And I am near the end of the first season. And, I like it a great deal. The reasons I like it are:
They almost always seem to get a STAX song in to an episode
The snappy (mannered, but it's okay) His Girl Friday dialogue
Joshua Malina
The fact that Scandal displays so perfectly that everyone has skeletons in their closet, and that therefore everyone is vulnerable. There is always room for compromise and negotiation (even if it involves blackmail) in the Scandal universe. That is actually an old political truism that has been completely obliterated post-Watergate and post the advent of Cable News and the internet
Huck
How the mysteries are actually provided for you to solve (The Wife and I almost always figure them out, especially the Wife), and that they are not impenetrable or "closed", or so ridiculous as to defy explanation
Much of the "inside baseball" stuff about how to run a political campaign, or spin as a press secretary would
The fast-paced, good-natured popcorn munching quality of the whole enterprise. It's fun!
Mimi Kennedy
Now, I am not so crazy about the whole love story (which is a lot of the point, I know), but if they keep providing fun juicy political mysteries for me, we will get on like a house on fire.
Plus, gosh dang it, it is just so good to see Paris from Gilmore Girls working again! (I know I know. She's already dead. I miss her already.)
Or, I suppose I should say, I am ambivalent/ignorant of his music. But, I really do like his introduction of Albert King in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
(I did read somewhere though, that if you tell someone on a date that you love John Mayer, it probably means you are a virgin.)
Woo-hoo! Almost Thanksgiving, and two days off for Daddy. I love you all!
xxxoooxxx
The Spitler Extremely Scientific Polling Organization (SESPO) recently conducted a poll over the last few weeks. Respondents were asked the following question:
Which do you like better, STAX or Motown?
Here are the results:
39% Motown 23% STAX 15% "What's STAX? I will vote for Motown" 15% "What's STAX? What's Motown?" 8% "What's STAX? I have no preference."
Which means that nearly two thirds of those polled did at least know what STAX and Motown were. More than half polled did prefer Motown, even if 29% of those total votes were essentially by default. More folks asked "What's STAX?" than voted for STAX. Four of the eight persons over thirty-five preferred Motown. Three preferred STAX (including my Wife and myself); and one, an English wine importer, asked "What's STAX?" and claimed no preference. A grand majority of folks under thirty asked "What's STAX?" and a grand majority of folks interviewed that were legitimate musicians, or had at least played in legitimate bands, preferred STAX.
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As the title of this post suggests, the results were just about what SESPO expected. Such is the power of Berry Gordy's magnificent recording organization and publicity machine, and depth of insanely talented recording artists, that SESPO believes that it is possible that any time someone hears a Sam and Dave track, or an Al Green track, or a James Brown track, that many folks might naturally assume that it is a Motown product.
SESPO is not here to judge, however.
Instead, SESPO would like to share some STAX videos for you to enjoy:
Yesterday I was convinced that work would be absolutely awful, and it turned out great, with tons of great customers trying our sale wines, and making friends, and working so hard, and having fun, and feeling satisfied so much upon my boo-t-ful walk home, listening to Stax Stax Stax. "Who do you think you are?!" Crazy. Good crazy.
Everyone have a splendid Saturday, and kick out the jams (safely) for me tonight!
Tomorrow it is The Way Way Way Back at the Albany Twin and Rivoli for the Wife and I! Woo-hoo!
About Obama's Inauguration today. Not because I am displeased with Obama at the moment. In fact, I have been supremely impressed with his leadership since winning re-election. I am just more interested in the actual policy and politics of his presidency right now than the ritual show and drama.
I still do not think he will actually be able to get any ground-breaking or essential policy through an obstructionist GOP House, and I will not believe anything will be done about gun control until I actually see it.
But, he has forced the GOP to cave twice already. The trillion dollar coin thing is a fantastic gimmick that he can keep in his back pocket if the GOP get all hostage mad again, and it has actually been quite fun watching Fox News lately, as a parade of GOP meat puppets splutter and bloviate incomprehensibly while Obama/Biden/Pelosi/Reid continue to hoodwink a fractured messed-up GOP-controlled House of Representatives. I also think Lew will not be confirmed, and that Hagel will.
