The Silver Screen Oasis

Your favorite music, now digitally remastered to bring out all those great little tidbits that no one even knew existed because the equipment to listen to them properly on hadn't even been invented yet and to sound even better than it did when it was cut on eight track, four track, no track tape forty plus years back!

Boy, I can't even watch movies on a television smaller than six hundred inches anymore, in glorious Mega Double Definition picture, with a refresh rate of ten thousand two hundred and forty hertz! I don't even know what a hertz is, but boy that's a lot of it! And I can't even listen to the sound reel - oh gosh, look at me, so ancient, calling it a sound reel, I'm talking like a pro! - if my thirty-two speaker eight subwoofer Dolby Super-Digital Zero-Half-Digibit EX KKK DTS DVDA home theater audio assaultatron isn't blowing the roof off my house like a Howitzer shell.

How did people enjoy things back when they worried about the artistic value of things? I'm too busy being impressed by the technology!!! of it all to care!

With a wink and a nod (I'm excited too, especially about the Mono side of things),
Bryce

Bryce,

Have you been hanging out with Steve Albini in my absence? My hearing was blown away years ago by low-tech equipment, so everything has that nice humming ringing in the background. Monoaural through a tinny car speaker or on my turntable (the pops and hisses are free) is just fine, thank you.

And speaking of vinyl, please know that after having broken my lengthy addiction to vinyl collecting, you -- yes, YOU! -- got me hooked again. For an amount less than $9.00, I snagged these LPs yesterday:

Heavy (1968) - Iron Butterfly
Realization (1968) - Johnny Rivers (go ahead, laugh at me)
Copenhagen and Haarlem (recorded in 1965-66, but released in U.S. in 1975) - Paul Bley
Timeless (1974) - John Abercrombie (with Jan Hammer & Jack DeJohnette)

and, ready...

Burt Bacharach: Reach Out (late '60s) - Burt Bacharach

It's all your fault.

bryce wrote: With a wink and a nod (I'm excited too, especially about the Mono side of things),
Bryce

Has anyone officially declared you our forum gadfly?

All kidding aside, I did watch a film last night that looked a lot better in widescreen on my 30-something inch LCD (as opposed to my old 19-inch TV): 2001: A Space Odyssey. Before I'd found it a bore - last night it was dazzling. That's likely the closest I'll ever get to seeing it in a theater.

If that is an honorable position to hold then I gladly accept your nomination. If not, how dare, Sir, I will see you on the fields of dueling at dawn tomorrow!

I think that 2001 looks best as seen in the largest, most high quality format possible, be it an LCD television or on the big screen. That is one film that suffers not seeing it on technology that bests that which existed when it was released.

When are we going to Dusty Groove America, ChiO?

bryce wrote:If that is an honorable position to hold then I gladly accept your nomination. If not, how dare, Sir, I will see you on the fields of dueling at dawn tomorrow!

I think that 2001 looks best as seen in the largest, most high quality format possible, be it an LCD television or on the big screen. That is one film that suffers not seeing it on technology that bests that which existed when it was released.

When are we going to Dusty Groove America, ChiO?

I heartily agree. It's really a thoroughly different movie seen on the big screen, and I think the slow, slow pace is better understood when you can really see the infinite space v. intimate space relation as intended.

the only time I saw it was in a theater, and I ALMOST ran screaming up the aisle.. The music I loved, the story just flew over my head, at the pace of a tranquilized turtle...... Hey, I never EVER claimed to be anything but what I am..... So, Bryce, keep your thoughts about me to yourself!!!!!


ya know I love ya big boy!!!!!

This weekend is Night Marchers weekend! Kendra and I are traveling to see them in Kalamazoo on Thursday, coming back to Chicago for a performance at the Subterranean on Friday, taking a day off Saturday because their show in Minneapolis is too far away, then driving up to Milwaukee on Sunday to see them one last time.

John Reis, the head apparition, is responsible for my marriage. Yes, I think I mentioned this the last time we traveled to see them, but it's a pretty special thing. Also, he makes pretty good music. For the record party hipsters among us, Reis is from Rocket from the Crypt, a band that hails from Dewey's part of the world, so you know it's good stuff. The band's name, and thusly their theme, are taken from the native tribal ghosts of Hawaii, dancing to the war drums to and fro from battle. Not music for the faint of heart or those that practice a religion specifically forbidding any participation in the black magics.

