Oh yes.
That's going to be my next subject. Excuse me, I just have to get some paid-for work out of the way, but later today I am going to immerse myself in Flo. Boy, it's fun to be me right now. Wasn't always the case, but you don't want to know that.
[Later: Well, as with the best laid plans of mice and men, I haven't yet got a round tuit. But I will do. Incidentally, I just quoted a famous poet from north of the border. If I tell you he also wrote 'Wee cow'rin', sleekit, timorous beastie' or some such, also about mice, why don't you comment ffs, and tell me his (or her!) name? There may be a small prize.]
Monday, 29 October 2012
Saturday, 27 October 2012
Fun with Kate
Wooof.
Ok, that last post was a bit heavy. Still not going to write and analyse about Kate Bush, but here are two videos of lighter material. One ('Them heavy people') nevertheless hides complexity in its silliness, but 'Violin' is just a romp.
One day, I may post about the album 'Aerial'. I will need to take a run up at that. It is a masterpiece, and as with other masterpieces such as the 'Mona Lisa' or 'David' or 'The fairy feller's master-stroke', all you can really do is to stare at it. Metaphorically. Because in our case we are listening, with eyes shut and once or twice weeping buckets. Go listen to it right now. That's an order.
Oops, this was supposed to be lighthearted. Here come the videos.
'Them Heavy People':
'Violin':
For more fun, go and watch 'There goes a tenner', or 'The Dreaming'. Lord, she comes across in interviews as ordinary and everyday, but there's a whole different world inside her head. And I fondly believe that I'd still be interested in her material, even if she wasn't stunningly attractive, in all her decades. Hey, I'm a fan of Neil Young. No-one can say that he ever turned heads. Stop slouching, that man ... and get a haircut!
Ok, that last post was a bit heavy. Still not going to write and analyse about Kate Bush, but here are two videos of lighter material. One ('Them heavy people') nevertheless hides complexity in its silliness, but 'Violin' is just a romp.
One day, I may post about the album 'Aerial'. I will need to take a run up at that. It is a masterpiece, and as with other masterpieces such as the 'Mona Lisa' or 'David' or 'The fairy feller's master-stroke', all you can really do is to stare at it. Metaphorically. Because in our case we are listening, with eyes shut and once or twice weeping buckets. Go listen to it right now. That's an order.
Oops, this was supposed to be lighthearted. Here come the videos.
'Them Heavy People':
'Violin':
For more fun, go and watch 'There goes a tenner', or 'The Dreaming'. Lord, she comes across in interviews as ordinary and everyday, but there's a whole different world inside her head. And I fondly believe that I'd still be interested in her material, even if she wasn't stunningly attractive, in all her decades. Hey, I'm a fan of Neil Young. No-one can say that he ever turned heads. Stop slouching, that man ... and get a haircut!
Kate Bush
Ms Bush is an immense subject, and as yet I don't trust myself to write sensibly about her without degenerating into hero worship and sheer gibberish.
So instead I'm simply going to post a link to possibly one of the most disturbing of her videos (in this case disturbing in a bad way - others disturb on a more friendly basis), which is the Efteling video of 'The Kick Inside'. Incest, suicide .... no wonder the world was not ready for her. I wasn't. Took me forty years to come around.
Any road up .....
She was seventeen or eighteen. Almost unbelievable.
So instead I'm simply going to post a link to possibly one of the most disturbing of her videos (in this case disturbing in a bad way - others disturb on a more friendly basis), which is the Efteling video of 'The Kick Inside'. Incest, suicide .... no wonder the world was not ready for her. I wasn't. Took me forty years to come around.
Any road up .....
She was seventeen or eighteen. Almost unbelievable.
The Kills. I hope I can limit this to less than ten thousand words.
And where to start? OK, I think with a video:
In this post, I'm not going to analyse songs, or criticise lyrics or arrangements or playing techniques or vocal delivery. This is rock and roll. It's a visceral thing.
The Kills are Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart. This is them playing in Amsterdam in 2008. The song is 'Last day of magic'.
I don't know anything about them personally (apart from some published facts, such as that Jamie is married to the model Kate Moss), and really I don't want to know. Well, not quite true - the one thing I like to know is that Alison overheard Jamie jamming, and felt forced to go and find out where the wonderful noise was coming from.
