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You are here: Home / Music / Early Morning Open Thread

Early Morning Open Thread

by Anne Laurie|  April 10, 20105:49 am| 35 Comments

This post is in: Music, Open Threads

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The only musical instruments more disrespected than the bagpipes are the banjo and the accordion. I like all three, in moderation.

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35Comments

  1. 1.

    stuckinred

    April 10, 2010 at 5:58 am

    Bela would disagree!

  2. 2.

    stuckinred

    April 10, 2010 at 6:01 am

    My bride is from Appomattox and there is this interesting tidbit about the banjo from there.

  3. 3.

    Quiddity

    April 10, 2010 at 6:23 am

    Sorry, I have a comment but the blockquotes is messing up the strong tags somehow, so I’m just leaving this until I can figure it out.

  4. 4.

    Sator Arepo

    April 10, 2010 at 6:30 am

    “The only musical instruments more disrespected than the bagpipes are the banjo and the accordion.”

    I guess everything’s relative…

    Q: How do you get two oboists to play in tune?
    A: Shoot one.

  5. 5.

    Quiddity

    April 10, 2010 at 6:36 am

    The lastest news on the Catholic molestation story is about a priest in California and a letter the now-Pope Benedict wrote. But there’s something odd about the report. From the story, a rearrangement of elements to make clear the chronology: (emp add)

    ====================================
    [Rev. Stephen Kiesle] had been sentenced in 1978 to three years’ probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of lewd conduct for tying up and molesting two young boys in a San Francisco Bay area church rectory.

    As his probation ended in 1981, Kiesle asked to leave the priesthood and the diocese submitted papers to Rome to defrock him.

    The diocese recommended removing Kiesle from the priesthood in 1981, the year Ratzinger was appointed to head the Vatican office that shared responsibility for disciplining abusive priests.

    The case then languished for four years at the Vatican before Ratzinger finally wrote to Oakland Bishop John Cummins. It was two more years before Kiesle was removed; during that time he continued to do volunteer work with children through the church.

    In the November 1985 letter, Ratzinger says the arguments for removing Kiesle were of “grave significance” but added that such actions required very careful review and more time. He also urged the bishop to provide Kiesle with “as much paternal care as possible” while awaiting the decision …

    The future pope also noted that any decision to defrock Kiesle must take into account the “good of the universal church” …
    ====================================

    If the priest admitted his acts, wanted out of the church, and the diocese agreed, then why wait at all? What kind of extensive review is needed in a situation like this?

    This is not a case of a priest being sheltered by the Catholic church at the priest’s request.

    So why did it unfold the way it did?

    This looks like a case of theology dictating action. Perhaps the priest is considered part of the collective and can’t be tossed out summarily without, somehow, injuring the church. Anybody have ideas about this? What explains this failure to act in accordance to the priest’s and diocese’s wishes? Also, why couldn’t the priest have just walked away and not be involved with the church? The actions by all parties, as reported, don’t make a lot of sense.

  6. 6.

    El Cid

    April 10, 2010 at 6:52 am

    With the exception of bagpipes having to play “Amazing Grace” at a truly bizarrely high number of funerals.

    Was this the case before Star Trek II?

  7. 7.

    Balconesfault

    April 10, 2010 at 6:53 am

    Old joke

    It’s a true sign of a gentleman if a man knows how to play the accordion …

    And doesn’t.

  8. 8.

    Caravelle

    April 10, 2010 at 7:36 am

    Yay Anne Laurie ! As someone who played it for some years (mostly dances of various celtic stripes) it’s nice to see an American not hating on it for a change. I also love bagpipes (see previous parenthesis re celtic) but they’re definitely an outdoor instrument.

  9. 9.

    Digital Amish

    April 10, 2010 at 7:41 am

    @Balconesfault: One word — zydeco

  10. 10.

    Mr. Prosser

    April 10, 2010 at 7:46 am

    So true, Amish. I intend all three instruments to be played at my funeral while the preacher strums the washboard.

  11. 11.

    satby

    April 10, 2010 at 7:51 am

    @El Cid:
    Bagpipes have been standard at Irish funerals (esp. for cops) for a lot longer than Star Trek’s been around. They played “Danny Boy” for my dad’s funeral.
    And Annie. thanks for this, now I have to get this band’s music.

  12. 12.

    Nathan

    April 10, 2010 at 7:59 am

    It’s a truth universally recognized that the soprano sax is the most hated instrument in the world. (Except when it is in Coltrane’s hands.)

    Banjo? Hours of great bluegrass, country, and “For the Turnstiles” by Neil Young.

    Accordion? Zydeco, The Band, The Pogues, “We Can Work it Out” by the Beatles.

    Bagpipes? “It’s a Long Way to the Top” by AC/DC, and one of my favourite bands, Guh:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JecOMHZuXbU

    My case is rested.

  13. 13.

    SGEW

    April 10, 2010 at 8:02 am

    For a while now, I’ve been wanting to start a punk band with someone who plays the accordion and bagpipes (maybe switch ’em up for different songs). It’d be awesome.

    I can live without the banjo, tho’.

  14. 14.

    lonelypedestrian

    April 10, 2010 at 8:03 am

    There is accordian in both Argentine tango and Portuguese fado music.

    Mmmm…Sad and sexy accordian.