Wait for ChiO's scene report for independent, unbiased validations (or invalidations) of the band's awesomeness, as somehow I've managed to nag him into going with us on Friday. They rank #1 on my Best Bands of the '00s list, if that says anything (about me or them or otherwise).

Wait for ChiO's scene report for independent, unbiased validations (or invalidations) of the band's awesomeness, as somehow I've managed to nag him into going with us on Friday.

Yes, once again, I'll be the oldest -- and not the smartest -- guy in the room.

Snagged free tickets for the New Found Glory concert on Saturday night. Not a band that I particularly cared for until I found out that our little niece -- the one who became a Yiayia at the beginning of the month -- inspired their third album. But are we going? No...I am informed I have to go to a friend's poetry reading (note to self: pickup black turtleneck and beret from cleaners).

Spring cleaning means putting some of these discs away.
Listening to some classics lately:

J.S. Bach--Partita & Suite performed by guitarist Pepe Romero--sublime

Beethoven--Symphony No. 2/Karajan and the Berlin Phil (1963 series)--Beethoven doing Mozart. This and his 8th are my favs

Debussy--Estampes/Children's Corner, etc/Weissenberg--may be my favorite single classical disc. Gorgeous

Spring means gardens, and gardens equal England. Two great English composers:

William Boyce--Symphony No. 2/Hogwood, Academy of Ancient Music--known for his choral works, should be known for this.

Holst--St Paul's Suite/Hogwood, St Paul Chamber Orchestra--toss out the war horse The Planets, this is Holst at his best

and the others:

Lucinda Williams--Little Honey. Quite simply her best album to date. A duet with Elvis and she covers an AC/DC song!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs--It's Blitz--a kinder, friendlier Yeahs? Who'd a thunk. Way too many synths, but after a few listens, they work perfectly

The Cars--Candy-O--Ocasek's brilliance is his simplicity.

George Thorogood--Move It On Over--You can have Bad to the Bone, I'll keep this one.

Hole--Celebrity Skin--I'm unsure why this wasn't a bigger hit, but I continue to return to it, and still like it a lot.

Ian Dury and the Blockheads--Do It Yourself--It has Reasons to Be Cheerful, Pt 3 and Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, how could it miss?

Liz Phair--Liz Phair--Liz "sells out". Well, she never sounded so good (or naughty) Rock on, Liz.

Lynyrd Skynyrd--Second Helping--I'm not much for Southern Rock, but I love this album. Go figure.

Marshall Crenshaw--Field Day--sure, it sounds a lot like Crenshaw's great debut album, but so what? Whenever You're On My Mind has always been a particular favorite.

Astrid Gilberto--Beach Samba--absolutely terrific collection, and Ipanema isn't even mentioned.

Ohio Players--Contradiction--sometimes you just gotta funk. Great cover, too...

Paul Westerberg--Mono--I like this one better than Stereo, but both rock.

PJ Harvey & John Parsih--A Woman A Man Walked By--My new favorite PJ album, which means my new favorite album.

Rolling Stones--Goats Head Soup--Not close to their best, but I pull this one out a lot. Love the song Winter.

Squeeze--Argybargy--One of the perfect pop albums of the late 70s. Love Tilbrook's guitar playing.

Lots more, but enough for now.

For me it has been Tchaikovsky's Four Orchestral Suites. Antal Dorati conducted the New Philharmonia Orchestra. They are all nice pieces of how to write symphonic music without writing a symphony.

Also the Brahms' Serenades by the Scottish National Orchestra with Charles MacKerris (sp?) Quite different in scope. My favorite Brahms is the Piano Concerto No. 1.

I'm glad you mentioned Beethoven's 8th as one of your favorites. I like it too. It is a fun piece. All the more so coming between the big 7th and even bigger 9th. I have two sets of Beethoven Symphonies. One is the George Szell/Cleveland Orchestra record albums. The other is Karl Bohm's set. These I have on LP and CD.

Last night, Mrs. Bryce and I went to a neighborhood pub and, with 38 other people, saw her favorite guitarist, the legendary Richard Lloyd (late of Television). The unexpected treat was that Billy Ficca was on drums, so itwasthisclose to really seeing Television. Except...they did four Jimi Hendrix Experience covers and only one Television tune (See No Evil). The opener was The Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra, a nice local Greek boy who has weathered the Punk storms of the early-80s and come out a musical survivor, still playing folk-blues funneled through Television and singing like a guy who really did grow up in this town listening to Howlin' Wolf, Curtis Mayfield and Steve Goodman.

