Cleverly Titled Blog
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Comicstory
The History Channel's documentary Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked made its debut last night. Overall, it's an excellent, well-made, intelligent look at the comic book industry (with a focus on superheroes), starting with Action Comics #1 and making its way over two hours to today's industry. Even at two hours, it could have used another hour to fit in a few more stories and significant characters, but a fine job was done within the time allotted. There are some inaccuracies and some things out of order, but it's hard to be too mad when a documentary works so hard to give credit to the creators of the various characters -- something the publishers themselves aren't always good about. They even properly gave credit to Bill Finger for co-creating Batman, something you almost never see.
Inaccuracies and incorrect timelines are among my biggest beefs. For example, it appeared that Frank Miller was taking credit for depicting Daredevil as Catholic, but that innovation pre-dated Miller's run (and was in fact the work of my pal, Tony Isabella). Many little things like this can mostly be attributed to the interview sources remembering things incorrectly or out of order.
More time would have allowed more detailed mention of the Wertham-inspired Senate hearings. They did cover this fairly well, but it would have been nice to hear Bill Gaines at least mentioned, and to reveal that the Comics Code killed EC, but led directly to Mad becoming the institution it is today.
Similarly, it would have been nice to hear about the eventual outcome of DC's suit against Fawcett over Captain Marvel, that being that DC eventually took ownership of the Fawcett line. I'd also have liked to hear about the Justice Society, one of the most important concepts in comics -- the documentary makes it appear as though the first Human Torch/Submariner battle was the first real universe-builder, but the JSA pre-dates that, if I recall correctly.
My biggest beef, though, is that they gave away the end of Watchmen. I was watching with my wife, who hasn't read it yet. It was like being told the identity of Darth Vader before seeing The Empire Strikes Back, the significance of Rosebud in Citizen Kane, or the secret of The Crying Game. The story is now at least partly spoiled for anyone that watched the show but hasn't read the book, and that's just not fair.
I thought they spoke with an interesting array of people. I learned some things I'd never learned before, like the incredible story of the aforementioned first battle between the Human Torch and the Submariner -- churned out by dozens of artists over the course of a weekend. And it's always great to hear some of the greatest names in the industry talking about their most seminal works. Eisner on The Spirit, Miller on Dark Knight and Daredevil, Gaiman on Sandman... simply priceless. Gaiman's comparison of winning the World Fantasy Award only to have the rules changed the next day to disallow comics from winning the award to closing the barn door after the horse has not only got out but has won the Kentucky Derby was hysterically funny.
And the talks with Joe Quesada really make me think that he's a good guy stuck in a very bad position over at the current mess that is Marvel Comics. I hope it works out for the best for him and the other talented and creative people working there, and that the micromanagement comes to an end soon.
The best stuff, though, was the animating of the original comics stories to tell the basics of many of the characters. It was just plain fun to see the actual panels come to life -- a little like those '60s Marvel cartoons that used a similar technique, but much more polished and more exciting.
All in all, this is a documentary worth seeing. The History Channel will be airing it twice more this month, and I think I'll make a point of taping one of the future airings.
Monday, June 23, 2003
Also over the weekend...
My review of Hearts of Oak from Ted Leo/Pharmacists posted at Ink 19. Check it out here.
Saturday night we watched Frida on DVD. It was a fabulous movie, deserving of the accolades it received and more. It's a darn shame that Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina weren't given more recognition for their acting in the film. They do great jobs individually and play off each other perfectly. There's a scene on Diego and Frida's wedding day when Diego looks at Frida and you can literally see his eyes light up with love. That, my friends, is great acting.
The filmmaking techniques director Julie Taymor applies are as innovative and fascinating as those of Ang Lee described below. Characters move in and out of actual Kahlo paintings, bringing the scenarios to vivid life. The colors are vibrant and the whole movie bursts with life. And the special effects are works of understated genius. The fact that they achieved so much on such a shoestring budget is nothing short of incredible. Of special note are the sequences in which Frida and Diego visit New York and are shown strolling the city via picture postcards, and the sequence where Frida goes to a theater to see King Kong and actual footage from the classic film morphs into Frida's imagination of Diego as Kong.
Frida Kahlo was a controversial figure for her bisexuality and her Communism. The film does nothing to shy away from this, and in fact embraces it. If frank sexuality, nudity, or political discussion disturbs you, this is not a film for you. It's not pornographic, but it gets very sexy in sections.
Also of note is composer Elliot Goldenthal's Oscar-winning score, which fits every moment of the film perfectly. The music of Firda is gorgeous and an important element of the film as a whole. I haven't watched the extras on the DVD yet, but one of them is a commentary track from Goldenthal, and I'm very much looking forward to hearing what he has to say.
There is a whole disc of extras in addition to two commentaries and some extras on the first disc, so I still have plenty of Frida to enjoy, but I recommend the film itself unreservedly.
Finally, last night I began reading the first book in the Harry Potter series. I've already seen the first movie, so the main thing that's striking me so far (I'm only three chapters in) is the differences between the two. I'd heard many reviewers talking about how lavishly the filmmakers had stuck to the first novel, but already there are many changes just in the first three chapters. This has me very interested in seeing what else is going to happen. I figure I'll burn through the first four before picking up a copy of the new release that came out this week. I think I'll also try to get through the first two before seeing the second film, which I haven't seen yet. On the flip side, they're offering it on pay-per-view for only $2.95, so maybe I won't wait...
Green Thoughts
Saw The Hulk in a packed theater late Friday night -- as did, apparently, a lot of folks, given this morning's box office reports. I see that reviews have been decidedly mixed, both among film critics and among comic fans.
Sometimes I see stuff like that and I wonder whether I saw the same movie everyone else saw.
If you haven't seen the movie yet, this might be a good place to look somewhere else, as I'll likely get into SPOILERS from this point on. Consider this your last SPOILER WARNING.
About the closest thing I had to a problem with The Hulk was that he never said, "Hulk Smash!"
Other than that, I loved every minute of it.
I can see where it might not be a movie for everyone. A lot of audiences these days are impatient and not interested in introspective drama -- which Hulk has in spades. They just want eye candy and cool battles.
The thing is, Hulk has plenty of the latter, as well, later in the film.
I saw an Associated Press review that complained that the film had little of the humor and adventure of, say, Spider-Man. But that misses the point. The Hulk is a tragic figure, a Jeckyll and Hyde. Anybody that knows the classic comics knows this.
If anything, the movie's version of the Hulk is even more tragic, as he becomes the Hulk mostly due to no fault of his own (in the comics, Bruce Banner built the gamma bomb that spawned him; in the movie, genetic tampering on his father's part is partially to blame for the genesis of the monster).
One of the things I find most fascinating about this movie is that everything I heard about it before hand that I thought I'd hate was actually in there, but it was done in such a way that I loved it. For example, the "Hulk Dogs." Hated that idea, absolutely hated it. A bunch of Hulk-like canines, including a poodle? How ridiculous that sounds!
But then you see it on screen, and see them battling the Hulk, and it just looks cool! If anything, the poodle was plenty frightening, and it was the bulldog that was the only one that looked a little goofy -- not quite Milo from The Mask, but not horribly off from that, either.
