D.I.S.C.O Monday, Nov 2 2009
Music Ottawan, Boney M, Earth Wind & Fire, Anita Ward, Donna Summer, T'es Ok, D.I.S.C.O, Rasputin, Boogie Wonderland, Ring My Bell 9:59 pm
When my Mom and Dad were courting ! Wednesday, Oct 7 2009
Music Big Bopper, Chantilly lace, Del Shannon, Frankie Lymon & the teenagers, Jackie Wilson, Love potion number 9, Reete petite, Runaway, The book of love, The Monotones, The Searchers, Why do fools fall in love 8:10 pm
England, England my lionheart ! Sunday, Sep 27 2009
Music Squeeze, Dos Equis, Scarsdale, The Spotted Cow, The Black Rabbit, Amberly Tavern, Smithwick, Guinness, Murpheys, Pink Floyd, Elvis, Zeppelin, Labelled with love, Up the junction 6:27 pm
A refuge in small studio flat in 123 Queen’s gate after a night at Henry Jay’s; a few very cold Dos Equis and Georges on his guitar. Many nights I have spent trying to forget why I had to leave the warmth of the Mediterranean to the (supposedly) cold of England. And suddenly, Eurika. Henry Jay’s was replaced by visits to Scarsdale, The Spotted Cow, The Black Rabbit, Amberly Tavern…etc; local watering holes. England was not as cold as I pictured it to be. The order at the bar was no longer for Dos Equis or a long island ice tea, but for a pint of Smithwick, Guinness, or even Murpheys. The 50 pence in the juke box were no longer used to play Pink Floyd, Clapton, Elvis, Zeppelin…., but bands such as “Squeeze”. Then I found peace, and began to appreciate the country and the people who adopted me in my darkest of time.
Thank you England.
Musical exchange. Friday, Sep 25 2009
Music Stevie Nicks, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Colin James, James Taylor, Carlie Simon, Bad company, Supertramp, Melissa Ethridge, Aaron Neville 8:28 pm
Apart from sharing a love for a country that has been used and abused by many, and many more to come; it turned out that we share a love for music as well. So I dedicate this relatively long (but short in content) page to you my true Lebanese friend. I hope that you will enjoy it.
La Perigourdine, St Germain. Friday, Sep 18 2009
Music France, Loversin the wind, Only because of you, Paris, Perigourdine, Rodger Hodgson, St Germain 8:17 pm
2 generations, not so far apart. Monday, Jul 13 2009
America and K Maro and Queen and Yves Duteil Music 10:45 pm
A 35 years gap; and still we share many common interests. From classic cars, motorbikes, love for animals, good food, music…etc; I asked Tarek to give me two songs he wanted to listen to without thinking; a spur of the moment. He kindly obliged only if I would do the same.
Enclosed is (after struggling with a slow internet connection, thanks to the huge influx of sandal wearing tourists); those are the two songs we each came up with.
Tarek’s contribution.
A couple of hours later, I came up with :
Go figure !
Lonely English nights ! Friday, Jun 19 2009
England and Every Stranger's Eyes and Roger Waters Music 11:20 pm
[Waitress:] "e;Hello, you wanna cup of coffee?"e;
[Customers:] "e;Heh, Turn that fucking juke box down
You want to turn down that juke box….loud in here"e;
[Waitress:] "e;I’m sorry, would you like a cup of coffee?
Ok, you take cream and sugar? Sure."
In truck stops and hamburger joints
In Cadillac limousines
In the company of has-beens
And bent-backs
And sleeping forms on pavement steps
In libraries and railway stations
In books and banks
In the pages of history
In suicidal cavalry attacks
I recognise…
Myself in every stranger’s eyes
And in wheelchairs by monuments
Under tube trains and commuter accidents
In council care and county courts
At Easter fairs and sea-side resorts
In drawing rooms and city morgues
In award winning photographs
Of life rafts on the China seas
In transit camps, under arc lamps
On unloading ramps
In faces blurred by rubber stamps
I recognise…
Myself in every stranger’s eyes
And now, from where I stand
Upon this hill
I plundered from the pool
I look around
I search the skies
I shade my eyes
So nearly blind
And I see signs of half remembered days
I hear bells that chime in strange familiar ways
I recognise…
The hope you kindle in your eyes
It’s oh so easy now
As we lie here in the dark
Nothing interferes, it’s obvious
How to beat the tears
That threaten to snuff out
The spark of our love
Echoes Thursday, May 14 2009
Echoes and Guss Farah London, Music 9:55 pm
In a friend’s apartment in Queen’s Gate London, after a night at the Spider and Rock; Georges, a guitar, a record player and Lebanon on our mind. One example of how Culture Club, Madness, Del Amitri, Petshop Boys, Squeeze, Costello… and others were replaced for a short period of time.
My faith & CSNY Monday, May 4 2009
CSNY and King Arthur and Knights of the round table and Lady Of The Lake and Lancelot and Winchester Cathedral Music 9:53 pm
Six o’ clock
In the morning, I feel pretty good
So I dropped into the luxury of the Lords
Fighting dragons and crossing swords
With the people against the hordes
Who came to conquer.
Seven o’clock
In the morning, here it comes
I taste the warning and I am so amazed
I’m here today, seeing things so clear this way
In the car and on my way
To Stonehenge.
I’m flying in Winchester cathedral
Sunlight pouring through the break of day.
Stumbled through the door and into the chamber;
There’s a lady setting flowers on a table covered lace
And a cleaner in the distance finds a cobweb on a face
And a feeling deep inside of me tells me
This can’t be the place
I’m flying in Winchester cathedral.
All religion has to have its day
Expressions on the face of the Saviour
Made me say
I can’t stay.
Open up the gates of the church and let me out of here!
Too many people have lied in the name of Christ
For anyone to heed the call.
So many people have died in the name of Christ
That I can’t believe it all.
And now I’m standing on the grave of a soldier that died in 1799
And the day he died it was a birthday
And I noticed it was mine.
And my head didn’t know just who I was
And I went spinning back in time.
And I am high upon the altar
High upon the altar, high.
I’m flying in Winchester cathedral,
It’s hard enough to drink the wine.
The air inside just hangs in delusion,
But given time,
I’ll be fine.
The great divide. Wednesday, Apr 22 2009
Arundel and England and Greatful Dead and Labelled with love and New England College and Ripples and Squeeze Music 9:21 pm
Two major influences during my college days in England in an American college I would like to share.
