George, What Happened To Listen Without Prejudice Vol. II? Or What Was The Point Of Vol.I?

... Mr. Michael some of us are still waiting for that day, because Listen Without Prejudice Vol. I (1990) was arguably the finest recording of your esteemed career.

And your last, best proper recording was Older (1996) and to a lesser degree Patience (2004). Let's get that monkey off your back sir and all the best.

Glen Frey (1948-2016)

"We built something that has lasted longer than anyone could have dreamed.
But, Glenn was the one who started it all.
He was the spark plug, the man with the plan.
He had an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a work ethic that wouldn't quit.
He was funny, bullheaded, mercurial, generous, deeply talented and driven."
-Don Henley-
 

This is getting a little sad and crazy. What happened to the rule that bad things happen in three?

Musings Of A Sci-Fi Fanatic is beginning to read like an obituary page to all those artists, actors and performers that had sway and influence over my young life whom I adored and loved. You know you're getting older.

There was certainly a heartache last night when I discovered musician/ singer/ songwriter/ producer and founding member of the phenomenal Eagles (1971-1980), Glen Frey (1948-2016), had passed away.



In many respects, however inaccurate or unfair, it seemed Don Henley was often perceived as the John Lennon of the Eagles and thus Glen Frey a bit like the band's Paul McCartney. That analogy isn't completely justified when it comes to any of the artists named, because Frey was a tremendous talent and together with Henley made some of the most classic, memorable compositions to seduce the ear in music history as a big part of the engine that was The Eagles along with Joe Walsh and others.

Before the Eagles Frey and Henley met in 1970 and performed as part of the backing band to none other than Linda Ronstadt in 1971 though short-lived. The Eagles formed shortly thereafter.



The Eagles delivered six arguably classic American rock albums with Eagles (1972), Desperado (1973), On The Border (1974), One Of These Nights (1975), Hotel California (1976) and The Long Run (1979). The group was a prolific force in rock for a single decade burning bright and then disbanding to emerge with solo careers following a tumultuous and vitriolic conclusion (particularly between Frey and Henley with Don Felder) until reuniting for Long Road Out Of Eden (2007). But throughout the 1970s the Eagles defined an era with their unique sound, style and harmonies.

Frey's solo career was marked with five outings and mixed results but it had its gems too.



As a kid the Eagles' songs seemed to be among the many soundtracks to my life. Their music was always around and always playing somewhere it seemed. Honestly it was as unavoidable as Barry Manilow's Copacabana (At The Copa) (1978) or vintage 70s Neil Diamond. Without buying a single record back in the day I still managed to know their music by heart rediscovering them much later.

I enjoy Frey's music still from time to time and have many selections stored in my personal collection.

Thinking back to the Eagles these would likely be my six essential Frey leads with the band.
6. Peaceful Easy Feeling.
5. Take It Easy (co-written with Jackson Browne).
4. Tequila Sunrise.
3. Lyin' Eyes.
2. New Kid In Town.
1. Heartache Tonight.

Thinking back to Frey as a solo artist these would be my six essentials.
6. Part Of Me, Part Of You (from Ridley Scott's Thelma And Louise).
5. You Belong To The City (forever connected to Miami Vice).
4. The Heat Is On (forever connected with Beverly Hills Cop).
3. Smuggler's Blues (forever connected to Miami Vice).
2. Sexy Girl.
1. The One You Love.

A great American musician we loved passes. He did it all old school. Frey was 67.

David Bowie (1947-2016)

"If you say run, I'll run with you

If you say hide, we'll hide

Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall
Into my arms
Tremble like a flower."

-Let's Dance-

 

To say it was a surprise to find influential music icon and consummate artist David Bowie (1947-2016) had passed away would be an understatement.

There isn't much I can say here that hasn't already been said elsewhere.



I am certainly no expert when it comes to David Bowie. I've always had a passing interest in his music and less so his films. This writer has generally been a casual fan of his work and even public persona as interesting as he was. Still, he was always there delivering something of artistic value throughout my life. Some of it I enjoyed and some not so much.



There's no question Bowie was the artist's artist too influencing artists each and every generation. You would be hard-pressed to find a band/singer/performer who wouldn't cite Bowie. Annie Lennox. Iva Davies. Duran Duran. Talk Talk. The Psychedelic Furs. The list goes on and on. In some big or small way the artist, performer and fashion inventing icon had a significant impact particularly on the artists I loved and adored.



Like other artists the often androgynous Bowie took his liberties in playing with sexuality long before the LGBT community began to truly take shape.

