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More FfR thoughts
Hello,
Just thought I would try to bring things back on topic. :-)
I've been listening to FfR a *lot*, and I thought I would jot down
some further thoughts and potential discussion questions.
Eric warned me that the design would be different from the typical OtR albums
to date, so I wasn't completely surprised by the new look to the album. All in
all, I thought the new art design was appropriate to the overall direction of
the piece: a certain elegance remained consistent, but there was a new feel to
it. I love the composition of the cover photo: the red is striking, and the
balance between the dark shadows on the one side and the bright glimpse of skin
on the other really draws the eye into the subject.
Is is possible to avoid the idolation of pop stardom while still doing
things that court that kind of mindset like offering signatures to a
select few? Just food for thought... on to the music...
As I said before, this is a great way to start off. The World Can Wait grabs
you by the lapels and demands you pay attention from the first bars. I
appreciate the percussion, especially as it moves center stage at the end of
the song. The words are evocative yet playful. I like how the hyperbole of "I
need thousands more [senses]" is matched to the throwaway gag "at least", which
pushes it into humor. To discuss: what is the world waiting for?
Nice to hear such a rich version of If Nothing Else. It's interesting to look
at this song in dialoge with the first song on the record. Both deal with
feelings of helplessness of some sort, although this one seems more ambivalent
about it. the World can Wait seems to be saying that time is running out, but
the moment takes precedence. If Nothing Else seems to feel helpless in the
face of the hourglass. To discuss: is "I can dream" an expression of freedom
or impotence?
Give Me Strength really blew me away. The vocals and the unusual electronica
create an evocative mood that feels uplifting and soaring. From the first beat
to the last, resigned note, I was enthralled. Although someone else wrote it,
it seems very much in keeping with the themes of the previous two songs. We
hear longing to achieve dreams, the question of how we connect with ourselves,
others, the moment, and the future.
Fairport Diary continues to express feelings of helplessness, although unlike
the first two songs, this one explicitly reaches out to the Other for help in
the face of feeling insignificant ("everybody's story is more interesting than
mine") and impotent ("don't let me drown", with no indication of
self-sufficiency). The rather bleak lyrics are balanced with a playful
tone in the music, primarily through the toy piano and bouncy rhythm. Overall,
I find this album a fascinating mixture of hope and despair. Or perhaps hope
in the face of despair is a better phrase.
I Radio Heaven is entrancing. I don't know if it's a minor key, or what
(Dammit, Jim, I'm a physicist, not a musician!), but I love the sweeping
meloncholy tone of this one. There is some really fascinating imagry
in the lyrics. Especially when it gets sexual in the latter half.
To discuss: why "a *slut* with a mission"?
I'm out of time. I'll have to do the last half of the album next week.
I'm off line for the next few days as I drive a telescope in a truck
from Los Angeles to Los Alamos, and then fly back to Michigan. Have
a great weekend, everyone!
Peace,
Don Smith
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