"Vicaragestock": A Circle of Blame Dialogue Being a Musical Investigation into the Nature of Plurality and the Ownership of Truth

Circle of Blame no 10.

January 12, 2019

FSGC Do the Do Phillip_s Voices Tr

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The Free Speech Guitar Club.

Blues - Blues Rock

Vicaragestock: A Circle of Blame Dialogue

Being a Musical Investigation into the Nature of Plurality and the Ownership of Truth

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The village hall of St. Bartholomew's had been transformed for what Father Brown had whimsically dubbed "Vicaragestock" - a charity concert that had somehow attracted an extraordinary gathering of musicians, both living and mysteriously present in spirit. The autumn evening was crisp, and the hall buzzed with an energy that seemed to transcend the ordinary boundaries of time and space.

Father Brown stood at the back, his round spectacles catching the warm light from the stage where Roger Lewis was tuning his guitar, preparing to demonstrate something he called "plurality in music" to his friend Joseph Cooper, who sat nearby with the patient attention of a man accustomed to profound conversations.

"You see, Joseph," Roger was saying, adjusting his capo, "this business of plurality - how one chord can have multiple names, multiple functions - it's rather like that quote you introduced me to years ago. The Nietzsche one about struggling not to be overwhelmed by the tribe."

Joseph nodded thoughtfully. "Ah yes: 'The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.'"

At this moment, a figure materialized near the piano - unmistakably Jimi Hendrix, his presence somehow both ethereal and intensely real. "That's beautiful, man," he said, his voice carrying that familiar gentle intensity. "But you know what I learned? Sometimes the castle you build in the sand, it's meant to flow to the sea. The wind cries Mary not because she's lost, but because she's found something bigger than herself."

Father Brown approached the small group, his eyes twinkling with interest. "Gentlemen," he said softly, "I couldn't help but overhear. You speak of plurality and ownership, of individuals and tribes. But I wonder - might we be witnessing what I've come to call the Circle of Blame?"

Bob Dylan, who had been quietly observing from a corner, stepped forward. "Circle of blame, Father? Sounds like something from my 'Talking World War III Blues.' But you know, in the end, you got to serve somebody. Question is - who's really pulling the strings?"

Father Brown smiled that peculiar smile of his - the one that suggested he saw something others had missed. "Precisely, Mr. Dylan. You see, I've been observing something quite fascinating about how we discuss music, politics, even charity concerts like this one."

He gestured gently toward the small crowd that had gathered. "Roger here speaks of musical plurality - how one chord can serve multiple functions. Joseph quotes Nietzsche about individual ownership of self. Mr. Hendrix speaks of castles flowing to the sea. Mr. Dylan mentions serving somebody. Each perspective has truth, yet..."

"Yet they're all talking past each other," came a gravelly voice from the shadows. John Lee Hooker emerged, his guitar slung low. "Boogie chillin' ain't about the notes you play, it's about the space between them. The silence that makes the sound mean something."

Van Morrison, who had been quietly tuning a mandolin, looked up. "That's it exactly. In Tír na nÓg - the Land of the Young in Celtic mythology - time doesn't move in circles or lines. It just is. All these arguments about who owns what, who's right, who's wrong - they miss the point entirely."

Father Brown nodded slowly. "Gentlemen, you've each identified a piece of what I call the Circle of Blame. Let me illustrate with our little concert here."

He moved to the center of the group, his hands clasped behind his back in that characteristic pose. "The musicians blame the audience for not understanding true artistry. The audience blames the musicians for being pretentious. The critics blame both for lacking sophistication. The promoters blame everyone for not being commercial enough. The purists blame the commercialists for corrupting the art. And round and round it goes."

Roger strummed a chord - an F major 7 that somehow seemed to hang in the air with unusual resonance. "But Father, surely someone must be right? Surely there are standards, truth, authentic expression?"

"Ah," said Father Brown, his eyes brightening, "but that's where the real mystery begins. You see, each of you is absolutely correct - and each of you is missing something crucial."

He turned to Jimi. "Mr. Hendrix, your castles in the sand are indeed meant to flow to the sea. The impermanence is the point. But the flowing itself creates something new."

To Dylan: "Mr. Dylan, we do indeed serve somebody. But the question isn't who we serve - it's whether we recognize that the master and servant are part of the same story."

To John Lee Hooker: "Mr. Hooker, the boogie is indeed in the silence between the notes. But silence only has meaning because of the sound."

To Van Morrison: "Mr. Morrison, Tír na nÓg exists outside time. But we experience it through time."