And like many young artists in the beginning Bowie dabbled in an alignment with fascism even citing Adolph Hitler as something of a rock star, the kind of artistic cool later associated with embarrassment. How ironic he would one day mature and invest heavily in Wall Street.

But when it came to cool, he was undeniably the king of it as pop stars go. Was there a King Of Cool? Well, it would have been Bowie.



Here I can only offer my personal love of some of his music of which I always return. Again, I dabbled in songs from across Bowie's career. My collection is based entirely on downloading.

The much maligned, Nile Rodgers produced Let's Dance (1983) was something of a proper dance and pop album with an edge. It remains my personal favorite. What would you expect from a child raised and reared on music from the 1980s with a label for his blog dubbed 80s Music Plus?

The Thin White Duke as he was called and Ziggy Stardust among other names and immersive character portraits passed away from liver cancer.



I will say this. The man was loaded with style and as classy as artists come, particularly as he aged. I must admit, though surprised, I found great respect for his quiet handling of his illness. This is a man who left us peacefully and artistically in a world populated with those looking for the next bit of juicy gossip and yet he handled his passing with as much discipline and grace as his career. Publically he simply let his music and performance art speak for itself while privately bowing out on his own terms reinventing himself right to the very end. You have to admire that.



I was not a particularly big fan of his films, but then I have not seen many of them. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) and The Hunger (1983) may be among the most interesting. I'm a fan of the war genre and the underrated former is excellent on Criterion. Science fiction and fantasy films include The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976), Labyrinth (1986) and Christopher Nolan's The Prestige (2006). Into The Night (1985) and Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988) are also worth your time. Though it sometimes seemed his legend and distinct appearance had the potential to overshadow just how good he could be (but it's Bowie, who cares, cast him). Like Freddie Mercury before him he has always been that big, larger than life icon and presence. Of course today, we are sadly reminded he was but a man, flesh and blood, albeit an extremely talented, influential and creative man.



Bowie was always a fascinating gentleman to me and I will always treasure that special voice. In fact, that voice was amazing. Yet, I either loved the songs he made with it or his songs fell flat. I always wanted more from that voice along the lines of the songs I selected below. 

I didn't always sing along to his lyrics correctly either. "One day I'm gonna get that fucking thing together" when it was really "One day, I'm gonna get that faculty together." Oh well, I still enjoyed my line.

These may not be the critical darlings of his work, but these are my favorite selections from the Bowie catalogue often playing and keeping me company. These are all generally essential to me, but some effort was made to rank my favorites.

21. Peace On Earth/ Little Drummer Boy (with Bing Crosby)
20. The Man Who Sold The World.
19. Fame.
18. Golden Years.
17. I'm Afraid Of Americans (NIN V.1 Mix).
16. Tonight (with Tina Turner).
15. Jump They Say.
14. Telling Lies (Adam F Mix).
13. Changes.
12. Never Let Me Down.
11. Blue Jean.
10. Heroes.
9. Modern Love.
8. Criminal World.
7. Under Pressure (with Queen).
6. Everyone Says "Hi" (Metro Mix).
5. The Stars Are Out Tonight (a video featuring Tilda Swinton in all out David Bowie mode).
4. China Girl.
3. This Is Not America (with Pat Metheny).
2. Let's Dance.
1. Where Are We Now?.

What are your favorites?



For some, creative genius, outsider Bowie was a bit of an odd, kind of alien thing, the man who fell to Earth, that not everyone fully understood. But that was the surprise and invention of Bowie. And with a predilection for aliens as we're so inclined to have here at Musings Of A Sci-Fi Fanatic, we very much enjoyed loving this particular alien.

Virgin Records' Richard Branson noted, "I thought he'd live forever" and this is one man, like The Beatles, that will endure.

At just 69, a hero to the world of music and art, Bowie will be sorely missed, but what a wonderful, strange, shining legacy he leaves. I'm sad to see him go.

"Had to get the train

From Potsdamer Platz

You never knew that

I could do that

Just walking the dead

Where are we now

Where are we now?"

-Where are we now?-

 

The Music Of Defiance

I've always enjoyed the music of composer Bear McCreary. His work on the soundtracks for both the reimagined Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) and The Walking Dead (2010-present) was impressive and suited the mood and often dark atmosphere of both those series appropriately lending real character too. The scores for Battlestar Galactica are immersive, gorgeous and propulsive in their addiction. His work on Defiance mirrors the excellence of his Battlestar Galactica work and builds on new sonic themes.



