In which a cabaret fan makes a damning announcement

Music (audit edition): After listening to Bobby Short live at Town Hall, I've finally decided that I'm just not a fan of Bobby Short. Don't get me wrong: I love cabaret. I've been to all the various venues in NYC, and I used to own a vast record collection of the stuff, including Bobby Short, back when one owned vast record collections. But ultimately there's something about Short's style that just doesn't work for me. What can I say? The man who owned the Cafe Carlyle is not my cup of tea. But if you haven't tried him yourself, you should. Maybe the Gershwin or Porter albums. He is, after all, a legend. If there is any argument here, I am definitely on the wrong side of it.

Next up was the Pretty Things. It was their last studio album, and the first time I've ever listened to them. Interesting enough to go back and queue up their first album. We'll see. 

Following which, "There Are But Four Small Faces." The history of Small Faces is complex, to put it mildly, and the albums on Spotify seem to be all over the map. My first real exposure to them was when "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" was released, which I immediately bought because of its round album cover. Today I consider it a GOAT. I used to have a CD of one of their early albums, or maybe it was a hodgepodge of their early music, but what's on Spotify now are hodgepodges on stilts. The album I was listening to this morning contained a bunch of songs, a bunch of the same songs in mono, some radio versions of those songs and other songs, some US radio versions, some remasters, some remasters of radio versions, some UK remasters of remastered US versions of acoustic demos of radio versions (in mono and stereo), a Captain Billy Whizbang secret decoder ring, etc., etc., etc.  Anyhow, the music is prototypical British rock, and for some reason the group never hit in the US, aside from the single of  "Itchykoo Park." After Steve Marriott left the group and Rod/n moved in and they were no longer Small, it was another story entirely, at least in popularity. In any case, always one of my favorite groups, Small or not, to this day. 

Games (sporting edition): I watched most of both of the playoffs on Sunday. Both teams I favored won. Go Mets!

Weather: When I walked out this morning to clear off the fire hydrant across the street, the snow in the driveway was up to my knees. The good new is that the forecast shows it will all start to melt around the middle of February. Meanwhile schools around here were closed today, but apparently kids were expected to attend virtually. We now live in a world without snow days. And that world is a sadder place.