I'M THE MAN WHO LOVES YOU: Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and it's troubled release...

There's no question that "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" is a god's honest classic, remaining the stand out album from Wilco's long and established discography. What is often not known however to most passive listeners is the trouble behind this album in its production and delayed release and how the military-lingo filled title came to be.

The advent of Yankee comes shortly after the second Billy Bragg collaboration "Mermaid Avenue Vol. II", which was not to be the last of their collaborations. While touring to promote the album, Wilco's main man - the wry humoured Jeff Tweedy was offered the opportunity of a further collaboration with other musicians which eventually stemmed into the relatively short-lived side project Loose Fur. It was because of this association that drummer Glenn Kotche became what is still a key piece of Wilco, after his predecessor was dismissed due to significant differences in what the next step should be, a recurring theme in this album's production, with a similar fate happening to former guitarist the late Jay Bennett. However, this still wasn't the end their troubles.

After recording finished in what was early 2001, the deal was struck for a September 11, 2001 release. This was until the major merger between AOL and Time Warner was made, causing the loss of several hundred jobs, such as those of the Time Warner-owned Reprise Records - including the band's main seconder, the president of the company. His replacement tasked with the choice as whether or not to release the completed project, which was stemming to one option as a result of merged business' subsequent financial woes: unlikely. A buyout was made shortly after by the band, which ended up being a penniless departure with Reprise being admirably accommodating. That is, before a certain article came along and stirred up some unnecessary controversy, with the new-found president of Reprise alleged to have stated that "the record was so bad it would kill Wilco's career," oh, the irony. Even if the album was to go ahead with its intended release, the significance of their chosen date wouldn't exactly have been too kind to the album in more ways than one.

To spite what would be a heavy delay to its physical release, the band decided to stream the full album only a week after its intended release, opting to tour afterwards which was successful and even regardless of its limited release, fans still knew the words to their what were officially unreleased tracks.

In the mean time, the big release was still almost a whole year away, with Wilco opening bids for rights to distribute their album, two of which were the now-defunct Artemis Records and the long-standing Nonesuch Records. There were numerous other record labels teething for the album, their bids all dismissed by the spearhead: if the label did not have a roster of artists that matched his taste, they were put by the way side. Pushing November 2001, Wilco collectively signed with Nonesuch Records. Funny thing about that, scratching past the surface reveals that Nonesuch is owned by AOL Time Warner. The irony continues. Thus, in a twist of fate that not even a Wikipedia article could present without cracking a cynical grin, Wilco recorded and produced an album with a company that thought of their work as a career-killer, before reverting their rights and continuing to sell said rights to the same affiliate.

But, it finally came out, and to great fanfare: widespread commercial and critical success.

And all it took was 2 band members, 2 record labels and a self-titled documentary for it to reach that point. A small price to pay for what is, in my opinion, one of the greatest albums of all time. From the moment you hear those introductory piercing notes that will indeed break your heart to the reflective ambience in reservations, it will keep you in it's lo-fi, almost psychedelic trance. There aren't really any words to describe it further than that, it can be a slow grower, but once it's there it never lets go. Something you do truly have to experience for yourself.

I STILL WANT TO BELIEVE: The promising return of The X-Files...

The spoilers are out there...

After it's two night, two episode "event" comes to a close, what is left until the rest of the season unfolds is only promising.

This of course comes as no surprise to myself at the very least, as I was one to enjoy The X-Files when it was arguably at its worst, in the depths of its ninth season. However, what makes this stand out from that past series is the modernisation to the characters and the world surrounding: Mulder and Scully left in a state of disdain for one another as their relationship crumbled from their past appearance in the 2008 mixed bag "I Want to Believe", in addition to the leaps and bounds technology has made and its impact on society since then. In the realm of technology, eight years might as well be a life time.

