****Give a little whistle****

As you/y’all know I spend/waste a lot of time on the Internet, reading amongst other things MSN’s stuff/news; sometimes adding my tuppenny-ha’penny’s worth then sitting back waiting for the abuse that usually follows, I do enjoy getting some of the clowns going; but I won’t go into that now, I’ll save it for another time and another rant!            

Much time and space was devoted last week to the death of one Prince, who I learned last week was the greatest singer/musician/talent of all time, a peerless performer who, fortunately or unfortuately, whatever the case may be, I’d never listened to, or to my knowledge heard. I doubt that his ‘music’ would get an airing on the only two radio stations I ever tune into, ABC ClassicFM & 2MBS.FM. 

I have a thing about switching on and listening to ‘performers’ who’s photographs are splurged across any form of media with their mouths wide open, looking as if they’re in the greatest agony with the microphone shoved half way down their throats. I assume they shove it down  so that their weak voices can be picked up and thrown at their delirious fans   by means of all the electronic equipment imaginable.

Frankly,  without this, I doubt the fans any further back than the stage footlights, would ever get to hear what they were screaming /singing about.

Naturally, I had to make a comment in reply to one person who was going into what I can only imagine was delirium regarding the loss of this Prince  by stating that I’d never heard anything of this mans work, and didn’t think that I’d like it if I had.  Also, that I knew nothing about him excepting that he died a few days after leaving hospital. after an emergency landing of his aircraft, due to a drug overdose (this is the info that MSN9 in Australia was printing), and that it seemed the thing for some of these performers to kill themselves one way or another with drugs      

Well did that set him off! I was an illiterate  moron who knew absoutely nothing about music or great artists etc. etc etc. as Professor ‘enry ‘iggins was wont to say, I think it was him. Anyway I came back at my antagonist , apologized, and told him that my knowledge was limited to such people as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, and also that I did enjoy the works of Mozart and Beethoven, was an ardent fan of Dixieland, and added a few asides.

I got the feeling that he’d never heard of any of these people from the onslaught that followed into my ignorance of the greatest musician and artist the world has ever seen.  This bloke was so pitiful, I had to give it away, I wasn’t in the mood for any more fun with him and could see that he was beyond reach.

As defined in my ‘Oxford Dictionary’

SNOB: (3) a person who despises others (usu.specified) tastes or attainments are considered inferior (an intellectual snob;) 

If having grown up listening to the music of such artists as Benny Goodman, the Dorsey Bros, Glenn Miller et al; singers of the calibre of Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Jo Stafford, Nat King Cole, Rosie Clooney, Mel Tormé   makes me  a snob when it comes to music;  then so be it!

All of those, and many more too numerous to mention, had something in common; they played or sang music that we could sing a long with, or hum, or whistle the tunes. I defy anybody to do any of those three things with what passes as music these days. 

Would you believe that none of my children know how to whistle; they look at me as if there’s something wrong, or odd, with me if I happen to be whistling, at least Coco knows what I’m doing, he comes a’running. And the youngest of the three is in his mid thirties. Come to think of it I don’t know whether or not they can sing, I never hear them; and don’t say it’s because I’m deaf!

I can recall seeing Nathan Sebastian, my son, on stage ay the Sydney Opera House many years ago, he was about  6 or 7, and his school were performing on stage. They sang Jerusalem; I doubt he’d recognize the tune anymore.                                           😥                

I’ve never hear any of them singing or humming songs from the ‘Top Ten’ , I believe they have more than ten these days but as they all sound pretty much the same who knows? Who cares? I’m not sure if they actually have words, if they do whether they make sense; as they are screamed/belted out it’s quite irrelevant.

Don’t think I’m against all ‘Rock & Roll’ I’m not; The Beatles wrote some fine stuff, stuff that will stand the test of time, and there are others who actually wrote and sang, real music, real songs. 

Todays offerings unfortunately I can only label cacophonic clap trap!

And with that little lot I’m finished with this post!            

😈