When Doctor Who was created, the dramatic structure of the program’s cast was rather different from the hero-and-sidekick pattern that emerged later. Initially, the character of the Doctor was almost an antihero, with uncertain motives and abilities. The protagonists were schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, who provided the audience’s point-of-view in stories set in Earth’s history and on alien worlds. Ian in particular served the role of the action hero. The fourth character was the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan, who was initially presented as an “unearthly child”; the program’s makers intended Susan as an identification figure for younger viewers.
<Rose Tyler played by Billie Piper
Carole Ann Ford, who played Susan, became unhappy with the lack of development for her character, and chose to leave the series early in its second series. The character of Susan was married off to a freedom fighter and left behind to rebuild a Dalek-ravaged Earth, establishing two scenarios to which the series would later return. Doctor Who’s producers replaced Susan with another young female character, Vicki. Similarly, when Ian and Barbara left, the “action hero” position was filled by astronaut Steven Taylor. This grouping of Doctor, young heroic male and attractive young female became the program’s pattern throughout the 1960s.
When the program changed to color in 1970, its format changed: the Doctor was now earth-bound, and acquired a supporting cast by his affiliation with the paramilitary organization United Nations Intelligence Task force. The Third Doctor, more active and physical than his predecessors, made the role of the “action hero” male companion redundant. In the 1970 season the Doctor was assisted by scientist Liz Shaw and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, along with other UNIT personnel. The intellectual Shaw was replaced by the ditzy Jo Grant in the 1971 season, and as the program returned to occasional adventures in outer space, the format shifted once more: while UNIT continued to provide a regular “home base” for Earth-bound stories, in stories on other planets the Doctor and Jo became a two-person team with a close, personal bond. This pattern, the Doctor with a single female companion, became a template from which Doctor Who rarely diverged. The “heroic male” type occasionally returned (for example, Harry Sullivan and Jack Harkness), but the single female companion was Doctor Who’s staple.
Companions have assumed a variety of roles in Doctor Who, as involuntary passengers, as assistants per se (particularly Liz Shaw), as someone to whom the Doctor is a mentor, as friends, and as fellow adventurers. Modern companions tend to be invaluable in helping the Doctor out of tight situations; for example, the Doctor credits both Rose Tyler and Martha Jones with saving his life in their initial adventures with him.
The Doctor regularly gains new companions and loses old ones; sometimes they return home, or find new causes - or loves - on worlds they have visited. Some companions (notably Katarina, Sara Kingdom and Adric) have died during the course of the series.
There are some disputes within Doctor Who fandom about the definition of a companion, but most fans agree that at least thirty (including K-9 Marks I and II) meet the criteria for “companion” status in the television series, with others being established in the various spin-offs. Most companions travel in the TARDIS with the Doctor for more than one adventure, although there are exceptions; see Disputed companions, below. Sometimes a guest character will take a role in the story similar to that of a companion: one recent example is Lynda in “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways”.
Despite the fact that the majority of the Doctor’s companions are young, attractive females, the production team for the 1963-1989 series maintained a longstanding taboo against any overt romantic involvement in the TARDIS: for example, Peter Davison, as the Fifth Doctor, was not allowed to put his arm around either Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) or Janet Fielding (Tegan). However, that has not prevented fans from speculating about possible romantic involvements, most notably between the Fourth Doctor and the Time Lady Romana (whose actors, Tom Baker and Lalla Ward, shared a romance and brief marriage). The taboo was controversially broken in the 1996 television movie when the Eighth Doctor was shown kissing companion Grace Holloway. The 2005 series played with this idea by having various characters think that the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler were a couple, which they vehemently denied. Since the series revival, the Doctor has kissed companions Rose, Jack and Martha, although each instance not in a romantic context .
Previous companions have reappeared in the series, usually for anniversary specials. One former companion, Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen), together with the robotic dog K-9, appeared in one episode of the 2006 series more than twenty years after their last appearances in the 20th anniversary story The Five Doctors (1983). The character of Sarah Jane also heads up a Doctor Who spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures. Another companion, Captain Jack Harkness, appears in the spin-off program Torchwood.
