Fragile Musings And Black Coffee With Al
A warm and wonderful Christmas Holiday surrounded by family and loved ones brings hopeful anticipation for the coming new year and its prospects. The further development of close bonds especially represents meaningful opportunity as I am clearly reminded once again of just how fortunate and truly blessed I am in my uniquely creative, artful life and in every dimension of it that really counts.
Love, true light and a deep soul energy comprise the centre core of my illuminated universe with a strong and strengthening centrifugal force that has created in its spiritual path vast supernatural orbits of powerful gravity and truly amazing grace. Amen.
I wish therefore to take this opportunity as we head into 2006, to express my sincere appreciation to each and everyone of you who have visited FRANKtalk this year to read and explore what I have to offer here at my blog site and especially to all of you who have made FRANKtalk a regular choice and feature of your reading and research.
I am indeed grateful and inspired by your interest and support.
You are visiting in increasingly high and repeated return numbers now from every corner of the globe and indeed from every country on earth and I am again very grateful to you especially considering the fact that this blog spot has only been around for a little over six months at this point. So, my sincere thanks. I promise to continue doing my best to fulfill your expectations in my efforts here as well.
You are helping to make this forum a very satisfying one for my creative expressions and I am greatly honored by your acceptance.
My listening treats over the past week included the 1972 album Fragile by visionary prog rock group Yes. I've been a lover of Yes music from the beginning because of their prodigious musicianship throughout the line-up and their unique sounds which at times echo two other favorite British groups, The Moody Blues and Jethro Tull.
Fragile features the group's early 70's breakout single “Roundabout” which was most people's introduction to the band and the CD reissue also includes an alternate mix of that same song as its closer which is preceded by another bonus cover version of Paul Simon's "America" a beautiful song from Simon and Garfunkle’s great Bookends album.
Yes features Jon Anderson on vocals, Bill Bruford on drums and percussion, Steve Howe on guitars and vocals, Chris Squire on Bass Guitars and vocals and Rick Wakeman on electric piano, harpsichord, mellotron and synthesizer. The members of Yes are all legendary players in their own right as well as being group members of Yes.
Rick Wakeman is absolutely breathtaking in his own creative genius while innovative bassist Chris Squire and guitarist Steve Howe are regarded as pre-eminent, exemplary masters of their instruments.
Drummer/percussionist, Bill Bruford, has also been a major part of the renown of legendary group King Crimson in his brilliant career.
Fragile is a "half and half" creative balance between individual player ideas, adaptations and expressions [arranged and organized by the full band] and group arrangements and performances. Highlights of the record include Steve Howe's solo guitar piece “Mood For A Day”, an early single "B" side, “Long Distance Runaround” and of course, “Roundabout” which just honks with the amazing, treble sharpened, high-up-in-the mix, hot Rickenbacker bass voicing of Chris Squire.
Man do I love that sound. Yes!
Further on down the road, I intend on visiting the ultra cool website and habitat of the ultra cool Al Kooper where I plan to check in for a healthy serving of some Black Coffee and reminiscences with one of the greatest legends in the history of rock. Black Coffee is Al's most recent and highly acclaimed CD project, which is long overdue to be obtained for my collection. If you haven't heard Al Kooper in a few years, you may well remember a few career highlights such as his creating a little band called Blood, Sweat and Tears, his discovery of another band called Lynyrd Skynyrd...and oh yes, the fact that it was Al Kooper who played the cool organ on Bob Dylan's rock masterpiece Like A Rolling Stone. Al Kooper was a part of Bob Dylan's early group, which played the historic and pivotal 1965 Newport Folk Festival at which Bob Dylan famously went electric. Al plays on many of Dylan's early records too including Highway 61 Revisited & Blonde On Blonde.
Time for a second cup of Black Coffee with Al Kooper.
Or as Bob Dylan would put it...one more cup of coffee for the road...one more cup of coffee 'fore I go...to the valley below.
Hope you all enjoyed a great Christmas/Hanukkah Holiday time with many warm personal satisfactions and truly rich spiritual blessings.
