JBL reference 510

Its green. It is fluorescent and phosphorescent. It glows in the light and in the dark. It is viscous. It flows, though slowly. Any thing that comes into direct contact with it glows.

At times when I’ve been really down, I’ve felt it flow into me. From my walkman, through the leads, through the wires and through my head phones, into my ears, making me glow. But it flowed slowly. The walkman seemed to be a weak pump. And for years it remained that way, oozing out slowly from a source of music.

Some times it would spill out of my ears and I always had trouble getting the right sealing at my ear to prevent the green stuff from leaking out. Years ago, I had a headphone that was glued into a position that best fit my head so that no one would change my best fit position.

But all that changed today.

The wires became pipes. The slow flowing thick liquid became thin and came down with force. It wasn’t glowing that brightly either. It did not fill me slowly, but it poured all into me and overflowed.

It was a different experience today.

To me, my new JBL reference 510 changed the way music sounded.

Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time

What I knew:
- Rolling stone Magazine released “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time“
- I have every single song in my collection
- Most of these 500 songs were made at least 30 years ago
- The best songs of this race (I’m afraid) have already been sung
- There is also “500 Greatest  albums of all time”

What I didn’t know:

- The lyrics to the 500 Greatest songs are hosted here. Cool!

Sinhalse lyrics to Surangani

Well, if there ever was one open source super hit, it was Surangani. Every body just seems to love this song and make his own variation of it. Originally a sinhalese Baila, the song has been dubbed in many languages. I just finished listening to a version that was done by none other than Ilayaraja himself.

Lot of Indians are confused about the song, the song sounds, Goan, Manglorean, Tamil…

Surangani Surangani

Suranganita malu genawaa
Surangani Surangani
Suranganita malu genawaa
Surangani Surangani
Surangaita malu genawaa

Maalu maalu malu
dan genapu malu
Suranganita malu genawa

Lajja nadde me
Pare handanne
Vatin pitin bala sitinewa
Oya handenewa
Oyage as rathu venewa
Bala sitina matath handenewa

Lajja nadde me
Pare handanne
Vatin pitin bala sitinewa
Oya handenewa
Oyage as rathu venewa
Bala sitina matath handenewa

Surangani Surangani
Suranganita malu genawa
Malu malu malu
Dan genapu malu
Suranganita malu genawa

Mokada manda me
Malu noganne
Kenthhiyen wage innewa
Epa kiyanawa
Genapu hinda baninawa
Mage ange malu natanewa

Mokada manda me
Malu noganne
Kenthhiyen wage innewa
Epa kiyanawa
Genapu hinda baninawa
Mage ange malu natanewa

Surangani Surangani
Suranganita malu genawa
Surangani Surangani
Suranganita malu genawa

Surangani Surangani
Surangaita malu genawa
Malu malu malu,
Dan genapu malu,
Suranganita malu genawa

Surangani Surangani
Surangaita malu genawa
Malu malu malu
dan genapu malu
Suranganita malu genawa

Now if some one is kind enough to explain to me what these lines actually mean, I’ll include a translation…

What Simon and Garfunkel album am I?

I’m Sounds Of Silence!

Which Simon and Garfunkel album are you?

Sound of silence, undoubtedly…

Learning to fly

Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a windswept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction holding me fast, how
Can I escape this irresistible grasp?

Cant keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

Ice is forming on the tips of my wings
Unheeded warnings, I thought I thought of everything
No navigator to guide my way home
Unladened, empty and turned to stone

A soul in tension thats learning to fly
Condition grounded but determined to try
Cant keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

Friction lock – set.
Mixture – rich
Propellers – fully forward
Flaps – set – 10 degrees
Engine gauges and suction – check

Mixture set to maximum percent – recheck
Flight instruments…
Altimeters – check both
(garbled word) – on
Navigation lights – on
Strobes – on
(to tower): confirm 3-8-echo ready for departure
(tower): hello again, this is now 129.4
(to tower): 129.4. its to go.
(tower): you may commence your takeoff, winds over 10 knots.
(to tower): 3-8-echo
Easy on the brakes. take it easy. its gonna roll this time.
Just hand the power gradually, and it…

Above the planet on a wing and a prayer,
My grubby halo, a vapour trail in the empty air,
Across the clouds I see my shadow fly
Out of the corner of my watering eye
A dream unthreatened by the morning light
Could blow this soul right through the roof of the night

Theres no sensation to compare with this
Suspended animation, a state of bliss
Cant keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I

The lemon tree instant

The description of this moment is borrowed from the Fools garden:

I’m sitting here
I miss the power
I’d like to go out taking a shower
But there’s a heavy cloud inside my head
I feel so tired
Put myself into bed
While nothing ever happens and I wonder

Isolation is not good for me
Isolation I don’t want to sit on the lemon-tree

I’m steppin’ around in the desert of joy
Baby anyhow I’ll get another toy
And everything will happen and you wonder

Music

Like antibiotics work on bacteria, music does work on me…

I’m the kind of guy that types faithhill.com in firefox and loses himself for 5 minutes. It happened today.