The new series (2005-) has slightly altered the significance of the companion status, partly due to a strong focus on the character of Rose Tyler and characters connected to her. For example, although Adam Mitchell was a companion by the standard definition, he appeared in only two episodes and was arguably a less significant part of the 2005 series than Rose’s sometime boyfriend Mickey Smith, who was not technically a companion but appeared in five episodes (or six, including a brief appearance as a child in “Father’s Day”). Mickey later gained full-fledged companion status when he joined the TARDIS crew in the 2006 episode “School Reunion”. In that episode, Sarah Jane Smith referred to Rose as the Doctor’s “assistant”, a term to which the latter took offense. This exchange might be regarded as indicating a deliberate shift in approach for the new series.
Since 1995 with the release of Toy Story, Pixar has been making excellent computer animated movies. I have seen and loved all of their movies. They somehow keep managing to top their previous movies with every new one. I’ve been looking forward to seeing Ratatouille for months and the movie lived up to my expectations.
Remy was an unusual rat because he was more discriminating about what he ate. He didn’t want to pick through garbage like the other rats. He actually wanted to be able to cook and looked up to the famous French chef Gusteau, something that his father and brother Emile didn’t understand or support. Remy ended up in Paris after things went wrong where he had been living. He still had his dream of cooking and he risked his life by being in the kitchen of a well-known restaurant.
Linguini was a young man working there who found himself in danger of losing his job because he couldn’t cook. He befriended Remy and the two came up with a way to work together to become a great chef. Emile and Remy had to be very careful so no one in the kitchen figured out what was going on. Chef Skinner, the head chef, was very suspicious of Linguini.
The animated short Lifted played before the movie began. It was very cute, funny, and entertaining. The animation was very well done and featured gorgeous visuals. There was some hand drawn type of animation shown during the closing credits.
The plot of Ratatouille was mostly concerned with following your dreams and not letting others deter you. Remy wanting to be a chef didn’t seem like a very attainable dream for a rat. Things seemed stacked against him, but he didn’t give up. It also touched on the importance of being true to yourself and not living a lie just to make others happy. Those messages were handled well and delivered in ways that weren’t heavy handed. I expected there to be some sort of message included in the movie since every other Pixar movie has done the same thing. They give the movies heart and make them so much more than just animated movies. That is what makes Pixar’s movies so wonderful.
Most of the movie dealt with Remy’s adventures once he arrived in Paris. It didn’t take him long to find the restaurant where he met Linguini. Remy only delayed his escape from the kitchen because he just couldn’t resist fixing a soup that was messed up. The rest of the movie was about Remy and Linguini figuring out how to work together and keep Skinner and the other cooks from discovering their secret. The plot was a bit more complicated than the plots of most other animated movies which might bother some people. There were a couple of subplots introduced that I thought blended in well with the main story. I do think this is a movie that adults and children both can enjoy. The movie was almost two hours long and did have a few slower scenes, so it could be too long for some viewers, especially younger children. I didn’t have a problem with the length and was never bored by what was going on.
Humor was used throughout the movie in ways that worked very well. Remy did a lot of things that made me laugh, like when he was trying to cook a mushroom with Emile looking on when a storm was fast approaching. The way that turned out was hilarious. The scenes when Remy and Linguini were figuring out how they would be able to work together were very funny. Chef Skinner became obsessed with figuring out what was going on which caused him to do all kinds of things that made me laugh. Some of the things that were done for humor were a little silly, but that didn’t bother me at all. I really liked that the movie didn’t resort to gross humor with burping or farting jokes like so many animated and family movies seem to do anymore.