No, my favorite political story of the moment is the three day Come to Jesus confab that the GOP held last week where the Big Important Bidness Types told them to stop dicking around with the debt ceiling, and a pollster instructed them that rape is a four-letter word, and to never never never ever say it again out loud in public. Jeez-Louise, right? Of course, they all still believe in Magical Ladyparts, but they should keep those beliefs to themselves, according to some In the Loop/Thick of It/Veep Tory Toddler Whiz Kid straight out of Dartmouth, I am sure. What a bunch of hateful morons. Really.
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I am going to skip the Inauguration, and Fox News' coverage of it. Today, I am going to clean and organize the computer room, work more on a large movie roundup post and hunker down with three films today: Bergman's Summer with Monika, the documentary Searching for Sugar Man, and (for MLK day) Wattstax, or Respect Yourself The Stax Records Story.
Happy MLK Day everyone. I hope we all have a splendid Monday!
There was a time back in the early 90s when I was convinced that Jim Jarmusch was one of the finest American film makers ever. And my expectations for Dead Man, Jarmusch's 1995 film starring Johnny Depp, were very high, indeed. Dead Man was a crushing bore that night (prob still is) and I left the theater, feeling particularly ripped-off. I have not seen another new Jarmusch film since.
Moreover, his films are not aging well. I have pushed Down By Law on numerous friends and each time I have seen it, it gets worse and worse. Night on Earth was enjoyable in the theater but looks extremely silly and flimsy now. I have not seen Stranger Than Paradise in a very long time but the last time I saw it, it was still refreshing and fun; a blast of black and white sunshine, strangely enough.
But Jarmusch has one film that still seems as lively and lovely today as it did in 1989, Mystery Train. (Renee and I watched it last night, and Renee does not agree with me.)
There is so much to still love about Mystery Train. The film is actually three short films, three stories that are inter-connected, and take place in the South Main Arts District of Memphis, Tennessee over the course of one day. And like most of Jarmusch's work the cast is eclectic and superb, featuring Screaming Jay Hawkins, Rufus Thomas, Nicoletta Braschi, Elizabeth Bracco, Tom Noonan, Joe Strummer, Steve Buscemi, Rockets Redglare, and Tom Waits as a radio DJ.
Obviously, this being a film about Memphis, the music is amazing. The funky moody score was done by Jarmusch regular, John Lurie, and includes the amazing Marc Ribot on guitar. But the found music is the real highlight. They use only about a dozen songs and almost all of them are from either Stax Records or Sun Studios, heavy on Elvis (natch) and Rufus Thomas.
In fact, Elvis and Rufus are the twin ghosts that haunt the entire film. Rufus Thomas even makes an appearance in the first "film" of the inter-connected trilogy, Far From Yokohama. Elvis' "appearance", as it were, comes in the second "film", A Ghost. But both of these men are all over Mystery Train. There are paintings of both men shown throughout nearly every scene, Joe Strummer's character is reluctantly known as "Elvis" amongst his neighbors and friends, and, of course, they use a number of Elvis' and Rufus' great great songs throughout.
My favorite of the three "films" is A Ghost. Nicoletta Brasci's husband appears to have died on the plane, meaning she will have to spend one night in Memphis before she can fly back home to Rome. She does not appear to be the least bit bothered by her husband's death. After being confronted by a con-man and potential mugger, Tom Noonan, who gets twenty bucks out of her by relating an old Memphis urban legend about picking up a hitch-hiking ghost of Elvis, wanting to be dropped off at Graceland, Brasci finds herself lucky to share a room at a decrepit hotel with one of the most annoying loudmouth characters in film history, Lorraine Bracco's Dee Dee. (This is obv Jarmusch making a statement about the difference between Europeans and North Americans, but it is realized with such taste that it is merely hilarious and not preachy. All four of our protagonists in the film are auslanders -- as they say in the Cantons of Helvetica -- two Japanese kids, the Italian widow, and an Englishman.)
But the most poignant heartbreaking moment for me occurs in the last film, Lost in Space, when our three "heroes" drive by Stax Records.
