By Jack Silbert on August 29, 2023
EPISODE #553: LABOR DAY
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Pete Seeger — “Solidarity Forever”
Pylon — “Working Is No Problem”
MJ Hibbett — “Work’s All Right (If It’s a Proper Job)”
The Silhouettes — ”Get a Job”
Huey Lewis & the News — “Workin’ for a Livin’”
Warren Zevon — “The Factory”
Bruce Springsteen — “Factory”
John Lennon — “Working Class Hero”
Fountains of Wayne — “Workingman’s Hands”
The Mekons — ”Work All Week”
Isley Brothers — “Work To Do”
2nd Grade — “Work Til I Die”
NRBQ — “Whistle While You Work”
Mick Jagger — “Let’s Work”
Todd Rundgren — “Bang the Drum All Day”
Billy Bragg — “There Is Power in a Union”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged 2nd Grade, Billy Bragg, Bruce Springsteen, Fountains of Wayne, Huey Lewis & the News, Isley Brothers, John Lennon, Labor Day, Mekons, Mick Jagger, MJ Hibbett, NRBQ, Pete Seeger, Pylon, The Silhouettes, Todd Rundgren, Warren Zevon
By Jack Silbert on August 22, 2023
EPISODE #552: CATS VIII
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Burt Bacharach & Mike Myers — “What’s New, Pussycat?” (live)
Catbite — “Scratch Me Up”
Run the Jewels — “Lie, Cheat, Meow”
The Sonics — ”Leave My Kitten Alone”
Noreen Corcoran — “Love Kitten”
Dry Cleaning — “Good Night”
Chris Root — “I Miss My Cat”
Juliana Hatfield & Frank Smith — “Kitten”
R.E.M. — “Worst Joke Ever” (live)
Franklin Bruno — ”A Cat May Look at a Queen”
Outside Cat — “He’s Just a Cat”
Bill Carlisle — “House Cat Mama”
Donna Summer — “Cats Without Claws”
babybaby_explores — untitled demo
Black Ark — “Kitty Cat Chow”
Palma Violets — “Step Up for the Cool Cats”
Gene Criss & the Hep Cats — “Hepcat Baby”
Stray Cats — “Cat Fight (Over a Dog Like Me)”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged babybaby_explores, Bill Carlisle, Black Ark, Burt Bacharach, Catbite, cats, Chris Root, Donna Summer, Dry Cleaning, Frank Smith, Franklin Bruno, Gene Criss & the Hep Cats, Juliana Hatfield, Mike Myers, Noreen Corcoran, Outside Cat, Palma Violets, R.E.M., Run the Jewels, Stray Cats, The Sonics
By Jack Silbert on August 15, 2023
4 stars out of 5
When I was in college, I became a massive Robyn Hitchcock fan. But soon after, when I began listening to the work of Syd Barrett (I think because R.E.M. covered “Dark Globe”), it was one of those shocking moments — seemed like Mr. Hitchcock had absorbed quite a lot of influence from Barrett. I was very drawn to the cracked beauty of his solo songs and intrigued about his connection to Pink Floyd, which wasn’t a band that ever meant very much to me. Sure, we kids loved “Another Brick in the Wall” and it seemed naughty when they played “Money” on the radio and the lyrics said “bullshit.” But let’s just say I was never someone who played Dark Side of the Moon while watching The Wizard of Oz with the sound off. And now I aligned myself only with Syd-era Floyd.
And yet, I never knew that much about him. He blew his mind out in a car or some such and became a recluse. There was that great Television Personalities’ song “I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives.” He was spotted by photgraphers, bald and husky. He died. And that was that. So I was excited to see this definitive documentary, Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd. The credits list two directors. Storm Thorgerson is not a Nordic TV weatherman; he was the legendary graphic designer for not only Pink Floyd album covers but Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, ELO, etc. etc. Ah, but in 2013 he passed away and had passed the directing torch to Roddy Bogawa, who has been working on the project ever since.
Because Thorgerson was such a good friend of the band, he was easily able to interview surviving Floyd members Roger Waters, David Gilmour, and Nick Mason, as well as Syd’s sister and many of Syd’s old friends, girlfriends, record industry associates, and notable fans including Pete Townshend, (now sadly deceased) legendary photographer Mick Rock, Tom Stoppard, and Noel “Mighty Boosh” Fielding. Bogawa, who had been recruited by Thorgerson and was involved in the documentary project since its inception, now had to take all these pieces and form a cohesive narrative.