I had also been opposed to Bruce's dad basically becoming the Absorbing Man, but darned if they didn't make that work for me, too.
I thought all the actors did superior jobs in their roles. Much has been made of Sam Elliott portraying "Thunderbolt" Ross as little more than a bristling moustache, but he brought the character to life for me, and even made him somewhat sympathetic. For once, he's not the bad guy.
Josh Lucas's Glen Talbot IS one of the bad guys, and he's deliciously smarmy. You're rooting for him to get his, and he does -- in excellent fashion.
Nick Nolte as dad David Banner comes a little close to dining on the scenery at times, but he always manages to keep his toe right on the line, threatening to but never quite crossing it into camp. A lesser actor would have stunk up this role.
The leads, Eric Bana and the always-gorgeous Jennifer Connelly, are pitch-perfect. They both project a melancholy, haunted quality that suits their characters perfectly. Yet Connelly as Betty Ross is quietly determined and strong despite her sadness. Bana as Bruce, meanwhile, is a tangle of bottled emotions, and when he bursts loose in rage, you feel it even before the transformations begin.
Then there's the Hulk himself. Much was made ahead of time about the CGI creature being less than perfect. Much ado about nothing, as far as I'm concerned. The Hulk looked and acted exactly as I dreamed and imagined from years of comics. He was a real, wholly realized character, much as Gollum was in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The close-ups of the character were nothing short of amazing, especially in scenes where human characters were touching his face. And the scenes where you could see bullets impacting on his chest were mind-blowing.
The one place I felt the CGI was less-than-perfect was in long-distance shots. In some of those shots, especially in the desert sequence, the movie did feel a little video-gamey. But that didn't distract from my overall enjoyment.
As weighty and mature a film as Hulk is, it never forgets its roots. From the opening credits in classic comics lettering to the film's closing credits in word balloons and captions, no film has ever come as close to duplicating the feel of reading a comic on the big screen. Director Ang Lee uses split screens to show the movement of action in a way that feels much like the panels of a comic. Action moves from one panel to the next, scenes change angles between panels, and disolves go from computer screens into new panels. It all works brilliantly, and I think that afficionados of the elaborate set-ups of directors like David Fincher are going to go nuts for the technique.
I have heard complaints that some of the night-time sequences were hard to follow. I do wonder whether folks were seeing the film on outdated equipment, as I had no problem following the action. Yes, the battle with the Hulk Dogs and the climactic underwater battle were dark, but still clearly visible to my eyes.
If I'm ranking Hulk against other recent Marvel Comics turned movies, I'd put it solidly near the top. It doesn't beat Spider-Man, but it comes pretty darn close to X2. I would say it's better than X-Men and Daredevil, keeping in mind that I really liked all of these films.
Interestingly, I was expecting a more negative or at least less enthusiastic response to the film from non-comics fans, but everyone I've talked to in my office has really liked the film. My hard-to-please film enthusiast cubicle-mate deemed it "awesome," and had no complaints. Other office-mates also enoyed it.
Me, I say bring on the sequel!
Monday, June 16, 2003
The Spin is In
Marvel's Editor-In-Chief, Joe Quesada, has issued a statement regarding all the controversy over Mark Waid's Fantastic Four dismissal (detailed below).
Basically he's saying that the only part of the story that's true is Waid's dismissal, and that Jemas will not be writing the book, nor will it be a wacky suburban comedy.
I want to believe Joe -- he generally seems like a stand-up guy -- but I wonder whether this is damage control. I wonder whether Jemas WAS planned to write the book, but after the torrent of negative reaction, plans were changed and Waid's credibility was thrown under the bus.
Adding to these suspicions is that Newsarama, the site that broke both the Waid firing and the Quesada statement, has taken their bulletin boards down following the statement. Newsarama is often characterized (sometimes unfairly) as having a pro-Marvel spin -- a criticism that only increased when one of the site's founders left the site for a job as Marvel's Director of Publicity. Now, I do think a factor in removing the boards temporarily was the fact that the deluge of traffic on their relatively slow UBB system was causing the entire pipe to their server to jam up, rendering not only their site but several others (including Kevin Smith's View Askew site -- Smith owns the server -- and my beloved Tony Isabella Message Board) virtually inaccessible all day, but one can't help but wonder whether Marvel asked for a favor to give the Quesada statement time to quell some of the controversy -- and got it.
Sigh. I know, I've watched too much X Files. It probably is what it is -- a traffic control measure. But still, one can't help but be a little suspicious...
The Four That Were Once Fantastic
The Internet comics sites are all abuzz today with the news that writer Mark Waid has been fired from Fantastic Four. Apparently, the president of Marvel Comics, Bill Jemas, is convinced that Waid's high adventure-type storytelling is taking the book in the wrong direction, despite the fact that the book is the most successful -- commercially and critically -- it's been in years, if not decades.
Jemas reportedly intends to start writing the book himself. His "high concept" for the series? Reportedly, it's to turn it into a suburban sitcom, complete with wacky neighbors for arch enemies and the like.
Putting aside the fact that this has NEVER been the driving concept behind the FF ("Family," yes. Wacky family sitcom hijinks, no.), there's already a book out there that's doing this concept, and doing it darn well. It's called The Crossovers, and it's published by CrossGen.
I'm loathe to condemn Jemas' work on FF without actually reading it, but the guy's track record is not great. He wrote the wholly unreadable humor book Marville, which lasted seven issues. I think it lined more bird cages than comics collections.
On the flip side, he's credited as co-writer of the first several issues of Ultimate Spider-Man with Brian Michael Bendis, and is currently co-writing the first several issues of Namor with Andi Watson, and both have been very good (though to be fair, both are derivative -- the USM issues basically retell and modernize Spider-Man's origin, while some have -- somewhat unfairly -- compared Namor with Disney's The Little Mermaid).
I suspect that Jemas needs a co-writer to reign him in and especially to handle dialogue. Maybe he'll be smart and take that route on FF. Otherwise, who knows, perhaps it'll be one of his only solo successes. This is why I'm not outright condemning his work on the title before it's published.
However, I will condemn the removal of Waid. Under Waid's tenure, FF has been a book I've looked forward to month-in and month-out, one of the best titles Marvel had to offer. The current "Unthinkable" storyline has had me at the edge of my seat wondering what's next, and I'd been looking forward to a long, great run from Waid. To have that yanked away is painful.
It's likely that FF sales are going to plummet. I know they've lost this buyer, so that's one. 'Net reaction seems to indicate that thousands more are behind me (we'll see if everyone stands behind their online personas -- frankly, I think you could tell people Waid was being replaced by a reanimated Jack Kirby, and some people would still find cause to condemn the move).
The other fear is that Jemas' "new direction" is a reflection of the planned tack for the FF movie. Boy, I sure hope that ain't so...
Anyway, here's hoping that Marvel's loss is DC Comics' gain. Waid's already writing a 12-issue Superman series that looks outstanding, and I'm hoping this will clear the decks for more DC work from him. He's also returning to his creator-owned Empire (published via DC), and that should be great as well. I've no doubt that we'll be continuing to read great works from Waid for years to come. It's just a darn shame that FF won't be among them.
