I'm Not There

what a sensational film!

I've already seen this film last year in the cinema. Back then, I knew nothing about Dylan except for knowing that he was famous in rock music. So, as I was watching the film, I was just confused about what the film was all about. They just seemed very strange and crazy to me. I guess it does for a lot of people, even for Dylan's fans, and I'm not a Dylan fan. Towards the end of the film, I finally realised that Bob Dylan was divided and embodied into six frictional characters. At that point, I thought to myself "what a great idea!" Too bad that I've already missed too many details in the film.
I wake and I'm one person, when I go to sleep I know for certain I'm somebody else. I don't know who I am most of the time.
So a year later, I listen to more music, watch more films and know a bit more about Bob Dylan from the music course I took. I borrowed the movie and watched again, twice actually. I watched the film again with director's commentary right after. It grew on me when I watched again. I think it's interesting to get more insides of the films that I like.
People actually think I have some kind of a fantastic imagination. It gets very lonesome.
This film really challenged people, unlike conventional biopic movies. Just like what Bob Dylan did going electric from folk. The concept is perfect. The film touches so many aspects of Dylan's (our) life on love, religion, politics, family, friends, status quo, and a lot more. As for a complex man like him, I think the film covered the most it could. Among the star casts, I was fond of Charlotte Gainsbourg's role. She was special in this film. I also like Ben Whishaw's role very much. After all, every actors were all great, making this film a masterpiece.
I accept chaos. I don't know whether it accepts me.
But what really differentiated this film from the rests, is the way the film represented. Director Todd Haynes really had a vision and did a wonderful job. I would said it is an experimental film, yet a very good experimental film. He played around a lot with movie techiques and these techiques were not new. He really took some influences from Godard and Fellini, and just threw them into the film. The film at first may seemed chaotic, but it's actually not, just excessive. It carried too many ideas and stories. For me, this is not just a tribute to Dylan's life and music, but also to other great directors and poets.
It's like you got yesterday, today and tomorrow, all in the same room. There's no telling what can happen.
Seven simple rules of going into hiding:
  1. never trust a cop in a raincoat.
  2. beware of enthusiasm and of love, both are temporary and quick to sway.
  3. if asked if you care about the world's problems, look deep into the eyes of he who asks, he will never ask you again.
  4. never give your real name.
  5. if ever asked to look at yourself, don't.
  6. never do anything the person standing in front of you cannot understand.
  7. never create anything, it will be misinterpreted, it will chain you and follow you for the rest of your life.

Sonic Youth - I'm Not There

Unsettled

Slow Show by The National


Standing at the punch table swallowing punch
can’t pay attention to the sound of anyone
a little more stupid, a little more scared
every minute more unprepared

I made a mistake in my life today
everything I love gets lost in drawers
I want to start over, I want to be winning
way out of sync from the beginning

I wanna hurry home to you
put on a slow, dumb show for you
and crack you up
so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
god I’m very, very frightening
I’ll overdo it

Looking for somewhere to stand and stay
I leaned on the wall and the wall leaned away
Can I get a minute of not being nervous
and not thinking of my dick
My leg is sparkles, my leg is pins
I better get my shit together, better gather my shit in
You could drive a car through my head in five minutes
from one side of it to the other

I wanna hurry home to you
put on a slow, dumb show for you
and crack you up
so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
god I’m very, very frightening
I’ll overdo it

You know I dreamed about you
for twenty-nine years before I saw you
You know I dreamed about you
I missed you for
for twenty-nine years

A Distance Shore

今天我去二手唱片行,賣了 The Liars 和 Joanna Newsom 兩張專輯,在加了一些錢買了這張 Tracey Thorn 的 A Distance Shore。本來不是很想買這張的,因為封面上有許多的斑點,整個看起來又舊又髒。雖然我很想聽,但我想我應該可以買到其他更好的。可是在唱片行逛了很久,卻沒有看到特別想買的,不是太貴就是沒聽過的名字。所以,最後,我還是把這張抱回家了。它已經二十七歲了,這些斑點是可以原諒的。這張是 Tracey Thorn 在 1982 年,她二十歲時推出的個人專輯,裡面只有八首歌。

關上所有的燈,放上唱片,聽完 side one ,再換到 side two 。聽完把針頭放回到開頭再聽了一遍 side two,再換到 side one。最後一首由 Femme Fatale做為結尾。就像老闆買給我時說的那樣,這是一張相當棒的專輯。簡單的設計,簡單的音樂,但 Tracey Thorn 彈著她的吉他 ,用他極富感情的聲音,唱著令人省思的歌詞。我只能說這張專輯,來的正是時候。

關於這張專輯,我非常非常的喜歡。下面是我找到的 1982年的 interview。

How would you sum up the mood of 'A Distant Shore'?

"Quite thoughtful I suppose. People say they relax to it but I can't relax to it at all. I play it and it puts me all on edge! The music is relaxing but the lyrics certainly aren't. I'd hate it to be thought of as background music."

Speaking generally, everything that you've put out has been well received by the media. How much do good reviews mean to you personally? Do you think they help 'validate' what you've done?

"Clearly, if you are writing personal songs, it's very important to have people reassure you and day it's worthwhile and you're not just writing indulgent, sentimental love songs.

"Someone told me that the Marine Girls' 'On My Mind' made them cry. That was incredible. The opinions of friends are as worthy as reviewers. I would hate to be acclaimed just on a critical basis. I like to think the songs can mean something to people on personal terms rather than how well played or produced they are."


Small Town Girl

Some things are better left unsaid
Feelings can get left behind
So keep your love and I'll keep mine

Simply Couldn't Care

Why do these things bother me so
Why do I lie awake so long after you go
Arguments just prove we're not the same
We'll end up talking to ourselves
And it seems a shame

Femme Fatale


Plain Sailing

Sure that you know but you never can tell
When I think I understand you so well
Shakes me that you were a constant surprise
Or so you appear in my eyes

Too Happy

世界末日與冷酷異境

這本絕對是村上最棒的作品其中之一,對我而言。
裡面描寫虛幻的場景,所有細節和故事本身的結構,都完整的駭人。
讀這本小說時,我可以很容易得去想像裡面的場景。
那些地底的食人怪物,那位胖女生,那個被牆圍住的城市。
迂迴在兩個世界(肉身,影子)的同一個人。

我不知道我甚麼時候會在拿起這本書在讀。
不過,我想總有一天,我會在拿起來再看的。

Slam by Nick Hornby

I found this book extremely funny and entertaining.
I always like Nick Hornby's humour in his books.
Especially the imaginary conversations with a poster of Tony Hawk.
So funny...

無聊的樂團二選一

Morrissey vs. Johnny Marr
Jim Reid vs. William Reid
Liam Gallagher vs. Noel Gallagher
Bernard Sumner vs. Peter Hook
Ian Brown vs. John Squire
Julian Casablancas vs. Albert Hammond Jr.
Lou Reed vs. John Cale
John Lennon vs. Paul McCartney
Thom Yorke vs. Jonny Greenwood