Which he totally does. It stays chronological, as we meet schoolboy Roger Keith Barrett, naturally talented artist who gains the nickname Syd as his interests shift to music. (Jason “Lucius Malfoy” Isaacs provides helpful narration.) It seems like the psychedelic era was both the breeding ground for his genius but ultimately his undoing, as narcotics loosened Syd’s grip on reality. This didn’t mesh well with whatever mental health issues he was dealing with, or not dealing with. And simultaneously, the grind of the band’s success further wore him down. Syd’s joyous spark vanishes — made sadly clear in the many vintage photos seen in the film. (Bogawa also includes much wonderful early performance footage of the band.) The following reclusive years — decades, really — are given context and are de-sensationalized.
Syd was an early example of the “mad genius” musician who ends up broken — a club that includes Brian Wilson, Roky Erickson, and Daniel Johnston; Cobain and Elliott Smith might be in some sub-chapter. It’s up to the viewer here to decide if this all adds up to Syd Barrett being a tragic figure. But beyond that, this is a story of creativity, self-discovery, commerce, well-being, regret, and ultimately about friendships, those we lose and those that hang on.
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett
By Jack Silbert on August 15, 2023
EPISODE #551: DOG DAYS OF SUMMER VIII
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Bob Dylan & The Band — “Kickin’ My Dog Around”
Frankie Cosmos — “If I Had a Dog”
The Specials — “Do the Dog”
Flatt & Scruggs — ”Old Salty Dog Blues”
Eels — “Dog’s Life”
Syd Straw — “Howl”
Morrissey — “I Am Not a Dog on a Chain”
Tom Waits — “Dog Treat” (live spoken word)
Jay Som — “1 Billion Dogs”
Bruce Springsteen — ”The Promised Land”
Nina Nastasia — “A Love Song”
Harry Nilsson — “The Puppy Song”
Wednesday — “Ghost of a Dog”
Robbie Robertson — “This Is Where I Get Off” r.i.p.
Julian Cope — “Beautiful Love” r.i.p. Maisie Hitchcock
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, dogs, Eels, Flatt & Scruggs, Frankie Cosmos, Harry Nilsson, Jay Som, Julian Cope, Morrissey, Nina Nastasia, Robbie Robertson, Syd Straw, The Band, The Specials, Tom Waits, Wednesday
By Jack Silbert on August 8, 2023
EPISODE #550: NOWHERE
Jaime Rose — “Nowhere” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Ribbon Stage — “Nowhere Fast”
The Wedding Present — “Getting Nowhere Fast”
The Smiths — “Nowhere Fast”
Big Eyes — ”Suddenly Nowhere”
Talking Heads — “Road to Nowhere”
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas — “Nowhere to Run”
The Rock ’n’ Roll HiFives — “Running Nowhere”
UV-TV — “Back to Nowhere”
Young Guv — “Nowhere at All”
Pounding Serfs — ”To Go Nowhere”
The Smithereens — “Miles From Nowhere”
Karl Hendricks Trio — “Nowhere But Here”
Bob Dylan — “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”
Teenage Fanclub — “Nowhere”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Big Eyes, Bob Dylan, Jaime Rose, Karl Hendricks Trio, Martha Reeves, Nicole Atkins, Pounding Serfs, Ribbon Stage, RocknRoll Hi-Fives, Talking Heads, Teenage Fanclub, The Smithereens, The Smiths, UV-TV, Young Guv
By Jack Silbert on August 4, 2023
3.5 stars out of 5
Sometime in the late ‘90s, I picked up a used CD by The Embarrassment. It was selections from a two-disc compilation released by Hoboken’s own Bar/None Records, and there was a quote from Freedy Johnston on the back. OK, good enough for me. But I must admit, I didn’t spend a ton of time listening to that album — I don’t think it really grabbed me on first spin — and I dutifully filed it away under E on my shelves.
Last week I dug out that disc, from in-between Joe Ely and The English Beat, to put myself in the mood for this unlikely documentary. (Or perhaps I should say inevitable documentary in this current content-craving climate.)
The film makes the case that The Embarrassment’s isolated home base of Wichita, Kansas, both helped turn them into something special while also preventing them from reaching greater heights. Without any real “native culture,” they were able to absorb influences and references from everywhere, and developed within a fairly insular scene with no one to tell them to do it differently. The band blossomed into big fish in this small Midwestern pond.
There is a decent amount of video footage of The Embarrassment from the late ‘70s to the early ‘80s, and also current interviews with the band members and various talking heads (alas not the Talking Heads) including Evan Dando and the aforementioned Freedy. So we get to see the youthful joy of the band hitting their groove and trying to find a wider audience, while staying true to their nerdy, quirky sensibilities.
