The Dark Knight Trilogy

In the immediate wake of viewing a blockbuster film like The Dark Knight Rises, my usual instinct is to want to write up a review. But honestly - and I swear this is entirely unrelated to the fact that I've gotten out of the habit of writing reviews regularly these past few months :p - I'm not sure I could write anything substantially different or more interesting than what a thousand other reviewers are probably already writing, and it almost seems pointless to write anything if all it consists of is "awesome movie, P.S. Catwoman was hot". But, I did just re-watch Batman Begins and The Dark Knight in preparation for seeing the conclusion to the trilogy, so I thought maybe it would be the perfect opportunity for me to - briefly - consider Christopher Nolan's Batman saga as a whole, and explain what I liked about it (as I did, very much, like it).

(Spoilers ahead!)

First and foremost, I like that Nolan approached the saga from a very serious perspective, with an emphasis on realism. Batman was always on the grittier and more serious end of the superhero spectrum (and is largely the reason I've liked him above and beyond most superheros), and so it's quite fitting. But even beyond that, it's fascinating to see Batman and Gotham City's charismatic villains interpreted as if they were real people with relatively realistic means and motives, as opposed to a campy caped crusader fighting colorful cartoon criminals.

Batman Begins (2005)

The beauty of Batman Begins is largely in the psychological background that provides Bruce Wayne's motivation to become Batman, as well as his psychological struggle against his fears, and his desire for justice. Fear (and overcoming it) is the overarching theme, reflected also in the character of The Scarecrow, whom I enjoyed very much seeing for the first time in a big screen Batman movie. Another of the successes of Nolan's Batman franchise was his successful combination of more and less popular Batman villains - creating a balance between the faces Batman fans wanted to see, and some of the less popular villains that nevertheless suited the movie's themes most perfectly.

Take Ra's al Ghul, for example. I hold no claim to diehard Batman fandom, not being an avid comic reader, but I'd like to consider myself more than just a casual fan, having grown up with the live action TV series and the acclaimed animated series (as well as the previous movie adaptations), but Ra's al Ghul doesn't stand out in my mind as being one of the quintessential Batman villains (maybe he just wasn't iconic enough). Yet in Batman Begins he takes on a position of primary importance, featuring prominently in Batman's origin arc, and setting up the conflict that bookends the movie series - that of Gotham vs. the League of Shadows. It works really well, and it also serves to give the movie a flavor of authenticity - "we're using the villain that suits the story, not just the one who's the flashiest."

The Dark Knight (2008)

That having been said, you can't have Batman without The Joker, and the second movie in the trilogy, The Dark Knight, features two of the saga's most iconic villains (the other one, in this case, being Two Face). The beauty of The Dark Knight, in my opinion, is in the ideas it confronts, both in the comparison between Batman, The Dark Knight, and Harvey Dent, Gotham's White Knight, and also in the character of The Joker himself. All hype aside, Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker is excellent, and the villain's role in the series is unique. He is the wild card, the psychotic who does not desire money or power or notoriety - he just wants to watch the world burn, and not for allegedly altruistic historical reasons, but just to show that it can. Batman Begins tackles the political philosophies of crime and justice, while The Dark Knight confronts anarchy, and the darkness within the hearts of all men.

Meanwhile, Harvey Dent's meteoric rise as a political celebrity after making unprecedented headway on cleaning the streets of Gotham City throws Batman's own vigilante actions into doubt and suspicion. Gotham needs a hero with a face, accountable for his actions, while Batman is willing to become a villain in the eyes of the public because he needs the advantages that only being outside the realm of law can provide. This theme is revisited in The Dark Knight Rises, as Batman's unknowing protégé, Officer "Robin" Blake, eventually comes to the same conclusion about the obstacle that rules present in the way of justice.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

But the purpose of The Dark Knight Rises is to conclude Batman's story arc, and in that process we're treated to a revival of the League of Shadows subplot, in the midterm aftermath of the late Harvey Dent's effective cleansing of Gotham's streets. But under those streets a new threat is growing, in the form of Bane, another less than iconic Batman villain (impressively constructed in this adaptation) who nevertheless poses a major threat to Gotham City, and who is able to go so far as to overpower an aging and weary Batman in sheer brute strength, and very nearly succeed in his plan to raze Gotham to the ground, after already turning the city's political order on its head.

