From: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org (basia-digest) To: basia-digest@smoe.org Subject: basia-digest V3 #279 Reply-To: basia@smoe.org Sender: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "basia-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. basia-digest Tuesday, December 8 1998 Volume 03 : Number 279 Today's Subjects: ----------------- New Day Video [Fidyl@webtv.net] Re: basia-digest V3 #278 [Larry Lipman ] Re: New Day Video and Mr. Robinson ["Leslie Brown" ] Re: New Day Video ["Ashoke S. Talukdar" ] Re: New Day Video and Mr. Robinson ["Ashoke S. Talukdar" ] Megs musings (was Kevin & Babies) ["Ashoke S. Talukdar" ] TSI songbook ["Leslie Brown" ] Re: Kevin & Babies ["Leslie Brown" ] Re: basia-digest V3 #277 ["Leslie Brown" ] Re: shyness & other stuff ["Leslie Brown" ] Re: basia-digest V3 #277 ["Ashoke S. Talukdar" ] Re: Kevin & Babies -- a correction ["Ashoke S. Talukdar" ] Another connection ["Joe Palcher" ] Re: Another connection ["Ashoke S. Talukdar" ] Odp: Thank you, Tomasz! And more ... ["Tomasz Radzinski" ] Re: Kevin & Babies -- a correction [RPI92@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 06:21:20 -0500 (EST) From: Fidyl@webtv.net Subject: New Day Video I have the SO on the hunt for the New Day video for me for the holidays, and he's coming up with goose eggs everywhere. Any suggestions where I can lead him? Tomasz - THANX!!!!! BTW - when I purchased the Japanese remix, it was in a used CD store - got it for $8.95! I just saw it in another used CD store, under "rarieties" for $50! "Go For You" - my new love!!!!!! FIDYL S. Fla. Live Simply So That Others May Simply Live ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998 07:47:04 -0600 From: Larry Lipman Subject: Re: basia-digest V3 #278 >------------------------------ >Date: Sun, 06 Dec 1998 21:38:38 -0800 >From: "Diane F. Fisli" >Subject: Re: shyness & other stuff >And on a completely different note, LL - great to see you have safely >returned from this crazy universe called Los Angeles California - >I have seen the Rugrats movie and you are very qualified to call >yourself a "proud papa" - your son helped put together a thoroughly >entertaining and fun little movie script! (more than I can say for >myself!) Please pass along my admiration and congratulations! > The glow from my beaming face reflected in the monitor prevents me from responding with anything other than an "aw shucks, ma'am." Thanks DFF! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Larry Lipman - --------------------------------------------------------------- Division Coordinator; Recording Studio Manager - --------------------------------------------------------------- The University of Memphis Commercial Music Program Campus Box 526546 - 232 CFA Building Memphis, TN 38152-6546 (901) 678-2559 [w/voice mail] FAX: (901) 678-5118 E-Mail: Llipman@memphis.edu ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998 06:15:07 PST From: "Leslie Brown" Subject: Re: New Day Video and Mr. Robinson > Sheeesh! I finally gave up trying to use the sheet >music and resorted to getting the "feel" of the rhythm by singing and >clicking my fingers (simple 2/4), and finally got it. Envy, envy, envy for you being a musician. I miss being able to play something. My poor Yamaha keyboard is just gathering dust at my Mom's .... boo on school for taking up too much time. >But then, he thinks that I am >turning into a Basia groupie (silly boy)! I am shocked! To this day I am convinced that >he wrote that part to torture me for refusing to go out with him. > >:-D Grrrr. Musical karma shall not be on his side! ^_^ Actually that whole TSI songbook seems hard as hell. (of course you people who actually play correct me if i'm wrong) Someday I hope to at least navigate through some of it. What a guy that Danny White is. - --Leslie ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 10:29:06 -0500 From: "Ashoke S. Talukdar" Subject: Re: New Day Video I got mine at CDNOW.com after several weeks of waiting. Meg said that videoserve has them (she got hers from there). BTW, what is SO? Ashoke. - -----Original Message----- From: Fidyl@webtv.net To: basia@smoe.org Date: Monday, December 07, 1998 6:26 AM Subject: New Day Video I have the SO on the hunt for the New Day video for me for the holidays, and he's coming up with goose eggs everywhere. Any suggestions where I can lead him? Tomasz - THANX!!!!! BTW - when I purchased the Japanese remix, it was in a used CD store - got it for $8.95! I just saw it in another used CD store, under "rarieties" for $50! "Go For You" - my new love!!!!!! FIDYL S. Fla. Live Simply So That Others May Simply Live ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 10:38:50 -0500 From: "Ashoke S. Talukdar" Subject: Re: New Day Video and Mr. Robinson Leslie responds: > > >To this day I am convinced that > >he wrote that part to torture me for refusing to go out with him. > >Grrrr. Musical karma shall not be on his side! ^_^ > Well, that's ok. He is quite (to quote Diane Fisli) a "pussycat". And I do wish him well, the little ***expletive edited***. Anyway, I simply COULDN'T go out with him - our aggregate dysfunctionality would reach epical proportions! :-D > >Actually that whole TSI songbook seems hard as hell. > Well, at least from the vocal standpoint, it IS very hard. It's hard to sing many of the songs because there is so much counterpoint and modulation. Tonally, "Olive Tree" is actually not bad (although it is a metronomic nightmare), the title track is murderous vocally, particularly at the bridge just before the chorus, unless have some sort of instrumental backing and, oh, JUST a three octave range! Ashoke. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 07:52:22 -0800 (PST) From: Rich Uchytil - IR Geek Subject: Re: New Day Video and Mr. Robinson >>Actually that whole TSI songbook seems hard as hell. >> > >Well, at least from the vocal standpoint, it IS very hard. It's hard to >sing many of the songs because there is so much counterpoint and modulation. >Tonally, "Olive Tree" is actually not bad (although it is a metronomic >nightmare), the title track is murderous vocally, particularly at the bridge >just before the chorus, unless have some sort of instrumental backing and, >oh, JUST a three octave range! Now I'm really curious. I probably missed it, but could someone tell me where to purchase this? I'll also check my local music stores. Thanks! =========== "Let's Document it and call it a Feature!" ============ Richard Uchytil (rich@west.sun.com) Voice: (503) 520-7614 Sun Microsystems ... /| Fax: (503) 520-7722 Business Technologist >--|||===< | PEG Member #1998011401 http://www.BillysBrassBand.com (___) \| ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 09:57:37 -0600 From: Meg Evans Subject: Kevin & Babies G'day everyone, With regard to Kevin Robinson: >Yup. Also in Promises doing the instrument shuffle, and Until You Come >Back To Me for about 5 seconds each shot tossing a ball in the air while >waiting for his solo, and looking quite well-muscled ... HOLD IT RIGHT THERE: well-muscled? I want to see this guy and I want to see him NOW! I'm going to Amazon.Com to check out that Incognito cover. Unfortunately, I have NEVER seen a Basia video on television, apart from the "New Day" video that I purchased. If anyone knows of a way I can view all these TSI videos (without having to get a satellite service, please), PLEASE let me know. I'm just really curious to see this love of her life! Also, I agree with everyone about Danny and the Cruisin' video: he's cute (which, again, seems ironic to say about a man who almost ALWAYS looks like he's about to throw the first punch) and it's truly a testament to how they've worked out their relationship (which sounds like it didn't last all that long anyway). Ashoke (and others): wasn't it just sweet to see them holding hands in Poland in the "New Day" video? I wonder if that was romance or simply friendly affection. And boys, it's terribly charming that you're so concerned about Ms. T having a baby in her late 30s. While she will be considered high risk, it's a rather old-fashioned (albeit legitimate) notion and plenty of women are doing it and having healthy babies. Because she IS no longer on the dole, standing in breadlines, or sustaining herself on nothing more than newspaper-wrapped fish'n'chips, I'm certain she'll have access to the kind of healthcare that ensures an uneventful pregnancy. Let's every day, hope and pray that the blessed event comes to fruition! One more word: it is so very heartening to see all these new names popping up on the list. I'm certain some are new, and some are those who "lurk in the background." Either way, it appears to be a growing community and I'm glad to be a a part of it. So I must ask: isn't there ANYONE on this list besides me that is in Chicago? Actually, I'm exactly just north of the city limits. Anyone willing to show themselves so we can have a Basia constituency of our own at the next concert here? Meg ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 11:38:19 -0500 From: "Ashoke S. Talukdar" Subject: Megs musings (was Kevin & Babies) Meg (hyperventilating) writes: > >HOLD IT RIGHT THERE: well-muscled? I want to see this guy and I want to >see him NOW! I'm going to Amazon.Com to check out that Incognito cover. > Calm down, girlfriend! ;-D > >Ashoke (and others): wasn't it just sweet to see them holding hands in >Poland in the "New Day" video? I wonder if that was >romance or simply friendly affection. > I think that clip was from there dating days, although I could be wrong. And yes, I did go "Awwww!" > >I'm certain she'll have access to the kind >of healthcare that ensures an uneventful pregnancy. Let's every day, hope >and pray that the blessed event comes to fruition! > Hear hear! I hope so too. Actually, I was speaking with my aunt (in India) on Sunday. She is an OB-GYN and she says that it really depends on