Outside Counsel

Lance Mannion had problems with Pirate Radio (or The Boat That Rocked-- movies that can't figure out what they are supposed to be called should just pick a name fer crying out loud). I have problems with it too. It is a meandering shaggy dog story that can't seem to get a grip on what it is supposed to be about, and that was irritating. LCA sat with her back to it most of the time, chatting on Facebook, and that may have been the best way to experience it, because the soundtrack is terrific. Unfortunately, the soundtrack was my big issue. If you are going to make a movie about DJs in 1966 the music they play should not be from 1967, or 1968, or 1971. There was all kinds of great rock'n'roll that they could have played-- and they did play some of it-- but the anachronisms were truly jarring. I imagine this is an issue for most people who see the movie-- the demographic that goes to a movie starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as a hip DJ is pretty much going to know what grade they were in when they first heard "Won't Get Fooled Again", to say nothing of Hi Ho Silver Lining (Jeff Beck, 1967); Eleanor (The Turtles, 1968); or Father and Son (Cat Stevens, back when he was Cat Stevens, 1970. Preachy damn song, but Tea for the Tillerman was huge when I was in 8th Grade).

Which reminds me, Saturday was Record Store Day. LCA and I partook at the University Plaza Record Theater-- she picked up a Wanda Jackson EP, and I bought the Stones' single, Plundered My Soul b/w All Down the Line. Plundered will be included with some other archive stuff on the Exile on Main Street re-issue. I don't think anyone ever listened to Exile and thought, "Wow. Another couple of songs and that would be perfect!", but on the other hand 1972 Stones is the Stones at their peak, and the Stones at their peak have never been topped. LCA has decided that she likes 60's rock, and vinyl, which should come as a surprise to no-one, but nuanced things about the medium escape her. She was not aware, for example, that some vinyl is played at 45 rpm, and was surprised when, after taking the Stones side off the turntable an queuing up her Wanda Jackson EP the Queen of Rockabilly sounded like the Queen of the Chipmunks. Adjustments were made.

The closing credits of Pirate Radio features a montage of album covers that I think I liked better than the movie, and it was fun to flip through the LPs at Record Theater. The CD buying experience is clankier than shopping for vinyl, and of course nobody buys CDs anymore either. I like the fact that I can carry my music collection anywhere, but I miss the thrill of the hunt, and I miss record jackets. Convenience has not really improved the experience of recorded music, although you'd have had a hard time persuading me of that back when I was haunting J&R Music World on a regular basis. As we drove to Record Theater LCA and I talked about the experience of music shopping. It was crowded in the store, and hipsters were buying vinyl, but it was distinctly an exercise in nostalgia, and I guess that was my bottom line problem with the movie. Nostalgia is pointless.