Where was Mrs. ChiO? At a bachelorette party for a niece.

And Bryce? Working.

Who's the Stupid American now? But that's OK...it was only THE GREATEST CONCERT EVER!!!

Yes, it's a Toddlin' Town.

Tonight? Just two. But I think they're two exemplary albums (I know they're cd's but I'm old so they're still albums to me.) "Learning to Crawl" The Pretenders, and "Stop Making Sense" Talking Heads. I defy anyone to find a better latter day (or any day?) Christmas song then The Pretenders "2000 Miles." Yes, I know it's May but when you're young at heart every day can be like Christmas, can't it? And what can be better than a live recording of "Psycho Killer" or "Burning Down the House ?" That's it for me. Goodnight all.

As always, Hollis

Today I have been listening to the three CDs I own from the Classic Film Scores collection released on vinyl in the 1970s, with Charles Gerhardt conducting the National Philarmonic Orchestra. I have "The Sea Hawk" with Korngold's scores -my favorite- and the ones devoted to Bette Davis and Bogart.

I also listened to a CD which inlcudes Piano Concertos from the Movies, most notably the Spellbound Concerto from Spellbound (1945), the Theme and Waltz from Murder on the Orient Express (1974), the Concerto Macabre from Hangover Square (1945) and the Warsaw Concerto from Dangerous Moonlight (1941).

A smattering of discs I need to shelve.

Tinted Windows--ah, pop the way it's supposed to be. (Sung by a Hanson, guitar by a Pumpkin, drums by a Bun E., and bas/guitar and beverages by a Fountains of Wayne). Lots and lots of fun.

Dusty Springfield--Dusty in Memphis--Do I have to say anything?

Jackson 5/The Motown Years--yea, I pulled it out. No matter how often I hear ABC, I'm still smilin' and singin' along (and still always rush the "sit down girl, I think I love ya" part)

Sonic Youth--The Eternal. Commercial Youth? Okay, maybe not, but it only took me two listens to really love it.

Elvis Costello--Secret, Profane & Sugarcane--more country than Almost Blue and King of America. The jury is still out on this one.

PJ Harvey & John Parish--A Woman a Man Walked By--haven't filed this away yet. Recently saw PJ and John in concert. She said "thank you, very much" when I applauded.

The Smithereens--B-Sides the Beatles. These guys just crack me up. Not only do they bring out Andy White to play on a track, they include Cry For a Shadow and a tune the Fabs never "officially" released, Some Other Guy, which rocks (naturally). Tommy is next for the Smithereens

Nuggets--Pulled this out to hear a couple of tracks from The Seeds, but the collection is too great. This is one of two albums that my father always yelled "Turn that ____ down" (the other being Alice Cooper's Billion Dollar Babies). In science class I learned that if you "accidentally" turned the volume way UP and then back to the original level, it'll seem like you turned it down. Of course it sounded "quieter" for me, too. but at least I won the moral victory.

Chuck Berry--Johnny B.Goode: His Complete 50's Chess Recordings--Too much of a good thing? Best to load the four discs and hit shuffle so you don't hear Sweet Little Sixteen four times in a row (although the different variations are great)

Ted Nugent--The Ultimate Nugent--what can I say? When she Wangos, she Tangos...

The Ultimate Peter & Gordon--forgot that on this disc Paul McCartney intros the Lennon/McCartney penned I Don't Want to See You Again. He outros it, too. Odd.

Iron Butterfly--In-A-Gadda-Da-Vita--oh yea, with the drum solo!

George Harrison--Let it Roll--Little doubt that Harrison needed a greatest hits collection pulling from both the Capital and Dark Horse albums, but this collection has some serious omissions. First of all, there are no songs from 33 1/3. Where's This Song? Crackerbox Palace? You from Extra Texture is missing, too. Instead, included are While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Something and Here Comes the Sun from the Bangla Desh concert. Great songs, true, but the obvious choice would have been to include Bangla Desh itself, which is missing (or Wah Wah, which rocks pretty good, too, live). If you have to include something from the Beatle years, how 'bout Taxman from Live in Japan? While, there are some pretty interesting "deep cuts", mainly from Brainwashed, this collection could have been--should have been better.

Just wishin' everyone a Happy Beatles Wednesday.

Yea, yea, yea.