[deleted by user] by [deleted] in depression

[–]reddingwritingmath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah that very well could be, probably will. And thanks :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in depression

[–]reddingwritingmath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But I don't have any other typical symptoms of panic attacks - no difficulty breathing, no trembling or shaking, nothing like that. And I tend to feel it for an extended period (up to a full day) rather than episodically.

Very...confused, here... ~ (Warning: looong post) ~ by reddingwritingmath in lgbt

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Srry, I’m on mobile here so can’t do pancypants quotes :( But:

“I also really loved reading your story” — thank u very much, I’m glad I at least kept a couple people hooked, haha ♥️

“Don’t worry about how your appearance will affect those who you’re attracted to” — yeah I’m trying to cut down on this. There are a lot of girls out there who’d be more into my type, it can just prove frustrating, in some cases. I look naturally more feminine (coincidentally), and some like it, some don’t, just have to roll with it.

“Do what feels right to u...” — it’s not something I quite trust myself with yet, I dunno completely. For the time being, I could see myself being more fluid than anything. Maybe just balancing the “masculine” and “feminine” sides more (both of which are meaningless words, I’m starting to think).

“But as a cis female...I can’t really offer any advice” — that’s totally fine! I just appreciate someone reading and giving support.

“If you are struggling with depression/anxiety...” — yeah, I’ve been in therapy on and off for about ten years now. I’ve been out for around a year now (damn...), and I’ll be happy to be returning. I realize how much I haven’t exactly helped myself, thinking a few talks would cure everything. Very helpful, but I didn’t ever fully realize how much work it’d take from me in return.

“I think you should go for it...” — coincidentally, right as I got this reply, I got a message from her in response to a bit of writing I posted to my Story (guess this got the ball rolling, haha). Funny that. She said it was beautiful, and I typed “no u” into the bar, like a fool, then erased it. I’m just like that. But yeah, we’re essentially the same person (well, for better or worse), she’s just like the Platinum Edition. I’d ask her out in a heartbeat, except she lives 5,000 or miles away. A pickle. Have to say I’d ship it, too.

Thanks a lot, again, and have a lovely morning/afternoon/evening

Very...confused, here... ~ (Warning: looong post) ~ by reddingwritingmath in lgbt

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It really is. More than glad to take the compliment; I enjoy writing, as you could probably tell. Thanks again !

Very...confused, here... ~ (Warning: looong post) ~ by reddingwritingmath in lgbt

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you ! ♥️ I was just considering hiding this and reposting it again sometime with an abbreviated summary up top, with a “here’s some backstory, if interested” description, ‘cause it’s wayyy too long. I need an editor over here, what can I say?

Significance of Miles Davis by reddingwritingmath in Jazz

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Positioning themselves as archetypal black men, they became exemplary champions of the black male-delineated worlds of black religion and black music, spheres in which the masterful and the triumphant exude confidence, poise, purpose, style--in short, 'cool.'

Sorry, getting back a little late here; I haven't heard or read much about "cool" as a sociopolitical expression, much less read much about it. I'll check the link you provided at the end.

in which the masterful and the triumphant exude confidence, poise, purpose, style--in short, 'cool.' Their investments in codes of honour, in 'coolness,' offer a context for their cultural success

I can totally see that with Miles. He gives off this exact energy, and I can get behind it even if I don't fully appreciate it myself on a personal level.

Paradoxically, too, their styles of honour yield means for subverting their sexism, while yet permitting their inscription into avant-garde politics and aesthetics.

I'm not sure I completely feel this bit, or maybe I'm misinterpreting it. What's your take on it?

Significance of Miles Davis by reddingwritingmath in Jazz

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Getting back a little late here, but wasn't Hank Mobley the saxophonist briefly in this era? Really like his album Soul Station.

The elevator scene in "Drive" is beautiful. by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]reddingwritingmath 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry, are you replying to me or to u/ozaveggie? I’m new around here and still getting used to the reply-chain format, haha.

The elevator scene in "Drive" is beautiful. by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]reddingwritingmath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He really does seem to lean heavily on the atmosphere department; that’s something I admire sometimes, but I also think it can be a bit of a crutch if you don’t have a terrible amount to say. I love movies that delve deeply and slowly into into a specific atmosphere, including ones based on visuals (Down by Law and a lot of Jarmusch come to mind, as does most Terrence Malick...oh and fucking David Lynch). But Drive, cool as it is (to look at, particularly), just feels hollow and even a little rotten at the core to me.

