Focusing on music today, trying to stay peaceful and creative in a world in turmoil. I watched the end of David Lynch's Wild at Heart last night, a good film, better than I had expected. Not a subtle film, every symbol and idea was overt, but many scenes were powerful and compelling, and several that were not powerfully emotional made a unique visual or emotional impact. I liked many ideas, the woman covering her entire face with lipstick, the men with false legs scene, the chat around the table in the nowhere town (I can't even remember the name of it).
One thing I would have done is ended the film with Sailor, Lula, and their son riding their car over the rainbow to 'Love Me Tender', rather than merely singing it. Well, I say this, but I'd have not made a film like this at all of course, but, perhaps similarly surrealistic. I've read a script for the unrealised Lynch film Ronnie Rocket, which I found online years ago, and as a script alone it is a great film. That script still fills my mind with images. It's a pity that the film was not made and probably never will be.
I also watched a short film, Lamp, in which David Lynch makes a lamp, well, descorates one with plaster-like material. It is a precursor of YouTube 'making' videos, being filmed in the pre-internet era, but is little more than this; surreal in itself for being so ordinary.
Artistically I've re-recorded the 'Cherries' song today, and some new vocals for the end of 'Years of Art'. I'm more confident of my singing voice now, though still improving, faster at hitting the right note and more comfortable at improvising in a scale. These things are a key aim of my music at the moment. I'm leaning more about vocal production work too. I've tended to be too minimalistic perhaps, using a voice like a lead instrument, when it works best with some accompaniment or compliment from an sub instrument.
I've also recorded a new song, 'The Escape Angels', the surrealistic song I mentioned in an earlier post, which uses a saw, although the music is largely based around cellos and a deep synth bass. The hard part is making such a strangely structured song, which is designed to evoke feelings of fear, abuse, and damage, appealing. It is also one of my most free songs in timing terms, most of the instruments were played live without any guide to timing, simply layered, although there is a sort of verse/chorus/verse structure.
Finally today I've played around with a new production of my 'Plastic Superman' song. I couldn't decide if it should be a rock song like The Kinks' 'Superman' or electronic like a Giorgio Moroder or Vince Clarke song. Electronic seems to work best.
