"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!"
- A phrase you do not ever want to say to your children.
In life, there are people that we look at and think to ourselves "well, thankfully we're not these people". We tend to collectively think of ourselves as morally superior and normal, whatever that word means nowadays. A lot of the time, these people we criticize are known celebrities; people that seem to get away with their obtuseness and asshole tendencies.
Yet, we as a collective are not ones to judge these celebrities. Many of them have children, some more loyal to their parents than others. None the less, these celebrities that are parents do indeed love their children, and would do anything to protect them and/or advance their own endeavors. How I see it, one could be a pig, a drunkard, a philanderer, a cheapskate, an Anti-Semite, a druggie, a prisoner, or even a complete piece of shit. So long as they are loving their children and their children love them; there is hope. Yet that hope ends when the unforgiveable crime occurs. That crime being allowing and/or directly participating in the killing of their child.
For Dr. William H. Cosby Jr. Ed.D, any sense of redemption ended on January 16, 1997. It was on that day that his son, Ennis, was killed in cold blood while near the Los Angeles Freeway changing a tire. I am convinced Ennis' father, Bill Cosby, allowed and authorized a hit and run murder on his only son.
How can you say that, you might be thinking? Look at the evidence and the lies and the deceptions Cosby has done in his 78 years of his life. Particularly up to 1997, these infractions included:
Raping and drugging by force 40 or more females of all races and economic classes.
Forming a false image by being the white man's black man.
Dissing former co-workers and friends when felt convenient. Among those include:
Richard Pryor
Sir Sidney Poitier
Lisa Bonet
Malcolm Jamal-Warner
Harry Belafonte
Flip Wilson
Spike Lee
Stevie Wonder
Denise Johnson
Arthur Ashe
Jimmie Walker
Sherman Helmsley
Janice Dickinson
Robert Culp
Having the gall and temerity to go on television and dis his own movie Leonard Part 6; even though he wrote the script!
Removing socially and culturally important African-American entertainment shows like Amos and Andy.
Looking down on fellow African-Americans who did not have $400 million in the bank.
Fathering an untold number of illegitimate children in addition to his 5 own children.
Using his comedy shows as fodder for his bad deeds.
Bilking Temple University for unseemly amounts of money.
Forming a hatred on all races while trying to be post-racial.
Subjecting his wife, Camille, to 50 plus years of physical, emotional and mental abuse.
And most importantly:
Being a lousy parent to his five children. Bonus points for his disgust with Ennis and Erinn.
We know that of his five children, Ennis and Erinn were the most concerned and upset over the coming revelations of Bill Cosby fathering Autumn Jackson. We know the both of them confronted Cosby early that January to tell him to stop his ways and force a settlement and acknowledgement of past deeds. We also know that Ennis had plans to take measures into his and his sisters' hands in order to have Bill Cosby be treated for sexual addiction at the least. Yet, of course, a person like Bill Cosby would have none of it. Especially from Ennis, whom he had a tense relationship.
It is where the above quote went from a threat to a promise. It is where January 16, 1997 happened. A white immigrant was hired by Cosby to make a contract hit on Ennis Cosby; starting with mucking up the car Ennis was driving. It was followed by the most obvious sort of drive by shooting one could imagine. And with that, Ennis was gone. The light of the Cosby family; the one who could right the wrongs of his father, was no more.
I remember months after Ennis' killing when the Autumn Jackson lawsuit was put into place. It was then that I knew; Bill Cosby had his son killed to distract from the revelations of his two-faced fucked up life. Why it has taken 18 years and an unsealed admission of Cosby administering Quaaludes to more than one female rape victim is something that boggles my mind. Many think the statute of limitations have run out on any charges Bill Cosby faces. Perhaps that is true for rape and drugging. It is not true for murder. And if I am not mistaken, full punishment according to California Penal Code Law pertains to Cosby's actions that fateful day.
Bill Cosby: You Killed Your Only Son. Admit it to all that had once cared for you and looked up to you like I did. And then be Punished for these crimes for all the remainder of your life. When you do pass on, I hope Ennis is there waiting for you to send you on your eternal damnation in the hell you made for yourself. Ennis Cosby deserves justice after these 18 years. Let us all hope this vile being, for whom I am almost tempted to use the N word on, gets the punishment he deserves.
Love your children and you will find peace. Talk to you all later,
Robert
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Friday, July 3, 2015
That one summer: Insomnia
It was 13 years ago in June 2002. I was a 19 year old student enrolled at Hofstra University studying Political Science and Sociology at a most interesting time both in our world and for myself. Of the many events and changes made that summer, what stood out for me was Robin Williams. He was on a roll, starring in two psychological thrillers and going out on a stand-up comedy tour where he sold out every venue. No one ever thought of the problems that laid ahead for this genius.
What I saw first was Insomnia. It was only the third movie to be directed and co-produced and co-written by a budding prodigy in filmmaking. His name: Christopher Nolan, having been known previously for his independent debut Following (1993) and then the underground hit Memento (2000). Both stylish and unique movies that only scratched the surface of this singular talent. So it seemed a bit curious as to why Nolan would have his next movie be a big-budget remake of a 1997 Erik Skjoldbjaerg low budget thriller based in Norway.
For those not familiar, the original movie starred Stellan Skarsgard as a police detective investigating the murder of a 17 year old girl in the Arctic region. Skarsgard's character, Jonas, has problems of his own; namely an inability to sleep which does not help being in the Arctic during the months of full daylight. Also during the height of the investigation , Jonas accidentally shoots his partner, Erik. Eventually things come to a head when the killer of the girl, played by Bjorn Floberg, begins calling Jonas and appearing at inopportune times with knowledge of the shooting of Erik. Now, the original movie was interesting in its own way. I vividly remember Siskel and Ebert giving it their two thumbs up; Roger Ebert even comparing the movie favorably with the great Fyodor Dosteyevsky novels. You can find this movie on DVD and Blu-Ray from the Criterion Collection.
So that was the original movie: what about the remake that Christopher Nolan helmed? Interestingly, it might be somewhat better than the original, upping the ante on the psychological situations and providing a multi-layer approach with many of the non lead characters. Some of the plot points are similar; only this time it is in Nightmute, Alaska during the months of the Midnight Sun. As well, Al Pacino plays Will Dormer, a detective with more problems going in to Alaska than initially surmised; namely being exiled from the LAPD after an IA investigation shows fabrication of evidence in the conviction of a child murderer.
Any time a fellow actor is in the same film as Al Pacino there is bound to be a sense that the actors and the audience are just waiting for some scenery chewing. Rest assured, there is what we expect from Pacino in at least two interrogation scenes. Yet, as we have come to expect from Christopher Nolan, the rest of the cast hold their own. When I saw Insomnia, I was rather impressed with Maura Tierney in one of her breakthrough roles; her character being the hotel manager that moved to Alaska for reasons unexplained. Martin Donovan did rather well in his brief appearance as Will Dormer's partner. Also, it was interesting to see Hilary Swank's character get more nuanced and greater screen time than in the original movie. Yet, by far, the film was elevated exponentially by Robin Williams.
Williams and his character, now named Walter Finch, does not appear until about 50 minutes in. Yet once you hear his voice saying to Will Dorner "Can't sleep, eh?", one of Williams' more creepier roles comes to life. Here is one such example when Finch explains why he killed the 17 year old.
It just gets more creepier from there onward. In a way, the action set pieces are among the most realistic in any Christopher Nolan film. And for those who want to know; yes, the ending is changed somewhat. However, I think it works quite well.
Now, getting back to my reasoning for this essay. I mentioned before that it seemed that 2002 showed us a more disturbing and unsettling public view of Robin Williams. It was not as if Mr. Williams had not shown it in previous roles. But for me, those more serious films like The World According To Garp, Moscow On The Hudson, Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, Toys, Dead Again, Good Will Hunting, and even What Dreams May Come presented Robin Williams in more sympathetic traits for his characters. And even in his more serious roles, there was always a tinge of his unique humor that would show up if ever so briefly. It was as if Mr. Williams were saying to us "Look, I still have my laughter and manic style. This is only a role". Yet, I suppose when he reached 50, and probably taking a hint from his Oscar winning role in Good Will Hunting (1997) and a late breakthrough performance in What Dreams May Come (1998); perhaps Robin Williams wanted to go a different path.
It started innocuously enough with the dark comedy Death To Smoochie, a movie which I still have not seen. Admittedly, I was not interested in a story of a children's television star being a prick. None the less, it was Insomnia that I and perhaps others felt for the first time seeing a character Mr. Williams was playing: in this case Walter Finch, and finding it very hard to root for the guy. Admittedly, it is hard to root for many of the characters in this film. Perhaps Hilary Swank and Martin Donovan play characters we can relate to. Not so with others. I suppose it makes sense that in this version; Al Pacino's Will Dorner eventually does not deny a reason to shoot the Martin Donovan character early on. Not to mention, Dorner is cured of his insomnia, so to speak, by dying in the chase and gunfight towards the end. A bit tailor made for Hollywood; yet the essence of the ending in the Stellan Skarsgard version remains.
