Album of the Week - Vol.4

Tango In The Night FLEETWOOD MAC (1987)
Week: Sat 3rd June to Fri 9th June
Format: Vinyl
Producer(s): Lindsey Buckingham & Richard Dashut
Track listing:
SIDE 1
1. Big Love *
2. Seven Wonders
3. Everywhere *
4. Caroline
5. Tango In The Night *
6. Mystified
SIDE 2
1. Little Lies
2. Family Man
3. Welcome To The Room... Sara *
4. Isn't It Midnight
5. When I See You Again *
6. You and I, Part II
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 44:28

This album has the honour of being Fleetwood Mac's second highest selling record after Rumours (1977); and, at the time of blogging, the last to feature the classic line-up of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Apparently when Christine rejoined the Mac in 2013, the band started work on a new studio album. They toured as the classic line-up, but no new record eventuated. Stevie left to further her solo career and instead we have the new offering Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie by, you guessed it, Lindsey and Christine. John and Mick are on the album too. Bizarrely, Tango In The Night started off as a solo album for Buckingham, and ended up being the last official studio Mac release. To paraphrase Nick Cave, it's funny how things go. Apparently Stevie was pretty hard to nail down for these sessions too! Over the eighteen month recording period, she was there for about three weeks.

Anyway, this album is an absolute corker. I now own my dad's old vinyl copy (I may have mentioned in a previous blog entry that he got it for his 40th birthday many moons ago), but I also bought it on CD while I was in Adelaide with my family in early 1992. In the argument of CD vs vinyl, the artwork looks a damn sight better on a record sleeve, compared to the CD booklet. I was always more impressed with the digital sound as an impressionable young teen though. 

If you're only familiar with the hits here, you're doing yourself a disservice. I mean, the hits are good and plentiful, boasting Little Lies, Seven Wonders, Everywhere and Big Love (the latter has now almost been eclipsed by Buckingham's amazing solo performances of it); but the whole album is pretty bang on. Even the gimmicky Family Man has some great guitar lines and a fairly catchy refrain. Stevie Nicks' Welcome To The Room... Sara is as classic as anything off Rumours or Tusk and the sonic majesty of the title track is electrifying. Some of Buckingham's best soloing right there, I reckon; although he does give it welly on Isn't It Midnight too. Christine McVie's Mystified is a very subdued, but nonetheless pretty track which sounds like it could be the album's closer, instead of ending the first side. 

Some of the production is a little dated, particularly the drum sound and the keyboard saturation, but that doesn't take away from how good the songs are. Those distinctive voices blend as well as they ever did, sharing harmonies and counter melodies like so much oxygen and bliss. Nicks' lead vocal on When I See You Again giving way to Buckingham's works a treat. There's a thread connecting these songs together that makes it all cohesive...it sounds like an album despite no running concept or overarching theme. I can't put my finger on it, but they belong in this group. 

Since I started listening to this record recently, I learnt that a deluxe edition of the album was reissued earlier this year, as it is now thirty years old! Freak me! Of course it is! Might be worth a look-see, methinks.

I doubt we'll get another album like this from them again, but we can always watch The Dance one more time, right?

Album of the Week - Vol.3

Back to Black AMY WINEHOUSE (2006)
Week: Wed 10th May to Tue 16th May
Format: CD
Producer(s): Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi
Track listing:
1. Rehab *
2. You Know I'm No Good *
3. Me & Mr Jones (Fuckery) *
4. Just Friends
5. Back to Black *
6. Love Is a Losing Game
7. Tears Dry on Their Own *
8. Wake Up Alone
9. Some Unholy War
10. He Can Only Hold Her
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 32:10

When the world lost Amy Winehouse, I was not her biggest fan. Her image had overshadowed her creative output, and I didn't feel like she was an artists I could get into. The only song of hers I knew was Rehab, and the point of that track was lost on me. I wrote it off as some kind of rebellious boast-type affair, but I've come to see that there's more to it than that now. 

A little after her death I really started to get into her and Mark Ronson's cover of The Zutons' Valerie. A bit late, for sure, but better late than never. I slowly sampled the odd track from the Back to Black album as well, particularly You Know I'm No Good and Tears Dry on Their Own. 

