The Side Effects of Endorphins

I Know this much is true, as Surely I Jest, infinitely, but Sometimes a Great Notion is A Goldfinch wanting to escape its cage. If somehow you find yourself deserted on a deserted island. Make sure you pack these four books embedded into this awkwardly clever first sentence.

Good old commercial Radio had a set format at one time as a song. Should be about three minutes in length with a standard deviation of about 11 seconds .. that was a formula for success. There are some great songs that are outside that format.

Take a Trip

I remember when I was dating this girl from Germany and she told me about a long piece of music that there was no way you would find it in United States. On a trip to New York City we picked up this piece of music..

Bedřich Smetana’s symphonic poem “The Moldau” (Vltava) tells the musical story of a journey down the Czech Republic’s longest river, serving as a powerful tribute to the landscape, history, and spirit of Bohemia.

It is a beautiful piece of music, and it’s not that rare. I recently found copies at a used record store. As I watch boats on the Rhine, it usually triggers this piece of music in my head. But that’s how they made music back then.

Dire Straits -Telegraph Road

Other than its 14-minute run-time, “Telegraph Road” is very much typical of the lush Dire Straits sound, albeit with lots of piano. But given its scope, it does reach for the grandeur of epic Bruce Springsteen, Robbie Robertson and even Pink Floyd. It’s about a thoroughfare in Michigan but it’s really about human civilization, which makes it a proud participant on what is considered to be the band’s most thoughtful and creative album. Love Over Gold certified gold in the U.S. and then three years later we’d get Brothers in Arms which would sell nine-times platinum. That one’s got long songs too, as does Making Movies, the record just before Love Over Gold. Mark Knopfler’s very much a David Gilmour sort of player, isn’t he? (Source -Goldmine)

There are plenty of other lengthy classics such as a Grateful Dead‘s Terrapin Station and King Crimson‘s classic Court of the Crimson King. Being longer doesn’t necessarily make it better. No innuendo intended. But a piece of music or the written word if it’s long and it’s great it certainly should withstand the test of time.

I ventured off course trying to fill out my 10668 pages. It keeps growing.

Book Club

Picking a really long book for Book Club is almost a criminal offense. I see it as an opportunity but many in our Book Club do not. One member of our Book Club chose consecutively., MiddleMarch and then followed it up with Ken Kasey’s classic, Sometimes A Great Notion. I loved a great Notion. I’m a big fan of Russian literature, and I struggled with War and Peace.

Infinite Just was one of my more memorable reading experiences. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt I didn’t even realize it was a long book. It was simply mesmerizing. The same can be said for I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb. I still considered this one of the best that I’ve ever read.

Side note (snowGlobe)

I have written a book and it has never got published and it probably doesn’t deserve publishing. It comes in at about 450 pages which I consider too long. The title of the book is called SnowGlobe about a snowstorm that lasts a week and brings the city to its knees.

This snowstorm dies out after about seven days after people generally got sick of it.