I just wish I could take a long break and unwind….

Suraj ki garmi se…

Year 1988. I was watching Chitrahaar on Doordarshan. I watched for the first time the video clip of this song from film Parinay – an experience I still remember and enjoy till today. After many years, I heard the song again on Music India Online today – truly humbling…

जैसे सूरज की गर्मी से जल्ते हुए तन को
मिल जाये तरुवर कि छाया
सूरज की गर्मी से जल्ते हुए तन को
मिल जाये तरुवर कि छाया
ऐसा ही सुख मेरे मन को मिला है
मैं जब से शरण तेरी आया, मेरे राम
सूरज की गर्मी से जल्ते हुए तन को
मिल जाये तरुवर कि छाया

भटका हुआ मेरा मन था कोई
मिल ना रहा था सहारा
भटका हुआ मेरा मन था कोई
मिल ना रहा था सहारा
लहरों से लडती हुई नाव को जैसे
लहरों से लडती हुई नाव को जैसे
मिल ना रहा हो किनारा
मिल ना रहा हो किनारा

उस लडखडाति हुई नाव को जो
किसी ने किनारा दिखाया
ऐसा ही सुख मेरे मन को मिला है
मैं जब से शरण तेरी आया, मेरे राम

सूरज की गर्मी से जल्ते हुए तन को
मिल जाये तरुवर कि छाया

शीतल बनी आग चंदन के जैसी
राघव क्रुपा हो जो तेरी
शीतल बनी आग चंदन के जैसी
राघव क्रुपा हो जो तेरी
उजियालि पूनम की हो जायें रातें,
जो थी अमावस अन्धेरी
उजियालि पूनम की हो जायें रातें,
जो थी अमावस अन्धेरी
जो थी अमावस अन्धेरी

युग युग से प्यासी मरुभूमि ने जैसे
सावन का संदेश पाया
ऐसा ही सुख मेरे मन को मिला है
मैं जब से शरण तेरी आया, मेरे राम
सूरज की गर्मी से जल्ते हुए तन को
मिल जाये तरुवर कि छाया

जिस राह की मंज़िल तेरा मिलन हो
ऊस पर कदम मैं बडांऊ,
जिस राह की मंज़िल तेरा मिलन हो
ऊस पर कदम मैं बडांऊ,
फूलों मे खारों मे पतझड बहारों मे
मैं ना कभी डगमगांऊ,
फूलों मे खारोन् मे पतझड बहारों मे
मैं ना कभी डगमगांऊ,
मैं ना कभी डगमगांऊ,

पानी के प्यासे को तकदीर ने जैसे
जी भर के अम्रुट पिलाया
पानि के प्यासे को तकदीर ने जैसे
जी भर के अम्रुट पिलाया
ऐसा ही सुख मेरे मन को मिला है
मैं जब से शरण तेरी आया, मेरे राम

सूरज की गर्मी से जल्ते हुए तन को
मिल जाये तरुवर कि छाया
ऐसा ही सुख मेरे मन को मिला है
मैं जब से शरण तेरी आया, मेरे राम
सूरज की गर्मी से जल्ते हुए तन को
मिल जाये तरुवर कि छाया

Temple of the king

When I heard this song at Landmark, Gurgaon, I was instantly hooked. The song was played several times over in the three hour duration that I was in the store. The music sounded familiar, yet it was vaguely unfamiliar and the tune drove me crazy for a good few hours. I memorized a portion of the lyrics so I could get back and do my home work.

It was Doogie White singing Temple of the king for Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow.

The vocals had a magical effect on me. After about a dozen repeats, the song left me senseless as if I had been hit with a hammer. It did fill the void “of not having my type of songs”. Its been my biggest musical influence this year second only to Green day’s Boulevard of broken dreams. I’ve memorised the song by heart now. Peace can reign again.

Edit on 25th September 2007

One day, in the year of the fox
Came a time remembered well,
When the strong young man of the rising sun
Heard the tolling of the great black bell.
One day in the year of the fox,
When the bell began to ring,
It meant the time had come for one to go
To the temple of the king.