Batman recruits some doubtful aid, however, in the form of a truly iconic Batman character, the not-quite-hero, not-quite-villain Catwoman. Here she is played to excellent effect by Anne Hathaway, who manages to do the character full justice, without stepping on the toes of (or trying to outdo) Michelle Pfeiffer's unforgettable previous performance in that role. Eventually, the loose ends are tied up, Gotham is saved once more, and Batman retires (for good this time) and starts a new life away from the troubles of his hometown. The city finally recognizes unambiguously the service Batman has paid to them, and a new light shines with a promise of protection from potential future threats.

The trilogy finished, I am left partly satisfied, and partly desiring for more. There are so many other iconic characters to tackle! The Riddler, The Penguin, Poison Ivy, Batgirl, Harley Quinn (I thought Maggie Gyllenhaal, who played Rachel Dawes opposite The Joker in The Dark Knight, would have made a perfect Harley Quinn, and so was considerably disappointed when the movie failed to go that route). I realize that if they kept pumping out movies just for the sake of bringing these characters to life, the quality of those movies would probably suffer, and that that's probably largely what destroyed the previous Batman movie franchise (that, or Tim Burton's lack of involvement in the latter sequels). But my desire to see these characters reinterpreted in a new age, from the serious and realistic perspective that Nolan has brought to the saga, is strong. I may have to go back and re-watch those older movies just to satisfy my craving, for whatever good that may do...

ZML^2 - Reinterpreting The Blues

Requisite Intro: Since this is the first time I'm using this blog for my ZML^2 posts, I believe an introduction is in order. As I explained previously on my other blog, Zharth's Music Log was an exciting project I worked on several years ago. For one full year between 2007 and 2008, I picked a theme every week and posted one song per day relating to that theme, with some information about the song and how it relates to the week's theme. It was a lot of fun, and a great, low-stress way to relive some of the excitement of programming a radio show, which I haven't done since I graduated college.

No doubt, choosing a song every day for a whole year is a lot of work (it's not much fun if I don't put any thought into it), so when the year was done, I was happy to take a rest. But there are still some themes I've got up in my head that I'd like to do some day, and every once in a while, I get the urge to bring back Zharth's Music Log, just for a single theme. And today, the theme is Reinterpreting The Blues. Enjoy!

Reinterpreting The Blues

Rock 'n Roll gained a foothold in American culture in the 1950s, with artists like Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and Elvis Presley. By the 70s, album-oriented rock was firmly entrenched in the culture. But the 60s was known for the British invasion, where many a talented British artist picked up on American roots and rock music, reinterpreted it their own way, and then presented it fresh to new audiences. It's no secret that a large portion of rock n' roll was inspired by the American blues tradition; many of the elder statesman of classic rock have openly and proudly admitted their debt to the legends of the blues. Muddy Waters himself, who penned the song that gave The Rolling Stones their band name, once said, "the blues had a baby, and they called it rock n' roll." Let's explore some of the most well-known classic rock tracks that are based on a strong foundation in the blues, yet that demonstrate the talent and creativity that rock artists brought to the table, reinterpreting the blues and giving it a new life all its own.

Cream - Crossroads [Wheels of Fire, 1968]
Comments: With the release of Eric Clapton's album-long tribute to Robert Johnson, Me And Mr. Johnson, in 2004, Clapton's dedication to the legendary bluesman (who was rumored to have sold his soul to the devil) became recorded history. But all the way back in 1968, with the power trio supergroup Cream, Clapton recorded one of his most enduring hits: Robert Johnson's Cross Road Blues. You couldn't be faulted for not recognizing it as one of Johnson's songs; it was loud and it was heavy, and it was brimming with a rock n' roll energy that betrayed the haunting, acoustic quality of Johnson's recording. But it was an astoundingly successful - and unique - interpretation of a song from one who has become, quite possibly, the most inspiring and influential blues artist in history. Cream was also known for their rousing cover of Albert King's Born Under A Bad Sign, and Howlin' Wolf's Spoonful, which they developed into a long and impressive live jam centerpiece.

The Doors - Back Door Man [The Doors, 1967]
Comments: Hailing from the L.A. scene, Jim Morrison's talent as a lyrical poet didn't prevent him from covering a few blues songs with The Doors, and among other influences, the blues was definitely one of the ingredients that went into the melting pot that produced the band's unique sound. On their debut album, they recorded an immensely popular cover of Howlin' Wolf's Back Door Man, where Wolf's characteristic howlin' vocals (he didn't get that name for nothin') are substituted by Jim Morrison's impassioned ravings. The Doors also covered a song popularized by John Lee Hooker - Crawling King Snake - on their most blues-influenced album, L.A. Woman.


