Runnin' Down a Dream

I know I've been slack in posting much more than radio playlists as of late. The first month and a half of the semester did me in. But I've had this post brewing for a few weeks, and it's time to get it out.

I recently watched the Peter Bogdanovich documentary Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream. I've always been a big fan of the Heartbreakers, and was curious as to what insight the documentary would provide. I was a little dismayed when the discs came from Netflix. This sucker clocks in at just under four hours. Now, I love me some Tom Petty, but that seems like overkill for a straightforward documentary on a pretty straightforward rock band.

But overkill it is not. I found myself drawn into the Heartbreakers' story for the film's duration, eagerly awaiting the insights and developments of the next documented phase of the band's career.

The film is rather comprehensive - following the boys from their youth in southern Florida to their stabs at obtaining a record contract, their rise to stardom in the 1970s, becoming video icons in the 1980s, the solo work, the Wilburys, the 1990s material - it's all here. And it's all told with such by the band themselves - every member was interviewed in depth, as were associates of the band (producers, former managers, family members, ex-band members, as well as a who's-who of rock stars from the 1970s through today).

And it is a surprisingly gripping story from the perspective of what was happening behind the scenes (infighting, substance abuse, family struggles, creative differences) and simply being able to see Tom and the band develop their craft over the course of 30 years.

Perhaps most interesting to me were the well chronicled battles between Petty and the music industry. I knew he was always an advocate for fans, but I never realized just how many times he went to bat against the corporate music biz (and he remains so today, critiquing the radio industry on The Last DJ, getting into hot water over offering free downloads, etc.).

To put it simply, if you're a fan of the music, the documentary is an absolute must. The four-disc set includes a DVD of the Heartbreakers' 30th Anniversary Concert in Gainesville, as well as a CD of rarities and outtakes. Rock on.

Check out the trailer:



And what the hell, here's one of my favorites:

Some notes on MJ's This Is It.

Last night I took in Michael Jackson's This is It - in IMAX, no less!

Though I'm certainly an MJ fan, I had my doubts about the London O2 concerts. The live performances that I'd seen from the HIStory tour and the 30th Anniversary show at Madison Square Garden didn't give me much hope that MJ could ever reclaim his throne of pop showmanship.

This is It now has me thinking that those concerts really could have rejuvenated his reputation in global pop culture.

I was encouraged by the promotional clips that had been circulating, which indicated live vocals - and good live vocals at that. The majority of the songs in the film are in fact sung live, and I'm amazed that he was able to get his voice back in shape. This was probably the greatest and most convincing aspect of the film for me.

The dancing wasn't exactly the high-octane performance of MJ's legend. That may be partially due to the fact that these were rehearsals, and may also be the product of middle age. That's not to say the film is devoid of MJ's dancing, just that it's a bit more subdued than one might expect. I will say that in this video footage, his face looked better than it had in the previous 10-15 years.

Most of the man's biggest hits are here"
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
They Don't Care About Us
Human Nature
The Way You Make Me Feel
Beat It
Thriller
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
I Want You Back/The Love You Save/I'll Be There
Earth Song
Black or White
Man in the Mirror

Noticeably absent are any tracks from the much-revered Off the Wall album. Whether or not those were planned for the shows is unclear. It's possible that their absence is simply a product of what footage existed. (the bulk of the performances hail from four or five days' worth of rehearsals).

As much of the press has noted, what's really interesting to see is MJ in the midst of his creative process. Granted, it's not quite the same as getting access to a slew of demo recordings and hearing those classic tracks take shape. But there is definitely a sense of vision and MJ working to realize that vision of what could have been his reclamation of relevance in popular culture. Of course, the unsettling irony is that he achieved that reclamation in death.

Granted, the film was meticulously edited from something like 80 hours of footage. No doubt the producers of the film worked to present MJ in the best possible light. Even so, you do not get the sense of watching someone on the verge of collapse. This doesn't appear to be a chemically dependent man, out of touch with reality. Quite the contrary - he seems focused, energized and set on blowing the O2 arena to bits.

In short, it was a worthwhile look into the construction of Jackson's O2 stint, and I think a fitting final testament. A concert film classic? Probably not. But something that any fan should make a point to see over the next two weeks (though I'm betting on an extended run. One can't help but think the "two week limited engagement" was a means to drum up advanced sales).

This is it.

This might be a train wreck (though a meticulously edited one), but I'll probably still try to see it.

Copyright Criminals trailer

Kembrew McLeod and Ben Franzen have been working on a documentary about sampling in an era of ever more restrictive copyright laws. The film will start making rounds on the campus and fesitval circuit this spring, hopefully with a dvd release to follow. Check out the film's website for upcoming events etc.(to be updated shortly, I'm told).

Here's the trailer:

forthcoming doc: "I Need that Record!"

