Pink Floyd - 'P•U•L•S•E'

Pink Floyd are one of my favourite bands of all time. Some may say they are boring, or that their music may be pretentious and self-indulgent, but I vehemently argue that the Roger Waters-led line-up produced some of the best music to ever be recorded, packaged and released. 'Animals', 'Wish You Were Here' and 'The Dark Side of the Moon' are frequently mentioned on critics' 'best-of' lists, as is their conceptual rock opera 'The Wall'.

So imagine my disappointment after watching their performance video, 'P•U•L•S•E'.

The concert was taped at Earls Court in London on October 20th 1994, almost a decade after Waters' departure from the band, now led by David Gilmour. The band play the expected numbers such as 'Shine on You Crazy Diamond', 'Wish You Were Here', 'Another Brick in the Wall' during the two-and-a-half hour set, but it is not the music that is the problem here.


The band look as though they are going through the motions. They look akin to workers on a production line, simply turning knobs and pushing buttons until quittin' time. Of course, the musicianship is impressive and Gilmour's virtuosity is certainly showcased during the performance, though it's just not that interesting to watch. It's also painful to see the band play material from newer albums 'The Division Bell' and 'A Momentary Lapse of Reason' as the audience seem just as disinterested as the performers. The audience fail to get over this forty-five minute act even as the band jump into a full play-through of 'Dark Side', before closing the set with 'Comfortably Numb' and 'Run Like Hell'. There is clearly no connection established between the band and its fans.


Though the performance is lacklustre, the concert's visuals are unbelievable. Blinding lights and lasers shoot out from every inch of the stage, with spell-binding images and animations bursting from the backdrop. The stage itself completely steals the show here as I found myself baying for more wide distant shots, rather than close-ups on the band-members playing. The effects are compelling and extravagant, with the show climaxing with a huge mirror-covered disco ball descending above the audience and opening up like some kind of spaceship.


Though the visuals are amazing and, at times, awe-inspiring the band do little to compete for the audience's attention. It seems as though they could be replaced with a stereo system and half the crowd wouldn't even bat an eyelid, which does bring the performance down greatly. You could almost get the same effect playing the accompanying CD through Winamp with a maximised visualiser.


At least it might keep your interest for longer.

Midlife Crisis

I believe I am definitely having a midlife crisis.
Which is a shame seeing as though I'm only twenty-one.
Nevermind.

I still enjoy watching wrestling from 2001, playing GoldenEye and listening to the Pokémon theme song.

The Curse of Tony Soprano

Why is it that there is nothing decent on television as of late? Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration but my point still stands. I cannot think of one truly brilliant show that debuted recently. Apart from maybe 'Boardwalk Empire' with Steve Buscemi. However, I have only watched the Scorsese-directed ninety-minute pilot episode (which I found brilliant by the way) with the rest of the series collecting proverbial dust on my Sky+ hard drive. 

Most of the series I watch nowadays are programmes that first emerged at least four years ago. Fuck, 'Californication' is between its fourth and fifth seasons and that's something I only got into last year. '30 Rock' has just finished its fifth series for God's sake! Besides these two, the only 'newer' programme I seem to watch is the revived 'WWE Tough Enough' reality show, which originally broadcast in 2001. It's easy to see why the series originally failed as Al Snow does not really have the same audience draw as 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin.

'South Park' is two episodes into its fifteenth (!) season, though the second episode was mediocre and the first could have been a surreal disaster if I hadn't have watched 'The Human Centipede' prior to its airing.

Surely mainstream television has not fallen this far? I mean, the 'Interns' series of 'Scrubs' was nearly enough to make me throw my all-episode boxset in the bin but there must be something new and original out there? 

I believe the reason for this comes down to one factor. One thing has ruined the entirety of my television-viewing future. That catalyst is The motherfucking Sopranos.

Ever since the screen faded to black and that now-overplayed Journey track came to a halt mid-song, nothing has satisfied my need for more 'Sopranos'. It was just too fucking perfect. Literally too perfect, now everything else is just shitty in comparison.

So thank you David Chase. You truly created an amazing piece of work. It's just a shame that it will never be topped, or even matched. Think of a cheeseburger. Delicious in itself, but then add bacon. Heavenly. You can never go back to plain old cheeseburgers after this point. 

'The Sopranos' is to television what bacon is to burgers: mind-numbingly perfect. Just beware that bacon is a double-edged sword. A gift and a curse.

Shit, I'm too tired to think of a real metaphor.

Punk's Romeo & Juliet and some Spanish dudes with a shaky cam

This may very well be the last time I ever take film advice from my sister. Despite being a huge fan of the Sex Pistols and possessing some knowledge on the Sid Vicious/Nancy Spungen time in their career, I had never seen Alex Cox's biopic 'Sid & Nancy'. If only I could go back to that time again....

