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Song of the Day #4,863: ‘Save Me’ – Aimee Mann

Boogie Nights bought Paul Thomas Anderson enough creative capital to do whatever the hell he wanted on his next film, and he spent every penny of it. He delivered 1999’s Magnolia, a 3+ hour melodrama that follows a dozen main characters and culminates in a rain of frogs.

This is a glorious, full-hearted mess of a movie. It could easily lose 20-30 minutes (something Anderson himself now admits) and yet its grand ambition is one of its greatest charms. And as a time capsule of Anderson’s early development as an auteur, I’m glad it exists in its fascinating, imperfect original form.

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Song of the Day #4,862: ‘Mama Told Me (Not to Come)’ – Three Dog Night

A year after his debut, Paul Thomas Anderson made a major splash with 1997’s Boogie Nights, garnering critical accolades and year-end awards. His trajectory reminds me a lot of that of Wes Anderson, who followed the modest, low-budget Bottle Rocket with Rushmore, one of his most celebrated films.

Boogie Nights is a blast of creative energy so brazen it’s hard to believe Anderson was in his mid-20s when he made it. The sheer number of cinematic techniques on display here is dizzying, and it’s all stitched together with such confidence and bravado.

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Song of the Day #4,861: ‘Sydney’s Work Walk 1996’ – Jon Brion

Last month I posted about the filmography of Wes Anderson, one of my favorite filmmakers, in advance of his upcoming movie The French Dispatch.

This month, I turn my attention to another Anderson, and another of my favorite filmmakers — Mr. Paul Thomas Anderson, whose coming-of-age dramedy Licorice Pizza comes to theaters in late November.

Once again, I will write a bit about each film and then offer up my ranked list of Anderson’s films, noting how those rankings have shifted since I last ordered his filmography.

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Song of the Day #4,860: ‘Appreciate’ – Paul McCartney

It’s funny how fast new music comes and goes. I remember buying and enjoying Paul McCartney’s 2013 album, New, his first collection of original material in six years. I played it a lot that year. I don’t think I’ve played it once since.

At the time, the album was hailed as McCartney’s best in years. I haven’t listened to much of his solo work, so you won’t get an argument from me. But even McCartney’s best album in years isn’t quite good enough to break into my regular rotation.

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Song of the Day #4,859: ‘Texas Never Whispers’ – Pavement

Today’s featured song is the third Random Weekend selection from Pavement’s 1992 album Slanted and Enchanted.

Because I own the 2002 Luxe & Reduxe version of the record, all of the selections so far have been from the bonus material and not the album proper. They’ve also all been pretty bad.

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