#richard farina

[1976desire]

ethan signer, eric von schmidt, martin carthy, bob dylan and richard farina, troubadour club, london, england, january 12, 1963. photos by alison chapman mclean

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[broadsidemagazine]

Newport: The Short Hot Summer (Newpork Folk Festival, 1965)

PHIL OCHS: The trouble with Newport 65 was that too many people forgot that it was supposed to be a festival. The cops were ridiculously harsh and rude. Many city performers were up tight about how well they would do professionally. And juvenile gossip seemed to be on too many peoples’ tongues. It should have been called the Newport Fuzz Festival. If people don't take it so seriously next year it should turn out to be a whole lot better.

NEWS REPORT: This year’s Newport Folk Festival was the biggest ever with 77,000 paid admissions. Festival officials plan to have next summer’s affair run a full week.

CARL MIRKEN (Broadside reporter): Fanatic screaming erupted when Bob Dylan appeared on stage Sunday night. His black leather sports jacket, red shirt, tapered black slacks and electric guitar startled some in the audience and dismayed many. Sight of the Butterfield Band backing him up deepened their dismay. By his third -- and most ‘radically’ rock and roll -- song, there was loud jeering and cat-calls from some parts of the audience. Then a regular battle between boos and cheers. Bob was obviously quite perturbed, the first time I have seen him so in front of an audience. (It must be said that he had rehearsed with the band for only an hour the night before and the poorly-balanced sound system made what could have been a great sound messy). Bob dismissed the band, exchanged his electronic guitar for his more familiar acoustic one. When a cry arose for him to sing “Mr. Tambourine Man” he responded almost apologetically “Okay, if you want me to.” And he did, and then once again he had the oldtime thunderous near-unanimous applause. All in all, it was a dramatic confrontation.

JACK SOLOMAN (manager): Dylan was out of his own element. Butterfield isn't a performer. He just lays down music.

JOAN BAEZ (performer): Tonight Bob was in a mess. He’s really very good. People just don't understand his writing.

CAROL ADLER (copywriter): This is the most hostile audience I've ever seen. I don’t understand it. Dylan completely knocked them out wherever he went in England.

THEODORE BIKEL (performer): You don’t whistle in church -- you don't play rock and roll at a folk festival.

NEW YORK TIMES (Robert Shelton): While the fresh, enthusiastic thousands of teenagers in the audiences comported themselves in a fashion that pleased Newport and festival officials, the conduct of older members of the folk leadership left much to be desired… A folklorist and a personal manager scuffled on the ground over a fine point of courtesy in the folklorist's introduction.

ALAN LOMAX (folklorist): I had been on stage for over three hours and I was hot and tired. At this point I wasn’t emceeing -- I was talking about the blues. When I came off stage there was Al Grossman and he said to me “That was the worst job of emceeing I’ve ever heard in my life.” And I said “It was no worse than some of the things you've done in your life.” Then he said something like “I ought to belt you in the nose.” I pushed my chest up against his and invited him to try it. I don’t remember swinging but there he was stretched out on the ground. Then he jumped up and grappled me around the waist and we were both down, rolling around. By that time people pulled us apart. That’s all there was to it. It couldn't have lasted more than 30 seconds. But I suppose it's already becoming a folk legend. (Editor’s note: The artist who apparently got a somewhat less than perfect introduction from Mr. Lomax belongs to Hr. Grossman’s stable).

CARYL MIRKEN (after the dust settled): The contemporary songs workshop was a high point of the festival, or could have been. It was the most eagerly awaited event and best attended. Large crowds jammed into the area the instant the gates were opened. Co-Host Peter Yarrow in a little speech said the contemporary writers are rightfully folksong writers because the whole folk tradition is with them. But although this was by far the workshop attracting the greatest interest the Newport Board this year seemed deliberately de-emphasizing contemporary songs and their writers. Most conspicuous by his absence from the program was Phil Ochs… Also absent were such of the country's leading topical songwriters as Tom Paxton and Eric Andersen. Also memorable at Newport 65: Joan Baez saluting “Johnson’s marvelous foreign policy” by singing “Stop, In The Name Of Love”... Another side of Pete Seeger: Pete managing to hang in while backing Spokes Mashiyane, the amazing South African pennywhistle jazzman (his music is really called “Kwela” but the closest term we have for it is jazz), along with Chicago blues piano player Lalayette Lee and bassist Willie Dixon. Spokes, who along with Mimi and Dick Fariña was probably the most brilliant performer at this year’s festival was brought to Newport largely through the efforts of Pete Seeger, who discovered him on his world tour a year or so ago… Fannie Lou Hamer: A great human being and a wondrous singer (“Mississippi, land of the tree and home ot the grave”)... Dick & Mimi Fariña holding an enthusiastic audience Sunday afternoon despite a sudden downpour as they sang their “House Un-American Blues Activity Dream”... Mark Spoelstra's new songs… Donovan the import from Britain is certainly much more than just an “imitation of Bob Dylan”. Donovan has his own style; his imagery is clear and meaningful without any trace at Dylan's semantic obscurity. Aside from his music Donovan is the sweetest, most “natural” guy going… John Koerner's parody of the gambler-sheriff song.