I began to appreciate just how amazing her voice was, and how the production of those songs brilliantly recreated classic R&B and girl group values. I think I finally took the plunge and nabbed the album on CD a coupla years back. It's quite rooted in the sixties, while having fairly, frank not-so-sixties subject matter. While only just breaking half an hour of playing time, Back to Black is also very personal. Most of the songs deal with her break-up with Blake Fielder-Civil, who she would later marry and divorce.

Amy Winehouse didn't leave behind a massive back catalog, but I'm determined to dig a little more. I haven't even listened to her first album, Frank. This CD sounded fantastic through our little system in the lounge room and I may have pulled Rhona off the couch for a dance over the course of the week. As I said earlier, the production is truly stunning, and it's interesting trying to pick the producer of each track (either Mark Ronson or Salaam Remi). The Motown-esque horns and strings together with the doo-wop backing vocals are just sublime. I'm amazed at how listenable (and re-listenable) this album is. My only big issue with it, is that's too short. Maybe it was kept to a short length so it stood comfortably next to other long players from the sixties, or to ensure it didn't outstay its welcome.

I also listened to this album on Spotify with the headphones on, and that was a fantastic experience. Not only did it sound brilliant, but there was a Genius pop-up function that scrolled lyrics and offered facts about each song. It also included the track Addicted, which is not on the CD I own. I don't think it's an essential part of the album, but it does include the memorable lyric: "It's got me addicted/Does more than any dick did". Anyway, I think this album is one of the best releases of the noughties, and I wish I that had appreciated it during Amy's lifetime.

Album of the Week - Vol.2

Hit PETER GABRIEL (2003) - 2CD UK Edition
Week: Sun 16th Apr to Sat 22nd Apr
Format: iPod (MP3s)
Producer(s): numerous
Track listing:
CD 1 (HIT)
1. Solsbury Hill *
2. Shock the Monkey (Single edit)
3. Sledgehammer (Single edit)
4. Don't Give Up (Edited version) *
5. Games Without Frontiers (Single edit) *
6. Big Time
7. Burn You Up, Burn You Down
8. Growing Up (Tom Lord-Alge mix) *
9. Digging In The Dirt
10. Blood of Eden (Radio edit)
11. More Than This (Radio edit)
12. Biko (Edited version) *
13. Steam
14. Red Rain
15. Here Comes the Flood (1990 version)
CD 2 (MISS)
1. San Jacinto *
2. No Self Control
3. Cloudless
4. The Rhythm of the Heat
5. I Have the Touch (Robbie Robertson mix)
6. I Grieve
7. D.I.Y. *
8. A Different Drum
9. The Drop
10. The Tower That Ate People (Steve Osborne mix)
11. Lovetown *
12. Father, Son *
13. Signal to Noise
14. Downside Up (live) *
15. Washing of the Water
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 2:30:19

I'm not going to make a habit of choosing compilations or greatest hits albums for these blogs, but I just happened to be listening to this one quite a bit lately. Bizarrely, and fairly out of character for me, my method of choice for digesting this one was to dial it up on my iPod and hit shuffle. I think I liked the unpredictability of it - what song would be next? 

My first big memory of Peter Gabriel came in the form of the vinyl long player So that my dad found among his presents for his fortieth birthday, an age I've now surpassed. That stark black and white image of Gabriel's face, with just a hit of blue. Only the promo sticker gave away the title. I soon became fairly rapt in the music therein. Sledgehammer was a massive hit, and you couldn't escape it due to the film clip being on TV every hour or so. I think I remember the first time I listened to the album, and how the hi-hat intro on Red Rain struck me. Both of these tracks are included here. I'm quite puzzled that In Your Eyes isn't here (it did make onto the US 2CD edition though), as I think that is one of Gabriel's most beloved songs, thanks partly to John Cusack. As fun as Big Time is, I don't think it's as essential to the former Genesis frontman's canon. Who knows how tracks (and their versions) make it onto compilations? 

