A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney
by Martin Gayford
[Book]
view/request
Critic Martin Gayford has been interviewing David Hockney for many years and the two have developed a warm friendship that extends past their professional relationship. In A Bigger Message, Gayford collects several conversations with the famed British artist. Discussions range from new technology, photography, stage design, living in different parts of the world, various histories of classical art and Hockney’s own process.
Gayford frames each chapter with a theme that corresponds to the many phases of Hockney’s career. One very interesting segment discusses his attraction to creating work on an iPhone or iPad. The book exhibits several of these small scale works that look very much like detailed watercolors.
These pieces along with massive painted landscapes, stills of video installations and photographs of Hockney at work are weaved in and out of Gayford’s brief biographical information and extensive dialog with the tireless artist. Like many innovative, creative people, he is also very much a student of art. Hockney, and here I’ll sound redundant, is a thoughtful thinker and his meditations on artistic movements, motivation and life are extremely fascinating and inspiring.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Art, Biography, Interviews, Non-fiction
Collaborations
by Ravi Shankar & George Harrison
[Music CD]
view/request
George Harrison was first wowed by the sitar, a traditional Indian stringed instrument, on the set of the Beatles film Help!. The young pop star was intrigued and transfixed by the music he heard. He later went out and bought his own sitar at a shop in London and found his way round the neck enough to dub a part onto “Norwegian Wood” on the Rubber Soul album. Harrison then wanted to go beyond his rudimentary plucking on the instrument and properly learn. Well, why not get lessons from the master Ravi Shankar?
The two studied together in Los Angeles, California and later in India. Though the Beatle did not pursue a career with the sitar after discovering the amount of years, intense training and discipline it takes to play classical Indian music, he and Shankar became life long friends. This boxed set Collaborations celebrates the two musicians’ friendship, spiritual connection and recorded musical partnerships. Harrison was involved as a producer (and sometimes a musician) on three of Shankar’s albums ranging from 1974-1997 and they all appear here along with a live concert dvd and a beautiful hardcover book.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Indian music, Pop music
That is All
by John Hodgman
[Book]
view/request
Previously I reviewed John Hodgman’s
The Areas of My Expertise, his first volume of complete world knowledge. Now, I’ll take a moment to give more of the same praise to the third and final installment,
That is All. Again, Hodgman provides fake historical information and hysterically terrible advice (including the necessary tools to become a deranged millionaire). In addition, he continues the page after page factoid calendar that appeared in
More Information Than You Require; only this time he decides to predict the
FUTURE right up to the coming apocalypse scheduled for December 21, 2012.
That is All is a magnificent read… and it even has its own trailer:
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Comedy, Fiction, Trivia
Wild Flag
by Wild Flag
[Music CD]
view/request
Dear Reader,
I would never lie to you. And when I say to you that I like to rock, I hope you understand that what I am saying is an absolute truth. Wild Flag’s self-titled debut album is what rock n’ roll ought to be: loud, fast, played live and without a lot of fuss. This supergroup features ex-members of Sleater-Kinney, The Minders and Helium. What stands out most to me musically is Carrie Brownstein’s (of Portlandia fame) blistering riffs, the spirited drums fills of Janet Weiss and the harmony sound the four vocalists create. The stellar musicianship of this bassless, garage rock quartet often propels these excellent songs into uncharted territory.
Just a couple examples for you… The lead off track “Romance” has some reverbed out surf overtones and a chorus that can’t help getting stuck in your head. On “Glass Tambourine”, the group certainly draws from the Nuggets archives, but then moves into a spaced out heavy jam that the late Jimi Hendrix would certainly appreciate.
I love this album and that’s a fact!
Sincerely,
-JSM
P.S. Please enjoy this music video directed by Tom Scharpling.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Music, Pop music, Rock music
The Glasgow School
by Orange Juice
[Music CD]
view/request
File this one under “neglected”.
Due to odd sizes of items, value, age, et cetera, we sometimes have material here at Forbes that lacks a certain “browseability” or just isn’t given an ideal sight line. The Glasgow School certainly falls somewher under this category. This cd, filed with our boxed sets because of its book bound style case, may be a little off the radar for our casual music browser.
