(500) Days of Summer is not only my favourite romantic comedy but it is also one of my all-time favourite movies. I therefore thought the film apt to write about in our “Valentine’s Day Special” of the Q Review. However as the title says, while the film is a story about love, it isn’t a love story. The plot chronicles the 500 days in the on/off relationship of and Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his dream-girl Summer (Zooey Deschanel). It isn’t gushy and full of rom-com clichés and the relationship between Tom and Summer certainly isn’t perfect and isn’t shoved in your face. However the relationship is definitely real and relatable. Who hasn’t been head-over heals about someone who just doesn’t feel the same way? Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel are fantastic in their rolls and you can’t help but feel sucked in by the chemistry the couple create onscreen. It is also brilliant to see everything from the man’s point of view and it is because of this that you can’t label the film as a chick-flick. There are some really funny, heart warming and original scenes, one of the best being when Tom and Summer go shopping in Ikea. This humour is also matched by some rather sad but equally brilliant scenes as Tom and Summer’s relationship unravels. A particular highlight of the film shows Tom’s “expectations” and “reality” being exquisitely translated at the same time on the screen with beautiful and heartbreaking results. The soundtrack isn’t your typical romance type of stuff either and instead we are treated to a selection of songs by artists such as The Smiths, Regina Spektor and The Temper Trap.
The overall result is an off-beat, quirky and bittersweet story about love that is ultimately life affirming. This is definately a film to watch if you are single this Valentine's day but still want something romantic. The end acts as a reminder that there is somebody out there for everyone and that regardless of how pessimistic you are true love might actually just exist.
I have to say that one of the best things about the new David Bowie album coming out is that it has made me listen to his music again with new ears. This process of reacquainting myself has made me realise that I forgot just how amazing the back catalogue is. Perhaps my two favourite albums by Bowie are “Heroes” (1977) and Scary Monsters (1980) but tucked away between these two masterpieces is 1979’s Lodger. Over the weekend I've basically had Lodger on a continuous loop (vinyl of course) and I had quite a rewarding experience. Fantastic Voyage, Look Back In Anger, Yassassin, Red Sails, Repetition; this album is littered with superb song writing. Although there is something about it that just keeps nagging at me. How can I adore the albums that proceed and succeed but not equally love the creative stepping stone that is Lodger? Why is this album so underrated and undervalued amongst Bowie’s run of seventies classic albums? I have narrowed it down to two reasons: some of the songs could sound better and where Lodger fits chronologically.
Some of the songs could sound better
There is something slightly off about the whole sound of Lodger which when you think about it doesn’t really make sense. Bowie’s albums immediately before and after are pitch perfect, crystal clear and still sound innovative, fresh and haven’t aged a single day. Lodger on the other hand sounds a bit muffled and the production just isn’t as good as it should/could be. It can be argued that it is just the way the individual songs were meant to be however subsequent live performances prove contrary to this. Take Look Back In Anger for example. This is a brilliant song however don’t you just wish it rocked a bit harder? Listen to the studio version below:
Now compare it to a live performance from 2002 (around 7:35 in):
While the two versions aren’t that different I feel the original loses some of its drive in the mix and if it were a bit cleaner and less muffled the overall result would be stronger, as shown in the live rendition. It’s not surprising that in 1988 Bowie recorded a "new, brutal version of the song" that is similar to that performed in 2002. I’m not alone in my feel that the album as a whole just doesn’t sound right. Bowie has admitted that “we didn’t take enough care mixing” and producer Tony Visconti agrees that the album “suffered at the mixing stage”. Visconti has even stated in a very recent interview that it is “an important album for both of us, but David agreed it never sounded the way we wanted”. It has been suggested that the final track off “Heroes”, The Secret Life of Arabia, was a precursor to Lodger and this is quite easy to see this. Maybe if Lodger retained this sound and level of production/mixing it could have been even better overall. However this is not necessarily the case for the entire album. Softer songs such as Fantastic Voyage and Yassassin fit the feel well and I couldn’t imagine Repetition any other way. It is clear though that there are some songs that suffer from the mix.