Sunday, June 15, 2003
Signed, Epstien's Mother
Not much blogging from me this week. The week has been extremely hectic, mostly having to do with my day job. A little over 19 months ago, I was asked to write a proposal to overhaul our Entertainment section. That finally came to fruition this Friday, and most of the last two weeks have been very busy working on the roll-out, resulting in working long, odd hours and little time for anything extracurricular. I think the new section mostly came out well, and would love to hear opinions on it. If Friday's traffic numbers are any indication, it should be a big success.
The plus side? I spent some time today turning some of the commentary here into a few finished record reviews -- completed pieces on Ted Leo/Pharmacists, Dressy Bessy (how did I overlook that that record is a singles collection when I wrote about it here?), and All Girl Summer Fun Band. Links will be posted here as soon as Ink 19 takes the reviews live.
Stuff I'm listening to that you can expect commentary on here in the near future: NOFX, Ani DiFranco, The German Art Students, Blue Man Group, Common, and others.
Severe brokeageness has meant that I haven't picked up comics in a little over a week, but I should be picking up new goodies on Wednesday. I plan comments here and a return to The Cosmic Treadmill soon thereafter. Have made the decision that the MegaCon column will appear there as a "lost" column and hope to work on that some more this week.
Being broke also means I haven't picked up the Buffy season 4 set yet. Plan to correct that this week, too.
Watched most of Trio's brilliant documentary Uncensored Comedy: That's Not Funny! tonight, exploring when comedy pushes the limits of what some might consider tasteful or acceptable. It was a fascinating show with great interviews with a variety of people that have been considered "edgy" at one point or another. One thing that struck me is that shows like this always make me respect South Park's Trey and Matt a lot more, and make me think I really should watch their show more often. The show also had some absoutely compelling behind-the-scenes looks at favorites like The Daily Show and The Kids in the Hall. I'm going to make a point of catching the portion I missed next time this airs.
If you're a pop culture junkie like me and you don't have Trio, you're really missing out. They have programming like this all the time. Earlier in the year they had a month called Brilliant, But Cancelled which featured documentaries on the struggles of quality TV to survive on thge networks, and they aired several series they felt were brilliant and killed before their time. Similarly, this month is "Uncensored Comedy" month, and they're running shows like the short-lived God, The Devil, and Bob and The P.J.'s as well as movies like I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Do the Right Thing, specials on Bill Hicks and Lenny Bruce, and more. They're also doing a half-hour interview with Robert Smigel, the SNL writer and animator and the hand up the ass of Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog. Must-see TV.
Have been considering posting some "lost" writing here -- mostly stuff done for the now-defunct Musicblitz. Would love to hear what people would think of that.
Reminds me: need to get on adding comments to this site ASAP...
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
The Top 100 People Whose Asses VH-1 Wanted to Kiss This Week
So, I must have brought this on myself. In talking about the CMT 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music list earlier in the week, I compared it favorably to something similar VH-1 would do.
So naturally, they had to go out and prove me right.
VH-1 released their list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the Last 25 Years this week, and it's a freakin' disaster.
Just as an experiment, I took the list and -- keeping the same artists in the same quantities -- shuffled it, and changed some songs around to compensate for poor choices. The result is -- I think -- a better list, but still not what I'd call the best songs of the last quarter-century. Here's my version, with commentary:
1. The Clash, "London Calling": My favorite song by this band and the best thing on VH-1's list.
2. The Ramones, "I Wanna Be Sedated": I wanted to go with "Sheena is a Punk Rocker," my fave Ramones tune, but it's slightly too old.
3. Soft Cell, "Tainted Love": Despite being a cover, the artist/song on VH-1's list that best epitomizes new wave. That said, there are other artists that weren't on VH-1's list that I'd have placed higher.
4. Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit": I have grown to like this song over the years but I despised it when it was "current." I recognize its and Nirvana's importance. It's probably not my favorite of their songs, but it's probably their best song. And certainly, their most important -- though this isn't the "Most Important Songs of the Last 25 Years," which would be a different list entirely.
5. Run-D.M.C., "King Of Rock": Was thrilled to see Run-DMC in VH-1's top 10, but hated that it was for a cover. Yes, I realize how many doors "Walk This Way" knocked down, but again, the "important" list is another list. "King Of Rock" is a better song and gives the band the songwriting credit they also deserve)
6. U2, "Sunday Bloody Sunday": A rather arbitrary U2 pick, but it needed to be something pre-Joshua Tree. I could have easily gone with "New Year's Day," but I do think "SBS" is a better song. Replaces VH-1's choice of "One," a good song that was also covered well by Johnny Cash, but not one of the 100 Best.)
7. Public Enemy, "Fight the Power": Very glad to see PE here with their best song.
8. Peter Gabriel, "In Your Eyes": A surprise choice over the much more popular "Sledgehammer." This is a gorgeous song.
9. Cheap Trick, "I Want You to Want Me": Replaces VH-1's choice of "Surrender." Both are great tracks. Both also make it in via Live At Budokan, as the studio versions are slightly over the quarter-century mark. This moved WAY up the list from VH-1's list.
10. The Sugarhill Gang, "Rapper's Delight": The track that helped hip hop explode deserves to be much higher than #35.
11. Blondie, "One Way or Another": Y'know, I like "Heart of Glass," but it's not even close to being Blondie's best. I debated putting "Rapture" here, but again, the "Important" list is another list.
12. R.E.M., "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)": This is another one where I could have chosen any of several early tunes over the VH-1 choice of "Losing My Religion" -- which is a great song in its own right. I picked this as one of REM's most distinctive tunes, but debated "Driver 8," "Can't Get There From Here," "Fall On Me," "So. Central Rain," and several others. Sigh... early REM was so good. They could have placed another song on the list.
13. Missy Elliott, "Get Ur Freak On": One of my favorite singles of the last few years. This replaces VH-1's rather dubious choice of the more recent "Work It" -- also a good song but not as good as this one, and also elevates Missy much higher up the chart.
14. Eurythmics, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)": VH-1 chose the right song, just left them way too low. This song is near perfect.
15. Duran Duran, "Hungry Like the Wolf": Considered changing this to "The Reflex" or "Rio," but I think VH-1 chose the right song, just ranked it too low.
16. Green Day, "2000 Light Years Away": OK, this is a more obscure song from the band's indie days, but I wanted something upbeat over the slow, pretty "Good Riddance" that VH-1 chose, and I think this is a much better song than "Longview" or "Basket Case." Green Day are a much better band than they're credited for.
17. Prince, "Let's Go Crazy": Replaces VH-1's choice of "When Doves Cry" but keeps Purple Rain represented. I'm not 100% sure this is Prince's best song but it's definitely up there.
18. The Go-Go's, "We Got the Beat": Replaces VH-1's choice of "Our Lips Are Sealed," a good song but this and "Vacation" trump it. Also moves the Go-Go's up a lot.
19. Eminem, "The Real Slim Shady": Replaces the lower-ranked of VH-1's two choices, "My Name Is." This is Em's best song. Their second choice, which was ranked in the VH-1 top 10, is his second-best song.
