Gene Wilder: His Comedic Timing Was No Charade
The comedic actor, Gene Wilder passed away recently. Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, starring, and co-written, by Wilder, wonderfully captured the actor’s distinctive talent. The film served as homage to the black-and-white horror movies of days gone by, particularly, and obviously, Frankenstein. Brooks’ take featured Wilder as Dr. Frankenstein (it’s pronounced Frahn-ken-steen, as noted in one of the many hilarious scenes), who sets out to re-animate the dead, with the help of Igor (it’s pronounced Eye Gore, played by Marty Feldman) and Inga, an attractive laboratory assistant played charmingly by Teri Garr. Peter Boyle plays The Creature; Cloris Leachman, the creepy castle caretaker; the brilliant Madeline Kahn, Dr. Frankenstein’s self-absorbed fiancé. Wilder had a knack for displaying comedic calm (“I will NOT… be… angry.”), followed almost instantaneously by frantic absurdity (“… 54-inch-wide go-rilla!”). Wilder will also be remembered for playing eccentric chocolate-factory owner, Willy Wonka; a cowboy past his prime in Blazing Saddles, another Brooks classic; his work with the comedian, Richard Pryor, and many other projects, yet it’s Young Frankenstein that displays his signature style.
Another genius gone: Madeline Kahn. Her character portrayal and delivery are close to comedic perfection:
Pleasure and Pain: Ariana Grande: “Side to Side”
With its pop/reggae sensibility, Ariana Grande’s “Side to Side,” featuring Nicki Minaj, is another solid track from Dangerous Woman. The singer performed the provocative “Side to Side” as part of “Vevo Presents” and showcases how good this song is and, once again, proves she’s got a vocal gift. Other musical highlights: double-time handclaps at “These friends/keep talking way too much…” offset by a slow-groove, reggae scratch; pulsating bass guitar; the backup harmonies at “’Cause tonight I’m making deals with the devil/And I know it’s gonna get me in trouble.” “Side to Side” hits the pop bull’s eye straight on.
Lyrics to Live By: Sheryl Crow Says “Live It Up”
Sheryl Crow’s 2005 album, Wildflower is certainly full of heartfelt ballads, but Crow adds a bit of cheer on “Live It Up.” It’s an encouraging ode to present-moment thinking and action. Besides its upbeat chorus, other memorable lyrics include reminders of the futility of worry and the time-waste that comes with trying to predict/control the future: “You can’t stop/working on the outcome”; “Put on your backpack/Take a trip to nowhere/You’re sidetracked/on your way to somewhere/You wind up/right back where you started.” Seeing as Crow’s offerings on Wildflower were solemn and strings-heavy, this track is a nice occurrence of pop optimism that pops up a little unexpectedly, yet serves as a welcome glimmer of hope in the midst of so much introspective reflection.
Timeless from “Time Life”
An infomercial can easily pull you in, especially when it’s one of those 30-minute “Time Life” music collections honoring the “Soul of the ‘70s.” The format, with its montage of short performance clips, mostly from vintage “Soul Train” episodes, just works to keep the attention after that initial allure—and of course most of the credit goes to isolating those catchy sound bites from some of the best R & B, soul, funk and disco productions. One in particular stood out: “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again” by the band, L.T.D., fronted by Jeffrey Osborne. The singer’s distinct vocal clarity on top of a tight horn section, a pre-chorus popping bass chord, guitar scratch, tambourine, and soulfully angelic female backing vocalists are the ageless components.
Still Life: Bill Cunningham 1929 - 2016
This weekend the photographer Bill Cunningham passed away from complications due to a stroke. The New York Times fashion photographer edited two columns—On the Street and Evening Hours. Cunningham was on the other side of the lens at one point in his life as the subject of an incredibly moving documentary entitled Bill Cunningham New York.
Bill was often on the corner of 57th and 5th, taking photographs of the many eclectic styles worn by New Yorkers. Donning his signature blue smock, plain pants and sensible shoes, Bill was a hawk of an observer, supremely focused on his strutting prey. He quickly snapped pictures of unique individuals sauntering through the concrete jungle. At the end of an expedition, he’d unlock his bicycle and ride back to The Times to edit the On the Street layout, which showcased style trends. Bill also worked nights as an event photographer covering all-things high society, which was compiled into the Evening Hours spread.
Charming and ironic, the film allowed the viewer to see a man living an incredibly simple life amid all the flash of New York. Here’s a man who sometimes wore a black poncho and instead of throwing it away when there was a rip in it, he’d repair it and say, “…a little tape and we’re back in business.”
