Well, dear readers, for those of you who haven’t noticed, it is the last day of June. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, it is the last day of June, so if there is any more busting out all over to do, it will have to occur in July. And it is my fervent hope and prayer that July will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful. June wasn’t such a bad month as months go. There was lots of interesting stuff that happened. And to end on a high note, A-sharp, the Tonight’s the Night Blu-rays arrived, and they’ll hopefully start shipping tomorrow. It’s always fun to hold that on which you toiled in your hand, the final product. Not so much fun was writing the huge check, but it had to be done. Of course, these things never end up costing quite what you’ve been told, but that is the way of the world, paying for things-wise. Otherwise, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to the Phase 4 recordings of Leopold Stokowski once again. I listened to almost all of it back when I got it, but I took it out again after hearing that Hurwitz fellow, or Mr. YouTube as I’ve come to think of him, prattle on about it. Never mentioned by him was the prevalent distortion on a few discs, but that would mean he would have had to play them. You can’t not hear it and certainly it’s worth mentioning. It’s only on a few things and not consistently so, but it’s bad when it’s bad, mostly one brass mic that’s overloading, and one percussion mic. But that Phase 4 sound is so much fun. Rather than try and give everyone the concert hall sound, which I’m not that big a fan of anyway, especially the way they record today, they designed these albums for home listening, for the ears, close-miking everything and using a twenty-channel mixing board. The resulting sound wasn’t thrilling to the old-school listener, but the young listeners really liked it and I certainly was one of those young listeners back then. The performances are pure Stokowski, which means even at their wackiest, there is something that’s so much fun about them and they sound like no other versions you’ve ever heard. They’re VERY in your face and you really can’t listen to too many in a row as the ear becomes weary. It can still be had pretty reasonably, which is surprising. Prior to that, I watched two count them two motion pictures on Blu and Ray.
The first motion picture was entitled The Conversation, a film of Francis Ford Coppola, starring Gene Hackman, Allen Garfield, John Cazale, Cindy Williams, Fredric Forrest, Harrison Ford, and Teri Garr. It’s a truly quintessential 1970s film from start to finish. I’ve always liked it a lot, but it’s not perfect – there are scenes that are just a bit too weird, like Garr’s one scene, and the long party scene, but most of it works well and it is permeated with paranoia. David Shire’s solo piano score is still a marvel and perfect. And the performances are tops, especially Hackman, and Cindy’s really great in it, too. This transfer looks pretty terrific – already a decade old, which is the last time I watched it. Then I watched a science fiction film from 1999 entitled The Thirteenth Floor, starring Craig Bierko and Gretchen Mol. I saw it first on DVD then Blu-ray. It’s not very good, and quite silly at times, but I enjoyed it anyway. Gretchen Mol is very underrated and excellent in this. Craig Bierko is kind of a bore here, but I certainly like him on Broadway in The Music Man. The film takes place in different time periods – the 1937 stuff looks really great, the modern (circa 1999) stuff looks good, too, and the far-off future stuff of 2024 looks as ridiculous as you’d expect. Time does fly and no, things don’t change all that drastically. The transfer certainly could use some sprucing up.
Yesterday was a fine old day. I was up at ten-thirty after six-and-a-half hours of sleep. Blu-rays arrived at eleven-thirty, and then I drove them over to storage, where I left them and the signed extra wraps and the solo Indiegogo addresses. I also pulled two boxes of things I needed, and thankfully they were easy to find. Then I began the drive home. I intended to take Victory home, but there was a long line of cars waiting to turn left – I mean, a LONG line of cars. They apparently knew what I was about to learn. I drove past Victory to the next major intersection – which was blocked, so I had to continue south to Ventura Boulevard. And that was a disaster. Crazy traffic. It cleared up for a bit, but then slowed to a standstill two blocks before the freeway entrance. Why? Because morons decided it’s okay to rip up the street and take it down to one lane at the height of the afternoon. So, fifteen minutes to go three blocks. And then, the same morons were doing the same thing AFTER the freeway entrance. It was maddening.
Once finally back home, I answered e-mails, did some stuff on the computer, and then I moseyed on over to Casa Vega, where I met up with our very own Marshall Harvey. It was the first time inside Casa Vega in over a year-and-a-half. I had my usual one cheese enchilada and one beef taco with beans and rice – I don’t eat the beans, though. But before that, we ordered the chili con queso dip with chips – it was absolutely fantastic. All in all, very filling, but within the calorie threshold, as the taco and enchilada are not that many calories. Did I mention it was absolutely fantastic? I never got to the mail place.
Then I came right home, had a telephonic conversation, and then began the evening’s viewing, which you know about. And then it was onto Phase 4 and Stokowski – currently it’s Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty excerpts.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll wrap up choosing songs, I’ll eat something fun, perhaps a sandwich, since I haven’t had one in three months, or perhaps some pasta, which I also haven’t had in three months, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages but more importantly two important envelopes. And then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same – shipping Blu-rays, hopefully getting the latest CDs in, figuring out the next two releases, greeting the new month with open arms, and celebrating July fourth right here with silent fireworks that don’t scare people and/or pets. Oh, and here’s the proof the Blu-rays arrived – one of them in my hot little hand.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, finish choosing songs, eat, hopefully pick up packages and two important envelopes, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy that the month ended on a high note with the arrival of the Tonight’s the Night Blu-rays.