Hospital Beds

Wednesday 1 September 2004

Watched the first episode of Alistair Cooke's America documentary. Absolutely fascinating. He started off in New York and then New Orleans and then the Prairies and Massachusetts.

1826hrs. And so with a new month comes glorious sunshine. Apparently an Indian summer is in store for us lucky Brits. Watched Fellini's Roma. Fellini-esque to say the least. I guess he was trying to portray the different factions that make up the city. I think he played himself. I didn't realise he looked like that. Very handsome and seemed so young considering it was 1972. Was great to see Rome again. Really want to go again. Spoke to Ben. Looks like we'll be doing something at the weekend. Hopefully booking a trip away. Si's booked tickets to see the play influenced by Murakami's The Elephant Vanishes. So i'll be in London Town next weekend. Got Bjork's new album 'Medulla', Latin for marrow. Truly breathtaking piece of work. So original, so groundbreaking, so true. It appears that there are beats on there - I think the guy from The Roots did some 'vocal beats'. One of the tracks is really disturbing - I think the Canadian throat singer is feature heavily on that one. Fascinating to hear and so inspiring.

Over the Edge...

Monday 23 August 2004

Sopranos was great again. I get so annoyed with Channel 4 though. They have an ad break every 5 mins and then they always have a voice-over during the credits. This is the part where David Chase goes to the trouble to find a song that can sum up the episode; it is, for me, what makes the show so good. It's like a Shakespearean play with the music at the end being another tool of the director to explain what is going on. It puts the show into a context. But Channel 4have to have some moron talking about what's coming up next. AAAGGGHH!!!

Everyone's got a book in them. Bollocks. I certainly haven't. Started to read Jonathan Lethem's 'Motherless Brooklyn' and its stunning. I can't write with anywhere near the same magnitude. I'm no book critic so I won't try to discuss his writing in depth. Although its exhilarating to read, it's also slightly belittling. When my friend Ben had his operation he said he had started to write a book. I suggested reading one first. He hasn't got a book in him either. When he stayed over the other night he said he had written one page. Mmm...not bad for....5 weeks.

On the Random House website there's a load of diary entries from one of Lethem's book tours. It just floats off the page. In New York, he did a reading and interview with Haruki Murakami. Fuck! What a dream! Will learn a lot from how he writes his diary. Hopefully will be reflected in this.

Really enjoying watching Spaced. Have nearly finished watching the second series. It's extremely clever. New albums have arrived from Play: Jane's Addiction: 'Ritual de la Habitual', Dinosaur Jr: 'Green Mind', Yes: 'Over the Edge', and the Joy Division: 'Substance'.

Bop was in the Forties....

Sunday 15 August 2004

Great quote from American Splendor:

Harvey Pekar: The stuff he did with Thad on Bluenote in the late Fifties is more modern than that bebop revival stuff he's into now...but you should be playing something besides bop...man, bop was in the Forties...Post-bop was in the fifties..the vocabulary for them has been devloped. You can't do anything creative if you play bop now...it's like some contemporary guy composing like Bach or Mozart.....

Si rang when he got back Portland, Oregon at around 1030hrs. He had only got around 8hrs sleep since thursday. He had a great time. He predictably loved it. He bought a Coltrane CD - Live in Seattle, a Calexico EP, a few Paul Westerberg CDs, a few Mingus albums. He spent a lot of money but it was obviously well worth it. He made a load of contacts and was on the front row of one the rallies (he emailed me the photos - 60,000 peoplethere to see Kerry).

Spoke to Ben - he went to a festival at De Montford Gardens in Leicester and saw Lambchop and Super Furries amongst others. Will hopefully meet up with him next weekend. His wound is now infected - he didn't add much more than that.

Beginnings...