This is what the mighty Stax records looked like in the late 80s.
Thank God, they have rebuilt this American Treasure and turned it in to a museum and recording studio again.
It is a splendid film and comes v highly recommended. Renee and I watched it on Apple TV last night, as I only have a VHS copy of the film, but Criterion, once again, have come out with fantastic blu-ray and dvd versions of the film.
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I am about to go to the City and see the film, Shame, at long last. It is playing at the last stop Art House Cinema, the Opera at 2:20 PM. I imagine I might be the only person in the theater and the film is rated NC-17. It could make for an extremely unusual cinema experience. I will give all of you the complete scoop re the film tomorrow.
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Obama and his team are on a frickin' roll right now. Earlier today on Fox News, in anticipation of Obama's Buffet Rule speech today, all their pundits trotted out their usual Talking Points: The Buffet Rule is class warfare, that all millionaires are job creators, and their favorite today, that the Buffet Rule would only save us five billion a year on the deficit. Obama, in his speech, hit on every single one of those Talking Points, smashing them down.
If only Obama governed as well as he campaigned.
And on the Mittens front, with Santorum out, Fox News granted Mittens a congratulatory interview today. He is firmly in Projection Defense Mode re those recent crushing Gender Split numbers in the polls, "The GOP is not conducting a War on American Women. Obama is!"
I am surprised he just did not have his Wife sit for the interview.
Ciao!
UPDATED! (4/12/12): Yup. Guess who sat for an interview on Fox News about an hour ago. That is right, Mittens' Wife, Ann. They will be blasting her "best" bits from this interview on all their programs over the next few days. And she could even appear on one or more of their commentary shows. (I am guessing Greta gets her first.)
And by the way, Ms Rosen's comments on CNN yesterday were "inappropriate" and "wrong", just as Jim Messina and David Axelrod have stated.
I imagine Axelrod has gone full Malcom Tucker on Ms Rosen, already.
When I first purchased Congratulations by MGMT I listened to it (or parts, or most of it) at least once, oftentimes 2ce or three times a day.
Then I took a break, as I am wont to do, and I reckon many other music fiends do the same.
Listened to it today, expecting my love to have soured or grown cold.
Not the case.
The Siberian 'Suite' sounds much better today, w/ its' slightly out of phase version of Cohen's So Long Maryanne, & the e'er so lovely mostly instrumental middle piece inducing The Hill's Climb swoons.
Song for Dan Treacy is as crisp, smart, & sassy as ever. & the vocal performance on Flash Delirium is as brilliant, nuanced, & sophisticated as some of the best of Lennon's later Beatles work.
Still fantastic.
But, I claimed it was the best new album I'd bought since Crooked Rain by Pavement (1994).
I still stand by that today.
Here are the crucial NEW albums I have loved since R.E.M. changed my life in 1984:
White Denim/Fits (2009)
Other Lives/Other Lives (April 7, 2009 -my birthday!)
Oblivians/The Oblivians play 9 songs w/ Mr Quintron (1997)
High Llamas/Gideon Gaye (1994)
High Llamas/Cold and Bouncy (1995)
Teenage Fanclub/Grand Prix (1995)
Teenage Fanclub/The Concept (1991)
Belle & Sebastian/Tigermilk (1999- US release!)
