Quick Hits- Daft Punk and John Fogerty

I couldn't really get into Daft Punk's Random Access Memories as much as I was hoping to.  There are some catchy songs, but there are some awfully repetitive ones and some just plain worn-out concepts.  "Instant Crush" repeats its refrain to the point of exhaustion similar. "Touch", while having an intriguing beginning, becomes pretty soggy by the time it's (over)done.  "Giorgio By Moroder" uses an interesting technique:  Moroder introduces himself and explains how he got into music, and then the song kicks into gear.  It's one of the best tracks on the album, but perhaps DP would have been better served spreading this into two tracks, as repeated listening of the intro gets a bit annoying.  The last few songs are the strongest (concluding with "Contact", which sounds like a space shuttle's re-entry to Earth) and leave a good impression in the listener's memory, but the middle of RAM prevents it from being great.







I was surprised by how much I really got into Wrote A Song For Everyone, which features John Fogerty reworking his Creedence Clearwater Revival songs with other artists.  I think I've heard CCR on the radio about as much as I've heard John Mellencamp, which means that they're pretty burned into my brain.  I didn't have high expectations when I started listening, mostly because I've seen Fogerty perform his songs live on television a few times and he seemed pleasant enough, but kind of bland and boring.

I was thrilled that Fogerty really let his collaborators give their flavor to his songs, and having him in on it still lets in some of the original flavor.  Fogerty mostly trades verses on these songs, and it's a fired-up Fogerty.  The Foo Fighters rock the opening "Fortunate Son", Zac Brown Band lends their jammy country sounds to "Bad Moon Rising", and the title track is a soulful collaboration with Miranda Lambert and Tom Morello.  Fogerty sounds like he's having a blast, and Wrote A Song is a treat to listen to.  It's also an excellent choice for a long drive, as most of the songs are upbeat and pretty free-wheeling.
 

Poem- Wake Up

I programmed the alarm
Six thirty am
And though I'm slow to go
I was never programmed to hit the snooze

Five thirty comes and I turn on the radio news
Listening to the stories
I'm grateful to have this day
Blessed to have the roof over my head
In so many different aspects of life

Sting had it right when he sang
About how fragile we are
How close we are to nightmare sometimes
But in denial place ourselves far

Gratitude means being thankful for our reality even when
The sun is days away from shining
Humility is showing respect for others
Whose paths we do not travel
Whose shoes we do not walk in
Whose troubles we do not know
Or may not even be able to  imagine

As I get older I am especially aware
How grateful I need to be for good health
And to never think that it will last forever
I've seen it taken away
Sometimes it's regained, sometimes lost forever












 

Django Unchained

2012

R (and a very hard R)

Director:  Quentin Tarantino

Stars:  Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington


In Django Unchained, Django (Foxx) is freed by Dr. King Schultz (Waltz), a dentist turned bounty hunter.  Django and Schultz join forces as bounty hunters and then scheme to free Django's wife Broomhilde from Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

While I very much enjoyed the performances by Waltz, Foxx, and DiCaprio, I found Django Unchained to be a long and brutally violent slog.  Waltz is excellent as Schultz, a slick talker and schemer who can find his way out of just about anything.  I enjoyed the interaction between Schultz and Django, especially how Schultz stuns everyone by treating Django as an equal.  Schultz gets Django involved in a tough world, but one that Django will bear in order to have a chance to set his wife free.  Eventually, they cross paths with Candie, and the battle of wits between Schultz and Candie is extremely entertaining.

Beyond the performances, though, I wasn't thrilled with Django Unchained.  It's an extremely violent film, with blood spilled and organs exploding throughout.  Perhaps Tarantino just isn't my cup of tea, but I just didn't see the point of all the blood being spilled everywhere.  There's no question that the world of the 1850s and 1860s was full of brutal and inhumane behavior towards slaves, and some of that is portrayed here (including some very disturbing slave-fighting), but I just didn't think the amount of blood and gore needed to be shown to get that point across. 

Django had some moments that also just seemed unfocused, such as a scene in which KKK members have trouble keeping their masks on, so they debate whether to keep their masks on and raid Django and Schultz.  It seemed like a cutaway on Family Guy. 

Overall, Django for me was an example of how performances can only carry a film so far.  I can't recommend this film, especially to the squeamish.

Brandi Carlile- Live at Benaroya Hall

In 2011, Brandi Carlile released her first live CD, Live at Benaroya Hall, which featured Carlile and her band accompanied by the Seattle Symphony.  The concert featured works from Carlile's third album Giving Up The Ghost, as well as songs from her other albums and a few covers as well. 

Before listening, I was interested to hear what effect an orchestra would have on Carlile's live show.  Having seen her once in Milwaukee, I knew that Carlile had incredible stage presence, but my fear was that her music and band (as has happened to others) would be drowned out by an orchestra, the music's impact made melodramatic. 

For the most part, that didn't happen at Benaroya Hall, as the orchestra nicely completed Carlile and her band.  The quieter songs (such as "Shadow On The Wall") retained their intimacy, while the more uptempo songs ("Dreams") got a not-too-overbearing kick.  Carlile showed her sometimes McCartneyesque rapport with the audience, leading a sing-along on "Turpentine" and telling the audience they sounded amazing.

For me, Benaroya Hall was a satisfying listen. Carlile's voice is breathtaking at times (such as on her haunting version of "Hallelujah"), and she's not afraid to showcase others (her twin guitarists perform a wonderful duet on "The Sound of Silence".  It did leave me wishing for a release of her and the band without the orchestra, especially since I won't be able to attend her July 3 Milwaukee show.