow.
Which show would you rather see? I know which one I would choose.
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