The year that was...
Okay, I could dwell on the year 2006 and get all pissed and wailing, but why bother? Water under the bridge... A whole helluva lot of water under the bridge. It's done, so move on. Three things remain constant to me as I go into the fresh new year: my family, my wife, and my devil. All are alive and well, thank you. So, here's my annual stupid list of things I really dig, brother:
1) The best movies of the year: Without a doubt, "The Fountain" takes the honors. I was reeling from that artistic masterpiece days after seeing it. I don't really feel like explaining why, so just accept that it kicked my ass. In second place would be "A Scanner Darkly", a visual treat unlike any film I've ever seen. It's also in bed with Mr. Dick, so it has that going for it. On a side note, I've read where there's a possible Dick biopic being made starring Paul Giamatti. Isn't that fucking cool? Third would be the amazing "V For Vendetta", which was a fun and rollicking kick to the shins of any conservative idealist that it made me giddy with stupid senselessness. V looks great, period.
2) The best books: Mr. James Morrow hogs this short list, starting with his triumphant "The Last Witchfinder" which left me reading the pages slower and slower with each flip of a page. Why? Because I didn't want it to fucking end, duh! It was pure joy and makes a wanna-be writer like myself green with sick envy. Bastard! "The Continent of Lies" by James Morrow, again, takes second place and was a science fiction romp that left me dizzy. Where the fuck does Mr. Morrow get his imagination? Again, bastard! Haruki Murakami's "A Wild Sheep Chase", my third place finisher, was a sleeper of a read that had staying power. It was bizarre, but not in the more abstract way like his "Dance Dance Dance". His characters are droll and slow paced, but still fun to be around. Bastard! That was for Mr. Morrow again...
3) The best music: This will be short, mostly because it was a lame year. Grandaddy's "Just Like the Fambly Cat" (their spelling error, not mine) kept me from selecting a purely gay album as my favorite disk for the year. So, thank you, Granddaddy. It has a few skippable tracks on it, but the album is strong when it gets (shocker!) depressing. Still, with tracks like "Where I'm Anymore" (the song of the year; it has meows for the chorus!) and "Summer... It's Gone" make this album a great one. Second place is Goldfrapp's with "Supernature". Yes, a gay dancing album with hardly a non-electronic instrument in its arsenal (outside of Ms. Goldfrapp's lovely voice), but ever since the electronica bug got into my bloodstream all those years ago, I've hardly cared to apologize for liking this music. I just play it low in my car stereo if the windows are down... Third, there's Peeping Tom's self titled album. Mike Patton is a fucking genius, but this album (like Gorillaz's last album) stupidly suffers from the addition of hip-hop and/or rap 'artists'. I hate that fucking shit, so even the master Mr. Patton cannot rise above the shit these jerks bring to the table. Still, "Five Seconds" and "Mojo" make the ordeal worthwhile. I can't wait until rap and hip-hop go the way of disco... I won't hold my breath, though. Let me list some artists who tanked this year, since usually picking my favorite albums is an ordeal: the Pet Shop Boys are starting to sound their age, which really sucks; the Secret Machines were good then lousy then good the really lousy again on their latest album; Deftones just didn't gel with me, but I'm not giving up on their latest; same with Tool's "10,000 Days", which I predict will be my album of the year... in 2008; finally, I think more time would've benefited Jolie Holland's latest album, but I never really gave the poor thing its deserved time (it's spooky and languid like an October afternoon at the cemetery).
Well, there you go. My taste in stuff, as you may decide, sucks, but that is fine by me. I'd hate to be like you anyway...
Okay, I could dwell on the year 2006 and get all pissed and wailing, but why bother? Water under the bridge... A whole helluva lot of water under the bridge. It's done, so move on. Three things remain constant to me as I go into the fresh new year: my family, my wife, and my devil. All are alive and well, thank you. So, here's my annual stupid list of things I really dig, brother:
1) The best movies of the year: Without a doubt, "The Fountain" takes the honors. I was reeling from that artistic masterpiece days after seeing it. I don't really feel like explaining why, so just accept that it kicked my ass. In second place would be "A Scanner Darkly", a visual treat unlike any film I've ever seen. It's also in bed with Mr. Dick, so it has that going for it. On a side note, I've read where there's a possible Dick biopic being made starring Paul Giamatti. Isn't that fucking cool? Third would be the amazing "V For Vendetta", which was a fun and rollicking kick to the shins of any conservative idealist that it made me giddy with stupid senselessness. V looks great, period.
2) The best books: Mr. James Morrow hogs this short list, starting with his triumphant "The Last Witchfinder" which left me reading the pages slower and slower with each flip of a page. Why? Because I didn't want it to fucking end, duh! It was pure joy and makes a wanna-be writer like myself green with sick envy. Bastard! "The Continent of Lies" by James Morrow, again, takes second place and was a science fiction romp that left me dizzy. Where the fuck does Mr. Morrow get his imagination? Again, bastard! Haruki Murakami's "A Wild Sheep Chase", my third place finisher, was a sleeper of a read that had staying power. It was bizarre, but not in the more abstract way like his "Dance Dance Dance". His characters are droll and slow paced, but still fun to be around. Bastard! That was for Mr. Morrow again...
3) The best music: This will be short, mostly because it was a lame year. Grandaddy's "Just Like the Fambly Cat" (their spelling error, not mine) kept me from selecting a purely gay album as my favorite disk for the year. So, thank you, Granddaddy. It has a few skippable tracks on it, but the album is strong when it gets (shocker!) depressing. Still, with tracks like "Where I'm Anymore" (the song of the year; it has meows for the chorus!) and "Summer... It's Gone" make this album a great one. Second place is Goldfrapp's with "Supernature". Yes, a gay dancing album with hardly a non-electronic instrument in its arsenal (outside of Ms. Goldfrapp's lovely voice), but ever since the electronica bug got into my bloodstream all those years ago, I've hardly cared to apologize for liking this music. I just play it low in my car stereo if the windows are down... Third, there's Peeping Tom's self titled album. Mike Patton is a fucking genius, but this album (like Gorillaz's last album) stupidly suffers from the addition of hip-hop and/or rap 'artists'. I hate that fucking shit, so even the master Mr. Patton cannot rise above the shit these jerks bring to the table. Still, "Five Seconds" and "Mojo" make the ordeal worthwhile. I can't wait until rap and hip-hop go the way of disco... I won't hold my breath, though. Let me list some artists who tanked this year, since usually picking my favorite albums is an ordeal: the Pet Shop Boys are starting to sound their age, which really sucks; the Secret Machines were good then lousy then good the really lousy again on their latest album; Deftones just didn't gel with me, but I'm not giving up on their latest; same with Tool's "10,000 Days", which I predict will be my album of the year... in 2008; finally, I think more time would've benefited Jolie Holland's latest album, but I never really gave the poor thing its deserved time (it's spooky and languid like an October afternoon at the cemetery).
Well, there you go. My taste in stuff, as you may decide, sucks, but that is fine by me. I'd hate to be like you anyway...