Sinister: I'll only buy a book if it takes me forever to find it...

[allen]

Hello, everyone!  (B&S musical content at the end -- really!)

Has anyone else found that the harder something is for you to attain, the
more eager you are to have it?  That whatever it is you're after becomes
even more attractive and more valuable?  

Case in point, out of the blue recently, I've gone on a quest for a book
called The Godwits Fly.  Has anyone else out there heard of this book?  A
bit of history first:  back in high school, I used to listen to radio dramas
that were broadcast on Sunday nights.  One Sunday, the radio drama
adaptation of a book from New Zealand was broadcast.  It was entitled The
Godwits Fly and was about a girl by the name of Eliza who grew up in New
Zealand yearning to travel and live in England.  From what I recall, godwits
are birds in NZ which migrate to England for a while and then return -- any
people from NZ out there want to clarify this? -- and people who wanted to
'return' to England were called godwits themselves.  I don't recall the rest
of the story (silly me), but it was basically a coming of age tale and I
thought it was grand at the time (I was also very much into Britpop at the
time, so I related a bit to Eliza). The radio adapation was presented in 2
parts, I believe, and I was lucky enough to tape the second part.
(Unfortunately, I left the tape back in my home town, which I don't
currently live in.)  Recently, I've decided to find the book the radio drama
was based on, but have had little luck.  I did a search for it on Amazon,
but to no avail.  I've searched in other places (rare book searches) and
found that it is out of print.  I'm just curious if anybody out there has
heard of this. :)  It was written all the way back in 1938, I believe, and
reprinted in the '70s. (?)  It's probably a lovely book and I'll enjoy it
immensely when I find it, but till then I will continue my search.  Also, if
anyone is in a bookstore, try to find this book.  I would like to know if
it's still available in some places.  Oh, and the author's name is Robin
Hyde.

And here's the B&S content.  For all you musically-inclined types, I was
wondering if I was the only one who hears a major->minor chord progression
in LLPJ.  It's at the part of the melody which goes "...time, when you are
free from all the trouble you're in..."  I'm asking because I always thought
it interesting that the chords there were Bbm->Ebm but it SOUNDS like the
melody sung is on top of a major->minor chord.  But it's not!  I don't know
if anybody else understands what I'm saying, but I don't care!! :)  What I
mean by major->minor is something like playing a IV->iv progression, which
is a bit of a cliche, really.  Pulp seems to like to use this a lot. 
Anyway, those AREN'T the chords played, but damn! it sure sounds like it. 
(If you're near a guitar or a piano, play an Fmaj followed by an Fmin to see
what I mean.)  If you listen very carefully towards the last verse at the
part where it goes "...got your name and what you're gonna do about it...",
you can hear the piano and it really sounds like a major->minor is played
(perhaps as harmony?)... heheh, I hope I got some of you to listen very,
very carefully to the song now. :P

Hey, this might be an interesting thread to start, having people mention
subtle nuances of B&S songs so we can all go on a scavenger hunt! :)  For
instance, at approximately 1:23 of Ease Your Feet Into The Sea, you can hear
someone count in on the left speaker.  Anyone else?

Anyway, if anyone wants to discuss musical theory behind B&S music, email
me!  I'm currently trying to learn exactly what makes their songs so darn
infectious.

Cheers!
Allen
--
"Long afloat on shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
Till your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle." -- Song to the Siren, Tim Buckley.


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