Alexander

They're not, but none of them were in "The Hudsucker Proxy" either.

It's not the best Coen film by any standard ("O Brother" is much better) but I really enjoyed it. It was more like "The Hudsucker Proxy" than "The Big Lebowski" or "O Brother." Its a very funny homage to the Cary Grant/Hepburn and Tracy battle-of-the-sexes screwball comedies of the 40s. Lots of terriffic performances. Clooney is wonderful (I became a fan with "Out of Sight," and I have yet to see a performance I've disliked), Catherine Zeta Jones oozes sex-appeal, Cedric the Entertainer is flat out hilarious ("I'm gonna nail that ass. I'm an ass-nailer."), Billy Bob Thorton plays the actor-playing-a-naive-billionaire to perfection, and Geoffery Rush is perfect in his brief appearence ("Wait a minute! Do we even *have* a swimming pool?!"). As always, the music is great. Who couldn't love a movie that uses Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" over the opening credits. Roger Ebert's review attacked the Coens for refusing to make a feel-good romantic comedy, but what do you expect from the Coen Brothers? Highly recommended.

As to the question of antiquities, I think that if the item in question is requested by the country of origin, it ought to be returned. The British Museum can certainly make a case that they "rescued" a great many artifacts, but if Greece wants its marbles back, I don't see why they shouldn't get them. After all, they are *Greek* antiquities, and should be regarded as the property of the Greek government (even if the present government didn't exist back when the artifacts were first recovered). Perhaps the UN should act as an arbiter in such cases, evaluating the legitimacy of the claim and whether or not the country of origin now has a safe, secure place to put the artifact(s). If the country in question is constantly in a state of upheaval, has no national museum, and it seems likely that the artifact would be damaged, destroyed, or looted, then the UN might award custody to the current museum until the situation improves. Or the museum in question might offer to *buy* the artifact from the country of origin for a fair price.

I'd say that you are very close to the mark, Moose. Marx did believe that change would ultimately be brought about through revolution, but he did see it as an historical inevitability. Marx absolutely believed that history took place in stages and that it was necessary to move through those stages. Feudalism would be followed by Capitalism which would in turn be followed by Socialism and then finally Communism. It would not be possible to skip a stage and go straight to the next. When asked what country he believed socialism would appear in first, Marx said "England." When asked what country was least likely to achieve socialism, Marx said "Russia" which was still Feudal economy.

I can't believe it. When a person isn't safe in the presence of an enormous carnivore, you know things are really bad...

I agree with the comment about the general tone of negativity. Modern artists have "no business" performing blues songs? What the hell is that? If Lonnie Smith can peform Beck songs (as he does on his latest CD), then Beck can perform Skip James. It may work for you, it may not (honestly, it didn't really work for me) but give the man a chance. Beck is an interesting musician, if nothing else. Lou Reed and Nick Cave are acquired tastes. But they are ALLOWED to play these songs. Who's going to stop them? The Blues Police. "I'm sorry Mr. Reed. I had you clocked doing 'You Upset Me Baby' in a No Honkies Zone. I'm going to have to write you a ticket..." I guess one of things that REALLY bugs me is the implication that white people shouldn't sing blues songs (notice I don't say "the blues"). African Americans originated the blues, of that there is no doubt, but they don't hold the copyright. That's as ridiculous as saying that white people can't play jazz.

Well, I just got finished watching "Soul of a Man," and while I didn't like it as much as last night's film, I thought it was pretty damn interesting. I've been in to Skip James for some time, so I knew a lot about him, but I knew virtually nothing about the other two artists and I really enjoyed seeing their segments (especially the footage of J.B. Lenois). I will admit that having Fishburn narrarate (as the ghostly voice of Blind Willie Johnson) was a little distracting (I kept expecting him to start telling me about the Matrix). I thought it took a lot of risks, but I like that. Taking risks is good. Even having artists like Beck and Lou Reed (very non-blues figures) was an interesting approach. It made you appreciate the music and not just the style.

