Notes

Well I don't know about anyone else (literally) but I for one am a bit "Dylaned" out . (Those astute enough might have noticed last week I said Dylan played 49 different songs but I only listed 48. I forgot his cover version of the Dead’s "Friend of the Devil" and upon further review found a 50th song he did: Night 4's “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue.") It was fun while it lasted (just like Gandhi when. he fasted) but it's time to move on. Next we focus our attention on Wynona Judd; Wynnie and I go a1l the way back to those wonder years- ah yes , I remember them still…

Being the editor of this newsletter, I don't get the comment to comment on things we print , It's not like I can write a letter to the editor without coming across as even more of a goofball. In last week’s issue however there were a couple of items that need further examination.

I have enjoyed Daryl Lanz’s columns as much for their content as their dependability. One week he woke up early Sunday morning to wrie and fax to me his effort. Such dedication is greatly appreciated. As always, last week’s column brough up several good points but I did take exception to one observation. How can anyone use the word “horrendous” and the movie Satisfaction in the same sentence? For me the movie lived up to its title; it was very satisfying. It had a lot going for it especially its cast: TV’s Justine Bateman (or Justine Bratman as the trade experts call her), Julia Roberts (before she was the Pretty Woman or had slept with the enemy), and even an appearance by an incredibly old looking Debbie Harry who looked as if she beamed in from a Star Trek movie for no apparent reason. I actually saw the movie twice in theaters, the second time was the very last showing in the Twin Cities area. I bought the soundtrack (both LP and CD) and video. Yes, I’ll admit those were the days when I used to ask all our new employees who their favorite Bangle was but still…

Speaking of the Bangles, another fine “rock” movie Daryl overlooked was Susannah Hoff’s The Allnighter. OK, the story was a bit weak (could Susannah sleep with someone before she graduated from college or would time run out?), she didn’t sing, and the directing “credit” was given to her mother but my future wife to be did give us that “look” (the thing she does with her eyes) several tmies making the movie a must see. I guess it depends, Daryl, on what you want from a movie.

My choice for the best rock movie (excluding the entire Elvis cinema catalog) is the Beatles A Hard Day’s Night. The movie is full of such energy, style and humor, and it reflects the “Beatlemania” period effectively. They never topped the music in the movie and if they had done nothing else, A Hard Day’s Night would have assured them their place in rock history. To see John sing “I Should Have Known Better” and Paul sing “And I Love Her” explains what some of the screaming was about.

The other item from last week worth a mention was the letter Mark Lethert contributed from the president of Harmonia Mundi, Rene Goiffon. If the price of CDs was determined by their musical value, our stores would be giving away a lot of free music. An Aerosmith disc would have to be priced higher than your average classical disc because I’m sure Aerosmith spends over $60,000 just keeping Steven Tyler’s lips moist. The whole idea classical CDs should be more expensive smacks of what our dopey but loveable Vice President dubbed to be the problem of the “cultural elite.” It’s not as though the person most responsible for the classical music, the composer, can benefit from the increased revenue, because as we all know, all the important ones are dead. I don’t think we should be in a hurry to fill the pockets of some snobby Frenchman either. I did get my own personal revenge on the audacity of Goiffon’s remarks. Last week at the state, our big charitable campaign kick off was held where we decide which charities we wish to donate our money. One of the organizations represented was the Untied Arts which Harmoni Mundi is a part. I told the United Arts representative I would contribute to all the other organizations other than Harmoni Mundi- “let them get their money from overpriced CDs.” Boy did I show that Goiffon guy a thing or two.

Je suis le canard gigantique.