Tuesday 10 August 2004

2357hrs. Back from studio. Outgoing email to Donny:

My dear friend Donster
I hope all is well. I am writing this at the late hour of 2344hrs. I have just got back from another night at the studio. My energy is low and yet my spirits are high. I am there every night (inc Friday) and Sat/Sun day.
I hope this email finds you well and that the gigs have gone equally well. Please let me know how they went. I have had a look at the website which is really good.
Although in a previous email I refused to apologise for my inability to keep in touch with ANY of my friends, I feel that the time has come to do so. I have no spare time at all and it is a difficult situation. The bottom line is that I am really enjoying my time with the band and that it is very important to me.
These are exciting times.
As I am sure you are aware and have experienced, it is difficult to fit in to an established set-up, especially when the standards are so high. I am finally beginning to become a strong member with a strong contribution.
I will endeavour to ring this coming weekend although I will be in the studio for the majority of it and also playing a solo gig at a pub.
Take care Donny...hopefully see you and/or speak to you soon
Yours ever-pretensiously
Stephen

A lot can happen in a North Yorkshire minute....

Wednesday 4 August 2004

So tired today. Real lack of energy. Went to work. Did some research on my MS2000 during lunch which was rewarding. Will really try and take the manual to bits so I can fully utilise everything. Taught Little Timmy after work. He's only 8 but he really winds me up. He's on his summer holidays at the moment so he's always tired. Having said that, he's always tired anyway, as he never eats during the day. Sue knows about it as well. How can a child function with no energy? He can't. The result is that when I come to teach he can't muster the energy to play. So he sits there moaning that he 'can't do it' and lowers his head in a mock show of tiredness. What a waste of my energy. I have to sit in rush hour traffic on the M6 for half an hour to teach him. Am I too harsh? Didn't get back until 2040hrs.

When I did get back I tuned my Auto Harp. The strings are really old and so they go out of tune fairly quickly. Sounds great though. There is no A major chord though - just an A7 which is a little frustrating. Will have to continue my research in order to get the best out of it. Also had a quick go on my synth. The new things I had found earlier in the day really helped - so many new things to explore on it. It’s a great machine. Really want to use it for my own music. You can really experiment with it and get some great sounds. If I can fuse the sounds with my songs and beats then I think I can really achieve some new music. I have to try at least.

Spoke to promoter CM. He's asked me to play his venue again. Will ask if I can play my synth I think. I don't the think the audience will be all for it but fuck 'em. Will definitely play my Auto Harp.

Last time I played there a guy (JP) was playing. The promoter told me he was playing solo 5-string bass in a jazz style. Fuck! I thought, this should be great. When I introduced myself I asked him what he was going to play. He replied "Bit of jazz, bit of blues...I sing as well....oh, and I use a drum machine." Alarm bells rang. I decided to prolong the agony by asking what jazz bassists he was in to. The all time classic response accompanied by a cheesy, sheepish grin was, "Oh you know...all the good ones..." Still undeterred, I continued to probe....I told him I had just finished reading Mingus' autobiography (a lie). Vacant look matched with concurring noises. Told him I’d seen Ron Carter at Birdland in New York last summer. Same response. If this episode wasn't bad enough, he chose to play some songs off his forthcoming self-funded release. Two cracking tunes were entitled, 'The Politician Shuffle' and 'Commercial Blues'. I won't bother to explain the complex themes dealt with by the song's lyrics.

I hope Lambchop, or more to the point, Kurt Wagner doesn't continue to write instrumentals. Listening to a tour-only CD of recent recordings. He keeps singing in a really low voice. One of my favourite bands. I love the way he keeps trying to push the barrier. My widely-derided view is that Is A Woman was the ultimate Lambchop album. Its so good, its hard to top. Aw, Come On and No, You Come On were a little disappointing. They weren't that good live either. Its a disturbing feeling i've got at the moment. I've had so many positive feelings towards Kurt et al, but now.....a few negative ones.

Still reading Murakami. Its really not as good as his later stuff. Here's a nice quote though:

' "I wonder if you need to unclose your mind. I do not understand things of the mind very well, but perhaps yours is too firmly sealed. The old dreams need to be read by you, and you need to seek the old dreams"..... Then she reaches out accross the table and places her hand on mine. She smiles. A smile that promises Spring.'

I Think I'm In Love

Sunday 1 August 2004

In London all day. Set off around 0930hrs, parked up at T's. Really nice weather. Got off at London Bridge tube. Went to the Design Museum. Had an exhibition on Saul Bass. He designed the titles for such films as 'Anatomy of a Murder', 'Vertigo', 'Psycho', 'Casino', 'Goodfellas', 'Cape Fear' (Scorcese version) and 'Spartacus' amongst many others. Opening titles were always bland and drab before Bass. They have never been the same since, although of course, many titles do not meet the high standards set by Bass. Great exhibition. Scorcese lent the Museum some pieces and provided a nice quote for the end of the exhibition. Fascinating to see the original designs. I find that a great way to analyse whether something should be held in high regard is to ask how they conceived and achieved it. If that cannot be answered then the work must be of high quality on some level i.e Pet Sounds - Brian Wilson was 22, I know how he arranged the pieces and I know that the final product sounds amazing and I know why it sounds amazing but I will never know he conceived the songs and melodies and arrangements. Bass' work is similar in that respect.

Went to the Tate Modern, hoping to catch the Edward Hopper. Sold out. So disappointed - looked amazing - bought a great book on him for a fiver though. Saw the Luc Tuymens exhibition. Didn't really get it to be honest. Didn't work for me on an aesthetic or conceptual level. His pieces are supposed to show the banality of evil. He takes images from concentration camps and paints the seemingly dull objects within, such as a lamp. His amateur style is supposed to reflect something or other... I still don't get it... I guess you can't like everything. Just because it's at the Tate Modern don't make it good, so to speak.

Went for a drink in the bar on top floor of the OXO tower. £7.50 for some cocktail with bourbon and apple schnapps. Was nice. Felt good to not give a crap about its cost. I am fortunate in that respect. Would rather spend £7.50 on a well made drink on the South Bank overlooking South London than £7.50 on 3 pints of Stella in Stones in Cannock. I have consciously made that life choice. Shoot it down if you can (you can't) .

Went to the Festival Hall. David Viner was on as we entered. Basically a white guy with electric guitar singing contemporary blues songs with ironic lyrics about wife-beating. I get the impression this guy thinks he's quite a hit. He was terrible. How does a guy like this get signed and get to play a legendary venue like this? Although unrelated, it brings to mind a Spinal Tap quote - "Too much fucking perspective" - I don't why it came in to my head, but its a great quote. Pere Ubu were next up. The lead singer (a huge influence on Tiny from Ultrasound) berated his band members at one stage for fucking up. He basically screams poetry over angular post-rock Sonic Youth-esque backing. Quite effective. Will do some research on them. At several stages throughout the set he put on a kitchen apron. Not sure why.

Spiritualized then came on and played for two hours straight. Similarly to when I saw them in Sheffield, they were really disappointing. I Think I'm In Love was stunning. A few others were great. Light show was great. But this man charges £25 a ticket. Has backing tapes accompanying throughout. No horn section, no string section, no gospel choir. Just him and his session players. The London crowd were predictable as ever. More interested in going to the bar than listening and absorbing. Too busy thinking of moronic things to shout out in between songs. I was disappointed and on the verge of boredom but I wanted it to get better and I didn't travel all the way there to not sit there for to hours. Do all these people have Attention Defecit Disorder? Really spoiled an average evening.

Great day though. The Thames looked great in the sunlight. Had a drink on the balcony of the Royal Festival Hall overlooking the river. Great view. Great city.

An English book is a blank book...

Monday 27 July 2004

"The fact that for a long time cubism has not been understood and that even today there are people who cannot see anything in it, means nothing. I do not read English, and an English book is a blank book to me. This does not mean that the English language does not exist, and why should I blame anyone but myself if I cannot understand what I know nothing about?"

- Picasso

Been reading a book on Picasso - fascinating... Will the art world ever see such revolution again? I am yet to gain an authoritative voice on art. I have not studied it in any depth. I have no one to teach me. I must read and read. I have a book on Rodin to read as well as a general post-modern impressionism book. Time is hard to come by at the moment.