That's what upheld my interest through the struggle that is "My Struggle", the pilot episode for the new miniseries. Whilst still enjoyable and not devoid of merit by any means, certainly better than what The X-Files can present at its worst, it suffered from its own breakneck pace. There is no brakes on this train, you're moving from plot point to plot point with almost no time to take it all in, and there's a lot to take in considering this new-found mythology has essentially scrapped everything that was established by the entire franchise thus far. Yes, it does retain some elements from the past, but it ultimately starts anew with a new mythology arc to entice a new audience that simply does not and even if they did, would not catch up on 201 episodes of TV. 

The on-off now former FBI agents are called upon when a hotshot host Tad O'Malley calls upon Mulder to investigate the government conspiracy once more with the revelation of the character Sveta, a woman who, just like Scully contains elements of alien DNA, orchestrated by who else but said government. And, just when it kicks off and Mulder makes his leap to break through and expose the truth via Mr. O'Malley, the forces that be stop them before they get the chance and Mulder goes back to square one, O'Malley nowhere to be seen and Sveta presumed abducted... again.

When I put it like that, it makes it seem like I really didn't enjoy it, but the thing is - I did. It might just be that burst of nostalgia seeing these characters interact once more, but that can't be the case for someone, such as myself, who has only just watched the series and films prior. The conspiracy, whilst at a rushed pace to compensate for less episodes and somewhat frustratingly yet understandably working from a now blank slate, is intriguing. The thing is... the next episode "Founder's Mutation" really blows it out the water. Sorry, Chris. You'll have your next shot soon.

The meat of where The X-Files has arguably always lied is in the standalone "Monster of the Week" formula episodes, but this does something clever to maintain interest in the show's overall arc: interweaving the related mythology into the case at hand. Visions of Mulder and Scully together with their estranged son William is almost heartbreaking, a bizarre contrast from the unexpected amounts of gore placed on screen throughout this episode. It also has a comedic element, whilst not the focus of the episode, is much more present than that of the past episode, with some of the aspects of the humour surprisingly below the belt. It just is a strong, solid entry from a writer/film maker that has always provided great material for the show alongside his other regulars Glen and Darin Morgan.

With the immediate correction of its course before stumbling over a still noteworthy episode, I don't see why I wouldn't continue watching the show as it airs, and so should you. X-Files fan or not, it's still worth a try.

MORE THAN JUST A COMPILATION: A look at Elbow's "dead in the boot"...

It's been too long since I last wrote a post for this dark corner of the web, and its a good time to experiment with something just a little bit different...

Esteemed British alternative rock band Elbow have had a long string of successes from their début, the equally stylised "asleep in the back", and in 2012 before their sprawling and more theatrical release with "The Take Off and Landing of Everything" that was first kicked into gear with "The Seldom Seen Kid", the group had one last look back at their roots with what is seen here: "dead in the boot". A hearty reference to the previously mentioned début, this compilation is most definitely a callback to its reference not only in title but in its tone - an obvious occurrence due to these songs' original release window, released alongside their bigger counterparts to be mostly overlooked as b-sides.

Introduction aside, what is it that makes this compilation so special? To be known as a compilation often indicates that its a throwaway to pass the time for the next big thing or to reflect on a band's former glory, the effect doubled when its associated as a b-side, the "b" not being the best that a band can indeed be. The answer is, listening through the tracks, taking them down one by one, its overarching downtrodden feeling that follows through from start to finish makes it feel like more than just some b-sides. It's not thrown together in chronological order of release, but in a manner that works from track to track, the songs are ordered in such a way that when you've heard what seems to be repetitious, a sudden jolt of life comes along in the form of a track with such urgency as the late bloomer "mcgreggor", featuring [the lead vocalist] Guy Garvey at his most potent and striking in both lyrics and vocal range. It comes as a great surprise after the soothing tenderness of the one-word verses and reflective piano melody in "lullaby", crashing down with the tale of a recently deceased lonely landlord, his "father figures and mother fuckers", before harshly asking: "who knew the man?" A prime example of the album's strength in the element of surprise.

