[Jürgen]

Well, maybe I have completely misunderstood the topic and this is really just about the touching story of how Randy Bachman found his guitar again or is this about wonderful stories around the guitar in general, what do you say Jung? That would be a very nice topic. I admire you, with what perseverance and tenacity you set here again and again new topics. This must be rewarded with masses of feedback.

[Jürgen]

Hello Tom, thanks for your reply. I am just thinking about what music you like to listen to, so maybe I can pick out some stuff. You posted an interesting interview with John Sebastian and a video of Cat Stevens. What other music do you like?

[Jürgen]

Hi David, it’s nice that you speak a little German (or really good?). You mentioned that before.
I also think that Jung should take a language course, then we can discuss some of the future topics in German. Great. „Ich freue mich schon sehr!“.

Your creative combination of English language and German sentence structure is basically correct, but causes a knot in my brain. Although the translation of language sometimes can be really funny. With literal translation from German into English such linguistic highlights arise:

• How goes it you? (How do you do? / wie geht es dir?)
• English for away stepped (English for advanced / Englisch für Fortgeschrittene)
• Shitwing (Fender / Kotflügel)
• short and pregnant (short and concise / kurz und prägnant)
• You are on the wood way (you are wrong / Du bist auf dem Holzweg)

Do you also celebrate thanksgiving David? If so, then I wish you a happy thanksgiving.

[Jürgen]

Hi JP, you are right: Mark Knopfler has a unique voice. It just took me a while to like it. I must say, his music gets better and better with age. He radiates a calmness and serenity that impresses me. And he often has many little stories to tell, which makes listening really fun. Thanks for the link.

[Jürgen]

Hi David, thanks for the two videos. Especially the second one “The Beverly Hillbillies” alias “Money for nothing” is totally awesome (Did the series “The Beverly Hillbillies” really exist?). The first and only parody I know of Weird Al Yankovic is “I’m fat”. Also absolutely great.

[Jürgen]

Hi Jung, thanks for the video about the genesis of this song. Very interesting. Tell me, how many guitars does the man (Doug Fieger) hoard in the room at the beginning of the documentary? Incredible.

[Jürgen]

Thanks for the video Jung. Yes, Sultans of Swing and Money for Nothing are my absolute favorite Dire Straits songs. At the beginning I didn’t like the sound of Mark Knopfler’s voice so much, but sometime it clicked. A fantastic guitarist and musician. I also bought some of his solo albums later. Partly very soulful and really beautiful songs. Another wonderful guitar story.

And here’s another band that probably love their guitars a lot. A song that leads to goosebumps feeling with me now for almost 40 years. Perhaps technically not overly virtuosic (or is it?), but for me classic guitar rock at its best: straight ahead, no frills and just awesome (geil). Streams from the ears directly to the stomach and from there to the feet. The brain is simply switched off. For years I was convinced The Knack was a British group. They always seemed somehow very british to me. Well my dear… .

https://youtu.be/g1T71PGd-J0

[Jürgen]

Hi David, unfortunately I do not receive the streaming service (mouse empire?). Very sad. As a small consolation, I have now bought the 50th anniversary box of “Let It Be”, incl. 6 CD’s and a big art book.

[Jürgen]

So, finally weekend and time to recover. Thank you for the very nice video. Writing as meditation and time out from the hustle and bustle of the world? A very beautiful idea. My parents and grandparents still had very nice handwriting. At that time, more emphasis was placed on good handwriting. It was the only way to preserve the knowledge of the time for the future. I think this awareness is often lost in today’s hectic typing and you have brought me to the taste Jung: Maybe I’ll buy myself a fountain pen again and start writing with it. Then my handwriting will probably become more legible again. Scribbling around, as with a ballpoint pen then no longer works. Sometimes I’ve almost forgotten what handwriting actually still looks like. I only think and write in block letters. A real pity. Do you master Caligraphy?

Also thanks for the explanation on the subject of swiss knife. I don’t have such a great knife, just an old green one, I think it’s used by the German army. (You already know, the only army in the world whose helicopters don’t fly, submarines that sink before they’re even submerged and of course the top gun Gorch Fock: the three-masted barque that sends entire aircraft carrier crews into a panic as soon as the sails appear on the horizon).

While we’re on the subject of writing, it occurs to me: In one of the last topics I had presented an alternative version of “While my guitar geently weeps”. There is another music video for this, also by Cirque du soleil. This one can’t be linked here, but I find it absolutely beautiful. It starts with an unknown stranger writing a few lines in an empty notebook, just like you did in yours. After a short while the letters and sentences start to detach from the paper (without a Swiss Army knife 🙂 ) and form an anonymous dancer, who starts a melancholic round dance with a ballet dancer. The whole thing reminded me a bit of the video “Take on me”. Simply enchanting, sentimentally beautiful and moving. (Maybe the video is about two lovers who can’t find each other, or are separated forever…, who knows?). If you don’t already know the video, I think you will really like it.