Orange Juice, fronted by Edwyn Collins, was a group that successfully meshed clever, highly literary lyrics with danceable musical accompaniment. The songs on The Glasgow School collects the band’s first singles and outtakes. These sessions sound more rough around the edges than the slicker produced records that followed. Collins’ romantic, baritone voice handles the majority of the lead singing with James Kirk interjecting some gems here and there (Kirk would leave OJ after the release of the classic full length debut You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever).
Here we have inspired music from Scotland at the start of the 80’s representing the lighter side of the post-punk era. Lyrically, they match wits with the best. Collins laments in Blue Boy “Oh curse and bless him with the gabardine which surrounds him/See him writhe at the sight of your eyes which repel him”. Their lasting influence is easily heard throughout the catalogs of the Smiths, Belle & Sebastian, Franz Ferdinand and hopefully, if people can find Orange Juice, many more musicians to come.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Music, Post punk, Rock music
Doctor Who: The Awakening
[DVD]
view/request
Peter Davison stars as the Doctor with the cricket inspired get up and celery stalk fastened to his lapel. You’ll have to wait until Davison’s last appearance however to learn the purpose of the mysterious vegetable! Regarding this particular shorter story, the Doctor promises to reunite his companion Tegan with her grandfather in her present time of 1984.
If it were only that simple…
When they arrive at the quaint village of Little Hodcombe, they are greeted by people with long flowing beards in suited armor on horseback. The Doctor and his companions are led to believe the townspeople are taking part in some sort of reenactment of a famous civil war battle from 1643.
We soon discover that they have actually landed in a time parallel between the years 1643 and 1984 due to an underground beast who is also warping the minds of Little Hodcombe’s citizens and projecting humans from the 17th century in their reality. Confused yet? Check it out for yourself and enjoy this entertaining two-part Doctor Who adventure.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: British TV, Science fiction, TV series
Let’s Spend the Night Together
by Hal Ashby
[DVD]
view/request
I remember watching the Rolling Stones in Let’s Spend the Night Together a few times on television when I was in high school. I know this sounds unbelievable, but VH1 used to show concert films and was actually a music station back in the day. Maybe I couldn’t get behind the 1981 renditions of the classic 60’s tunes at the time or was distracted by Mick Jagger’s football tights … truth is, I didn’t really dig the concert film when I first watched it.
Fast forward to last night. I popped in this dvd for nostalgia sake and wound up really enjoying myself. The performances are unbelievable! In addition, I made the statement to my friend who was sitting next to me on the sofa that “this just might be the best Stones concert film ever.”
The boys barrel through 24 songs in under 90 minutes with the right blend of machismo and camp that we expect from the band. Despite playing a huge stadium, they’re very, very loose with unexpected bendy guitar riffs distributed throughout by Ron and Keith , jazzy drum fills care of Mr. Watts and Mick’s wild singing. If you look close enough, you may even see a smile on Bill Wyman’s face, too. Some of the older songs appear to be unrehearsed to a certain extent while more recent cuts from Tattoo You, Emotional Rescue and Some Girls are played tight like a classic rhythm and blues review. We’re also treated to a bonus keyboard section featuring Ian McLagan (of the Small Faces & Faces fame) sitting behind the organ and classic stones session man Ian Stewart on piano.
It’s also important to note that a serious filmmaker was on staff for Let’s Spend the Night Together. Hal Ashby, whose credits include Harold & Maude, The Last Detail, Being There and many other fantastic titles, directed the film. It’s always interesting to see the difference between a standard concert film and one that was overseen by a true artist. Martin Scorsese’s work on the Last Waltz and D.A. Pennebaker’s Montery Pop are other excellent examples. They tend to spend more time with the performers and not make pointless quick cuts. There is something to be said in what these filmmakers find interesting and insist the audience see on stage.
The real lesson learned however is that it doesn’t hurt to revisit films you may not have enjoyed at one stage in your life. You never know in what direction your taste may take you.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Classic rock, Concert film, Film, Live recordings, Rock music
Kansas City
by Robert Altman
[DVD]
view/request
It’s 1934 and on the eve of a local election in Kansas City, Missouri.
Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as Blondie, a comically fast talking wife of a petty thief. When her husband gets picked up by an intimidating local jazz and gambling club owner stroke gangster named Seldom Seen (played by the great musician and activist Harry Belafonte), Blondie hatches a kidnapping scheme of her own. At gunpoint she drags Carolyn Stilton, the opium addicted wife of a local senator, along through the city in an attempt to free her husband. Miranda Richardson and Altman mainstay Michael Murphy are cast as the seemingly loveless Stilton couple.