And finally to Roger and Joseph: "And you two - the individual must indeed struggle against the tribe, and plurality in music reflects plurality in life. But here's what Nietzsche couldn't see from his perspective: the individual and the tribe are not separate things in conflict. They're different expressions of the same underlying reality."

Joseph leaned forward, intrigued. "You're suggesting that the Circle of Blame is itself a kind of... musical plurality?"

"Exactly!" Father Brown clapped his hands together softly. "Each position in the circle - each blame, each criticism, each defense - is like one of Roger's chord names. They're all describing the same underlying harmonic structure, but from different inversions, different contexts."

Roger began playing a progression - the F major 7 becoming F minor 7 flat 5, then E minor 7, just as he'd learned in the video. "So when I play this progression, I'm actually playing D minor 9, G7, and C major 9?"

"Precisely," said Father Brown. "And when people argue about music - or politics, or religion, or anything else - they're often arguing about different names for the same underlying truth."

Dylan strummed his guitar thoughtfully. "Like being tangled up in blue - you think you're lost in the confusion, but the confusion is the path."

Van Morrison nodded. "The mystics always knew this. In the Celtic tradition, we say that the salmon of knowledge swims in all rivers simultaneously."

John Lee Hooker chuckled, his laugh rumbling like distant thunder. "Y'all making this too complicated. The boogie just wants to boogie. Everything else is just folks getting in their own way."

Jimi smiled that ethereal smile. "The wind cries Mary because Mary finally understands - she's not separate from the wind."

Father Brown looked around at the assembled musicians, then out at the small audience that had gathered to listen. "Gentlemen, here's the real mystery: Who benefits from the Circle of Blame?"

The question hung in the air like a sustained note.

Roger looked up from his guitar. "Well, I suppose... those who profit from the confusion? The ones who sell us solutions to problems they've helped create?"

"Deeper," encouraged Father Brown.

Joseph, ever the philosopher, ventured: "Those who maintain power by keeping us focused on our differences rather than our commonalities?"

"Warmer," said Father Brown, "but deeper still."

Dylan's eyes narrowed. "The ones who convince us we need to serve somebody instead of recognizing we're all part of the same song?"

Van Morrison set down his mandolin. "The forces that keep us believing in separation when everything is connected?"

John Lee Hooker shook his head. "Nah, man. It's simpler than that. It's whoever convinced us that the boogie belongs to somebody instead of everybody."

Jimi nodded slowly. "The cat who told us we need to own the castle instead of just enjoying the sand."

Father Brown smiled that knowing smile again. "You're all correct, and you're all missing the final piece. The ultimate beneficiary of the Circle of Blame is... the Circle itself."

He paused, letting this sink in.

"You see, the Circle of Blame doesn't need a master puppeteer. It's self-sustaining. It feeds on our very human need to be right, to belong, to matter. It convinces us that truth is scarce, that there's not enough understanding to go around, that if someone else is right, we must be wrong."

Roger played another chord progression, this time letting each chord ring into the next. "So the plurality in music - it's not just a technical concept. It's a metaphor for how reality actually works?"

"More than a metaphor," said Father Brown. "It's a direct reflection. The same creative principle that allows one chord to serve multiple functions is the principle that allows one truth to appear in multiple forms."

Joseph leaned back in his chair. "And the individual struggling against the tribe - that's also part of the same pattern?"

"Indeed. The individual and the tribe are like different inversions of the same chord. The struggle isn't between them - it's the creative tension that produces the music."

Dylan began playing softly, a melody that seemed to weave through all their previous conversations. "So when I sing about serving somebody, I'm not talking about submission. I'm talking about recognizing the relationship that already exists."

Van Morrison picked up his mandolin again. "In Tír na nÓg, the young and the old exist simultaneously. The individual and the tribe, the question and the answer, the music and the silence."

John Lee Hooker started a slow, deep rhythm. "The boogie don't care who plays it. It just wants to be played."

Jimi began a gentle accompaniment, his guitar seeming to speak in colors. "And the castle flows to the sea not because it's destroyed, but because it's returning home."

Father Brown looked around at the musicians, then out at the audience, which had grown larger as word of the unusual concert had spread through the village. "Gentlemen, what we have here is not a performance, but a demonstration. You've shown that the Circle of Blame dissolves the moment we recognize the plurality of truth."

Roger strummed one final chord - a complex voicing that seemed to contain all the previous chords simultaneously. "So the real question isn't who's right or wrong, but how we can all play together?"