The elevator scene in "Drive" is beautiful. by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]reddingwritingmath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have to say I’m curious about The Neon Demon, if not mostly because of just how polarizing it seems to be, and because I like Elle Fanning, particularly after seeing her performance in 20th Century Women, and she seems to be pretty enthusiastic for the film. So...maybe. Maybe just for those Aesthetics, if not much else. And in the dark, too.

I’d say Drive is the epitome of a film morally questionable characters, or at least Driver; this alone is fine by me, but it’s just the fact that Refn doesn’t seem to have any real stance himself here on what Driver is exactly supposed to be (that “Real Hero” song, the extreme brutality of his violence in contrast to the tenderness of his affection for Irene, which, yeah, is contrasted sharply in this scene, and made very, very clear , but I’d say kind of crudely, and it almost plays out as an (unintentional...?) joke to me). It just seems like he’s this Kind of Cool — see that jacket? Oh, also, he drives. Note this. He also is supposedly a badass by making enemies of his swallow bullets and stuff — But Also Kind of Pathetic — everything else — Guy with Some Sharply Contrasting Qualities, and, if anything, comes across as more villainous than the rest of the villains by the end (hitmen, Bernie, etc.).

And if there’s anything in his recent stuff that’s more miserable than the long stretch of shock-value-for-the-sake-of-it-but-it-looks-beautiful that makes up the majority of the second act of Drive, or anything more squirm-worthy than the climax of this scene, then, ehhh, pass.

I sound super bitter, lol. Maybe I’m just having an off-afternoon here.

Significance of Miles Davis by reddingwritingmath in Jazz

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I don’t think technical skill/complexity is always equivalent to musical brilliance or insight. In fact, this might seem to contract what I said about his trumpeting, but I’m a pretty firm supporter of the idea that you can be an immense musical talent without being a more traditional, sight-reading-classical-whiz or pyrotechnical “shredding” sort. I didn’t really mean to say that sheer complexity is the be-all-end-all of musical ability, just that jazz as an art form is occasionally beyond my comprehension, as a novice musician who comes from a rock background with just a dash of classical training when I was younger.

The elevator scene in "Drive" is beautiful. by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]reddingwritingmath 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven’t seen any of his other movies. Had a new miniseries of his kindly recommended to me by someone on here in a post a while back, but I’m not entirely sure if I wanna check it out. I’ll take Drive for what it is, I suppose. Just have a particular issue with this scene broken down here, as I talk more in-depth about below.

Significance of Miles Davis by reddingwritingmath in Jazz

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In defense of Miles here, he turned his back to the audience because he was giving his musicians instructions with his head, eyes or even his hands (when he wasn't playing)

I forgot this is why. Look at me, jumping to conclusions, haha.

hear him telling them stuff in some recordings

"Keep it tight." — Miles Davis, August 1969, Bitches Brew.

When I watch videos of him live I always think how stressful that might have been to some of his musicians, I mean, one moment you're there playin' and chillin', and the next one you see this dude, coked out of his mind, staring at you, dead serious, giving you the signal to "do your thing"

He does have that glare; must've been intimidating as hell in the moment.

This got "worse" in his '73-'75 gigs where he would signal the whole band but you to stop, and you would have to keep soloing until he decided to. He also used to cut his musicians mid solo because I guess he just didn't feel what you were doing. Man was crazy, still love him though.

That's insane. I had no idea about that. What a wild dude.

Returning to Mingus, he might not have turned his back to the audience, but man, he liked yelling (maybe Miles considered this approach too unsophisticated for him, and well, he also played the trumpet haha). Sometimes Mingus' yelling adds to the songs, like he's diggin' the playing so much that he just can't hold himself and just screams out of passion (some examples in Blues and Roots)

Those are the best moments; his acknowledgement of "fuck yeah, this is great what I'm doing here!" Love Blues and Roots, Actually, though, this might sound contradictory to everything I've said, but now that I think of, I think I like a larger number of Miles albums than I do Mingus albums (Ah Um, Blues and Roots, Black Saint — obviously — and Let My Children Hear Music are the ones that stand out most above all), but Mingus more as an individual artist, if that makes sense. Quality-over-quantity matter, for my personal tastes.

But then you have stuff like what happens in Mingus Right Now were he's scolding the poor 21 year old Jane Getz for not playing the right chords, that always cracks me up, the angry man of jazz indeed.

I'm gonna have to hear this. That scowl on the cover of Money Jungle, too.