Insomnia was a breakthrough film in so many different ways. It was Christopher Nolan alongside long time collaborators like DP Wally Pfister, screenwriting brother Jonathan Nolan, and producer and wife Anna Thomas that proved to be making highly acclaimed and financially rewarding pictures. A bit afterwards, Nolan and Thomas' company Syncopy secured a development deal with Warner Bros; where their films have been financed or co-produced ever since. Hilary Swank got to appear in her first financially successful movie. Maura Tierney, Nicky Katt and Martin Donovan were able to successfully become involved in leading roles for movies and TV shows down the line. And you know something; Al Pacino did not need to go over the top and chew the scenery that much in this film.
More notably, for a time, Robin Williams starting with Insomnia began to appear in a series of movies and even a Broadway show that had him become the disturbed and yet soft spoken guy who we in the audience are both shocked and intrigued by. By all rights, this movie and One Hour Photo which was released in August 2002 should have been the game changer for Mr. Williams. It really should have been the movies that would have been for Mr. Williams what, for instance, Schindler's List meant for Steven Spielberg: the point of maturity and demarcation in which there was no going back to the old ways. I believe Robin Williams could have been nominated for an Academy Award for either of those two movies; a Best Supporting Actor nod with Insomnia might have made the ensuing race a heck of a lot more interesting. Alas, that renaissance did not last long. Maybe it was for the best. Yet maybe, if the trajectory in Robin Williams' film roles were of the more dramatic sort, what transpired in his last years on this earth might not have happened.
Just as Robin Williams was at his A game with his Summer 2002 movie slate; so too was he back in action and better than many of his peers when it came to his stand up comedy tour. It culminated in late July with his remarkable HBO special, Live On Broadway. That will be discussed next as we look back at That One Summer.
Happy 4th of July everyone!,
Robert
What I saw first was Insomnia. It was only the third movie to be directed and co-produced and co-written by a budding prodigy in filmmaking. His name: Christopher Nolan, having been known previously for his independent debut Following (1993) and then the underground hit Memento (2000). Both stylish and unique movies that only scratched the surface of this singular talent. So it seemed a bit curious as to why Nolan would have his next movie be a big-budget remake of a 1997 Erik Skjoldbjaerg low budget thriller based in Norway.
For those not familiar, the original movie starred Stellan Skarsgard as a police detective investigating the murder of a 17 year old girl in the Arctic region. Skarsgard's character, Jonas, has problems of his own; namely an inability to sleep which does not help being in the Arctic during the months of full daylight. Also during the height of the investigation , Jonas accidentally shoots his partner, Erik. Eventually things come to a head when the killer of the girl, played by Bjorn Floberg, begins calling Jonas and appearing at inopportune times with knowledge of the shooting of Erik. Now, the original movie was interesting in its own way. I vividly remember Siskel and Ebert giving it their two thumbs up; Roger Ebert even comparing the movie favorably with the great Fyodor Dosteyevsky novels. You can find this movie on DVD and Blu-Ray from the Criterion Collection.
So that was the original movie: what about the remake that Christopher Nolan helmed? Interestingly, it might be somewhat better than the original, upping the ante on the psychological situations and providing a multi-layer approach with many of the non lead characters. Some of the plot points are similar; only this time it is in Nightmute, Alaska during the months of the Midnight Sun. As well, Al Pacino plays Will Dormer, a detective with more problems going in to Alaska than initially surmised; namely being exiled from the LAPD after an IA investigation shows fabrication of evidence in the conviction of a child murderer.
Any time a fellow actor is in the same film as Al Pacino there is bound to be a sense that the actors and the audience are just waiting for some scenery chewing. Rest assured, there is what we expect from Pacino in at least two interrogation scenes. Yet, as we have come to expect from Christopher Nolan, the rest of the cast hold their own. When I saw Insomnia, I was rather impressed with Maura Tierney in one of her breakthrough roles; her character being the hotel manager that moved to Alaska for reasons unexplained. Martin Donovan did rather well in his brief appearance as Will Dormer's partner. Also, it was interesting to see Hilary Swank's character get more nuanced and greater screen time than in the original movie. Yet, by far, the film was elevated exponentially by Robin Williams.
Williams and his character, now named Walter Finch, does not appear until about 50 minutes in. Yet once you hear his voice saying to Will Dorner "Can't sleep, eh?", one of Williams' more creepier roles comes to life. Here is one such example when Finch explains why he killed the 17 year old.
It just gets more creepier from there onward. In a way, the action set pieces are among the most realistic in any Christopher Nolan film. And for those who want to know; yes, the ending is changed somewhat. However, I think it works quite well.
Now, getting back to my reasoning for this essay. I mentioned before that it seemed that 2002 showed us a more disturbing and unsettling public view of Robin Williams. It was not as if Mr. Williams had not shown it in previous roles. But for me, those more serious films like The World According To Garp, Moscow On The Hudson, Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, Toys, Dead Again, Good Will Hunting, and even What Dreams May Come presented Robin Williams in more sympathetic traits for his characters. And even in his more serious roles, there was always a tinge of his unique humor that would show up if ever so briefly. It was as if Mr. Williams were saying to us "Look, I still have my laughter and manic style. This is only a role". Yet, I suppose when he reached 50, and probably taking a hint from his Oscar winning role in Good Will Hunting (1997) and a late breakthrough performance in What Dreams May Come (1998); perhaps Robin Williams wanted to go a different path.
It started innocuously enough with the dark comedy Death To Smoochie, a movie which I still have not seen. Admittedly, I was not interested in a story of a children's television star being a prick. None the less, it was Insomnia that I and perhaps others felt for the first time seeing a character Mr. Williams was playing: in this case Walter Finch, and finding it very hard to root for the guy. Admittedly, it is hard to root for many of the characters in this film. Perhaps Hilary Swank and Martin Donovan play characters we can relate to. Not so with others. I suppose it makes sense that in this version; Al Pacino's Will Dorner eventually does not deny a reason to shoot the Martin Donovan character early on. Not to mention, Dorner is cured of his insomnia, so to speak, by dying in the chase and gunfight towards the end. A bit tailor made for Hollywood; yet the essence of the ending in the Stellan Skarsgard version remains.
Insomnia was a breakthrough film in so many different ways. It was Christopher Nolan alongside long time collaborators like DP Wally Pfister, screenwriting brother Jonathan Nolan, and producer and wife Anna Thomas that proved to be making highly acclaimed and financially rewarding pictures. A bit afterwards, Nolan and Thomas' company Syncopy secured a development deal with Warner Bros; where their films have been financed or co-produced ever since. Hilary Swank got to appear in her first financially successful movie. Maura Tierney, Nicky Katt and Martin Donovan were able to successfully become involved in leading roles for movies and TV shows down the line. And you know something; Al Pacino did not need to go over the top and chew the scenery that much in this film.
More notably, for a time, Robin Williams starting with Insomnia began to appear in a series of movies and even a Broadway show that had him become the disturbed and yet soft spoken guy who we in the audience are both shocked and intrigued by. By all rights, this movie and One Hour Photo which was released in August 2002 should have been the game changer for Mr. Williams. It really should have been the movies that would have been for Mr. Williams what, for instance, Schindler's List meant for Steven Spielberg: the point of maturity and demarcation in which there was no going back to the old ways. I believe Robin Williams could have been nominated for an Academy Award for either of those two movies; a Best Supporting Actor nod with Insomnia might have made the ensuing race a heck of a lot more interesting. Alas, that renaissance did not last long. Maybe it was for the best. Yet maybe, if the trajectory in Robin Williams' film roles were of the more dramatic sort, what transpired in his last years on this earth might not have happened.
Just as Robin Williams was at his A game with his Summer 2002 movie slate; so too was he back in action and better than many of his peers when it came to his stand up comedy tour. It culminated in late July with his remarkable HBO special, Live On Broadway. That will be discussed next as we look back at That One Summer.
Happy 4th of July everyone!,
Robert
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
In Cold Blood
I have been contemplating what to write about on the issue of the last five days. For those not aware, on June 17, 2015; a 21 year old white male from the suburbs of Charleston, South Carolina went to a Bible Study event at Emanuel AME church in downtown Charleston. Once Bible Study ended, Dylan Roof shot a fully loaded gun into the heads and bodies of 9 unarmed African Americans ranging from ages 27 to 86; 6 women and 3 men, including Pastor and State Senator Clementa Pinckney. 2 others were wounded and are still hospitalized; 3more are alive without wounds.
