FriPod: After

1. "After Antietam" from the Glory soundtrack by James Horner. Boy's choir over military music, a combination of hope and sorrow about a Pyrrhic victory. Right now I'm trying to avoid these kinds of victories.

2. "After the Thrill is Gone" by the Eagles on Eagles Greatest Hits Vol. 2. I like this album, but this song is not one of my favorites. A little too country, though the vocal harmonies are nice. I'd replace "thrill" with other words, but I grok the sentiment.

3. "After You've Gone" by Creamer and Layton, performed by Roy Eldridge on Little Jazz. Rather cheery for the title, though perhaps it can teach me to rediscover joy. The lyrics focus on a vengeful schadenfreude, which I understand but am trying not to emphasize. Amazon MP3.

4. "After the War" from Different Trains by Steve Reich, performed by Kronos Quartet. Hypnotic, though some of the taped spoken words are too fuzzy in timbre. Slow change, nuances that are easy to miss, uncertain if we are going somewhere or where that destination might be. Just like life. Amazon MP3.

5. "The Night After" by Spang A Lang. This is a rock group of fellow Lawrence alums based in Minneapolis in the 90s. The synth sounds are a little dated, and the lead vocals are a touch too husky for my taste. "Time is damaging" not a refrain to which I want to subscribe.

6. "Sometime Later ... And After" by Bob Levy, on Did You Ever Cross Over To Sneden's? Rather abstract for a jazz album, but it fits Bob's persona. He knows what comes after. Turmoil, fear, anger, lost and alone, but found by others who understand.

7. Prelude à l'après-midi d'un faune by Claude Debussy, performed by (a) Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, (b) Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I was doing a search for "apres" and this came up, even though it is really about an afternoon than being after something else. But it does capture many of the right emotions in a beautiful and sensual way. Amazon MP3.

FriPod: Think of the Children!

1. "Children's Song," Chick Corea on Works.
2. "Children and Art," from Sunday in the Park with George by Steven Sondheim, Original Broadway Cast recording.
3. "For Unto Us a Child is Born," from Messiah by George Handel, performed by Andrew Davis and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
4. "Sweet Air," from Child by David Lang, performed by Sentierri Selvaggi.
5. Ancient Voices of Children, by George Crumb, performed by Jan DeGaetani, Machael Dash, and the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble.
6. "Godchild," by George Wallington, performed by Miles Davis on Birth Of The Cool.
7. Kindertotenlieder, by Gustav Mahler, performed by Agnes Baltsa, Lorin Maazel and the Vienna Philharmonic.
8. "Wiegenlied am Lager eines kranken Kindes," by Robert Schumann, performed by Dorothea Röschmann, Ian Bostridge, and Graham Johnson.
9. Kinderszenen, by Robert Schumann, performed by Claudio Arrau.
10. "Jolie Fille," by Joaquin Turina, performed by the Empire Brass.
11. "La Fille aux Cheveux De Lin," by Claude Debussy, performed by the Empire Brass.
12. "Scene Et Legende De La Fille Du Paria," from Lakme by Léo Delibes, performed by Maurice André.