Ewan MacGregor on his epic 'Long Way Down' motorcycle journey through Africa was quoted as saying that one of the most refreshing things about these countries is that their lack of restrictive Health and Safety laws.
"The guy filling my petrol tank had a lit cigarette in his mouth!". Crazy eh? Well not really, considering it's not actually possible to light petrol with a cigarette. It's one of the big movie myths, and makes a complete mockery of legendary scenes like the one in The Usual Suspects, where a lit cigarette sparks the inferno at the beginning. Not possible I'm afraid.
The other thing that's really annoying in films and TV at the moment (did I tell you how anal I was?) is the sound effect they seem to attach to anyone smoking a fag. As they take a drag, you get this overly loud crackling sound of burning tobacco. It's barely audible in real life, but of course it's more 'atmospheric' to have it louder than a Space Shuttle lift-off.
Pedantic rant over.
Friday, 7 December 2007
Lou Reed....
...is overrated. Fact.
Walk On The Wild Side is his only 'well known' song. We've grown up with it and it has a groovy little shuffle and everything - but when you actually listen to it, it's rubbish. It really is. But Lou Reed isn't the only one.
Bob Dylan has had numerous songs covered by other artists, which sound great, but when you hear him perfom personally it's painful. He's like an old drunk at Christmas trying to remember a Pogues song. Oh, there's another one - Shane MacGowan. Totally incomprehensible, and surely not the 'talent' we are made out to believe.
Lenny Kravitz:
"I wish that I could fly,
Into the sky,
So very high,
Just like a dragonfly"
What?! I wrote that when I was 5 years old for God's sake. And this guy is a superstar?
I'm not saying there's a plethora of talent around these days, but I don't think we should worship artists from 'the good old days' just because it makes us 'cool'. It's like people who wear Che Guevara t-shirts - they generally know nothing about the man, but his image sets them apart into a certain 'tribe'. Tribe of twats.
Walk On The Wild Side is his only 'well known' song. We've grown up with it and it has a groovy little shuffle and everything - but when you actually listen to it, it's rubbish. It really is. But Lou Reed isn't the only one.
Bob Dylan has had numerous songs covered by other artists, which sound great, but when you hear him perfom personally it's painful. He's like an old drunk at Christmas trying to remember a Pogues song. Oh, there's another one - Shane MacGowan. Totally incomprehensible, and surely not the 'talent' we are made out to believe.
Lenny Kravitz:
"I wish that I could fly,
Into the sky,
So very high,
Just like a dragonfly"
What?! I wrote that when I was 5 years old for God's sake. And this guy is a superstar?
I'm not saying there's a plethora of talent around these days, but I don't think we should worship artists from 'the good old days' just because it makes us 'cool'. It's like people who wear Che Guevara t-shirts - they generally know nothing about the man, but his image sets them apart into a certain 'tribe'. Tribe of twats.
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