Lucinda Williams' Car Wheels on a Gravel Road was a deviation in what I'm currently listening to in music. The combination of the rock, folk, and heavily country influence come together to be suiting for Williams voicing. This might just be an album you can turn on while traveling on a gravel road in your car...preferably I hope to be on gravel roads as little as possible.
Williams' fifth album would be released in 1998 with much acclaim and success. It would even score her a first album to go gold. With the multiple genres layered on the album in the realm of country it is very appealing for many audiences. Not only with the musical talent though, there is Williams' voicing that impressively conveys the content of her lyrics, and relates to you. It's definitely one of the pioneering albums in music for women.
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The imagery of the album gets off to a great start by presenting this image of driving on a car on a gravel road, and then from there your mind can grasp the deeper meanings and feelings you will be grasping in the album. If you're from the country as I am, then you might remember when roads were more graveled than paved as they are now even. It not only allures to the rough parts of life as we are going over them, but it brings out the nostalgia effect as well if you're thinking back to certain times.
Enough about me though. The album itself is a good one, but the main thing that will hold me back from enjoying it again is my lack of enjoyment of country toned music. Don't get me wrong, this isn't like your mainstream country station that was occurring even in the 90's. It's much better than that, and the talent shines through all elements of the album.
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The best way to listen to this album might just be turning it on while you're driving. Not driving to work or to the grocery store, but on a road trip. It's reflective, and the lyrics are well crafted. Lucinda Williams is a very talented voice, and the power she exudes when singing showcases the talent she has. You can also feel the emotions she has toward her lyrics, and for the listener this brings you in closer to what is being sang.
Fans of genres that fall into rock, country, and folk will find something to like about this album. It has a tone that resonates with the listener, and makes you feel what is being sang. Better than listening to the album might be giving the song a listen to live though to hear the talent.
A bit late, but since Pi was released you've probably heard Darren Aronofsky's name mentioned. He was behind the creepy, Black Swan, and the recent huge release, Noah. He definitely doesn't tread lightly with the content of his films and exploring the depths of the mind. Actually, I haven't watched Noah but considering his past work where he usually gives us inner psychological weaving of the mind it should be interesting. Black Swan reminded me much of Pi though after I watched it, except a cleaner and more crisp account.
Summary: Maximillian is despearate to find a pattern in the universe through a key number. He even has built a computer at his home that can understand all existence. Max doesn't seem to be aware of the danger he could be bringing on himself by persisting to be open and desperate to search for the meaning. A Hasidic religious group, and a Wall Street firm are now tracking him, and wanting to know how he has gotten knowledge of the number, and they are desperate to understand it for their own benefit.
So in 1998 Disney would sort of redefine what it would be to be a lead female in a Disney movie. Most of the popular ones were white, fair skinned, and well very dainty. There is no problem with that, but diversity and power were definitely missing from the idea they presented of females, until Mulan that is came along. While watching Mulan though I saw why it was unappealing to me as a kid though. This movie deals with some pretty adult ideas. It's one of the few that might be more interesting as an adult than a kid, and the talking drago does nothing to entertain!
Summary: This Disney movie is based on a Chinese folk tale. When Mulan's father is called to be in the army to defend against the invading Hans, Mulan knows that he is too weak to fight. He's older and now lame. In order to take his place Mulan sneaks away and pretends to be male to fight for him, even though her father is unaware of this. Her ancestors though are aware of her plan and want to prevent her from fighting, so they send a dragon, Mushu.
There are two types of people in live. Those who like Bob Dylan and those who don't. I fall into the category of liking Bob Dylan. There is something about his music, particularly the writing, that is interesting. Whether he is singing about women, faith, things that make no sense, or most notably social and political activism the way he sings evokes something in the person listening and enjoying the tunes.
History: This album was recorded during the shift in Bob Dylan's music from acoustic to electric. It was recorded at the Manchester Free Trade Hall during his 1966 tour. The place where it says on this recording it was recorded is actually even a mistake, but I guess no one wanted to change it. If you watched Don't Look Back you see how the changes in his music were received by the audience, because when he brought out the electric guitar the crowd actually got nasty. This would end up being the last tour he took until 1974.
I just started listening through a viewer voted list of the best albums since Pitchfork started till 2011. Many of the albums are on my 1001 list, so those I'm just going to leave for that list when I get there, but there are also some like In the Aeroplane Over the Sea that are on this list and not the other. I've been meaning to listen to this album for a while after having the title song on repeat on my Ipod. I've got to say it was better than expected.
History: If you're a vinyl collector you might have considered or bought this album making it one of the best selling albums in the past few years since the resurgence of vinyl. Much of the lyrics on this album seem to be referring to Anne Frank. Everything from her birth, death, and even beliefs are mentioned in the lyrics. Most of the critical review for the album as been great since it's release in 1998.
The Celebration was definitely different than I expected. The thing is I still have no idea exactly what I was watching. It starts off as what appears to be a normal family get together. You got your messed up members, your normal ones, and some dark family secrets. Well maybe that isn't apart of every family, but it was apart of this one. Thomas Vintenberg's direction of this movie is what makes it unique. Carrying us through the get together as if he is holding a hand held camera makes us feel we are sitting in for a very awkward family gathering.
Summary: The father of the family is turning 60. He is planning to celebrate with all his family and in style at a castle like setting. His kids seem to have grown up and became decent people at least in his eyes. One of his sons is running a grill bar, one manages a restaurant in France, and the other sister is an anthropologist. The oldest sister though has just committed suicide, and this shatters the image that the family had established and leaves one son, Christian, feeling he needs to express the dark secret that leads to her death at the family birthday dinner.
While there might be a lot of instrumental talent on the album I just don't know that I could ever take a band seriously that titles it's songs after raunchy sex acts. I can't imagine asking someone "Have you heard that amazing song "Good Head" or how about "Rendezvous With Anus?!" The song track title is enough to make you forget the fact they may have talent instrumentally.
History: This underground band met their stardom with this album that received rave reviews from critics from the likes of Pitchfork and Allmusic. The guys though most have been nearing a collide though because they disbanded a bit of time after this album before grouping back again. With the less underground vibe sound in this album though it had outside appeal they hadn't reached before. The guys seemed to have their own apocalypse going on themselves though.
Wes Anderson is sort of the leader of quirky, independent comedy. Though I've already reviewed Rushmore once here, I thought I really needed to go back and watch it again. I am very glad I did, because the movie was much better the second time around, and it seemed to just resonate more with me. Max isn't really the most lovable character there is, but I think he embodies a lot about people that sort of is something a viewer can relate to. His ambitious nature are easy to admire, but not how he goes about it, and it's easy to relate to the idea that he has grown comfortable at his school and his ability to lead there that he doesn't want to leave.
Summary: Max is a student at Rushmore. His grades are suffering, but he is know for being apart of the most activities there, and even creating a lot of them. His involvement is great, but it doesn't mean so much to the president of the school when his grades are suffering and he can't help him maintain staying there any longer. One of the speakers at the school, Herman Blume, takes notice of Max though and takes him under his wing, when the two begin vying for the affection of the same woman, Rosemary Cross.
Vincent Gallo seems to be a huge indie director and actor. So dedicated to the genre he's never let his image surface above it. He brings the most unlikable character to life in Buffalo '66 though, and while he tries to explain what makes his character so unlikable, it just doesn't really make you feel better toward the guy. Yeah, he's had a hard life? But some of it is his bad decisions, and he never took charge of it. The dislike between Vincent Gallo and Christina Ricci is real though, both of them did not get along with the other during filming.
Summary: Billy has spent five years in prison, and he is now free. After getting out he reaches out to his parents, who don't know he has been in prison. To make his life look somewhat like it has went well, he kidnaps Layla, and makes her pretend to be his soon to be wife. The visit though is quite awkward, but surprisingly Layla is having real feelings toward Billy despite his disdain toward her. She presses on with her feelings though in the hopes that he will eventually change and be able to feel something.
The Big Lebowski sort of seems to be a man's man movie. Upon watching I can see why, but I enjoyed it as well, and I really wanted to go bowling afterward. Joel Coen though has been a routine watch of recent with movies like Raising Arizona and Miller's Crossing. I definitely was used to the style at first, but I was pretty prepared for The Big Lebowski by the time I made way to watch the movie. With a great cast that really works well together it's no wonder that it has become a cult hit.
Summary: Jefferey Lebowski, otherwise known as "The Dude" is mistaken for someone else, and has his house broken into in an attempt to threaten him. After the break in the guys pee on his rug and leave him furious, so he pays a visit to the real Lebowski. His life only gets more complicated from there after the man he visits wants him to investigate the disappearance of his missing wife. When he can't seem to get restitution for his rug though he enlist the help of his bowling friends, in particular Walter, to help him get justice for the harassment that has been brought into his life by the mess up.