Tension enters the film only moments after it begins and it continues to build and build throughout. The backdrop of this chilling drama is the soulful and swinging jazz music that pulsates from Seldom Seen’s Hey Hey Club. In addition, Steve Buscemi, in a role that seems to have served as a warm up for his stint on Boardwalk Empire, is one of the many actors who appear in memorable smaller parts.
Kansas City, though not as loose and off the cuff as many classic Altman movies of the 1970’s, is possibly the director’s most suspenseful.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Drama, Feature film, Jazz
Blood on the Tracks
by Bob Dylan
[Music CD]
view/request
Once this guy I knew split up with his girlfriend and then he was gone for a while. I think he went to his uncle’s farm out in Kentucky or somewhere. When he came back, he had a beard and seemed a bit more serious. I asked him how he was feeling and he softly replied, “I’ve been listening to a lot of Blood on the Tracks, man.”
Blood on the Tracks? I had heard of that, but I was in the twilight of my teenage years: I was still thinking of and enjoying Dylan with the big curly hair, polka dot shirt, pointy shoes and Al Kooper playing groovy organ riffs. Still, I sought out this folky record.
Dylan at that time was going through the break up of a marriage and though the author denies any trace of autobiographic tendencies, the songs appear to reflect this time of his life. The album opens with “Tangled Up in Blue”, a lyrical bombast about two lives crossing. Other highlights include “Idiot Wind”, the eight minutes and change “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts” and “Shelter From the Storm”.
Like the majority of his work, the lyrics read like poetry on Blood on the Tracks and here we find Dylan with his heart on his sleeve and at his most tender and delicate state. When I went through break-ups as a younger lad, I tended to go with early Beach Boy albums. They had those beautiful harmonies that are underlined with melancholy. It’s easy to wallow and hold onto sadness like a serpent to the neck with this sort of music. On Blood on the Tracks, Dylan is presenting a more mature and grown up outlet for heartbreak, man.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Country music, Folk music, Pop music
The Fifty Review Club: An Unconventional Post
[DVD]
view/request
Fifty Films
I was glancing at the sidebar on the Forbes Staff Picks Blog and noticed that the number fifty was next to my initials. Fifty reviews. Moments later I was ushered into a secret room in the Forbes Library (of course it was revealed by pulling a book back in the stacks!) and was presented with a spread like no other, a Swedish massage and a gold plated computer mouse. Confetti spilled from the ceiling and Philadelphia’s own Todd Rundgren (he really liked my review of A Wizard, A True Star) performed a private concert.
This celebration got me thinking; perhaps I should do something “fifty” related now that I’m a member of the Fifty Review Club. A detailed synopsis of50 First Dates ? Haven’t seen it. An overview of 50 Cent’s discography? I’m unfamiliar. Then I thought perhaps I ought to make a list. People who work at libraries love lists! I’ve come up with fifty films that mean something to me that are in our collection (just click on the titles to see the record in the catalog) and have decided to quickly free associate. I’ve limited myself to stay under ten words and type the first thing that pops into my head. See you at the 100th party. -JSM
8 1/2 -I’ve had dreams like this
24 Hour Party People -the Manchester scene as told by Tony Wilson
2001: A Space Odyssey -the effects are still unrivaled
Arthur -a drunken love story
Atlantic City -lemons
After Hours -one of those really bad nights out
Badlands – “Love is Strange”
Blue Velvet -wha!!!????
The Blues Brothers -My first favorite film
Breathless -jump cuts
California Split -Gould & Segal roll the dice
Le Cercle Rouge -reds & blues
Claire’s Knee -yup, this has got to be French
Do The Right Thing -crazy thought provoking potboiler
Don’t Look Now -I still can’t believe that ending
Down By Law –“I scream you scream, we all scream for ice cream!”
Duck Soup -comedy 101
F For Fake -magic tricks
The Fearless Vampire Killers -gory/funny
Gosford Park -Stephen Fry as Inspector Thompson in the third act
Hannah and Her Sisters -Woody at his best
A Hard Day’s Night -black & white Beatlemania
The Householder -a loving film about arranged marriage
The Jerk -“he hates cans!”