Despite that oversight, I think this is a pretty good overview for the casual Gabriel fan. I would put myself in that category, but over the last year or so, I've been more intrigued by his work. And by his work ethic. Did you know that since we were pounded by Sledgehammer, he has only released two studio albums? There's been soundtracks, live offerings and other experimentations, but only two solo albums, 1992's Us and 2002's Up. Both releases are represented well here, with my big favourite from the former, Digging In The Dirt, sitting nicely before the latter's Growing Up.

As I wasn't a massive Gabriel fan when I got Hit, this album was how I heard some of these tracks for the first time. Except for Solsbury Hill and Shock the Monkey, I didn't think I knew any of his pre-So catalog. I was surprise
Md to learn that I did know Games Without Frontiers though; I just didn't think it was a Peter Gabriel song for some reason. After being initially disappointed by my first listen of Biko, it's now one of my strong favourites. I particularly like live versions, as he encourages the audience to keep singing while the band leave the stage one by one. 

While not everything here is absolutely stellar, it's all interesting. It's a pet peeve of mine when collections like these aren't in chronological order, but what are you going to do? I think there are better tracks off Up that could have been included, namely The Barry Williams Show and Sky Blue. The latter is somewhat represented in the form of Cloudless, a piece from Gabriel's soundtrack for Rabbit-Proof Fence. All his releases up to 2003 are represented except for the Birdy soundtrack, and the new song Burn You Up, Burn You Down is quite good. I'd recommend this for anyone wanting to have a bit of a sampler of Gabriel's solo work. 

Album of the Week - Vol.1

Mule Variations TOM WAITS (1999)
Week: Sat 8th Apr to Fri 14th Apr
Format: iPod (MP3s)
Producer: Kathleen Brennan and Tom Waits
Track listing:

1. Big in Japan *
2. Lowside of the Road
3. Hold On *
4. Get Behind the Mule
5. House Where Nobody Lives
6. Cold Water
7. Pony
8. What's He Building? *
9. Black Market Baby
10. Eyeball Kid
11. Picture in a Frame *
12. Chocolate Jesus
13. Georgia Lee
14. Filipino Box Spring Hog
15. Take it With Me
16. Come on Up to the House *
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 70:33

I got into Tom Waits quite late in life. It wasn't until I turned forty that I listened to a whole album of his. A couple of friends had suggested to me that leaping down this particular rabbit hole would be an interesting one, and not one I'd regret. How right they were. After being exposed to a couple of choice tracks via Spotify's Discover Weekly playlists, I sought help from a big fan. Let's call her Ang, because that's her name. 

Ang likes music just as much as me, I reckon. She had made a Spotify playlist of her favourite Tom Waits tunes a while back, and I asked her for the link. Upon wading through a good whack of the list, I made a decision to start listening to albums in their entirety. After being particularly struck by Hold On from Ang's playlist, I turned to Mule Variations. So it was, one day in March last year I listened to a Tom Waits record for the first time.

While I didn't get through more than about eight or nine of his long players, I have become quite the Tom Waits fan. His delivery runs the gamut from melancholic mumbling to raucous rambling, but there's always heart there. Or a little grit, if nothing else. He certainly is an acquired taste, but I doubt it's one you would lose once you got it. I'll be digging through more of his work in the future, I have no doubt. 

Now, Hold On was the bait on the hook, but I really enjoyed my first listen of Mule Variations. I've now come to see it as an astonishing set of songs that truly showcases Waits and what he does best. I've been listening to it quite a bit lately, and that's why it's my inaugural entry for this semi-regular Album of the Week blog thing. 

One of my favourite ways to listen to music is while driving, and in particular on the way to a gig; or heading home from one. It's usually nighttime, the traffic is lighter and I'm thoroughly ensconced in what I'm hearing. During the packdown of a Wesley gig at The Saint recently, I spontaneously started spouting lyrics from Big In Japan, the opening track of Mule Variations. It's a fun song, and I decided right then that I would listen to the album on the drive home. As the record's running time was longer than my journey, the second half of the album served as my soundtrack on the way to a wedding gig up in Gnangara. Bizarrely, the reception was being put on in the big, beautiful backyard of the groom's parents' house, and the final track from Mule Variations, Come on Up to the House was nearing completion as I parked. I've listened to the album several more times during the week. It's just brilliant.