George Thorogood - One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
[George Thorogood and The Destroyers, 1977]
Comments: Speaking of John Lee Hooker, George Thorogood was an excellent match to cover Hooker's boogie style, while introducing a rather harder rockin' edge. Thorogood's popular hit One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer is actually a seamless amalgam of two blues songs, Hooker's House Rent Boogie, and the track's namesake, which was an even older song popularized by John Lee Hooker. One of George Thorogood's other really popular songs is Who Do You Love?, written and originally recorded by Bo Diddley, who was immensely influential among many burgeoning rock artists.


Foghat - I Just Want To Make Love To You [Foghat, 1972]
Comments: This is another track you couldn't be faulted for not recognizing as the blues. Hearing Foghat's popular hits on the radio, you wouldn't think they were heavily influenced by the blues, but they were. But they had such a unique and driving sound, it's a perfect example of how a rock band can take the blues and turn it into something fierce. Case in point, one of their biggest hits, released on their debut album, was I Just Want To Make Love To You, which is one of many songs penned by Willie Dixon, and originally recorded by Muddy Waters. But Foghat totally makes it their own, far surpassing the original.


Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love [Led Zeppelin II, 1969]
Comments: Led Zeppelin is one of those bands whose blues influences were pretty darn obvious. Or were they? The band has been criticized as frequently 'burying the lead' in terms of being less than straightforward about their sources of inspiration, but many of their songs, history has revealed, are heavily based in the blues. Among the more obvious ones (to the discerning listener) are The Lemon Song (Howlin' Wolf's Killing Floor, sneakily renamed, with some other influences peppered in), Bring It On Home (which combines an effective Sonny Boy Williamson imitation with a wholly original rock composition), Muddy Waters' You Shook Me and Otis Rush' I Can't Quit You Baby (both penned by Willie Dixon and recorded for Zeppelin's bluesy debut album), and a more or less straightforward (for Led Zeppelin) rock update of Robert Johnson's Traveling Riverside Blues.

But here I present you with one of the band's most popular songs from their entire catalog, which is cleverly based on another Willie Dixon-penned/Muddy Waters-recorded song, this one titled You Need Love. And though the arrangement borrows from another rock band's previous interpretation of the song (The Small Faces), Zeppelin adds enough of their own unique flair to make the song a rock n' roll tour de force. (For more information about Led Zeppelin's musical influences, see The Roots of Led Zeppelin Project)

Ten Years After - Good Morning Little Schoolgirl [Ssssh, 1969]
Comments: Ten Years After were, lamentably, not as popular as they deserved. Perhaps because their songs often overreached, not infrequently on account of frontman Alvin Lee's frenetic and drawn out guitar solos (though one of the reasons I so love the band). But they had lots of excellent rock hits to their name, many of them blues-inspired (but most of them admirably original in content). Good Morning Little Schoolgirl is one perfect example of a fairly simple traditional blues song (by Sonny Boy Williamson), covered to less fanfare by many other bands, that in the hands of Ten Years After was transformed into a rock n' roll force of nature. The band did the same thing with another simple blues, Help Me, by the second bluesman to adopt the name Sonny Boy Williamson.


Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Slight Return) [Electric Ladyland, 1968]
Comments: This is another track that, without the right listening experience, you might never have guessed was based on a blues tune. But on the album that it was released, there was another song with a similar title ("Voodoo Chile") that reveals the connection. That track is an extended jam that very obviously plays off of the Muddy Waters song Rollin' Stone. And where Voodoo Chile is an extended improvisation on that song, Voodoo Child (Slight Return) is a further distillation of the theme, transforming it into an almost entirely brand new song, which has the honor of being one of the fiercest guitar songs in rock history, by one of rock's most talented and influential guitarists of all time. But what remains underneath all of that innovation is the very simple riff from Muddy Waters' song, flipped on its head and turned up to eleven. This is what they mean when they say that rock n' roll was born from the blues.

Afterthought: Honorable mention goes to two songs that seem at best only vaguely related to the blues, but whose titles very conspicuously suggest two popular blues tracks, by two veteran bands of the classic rock era: AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long [Back In Black, 1980]; and Steppenwolf's Rock Me [At Your Birthday Party, 1969] (which recalls the song Rock Me Baby that B.B. King made popular).

