Welcome to my music blog - The Soundtrack of My Life!

Many of you have asked me “What’s with all the music, Dr. Weiss?” Well, as I’ve told some of you:

I personally call every surgery patient on the evening of surgery just to make sure they are doing well and have no questions that need answering. Occasionally, I would be at the piano and play a song that we had listened to that day. I gradually realized that I wanted to go through all the music that I had played during my life and at least start making a list of the songs that I had recently played.

Well, there are now about 600 songs on the list and I realized that it in a way it represented the ‘soundtrack of my life’! And that’s how I got the idea to record these songs and share them with my patients, friends and family. After I record them they will reside here, for easy access.

Music is truth. It’s honest. It’s really the first social media, where in a way, people could share their souls directly. And isn’t that what the purpose of social media is and why it’s so popular - trying to share who you really are, as completely and directly as possible?

Finally, it has been (and will continue to be) a genuine pleasure sharing these different songs with you and I really appreciate all of your positive feedback!!

Musical Genres

Town without pity2

Town Without Pity

October 10, 2023

Town Without Pity On this day (October 10) 62 years ago, the film ‘Town Without Pity’ starring Kirk Douglas, was released in the United States. Don’t ask me how this song popped into my head the other day – I was only 8 years old at the time and I don’t believe I had ever seen the movie, but I certainly must have remembered Gene Pitney’s distinctive recording, which was nominated for an Academy Award (losing out to Henry Mancini’s ‘Moon River’!) The Film ‘Town Without Pity’ was shot in black and white in Germany and Austria less than 15 years after WWII. For me, it harkens back to film noir and even Italian Neorealism films such as Roberto Rossellini’s ‘Rome, Open City’ and ‘Germany, Year Zero’. These films, as well as Federico Fellini’s masterpiece ‘La Strada’ (starring Anthony Quinn), portray everyday life and the struggles of ordinary people, often using non-professional actors and real locations. The Music The theme song for “Town Without Pity” is characterized by its haunting, melancholic melody. Dimitri Tiomkin wrote the song and also scored the movie with an avant-garde jazz score. (Tiomkin also worked with Frank Capra, who chose him to write and perform […]

When I paint my masterpiece ancient rome streets filled with rubble and footprints watercolor

When I Paint My Masterpiece

September 16, 2023

  When I Paint My Masterpiece Illustration credit: Rick and Dall-E   “When I Paint My Masterpiece“ is a 1971 song written by Bob Dylan. It was first released by The Band, who released it exactly 52 years ago on September 15, 1971. Dylan released his version (produced by Leon Russell) on his Greatest Hits Volume II album (highly recommended) a couple of months later. Basically, I guess I was introduced to this song from his Greatest Hits album when I was an 18-year-old sophomore at NYU.  How could you not appreciate a song that began: “Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble, ancient footprints are everywhere,” even if that were the only lyrics! Interesting fact about the lyric ‘When I ran on the hilltop following a pack of wild geese’: (From Wikipedia) The story is that when the Republic of Rome was under attack from the Gauls in 390BC, Rome seemed about to fall and the Romans were besieged.  Despite low food supplies during the siege the Romans kept their sacred geese fed, and this turned out to be a shrewd idea, because as the Gauls attacked, the geese honked as they do, woke up the guards, who then resolutely defeated the […]

Margaritaville

Margaritaville

September 2, 2023

Margaritaville Jimmy Buffett, who passed away today at age 77, unfailingly gave a great concert and always exuded amazing positive good-time energy, which contributed to his devoted hard-partying fans. Although I wasn’t a Buffett super-fan, I enjoyed his songs as much as anyone. Also, one of the most memorable concerts I ever attended was relatively recently (or so it seems) at a special show at the cozy venue of the Belly Up in Solana Beach. What a concert… and what a crowd! I hope you enjoy my Weiss Music Minute mini-tribute to a memorable musician. Rest in peace, Jimmy. Hope you are enjoying a ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise.’ Rick Weiss