Alex Cox, famous for his 1984 cult classic 'Repo Man', directed the film which focusses on how Vicious, Sex Pistols' bassist played by Gary Oldman, meets Nancy Spungen, an American groupie portrayed by Chloe Webb. Oldman and Webb were unknown names back when the film was released in late 1986, ensuring that nothing would take away from the onscreen characters. Think of Reese Witherspoon in 'Walk the Line'. You are very aware that the woman singing with Cash is that idiot from 'Legally Blonde' and not his wife, June Carter, completely undermining Phoenix's brilliant portrayal of the Man in Black. But I digress...

'Sid & Nancy' starts off well with the opening scene depicting Spungen's death in a hotel bathroom. The death itself is not shown but we see Vicious escorted out of the building by policemen under suspicion of murder. Vicious is interrogated by a cigarette-sharing officer which starts the story off via flashback. 

The film falls apart soon after Andrew Schofield portraying John Lydon (then known as 'Johnny Rotten') makes his first appearance urging Vicious to spraypaint a dog which had been locked inside a Rolls Royce. Strangely, Lydon speaks with a Scouse accent despite hailing from London where the film takes place. Cox claims that Lydon himself encouraging Schofield to play the role this way though there is no official confirmation on a meeting ever happening.

Lydon is portrayed as a ginger-haired, beer-swilling buffoon rather than the witty lyricist of one of the most important band's in music history. Schofield does not look or sound like Lydon, nor does he give across the same energy as the frontman. Cox also implies that Lydon was jealous of Vicious and Spungen's relationship, despite having rejected her previously. Lydon wrote in his autobiography 'Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs' that he found the implication "particularly loathsome", lambasting the film as "someone else's fucking fantasy, some Oxford graduate who missed the punk era".


Oldman received praise for his portrayal of Vicious, which I believe is deserved. Vicious comes across as awkward, unsure and bewildered rather than the over-the-top, fighting, fucking junkie troublemaker image which he seems to have left behind.


Anyway, to cut this somewhat facade of a review short, I did not like the film. Nor did I like 'REC 2'. Well I did up until the threat went from being super-rabies to the souls of dead children or something.


Cheers for wasting my time Emily Whelan.

Taxi Driver: Understanding the film's ending

Martin Scorsese has always been one of my favourite directors. 
Robert De Niro has always been one of my favourite actors.
They have collaborated for eight films, all of which are fantastic.
This piece is about the greatest title on that list, and arguably one of the greatest films of all time.

Of course, I am referring to 'Taxi Driver', Scorsese's 1976 drama centering around an honourably-discharged Marine who takes the job as a New York cabbie post-Vietnam. Travis Bickle, played by De Niro, is plagued by insomnia, encouraging him to work daily fourteen-hour shifts to cope with his illness. Bickle is depressed, lonely and restless who spends his time away from work visiting seedy porn theaters. Bickle becomes increasingly agitated by the underworld of New York, seeing drug dealers, pimps and prostitutes and even murder on a regular basis whilst driving through the city projects.

De Niro gives one of his greatest performances as the anti-hero, though he is not the only big name involved. Bickle meets a twelve-year old prostitute named Iris, played by a similarly-aged Jodie Foster who has a Stockholm syndrome style relationship with her lecherous pimp named 'Sport', played by Harvey Keitel. Peter Boyle, Albert Brooks and Cybill Shepherd also give supporting roles, playing Bickle's work colleagues and love interest respectively.


SPOILER ALERT
If you hadn't guessed by the name of this post, there are spoilers ahead, so if you haven't seen the film (which I thoroughly recommend you do!) stop reading here. If you really do not care for the film, feel free to continue, though let it be known that you are officially on my shitlist.


After the film's iconic shootout, Bickle has killed Sport, another man linked to the prostitution ring and a well-known gangster with ties to the Mafia, saving Iris from her personal hell. Bickle is bleeding from bulletwounds in his arm and neck. He tries to shoot himself but realises he is out of ammo. The police enter the room and find him slouched against a couch, still breathing. Bickle acknowledges the cops and gestures shooting himself in the head with his fingers repeatedly. After this shot, the scene 'freezes' and an overhead tracking shot follows the stairs and corridor where the shootout previously took place. We are shown the chaos outside the apartment building as police cars, ambulances and citizens gather.


We then hear a voiceover of a letter being read addressed to Bickle. The letter is from Iris' parents who wish to thank Bickle for saving their daughter. We are told that Bickle has recovered from his wounds which put him in a coma and is doing well. The audience are shown various newspaper articles regarding the shootout and Bickle, hailing him as a hero in the eyes of the public and the media.