Back To The Garden

Back To The Garden is a compilation serving two complementary themes. I started putting it together because I was in need of something thematically appropriate to listen to on long car rides driving out to naturist resorts. Thus I began picking out songs honoring the natural life, depicting the need to escape the modern urban sprawl, and the inevitable damage mankind is doing to Mother Earth. The theme is summed up perfectly by the line from Joni Mitchell's song about Woodstock, where she sings, "we've got to get ourselves back to the garden" - the garden being, presumably, the Garden of Eden, where Mankind originated, and from whence was exiled after committing the Original Sin leading to the Fall.

The idea being, that it is time for Mankind to reclaim his innocence and divinity, and return to the Garden where he can live in peace and love and in cooperation with Mother Earth. Idealistic, for sure, but a beautiful vision nonetheless, and at least partly the feeling I get when I'm on my way to spend some time in a community that still values the natural, sensual experience of life, in spite of what the modern urban mindset prescribes, and does, at times, honestly feel like a little piece of Eden. Quite naturally, this theme bumps up against the free spirit ethos of the counterculture movement in America during the 1960s, and as such, consists mostly of songs from that era, and doubles quite well as a peace & love hippie compilation.

Back To The Garden

1. Crosby Stills Nash & Young - Woodstock
2. Canned Heat - Going Up The Country
3. Moby Grape - Naked, If I Want To
4. The Cowsills - Hair
5. Mother Earth - Mother Earth
6. Quicksilver Messenger Service - Fresh Air
7. Neil Young - Homegrown
8. Bob Dylan - All Along The Watchtower
9. Sky High - Blues For The Green
10. Quicksilver Messenger Service - What About Me
11. Five Man Electrical Band - Signs
12. Ten Years After - The Sounds
13. The Animals - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
14. John Lennon - Imagine
15. The Guess Who - Share The Land
16. The Youngbloods - Get Together
17. The Grass Roots - Let's Live For Today
18. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)
19. Joni Mitchell - Woodstock [Isle of Wight]

As you can see, the foundation of the compilation is the song Woodstock - it opens with CSNY's energetic rock n roll cover, and later closes with a more mellow (and haunting) live version by the original artist, Joni Mitchell. Canned Heat's Going Up The Country is included both because it is iconic to anyone who's seen the Woodstock film, and because its lyrics perfectly encapsulate the theme of heading into the country. Moby Grape's Naked, If I Want To and The Cowsills' Hair, both great hippie tracks, recall Adam and Eve, who, in the Garden of Eden, stood naked before the eyes of God, and (Eve, at least) are often depicted with long, beautiful hair.

Mother Earth is an excellent track, featuring Michael Bloomfield on guitar, which introduces the recurring theme of the primacy of nature, and the dire importance of honoring and not ignoring her. No matter how much material wealth you acquire in life, when it all comes down, you've got to go back to Mother Earth. QMS sings (presumably with tongue in cheek) about the restorative properties of fresh air, and Neil Young celebrates the value in homegrown crops. Bob Dylan's All Along The Watchtower warns of the danger of men raping the land, and Sky High (the only modern band on this compilation)'s Blues For The Green laments the damage that man is foolishly and ignorantly inflicting upon the Earth.

QMS returns with a paranoid track that really emphasizes the counterculture theme, taking The Establishment's treatment of nature and expanding it to cast doubt upon the entire system, while issuing a challenge and a notice that there are some out there who are not willing to fall in line. The Five Man Electrical Band continues the theme of becoming tired of the urban landscape with its scathing commentary on the authoritarian dictates of the scenery-blocking sign culture, and Ten Years After produces a poignant musical piece that echoes the madness of the constant and inescapable buzzing, mechanical, droning sounds that swarm the cities. Lucky for us, The Animals step in with their ballad of desperate escape.

Turning back onto our idealism, and forgetting again the neuroses of the city, John Lennon imagines a different kind of world, where the corruption of the modern system doesn't stand in the way of happiness. The Guess Who sings Share The Land, which taps further into the socialist implications of the previous song, and sets the stage for The Youngbloods' plead for us all to Get Together and love one another. Then The Grass Roots make their case for the value in living for today, and that leads into Neil Young and Crazy Horse's reprise of the theme of respecting Mother Earth, with a sorrowful warning of what will happen if we fail to do so ("respect Mother Earth, and her giving ways, or trade away our children's days"). Then Joni Mitchell sings her version of Woodstock, bringing us back full circle, but where we opened the disc with energy and optimism, Joni's haunting arrangement echoes the fear of all we have to lose if we don't get ourselves back to the garden soon...