Let me start these next two or three posts by stating that I do not own a gun, I am a Democrat, I am not racist and I have not posted diatribes against others that were and are innocent. Dylan Roof has done this; so too has his mentors and handlers, for which there are many. Yet, Dylan Roof is only a symptom of a larger issue at hand in this world, one I have been noticing for quite some time.
I am speaking about the ongoing and widespread despair we are all seeing in our lives today. Perhaps despair and heartbreak have always been at the forefront of our lives; yet it now seems more obvious than ever and more open to any person that sees it. Let me give you an idea of this desperation foisted upon younger people today.
A 22-23 year old may have just graduated from one of the most prestigious private universities in the United States, or even went overseas to study and obtain a degree. Post-graduate studies could be on the horizon for that person. However, that young person has now accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt; not to mention forking over tens of thousands of dollars for room and board and other expenses. Financially, that person is now flat broke. In the immediate aftermath, this person will need to seek employment that would fit right in with that major and/or minor which was studied. Yet, no jobs are being offered; perhaps certain interests do not need to hire or will pay cheaper wages to other more dependent workers. Depending on where this person is living; the only job available is likely to be one that pays little and has no real value (e.g., licking envelopes). So now this person is stuck in a dead end job with a dead end future in a dead end town needing to support a dead end family.
It is then that a thought comes into the heads of these people in dire straits. That would be to die and/or have others die. Because you see, this ever changing world in which we live in will invariably become unbearable to many people, particularly those in a depressed state. When it appears nothing is changing, and it is the same shit yet a different flavor; anybody would want a way out. The biggest indication of this desperation I have found is when other people and living creatures pass away that mattered to the lives of so many on a personal and otherwise basis. Here is something rather sobering. What do these people of note have in common?
Gov. Mario Cuomo
Sen. Edward Brooke
Rod Taylor
The Editorial Leadership at Charlie Hebdo
Andrae Crouch
Anita Ekberg
Edgar Froese
Sen. Wendell H. Ford
Ernie Banks
Demis Roussos
Colleen McCullough
Sir Martin Gilbert
Louis Jourdan
Philip Levine
Lesley Gore
Clark Terry
Leonard Nimoy
Boris Nemtsov
Anthony Mason
Edward Cardinal Egan
Sam Simon
Sir Terry Pratchett
Al Rosen
Mike Pocaro
Andy Fraser
Alberta Watson
MP Lee Kuan Yew
James Best
Geoffrey Lewis
Gunter Grass
Percy Sledge
Sen. Robert P. Griffin
Jayne Meadows
Ben E. King
Grace Lee Whitney
B.B. King
Dr. John Forbes Nash Jr.
Anne Meara
Betsy Palmer
Beau Biden
MP Charles Kennedy
Sir Christopher Lee
James Last
Ron Moody
Ornette Coleman
"The American Dream"; Dusty Rhodes
Kirk Kerkorian
James Horner
These people passed away this year; and we are not even finished with June yet. As we grow older, more and more of those we grew up with and even had a personal connection with seem to pass on to the unknown. Left to continue are us who are living, of course. Yet for some, it feels like an end has come. And with that end, a sense of longing for the past in some form or another occurs: usually involving childhood innocence and a rose-colored glasses memory that may have been true yet perhaps not.
I can certainly understand the feelings at times. Last year, one of our pet dogs, Doogie, passed away at 14 years old. I can certainly tell you now that there have been days and nights, though not frequent, that I think about Doogie and feel a sense of emptiness if only for a brief while. Yet, this is where people differ. For myself and my family, we simply move forward and await the next day; knowing full well that we have our health and our commitments to ourselves and others. There are however many that do not respond in kind.
The worst sort of feelings can be amplified when there is a gun involved. I firmly believe that when a person is holding a gun in their hands, the gun becomes sentient. No different than what happens to James Woods' hand by the end of Videodrome.
Quite scary, is it not? And that is just the transformation sequence!
None the less, it is much more saner to be without a gun than it is to have one. Let me put it this way; if during the midst of a divorce between two people, an argument occurs and there is a gun in the room: does it not seem obvious that it will be used to end the argument permanently? I say this because it has and continues to happen. Just two days ago, Milwaukee Brewers baseball star Darryl Hamilton was killed by his girlfriend in what is deemed to be a murder-suicide over a petty squabble. Had the gun not been in the room, both of them would still be alive today; and perhaps less inclined to turn violent. More notably, the lives of their families and their children are now forever altered and forever ruined. For anyone that has recently seen the newest Disney-Pixar movie Inside Out, all core emotions have now been permanently replaced by an idea to continue the cycle by leaving this life in some form or other.
Hard to believe, yet there are more guns in the United States than there are people living here. There are more gun manufacturers than there are community service organizations in the United States. One can discuss many other issues that relate to these shootings. SSRIs, economic mistreatment, family issues, mental health treatment, employment and the like are all matters to be discussed. However, those matters need to wait until two important matters are needed to be attended to.
1. Banning and outlawing guns in the hands of any person.
2. Altering the culture of seeking death.
Banning guns is an easier task. All one needs to do is declare gun possession to be a criminal act; followed by indicting the gun manufacturers as accessories to murder and racketeering under the Rico statures. In that way, the NRA, the GOA and other like minded organizations can be put out of business. As well, it makes things easier to allow for a repeal of the 2nd Amendment and perhaps a full altering of the Constitution which is much needed. As an added bonus, the Republican Party and numerous Democrats would need to discuss some other matters of importance on the campaign trail.
It is the needed task of altering and hopefully ending the culture of death apparent in most people today that will be harder to achieve. So long as beloved and admired individuals in life continue to pass away, while despised individuals are more inclined to live beyond their expiry date; this death seeking culture will sadly persist. I know for a fact that the elites of this world that own us have exclusive access to drugs and elixirs prolong lives and cure illnesses that would shorten our lives. A literal Fountain of Youth, if you will. At some point, access to these drugs and elixirs will need to be put into the hands of the populace at large. Perhaps it might take drastic measures for this to occur, yet I would be weary on that front. Let this be clear: James Horner has just passed away, while the scions of the Rothschild dynasty continue to live. That, my fellow travelers, is not justice.
Getting back to Dylan Roof; he will be personally locked up and behind bars for the remainder of his days, as it should be. There are of course other concerns regarding the Charleston Shooting, particularly the targeting and assassination of State Senator Clementa Pickney (D-SC) that leads me to believe Roof had minders and a ton of help. Those issues will be discussed at another time, sooner rather than later. None the less, if there was ever a time to start banning guns and altering the death seeking culture we all are involved with to some degree or another; this would be the perfect time.
For those who are not aware of whom James Horner was: Mr. Horner was a composer of innumerable film scores. Many of which you all know and perhaps love. Here is an example.
Talk to you again fairly shortly,
Robert
PS. Baseball is Slavery and started out as a replacement for slavery. More on that when we see the film at 11.
Let me start these next two or three posts by stating that I do not own a gun, I am a Democrat, I am not racist and I have not posted diatribes against others that were and are innocent. Dylan Roof has done this; so too has his mentors and handlers, for which there are many. Yet, Dylan Roof is only a symptom of a larger issue at hand in this world, one I have been noticing for quite some time.
I am speaking about the ongoing and widespread despair we are all seeing in our lives today. Perhaps despair and heartbreak have always been at the forefront of our lives; yet it now seems more obvious than ever and more open to any person that sees it. Let me give you an idea of this desperation foisted upon younger people today.
A 22-23 year old may have just graduated from one of the most prestigious private universities in the United States, or even went overseas to study and obtain a degree. Post-graduate studies could be on the horizon for that person. However, that young person has now accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt; not to mention forking over tens of thousands of dollars for room and board and other expenses. Financially, that person is now flat broke. In the immediate aftermath, this person will need to seek employment that would fit right in with that major and/or minor which was studied. Yet, no jobs are being offered; perhaps certain interests do not need to hire or will pay cheaper wages to other more dependent workers. Depending on where this person is living; the only job available is likely to be one that pays little and has no real value (e.g., licking envelopes). So now this person is stuck in a dead end job with a dead end future in a dead end town needing to support a dead end family.
It is then that a thought comes into the heads of these people in dire straits. That would be to die and/or have others die. Because you see, this ever changing world in which we live in will invariably become unbearable to many people, particularly those in a depressed state. When it appears nothing is changing, and it is the same shit yet a different flavor; anybody would want a way out. The biggest indication of this desperation I have found is when other people and living creatures pass away that mattered to the lives of so many on a personal and otherwise basis. Here is something rather sobering. What do these people of note have in common?