Spoiler alert: They never quite reach that bigger audience. They tour, they record, they do get a following, they are mentioned in Rolling Stone, and Jonathan Freaking Demme even sends a letter on their behalf to A&M Records, but… as is so often the case, life gets in the way, and The Embarrassment give up the ghost without becoming one of the “known” alternative bands of the 1980s. So the guys are left with what-ifs: if only they had moved to New York, or if they had just stuck around another year or two, etc. etc.
There is an oddly long time range in the “modern-day” interviews — it turns out this film was cobbled together by two directors (Daniel Fetherston and Danny Szlauderbach) who eventually learned they were both making documentaries about the same band. How Embarrassing! Though what was gained in more footage, research, and resources is perhaps offset here by a lack of one director’s “vision” for the project.
And a pet peeve that I had also noticed in the Go-Go’s documentary: conveniently no mention of a reunion album (1990) or that Bar/None compilation (1995) that likely brought the band the most attention they’ve ever had. That wouldn’t fit the legend and story arc of the Completely Forgotten Underground Band, rediscovered by the dogged documentarian (or in the Go-Go’s case, finally putting aside their personal gripes and triumphantly reuniting for the first time). But, if you’re trying to make a definitive documentary, the facts need to be in there.
Fans of indie music and rock docs will appreciate this film, even if it’s a different take on a story you’ve likely heard about other bands. As for me, I gave that old CD yet another listen a few days after seeing the documentary, and, I think I finally “get it”!
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, Bar/None Reords, The Embarrassment, unpopular music
By Jack Silbert on August 1, 2023
EPISODE #549: HITCHHIKING + SINEAD O’CONNOR TRIBUTE
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Marvin Gaye — “Hitch Hike”
The Pastels — “Hitchin’ a (Ride)”
A Giant Dog — “Hitchhike Love”
Neil Young — ”Hitchhiker”
Bruce Springsteen — “Hitch Hikin’”
Creedence Clearwater Revival — “Sweet Hitch-Hiker”
The Replacements — “Hitchin’ a Ride” [live at Maxwell’s]
The Edge with Sinéad O’Connor — “Heroine”
Sinéad O’Connor — “Mandinka”
Sinéad O’Connor — ”Black Boys on Mopeds”
Shane MacGowan & Sinéad O’Connor — “Haunted”
Sinéad O’Connor — “Take Me to Church”
Jack Silbert — “For Sinéad” [spoken word for WFMU’s Six Degrees With Alan]
Kris Kristofferson — “Sister Sinéad”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged A Giant Dog, Bruce Springsteen, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jack Silbert, Kris Kristofferson, Marvin Gaye, Neil Young, Shane MacGowan, Sinéad O'Connor, The Edge, The Pastels, The Replacements
By Jack Silbert on July 25, 2023
4 stars out of 5
OK, OK, I’m not exactly the target audience for this flick. Yes, I did own and enjoy Barbie-sized G.I. Joe and Six Million Dollar Man dolls. And just today in the mail, I received a Mark Mothersbaugh action figure. But the only reason I knew I’d be seeing this movie was some text in the trailer: “from director Greta Gerwig.” As I’ve said ad nauseum on these e-pages, I am absolutely crazy about Greta Gerwig and would see basically any movie she’s involved in, even one about dollhouses and what-not.
But then there was a New Yorker article about how Barbie was the opening volley in the Marvel-Universizing of Mattel. And it made me feel kind of icky about the whole thing. Was Greta selling out to Corporate America??
Still, I’m a loyal son of a gun, and the trailer did make me laugh, so there I was at the multiplex, which was pretty crowded on a Monday afternoon, especially considering that Tuesday is cheap-ticket day. I am here to tell you: Barbie is a very good movie, and if for some reason your daughters haven’t gone to see it yet, they really should! Go with them!
Early on in the film, I wasn’t so sure. It was reminding me of The LEGO Movie, all shiny and colorful and “everything was awesome!” until the main character has to face some challenge. There were a few subversive lines that were handled like throwaways and I thought that the intended messaging might not resonate.
But I needed to trust Gerwig. Oh and co-writer Noah Baumbach of course. (Are they still happily married? What’s up with that?)
When Barbie (Margot Robbie) arrives in the real world, things really start picking up, and the movie hits its stride. Ryan Gosling is especially hilarious as neutered beach-goer Ken who discovers something called the patriarchy in Los Angeles. Also adding several laughs is Will Ferrell as the head of Mattel, one of those bumbling bad guys who you never actually dislike. (Hey, wait, Ferrell was also the villain in The LEGO Movie, hmm.) Michael Cera’s character is as random in the movie as he seemed in the trailer, and that’s worth a giggle or two.