20. Talking Heads, "Once in a Lifetime": I could have changed this to any number of other tracks -- Talking Heads could have placed two or three tracks, easily.
21. Pretenders, "Brass in Pocket": Briefly considered changing this to "Middle of the Road" or "Back on the Chain Gang" or "Don't Get Me Wrong," but "BIP" is too seminal to ignore.
22. The Police, "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic": Replaces the overexposed "Every Breath You Take." The Police have several tunes that are better than that one. Thought about replacing their other choice with "Canary in a Coal Mine," but decided against it.
23. Beck, "Where It's At": "Loser" is a seminal single, but "Where It's At" is a better track -- as are "The New Pollution" and "Devil's Haircut."
24. The Knack, "My Sharona": Timeless.
25. Nine Inch Nails, "Head Like a Hole": Replaces VH-1's choice of "Closer," which is a great song, but this is the best NIN track by far.
26. Beastie Boys, "Intergalactic": Beasties belong here, but not with "Fight For Your Right" when they've done so much more brilliant material since those juvenile days. "Intergalactic" was one of many songs I debated putting here; the Beasties could have placed two or three tracks.
27. Devo, "Whip It": A good choice from VH-1 that simply belonged much higher on the list.
28. Madonna, "Like a Virgin": Also a good choice, made immortal by the discussion in Reservoir Dogs, but was way overrated at #10.
29. Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Under the Bridge": There are Chili Peppers songs I like better, but this is timeless and has sentimental value.
30. Chic, "Good Times": A seminal disco tune and one of the backing tracks for "Rapper's Delight." Just needed to be higher on the chart.
31. Joan Jett, "I Love Rock 'n Roll": Bumped Joan up slightly. Good choice despite being a cover.
32. Cyndi Lauper, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun": "Time After Time" is also a great song, but "Girls" is the better choice.
33. Gloria Gaynor, "I Will Survive": Another seminal disco track.
34. Queen and David Bowie, "Under Pressure": Left this as it was the only song they recorded together. Frankly, I'd rather have had separate tracks from each act. Given the timeframe required by the list, I'd likely go with "Another One Bites the Dust" or "Fat Bottomed Girls" for Queen and "Modern Love" or "Young Americans" for Bowie.
35. Band Aid, "Do They Know It's Christmas": My wife hates this song, but I love it. Belonged higher. Glad this is here and "We Are the World" isn't.
36. Dave Matthews Band, "Crash Into Me": This would not place as highly if it didn't have sentimental value. Easily DMB's best.
37. Prince, "1999": Replaces the VH-1 choice of "Little Red Corvette," but still representing the 1999 album.
38. Rick James, "Super Freak": Timeless, but slightly tainted by Hammer's sampling.
39. No Doubt, "Hey Baby": This is easily No Doubt's best single. "Don't Speak" is overwrought and irritating, and I can think of a half-dozen tracks from them I'd include over it.
40. Guns N' Roses, "Sweet Child O' Mine": Way, way, WAY overrated, but still the Gunners' best. And I like early GNR.
41. Squeeze, "Tempted": I was tempted to switch in "Black Coffee in Bed" or something, just to be different, but this probably is Squeeze's best moment.
42. Lenny Kravitz, "Are You Gonna Go My Way?": Kravitz's best moment. The fact that this moved up from VH-1's list is less an indication of appreciation for Kravitz and more an indication of the mediocrity of the rest of the list.
43. Grandmaster Flash, "The Message": Could have been "White Lines," but this is a great choice. Possibly should be higher on my list.
44. Pink Floyd, "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)": Best Floyd song I can think of in the specified time period, but way overrated at #15.
45. George Michael, "Faith": A good song, probably Michael's best. Am surprised to find this moved up from its original placememnt.
46. Marvin Gaye, "Sexual Healing": Of course, far eclipsed by most of his work that's too old for this list.
47. Michael Jackson, "Billie Jean": #2? Wow, that's overrating MJ a lot.
48. OutKast, "Ms. Jackson": Probably OutKast's best track.
49. Culture Club, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me": Gave serious consideration to switching this for "Karma Chameleon."
50. LL Cool J, "Mama Said Knock You Out": Good choice, I contemplated switching it but ultimately decided against it.
51. AC/DC, "You Shook Me All Night Long": Good choice but VH-1 had it way overrated.
52. Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg, "Nuthin' but a `G' Thang": Again, good choice but far overrated.
53. Eminem, "Lose Yourself": Eminem's second best song, as mentioned above. Way overrated at #4, though.
54. The Police, "Roxanne": Eddie Murphy almost ruined this, but it really is timeless.
55. Tracy Chapman, "Fast Car": Her best song, though "Give Me One Reason" is a strong one, as well.
56. Sinead O'Connor, "Mandinka": Replacing the Prince cover, "Nothing Compares 2 U," with one of her originals. I like Sinead a lot, but she was way higher than she should have been.
57. U2, "With or Without You": If they had to pick something from Joshua Tree, this was the right choice, though they had it way too high. Gave serious consideration to replacing it with an older track, though.
58. Naughty By Nature, "O.P.P.": A good shout-along track, but VH-1 had it a little too high on their list.
59. Alicia Keys, "Fallin'": Keys is very talented but hasn't stood the test of time yet to be ranked higher.
60. Tom Petty, "Free Fallin'": I really wanted to change this, but his better material is actually older than 25 years old. This is his best song in the specified time period, though there are other good choices.
61. Pat Benatar, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot": Ranked way too low on VH-1's list.
62. Meat Loaf "Paradise By the Dashboard Light": Guilty pleasure.
63. John Lennon, "Watching The Wheels": Replaces "Starting Over," which was huge because of the timing of its release. This is a better song, but Lennon's best stuff is, of course, older than 25 years old.
64. Metallica, "Enter Sandman": Surprised to see this move up as much as it did. Again, that's more indicative of the mediocrity below it. Metallica's best all-'round effort, though I gave thought to replacing it with "Master of Puppets."
65. The Who, "Who Are You": I couldn't be bothered to check whether the Who had done anything else worth noting in the last two-and-a-half decades. I'm guessing no. This wouldn't have been on VH-1'a list if it wasn't used as the theme song for CSI.
66. Van Halen, "Jump": Thought about replacing this with an earlier Roth-era song, but this is probably their high point -- though it was WAY too high on VH-1's list.
67. John Cougar Mellencamp, "Pink Houses": Hmmm.... this stayed in the same slot. We're definitely getting to mediocre land. Replaces VH-1's choice of "Jack and Dianne."
68. Tina Turner, "What's Love Got to do With It": Tried to think of a better Tina song that's under the 25 year mark, but couldn't.
69. Norah Jones, "Don't Know Why": A very good song that may eventually rank higher. I bumped this up generously from VH-1's list, but I don't think it's stood the test of time yet -- just think it's better than a lot of the drek at the bottom.
70. Madonna, "Holiday": Replaces VH-1's laughable choice of "Ray of Light." Yep, definitely getting into mediocre territory.
71. Michael Jackson, "Beat It": Again, way overrated.
(Nothing below this mark should have even been given serious consideration for inclusion.)