First episode just aired... Any comments? For me, the first thing that distiguishes this series from the Ken Burns "Jazz" series is the fact that they talk to MUSICIANS. Also, there's no attempt to sell a particular version of the music's history. Perhaps the history of the Blues is less politicized than that of jazz, but I saw no attempt to "spin" the story one way or the other. Obviously, there was also less of an attempt to tell the "whole" history. Instead, the film focused on the journey of one particular musican and the people his search involved. Quite good. I really enjoyed it. I had a fight to stay awake during the Burns series, but I was very interested in this film from start to finish. Plus, there were so many riviting performances! I don't have any Son House (well, I have one cut on a compilation CD, but that doesn't count) and obviously I will have to fix that POST HASTE! Wonderful film. I can't wait to see what the other six filmmakers are going to do! Any thoughts from others who saw the show tonight?

Big Al, I used to feel the same way about "Trust," but listening to it this time through has really made a difference for me. I like it more now than I think I ever have before.

Of the post-"Imperial Bedroom" material, I'd recommend "King of America" (not yet reissued by Rhino), "Blood and Chocolate," "Spike," and "All This Useless Beauty." If you like these, I would then recommend "Mighty Like A Rose," "Brutal Youth," and "When I Was Cruel." If you're still jonesing for more EC, then get "Kojack Variety" and "Cruel Smile" (the odds and ends collection that came out after "When I Was Cruel." Think of it as the "bonus disc" of extras that accompany that album). The only Costello album I don't have (aside from "Deep Dead Blue," which I've been trying to get for ages) is "The Juliet Letters" which I got rid of the day after I bought it. I HATED it. Even though "Punch The Clock" and "Goodbye Cruel World" are commonly thought of as Costello's all-time worst recordings, I have to admit to having a soft spot for both. Of the two, I like "Clock" better because it's a catchier album overall. I'm glad that they elected to keep the liner-notes from the Rykodisc edition, by the way, as they were the best he'd written up till that point. Having had the Rykodisc edition of "Clock," I don't miss the live versions of "Everyday I Write the Book" and "The World and His Wife." The versions on the Rhino edition use the same arrangements, and they're studio recordings which makes them sound a lot better.

I was just thinking, as I was listening to "Trust" the other day, what an amazing band The Attractions were. What a range of material they could play! Just listening to "Trust" you have country ("Different Finger"), frenetic rockabilly ("Luxemburg"), great pop tunes ("New Lace Sleeves," "Watch Your Step," "Clubland"), "This Year's Model"-esque punk ("Fish n' Chips Paper"), grand piano-based pop ("Shot With His Own Gun"), and uptemp rockers ("Lovers Walk," "From A Whisper To A Scream"). And the Attractions manage to adapt to any musical setting! Amazing! Not the sort of grand-standing that usually attracts the attention of rock fans.

Oh, I know that Dan. But when I saw that the answers had been posted, I couldn't resist! Again, great disc. Nicely done!

Costello's latest is out, and it is lovely. It's a little bit classical (although not so much as "The Juliet Letters) and a little bit jazz (Conrad Herwig plays trombone throughout the disc, and Lee Konitz shows up on one track). Very subtle songwriting and very beautiful string arrangements on Costello's part. Recommended. Also recently released are Rhino reissues of "Get Happy," "Trust", and "Punch the Clock." I had all of these in the Rykodisc versions, but I upgraded for the additional tracks. I'm enjoying all of them, especially "Trust" which I think I'm really appreciating for the first time.

I feel really bad. I got the disc a while ago and listened to it a couple of times. I meant to join in the the discussion and post my guesses, but I never seemed to get around to it. Anyway, that said, the only one I got was Joe Williams (never would have guessed Shearing though). I was right about the first tune (I'm a big Brother Ray fan), but I never would have guessed Jack Wilson! Like most people, I guessed Gene Harris (Ramsey Lewis was my second choice). Great to hear Ike Isaacs! Loved his trio on those LH&R albums! On the whole, I didn't do too well. Guess my ears need cleaning! Damn! Better luck next time, I guess. Great selection, Dan! It was a real treat!

I only have her album with Clifford Brown (which I LOVE) and a date she did in the 80s with Stan Getz (also very nice). I'll take some of the recommendations (that are available...I'd love to hear that one with Teddy Wilson too!) under advisement. I've been meaning to get more Ms. Merrill for some time... Hey, Dr.J! Love that avatar. "You'd better watch your step..."