Bickle has returned to work following his injury and encounters Betsy, the campaign volunteer who he had previously courted unsuccessfully. She seems impressed by his newfound celebrity status though he is quick to dismiss his 'hero' title. Bickle drops Betsy off without charging her and drives away. We hear a dramatic cymbal crash and Bickle anxiously glances in his rear-view mirror, ending the film. The audience do not see what he was looking at.


Now, there are two main theories as to what the ending sequence means. Some believe that the events following the shoot-out are nothing but Bickle's dying thoughts or dreams. The other theory is that the events did actually happen and the film's coda is supposed to be taken literally.


DREAM THEORY
It can be easy to see why some believe the events following the shootout are a figment of Bickle's imagination: his dying thoughts and wishes. Firstly, he has just murdered three men in cold blood with unregistered firearms, no less. There is no mention of jail-time or other punishment. He is simply hailed as a hero by the media. Usually, the law does not praise vigilantes. Betsy is no longer disgusted by Bickle, but rather impressed when they meet following the events. Bickle's character is redeemed by his actions, which is often the theme for many of Scorsese's films. The music during the ending sequence is overdramatised, signifying heroism and gallantry.

LITERAL THEORY
The newspaper clippings explain that a policeman on the scene was reminded of his daughter by Iris. Nowhere in the articles does it mention that Bickle was carrying a large amount of firepower, nor do they mention his intention of murdering the men in the first place. It could be believed that the police were sympathetic towards Bickle as he did kill two pimps and a Mafioso to save a twelve-year old girl. Surely no jury is going to punish him for that? It could also be believed that the police may have twisted facts in order to protect Bickle, such as lying about his firearms and his reason for being there. Bickle does not have such an understanding about the media to have concocted these articles in his dreamstate.


I believe that the events following the shootout are meant to be taken at face value. I believe that the conclusion is supposed to be an ironic statement about the media. For example, Bickle had attempted and failed to assassinate the campaigning senator Charles Palantine. Had he been quicker to pull out his gun, he would have succeeded in this mission and been thoroughly slated in the following newspapers. However, after going through with the same heinous act of murder on a group of people deemed 'unsavoury' in the public eye, he is acclaimed for it. The film's ending is a dig at how fickle media reporting can be and how sensationalised stories can become. Can violence be acceptably glorified as long as it is against those who apparently deserve it?


Sorry if that wasn't as coherent as planned, though I think I got my point across alright. "I should get one of those signs that says 'One of these days I'm gonna get organezized'"

Seth MacFarlane to remake 'The Flintstones'

 

"Yabba dabba do, Seth MacFarlane will finally achieve his dream! The mastermind behind Family Guy will reboot the classic animated series The Flintstones for Fox.

Fox execs made the announcement at the network’s presentation today in New York. The show will go in production this fall for a 2013 launch. “One of the first things I ever drew was Fred Flintstone,” MacFarlane told advertisers. As for his re-imagination, he said the show has to keep up with the times but some things will remain familiar for old fans. “The characters will look the same but the only thing that will change is the stories,” he said. “What’s the [prehistoric] version of an iPod?”

Dan Palladino (Gilmore Girls) and Kara Vallow (Family Guy) will also serve as exec producers."

I'm sorry, what? Who's bright idea was it to green-light this? I understand that MacFarlane has produced one of the most talked-about television shows (never mind cartoons) of this generation and I realise that fans of his previous work are going to eat this up, but why? Is there that little creativity flowing that original series get cancelled for remakes? 

Recently, Fox have discontinued 'Human Target' and 'Lie to Me'. Two programmes which I had heard great things about. Not to mention the fact that 'The Sarah Connor Chronicles' failed to be renewed after two seasons despite the encouragement of fans. Yes, that was two years but the pain's still there, dammit!


I understand that shows get cancelled all the time. Some of my favourites from recent years, including 'Heroes' and 'Scrubs', have been axed with the former not even earning a finale episode, despite featuring a linear narrative. Fuck you, NBC. 'Scrubs' was later picked up by ABC, producing what is known as 'Scrubs: Med School'. This season was just terrible, leaving ABC to finally take the show out into the back garden and put a bullet between its eyes. Shit, 'Family Guy' was cancelled twice before it became such a hit.

Where was I? Oh, yes, 'The Flintstones'.


If MacFarlane and the writers stay true to the original sixties Hanna-Barbera format and just literally give the show a touch-up, I will be fine with that. However, I do not see that being the case. I can imagine it now: "Wilma, this is worse than the time I first saw a dinosaur!" *cut to flashback segway featuring Joan Rivers* (Get it? 'Cause she's like a million years old? Okay, it's not perfect but I literally pulled that out of my ass.)


