The Explanation
(for those who require one)

And, of course, that is what all of this is -- all of this: the one song, ever changing, ever reincarnated, that speaks somehow from and to and for that which is ineffable within us and without us, that is both prayer and deliverance, folly and wisdom, that inspires us to dance or smile or simply to go on, senselessly, incomprehensibly, beatifically, in the face of mortality and the truth that our lives are more ill-writ, ill-rhymed and fleeting than any song, except perhaps those songs -- that song, endlesly reincarnated -- born of that truth, be it the moon and June of that truth, or the wordless blue moan, or the rotgut or the elegant poetry of it. That nameless black-hulled ship of Ulysses, that long black train, that Terraplane, that mystery train, that Rocket '88', that Buick 6 -- same journey, same miracle, same end and endlessness."
-- Nick Tosches, Where Dead Voices Gather

George Best Dead at 59


George Best, the titan of Manchester-United, the hard-living Joe DiMaggio of Footballers, has passed.

This obituary comes from the BBC

(extravagant thanks to Our Man in London, Richard Gibson, for this image)

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6 comments:

swac said...

It's funny, I was thinking about posting this too, but it kinda slipped through the cracks. Obviously a major loss for UK sports fans. When I heard the news, I instantly put on my copy of the album "George Best" by English hyper guitar pop band The Wedding Present. Seemed like the appropriate thing to do...plus its the kind of relentlessly upbeat music I need right now.

November 29, 2005 6:40 PM
huskermould said...

I thought he could be better compared to the hard drinking Mickey Mantle.

November 29, 2005 9:52 PM
Richard Gibson said...

Thanks Stephen.

'George Best' is a good album. Haven't listened to that in years. Might have to dig that out now...

November 30, 2005 9:15 AM
swac said...

I got the CD...it's got nearly twice as many songs on it!

Of course, they still all sound the same.

November 30, 2005 9:56 AM
Richard Gibson said...

I'm sure they all do sound alike and all come in well under 3 minutes as well. Did you ever get their Ukranian Folk Songs 10" EP?

December 01, 2005 12:55 PM
swac said...

Yep, I've got that on vinyl, and the follow-up CD by The Ukranians.

You could say I'm an afficianado (I've seen them twice in concert too).

"Too much apple pie..."

December 01, 2005 2:09 PM

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