Pop music is a funny old thing. For me, it's all about perception. The way we perceive an artist can greatly affect what we think of their songs. Take Justin Beiber for example. There is a large proportion of the world's population that will hate his music no matter how good it is. This is based on their perception of Justin as an artist. Of course, he has a legion of fans so that won't bother him too much, but there may come a time when he produces a truly great pop track, but he won't get the recognition he deserves from many places. I don't really see it happening, but you'd never know.
"Man, I wish I was high right now."
Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that the artist affects the songs that are given to them. Not that many singers in the Billboard Hot 100 write their own songs. That's an unfortunate fact, but it doesn't, and shouldn't stop us from enjoying high quality pop music. Remember, it's the writers and producers that get the royalties for the songs "co-written" with the artist. One song in particular is making the headlines at the moment, and that's Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball". This is a controversial track due to the insane music video that Miley put out for it. That was excellent marketing. It made the video go viral instantly, and social media was whipped into a frenzy. Easy, free publicity, and all she had to do was get naked.
She's Just Bein' Miley
"Wrecking Ball" went number one, but the problem is nobody was talking about the song. It's all about Miley and the video. What I want is for us to put the song, and the music, back to the forefront of pop because I sincerely beleive that there is a lot of good work being done at the moment. I'm not afraid to admit that "Wrecking Ball" is actually a really good pop song. I just don't want that to be lost within the claptrap and bullshit that is surrounding Miley at the minute. Just Listen:
Right, I stopped doing this blog for the whole summer because I got lazy, and I wasn't really getting anywhere with it. I don't know what I really expected from it, but, there ya go.
This time, however, I'm back, but it's not going to be the same. I've seen that my most popular posts are the one about Gary Barlow and the one about Max Martin. These are both music posts. It makes sense that I would do more of these type of posts. I was reluctant to do that in the past because music isn't really my thing. I rarely listen to full albums, and I find most modern music to be terrible.
Actually a decent sonwriter
That being said, I had an epiphiny during the summer; not all pop music is bad. I realised that pop music can only be judged retrospectively, to see if it stands the test of time, and isn't bogged down by any given trend at any one particular time. That's why I'm going to judge older pop music. That probably won't get me many hits, but I've resigned myself to that anyway.
Also, I'm very interested in sport, and soccer in particular. On certain occasions I will be posting about this topic too, and how various soccer pundits and media figures are idiots, and completely out of their depth. Just because Alan Shearer scored the most goals in the Premier League, it doesn't mean he's an articulate authority on the game.
There are two types of comedy show that I enjoy watching, and they are on the complete opposite sides of the comedy spectrum. On one side, there are heart-filled shows like Community or Modern Family. These types of show offer up a lot of character development, and can be quite emotional. Mixed with some hilarity, and this is a winning combination. On the other side of the spectrum there are shows where the characters learn nothing, don't talk about their feelings, and are hilariously shallow. Seinfeld was the pioneer of this kind of show, and many have tried to emulate it, but I haven't found anything that could live up to its excellence. However, that was until I saw the first season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
I liked this show from the very first episode. The first thing I noticed was that they seem to be using real locations. Everything looks real and gritty, and the camerawork reflects this. The set up for the show is that these three guys own an Irish bar in Philadelphia, and basically try to screw each other over at every opportunity. They never learn from their mistakes, and can be quite ignorant and idiotic. These three characters are played by Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Rob McElhenney. They are joined on the main cast by Kaitlin Olson, who plays the barmaid. Danny DeVito joins them in the second season, but I haven't seen that yet.
Rob McElhenney is one of the stars of the show, but he is also its creator. He also writes the show along with Day and Howerton. This level of involvement from the main cast is evident when you watch the show. They clearly enjoy what they are doing. In any comedy show, the most important thing is the humour, and this show definitely delivers on this front. The comedy is quite dark at times, and in the first season they tackle issues such as racism, abortion, cancer, underage drinking, and child abuse. The fact that they were able to pull this off is a testament to the quality of the writing of the show, and this was all in the first seven episodes.
"I made da show!"
It is clear that McElhenney and the rest of the staff on the show have absolutely no fear when it comes to this show, and that they are willing to make light of any issue. The gritty setting, and camerawork just add to this atmosphere that has been created in this show and I find it to be very unique and refreshing. These guys are not pandering to the lowest common denominator. They know what they are doing, and there is a clear vision. If the other seven seasons are as good as this one, then I'm in for a real treat. This is my favourite heartless comed since Seinfeld, and that's a good thing, a very good thing indeed.
The first season of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is absolutely splendiferous. It is The Shit.
