Facts Simelsy

Simels is still at it,  trying to shock me with the up to the minute news - well, as up to the minute as anything is to Sims - that, get ready for this, Bert Berns, a figure in New York pop music who died almost fifty years ago was, get ready for this,  was Jewish!    Imagine, that, actual Jewish people, and not only that but of Russian Jewish extraction involved in the pop music industry out of New York, in the 1950s and 60s.  I  know, the next thing you know he'll be telling us that mandolins were frequently played by Italians and lots of cops are Irish.   And he thinks that's supposed to be some kind of shocking news, that, you know, lots of the people in pop music in New York City were Jewish.  As if we didn't know and didn't care about that from before even either of us were born.

Considering he's spent a good part of the past four or more years mocking a number of my favorite composers who happen to be Jewish, going on like a member of the Reichskulturkammer over fine composers such as Arthur Berger and Stefan Wolpe (one of those whose music was specifically designated "entartete" by the Nazis) in the belief that he was making some clever points, while only proving he didn't know much more about 20th century classical music than he knew that there's a difference between Memphis and Detroit last week.  Really, New York City guys can be about the most provincial in the world.   Oh, and don't forget that Motown's biggest fan base were white racists and Marvin Gaye was a covert riot monger.   Next thing I expect he's going to tell me that Ladybird Johnson and Coretta Scott King were sisters and that fluoride is a commie plot to make Americans stupid.   Almost as stupid as a career as a pop music scribbler will make you, it would seem.

Don't you love it when someone widely taken as being smart and sophisticated .... well, narrowly taken, actually, turns out to be remarkably provincial and prone to gossip like a stereotypical tea room queen in a really bad movie from the 1950s.     The kind that Simels would praise as a great piece of art in   a bid to show how sophisticated a cineaste he is. Really, just to get some attention.

Well, actually, someone who tries to sell himself to a few people as being smart and sophisticated, in this case.

I can't help but imagine what it would be like for Soupy Sales to try to convince someone that he was the greatest interpreter of Eugene O'Neill's plays of his generation.   I suppose I should thank Sims for his provision of some unintended hilarity at his own expense.  Though, I have to confess, it makes me feel so cheap to do it.

Update:   Simple Simels has objected to my making fun of his comparison of Brian Wilson to George Gershwin by pointing out that the Gershwin estate has "commissioned Brian Wilson to complete to unfinished Gershwin songs".   Here's a video about Brian Wilson "Reimagining" George Gershwin which I wouldn't recommend a real Gershwin lover listen to because it is guaranteed to do damage to your understanding of George Gershwin.   The participation of George and Ira's grandnephew in this might constitute evidence that musical ability and taste isn't genetically inherited or it might represent what I hear, wanting to make money out of George Gershwin's music in every possible way before, finally, it enters the public domain, where anyone who wants to produce a musical atrocity with it will be free to do so without the permission of and tribute paid to the distant relations of George and Ira Gershwin.   Given a choice between listening to more Wilson-Gershwin and struggling with the horrible infestation of horse bane in my upper garden, I think I'll risk the nasty, painful spines in my hands.

Simels, the only taste you've got is when you put something in your mouth.

Update 2:  In a comment to this which I publish here in full, Simels says,  "What--too Jewish for you? :-)

Brian Wilson crapping all over George and Ira, too Jewish?   I'd have thought anyone promoting that would prove that the real thing was "too Jewish" for them.

You always know Simels will pull out the "Jew card" because it's all he's got, once his well worn bromides, sayings and lines are used up.

Update 3:  Stupid, anti-Semitic and deaf is no way to go through life, 
Sparky.:-)

I fully acknowledge you speak with authority on the "deaf" and stupid parts of this but am surprised to find that you're admitting to knowing about the third one.   Though it would explain why you and the Nazi Culture Salon agree that Stefan Wolpe was a "degenerate" composer, not to mention so many others.

Update 4:  Simmie confirms what I said in Update 3.   The Beach Boys "This Whole World" (written by Brian Wilson) [Youtube address omitted out of concern for the well being of any people who already suffered enough for one day listening to Brian Wilson's "Re-imagining" earlier.] One of Brian's little pocket symphonies. 2:13 minutes of gorgeousness that's worth more than the entire Arthur Berger catalog. Ain't that a kick in the pants, Sparky? :-)

And here I'd thought that "This Whole World" was a symptom of Wilson's degenerating mental health due to drug use instead of mistaking it for a "symphony" all this time.   Something I'd never have gone to Simmie's pathetic pop music blog to say since I figure anyone who wants to stuff audio Sugar Babies in his ear all day has a right to do it.   Though, I think This Whole World would be more like musical Fruit Loops, really.  You want to listen to it, that's your right.   I don't think anyone has an actual right to do to the work of someone else what he did to poor George and Ira's work, though the law and the greedy holders of their estate might give them what's called a "right" to do that.

Update 5:   Steve Simels, OCD,  that stands for "Old Cranky Dodderer" or something to do with why he keeps providing material for these really easy to write posts.... anyway, he says, Keep digging, Sparkles. :-)

Or what?  You're going to pull the "antisemite" card on me for saying that Brian Wilson's distortion of the Gershwin Bros. music is a crime against their art?    Yeah, that's really going to get me trembling in my Chuck Taylors - had to go back to them, my last pair of No-Sweats finally gave up their soul.   Actually, it was the uppers that went, as always, but there wasn't as easy a pun in that.   And, you know what, Sims, Laura Nyro was about ten times the composer that the John Lennon was and an infinitely better performer than Mick "less sexy than a pissing toad" Jagger and it was only because she was a woman that you professional adolescent boys never admitted it.

I really needed that to get the Wilson-Gershwin crap out of my ear

Update the something:  Hey Sparky -- It's Brian Wilson versus Stefan Wolpe in a musical cage match of doom.[he gave the address for his lame-ass blog but I won't link to it]  I guarantee, you and Wolpe already lost. :-

To which I can't resist asking,  why would that be, Simmie, too Jewish?

Addendumb:   Sims, your poll, your Brian Wilson, Stefan Wolpe musical cage match of doom sort of fizzled, didn't it.  I mean one or is it two responses and you.  Though, what did you expect?   You required that they know how to read music, something which I doubt one percent of your readers can do, if you get enough readers to express a percentage of them by a whole number other than zero.   And I'm unaware of anyone who considers Wolpe's one piece that you know because he happened to be asked to provide music for a new school song when he was the head of the music department to be one of his many significant pieces.  Though, I'm sure you believe you know better than Russell Sherman, Peter Serkin, ... oh, dozens and dozens of the finest of classical musicians who have recorded his music and the hundreds and thousands who perform it all these years after his death.   Not to mention the composers influenced by him such as, and I'm sure you might possibly recall me documenting this, your hero of Hollywood composers, Bernard Hermann.