A good album will change its attack and bounce between moods as it unfolds. This one does exactly that. You get wailin', found-object romps and tender, poignant ballads. The rollickin' Filipino Box Spring Hog sits right next to the lovely Take it With Me; and after being lulled by Pony, you're hit with the eerie, spoken-word prose of What's He Building?. The only element missing from this album is his jazz leanings. So, didn't expect anything like Step Right Up from Small Change or Blue Valentine's wonderful $29.00. 

As I continue this blog idea, I will mark my favourite songs in the track listing at the start with an asterisk. Not sure when (and if - let's face it) I'll do another album. Hey, anything can happen. But, let me strongly recommend Mule Variations to you. Even if you're not a Tom Waits fan, I'm sure you'll take something away from it. 

Dylan IV - The Quest for Peace

Wow, it's been way too long in between drinks here. I got the Dylan CD box set for my birthday last year, and I still haven't listened to all the albums. I got distracted by things like The X-Files and the passing of David Bowie. Seeing as the man himself turned 75 recently, I thought it was a good time to jump back in. Rolling Stone published an online article offering up the 100 Greatest Dylan Songs to coincide with his birthday too, so I've been dipping my toe into some of those tracks as well. Anyway, let's start with one I prepared earlier and look at the soundtrack side of Dylan first...

12. PAT GARRETT & BILLY THE KID (1973) 4/2/16
Dylan's foray into the soundtrack world is interesting, but not essential listening. The movie itself is notable for also casting Dylan in the role of Alias. Even though the album is not vital, it is very easy to listen to. Fairly perfect for being in the background of a small social gathering perhaps, except for the semi-raucous banjo frenzy of Turkey Chase. Amongst the instrumental tracks lies the true jewel in this offering: Knockin' On Heaven's Door; a song that has nearly been covered to death, ironically enough. This remains my favourite version, as it's stripped-back and pithy. There's a real sense of melancholy that is missing from other renditions, except for maybe Warren Zevon's cover. The various takes of Billy throughout the album are also highlights.

[Side note: in November 1971, between the releases of New Morning and Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, Columbia issued the double album compilation Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II. The excellent set contains five songs not on any other release at that point; I'm sure they'll turn up on the double CD Side Tracks which makes up the 46th and 47th CD of the Dylan box set.] 

13. DYLAN (1973) 26/5/16

Apparently this album was released without any input from Dylan. Columbia simply grabbed two outtakes from Self Portrait and seven from New Morning and issued a new Dylan record! All nine songs are covers too, so there is no new original material here either. Further probing led me to discover that this album was never released on CD in the US market, at Dylan's request. Its inclusion in this box set is one of the only ways to obtain the album on CD. While an album of covers might not be what we turn to Dylan for, this is still an enjoyable offering. There's nothing earth-shattering here, but his versions of Mr Bojangles, Big Yellow Taxi and Can't Help Falling In Love are pretty good. I also liked the opening track, Lily Of The West (and old traditional folk tune) and Spanish Is The Loving Tongue. The latter was previously issued as the B-side to the 1971 single Watching The River Flow, albeit a different version, which I'd heard before on the Masterpieces compilation. I think the Dylan take is nicer. 

14. PLANET WAVES (with The Band) (1974) 27/5/16
This was the first album in a while that felt like a real Dylan record. Aptly backed up by The Band, this is probably the most enjoyable listening experience since New Morning. It's certainly the first album since Blonde On Blonde where you could apply the term 'rollicking'. Right from the opening track, On A Night Like This, you are assured that this is Dylan back in form. Although they don't lend any harmonies to the songs, The Band do serve up plenty of grooves and gentle funk. Sometimes you get lost in the instrumentation and think that you're listening to an album of The Band's, until you hear Dylan sing again. Aside from the slightly overlong Dirge, this album is all killer. My favourite tracks would be the aforementioned On A Night Like This, Wedding Song, Going Going Gone and the truly stellar Forever Young. I'm not sure why they included an alternate version of the latter straight after the version we're all familiar with, but whatever. It was the seventies, I guess, and perhaps a bit of a precursor into how Dylan's back pages of tunes would shape-shift as his career moved forward. Forever Young holds a special place in my heart for a few reasons. I first heard it played by Perth muso Rick Steele in a pub in Kalgoorlie during the mid-90's. When Rhones and I got married, a very good friend of her family wrote the entire first verse in our 'congratulations' book. Dylan ended the first two live shows I saw him perform with Forever Young as well. It's such a great song, and I absolutely love the last lines of the third verse: 