72. Hall & Oates, "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" Geez, this actually got bumped UP a couple of notches. I tried to think of a better H&O song, but the better stuff's over 25. "Private Eyes" may deserve consideration. This isn't a favorite.
73. Salt-N-Pepa, "Let's Talk About Sex": Replaces VH-1's choice of "Push It" -- SNP got better with time, and "Push It" was their first big single. Not 100% sure I should be going with this one, but it was the first to come to mind.
74. Nelly, "Hot in Herre": This is catchy but by no means timeless. I don't know Nelly well enough to replace it.
75. Sheryl Crow, "All I Wanna Do": Again, catchy but kind of vapid.
76. The Rolling Stones, "Start Me Up" All their good stuff is too old to include. This, sadly, probably is the best thing they've done in 25 years.
77. Eric Clapton, "Tears in Heaven": Overrated and overwrought.
78. The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Puff Daddy & Mase, "Mo Money Mo Problems": I liked this better back when it was called "I'm Coming Up." Or "Out." Or whatever. Puffy, step away from the sampler.
79. Bruce Springsteen, "Born in the U.S.A.": Now that I think of it, I should have replaced this with something earlier and moved Bruce way up the list. But I'm thinking most of his best stuff is older than 25.
80. Janet Jackson, "Nasty": The second most talented Jackson. They chose her best song but WAY overrated her.
81. Alanis Morissette, "You Oughta Know": Alanis oughtta know that #12 was way too high.
82. Pearl Jam, "Jeremy": One of the most overrated bands of the last 25 years. They aren't the second coming. VH-1 picked the right song, though.
83. TLC, "Creep": Replaces "Waterfalls." Not much to say. Talented girls, but I don't care for their material.
84. Oasis, "Wonderwall": Geez, this bumped up 11 spaces? I couldn't think of a better track for them.
85. Radiohead, "Creep": Radiohead is an album act, I think. "Creep" is the only single of theirs I could think of. They are an immensely overrated band -- not to say that they aren't a good band, but they don't deserve the deification they receive.
86. Melissa Etheridge, "Come to My Window": Am surprised to see this bumped up. I appreciate the heartfelt quality of the song, but generally don't care for her music.
87. Santana feat. Rob Thomas, "Smooth": Santana's best work is older than 25. Nothing involving Rob Thomas deserves serious consideration.
88. Aerosmith, "Janie's Got a Gun": Another band whose best stuff is older than 25. I picked "Janie" somewhat arbitrarily, as I thought representing them with "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," a bad Dianne Warren ballad from a bad disaster flick, was an injustice, and that they should at least be repped by something they wrote.
89. Def Leppard, "Photograph": Tried to think of a better DL moment, but couldn't.
90. Destiny's Child, "Bootylicious": Replaces VH-1's choice of "Say My Name" as the Stevie Nicks sample amuses me no end. I don't care for their material, but these girls do have talent.
91. Mary J. Blige, "Real Love": I frankly can't recall one Mary J. tune, so I guess this is as good as any.
92. Bon Jovi, "Livin' on a Prayer": At least this song was good enough for Belinda Carlisle to rip off.
93. Hanson, "MMMBop": At least this is catchy, and I give those little boys credit for writing their own material.
94. Goo Goo Dolls, "Iris": God, what a boring band. I can't even remember which one of their songs this is. When Hanson has more of an identity than you, there's a problem.
95. Britney Spears, "I'm a Slave 4 U": Britney belongs nowhere near this list. That said, this is at least a tolerable song thanks to the production, and better than VH-1's highly overrated choice of "Baby One More Time."
96. Journey, "Don't Stop Believin'": ...that Journey was just a bad dream. At least they had a cool video game.
97. Whitney Houston, "I Will Always Love You": And I'll always prefer the Dolly Parton original, thank you. Whitney is talented but I can't stand her diva histrionics.
98. Shania Twain, "You're Still the One": I find Shania phenomenally untalented and think that she's successful only due to her looks and the fact that she married a powerful producer.
99. Celine Dion, "My Heart Will Go On": Another one whose diva histrionics I simply can't stand, and she falls below Shania because I'm pissed at her for covering Cyndi Lauper and then using the song in a commercial.
100. Backstreet Boys, "I Want It That Way": I'd actually, truly rather have 'Nsync here. That's how much I hate this crap.
And this is not even getting into the glaring ommissions, which is another rant, entirely. Looking back, I'm not sure that anything under #15 would make my personal Top 100...
Monday, June 09, 2003
No Cheap Thrill
Without a doubt, one of the best concerts I've ever been to was a holiday canned-food-drive event in Tampa in 1995, put on by a radio station that no longer exists. The bill was singer/songwriters Marshall Crenshaw and Suzanne Vega.
The show was meant to take place in the courtyard of Ybor Square, a converted cigar factory that has been refitted with shopping and restaurants. The courtyard can hold at least 500 people and probably more, based on the fact that a ska festival I put together there in '97 drew at least that number and there was still room to move. A nice, relatively intimate outdoor venue.
All that goes out the window, though, when an unseasonably hard rain hits Tampa.
Scrambling to preserve their event, the station makes arrangements to move the concert into the Oak Barrel Tavern, a small pub in the Square. The place doesn't even have a stage, so the artists set up at one end of the tavern at floor level, and the audience crowds in all over the bar, including all over the floor. The place probably legitimately holds maybe 200 people, but they packed it probably closer to 250, maybe even 300 people. I'm still amazed the fire department didn't shut it down.
It could have been a disaster, but it was just the opposite. Crenshaw played a great set with a full band, but better, Vega played acoustic, just herself and a second guitarist. She was a revelation. Her music is intensely personal, and the atmosphere made it doubly so -- the room was small enough that you felt she was singing right to you. And when she led the crowd in an a capella sing-along of "Tom's Diner," well... it's hard to think of a better in-concert moment (Chris Murray's solo acoustic "campfire" ska sets come close to duplicating the effect, but Vega's efforts were nothing short of magical that night).
Vega has just released a best-of called Retrospective, and if you aren't familiar with her work, pick this one up. She's a true storyteller with a haunting voice and a real gift. Most of her music is on the folkish side, but she transcends that label. And when she move beyond it, like on the danceable, muliti-layered, still-mindboggling "Blood Makes Noise," or the cool "Left of Center" (with piano from the incomparable Joe Jackson), she's darn near unbeatable.
My one qualm is that the only version of "Tom's Diner" is the hit version with musical backing from DNA. I'd have appreciated the inclusion of the original a capella version, but I guess most people don't even know that the song was originally just Vega singing unaccompanied. But then, most people probably don't even know the song's name, they just remember the haunting "Dut dut da-da dut da da-da" chorus.
Aside: A few years ago, I got the chance to meet Crenshaw and tell him how much I appreciated the concert. He told me a story that still freaks me out, about meeting a cousin of his while there for the show, and finding out that shortly afterwards she'd killed herself leaping from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. I'm still not sure what to make of that.
Gone Country
CMT released their list of the 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music this week. I'm not a huge country fan, but I appreciate it when any musical form is executed with real quality and heart. I took a glance at the list and was really surprised at how much of it is truly great, classic songs. Unlike the equivalent list you'd expect from an MTV, VH-1, or even -- these days -- Rolling Stone, the emphasis is more on the truly great music on the genre and less on getting the current big names in there somewhere. Not to say that those current big names aren't in there, but there's more Hank, Willie, and Patsy than Faith Hill or Shania Twain, thank goodness.