(Broadside #61, August 1965)

[cbjustmusic]

Rhiannon Giddens singing “Birmingham Sunday” a song about the Ku Klux Klan’s bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four young girls—Addie Mae Collins (14), Cynthia Wesley (14), Carole Robertson (14), and Carol Denise McNair (11). This happened 60 years ago today on September 15, 1963. _________________________ Birmingham Sunday Songwriter: Richard Fariña

Come 'round by my side and I'll sing you a song I'll sing it so softly it'll do no one wrong On Birmingham Sunday the blood ran like wine And the choir kept singing of freedom

That cold autumn morning no eyes saw the sun And Addie Mae Collins, her number was one In an old Baptist church there was no need to run And the choir kept singing of freedom

The clouds, they were dark and the autumn wind blew And Denise McNair brought the number to two The falcon of death was a creature they knew And the choir kept singing of freedom

The church, it was crowded and no one could see That Cynthia Wesley's dark number was three Her prayers and her feelings would shame you and me And the choir kept singing of freedom

Young Carol Robertson entered the door And the number her killers had given was four She asked for a blessing, but asked for no more And the choir kept singing of freedom

On Birmingham Sunday a noise shook the ground And people all over the Earth turned around For no one recalled a more cowardly sound And the choir kept singing of freedom

The men in the forest, they once asked of me How many black berries grow in the Blue Sea I asked them right back with a tear in my eye How many dark ships in the forest?

The Sunday has come, the Sunday has gone And I can't do much more than to sing you a song I'll sing it so softly it'll do no one wrong And the choir keeps singing of freedom

[nochoirliketheirsong]

Song #79

Time to share this song again! I posted it when I started this blog, because it's where the title comes from, but not as the 'song of the day' yet. It still lives rent free in my head at least once a week, even when I don't listen to it.

"Come wander quietly and listen to the wind

Come near and listen to the sky

Come walking high above the rolling of the sea

And watch the swallows as they fly

There is no sorrow like the murmur of their wings

There is no choir like their song

There is no power like the freedom of their flight

While the swallows roam alone"

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

Cars For Kings Cross • Great Brook Valley • Eventually • Losing True • The Congress • Black Sweater • California • The Wicked Girl • Tune Me In, Turn Me Off • Crystallized Your World • Empty There • Hammer

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Richard and Mimi Fariña - WTBS-FM, Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 1965

Amidst the ancient folk songs that Fairport Convention played at Royal Festival Hall in September of 1969, there was an outlier — Sandy Denny's stark version of "The Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood," which set a Richard Fariña poem to the tune of "My Lagan Love." The band would record (and discard) a great version of it for Liege & Lief and Sandy would return to it on her Sandy LP in 1972. Richard and Mimi were big influences on Fairport — they also tackled "Reno, Nevada," and Richard Thompson would later recall a late 1960s encounter Fariña's dulcimer — "a holy object."

So! Let's check out a nice rarity from Richard & Mimi themselves — this excellent radio broadcast from the early folk rock daze. Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home had just been released, and the duo are already referencing "Maggie's Farm" here, as they run through some of their best tunes (and one of their worst —  "A Chastity Belt" has always struck me as insufferably lame).

The DJ is Ed Freeman who would later go onto fame (infamy, maybe?) as the producer/arranger of "American Pie," and, interestingly, the electric guitarist is Barry Tashian of Barry & the Remains, of "Don't Look Back" fame. A lot of cool confluences, which is kinda what Richard Fariña was all about before his untimely death in 1966 ... after all, who else could provide a direct connection between Dylan and Thomas Pynchon?

[randomrichards]

SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND:

George Burns tells a tale

A band lured by evil corp

Town depends on them

[readtilyoudie]

The Amazing World of Gumball: Recipe for Disaster

[letterboxd-loggd]

Midnight Run (1988) Martin Brest

January 14th 2024

[reactorshaft]

Star Wars fic (or song lyric comic) of Sith Obi-Wan taking on Sith apprentice Anakin using this song as inspiration please.