  15. 15.

    neill

    April 10, 2010 at 8:14 am

    three words:

    vee

    oh

    la

  16. 16.

    swalker

    April 10, 2010 at 8:18 am

    Okay, I’m coming out of the closet, I must be free. I like bagpipe music. Ever since we went to see The Black Watch when I was a kid I’ve loved listening to it.

    Wow. That felt…good. I feel so free.

  17. 17.

    El Cid

    April 10, 2010 at 8:19 am

    @satby: No, I mean specifically “Amazing Grace”.

  18. 18.

    arguingwithsignposts

    April 10, 2010 at 8:22 am

    Each of these instruments sounds good if used in the right spaces. For instance, for banjo, I give you the Great Lake Swimmers.

  19. 19.

    mai naem

    April 10, 2010 at 8:24 am

    Why would anybody dislike the banjo? I like bluegrass music but a lot of it sounds all alike to me but then I say the same thing about rap music.
    OT, Ben Smith is on Wash Journal and they’re talking about Princess Sarah. They just got a caller who called Politico a liberal site. Can we stop talking about this stoopid woman? Please. She the epitome of “low information” voter.

  20. 20.

    arguingwithsignposts

    April 10, 2010 at 8:25 am

    @El Cid:
    Amazing Grace is played at an amazingly high number of funerals, period. full stop. The bagpipe version is only one specific cultural twist.

  21. 21.

    SGEW

    April 10, 2010 at 8:29 am

    Thinking of the accordion just reminded me of the intro to this good ol’ Ani song. Probably why I became interested in the instrument in the first place, back in my youth.

    Also, when I was a kid, there was a professional bagpipist who lived across the street from me. Grew up listening to him practice; loved it ever since.

    But banjos? Something about the tone (and the twang) just sets my teeth on edge. Harpsichord too. Ah well, non est disputandum and all that.

  22. 22.

    Citizen_X

    April 10, 2010 at 8:35 am

    Good to see the Murphys rocking the banjo.

    Don’t get me started on the accordion hate. It’s rockist bullshit.* I have never been in a place with accordions being played–whether it was zydeco, conjunto, or trad Irish music–where a good time wasn’t being had by all. OTOH, I’ve been in all too many places where lead guitarists were stomping all over the music, just wanking away. Snore.

    *A few years back, there was an ad that depicted a young Jimi Hendrix stopping in front of a music shop. He stares back and forth between a strat and an accordion, and they play a wheezy accordion version of Purple Haze, followed by the words, “That was close.”

    Yeah, wouldn’t that have been terrible If he had picked up the accordion? He’d probably still be alive, still playing the keys.

    ETA: Plus, I actually have this shirt. Don’t fuck wit’ the accordion!

  23. 23.

    EarBucket

    April 10, 2010 at 8:38 am

    I made a new Tumblr blog that puts right-wing Christians’ words into Jesus’s mouth: Tea Party Jesus.

  24. 24.

    lonelypedestrian

    April 10, 2010 at 8:52 am

    Thank you Citizen X. “Rockist” may be my new favorite word.

  25. 25.

    Svensker

    April 10, 2010 at 9:17 am

    Then there’s German Metal Medieval with celtic bagpipes, etc. — someone posted this a few months ago. Still can’t decide whether I love it or am freaked out by it, but I keep listening.

  26. 26.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 10, 2010 at 10:01 am

    @earbucket: That is brilliant!

  27. 27.

    The Golux

    April 10, 2010 at 10:38 am

    From an article on Willie Nelson I read years ago:

    Q. What’s the definition of perfect pitch?

    A. When you throw an accordion out the window and it lands on a banjo.

    That said, I like both instruments. Bela Fleck is a genius. He can make the banjo fit in with any genre.

  28. 28.

    Bruuuuce

    April 10, 2010 at 11:14 am

    Sorry. As a violist (among other things), I have to add the viola to that list. (See this archive, for example.)

    As it happens, I love all three of the other instruments, but haven’t yet tried the pipes or the accordion. Now, if they had strings…

  29. 29.

    Jamey

    April 10, 2010 at 11:34 am

    A close fourth-place to banjos, accordions, and bagpipes would be a drummer/vocalist.

    DMs are batting for the awful-music cycle.

    But it looks good on them …

  30. 30.

    licensed to kill time

    April 10, 2010 at 12:51 pm

    There was a cartoon I once sent to an accordion playing friend of mine. It showed a guy with an accordion on a street corner with a sign saying “Will stop playing for money”.

    He laughed ruefully.

  31. 31.

    Billy K

    April 10, 2010 at 1:18 pm

    I play in a celtic group with pipes and banjo. I play in another group with an accordion. I’ve joked I would put the three together and call them “The Hated.”

  32. 32.

    joe from Lowell

    April 10, 2010 at 1:39 pm

    My favorite accordion-based song.

    Don’t cry, baby, don’t cry.

  33. 33.

    Jim in PA

    April 10, 2010 at 8:47 pm

    No list of accordian bands would be complete without The Hooters:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO5oX6ElPm4

  34. 34.

    pianoguy

    April 10, 2010 at 9:58 pm

    Surely any list of disrespected musical instruments must begin with the ukelele?

  35. 35.

    ron

    April 13, 2010 at 12:03 am

    add the harmonica and youd have the 4 instruments of the apocalypse.

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