Bill Cunningham New York is a touching reminder that a simple, honest life can be a content, rich life, filled with passion for career, some good friends, and respect from others. Bill’s smile was full from ear to ear and was seen a lot throughout the film, especially at his 80th birthday party. He also poignantly reminded us on his trip to Paris of the old adage: “He who seeks beauty will find it.” And he made that search his life, however with that, seemingly came certain sacrifices, as captured in a emotionally raw scene between the film’s director, off camera, and Cunningham, sitting in front of his many filing cabinets. The subjects of romance, religion, and regret briefly revealed a crack in the armor, and like that rip in the pancho, it’s Cunningham’s smile that metaphorically served as the tape that got him back in business, always moving—or in his case—biking forward.
Cunningham was 87.
Margot Robbie Has a “Serious” Beauty Routine
Check out this sleek short film showing the morning routine of the actress, Margot Robbie. Yet as Robbie, in “cold gaze” mode, begins her voiceover, describing her rigid regimen, the film begins to take satirical shape…
…becoming an homage to a famous scene from a film that once starred the actor, Christian Bale:
I’m Bat(e)man
“In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I’ll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now.”
— Christian Bale is beauty and beast as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, a graphic alle(gory) of status obsession gone savage amid the me-generation ‘80s.
Lionsgate Films. Cinematographer: Andrzej Sekula.
Central Park Best: Sheryl Crow: “If It Makes You Happy” (Live)
Rockers have lots of stories to tell. Sheryl Crow is no exception. Her song, “If It Makes You Happy” starts with the line: “I belong/A long way from here.” If the Southern-inspired whiskey-soaked opening guitar riff and soulfully smooth bass chords—that roll in at just the right time—don’t pull you in… that line will.
This version, from Crow’s 1999 Live in Central Park, features The Pretenders’ lead singer, Chrissie Hynde—a woman presumably with lots of stories to tell as well: life on the road; death of a close colleague; love with a fellow musician, themes to which Crow can also relate. The singers—who seemingly have seen it all, heard it all, played it all—trade verses, with Hynde’s signature style fitting in wonderfully.
Crow’s lyrics can often leave you scratching your head (“Bring you comics in bed/Scrape the mold off the bread/And serve you French Toast again”), yet it’s how the tale is told, the drowsy buildup offset by explosive high points at the chorus—and the simplicity of that infectious chorus—that bring about universal understanding.
We don’t know how this story concludes, yet the return of that whiskey-soaked guitar riff signifies a satisfying, albeit melancholic, close to the chapter.
Two-Minute Warning: She & Him: “I Knew It Would Happen This Way”
The solemn “I Knew It Would Happen This Way” is the bonus track on She & Him’s Volume 2. It features an acoustic-guitar intro followed by dreamlike electric guitar, reminiscent of something playing on the jukebox at the Double R diner in David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks.” Zooey Deschanel’s equally ethereal vocals barely utter lyrics such as “And you don’t want me anymore”; “I won’t be waiting on the dock.” This weary-sounding character now knows her prediction about the relationship has come true and is most assured of her decision to leave. M. Ward concurs musically and provides a brief acoustic run to quickly close out this two-minute vignette.
Alive and Well: Lenny Kravitz: “Rock and Roll Is Dead”
Lenny Kravitz’s 1995 song, “Rock and Roll Is Dead” is irony at its finest. After its four-count intro, the gritty sounds of electric guitar come tearing in, along with Kravitz’s opening exclamation and Cindy Blackman’s commanding drums. These elements only proved that the genre was in no way on its last legs or six feet under. The song also served, in part, as a commentary on the preoccupation of public image and other distractions (“diamond rings”; “coke spoons”; “five hundred women in your bed”) over authentic musical talent (“You can’t even sing or play an instrument so you just scream instead…”). With Kravitz, Blackman and band still performing some 20 years later, the genre is certainly far from any need of resuscitation.
Thirty-Minute Heals: PBS Chronicles “A Chef’s Life”
PBS’ “A Chef’s Life” features the chef, Vivian Howard as she, her husband Ben Knight, and young twins plant roots (back) in Howard’s home state of North Carolina, an area to where Howard said she’d never return.
Howard and Knight met in New York, where they embraced city life and metropolitan kitchens. Yellow tractors have now replaced yellow cabs; strolling along rows of earth-covered potatoes the new concrete sidewalks. Their professional passion still exists regardless of zip code, in the form of the popular restaurant, “Chef & the Farmer.”
