Culture (as Art) Is a Very Complex Thing ...

 ... here is one of the greatest Russian piano players who ever walked this earth, Denis Matsuev,  giving an incredible classic music concert in ... jazz and blues tones. When you have the whole orchestra ... rocking. What can I say, enjoy. Including the conclusion with Sviridov's Time Forward going into the Christmas Tree. Blues and Jazz, which are purely American art forms, are immortal ... 

Yes, remember these guys saying to Bethoven to roll over ...

It is universal ... 

We Have Been Travelling...

 ... on Saturday to Oregon and by the time we got back we have been exhausted. Sadly, Richard Tandy of Electric Light Orchestra, this incredible British band which transcended borders and cultures, passed away. Yes, that good ol' Britain of Beatles, Sweet, Supertramp, ELO and Benny Hill. The nation which is not there anymore. 

I will reiterate. At some point of time, the treatment of depression and anxiety of what will be left of the Western Civilization will include ELO's music as a critical element.
 

RIP, Richard...

It Was A Hard Year. Let's Relax, Somewhat.

Yet, I still can sense a rebel, in a good sense, spirit and some seeds of possible revival. No, not of the "Western Civilization" as they try to sell to us today--it has no relation to anything "Western"--but of humanity in general, granted that it is not easy to remain human nowadays. "Western Civilization" as it really is, is not what passes today for it. The Western Civilization which I love is not what it is today--there is nothing "Western" in it--but there was a time when a free spirit was almost free and not in a sense of "third wave feminism" finding "empowerment" in baring itself and behaving like sluts, or men becoming metrosexuals, but in a sense of freedom of thought which still had a very clear understanding between right and wrong, between tasteful and despicable, between beautiful and ugly. For some reason, on the eve of fvcking 2020 (and decade) departing I want to recall some really good, in aesthetic sense, things I personally consider to be those still glowing cinders of human free artistic spirit and goodness. You know that I am a rocker, so, you may as well enjoy (or otherwise) some things I enjoy, from the time it was good to be...well... free. Yes, it was that stunning and I was there, on ELO's 2019 American Tour, Hallelujah;)))

But, of course, they still delivered something special at Wembley in the country which, pretty much, doesn't exist anymore. But humanity still does.

In general, modern technology allows to deliver some truly stunning performances which have a profound impact. Russians, certainly, got the idea of live concert which provides an amazing delivery for a true talent. 

So, if anyone says it is "too commercial", well, too bad--the best music, actually, came through "commercial" performances which have been done by real professionals. So, let's enjoy something which is not flimsy but solid and enjoyable in this passing decade in terms of music. Here is Aria delivering a stunner in the same venue as Polina Gagarina in the clip above. 

Musically and performance-wise it rivals anything Iron Maiden or Judas Priest ever did, but that is the sign of times--it is all out there and anyone can enjoy it. Think about it--we couldn't even dream about access to such a treasure 20 years ago. We have it now, and not to music alone. Russians meanwhile do real power metal. 

So, enjoy the passing of this shitty year. We will not miss it.

ELO.

We returned home yesterday after 01:00, happy and inspired. I can say now that we saw a Legend of a man and the band. If Western Civilization is ever going to come back to human normality, the recovery should start from playing Jeff Lynne and ELO's music as a mandatory subject in schools as a lesson in humanity, taste and quality. It also has to be played as mental therapy. ELO played yesterday to a packed Tacoma Dome (Dhani Harrison and his band were opening act--really good). We were sitting to the right of the stage very close to it--lights, production, playing, I have no enough superlatives to describe this. It was loud, but what a loudness it was--clear, beautifully separated by frequencies of instrument and yes, Jeff still got it. We (a huge crowd, I mean) sang like crazy together with ELO and, boy, did they rock the Tacoma Dome sold out crowd.  One knows that one is going to see a Legend and rock highest royalty when you can see three generations, ranging from ages 70 to teenagers, going in the river of humanity towards the Dome. By the time Jeff, Dhani and ELO started playing Traveling Wilburys' Handle With Care--nobody was sitting at the packed venue. Here is some taste of ELO in Tacoma Dome--a Magic! And we were really happy to see so many youngsters who knew Who they were going to see and hear. People already upload videos from the concert. Ah yes, ELO still sells out places like Wembley. 

They are the orchestra of Electric Light and nobody comes even close.

P.S. Forgot. Technically it was Friday. 

Jeff, You Have No Right To Die.

One of the greatest rockers of all time with his most underrated band of all time inducted, finally....

Yes, it is Friday...

Down The Memory Lane.

Stumbled upon this very fresh photograph (in Moscow) today and suddenly was taken down the memory lane:  

Ah, the summer of 1980--the last summer of personal civilian freedom, the hottest Summer on memory in Baku, Moscow Olympics, entrance exams to Naval Academy and this song blaring from so many open Baku windows. 

    

Damn, Debbie was drop dead gorgeous and the music was so good, it stood the test of time. And the Heart Of Glass was not the only thing which made those biorhythms get in sync...