There in the middle of the circle he stands,
Searching, seeking.
With just one touch of his trembling hand,
The answer will be found.
Daylight waits while the old man sings,
Heaven help me!
And then like the rush of a thousand wings,
It shines upon the one.
And the day has just begun.

One day in the year of the fox
Came a time remembered well,
When the strong young man of the rising sun
Heard the tolling of the great black bell.
One day in the year of the fox,
When the bell began to sing
It meant the time had come for the one to go
To the temple of the king.

There in the middle of the people he stands,
Seeing, feeling.
With just a wave of the strong right hand, he’s gone
To the temple of the king.

Far from the circle, at the edge of the world,
He’s hoping, wondering.
Thinking back on the stories he’s heard of
What he’s going to see.
There, in the middle of a circle it lies.
Heaven help me!
Then all could see by the shine in his eyes
The answer had been found.

Back with the people in the circle he stands,
Giving, feeling.
With just one touch of a strong right hand, they know
Of the temple and the king.

About the song Scarborough Fair

Lyrics of the song

Are you going to scarborough fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
Remember me to one who lives there.
She once was a true love of mine.

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
Without a seam or needle work,
For once she was be a true love of mine.

Tell her to wash it in yinder dry well,
Parsley,sage,rosemary and tyme;
Were water n’er sprang,nor drop of rain fell,
For once she was a true love of mine.

Tell her to dry it on yonder gray thorn,
Parsley,sage,rosemary and tyme;
Which n’er bore blossom since Adam was born,
For once she was a true love of mine.

Tell her to find me an acre of land,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
Between the salt water and the sea sand,
For once she was be a true love of mine.

Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
And gather it all in a bunch of heather,
For once she was a true love of mine.

Are you going to Scarborough fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
Remember me to one who lives there.
She was once a true love of mine.

The history of Scarborough and its fair

This English folk song dates back to late medieval times, when the seaside resort of Scarborough was an important venue for tradesmen from all over England. Founded well over a thousand years ago as Skarthaborg by the norman Skartha, the Viking settlement in North Yorkshire in the north-west of England became a very important port as the dark ages drew to a close.

Scarborough Fair was not a fair as we know it today (although it attracted jesters and jugglers) but a huge forty-five day trading event, starting August fifteen, which was exceptionally long for a fair in those days. People from all over England, and even some from the continent, came to Scarborough to do their business. As eventually the harbour started to decline, so did the fair, and Scarborough is a quiet, small town now.

The history of the song

In the middle ages, people didn’t usually take credit for songs or other works of art they made, so the writer of Scarborough Fair is unknown. The song was sung by bards (or shapers, as they were known in medieval England) who went from town to town, and as they heard the song and took it with them to another town, the lyrics and arrangements changed. This is why today there are many versions of Scarborough Fair, and there are dozens of ways in which the words have been written down.

Explanations of the lyrics

The narrator of the song is a man who was jilted by his lover. Although dealing with the paradoxes he sees himself posed to in a very subtle and poetic manner, this was a folk song and not written by nobles. The courtly ideal of romantic love in the middle ages, practised by knights and noblemen, was loving a lady and adoring her from a distance, in a very detached manner. There was hardly a dream and sometimes not even a wish that such love could ever be answered.

As a version of the song exists which is set in Whittington Fair and which is presumed to be equally old, it is puzzling why the lieu d’action of the song eventually became reverted to Scarborough. A possible explanation is that this is a hint from the singer to his lover, telling how she went away suddenly without warning or reason.

Scarborough was known as a town where suspected thieves or other criminals were quickly dealt with and hung on a tree or a la lanterne after some form of street justice. This is why a ‘Scarborough warning’ still means ‘without any warning’ in today’s English. This would also account for the absence of any suggestion of a reason for her departure, which could mean either that the singer doesn’t have a clue why his lady left, or perhaps that these reasons are too difficult to explain and he gently leaves them out. The writer goes on to assign his true love impossible tasks, to try and explain to her that love sometimes requires doing things which seem downright impossible on the face of it. The singer is asking his love to do the impossible, and then come back to him and ask for his hand. This is a highly unusual suggestion, because in those days it was a grave faux-pas to people from all walks of life for a lady to ask for a man’s hand. Yet it fits in well with the rest of the lyrics, as nothing seems to be impossible in the song.

