Er, can I have a word? An infrequent survey of current usage. (Part2)

In a previous blog, I discussed the trend, by some sports broadcasters, toward shortening 'regularly' to 'reguly'. Well, I can report that the trend is rapidly heading toward fait accompli status. The lost syllable, rather like Jimmy Durante's 'Lost Chord' is getting frequent airplay, not just here in NZ but also in the UK and the USA. And not just by sports broadcasters but by political and current affairs pundits too.
Happily, 'reguly' is not alone. It has been joined by 'particuly' and 'probaly'. It will be interesting to see whether or not radio and TV stations continue to give currency to this modification of adverbs. It occurred to me that there is a well-established precedent in the use of 'Parlament' by political reporters- the 'i' having gone missing in action some time ago. Another redundant syllable.

Cricket broadcasters also have revived a splendid misnomer from the past. Once more we are informed that a shot by a batsman has 'dissected' the field rather than 'bisected' two fieldsmen. Actually, I'm all in favour of vivisection being practiced on our cricketers. That would, at least, give them some practical purpose.

I have also noticed an interesting ploy that some broadcasters use when they are aware that they have made a factual mistake. Looking earnestly at the camera, they intone; 'Let's get that right', thus co-joining us, the unwitting viewers, to their blunder. Nice.

Cricket broadcasters are also responsible for another curiosity of what I suppose is evolving usage. Where the definite article is followed by a word beginning with a vowel, rather than hardening 'the' to 'thee' to create a natural break between the two words, a 'y' is added to the beginning of the second word thus by-passing inflection. So, instead of; 'At thee end of thee over...', we have; 'At the yend of the yover he hit the ball in the yair.'  This phenomenon, too, I should report, is spreading. Yesterday, on radio news, I heard; 'He yonly just got the news..'  As Popeye said; 'I yam what I yam.'

Finally, another curiosity, that's been around for a while, that I like. The use of 'Yous' to indicate 'All of you' or 'You lot' is something I often hear used by kids in town or by anyone at all in country areas. One of the many oddities of the English language is its inability to distinguish between second person singular and second person plural. It's 'You' in both cases. French and German, for example, both make the distinction. Indeed, in German, there is even a verb that is used to describe the formal transition from the use of the formal plural case to the more intimate singular. 'Yous' solves the problem.

Desert Island Discs Part 2

During last year I selected the 5 albums that I'd most like to have on a desert island. I wanted the choices to reflect that music that I'd instinctively grab in a fire or suchlike. In order to place some pressure on myself, I originally selected 10 albums and then pared those 10 down to 5. What follows are the other 5 albums that didn't make the first cut.

Hard Again  Muddy Waters (1977)

Often regarded as the great man's comeback album, Muddy was 64 when he recorded this for Johnny Winter and Blue Sky Records. I love this disc and give it my own award for the most perfectly named album ever.
Johnny Winter produced, played and helped assemble a top band for this searing, rough as session. The first track, 'Mannish Boy', has never been played better or with more intensity. Like Ravel's Bolero, it maintains strict tempo whilst all the time growing in passion and ferocity. It marks Muddy's return to the studio and top form in the most emotionally decisive way. And the other players let you know that they know, too. The rest of the album is a master class in ensemble blues-playing.

Trout Mask Replica  Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band (1969)

I have to admit that when I first heard this album, I didn't get it at all. But people whose opinions I respected swore by it. Indeed, one really good friend insisted that all he needed to survive was a copy of Terry Sothern's The Magic Christian, The Captain's Trout Mask Replica and a constant supply of Jim Beam.
Often described as experimental music, Beefheart and his producer, Frank Zappa, drew on many sources for their material, Blues, Free Jazz, Folk - even Sea Shanties. I remember reading that the band had rehearsed for 9 months prior to going into the studio and I figured that if they'd taken that much trouble over it, then maybe a greater effort was needed from me to get to grips with this difficult music.
Since then, I think that this disc has been played more often than any other disc I own. Don Van Vliet was a genius who challenged us to re-imagine the diversity of our culture I believe. And this album stands as a lasting testament to him.

Loudon Wainwright III  Loudon Wainwright (1970)

I don't have too many discs like this one. It is, patently, folk music -  performed solo and acoustically by a young man who sings and plays guitar. Its themes are bleak and often ironic. But the keening voice has a stark beauty and he sings of things that matter to all young men with even a little poetry in their souls. In the spring I had great hunger. I was Keats, I was Blake, he recalls in School Days, the opening track. Later on, he confides that Movies are a Mother to Me and caustically observes that he's Glad to see You got Religion.
At the time this was released, I much preferred Loudon to Bob Dylan. He seemed to me to be more, well, honest.

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You   Aretha Franklin (1967)

Simply, one of the greatest soul records ever and, therefore, one of the greatest records ever. It was Aretha's breakthrough album and established her, rightly, as a superstar. The killer band includes King Curtis on Tenor Sax, Aretha's sister, Carolyn, on backing vocals and the whole thing was produced for Atlantic Records by Jerry Wexler.
The track list includes Respect, Dr Feelgood and the title track. The overall effect leaves Viagra a flaccid second. One of my few regrets is that I've never seen Aretha (or Otis Redding) live on stage. This disc is substantial compensation for that omission.

Funky Kingston  Toots and the Maytalls (1972)

This album has appeared in a number of different formats since its original release on Dragon Records in 1972. The best known version is probably the 1976 version released on Mango. The music is joy unconfined and is proof positive that even a John Devnver composition can sound great in the right hands. Take me Home, Country Roads, like everything else is a triumph of arrangement and performance. Even that old chestnut Louie, Louie receives a reading that makes you forget Animal House.
Funky Kingston helped to bring reggae to an international market and undoubtedly paved the way for The Wailers and others to reach that market.

So that's all ten accounted for. I hope the list may encourage you to dig out your own dusty copy and give it a whirl.

One good thing about music, it makes you feel all right.