With the quality of MacFarlane's works being as they are now, it's hard to get excited about this. 'Family Guy' hasn't been great since about 2008, though I did enjoy the 'Laugh It Up, Fuzzball' 'Star Wars' homage trilogy. Let's just hope that this is not another quick cash-grab by Fox/MacFarlane like the abortion that is 'The Cleveland Show'.

The Hunt for the Perfect Discography: The Beatles, Part One

Is it possible for an artist or band to go their whole career without a single bad album? Surely some have managed it? 

Today, I will look at The Beatles' discography:

Please Please Me (1963)
Despite it's critical acclaim, this is not one of my favourite Beatles albums. That does not however make it a bad one! I simply prefer the post-'Revolver' time in their career. In no way is this album terrible, though you could argue the fact that nearly half of the album's tracks being covers brings it down a notch. Ringo's track 'Boys' is pretty awful.

With the Beatles (1963)
Similarly to 'Please Please Me', 'With the Beatles' features nearly fifty percent cover versions and the early rock and roll style The Beatles debuted with. This is probably my least favourite of the band's 'great' albums and, according to Last.fm, it's the one I have listened to the least. Again, Ringo cuts a terrible track with 'I Wanna Be Your Man', though the Harrison-sung cover of Chuck Berry's 'Roll Over Beethoven' makes up for it. 'All My Loving' grates on me also, though that may be due to over-exposure.

A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Serving as the soundtrack to their 1964 film debut of the same name, 'A Hard Day's Night' shows where Lennon and McCartney began to improve on their composure, receiving songwriting credits for all thirteen tracks. Lennon primarily wrote most of the material on the album contributing nine of the songs. The album features two of the band's biggest hits in 'Can't Buy Me Love' and the title track. Probably my second-favourite early Beatles album behind 'Help!'

Beatles for Sale (1964)
Another good album, featuring tracks such as 'I Feel Fine', 'Eight Days a Week' and 'Baby's in Black'. 'Rock and Roll Music', another Chuck Berry cover, is also a highlight. 'No Reply', 'Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby' and 'I'm a Loser' are also standout tracks, making 'Beatles for Sale' the strongest release so far.

Help! (1965)
The second soundtrack album and fifth album overall, 'Help!' is a near-perfect offering by the Fab Four. Nearly song on the album is great with the band only slipping up with 'Act Naturally' (Ringo again!) and 'Another Girl', though both tracks are listenable. 'I've Just Seen a Face', 'Ticket to Ride', 'Help!' and 'The Night Before' are highlights. I think I actually hate 'Yesterday' though. Yes, okay, it's a beautiful song but I'm just sick to death of hearing the fucker.

Rubber Soul (1965)
Here is where things start to really pick up. Not unlike 'Help!', 'Rubber Soul' is arguably a perfect album. Notably the album in which The Beatles began to evolve from their previous Merseybeat sound and become something much more. This album has got everything from French ballads ('Michelle'), folk influences ('Norwegian Wood'), baroque pop ('In My Life') to threats of murder brought on by jealousy ('Run for Your Life'). The compressed and harmonised piano effect found on 'The Word' would later influence the psychedelic wave of music of the late sixties. Only 'What Goes On' brings the album down from true perfection (fucking Ringo again!) being the second-longest track on the record.

So there we have the first six albums from The Beatles and not one is a stinker thus far. Stay tuned for the second part of their discography coming soon!

Nice one Blogger

Isn't it typical that as soon as I start getting back into this blog nonsense, the whole system goes down? As an added bonus, the posts I had done since 2010 were deleted and my old template was restored. Double-yoo tee eff right? Strangely, the posts have now been restored though some images were removed. Also a couple of the posts from last year have been pushed to the top of the list somehow. Anyway, just a rant. Still managed to get three views today though for some godforsaken reason.

Music & Dreams Experiment II

"My Wave" by Soundgarden, from 'Superunknown' (1994)

I nodded off listening to this on the train to Liverpool but I don't remember much of my dream or if I even had one. I recall there being a blinding light but that could have easily been the sun shining through the train windows. I was awaken by some twat listening to 50 Cent on his phone so not much to report.

Music & Dreams Experiment I

"Parabola" by Tool, from 'Lateralus' (2001)

The dream started in a dark corridor in which there was no visible light source, yet I could still see. I was moving down the hallway as if I was standing on a conveyer belt. Loud shrieking noises could be heard all around me but no indication of where they were coming from. I came to a large metal door which was extremely cold. The noises grew louder but as I came to open the door I was woken up by 'Faaip de Oiad' (the last track on the album).
A very strange dream, which seems to reflect on the dark, solemn, gloomy music which Tool produce.