The meaning of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

The herbs parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, recurring in the second line of each stanza, make up for a key motive in the song. Although meaningless to most people today, these herbs spoke to the imagination of medieval people as much as red roses do to us today. Without any connotation neccesary, they symbolize virtues the singer wishes his true love and himself to have, in order to make it possible for her to come back again.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Parsley is still prescribed by phytotherapists today to people who suffer from bad digestion. Eating a leaf of parsley with a meal makes the digestion of heavy vegetables such as spinach a lot easier. It was said to take away the bitterness, and medieval doctors took this in a spiritual sense as well.

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Sage has been known to symbolize strength for thousands of years.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Rosemary represents faithfulness, love and remembrance. Ancient Greek lovers used to give rosemary to their ladies, and the custom of a bride wearing twigs of rosemary in her hair is still practised in England and several other European countries today. The herb also stands for sensibility and prudence. Ancient Roman doctors recommended putting a small bag of rosemary leaves under the pillow of someone who had to perform a difficult mental task, such as an exam. Rosemary is associated with feminine love, because it’s very strong and tough, although it grows slowly.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

According to legend, the king of fairies dances in the wild thyme with all of the fairies on midsummernight; that’s the best known legendary appearance of the herb. But the reason Thyme is mentioned here is that it symbolizes courage. At the time this song was written, knights used to wear images of thyme in their shields when they went to combat, which their ladies embroidered in them as a symbol of their courage.

This makes it clear what the disappointed lover means to say by mentioning these herbs. He wishes his true love mildness to soothe the bitterness which is between them, strength to stand firm in the time of their being apart from each other, faithfulness to stay with him during this period of loneliness and paradoxically courage to fulfill her impossible tasks and to come back to him by the time she can.

See also,

http://www.geocities.com/paris/villa/3895/

http://ygraine.membrane.com/enterhtml/free/FoodForThought/lyrics/herb/Z02_Scarborough_Fair.html

Music for the Road

I’m often stuck with a single CD in my car’s player for many days. Limited choice of music can really hurt sometimes.

If you were to carry just one CD for a long road trip and you had the choice to fill it with any music (say 150 songs in mp3) you that you want, what would you fill it with?

For me, there has got be some oldies :

May be I should really start with Peter Paul and Mary who created in addition to creating melodies, picked up songs with excellent lyrics. Music with sense.

Peter, Paul and Mary

• Blowing In the Wind
• Puff the Magic Dragon
• If I Had A Hammer

Continuiung on melodies based on literature, there has got to be Simon and Garfunkel. I like Sony’s compilation of S&G the best. 20 Greatest hits. It has got to be there.

Simon and Garfunkel

• America
• At the Zoo
• Bridge over Troubled Water
• Cecilia
• Cloudy
• El Condor Pasa
• For Emily Whenever I may Find Her
• Hazy Shade of Winter
• Homeward Bound
• I am a Rock
• Keep the Customer Satisfied
• Mrs. Robinson
• Old Friends Bookends Theme
• Scarborough Fair Canticle
• Song for the Asking
• Sound of Silence
• The 59th Street Bridge Song
• The Dangling Conversation
• We’ve got a Groovy thing Goin’
• The Boxer

There are other oldies, I remeber only in singles

• Chubby Checker – Let’s Twist Again
• Chordettes – Lollipop
• Marianne Faithful – As tears go by
• Julie Andrews – DO-RE-ME
• Neil Young – Heart of Gold
• Bomber wings- Itsy bitsy teenie weenie yello polka dot bikini
• Petula Clark – Never on a sunday
• Brian Hyland – Sealed with a kiss
• Patsy Cline – Seven lonely days
• Nancy Sinatra – Summer wine
• Jame Taylor – You’ve got a friend

I’m a big time fan of the King so:

Elvis Presley

• Jailhouse rock
• Heartbreak Hotel
• Blue Suede Shoes
• Love Me Tender
• Wooden Heart
• Are You Lonesome Tonight
• Return To Sender
• King Creole

Perhaps should also briefly re-live the Beatlemania

The Beatles

• A Hard Day’s Night
• Eleanor Rigby
• Yellow Submarine
• Cant Buy Me Love
• Yesterday

Any compilation of any kind is incomplete without Micheal

Micheal Jackson

• Black or white
• Heal the world
• Remember the time
• Another part of me
• Bad
• Dirty diana
• I just can’t stop loving you
• Just good friends
• Liberian girl
• Man in the mirror
• Smooth criminal
• Speed demon
• The way you make me feel
• Baby be mine
• Beat it
• Human nature
• Billie jean
• PYT [pretty young thing ]
• The girl is mine
• Thriller
• Wanna be startin’ somethin