"May your heart always be joyful

May your song always be sung

And may you stay forever young"

15. BEFORE THE FLOOD (with The Band) (1974) 4/6/2016
The first official live release from Dylan sees him paired up with The Band again. Documenting their joint US tour, this double album offers four sides of those shows. Side 1 is Dylan and The Band rolling through some classics (of Zimmy's), while Side 2 is The Band sans Dylan. The first half of Side 3 is Dylan solo, with the second half featuring The Band on their own. Side 4 is Dylan back with The Band again. Phew! Got it? For the most part, it's an enjoyable affair, albeit a little unhinged in places. The arrangements of Dylan's songs are certainly different, with Knockin' On Heaven's Door managing to sound upbeat. The Band bring a swagger that sets fire to classics like All Along The Watchtower, Ballad of a Thin Man, Highway 61 Revisited and Lay, Lady, Lay. Opening track Most Likely You'll Go Your Way (and I'll Go Mine) is almost unrecognisable until the chorus, but it's still great. The Band's Dylan-less performances are excellent with the standout tracks for me being The Night They Drove All Dixie Down, The Shape I'm In and When You Awake.

16. BLOOD ON THE TRACKS (1975) 13/6/2016
This is the only album out of these five that I'd listened to in its entirety before writing this blog post. I reviewed it during my time with the afyccim blog, and wasn't as impressed with it as I assumed I would be. It's touted by many as Dylan's finest work from the 70's, and some even cite it as his best album. I like it much more than I did when I first listened to it, but I don't fall into the latter category; but I'm getting closer to being in the former. Give me a few more years and I might just adore it as much as the album's strongest admirers. I still struggle with the overlong Idiot Wind and the fairly pedestrian Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts, but I pretty much like the rest of the album now. My strongest loyalties lie with the more acoustic numbers, with my favourites being Buckets Of Rain, Shelter From The Storm and the gorgeous Simple Twist of Fate. There's no denying the awesomeness of opening track Tangled Up In Blue though (hands off, Hootie!). I remember seeing a live and solo version of it on RAGE late one night when I was a teenager, with Dylan wearing mascara, faded white face makeup and a hat. Unfamiliar with the song, I was drawn into its narrative and just loved the title! I heard Dylan perform it in a totally different arrangement at the old Burswood Dome in 2007. It took a while for the crowd to cotton on to what they were hearing, but come on! If you don't know those opening lyrics, what kind of Dylan fan are you? He played it again at the Fremantle Blues n Roots Festival in 2011 as well, and the arrangement had changed again! Hehehe...Dylan doesn't look back very often. But getting to back to the album at hand, Blood On The Tracks remains a hugely influential and important record. As with many artists, emotional upheaval can ignite bursts of creativity and as Dylan's marriage to Sara was disintegrating, he wears his heart on the album sleeve. 

Okay, well, that will do it for now. Hopefully I can keep the momentum going and get through a few more albums sooner rather than later. 

The Magic of Miyazaki (pt 1)

Who doesn't love a good box set? It's just nice to have cool stuff sometimes. Recently I managed to get my hands on the Blu-ray box of Hayao Miyazaki's films. It's everything a great movie box set should be. There are a couple of my favourites, some I've been meaning to rewatch and a few that I hadn't even seen. A treasure trove waiting to be discovered and re-discovered.

Getting the box set itself took a bit of effort though. Rather than just plump out for the $300 retail price, I hatched a plan to acquire the set with minimal financial outlay. I got a couple of vouchers for my birthday, which I promptly converted into JB Hi-Fi gift cards. I also do surveys online for a few groups, and I'm able to get rewards in the form of vouchers or cash. So, I made a Miyazaki fund, er, that is, envelope, and put all these things in it as I earned them. After a few months of surveys, I managed to get $220 together in cash and vouchers. 

