New York, Full Sail
An eventful weekend in NYC, discovering classics, and fresh new music
New York felt unusually full over the holiday weekend, as the city marked the nation’s 250th birthday, the World Cup continued, and the Tall Ships arrived in the harbor for the Fourth of July celebrations.
We didn’t see much of the fireworks from our rooftop this year because the barge was right behind the building across the street. The display from the Brooklyn Bridge was strangely muted compared with last year, so there may have been something wrong over there.
The parade of tall ships along the Hudson made up for it. It was more uplifting than I expected. A tall ship under full sail is a beautiful and rare sight, and seeing sailors from around the world wave to the crowds on shore was heartwarming. Even the military flyovers felt more like a display of human ingenuity than a demonstration of power1.
The ships were docked all over the city until yesterday, and you could have visited them, but we didn’t get tickets in time. I will miss them, but we always have the Pioneer and the Clipper City at the Seaport.
On the music side, we enjoyed the new U2 video “Street of Dreams,” filmed in Mexico City. Of course, it echoes the famous clip for “Where the Streets Have No Name” from the 80s2. I’m sure the setup was very controlled this time, but there is a sweet moment of serendipity when the band has to take cover from a thunderstorm and politely asks a family if they can use their balcony for a moment.
Discovery of the Week: Hearing Gods Own Medicine Again, as The Mission Intended
The Mission are marking their 40th anniversary with a remastered edition of their 1986 debut album Gods Own Medicine (Apple Music | Spotify)3, newly presented in the song order the band had originally intended.
I saw The Mission live a few times in Munich, all before I met Oliver, so we have never seen them together. Maybe that is something to remedy, as the band is touring again.
What makes this reissue especially intriguing is that the original vinyl sequence had been changed after “Stay With Me” became a single. Lead singer Wayne Hussey explains:
“It made sense for the album’s arc that ‘Stay With Me’ should be near the end of the album. But, once it was released as a single, there was no way Mercury would let it stay on Side Two, so we had to swap it for ‘Severina.’ Of course, ‘Severina’ was really a great powerful song where it had originally been intended. That swap made the rest of the album seem a little wrong, so we swapped ‘Dance On Glass’ and ‘And The Dance Goes On’ as well. It wasn’t the biggest problem in the world – at least all the songs were there – but it has frustrated us all a little over the years. It’s great to have it out correctly now.”
I wish my own copy were not in storage right now. This is exactly the kind of reissue that makes you want to pull out the record and listen from beginning to end again.
Cover Song of the Week: Rod Stewart - Sailing
For us, it is nearly impossible to see white sails blowing in the wind without hearing the Rod Stewart classic, since a cassette on repeat at a beach bar in Crete burned it into our collective memory. The video adds another connection: it was filmed in 1978, exactly where the Sail 4th parade took place.
The 1972 original by the Sutherland Brothers is three years older and was written to convey a more serious spiritual meaning. But Rod Stewart’s version opened it up to a more romantic interpretation, so you can close your eyes and dream of gliding across a glittering sea in a sailboat.
This Week in glamglare history
1 Year Ago: Sijya - Do I Know
Sijya hails from New Delhi and makes sophisticated, gritty electronic pop songs. Her next single, “Turbine,” is announced for July 23.
5 Years Ago: CYPRSS - The House I Hate
“The House I Hate” fits well into the Billie Eilish-inspired dark pop wave of the early 2020s. CYPRSS studied songwriting in Nashville and released an EP and several singles until 2024.
10 Years Ago: White - Step Up
“Step Up” is quite an intriguing track, which we compared to 80s electronic bands like Front 242 or DAF. The Glasgow quintet White put out a few singles, an EP, and an album, although a 2024 track on their Spotify is clearly incorrect.
Song Pick of the Day
Listen to all seven songs on YouTube, or follow our daily updated Song Pick playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify.
- Detalji - Bring Me Back To Life
- Tove Styrke - Sunflower
- Merci Land - Clouds
- Josh da Costa - 96 Year Old Girl
- Ibeyi - Offerings
- frances mistry - i let it get to me again
- ALANI - Dancing Through The Madness
We publish one Song Pick of the Day every day. You can subscribe to receive them by email.
Sails, Sparks, Summer
A weekend of tall ships, harbor views, fireworks, a beautiful dinner, and the city celebrating its 250th birthday in spectacular fashion. We caught as much of it as we could — from watching the ships from all over the world pass the Statue of Liberty after arriving through the Verrazano-Narrows to fireworks over the East River — and loved every minute. Enjoy our photos.
Photos: Elke Nominikat
1 - The New York-based 1885 Schooner Pioneer operated by the South Street Seaport Museum
2 - The German Gorch Fock three-masted, 292-foot barque
3 - Together, with the Portuguese three-masted barque NRP Sagres behind us
4 to 6 - 4th of July Fireworks
7 - Sunset over Manhattan as seen from the Portugal House near Dumbo
8 - Summer in a bowl: Clambake!
9 - The Sagres at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, seen while on a ride with the Seaport Museum’s W.O. Decker.