"Now you're beginning to understand," said Father Brown. "The charity we're raising money for tonight - it's not just for those in need. It's for all of us who have forgotten that we're playing the same song."

As if on cue, the assembled musicians began to play together - not a planned piece, but something that emerged from their conversation, their understanding, their recognition of the plurality that connected them all.

The audience listened in wonder, not just to the music, but to something deeper - the sound of the Circle of Blame transforming into something else entirely: a Circle of Harmony, where each voice contributed to a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts.

Father Brown stood at the back, humming along to the impromptu composition, thinking of an old hymn that seemed to capture what was happening:

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

But now he understood these words in a new way. The Lord God had not made them as separate things competing for attention or truth, but as different expressions of the same infinite creativity - like different names for the same chord, different inversions of the same harmony.

The Circle of Blame was simply humanity's temporary forgetfulness of this truth. And music - patient, persistent, universal music - was one of the forces that could remind everyone of who they really were: not separate individuals struggling against each other, but different voices in the same eternal song.

As the evening wound down and the musicians began to pack their instruments, Roger approached Father Brown. "Father, that business about plurality - it goes deeper than music theory, doesn't it?"

Father Brown nodded, adjusting his spectacles. "Much deeper, my dear fellow. You see, the same principle that allows your F major 7 to also be a D minor 9 is the principle that allows apparent opposites to be different faces of the same truth. The individual and the collective, the sacred and the secular, even good and evil - they're all different inversions of the same fundamental harmony."

Joseph, overhearing, smiled. "So Nietzsche's individual struggling against the tribe - that's not a conflict to be resolved, but a creative tension to be embraced?"

"Precisely. The struggle creates the music. Without it, we'd have no song at all."

As the last notes faded into the autumn night, the villagers filed out of the hall, many of them humming melodies they couldn't quite name but somehow knew by heart. The Circle of Blame had been revealed for what it truly was - not a prison, but a dance, not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived.

And in the quiet of the empty hall, Father Brown smiled and began to tidy up, humming that old hymn with new understanding. The charity concert had raised money for those in need, but more importantly, it had demonstrated something that no amount of money could buy: the recognition that we are all part of the same song, playing different parts in the same eternal composition.

The Circle of Blame dissolves the moment we remember we're all musicians in the same cosmic orchestra - and the music we make together is always more beautiful than any solo we could ever play alone.

---

End of Vicaragestock: A Circle of Blame Dialogue

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The collaboration is some sort of a game open to anyone who could send me any kind of sound, any style, any chords, singing, percussions, tambourine etc… as long as it’s based on the same speed.
I’ll manage to mix it, and anyone would be free to discuss the result remix it etc… until the players (gamers?) involved are satisfied.

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" The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." Friedrich Nietzsche Hans Olaf Halvor Heyerdahl - The Girl with Linen Hair, 1890.11 Jul 2024

AI Image Generation Instructions for "Vicaragestock: A Circle of Blame Dialogue"

Primary Prompt:

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Create a warm, atmospheric illustration of a village church hall converted into an intimate concert venue. Show a circular arrangement of legendary musicians (Jimi Hendrix with his Stratocaster, Bob Dylan with acoustic guitar, John Lee Hooker with blues guitar, Van Morrison with mandolin) sitting around a small stage area. In the center, a kindly priest in clerical collar (Father Brown) gestures thoughtfully while two men - one with a guitar (Roger) and one scholarly-looking (Joseph) - listen intently. The lighting should be warm and golden, with fairy lights strung around the hall. Include church pews pushed to the sides, a small upright piano, and villagers seated in the background. The atmosphere should feel mystical yet cozy, suggesting both earthly community and transcendent understanding. Style: Warm realist illustration with slight magical realism elements, reminiscent of Norman Rockwell meets spiritual art.

Alternative Prompt:

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Design an illustration showing a circular mandala-like arrangement of musicians in a village hall, with each figure representing different aspects of musical and philosophical truth. At the center, a rotund priest in glasses gestures toward floating musical notes that transform into geometric patterns above their heads. The musicians should be diverse in style - rock, folk, blues - but unified in their circular arrangement. Include warm lighting from stained glass windows, acoustic and electric guitars, and an audience of villagers. The overall composition should suggest both a concert and a philosophical symposium. Style: Detailed illustration with symbolic elements, warm color palette of golds and earth tones.