Recently realised that Lou Reed wrote several songs with a female name followed by the word 'says'. Candy, Caroline and someone else (on the Royal Tenembaums). The first too are sublime. Will have to check out some interviews on the net to see if has expressed a rationale for this...

The Essence of Things...

Sunday 26th July 2004

1930hrs. Have just finished watching a BBC4 documentary on the sculptor Constantin Brancusi. Presented by Ben Lewis. What a dreadful wretch this man appears to be. Having seen the Tate Modern exhibition 'The Essence of Things', I was looking forward to gaining further insight into the artist and the man, his methods and theories. However, we are subjected to Lewis' public school drivel regarding the works' spirituality and whether it was a 'con'. Having researched about the presenter on the internet, it appears that he studied Art at Cambridge. Wow.... Surely, the subjectivity of Art would be something drilled into him at an early stage of his learning. Or perhaps, studying the subject itself had the reverse effect. I mean, who chooses what subject to study? Universities and professors subjecting their opinions onto others. Which is, I guess, what Lewis was doing in the documentary. Regardless, how did this man find himself in the position of writing, directing and presenting a documentary for one of the world's most respected broadcasting corporations? I have just wasted 45 mins of my life. It had the potential to be an uplifting, inspirational 45 mins but I find myself filled with bile once more. Essentially, my understanding of Brancusi and his attempt to present 'the essence of things' remains elementary. The presenter spoiled what was probably for many, an introduction to Brancusi's works.

What is the purpose of a documentary about Art/Artists? I don't know for sure but education has to be a principal goal. The recent attempt at introducing 'high art' to the masses hasn't succeeded as far as I can tell. I need to understand as many things as I can. I want to learn more and more. I want to know why Brancusi is considered a master sculptor, a revolutionary modernist. Instead I have to suffer Lewis' egotistical, faux modest, faux simplistic approach. Perhaps it is indicative of the BBC's decline in standards. I watched a documentary last week on experimental music in the 1960's which, too, was spoiled by the aesthetics of the documentary rather than its contents. It seems the BBC sometimes try too hard to break barriers in order to justify its existence when they should concentrate on their considerable strengths.

I watched the Royal Tenembaums last night. I had been intending to revisit the film since watching my brother's copy of Rushmore (further investigation revealed that this film was made in 1998. This seems odd - the film has a late 1980's sheen to it and I could have sworn that I looked at the case in order to confirm this), both having been directed by Wes Anderson. When first watching the film at the Showroom cinema in Sheffield on its initial release, I immediately recognised its originality but felt that the story didn't grab me as much as it perhaps should have. The second viewing confirmed it to be a terrific film, a real attempt at innovation. The soundtrack perfectly accompanies the trajectory of the plot. I remember on its first viewing the emotional impact of Elliot Smith's 'Needle in the Hay' which accompanies Ritchie Tenembaum's suicide attempt. It was the first time I had heard the song. The extras on the DVD were also superb. I like and equally dislike being let in on the secrets of film making. I feel I am learning but also find it hard to watch the next film with the same naivety.

Also watched Everyone Says I Love You by Woody Allen. Realised during the opening scenes that I had seen it previously. I had told Ben, who leant me the film, that I hadn't seen it and my excitement made itself apparent. That excitement soon dimmed. The film's dialogue was typically a joy. I am yet to watch a musical without feeling nauseous (bar Cabaret which is slightly different). I have Porgy and Bess on DVD - maybe that can restore (or should I write store?) my faith in musicals. Although I appreciate Gershwin, I have the feeling that throughout its viewing I will be thinking about Miles Davis' version. We shall see......

