It's worth watching to me just for one scene with Ray Davies, but it is pretty much a guilty pleasure.

Is it good just for Bowie and the music, or is it a great film in its own right?

It's not a great film and its reputation suffered because it was hailed as the beginning of a new era of big buget musicals in the UK. Also, it's slight compared to the novel it derives from - which is much beloved.

Another problem is that the male lead is fairly forgettable.

All that noted, it looks fantastic. The opening tracking shot is famous (it's referred to in The Player along with Touch of Evil). Great music. Bowie with an American accent as an evil ad man, tap dancing and singing on a giant typewriter. Ray Davies as a put-upon ol' Dad singing in a cross section of a house. Slim Gaillard rockin' it up. Faux Beatnik business everywhere. Patsy Kensit was good in it too. Totally enjoyable.

The opening tracking shot is famous (it's referred to in The Player along with Touch of Evil).

Touch of Evil ! The other day, I was trying to think of the name of the Orson Welles movie with the famous tracking shot, and I couldn't remember. Thanks.

I have been switching between "Flashlight" (Parliament) and "Tears Only Run One Way" (Robbie Fulks) all day long.

The Homicide I watched last night on DVD was titled "Bop Gun"

Both of those songs are on Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome -- which I listened to this morning! My favorite Parliament or Funkadelic album (I generally prefer Parliament) & one of my favorites period: "Jump up in the air & stay there til I tell ya to come down!" I put "Wizard of Finance" on my Buffistamix. One of the first albums I bought. It came with a poster of Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk and an album-sized booklet with the cartoon adventures of Starchild defeating Sir Nose d'. Only found this sample online. The whole thing used to be on some site but I can't find it. Great great stuff. Proof that something can be really funny, really funky and really smart. George Clinton is the great Trickster of pop music.

Oh yeah: Eddie Hazel isn't actually on the album (unless he's uncredited.) Quick check... he isn't on my other favorite Parliament albums, Mothership Connection and Motor Booty Affair. He was more important to Funkadelic than to Parliament.

Earwormed with "Mr. Wiggles" now, & I'm loving it!

I got a string on my thing (Mmh),
Rhythm in my thing (Wind me up),
I can do my thing underwater
I got a string attached to my thing,
when you pull my string,
I can do my thing like I oughta

I LOVE THE OLD 97s!!

Ahem.

I thought the album was out end of month -- Jon, did you get an advance, or do I have the dates wrong?

Never heard of most of the acts at your Brooklyn Redneck Fest, Joe. But I'm kinda out of that loop in the last 5 years or so.

I thought the album was out end of month -- Jon, did you get an advance, or do I have the dates wrong?

The copy is at WMBR. The benefits of doing a radio show....

Of special note for Hayden, the note we got from our proof reader this afternoon:

By the way, it’s been a sheer pleasure to work on your book. I’ve long been a music junkie and was proud to correct a misspelling of “Baba O’Riley” in the MS. I was pleased that you mentioned one of my all-time faves, The Good Earth by The Feelies. Also, my dad, too, had a copy of Whipped Cream & Other Delights, just as your reviewer said he would.

In case people were complaining about the lack of fun songs about necrophilia, Of Montreal has delivered with "Chrissy Kiss the Corpse".

My favorite is still Voltaire's "Dead Girls Like Me."

Which reminds me . . . . Don't I owe someone a Voltaire CD?

Voltaire recorded music? Why the hell didn't he write the music for Candide himself?