18 July 2013 (Day 199) – More DVDs

There has been minimal improvement in my condition.  The phlegm in my throat appears to have broken up a little but I’ve now got a migraine.   This limits my ability to do anything other than view DVDs and I’m beginning to run out of those with a musical theme - in concert performances, documentaries or the occasional compilation of an act’s video clips.  Hollywood musicals are a definite no go area.

I’ve always had a conceptual difficulty with Hollywood musicals.   There’s a story, it proceeds and then at some key or otherwise undetermined moment, the characters break out into song and an elaborate choreographed dance routine.  Just like in real life.  I know musicals aren’t made to be taken literally and songs are meant to express the inner feelings of the characters at the given moment but I simply don’t buy it.  There have been moments in my life where I have burst into song to express an emotion but I don’t sing with perfect pitch and, as far as I’m aware, there are no moveable walls in my house that conceal an orchestra or dancers.  All I know is when I burst into song unaccompanied people stick fingers in their ears and ask me to stop.

Instead I see the musical as something that works best when the actors in them portray real people who sing like the majority of people on the planet (that is badly).  So step forward the adaptation of Mama Mia!  or Woody Allen’s Everyone Says I Love You.  Movies set in a form of fantasy land (such as the Wizard Of Oz) or in a scenario that accounts for why the characters can sing (such as Singin’ In The Rain) are conceptually solid enough to hold my interest, provided of course the music is OK.

But I digress.  In between fits of sleep, today I watched;

(AV 29) The Flaming Lips – The Fearless Freaks (2005)

This documentary was compiled by band associate Bradley Beesley from over 400 hours of footage, home super 8 movies and other sources.  It is a comprehensive history of the band until the release of the Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots album.  Although just about every past and present member of the band is featured, the emphasis is firmly on Wayne Coyne and Steven Drozd, their families and their hometown of Oklahoma City.  Scenes set in the latter appear to silently demonstrate just how their surroundings have influenced the creation of such mind blowing, escapist music and, in Drozd’s case, descent into drugs.  In one unforgettable gruesome scene, Drozd describes his heroin addiction to camera whilst calmly setting himself up for a hit.   Fortunately there’s enough music from across their career to keep fans happy and each track can be played in full outside of the film.

(AV 30) Paul Simon – Under African Skies (2012)

This documentary was produced to mark last year is a 25^th Anniversary of Simon’s Graceland album and can be purchased separately or, as in my case, part of the extended version of the album.  There are effectively two parts to the story; the genesis/recording/live performance of the music and the consequent furore surrounding Simon’s breaking of the United Nations anti apartheid  cultural boycott of South Africa.  To tell these stories, Simon journeyed back to South America for a special concert featuring all of the original musicians and a discussion with Ray Tambo, the founder of Artists Against Apartheid and arguably his most outspoken critic.  Simon comes across as slightly naïve about the South African situation.  He eloquently explains how South African music inspired him to seek out the musicians and record with them and that he couldn’t see how his actions could possibly hinder the anti apartheid fight.  After all, he did not discriminate against the black musicians with whom he recorded and toured the world and whose talents he brought before the world.  Naturally they do not say a bad word about him, however, Tambo makes the telling observation that Simon’s actions only benefitted just those musicians and not the wider population, which is why the boycott was in place in the first place.  This appeared to be the key argument that leads Simon to apologise for the offense he caused.  And yet, one can’t help but think that by creating the music and the furore Simon might have generated as much publicity for the anti cause as had the rockers with the Sun City album.  It is absolutely fascinating stuff and an issue that can be debated forever.  Pity, though the documentary makes no reference to the track recorded with Los Lobos and the furore that track has since generated regarding its authorship.