[--D-y]

On Sep 26, 10:58*pm, (hank alrich) wrote:
William Sommerwerck wrote:
"hank alrich" wrote in message
...

Driving through Austin traffic day before yesterday Fletcher
switched to KMFA, the "classical" music station. We were
treated to one set of cliches after another.

I suppose an "involved" person's art is a "detached" person's cliché.

As a classical listener, I'm aware that a lot of Baroque music (and some
Classical) uses devices (trills, cadences) that, to non-classical listeners,
sound like clichés. I suppose they are.

But classical listeners are generally aware of this, and Peter Schickele has
mercilessly skewered them (eg, "Iphigenia in Brooklyn"). How do C&W
listeners respond to the constantly repeated elements of C&W?

"If I Could Only Fly" is almost certainly a conscious send-up
of bad C&W.

No, it is not, and therein lies the rub between a critic's detachment
and an artist's life.

I've just started a book on Tex-Mex cooking. "Tex-Mex" has long been a
derogatory term, suggesting that Americanized Mexican cooking is a
*******ization of "legitimate" Mexican cuisine, created solely to appeal to
vulgar American "taste".

The author quotes someone as saying that whatever comes from the heart is
legitimate, and not worthy of such criticism. The question then becomes
whether Tex-Mex food (which I love) really does come "from the heart", or
was created simply to make dishes palatable that were unpalatable to people
from another culture.

Blaze Foley (the name is more than a little tongue-in-cheek) had a great
sense of humor. I cannot imagine him writing "If I Could Only Fly" without
being consciously aware that it was a string-of-consciousness melding of
familiar themes.

PS: Thank you for your intelligent and insightful responses to my remarks.
They are much appreciated.

William, you're welcome. Coming back to this belatedly, and posting
tonight from Austin TX, I can assure you that in some realms "Tex Mex"
is not a derogatory term at all. g

(If I may) Indeed.
Over at El Azteca (East Austin), they (son George) told me they prefer
the term "Mex-Tex". There's good reason for that sentiment, and as the
demographic continues to change... who knows?

Some people are aghast, and flee to "El Interior", so to speak. They
have their reasons, and more power to them, as long as they're eating
food they enjoy.

As a well-rooted Yankee transplant (early '84), I've sampled the
Mex's, the Tex's, at least a couple of the Interiors I guess
(authentic purity abounding) and the only things that really matter
(humble opinion offered) IRT "palatability" (including menudo) is a
cook who likes food and a wait staff who sees their employment as a
worthy profession (hot food served hot, etc.).

I could relate a pretty funny story about one of the "Interior" places
here in Austin where one of (apparently) the owner/manager/some kind
of "brass" delivered something of a rebuke-lecture to my ex, who had
made a comment on the limitations of the menu based on her experience
of going to high school in Guadalajara for at least a couple of years.
Let's just say her family (really) lived in a few other places in the
world, too (they still have a winter home near Lake Chapala, Jalisco
Mexico) , where they learned the languages (3 plus a variant), made
lasting friends with the citizens, etc., and no, we didn't "win the
argument" (or try to), nor did we stay and eat, either. "What a joke"
was the comment delivered once out of earshot of the proud owner/
operator/senior waitress.

BTW: That place can't touch El Azteca's calendars-- or for that
manner, the authenticity ("this is Texas") of décor, either.

Thank you for this minor interruption from the audience.
--D-y