Talk:Moondog

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Counterpoint[edit]

I wish Moondog's strict views on counterpoint would be included in this article.

Please sign your posts on talk pages per Wikipedia:Sign your posts on talk pages. Thanks! Hyacinth 01:28, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Discography[edit]

I added the discography. This gets confusing in Moondog's later years as he became regarded as a composer of classical music because classical composers often do not perform - or even conduct - their own recorded work. I added the section "Moondog's music performed by other musicians" to distinguish recordings of his compositions that he does not actually play on. So although the albums Moondog and his Honking Geese and Sax Pax for a Sax feature the talents of various saxophonists, they also feature Moondog himself playing percussion and are listed under Moondog's albums. The "other musicians" section is manageable for now, but when Moondog's popularity surpasses that of Beethoven, we may have to change this... Morganfitzp 13:41, 28 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

PS: Anyone who can tell me who the Honking Geese were has my eternal gratitude. – Morganfitzp

Tried to clean up/addd to the discography a bit, but it's getting tricky... perhaps need to rethink and standardize format? Esp with regard to compilations, CDs vs. LPs, etc. Funks 22:20, 16 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

General Compliments[edit]

Fascinating article! My dad lived in New York City the first 35 years of his life and knew Moondog only as "The 54th Street Viking," a fixture (he assumed homeless/crazy guy) whom he said would just stand there, completely silent, staring out at all the people. A few months ago I spent a few minutes on the internet on the off-chance some site has a website on the guy, when BAM - it turns out the guy was apparently a revered composer. My dad was absolutely AMAZED to learn what an odd life the man lived. Unfortunately, to the average New York commuter (like my dad), Moondog was simply a street eccentric. Wencer 20:51, 4 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fair use rationale for Image:Moondogcd.jpg[edit]

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BetacommandBot 08:19, 7 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

more covers[edit]

the norwegian band Motorpsycho has a cover of All is loneliness on their 1993 album "Demon box".

Alan Freed[edit]

Am I correct in thinking Moondog once tried to sue Alan Freed, the 1950's Rock'n'Roll DJ for naming his concerts "Moondog Rock'nRoll Party"? (83.9.73.5 (talk) 07:46, 9 April 2009 (UTC))[reply]

Yes - I've added a ref to this case, in 1954, which Hardin won. Ghmyrtle (talk) 13:30, 5 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Cosmologist?[edit]

As a fan of Moondog for close to 30 years, and one who has read his biography, published interviews, and liner notes, I've never before seen him refered to as a "cosmologist". There doesn't seem to be any basis for ascribing this label to him. From whence comes this information?

Also, I take exception to calling 'Moondog' a "psuedonym". When a person changes their name for business or artistic purposes they are not using a psuedonym, they have simply _changed their name_. No one, for example -- including Wiki -- refers to "John Wayne" as the "psuedonym of Marion Robert Morrison". 'Moondog' is the name which appears on most of Moondog's music, all of his recorded works, and on his tombstone.

Pending further discussion here I propose that the opening paragraph of this entry be rewritten to reflect this information. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zone18 (talk • contribs) 21:31, 29 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Since I couldn't find a reference for this either I was bold and removed this from the page. Please provide a reference before adding it back in. Ineverheardofhim (talk) 12:37, 14 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Image inclusion[edit]

There is a memorial for Moondog at the "Find a Grave" site which includes a couple of pictures. (There are two photos of Moondog himself, one in full viking regalia; the other two photos are of his graveside monument). Since "Find a Grave" also observes strict copyright and fair use policies, one would assume that the images which appear there are in the public domain.

Is there any objection to including one or more of those images, or a link to them, in this article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zone18 (talk • contribs) 21:49, 29 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Photo of Moondog[edit]

There is a photo of Moondogs tomb & the sculpture of his head at Wikipedia Commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moondog_kopf.jpg?uselang=de

I uploaded it almost a year ago. Somebody interested to transfer it to the English Wikipedia? HAL-Guandu --111.243.5.172 (talk) 10:51, 2 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Homelessness Contradiction[edit]