Cooking played a very big part in Ratatouille. Remy was trying to figure out how to eat better when he was still living in the country with his pack who were perfectly content to eat from the garbage. Remy managed to see cooking shows about Gusteau and even read his cook book. Once he was in Paris and working with Linguini, the two of them did a lot of cooking. Several scenes were shown in the kitchen of the restaurant. Those scenes did seem accurate to me - except for a rat cooking of course. Some of the terms associated with cooking and the different positions in the kitchen were briefly explained in a way that didn’t detract from what was going on.
Pixar has a history of featuring unique characters in their movies. Their movies have featured talking toys, bugs, monsters, fish, and cars. Humans have been minor characters in most of the movies and not even seen at all in a few of them. The Incredibles was the only Pixar movie to have people as main characters though they weren’t normal since they were superheroes. In Ratatouille, there was a mix of human and rat characters. The rats were able to talk to each other and even understand humans. The humans couldn’t understand the rats and only heard squeaks if a rat was talking. Remy and Linguini came up with a unique way to work together that I really liked. Many people think of rats as disgusting animals and wouldn’t want one anywhere near them, let alone actually cooking their meal in a fancy restaurant in Paris. I’ve heard that some people had concerns about how well the movie would do since Remy is a rat. That never bothered me and I wanted to see the movie from the first time I saw the preview in the summer of 2006 when I saw Cars.
Ratatouille continued the fabulous animation that Pixar has become known for. The countryside that was shown at the beginning of the movie looked very realistic and beautiful. The way hair looked throughout the movie, either on the different rat or human characters, was great. Individual hairs could be seen moving on the rats and people’s heads. There were a few sequences that involved water or rain in some way. The rushing water looked amazingly realistic. In one scene, Remy was in a sewer and the reflection from the water was visible ripping across the wall in a very believable way. The movie also included several gorgeous visuals of the skyline of Paris. Those looked so real that I almost forgot I was watching an animated movie.
Remy and Linguini were the main characters, with Remy being a bit more developed. He loved his family, but wasn’t content with a life picking food from garbage and sniffing out rat poison. He loved good food and had a talent for cooking which led to him working with Linguini. The voice of Patton Oswalt really fit the character. Linguini was a young man who was very unsure of himself when he arrived at the restaurant. He was sweet and kind but he did let his new found success after he was working with Remy go to his head. Lou Romano’s voice worked very well for the character.
Gusteau was the well-liked chef that Remy looked up to. Gusteau believed that anyone could cook, something that earned him the scorn of some critics. I really liked the voice that Brad Garrett did for the character. Even though Skinner was the chef in charge of the kitchen, he never seemed to actually cook anything. He tended to run around yelling orders. He became very suspicious of Linguini. I didn’t recognize that Ian Holm was providing his voice when I saw the movie.
Janeane Garofalo’s character of Colette had a soft spot for Linguini though she was also tough as the only woman working in the kitchen. Anton Ego was a very stuffy, arrogant, food critic who had once skewered the restaurant in a review. He wasn’t pleased that the restaurant was receiving praise. Peter O’Toole’s voice was absolutely perfect and matched the appearance of the character. None of the other chefs working at the restaurant were featured that much. They were mainly just shown in the backgrounds of scenes. Several rats, including Remy’s father Django and brother Emile were also around without being very developed. John Ratzenburger once again provided a voice for a character like he has done in every Pixar movie. Director Brad Bird also provided a voice for a character.
Voice Talent
Will Arnett - Horst Brad Bird - Ambrister Minion Julius Callahan - Lao/Francois Brain Dennehy - Django Janeane Garofalo - Colette Brad Garrett - Gusteau Ian Holm - Skinner Peter Oswalt - Remy Peter O’Toole - Anton Ego John Ratzenburger - Mustafa James Remar - Larousse Lou Romano - Linguini Peter Sohn - Emile
You’d think that squeezing a group of well-formed women who love to fight into the same living space would be a recipe for Jerry Springer-style brawls. But it’s exactly the opposite in FIGHT GIRLS, Oxygen’s reality show about 10 women competing for the chance to take on the best female Muay Thai fighters in the world.