Gov. Mario Cuomo
Sen. Edward Brooke
Rod Taylor
The Editorial Leadership at Charlie Hebdo
Andrae Crouch
Anita Ekberg
Edgar Froese
Sen. Wendell H. Ford
Ernie Banks
Demis Roussos
Colleen McCullough
Sir Martin Gilbert
Louis Jourdan
Philip Levine
Lesley Gore
Clark Terry
Leonard Nimoy
Boris Nemtsov
Anthony Mason
Edward Cardinal Egan
Sam Simon
Sir Terry Pratchett
Al Rosen
Mike Pocaro
Andy Fraser
Alberta Watson
MP Lee Kuan Yew
James Best
Geoffrey Lewis
Gunter Grass
Percy Sledge
Sen. Robert P. Griffin
Jayne Meadows
Ben E. King
Grace Lee Whitney
B.B. King
Dr. John Forbes Nash Jr.
Anne Meara
Betsy Palmer
Beau Biden
MP Charles Kennedy
Sir Christopher Lee
James Last
Ron Moody
Ornette Coleman
"The American Dream"; Dusty Rhodes
Kirk Kerkorian
James Horner
These people passed away this year; and we are not even finished with June yet. As we grow older, more and more of those we grew up with and even had a personal connection with seem to pass on to the unknown. Left to continue are us who are living, of course. Yet for some, it feels like an end has come. And with that end, a sense of longing for the past in some form or another occurs: usually involving childhood innocence and a rose-colored glasses memory that may have been true yet perhaps not.
I can certainly understand the feelings at times. Last year, one of our pet dogs, Doogie, passed away at 14 years old. I can certainly tell you now that there have been days and nights, though not frequent, that I think about Doogie and feel a sense of emptiness if only for a brief while. Yet, this is where people differ. For myself and my family, we simply move forward and await the next day; knowing full well that we have our health and our commitments to ourselves and others. There are however many that do not respond in kind.
The worst sort of feelings can be amplified when there is a gun involved. I firmly believe that when a person is holding a gun in their hands, the gun becomes sentient. No different than what happens to James Woods' hand by the end of Videodrome.
Quite scary, is it not? And that is just the transformation sequence!
None the less, it is much more saner to be without a gun than it is to have one. Let me put it this way; if during the midst of a divorce between two people, an argument occurs and there is a gun in the room: does it not seem obvious that it will be used to end the argument permanently? I say this because it has and continues to happen. Just two days ago, Milwaukee Brewers baseball star Darryl Hamilton was killed by his girlfriend in what is deemed to be a murder-suicide over a petty squabble. Had the gun not been in the room, both of them would still be alive today; and perhaps less inclined to turn violent. More notably, the lives of their families and their children are now forever altered and forever ruined. For anyone that has recently seen the newest Disney-Pixar movie Inside Out, all core emotions have now been permanently replaced by an idea to continue the cycle by leaving this life in some form or other.
Hard to believe, yet there are more guns in the United States than there are people living here. There are more gun manufacturers than there are community service organizations in the United States. One can discuss many other issues that relate to these shootings. SSRIs, economic mistreatment, family issues, mental health treatment, employment and the like are all matters to be discussed. However, those matters need to wait until two important matters are needed to be attended to.
1. Banning and outlawing guns in the hands of any person.
2. Altering the culture of seeking death.
Banning guns is an easier task. All one needs to do is declare gun possession to be a criminal act; followed by indicting the gun manufacturers as accessories to murder and racketeering under the Rico statures. In that way, the NRA, the GOA and other like minded organizations can be put out of business. As well, it makes things easier to allow for a repeal of the 2nd Amendment and perhaps a full altering of the Constitution which is much needed. As an added bonus, the Republican Party and numerous Democrats would need to discuss some other matters of importance on the campaign trail.
It is the needed task of altering and hopefully ending the culture of death apparent in most people today that will be harder to achieve. So long as beloved and admired individuals in life continue to pass away, while despised individuals are more inclined to live beyond their expiry date; this death seeking culture will sadly persist. I know for a fact that the elites of this world that own us have exclusive access to drugs and elixirs prolong lives and cure illnesses that would shorten our lives. A literal Fountain of Youth, if you will. At some point, access to these drugs and elixirs will need to be put into the hands of the populace at large. Perhaps it might take drastic measures for this to occur, yet I would be weary on that front. Let this be clear: James Horner has just passed away, while the scions of the Rothschild dynasty continue to live. That, my fellow travelers, is not justice.
Getting back to Dylan Roof; he will be personally locked up and behind bars for the remainder of his days, as it should be. There are of course other concerns regarding the Charleston Shooting, particularly the targeting and assassination of State Senator Clementa Pickney (D-SC) that leads me to believe Roof had minders and a ton of help. Those issues will be discussed at another time, sooner rather than later. None the less, if there was ever a time to start banning guns and altering the death seeking culture we all are involved with to some degree or another; this would be the perfect time.
For those who are not aware of whom James Horner was: Mr. Horner was a composer of innumerable film scores. Many of which you all know and perhaps love. Here is an example.
Talk to you again fairly shortly,
Robert
PS. Baseball is Slavery and started out as a replacement for slavery. More on that when we see the film at 11.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Some names of artists that might join the greats
Now that I have discussed who I think will be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this year as performers; I feel it best to turn my attention to who could potentially be on my ballot for the Revisited/Projected Rock Hall Project. I mentioned that I believe it is the Crown Jewel of the website Future Rock legends. While not going into detail on all of the artists on my relative shortlist; I do categorize these artists in what are their chances for probable inclusion onto my ballot.
Likely to go on my ballot.
Mariah Carey
Dave Matthews
Alan Parsons/Eric Woolfson/The Alan Parsons Project
Janelle Monae
Tangerine Dream
The Killers
Foreigner
On my immediate shortlist and thus possibly going to be on my ballot.
Arctic Monkeys
Deadmau5
Sarah McLachlan
The Strokes
Tears For Fears
Muse
Phil Collins
Joan Jett
Panic! At The Disco
Justin Timberlake
Beyoncé
Ben E. King
Robert Palmer
Carly Simon
Blink 182
Elliott Smith
Sheryl Crow
Supertramp
Neu!
Might consider if momentum is given by fellow posters
Huey Lewis
Kenny Loggins
Pet Shop Boys
Fall Out Boy
The Bangles
Hole
Dan Fogelberg
Vangelis
Mike Oldfield
Lionel Richie
30 Seconds to Mars
Neil Finn
Bread
10cc
Dream Theater
Boston
Yellow Magic Orchestra
X Japan
Gackt
Seal
Peter Tosh
Pat Benatar
Ed Sheeran
Out of left field ideas
Barbra Streisand
MGMT
Franz Ferdinand
Blue Oyster Cult
Kansas
Patti Labelle
Meat Loaf
The Tubes
Ryan Adams
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Ultravox
Jennifer Warnes
The Dells
Steve Hackett
The Stylistics
Sting
Neil Innes
Styx
Spoon
Paul Butterfield
TV On The Radio
Wesley Willis
Squeeze
Gin Blossoms
Toad The Wet Sprocket
Those were Performer candidates. Now here are some Non-Performer candidates.
Likely to go on my ballot.
Kevin Godley & Lol Crème
Jim Steinman
Possible contenders and left field candidates.
John Landis
Martin Scorsese
Russell Mulcahy
Linda Perry
Hype Williams
Kurt Loder
Cameron Crowe
Murray "The K" Kaufman
Lorne Michaels
David Letterman
Frankie Knuckles
Simon Cowell
Ryan Seacrest
David Foster
Howard Stern
Albert Maysles
D.A. Pennebaker
The Houser Brothers (Sam and Dan Houser from Rockstar Games)
Sir Tim Rice
Bruce Gowers
Doctor Demento
Neil Walls
Hugh Padgham
Steve Lillywhite
Flood
1st Generation MTV VJs
2nd Generation MTV VJs
3rd Generation MTV VJs
Dame Anne Nightingale
Here then are Influences from the pre-Rock and not confined to Rock and Roll eras that are viable candidates.
Likely to be on my ballot.
Tom Lehrer
Loretta Lynn
Probable candidates and left field choices.
Johann Sebastian Bach
John Williams
Lena Horne
Sarah Vaughan
Tony Bennett
Andy Williams
Fats Waller
Harry Belafonte
Kenny Rogers
Elliott Carter
Gene Autry
Roy Acuff
Richard Strauss
Jim Henson
Judy Garland
Aaron Copland
Leonard Bernstein
And finally, here are candidates on my shortlist for the Sidemen category.
Likely to be on my ballot.
Jennifer Batten
Ringo Starr
May be included and also left field ideas.
Paul Carrack
Bill Evans
The Roots
Bob Babbitt
Dick Parry
MFSB
Chester Thompson
George Duke
Steve Lukather
Carlos Alomar
Neil Innes
So, there are some ideas that may come to fruition by the end of the month of October. It should be a rather interesting discussion that lays ahead.