See, my problem with most (not all) "modern" "country" music is that it's not really true to the roots of country. Shania and Faith are the two most guilty parties -- listen to their records, and aside from a slight twang or a southern accent, there's nothing that separates what they do from pop or even adult contemporary. There are exceptions (the Dixie Chicks spring to mind), but most of what passes for "country" today isn't, and that's why I can't consider myself a fan of the genre at present. To use one of my favorite analogies, it's like being really thirsty and in the mood for a nice, tall, cold glass of premium orange juice, only to have someone hand you a lukewarm can of Sunny Delight. Or to use another one of my most-hated mainstream media cliches, it's like referring to No Doubt as a ska band, something they themselves don't consider themselves to be.
But -- as Peter David is wont to say -- I digress.
Anyway, I had looked at the list but hadn't seriously thought about getting my thoughts down about it, but I happened across the last hour of the televised version this evening and got the notion to make some comments.
I thought it the televised version was something that VH-1 and MTV could take some serious cues from when planning similar specials. They'd announce the song, and then go into the typical montage of clips of the performer, people commenting on the song, etc. What set this part of the segments apart, though, was that they would spend an equal or greater amount of time talking about the person(s) that wrote the song, something you'd never see more than a passing mention of in your typical MTV special. It was a real treat.
After the clip-fest would finish, they'd cut to an auditorium where someone would perform the song live (note: I later found out they only did this for the top tweleve songs, plus a short medley from co-host Brad Paisley and musical director Steve Wariner). In a couple of cases, they got the original artists, but more often it was some other arist covering the song. I came in late, so I was very surprised that co-host Lee Ann Rimes did NOT do Patsy Cline's "Crazy," the #3 song (I later discovered she'd done Cline's "I Fall to Pieces," the #7 song, right before I tuned in). Instead, they had Kimberley Locke of American Idol "fame," who did a servicable version; more importantly, it was certianly nice to see other ethnicities represented in the oft-whitewashed world of country (sadly, I later discovered I also missed Ray Charles performing Charlie Rich's "Behind Closed Doors" -- from the brief clip during the closing credits, it seemed he did an outstanding job).
The real revelation, though, was George Jones performing his own "He Stopped Loving Her Today," a song I'd never quite listened too all that closely (as a preteen and teen, I wanted nothing to do with country; my stepfather was a big country fan and I wanted little to do with him, thus I automatically hated country). His performance was incredibly moving, and I thought he was going to break into tears at one point. Then, when he got to the twist in the song (which I'd never noted before) -- that being that the reason the man in the song had finally stopped loving his sweetheart that had left him behind was that he'd died -- man, I almost broke down myself. I'm getting a little misty just typing about it. What an amazing song and an amazing performance. I understand why it's so respected.
I also understand the propularity of the #1 tue on the list, Tammy Wynette's seminal "Stand By Your Man," but after so many years of the song being gender-bent (Lyle Lovett's fantastic version, the Blues Brothers' hysterically funny take) and parodied (Jan Hooks did an intensely funny Wynette on Saturday Night Live back in the day), the song is a little hard for me to take straight-faced, but on the other hand, it's probably the quintissential country song. It's almost impossible to believe the story they told during the show, that the song was written in only 25 minutes.
My personal choice, though, ended up coming in at #4, Johnny Cash's tremendous, heartfelt "Ring of Fire." It's such a timeless, great song, and it's so sad that June Carter Cash, who wrote the song, passed on so recently. They had clips of her talking about the inspiration behind the song, about her falling in love with the Man in Black. I'm so scared that without June, that Johnny's not long for this world; he's been ill for years and it just seems so wrong that they aren't together.
All in all, the list isn't bad, and the most modern thing to make the top 10 is Garth Brooks' omnipresent 1990 hit "Friends in Low Places," which I can live with.
My biggest qualm is this: what's the first song you think of when you think of Willie Nelson?
Did you say "On the Road Again"? Chances are you did. It's certainly the first one I think of.
Not there. Willie is well represented both solo and in duets, not to mention as a songwriter (he wrote "Crazy" to name just one of the songs he's credited for writing on the list, rather than as a performer). But "On the Road Again" is missing. I'd probably be okay with that had they not opted to instead include his cover of Elvis Presley's "Always on My Mind." To be sure, a great version, but not worthy of inclusion over such a signature song as "On the Road Again."
Surely that would have been worth sacrificing a Shania tune, right?
There are other odd song choices like that -- Alabama's "My Home's in Alabama" over the better-known "Mountain Music"; Hank Williams, Jr.'s "Family Tradition" instead of "All My Rowdy Friends" (perhaps the latter was eliminated due to over a decade of overexposure on Monday Night Football?) -- but mostly it's signature artsits with signature songs, as it should be.
The other thing I think the list is missing is perspective. Given another decade, I doubt Alan Jackson's post-9/11 handwringing, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?," would have made the top 30 -- though I imagine it would still make the list. I suppose I should be thankful that the current odious "patriotism"-über-alles attitude in country didn't have a bigger presence, and that it didn't keep the Dixie Chicks off the list.
And if the line-dancing phenomenon had to be noted, I guess the Brooks & Dunn "classic" "Boot Scootin' Boogie" is at least a less odious choice than "Achy Breaky Heart."
And on that tangent: I'm still on a lot of publicists mailing lists from my days as an editor on Ink 19. One of these publicists issues a press release practically every time Billy Ray Cyrus blows his nose. You wanna know what's up with Billy Ray? I'm your man. This week he issued a statement on SARS. Well, thank goodness for that -- now that Billy Ray's on the case, surely SARS will pose no more threat. Did Billy Ray forget that he only plays a doctor on TV -- and on a bad show on PAX that nobody watches, at that?
So: more about country then I ever thought I'd write in my lifetime. It's a heck of a list that can inspire that. I may even be tracking some of the classics down to add to my collection.
Wednesday, June 04, 2003
Creative Fundraising, or Bamboozling
LOS ANGELES - Unable to find a backer after his last several films performed poorly at the box office, writer, director, actor and Nike pitchman Spike Lee is suing Viacom, Inc., to raise funding for his next movie. His lawsuit purports to be an effort to prevent the media giant from redubbing the cable network TNN with his name. No, TNN isn't attempting to change its name to Shelton Jackson, but the "Do the Right Thing" director is concerned that its new appellation, Spike, hits a little too close to home.
According to the AP, Lee filed papers on Tuesday (June 2) seeking an injunction to prevent Viacom from appropriating the nickname his mother gave him; however, close sources indicate the director is just looking to get paid so he can make another movie.
"The media description of this change of name, as well as comments made to me and my wife, confirmed what was obvious -- that Spike TV referred to Spike Lee," Lee claims in court papers.
Close friend Ossie Davis, however, confides that Spike is just looking for the green. "Nobody will fund another movie for Spike," Davis said, "so he figured the American way is a nuisance lawsuit. He doesn't expect it to go to court, he just wants Viacom to settle for a couple mil to make another flick."