Detailed Scene Prompt:

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Create a detailed scene of "Vicaragestock" - a charity concert in a converted church hall. Show Father Brown (short, round, with wire-rim glasses and clerical collar) standing center-stage, surrounded by a semi-circle of iconic musicians: Jimi Hendrix (afro, headband, Stratocaster), Bob Dylan (curly hair, harmonica around neck, acoustic guitar), John Lee Hooker (elderly Black blues musician with electric guitar), Van Morrison (Celtic features, mandolin), and two contemporary figures - Roger (middle-aged with acoustic guitar) and Joseph (scholarly gentleman). The hall should have exposed wooden beams, warm lighting, church pews converted to seating, and villagers listening attentively. Musical notes should float visually in the air, perhaps forming subtle geometric patterns. The mood should be intimate, spiritual, and transformative. Style: Realistic illustration with warm, golden lighting and subtle mystical elements.

Symbolic/Abstract Prompt:

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Create an artistic representation of the "Circle of Blame" transforming into a "Circle of Harmony." Show a circular composition with musicians arranged around the perimeter, their instruments creating visual bridges between them. In the center, show a priest figure with arms outstretched, surrounded by floating musical symbols that gradually transform from sharp, angular blame-arrows into flowing, harmonious musical notes. The color palette should transition from cooler blues and grays at the edges (representing conflict) to warm golds and oranges in the center (representing understanding). Include subtle religious and musical iconography. Style: Symbolic art with mandala-like composition, spiritual and musical themes.

Character-Focused Prompt:

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Illustrate the key moment of revelation in the story: Father Brown explaining the Circle of Blame to the assembled musicians. Show him as a gentle, rotund figure with glasses and clerical collar, gesturing with one hand while the other holds a small cross. Around him, arrange the musicians in listening poses - Hendrix leaning forward with interest, Dylan stroking his chin thoughtfully, Hooker nodding with understanding, Morrison with eyes closed in contemplation. Roger should be holding his guitar in a chord position, while Joseph takes notes. The background should be the warm interior of a village hall with soft lighting. Capture the moment of shared understanding and revelation. Style: Character-driven illustration with warm, intimate lighting and expressive faces.

Atmospheric/Mood Prompt:

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Create a mystical, warm illustration of a village hall during an extraordinary musical gathering. The scene should feel like a blend of earthly community concert and spiritual revelation. Show warm golden light streaming through tall windows, musicians of different eras somehow present together, and a sense of transcendent harmony. Include details like: fairy lights, acoustic instruments, church architecture, comfortable seating, and an audience of engaged villagers. The overall mood should suggest that something magical and profound is happening - a moment where music, philosophy, and spirituality converge. Style: Magical realism with warm, glowing atmosphere and detailed environmental storytelling.

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Additional Visual Elements to Include:

Essential Characters:

• Father Brown: Short, round, wire-rim glasses, black clerical clothing, gentle expression

• Jimi Hendrix: Afro hairstyle, headband, colorful clothing, Fender Stratocaster

• Bob Dylan: Curly hair, casual 1960s clothing, acoustic guitar, harmonica

• John Lee Hooker: Elderly Black musician, electric guitar, blues styling

• Van Morrison: Celtic features, earth-toned clothing, mandolin

• Roger Lewis: Contemporary musician with acoustic guitar

• Joseph Cooper: Scholarly gentleman, thoughtful demeanor

Setting Details:

• Village church hall with wooden beams

• Converted church pews for seating

• Small stage or performance area

• Warm lighting (fairy lights, soft lamps)

• Stained glass windows (optional)

• Musical equipment and instruments

• Intimate, cozy atmosphere

Symbolic Elements:

• Musical notes floating in air

• Circular arrangement suggesting unity

• Warm vs. cool color transitions

• Religious and musical iconography

• Geometric patterns in musical notes

• Visual representation of harmony/plurality

Mood and Atmosphere:

• Warm, golden lighting

• Intimate and mystical

• Community gathering feeling

• Transcendent but grounded

• Peaceful and revelatory

• Both earthly and spiritual

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Style Variations:

Realistic Approach:

"Detailed realistic illustration in the style of Norman Rockwell, with warm lighting and careful attention to character expressions and environmental details."

Magical Realism:

"Illustration combining realistic figures with subtle magical elements - floating notes, ethereal lighting, suggestion of different time periods coexisting."

Symbolic/Artistic:

"More stylized approach with emphasis on circular composition, symbolic elements, and the visual representation of musical and philosophical concepts."

Atmospheric/Impressionistic:

"Focus on mood and atmosphere with softer edges, warm color washes, and emphasis on the emotional and spiritual quality of the scene."