the expectant mother's medical history, family history, etc. So we might just see a bite-size-Basia yet! :-) > >One more word: it is so very heartening to see all these new names popping >up on the list. I'm certain some are new, and some are those who "lurk in >the background." Either way, it appears to be a growing community and I'm >glad to be a a part of it. > And to think, Meg, around the time that I appeared on the list, you were actually considering LEAVING the list over the fact that everyone was involved in some flame war or the other. Gosh, does anyone remember those vigorous flame wars (hee-hee)? I still miss Joe Baker (or more appropriately, picking on him) and Jeff Hamilton's aspirations to an exclusively dextro-centric universe... I am glad Meg brought this up. I think in the last 8 months this list has certainly grown and I, like Meg, am EXTREMELY proud and glad to be a part of it. And I have to warn you that many of your names are very familiar to my friends here in Cleveland, coz I do talk about y'all a lot. >So I must ask: isn't there ANYONE on this list >besides me that is in Chicago? Actually, I'm exactly just north of the >city limits. Anyone willing to show themselves so we can have a Basia >constituency of our own at the next concert here? > I DON'T live anywhere near the city limits, but you can count on me to show up for the concert whenever it is! Then afterwards, we can all troup to Cleveland, following the Basia and Danny entourage, in true-to-tradition groupie fashion! Regards, Ashoke. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 10:46:30 -0600 From: Meg Evans Subject: Re: basia-digest V3 #277 Mike Nice says, > Meg, I guess this answers a few questions: > >> Can she AFFORD fish'n'chips, considering she's >> probably standing in a bread line somewhere because she hasn't put out a >> record in four years? Does she even LIKE bread? Whoa! My goodness -- that quote is from an e-mail I sent to the list something like last SPRING. Mike, you must have an incredible archive of BasiaList messages! (Especially that WACKY discussion about Basia and Danny's finances.) Well, at least we know she can afford tea and television. Meg ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998 09:02:42 PST From: "Leslie Brown" Subject: TSI songbook >Now I'm really curious. I probably missed it, but could someone tell me >where to purchase this? I'll also check my local music stores. Thanks! Good luck to ya! Try instrument music stores (as opposed to recorded music stores), that's where I found the LWNY/T&T easy book (hee! songs I can actually play!). But I bought mine at Media Play in 1994, so I wonder how many more are still hanging around... - --Leslie ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998 09:30:27 PST From: "Leslie Brown" Subject: Re: Kevin & Babies >HOLD IT RIGHT THERE: well-muscled? I want to see this guy and I want to >see him NOW! I'm going to Amazon.Com to check out that Incognito cover. Whoa, hold on girl! He's a cutie but no Danny White ;). There's a really great pic of him in the TSI program if anyone cares to scan it (or amybe I can try to if you reeealy want it ) Actually when the Ben video CD comes out you'll see him in the Tonight show from 7/94 (Drunk on Love was the song). I don't think she needs security when he's around- no one would want to mess with him. He's a big guy. With the suit he has on though you can't tell if its the weights or that aforementioned Polish cooking, though Or just watch the Until You Come Back to Me video- he's in there. >If anyone knows of a way I can view >all these TSI videos (without having to get a satellite service, please), >PLEASE let me know. I'm just really curious to see this love of her life! I think they're on the Ben CD too. The Yearning video is just awesome. Remember her saying that she had to pay off the obligations over years? Well, that video probably took her into the 2020 fiscal year. Big fat budget. The other two are considerably cheaper. Thank goodness for her! >Also, I agree with everyone about Danny and the Cruisin' video: he's cute >(which, again, seems ironic to say about a man who almost ALWAYS looks like >he's about to throw the first punch) You want to see throwing-punch mode- check out the inside cover of Tribes Vibe and Scribes. Do not test the horn section. Kevin will pound you and it's truly a testament to how >they've worked out their relationship (which sounds like it didn't last >all that long anyway) Yeah, she said once it was 2 years. But I really can appreciate the love-to-friendship thing. One of my best friend was my first love and although it was tough to sort out, we have a very true friendship. We always hug and say that we love one another (as friends of course) and talk on a very personal level.It kinda took an idea of friendship a step further. I can only imagine how much this would be magnified for a two year relationship- much harder, but probably more rewarding too. Ashoke (and others): wasn't it just sweet to see >them holding hands in Poland in the "New Day" video? I wonder if that was >romance or simply friendly affection. Very sweet. I'm saying it's friendship considering the time the vid was made (they were done according to Basia in late '88, early '89 - I think I'm going to have to post that interview just so this all ties together) Like I said, I've done the same thing. > Let's every day, hope >and pray that the blessed event comes to fruition! Hee, such a punster! >One more word: it is so very heartening to see all these new names popping >up on the list. I'm certain some are new, and some are those who "lurk in >the background." On the same note- lurkers, show yourselves! Don't be shy! :) Either way, it appears to be a growing community and I'm >glad to be a a part of it. The list admin should be proud to have created such a copacetic ML :) - --Leslie ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998 09:35:31 PST From: "Leslie Brown" Subject: Re: basia-digest V3 #277 >Danny's finances.) Well, at least we know she can afford tea and >television. And Alanis Morrisette CDs. *ow!* - -Leslie, ducking ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998 09:43:30 PST From: "Leslie Brown" Subject: Re: shyness & other stuff >I've been rather busy lately so I haven't had a chance to drop a line out >to the list - DFF lives!!! We missed you on here! Write more, darn it!:) Oh, and.... >I also found her thoughts about her work ethic fascinating. I have seen it >said that Danny "cracks the whip" in the working partnership - Hmmm, gives >one pause to think about that, doesn't it? :) Yeah, she sounds like she takes her work pretty seriously. Odd thought: if she puts in so much work, why the lack of albums? Either she/they is/are really anal about the songs or producing, OR there's vaults of unreleased material stashed in Biggin Hill. Nevertheless, I really am impressed with that whole portion. Sounds like a true *artiste*. >true, she is quite endearingly shy - however she was naturally a bit more >comfortable amongst her peers as opposed to when she was in a group of >strangers (as in the meet-n-greet the label had arranged after the show). Kinda seems like she's made to do that stuff whether she likes it or not, eh? Kinda annoying to her I'll bet. Uh, whose life is it anyway?! >I also thought that was effective. Danny plays the part well (partly from >experience, I think!) (HA!)... Daaaaang! ^_^ Leslie ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 12:46:56 -0500 From: "Ashoke S. Talukdar" Subject: Re: basia-digest V3 #277 Leslie points out: > >>Danny's finances.) Well, at least we know she can afford tea and >>television. > >And Alanis Morrisette CDs. > >*ow!* > No need to duck! I still think she's smoking something. I wanna know what. And what was that about testing Kevin Robinson's horn and getting pounded? Oh, the THINGS that a boy has to hear these days - what would mother say? :-) Ashoke. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 13:02:59 -0500 From: "Ashoke S. Talukdar" Subject: Re: shyness & other stuff Diane wrote: > >I also found her thoughts about her work ethic fascinating. I have seen it >said that Danny "cracks the whip" in the working partnership - Hmmm, gives >one pause to think about that, doesn't it? :) > I don't want to start thinking about anything REMOTELY along those lines. I have to be at least somewhat productive today. Ashoke. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 10:15:49 -0800 (PST) From: Rich Uchytil - IR Geek Subject: Re: shyness & other stuff >>I also found her thoughts about her work ethic fascinating. I have seen it >>said that Danny "cracks the whip" in the working partnership - Hmmm, gives >>one pause to think about that, doesn't it? :) alt.whips.basia ....... :) =========== "Let's Document it and call it a Feature!" ============ Richard Uchytil (rich@west.sun.com) Voice: (503) 520-7614 Sun Microsystems ... /| Fax: (503) 520-7722 Business Technologist >--|||===< | PEG Member #1998011401 http://www.BillysBrassBand.com (___) \| ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 12:15:22 -0600 From: Meg Evans Subject: Kevin & Babies -- a correction I wrote to the list: Anyone willing to show themselves so we can have a Basia constituency of our own at the next concert here? Okay, I think I meant "contingent." Forgive the error! Meg ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 13:29:43 -0500 From: "Ashoke S. Talukdar" Subject: Re: Kevin & Babies -- a correction > >I wrote to the list: > >Anyone willing to show themselves so we can have a Basia constituency of >our own at the next concert here? > >Okay, I think I meant "contingent." Forgive the error! > Well, as long as we are all there to "vote" for Basia (now, that's a thought), it might as well be a constituency! Ashoke. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 21:27:00 +0000 (GMT) From: combee@dacha.yak.net (Ben Combee) Subject: Kevin & Babies Meg, streaming versions of the TSI videos are available on BasiaWeb -- go to the video project page and there are links for you. Better quality ones will come once I finish those CDs. - -- Benjamin L. Combee (combee@techwood.org) ....will work for details on Katmai New Instructions.... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Dec 1998 13:49:33 PST From: "Leslie Brown" Subject: Re: basia-digest V3 #277 >And what was that about testing Kevin Robinson's horn and getting pounded? >Oh, the THINGS that a boy has to hear these days - what would mother say? > >:-) She'd be like- "yeah, that guy DOES look pretty ticked off!" :-P ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 16:55:47 -0500 From: "Joe Palcher" Subject: Another connection Joe Palcher wrote: > >Hey, I'm fair game, as long as I get to twirl around in that TSI dress >of hers. :) No, if we could only get people to do it in harmony. > Then Ashoke wrote: Twirling in a tu-tu?? Perish the thought, child. I ain't puttin' on no fluffy dress for nobody! Not while I am sober, anyway. Let me clarify that. I meant SINGING in harmony. I won't dare let anyone else wear that dress--that thing's mine. I'd be the center of attention--the rest of you would glorify my presence with your (hopefully) angelic singing! :) Okay, okay, I'm not really that egotistic, don't get me wrong! raburabu joe ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 17:04:01 -0500 From: "Ashoke S. Talukdar" Subject: Re: Another connection > >Joe Palcher wrote: > >Okay, okay, I'm not really that egotistic, don't get me wrong! > No, you're not. You're just nuts, like most of us, right? :-D Ashoke (who is struggling over the next Chronicle). ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 17:05:54 -0500 From: "Ashoke S. Talukdar" Subject: Yet one more connection Oh and another thing. What does "raburabu" mean? Ashoke. - -----Original Message----- From: Joe Palcher To: basia@smoe.org Date: Monday, December 07, 1998 5:02 PM Subject: Another connection > > > >Joe Palcher wrote: >> >>Hey, I'm fair game, as long as I get to twirl around in that TSI >dress >>of hers. :) No, if we could only get people to do it in harmony. >> > >Then Ashoke wrote: >Twirling in a tu-tu?? Perish the thought, child. I ain't puttin' on >no >fluffy dress for nobody! Not while I am sober, anyway. > >Let me clarify that. I meant SINGING in harmony. I won't dare let >anyone else wear that dress--that thing's mine. I'd be the center of >attention--the rest of you would glorify my presence with your >(hopefully) angelic singing! :) > >Okay, okay, I'm not really that egotistic, don't get me wrong! > >raburabu >joe > > > > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 19:21:23 -0500 From: "Ashoke S. Talukdar" Subject: THE COPERNICAN CHRONICLES: More to be discovered... Last night I was driving back from the West side. Somewhere at the back of my mind a bizarre connection was trying to form. A word that I was trying to remember. I couldn't figure out why. I was listening to "Secret Garden" by Bruce Springsteen. But I was thinking of Basia and jazz. When I got home it hit me - "Waters of March". The word was "minimalism". I was mildly amused - here for years I have been listening to the work of a rock-n-roll legend, shamefully ignorant of minimalism of his melodies which is in no any less the work of a genius than was Jobim's. But while Jobim's brand of minimalism was contemporary in his days, Springsteen's is almost retrospective. And they embrace genres of their own. This chronicle ended up being more retrospective of Basia and Danny's careers than I had intended. But I have been somewhat preoccupied with the ebb and flow of their fame over the years. So it about my feelings about perception of music as a rather revealing icon of modern expression. Joan Baez was once contemporary but now she iconizes her almost timeless genre... _______________________________________________________________________ It has always been rather interesting to me, this idea of "contemporary" expressionism. Interesting and intriguing because contemporary is necessarily such a transient state. By the same token, we often refer to something as timeless but very few things are. When does this evolution of art go from nascent to contemporary to being tried and true - a genre? Perhaps in this answer lies an explanation for Basia's interesting career - what caused her to reach such an immense high of popularity and then fade away here in the US. And why this is phenomenon apparently more pronounced here than, for instance, in Japan. Surely they missed her for as long as we did and she was AS popular there as she was here. My initial thoughts delved more into aspects of commerce. Perhaps this was just one of those administrative "miscalculations", to the extent that a tour amounting to three hundred thousand pounds that did NOT do as well as expected can be guised as a miscalculation. You and I, however, know