The contenders have a wide variety of backgrounds, from an aspiring psychic to a Hooters waitress with a black belt in karate. They’re aided in their training by a world-renowned Muay Thai sensei and a pair of female mentors: mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano and Muay Thai fighter Lisa King.
The most compelling aspect of Fight Girls isn’t really the fighting itself, although that does prove pretty riveting. It’s the fact that so much of the typical reality show hoo-hah — the casual sex, the catfights, the serial binge drinking — is noticeably absent. Instead, the focus seems to be on the individual journeys of 10 remarkably complex and downright interesting women who support each other more often than they attack each other. Well, outside the ring, anyway.
If you take away the estrogen, Fight Girls is a lot like Spike TV’s Ultimate Fighter, which follows the experiences of 16 male martial artists living under the same roof. But no serious study of fighting would be complete without the now-classic Fight Club (for mature teens and adults, anyway) … just remember not to talk about it afterward.
‘Fear and Loathing’ is an account of its protagonist, Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, as they descend on Las Vegas to chase the American Dream through a drug-induced haze. The novel first appeared as a two-part series in Rolling Stone magazine in 1971 and is based upon Hunter S. Thompson and attorney Oscar Zeta Acosta’s trip to Las Vegas around the same time period.
Thompson had been writing an expose for Rolling Stone on the 1970 killing of the Mexican-American television journalist Ruben Salazar, who had been shot in the head at close range with a tear gas canister fired by officers of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department during the National Chicano Moratorium March against the Vietnam War. One of Thompson’s sources for the story was Oscar Zeta Acosta, a prominent Mexican-American activist and attorney. Thompson told Acosta Sports Illustrated magazine had offered him a job writing photo captions for the Mint 400 motocross race held annually in Las Vegas. Finding it difficult for a Hispanic to talk openly to a white reporter in L.A.’s tense atmosphere, Thompson and Acosta decided that Las Vegas would be a more comfortable place to discuss the story.
Thompson later wrote that he wrapped up the Vegas trip by spending about 36 hours alone in a Las Vegas hotel room “feverishly writing in my notebook” about his experiences. Those notes were the genesis of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. Thompson then started the Fear and Loathing manuscript in a hotel room in Arcadia, California during his spare time while he finished the Salazar story for Rolling Stone (which was published as Strange Rumblings in Aztlan on April 29, 1971).What was intended as a 250-word photo-captioning job/road trip snowballed into a novel-length feature for Rolling Stone magazine. Thompson later wrote that Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner “[liked] the first 20 or so jangled pages enough to take it seriously on its own terms and tentatively scheduled it for publication — which gave me the push I needed to keep working on it.” He had first submitted a 2,500 word manuscript to Sports Illustrated, which was, as he later wrote, “aggressively rejected.”
The text was eventually published as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Rolling Stone as a two-part series in November 1971. The article was printed with illustrations by British illustrator, Ralph Steadman. Steadman and Thompson first began working together in 1970 on Thompson’s article, “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved” for the short-lived magazine, Scanlan’s Monthly.[4] The novelization of “Fear and Loathing” (with additional Ralph Steadman illustrations) was quickly published by Random House the next year and was heralded as “by far the best book yet on the decade of dope” by the New York Times[5] and a “scorching epochal sensation” by author Tom Wolfe.
Freaks is a Pre-Code 1932 horror film about sideshow performers, directed by Tod Browning.
The movie was adapted by Al Boasberg, Willis Goldbeck, Leon Gordon, and Edgar Allan Woolf from the short story Spurs by Tod Robbins. Browning, famed at the time for his collaborations with Lon Chaney and for directing Bela Lugosi in Dracula (1931), took the exceptional step of casting real people with deformities as the eponymous sideshow “freaks,” rather than using costumes and makeup. Director Browning had been a member of a traveling circus in his early years, and much of the film was drawn from his personal experiences. He intended to portray the classic moral of how outer beauty does not necessarily equate to inner beauty. In the film, the physically deformed “freaks” are inherently trusting and honorable people, while the real monsters are two of the “normal” members of the circus who conspire to murder one of the performers to obtain his large inheritance.