Talk to you more about this fairly sooner than you think,
Robert
Likely to go on my ballot.
Mariah Carey
Dave Matthews
Alan Parsons/Eric Woolfson/The Alan Parsons Project
Janelle Monae
Tangerine Dream
The Killers
Foreigner
On my immediate shortlist and thus possibly going to be on my ballot.
Arctic Monkeys
Deadmau5
Sarah McLachlan
The Strokes
Tears For Fears
Muse
Phil Collins
Joan Jett
Panic! At The Disco
Justin Timberlake
Beyoncé
Ben E. King
Robert Palmer
Carly Simon
Blink 182
Elliott Smith
Sheryl Crow
Supertramp
Neu!
Might consider if momentum is given by fellow posters
Huey Lewis
Kenny Loggins
Pet Shop Boys
Fall Out Boy
The Bangles
Hole
Dan Fogelberg
Vangelis
Mike Oldfield
Lionel Richie
30 Seconds to Mars
Neil Finn
Bread
10cc
Dream Theater
Boston
Yellow Magic Orchestra
X Japan
Gackt
Seal
Peter Tosh
Pat Benatar
Ed Sheeran
Out of left field ideas
Barbra Streisand
MGMT
Franz Ferdinand
Blue Oyster Cult
Kansas
Patti Labelle
Meat Loaf
The Tubes
Ryan Adams
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Ultravox
Jennifer Warnes
The Dells
Steve Hackett
The Stylistics
Sting
Neil Innes
Styx
Spoon
Paul Butterfield
TV On The Radio
Wesley Willis
Squeeze
Gin Blossoms
Toad The Wet Sprocket
Those were Performer candidates. Now here are some Non-Performer candidates.
Likely to go on my ballot.
Kevin Godley & Lol Crème
Jim Steinman
Possible contenders and left field candidates.
John Landis
Martin Scorsese
Russell Mulcahy
Linda Perry
Hype Williams
Kurt Loder
Cameron Crowe
Murray "The K" Kaufman
Lorne Michaels
David Letterman
Frankie Knuckles
Simon Cowell
Ryan Seacrest
David Foster
Howard Stern
Albert Maysles
D.A. Pennebaker
The Houser Brothers (Sam and Dan Houser from Rockstar Games)
Sir Tim Rice
Bruce Gowers
Doctor Demento
Neil Walls
Hugh Padgham
Steve Lillywhite
Flood
1st Generation MTV VJs
2nd Generation MTV VJs
3rd Generation MTV VJs
Dame Anne Nightingale
Here then are Influences from the pre-Rock and not confined to Rock and Roll eras that are viable candidates.
Likely to be on my ballot.
Tom Lehrer
Loretta Lynn
Probable candidates and left field choices.
Johann Sebastian Bach
John Williams
Lena Horne
Sarah Vaughan
Tony Bennett
Andy Williams
Fats Waller
Harry Belafonte
Kenny Rogers
Elliott Carter
Gene Autry
Roy Acuff
Richard Strauss
Jim Henson
Judy Garland
Aaron Copland
Leonard Bernstein
And finally, here are candidates on my shortlist for the Sidemen category.
Likely to be on my ballot.
Jennifer Batten
Ringo Starr
May be included and also left field ideas.
Paul Carrack
Bill Evans
The Roots
Bob Babbitt
Dick Parry
MFSB
Chester Thompson
George Duke
Steve Lukather
Carlos Alomar
Neil Innes
So, there are some ideas that may come to fruition by the end of the month of October. It should be a rather interesting discussion that lays ahead.
Talk to you more about this fairly sooner than you think,
Robert
Monday, June 15, 2015
Handicapping the Class of 2016: Rock Hall Editon
I have been interested in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for quite some time now. I suppose it goes back to when the Hall was opened in Cleveland, Ohio back in 1995. It seemed a rather odd yet intriguing premise: a building and history project that sought to honor and determine who are the most important rock artists and non-performers in the Rock and Roll medium. Unlike a sport hall of fame where statistics and numbers are of the most importance to determine an induction, recorded and performed music has no such obvious criterion. Getting a number one hit album or song, for example, does not thankfully indicate Hall of Fame worthiness.
As the years have gone by, the RRHOF has become quite important to merit worldwide attention and a fair deal of hand-wringing debates and responses. For myself, I feel as if I and a number of others have helped to steer the influence. You see, for the past 7 years, I have been an active participant on the website Future Rock Legends. On there, my user name is Lax followed by the number of my current age. I will explain why I picked the name Lax later. In any matter, the Future Rock Legends website itself has grown to include numerous polls and ballots to determine what are the best Songs and Albums of all time. Our Crown Jewel though is the Revisited/Projected Rock Hall Project.
It was initiated in 2010 as a way for the FRL community to look back at prior RRHOF inductions and determine what would we do and who would we induct each of those years through 2010. We then went through a phase of looking 16 years in the future to determine what our own Hall of Fame would look like by adding more inductees through a projected 2026 induction. We stopped there as we fit 10 years in the real world would be a sufficient amount of time to determine on FRL who would make the Hall, either in our website or the actual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame itself.
Since then each successive year we have added a new class of inductees from our own ballots of 7 Performers, 2 Non-Performers, 2 Influences and 2 Sidemen. Whichever artists, groups and non-performers get the most votes to make it to the top positions in each category are thereby inducted. Now, perhaps this may not mean much; yet here is an interesting anecdote.
Last Summer, many of the posters on FRL had come to a consensus that Bill Withers had ben massively overlooked for induction. Indeed before the October vote began, many of us mentioned on the message boards our intent to add Bill Withers on our ballots. This might likely have struck a nerve with the RRHOF Nominating Committee; for in early October, Mr. Withers was announced as one of the 16 nominees for possible induction into the RRHOF in 2015. I should point out that we at FRL voted right after the announcements. Within a week, when the votes were tabulated, Bill Withers was easily inducted into our Revisited/Projected Rock Hall Project; indeed, Mr. Withers had more votes than any other person or band.
Well, flash forward to December when the RRHOF announced their 2015 inductees. One of the 8 inducted was indeed Bill Withers. As an added bonus, Lou Reed was posthumously inducted right after the Revisited/Projected ballots had Mr. Reed obtaining the second most votes of any other person or band. I would like to think we at Future Rock Legends, not to mention the fan ballot by the actual Hall of Fame website, had a hand in getting these two important artists to be inducted into the actual Hall of Fame.
In September, the RRHOF Nominating Committee will meet in New York to discuss which 16 artists and/or bands will be put up for nomination as Performers for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction class of 2016. The only specific qualification for induction is for the artist or band to have made a record of some kind (debut album, demo tape, home recording) at least 25 years ago. For this year, it means any artist who started out by 1990 is now eligible. We at Future Rock Legends will concurrently be planning for our newest Revisited/Projected class with the cutoff date for the first recording being 2005. This allows our more recent induction classes to be an indicator of what the Nom Com may likely put up for nomination this year. Here is who I think at this time will be the 16 artists and/or bands nominated this year.
Alice In Chains: Easily one of the best alternative/grunge bands in their time. Their music was far much heavier and darker than many would initially realize, fueled namely by Layne Staley's autobiographical lyrics and singing alongside Jerry Cantrell's interesting counterpoints. Alice In Chains has continued onward long after Staley died of a drug overdose in 2002; this time with newer lead singer William Duvall.
Blur: Four British chaps who became the defining faces and forefathers of Britpop, including a most sophisticated intelligence and musical outlook. Their mixtures of soul, pop, rock, intimate singer-songwriter approaches, and even a bit of musical parody has not been duplicated by other artists since their initial recordings.
The Smashing Pumpkins: Growing up in the 1990s, there were only a select few artists and bands that when they came out with a new album and tour, everything stopped to take all the newer material in. The Smashing Pumpkins were one of those bands throughout the 90s that would release a new album or tour and everyone just had to follow them. For an Alternative band, they were at the edge of defying labels and just putting out what they felt they needed to put out. A lot of this was and still is due to the near singular vision brought forth by Billy Corgan, an awesome lyricist, singer and instrumentalist that showed a great deal of intelligence and song craft that is varied and rather thoughtful. Like many, I have felt the best years of the Smashing Pumpkins were when James Iha, D'Arcy Wretzky and Jimmy Chamberlin were in the group; adding subtle layers and textures to Corgan's ideas. None the less, what we have are the records and concerts that still to this day matter as being influential for newer artists. It has been 20 years since Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness; and it still sounds fresh and energetic today as it did back then.
Chic: The preeminent dance-soul-funk-disco band of all time, as far as I am concerned. Nile Rodgers to this day remains one of the most gifted and accomplished people in the music industry.
