Sunday, June 7, 2009

Issa's Sunday Service, #7







This week's LitRock tune on Issa's Sunday Service goes all the way back to the early days of the renowned Greek bard, Homer. Notably, this was a song not replicated in Cream's recent dinosaur reunion. Here's Wikipedia's take on the song's inception:


The lyrics were written by Martin Sharp on the back of a beer mat, which he gave to Eric Clapton after a chance meeting. These lyrics were put to a melody inspired by Judy Collins' version of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" and chords inspired by The Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer in the City".


This is all news to me and I will let a sharper ear than mine ferret out the veracity or lack thereof here. I had always assumed the lyrics were by Peter Brown who, along with Keith Reid and Robert Hunter (who co-wrote all but one of the songs on the new Dylan album, Together Through Life, which I'm listening to as I type), are among rock's premier, if relatively unrecognized, classic lyricists. Sharp, who was Clapton's artist flatmate at the time, also designed the renowned cover for the album, Disraeli Gears, on which "Tales of Brave Ulysses" appeared.

The featured poem this week, as we count up from issue #1, is from Lilliput Review #10, in February 1990. Who knew a toad and a bucket of salt was so limiting? Enjoy.



Mercy?
Do you ask for mercy?

You will be given a toad
and a bucket of salt,
and nothing more.

Do not ask for more.
There is none.
David Castleman






evening cool--
the toad who comes out
I call "Lucky"
Issa
translated by David Lanoue




best,
Don

7 comments:

Ed Baker said...

LC is

like a bird on a wire...

Suzanne was a real person

LC was living on an island near Rhodes and came over a cpl times to "hang out"

(in Lindos, 1968, 69)

that girl on the cover of that white album near the window of a stone white-washed Greek house well I've always thought that she was "Suzanne" but not absolutely sure.

there were OH SO MANY

she's "brings me tea and oranges that come all the way from China"

oh my I hate this being old shit! I should have
done more
and written more down..

hey a thought : the 'real' Elvis IS Little Richard!

Greg said...

love that Castleman poem!

Jim H. said...

The lit rock series is excellent, this selection especially. And a huge bonus: comments by Ed Baker.

Read somewhere that Ed is a fan of Popa Chubby, purveyor of gritty New York blues. Might I suggest a video of Popa Chubby on the Hut?

Still have the old LP of Disreali Gears. Gotta go dig it out now.

Charles Gramlich said...

I'm a cream fan myself.

Ed Baker said...

theese daze it don't take nuthin much to bring tears to my
eyes


BOOTY and The Beast!



"Sweet Goddess of Love and Beer"

"Palace of the King"

(Papa's version of) "Stoop Down Baby

and

IwasLookinBacktoSeeifShewasLookinbacktoSeeifIwasLookinBackat HER...

hey

especially walkin down the street 2nd Avenue how come girls ALWAYS turn to "catch" you watching them walk away

a 7 th sense?

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Ed, forever in our minds walking away the Roy Orbison song:

Pretty woman, dont walk on by
Pretty woman, dont make me cry
Pretty woman, dont walk away
Ok

If thats the way it must be, ok
I guess Ill go on home, its late
Therell be tomorrow night

But wait, what do I see?
Is she walking back to me?
Yeah, shes walking back to me
O-oh
Pretty woman.

7th sense, oh yeah, you got us all tearing up now!

Glad you are digging it, Jim, ya blind sided me with "Poppa Chubby" I'm digging through some vids and can say I've seen the future and it will posted here sometime soon enough ...

Ed, see the Poppa has done some Leonard Cohen, so, Jim, you've completed the little circle we are dancin' here ... Hallefuckinlujah!


Greg, glad you liked the Castleman and, Charles, finally something with a little bottom, eh?

Ed Baker said...

well

speaking of Popa Chubby and circles

I sometimes call 'em ensos or Full Moon

in a book store in The Village a number of years past when I was

takin a break from being famous Fay and I were in this bookstore and they were plaing something I had neveer heard the likes of befor..

I tell you, NEVER..

so they are playing that first cut on the cd..."its like this'
and the song is "SHOW BIZ KIDS"


hey my very first hearing Rickie Lee Jones!

so Fay says, "she's at such-n-suches tSaturday wanna go?"

"sure"

well

I got hooked again the Pirates cd etc

"Chuckie's In Love

geeze I cld say more
but I just realized this is very public "stuff"

so... onto The Magazine c-d and

"Runaround Rorschachs"