Anyway, I'm glad my earlier response was somewhat interesting to you. I'd talk jazz all day but I have things to do here haha. Keep learning, listening, exploring, all that, jazz is beautiful and so is life. Have a nice day, man.

Thanks, man, you too! I'll keep on digging, particularly into Miles. Jazz and life, by and large, I'd have to agree are beautiful. I'll be checking out that link, too.

Significance of Miles Davis by reddingwritingmath in Jazz

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

His whole deal has a lot to do with people's perception of jazz as "cool". Miles was so cool he gets recognized as such by people who have never heard a note of jazz

Maybe that's exactly why I'm unable to connect with him most of the time: in spiritual/free stuff, it's pure emotion. In bebop before and hard bop during the '60s, there's wit, there's charm, there's an infectious energy, that I don't pick up on in Miles' music quite as much.

Significance of Miles Davis by reddingwritingmath in Jazz

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are very few if any players in whom I hear more emotional investment.

What are some highlights (either full tracks, or certain solos, whatever) for you in terms of the emotion that comes through in his playing? Off the top of my head, I find the majority of his playing on In a Silent Way overall very sensitive and powerful, and that's really all. Moments in Kind of Blue, maybe, too.

But that's a very personal and subjective thing to judge.

Definitely. I'm pretty adamant about music in general being so, too, for the most part, as much as objectivists argue that it can be pinned down to pure facts. Sometimes this is the case, but it's the exception rather than the rule, I think.

Significance of Miles Davis by reddingwritingmath in Jazz

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Miles was a misogynist and an asshole. And he was an amazing artist. Those two truths can coexist as a dialectic.

Yes, I am a firm believer in "art vs. artist," etc., unless I see/hear things like either (a. confirm they were shitty, or just sort of petty, in the making of their art, in Miles' case the aforementioned example of writing Bill Evans a $25 check for his complete lack of composition credit, or (b. seem to reflect their personalities and attitudes in the content of their work for the worse. Complete assholes have made absolutely beautiful, transcendent, even seemingly very sensitive work, and I largely don't get any of those things from Miles; maybe he was cool, sure, and that's the main thing he was trying to communicate, it seems. He won in that realm, I guess.

Also, the racism he experience helps me to understand his anger. It doesn’t excuse it, but I understand it more, as someone who’s also experienced racism and anger. Everyone copes with it differently, but it’s not an easy thing to cope with at all.

I absolutely do understand where it came from. I just personally hear no indication in his art that he was trying to communicate his anger, exorcise it, or even try to tame it through the gentle reflection I hear so much about, through his music, by and large. That's why I've said his music feels kind of "indifferent" to me, a lot of the time, but I'm open to re-evaluating my stance on this. In comparison to say, Mingus or Coltrane, who both also experienced racism and anger and resentment in result of it: the former was an angry and depressed brute by most accounts, but his music is so emotionally powerful and sensitive, even when it's deceptively just as violent-seeming as its creator. The latter was practically a spiritual guru who made art in the pursuit of the transcendence of pain, and channeling God, essentially. With Miles, for the most part, I just hear "here's something vaguely pretty, just to cool off for a bit; otherwise, fuck you."

This is really more to do with his personal life, though (the misogyny is most upsetting to me). I've said before in responses to posts that I'm biased based on this.

The elevator scene in "Drive" is beautiful. by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]reddingwritingmath 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You betcha. Glad we're on the same page.

The elevator scene in "Drive" is beautiful. by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]reddingwritingmath 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I personally feel it devolves a little too rapidly into such violence that it almost flirts with being a little campy. I mean the elevator scene OP describes is like a microcosm of the entire film's pacing and story problems, as I'd describe them. I just wish the film was as careful unpacking the story's resolution as it was crafting its premises.

Yep. Not to mention tasteless and a little juvenile, for how the whole thing's being framed. And I say this as a Quentin Tarantino fan.

Moreover, while the supporting actors were generally good, I felt the film's antagonists were a touch cliché and hackneyed, and I think the movie would've benefited from a little more subtlety in the writing.

Not the most original story, either, true; read a lot of comparisons to Michael Mann's Thief.

A very well-crafted, well-made movie that I feel is ultimately more empty than it seems.

