Definite win for today: I squeezed in an hour at the gym between our getting back from "Reefer Madness" and the beginning of our Small But Perfectly Formed Gatherage. Several people couldn't make it either in advance or after it had started (boo to bad circumstances and hugs to all involved) but we had fun with those who were there (that sounds bad, like we were experimenting on them or something) and the party has just wound up at 2:12am after a 7pm start, so that's not at all bad.
Twiney sounds like a total superstar singing "I Dreamed A Dream", which song you'd think would be boring as hell by now. And naturally she makes our songs sound even more awesome than they already are. Tee hee hee. Recordings sometime, perhaps.
"Reefer Madness"... we seem to be seeing a lot of musicals lately where an extremely talented cast and crew throw themselves at material which just doesn't end up satisfying me. It's rarely anything against them, it's just... all the shows seem to be a bit... slight. This show, a spoof based on a 30s scaremongering public information newsreel, is somewhat like "Little Shop Of Horrors", although the distancing effect is even more pronounced, so right from the word go, your emotions are pretty much completely disconnected save for comedy. So you can admire the writing as they put these stock characters through an unusual wringer, but there's absolutely no heart in it - it's all about the satire, the jokes and the inappropriate characterizations. Which, sure, are all funny. In the end a lot of singing and dancing is done, and this lot (mostly recent Cap graduates of Sarah's acquaintance) did it well, but... eh, lack of heart either in the material or the presentation is why I don't like most musicals. At least it passed the time. And, unusually, Act Two was more fun than Act One... most of the time I survive Act Twos by thinking "This will be shorter than Act One, and also when it ends there isn't another act after it," but I managed not to think that this time.
At the gym, I squeezed in half an album, and while listening to it my brain was highly active, and I propose a certain test. First, clear your mind of all preconceptions of rap music. Second, put aside thoughts of musical theatre. Third, don't worry about the video so much as the song. There. Ready? OK, now listen to this:
Now be honest: isn't that just completely awesome? It's from D-12's album "D-12 World". I was considering a longer post sometime about tastes in music and authenticity and stuff like that, but listening to this song again after a few years preempts that. I just want to effuse about rap for a few moments. I listen to a lot of rap, and I find it invaluable for several reasons. For one thing, Eminem appears to have lungs like an elephant - although witness also Ghostface (yeah yeah, the lyrics are appalling, I know, whatever... my point is, listen to how fast he's delivering them):
and the awesome Abdominal (lyrics less disgusting, but song a bit of a slow burn - skip to 2:45 if you like):
Overdubs, bah - singing this live is entirely possible, but nothing like easy, and I practise with these songs and others like them. It's much more fun practising with songs which I don't know for sure I can sing (and for the same reason, I like singing songs higher than I should). Then, note that their diction isn't at all bad, especially considering the speed they're going at. Finally, on the creative side, some rappers' rhymes are just fantastic. Eminem is an obvious leader here. I still chuckle at his rhyming "oranges" with "hinges" and "syringes" on the song "Business". And while chuckling, I pay a lot of attention. Rap, especially the way he writes it, gets through a lot of words per song, with a consequent high number of rhymes required, and even though he uses a lot of slightly vague rhymes, the sheer shotgun volume of them is admirable, and the rules he bends or breaks to get them in there are worth noting and testing for myself.
It's all completely fascinating to me, even without analyzing the sociology, the business, or the authenticity of it all. Just musically, I love it. Just thought you should know :-)
We're flagging a bit so it's bedtime. Yeah, I think I award myself a win for today. I even only had two cans of Strongbow, and then switched to milk. Milk! What a healthy panda. Of course I did drink nearly two pints of it...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I was thinking that one of the things the chorus could be doing would be speed rehearsals – bombing through the lines with no attempt at meaning, just pace, to help with finding the rhythms and enunciation. But there's only so much time in a 3 hour week.
Alter Boyz has dialogue between their songs and a set of “characters” verging on trite (except for the gay guy – they definitely hit trite there). (and no second act to sit thru, so they figured that one out).
No disrespect to the actors; that's the way it's written. It's entertaining, it's crisp, but with virtually no “suspension of disbelief” or dramatic tension. Vaudeville with a theme.
So considered as an acting challenge, they have to put all their energy into creating moments of emotion, literally moments, because that's all the show allows. If the audience is never involved much beyond “watching”, that's the best you can do.
doug
Post a Comment