The Perfect Disaster/Heaven Scent (1990)
Cheater Slicks/Don't Like You (1995)
Cheater Slicks/Forgive Thee (1998)
Belle & Sebastian/If You're Feeling Sinister (1996)
The Smiths/The Smiths (1984)
The Cure/Disintegration (1989)
The Smiths/Strangeways Here We Come (1987)
R.E.M./Murmur (1983)
R.E.M./Reckoning (1984)
R.E.M./Document (1987)
R.E.M./Life's Rich Pageant (1986)
R.E.M./Green (1998)
Stereolab/Space-age Bachelor Pad Music (1993)
The Perfect Disaster/Up (1989)
Dirtbombs/Ultra-glide in Black (2001)
Rocket from the Crypt/Scream Dracula Scream (1995)
Radiohead/OK Computer (1997)
Hot Club of Cowtown/Tall Tales (1999)
Hot Club of Cowtown/Swingin' Stampede (1998)
Rocket from the Crypt/Circa: Now! (1995)
Cheater Slicks/Refried Dreams (1999)
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion/Orange (1994)
Stereolab/Transient Random Noise Bursts (1993)
Pavement/Crooked Rain Crooked Rain (1994)
My Bloody Valentine/Loveless (1991)
Pixies/Doolittle (1989)
Oblivians/Popular Favorites (1996)
High Llamas/Snowbug (1999)
Stereolab/Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)
Lord High Fixers/Is Your Club a Secret Weapon? (1999)
Lord High Fixers/Group Improviastion ... That's Music (1997)
Spacemen 3/Recurring (1991)
The Smiths/Louder Than Bombs (1987)
XTC/Skylarking (1986)
Beulah/The Coast is Never Clear (released on 9/11/2001!)
NOTES: It seems the best years were 1996 & particularly 1999. Now, I have heard theories before re the double digits for great rock, i.e. '55, '66, '77, '88, etc, ... Maybe they were right or maybe the end of the century put enough of a burden on rock artists to produce seminal work before the century ended. What was I listening to between 2001 & 2007, you might ask: STAX. STAX. & more STAX. I'm so glad I love MGMT now b/c it gives me a 'Holy Trinity' of new bands to love (Other Lives, White Denim, & MGMT.) I truly dedicated myself to Stax records for 7 years. I wanted to know EVERYTHING aboot the Memphis label. It was a mySpace 'mall diva', Lily Allen (& Mary Weiss [Reigning Sound, nee Oblivians backing her] & Amy Winehouse) of all folks to wake me from my STAX slumber. I still consider the Beatles/STAX/Bonzo Dog Band/Steely Dan/Spacemen 3 the greatest groups of all-time. Smiths fan might wonder, What about Meat Is Murder & The Queen is Dead? I did not hear those records, partic. Queen until well after they were released. I loved The Smiths/The Smiths but took a snooze (except for the singles comp, Louder Than Bombs- ah! tearing down Austin freeways w/ Kate & Dave & Allison blaring London on my crappy jambox from the backseat, ... ) until I read in the NME that the Smiths had broken up & that Strangeways would be their swansong. I read that in the smoking section of the Drama Dept, UT; bought Strangeways a day later & still think it's fantastic. Meat is my fave Smiths record, their best by far, I think, anyway. I din't get in to the Replacements until they started releasing crappy records. I believe they're the unrighteous band, compared to the righteous R.E.M, in Lester Bangs insightful & prescient theory of righteous/unrighteous band duos: Stones: un, Beatles: righteous; Sex Pistols: un, Clash: righteous, etc, ... R.E.M. were righteous, the Replacements were not. It is possible this duopoly is still playing out, perhaps Blur & Oasis? But I just can't be bothered, I'd rather listen to Otis Redding. Finally, I'd like to point oot that STAX kicks Motown's ass every day of the week & sideways, to boot. If you do anything after reading this, please, start by listening to Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Booker T. & the MGs, Rufus Thomas, Johnny Taylor, the Dramatics, the Mar-Keys, the Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes, Albert King, Barbara Brown, Sam & Dave, Wendy Rene, Wm. Bell, the Astors, the Staple Singers, etc, ...
Honestly, even after this huge list, if I was homeless & could pick only 10 cds they would be The STAX story boxset, Rubber Soul, Revolver, White Album, With the Beatles, & Beatles for Sale. all Beatle albums would be in their orig mono versions (just like those great STAX records.)
UPDATE!: I have just added 2 albums I had forgotten about. They are now included underneath The Smiths/Louder Than Bombs. I will keep doing updates as I see fit. One note aboot XTC/Skylarking (1986): I bought the UK import vinyl (embossed cover) version (& no Dear God on the record- instead: Mermaid Smiled) at Waterloo records (when it was south of the river) on election day in Texas. It was my first election & I lost. I voted for Mark White but Turdblossom's Bill Clements won, prob due to Turdblossom's 'imaginary' Democratic bugging of his office. You see, he was an asshole even back in 1986!