N.W.A: Before Dr. Dre went out on his own, there was N.W.A., a rap and hip-hop group that were brash, politically charged and did not give a crap if you cared for them or not. Much of what hip-hop is positioned as today comes from the likes of Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Mc Ren, DJ Yella and of course Dr. Dre in their relatively brief tenure.
The Eurythmics: Perhaps the most important New Wave act to come out of their era, certainly the most interesting. Annie Lennox is clearly one of the best singers of her or any other time; quite the good instrumentalist and producer with a keen songwriting approach is Dave Stewart. Both In their writings and performances were doing things not seen before or really even since with their brash outlook.
Depeche Mode: The forefathers of Emo and EDM that made personal songs at a time when superficiality ruled the airwaves. what Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher have done in some 35 years is very astonishing. Gahan is the voice, Gore is the guitar and the words, Fletcher is the one that puts it all together; and while with the band, Alan Wilder was the trained musician. To still be innovative today as you were back then is a rare accomplishment that Depeche Mode have uniquely been able to succeed at.
Nine Inch Nails: be it a band or just a name for Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails defined the Industrial subgenre which has since been expanded by many newer artists.
Yes: The most progressive, eclectic and proficient of the Art Rock groups. Quite a number of lineup changes; each one quite excellent in its own way.
Janet Jackson: The youngest of the Jackson siblings and the most accomplished female from the family. During her prime, Janet was just as equally innovative as Michael was; and perhaps a bit more proficient in material coming out. Fortunately, Janet Jackson has a new album coming out this year, her first since Michael Jackson passed away. I cannot wait to hear it.
Kate Bush: A rather left-field nominee, to be sure. Yet, Bush is one of the absolute best singer-songwriters with a very unique approach to performance and recording.
Kraftwerk: Perhaps the most influential group not yet inducted. To list their firsts and their innovations would need to take a longer essay. And that may happen if it is needed.
Link Wray: The innovative guitarist that brought the power chord to a wider audience; along with being an important figure for people of Native American heritage. I feel Link Wray is best suited for an induction in the Performers category.
Jeff Lynne/Electric Light Orchestra: It is interchangeable in whatever approach is given. None the less, one of the most brilliant minds in the rock field may hopefully get the recognition long sought after.
Nick Drake: A most mercurial and mysterious singer songwriter who passed away at age 26. No concert footage or film of Nick Drake is readily available. Yet we do have Drake's music; and what great music it was. Sparse yet effective, wistful yet a tinge of hope sought in each lyric.
Deep Purple: A band that I think would have already gotten in if past relations with living former bandmates were not as tenuous as they have been now. Still to this day a most varied and harder rocking band that have influenced countless newer artists.
Well, those are the 16 I think will be nominated. Tune in by tomorrow, I hope, where I will explain my preliminary picks for induction into the Revisited/Projected Rock Hall Project. Who knows; perhaps one or two may wind up as nominees on the RRHOF ballot.
Have a good night; more to come,
Robert
As the years have gone by, the RRHOF has become quite important to merit worldwide attention and a fair deal of hand-wringing debates and responses. For myself, I feel as if I and a number of others have helped to steer the influence. You see, for the past 7 years, I have been an active participant on the website Future Rock Legends. On there, my user name is Lax followed by the number of my current age. I will explain why I picked the name Lax later. In any matter, the Future Rock Legends website itself has grown to include numerous polls and ballots to determine what are the best Songs and Albums of all time. Our Crown Jewel though is the Revisited/Projected Rock Hall Project.
It was initiated in 2010 as a way for the FRL community to look back at prior RRHOF inductions and determine what would we do and who would we induct each of those years through 2010. We then went through a phase of looking 16 years in the future to determine what our own Hall of Fame would look like by adding more inductees through a projected 2026 induction. We stopped there as we fit 10 years in the real world would be a sufficient amount of time to determine on FRL who would make the Hall, either in our website or the actual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame itself.
Since then each successive year we have added a new class of inductees from our own ballots of 7 Performers, 2 Non-Performers, 2 Influences and 2 Sidemen. Whichever artists, groups and non-performers get the most votes to make it to the top positions in each category are thereby inducted. Now, perhaps this may not mean much; yet here is an interesting anecdote.
Last Summer, many of the posters on FRL had come to a consensus that Bill Withers had ben massively overlooked for induction. Indeed before the October vote began, many of us mentioned on the message boards our intent to add Bill Withers on our ballots. This might likely have struck a nerve with the RRHOF Nominating Committee; for in early October, Mr. Withers was announced as one of the 16 nominees for possible induction into the RRHOF in 2015. I should point out that we at FRL voted right after the announcements. Within a week, when the votes were tabulated, Bill Withers was easily inducted into our Revisited/Projected Rock Hall Project; indeed, Mr. Withers had more votes than any other person or band.
Well, flash forward to December when the RRHOF announced their 2015 inductees. One of the 8 inducted was indeed Bill Withers. As an added bonus, Lou Reed was posthumously inducted right after the Revisited/Projected ballots had Mr. Reed obtaining the second most votes of any other person or band. I would like to think we at Future Rock Legends, not to mention the fan ballot by the actual Hall of Fame website, had a hand in getting these two important artists to be inducted into the actual Hall of Fame.
In September, the RRHOF Nominating Committee will meet in New York to discuss which 16 artists and/or bands will be put up for nomination as Performers for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction class of 2016. The only specific qualification for induction is for the artist or band to have made a record of some kind (debut album, demo tape, home recording) at least 25 years ago. For this year, it means any artist who started out by 1990 is now eligible. We at Future Rock Legends will concurrently be planning for our newest Revisited/Projected class with the cutoff date for the first recording being 2005. This allows our more recent induction classes to be an indicator of what the Nom Com may likely put up for nomination this year. Here is who I think at this time will be the 16 artists and/or bands nominated this year.
Alice In Chains: Easily one of the best alternative/grunge bands in their time. Their music was far much heavier and darker than many would initially realize, fueled namely by Layne Staley's autobiographical lyrics and singing alongside Jerry Cantrell's interesting counterpoints. Alice In Chains has continued onward long after Staley died of a drug overdose in 2002; this time with newer lead singer William Duvall.
Blur: Four British chaps who became the defining faces and forefathers of Britpop, including a most sophisticated intelligence and musical outlook. Their mixtures of soul, pop, rock, intimate singer-songwriter approaches, and even a bit of musical parody has not been duplicated by other artists since their initial recordings.
The Smashing Pumpkins: Growing up in the 1990s, there were only a select few artists and bands that when they came out with a new album and tour, everything stopped to take all the newer material in. The Smashing Pumpkins were one of those bands throughout the 90s that would release a new album or tour and everyone just had to follow them. For an Alternative band, they were at the edge of defying labels and just putting out what they felt they needed to put out. A lot of this was and still is due to the near singular vision brought forth by Billy Corgan, an awesome lyricist, singer and instrumentalist that showed a great deal of intelligence and song craft that is varied and rather thoughtful. Like many, I have felt the best years of the Smashing Pumpkins were when James Iha, D'Arcy Wretzky and Jimmy Chamberlin were in the group; adding subtle layers and textures to Corgan's ideas. None the less, what we have are the records and concerts that still to this day matter as being influential for newer artists. It has been 20 years since Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness; and it still sounds fresh and energetic today as it did back then.
Chic: The preeminent dance-soul-funk-disco band of all time, as far as I am concerned. Nile Rodgers to this day remains one of the most gifted and accomplished people in the music industry.
N.W.A: Before Dr. Dre went out on his own, there was N.W.A., a rap and hip-hop group that were brash, politically charged and did not give a crap if you cared for them or not. Much of what hip-hop is positioned as today comes from the likes of Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Mc Ren, DJ Yella and of course Dr. Dre in their relatively brief tenure.
The Eurythmics: Perhaps the most important New Wave act to come out of their era, certainly the most interesting. Annie Lennox is clearly one of the best singers of her or any other time; quite the good instrumentalist and producer with a keen songwriting approach is Dave Stewart. Both In their writings and performances were doing things not seen before or really even since with their brash outlook.
Depeche Mode: The forefathers of Emo and EDM that made personal songs at a time when superficiality ruled the airwaves. what Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher have done in some 35 years is very astonishing. Gahan is the voice, Gore is the guitar and the words, Fletcher is the one that puts it all together; and while with the band, Alan Wilder was the trained musician. To still be innovative today as you were back then is a rare accomplishment that Depeche Mode have uniquely been able to succeed at.
Nine Inch Nails: be it a band or just a name for Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails defined the Industrial subgenre which has since been expanded by many newer artists.
Yes: The most progressive, eclectic and proficient of the Art Rock groups. Quite a number of lineup changes; each one quite excellent in its own way.
