reviews of things
Apr. 4th, 2005 01:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alonewiththemoonA bunch of things I have purchased/encountered recently:
Raks Zahra by Cairo Trip Hop Underground: great CD! Despite the reference to Cairo, this is actually more American Cabaret style music rather than Egyptian (chiftetelli breaks, that kind of thing), and I wouldn't exactly call it trip hop since it's mostly a bit too lively for that, but it's a very enjoyable cd made by musicians who are skilled in both playing physical instruments and manipulating /remixing electronically. These sorts of CDs can sometimes fall flat on one front or the other, but this one is strong. I can definitely see using this one for future performances. Grade A
Everyday by Louie: billed as the greatest arab dj in the world, Louie is in fact pretty good. A couple of the songs also appear on Said Mrad's A Thousand and One Nights, so I suppose Louie was the dj involved on those songs--the liner notes don't say. There's a good variety of sounds to the album, even if the basslines aren't especially subtle. I would guess that Louie is not a classically-trained musician. One or two songs are very beautiful. Grade B+/A-
Andy by Andy Madadian: I found this cd used at Newbury Comics for $1.99 and since I vaguely remembered liking a song of his on a compilation, I picked it up. If I had noticed the HOtel California cover, I would have left it alone. Saccharin pop flavored with 80s arena rock. He does have a nice voice, but it's put to no good use whatsoever. Grade: D
I already raved about M.I.A. so I'll skip that for this post.
B-Sides and Rarities by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Disc 1 is heaven, covering the early period up through about Henry's Dream. Mostly tracks I'd heard before, but remastered and so crisp and clean, the songs with so much power and explosive imagery. That accoustic version of The Mercy Seat never fails to send chills across my skin. Disc 2 is also quite pleasant, covering Let Love In and Murder Ballads along with a lot of non-album related stuff, including the duet with Shane McGowan "What a Wonderful World." Seriously, play that at my wake and get really drunk, okay you guys? Shane's cover of Lucy/the Belltower is just heartbreaking--Nick Cave's original is gorgeous, but Shane brings it to this level of pure emotion in his broken rough voice. Disc 3 covers The Boatman's Call through to the present. Sigh. Some of the songs are good, or at least not bad. I hate the album version of Black Hair, but this alternate "band version" is much better (note to Nick: listen to your band!). But nearly every song on Disc 3 just pales in comparison to the other discs, and that's why even though what Nick is doing now might not be terrible, it can never really be good with the weight of his history behind him. This box set illustrates that so clearly. Discs 1 and 2: A+ Disc 3: sigh.
Animal Planet special on Dragons (I forget the exact title): Wow! I thought this would just be somewhat entertaining, but it was really quite good! The conceit of the show, narrated by Patrick Stewart, is that a dragon carcass is found frozen in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, and from there scientists strive to figure out a natural history of dragons based on their phyiscal evidence (including some made-up fossils of T-Rex skulls with claw marks inflicted from above, another frozen carcass)) and mythology. It's very skillfully interwoven with the planet's genuine natural history, and elements of other species are used to explain how dragons could breathe fire, fly given their small wings, reproduce, survive the meteor strike that killed off the dinosaurs, and how they finally disappeared (or did they...). I don't want to give too much away because it really is delightful how all the connections are made. The CGI is some of the best I've ever seen; the most stunning example was the mating ritual of the western mountain dragon, which was the sort of interlocking the claws in mid-air and plummeting downwards that some eagles do. I was feeling like a big dork being so moved by it, but then in the "making of" special that followed it, one of the CGI guys said he was enormously proud of that work and he didn't know what it was about it but it just got him every time. So at least I'm a dork in good company. Grade: A
Sin City: Liked it lots. All comic book adaptations should be so lovingly made. Grade: A-
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: It was pretty, but that wasn't enough to sustain the movie. Lackluster acting and a transparent script brought this film down like the Hindenberg. The most enjoyable part of the movie was imagining![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fusion_waste's response to various events. Grade: D+
A full day of gardening and sewing: I would have to give this high marks for productivity, even though I only finished half the bra, but I would have to give my sore hamstrings and shoulders low marks for not being able to keep up with the program. I didn't get in any dancing time yesterday which is not so good, but I think my knee needed a couple of days off. I've been in denial about my knee hurting, but I think I'm going to have to deal with it soon. So material output: A- Physical aftermath: C+
Raks Zahra by Cairo Trip Hop Underground: great CD! Despite the reference to Cairo, this is actually more American Cabaret style music rather than Egyptian (chiftetelli breaks, that kind of thing), and I wouldn't exactly call it trip hop since it's mostly a bit too lively for that, but it's a very enjoyable cd made by musicians who are skilled in both playing physical instruments and manipulating /remixing electronically. These sorts of CDs can sometimes fall flat on one front or the other, but this one is strong. I can definitely see using this one for future performances. Grade A
Everyday by Louie: billed as the greatest arab dj in the world, Louie is in fact pretty good. A couple of the songs also appear on Said Mrad's A Thousand and One Nights, so I suppose Louie was the dj involved on those songs--the liner notes don't say. There's a good variety of sounds to the album, even if the basslines aren't especially subtle. I would guess that Louie is not a classically-trained musician. One or two songs are very beautiful. Grade B+/A-
Andy by Andy Madadian: I found this cd used at Newbury Comics for $1.99 and since I vaguely remembered liking a song of his on a compilation, I picked it up. If I had noticed the HOtel California cover, I would have left it alone. Saccharin pop flavored with 80s arena rock. He does have a nice voice, but it's put to no good use whatsoever. Grade: D
I already raved about M.I.A. so I'll skip that for this post.