exactly which marketing keys were pressed. But what went wrong? Surely NOT the sound alone. By many standards, TSI was just as "contemporary" in 1994 as was T&T in 1987 and LWNY was in 1990. Jeff Hamilton's comment to regarding TSI being a icon of contemporary pop has been on my mind since the day he said it in one of his posts. It remains a most puzzling truism of Basia and Danny's music. Part of this ends up in that old square again. It MUST have had to do with our perception of Basia, not just the contemporary popularity of her art. The mistake there would be to assume that we, the listeners, were completely grained into her style from just TWO albums. Perhaps a different marketing strategy could have been to promote this album as a new, more vibrant, bolder, wiser and more passionate Basia. But how much would this have really affected the actual perception of the listener - thematically she was not promoted any differently in Japan as she was here. Yet the Basia fire burns in a seemingly larger collective heart there than anywhere else. And certainly with a better measure of permanence. I had a lengthy conversation with a very dear friend of mine on the temporal and perceptual progress of contemporary culture. One idea that was thrown around was that "contemporary" might have to do with the relatively youthful cognitive age of our culture here in the west (after all, the American culture for instance is younger than most eastern cities); this poses some interesting distinctions in perceptual reception of the context of "contemporary" with, for instance, a 5000 year old culture. Whereas the latter is probably more resistive to changes in trend, this might not be the case for a 300 year old culture which was born out of that very change and embraces it as a founding principle of life. The merits and demerits of both youth and age notwithstanding, the progession of art from nascence to a genre would therefore necessarily occur at different paces in these two broad cultural environments. The conclusion in either case, however, is more or less the same. There is some underlying "Basia & Danny" quality that a LARGER number of people, in a land with more perceptual history, was able to latch on to, the quality being an "acquired" perceptual filter that can sieve out all those supposed changes and digressions in the "TSI sound", to understand, in perfect clarity, that which is truly and essentially Basia. Perhaps those of us here who continue to love her work with such a passion have acquired this filter too - but there are others who are still struggling with the transience of contemporary perception, that are still in that process of gathering. A poignant point of hope in all this is a similarity of spirit. In order for us to enjoy and appreciate the essence of any artist, the essence has to be present in the first place. The fact that while some of us find this essence in her tonality, others do so in her literary prowess and yet others, in the strength of her voice, is ample indication that the essential Basia is ubiquitous in her own work. Which might perhaps imply that we recognize this as being the one thing that we each identify with, so that the essential Basia or, for that matter, the essential anyone, is also the essence of us. To precisely pinpoint the nature of her occupational progress becomes almost insignificant when cast into the light of her own development and maturity over the years. But perhaps that does not, and should not, distract us from noting that in spite of the utmost familiarity with her work, there indeed IS "more to be discovered". And in that journey we are in a place somewhere between the nascent and the genre - the state of contemporary. Regards, Ashoke. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 21:49:46 -0500 From: "Joe Palcher" Subject: Re: Another connection Ashoke wrote: > >Joe Palcher wrote: > >Okay, okay, I'm not really that egotistic, don't get me wrong! > "No, you're not. You're just nuts, like most of us, right?" Yep, I sure am! We would have the most fun, wouldn't we though? What does "raburabu" mean? Well, if you take half of it, "rabu," it means "love," actually. This is how "love," when taken from the English, is pronounced in Japanese (the real Japanese word for it is "ai"). In Japanese they don't have an "l" sound, so they use "r," and they have to put a vowel on the end of ever consenent (except "n"). Okay, if you sound it out, it sort of sounds like "love." If you say "raburabu," particularly about someone, it means that they are in love. I'm not saying that I am in love (nope, long way from it!)