On this Emmy- and Peabody- and James-Beard-award-winning documentary series, Howard at times reveals an insightful vulnerability, as the camera captures the complexity of transition, not in the moving from city A to small town B, but in her quest to remain an active chef, amid growing public recognition and all the responsibilities that come with. At the heart of “A Chef’s Life” is not just a woman’s return home, but a rediscovery of that home with (even more) respectful pride.
Kubrick in Color
This montage highlights some of the director, Stanley Kubrick’s boldest, most iconic movie shots, color by color. Needless to say, it’s an absolutely brilliant look at his distinctive style and his fearless use of hue as visual cue, for example, to convey emotional tone or plot foreshadowing.
Loud and Clear: The Police: “Message in a Bottle”
The Police’s 1979 hit, “Message in a Bottle” is their reggae-pop-rock take on isolation and alienation. It’s the (allegorical) story of a castaway on an island who sends out a communication, an “S.O.S. to the world,” and in return receives a uniquely poetic form of salvation.
The lead singer, Sting goes on to tell about how “Love can mend your life/But love can break your heart.” Yet one morning after more than of year of solitude, the castaway wakes to find “a hundred billion bottles/washed up on the shore/Seems I’m not alone at being alone/a hundred billion castaways/looking for a home.” Seemingly it’s validation and a sense of camaraderie between the faceless message writers that serve as (spiritual) rescue.
Erasure Thing: Heartfelt Electro-Techno After All These Years
It would’ve been easy for the Vince Clarke/Andy Bell duo known as Erasure to create a soulless sound, where keyboard-activated blips and beats took predominance over lyrical content and vocal contribution. Thankfully, the group saw equal importance in synth and substance. In 1992, on The Tank, the Swan and the Balloon tour, staging was an additional facet to which importance was paid.
In the show, the producer/programmer Clarke was often in a militaristic “tank” that served as his control booth to initiate the tracks. Bell—always the showman—arrived on stage in a cart designed like a swan, a contrast of peace versus war. The tour also featured the twin sisters/backing vocalists, Annick and Veronique Clarisse. Bell’s voice was nothing short of amazing, easily hitting the highs and dropping the lows, yet it’s the Clarisse sisters’ blended harmony that still remains some of the best and cleanest vocals heard in a live capacity. It’s not hard to imagine the angels on high sounding like these sisters.
In the clip below, “Chorus,” a commentary on environmental collapse, showed the Clarisse sisters in flowing white dresses, portraying a pair of peaceful doves, at times an oracle on the mount, while Bell bopped in his sparkly pants that evoked fish scales in sunlight. Fitting as the chorus of “Chorus” references birds: “And they covered up the sun/Until the birds had flown away,” as well as fish: “And the fishes in the sea/Had gone to sleep.” The bridge showcases the sisters’ heavenly talent: “The sunlight rising over the horizon…”
Another track off Chorus, “Turns the Love to Anger” displays Erasure’s knack for using synth-pop, computerized and seemingly removed, as framework for something more. At the bridge: “Love is where the dream should lie/It’s not for us to reason why/Or to ponder over strategy…” And again, the Clarisse sisters shine… and it’s not their whimsical headdresses that provide the brilliance. Bell takes to his balloon to “… take a ride/Somewhere in the big blue sky…” All these years later, Erasure’s reflections on the environment and “obsession” can still be seen and heard as heartfelt electro-techno.
Pop Personality: Janet Jackson: “Doesn’t Really Matter”
“Doesn’t Really Matter” from Nutty Professor II is Janet Jackson’s ode to the “inner being,” that it “doesn’t really matter what the eye is seeing.” Its message a fitting one for the film, as Jackson’s character, a professor, plays the love interest of the reserved Professor Sherman Klump (Eddie Murphy), who has a Jeckyll & Hyde struggle with his larger physical stature. The song has undergone various incarnations (a music-video version; album/tour version), yet Jackson’s familiar breathy vocals over the fast-paced, syncopated lyrics remain. The All For You album track has an “edit” before the second chorus, and later a “rock mix”, both serving as opportunities for Jackson’s signature “dance breakdowns” during performances.
Kylie + Garibay Release Three-Song EP
Kylie Minogue and the producer, Fernando Garibay (Lady Gaga’s Born This Way) continue their collaboration post-Kiss Me Once tour, with a three-song offering that evokes ‘90s dancehall on “Black and White,” featuring Shaggy; presents another pairing with Giorgio Moroder on “Your Body”; showcases the standout electro-duet, “If I Can’t Have You,” with fellow Australian singer, Sam Sparro.