The thing I loved about Bush falling of the Segway was this: Bush loves doing his whole "Joe Lunchpail" bit. "Ah'm one-a y'all!" Of course, his blood is as blue as they come, for all of his "common man" appeal. So what does Bush fall off of? A $5000 scooter that his "average" constituents couldn't afford if they wanted one. Better still, his dad has TWO of them.

I just want to recommend to everyone on this board the great Harvey Pekar story titled "How I Quit Collecting Jazz Records And Put Out A Comic Book With The Money I Saved." Everyone here will recognize him or herself in Harvey's story. A true classic. I consider myself a fan with collector tendencies. When I like something, I REALLY like it. I've got close to 100 Miles Davis discs alone. Something like 60 or 70 Stan Getz discs...Way more than I can reasonably listen to. Still, I love having them around. It is such a pleasure to pull something out and hear it with new ears.

Based on the list above, I have 67 Conns (there are some things, like "The All-Seeing Eye", "Inta Something" and "Blowing in From Chicago" that I have in RVG, JRVG, TJOC, or Mosaic form, but I elected only to count those items that I have as Conns). It was only in the last three or four years that I started buying *every* Conn as it came out, regardless of whether I was familiar with the artist or not. I honestly don't know if I'll be getting all of the October Conns, as I feel like I have enough Blue Notes. I'll be getting "The Flip" though.

If you like "Kind of Blue," I would check out "Somethin' Else" by Cannonball Adderley. Also, any of Coltrane's Atlantic albums would probably suit somebody who is into "KOB."

This fuck-all to do with anything, but recently I had a patron (a white guy) here in the library who gave his name as Richard Davis. Now most of the time I would refrain from making a comment, since Richard Davis (the bassist) is a VERY obscure figure, and the patron would most likely not have the faintest idea what I was talking about. But this time I figured, "What the hell?" So I said, "You know, there's a great bassist named Richard Davis." The patron leans forward, very excitedly, and says: "I know. In fact, I met him once! I'd gone down to the Vanguard, and a friend of mine introduces me to the bass player. He says, 'Richard Davis meet Richard Davis.'" It was pretty funny, since I'm sure this guy thought he was the only one who knew that there was a "famous" Richard Davis. On a related note, a friend of mine (who is a bassist for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra) was flying to an audition several years ago. When she reached her destination, she went to the baggage claim to pick up her instrument. Now she flies all the time, and on any given flight she's the only person travelling with a bass violin. So when she sees her bass coming out, she's surprised when an older black man standing near her walks over to get it. She stops the man, and when he sees that its her bass, he apologizes. Turns out he's waiting for his bass too. They talk for a while as they wait for his bass to come out. She introduces herself, and he says, "Pleased to meet you. My name is Ray Brown."

I think I have every Morgan CD on Blue Note, but I don't have a single RVG version. I'd go for "Tom Cat" myself, with new cover art.

Avast there ye swabs! I be readin' this here thread and wonderin' what all this pirate nonsense be about, till I take the test to find out me own pirate name, and I end up talkin' like this! Arrrrrr!!! Here be me own pirate name. May strike fear into the hearts o' all who plunder these seven seas! Arrrrrr!!!! "Your pirate name is: Iron Roger Flint A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you are that person. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!" Arrrr!!! So Iron Roger Flint I be. An' if any o' you swabs think that ye're man enough to cross swords wi' me, I'll cleve ye through the brisket, ye Cake eatin' Sodomites! Now run up the Jolly Roger, an' ready the plank! We're burnin' moonlight! Heave to, me hearties! Weigh anchor an' break your backs!!!

I once saw the phrase "Writing about music is like dancing about architechture" attributed to Elvis Costello!

Ray Jay Rayjay

What's this about being in hell? If you've ever read any accounts of the shooting, you'll see that it was hardly unprovoked. Lee was treating Helen like shit, and she cracked. From what I've read, she regretted her actions immediately. She's suffered quite a bit. Why would she have to go to hell?