Seize The Day

Another great American novel from another great American writer, Saul Bellow.

This is actually my first Saul Bellow novel, and I was struck by it, for its beautiful and masterful proses. There were so many good ones that I just kept copying down the sentences, even the book is only 120+ pages.

In my humble opinion, this book is perfect, for me that is. A story about a man on a losing streak would never lose its flavour for me, the despair, the sorrow, and the pain will always accompany me for the rest of my life. Seize the day.

菸

fusion

如果看我網誌一陣子的人應該知道，fuse 這名字來自於 New Order 的 Regret。在歌裡的意思，是名詞－導火線，burning all the time。最近在看書發現，fuse的動詞的意思是融合為一，這也可以拿來形容我聽的音樂，甚麼都聽... 現在的音樂實在太多了，除了大多數沒新意無趣又不耐聽的作品外，還是能找到有很多令人興奮的聲音。

關於上面那兩張封面，右邊是義大利演奏家 Ludovico Einaudi 灌錄的演奏專輯。左邊是張相當後現代的 Mixtape。兩張都是最近聽到比較可以整張持續聆聽的專輯。

另外貼上這讓人驚艷(嚇)的嘻哈現場演出...
OFWGKTA, Tyler the Creator and Hodgy Beats - Sandwiches

The lyrics...

關於 Elvis Costello 的兩三事。

四月底要去音樂祭看狄倫伯跟 Elvis Costello ，還有 Grace Jones 也在名單上，可是關於瓊絲小姐，我知道他怪異的打扮，音樂上完全沒概念。然後最近比較認真的聽起 Elvis Costello 的專輯，發現，天阿，他的歌詞水準之高呀！難怪一堆人誇他是繼迪倫伯後的最棒的 singer/songwriter。最近常聽這兩位的歌，他們寫的歌詞真的現在的後輩只能望塵莫及 (我個人定義中的好歌詞是有想像空間的，能夠連繫到個人的；直接表達的歌詞扼殺了語言的美麗和奧妙，現在大多歌都是這樣。)。不過歌詞雖然寫的好，但是他們的音樂可一點都不好上手。一方面他們兩位聲音的極為粗糙，在來他們有些歌的旋律實在是稱不上好聽。我要寫的這首 Man Out of Time (Imperial Bedroom 1982)，編曲也是挺奇怪的，不過還算是首好聽的歌，特別當我仔細去聽歌詞時。看到 "He's got a mind like a sewer and a heart like a fridge / He stands to be insulted and he pays for the privilege"，整個完全命中。"To murder my love is crime / But will you still love a man out of time"。這... 就是我的主題曲啊！

然後最近也看了他主持的音樂節目 Spectacle。非常棒的節目，以他在搖滾樂團打混四十多年的資深音樂人的身分去訪問其他音樂人，非常的有可看的價值。特別是我剛看完訪問 Bruce Springsteen的那集。有兩位經典樂手在台上尬歌，討論人生，討論創作，太讚了！雖然，每當 Elvis Costello 誇獎人的時候，聽起來都很像在拍馬屁....

Biutiful

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Writers: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, and Armando Bo
Cast: Javier Bardem, Maricel Álvarez and Hanaa Bouchaib
Year: 2010 (Spain)
IMDb

My Rating: 9/10

This is not the film that you go to to escape from reality... it's harsh reality facing right back at you. It paints a perspective on the lives of those living on the frayed edges of our society, crossing cultures in every part of the world. The movie is so terribly tragic... so fucking heavy... biutiful, what an ironic word for our world.

The Shawshank Redemption

Director: Frank Darabont
Writers: Stephen King (short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption"), Frank Darabont (screenplay)
Cast: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman and Bob Gunton
Year: 1995

My Rating: 10/10

No 1. on IMDB top 250 films, slightly overrated though. But I would still give it 10/10, because you need to see this movie once in your life.

Hour of The Wolf

Director/Writer: Ingmar Bergman
Cast: Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Erland Josephson and Gertrud Fridh
Cinematographer: Sven Nykvist
Year: 1968 (Sweden)
IMDB

My Rating: 8/10

The only horror/thriller by Ingmar Bergman. And he never disappoints. Without any special effects (only make-ups), this movie is scary as hell. Nothing is certainty, not even reality.

Think You Can Wait

When I saw this collaboration between The National and Sharon van Etten, I literally jumped out of my seat with such excitement. To see your favourite artists working together is just... awesome!