by Rodney Eric Griffith | Armour of Rod | |
Zeta Minor reports an updated description for the upcoming Elvis Costello DVD, now said to contain video from his Warner Bros. albums. (They also have the artwork for Umbrella’s upcoming Man In A Suitcase set.)
The Mal Evans discovery mentioned here earlier turned out to be completely fake.
On a happier note, Showtime will premiere a documentary on the history of Brian Wilson’s SMiLE, which will feature interviews with Van Dyke Parks, Carol Kaye and Hal Blaine, on 5 October.
I spent a large portion of the weekend watching the Monkees Season One boxed set, borrowed—again, not because I can’t afford it, but because I’m cheap. Also, Extended Playhouse never petitioned for a review, although you’re going to get a few impressions here.
I hadn’t previously seen unmolested Season One episodes because the syndication packages over the years used the Season Two credit sequence for overall consistency, and in addition to cut scenes the originals contain the sponsor interstitials (which extend to Kellogg’s and Yardley Black Label products superimposed on the closing credits). On that basis alone, the collection is a treat, but I’m made to understand that it isn’t good value for money because Rhino apparently reused the masters used for its 1990 VHS edition without persuing an upgrade in quality. Granted, the VHS set cost hundreds of dollars without some of the extra material, but while some episodes show improved clarity much of the picture quality is diminished by faded prints, which is unfortunate for a show remembered for its vibrant colour. (Contemporaneous series like UFO have escaped such a fate.)
The 16MM pilot is fascinating, although a poster to alt.fan.monkees made a believable claim that s/he had a better quality print in his possession that Rhino chose to pass on. The Season One and Two DVD sets are budget releases sold at full list prices, which is unfortunate. The content of the episodes themselves is wonderful, and what makes the set special are the copious amounts of trivia (Andrew Sandoval was thorough) and the commentaries, particularly those provided by Michael Nesmith (who is surprisingly chatty about the whole enterprise; it’s nice when he veers slightly off topic).
There’s a very complimentary review of the new Louis Eliot CD at CD WOW. Apparently, CD WOW has already run out of copies of the limited 2CD version (which I can believe; Caroline had it on preorder and had to wait a few days for a second shipment to come in before they could fulfill her order) but it can be ordered from amazon.com.
Rodney | 6:27:00 PM [permalink]Here’s an amusing, but pathetic Boston Globe article on fans upset when their musical idols go political.
I could perhaps excuse the confusion when it comes to Bruce Springsteen, who, in spite of a too-obvious liberal bent has wasted much of his career supporting class society by lionising the middle class and its dependency on auto factories, which are little more than work prisons. By so pliantly acquiesing to their base desires for stadium “rock” parties, he lost his chance to really reach them. When Reagan commandeered “Born in the USA” no one noticed the difference.
But as far as acts like Pearl Jam and R.E.M. go, what the fuck were these “fans” thinking? As if any of them ever really did think beyond their need to be part of the herd. The whole pop culture of the 1960s was driven by needs for personal freedom. Not only were individual freedoms at stake, but actual lives. This is the basis of the much of the best that pop music has had to offer ever since; it echoes in everything from Bob Dylan to Radiohead. Those who threaten freedom deserve to be denounced, especially as a potential creeping dictatorship would threaten the ability for a conscientious musician to be able to perform and record in the first place.
I had the displeasure of attempting to convey these obvious facts to a would-be socialite who boozed her way through scores of concerts in the 1970s and ’80s, but her only defense was one similar to the whining backlash over the Vote for Change announcement: they’re simply entertainers. In other words, we own them; our rock stars are court jesters at our collective beck and call, and we have the right to dictate what they say. The arrogance of these Republi-fen is astonishing… and of course this is the basis for not dissimilar stuggles against censorship, because they’re prudes and phonies who like to brag about past excess but are as conservative as their parents, if not moreso.
The Geoff Edgers article quotes Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who lamented Springsteen’s public stance by saying “I really appreciate his music, but I wish he wouldn't interject his music with politics.” (Apparently Governor Pawlenty had no problem injecting his politics with someone else’s music, since he opened his weekly radio address with Springsteen’s “Born to Run”.) Insomuch as music is language, it expresses things; that’s its function. Ultimately the expression is always “me” or “us” versus “them”.
It only disturbs me in that most of the Vote for Change lineup is uncreative, except for the extraordinary John Fogerty.
The excellent DVD site Zeta Minor reports that Elvis Costello’s Demon Records-era promo videos (e.g. “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea” to “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”) are being prepared for a new Region 2 DVD release by VCI. This adds, apparently, a second version of “The Only Flame In Town” to the 1994 Demon Records video issue (which, curiously, was made available as an NTSC export for North American sales).
Rodney | 9:21:00 AM [permalink]