Where Lodger fits in the Bowie chronology
Lodger is billed as the last addition of the proclaimed “Berlin Trilogy” (although it was made in Switzerland and New York). Where Low and “Heroes” follow on from each other it’s hard to see where Lodger fits in this trilogy. “Heroes” seems to be a natural progression of its predecessor and keeps with the layout of side 1 being lyrical songs and side 2 being predominately experimental instrumentals. Lodger has no instrumentals and is a bit more conventional. However the air of experimentation is definitely continued and while Lodger feels less European as a whole it contains a wider scope of influences including Turkish (Yassassin) and African (African Night Flight). These differences definitely don’t hinder the album but they do result in it being the least remembered and consequently most undervalued of the groundbreaking trilogy. Perhaps separated from the trilogy it would receive the greater acclaim it deserves. It also doesn’t help that it was followed by the huge hit Scary Monsters as this is also another possible reason as to why the album is often overlooked.
Overall it is still brilliant!
I realise that this overlook of Lodger may be a bit negative however I must stress that the album is BRILLIANT! There is not a single bad track and, as previously mentioned, it contains some fantastic song writing from Bowie. The lyrics to Fantastic Voyage for example are beautiful and Bowie’s voice is equally as moving. His vocals throughout this album are exceptionally good from the howls of Red Sails to the monotone almost deadpan delivery of Repetition. After playing this album a lot over the past days I have grown fonder of it on every listen. The material is so strong and it is a shame that it is often undervalued among Bowie’s back catalogue (note: while this album is underrated it isn’t Bowie’s most forgotten. That award goes to the brilliant Buddha of Suburbia). Take Lodger on its own terms and you will fall for all its many charms. It may even become a personal favourite.
David Bowie has been virtually silent for around nine years with his last album Reality being back in 2003. After suffering from heart problems onstage in 2004 he became something of a recluse, living a quiet life with his ex-supermodel wife Iman and playing dad to his young daughter in New York.He has made a few onstage appearances since but the last of those was in 2006, resulting in fans and music buffs alike believing Bowie to be retired. Indeed there was evidence to suggest this; Bowie turning down the request to headline the Olympics, the lack of interviews for years, talks of declining health and scarce sightings except for a few photos of the man walking around New York and appearing at his son’s (Source Code director Duncan Jones) movie premiers. The future looked gloomy indeed.
2013 marks an end to this silence. On 8th January, Bowie’s 66th birthday, a surprise new single ‘Where Are We Now?’ was released with little fanfare accompanied by news of a brand new album titled The Next Dayto follow 11th March. Even better is the fact that Tony Visconti, Bowie’s long time collaborator on most of his classics, is the producer. I can tell you that my anticipation is at an all time high!
So how is the new song? Beside the fact I may be a bit biased, I can safely say it is brilliant. ‘Where Are We Now?’ is very reflective in its nature and harks back to Bowie’s days living in Berlin. The lyrics are scattered with references to the city, from “Potsdamer Platz” to “Nürnberger Strasse”. There is a very melancholy mood which is reflected in Bowie’s understated and weary sounding vocals. It is reminiscent of some of his older work but also in the mix is something completely new and exciting. The result is painstakingly beautiful. A low-key but nonetheless moving video accompanies the new single and features Bowie as a creepy looking Siamese teddy bear of sorts. Being projected onto a screen in the background is footage of the aforementioned city. The overall effect is minimalistic and arty but equally brilliant. The whole thing is a perfect comeback single!
I could easily write a four page essay on what I hope from the new album and why I’m so excited but I’m sure neither you the reader nor our editor Jodi will be too pleased if I did. Instead I will say that I would love it if The Next Day is a mix of albums “Heroes” (1977),Scary Monsters (1980) and Heathen (2002). I also think it’s fair to say though that everybody wants something innovative and new as well otherwise it just wouldn’t be a proper Bowie record. I can’t really think of another person like David Bowie who has had such a singular impact on my life and I have been in a state of frenzied excitement ever since the news broke. March isn’t coming fast enough!
