Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 166

Bates and Switch

Zoe with birthday gift from my son: book titled "Downton Tabby." Tho she's a Torbi.

Rumor and Sy

Seymour Hersh with a major piece on the claims of Assad using Sarin gas in Syria, and Obama's response. Months ago I was among those critiquing media coverage of what I saw as hyped, unproven claims that nearly took us to war.  As we know, after much protest from the left, and some on right, Obama pulled back--and Assad then agreed to dismantle.  In Hersh's view, those second thoughts were likely sparked not so much by protest--but Obama realizing that he was being rolled with false or unproven intelligence by those those wanting us to bomb bomb bomb Syria.  These days Hersh is often proven right, though sometimes wrong.  I've never claimed belief that rebels launched the attacks but at the minimum the doubts about the whole tragedy should have precluded war.  And they did.

Seventh Heaven: 200 Years On

A true red letter day in music history today.  It was 200 years ago on this date that Beethoven's epic Symphony No. 7 debuted in Vienna, at benefit for widows and children of war victims.   Here's a rarely heard piano version (transcribed by LvB's biggest, Liszt) of the slow movement, followed by the rock 'n roll closing movement in one of its finest performances.  And if you've, our new film and book on Ludwig's Ninth. (h/t Barbara Bedway)

Just Gimme Some Truth

Posting some not-obvious John Lennon offerings, marking the 33nd anniversary of his tragic murder. (And see my reflections on my personal back-and-forth with John long ago.)  First, live at Shea Stadium, one of his oft-overlooked classics.  Then solo era, "Gimme Some Truth," George on guitar, sentiment still holds.  Then "Mother," live in New York.  And "In My Life," an early edit. Then an alternate version of "God."

Mandela: Commie--And a 'Socialist Failure"

Whatever.  In one opinion section of NYT:  Bill Keller on Mandela as Communist and Zizek calling him a "socialist failure."  To whit:

Two key facts remain obliterated by this celebratory vision. In South Africa, the miserable life of the poor majority broadly remains the same as under apartheid, and the rise of political and civil rights is counterbalanced by the growing insecurity, violence, and crime. The main change is that the old white ruling class is joined by the new black elite. Secondly, people remember the old African National Congress which promised not only the end of apartheid, but also more social justice, even a kind of socialism. This much more radical ANC past is gradually obliterated from our memory. No wonder that anger is growing among poor, black South Africans.

Another Happy Birthday

Not just mine but--the New York Philharmonic's.  And like me they had a Beethoven fetish--featuring at their first concert on this day in 1842 Beethoven's Fifth, already famous 35 years after it was composed.   Here's link to new film I co-produced Following the Ninth and related book.

Give Me Memphis, Tennessee

Fantastic and lengthy essay/memoir by Rosanne Cash in special Tennessee Music edition of the Oxford American, on he early days with Dad and Mom and various relatives and family friends.  Includes cool photos and song lyrics. Don't miss.   Her next album  The River and the Thread comes next month.

Peggy Noonan on Mandela

Try not to gag at her revisionist tribute:  She worked for and celebrated Reagan at time when he supported apartheid regime and opposed Mandela and his forces.

Born: Like This

You say it's your birthday?  Well, it's my birthday too, yeah.  Isolated vocal track, The Beatles.

Mandela and Gil Scott-Heron

When I was senior editor at Crawdaddy -- for most of the 1970s -- I convinced Gil Scott-Heron to become an occasional columnist.   He was well-known, in certain circles, for his "The Revolution WIll Not Be Televised" and for a later cult hit "The Bottle" and excellent album Winter in America from which it emerged, but he was hardly a commercial superstar.  Crawdaddy never cared about that and was always eager to promote any kind of lefty musician.  His antinuclear epic "We Almost Lost Detroit" remains relevant to this day (I linked to it here after the Fukushima disaster this year).  And who can forget "Whitey on the Moon"?

I only met Gil a couple of times, including once backstage at a Central Park concert where I picked up a column (it seemed the only way I'd ever get it).  But we chatted on the phone a few times.   He was a bright and engaging guy, and about to go a little more mainstream with his semi-hit song "Johannesburg" -- which he wrote about for me at  Crawdaddy (it was based on his trip there, with Nelson Mandela a long way from being freed) and gave us the lyrics before the single came out.  "Hey brother have you heard the word -- Johannesburg!"  Brothers "defying the man."  One of the great songs of the 1970s.