And it is a wonderful noise. He may or may not be able to play a pavane by Manuel de Falla, I don't know, but he knows guitar mechanics. One of my favourite bits of this video (and believe me, I'm going to eulogise further on this subject) is the last ten or fifteen seconds, after the song has actually finished. He acknowledges the applause, but goes straight to his pedals and tuner, getting his guitar in shape for the next song. He even ignores Alison, which shows singleness of purpose to an insane degree.
Because The Kills are all about the relationship between the two - on stage; offstage, I have no idea whether they even like each other. You can see it. It's like a burning chain between them as they perform. (A burning chain? Needs work. See me. Editor.) Others have remarked on the tension between them, the fact that they rarely take their eyes off each other (and mistakenly interpret this as a sexual thing, with coy comments like "Oooh, they should get a room" or "I felt embarrassed watching them"), but it's just an essential part of the telepathy (a non-existent power, but a useful concept) that makes the whole thing work. There's that section just after the two minute mark .... for me, that's the visual equivalent of the 'Layla' riff, or the first notes of the sax solo in 'Baker Street'.
Others have said that they should get a drummer, rather than using a drum machine or backing tracks. Or a rhythm guitarist. Who knows, maybe a ten piece gospel choir, and a horn section. No, no, and no. This is music stripped back to its basics, and that's why it is so powerful.
I've changed my mind, I'm going to cut this short. Jamie would approve. Just go back and watch the video again, or track down their stuff on YouTube or elsewhere. I recommend 'URA fever', 'Black balloon' or 'Sour cherry'. But you can't go wrong.
See, I got through this without once commenting on Alison's immense sexual magnetism. I am a New Man. (See me, you idiot. Editor.)
[Later:]
OK, I am going to augment this with a video of The Kills playing 'Fried my little brains'. What fun, what fun.
In this post, I'm not going to analyse songs, or criticise lyrics or arrangements or playing techniques or vocal delivery. This is rock and roll. It's a visceral thing.
The Kills are Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart. This is them playing in Amsterdam in 2008. The song is 'Last day of magic'.
I don't know anything about them personally (apart from some published facts, such as that Jamie is married to the model Kate Moss), and really I don't want to know. Well, not quite true - the one thing I like to know is that Alison overheard Jamie jamming, and felt forced to go and find out where the wonderful noise was coming from.
And it is a wonderful noise. He may or may not be able to play a pavane by Manuel de Falla, I don't know, but he knows guitar mechanics. One of my favourite bits of this video (and believe me, I'm going to eulogise further on this subject) is the last ten or fifteen seconds, after the song has actually finished. He acknowledges the applause, but goes straight to his pedals and tuner, getting his guitar in shape for the next song. He even ignores Alison, which shows singleness of purpose to an insane degree.
Because The Kills are all about the relationship between the two - on stage; offstage, I have no idea whether they even like each other. You can see it. It's like a burning chain between them as they perform. (A burning chain? Needs work. See me. Editor.) Others have remarked on the tension between them, the fact that they rarely take their eyes off each other (and mistakenly interpret this as a sexual thing, with coy comments like "Oooh, they should get a room" or "I felt embarrassed watching them"), but it's just an essential part of the telepathy (a non-existent power, but a useful concept) that makes the whole thing work. There's that section just after the two minute mark .... for me, that's the visual equivalent of the 'Layla' riff, or the first notes of the sax solo in 'Baker Street'.
Others have said that they should get a drummer, rather than using a drum machine or backing tracks. Or a rhythm guitarist. Who knows, maybe a ten piece gospel choir, and a horn section. No, no, and no. This is music stripped back to its basics, and that's why it is so powerful.
I've changed my mind, I'm going to cut this short. Jamie would approve. Just go back and watch the video again, or track down their stuff on YouTube or elsewhere. I recommend 'URA fever', 'Black balloon' or 'Sour cherry'. But you can't go wrong.
See, I got through this without once commenting on Alison's immense sexual magnetism. I am a New Man. (See me, you idiot. Editor.)
[Later:]
OK, I am going to augment this with a video of The Kills playing 'Fried my little brains'. What fun, what fun.