B-Sides and Rarities by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Disc 1 is heaven, covering the early period up through about Henry's Dream. Mostly tracks I'd heard before, but remastered and so crisp and clean, the songs with so much power and explosive imagery. That accoustic version of The Mercy Seat never fails to send chills across my skin. Disc 2 is also quite pleasant, covering Let Love In and Murder Ballads along with a lot of non-album related stuff, including the duet with Shane McGowan "What a Wonderful World." Seriously, play that at my wake and get really drunk, okay you guys? Shane's cover of Lucy/the Belltower is just heartbreaking--Nick Cave's original is gorgeous, but Shane brings it to this level of pure emotion in his broken rough voice. Disc 3 covers The Boatman's Call through to the present. Sigh. Some of the songs are good, or at least not bad. I hate the album version of Black Hair, but this alternate "band version" is much better (note to Nick: listen to your band!). But nearly every song on Disc 3 just pales in comparison to the other discs, and that's why even though what Nick is doing now might not be terrible, it can never really be good with the weight of his history behind him. This box set illustrates that so clearly. Discs 1 and 2: A+ Disc 3: sigh.
Animal Planet special on Dragons (I forget the exact title): Wow! I thought this would just be somewhat entertaining, but it was really quite good! The conceit of the show, narrated by Patrick Stewart, is that a dragon carcass is found frozen in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, and from there scientists strive to figure out a natural history of dragons based on their phyiscal evidence (including some made-up fossils of T-Rex skulls with claw marks inflicted from above, another frozen carcass)) and mythology. It's very skillfully interwoven with the planet's genuine natural history, and elements of other species are used to explain how dragons could breathe fire, fly given their small wings, reproduce, survive the meteor strike that killed off the dinosaurs, and how they finally disappeared (or did they...). I don't want to give too much away because it really is delightful how all the connections are made. The CGI is some of the best I've ever seen; the most stunning example was the mating ritual of the western mountain dragon, which was the sort of interlocking the claws in mid-air and plummeting downwards that some eagles do. I was feeling like a big dork being so moved by it, but then in the "making of" special that followed it, one of the CGI guys said he was enormously proud of that work and he didn't know what it was about it but it just got him every time. So at least I'm a dork in good company. Grade: A
Sin City: Liked it lots. All comic book adaptations should be so lovingly made. Grade: A-
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: It was pretty, but that wasn't enough to sustain the movie. Lackluster acting and a transparent script brought this film down like the Hindenberg. The most enjoyable part of the movie was imagining
fusion_waste's response to various events. Grade: D+A full day of gardening and sewing: I would have to give this high marks for productivity, even though I only finished half the bra, but I would have to give my sore hamstrings and shoulders low marks for not being able to keep up with the program. I didn't get in any dancing time yesterday which is not so good, but I think my knee needed a couple of days off. I've been in denial about my knee hurting, but I think I'm going to have to deal with it soon. So material output: A- Physical aftermath: C+
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no subject
Date: 2005-04-04 11:46 pm (UTC)also about the iliotibial thing, mine get's tight too. i've found that rolling on a bolster or rolling a small spiky massage ball over the thigh (particularly the outer thigh) helpful in releasing tight illiotibial bands.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-05 04:13 pm (UTC)Last night I did the exercises I'd found for iliotibial tension, and I already feel some difference this morning. The area alongside my knee is just tingly rather than screeching. I met with another dancer who has some physical therapy experience for a rehearsal last night, and when I mentioned the symptoms I had to her, she instantly said "you've got iliotibial syndrome!" so between the relief from the exercises and her immediate response, I'd say I've got the problem correctly identified. Hooray for playing doctor! The next time I stop by the Harvet Coop I'll check out their massage section and see if they have any of those spiky balls.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-05 02:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-05 04:14 pm (UTC)