Reaction to this film was so intense that Browning had trouble finding work afterwards, and this in effect brought his career to an early close. Because its deformed cast was shocking to moviegoers of the time, the film was banned in the United Kingdom for thirty years.
In 1994 the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
The Bucket List -
( Released: 06/10/2008 Rated: PG-13 - for language, including a sexual reference Avg. Score: 1.75/5
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Two men (Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman) who are dying from cancer escape their hospital together and go on a road trip to fulfill their final "to-do" list.
Jumper -
( Released: 06/10/2008 Rated: PG-13 - for sequences of intense action violence, some language and brief sexuality Avg. Score: 2/5
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One day, Davey (Hayden Christensen) discovers he has an amazing ability. He can teleport himself to any location at will. Using his newfound power to find the man who killed his mother, Davey unwittingly becomes a target of National Security Agency officers and another person with the same exact power. Based on the popular young adult novel by Steven Gould.
Chaos Theory -
( Released: 06/10/2008 Rated: PG-13 - for mature thematic material, sexual content and language Avg. Score: 2.5/5
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Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds) thinks he has life all figured out. He has everything so much under control that he lives his life via carefully designed lists written out on index cards telling him what to do and when, which is a trait his wife Susan (Emily Mortimer) finds charming if a bit annoying. When she introduces a random factor into Frank's otherwise orderly life, he suddenly turns into a complete convert to the ways of chaos and disorganization that's makes Susan's life worse, not better.
The Other Boleyn Girl -
( Released: 06/10/2008 Rated: PG-13 - for mature thematic elements, sexual content and some violent images Avg. Score: 3/5
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Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn are two competitive sisters in the 16th century who are both after the same prize: King Henry VIII (Eric Bana). Luckily for them, Henry isn't choosy, so he alternates between the beautiful women. Unluckily for one of them, she'll find her neck underneath the executioner's blade.
Out of the Blue -
( Released: 06/10/2008 Rated: Not Rated Avg. Score: 4/5
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On Nov. 13-14, 1990, gun collector David Gray (Matthew Sunderland) took his collection and shot dead 13 people before eventually being killed himself by the police. This is a dramatic recreation of the Aramoana Massacre that really happened in New Zealand.
Protagonist -
( Released: 06/10/2008 Rated: R - for language Avg. Score: 5/5
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This unique documentary seeks to compare whether or not human life follows the same dramatic structure as laid out by the classic Greek playwright, Euripides. This is done by following the lives of four very different men: a German terrorist, a thief, a gay evangelist who has gone straight and a student studying the martial arts.
The Signal -
( Released: 06/10/2008 Rated: R - for strong brutal bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and brief nudity Avg. Score: 3/5
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All devices that receive transmission signals — e.g., TVs, radios, cell phones — suddenly start emitting a sonic blast that transforms ordinary individuals into raving, homicidal lunatics. In three separate stories, the lives of people affected by this horrifying predicament are explored.
Witless Protection -
( Released: 06/10/2008 Rated: PG-13 - for crude and sex-related humor Avg. Score: 0.63/5
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A small-town sheriff (Larry the Cable guy) is just doing his job when he stops what he thinks is two men kidnapping a woman (Ivana Milicevic). However, the "kidnappers" claim to be FBI agents who are only escorting their charge to a major trial in Chicago, so the sheriff lets them go. Later on, the lawman discovers that the agents are actually dirty and really are trying to kill the witness.
Funny Games -
( Released: 06/10/2008 Rated: R - for terror, violence and some language Avg. Score: 1.75/5
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A family (Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Devon Gearhart) go on a peaceful vacation at a secluded cabin but are tortured both physically and mentally by a pair of psychos.
