Category: Music

Surprising Turnaround

Movies, Music

…from me, that is.

I’ve made fun of that skinny little Brit actor with the fey name, Timothee Chalamet, currently the bonker of one of the Kardashian coven (Kimmy, Kluless, Kunty, whatever).

But the other night I watched him play a young Bob Dylan in  –Out Of Nowhere   A Complete Unknown  and his performance blew me out of my socks.  And I’m not even a fan of Dylan’s, to put it mildly.

Not only did Chalamet nail Dylan’s speaking voice and attitude, he also got the singing voice almost perfectly.  And the movie was a gem:  a little time capsule of the early 1960s — the best compliment I could pay it is that I wished it was longer.

Do yourself a favor, and watch it, and him.  (I can’t remember which channel it’s on, but whatever.)

When The Best Is Unknown

Music

…at least to me, it is.

Nineties anthem from iconic rock band is crowned the best British song of all time

and here it is:  Live Forever (Oasis)

Okay, I admit that I’m not the best one to judge this poll-driven decision, especially as I couldn’t hum or whistle any Oasis song with a gun pointed at my head.

But I would humbly suggest that this silly, simplistic song isn’t only not the best British song of all time, but it doesn’t even come close to songs like, oh, the Beatles’ Hey Jude  or for that matter The White Cliffs Of Dover  or Keep The Home Fires Burning, to name but three that predate Oasis’ jangling, annoying ditty.

This is why all GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) comparisons are irretrievably flawed:  different eras breed different greats, and if we’re even going to compare a nondescript song of thirty-odd years ago with songs that have emerged since then, I’d also suggest that Live Forever doesn’t match up to Adele’s Rolling In The Deep, which sold over twenty million singles (and which I don’t especially care for, either).

Pointless nonsense.  I’m kinda sorry I even took any notice of it.  Sorry.

FYLP

Music

…which stands for “For Your Listening Pleasure” — hey, if people are going to acronymize (lol) every damn expression under the sun — then I can get on the bandwagon, so to speak.

And speaking of bands and music, allow me to recommend this one, Piano Sonata #1 in B-flat by Richard Wagner.

“Wait… Wagner?  The opera guy?  The guy whose long-form operas were the basis for all sleep aids to come?”

Yeah, that Wagner.  Unlike his turgid operas, this sonata is light, airy and extremely pleasant on the ears, and it’s one of my favorite classical piano pieces of all time.

Enjoy.