Simply Genius

 
I was walking the dog at 5:00 in the morning (Bear often likes to wake me up from a sound sleep at the crack of early to inform me of his intention of watching the sun come up while "conducting his business") and a thought struck me just as soundly as that very first wonderful cup of coffee of the day:

It was pure genius an instrumental version of Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are" was used in 1980's The Blues Brothers film.

So let me preface this a little bit ...

I was catching up on some CBS Sunday Morning programs I'd previously recorded in an effort to clean up my DVR not long ago and one of the segments I watched showcased Joel's 100th sold-out show at New York's Madison Square where he's been performing in residency since 2014. At one point he noted "Just The Way You Are" wasn't one of his favorite pieces as it was composed for his "first ex-wife" and she'd wondered if, along with the song, she was granted its publishing rights. "That kind of took the shine off the song" Joel confessed.

Fast forward to walking Bear: For whatever reason, it struck me suddenly an instrumental version of the song was played as Murph And The MagicTones ended one of their sets in the film to chat with Jake and Elwood. Of course I knew this from my first experience with The Blues Brothers, that the song was played in the film, but it took on an entirely different context all these years later.

"You were the backbone, the nerve center of a great rhythm and blues band. You can make that live, breathe and jump again. Murph And The MagicTones? Look at you in those candy-ass monkey suits ..."

- Jake Blues


"At least we got a change in clothes, sucker. You wearin'

the same shit you had on three years ago ..."

- Willie "Too Big" Hall

 

Indeed ... I love you just the way you are, Jake and Elwood.

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )