More Music Please

She entered the train I was on, carrying music in a purse. At first I was annoyed, but I got over it. The song she played consisted of just a single drum, with a woman singing in some other language, perhaps Ojibwe. She was Native American, so I'm just guessing about what tribe she belonged to. As the music played, she got the biggest smile on her face. When I got off the bus, her eyes were closed, but the smile was even wider. Her state of bliss was so beautiful. Live music is the best way to hear music. It's a shame that the Beatles never performed for an audience after 1966, because their gig on that rooftop in 1969 showed they were very good live. They should have done a tour in 1968: they could start the show with 'Revolution' and follow that with 'Helter Skelter', then 'Dear Prudence' and 'Your Bird Can't Sing'. They end it 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and for an encore, they play a bunch of their old songs. Such a waste that such a show never happened, because as a musician you need an audience to feed off of. The Beatles hurt themselves not going on last tour. If they had to break up, they could've at least said a proper farewell to their fans. There's no doubting their musical chops, but Lennon and McCartney could've buried the ax, so to speak, and put the band back together. Perhaps it was for the best it didn't happen, but it would have been huge. If not a crazed assassin, perhaps it could have, but they should have done it in the 60s. Enough about the Beatles; I liked the Stones better. The Stones made the right choice going back to do concerts, especially since the shows in 1968 they played the best they ever did. What does the choice between the two say about one's personality? Would it be the same as Mozart or Beethoven? I have to get my shit together if I am ever to perform before any large audience. My present circumstances conspire against me, but I believe in myself and what I would do. I'm listening to the Doors at the Isle of Wight at this moment, and it would be something with the same feel, the same sense of unpredictability. Where do I find musicians with the sense of adventure that Manzarek, Krieger, and Densmore had? I need to get some place to both rehearse and record, which is where I need to find an angel investor, because only an angel can help a devil like me. I need people who can play all kinds of music, from dirty blues and raunchy rock to thematic improvisations, all with the same intensity and feeling. As Beethoven said, "A wrong note is insignificant. To play without passion is inexcusable." Since I started quoting great musicians, I had better throw in Duke Ellington's famous observation, "There are only two kinds of music: good music, and the other kind." So true. It's one reason I like to cover other people's songs, even if I sometimes rework them. That's a nice thing aboutmusic: its malleability. Most songs leave a lot of room for different interpretations, and that's a great thing. Some songs leave no room for any change, such as 'Stairway To Heaven'. It is, and will always be, one of my favorite songs, but it is so perfect one really can't do anything with it, other than admire it. That's why I've never been interested in playing that song. If I ever covered a song from that album, it would be 'Going To California' because it has a sweet melody and a fadeout I could play around with. That's enough for now. I have discussed the beauty of even the simplest song, imagined the greatest show that never was, asked the personality test, and discussed my future in music and how I would treat the music I chose to play. On a future musicological exploratio, I will list what songs I would cover, but give no reason why, other than the songs are good