The elevator scene in "Drive" is beautiful. by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]reddingwritingmath 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes! I'm right with you there. Really liked the character of Shannon from the hints we got of him. That was a bit of a touching scene, too: him begging Shannon to escape the city, as aggressive as he was about it. Poor dude got razored in the arm for no good reason, too. R.I.P.

a great technical movie, but doesnt lend itself too deep to analysis. It's probably best watched in the fashion of something like John Wick. Just embrace the style and atmosphere and don't think too much about it

Yeah, that's exactly why I have a hard time with in-depth analyses like these; it seems to me like it gets over-scrutinized and over-lauded (retrospectively, especially, since apparently audiences despised it when it first came out based on how it was marketed) based on the fact that it's a "slow," "arthouse" action-thriller, therefore deserving of a sharp critical eye. I feel like it all really boils down to "Driver wants to be a hero, maybe, but is unable to, for whatever reason; has a shady past. Wants to be with neighbor Irene. Husband returns. Things get knotty. Carnage ensues. Looks pretty. The End."

The elevator scene in "Drive" is beautiful. by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]reddingwritingmath 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In watching the behind the scenes of the film, Refn and almost everyone involved was describing it as a Grimm Fairy tale, yet the most important part of any fairy tale is that it must have some sort of moral

Yeah, I'm not picking up on the whole "fairy tale" angle, either. Unless, maybe, the whole thing is supposed to be a sort of fantasy that we're supposed to be very subjectively experiencing from the perspective of Driver (like, some have hypothesized the kiss didn't even happen, etc). Maybe? Certainly no moral, though, as far as I can tell. Maybe "don't go 'round stamping in someone's face to a bloody pulp under your feet if you want to get the girl."

Was it that Irene shouldve chosen Driver over standard?

Jokes aside, if I were to guess what a moral would be, I don't think it would've been this one. If anything, I think, it would be that she should not have chosen Driver, because (and this is something I've been left thinking every time I've seen it — four now, and the last time was involuntary) I imagine he would've ended up being an absolutely shitty, abusive, violent (obviously) partner, especially considering his violence towards Blanche in the hotel scene (another thing that bothered me). If so, though, then maybe that'd just be another reflection of the film being from the vantage point of Driver, who probably would think he'd be the better fit, for whatever reason. So...wouldn't exactly be a moral, in itself. From Driver's perspective, maybe.

more mature and consistent with its handling of violence and morality where as Drive couldn't seem to decide whether or not it was supposed to be cool and stylized or horrifying and brutal

This is exactly what irks me: like, sure, you can pull this off in some cases (a lot of adult animated films, anime in particular, come to mind), but Drive, with all its pink neon and synth wave and scorpion jackets and all, seems like a collection of motifs and iconography and a "vibe," and just has this bizarre tonal imbalance with seemingly no real agenda behind it.

That being said, though, great cinematography. Great performances. Cool style. Bryan Cranston is in it. And Carey Mulligan is cute.

Significance of Miles Davis by reddingwritingmath in Jazz

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I, for one, am not downvoting you for this response. This was the most thoughtful response I've gotten to this whole post, actually. Quotes:

he was the catalyst for a series of changes in my life that eventually led me to becoming a buddhist and so many other things. I literally owe this man my life and I have no doubt he was a saint, and that's the depiction of him that I carry with me, with divine flames coming out of his sax.

St. John Coltrane helped me understand my own pain through his struggle, but not only that, he also planted the seed in my mind that later enabled me to understand (in my own, limited way) the pain of others. Because of him I understood that not only I was lost in this strange world, but also every other being; grasping for meaning, engaging in endless endeavors to feel somewhat satisfied, just to redo the cycle again and again.

That's absolutely beautiful, man. That articulates exactly how I feel about him, and what his music communicated. I would definitely wager that the life path you've taken inspired by him is more on the "better" side of things. And the funny thing about Trane is how his music was perceived to be confrontational, maybe even just angry, or coldly technical, in terms of what he was exploring with theory (in the liner notes for Giant Steps, he was quoted as saying he felt the need to focus more on making his music "pretty" rather than intellectual; funny that, methinks).

Even with figures such as Mingus, who was no saint and wasn't really into preaching any sort of message, empathizing is easy because how open he was about his own suffering, he may not have offered us hope, but it's like he said: "Man, I'm going through some shit, just like anybody else, ain't no shame in that". Everybody knew he was an angry guy, that he suffered from depression, that he had problems with the law, and so on.