The greatest charm that this album possesses is not only in its actual content but in its presentation, its cover, its choice to ignore any form of grammar in both song and album title, it should come off as a silly gimmick but it feels like something more. A case in particular, listening to the track immediately following "mcgreggor", "buffalo ghosts": sitting there, staring at the album cover and feeling a deep sense of nostalgia for the most inexplicable of reasons, its lyrics and tone matching perfectly with the imagery of silhouettes scattered across a sunset. In addition to this, it feels like one last hurrah to Elbow's past musical era as they move onto their now mastered craft which as previously mentioned was created in "The Seldom Seen Kid" and cemented with their most recent album, "The Take Off and Landing of Everything". A more theatrical and almost orchestral feel is prominent in their most recent work, which is just one more reason to admire Elbow - but you've got to pay respect to your roots, and this is that respect. To those like me, this is more of what you asked for and an opportunity to witness some of their more overlooked tracks in their illustrious back catalogue. For those who have came upon Elbow anew, its a great stepping stone before moving onto what's next in their discography. But then again, what isn't?

127 HOURS (2010) review, "Every second counts..."

Whilst previously admirable of Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire but ultimately failing to connect with it on the level that several audiences and critics alike did, 127 Hours comes as an honest and brutal surprise, chronicling the true story that most everyone knows in some capacity, of which is a thing that a person should never have to endure.

When I first heard of this film upon its initial release, I, probably like some others, dismissed it before seeing it in an appallingly closed-minded fashion. The story is fascinating to be told within a 5 minute window, but how could someone take it and stretch it into a feature length film? After dismissing it all that time ago, a friend recently urged me to watch it... and if I could eat my own hat, I would. There are so many things that this film got right, but in the end, the film hinged on the incredible performance from James Franco.

He genuinely is the glue that holds this film together, as without a naturalistic performance like his, a disconnect with the story on offer would be immense. You spend the whole film looking at his face, often within intimate distance, contemplating his thoughts as he does. The aspect of hallucination and imagination play quite heavily into the runtime, and they serve as some of my favourite parts of the film, giving that glimmer of hope for his character that the ideal can happen, but pulling all sense of comfort away from beneath your feet just as you come to realise that what is being seen could be farce.

Video logs from his character as occurred in the real life scenario really help to detail the struggles of the character directly to the audience, as if the story could be taught in retrospect, if only seen from the view of the camcorder which could have been a potentially interesting angle, albeit clichéd. However, whatever creative liberties are taken with the true tale, they are concurred with the actual subject of the story and the flow of it instead of just dramatic effect for the sake of it, a majority of the events are factual, but streamlined to fit into the brisk 90 minute run time.

A notable moment towards the end of the film relating to a certain amputation is exhilarating, the nerve endings being represented with static and the screen filling with red, helping you to comprehend the immense pain involved in doing such an act. It's a certain type of phantom pain that not many films can achieve myself as an audience member to react to. You imagine the pain to the point that you can almost feel it. It can only be described as exceptional film making in terms of conveying such a painful experience to an audience without being overly brutal or exaggerating it to an aforementioned dramatic effect.

127 Hours is certainly something special, giving a true to life account of one Aron Ralston whilst not straying too far from the picture when it comes to turning it into a largely entertaining story of why you should never be alone while being in the middle of a desert. Perhaps its worth to travel backwards in time to see Danny Boyle's past filmography...

201 DAYS OF THE X-FILES: chipping away at the behemoth...

Resuming after an unabashedly long period of silence...

I, myself for many years have wished to watch from the beginning to the end of the cultural phenomenon that is The X-Files, but to no avail...

So when a new mini-series was announced to continue where it left off a whole 13 years past its ending, with FOX launching a campaign to watch an episode every day until it's première, it couldn't be a better time to start, right?

The show's quality is unquestionably good overall, excelling to great at points, with some episodes becoming genuinely disturbing or unsettling. (Here's looking at you, The Host.) But, here I am in the midst of season 2, no longer being able to deny that episodes can potentially range from being bad to as aforementioned mind-bogglingly great. As for every episode like The Host or very early on in season 1, Squeeze, there's a Firewalker waiting for you, and while it never reaches the levels of unwatchable, they really do struggle to pull me in for their running time.