Janet Jackson: The youngest of the Jackson siblings and the most accomplished female from the family. During her prime, Janet was just as equally innovative as Michael was; and perhaps a bit more proficient in material coming out. Fortunately, Janet Jackson has a new album coming out this year, her first since Michael Jackson passed away. I cannot wait to hear it.
Kate Bush: A rather left-field nominee, to be sure. Yet, Bush is one of the absolute best singer-songwriters with a very unique approach to performance and recording.
Kraftwerk: Perhaps the most influential group not yet inducted. To list their firsts and their innovations would need to take a longer essay. And that may happen if it is needed.
Link Wray: The innovative guitarist that brought the power chord to a wider audience; along with being an important figure for people of Native American heritage. I feel Link Wray is best suited for an induction in the Performers category.
Jeff Lynne/Electric Light Orchestra: It is interchangeable in whatever approach is given. None the less, one of the most brilliant minds in the rock field may hopefully get the recognition long sought after.
Nick Drake: A most mercurial and mysterious singer songwriter who passed away at age 26. No concert footage or film of Nick Drake is readily available. Yet we do have Drake's music; and what great music it was. Sparse yet effective, wistful yet a tinge of hope sought in each lyric.
Deep Purple: A band that I think would have already gotten in if past relations with living former bandmates were not as tenuous as they have been now. Still to this day a most varied and harder rocking band that have influenced countless newer artists.
Well, those are the 16 I think will be nominated. Tune in by tomorrow, I hope, where I will explain my preliminary picks for induction into the Revisited/Projected Rock Hall Project. Who knows; perhaps one or two may wind up as nominees on the RRHOF ballot.
Have a good night; more to come,
Robert
Thursday, June 11, 2015
One Interesting Summer
You know it is Summer when the day is so unbearable, you need to install your air conditioners. Luckily, my family and I lasted through June 11 without the need to crank up the AC. It has taken the first and hopefully last 90 degree day in New York for that to change; to say nothing of an Air Quality Alert that went out today.
All the same, with the start of summer my memories keep coming back to June-August 2002. A lot of changes and discoveries had come to a then 19 year old male like myself who had begun to explore his place in the world and just the year before had found out; I had Asperger's Syndrome. The one big celebrity I followed that Summer was Robin Williams. It was in 2002 that Mr. Williams came back to doing stand-up comedy with a vengeance; culminating in his HBO special "Live On Broadway." In the realm of movies, Robin Williams had starring roles in two films that showed a deeper and rather creepier side which we all felt was just for show. Those movies, the Christopher Nolan classic "Insomnia" and the Mark Romanek underrated "One Hour Photo", were clearly amongst the best films that year. There was a hope that Mr. Williams would have received another Oscar Nomination for either of those movies. Alas, it was not to be.
Little did we know that those movies showed us a inner look into Robin Williams that opened his darker side. It was that sort of depression, confusion and despair that had seeped into Mr. Williams life for a great deal of his 63 years which resulted in him killing himself on August 11, 2014. I can only speak for myself when I say Robin Williams' passing has left a void in this world which has yet to be filled; nor could it ever be filled.
In the days ahead I will be looking back at Insomnia, One Hour Photo, Live On Broadway and some other appearances and interviews Robin Williams had done that Summer of 2002 when it seemed like he was at the height of his influence and relevance. This is not to say it went downhill from there; far from it. Yet, in that year, Robin Williams I think had the pulse on the world in what we were going through; what we were feeling; and our deepest and darkest tendencies. Little did we know how much this was tearing Mr. Williams apart in his private life. Now we have the clues and the hints to look back in retrospect.
To give you an idea of Robin Williams' genius and interesting outlook on life, here is an excerpt from his 1986 Live At The Metropolitan Opera TV special. It is something we all know too well.
Talk to you fairly soon,
Robert
All the same, with the start of summer my memories keep coming back to June-August 2002. A lot of changes and discoveries had come to a then 19 year old male like myself who had begun to explore his place in the world and just the year before had found out; I had Asperger's Syndrome. The one big celebrity I followed that Summer was Robin Williams. It was in 2002 that Mr. Williams came back to doing stand-up comedy with a vengeance; culminating in his HBO special "Live On Broadway." In the realm of movies, Robin Williams had starring roles in two films that showed a deeper and rather creepier side which we all felt was just for show. Those movies, the Christopher Nolan classic "Insomnia" and the Mark Romanek underrated "One Hour Photo", were clearly amongst the best films that year. There was a hope that Mr. Williams would have received another Oscar Nomination for either of those movies. Alas, it was not to be.
Little did we know that those movies showed us a inner look into Robin Williams that opened his darker side. It was that sort of depression, confusion and despair that had seeped into Mr. Williams life for a great deal of his 63 years which resulted in him killing himself on August 11, 2014. I can only speak for myself when I say Robin Williams' passing has left a void in this world which has yet to be filled; nor could it ever be filled.
In the days ahead I will be looking back at Insomnia, One Hour Photo, Live On Broadway and some other appearances and interviews Robin Williams had done that Summer of 2002 when it seemed like he was at the height of his influence and relevance. This is not to say it went downhill from there; far from it. Yet, in that year, Robin Williams I think had the pulse on the world in what we were going through; what we were feeling; and our deepest and darkest tendencies. Little did we know how much this was tearing Mr. Williams apart in his private life. Now we have the clues and the hints to look back in retrospect.
To give you an idea of Robin Williams' genius and interesting outlook on life, here is an excerpt from his 1986 Live At The Metropolitan Opera TV special. It is something we all know too well.
Talk to you fairly soon,
Robert
Monday, June 8, 2015
Twists of Fate
The word genius is often overstated in many different fields of study. This is particularly true when songwriting and performing is involved. Get a hit album or song or tour, everyone will flock to see what is next. Yet, if we find that the artist is inauthentic, no amount of hits and instant success will mean much of anything. Last year, this song was number one for a few weeks.
Many liked it initially. I was not one of them. My reaction was and is; Magic!, 311 called. They said they want their songs and ideas back.
Those bands are not what I came to discuss. Last Friday, I went to see Love and Mercy. It is in some way a vanity project for Bill Pohlad, the director writer and producer of this film, but in a good way. Though not a thorough docudrama; it looks at certain eras in the incredible life of Brian Wilson. Mr. Wilson, who for many years was for the leading figure in The Beach Boys , is a person in the music scene in which the word genius is a bit of an understatement. There was a certain time in the 1960s when only The Beatles were more influential than The Beach Boys.
Certainly anyone that is familiar with Brian Wilson know of his, no other way to put it, mental illness which thankfully has been treated well from the nadir of his problems during the 1970s. In a unique filmmaking technique, Pohlad uses two different actors to indicate different stages of Mr. Wilson's life in a non-linear fashion. Paul Dano portrays Brian Wilson during the years The Beach Boys had their biggest hits and most creative albums. Interestingly, the emphasis is on the album recordings than the touring. We get to see the creative genius in his element when Pet Sounds and later Smile are being made. And yet with Dano, we see Mr. Wilson being increasingly unable to cope with his mental illness.
John Cusack portrays Brian Wilson in another time; the mid to late 1980s when the worst of the illness had ended; yet also at a point in his life when Mr. Wilson began to love again when meeting his future wife Melinda (played by Elizabeth Banks) and subsequently breaking ties with his therapist/legal guardian, the highly unorthodox and controversial Eugene Landy (played here with great relish by Paul Giamatti). There is much to say about these roles; the duality of a man being broken and a man being healed in full for example. None the less, in short, Love and Mercy is a well made and fittingly great summer movie that is indicative of the need to heal and move forward in life.
As I mentioned, Bran Wilson was able to heal and is today as prolific as ever. Mr. Wilson has a new album coming out including some interesting duets. And he is touring a bit this summer; in fact, fellow Beach Boy Alan Jardine is coming along. To note, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston continue to utilize the Beach Boys trademark when they go out on the road. It is quite a long story to explain; suffice to say, as even intimated in Love And Mercy, Wilson and Love who are first cousins had differing ideas of artistry and commercialism. Yet, there were and are other artists from Mr. Wilson's sphere of influence who have not healed.
By that I do not mean Brian's brothers Carl and Dennis. Though both have since passed away, there deaths were different in many respects. Dennis Wilson died in 1983 at age 39 by drowning while searching for some keepsakes near his boat. Sad to say, Dennis Wilson was in a drunken stupor at the time. Carl Wilson, who had the least personal issues of the brothers, passed away in 1998 before turning 52 as a result of lung cancer. Yet, a musician that was part of The Wrecking Crew of session musicians who were a significant part of the Beach Boys sound has not faired so well.