This choice may be a bit biased but I love Patti Smith. ‘Horses’ (her 1975 debut) is a masterpiece and let’s be honest, Smith will NEVER top it. However since then she has continued to release fantastic albums and her latest, ‘Banga’, is no exception. Smith’s poetic and literary genius continues to flourish, a fact proven by the sprawling 10 minute epic ‘Constantine’s Dream’. Fully improvised, the song builds and builds with the band accompanying Smith’s spoken word delivery perfectly until it climaxes with her raving about humanity, nature and art. It is truly astonishing. The album also harks back to her punk days with rockers like ‘Fuji-San’ and the extraordinary title track full of howling guitars (listen out for the dog imitations). Although in her mid-sixties, Smith is sounding as youthful as ever in the carefree romance of ‘April Fool’ and littered throughout are some really beautiful numbers including a swooning tribute ballad to the late Amy Winehouse (‘This Is the Girl’) and the heart-wrenching ‘Maria’.The album closes with a poignant piano-led cover of Neil Young’s ‘After the Gold Rush’ in which Smith tweaks the lyric to address the 21st century.The choir of children reciting the refrain makes the impact even greater and affecting – a perfect close to a great album. I was also lucky enough to hear some of these songs live when I saw a fantastic performance by Patti Smith at the Troxy in London. A subtle mix of all the best bits about Patti Smith definitely makes ‘Banga’ a highpoint of 2012.
Within the last month Bellowhead have released a new studio album and I have been fortunate enough in this time to have seen them live twice. Firstly the new album, ‘Broadside’, is spectacular and is the eleven-piece folk group’s best to date! With their previous album ‘Hedonism’ the band perfected crafting their live sound in a studio environment. Bellowhead’s most recent effort has taken this and gone further, working it into a well produced, cohesive and multi-layered record that really blows you away. You are hooked from the very beginning with the fantastic powerful opener, and my personal favourite from the new album, “Byker Hill”. Thankfully this momentum is successfully sustained throughout with highlights including “Roll the Woodpile Down” and the joyous “10,000 Miles Away” (the best song about deportation out there) all the way to the rather heartfelt closer of “Go My Way”. Unfortunately there is only one instrumental but the quality of the rest of the material easily makes any doubts over this tiny imbalance disappear. A brilliant effort from an equally brilliant band.
The first Bellowhead gig I attended this year (second ever) was to the band’s invite only album launch party, for which I won tickets. It took place only two days after the release of ‘Broadside’ in a tiny little backroom of a pub called Water Rats in Kings Cross, London. It was so small that all eleven members of the band just about squeezed on the stage! The atmosphere was electrifying. All those in attendance (of whom there were fewer than 200) were fans and some had even dressed as pirates in accordance to the nautical theme. We were even given free ‘black beetle pies’ and tots of rum! Bellowhead performed the whole of ‘Broadside’ but in a different order with a few oldies mixed in for good measure. It was great to here all the new songs in a live setting and really adds to the experience of the new album. They are such a powerhouse of a band! The small size of the room and the loud speakers did mean that I couldn’t hear properly out of my left ear for three days though. Not that it really mattered, it didn’t take anything away the fact that the intimate venue and blistering performance made it a night to remember and a really unique and special gig.
