1 post tagged “paskiainen”
I received an invitation to the Script Writing workshop for today and Sunday and I agreed. However, there is this
one slight problem which then in return resulting in me not going to the workshop, the program; it starts at 9
something a.m. and it's the weekend. My idea of a weekend is lazing in front of the TV the whole day and doing nothing. Not even the laundry. So I suspect the person who invited me to the program might feel a little disappointed - all apologies. I feel like starting my Saturday with something worthwhile, something that gets me moving,
something that does not leave me bored and cursing myself for not having a life. The futsal game at 2 a.m. earlier
on in TTDI was a blast, the teh tarik treat by a very rich friend later on was marvelous so to speak, but the best-est thing that I scored last night was this new CD by The Mars Volta. No, it's not a pirated copy bought from an apek
peddling by the streetside; in fact, I didn't actually buy it - I borrowed it. Bless you if you think that Music Magic
operates well beyond 9 p.m. because if you didn't already know, there is a business hour curfew at the Central
Market. Surprised? Well, I suppose you wouldn't.
Technically speaking though, when I first realized it I thought: "Well, yeah, rubbish." However, now it's more
like: "Well, yeah, whatever." The thing here is that I am always in search for something new, and that perhaps should explain logically why am I getting myself involved with film-making when I didn't even know what Hi-8 is in the
first place. The more the thing surprises me, or challenges me, or intrigues me, the more I am impressed, the more I like the thing. The same goes with music: I never really stick with the same old artist, the same old music in the span of one month. Honestly. Not even Radiohead or Pink Floyd, although I have to admit that I am a life-long fan of both of them. And that should explain why have I been listening to Count Basie, Led Zeppelin, and Handel at the same time for the past two weeks or so; because I like new things. Every single day. (Well, maybe that's a little too extreme)
That said then, it would be an honor for me to introduce to you the band that never fail to impress me everytime. Put your hands together, please, for Your Royal Highness, the majestic Mars Volta. I know that Radiohead are also in that undisputed reign of shocking/scaring people everytime they release a record and they are untouchable. However, let's
not forget that the last time Radiohead released an album it was, uh, 2003(?), and in between that space, from 2003 to
today, The Mars Volta have released 3 albums - from their highly impressive debut, to the classic head-scratching
moment of 'Frances the Mute', and now, now for one of the most important overture by the tail-ender of 2006, it's 'Amputechture'.
There is however, one undeniable fact about the Mars Volta that I have to agree, but one that I can definitely live with, thanks to the many years of listening to Pink Floyd. (Oh, and yes, thanks to Farhan for introducing me to Pink Floyd) From day one, even way back from the days of At the Drive-In, I have always suspected that Cedrid Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez have a prog rock leaning to their music. Listening back to Mars Volta's previous two records, you can somehow realize that there is a sense of continuation between De-Loused and Frances. This might sound a bit far-fetched to most of you but I believe that this three LPs are bit parts of one big, single album. It's like in an
album, you may have, say, ten songs. So, each of this album is that each single track you get in an album. So,
combine the three albums together, there you go, one concept. Brilliant isn't it? And for the sleeve cover, the
picture, they never make sense. That is the true spirit of prog rock. And it all began with King Crimson's 'In the
Court of Crimson King'. Some may find their music too intimidating, too complex, whatever. I say that's brilliance.
Reviewed by: Hafeez on 18/11/2006
King Crimson's 1969 classic "In the Court of the Crimson King". Robert Fripp's a genius.