Jim Gordon had also lived somewhat of a normal like yet dysfunctional childhood. Mr. Gordon had an uncanny knack for rhythm and arrangements; by age 18 he was drumming for The Everly Brothers. During the 1960s and 1970s, you could not listen to an album or hear the radio without hearing Jim Gordon drumming on a song. He became a part of The Wrecking Crew, and later on Traffic and also an Eric Clapton offshoot, Derek and the Dominoes. In fact, in one of Clapton's best known songs, Layla:
That is Jim Gordon playing the piano from the key change onward. Apparently, Mr. Gordon rewrote and arranged this section, what I like to call the Goodfellas section, as a release from the anguish of Clapton's lyrics. It is quite a beautiful piece of music, showing a hidden genius side not well known for a multi-faceted drummer.
Unfortunately, Jim Gordon was also a paranoid individual that heard voices in his head. And many of those voices belonged for some reason or another to his mother for reasons not entirely known. Yet, unlike Brain Wilson, Jim Gordon did not pull back from the brink. In 1983, on a June afternoon, Mr. Gordon went over to the house he grew up in that was still the residence of his mother. In order to get the voices in his head to be gone, Mr. Gordon hit his mother nearly 20 times with a bat, followed by stabbing her to death.
The only good that came out of it, if you can call it that, was the voices inside Jim Gordon's head stopped. This however left Mr. Gordon's fate to the laws of justice in California. With an insanity defense not viable, Mr. Gordon was found guilty of murder by a jury of his peers. For at least the past 31 years, Mr. Gordon has been incarcerated at a California state prison that also serves as a psychiatric ward. Twice he has been denied parole, still being considered a danger to society at large. Two years ago, it was revealed that Mr. Gordon's mental illness was still quite apparent, including refusing medication and still believing his mother was alive.
I do keep wondering what would have happened if Jim Gordon had gotten off of the drugs and alcohol, maybe take longer periods of time off at the height of his success, received medical care or even moved away from the scene. As well, it is hard to believe now; yet Brian Wilson could have gone that same path in some form or another. Both Wilson and Gordon are still alive, thank goodness. Yet, all the same, Brian Wilson has reclaimed his life these past 32 years or so. Jim Gordon had his life ruined by his own hands 32 years ago. Mr. Wilson has been able to enjoy the rewards and honors of a spectacular life. As for Mr. Gordon; we all know he will never be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If he was kept out from the induction ceremonies for Traffic, how in the heck could Jim Gordon reach the Hall on his own?
There is one other thing I am interested in discovering. Has there been any indication that Brian Wilson has Asperger's Syndrome and/or is on the autistic spectrum? I am not certain, yet the symptoms and traits are apparent, more so now than in his younger years.
Well, that is something that has been on my mind recently. It has taken me at least 2 drafts to get my ideas across yet I do hope this has been beneficial. More will be coming; including video blogs, Q&A matters, and yes I still have my drafts for a probable Doug movie to be considered. I also have updated my Microsoft Office software, so more writings and multimedia are forthcoming.
Talk to you all fairly soon,
Robert
Many liked it initially. I was not one of them. My reaction was and is; Magic!, 311 called. They said they want their songs and ideas back.
Those bands are not what I came to discuss. Last Friday, I went to see Love and Mercy. It is in some way a vanity project for Bill Pohlad, the director writer and producer of this film, but in a good way. Though not a thorough docudrama; it looks at certain eras in the incredible life of Brian Wilson. Mr. Wilson, who for many years was for the leading figure in The Beach Boys , is a person in the music scene in which the word genius is a bit of an understatement. There was a certain time in the 1960s when only The Beatles were more influential than The Beach Boys.
Certainly anyone that is familiar with Brian Wilson know of his, no other way to put it, mental illness which thankfully has been treated well from the nadir of his problems during the 1970s. In a unique filmmaking technique, Pohlad uses two different actors to indicate different stages of Mr. Wilson's life in a non-linear fashion. Paul Dano portrays Brian Wilson during the years The Beach Boys had their biggest hits and most creative albums. Interestingly, the emphasis is on the album recordings than the touring. We get to see the creative genius in his element when Pet Sounds and later Smile are being made. And yet with Dano, we see Mr. Wilson being increasingly unable to cope with his mental illness.
John Cusack portrays Brian Wilson in another time; the mid to late 1980s when the worst of the illness had ended; yet also at a point in his life when Mr. Wilson began to love again when meeting his future wife Melinda (played by Elizabeth Banks) and subsequently breaking ties with his therapist/legal guardian, the highly unorthodox and controversial Eugene Landy (played here with great relish by Paul Giamatti). There is much to say about these roles; the duality of a man being broken and a man being healed in full for example. None the less, in short, Love and Mercy is a well made and fittingly great summer movie that is indicative of the need to heal and move forward in life.
As I mentioned, Bran Wilson was able to heal and is today as prolific as ever. Mr. Wilson has a new album coming out including some interesting duets. And he is touring a bit this summer; in fact, fellow Beach Boy Alan Jardine is coming along. To note, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston continue to utilize the Beach Boys trademark when they go out on the road. It is quite a long story to explain; suffice to say, as even intimated in Love And Mercy, Wilson and Love who are first cousins had differing ideas of artistry and commercialism. Yet, there were and are other artists from Mr. Wilson's sphere of influence who have not healed.
By that I do not mean Brian's brothers Carl and Dennis. Though both have since passed away, there deaths were different in many respects. Dennis Wilson died in 1983 at age 39 by drowning while searching for some keepsakes near his boat. Sad to say, Dennis Wilson was in a drunken stupor at the time. Carl Wilson, who had the least personal issues of the brothers, passed away in 1998 before turning 52 as a result of lung cancer. Yet, a musician that was part of The Wrecking Crew of session musicians who were a significant part of the Beach Boys sound has not faired so well.
Jim Gordon had also lived somewhat of a normal like yet dysfunctional childhood. Mr. Gordon had an uncanny knack for rhythm and arrangements; by age 18 he was drumming for The Everly Brothers. During the 1960s and 1970s, you could not listen to an album or hear the radio without hearing Jim Gordon drumming on a song. He became a part of The Wrecking Crew, and later on Traffic and also an Eric Clapton offshoot, Derek and the Dominoes. In fact, in one of Clapton's best known songs, Layla:
That is Jim Gordon playing the piano from the key change onward. Apparently, Mr. Gordon rewrote and arranged this section, what I like to call the Goodfellas section, as a release from the anguish of Clapton's lyrics. It is quite a beautiful piece of music, showing a hidden genius side not well known for a multi-faceted drummer.
Unfortunately, Jim Gordon was also a paranoid individual that heard voices in his head. And many of those voices belonged for some reason or another to his mother for reasons not entirely known. Yet, unlike Brain Wilson, Jim Gordon did not pull back from the brink. In 1983, on a June afternoon, Mr. Gordon went over to the house he grew up in that was still the residence of his mother. In order to get the voices in his head to be gone, Mr. Gordon hit his mother nearly 20 times with a bat, followed by stabbing her to death.
The only good that came out of it, if you can call it that, was the voices inside Jim Gordon's head stopped. This however left Mr. Gordon's fate to the laws of justice in California. With an insanity defense not viable, Mr. Gordon was found guilty of murder by a jury of his peers. For at least the past 31 years, Mr. Gordon has been incarcerated at a California state prison that also serves as a psychiatric ward. Twice he has been denied parole, still being considered a danger to society at large. Two years ago, it was revealed that Mr. Gordon's mental illness was still quite apparent, including refusing medication and still believing his mother was alive.
I do keep wondering what would have happened if Jim Gordon had gotten off of the drugs and alcohol, maybe take longer periods of time off at the height of his success, received medical care or even moved away from the scene. As well, it is hard to believe now; yet Brian Wilson could have gone that same path in some form or another. Both Wilson and Gordon are still alive, thank goodness. Yet, all the same, Brian Wilson has reclaimed his life these past 32 years or so. Jim Gordon had his life ruined by his own hands 32 years ago. Mr. Wilson has been able to enjoy the rewards and honors of a spectacular life. As for Mr. Gordon; we all know he will never be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If he was kept out from the induction ceremonies for Traffic, how in the heck could Jim Gordon reach the Hall on his own?
There is one other thing I am interested in discovering. Has there been any indication that Brian Wilson has Asperger's Syndrome and/or is on the autistic spectrum? I am not certain, yet the symptoms and traits are apparent, more so now than in his younger years.
Well, that is something that has been on my mind recently. It has taken me at least 2 drafts to get my ideas across yet I do hope this has been beneficial. More will be coming; including video blogs, Q&A matters, and yes I still have my drafts for a probable Doug movie to be considered. I also have updated my Microsoft Office software, so more writings and multimedia are forthcoming.
Talk to you all fairly soon,
Robert
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