You must head over to Book Ninja and check out the results from the Book Recovering contest, where a number of folks took some well known pieces of literature, plus a few other assortments of published ephemera, and rebranded them through new cover designs. Of course this was often done in a deliciously subversive and ironic manner. The "recovered" version of Leonard Cohen's "Beautiful Losers" is awe inspiring to say the least!
I was so inspired that I had to design a one of my own. Here is my redesign for The Catcher In The Rye;
I think I will do a few more of these in the days to come. I would love to see some of the folks on my blogroll do the same if possible, so feel free to share your own mad creations of you feel inspired. ttfn
Currently I am immersing myself in Bob Dylan's "Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8", which includes unreleased studio outtakes and alternate recordings from the period covering 1989-2006. Upon initial perusal their appears to be more depth and craftsmanship in his "bootlegs" and outtakes than most artists could dream of even coming close to even with every conceivable piece of studio trickery at their finger tips .
There is a sublime and stripped down version of "Most of the Time", minus Daniel Lanois' atmospherics, or "swamp murk" as it is referred to in the liner notes . There is something telling in hearing Dylan's denial tinged confessional stripped down to it's basic elements. When he sings "I wouldn't know her if I saw her, she's that far behind" in this intimate context it functions more authentically as some deluded narrative constructed to get him through the day.
Where many recording artists are justified in abandoning their first impulses and benefit greatly from a production boost, Dylan seems fine left to his own instincts. You get a sense that many of his songs could change dramatically depending on what he fancies on any given day, and either way his spirit and unique voice would assert itself regardless of how it is packaged.
Rather than sounding like incomplete versions of the originals, Dylan's "outtakes" sound more like the product of a mature and confident artist exploring his muse, playing with nuance and embracing layers of subjective complexity. He is an artist in the true sense, one that is playful and able to reference a vast array of musical history, using it to forge his own narrative that both subverts and upholds convention simultaneously.
Anyways, a lot has already been written about Dylan so I need not say more. I would be all too happy to get a few folks hooked on these musical offerings, so drop me a request via the comments and I'll send ya a few goodies.
Now excuse me while I sit back, close my eyes and explore some musical table scraps full of woe, longing and musings on the human condition, often with a wry wink thrown in for good measure. I'll take these "outtakes" over something bright and glossy any day.
OK, I have taken a bit of a lengthy blog break, and with the endless amount of significant material to contemplate at this junction in history I must ask for forgiveness for the following indulgence...
Why, in the name of all that is sacred and pure did some studio executive think it was necessary to transfer the movie "Short Circuit" into high definition? More importantly, why did the movie channel recently feel compelled to support this monstrosity and play it recently when I was hoping for a remastered Stanley Kubrick classic instead?
Was it really essential to relive the moment of Number 5's self actualization ("Number Five is alive!") or watch Steve Guttenberg's everyman performance in stunning 108op display resolution? Is there not some bottom line standard of decency or taste to dictate that perhaps something that was so excruciating horrible in the first place need not be upgraded to a new format?
Is it not reasonable to conclude that in some instances it may be a tad superfluous to transfer something to high def that was never intended for it? I mean, I would love a high definition transfer of "My Dinner With Andre" as much as the next person, but perhaps I can find the strength to enjoy Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn's metaphysical musings and conversations about the New York art scene in simple standard definition. Just a thought.
Anyways, please put a stop to this madness. As a rule of thumb I would like to suggest that any film "starring" Steven Guttenberg (sorry Police Academy fans) not be transferred to high definition. In the standard format it is frightening enough, though in high definition it is glaring monstrosity that I wouldn't wish to inflict on anybody.
Currently I am immersing myself in Bob Dylan's "Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8", which includes unreleased studio outtakes and alternate recordings from the period covering 1989-2006. Upon initial perusal their appears to be more depth and craftsmanship in his "bootlegs" and outtakes than most artists could dream of even coming close to even with every conceivable piece of studio trickery at their finger tips .
Why, in the name of all that is sacred and pure did some studio executive think it was necessary to transfer the movie "Short Circuit" into high definition? More importantly, why did the movie channel recently feel compelled to support this monstrosity and play it recently when I was hoping for a remastered Stanley Kubrick classic instead?
Is it not reasonable to conclude that in some instances it may be a tad superfluous to transfer something to high def that was never intended for it? I mean, I would love a high definition transfer of "My Dinner With Andre" as much as the next person, but perhaps I can find the strength to enjoy Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn's metaphysical musings and conversations about the New York art scene in simple standard definition. Just a thought.
