American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka. Taken at the 2007 Scream Awards. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
When you hear someone say, “Neil Sedaka,” what do you think of? I believe most people think of some 50’s simplistic Rock and Roll tune, like the happy-go-lucky-even-if-slightly-naieve, Next Door To An Angel. If that’s what you’re thinking, then please read on because the next time you hear the name, Neil Sedaka, you’re going to think twice. NO, not twice more like somewhere between 300-500 – that’s how many songs he wrote. Neil Sedaka is a consummate composer. I tried to do some quick research and find the answer to this burning question – just how many songs did Neil Sedaka write and/or cowrite? I found a list of about 270 titles and in Wikipedia, it says he wrote 500. Either way, it’s one hell of a lot of musical talent.
Neil Sedaka was playing the piano when he was eight years old. When he was in high school in Brooklyn, NY he formed a Doo Wop group with now-famous classmates, known as The Tokens. He was accepted into the prestigious Julliard School of Music in Manhattan, where his parents hoped he would become a concert pianist. He is a concert pianist, he just doesn’t perform as one – believe me he plays beautifully as he demonstrated tonight at the end of his concert.
BUT tonight’s concert inspired this blog, not so much as a review of his performance but rather more as an homage to his enduring creative talent, a God-given gift (his words). I wanted to use the word, genius, however, genius connotes (to me anyway) a talent at an extraordinary level. Maybe he is composing at an extraordinary level and I don’t recognize it because he makes it seem so easy. As he said; he sits at the piano, comes up with a tempo, then a melody and then lyrics. Sounds simple, right? NOT!
For me, this evening was yet another trip down nostalgia lane. Oh those songs! I think I sat there with a lump in my throat for most of the evening and a couple brought tears to my eyes. The love songs had lyrics that pluck at your heart-strings. I guess when you’re a woman of a certain age you can’t help but remember where you were, who you were with and when. I can’t tell you what I had for dinner 4 nights ago, but I knew every word to every song! Scary isn’t it? And most of all I think his lyrics tell it like it is. Mr. Sedaka said that he drew inspiration for his songs from his family and friends. And the he told us he has been married to the lovely Leba, his wife of 50 years. She must truly be the love of his life – how else could one feel and express such emotion. From heartbreak to regrets, to wishing and dreaming of true love, and from longing to loving forever, the music plays on, the romance continues and all in words you can clearly understand and remember!
The following are just a few of the songs performed this evening:
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Love Will Keep Us Together
Laughter In The Rain
And also the sad but very real Solitaire, Lonely Night, Should Have Never Let You Go, I Let You Walk Away. The lyrics are haunting. Often at a concert, the performer introduces some new song they’ve written or recorded and I have mostly been disappointed. Not so tonight. Neil Sedaka is still writing songs and sang one from a few years ago, You. Now that’s a love song! It had to appeal to the large majority of middle-age couples and seniors in the audience. It is a story of the lifetime love between two people, very sweet. I loved it!
Neil Sedaka has been writing and singing songs for over 55 years. The list is way too long for this blog, for as he said tonight, “I’ve a got a million”. However, so many of the songs were hits and released many times over by various artists, I think you’ll know every one of them:
Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen
Earth Angel
Carol
Alone At Last
Angel Eyes
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Cathy’s Clown
It’s All In The Game
Climb Up (Stairway to Heaven)
Proud Mary
Stagger Lee
Tears On My Pillow
The Diary
Read Full Post »
Bill Ding and his band of clowns are the security patrol for this blog site. He is a favorite toy from the 50*s. By the way sometimes a blog is just an ego-maniacal stream of conscience.
Pbenjay's Blog 
“But It’s Poughkeepsie”! – Love Is Strange (The Movie)
Posted in From My Point of View - Personal commentary on Movies and Books, tagged Alfred Molina, art film, Brooklyn, John Lithgow, Love is Strange, Marisa Tomei, New York City, parochial school on August 21, 2014| 2 Comments »
Probably the most memorable line in the movie, Love Is Strange. It certainly brought the audience to a loud laugh, but then again, we were in Manhattan watching this tale of love and marriage which takes place in The City. The film’s main story is that of Ben and George who after 39 years of togetherness, get married and then things go down hill. George loses his job at a Catholic school but not his faith and without his steady income, the couple is forced to sell their apartment. Homosexuality is not the subject of the movie, real estate is. The couple is forced to go separate ways while they look for another affordable apartment. They call a family meeting and put their dilemma out on the table. This being New York City, no one has any room to accommodate the couple. That is except for Mindy who lives in Poughkeepsie and has an extra bedroom. True to NYC island mentality, they all think living in Poughkeepsie is unthinkable, not even remotely feasible. That’s when the fun begins…Ben moves in with his nephew, Elliot and his wife, Kate and their son, Joey in a small two bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, George moves in with friends who just happen to be a pair of gay cops leading a rather boisterous life, partying night after night, filling the apartment with hordes of people.
Love Is Strange
The secondary story involves Kate (Marissa Tomei), wife of Ben’s nephew and writer who works from home and their son. One of the funniest scenes and one I wholeheartedly related to, was where Ben keeps starting up a conversation with Kate who is trying very hard to finish writing her book. Ben is quiet for a moment and then asks her yet another question. She is so frustrated, she almost loses it. Joey, Ben’s nephew is tolerant up to a point; His world is getting smaller as Uncle Ben takes over part of his bedroom, and intrudes on the already cramped space in this small two bedroom apartment in New York. He (Joey) has developed a friendship with Vlad, who although may be the same age as Joey is light years beyond him in street smarts and this is cause for concern to his mother and father.
Actually as I’m writing this, I think the real story in the movie is STRESS. Ben and George are totally stressed out because they are separated and each is living in someone else’s home. I think it’s George who says that when you live with someone you get to know them much better than you would want to. Kate is stressed because her husband Elliot is never home so she is the only one who deals with Joey and Ben. Elliot is stressed because he’s a filmmaker and well that comes with its own set of issues, George is stressed but for the most part he internalizes it until one night when he just bursts through the door to see George and bursts into tears.
The first word out of my mouth when the movie was over was “Arty” – the film was arty, it was low-key and slow-moving, no micro sound bites here. John Lithgow and Alfed Molina are point and counterpoint personalities and each one brings his best to Love Is Strange.
Rate this:
Read Full Post »