I’d be remiss if I didn’t point you to the newly-published American Splendor anthology by Harvey Pekar; Our Movie Year features a story about the one and only Michael Malice. I haven’t picked it up yet, and for the life of me I can’t imagine why. I’ll have to go grab it tomorrow. Also, one of Michael’s web sites, Overheard in New York, was recently cited by Richard Roeper in the Chicago Sun-Times. Maybe it’s time he expanded the franchise to other big cities, before someone else steals the idea
Right after I went to see The Incredibles for the first time, early last month, I came home and ran a Google search cross-referencing Brad Bird and Ayn Rand. It turns out I wasn’t the only one to sense a connection. David M. Brown has done the work of sorting out all the various references on the web, and posting them in his excellent Laissez Faire Books blog. The references cross several entries throughout the blog’s November archive; start here, and scroll up to catch them all.
The first four-disc volume of The 21st Century Guide to King Crimson is out, waiting to puncture your eardrums. A perfect starter for those who don’t have all the original albums and live releases — and even if you do, you may have my kinda OCD, which will compel you to buy it anyway. At any rate, it’s newly-mastered, and has a little previously unreleased material.
On that note, I recently put together a King Crimson mix disc to give to a young metalhead friend who didn’t know about King Crimson and its huge influence on generations of metal bands. I’ve been listening to it constantly, myself, much like the Henry Threadgill mix I put together for my sister last year. Here’s the track listing, for the curious:
- “Vrooom Vrooom / Coda: Marine 475” (7:15)
Vrooom Vrooom: Live in Mexico City, 1996 - “Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With” (3:52)
Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With, 2002 - “21st Century Schizoid Man” (6:54)
In the Court of the Crimson King, 1969 - “Easy Money” (5:57)
The Nightwatch: Live at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, 1973 - “FraKctured” (8:26)
Heavy ConstruKction: Live in Europe, 2000 - “Thela Hun Ginjeet” (6:21)
Discipline, 1981 - “Level Five” (7:08)
The Power to Believe, 2003 - “Into the Frying Pan” (6:08)
Heavy ConstruKction: Live in Europe, 2000 - “Red” (6:02)
Vrooom Vrooom: Live in Mexico City, 1996 - “The Talking Drum / Larks’ Tongues in Aspic: Part 2” (11:25)
Live in Central Park, NYC, 1974 - “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part IV)” (10:21)
Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With, 2002
I had to trim & fade applause before & after live tracks, and omit the standard two-second pauses between tracks to make it all fit.
In other news, it’s been about a month and a half since Justin last wrote in this blog. Why? I wish I could tell you.
