MOVIES LAST SEEN
Drive (2011): 7.5
Beginners (2011): 7.0
The Hurt Locker (2008): 8.0
The Collector (1965): 8.5
Midnight in Paris (2011): 7.0
The House of Mirth (2000): 8.5
Sid and Nancy (1986): 7.0
Cyrus (2010): 6.5
Cool Hand Luke (1967): 7.5
Rabbit Hole (2010): 7.0
The Ides of March (2011): 8.0
Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011): 7.0
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Simply Red - Money's Too Tight to Mention (1985)
It is part of rock history that almost all the people who attended the legendary two concerts of Sex Pistols in Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall in 1976 formed lated a band. Amongst them in the audience were Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner of Joy Division/New Order; members of Buzzcocks; Morrissey; The Fall's Mark E. Smith; and red-haired Mick Hucknall who would later form Simply Red.
Despite the fact that Simply Red went on to become a MOR/blue-eyed soul mainstream hit machine, their debut album Picture Book is definitely a recession by-product of its era.
The white funk groove a la Talking Heads of "No Direction" belies the dark themes of the lyrics: "Why are we liable to die for survival? why is our nation divided?" or "In the poverty stakes see just what it means; when welfare decimates you'd better care about your fellow people".
In "Holding Back the Years", Hucknall poignantly croons about the long lost years: "Holding back the tears cause nothing here has grown". This majestic soul ballad in the vein of Stax Records and Al Green would suffice to make Picture Book a classic. But the album's highlight and pinnacle of Simply Red's career is "Money's Too Tight to Mention".
Accompanied by a great video, it's a song that simply refuses to age. Stabs of keyboards provide the main melody while a muted choppy guitar emphasises the rhythm. Lyrically, it's a scathing attack on capitalism, on capitalist governmental policies, and their catastrophic consequences in people.
The song is narrated in first person enhancing its impact. The lyrics paint a dark picture from the opening line: "I've been laid off work, my rent is due, my kids need brand new shoes". The protagonist seeks help in the next verses, only to find it nowhere: banks, the pillars of capitalism, refuse to help him; his family is unable to support him, facing their own financial straits themselves. In the chorus, the confession is devastating: "Money's too tight to mention, I can't even qualify for my pension". The future does not get bleaker than this.
Then comes the middle eight, where the music turns strangely into major tonality as if to alleviate the darkness of the topic, with the enemy finally named: "We're talking about Reaganomics! Down in the congress they're passing all kind of bills".
In the song's fade-out outro, Hucknall repeats sarcastically, "Did the earth move for you Nancy?", a direct nod to Donald Reagan's wife.
Simply Red never bettered "Money's Too Tight to Mention"; it is amazing how well the song resonates today.
Despite the fact that Simply Red went on to become a MOR/blue-eyed soul mainstream hit machine, their debut album Picture Book is definitely a recession by-product of its era.
The white funk groove a la Talking Heads of "No Direction" belies the dark themes of the lyrics: "Why are we liable to die for survival? why is our nation divided?" or "In the poverty stakes see just what it means; when welfare decimates you'd better care about your fellow people".
In "Holding Back the Years", Hucknall poignantly croons about the long lost years: "Holding back the tears cause nothing here has grown". This majestic soul ballad in the vein of Stax Records and Al Green would suffice to make Picture Book a classic. But the album's highlight and pinnacle of Simply Red's career is "Money's Too Tight to Mention".
Accompanied by a great video, it's a song that simply refuses to age. Stabs of keyboards provide the main melody while a muted choppy guitar emphasises the rhythm. Lyrically, it's a scathing attack on capitalism, on capitalist governmental policies, and their catastrophic consequences in people.
The song is narrated in first person enhancing its impact. The lyrics paint a dark picture from the opening line: "I've been laid off work, my rent is due, my kids need brand new shoes". The protagonist seeks help in the next verses, only to find it nowhere: banks, the pillars of capitalism, refuse to help him; his family is unable to support him, facing their own financial straits themselves. In the chorus, the confession is devastating: "Money's too tight to mention, I can't even qualify for my pension". The future does not get bleaker than this.
Then comes the middle eight, where the music turns strangely into major tonality as if to alleviate the darkness of the topic, with the enemy finally named: "We're talking about Reaganomics! Down in the congress they're passing all kind of bills".
In the song's fade-out outro, Hucknall repeats sarcastically, "Did the earth move for you Nancy?", a direct nod to Donald Reagan's wife.
Simply Red never bettered "Money's Too Tight to Mention"; it is amazing how well the song resonates today.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
The Smiths - Still Ill (1984)
It's no surprise three of the four "Recession Years" songs so far come from debut albums and young musicians. Youths are angry; and they are the ones usually most affected by recession. The Smiths were angry, but in a different way than The Clash or The Jam. They also had in Morrissey arguably the greatest lyricist in rock history; certainly the most literate.