With an openness to artistic exploration, Kylie’s current work is reminiscent of her time with the Deconstruction record label, circa ‘94, when the sound kept Kylie at the center, but the surrounding spirit was indie and unconventional (for Kylie as pop star that is).
Below is “If I Can’t Have You,” featuring soulful, mellow verses offset by a chorus with a thumping bass line and what sounds like a pair of bongos electrified. This EP is evolutionary and certainly eclectic.
“What Kind of Fool” a.k.a. Life After “Better The Devil You Know”
The catchy 1992 song by Kylie Minogue could be theorized as having its origins in 1990. Think “Better The Devil You Know” (“BTDYK”), a song whose lyrics reluctantly embrace blind forgiveness of a (devilish) partner. Yet “What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)” could be seen as a sequel. In “BTDYK”: “I’ll forgive and forget/If you say you’ll never go.” In “Fool”: “You can say you’ll be true/I can trust in you/But I heard all that before.” Kylie is done forgiving, and ready to forget, the devil she knows.
The video for “Fool” features scenes inspired by the film, And God Created Woman, starring Brigitte Bardot, a woman to which Kylie has long paid homage, most notably the artwork for her 2003 CD, Body Language and the styling for the subsequent one-off concert at the London Apollo. The And God references include: the silhouette of Kylie lounging behind a sheet hanging on the line; Kylie dancing in a red skirt on a kitchen table. And for another film reference: the heart-shaped glasses, unmistakably from the poster for the 1962 Stanley Kubrick film, Lolita. Kylie as Lolita-type girl at the beginning of “Fool” is not the same person at the end; in the dark no longer, she’s a stronger woman slamming the kitchen door, committing to the lyric: “Don’t wanna see your face no more.”
Marriage on the Rocks: Billy Idol: “White Wedding”
Love and romance were in the air in 1982, yet Billy Idol seemed to have something else to say… and show. The myth surrounding “White Wedding” was that it was his disapproving commentary about his pregnant sister’s nuptials, a myth that became (partially) defunct in 2001 by Idol himself on “VH1 Storytellers.” The track is a far “rebel yell” from “Here Comes the Bride,” as Idol’s guitarist, Steve Stevens, fires in that sinister riff. A menacing bass line and ominous drumbeat follow, sounding as if someone was being led to the gallows, instead of down the aisle.
Idol’s vocals start out quiet; in the video, he unwraps himself from what looks like a burial cloth: “Hey little sister what have you done?” Although apparently not a disapproval of “Shotgun!” ceremonies, the song sure sounds skeptical about marriage. What follows are a series of rhetorical questions, leading to the impression that this character is not familiar with the (new) groom and has lost touch with the bride. He admits: “I’ve been away for so long.” Could this character have been a better protector? Perhaps then she would’ve made a “better” decision, instead of entering into a traditional union, an attempt at (false) security. “Who’s your superman?” plays up on the pop-culture superhero, a reference to nick-of-time rescuer.
Also in the video, Idol’s bride (played by then-girlfriend, Perri Lister) dances in a traditional kitchen, seemingly in an oblivious, altered state. Appliances and fixtures burst into flames or gush: “Well, there is nothing fair in this world/There is nothing safe in this world/And there’s nothing sure in this world…” By video’s end, the bride is hunched over, dead in the church.
The track and video can’t help but paint an ironic picture: “C’mon it’s a nice day for a white wedding.” Plus, the white gown serves as a symbol of purity, yet Idol sings: “And there’s nothing pure in this world…” And then there are these visuals: reportedly Lister deciding that her finger intentionally be sliced by Idol as he shoves on a thorny band; the bride lying on a gurney; the crypt; the two undertakers with shovels outside the church, indicative that the bride was never going to make it out (alive) and into her suburban environment. Interestingly, Lister also plays one of the three dancers dressed in black, perhaps symbolic of ghosts of previous brides who still haunt the grounds? And let’s not forget Idol’s burial cloth. All seem to present a dark theory that marriage and convention have the potential to be harmful and unhealthy, fatal even, literally and figuratively a dead end. The apparent solution: “Look for something left in this world/Start again!”
Yes, Dearie! Kylie Blossoms at Finland Jazz Festival
Kylie Minogue’s musical versatility was once again on display at the Pori Jazz Festival in Finland. She has never shied away from straight-up jazz, such as on “Stay This Way” or when she appeared on an episode of “Later… with Jools Holland,” where she performed an impressive cover of (Lena Horne’s) “Come On Strong.”
