Notes for a future Manifesto/Theory/Philosophy

Some Quotes:

"Just because you are doing something in inverted commas doesn't mean you're not doing it"
Quote from Tim Space Debris at Cardrossmaniac2, 23/11/12.

"What is there in uselessness to cause you distress"
The title of an AMM song from AMMMusic 1966.

I had more but I've forgotten where I read them. Anyway some food for thought that may one day be put into some kind of coherent passage of words.

Other Stuff

*I saw a bunch of musicians in the states are doing a tribute to The Band's Last Waltz concert/movie. Fuck me wasn't the first one tedious enough. Imagine what it'll be like with 2nd and 3rd rate indie musicians doing it. I feel sick. Are they gonna get Marty to film it as well, now that would be weird. No hang on they should get some 2nd rate Scorsese wannabe to film it. Hang on that starts to make the concept almost interesting. When is this shit gonna end? Didn't Nels Cline used to be some kind of avant musician?

**Here's a collaboration I'd really like to see Skrillex V Umberto. Doncha reckon that'd be good? Or would it end up sounding like some kind of witch-house? Either way I'd like to see that happen.

***What ever happened to Salem?

Scorsese's Hugo & Nostalgia for the Future.

Hugo was a paean to the death of the possibility of cinematic magic.  How cinema never quite delivered on its promise.  Even Hugo was framed in lavish cinematography, set pieces and in 3D, kind of mirroring the subject matter's sadness for the moribund possibilities of cinema.

 

Sacha Baron Cohen in Allo! Allo! er sorry... Hugo.


This fits in with all that nostalgia for the future vibe that runs through a lot of pop culture today.  Wanting that feeling,wonder and excitement of how we thought technology and the future was going to be.  Now though being left in a state of anti-climax as that future never arrived.

Was (Hugo the movie) it saying this is it! That's the best we can do! It was exciting once (that was a very long time ago) but come on who are we kidding now?  Could this actually be the subtext of the film.  Given Scorsese's recent comments on how he hasn't got time to be wasting on watching films these days, it does start to make sense.

Musicians are not Film Makers!/Martin Scorsese's life is too short to waste time on watching films

*I don't really watch video clips. I put them on my blog just in case you need a reference point for the music I am discussing.  In fact a lot of the time film clips detract from the music. That Ducktails track I loved the other day was almost ruined by the crappy video that went with it. People (er...musicians) aren't as careful with images as they would be with sounds. A group might be very careful not to use/or use specific sounds, structures, textures or techniques in their music but can be quite willing to use images without a thought of their aesthetic qualities and the effect they will have when coupled with their music. Fuck me I'm onto something here. Music has been with us humans forever in one form or another since we crept out of the cesspool, so musicians are quite instinctual when it comes to their art. The filmed image however has only been around 100 years or so, so how sophisticated/instinctual can the art form be to most of us? 

For many years now I've had another idea in my head about how popular/unpopular music, has been culturally successful and the motion picture has not. I've told the Mrs many times there is a great theory there and one day I will write about it seriously.

Do you like my beard ladies?

Martin Scorsese may well be the unlikely catalyst for this article eventually getting written.  The other day in a doctors waiting room I was reading a magazine and he was asked 'Do you watch many new movies?'  He said he tried but they are too long (pot-kettle) and he's getting old so there is not enough time to waste (on a shite 2 hour+ film).  He will give a film 15 minutes then it's either on or off.  I am exactly the same, maybe 11 minutes sometimes.  The interesting thing is: He is a massive music lover and has made many films about the success of such an art form on himself and the greater public. One of the greatest filmmakers ever is supporting my theory. Thanks Marty. The Ronnettes get three minutes to prove themselves and they do.  Thus being a perfect pop culture success. Wes Anderrson gets two hours and fuck me I want those hours back along with a written apology from the turd. There are so many great pop songs and so few great films.  This argument seems so obvious why am I even bothering.  I can see Marty gettin' off on Midnight Rambler or Tommy Gun, I can't see him walkin' out of the 2nd last Harry Potter film goin' 'Shit Yeah! That's what it's all about!'