Saturna is a 3-piece indie rock outfit from Portland, Oregon. The band consists of Ryan Carroll (guitar, bass and vocals), Steve Anderson (drums, bass and vocals) and Eric Block (guitar). Saturna play music in the vein of Jesus and Mary Chain, Doves, Serena Maneesh, Spiritualized, Secret Machines or Silversun Pickups. Catchy melodies, fuzzy guitars and nice, often backed up vocals, are creatively exploited through every single song.
Their debut EP …All Night serves up a tantalizing cocktail of ethereal guitars and riveting drums, tender harmonies and heart-ripping hooks. Mixing swagger and sweetness, Saturna soundtracks your whole night-from sundown to downtown to dawn.
Be sure to check Saturna, they sound very promising. Recommended!
A singer/songwriter whose lush, theatrical pop harked back to the traditions of Tin Pan Alley, cabaret and even opera, Rufus Wainwright was born in 1973; the son of folk music luminaries Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, his parents divorced while he was a child, and he was raised by his mother in Montreal. Beginning his piano studies at age six, by thirteen he was touring with his mother, aunt Anna and his sister Martha in a group billed as the McGarrigle Sisters and Family; a year later, Wainwright was nominated for a Juno (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) as Most Promising Young Artist, while his “I’m A-Runnin’” was concurrently nominated for a Genie (the Canadian counterpart to an Oscar) for Best Song in a Film.
Coming out as a homosexual while still in his teens, Wainwright sought solace in opera throughout his adolescent years, also becoming an enormous fan of performers including Edith Piaf, Al Jolson and Judy Garland. After attending the prestigious Millbrook School in upstate New York, he briefly studied music at Montreal’s McGill University, eventually turning away from classical performance towards pop and rock. Becoming a fixture on the Montreal club circuit, Wainwright soon cut a series of demos with producer Pierre Marchand; Loudon Wainwright III then passed a copy of the tape to friend Van Dyke Parks, who in turn handed it on to DreamWorks exec Lenny Waronker. The label signed him soon after, resulting in the release of Rufus Wainwright during the spring of 1998. The album landed on several critics’ “best of 1998″ lists, while Wainwright spent the next few years touring and appearing sporadically on soundtracks (Shrek) and compilations (The McGarrigle Hour). His sophomore album, Poses, brought similar acclaim in mid-2001. After spending much of 2001 and 2002 touring on his own and with Tori Amos, Wainwright settled into Bearsville Studio, in Woodstock, N.Y., with producer Marius deVries to record sort of a double album. The first project Want One was released in September, 2003. Want Two followed a year later. ~Allmusic
May 15th saw a new release from Rufus Wainwright, titled Release The Stars. Recorded in Berlin and executive produced by the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant, Rufus Wainwright’s fifth album offers an ounce of restraint from the man that dressed up as Sir Lancelot’s crossed girlfriend Lady Shallott on the cover of his last. Well, not really. Having fallen in love and curbed his self-destructive streak, the New York-born singer-songwriter has certainly sharpened his wit on Release the Stars but the songs remain as ornate and over-the-top as ever, drawing as much inspiration from opera and the musical theater as the desire to purge personal demons. So while Wainwright spends considerable time here pondering the state of the world (”Going to a Town”) and his own battles with drug and sexual addiction (”Sanssouci”), every note is punctuated by a choir, orchestral swell, or big burst of brass. It wouldn’t be Rufus with anything less. Highly Recommended!
Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless are Young Galaxy. Formed in the fog and bonfires of the West Coast and currently based in the romance and severity of Montreal, they create a kaleidoscopic sound with heavy tones and hypnotic male/female vocals.
Young Galaxy has signed for independent label Arts & Crafts and is currently working on it’s debut album. Recorded with Jace Lasek and friends at Breakglass Studio in Montreal, the album will be released Spring 2007.
Young Galaxy will tour this fall supporting The Dears. The touring lineup of Young Galaxy will include Pat Sayers, Stephen Kamp and Susan Beckett.