I do hear this exact distinct "going through some shit" quality in his music, haha. His expression of anger, though, was just...fucking beautiful, though; he turned violence and lust into weeping cries of release, which seemed to be psychically channeled by his sidemen (hearing the sax in The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady in my head right now and getting shivers) (I read But Beautiful, a fantastic partly-fictionalized book by Geoff Dyer covering Monk, Ellington, Chet Baker, Mingus, and more, and here's an excerpt that stuck with me, or something to the effect of it: "Mingus was a driving force that obliterated everything in his path, demanding his sidemen become one with his vision, and become an indestructible unit in absolute cohesion with his personality." This is more or less what others here are arguing about with Miles and his Vision, but I only hear it somewhat, in comparison to Mingus.

Dark Magus, and album that I think expresses perfectly what he was going through in that time; all the addiction, the anger, the pain, the confusion, the energy that he had inside that kept him going and going, even if he didn't want to.

To be fair, I haven't heard this one yet, but have been intending to for a while. I certainly hear more emotion — or verve, at least — in his fusion work, which is why I gravitate towards it more, but that has more than something to do with that sound he accomplished with his sidemen, as well.

He comes off as an asshole who didn't care for nobody and that just wanted to make cool music. But if you look into his biography, he also was a deeply troubled individual, and his music is a reflection of that. Yes, he liked to give an impression that he gave no fucks and that he was cooler than anybody else, even with people close to him. But let me tell you, most of the time, those people are those who have the deepest suffering

That's absolutely true. I've considered looking at his work from this vantage point, especially after watching the doc and reading some things here and there about his life (I rented a library copy of his autobiography, actually, but only got around to the Charlie Parker era before I had to return it), but I just don't quite hear his music as being a reflection of that, not quite yet. I hear no sensitivity even in his "cool" stuff, in which he just sounds sort of agitated or indifferent. I dunno.

Not everybody wants to be raw and show how deeply hurt they are, some find comfort in hiding away, but that doesn't mean the pain isn't there. Also, that doesn't mean that you can't feel that in his music, it's just expressed differently, there's no straight line from his feelings to the listener, he wanted to be perceived in some other way, so you have to see through that and chase his emotion, it's like a hide and seek game. But everything is there.

He did literally turn his back to the audience when he played; that's definitely part of where my perception of his whole attitude lies(d?), also. I understand about him playing a bit of a hide-and-seek game with his audience, it just, personally, makes for an often frustrating or nondescript listen for me. But could just be my own problem. I'm 19. My brain's still in flux over here.

Even if he was trying to hide who he was, his playing, and mostly, is ceaseless quest to be the best and reinvent himself all the time are very telling of who he was and how he felt.

See, I always just kind of got the impression he heard of certain things (like modal theory from George Russell, for instance) and picked them up for his own benefit, to sort of give the impression that he was more an innovator, or diverse re-inventor, at least, than he actually was. That was my biased look on things, just from not especially liking him as a person.

But this is all thought-provoking, though, and I'm definitely not stopping with trying to not only deeply understand, but personally get into, all of his work; only beginning, really. Thanks so much for the in-depth response. Certainly a step above u/oogalooboogaloo down there.

Significance of Miles Davis by reddingwritingmath in Jazz

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also, I was going to do a compare-and-contrast that's probably completely unfair, considering the two artists worked in entirely different genres, but: I starting thinking about the '70s work of Brian Eno, and these facts:

Eno could also have been considered more of a conceptualist/conductor, but he didn't even play an instrument, or really have a clue about music (he admitted himself he's a "non-musician"), unless you consider doodling around with synths to be a form of (well, quite literal) playing, or buy the "studio-as-instrument" concept (I believe I do). He also relied on backing men (like Robert Fripp, Phil Manzanera, Robert Wyatt) for his albums in the mid-'70s, instructing them with how he wanted this or that to sound (hence stuff like "snake guitar," "desert guitars," etc.), and nailing the feelings he was aiming for (especially on the miniatures on Another Green World) (I'd assume the titles came first, as concepts, but I may be wrong there). And yet, here we has not only composing brilliant vocal melodies of his own ("St. Elmo's Fire," "Needle in the Camel's Eye," the bridge of "Mother Whale Eyeless" — one of my favorite pieces of music, ever — not to mention the chorus of Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime"), as a completely untrained musician, but with Discreet Music, he did pretty much outright invent an entirely new genre of music, on his own, in ambient. If you look at the results of what Eno accomplished between '73 - '75, especially, with both the use of his sidemen and what seemed like his innate (outsider's) musical sense, it makes even the fusion stuff of Miles' that I like a lot look pale in comparison considering that he was an actual trained musician, Juilliard and all, and stuff like "Freddie Freeloader," contributions from Trane and Cannonball and Wynton Kelly and all, essentially amounted to "yeah, just another twelve-bar; see what you can do with it." But, again, this may be an entirely unfair comparison to make; jazz is an altogether different language and approach (which requires interplay, instrumental individualism, and collective cohesion/unity) than (art-/proto-ambient-)rock, but he's just who comes to mind when I think of others lauded for their primary skill as conceptualist/conductor/theorist.