Feelin' The Blues

My two musical loves are the blues and rock n roll. Rock n roll is all about attitude and energy and rebellion. The blues is about sadness and soul. Both feature a rich history of prominent guitarists, but it's always been the fusion of rock and blues that has been the primary target of my auditory affections. Rock songs that are steeped in the blues tradition, and blues that rock.

So in the music I listen to, I'm never far from either. I tend to gravitate toward the sort of rock that is more heavily blues influenced, and if you know me, you'll probably notice that I describe a lot of the music I like best as "bluesy". So when I described Joe Bonamassa's latest album as being heavily blues-inspired (even within the context of the very bluesy career of a very blues-inspired musician), my friend made a comment that emphasized, for me, the difference between traditional blues and 'progressive' blues, the latter of which is where I'd place Joe Bonamassa's music.

Now, when I think of the blues, I think of the 12-bar format, I think of shuffle beats, slow tempos, and I think of biting electric leads punctuating simplistic but stingingly depressing lyrics. Then again, I'm a fan of slow, electric blues. I imagine a lot of people think of something closer to folk blues, or more specifically, delta blues, where the modern blues tradition arose from. A lot of this is acoustic music, and so, although I've listened to it and have a lot of respect for it as a blues fan, I don't actually like it as much as electric blues (I'm particularly fond of the Chicago and Texas blues traditions).

In any case, thinking on this, I confronted the fact that a lot of the 'blues' music I listen to is derived, contributing to the fact that my CD collection contains at least ten times more blues-inspired rock (mostly classic rock bands who were heavily influenced by the blues) than actual blues musicians. Not that there's any problem with that - I listen to what I like - but it gave me the great idea to create a compilation of some of my favorite songs by genuine blues musicians, as a sort of document to myself and anyone else who might listen to it in my presence (or not) about what the blues is, as opposed to what the blues has inspired.

I call it - simply but effectively, as blues lyrics often are - Feelin' The Blues:

Feelin' The Blues

1. B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone
2. Albert Collins - Cold, Cold Feeling
3. Big Mama Thornton - Ball N' Chain
4. Freddie King - Going Down
5. Buddy Guy - Damn Right, I've Got The Blues
6. Otis Rush - Homework
7. Albert King - Got To Be Some Changes Made
8. Jimmy Dawkins - Welfare Line
9. John Lee Hooker - Moanin' Blues
10. Lightnin' Hopkins - Bring Me My Shotgun
11. Muddy Waters - Still A Fool
12. Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightnin'
13. Elmore James - The Sky Is Crying
14. T-Bone Walker - Stormy Monday
15. Robert Johnson - Me And The Devil Blues
16. Son House - Grinnin' In Your Face

My approach was to try to get as many different artists as I could (limited by my actual CD library), with an emphasis on covering 'all the bases' (or at least most of them) of your classic, traditional, blues artists. I decided to allow only one track per artist, to allow for more variety. Where possible, I have selected hard rockin' or slow and solemn electric blues (because that's just what I like), but I made a specific effort to include the old delta blues format as well, for a historical perspective.

Thus the tracklist reads as a veritable who's who of the blues. You've got the three kings - B.B., Albert, and Freddie. You've got Albert Collins, Otis Rush, and Buddy Guy - who I've always considered to be the Jimi Hendrix of the blues. You've got Big Mama Thornton who sung Hounddog before Elvis picked it up. You've got Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. You've got John Lee Hooker who brought boogie to the blues. And I threw in Jimmy Dawkins as a personal favorite.

As you head towards the end of the disc, you start to move back towards the folkier roots of the blues. Lightnin' Hopkins sings Bring Me My Shotgun, a mellow but sinister blues that caught my attention the first time I heard it. Elmore James, the king of the slide, contributes The Sky Is Crying - a song that, like T-Bone Walker's Stormy Monday that follows it, has been covered ad nauseam yet is one of my all-time favorite blues standards.

By the end of the disc you've reached the legendary Robert Johnson, said to have sold his soul to the devil, and who has inspired generations of musicians across genres. But going back even further, you reach Son House, the Father of the Delta Blues. I had a hard time picking the song I liked best for this compilation, but I think that I ultimately chose the right one.

