Sunday 12 August 2012

Sunday Morning Blue: Paul Buchanan: Mid Air

I keep reading that 'Mid Air' is a disappointment.
I disagree.
I now know it inside out.
A bit like Raymond Carver's stories; there's comfort in the revisiting; a fresh nuance suggests itself with every exposure; because everything is so raw and revealing you actually get to focus on what lies within.
Every listen endorses what a brave and emotional revelation the album is. Its emotional landscape isn't always easy to navigate but that is surely part of the engagement.
It's easy to regard this as late night fodder; taken with the obligatory glass of single malt.
It also works well on Sunday mornings with a contemplative cup of coffee....
I just found this performance of the title track from BBC 2's 'Review Show'.
TOTP2 it aint...

5 comments:

  1. Sunday morning at the Church of St.Trevor... Mid Air would be a perfect closing hymn methinks.
    Also, I'm afraid I have a confession to make padre. I think the reason I've been avoiding giving this CD a proper listen is to protect my little heart. Beautiful as it is, the stuff here is so emotionally affecting (for me) that perhaps I've passed over it in a self-protection maneuver. As well, there are some albums/songs that I either have to stop everything and absorb completely, or skip it. It simply can't be background music. Note: You've written a heap of 'em!
    But as I mentioned before, when this amazing summer of consecutive scorching mid 30's temps, fun and activity winds down (a "weaker week?)... I'm sure Mid Air will get it's "proper listen".

    Speaking of songs that make your eyes sweat... Years ago an Irish friend told me I should check out Brian Houston, but to me he appeared to be some kind of wimpy CCM gospel dude so I didn't pursue it. But a couple of days ago I recognized the name in the "related" margins on Youtube. I still haven't investigated much, but this song undid me when I stumbled across it. You know all about Myrn's brave battles, and this one hit the mark and had me gushing... "No one else but me can see her scars..."

    Brian Houston - Red Badge of Courage:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gV_sl6g2cU

    Brian Houston - live, quite a character:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZmWZg70tM&feature=related

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Brian Houston song is great; very affecting. Can't place the accent. Irish American? Hope all is well your end; starting to have Olympic Withdrawal Symptoms already...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Houston is definitely a Belfast boy. Listen to his chat mid-way through the 2nd clip about his Ma's purple Mini and her feisty stand-off at the worker's strike and it's quite apparent... The Carly Simon outro made me laugh.

    All's great here, although I'm drying out after the Games too. London did a fantastic job. Good on the UK athletes for their enthusiasm and grace, as well as an impressive heap of medals!
    Hi-lights? Group celebration splash with Daley, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's smile! Yours?
    Is it just me, or were the Closing Ceremonies absolutely potty?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I loved the Olympics; the lack of cynicism was a shock to us cynics... we're all now bracing ourselves for the self serving bile of the Premiership Football season; I may boycott it...
    Di and I sat on the coach and wept most evenings; a joyful celebration.
    Mo Farrah was lovely in his genuine delight, Rudeshah (spelling?) running the race of the Olympics without a pace setter and of course the unfettered eccentricity of the perfectly monikered Bolt. The female boxers charmed with their lack of macho, the rowers amazed with their indifference to pain, the cyclists... I thought that your ladies' soccer team were harshly dealt with v USA; the third American goal a travesty of events...
    I'm already missing it all...
    Our good mate Kim Gavin choreographed the closing ceremony which was brilliant and, yes, just a bit bonkers. Ray Davis and Eric Idle stole the show for me. If life is "a piece of shit" this was indeed the ultimate polished turd!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well said. I've had a growing aversion to all of the ego, greed and antagonism of pro team sports. The Games were were a refreshing and heartwarming display of um... sportsmanship!
    Mo was a class act. Have you seen this bit of silliness?:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2188192/Mo-Farah-running-away-things-Olympic-hero-escaping-zombies-Batman.html

    ReplyDelete