The Van Morrison Contractal Obligation Album: [link]
I recommend the track "Ringworm".
Jayne ,'Out Of Gas'
There's a lady plays her fav'rite records/On the jukebox ev'ry day/All day long she plays the same old songs/And she believes the things that they say/She sings along with all the saddest songs/And she believes the stories are real/She lets the music dictate the way that she feels.
Judd Apatow's story of pitching a movie to the Stones with Ben Stiller.
Anyway, before that happened, Ben and I had to fly to Canada to pitch the story to the entire band. Ben was to do the main pitch, and I would fill in the holes. When we sat down with them in a girl's school where they were rehearsing for the tour, I choked and did not say one word. I am not exaggerating. I was silent.
Ben, however, was magnificent. I sat in awe as he told Mick what he would do as director, writer, and actor. At one point Ben said he wanted the movie to have the look of Gimme Shelter, to which Keith Richards replied, "Well, this time let's do it without the murder" and laughed his ass off. They all did. It was like being in the den with the devil.
NYistas should try to see the Shaggs musical this week: [link]
I knew the show had played in Chicago for a while, but I was unaware of this bit:
the band pit included some exciting players: LeRoy Bach of Wilco and David Hilliard from David Byrne's touring band. Musical director was Rick Sims of the Didjits and the Gaza Strippers.
D'oh! I don't think I can. I would have loved to, though. Did you read the great article on them in the New Yorker a few years back? I'm sure we discussed it at the time, but my brain is old and fried.
Oh yeah. Susan Orleans' article. Isn't that what got optioned into a movie?
It's very... Kate Bush. Back to basics sound for her.
"Hounds of Love" basic or "The Dreaming" basic? Or earlier?
Frank, it's very...atmospheric. I'd say more Sensual World than anything else.
Zoilus has an entry about here: [link]
There's a radio rip here: [link]
I was thinking it sounded very late 70s prog, but I caught it halfway through the first time. From the beginning, yeah, I'd say Sensual World.
Priceless quote from the BBC Blagger's Guide to Music on Madame Bush:
She releases albums the way people in legends release ogres - that is, not very often, and then only by accident.
NYistas should try to see the Shaggs musical this week
Have you seen a production? It sounds interesting, but it has a lot of competition (Serenity, lisah's show, the Neil Gaiman/Dave McKean movie, pennant races, plus non-options like the new fridge being delivered, best friend's birthday, and work that could erase all the preceding) so sell it if you can. Limited runs always get priority if everything else is equal.
Speaking of Neil Gaiman, he was just on the Leonard Lopate show. There's also an interesting interview with Anthony Shadid that I want to re-listen to. (These people think that they have some claim on my time simply because they pay me to be here!)
Corwood, you probably saw this Big Star article, but I didn't want you to miss it.
In musical theater news... Theatremania.com is offering "$70 tickets to Sweeney Todd at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. Orchestra and Mezzanine rows A-H ONLY: $70 All prices include a $1.25 restoration fee. This offer is valid for performances from 10/3/05 through 11/20/05, excluding all Saturday evenings and Thursday 10/31/05. Tickets must be purchased by 11/11/05." It's free to join & the discounts are worth the 1-3 emails I get every freakin' day. I got sixth row tickets to "The Pillowman" for $40 off. I'd like to see this one, too. A friend of mine was in Hedwig (main replacement for one of the band members) and he said that Michael Cerveris was the best Hedwig, even better than John Cameron Mitchell.
Have you seen a production?
No. I want you to see it and report back!
The new Big Star isn't nearly as awful as I was led to believe. As a Big Star album it's disappointing, but if it were being released as a Chilton solo CD, I would be thrilled with it.
t edit Ha! I didn't realize when I put in the link above, that Joe's link was an expanded version of mine. D'oh!
t re-edit And now, having read that expanded review, I agree that "February's Quiet" is the hit.