( 10:39 AM )
Oscars
(Ugh...) I watched The Academy Awards last night. Actually, I’m lying. I probably watched about 15 minutes all told of the Oscars. I was switching back and forth between the Oscars, Hoosiers on TNT and Apocalypse Now on AMC. (Speaking of which, I gotta get Hoosiers on DVD – what a great movie.)
But back to the Oscars... What in the world...? Was that The Academy Awards or The Grammys? Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese must have been wondering the same thing. What’s the strategy here? “Let’s honor a bunch of films that 99% of the movie-going public has never seen, but run the awards like an MTV Def Jam show – and target the under 25 crowd.”
I like Chris Rock, I think he’s funny. But he was completely out of place at the Oscars. You would never have Clint Eastwood host the MTV music awards, cracking “white” jokes and interviewing old white people on the street asking them if they’ve ever listened to The Black Eyed Peas or Outkast. It’s not funny.
I understand what Rock is trying to say – pointing out how the popular films don’t get nominated. But is that what the Academy is looking for? Low quality, poorly acted, badly written films that the majority of the public can digest without thinking too much? No. The academy is trying to select films of a higher caliber, that make people think, that touch emotions. (Of course the fact that Fahrenheit 9/11 or The Passion of The Christ didn’t get nominated contradicts this line of reasoning, but that’s an argument for another time.) Point is, if the Academy is still planning to stick to this formula of film selection, then why bring the Awards show down to the level of the simpletons that don’t even see the films?
Ratings. Advertising. Money.
::
0 comments
( 10:07 PM )
Smile
I’m in the thick of Brian Wilson’s Smile – as per David Brown’s review and listening guide suggestions. I’ve listened to it several times now, but only once in it’s entirety in one sitting. And Dave is right – this needs to be listened to in one complete sitting, in a controlled environment with the lights down low, a good sound system and a stiff drink.
I’ve had several reactions to Smile in this order: fun, weird, silly, amazing, and brilliant. I’m currently searching for an adjective to supersede “brilliant.”
I’ve come to the conclusion that in order to enjoy Smile to its fullest, you have to acknowledge and recognize that this isn’t an album or collection of songs or even a pure musical experience. It’s a piece of “art” that uses vocal textures, instrumental sounds, and on some level – poetic lyrics.
Yeah, I know that sounds like a really ostentatious description – after all, isn’t all music vocal textures, instrumental sounds and poetic lyrics? Well, no – sometimes music is just a kickin’ bass line and a couple of clever hooks.
Smile is more along the lines of a symphony or entire Broadway musical. There’s no way you can come into it halfway and know what’s going on. (I’ve tried, and believe me, I always go back to the beginning and start over.) There’s a deliberate and distinct purpose for each song and each segue, and just like a movie or novel, there are setup moments and climatic moments, and without reaching one moment, the next one won’t make sense.
This probably comes across as too heavy for some, or perhaps too Gershwin. But truthfully, if you’re familiar with the Beach Boys and enjoy the a cappella and barbershop harmonization style (“Good Vibrations” is also the last track on this CD) then you should have no problem letting this CD roll in the background of a quiet evening.
::
0 comments
|