The master stroke leading to the actual acquisition came in the form of an email that advertised 20% off Blu-rays & DVDs at JB's. I rang up my nearest store and asked if they had The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki on Blu-ray in stock and, if so, what the cost was. Upon being informed of a $300+ sticker price, I casually asked if today's 20% off offer extended to box sets. It did. So, with my envelope and a $20 note I was able to procure the hallowed collection!


As much as I'm a fan of some these movies, I was really hoping that the family would also enjoy watching them. Rather than working through the films chronologically, I tried to pick a very family-friendly title to get started; one that I hadn't seen either, so we could all experience it for the first time together. 

1. MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO (1988) G
Viewed: 7th March 
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
The trick with getting our kids to watch a film sometimes, is just to pop the disc in the player. They might get interested in it, and get drawn in on their own. Suggesting a movie can be met with objections or indifference. So, I took a punt and chose My Neighbour Totoro and was instantly besotted with the mini-adventure of a family moving into a new house. Having a moved house a few times as a kid, I empathised a lot with the sisters Satsuki and Mei. Visiting their sick mother gave memories of visiting my own mother in hospital as well. It would have been nice to have had a Totoro or two in a big tree next to one of my new houses. I cannot recommend this movie enough to absolutely anyone.

Might I add, that within a week or so of watching this film, the kids gave it two more viewings, one in Japanese with the English subtitles. I found this movie to immensely enjoyable in its simplicity and the hearts of the characters. Apparently Miyazaki wanted Totoro to appear in the film right from the beginning, but producer Toshio Suzuki suggested following the formula from E.T.; wherein the title character doesn't appear until nearly halfway through. The three Totoros are wonderful little creatures, and the Catbus is a magical creation. Both kids got very excited about seeing it again on their repeat viewings. They were very disappointed when we went into the Perth CBD and caught a CAT Bus. He he he...just wasn't the same.

[I purchased the soundtrack to MNT shortly after I started writing this blog - both kids now listen to it as they go to sleep.]

2. PRINCESS MONONOKE (1997) M
Viewed: 8th March
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

For a little nighttime viewing, Rhones and I chose a movie that wasn't really appropriate for our kids. No use letting a perfectly good family flick go to waste while they're in bed. I do find this one a little hard to watch. Firstly, the violence in some of the fight scenes is quite gruesome, and for a Miyazaki film, fairly shocking. It's a long movie too, which at 133 minutes, is the third longest animated film of all time, behind Final Yamato (165min) and The Tale of Princess Kaguya (138min). I also find it a little hard to follow, and struggle to understand the motivations of some of the characters. Having said all this, it still is a wonderful film, and well worth watching. The little kodama beings that show up in the forests are a big highlight for me, as is Billy Bob Thornton's vocal performance as Jiko-bō, the cunning monk. There is a lot of beautiful scenery, as usual, and the relationship between the movie's main protagonist Ashitaka and his elk Yakul is wonderful. One of Miyazaki's recurring themes of the human race's effect on its environment, and it's a major part of this movie. While not one of my favourites, it's still essential viewing.

3. KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989) G

Viewed: 11th March 

Rating: 4/5 stars

The second film we watched as a family was another successful viewing, with both kids becoming particularly enamoured by Kiki's cat Jiji (who was voiced by the late Phil Hartman in the English dub). A wonderful coming-of-age tale involving the young witch Kiki who embarks on her year of living away from home. Every witch leaves home when they turn thirteen in this universe, and it's a rite of passage that Kiki is very keen to go through. This is a very pleasant watch with much humour and wonder. As with many of Miyazaki's films, there is a big emphasis on flight as Kiki struggles to master flying on her broomstick. Her would-be boyfriend Tombo also has aspirations involving aviation. 

4. PONYO (2008) G

Viewed: 12th March

Rating: 3/5 stars

While it certainly has some memorable moments, plenty of heart and great characters, this is probably my least favourite Miyazaki movie. It feels a bit like his version of a Hollywood film, while being a riff on The Little Mermaid. It is visually striking though, with the underwater sequences taking on an almost- hypnotic feel. There is a wonderful sense of magic throughout too, with the wizard Fujimoto providing humour as well as intrigue. The relationship between the eponymous fish Ponyo and the boy Sōsuke is the main focus of the movie and it's certainly the most endearing part. The kids loved it!