Right, I'm going to start something new today. We all like TV. That is an absolute given, but sometimes there's an episode of a certain show that just beats out all of the rest, and goes up there in your memory as something special. Well, what I propose to do is, every once in a while, present such an episode to you, my beloved reader, in the hopes that it will help you remember the episode, or better yet, introduce it to you. These episodes will become what will be henceforth known as Screwballs. They are the best of the best. They are the ultimate. They looked in the face of the media and shouted, "Screw You!" What better place to start than with America's most beloved family (until they began to suck), The Simpsons.
You know who the Simpsons are. Let's not get into that. What we will get into is one particular episode. This one is an absolute classic, and it is called "Homer's Phobia". It is the fifteenth episode of the eighth season, and it is simply fabulous. It came out way back in 1997 when The Simpsons could do absolutely no wrong. Like most episodes of The Simpsons it begins in such a way that you could have basically no idea where the entire episode is going to go. To pay off their gas bill, the family go to an odd collectibles shop to sell Marge's Grandmother's rare and valuable figurine (which turns out to be a worthless liqueur bottle). This is where they meet John, who is voiced by creepy filmmaker John Waters, and the episode has truly begun.
"Zzzzzap!"
You see, it turns out that John is actually a homosexual man, and this bothers Homer. He feels betrayed that John did not reveal himself to be gay instantly. This episode explores many interesting themes about homosexuality, but it's never preachy, and is always funny. The jokes come thick and fast, and there isn't a dud among them. The instant Homer begins to suspect that Bart is gay just ramps it up another notch entirely. The sequence at the steel mill will forever go down as one of the funniest moments in Simpsons history. Not only was it hilarious, but it introduced us to this song:
Now, this is an episode that focuses on Homer and Bart, and for this reason it is very strong. Their relationship is probably the most interesting within their family. It's definitely the funniest. John Waters is excellent as John, and his character is also quite strong too. The introduction to Moe and Barney works perfectly, and their hunting sequence is funny as hell. This was also the episode where they practically told us that Smithers was gay, implying that he had some sort of relationship with John.
Best quote:
'I like my beer cold, my TV loud, and my homosexuals fa-laaaming.' - Homer
Runner up:
'Homer, I won your respect, and all I had to do was save your life. Now, if every gay man could just do the same, you'd be set.' - John
With its strong character work, and absolutely hilarious jokes, "Homer's Phobia" goes down as an absolute classic of a Simpsons episode, and is most definitely a Screwball.
At the end of this month, the funniest t.v. show that I have ever seen returns to our screens via the online streaming service that is Netflix. This was a show that only lasted for three seasons before it was cancelled due to low ratings. When it was on the air nobody watched it. I know I didn't (I was just ten when it started!). DVDs might be a dying medium for watching movies and t.v. shows, but it was thanks to them that Arrested Development began to gain a following, and I am so glad that it did. I cannot wait to see the return of the weirdest, most dysfunctional, yet strangely close family that has been on t.v. since Seventh Heaven.
This is the "story of a wealthy family who lost everything, and the son who had no choice but to keep them all together". Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) is that son, and the main protagonist of the series. He basically plays the role of the 'straight man'; the one who the audience can identify with, and who sees his family for what they are - batshit crazy. He's is to Arrested Development what Father Ted was to Father Ted. He is trying to keep the family's company from going bust, but he isn't helped by their constant interfering and general idiocy. He is a widower and has one son who is named George Michael, played by Michael Cera. This was where Cera crafted his awkward teenager persona and he hasn't looked back since.
I, . . um, ...
George Bluth (Jeffrey Tambor) is Michael's father who, in the beginning of the series, was sent to prison for his less-than-legal dealings with the family company. His wife is Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter) is a cold-hearted snob with a very unhealthy relationship with youngest son, Buster (Tony Hale) - a man-child with a strange obsession with his mother. Michael's sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) is almost as shallow as her husband Tobias (David Cross) is secretly gay. Their daughter Maeby (Alia Shawkat) is an independent girl who is the object of her cousin George Michael's affections (At least it's not as bad as the Lannisters). GOB (Will Arnett) is Michael's older brother. He is an arrogant buffoon who enjoys performing magic tricks illusions (COME ON!).
That's pretty much the set up of the show, but it doesn't reflect how truly hilarious these characters are, and how ridiculous their interactions can be. Mitch Hurowitz is the show's creator, and I think he has done something truly extraordinary. He made a show that is funny every episode, but can still have slow burning and running jokes pop up all of the time. It's the type of show that you should watch more than once to try and catch all of the subtleties. There are too many running jokes to mention, but a few of my favourites include GOB's puppet friend Franklin, the fact that none of Michael's family knows what a rooster actually sounds like, and the fact that Tobias is a never-nude (a rare disorder where he can never be fully naked). Check out the top ten in this video:
Arrested Development was unbelievably funny and incredibly irreverent. It was the best comedy show that I have ever seen, and I hope it continues to be with the new Netflix episodes that are on their way. As it is now, however, Arrested Development is The Shit.