McCreary's work in the science fiction genre has wholly usurped my attention. His approach to the series Defiance (2013-present) has delivered some of those stunningly atmospheric compositions combined with a real pop accessibility and sensibility. He took some of the approach he applied to his interpretation of Bob Dylan's All Along The Watchtower for Battlestar Galactica Season Three (Crossroads) and takes it to new pop heights and to a new level for Defiance.

The music recorded for Defiance offers a unique approach to science fiction television. It's a rare thing to see music presented in this way. The music, while entirely connected to the show (like the video game) still works on its own terms. His score combines thrilling or heavenly instrumentals with a selection of pop classics, like Elvis Costello's Man Out Of Time (1982), or McCreary's own pop reinterpretations. Utilizing a host of guest vocalists like Raya Yarbrough McCreary is able to deliver his own take on vintage numbers like Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time (1983).

The music established for Defiance is indeed another layer added to the show's character and lends the series real personality to an already colorful world. While the music accentuates the drama or the action, it also maintains a quality that can be enjoyed entirely removed from the series.

Generally fans of television or film scores will embrace instrumental music on its own terms anyway, but, here, the soundtrack for Defiance is even more accessible than most, but no less complicated or original.

There are two soundtracks available for each season of the series, both first and second. A third score exists for the accompanying video game and a Deluxe Edition includes the game score combined with Season One. Fans of Defiance will pray for future soundtrack releases, because as much as Defiance fans pray for a fourth season renewal of the series, they know the complimentary soundtrack releases make for an equally big treat.

Season One is a melding of electronics and classical instrumentation alternating throughout with a selection of pop renditions, alien interpretations of the originals, collaborating with a number of artists like Raya Yarbrough (Outlander, Battlestar Galactica). The new spins on the pop classics are a real delight too.



McCreary commented on his approach for the series on his website noting, "heavy synths and ethnic soloists played a key role in defining the sound of Defiance, but the cinematic quality came from working with a string orchestra. ... I was asked to help bring the alien cultures to life by developing a distinct musical heritage for each. I fashioned Votan instrumentation and lyrics into a variety of popular songs and ceremonial pieces. I wrote pieces for street musicians that float through open-air marketplaces. I produced alien classical music, jingles, jazz, rock-anthems and torch songs." It's all here and the music works as both an immersive experience into this new alien Earth or as a vehicle for delivering great music for, well, your vehicle.

As McCreary himself noted on his blog, there is a "daunting" amount of music scored here. "I constantly juggled a dozen or so character themes and followed intricately crafted story arcs."

There are some real highlights like McCreary's heroic Nolan theme that is epically cinematic and threads the series.

The Main Title theme for Defiance is succinct yet powerful and never tires the ear. It's another composition triumph and one of McCreary's best to date. It is often applied to propel the relationship dynamic of the protagonists in the series, Earth human Joshua Nolan and Irathient daughter Irisa. The edit can be found on the TV series soundtrack while the full version is on the video game soundtrack. The combined Deluxe Edition will give you both or you can head straight to iTunes.

McCreary develops the original alien sounds of the Castithans and the themes (Castithan Bath) that connect with characters Datak Tarr and Stahma Tarr channeling the inspiration of Nino Rota's score to The Godfather (1972). The ethnic sounds that complement these characters are the most alien in the show, but beautiful.

The synthetic laced bombast of the Battle Of The Volge is a "dub-step" (as my son The Boy Wonder likens it) infused eight minute, thirty-three second epic march to war. According to McCreary he requires "at least one gargantuan battle cue on every record." This Defiance classic rests comfortably next to Assault On The Colony (Battlestar Galactica Season Four) and Storming New Caprica (Battlestar Galactica Season Three) and it is a thrill ride. It's definitely a personal favorite on the Season One soundtrack along with the entirely bizarre but entrancing Concerto For Insects.

Renditions of Five Stairsteps' Ooh Child (S1, Ep3, The Devil In The Dark) and Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time (S1, Ep11, Past Is Prologue) by Raya Yarbrough are particularly gentle and sensitive for a series that truly runs the gamut of emotional highs and lows.



There are pop songs interspersed with McCreary's score throughout the series to further underscore this is a future world that has not forgotten its past either despite the changes.

Songs Of Defiance Season Two continues this remarkable blending of pop music originals while also adding interpretations of Doll Parts (Hole; 1994) (S2, Ep11, Doll Parts) and What's Up? (4 Non Blondes; 1993) (S2, Ep9, Painted From Memory) by Fyfe Monroe. To further illustrate the originality of the compositions, Trace Adkins recorded an original that includes lyrics that directly promote the reality of Defiance through the cultures of the various races. The song is exceptional and is called Across The Storm Divide (Season Two, Episode 1, The Opposite Of Hallelujah).

