(Untitled)

[commonswings]

ANOTHER bad night of sleep, most frustrating considering that this time my brain was as tired as my body was. I was nicely heading towards the land of slumber when I suddenly realized a tiny part of my brain was not going to give up without a considerable fight and would do all it could to keep me awake. And did so til about 3:50 in the morning.

Comments

[datapanik]

I have to reluctantly admit that I used to love Mojo (especially circa 1997-2002 or so, when I think Paul Trynka was the editor?), but I'm buying it now mostly for the free CD, which seems to be a monthly inclusion now (a la Uncut). The rag has always shamelessly worshipped the Fabs, and provided silly "list" issues, but there was a point around 2002 or so when the lists and the 60's icon idolatry became worse than usual, and too much for me. In the last issue, I was bored silly by the Yardbirds feature, but I loved the write-ups on P J Harvey and Rufus Wainwright. I think the magazine could make a huge improvement by focusing more on contemporary acts, but they know where the treasure's buried (in the disposable income of middle aged 60's relics).

I had high hopes for Byron "Forced Exposure" Coley becoming a Mojo contributor, but his input seems limited to two reviews a month or so. The free CD's are killer, though -- as I said, the only reason I keep buying anymore.

[commonswings]

i actually like the phil alexander editorialship - for the most part he's been a lot more interesting than the magazine was for a good deal of 2002 when i just stopped buying it. yes the beatles thing pisses me off, but in the end it's still the best easy to find music magazine in britain ("comes with a smile" is the best british music magazine but is bloody hard to find unless you order it direct) and so i still persevere as i have been for pretty much ten years now

certainly when i was out in the states, i realised how spoiled you were to have "the big takeover". i'd do anything to have a magazine that accessible, broad and catholic and unpretentious out here

[minnesattva]

I loved A Mighty Wind. The last time we were in HMV I told Andrew he should buy it for me, but I ended up getting--legitimately--distracted by something cheaper. Bob Balaban is so great, I just love his character and how well he portrays it.

[commonswings]

oh i know - his paranoia about the lamps just reminded my housemate so much of me at my most panicky. i think i need to be slapped on the head by a man who can't sing "ave maria" too...

[commonswings]

oh i know all that, and i do love spinal tap - i just thing objectively speaking spinal tap is messy and flabby at times however wonderful while "a mighty wind" is much richer a film and better structured too

[minnesattva]

I wonder if that has to do with the fact that a lot of Spinal Tap was more or less improvised. It's well-improvised--I've tried improv myself and that only gives me more respect for those who are good at it--but that will make it seem more patchy than something that feels more dilberate in its structure, which A Mighty Wind certainly did.

You've just made me need to see this movie again, you realise. :-)

[commonswings]

oh i agree that "spinal tap" is mainly improvised and thus is a bit messy, but still there's no real focus to it and the whole messy structure thing just ends up with me always thinking at the back of my mind that "spinal tap" is just a teensiest bit over rated, and the quieter wonders of "a mighty wind" make it to me a better film

[baldanders]

For what it's worth, A Mighty Wind was widely appreciated over here. Not a huge commercial success, but a success, highly regarded, seen and enjoyed by lots of people I know.

[commonswings]

ah - see it got fairly middling reviews out here, mainly from people wanting a second spinal tap really. so i was pleasantly surprised to see that the people were mainly fools in this regard

[nickolai322]

I completely agree, my dear. I'm a huge Christopher Guest fan, but I think A Mighty Wind might possibly be my favorite, and Spinal Tap, though funny, is somewhere at the bottom. Don't be afraid, continue your quest of good movie stylings and I commend you on your taste. :O)

[commonswings]

thank you - it just strikes me as a better film in the end. i can see me going back to this film again and again where i can't honestly tell you where or when i last saw "spinal tap"