Thursday, 25 October 2012
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Ah. A blank page. My worst nightmare. I was hoping for more assistance, but as I'm not paying anything for this, I suppose that that was optimistic. And I hate this typeface. How can I change that? Ah, Verdana, I'm at home with that. Too big. Is this better? Hmmm.
Sooooo .... what the hell is all this? Looks like I can title this post. Let's give that a try. OK, I've quoted Mao Tse Tung, I believe. Oh no, apparently it was Lao-Tzu. See, just because it's on the Internet, it doesn't mean it's true. We must bear that in mind, as I attempt to warp your mind. And what happened to the typeface?! Ah, that's better. And this is even better. I'm beginning to get sinking feelings.
Fine, at some point I will want to add photos and links. Let's give that a try.
OK, that worked. Right, date this photo. The Trimphone is a bit of a giveaway. Ignore the woman in the face mask to the right, she was always hanging around doing freeform mimes or working like a Trojan. Must say the definition on the photo upload is not fantastic. Because I took that photo on a Bronica twin lens reflex camera, which cost my then employers an arm and a leg. So heavy it almost broke your wrist when the interior mirror flipped up. Interchangeable backs. Endless problems.
And now let's see if I can link you to some YouTube music videos, or this whole project could be stillborn.
Well, what about this. 'Got Me Wrong', by Alpines. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TyOPJqG89w&feature=relmfu
Oooh, that's a bit messy. Maybe it will look bettter in the full view. No, it doesn't. Maybe I should try another option.
Sooooo .... what the hell is all this? Looks like I can title this post. Let's give that a try. OK, I've quoted Mao Tse Tung, I believe. Oh no, apparently it was Lao-Tzu. See, just because it's on the Internet, it doesn't mean it's true. We must bear that in mind, as I attempt to warp your mind. And what happened to the typeface?! Ah, that's better. And this is even better. I'm beginning to get sinking feelings.
Fine, at some point I will want to add photos and links. Let's give that a try.
OK, that worked. Right, date this photo. The Trimphone is a bit of a giveaway. Ignore the woman in the face mask to the right, she was always hanging around doing freeform mimes or working like a Trojan. Must say the definition on the photo upload is not fantastic. Because I took that photo on a Bronica twin lens reflex camera, which cost my then employers an arm and a leg. So heavy it almost broke your wrist when the interior mirror flipped up. Interchangeable backs. Endless problems.
And now let's see if I can link you to some YouTube music videos, or this whole project could be stillborn.
Well, what about this. 'Got Me Wrong', by Alpines. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TyOPJqG89w&feature=relmfu
Oooh, that's a bit messy. Maybe it will look bettter in the full view. No, it doesn't. Maybe I should try another option.
Ok, that's a bit better. But why is my text now centred? Did I ask for that? I don't think so.
OK, I have the conn. Beginning to see where the levers and handles are. But this is still mainly form; I need to inject some content. Yes, I can do that. But I need a name for this blog. It's going to be mostly about music, and Placeholder Title is just what it says - temporary. And I'm not even sure I can go back and change that, I will have to suss that out. I might have to wipe all this and restart. Ah well, worse things happen at sea.
No, it seems that I can change the blog title. And I just have done. All I need to do now is to think up some witty title. OK, I'll put that on the back burner. Anyone want to make suggestions? Incidentally, who the fuck ARE you? Because as far as I'm aware, nobody but me currently knows this thing exists. I must go off and do some shameless self-promotion. Is there any other kind?
Harriet, I have created this blog, and I can develop it in obvious directions - but I need mentoring, and I think you are the one to help me, if you have time. How on earth did you create your blog - http://kinolens.blogspot.co.uk/ , using these crude tools?!
Oh lord, maybe I have used the wrong website. Totally bemused, now.
Oh well, at least the video works. I just love that one .... the drums, the synths, it just powers its way through. See, when I have the blog up and running, I can write about this kind of stuff to my heart's content, and stop annoying the neighbours. Or upload 4,000 words about 'Syntelman's March of the Roaring Seventies' by Amon Duul. An overlooked masterpiece. Or Moondog's 'Stamping Ground'. Someone out there will want to read about it, I'm sure. Hey, WHAT has happened to this typeface again?!
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