My gate way to english music, Boney M

Boney M

• Hooray! Hooray! It’s a Holi-Holiday
• Rasputin
• Rivers of Babylon
• Sunny
• Belfast
• Happy Song
• Mary’s Boy Child

Moving on, then there should be just the key songs from my main stream bands

Dire Straits

• So Far Away
• Money For Nothing
• Heavy fuel
• Sultans of the swing

Bon Jovi

• Always
• Blaze Of Glory

Eric Clapton

• Cocaine
• I shot the sheriff
• Tears in Heaven

Guns ‘n Roses

• November rain
• Paradise City
• Sweet child of mine
• Knocking on heaven’s door

U2

• With Or Without You
• Desire

Greenday

• When september ends
• Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

Pink Floyd

• Another Brick in the Wall
• Comfortably Numb

Bryan Adams

• Everything I do I do it for you
• Please forgive me

Some thing of the other bands:

Air Supply

• Here I Am
• Making Love Out of Nothing
• Two Less Lonely People In The World

Kenny Rogers

• The Gambler
• Lady
• You Decorated My Life
• She believes in me
• Reuben James
• Ruby ! Don’t take your love to town

Bill Haley

• Mambo Rock
• Rock Around The Clock

Aqua

• Barbie Girl
• Doctor Jones

Madonna

• Hung Up
• La-Isla-Bonita
• Papa Don’t Preach
• Die Another Day

Deep Purple

• Smoke On The Water
• Black Night

Lou Bega

• I Got A Girl
• Mambo No 5

Wham

• Last Christmas
• Careless Whisper
• Wake Me Up Before You Go
• Father figure(as George Micheal)

Jennifer Lopez

• Love Dont Cost A Thing
• Jenny In The Block

The Doors

• Roadhouse Blues
• Light My Fire

A few songs which I consider to be classics

• Eagles – Hotel California
• Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven
• Sting & Police – Every Breath You Take
• Europa – Final Countdown
• Glen Mederios – Nothing’s gonna change my love for you
• Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly
• Aerosmith – Janie’s Got a Gun
• Bob Dylan – Masters of war
• Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A Changin’
• Micheal Bolton – How Am I Supposed
• Queen – We will rock you
• Stevie Wonder – I just called to say, I love you
• John Lennon – Imagine

 

Pack some dance tracks, may be

• Rednex – Cotton Eye Joe
• London Boys – Kimbaley
• Los Del Rio – Macarena
• Los Lobos – La Bamba
• Modern Talking – Cheri Cheri Lady
• Vengaboys – To Brazil
• Venga boys – We are going to ibiza

Movie tracks

• Patrick Kicken – Somebody to love (Cable Guy)
• Celine Dion – My heart will go on
• Tina Turner – Golden eye

Then there are so many singles I just love:

• Fools Garden – Lemon tree
• Foreigner – Waiting for a Girl Like You
• Leo Sayer – More than I can say
• Lobo – I’d love you to want me
• Neil Sedaka – One Way Ticket
• Paul Anka – Put Your Head On My Shoulder
• Shakin Stevens – Because I Love You
• The Cars – Drive
• The Clovers – Love Potion No. 9
• Ace of Base – All That She Wants
• Baltimora – Tarzan Boy
• Chris DeBurgh – Lady In Red
• Dr Alban – It’s My Life
• Dr Hook – Cover of the Rolling Stone
• Rod Stewart – Downtown train
• Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy breaky heart
• Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys – Cotton Eyed Joe
• Glenn Campbell – Rhinestone Cowboy
• Eddie Rabbit – Drivin’ My Life Away
• Ferlin Husky – Wings of a dove
• Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising
• Elton John – Sacrifice
• Phil Collins – Another day in paradise
• Hank Williams – Jambalaya
• John Denver – Country roads
• Tracy Chapman – Fast Car
• Enrique Iglesias- Bailamos
• Jefferson Airplane – Somebody To Love
• R.E.M. – Losing my religion
• Haddaway – What Is Love
• Mr. Mister – Broken Wings
• Terence Trent D’arby – Sign You Name
• Nana Mouskouri – Autumn leaves
• Nana Mouskouri – I Have A Dream

I really got to stop after typing so much.

I’d really like some more song suggestions, if anyone can think of better choices of songs to listen on a long road trip.

But the conclusion now is that there is no real conclusion.

Like A.R.Rahman says in the World Space ad, “There is so much to hear”

Too bad there isn’t enough lifetime .