--I just adopted it as my usually signoff for e-mail because it sounds cute, and more personal to me than "love" or "sincerely." I lived in Japan for about four years, and the saying kind of grew on me. Sorry for that long meaningless diatribe. Hopefully you learned something. Again, raburabu joe ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 13:40:17 +0100 From: "Tomasz Radzinski" Subject: Odp: Thank you, Tomasz! And more ... >I also must thank Tomasz for the fab job on the interview. I must ask >you, Tomasz, when you said that her Polish speaking ability was bad, >why is that so? Well, that's the problem :) I really hope I percept that in a wrong way, but is totally non-understandable for me: how somebody, who's nativity is Polish and who lived in Poland almost whole his life suddenly can't speak Polish properly. Believe me, I am not a Polish linguist :) but first: I had to translate Polish onto English and second, I had to try catch the sense of Basia's talking! She spoke Polish in an English manner, she used something like English grammar in Polish sentences. OK, I try to understand--a man can get use to a foreigner language ant mentality after some time--but, gor God's sake... Finally, I repeat, I hope I am wrong. Because I love her music and her talent... Tomasz ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 06 Dec 1998 13:02:12 +0000 From: Jan Johnson Subject: Thank you, Tomasz! Thought I'd add my name to the chorus!! The email was waiting for me at 6am when I got up for work (remember I am five hours ahead of Cleveland time!!) and I'm afraid all thoughts of breakfast, getting in the shower, finishing ironing my blouse just flew out the window whilst I sat there and read it. In the end it was getting so late I had to forward the rest of the email to work so I could finish reading it!! Fortunately I work in the kind of place where nobody much bats an eyelid if you roll in at 9:30, so I was able to make myself some more tea, buy a scone from the canteen and finish 'digesting' all this wonderful new information. Tomasz, you musn't apologise for your English. For one thing, it's much better than my Polish (hahahaha) and for another thing, having a Polish interview about a Polish person translated by a fellow Pole makes it a little more personal, a little more real, like it was actually Basia talking, using words that Basia would use if she were giving the interview in English several years ago. This is practically the closest any of us have come to actually having Basia pop up on the mailing list in person and say 'Hi everyone, please feel free to ask me all those questions you've endlessly been debating about all these years!'.I would NOT have become as involved if the Basia had appeared to be speaking in faultless English using colloquialisms which we all of us know she never uses. I don't know much about Polish, but I actually think that English is a pretty horrible language to try and express oneself in sometimes without sounding, well, pretty darn clumsy. Basia is sort of correct when she says English people never tell the truth. But I don't think she realises WHY. English (as opposed to American English) is all about what you DON'T say. Bill Bryson's new book 'Notes >From a Big Country' just about sums it up when he talks about his teenage son's running shoes in the following terms, 'each of them represents a greater investment of culmulative design than, say, Milton Keynes'. What he actually means is that a)Running shoes are the greatest piece of overpriced designer hype since the invention of the Gucci handbag and b) Milton Keynes is a concrete hell-hole thought up on the spur of the moment by a British government so desperate for votes that they never considered the feelings of the poor souls who would actually have to live there. None of this is actually SAID, but most English people reading it will immediately realise the implication of these remarks. All you Americans will immediately think that this is completely crazy, but then you don't live in a country where you are supposed to KNOW that a speed limit sign of 40 mph actually means 30 mph at certain times of the day or that the absence of any speed limit sign at all means that you are supposed to KNOW what the speed limit is by the type of road you are driving on!! And everybody here also thinks that driving stick shift cars is COOL and automatic gearboxes are for wimps.... I sit in my automatic every morning watching everyone else in the traffic jam dipping their clutches every 30 seconds and stalling their engines when they get it wrong and thinking how completely daft everybody in this country is. Ok, that's enough of my rambling. Now you can bin this......!! Jan **watch out for the signature, Meg!!** "May the sun always shine on your face May the wind always be on your back, May you have food and raiment, A soft pillow for your head, And may you be in heaven half an hour Before the Devil knows you are dead" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Dec 1998 01:07:02 EST From: RPI92@aol.com Subject: Re: Kevin & Babies -- a correction I'm relatively new to the list and I live in Springfield, IL. I'm willing to make the trek to Chicago anyday for a Basia concert. Lori ------------------------------ End of basia-digest V3 #279 ***************************