It is truly the sheer originality of this spicy and eclectic mix of songs and music that make these two scores such a sensation to the ear.

As McCreary declared, these soundtracks were not pessimistic "music-inspired cash-grabs." He passionately produced each and every composition to "tell us something specific about the Votan / Human culture in Defiance." The selections speak directly to the bible of cultures created for this powerful series. Continue to experience the world of Defiance aurally with these outstanding works from Bear McCreary. Defiance rivals his exceptional involvement on Battlestar Galactica and that's really saying something.

Resident Evil: Extinction

"It feels like Mad Max."

-Milla Jovovich (SciFiNow #7)-

In keeping with the spirit of the apocalypse, we turn our attention to a raging zombie apocalypse. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) follows our inspections of both Resident Evil (2002) here and Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) here. And while Resident Evil: Extinction may lack the originality of the Mad Max series this installment definitely channels the desolate energy of the aforementioned series set against a desert-based aftermath. It could never pretend to be the genius of a George Miller classic. It does however give the Resident Evil franchise a change of venue, some altered scenery in which to invest a new look into its zombie nightmare.

Perhaps it was the high expectations placed upon the second installment, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, that doomed it from the very beginning. It seems the harshest criticisms of the franchise have been unfairly bestowed upon that sophomore outing.



Thus, by the time the third entry in the Resident Evil franchise arrived expectations were apparently lowered. This third installment, Resident Evil: Extinction, would have the unenviable distinction of being the shortest story in the movie franchise. Though, in an era where films seem often too long and unruly and lacking a judicious editor there is something rather welcoming about a mean, lean, refined, quick and dirty little Resident Evil picture.

The success or failure of the film, these merits are certainly always subject to debate when it comes to Resident Evil, rested squarely on the shoulders of journeyman Australian director Russell Mulcahy, the third new director in the series behind Paul W. S. Anderson and Alexander Witt.



The latest seemed a perfect choice for Mulcahy. The film fell very much within his aesthetic wheelhouse. Mulcahy clearly ran with a bright, outdoor, desert aesthetic, which allowed him to create a film that ran in stark contrast to the dark, night time saturation of Resident Evil: Apocalypse or the deep underground basement vibe of the original. Resident Evil: Extinction was a full-on zombie assault actioner without the suspense and mood of the original. It also benefitted from its daylight filming in much the same way the Mad Max pictures could be enjoyed. Viewers could actually see everything vividly and brilliantly better than ever. This third film also seemed to spare no expense on make-up utilized for the zombie hordes, because they looked quite fabulous, well, for zombies.



The cinematographic look of Resident Evil: Extinction is really no accident. It shouldn't come as a surprise when one considers the career of the gritty Mulcahy. This third zombie retreat was suited perfectly for the man behind the camera.



Mulcahy established a name for himself with folks of my generation by squarely establishing himself as one of the premiere music video directors of the MTV generation. In fact, for a time, Mulcahy was synonymous with the biggest band in the world for a time: Duran Duran. Mulcahy's imprint on Duran Duran's music video output in the act's glory days was nothing short of prolific. For a time, Mulcahy delivered video after sterling video for the band proving that there was not only an audience hungry like the wolf for music videos, but one hungry for music video coupled with a genuine cinematic presentation. Along with MTV, Duran Duran wrote the book on making music videos. The band almost singlehandedly revolutionized the standard for them and Mulcahy certainly had an impact on that development. I mean Duran Duran was synonymous with music videos. They were the face of music videos and their pretty boy good looks coupled with that kind of exposure worked very much to the band's detriment despite really being a force in music still going strong as of this writing. How many 80s bands can say that? How many 80s bands could survive the kind of critical backlash and effort by the media and critics and still come out a survivor? Clearly not many. Mulcahy with Duran Duran were making something visually and historically special for a period. Planet Earth, My Own Way, Lonely In Your Nightmare, the haunting Night Boat, the classic Save A Prayer, Rio, Hungry Like The Wolf, Is There Something I Should Know?, The Reflex and the extended short film Wild Boys (for the Arena film). WOW! Never mind that Mulcahy worked with Spandau Ballet (True), Elton John, Ultravox, Bonnie Tyler, Icehouse, Kim Carnes, Billy Joel, Berlin, Culture Club, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac and even Queen for the obvious Highlander (1986) scoring of which Mulcahy also directed.