Joe Versus The Volcano -listen to this
Key Largo -Bogey & Bacall & Robinson
The Long Goodbye -the sleepy Philip Marlowe
The Lost Weekend -writer’s block anyone?
Meek’s Cutoff -remember “the Oregon Trail” video game?
Nosferatu the Vampyre -spooky Kinski
Opening Night -going off the script
Paper Moon -cute grifter’s tale
Playtime -Hulot tries to get a job
Rosemary’s Baby -“tannis anyone?”
Rushmore -a coming of age story like no other
The Rutles: All You Need is Cash -the best telling of the Beatles
The Science of Sleep -arts and crafts
A Serious Man -Jefferson Airplane
Simon of the Desert -the funniest religious film
Small Change -one of the few realistic portrayals of children
Smiles of a Summer Night -wait, Bergman’s funny??
The Squid and the Whale -Pink Floyd plagiarism
Straw Dogs -a violent film that strongly advocates nonviolence
Sullivan’s Travels -Sturges makes a road movie
They All Laughed -an ingredient in the Wes Anderson formula
The Thin Man -my favorite detective couple
Time Bandits -a must see for all young adults
The Two of Us -here come the waterworks
Vertigo -the old switcheroo
Walkabout -Roeg in the outback
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Action, Adventure, Children, Comedy, Drama, Feature film, Horror, Lists
New Morning
by Bob Dylan
[Music CD]
view/request
The late 1960’s early/ 70’s happens to be a great period for Bob Dylan, thank you for asking. Nashville Skyline, the Basement Tapes, Self Portrait (though many have said I’m crazy for admitting I like this one), Pat Garret & Billy the Kid are the albums I return to the most within this artist’s prolific catalog. 1970’s New Morning may be the most enjoyable listen from this period.
The album kicks off with the pining romance gesture that is “If Not For You”. The song has an almost Velvet Underground pulse juxtaposed with bouncy organ and country guitar picking. George Harrison would record his version the following year on his album All Things Must Pass. The bluesy and rock n’ roll sounds predictably find their way onto this record. There’s also lighthearted moments in “Winterlude” where Bob croons “this dude thinks your fine” and in the silly jazz rap “If Dogs Run Free” featuring a barrelhouse piano send up at the top of the song.
Dylan’s voice and delivery began to shift around 1968. He lost a bit of the raspy quality that his earlier recordings possessed and started leaning a bit on the softer side in his vocals. This is not to say he’s taking a casual approach to his singing; Dylan is most noticeably passionate on the title track, “Day of the Locusts” and “the Man in Me” (featured in the soundtrack of the Big Lebowski).
New Morning is just another one of those perfect Bob Dylan records.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Blues music, Folk music, Pop music, Rock music
Doctor Who: The Talons of Weng-Chiang
[DVD]
view/request
As a Doctor Who nerd and an admirer of several of the lead actors in this long running science-fiction series, it is difficult to come up with a favorite episode or story. One finds much of what is discussed on various websites, television programs, magazines, blogs… or real life conversations for that matter tend to fall under the categorizing or ranking of books, films, music, athletes, politicians, restaurants, etc. Is this need for placement really all that necessary? Must our filing cabinets extend throughout all of space and time?
Let’s just say, that the The Talons of Weng-Chiang from the Tom Baker era is a story that I really, really enjoy.
Robert Holmes, who was one of the more prolific and humorous writers of the Doctor Who enterprise, scripts an exciting adventure taking place in Victorian London. Our time traveling protagonist called “the Doctor” and his assistant Leela find themselves mixed up an other worldly, underground cult, battling a giant sewer rat and dealing with a scary looking puppet (I know, right?!!). The episode has a Sherlock Holmes motife: the vested Doctor is fully equipped with a long herringbone overcoat, a deerstalker hat and cravat. Furthermore, Holmes (this time I’m talking about Robert) playfully throws in several references to Conan Doyle’s writings.
The Talons of Weng-Chiang is an excellent introduction to Doctor Who if you’re unfamiliar with the series. The script is dynamite, there are memorable, comedic supporting roles and it ABSOLUTELY STARS THE GREATEST ACTOR TO PLAY THE DOCTOR. Busted… caught ranking, categorizing and picking favorites. I guess it’s just what we do.
Reviewed by Jason
Tagged: Humor, Science fiction, TV series