5. LAPUTA: CASTLE IN THE SKY (1986) G

Viewed: 19th March

Rating: 4/5 stars

I managed to tape this off SBS years ago, and was looking forward to watching it again, sans adverts. It didn't disappoint. There are many iconic scenes, but the early image of Sheeta falling slowly through the air into Pazu's waiting arms is my pick. I also love the sequence involving the reactivated robot at the fortress. For a piece of clunking machinery that doesn't speak, you really start to get invested in it. Even as his violent outbursts escalate. Actually, I forgot just how menacing some of the violence and language was for a G-rated film. For instance, the main villain Muska (wonderfully voiced by Mark Hamill in the US version) shoots off Sheeta's pigtails, and then tells her that her ears are next. Excuse me? Having said that, there are only a handful of questionable scenes that probably should have earned this a PG rating. The magic of the mystical floating city and the allure of aetherium crystals are entrancing. Seeing as the main theme of this film is aviation, the scenes involving flight are quite majestic. The slapstick comedy of the grandma-like Captain Dola and her pirate sons are another highlight. Our kids weren't as enamoured with this as the others, but still cast an eye to the television every now and then.

Okay, well that might do for this entry. I'll get to the rest of the movies in another blog post soon. 

Ish.

Death of a Celebrity

I've become quite fascinated with how differently people react when a celebrity dies. If there's some sort of connection to the passed person, the loss can be quite devastating. It's always a sad thing to learn of somebody's death, but is it strange to mourn for somebody you don't know? Someone you have never even met?

There are some who get on their high-horse and berate others who grieve for the famously dead. Sometimes they'll offer up victims of a massacre or natural disaster and ask if their deaths are any less significant. Death is never a happy occurrence, and ironically, it's always going to be a part of life.

When David Bowie died in January this year, it hit me really hard. I think that it was the most that I'd ever been affected by a celebrity death. I couldn't do much else but listen to album after album of his, and was moved to tears several times. Losing Prince over the weekend has stirred some of those feelings up in me again. I was a much bigger Bowie fan, but I still loved Prince, and was lucky enough to have seen him at the Perth Arena in February. To lose both of these amazing artists in the first four months of this year is nothing short of tragic. A huge loss to the music industry, as well as the human race. But what makes us take their passing so personally? I think I might have worked it out.

Artwork of Bowie and Prince by Scarlett River  

When you become a fan of someone's music, you begin to take in part of that person. They're sharing pieces of their soul, their beliefs, their emotions, their very being. If you connect with a set of lyrics that seem to describe exactly how you're feeling or what you're going through, you feel empathy from the songwriter. Sometimes you even feel relief that someone else has experienced the same thing, and you're not as alone as you once seemed to be.

For many, music is a form of therapy. How many of us spent our angsty teenage years in our bedrooms, lost in some moody tunes or cathartic melodies? If you have trouble turning to somebody when you're going through some sort of personal crisis, music is always there. Music can help you wallow in your sadness or even lift you out of your dark funk. Music carries you through the tough times and then lets you surf over the good times. Music is universal. It means many things to many people.

It's been suggested by some that the music and movies that we love as teenagers stay intrinsically linked to us as we get older In those years we are at our most impressionable, and it's easy for our developing minds to form an attachment to actors, singers, artists, performers or who-have-you. We look to those people for escapism or solace or energy. Despite never actually meeting David Bowie or Prince, millions of people felt a connection to them. Their lives aren't any more or less valuable than the poor souls who perished in that landslide, but their reach is vast. People in countries they never toured through would possibly still know their music.

The one comfort we can take when an artist we love dies, is the legacy they leave. We're very lucky to have been left so much music, art, film and literature by artists who are no longer with us. While it might sadden us to listen to a particular song or watch a certain film role, it's always worth remembering that, for the most part, this is probably what that person loved doing the most. It drove them. It was their passion. It was their love. We all can take a little piece of that love, whether they are with us or not.