Joseph M. Jamison: December 2007 Archives
Music
Amy Winehouse continues to get accolades for her sophomore effort; all while making me want to puke. It wasn’t until I heard DJ and producer Mark Ronson’s latest album of mixes did I realize the genius behind Winehouse. She writes songs, he turns them to gold.
Radiohead made headlines by sticking it to the man. Their seventh full-length album, In Rainbows, was released late in 2007 strictly via mp3 download, at the suggested price of the consumer. Damn the man, Thom, damn the man!
Do The Evolution
There are two things I know: diamonds are forever and music is timeless.
Since man began walking upright, music has been a mainstay of life. Whether it was a stick being banged on a rock with precise repetition or Neanderthals grunting together in perfect harmony, there has always been music. Kurt Vonnegut said that the only proof he needed for the existence of God was music.
The problem was, in earlier times, the only way to hear your favorite artist was to attend a live performance. These performances, of course, were reserved for the wealthy and most fortunate.
An American pastime
If there’s one thing I enjoy, it’s going to the movies. I love the entire experience of it: the big screen, the surround sound, the popcorn, and the mammoth soda that I’ll never finish. Some films leave me provoked in thought and wonder, and others leave me just flat-out entertained. I always do my homework and know what to expect before seeing the film of my choosing, so either way, I’m usually pretty satisfied.
Last weekend, however, threw me off my game. I wanted to go to the movies, but not to any film in particular. I just wanted something to watch, and spend some time at my local theatre, the oldest running movie theatre in the United States. I didn’t see a great film, but a good one. At the very least, I expected it to be entertaining. For some reason, however, the film struck a chord with me. Needless to say, due to my lack of preparation, I got much more out my Friday night that I anticipated.
An American classic
Arthur Miller’s paramount 1949 theatrical production is a tragic tale of a traveling salesman losing his grip on life, reality, and the American Dream, due in part to a cocaine addiction, but primarily his inability to adapt to a changing world. Willy Loman is getting older, and is reluctant to change his ways. His contradictory ideas towards the modern world leave him crippled, along with his dreams. As Willy clings to nostalgia, his helplessness shines through, and it is revealed that his quest for the American Dream relied on superficial entities instead of a good, old-fashioned work ethic.
That’s not what this article is about, though. Or is it?