"Still Ill" is probably both a relationships song and a comment on employment and life at the time in England. It starts with a straigthforward statement: "I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving". The line doubles as a critique of both Thatcher's government but of current social values as well. The government is only collecting and not providing for the poor; but English people are also trapped in a consumerism world, not caring for anyone else than themselves. "England is mine and it owes me a living" Morrissey continues; and the heating wouldn't work.
Work and employment - the 9-to-5 daily routine - were considered by Morrissey as a sheer mind- and soul-crushing experience which must be avoided at all costs. For him, staying on the dole was a conscious choice. Nowhere this is clearer than in "You've Got Everything Now" from their debut album, where he explicitly states "I never had a job because I never wanted one". In "Still Ill", he similarly suggests "If you must go to work tomorrow, well, if I were you I really wouldn't bother, for there are brighter sides in life". The message again here is double: he makes us clear of his beliefs about work in general; but he also implies that the type of jobs existing is not worth the effort.
Morrissey expresses with the line "We cannot cling to the old dreams anymore" a deep longing of the past, of a time where things were better. In that sense, he shares this view with other fellow recession songwriters: in "Ghost Town" The Specials asked "Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town?"; in "Town Called Malice" Paul Weller noted "those rosey days are few''.
The rest of "Still Ill" is an exercise in ambiguity: what is the illness that Morrissey suffers from throughtout the song ("Am I still ill?")? Is he lovesick, is he mentally troubled, or literally ill? It is never actually revealed. In another verse he continues thinking loudly, pondering "Does the body rule the mind or does the mind rule the body? I don't know...", one of his finest lyrics.
The song's textbook rock rhythm does not do quite justice to Johnny Marr's beautiful arpeggio work which accentuates the sad and nostalgic aura of Morrissey's vocals and words.
"Still Ill" has been performed by Morrissey during his recent solo tours (where he often changed the lyric from "England is mine" to "England is a swine").
"Still Ill" is probably both a relationships song and a comment on employment and life at the time in England. It starts with a straigthforward statement: "I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving". The line doubles as a critique of both Thatcher's government but of current social values as well. The government is only collecting and not providing for the poor; but English people are also trapped in a consumerism world, not caring for anyone else than themselves. "England is mine and it owes me a living" Morrissey continues; and the heating wouldn't work.
Work and employment - the 9-to-5 daily routine - were considered by Morrissey as a sheer mind- and soul-crushing experience which must be avoided at all costs. For him, staying on the dole was a conscious choice. Nowhere this is clearer than in "You've Got Everything Now" from their debut album, where he explicitly states "I never had a job because I never wanted one". In "Still Ill", he similarly suggests "If you must go to work tomorrow, well, if I were you I really wouldn't bother, for there are brighter sides in life". The message again here is double: he makes us clear of his beliefs about work in general; but he also implies that the type of jobs existing is not worth the effort.
Morrissey expresses with the line "We cannot cling to the old dreams anymore" a deep longing of the past, of a time where things were better. In that sense, he shares this view with other fellow recession songwriters: in "Ghost Town" The Specials asked "Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town?"; in "Town Called Malice" Paul Weller noted "those rosey days are few''.
The rest of "Still Ill" is an exercise in ambiguity: what is the illness that Morrissey suffers from throughtout the song ("Am I still ill?")? Is he lovesick, is he mentally troubled, or literally ill? It is never actually revealed. In another verse he continues thinking loudly, pondering "Does the body rule the mind or does the mind rule the body? I don't know...", one of his finest lyrics.
The song's textbook rock rhythm does not do quite justice to Johnny Marr's beautiful arpeggio work which accentuates the sad and nostalgic aura of Morrissey's vocals and words.
"Still Ill" has been performed by Morrissey during his recent solo tours (where he often changed the lyric from "England is mine" to "England is a swine").
Sunday, December 4, 2011
The Jam - Town Called Malice (1982)
With a succession of perfect singles, The Jam became the prominent social commentator of the era alongside The Clash. Toghether with a few other artists like Billy Bragg, they formed the "Red Wedge" movement against the Thatcher policy and the nationalist National Front Party - whose popularity was worriyngly increasing.
"Town Called Malice" is a showcase for Paul Weller's extraordinary gift for storytelling. Inspired by events in his hometown Woking, the lyrics paint the picture of a society on the verge of collapse. Weller manages to compress in under three minutes descriptions of various depressing images of city life.
"Better stop dreaming about the quiet life cause it's the one we'll never know" is of course the famous opening line and one of the all-time greatest in pop history. The story is developed brilliantly: the first verse provides the overall picture, a general view. Then, on the next verses, the lyrics come down to the personal level, giving insight into details of the everyday life. Weller spits his venom and anger like bullets from a machine gun. There are households severely hit by poverty, so they have "To either cut down on beer or the kids' new gear"; there are lonely housewives who "clutch empty milk bottles from their hearts"; bottom line, it's "Struggle after struggle, year after year, I'm almost stone cold dead in this town called malice". Thankfully, Weller urges "stop apologising for the things you've never done, it's up to us to change this town", and wakes up in order to "put some joy back in this town", thus providing some necessary hope amidst this "Malice in Wonderland" grim tale.