TNN, which now likes to call itself "the first network for men," announced its intent to change its name back in April and the switch will go into effect on June 16. A spokesman says the network is "confident that the court will reject any legal claims by Mr. Lee to the popular word and name Spike. Or we'll just cut him a check and pick up some of his flicks for reairing -- especially that one about phone sex [Girl 6]."
Lee alleges that TNN President Albie Hecht has made references to public associations between the name "Spike" and the director of "Girl 6." The claim seems to relate to witnesses reports that overheard Hecht saying, "I saw that one Spike Lee film about phone sex. He should make more movies like that. What was with that School Daze, anyway?"
Lee's filing includes signed affidavits by the likes of Bill Bradley, Ossie Davis and Edward Norton. These affidavits suggest that men who have starred in Lee's films, as well as men whose former basketball teams Lee cheers for, think of the erstwhile Mars Blackmon when they hear the name "Spike." However, TNN has gathered affidavits from millions of squealing teenage girls who testify that they, in fact, associate the name with hunky actor James Marsters, who played the often-shirtless vampire of the same name on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer for six seasons.
Should Lee's lawsuit succeed, he next plans to sue Elvis Costello over the title of his 1989 album, and then will move on to anybody that has ever surreptitiously slipped alcohol into the punch at a school dance.
Note: The above is parody and is a partial rewrite of a news item at Zap2it.com.
50 characters, 50 other characters
Watched the AFI 100 Greatest Heroes & Villains special last night. I have a strange fascination with these kinds of lists, and I never miss these specials. They're always good for a few hours of nostalgic vegging in front of the tube, and I think the main good they achieve is that they get people thinking and talking about classic film -- and hopefully following that up with seeking classic film out.
All that said, of course, I've got issues.
We sat watching the show, saw Obi Wan Kenobi and Han Solo get props, and waited. And waited. And waited.
And it never came.
That's right. They left Luke Skywalker completely off the list.
While I think Han is an infinitely cooler character, anyone that can watch the Star Wars saga and not come out of it seeing Luke as the ultimate hero of the piece is missing the point. Luke embodies the whole Joseph Campbell journey of the hero that was the whole basis of Star Wars. Leaving him off the list is crazy, especially considering other heroes of the saga were on the list.
Now, I was surprised when I thought he was going to be #1. I wouldn't have placed him there (I'm actually pleased with Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, though I've yet to see the complete movie), but I'm even MORE surprised that Luke was left off the list entirely.
On the villain side, I think the Top 3 is pretty good, but I quibble with the order (they have it Hannibal Lechter, Norman Bates, and Darth Vader; I'd put Lechter third and I'm still wrestling over whether Vader or Bates should be number one, my inner Star Wars geek struggling for supremacy over the film purist in me).
There's also the question of what makes a "hero" and what makes a "villain." I mean, is Travis Bickle really a villain? Crazy, yes, but villainous? And A Clockwork Orange's Alex? Yes, he does horrible things, but he's clearly meant to be the character we identify with and sympathize with. Can the protagonist ever be a villain? Or is that really an anti-hero?
Now there's a list I could get into -- the 100 greatest cinematic anti-heroes.
In short, though, the lists aren't so much "heroes" and "villains" as "characters you're supposed to like" and "characters you aren't supposed to like." Except even that doesn't necessarily fit when thinking about the above examples.
It would be very interesting to see what they would come up with on a straight "100 greatest characters" list. I'm guessing it would be highly different than these two lists.
Also thought it was interesting that a character that never appears on screen nor utters a line made the villains list -- that being the man that shot Bambi's mom.
I'm trying to remember when the nomination cut-off was for the list, because it seems odd that characters like Spider-Man, Harry Potter, and the Fellowship of the Ring gang weren't considered; I'm thinking they came out after the cutoff. While I do tend to think these lists err on the side of contemporary characters, I can't image that some of them wouldn't have made the list were they eligible. On the other hand, I know Neo (or as I like to call him, Misss-terrr Aaaanderson) was eligible and was surprisingly left off, so who knows?
Another thought about the special: while I'm no advocate of censorship, some of the clips they chose to show -- especially in the earlier hours of the show -- were pretty intense for network TV. I mean, I love Blue Velvet, but my nearly-three-year-old daughter was still awake and in the living room when they did the segment on Frank Booth, and I was taken aback that they showed the scene of him on his knees between Isabella Rosselini's legs crying "mommy." A seminal scene, to be sure, but they could have chosen something else. My wife was taken aback by the amount of graphic gun violence in the special, too (yet she thought the throat-slashing scene from Marathon Man was funny). The violence didn't bother me so much as the worst of it was after 10. And none of this would have made me bat an eye had it not been on network TV. I mean, heck, I adore The Shield, but I expect adult content there, and don't watch it with my daughter in the room.
Finally: Ah-nold makes it in as a hero and a villain for playing the same character in two different movies? Anyone think that wouldn't have happened had he not been the host? Heck, I'd have settled for the T-800 as a villain for the first Terminator and left him off the heroes list (despite the fact that T2 is a better flick -- might buy that "Extreme Edition DVD" they were hawking during the show, as we don't own that one yet). Could have made room for Luke Skywalker that way...
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Suddenly, an audience
Announced the blog today to my pals over at the Tony Isabella Message Board, and am getting some nice feedback. Thanks, guys!
It occurs to me that I'll need to redesign this template sooner rather than later, as I'd like to have some kind of feedback mechanism as soon as possible (feedback will definitely keep me going). I'd like to have a comments button as I've seen on many other blogs, in addition to a basic e-mail link. Perhaps I'll do some design work over the weekend. Meanwhile, anyone wishing to comment can drop me a note at julio@ink19.com.
On the advice of my co-worker, Carl, stopped by Blockbuster last night and caught the last day of their sale -- 25% off all previously viewed DVDs. Picked up The Royal Tenenbaums (Criterion Collection) and High Fidelity for only $7.50 each!
Only just had seen The Royal Tenenbaums over the weekend, having borrowed it from Carl. It's definitely a quirky and unusual sort of film. I enjoyed it while I was watching it, but it was only in discussing it with Carl the nect day that I realized how very funny it is. Am looking forward to seeing it again, and to watching the voluminous extras, whcih I didn't have time to watch in my borrowing period. Great performances all 'round, and I am definitely interested in seeing Wes Anderson's other films as soon as possible.
High Fidelity is already a favorite of mine, and in fact, I need to adjust my Top 20 list at YMDB to reflect that. The atmosphere at Cusak's record store is a lot like an average day in the old Ink 19 offices, making the movie nostalgic for me in addition to its overall high quality. I need to own more Cusak films, especially those he's involved in writing.
Between the trip to Blockbuster, the grocery store, and watching Anaheim beat the hated New Jersey Devils last night (anyone's series now!), didn't get to any further work hammering the thoughts below into finished articles. Still, I'm feeling good that I've made a start, and I think things will start coming together very quickly. This format is definitely getting the creative juices flowing.