MOOG

Recently, I made a post about the theremin, spurred by a documentary I'd watched courtesy of Netflix (there's a plug for you). This past week, I took in a documentary on another electronic music pioneer, Robert Moog. The film is simply titled Moog - here's the trailer:



Admittedly, it isn't as well done as Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey (in which Robert Moog appears quite a bit). Still, it's an interesting look at the man, the development of the Moog synthesizer, and how its been used in popular music. It's worth renting at least. Sadly, Robert Moog died recently (within the last year or two). Of course, there's plenty of music to carry on his name, of which I would like to share two of my favorites.



First up is The In Sound From Way Out!, a collaboration between electronic music gurus Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley. Released in 1966, the album remains a landmark, and a cult favorite. Billed as being "electronic pop music of the future," the album took 275 hours of work "in the laboratory," and "several miles of magnetic tape" for this album to come to fruition. You kids with your Pro Tools and Midi loops just don't understand! Perrey and Kingsley did a bit more work together, but each had successful careers on their own as well (Kingsley is perhaps best known for his composition "Popcorn," a dance hit in the 1970s for Hot Butter). This was one of the first albums of all electronic music I ever heard, and I still love it dearly.

Perrey-Kingsley: The In Sound from Way Out!

EDIT: see WFMU's blog for 79 versions of Kingsley's 'Popcorn'! Here




Lastly, we have Moog: The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman. Released in 1969, the album is an interesting collection of originals and covers. The best known songs here are "The Topless Dancers of Corfu" and "The Minotaur." But the covers include James Brown's "Give it Up or Turn it Loose" and "Time is Tight" by Booker T. and the MGs. All excellent! I actually came across this one by accident. I knew of Dick Hyman and had "The Topless Dancers of Corfu" on a compilation called Easy Rhythms for Your Cocktail Hour. I randomly found this cd for a whopping dollar at a thrift store in Pittsburgh. Score!

MOOG: The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman

Enjoy, folks!

Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey

For years (at least since high school), I've been fascinated/obsessed with the theremin. I can't even tell you what sparked my initial interest in the instrument. I remember seeing Jon Spencer use one at a concert around 1999 or so, but I'm fairly sure that wasn't my first exposure to this wonderment of electricity. Anyhow, I recently watched the above documentary, and it served to reinforce my interest in the theremin.

The film is great. It starts as a biography of the instrument's inventor, Leon Theremin, then goes into how the instrument has been used over the years. What struck me was that the theremin was conceived and initially used as a legitimate instrument, not merely a novelty (as it's been taken up in American popular culture). Professional theremin players such as Clara Rockmore took the instrument to the concert hall, performing with symphony orchestras and the like. Watching folks like Ms. Rockmore (even in her old age) work the theremin added a whole new dimension to my interest in the instrument. This also made me consider how much the theremin can be made to sound like a violin. At any rate, I highly recommend checking out this documentary. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the trailer on YouTube, but you can view it on the Internet Movie Database here.

Now I need to see the documentary about the Robert Moog and his instrument (he also makes an appearance in the theremin doc).

For years I've been saying "This summer, I'm going to build a theremin." I'm getting a little more serious about it now. I've already started doing research and pricing kits. I will keep you all posted, for sure.

Lastly, given my infatuation with old school video games, I leave you with this gem I found on YouTube.

"Metal up your ass!"

At a recent late-night gathering, I somehow got to talking about heavy metal with a colleague of mine. Since that night, I've been going back to my roots and dusting off some of those albums from the glory years of metal. When I was in 6th and 7th grade, metal, so-called "alternative" and the ambiguously labeled genre of "hard rock" were basically all that I listened to. Ah, those adolescent Saturday nights spent flipping between Saturday Night Live (when it was still good) and Headbanger's Ball (ditto).

I also recently watched the documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster. I actually didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It has its moments, for sure (one of those coming up in a bit). And it's true - you don't have to be a fan of Metallica's music to watch it. It was just a bit too much for me. It's over two hours which is insanely long for someone who hasn't listened to or cared about Metallica since about 1992. Watching them make St. Anger in the studio is painful given the quality of the music.

Of course the draw to the film are the band's group therapy sessions in the wake of Jason Newstead's departure. One of the highlights from these sessions is this clip featuring Dave Mustaine and Lars Ulrich. Apologies for the Hungarian subtitles.



This clip strikes me as a bit ridiculous on both ends. We already knew that Lars Ulrich was a self-righteous asshole (most clearly evidenced in the Napster debacle). But that Dave Mustaine has apparently been plagued by his rejection from Metallica twenty years ago seems a bit much, particularly given the success Megadeth has had in the interim. Honestly, I always liked Megadeth a little bit more anyhow.

With that, enough of my babble. I give you what I take to be each band at their peak - you decide.

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