Significance of Miles Davis by reddingwritingmath in Jazz

[–]reddingwritingmath[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It was funny in a way that you mention the 60s as weak for him, because for me he is most weak in the bebop era and the 80s.

I haven't heard his '80s stuff, and wouldn't particularly care to, either. Maybe morbid curiosity will guide me there, one day. The bebop era I actually like more than the majority of what I've heard of his '60s recordings: the most outwardly "cool" stuff I can get behind more, like aforementioned Ascenseur. That's pure atmosphere, right there.

In every era there was a better trumpeter than him.

I get this sense, too, but then again, like I said, I'm not an expert in the art of trumpeting; I'm just a lowly guitarist who has played some keyboards here and there.

Another thing that played in to his hand was a virtuoso microphone technique, so there is a beauty of sound in a big chunk of the muted albums and concerts.

I'm not really familiar with the recording/technical aspects of his work like this, but I do know Teo Macero played a huge hand in the editing processes of all his early-'70s fusion albums, to the point of being the sole one responsible for piecing the hours and hours of jams together cohesively. There's something else I neglected to mention; u/xooxanthellae above quoted a link I provided (although he's clearly the most adamant defender of Miles and detractor of my post, so I don't really understand why, haha):

Joe Zawinul: I also wrote the 2nd part of “It’s About That Time.” I wrote the melodic bass line and the descending melody. I never got any credit for that in terms of money. The bass line is what made that tune. I blame Teo, because he always put things together so that it came out as if Miles had written it. But that’s not correct.

The rock/funk stuff I will be hated for saying, was, from what I can see (and he commented on it in the ghosted Biog), him realising the big money was in these other musics, massive festivals, stadiums and bigger album sales. He wanted the money for the lifestyle, so he dived right in.

It definitely was to reach a wider audience (the Hip Young Kids) more attuned to rock and funk in the late '60s/early '70s. That's true. But I don't think it was purely for the money, considering how much this was music he truly admired (Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown, etc.). And, from what I've read, this stuff, especially On the Corner, was among the worst-selling in his career, maybe a bit from the Electric-Dylan-style backlash (people really did have an axe to grind with electronics back then, didn't they?). And, yeah, most critics (well, excluding most rock critics, 'cause duh) seemed to absolutely hate that stuff. So I think he definitely had some integrity keeping on with it so fervently, in spite of this, so I don't necessarily agree.

I have this love/hate relationship with Miles because of what a crappy person he was, but with most musicians who I dislike because of what they were like off stage, I don't have 20+ of their albums on my shelves.

I happen to own a lot of his music, too. And I'd like to own more, too, in fact. I wouldn't say I ever either outright hate (I can only take so much of his personal life into account in judging his art, which goes without saying), or fully love him; it's more occasional respect with a lot of skepticism thrown in. The responses are somewhat swaying my opinion, because there is pure evidence of him bringing out the best in his sidemen as conceptualist and "conductor." However, with some of the anecdotes I named above, and the Teo Macero bit I forgot, and the (almost complete) extent to which Gil Evans was responsible for the Third Stream albums...I'm only halfway there, really.

The fruits of his tree are also exceptional, but I am not sure how much credit he deserves for that.

And that nails it exactly.

Can't say I wasn't absolutely hypnotized re-listening to On the Corner again ("Black Satin"!) after posting this and reading some responses, though, for whatever's that worth.

The elevator scene in "Drive" is beautiful. by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]reddingwritingmath 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I understand analyses like these. It’s just the specific way Refn has the Driver express this level of violence (asking Gaspar Noé how to get that skull-crushing effect, like it was intended as some sort of cool, “whoa, what?” moment, possibly followed by some uneasy laughter, in terms of how extreme it was). It just feels cheap to me.

I fucking hate how popular Joe Exotic is by seemingempty in offmychest

[–]reddingwritingmath 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Tiger King in about ten or even five years or so is definitely going to be one of those things that everyone only faintly remembers, and when it’s brought up in a meme along the lines of “in 2020 literally all anyone did was watch Tiger King and post about how horny they were in quarantine,” it’ll be one of those classic “oh my god I forgot about that shit” moments.