September 2007 Archives

Michael Palin has published his dairies (1969-1979) but its only portentous aspect is the title (The Python Years). It contains lots of juicy descriptions of George Harrison and others, sports a very useful index, and includes choice entries such as this dated August 25th, 1977:

"A phone call from Tariq Ali, of all people, who wants me to write an appreciation of Groucho Marx, who died this week aged 86, for Socialist Challenge. Decline on the grounds that I don't know enough about him, and suggest Ian Davidson. But Tariq doesn't sound very interested -- they're really only after big names, these socialists..."

Today's Here and Now [audio] review of Across the Universe, a movie that's as impressive as it is disappointing. (At least they don't have the poor guy sing "Yesterday.") Reminded me of how poorly served T Bone Burnett was in WALK THE LINE: even material this well arranged and produced can't support a flimsy script. And why do we keep returning to this material, feeding on it and shoveling money down its well when nobody's it's never been improved by any other medium, beginning with Frampton Bee Gees nightmare and on through Beatlemania and that sappy Lennon musical and LOVE, the Vegas sellout blockbuster. It makes you yearn for YELLOW SUBMARINE, which at least didn't take itself so seriously. How can Taymor (JULIE TAYMOR!) waste an actor like her old Obie pal Bill Irwin (uncredited)? Why is "Max" (Joe Anderson) such a dead ringer for... Kurt Cobain?!? Can rock, conceived to kill off musicals, ever revive the tired Broadway's form? Does anybody ever want to sit through another choreogrpher who wants to try? It's Eddie Izzard's movie, the rest of them mistake oversinging for acting.

Would this have happened without this?

Bruce Springsteen "Nowhere Radio"

Playing on his great theme of righteous, uplifting anger, this hook-studded throwback sports his first key change since "Hungry Heart," which was also thin-yet-crowd-friendly (anybody remember the EXPRESSIVE key change?). But the irony here doesn't quite catch hold: will this song get played on the radio? Yeah, just like Tom Petty's "Last DJ" and Sting's "I Want My MTV" before it, but without much frisson. The clown often mocks his own circus but they don't refund your money. When Springsteen wonders if anybody's alive out there, the question is merely rhetorical. The answer is: "Duh, no, we're Bushwhacked zombies, support the troops, thanks for the mention."

"Cooking was my thing."


Bonus points for Eric Clapton's daytime Emmy mash notes.

"Tonite 8:15--Staff party here at W.H.--receiving line & entertainment," Ronald Reagan wrapped up his diary entry for December 18, 1986, just weeks after the Iran-Contra "mess" or fuss" had gone public enough to Grinchify a lesser man's Christmas. "A magic night--a magician who baffled even the most sophisticated among us. I confess I have no idea how he did what he did."

Reagan's fellow citizens might change that "even" to especially, but we know the feeling. Thanks to him, we spent eight years unsure if we were the rabbit or the hat. Whatever explained the magician who not only performed but slept in the White House that night , he took the secret to his grave--and to a number of Salvadoran and Nicaraguan ones, too...--Tom Carson in LA Monthly