spiny norman

I watched Saraband recently - a fantastic way to go out. I saw this on the news and felt like I'd been punched in the gut. To me, he was second only to Kurosawa as the greatest director of all time. I suppose now Spielberg can take the title of best director alive. A massive loss to cinema.

Weren't they both 2000?

You think so? I think it's their best album, and one of my absolute favourite albums in terms of consistent enjoyability. Every song on it is just so unbelievably enjoyable (which would be my biggest fault with it, is that the complete lack of filler makes it difficult to me to just listen to it through, kind of like Thriller).

Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare In Love beating Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth for Best Actress was poor form.

I really enjoy Steely Dan. Tickets to a concert of theirs here go on sale on Friday, and I've considered picking them up, but all my friends I've mentioned it to find the idea of going to such a concert laughable, which is a great shame. Pretzel Logic would come close to my top fifty albums of all time. Also, I really enjoyed Two Against Nature. I wouldn't rate it over The Marshall Mathers LP (and I certainly wouldn't rate that album as the best of 2000 either), but I don't see the point in disliking something purely because it was given an award, especially an award as unimportant as a Grammy.

I recall one evening when I was about eight or nine, my father was driving the car with me in the passanger seat, the radio playing. This song began, and my father laughed and said "This here's pretty much the worst song ever". So I listened to it for the first time then. Far from the worst song ever. Given the love my father has for Avril Lavigne, no - he is not really an arbiter of taste either.

I think I'm the one person in the world who prefers Wu-Tang Forever to 36 Chambers. I've never gotten the love for the debut at all, I find it fairly unimpressive. Forever, while not mind-blowingly great, is just far more enjoyable to me (it should be noted, I seem to strangely like many over bloated double albums). Arrested Development following up 3 Years... with Zingalamaduni was a pretty massive letdown, really.

I'm going to Wilco on the 21st of April (or some date thereabouts). Can anyone else vouch their studio awesomeness is carried over to a great live show?

I haven't seen Prairie Home Companion, but truth be told Altman hasn't really done it for me since the 70s, where I think you'll find all of his great films (MASH, McCabe & Mrs Miller, The Long Goodbye, Nashville, 3 Women). The Player and Short Cuts were hints at a return to form, but really I've found everything quite middle of the road otherwise. In that sense, to me Altman is much like Woody Allen or Scorsese - a great director, if not slightly overrated and inconsistent, but is capable of making truly fantastic films when at his best.

Billy Wilder?

To encourage people to be proactive and look it up themselves. "Wikipedia: At last, an encyclopedia by potheads!" Now comes the part where you or someone else says that the line isn't funny. Go ahead, keep it going... You pre-empting the response doesn't make the validity and truthfulness of it any lesser.

I think I'm the only person to love every album Springsteen's released, bar Human Touch. And even that has the great title track, so as far as an artist's world album ever goes, it's a pretty good one.

No way! What will those crazy kids come up with next?

http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/news/ce..._bottom_hedsh2o Syd Barrett, Founder of Pink Floyd, Dies By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press Writer LONDON -- Syd Barrett, the troubled genius who co-founded Pink Floyd but spent his last years in reclusive anonymity, has died, a spokeswoman for the band said Tuesday. He was 60. The spokeswoman -- who declined to give her name until the band made an official announcement -- confirmed media reports that he had died. She said Barrett died several days ago, but she did not disclose the cause of death. Barrett had suffered from diabetes for many years. Barrett co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 with David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright, and wrote many of the band's early songs. The group's jazz-infused rock made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene, and the 1967 album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" -- largely written by Barrett, who also played guitar -- was a commercial and critical hit. However, Barrett suffered from mental instability, exacerbated by his use of LSD. His behavior grew increasingly erratic, and he left the group in 1968 -- five years before the release of Pink Floyd's most popular album, "Dark Side of the Moon." He was replaced by David Gilmour. Barrett released two solo albums -- "The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett" -- but soon withdrew from the music business altogether. He spent much of the rest of his life living quietly in his hometown of Cambridge, England, where he was a familiar figure, often seen cycling or walking to the corner store. Despite his brief career, Barrett's fragile, wistful songs influenced many musicians, from David Bowie -- who covered the Barrett track "See Emily Play" -- to the other members of Pink Floyd, who recorded the album "Wish You Were Here" as a tribute to their troubled bandmate. The band spokeswoman said a small, private funeral would be held.

I don't think it's much better than that Rolling Stone magazine version from a few years back.

Nothing for Deadwood?

Stella, Corona, Heineken and Crown Lager.

Words can not describe just how fucking awesome that was.

I think you underrate his post-Born In The USA stuff, though agree on last place. My version of the same thirteen: 1. Born In The USA 2. The River 3. Tunnel of Love 4. Born To Run 5. Nebraska 6. The Rising 7. Darkness On The Edge Of Town 8. The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle 9. The Ghost Of Tom Joad 10. Lucky Town 11. Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ 12. Devils And Dust 13. Human Touch

Top thirteen Elvis Costello albums: 1. This Year's Model 2. Imperial Bedroom 3. My Aim Is True 4. King of America 5. Trust 6. Armed Forces 7. Get Happy!!! 8. Spike 9. Blood and Chocolate 10. Punch the Clock 11. When I Was Cruel 12. Painted from Memory 13. Brutal Youth

Australia: 1 - 1: Holland Fantastic result, and hopefully a good omen. Especially good result given Australia were down to ten men for the last thirty minutes.

Australia 1-0 Greece

Also, since when was London Calling released in 1977?

It's got to be The Sex Pistols. Though Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True are both awesome.

Mine adores Sufjan Stevens, The Beatles (but prefers Sgt. Peppers onwards), R.E.M., Moby and Dido.