Signs of Resident Evil could be glimpsed early in such sun-baked desert heavy works as the Mulcahy conceived Union Of The Snake. In Union Of The Snake a Mad Max-styled band of survivors (Duran Duran) is forced across an apocalyptic landscape overrun by the science fiction of humanoid snake people. Shot in the Australian desert, the video looks fantastic as the band members of Duran Duran take refuge from the snake creatures in an underground lair deep below the desert. Strange maybe, but these ideas ring familiar and are tied to the mind of Mulcahy.



Mulcahy had reached his zenith in the music video world while directing Duran Duran's big ideas culminating in the live/concept concert film Arena (1985) and the centerpiece song and music video Wild Boys. Mulcahy suggested the band create a song based on author William S. Burroughs' The Wild Boys: A Book Of The Dead (1971). The song's concepts as well as those crafted for the music video directly reflected the aforementioned book thanks to the bold vision of Mulcahy. These grand ideas not only recalled the spirit of Mad Max but channeled the work of Burroughs. Wild Boys, the music video, cost an exorbitant one million dollars. It was intended by Mulcahy as a teaser-like lure for film studios in the hopes he could bring to life his vision of a much larger film of that book on which Wild Boys was based. The story centered on a homosexual youth movement with an eye toward the downfall of Western civilization. The setting was the apocalyptic, late twentieth century. Mulcahy had hoped to make that film and even turned to Duran Duran to score it as a soundtrack, in much the same way Queen handled the music chores for Highlander. It was never to be.



Unfortunately for Duran Duran and Mulcahy, Arena arrived to poor reviews and perhaps the beginning of the end of Duran Duran's Midas touch at stratospheric levels of popularity. Despite the setback, that apocalyptic, Burroughs-inspired, George Miller-infused aesthetic was perfectly visualized and realized by Mulcahy for Wild Boys. Wonderful, raggedy costume design, mutant and monster prosthetics and make-up, pyrotechnic visuals and a world fully-realized on the stage of Pinewood Studios transformed Duran Duran inside an apocalyptic world of pop art. So, for a time, Mulcahy and Duran Duran had formed an elaborate bond of music and film art that seemed to create a kind of cinematic fusion that became synonymous with MTV and music videos. The symbiotic relationship and symmetry seemed to work in spades.



And how did this become a lesson in music history and Duran Duran? It's hard to resist history or any connection to music in the 1980s. But much of this indeed paved the way for a director comfortable in making films like Tale Of The Mummy (1988), Mysterious Island (2005), The Curse Of King Tut's Tomb and The Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior (2008) as well as an episode of Jeremiah (2002). So of course Resident Evil: Extinction was a natural move for Mulcahy and a sizable genre pick. The film was a comfortable and natural fit to a man who once desired to take on such big, end of the world apocalyptic-sized ideas. Mulcahy seemed the perfect director for the objective of global extinction and now deserted civilization.



In many ways Resident Evil: Extinction feels the most like the journey to find the living and the uninfected concept that would infuse AMC's popular The Walking Dead (2010) series three years later. We see a rag tag group makes its way to Alaska rather than Terminus and we even have a prison setting in both.

There are plenty of creative moments within the entry whereby zombie killing should be creative and fun and Mulcahy doesn't disappoint in this.

Like any Resident Evil film, Resident Evil: Extinction won't set the world on fire or command a lasting legacy in the same manner as the esteemed George Miller Mad Max series, as much as Jovovich would like to marry the two, but this third entry makes for an entertaining, efficient and economic zombie actioner set against a sun-baked desert apocalypse vibe with loads of great practical effects. The aesthetic also contrasts nicely against the first two Resident Evil entries rounding out a rather solid, varied trilogy despite those that would have you believe otherwise.



How appropriate to add Ali Larter of TV's Heroes (2006-2010) acclaim with the infusion of a super-powered Alice, a living weapon a la the Ellen Ripley character of Alien Resurrection (1997). With these new layers to the mythology, along with the well-mined cloning concepts, there's actually a good bit on the mind in Mulcahy's well-framed, nicely lensed film. It may have its derivative inspirations including an homage to Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds and an immortals-like smack down ripped right from Mulcahy's own Highlander, but the execution is fun, effective with a taut running time that leaves no room to meander.

At the very least plenty of men (and women) can identify with all of the zombie excitement as much as they can the action heroine of Milla Jovovich. Can you imagine cloning Alice (Milla)? There could be one for every hot-blooded male on the planet. In Resident Evil, her presence always has a way of raising the (ahem) bar.

Future gamer as in Game Of Thrones player Iain Glen.

Ah, Ashanti, only you can make us happy.

Ali Larter: A hero once again.

Not her sexiest moment.

Not exactly Mad Max: Fury Road or Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.