Grinnin' In Your Face represents the blues in its purest form, and echoes the first time I learned about Son House - in a video documentary of the Newport Folk Festival, where he talks about the soul of the blues. All of the trappings have been stripped away, and in this song Son House doesn't even play the guitar. It's just depression with a beat. But not without a faint glimmer of hope. After all, the blues, in all its sorrow, is a healing music.

Experiencing Jimi Hendrix

I love it when a friend of mine expresses an interest in some of the music I like, because I understand how individual musical tastes can vary, and if we're both going to be sitting in a car for an extended period of time listening to music, it's much more pleasurable if we can listen to something we both agree is good.

Of course, when that's not the case, I hold fast to the rule of driver's choice. Although I like driving, it requires effort and concentration, and the driver is the one in control of the vehicle (as well as the passengers' lives), and creating a pleasant atmosphere (which often includes putting on music the driver likes), is conducive to a smooth and unstressful journey (plus I've noticed that having good music on makes a long trip go much faster).

So, if necessary, I wouldn't hesitant putting on music I like that the rest of the car's passengers don't really like - if I were driving - but I'm always happy to put on something that the passengers can enjoy, too. Partly because sometimes I'm going to be the passenger, and it's always nice if the driver reciprocates that diplomacy and tries to find something they like that I don't object to, too. :p

So when my friend told me she likes Jimi Hendrix, and asked me to make a compilation for the car, I was ecstatic. I spent a week listening to my entire Hendrix catalog (which isn't that huge), and this is what I came up with:

Experiencing Jimi Hendrix

(I know, real original name)

1. Foxey Lady
2. Hey Joe
3. Purple Haze
4. Spanish Castle Magic
5. Bold As Love
6. Crosstown Traffic
7. House Burning Down
8. All Along The Watchtower
9. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
10. Hear My Train A Comin' [BBC #2]
11. Red House [Live at Winterland]
12. Machine Gun [Band of Gypsys]
13. Star-Spangled Banner [Woodstock]
14. Wild Thing [Monterey]

The compilation is split into halves. The first half is studio stuff. The second half is live. I wanted to pick out some of the best tracks from The Jimi Hendrix Experience's three studio albums, creating a balance between the pop hits that everybody knows and loves, and the deeper album cuts that are just as good or better but don't get played as often.

So I picked my favorite hits from Are You Experienced, opening the disc with Foxey Lady, which is an excellent opener on account of how the song begins. I included Hey Joe, which I've always loved, and Purple Haze, partly because how can you have a Hendrix compilation without that song? and partly because I've been learning to play that song and that tends to give you a greater appreciation for it. I skipped tracks like Fire, which is catchy, but I've never been super fond of, and Red House, which is one of my all time favorite songs, but I saved for later so I can stick on a live version instead.

The two tracks from Axis: Bold As Love fall into the 'overlooked album cuts' category, but are both really awesome. I didn't include Little Wing because, even though it's a great song, I actually like cover versions of it better (Derek and the Dominos and Stevie Ray Vaughan, for different reasons), and it's a bit too mellow for this disc which is all about Jimi Hendrix: Guitar God (seeing as I'm an electric guitarist).

Electric Ladyland, being a double album, contributes a whopping four cuts (lotsa great songs on that album). The first two are of the deep variety, Crosstown Traffic being a great, short rocker like Spanish Castle Magic, and House Burning Down featuring lotsa guitar tricks and effects and without a doubt the most contagious chorus on the compilation ("somebody's house is burnin', down down, down down..."). With the latter two we return to radio hit territory, with possibly Hendrix's greatest cover song (All Along The Watchtower), and the most incendiary track in his career (Voodoo Child).

Following Voodoo Child is the fantastic Hear My Train A Comin', the second version from the BBC Sessions, which follows in the spirit of Voodoo Child, and interfaces with the live tracks, having something of a 'live in the studio' atmosphere, having been recorded for the BBC.

The version of Red House I picked comes from an unofficial (I think) Live At The Winterland disc I have which is really a fantastic concert, featuring some of Jimi's best live playing that I've heard. Machine Gun (from Band of Gypsys) is the one song my friend required be on the compilation, and one song that I would have put on anyway. After that I have included Jimi's iconic performance of the Star-Spangled Banner from Woodstock, followed by Wild Thing from the Monterey Pop Festival, which was the Experience's American debut, during which Jimi Hendrix infamously set fire to his guitar as a sacrifice. The MC's wild cry of "Jimi Hendrix!" closes out the disc.

