My wife and I have plans to see Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby tonight. I’m not discouraged by the film’s 48% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes — that seems perfectly appropriate for a love-him-or-hate-him filmmaker like Luhrmann.
I’m sure the film will be over the top, even ridiculous, at times, but I’m equally sure it will have moments of transcendent beauty. Luhrmann’s films are always in danger of flying off the rails, but they do so spectacularly — that quality is the key to their appeal.
From one of the reissues of Elvis Costello’s Goodbye Cruel World comes this live rendition of a standout track from a much better album, Get Happy!
In an uncharacteristically brief mention in the album’s liner notes, Costello explains that today’s track — along with a few others — was recorded during his first-ever solo tour.
I’ve saved the most controversial of my bad songs for last.
I suspect more people would put The Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’ on a “best” list than a “worst” one. No doubt, this song (and the album from which it comes) is considered a classic by most people.
It’s not my fault they’re all wrong.
I’m not a fan of overtly political songs in general, but I’m somewhat willing to give them a pass if they have some nuance. But painfully earnest “make the world a better place” songs — yuck!
Michael Jackson’s ‘Man in the Mirror’ is the epitome of the genre, so much so that it actually contains the lyrics “if you want to make the world a better place.” And it is painful to sit through.
All of the hated songs I’m featuring this week are popular, as hated songs usually are. Nobody works up any vitriol over an obscure B-side.
Mariah Carey’s ‘Emotions’ was her fifth number one hit in a row (making her the only artist to ever have her first five singles reach #1). She dominated the airwaves in the early 90s the way Katy Perry has twenty years later.
Of the songs I’m featuring this week — all of which I hate — today’s selection is the one I’ve been forced to listed to the most.
That’s because the ‘Cha Cha Slide’ is the sort of obnoxious call-and-answer track that appeals to both sports arenas and children’s activity planners.