[claudia1829things]

"THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" (1993) Review

"THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" (1993) Review

Unlike the works of classical American authors like Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain and Henry James; Hollywood and other film/television industries had rarely adapted the works of Edith Wharton. One could say that a movie or television adaptation of a Wharton novel or novella proved to be a rare occasion. And one of those "rare occasions" happened to be Martin Scorsese's 1993 adaptation of "The Age of Innocence", Wharton's 1920 Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

"THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" told the story of a wealthy attorney Newland Archer in late 1870s New York City, who finds himself torn between two women - his conventional young fiancée May Welland and her older and unconventional cousin Countess Ellen Olenska. After Ellen returns to New York City following her disastrous marriage to an unfaithful Polish count, she is ostracized by New York's high society. Ellen had retaliated against her husband's adulterous behavior by having a brief affair with his secretary. Due to society's double standards, its members bash Ellen for her own adultery and ostracize her. Thanks to Newland's efforts, he helps her family restore Ellen's place within the city's social circle. But when Ellen decides to divorce her husband, the latter threatens to publicize her adultery. Both the Welland and Archer families, along with New York society, pressures Newland to convince Ellen to drop the divorce proceedings . . . which he does. By the time he has achieved this, Newland realizes he has fallen in love with Ellen.

When I first saw "THE AGE OF INNOCENCE", I had assumed that Newland and Ellen's relationship had failed due to outside pressure from New York society and May's own manipulative efforts. I never had any idea of the illusionary nature of their relationship . . . especially on Newland's part. It took at least two more viewings of Scorsese's movie to realize the truth behind Wharton's novel. Or what I believe might be the truth. What did I regard as the truth in this story? I believe after her experiences with her husband, Ellen had fled to New York City in order to seek peace and solace from her family and the society from which she came. I also believe she eventually focused on Newland as the focal point of her desire for solace, due to his tolerant and friendly attitude toward her. Did she fall in love with Newland? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Although I believe Ellen eventually realized that American (and especially New York) society might be a bit too rigid for her in the end, I also suspect that she eventually realized Newland's desire or attempt to express non-conformist attitudes may have been illusionary.

And what about Newland? I find it odd that Daniel Day-Lewis had never received a Golden Globe, BAFTA or Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Newland Archer. I believe the character is one of the most complicated and contradictory fictional characters I have ever encountered. Newland has managed to produce a surprising mixture of admiration, sympathy and contempt within me. On one hand, I found his willingness to support Ellen from the subtle bias of New York society very admirable, along with his appreciation of her non-conformist nature. And I certainly sympathized over his occasional desire to escape from society's stifling conformity. This sympathy had increased tenfold when I saw how society, especially May, had manipulated him from pursuing a further relationship with Ellen. However, I also felt a great deal of contempt toward Newland. I found his attempts to convince Ellen to adhere to New York society's rules annoying. Another aspect of his personality that annoyed me was his self-pitying attitude. This was on display when he briefly blamed Ellen for dropping her divorce suit, before she reminded him that he had convinced her to do so. But . . . I found his unwillingness to break away from society, including his upcoming marriage to May Welland contemptuous, but also cowardly. In the end, I came to a realization that Newland had enjoyed projecting an image of non-conformity, but was unwilling to break away from that prison known as New York Society. And to the bitter end, Newland only satisfied himself with illusions about himself, his wife and especially Ellen.

It is easy to see "THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" had been told solely from Newland Archer's viewpoint. Thanks to Martin Scorsese and Jay Cocks' Oscar nominated screenplay, I believe this enabled moviegoers to explore the complex and ruthless nature of Old New York high society, but how it affected the even more complicated nuances of Newland's personality. Not only did this make Wharton's story so fascinating to me, but I cannot help but admire how Scorsese and Cocks had effectively conveyed this to the screen. Some movie fans and critics seemed dismissive toward the film's narrative and/or Newland's character. I simply do not share this dismissive attitude. "THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" struck me as a prime example of the narrow-minded and corrosive nature of society and individuals like Newland.

There are also other aspects of "THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" that I admire, aside from Scorsese and Cock's superb translation of Wharton's novel to the screen. One, I believe the 1993 film is visually one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Hands down. One could thank the skillful artistry of film icon Dante Ferretti. Along with Speed Hopkins' art direction, Robert J. Franco and Amy Marshall's set decorations and Michael Ballhaus' cinematography, I thought Ferretti did an excellent job in re-creating New York City and other locations of the late 1870s. The man truly deserved the Oscar nomination he had received. This re-creation seemed especially noticeable in scenes featuring the more ascetic aspects of Old New York lifestyles - for example; the multiple courses for a formal dinner, society members' expensive accessories, and the art works that adorn their exclusive houses - thanks to Ballhaus' photography and Thelma Schoonmaker's editing. But I cannot discuss the artistic aspects of "THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" without mentioning Gabriella Pescucci's costume designs. I have considered Pescucci's costumes for this film as among the best I have seen throughout Hollywood history. After seeing creations featured in the images below:

I believe Pescucci truly deserved the Academy Award for Best Costume Design she had won.

"THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" featured some first-rate performances. I honestly cannot recall a bad one in the film. The movie featured fine support from the likes of Geraldine Chaplin, Jonathan Pryce, Richard E. Grant, Norman Lloyd, Michael Gough, Sian Phillips, Mary Beth Hurt, Carolyn Farina and Robert Sean Leonard. But there were a handful of performances that caught my attention. The 1993 movie featured the last performance of Alexis Smith, who portrayed the powerful matron Mrs. Louisa van der Luyden. I thought Smith did an excellent job in conveying the insidious nature of New York society, with her attempts to divert Newland's attention from Ellen to May. Alec McCowen's portrayal of Sillerton Jackson struck me as equally insidious, with his suggestive bon mots and penchant for gossip. Stuart Wilson gave a very witty performance as English-born banker Julius Beaufort, who possessed a penchant for dismissing society's rules and making nasty comments about its members. Joanne Woodward served as the film's narrator and I thought she did a fine job in conveying the story with perfect cadence and without giving too much away. But I really enjoyed Miriam Margolyes' portrayal of Ellen and May's grandmother, Mrs. Mingott, another powerful matron of Old New York. Margolyes, quite deservedly, won an BAFTA for her colorful portrayal of the witty old matron, who allowed her age and infirmity to dismiss society's rules and make blunt observations of the people around her.

Winona Ryder had won a Golden Globe Award and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, due to her portrayal of Newland Archer's fiancée and later wife, May Welland. I thought she had given an exceptional performance as the beautiful young belle, whose bland and complacent persona masked a strong-willed personality, capable of resorting to cunning to achieve her goals. It seemed a shame Ryder did not win that Academy Award. Because I believe she truly deserved it . . . even more so than the winner. Michelle Pffiefer had earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for her role as Countess Ellen Olenska, May's cousin. In my opinion, I believe Pffiefer had to deal with a role that proved to be just as difficult as the leading character. On the surface, her Ellen seemed like the ideal woman for the late 20th and early 21st centuries, one audiences might find easy to cheer for. One could almost describe the character as some kind of literary "Mary Sue". Thankfully, Pffiefer had the skill to infuse a good deal of complexity and sometimes, ambiguity, while conveying Ellen's struggles to draw out Newland from his social complacency and desire to engage in an affair with him. Earlier, I had expressed regret for Daniel Day-Lewis' lack of accolades for his portrayal of Newland Archer. I believe Newland was a very complicated and ambiguous character. I also believe Day-Lewis managed to convey Newland's complex personality to the screen with great effect. The actor really had deserved some kind of recognition, nomination or award for his performance. Had the competition been too big for the Best Actor category? Or was Newland Archer simply not popular enough for anyone to consider an award or nomination for Day-Lewis' performance?

Do I have any complaints about "THE AGE OF INNOCENCE"? A few. One, I found the pacing rather slow. The movie has a 139 minute running time and yet, it felt as if was longer. I am relieved that the 1993 movie lacked a much shorter running time. But there were many moments when Scorsese's fascination with details regarding Old New York society that made the pacing seemed glacial - especially during the movie's second half. I had enjoyed those views of 19th century New York society, but not at the expense of the pacing. I also had a problem with the dialogue featured in the movie. I understand "THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" was about the New York City upper-class in the late 19th century. And I will admit the movie also featured some memorable dialogue. But there were one too many moments when I found the dialogue stylized . . . almost unnatural. I have seen plenty of productions set in 19th century United States or Great Britain. And aside from a few movies, I cannot recall the dialogue sounding almost unnatural at times, thanks to the screenplay written by Scorsese and Cocks.

If I must be frank, I consider my complaints about "THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" to be relatively minor. Yes, I believe it had some flaws. But I also believe there was a great deal about the movie to admire. In fact, I consider it as one of Martin Scorsese's best films and one of the better period dramas I have ever seen, thanks to the director, the screenplay written by him and Jay Cocks and the performances given by what I believe was an exceptional cast led by Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pffiefer and Winona Ryder.

[randomrichards]

JOAN BEAZ: I AM A NOISE

Life of folk singer

Unafraid to speak some truths

Becomes a target

[bubskino]

Another Stakeout

Töhöduo töhöilee taas. Nyt todistajansuojelusta haneen lähtenyt muikkeli tarvii stalkkailla takas mestoille.

Vielä paskempi tusinakomedian jatkis.

1/5

[letterboxd-loggd]

The Age of Innocence (1993) Martin Scorsese

June 4th 2023

[onryou-onryou]

Richard & Mimi Farina - House un-American blues activity dream 02-26-1966