Yet despite some really, really funny stuff, this is not merely a comedy, and the casting of America Ferrera as a mom struggling to relate with her daughter was pretty much genius. Ferrera — the non-white former Ugly Betty — can handle the wackiness but has the chops to play a real person. She ends up with the show-stopping monologue in this film, on the countless contradictions and comparisons society (from men but also from fellow women) is continually forcing on women. Everybody needs to hear this speech — in the movie and in the audience too.
During her “hero’s journey,” Barbie lets it all sink in, with Robbie skillfully going from over-the-top perfection to confused to worried to depressed until Barbie finally realizes… she has no idea what to do. Gerwig and Baumbach carefully present the very complicated genuine world of gender roles, misogyny, self-esteem, capitalism, inclusion, and much more. And they admit that, unlike in pretty much every Hollywood movie ever, there are no easy answers. The script ends up being extremely subversive by simply being honest. I got kind of mad at the cynical marketing campaign for this movie — the endless memes, wear pink to the theater, etc. etc. — which all seem totally at odds with what Gerwig is trying to achieve. But you do have to get people into the theater in order for them to hear the message… oh life is so complex.
I imagine that the Millennial women flocking to this movie — and the Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers — can enjoy the tweaking of their childhood nostalgia while vigorously agreeing that the struggle for equality is far from over. But this movie seems most important for the young set. They won’t pick up every nuance, but that’s OK, and it could lead to wonderful cross-generational discussions.
Sorry for mansplaining.
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, Barbie, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Mattel, Noah Baumbach, Ryan Gosling
By Jack Silbert on July 25, 2023
EPISODE #548: SOMEWHERE
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Tom Waits — “Somewhere”
The Cucumbers — “Gotta Start Somewhere”
Jon Brion — “Gotta Start Somewhere”
Bo Diddley — ”Somewhere”
Laura Cantrell — “Somewhere, Some Night”
Steve Earle — “Somewhere Out There”
Lydia Loveless — “Somewhere Else”
American Music Club — “Somewhere”
Tom Petty — “Somewhere Under Heaven”
The Goon Sax — ”Somewhere In-Between”
Gum Country — “Somewhere”
Tony Bennett — “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” r.i.p.
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged American Music Club, Bo Diddley, Gum Country, Jon Brion, Laura Cantrell, Lydia Loveless, Steve Earle, The Cucumbers, The Goon Sax, Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Tony Bennett
By Jack Silbert on July 24, 2023
3.5 stars out of 5
In the Mission: Impossible films, protagonist Ethan Hunt famously disguises himself with rubber masks. At age 61, Tom Cruise is starting to look like he’s always wearing a rubber mask. But by gum, he can still crank out an entertaining action spectacle. And despite the return of writer/director Chris McQuarrie, if you had any question at all about who was in charge here, the opening credits spell out that this is A TOM CRUISE PRODUCTION starring TOM CRUISE.
The story is actually somewhat relevant to modern life. No, really! An artificial-intelligence “Entity” is gaining sentience and if a rogue nation (eh? eh?) got control of it, that would be really bad. The MacGuffin here is a really chintzy-looking key that can turn off the Entity, because the Entity was built without keyless ignition.
Of course Hunt’s IMF buddies Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are back. They talk a lot about what good friends the three guys are and how important they are to each other, but this is film 7 and there still is no real chemistry. Love interest/sharpshooter Ilsa returns for her third consecutive M:I flick. Former IMF head/now CIA director Kittridge is back for the first time since the original movie in 1996; I guess Alec Baldwin was busy. Among new additions, I always like seeing Shea Whigham but mostly here he just gets to run around an airport like 1970s O.J. Simpson. Esai Morales is a good baddie but I became a bit annoyed, as there are flashbacks, and I’m thinking, oh maybe he too was in a long-ago M:I installment. He was not.
As always, fun action sequences, including one on a train (though if it has to literally be the Orient Express, at least have Cruise wink at the camera), a thrilling car chase in Rome (with a surprisingly prominent Fiat in yet another M:I movie shamelessly hawking BMWs), and some nifty motorcycle work. The in-between stuff certainly could’ve been trimmed, with the overall running time clocking in at 2 hours, 40 minutes. But maybe the Entity helped write the script?
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 10s movies, 20s movies, 90s movies, Mission: Impossible, Tom Cruise
Jack Silbert, curator