Monday, June 02, 2003
Truth in advertising
Is there a band that better lives up to its name than the All Girl Summer Fun Band? I'm thinking no. Their latest slice of fun indie pop sounds exactly like what you'd expect from the band's name -- cute female harmonies over fun, summery indie pop melodies. It's raw and lo-fi in the same way as the Dressy Bessy record mentioned below. In fact, save for AGSFB eschewing the more '60s-psych-inspired elements (and DB not being all-girls), I think the two bands have a lot in common and would appeal to a similar audience. AGSFB are a lot more straight-ahead indie pop, but they're every bit as yummy and fun. And lest you think I only like 'em 'cause they're cute, allow me to mention that I've never seen so much as a picture of AGSFB -- though they certainly sound cute.Besides, any band that writes an ode to Jason Lee definitely has something going for it.
All Dressed Up
Dressy Bessy are certainly one of the most charming bands around. They play a lo-fi, indiefied, undeniably catchy brand of psychedelic pop that I can eat up like a bowl of sugary cereal. Or ice cream. Or something like that.
I'm listening to their latest, Little Music, right now. At first it didn't grab me as much as last year's Sound Go Round, which made my Top 19 for 2002. But I hadn't listened to it in a week or two, and now, hearing it with fresh ears, I wonder what the hell was wrong with me. It's gorgeous, sunny, and fun. It is a little rawer than some of their earlier stuff, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, and the lo-fi edge it adds to the bubblegum melodies is welcome. It's like time-tripping to the '60s in Doc Brown's converted DeLorean hovercraft/time machine. Yummy.
Getting back on the treadmills
A while back I launched a comics column, The Cosmic Treadmill. Overall, I think I've done good work there, but I've not kept it up nearly as well as I hoped to and have NEVER got it on a regular schedule, which was the general idea at the start. I've always wanted it be at least a weekly column, but I've never even managed monthly.
I've been wanting to start it back up again, but there's an issue: MegaCon. I have a review about 3/4 done that I keep meaning to go back and finish. The big problem is that the event was something like three months ago, and I think the interest in reading about it is past, at this point. I do feel like I should finish the article (if nothing else, as "payment" for the passes the MegaCon people gave us), but I'm not sure it's featured material anymore, so I'm thinking of posting it as a "lost entry" in the column. This would also mean I wouldn't have to put a lot of effort into the completion as I don't intend it for maximum readership.
That brings to mind the question of what I'd write about instead. I do have some stuff from Alternative Comics that needs review, but I'm thinking of shying away from "themes" for awhile. I may just do one or two reviews at a time and post as frequently as possible. Just not sure where I want to go with it, but I'll likely start jotting some ideas in this space that will hopefully eventually take form into finished pieces.
I am finding this method freeing. Started getting more ideas for the Ted Leo review this morning thanks to the notes I'd jotted yesterday, so I'm hoping that will come together in short order. I may take a stab at it tonight.
Eventually, I'm going to redesign this template into something nice, too, but for now, it is serving its utilitarian purpose.
As to the plural "treadmills" in the title of this entry, I've also been thinking I should get back on the physical treadmill and start exercising again (something I basically stopped doing about the time of MegaCon -- coincidence, or something far more sinister?). I have even less motivation to do that then I have had for writing, but since this is helping the latter, I should find a good kick in the pants for the former...
Sunday, June 01, 2003
An inauspicious auspicious beginning
Not a good sign: trying to kick off this project and finding that my computer is not communicating with my CD-ROM drive. Frustrating. Luckily, a quick reboot solved the issue (gotta love Macs).
And besides, it was worth the frustration, as I'm now listening to what is -- to date -- the best album of the year. That would be Hearts of Oak, from Ted Leo/Pharmacists. God, I love this recorrd and I barely know how to write about it without sounding like a gushing fool.
First off, I saw Leo open for the soon-to-be late-and-VERY-lamented band The Dismemberment Plan about a year ago, and was duly impressed, but I wasn't prepared to be as floored as I was with his latest release. The shorthand I've been using when describing it to people has been "post-Costello power pop," and while that's surely an apt label, it's too confining a pigeonhole for a record that's so much more. Yeah, there's a definite Costello/Paul Weller/Joe Jackson vibe, and a lot of mod tendencies too boot. It's hooky, it's rockin', it's got some brilliant lyrical play, and it makes me want to get up and move. Some highly angular, new wavey-guitar riffs and some absolutely gorgeous melodies. It's just about perfect. About the only track that doesn't thrill me is the opening "Building Skyscrapers in the Basement," a dissonant elegy. Not that it's not good, but the rest of the album feels more cohesive. Besides, I'm always in more of a hurry to get to track #2, "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?," which might as well have been tailor-made for me with its lyrics squarely focused on the 2-Tone era. There's also some stuff here that feels like a serious indictment of the current administration and political situation -- especially "The Anointed One," which I could swear was written about Dubya -- something I wholeheartedly agree with.
Brilliant stuff all 'round. It will be hard for anyone to top this record this year, and I fully expect it will be at or near the top of my list at year's end.
(Interestingly, last year's top-of-the-list was Tullycraft's Beat Surf Fun, which came out very early in 2002, and the year before that was Michael Franti and Spearhead's Stay Human, which came out about mid-2001. Seems odd that the really great stuff always seems to come out in the first half of the year. Will that hold true this year?)
An introduction of sorts
OK, so here we go.
I've started a blog. Welcome to the new millennium.
I'm doing this because I've been feeling seriously creatively unmotivated of late. It wasn't so long ago that I was able to knock out all kinds of reviews, interviews -- even the odd fictional piece or social commentary -- at the drop of a hat.
As I took on more and more editorial duties at Ink 19, I still continued writing. Eventually, Ink 19 became a full-time paid job, and I was able to spend all day writing and editing, which was great.
When Ink 19 ceased print operations, I still continued doing most of the same tasks I'd been doing on the editorial side. This meant that my writing started to fall by the wayside. Not something I was happy about.
Finally, I decided to drop out of Ink 19 editorially in all but an advisory capacity. The idea was that I'd use some of the time I'd regain to get back to more writing. But I've been so unmotivated since then. I've started a few pieces that never found their way to completion, and are starting to get seriously dated. And as ever, records are stacking up that need reviewing. The only thing I've been able to complete in recent months is a review of Ghosts of the Abyss for Florida Today (my day job), which I volunteered for in the hopes that I might eventually do more creation of content in addition to the Web design stuff I'm already doing. It was easy to finish that as it was a new outlet with a definite deadline. But motivating myself for the same old outlet with no pay and no deadlines has been nigh-impossible. I would eventually like to seek out more paid work, but if I don't get SOMETHING going, even that will never happen.
So the thought occurred to me that I could start a blog and use it as a place to get things going. It's a new outlet, so I'm hoping that will get me enthused. And I can use it as a "work in progress" kind of place for reviews, to publish quick thoughts about records and such that will eventually form the basis of finished reviews. And I can use it for short thoughts on issues of the day, on fiction ideas... on anything. The idea is to have a springboard that will get the creative juices flowing.
For those of you who may know and enjoy my work, this will be a good pplace to get a preview of what I'm working on and a behind-the-scenes look at works in progress. For anyone new, hopefully you'll find enough interesting thought here to keep you coming back.
I feel like this is already off to a good start. Let's see where it goes from here.