Quality aside, I complain about the show but I can't bare to pull myself away from it, a definitive first-world problem arises: 201 episodes is a lot to stomach. That is what previously put myself and other friends off of watching The X-Files. However, once you break into it and pass the first season, you're in flying colours and at least myself can't stop watching. An episode a day isn't enough, sometimes I can sit through 4 or 5 in one day. It's an insatiable demand with plenty of supply, only stopped by mortality... primarily sleep deprivation. Watching now is in all likeliness the best way to do it, as when it approaches January next year and it continues, the understanding of all of the show's past nuances and lore can only be rewarding. A time investment that pays off with even more of an investment of said time.

What more is there to say? If you love or even passively like television to some extent, which probably accounts for almost everyone, put the X-Files on your watch list, hell, start it right now. 201 episodes sounds like a lot and believe me it sure is, but believe me again, it sure is worth it.

WE GET THE WORLD WE DESERVE: season 2 of True Detective comes to a close...

For once, I adhere to the namesake of this blog... there will be spoilers!

With the 90-minute spectacle "Omega Station", the somewhat unsteady yet somehow riveting second season has ended. Did it redeem itself? The answer to that is merely a mix of yes and no.

Continuing on from the pilot that so many called disappointing, it received similar criticism for later episodes, but for me, the time investment really paid off when it hit the climax of episode 4: the extravagant shoot-out that only starts the slippery slope for our morally ambiguous heroes. However, up until that point, the episodes were still largely entertaining, but suffered from some surprisingly major detractors.

For example, the end of the second episode. Velcoro is seen to be shot twice in the stomach point blank by a shotgun upon finding Ben Caspere's illusive hard drive, for the week-wide cliffhanger to be clumsily resolved by the reveal of non-lethal riot shells, not buckshot. It did serve the purpose of the story and made sense within its context, but if that wasn't a horrific bait, I don't know what was. In terms of misplaced cliffhangers anyhow, it still doesn't reach The Desolation of Smaug's levels, not by a long shot.

The slow start is the main issue that most had with this fledgling second season and to a certain extent, I agree. When it starts to kick out its shockers, it never lets go. The aforementioned shoot-out in episode 4, the subsequent backlash and time jump in 5, the bizarre and nightmarish orgy sequence in 6, the death of Woodrugh in 7 and now here we are: the final nail in the coffin for a majority of our surviving leads.

One last attempt at cracking the case is made before our characters realise that the hydra is unstoppable, you cut one head off, another one grows in its place. They need to get out before they follow Woodrugh's fate as Velcoro is framed for his murder. Both Velcoro and Bezzerides are fugitives, on the run from the long arm of the law. However, what eventually culminates by the show's closing minutes is utterly heartbreaking. There is one last glimmer of hope as all of the loose ends are tied and they can all make their escape from the toxic noir that is Los Angeles, but emotion and human weakness shatters that illusion and it all comes tumbling down. 

Frank is ambushed by the side he least expected and is left for dead in the desert, stumbling through all of his visions of nay-sayers throughout his life, all of the people who said he could do no good, striding past them, leading up to his one reason to live - his wife. In a twist of fate, when Frank says to her that he has to keep moving, she struggles to retort: "you stopped moving way back there". Reminded of his wife only being a vision, Frank passed before he even got to her.

Velcoro is tracked down after letting down his guard to see his son one last time, throwing away his chance to escape. In his last chase and ditch attempt, he sends a voicemail to his son as a goodbye and to explain to him that it is nothing like it seemed. After an exchange in bullets, just when you think he may actually make it, reality kicks in and he is shot to pieces by his boss Lieutenant Burris, Woodrugh's killer and overall scum bag and his squad. His phone is last seen, with a message that reads: "Failed to Upload Recording to chadvelcoro@gmail.com", his son will never hear his heartbreaking last goodbye as his wife discovers that Chad really is his son, getting back the paternity test.