3 Compilations

I suppose it's destined that one of these days I'll eventually get an iPod, or some other portable digital music player, but for now I'm still in the habit of burning CD compilations for long car rides and such. Although, I really like the idea of putting together playlists, so I figure that even if I do get a digital mp3 player someday, I'll keep putting together 'compilations' of songs, they'll just be easier to play because I can just load them up on my player (like I load up my winamp playlists on the computer), without having to burn any CDs and worry about "what if it doesn't play", which has been happening entirely too frequently lately (car CD players are patchy at best).

Although, I do like putting a limit on the length of a compilation - a traditional CD can only play about an hour and fifteen minutes of music at most. That forces you to cull your songs and pick out the best, and actually put more care into which songs go on the comp and where, as opposed to just loading up a billion songs as soon as they come to mind onto a limitless playlist. It's like putting together an album instead of just releasing a new single every time you write and record a new song. And it was one of the funnest (and most frustrating) parts of being a DJ on the radio - choosing which songs to play and making sure they fit into the air time you were allotted.

Anyway, I've created three new compilations lately, and I'd like to share them with you:

Experiencing Jimi Hendrix
Feelin' The Blues
Back To The Garden

Prometheus (2012)

Warning: This review may contain general plot spoilers to Prometheus. I recommend you see the film first (it's worth it!), and then read my review, if you don't want to be spoiled. :-)

Prometheus is not an Alien movie. And that's really the only significant criticism I have for it. But while I was really hungering for another good movie featuring the Alien creature (the likes we haven't had since Aliens), I think it was the right decision for this movie. Unlike other movies that have capitalized on the marketing appeal of the Xenomorph (including the AvP series) - which were terrible movies, thus weakening the legacy of the Xenomorph - Prometheus is actually a really good movie; and while it may be a sort of Catch 22 in that featuring the Xenomorph would have cheapened the film (so sad that the Xenomorph itself has been prostituted to that extent), I sat through this film thinking how satisfying it would be to view those creatures in another film of this high quality (as I said, the likes of which we haven't seen since the original Alien and its supremely effective sequel).

That having been said, Prometheus is indeed an Alien Prequel - not in a strict sense, in that it ties directly into the latter film, but on a conceptual and intellectual level. And one of the strengths of this movie not just as a standalone title but as a part of the franchise is that, in exploring the genesis of the Xenomorph (albeit almost as an aside to the main thrust of the plot, which concerns the Space Jockey race), it contributes to the mythology of the creature and expands its legacy, which is also one of the main strengths of the Aliens sequel, in introducing the Queen and the species' hive-like properties.

But though the creatures in this movie are very cool-looking, with a definite sci-fi vibe, I felt that the movement away from H.R. Giger's original design reduced their impact as horror monsters. They were too smooth, almost soft, squishy. And while it's understandable that we're seeing related forms of the Xenomorph, probably predating the form that appears in Alien, which it hasn't yet evolved into, the net effect is that, while still being a sci-fi/horror, Prometheus clearly leans toward the sci-fi when compared with Alien, which, in spite of its heavy sci-fi atmosphere, was first and foremost a horror film - and one of the most fundamentally frightening of all time. Again, that's what I've really been wanting to see all these years - a good film (which rules out Alien Resurrection and Alien v. Predator and so on) that utilizes the Alien creature to its fully horrifying effect.

But just because Prometheus wasn't exactly the film I'd have liked it to have been doesn't mean that it was not a very good, very smart, and very appropriate continuation of the franchise (which is saying a lot given all the other titles in the franchise that have failed to do any of those things). I loved the implication that the Xenomorph was created as a biological weapon (indeed, the ultimate biological weapon), and am pleased that this film maintains the suggestion that the Xenomorph (which, ultimately, may appear in many more forms than the iconic one we're most familiar with - which I, personally, would describe as the "perfect" form) absorbs and retains qualities of its host, perhaps (this is my speculation) in order to keep the most advantageous qualities and discard the rest, in order to, from one generation to the next, improve its biological makeup in search of a more perfect form. This is a fantastic evolutionary advantage, and contributes to the appeal of this creature because it is not only aesthetically impressive but also conceptually fascinating.

