April 2022 Vinyl Spin Challenge - Intertextuality and You

Day 5: “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried”

“I'm talkin' FEAR., FEAR. of losin' creativity
I'm talkin' FEAR., FEAR. of missin' out on you and me
I'm talkin' FEAR., FEAR. of losin' LOYALTY. from PRIDE.
'Cause my DNA. won't let me involve in the light of GOD.
I'm talkin' FEAR., FEAR. that my HUMBLE.ness is gone
I'm talkin' FEAR., FEAR. that LOVE. ain't livin' here no more
I'm talkin' FEAR., FEAR. that it's wickedness or weakness
FEAR., whatever it is, both is distinctive
FEAR., what happens on Earth stays on Earth
And I can't take these FEEL.ings
With me so hopefully they disperse
Within fourteen tracks, carried out over wax
Searchin' for resolutions until somebody get back
FEAR., what happens on earth stays on earth
And I can't take these FEEL.ings with me
So hopefully they disperse
Within fourteen tracks, carried out over wax
Wonderin' if I'm livin' through FEAR. or livin' through rap”

DAMN.

Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

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Day 04: William Gibson, Johnny Mnemonic

Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa
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The fist thing that popped into my mind when I read Johnny Mnemonic was of the mid 90s Keanu Reeves starring film and the thing that I remember most about that movie was the VHS, if you walked down the aisles of your local video rental store, you couldn’t help but notice the single bright orange Johnny Mnemonic shell casing amongst the sea of black VHS…
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So with that in mind I decided to spin my most recent bright orange vinyl.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
Day 04: William Gibson, Johnny Mnemonic

Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa
View attachment 134656
The fist thing that popped into my mind when I read Johnny Mnemonic was of the mid 90s Keanu Reeves starring film and the thing that I remember most about that movie was the VHS, if you walked down the aisles of your local video rental store, you couldn’t help but notice the single bright orange Johnny Mnemonic shell casing amongst the sea of black VHS…
View attachment 134663
So with that in mind I decided to spin my most recent bright orange vinyl.
Click to expand...

“A Pulse-Pounding Cyber-Slam!”… oh man, so true
 
Day 5
Amy Hempel, In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried

Childish Gambino - "Awaken, My Love!"
I've always read this album as being Donald Glover's message to his first son, who was born in early 2016. I think that much is obvious and can be gleaned from titles like "Me and Your Mama" and "Baby Boy." However, I think this album, like many works about parenthood, has an underlining fear to it. Not so much about having a child, but about the responsibility of protecting that child from the outside world, and sometimes, even yourself. Something a lot of kids don't realize when they're young is that their parents are not invincible or infallible. They're as human as anyone else, still learning and still capable of making mistakes.

On this album, Glover acknowledges that the current social climate he's bringing his son up in is one of perpetual confusion, anger and distrust and wants to warn his child about how this world will try to hurt him. However, he also sees the flaws in himself, realizing he is not always going to be the wise and protective father figure he thinks he should be and apologizes in advance for the ways in which his own fears - for his son's safety in a chaotic world and whether or not he's ready or stable enough to be a role model - might impact his child's life negatively.

It's a stunning act of maturity and vulnerability, and I suspect it's this kind of introspection that led Glover to the sonic direction he took on this album. I have to imagine that for Glover to so successfully execute the Funkadelic-inspired throwback sound he employs on this record, the connection to that music is probably something ingrained deep within him. If this was the kind of music Glover's parents played for him when he was younger, it would make sense that Glover would draw the parallel and make the album dedicated to his son also a tribute to his own nostalgia. In that sense, it becomes something of a cycle; as children become parents, they begin to understand their own parents more. Recognizing that your parents, no matter they might try to shield you from the world or hide their weakness, are still human beings that are works in progress, like everyone else. Even when you're old and your children have grown, the fear of them not being safe will never go away.
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Day 4
William Gibson, Johnny Mnemonic
Daft Punk - Human After All
A big theme of cyberpunk, as I understand it, is bridging the gap between humanity and technology. If that doesn't sum up Daft Punk's career in a nutshell, I don't know what does. Especially this album, where they sound more dystopian and electronic than ever. This record is certainly divisive, but there's no denying it has it's own identity in their discography. This is the robotic duo at their most distorted, synthetic and ear-pounding. It's a sound that's nauseating to some, intoxicating to others, but would definitely feel at home in a film featuring a cybernetic Keanu Reeves either way.20220405_162235.jpg
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
Day 04: William Gibson, Johnny Mnemonic

Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa
View attachment 134656
The fist thing that popped into my mind when I read Johnny Mnemonic was of the mid 90s Keanu Reeves starring film and the thing that I remember most about that movie was the VHS, if you walked down the aisles of your local video rental store, you couldn’t help but notice the single bright orange Johnny Mnemonic shell casing amongst the sea of black VHS…
View attachment 134663
So with that in mind I decided to spin my most recent bright orange vinyl.
Click to expand...

That bright orange VHS immediately brought to mind Nickelodeon tapes. Probably a good thing I didn't own Johnny Mnemonic, or I might have accidentally played it for the kids instead of Blues Clues.
 
April 5: Amy Hempel, In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried

This story really got to me. I read it at work and actually got a little choked up.
This line was the one that started it.:
"Tell me," she says, "about that chimp with the talking hands. What do they do when the thing ends and the chimp says, ‘I don't want to go back to the zoo'?"
I don't know if it was intended to be humor or meant to be sad, but for me it was the latter.

I was going to go with the fear angle, which is prevalent in the story, but I just decided to go with Funeral for a Friend.

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ranbalam said:
April 5: Amy Hempel, In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried

This story really got to me. I read it at work and actually got a little choked up.
This line was the one that started it.:
"Tell me," she says, "about that chimp with the talking hands. What do they do when the thing ends and the chimp says, ‘I don't want to go back to the zoo'?"
I don't know if it was intended to be humor or meant to be sad, but for me it was the latter.

I was going to go with the fear angle, which is prevalent in the story, but I just decided to go with Funeral for a Friend.

View attachment 134684
Click to expand...
I think Amy Hempel's stories all hit me in the feels. Even if they have some humor its often one that is sad. Like laughing at a funeral. But she's incredibly talented and I wish she published more. It took me years to track down a couple of her books that I seriously overpaid for, and then I think they got reprinted (all my hobbies screw me, lol!).
 
Hemotep said:
I think Amy Hempel's stories all hit me in the feels. Even if they have some humor its often one that is sad. Like laughing at a funeral. But she's incredibly talented and I wish she published more. It took me years to track down a couple of her books that I seriously overpaid for, and then I think they got reprinted (all my hobbies screw me, lol!).
Click to expand...
I think I'll seek out more of her stuff. That was my favorite short story of the five so far.
 
April 6: Octavia Butler, The Book of Martha
  • “She stepped away from God, and already God seemed to be fading, becoming translucent, transparent, gone.
  • “I want to forget,” Martha said, and she stood alone in her living room, looking blankly past the open drapes of her front window at the surface of Lake Washington and the mist that hung above it. She wondered at the words she had just spoken, wondered what it was she wanted so badly to forget.”
The Beatles "The Beatles" (1968 Apple Records; 2018 remaster from The Beatles and Esher Demos)
Martha My Dear

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April 6: Octavia Butler, The Book of Martha
  • “She stepped away from God, and already God seemed to be fading, becoming translucent, transparent, gone.
  • “I want to forget,” Martha said, and she stood alone in her living room, looking blankly past the open drapes of her front window at the surface of Lake Washington and the mist that hung above it. She wondered at the words she had just spoken, wondered what it was she wanted so badly to forget.”
Read the full short story yesterday, really enjoyed it. Today's spin is less related to the quote above, as the overall theme of God testing someone. Although the God in The Book of Martha has mellowed a bit from the one referenced in Highway 61.

Oh God said to Abraham, “Kill me a son”
Abe says, “Man, you must be puttin’ me on”
God say, “No.” Abe say, “What?”
God say, “You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin’ you better run”
Well Abe says, “Where do you want this killin’ done?”
God says, “Out on Highway 61”

Bob Dylan ~ Highway 61 Revisited

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