Despite their punk credentials, The Jam were distinguished from their contemporaries due to their apt musicianship: they were a tight, powerful trio and became notorious for their explosive live performances. Fuelled by a propelling beat and a sizzling organ, "Town Called Malice" is bursting with punk energy but carries the aura of classic songwriting like all The Jam's best singles. It is also a clear proof of Weller's love of 60's music: British R'n'B from bands like The Who and Small Faces; and classic Motown soul. The song remains until today the highlight of his solo performances.
"Town Called Malice" is a showcase for Paul Weller's extraordinary gift for storytelling. Inspired by events in his hometown Woking, the lyrics paint the picture of a society on the verge of collapse. Weller manages to compress in under three minutes descriptions of various depressing images of city life.
"Better stop dreaming about the quiet life cause it's the one we'll never know" is of course the famous opening line and one of the all-time greatest in pop history. The story is developed brilliantly: the first verse provides the overall picture, a general view. Then, on the next verses, the lyrics come down to the personal level, giving insight into details of the everyday life. Weller spits his venom and anger like bullets from a machine gun. There are households severely hit by poverty, so they have "To either cut down on beer or the kids' new gear"; there are lonely housewives who "clutch empty milk bottles from their hearts"; bottom line, it's "Struggle after struggle, year after year, I'm almost stone cold dead in this town called malice". Thankfully, Weller urges "stop apologising for the things you've never done, it's up to us to change this town", and wakes up in order to "put some joy back in this town", thus providing some necessary hope amidst this "Malice in Wonderland" grim tale.
Despite their punk credentials, The Jam were distinguished from their contemporaries due to their apt musicianship: they were a tight, powerful trio and became notorious for their explosive live performances. Fuelled by a propelling beat and a sizzling organ, "Town Called Malice" is bursting with punk energy but carries the aura of classic songwriting like all The Jam's best singles. It is also a clear proof of Weller's love of 60's music: British R'n'B from bands like The Who and Small Faces; and classic Motown soul. The song remains until today the highlight of his solo performances.
Friday, December 2, 2011
The Specials - Ghost Town (1981)
"Ghost Town" remains perhaps the bleakest aural portrayal of a recession-stricken town. It became frighteningly prophetic when serious riots erupted in various English cities during 1981, whilst at the same time the song was making its way on the charts. Race-related violence, police harassment, hunger strike in Northern Ireland, escalating unemployment (in their hometown Coventry and all over Britain): this was the environment when The Specials released their epochal masterpiece. The band had a strong anti-racism stance from their very beginning and included two West Indian vocalists. They headlined the final Rock Against Racism tour in 1981.
According to the song's writer and Specials' bandleader Jerry Dammers, "Ghost Town" was meant to convey impending doom. And it succeeds masterfully. "This town is coming like a ghost town" is the song's central theme, sung by four members as a chant. "Why the youth fight against themselves?" they wonder, before they lament: "Government leaving the youth on the shelf; no job to be found on this country".
Musically, it is one of the most peculiar and unconventional songs to become number one, shunning the traditional verse-chorus-verse structure. Ominous wind sounds open the song. Weird descending seventh chords played in keyboards follow, signalling our descent into the ghost town.The famous ska beat then comes in, along with a simple but instantly memorable eastern-tinged keyboard riff. There are voices like laughing ghosts suddenly fade in and out; plus a middle eight ("Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town?") where the song brilliantly shifts to major tonality. All these carefully placed elements add up to create a uniquely eerie atmosphere. The song ends as it opened, with the wind blowing as if we're leaving behind the deserted town.
Shortly after this artistic and commercial peak, all three vocalists left the band. The Specials officially split the same year with all members following other side projects. Bandleader Jerry Dammers pursued political activism. He was not part of the 2009-2010 reunion tour of the Specials.
A few months ago, thirty years later after 1981, England was swept again from violent riots.
According to the song's writer and Specials' bandleader Jerry Dammers, "Ghost Town" was meant to convey impending doom. And it succeeds masterfully. "This town is coming like a ghost town" is the song's central theme, sung by four members as a chant. "Why the youth fight against themselves?" they wonder, before they lament: "Government leaving the youth on the shelf; no job to be found on this country".
Musically, it is one of the most peculiar and unconventional songs to become number one, shunning the traditional verse-chorus-verse structure. Ominous wind sounds open the song. Weird descending seventh chords played in keyboards follow, signalling our descent into the ghost town.The famous ska beat then comes in, along with a simple but instantly memorable eastern-tinged keyboard riff. There are voices like laughing ghosts suddenly fade in and out; plus a middle eight ("Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town?") where the song brilliantly shifts to major tonality. All these carefully placed elements add up to create a uniquely eerie atmosphere. The song ends as it opened, with the wind blowing as if we're leaving behind the deserted town.
Shortly after this artistic and commercial peak, all three vocalists left the band. The Specials officially split the same year with all members following other side projects. Bandleader Jerry Dammers pursued political activism. He was not part of the 2009-2010 reunion tour of the Specials.
A few months ago, thirty years later after 1981, England was swept again from violent riots.
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