Prometheus is an apt title for this film, which, to my nerdy delight, takes as its premise the "Ancient Astronauts" theory that an evolved, highly intelligent race is responsible for creating mankind. In the not too distant future, human technology catches up with our archaeological curiosity, and an expedition is sent to make contact with the race that presumably had contact with prehistoric man, thanks to identical star maps found in cave drawings across cultures. The myth of Prometheus tells of a rebel who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to man, and was then punished, and this infuses our story with a deep level of symbolism and iconic interpretation. The story is fused also, via one of the main characters, with a religious curiosity. And though I'd have loved to see the depiction of a future where religion is altogether eliminated in favor of atheism, this character's spirituality at least provides us with the theme of questioning what God's role in the creation of mankind is, when science provides hard evidence of our creation, and whether or not the ones who created us can effectively be viewed as Gods.

As I stated, Prometheus is a really good sci-fi film. I was particularly intrigued by the characterization of the requisite android on the crew, which is also a tradition in the Alien series. Ash in Alien was a cold-minded villain, who unsympathetically held the value of his mission (procuring lethal arms for 'the company') above any concern for the survival of his human crewmates. Bishop in Aliens turned that expectation on its head and turned out to be (thanks to technical modifications made in subsequent versions after the era of the Ash model) a very friendly and helpful addition to the team. Despite occurring previously in the timeline of human technology compared to Alien and Aliens (a nearly inevitable problem that frequently occurs in prequels that take place in-story years, if not decades, before previous stories that were actually released years before the prequel), the android character in Prometheus, named David, appears to be light years ahead of them both (while adopting bits of both of their characters), demonstrating in a variety of ways both his impressive sophistication at emulating human emotion and curiosity, while not altogether being able to completely bury the fact that he is a synthetic human. However, I find his character to be utterly fascinating, especially in the combination of his incredible processing power (giving him abilities far and above what any human could acquire in a single lifetime), and his genuine interest in very human pursuits like music, sports, etc.

Another compelling character, although perhaps to a slightly lesser extent, is the main lead, who follows in the footsteps established by Ellen Ripley in Alien and Aliens (and also the other, less noteworthy sequels) of providing films in this franchise with a very strong female lead. She is Elizabeth Shaw, who demands answers from man's creators - namely, why they created us, but also, as the information begins to come in, why they might be trying to destroy us. David rightly asks whether the answer to that last question matters, but I am in agreement with Dr. Shaw, not simply because I, too, am inquisitive by nature (and this film does not provide as many answers as questions), but because their reasoning could very well explain not just whether or not the continued existence of humanity is actually best for the universe, but also could provide great insight into the nature of humanity itself, and perhaps even the nature of those who created us (who may not be very benevolent after all).

Prometheus borrows a lot of other elements from the Alien franchise, but, perhaps due to how well crafted the film is, it avoids feeling formulaic, and instead comes off as hearty tribute. Or, perhaps, the little touches here and there that add further depth and complexity to the elements we are so familiar with imbue it with a welcome breath of fresh air, lending them a feeling of freshness that a more superficial treatment wouldn't be able to acquire. As a result of this and other factors I have discussed, Prometheus feels very much in line with the Alien franchise, while at the same time distinguishing itself enough that it doesn't feel like a rehash of something we've seen before, and thus something superfluous that may as well not have been made. Quite the contrary. It is a smart, fresh addition that expands on the Alien legacy.

And for the dedicated Alien fans, there are enough elements thrown in here and there ("easter eggs", if you will) to tie this title in with the previous film, while not restricting itself to being a direct precursor to its events. In that way Prometheus does really present itself as a spiritual prequel to Alien, but while giving itself enough room to suggest a possible sequel. This could be an exciting prospect - albeit with a lot of risk, as sequels seldom live up to their progenitors; Aliens, within this very franchise, being one of the most remarkable exception to that rule in film history. But, if done properly - and I do realize that is a huge if - a sequel to Prometheus (which, to be effective - and not merely financially successful, must accomplish what Aliens did and build on the mythology of the alien creature - or, now, the Space Jockey race) could be immensely exciting given that it could present a better opportunity to reintroduce the classic (or close enough to be terrifying) Xenomorph once again within the context of an intelligent film.

The lack of which, I repeat, is my only significant complaint with Prometheus, even as I comfortably concede that the decision to exclude them was almost certainly correct. For this title. But maybe, just maybe, for the sequel...