Stardust

Stardust

August 24, 2023

Photo credit: Rick and Dall-E Stardust I always liked this song by Hoagy Carmichael written in 1927.  But I didn’t realize just how beautiful the lyrics (Mitchell Parish) were (although I’ve heard them many times) until read them as I was posting the lyrics to my music video. (see below for full lyrics.) Others apparently have also liked ‘Stardust’, which has been recorded over 1,500 times by such diverse names as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong,  Coleman Hawkins,  Art Tatum, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway, Tommy Dorsey, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, John Coltrane, Ringo Starr (who recorded the song featuring arrangements by Paul McCartney), Willie Nelson, Rod Stewart and Bob Dylan (in 2017). I promised to record this song for one of my patients who is getting eyelid surgery tomorrow. I hope that it evokes wonderful ‘stardust memories’ for her. Enjoy, Dr. Weiss Dr. Weiss Recommends: If you are interested in Hoagy Carmichael and the period during which ‘Stardust’ was written, watch ‘Young Man With a Horn’ (on Amazon Prime or Apple TV), a film directed by Michael Cortiz, about the life of Hoagy’s best friend jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke, starring Kirk Douglas, Doris Day, Lauren Bacall and Hoagy Carmichael himself lending considerable authenticity. It’s worth a watch if only for […]

And I love her 3

And I Love Her

August 15, 2023

And I Love Her ‘And I Love Her’, one of McCartney’s personal favorites, was released July 20, 1964 (almost 60 years ago – yikes!).  McCartney called ‘And I Love Her’ “the first ballad I impressed myself with”. Lennon called it McCartney’s “first ‘Yesterday’”. But try to imagine the song without George Harrison’s signature guitar riff. A beautiful and peaceful 2 minutes, for sure. Dedicated to my wife and constant companion. Enjoy, Dr. Weiss

Its Over graphic

It’s Over

August 7, 2023

It’s Over Words and Music by Rick Weiss Illustration: Rick and Dall-E This music blog is all about sharing, so let me share this song I wrote years ago about suddenly realizing that a love affair is over. Although I feel the music stands on its own, I’d love to hear it sung properly. However, my limited voice is not well suited for this song. Anyone who wants to try recording a vocal please contact me and we could see what develops. In the meantime, enjoy. Dr. Weiss LYRICS Verse 1 It’s over, all the love that we shared as two Believing, that ours was a love to last forever Not knowing, just how quickly it all could end In a glance, and we both knew It’s the end, of our love true But I know, that we’ll find I’ll be strong, I’ll go on Cause it’s over Chorus Until you I never knew the true meaning of love before The touch of your hand In the still of the night and the robe you wore Now that you’re gone I can hardly get used to it That your look and your love and your smile’s not for me… Now you’re gone […]

The Secret Life of Plants title

The Secret Life Of Plants – Debussy Intro

May 22, 2023

The Secret Life of Plants Words and Music by Stevie Wonder with an introduction by Debussy I came upon this song that I recorded about 5 years ago and it was so beautiful that I thought I’d share it again. The music is haunting and evocative of a secret communication between plants that we may be unaware of. And as always, Stevie’s words say it all: And what we think as insignificant, provides the purest air we breathe… But if you ask yourself where would you be, without them you will find, you would not So please join me in marveling at the wonders of nature, and take a break from all of our worldly concerns, for at least a few minutes (3:42 to be exact.) Enjoy, Dr. Weiss PS For the story behind my arrangement: click here PSS Plant lovers might enjoy a book that a patient of mine turned me on to: The Overstory by Richard Powers, which was heavily inspired by the life and work of forest ecologist Suzanne Simard. Simard is best known for her research on how  fungi and roots facilitate communication and interaction between trees and plants, and her own book about her research being ridiculed before it was vindicated is also fascinating, Finding The […]