I had around a three week gap until I went to my second Bellowhead concert of the year. After getting lost on the way to St Albans with a friend (a journey that should have taken around half an hour took us over an hour!) we saw the band at the Alban Arena. It was a completely different venue and as a result the experience as a whole was really different. However it was still quintessentially Bellowhead. The theme was once again nautical with the stage set up to make it look like a pirate ship. They opened with the same song as before, ‘Black Beetle Pies’, which is an odd choice for an opener and I’m still uncertain as to whether it is the right sort of number to get things started. The rest of the concert was outstanding as usual. It is just jaw dropping how unbelievably talented every member is. Trying to describe what they are like live is impossible as you just can’t do them justice. I implore everyone to at least attempt to see them. You won’t be disappointed. Once you’ve witnessed the band performing the amazing ‘Frogs Legs and Dragons Teeth’ you will be a changed person. The sense of ecstasy that takes hold of the listener is ineffable. Drop all your previous misconceptions about folk music and see this band!
Overall ‘Broadside’ and the subsequent tour are both sublime artistic achievements from one of Britain’s finest contemporary folk outfits.
[Note: this was written back around the time this news came out] “I’ve got a bad feeling about this”... I really don’t know how I feel about this news or maybe how I should feel. A sense of excited anticipation mixed with dread I suppose. Firstly I am a big Star Wars fan and always have been. I watched the Classic Trilogy at a very young age (three or four) and have been obsessed ever since. Along with the originals, the Prequel Trilogy was also an integral part of my up-bringing and seeing the films at the cinema were all life defining moments. However in 2005 with the release of ‘Revenge of the Sith’ it felt as if the series had culminated to a close with its final motion picture instalment. George Lucas himself has said billions of times that there were going to be no more. So you can see how this news for me and millions around the world is earth shattering. Especially when you see Lucas sold his franchise for over $4, it’s easy to be sceptical and think that this is just another money making exercise. Plus let’s face it, the film might rubbish. However I have not lost all hope. Disney also own Marvel and seeing as ‘The Avengers’ turned out pretty well who’s to say it won’t be the same for Star Wars. They just need a good director (my wish would be Joss Whedon... thinking about it I would rather they bring back Firefly than Star Wars) with a solid story and boom you have another great Star Wars film. Disney just needs to avoid creating another Jar Jar Binks, something I will never forgive Lucas for! Disney might just be a ‘new hope’for Star Wars. On another note, does this make Princess Leia a Disney Princess?
[Note: this was written back in October] This weekend BBC 6music was celebrating the brilliant Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground (Reed’s former band) with a number of special shows including Lou Reed’s very own show new to the radio station. This got me thinking about the amount of music that is indebted to Lou Reed. He is nowadays thought of as that grumpy old guy who sang ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ in the 70’s and did an (unappreciated) album with Metallica last year that almost everyone hated. However Lou Reed is so much more. He and the Velvets, specifically John Cale, were revolutionary in their approach to music, with Reed producing some of the most groundbreaking lyrics ever to be put to song. He wrote about taboos such as sexuality, drug use and the seedy underbelly of New York with a social commentary that was as beautiful and alluring as it was dark and horrific.
So why does this all matter? Well if it wasn’t for Reed and his cohorts a lot of the music you listen to today wouldn’t exist. Never again has a band been so ahead of its time in its innovation, experimentation and subject matter. Something that is not often commented on is Lou Reed’s much underrated work as a solo artist. While it can be a bit patchy in consistency Reed has hit the mark perfectly in many classics such as Transformer, Berlin, Street Hassle, The Blue Mask and his poetic masterpiece New York. When I’m listening to something by Reed or The Velvet Underground it feels as if he is speaking to no one in the world but me. He is by no means the greatest singer and is well known for his monotone, almost spoken word delivery but yet this makes the songs so affecting. The poetry conveyed in his lyrics speaks for itself and doesn’t necessarily need a pitch perfect vocalist to get the message across.
Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground’s influence is so far reaching that they are collectively essential when looking back at the history of popular music. As famously put by Brian Eno, "The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band", and the famous rock critic Lester Bangs, "modern music begins with the Velvets and the implications and influence of what they did seem to go on forever". Electrifying and utterly uncompromising; Lou Reed is definitely one of the greatest artists to have ever lived.
Don’t just take my word for it. Here are two songs to listen to:
