Saturday Night Soup for the Soul (10)

oday, Saturday, in a parody of some science fiction movie, I am making a flying leap to attempt to jump thru the gateway that leads back to a place I call "the zone". "What is this place?" you ask. Well, it is a intangible state of being where I can both focus, and not focus. A place where I can be enough in the day to day world, so that I can successfully execute my career -- but not be of that world, so that I can devote my finest energy and concentration to personally strategic long range goals.   This week was one where I was pulled many different directions at once, and I suffered a minor stress related fracture  due to the mutually exclusive concurrent demands being made upon me. Somewhere in all this bullsh*t I passed out, and then awoke finding myself on a fast track to nowhere... and that pissed me off, and scared me more than a little.  So...I am taking matters back into my own hands, and racing for "the zone" portal and leaping through, lest it snap shut trapping me in the bullsh*t zone. I jumped in the river and what did I see? Black-eyed angels swam with me A moon full of stars and astral cars All the things I used to see All my lovers were there with me All my past and futures And we all went to heaven in a little row boat There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt Recovering from the annual flu shot.  Seemed to have a bit of abad reaction to it this year.  Not sure why I was hit so hard. I normally enjoy good health.  That may have added to the feeling of discombobulation that I have. Hurrah i awake from yesterday Alive but the war is here to stay So my love Catherina and me Decide to take our last walk Through the noise to the sea Not to die but to be re-born Away from a life so battered and torn.... Forever...Forever... There is a theme in this week's music, which is one of escaping back to submerged underwater worlds. Sort of a stand in for what I discussed at the beginning of this post. Will follow up this post with a Tony de Carlo painting from 1997 on the very same theme. 1. Bakif We start with classic Duke Ellington from his 1940's band.  Duke, the great American musical genius with a career that spanned that spanned six decades. He never rested on his laurels, instead choosing to perpetual reinvention by reworking his vast repertoire finding the things in the old, and by continually adding new compositional gems up until the end. This band (the “The Blanton-Webster Band”) is seriously stunning. The composition is exotic, latinesque and complex. The violin solo that winds thru this number is out of this world. Someday I will write about his musical alter ego – the shy and very gay Billy Strayhorn, who became his most trusted musical confidant. One of those great straight man gay man pairings that are so wonderful and unique (I know all about these pairings).  2. Pyramid Song By Radiohead and from from their 2001 Amnesiac CD. I included two RELATED YouTube vids above. The first is a live performance from La Belle France, and the other is the "official" video. It portrays a scuba diver examining the remains of a submerged life and its artifacts. This topic has been on my mind a lot this winter and is is something I will be writing about in my next “Road Trip Diary” post. Go here to learn more about Pyramid Song. 3. 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be) Damn I love this song which is from the great Electric Ladyland by Seattle's own Jimi Hendrix. I have some wonderful LSD memories of thsi song and the hullicinations that occurred while listening to it.  The title track asks the musical question "Have you ever been to Electric LadyLand?" and then Jimi supplies his own answer "Well I have!" . Ditto for me.   The picture above is the original UK LP gate fold, which was banned in the US. Yes, I added a few tweaks. BTW: while I am here, "Hillary for President in 2016".   Despite the collage, she is a remarkable woman and her husband Bill is a remarkable man.  Would LOVE to see them back in the White House after the Obama second term. 4. You Haven't Done Nothing by Stevie Wonder from his 1974 LP Fullfillingness' First Finale.  This song is the finishing garnish that completes this week’s Soup recipe. Click here to read the lyrics and start the guessing game as to why it is an ingredient. All of this makes it's way into this week's soup. You can strat your first serving of Saturday Night Soup for the Soul by clicking the jukebox.