Yet seemingly her jazz inspiration comes from a woman named Blossom Dearie, an American singer and pianist in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Dearie had a wonderfully unique vocal style: light; airy; with a childlike quality. (In the ‘70s, Dearie lent her voice to the “Schoolhouse Rock!” series of animated educational shorts that appeared as interludes during Saturday-morning cartoons. Her sweet voice can be heard on “Unpack your Adjectives,” for example.)
Over the last 10 years, Kylie has covered some of Dearie’s jazz tracks, two of which were in Kylie’s 2007 documentary-concert film, White Diamond: “I’m Hip” and “Try Your Wings.” Her vocal on “Wings” is comforting, like a hug when it’s needed, a fuzzy blanket when it’s cold, a whiskey in winter.
And finally, to Finland, where Kylie took a break to honor Dearie, with “Peel Me A Grape,” a delightfully bratty song, similar to “Santa Baby,” about a woman’s relationship demands: “Pop me a cork/French me a fry” and the playfully entitled list goes on. It’s a confident, inspiring display of this pop singer’s talent, ear and love for a music format, different from the one she’s most known for, as well as yet another lovely homage to an artist with whom many may not be familiar.
Dearie performs the track live at the piano:
Hearing Red: Kylie Minogue Covers Nena Classic
“Panic bells/It’s red alert,” ‘80s-pop extravaganza about to be enjoyed. While performing at the “Melt! Festival” in Germany, an artist many thought would be a “one-hit wonder” covered another artist’s “one-hit wonder” from the new-wave ‘80s. Kylie Minogue (the former) and her fantastic band did a red-hot cover of Nena’s synth-bass-drenched “99 Red Balloons” (the latter). Leave it to Kylie, sporting a little red number and, yes, a red balloon, to dazzle during a song about nuclear war. Yet with that said, she delivers tender vocals during the first verse, as she begins the story of “You and I in a little toy shop,” only later in the last verse to convey how innocence and hope (a single red souvenir found by the now solo protagonist) manage to survive “in this dust that was a city.”
Pop Playlist: The Beatles: “Let It Be”
When the subject of The Beatles comes up in conversation, the discussion has the potential to turn futile when its participants theorize as to what song could be considered the group’s best. Why? Because there are just so damn many. “In My Life,” “Yesterday,” “Something” and this track, “Let It Be” are strong contenders, yet to continue adding to this easy-to-compile list would only reiterate the earlier point. “Let It Be,” the 1970 Lennon-McCartney classic, features a comforting piano, Paul McCartney’s heartfelt vocals, and spiritually centered lyrics of acceptance and faith.
The first verse and chorus have a downhearted feel, made evident by the aforementioned piano and vocals, plus these introductory lyrics: “When I find myself in times of trouble…”; “And in my hour of darkness…” Yet it’s the addition of the cymbal in the second verse, and soon a fuller drumbeat, choral backing, distant horns, Billy Preston’s church-inspired keys, and later the guitar breakdown, that serve to communicate a more promising feel, indicative of the effectiveness of the three-word advice and subsequent emotional comfort provided by “Mother Mary.” This caring character is represented as McCartney’s own departed mother who came to him in a dream, or in the traditional religious context of the Virgin Mary, or perhaps the listener’s own mother or guardian.
As the post-bridge chorus and final verse play out, McCartney begins to add optimistic vocal runs, plus he sings: “And when the night is cloudy/There is still a light that shines on me/Shine until tomorrow,” which evokes that image of a guardian angel keeping a watchful eye. He also speaks about the clarity that can result upon facing another day (“I wake up to the sound of music…”), leaving those “times of trouble” and “hour of darkness” in the past. In the outro, the forlorn piano prominent at the beginning of the song is eclipsed by Preston’s soulful organ and electric piano.
It’s also to be noted that at this time—1969, 70—The Beatles album, Let It Be was to be the band’s final venture. The song works as an encouraging sentiment for the listener thinking about his or her day-to-day challenges, and the acceptance and faith that hopefully comes along, but the track more so documents McCartney’s statement to the rest of the members of the band.
“Let It Be” is an indelible, universal reminder of how music can be a source of easily accessible inspiration; a secret confidant, whispering “words of wisdom” through a pair of earbuds. Take ease in knowing that if The Beatles comes up in that eventually futile conversation, there is “an answer” or at least a solid, credible argument in the selection of this profoundly poetic track.