As after all, the second season of True Detective doesn't succumb to what the twists and turns of the case are, it's about the people behind it and your hope for their success. Cohle and Hart from the first season may have survived, but they never even scratched the surface of the conspiracy that they attempted to uncover. The higher-ups and those responsible will never be accounted for as they left it too long unsolved. The final message that this season poses wraps it up ever so perfectly as the current conspiracy becomes too much to handle and comes back and ruins our heroes chances of a new life, absorbing them. While Frank's wife and Ani get away with Velcoro's second child, they are left no more satisfied. Ani lays down all of the evidence they had, knowing that it will most likely never even make a dent on the unsolved conspiracy. 

Incredible performances from Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch and of course Vince Vaughn all hold this up past the sometimes questionable dialogue and slight holes in the plot to create an overall touching experience that is as good as the season that preceded it. The bad guys win, and we all do get the world that we deserve...

INSIDE OUT (2015) thoughts & review, "the best since UP!"...

It's time for a current release, current to the point that I haven't actually seen it yet! These words were kindly provided by one Adam James Young, currently running his own blog, right here.

I must admit, I wasn’t really expecting anything much from Disney/Pixar new movie. After all, the last films that Pixar had done weren’t exactly stellar: Monsters University was okay, but lacked humour of Monsters Inc. and before that Brave was a piss poor attempt to try and be “Brave” with the princess theme that Disney perfected a long while back and try and make it empowering to women and younger girls. However, that went horribly to say the least. Even when I saw the excellent reviews on Rotten Tomatoes at an amazingly high 98%, I felt something inside me saying that it was going to be another mediocre dud. Not bad, just plain average.

Boy was I shocked - not only was this good but it was certainly by far the best Pixar film since Up! No film since Up! has had a stronger message for kids than this. It’s excellent. The story is about Riley Anderson (Kaitlyn Dias), an 11 year old girl who has moved with her parents from Minnesota to San Francisco. Naturally moving from Minnesota to hippy central San Francisco both of which provide a mix of emotions to experience.

In comes Riley emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling). The cast is for the most part. Amy Poehler voices her the exact same personality as she does in almost everything else she's been in. Optimistic, bubbly & just a little bit unrealistic. Really if you close your eyes and just listen to her talk, it sounds like clips from Parks & Recreation. But... I like Parks & Recreation so I'll allow it. The real standout though is Sadness voiced to perfection by Phyllis Smith. Her dry & slow performance make the most quotable lines in the film.

The story is interesting and always seems to be on the move. This is because of the need to swap perspectives in the film to flesh out both sides. Usually this is never helpful for a kids movie (Osmosis Jones anyone?) but because of it always being interesting to watch, whether it be in Riley's head or outside of it you'll probably not seem to mind.

The many messages of the film is by the far the best thing about this film. Every kid’s film should have some important message. The message in this kid’s film however, it even goes to rival many adult films. It’s damn well in philosophical terms.

The message is the importance of our mixture of emotions. It talks about the importance of suffering. To link in with religious philosophy, this film is saying the Veil of Soul Making. The idea that we suffer to make us better people. We need sadness as much as we need joy. Those events make us stronger. Another compelling idea that has been overlooked by other reviewers is the accepting that we let go of things. We lose friends in life. We have to face that facts that we just grow apart and move on. This may not be a nice concept but it is an honest one, the whole film had me genuinely questioning things about life. A rare feat for a supposed “child’s” movie...

Safe to say, Inside Out is one of the most mature films to come out of the Disney canon. No real and generic truly happy ending and no bad guy or villain. (Unless you consider loss of one's self a bad guy but who would?) All you need to make a great film is good characters, good story and concepts that get your head into motion.

Not forgetting Richard Kind's portrayal of Riley’s ex-imaginary friend Bing Bong, playing it to Jewish perfection...