h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Age is not a matter of when you were born. The only important milestone is the day when you are allowed to legally drive, drink, vote and be killed for your country (we could leave out the last point, I wouldn't miss it).

As far as music is concerned, don't care for your age. It's nonsense to say 'You have to be at least 30 years old to be allowed to listen to Carole King'. Music is timeless. Maybe some of the newest hype music of today's charts will still be listened to in 20 years (which I doubt, however). Wait for another 100 years to see Paul McCartney and Paul Simon referred to as classical composers (which I do not doubt).

Try to go back in time for some centuries: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is undoubtedly one of the greatest Composers of all time. And what did he do to make his living? He composed and played music for the Salzburg Countbishop's social events (exactly what musicians call a 'tuxedo gig' today). Ludwig van Beethoven, another one of the all time greats, composed music that can be regarded as early 19th century's heavy metal. Johann Sebastian Bach composed and played music for church gigs (sorry for translating that into today's 'gig talk').

Their and other composers' music has lasted until today. And why? Because it was good! They knew how to compose timeless music. In their respective time, however, it was 'pop' music (in the sense of 'popular'). I dare to say that many popular music composers our time (Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Carole King, Henry Mancini, ...) will be the classical composers of the 22nd century.

And now I'll have an early morning after my long speech.

"Paul Macartney? Methinks you doth jest young Jeremy!"



PS-Don't drink that stuff here.

*Applause*

Quite right, Jeremy. Time turns all the duff music to waste and the good stuff becomes "classical". Beethoven as heavy metal? Yes, maybe ... I had him down as more of a tech-head - always into the latest technical improvements in keyboards ... writing stuff to take advatge of them ...

*does a couple of deep 90° bows*

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Kes, my personal classical tech-head would be J.S. Bach. He was the first to take real advantage of the newly invented 'well tempered tuning' when he wrote his famous 'Das Wohltemperierte Klavier'.

I had the opportunity to try to play some of these pieces on a pre-well-tempered piano some years ago. (Please note that I deliberately did not say 'I had the pleasure'.) It really makes your toenails curl up. Totally out of tune, and not only the way that an old honky-tonk saloon piano would be.

Talking about saloon pianos: Is it too early for a decent whiskey?

Never too early for that. Bourbon for you? I'll have one without the "e" ...

Bourbon's for me. I don't bother about whiskey or whisky. Not at all. Usually I don't read my drinks, nor do I write them. I hope we'll never have to be professors for literature to be allowed to order a drink

I'm not very deep into the whisk(e)y drinking rules: With or without ice? I'd prefer it without ice, you know, I have a water allergy. If I drink a glass of water, it takes me at least three s to get that taste out of my throat.

Only one rule for drinking ... if you like it ... drink it ... neat, water, ice, whatever. Not too keen on water myself ... rots the liver, so I've heard

Sorry - got to dash back into RL ... see you around!

Bye, Kes, it's always a pleasure to talk to you.

I'll go back to my RL duties as well. Got to go to my working desk... need some sleep ...;.)

Seems that I am a little bit late today - I wanted just know were you put Wagner, heavy metal too?
I decided to drink only mixed drinks today. I think I'll start with my favourite (which usually makes men pass out of disgust) 5x Pina Colada + 2x Captain Morgan. Cheers!

Wagner, hmmm...

Gothic Metal?

I must admit that he wrote some excellent music, but it's definitely not my taste. It's not as much his music that I dislike, but more the cult around his person and his heritage. His offspring still behave as if they were the keepers of teutonic music culture, and if you have never been at a "Ring der Nibelungen" festival in Bayreuth, you are a nobody in the 'chic' culture circles.

It's a heavy burden for Richard Wagner's music that two of his greatest fans were King Ludwig II of Bavaria (who was mad, but that's seems to be quite common in the blue blooded families) and Adolf Hitler (who was not blue blooded, but nevertheless even more mad).

Wagner never quite made his way out of the right wing, racist corner where the German Nazis forced him to be seen.

Just my opinion, other opinions are welcome!

jfsjbb

* arrives with a *

Did you know that "Tapestry" was the best selling record in recorded history (!) for years? That does not necessarily prove quality, I know, but nevertheless...

Ms. King used to be married to ? Goffin with whom she created the all time evergreen "The Locomotion" and - maybe more important? - a daughter who made an album called "Kid Blue" some years ago. Does anyone know what became of her? Last I heard of Carole King was the album "City Streets". Has she made any since?

I think you are right on Beethoven being heavy metal and Johan Sebastian being techno by the way. (I remember Arthur C. Clarke having some interesting remarks on Bach in "2001 - A Space Odyssey" on that subject).

This must be all for now on music. After all this alltime longest h2g2-thread is on and so on.

First I'll have a though, If you don't mind?

Persuaded, Pierce the .

Music is an excellent bar talk, however. Think only about the myriads of songs about drinks, bars, coffees .... like 'Hard Rock Cafe' (by Carole King, oh my god, this is going to be an obsession!)

or 'I met a gin soaked bar room queen in Memphis ...'

I'll have to leave now to get some RL lunch. See you later!

Lunch? Marvellous idea!

*Throws after Jeremy, misses by an inch and humms "The piano has been drinking, not me..." by Tom Waits *

Just a footnote about Wagner's musics heavy burden: I still like L. Cohen though he's also the favourite of the "lady" my husband ran away with. (But I don't like wagner.)

-time... As today is my coctail day I'll put some rom in my .

Mind if I join you for a , Hatifnat?

I've had an excellent lunch right now. There's a little tavern only a couple of minutes from where I work. Their menu is kind of 'old fashioned' but in the best way. No pseudo-haut-cuisine food, but plain straightforward cooking, ingredients coming from ecological cultivation, and it tastes really good. Add a pint of , brewed according to the purity law, and you are going to see a happy Jeremy.

*scratchces some of Pierces from the wall and puts it on a plate*

It doesn't look too bad, I think I'll try it.

Congratulations, happy Jeremy. Your lunch has just made me hungry. This "old fashioned" cooking is 10 times better than any junk food. This is the end of all -talk, I guess.

Do you want with or without rom?

(This posting deleted because it was spam.)

Hey, people! Are you really so interested in politics?

It's rather ironic that Hatis remark on -talk was followed by a (now deleted) spam-posting. In my country is common slang for talk without (real and/or relevant) content



PS: You liked that , Jeremy? Well, here's some more




- and then some

BWAHAHAHAHA (followed by )

Thanks Pierce, that's enough for now

*ducks behind the bar to avoid further -hits. One of 's s hits a bottle of old Irish Whiskey and knock it off the shelf. Seeing that an uncomparable waste of good stuff is about to happen, J takes a cocktail stick and a white napkin to build a little white flag and waves it over the bar*

Stop it, Pierce! Too much is bad for me, and especially bad for the liquor supply in here! I mean, it's ok to scratch s off the wall, but I wouldn't enjoy licking drinks from the furniture!