Guitarist Billy Gibbons met his future manager, Waxahachie native Bill Mack Ham, backstage at a Doors concert in Houston in 1967. Gibbons’ band at the time, the Moving Sidewalks, had a local hit with the song “99th Floor.” They soon opened on the Doors’ Texas tour. After later opening for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Hendrix named Gibbons his favorite guitar player during an appearance on “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson.” The Sidewalks broke up and Gibbons and Ham contracted to form a new band.
The trio spent its first few years playing mostly regional concerts. Ham’s bosses, Houston record producer Pappy Daily and family, cut a deal with him to finance “ZZ Top’s First Album” (1970). Five other records followed on the London Records label. The third album, “Tres Hombres” (1973), brought them national attention. Its hit song “La Grange,” about a whorehouse, was allegedly based on John Lee Hooker’s “Boogie Chillen.” It is still the band’s signature riff tune. Also included was “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers,” the would-be anthem.
Have mercy.
A haw, haw, haw, haw, a haw. A haw, haw, haw. Well, I hear it’s fine if you got the time and the ten to get yourself in. A hmm, hmm. And I hear it’s tight most ev’ry night, but now I might be mistaken. hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm.
Tres Hombres (1973), ZZ Top’s first gold album, featuring “La Grange,” a signature riff tune and their first Top 40 hit, as well as the twosome “Waitin’ For The Bus” and “Jesus Just Left Chicago.” A review is available from Rolling Stone. D.S. writes, “Waitin’ on the Bus is a real favorite. So is Jesus. And ZZ’s signature song, La Grange (one of Billy’s hottest, but played on a Strat, not Pearly. Listen to it.) That whole album is hot, blue, and righteous. The tone is so incredible it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. This album is the ZZ centerpiece. All the previous cuts led to this, and this led to everything else. This is the one that established ZZ Top. No question about it. Don’t care which is your favorite, this is the one.”
“Eliminator,” featuring musically controversial electronic instruments, debuted ZZ Tops biggest hits, “Legs” and “Sharp-Dressed man.” The synthesizers and drum machines caused controversy in other ways as well. According to former roadie David Blayney in his book, “Sharp Dressed Men,” sound engineer Linden Hudson co-wrote much of the material on the album as a live-in high-tech music teacher to Beard and Gibbons. Hudson claims that in addition to not getting songwriting credit, Ham worked to cover up his contributions to the album. Despite continued denials by the band, it settled a five-year legal battle with Hudson, paying him $600,000 after he allegedly proved he held the copyright on the song “Thug.” Another copyright suit was brought by a co-writer of John Lee Hooker’s “Boogie Chillen,” the alleged basis of “La Grange.” That case was settled and sealed. The group’s eighth album, “Afterburner,” with its continued use of synthesizers, became a worldwide smash hit.
In 1994 ZZ went back to their roots, playing boogie without the electric drums and computers.. with some great tunes winning back a lot of the fans who loved the great old tunes by the ‘lil ol’ band from Texas’.
is a Pre-Code 1932 horror film about sideshow performers, directed by Tod Browning.
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May 15th saw a new release from Rufus Wainwright, titled Release The Stars. Recorded in Berlin and executive produced by the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant, Rufus Wainwright’s fifth album offers an ounce of restraint from the man that dressed up as Sir Lancelot’s crossed girlfriend Lady Shallott on the cover of his last. Well, not really. Having fallen in love and curbed his self-destructive streak, the New York-born singer-songwriter has certainly sharpened his wit on Release the Stars but the songs remain as ornate and over-the-top as ever, drawing as much inspiration from opera and the musical theater as the desire to purge personal demons. So while Wainwright spends considerable time here pondering the state of the world (”Going to a Town”) and his own battles with drug and sexual addiction (”Sanssouci”), every note is punctuated by a choir, orchestral swell, or big burst of brass. It wouldn’t be Rufus with anything less. Highly Recommended!