2348hrs. Little mommy's boy's mommy across the street must have gone on holiday as him and his little greasy mates are having a band practice. It appears they have chosen this late hour to start it. This is not the sort of behaviour that his fellow Russell Road neighbours condone. I wonder if they will call the police. This is a well-to-do area. And yet, you get the impression, in line with the apparent nature of us English people, that they would rather be kept awake all night and face the inevitable consequence of tiredness and frustration than cause a scene. I guess I am the same. Although I don't have to get up in the morning, I can feel the rudimentary (I'm talking in terms of advancement rather than the style of drumming) drumming vibrating through my window and the bass reverberating my insides. The question is: if the music were any good - would I mind being kept awake? If John Coltrane was playing his soul out with an hour long rendition of 'My Favourite Things' would I be inclined to ask him if he'd mind awfully if he could keep the noise down as one has to be at the office for 8??? Mmmmm.....I hope I wouldn't....

The point is that the music is terrible. I can hear echoes of Ugly Kid Joe, early Radiohead, ..... I saw the greasy specimen (his hair and face was actually greasy; I wasn't using the term in a catch-all generalisation fashion) today. Oversized woolly jumper coming over his hands. An awkward walk that teenagers tend to have (Oh! How I long to be rid of my own teenage memories. That is where my empathy for this guy begins and ends). I wonder if he is acting with deliberate ignorance of those inhabiting close-by properties. Is he simply being a teenager? Do his parents usually let him practice at this time? I don't recall hearing anything previously. Fortunately, I am managing to block out the noise with the aid of 'NYC Man' - Lou Reed. I'll save the discussion of Lou's merits for another time. One thing is for sure - he is addictive as the subject of one of his most acclaimed songs.

Time now is 0057hrs. Time to continue reading Haruki Murakami's Hard Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World before going to sleep. Tomorrow, I'll go into town. Probably watch Richard Linklater's Before Sunset. Haven't seen Before Sunrise though. Whatever. Brother goes to Portland, Oregon tomorrow. Cool.

A few bad bones...

Wednesday 22 July 2004

I feel obsolete. Obsolete. How do you weigh a word like that? How do you weigh words? Do I feel as obsolete as some members of the audience of a Neil Young bootleg I've been listening to (Young's Greendale tour, UK, circa 2003)? They begin to clap in time (just about) during the opening few bars of 'The Needle and the Damage Done' and then cease a few bars later. Why did they stop? Did they realise how inappropriate it was? That can't be it. Sure, it's possible some of them felt as though they were contributing to the warm-natured feel of the evening (Young seemed in particularly high spirits) and then the song's content became apparent and they stopped. I can't figure what goes through the head of someone who appreciates Young and his history and yet feels that clapping to a song that has never featured any timekeeping in any form (not even a tambourine) would somehow be the correct course of action. Every audience member there must have had a handle on who Young is; tickets were around £40/£50 if my memory serves me as it should. They sold out quickly. Only true, authentic Youngites were present. Fact.

Of course, most of the clappers quickly became aware that the majority of the audience were not going to participate in the clapping. That would immediately cause most clappers to stop. On this evening it evidently did, buI'm'm sure we have all been present at some event where clappers tirelessly pursue their cause until the last few notes of the song die out. Perhaps, the moment would have been less excrutiating if the clappers had continued to the brutal end. We will never know.......

(I think I will soon write about whistlers. I don't feel comfortable, presently, about writing negatively about a group of people of which my father is a member)

It can sometimes happen. 'The Needle....' may have had its original emotional power drained from it. That goes for the writer and performer as well as the listener. A song that you love with all your heart; a song that unashamedly made every hair on your body stand to attention; a song that brought a salty discharge to the edge of your eye; a song that helped you through that two week period of dark thoughts and low feelings; a song that you had on 'repeat' for hours at a time; but now......many moments, many years, many loves, many books later, the song can no longer bring emotion to you. No matter how hard you try. That tends to produce a unfavourable mixed and nervous feeling within me. 'Aire and Calder' - Ultrasound. 'Sparky's Dream' - Teenage Fanclub. 'Dolphins' - Tim Buckley version. 'I want you' - Elvis Costello. 'My Blue Wave' - Lambchop. 'Alabama' - John Coltrane. The air of melancholy that these songs contain is enough to weep anyhow, but for them to become redundant to me can be devastating. An exaggeration, perhaps. Hard to explain, I guess......