So Daft Punk have a new album out. It's the first thing they've done since they wrote the incredible score for the film Tron: Legacy. "R.A.M." was said by the French electronic duo to be a call back to the music of the 70's and 80's, and while I wasn't there at the time,, you can definitely feel a sense of nostalgia in these songs, and there is a hint of mellow optimism throughout.
The first single to come off of this album was "Get Lucky" with Pharrell Williams, and it was an absolute joy to listen to. It is definitely a great summer song that epitomises the 70's vibe of the album, and it cannot be denied that it is influenced by the stylings of an early Michael Jackson. I would say that this song is probably the most positive sounding of all of those on the album, but this is not a bad thing. Although the album is optimistic, there is a hint of melancholy in many of the songs especially in the latter half of the album.
Other highlights on this album for me are "Instant Crush" and "Doin' It Right". The former features Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas, and the word that I think best describes this song is slick. The beats are slick, the guitars are slick, and Casablancas's Vocoder enhanced voice makes him sound different, but appropriately robotic. "Doin' It Right" is another song that encompasses the mellow optimism of the album. Panda Bear is on the vocals for this song, and I think it is a huge success. It is the least groovy song of the album, but it is nice to hear Daft Punk playing a song that is purely electronic.
One of the coolest parts of the album is the song "Giorgio by Moroder". This song contains a monologue by Giorgio Moroder where he describes his musical rise and influences. The whole song builds up during Moroder's speech and hits a climax of tasty synth sounds. You can sense the freedom that Daft Punk were feeling when writing and recording this song. "Lose Yourself to Dance" is another track featuring the vocal stylings of Pharrell Williams, and it is a natural companion to "Get Lucky" with its sweet guitar riffs and clean drum beats that really grooves.
Those were the highlights for me so far on this album, but I'm sure that many of the other songs will grow on me over the coming weeks. This album is exactly what I would like to listen to on a long drive in the car. It is relaxing and groovy, and is distinctly cool. It isn't perfect, I mean, as it stands, I think the ordering of the track list isn't particularly smooth, and a couple of the songs in the latter half of the album are kind of forgettable, but, again, they might grow on me. It's early days. "Random Access Memories" is Not That Shit.
I hate the way everyone says that the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels are terrible movies. It's not that I don't agree with them, it's just the first one is equally as bad. I can't see what's cool about this film at all. I know everyone loves Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, but one character doesn't make up for the rest of the film. I found it to be boring, shallow and totally without heart which I absolutely hate in movies. If I don't like the characters, why the fuck would I care if they live or die? Jack Sparrow is funny, but he's a prick. Now this makes the character, and Johnny Depp, seem cool, but it actually hurts the film in the long run.
We all know that Pirates of the Caribbean was based on the Disneyland ride of the same name, and I'll admit that some of the action set pieces are a thrill, but like the ride, it feels empty of story. I wish we could have a really good pirate movie with some kick ass characters who we can really root for. I doubt it would even be that hard to make. You could basically copy Star Wars, but set it out at sea. Instead we get something that if you left to go to the toilet, you would probably just miss a boring sword fight or quip from Captain Jack. The action is in the Michael Bay style. I don't mean that it has lots of explosions, I just mean that in the end you're just not going to care.
The world created in this film, I'll admit, does look very good. The locations and the costumes are fantastic, but I say that it is not enough. We need to have relatable and fun characters to put into these costumes,, and Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann just don't cut it. That's obvious though, because in the fourth movie they aren't even in it and nobody gave a crap. Legolas aside, I think Orlando Bloom is a boring actor, and Keira Knightley isn't much better. They aren't helped by a script that doesn't endear them to the audience at all. Johnny Depp is probably just good because he's so famous he's allowed to do whatever he likes. Good thing he's quite talented.
Look how boring I am!
I think that anyone who enjoyed this movie is either a child who thinks saying "aahhrrrr" and "scallywag" is funny, or an adult who got tricked into liking it by Johnny Depp and all of the action. If you took away Jack Sparrow what are you left with? The answer is a complete convoluted mess that doesn't hold a candle to the great adventure movies of the past. If you ask me, I think director Gore Verbinski utterly failed to bring any imagination or creativity to this movie, and spawned a franchise that made the studio execs very happy (and wealthy), but pissed off any true cinema lovers.
I think I've made my point. Good action scenes are nothing without good characters. The storyline is important, but you won't care if you don't like the characters. People want to watch people doing unbelievable, amazing things. It's why movies exist. What is important is relatabilty. What is important is characters. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl lost sight of this. That's why I think it's Fucking Shit.