Happy New Year to each and every one of you from around the world and thank you again for taking the time to visit and read my blog.
I appreciate your interest and your continued support of FRANKtalk.
See you early in 2006!
Frank Trainor
Love, true light and a deep soul energy comprise the centre core of my illuminated universe with a strong and strengthening centrifugal force that has created in its spiritual path vast supernatural orbits of powerful gravity and truly amazing grace. Amen.
I wish therefore to take this opportunity as we head into 2006, to express my sincere appreciation to each and everyone of you who have visited FRANKtalk this year to read and explore what I have to offer here at my blog site and especially to all of you who have made FRANKtalk a regular choice and feature of your reading and research.
I am indeed grateful and inspired by your interest and support.
You are visiting in increasingly high and repeated return numbers now from every corner of the globe and indeed from every country on earth and I am again very grateful to you especially considering the fact that this blog spot has only been around for a little over six months at this point. So, my sincere thanks. I promise to continue doing my best to fulfill your expectations in my efforts here as well.
You are helping to make this forum a very satisfying one for my creative expressions and I am greatly honored by your acceptance.
My listening treats over the past week included the 1972 album Fragile by visionary prog rock group Yes. I've been a lover of Yes music from the beginning because of their prodigious musicianship throughout the line-up and their unique sounds which at times echo two other favorite British groups, The Moody Blues and Jethro Tull.
Fragile features the group's early 70's breakout single “Roundabout” which was most people's introduction to the band and the CD reissue also includes an alternate mix of that same song as its closer which is preceded by another bonus cover version of Paul Simon's "America" a beautiful song from Simon and Garfunkle’s great Bookends album.
Yes features Jon Anderson on vocals, Bill Bruford on drums and percussion, Steve Howe on guitars and vocals, Chris Squire on Bass Guitars and vocals and Rick Wakeman on electric piano, harpsichord, mellotron and synthesizer. The members of Yes are all legendary players in their own right as well as being group members of Yes.
Rick Wakeman is absolutely breathtaking in his own creative genius while innovative bassist Chris Squire and guitarist Steve Howe are regarded as pre-eminent, exemplary masters of their instruments.
Drummer/percussionist, Bill Bruford, has also been a major part of the renown of legendary group King Crimson in his brilliant career.
Fragile is a "half and half" creative balance between individual player ideas, adaptations and expressions [arranged and organized by the full band] and group arrangements and performances. Highlights of the record include Steve Howe's solo guitar piece “Mood For A Day”, an early single "B" side, “Long Distance Runaround” and of course, “Roundabout” which just honks with the amazing, treble sharpened, high-up-in-the mix, hot Rickenbacker bass voicing of Chris Squire.
Man do I love that sound. Yes!
Further on down the road, I intend on visiting the ultra cool website and habitat of the ultra cool Al Kooper where I plan to check in for a healthy serving of some Black Coffee and reminiscences with one of the greatest legends in the history of rock. Black Coffee is Al's most recent and highly acclaimed CD project, which is long overdue to be obtained for my collection. If you haven't heard Al Kooper in a few years, you may well remember a few career highlights such as his creating a little band called Blood, Sweat and Tears, his discovery of another band called Lynyrd Skynyrd...and oh yes, the fact that it was Al Kooper who played the cool organ on Bob Dylan's rock masterpiece Like A Rolling Stone. Al Kooper was a part of Bob Dylan's early group, which played the historic and pivotal 1965 Newport Folk Festival at which Bob Dylan famously went electric. Al plays on many of Dylan's early records too including Highway 61 Revisited & Blonde On Blonde.
Time for a second cup of Black Coffee with Al Kooper.
Or as Bob Dylan would put it...one more cup of coffee for the road...one more cup of coffee 'fore I go...to the valley below.
Hope you all enjoyed a great Christmas/Hanukkah Holiday time with many warm personal satisfactions and truly rich spiritual blessings.
Happy New Year to each and every one of you from around the world and thank you again for taking the time to visit and read my blog.
I appreciate your interest and your continued support of FRANKtalk.
See you early in 2006!
Frank Trainor
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