The Art Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more
By HANNAH OSBORN — arts@theaggie.org
Album: “Forever Changes” by Love (1967)
When the weather is gloomy but hopes for the new year are high, “Forever Changes” perfectly complements January’s juxtapositions. Scored by folk-style acoustic guitars and a string and horn section, the album’s upbeat sound and rhythm contrasts dark and dismal lyrics, drawing from a dissatisfaction with both the mainstream and counterculture of the late 1960s. Notably, the creation of the album resulted in the breakup of Love’s original lineup. Pressure from their label, Elektra Records, along with internal strain — primarily between Arthur Lee and Love’s other songwriter, Bryan MacLean — culminated in MacLean parting ways with the band months after the “Forever Changes” release. In the aftermath, Lee dismissed the rest of the members. Despite the original Love’s sudden dissolution, the album still left a lasting impact upon psychedelia in its wake, and is retrospectively considered one of the greatest rock albums of its era. Whether focusing on the soaring instrumentals or the heavy themes featured in the lyrics, this album provides the perfect exercise for the new year in learning from history to move forward.
TV Show: “Taskmaster” by Alex Horne (2015)
This absurd British panel show may be just what you need to encourage creative thinking in the new year. Created by comedian and musician Alex Horne, its premise is simple: the Taskmaster (Comedian Greg Davies) and his assistant (Horne) bring on five entertainers to compete in bizarre challenges arbitrarily scored on a 1 to 5 point scale by Davies. Pre-recorded tasks are shown before a live studio audience, where contestants passionately argue their case and throw competitors under the bus before Davies makes his final decision on their performance. Tasks range from the physical, like throwing a potato into a hole as fast as possible, to the more abstract and absurd, like making a short film in under an hour or running a mock hotel. For all this effort, the highest scorer at the end of the season wins a life-sized, golden replica of Davies’ head. Going 20 seasons strong — with several international spin-offs — “Taskmaster” is the perfect comedic gold mine to explore this year.
Book: “I Who Have Never Known Men” by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz (1995)
January is often a time for reflecting and considering the course of life. Belgian writer Jacqueline Harpman’s short science fiction novel provides a haunting and insightful examination of what it means to live and be human. The narrator is the sole child among 39 women kept imprisoned and under strict watch by guards, the only men she ever sees. When the guards suddenly leave, the group frees themselves, but are left to wander an alien landscape with no sign of other surviving humans. As the girl grows up, she tries to comprehend her place among humanity through the women’s stories of a world she is too young to remember. Harpman’s sparse, philosophical story will not satisfy the reader looking for details and answers, but it leaves behind a great deal to consider as we walk with the narrator through a life of isolation and finding meaning despite all circumstances.
Movie: “This Is Spinal Tap” dir. Robert Reiner (1984)
Sometimes, you need a little satire to balance out the earnestness of the new year. In the directorial debut of the late Rob Reiner, the English heavy metal band Spinal Tap is followed by a film crew across their 1982 American tour. The mockumentary takes the hallmarks of rock bands to the extreme in its satirization, creating iconic scenes surrounding an amplifier that goes up to 11 and a Stonehenge prop malfunction. While poking fun at a specific period of the rock music industry, “This Is Spinal Tap” remains cutting and hilarious even now, perhaps due to its cult-classic status. The movie deploys bit after bit, hardly giving time for you to compose yourself as you laugh at the band’s antics, including their back catalog of former names and the mysterious fates of their numerous drummers. Featuring stellar performances by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, this movie is just the first of several mockumentaries involving this group and is excellent as either an introduction to the genre or a familiar classic.
Written by: Hannah Osborn — arts@theaggie.org