The link is: “https://youtu.be/VJDJs9dumZI” (The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps)

[Jürgen]

Hi Jung, thanks for the link to the live concert of Mona and Lisa in 2007. I haven’t looked into the performance before and you’re right: they really do play the song „Aufsteh’n”. The comparison between the two versions is funny: on one side the singer Pierre Baigorry, trying to look cool and sound brash and on the other side mona and lisa, happy and full of live. Cool meets cheerful.

The way you explain it to me, I can understand that you have a special relationship with the German language, because of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and Mona & Lisa. David is right: if you ever have time to take an introductory course. Why not? Maybe you’ll really like it and when you meet Mona and Lisa you’ll just greet them with a casual: “Na Mädels, was geht ab?” (“well girls what’s up”, roughly translated). Then they will surely invite you for a coke or serenade you on their guitars. 🙂

Thanks also for your very personal insight into your life. In the last 20 years I have traveled very often to Southeast Asia. I like to see the people there, because of their friendly and open-minded nature and their friendly politeness, but also because of their humor. I believe that humor is something universal that connects people all over the world. I realize that Asia is a melting pot of different cultures, ethnic groups and languages (just like Europe). I especially like the diversity of the cultures there, the wonderful landscapes, the delicious food and yes, as I said before, the mentality of most Asians. They have wonderful stories to tell, many exhilarating and some deeply sad. And I admire many people there, how they master their lives despite poverty and misery. Unfortunately, I have never been to South Korea or Japan. I think Japan is a pretty expensive and exclusive place. South Korea perhaps also. 2019 I spent my vacation in Laos. There were also many Korean tourists. They were always in larger groups on the road have a lot of singing and laughing. Nice people, but unfortunately I never had the opportunity to talk to them.

[Jürgen]

Thanks for the interesting interview / documentary again Tom

[Jürgen]

Thanks Jung, then I understood it. I thought the whole thing might be a picture puzzle or word puzzle, because in your notebook you wrote the sentence “Cryptographic Transition”, then you exchanged one letter and arranged a total of three pictures with fountain pen and pocket knife in different positions. Sometimes I think just a little too complicated. 🙂
I used to like to write with a fountain pen, but unfortunately I ruined my handwriting (which was already not beautiful) during my time at university.
I also like artfully and handcrafted well made utilitarian objects very much and I find it a pity that nowadays so many cheap mass-produced goods are produced, which are no good and quickly thrown away. I agree with you: high-quality craftsmanship and well-made music are one and the same side of the coin.

[Jürgen]

Lazy sunday afternoon? You lucky one. Already over for me. Monday morning is already knocking quietly on my door and I’m going to bed now. What you’re going to do with the fountain pen and the pocket knife, I’m sure someone else will find out. 🙂

[Jürgen]

Hello David, two and a half years German? That sounds good. Unfortunately, languages are like that: if you don’t need them all the time, they disappear again very quickly. Really a pity. The biggest stupidity of my school time was to choose Latin as a second foreign language. You as a mathematically gifted person would certainly have fun with it (you probably also know Latin). Latin is like complicated “Tetris” only with words instead of geometric figures. For me wasted time, in which I would have rather learned a real language from today’s point of view. Maybe Spanish.

The article of Mark Twain I skimmed funny wise coincidentally yesterday, when I searched for the unfortunate idioms. Twain was upset about German newspaper articles and their headlines. However, in defense of the German language, it must be said that Mark Twain wrote this essay when German was really still very old-fashioned. Nobody speaks and writes like that anymore. Or do they? But there really are still a few politicians who speak these long sentences. Gladly during speeches on television. They like to start a sentence, but never finish it. Instead, they keep adding new subordinate clauses. You look at the clock, the politician talks and talks. You can make yourself a coffee, he’s still talking. You quickly go to the bathroom to brush your teeth and when you stand in front of the TV again, it really seems as if he wants to finish his sentence right away. Wrong guess. He just took a quick breath and apparently forgot himself how the sentence was supposed to end. „Alles in Butter” is funny. But if you want to say: “Get to the point”, then it’s „Tu’ mal Butter bei die Fische”. At least that’s how it’s said here in my area. „Ruhrpottdeutsch“ (language spoken in the Ruhr area). Funny thing. Maybe another time.
Oops, now I’ve already missed the point a bit. I have not noticed so. Sorry.

So long David

PS: Dave Morrah I will google.

[Jürgen]

Hello Tom, I know “Peace Train” only as a solo version of Cat Stevens. The integration of a choir, drummers, didgeridoo etc. makes the whole thing really varied and I like it. At the keyword „combining videos“ I had to think of the Traveling Wilburys (George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan). I don’t even know if you like that music. Unfortunately none of the videos could be embedded here. What a pity. What do you think about this combined troupe?

https://youtu.be/uWc4wMyL1oI