The opening paragraph states that Moondog made the choice to make his home on the streets of New York City, but the section detailing his time there indicates that he maintained an apartment in Manhattan for most of his life, which seems to contradict the opening. I haven't seen the biography cited for the latter, so I don't want to try to clarify that myself. 70.20.230.25 (talk) 18:02, 6 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I think it may be a question of language - "make his home on the streets" is not necessarily to be taken literally, just that he spent most of his time on the streets. But I don't have sources to back up that theory. Ghmyrtle (talk) 21:06, 6 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

"I can't be prosecuted for rape because they can't do that to blind people."[edit]

Citation from an article in Newstatesman: http://www.newstatesman.com/arts-and-culture/2008/01/composer-moondog-house-york True or false? He was eccentric enough. So it equally could be his joke or severe truth. Reading about him I sometimes doubt even about his blindness. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.54.19.129 (talk) 05:54, 5 May 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Sampling section = different then covers[edit]

Just discovered this brilliant music and went AHA when hearing Moondog- Moondog, which was sampled on The Wiseguys 1996 album Executive Suite - Intro. Not exactly sure where such info would/should go on this article, perhaps under discography there should be a 'Sampled By' section - as Mr. Scruff's use also seems to be a sampling and not a cover. source: http://www.whosampled.com/sample/view/6789/The%20Wiseguys-Intro_Moondog-Stamping%20Ground/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 147.86.210.68 (talk) 14:21, 7 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Bird's Lament theme[edit]

On the Muffathalle München 1994 bootleg, Moondog introduces "Bird's Lament" by saying it was well known in Austria as the theme for a movie show. Does anyone know what that was?
Ulmanor (talk) 14:45, 26 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

This IMDb entry hints at a show called 'Trailer'. Haven't been able to find more.
Kirkgaard (talk) 00:53, 14 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Age when blinded[edit]

Hi, the article The Genius of Moondog, New York’s Homeless Composer gives Moondog's age when his blinding accident occurred as "16" and cites the authorized Scotto bio. Contrary to the the present state of the Wikipedia Moondog article which states he was "17" and cites moondogscorner.de. So, the question is did the blinding accident occur July 4, 1932 or July 4, 1933? (ie age 16 or 17)?

The outline for the Scotto book as reprinted with permission on moondogscorner.de states: "... at the age of sixteen, in Hurley, Missouri, he was blinded for life when he tinkered with an object he had found, not realizing it was a dynamite cap. It exploded in his face on July 4, 1932." And on the main § Biography page it leads with info about the authorized bio (and links the preceding outline) but then goes on to note that the bio blurb they share further down the § Biography webpage "... comes from the record company ROOF and can only serve as a short outline of Moondog´s life for the time being." It appears that it's upon the ROOF blurb, "... having lost his sight in an accident involving a dynamite cap at the age of 17."—and not the authorized bio—that the present Wikipedia article's age of "17" is derived.

I'm inclined to defer to the authorized bio's July 4, 1932 (ie at age 16) accident date—additionally reinforced by the The Genius of Moondog article—and will adjust the article accordingly.

Thanks for your time and attention, --–A Fellow Editor– 12:08, 2 December 2017 (UTC)[reply]

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Viking helmet…[edit]

Rather than the story of Moondog wearing his helmet to avoid comparisons to Christ or a monk, in a BBC Radio documentary, Moondog:Sound of New York, in talking to the presenter, Huey Morgan, Robert Scotto say simply that Moondog adopted the “Viking” helmet purely as a form of safety aid: his height and lack of vision meant that he would hit his head on signs and street furniture. The horned helmet gave him a useful buffer to avoid collision. Jock123 (talk) 14:50, 4 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Joni Mitchell - For Free[edit]

Hello, what evidence is there that Moondog is the subject of the Joni song For Free, as stated in the "Legacy" section of the page: "He is also the subject of the song 'For Free' by Joni Mitchell (Ladies of the Canyon, 1970)."? If you read this document from the Joni website (https://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=4174), this man does not sound like Moondog, and the age he would be at the time does not seem to agree with the image included. I would love to hear if there is more solid proof that the song is about Moondog, but for now I think it is not, and the page needs that piece removed. Edbyrne2 (talk) 19:14, 9 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Done! I agree, unless that assertion can be confirmed from a reliable source, it should not be in the article. — CurryTime7-24 (talk) 19:33, 9 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]