Thoughts on Andor
Hey to kick things off here's my take on my favorite series of 2022. -B
Andor is real Star Wars. It’s on the same order of magnitude of Star Wars as rogue one which was on the same order of magnitude as the OG three. Other Star Wars'(es?) have been good. Even momentarily that good. But no single other full thing has had “it”. They haven’t felt like Star Wars. Most were too slick. Or too ensemble. Or too tenuously charted. These were not critical failures per se but they were a barrier to the mountain top.
I don’t know where I read this lately, but Star Wars isn’t sci fi, it’s fantasy. When the technology does more than facilitate epic fantasy in space we go sideways. Lightsabers are just magic swords. The Death Star is just a dragon. Jedi are just wizards. If you explain the magic (midichlorians, palpatine-al clones) it goes poof.
Star Wars came from the 70’s which was a more physical age. Electronics were big and bulky and noisy and dangerous. Industry was nasty and amazing. Andor has that hot lacquered motor winding smell. Even in Coruscant it’s a little art deco with grunge down below. Gatsby would recognize it. Our modern social metaverse foundationed gnostic world, divorced from the indignities of physics and molten iron, barely resembles it.
The casting is fantastic. The characters are clean and complex and compelling. The tension is clear and overwhelming. The empire is suffocating but not distant and full of people who are just like us on the outside. They aren’t faceless nazis but they are terrifying. The empire is a machine and not an emperor and somehow that is infinitely worse.
Prequels often struggle with being confined by what comes next, but not this one. Somehow it has cracked open the shell and found an enormous landscape, an epic myriad of new ground that doesn’t require Luke to drop in or Darth Vader to saunter by to stand up on its own.
More of this please
How many recordings are you missing from your favorite artists simply because you haven't looked? The writer mentions something about assuming an artist didn't record much before we 'discovered' them, and I'm guilty of making that assumption for sure. My most recent example is Spotify presenting me a collaboration by Merl Saunders and Jerry Garcia that made me smile real big. So pick an artist you like, then go listen to everything they've ever made. Also, tip o the cap to Patrick M. for the link. -C
I love this song and I love this tiktok person's tiktok uhhhhh channel? Stream? Page? Tlog? -B
Some Taylor Swift is wonderful and some puts me to sleep. This falls into the wonderful category. -B
I love Taylor Swift. Me and Gerry saw her in the Memphis airport one time but were too nervous to introduce ourselves...but anyway I would totally go to one of her concerts if I could sit in a "no screaming and wailing" section. - C
for KING & COUNTRY - Little Drummer Boy
When you need to get PUMPED up for the holiday season! Also... like what mother who just gave birth wants a drummer boy anywhere near either them or their newborn? What a weird Christmas traditional concept that really doesn't make sense when you think about it. Like what if we went and cut down a tree and put it inside the house? A tree? Inside the house? Why not it is Christmas! -B
In our efforts to occasionally feature links that are exactly what they sound like they are, we present this video of a sleepy-looking fellow playing 500 real heavy guitar riffs. So if that's the vibe for you at the moment, click through and let his skillz carry you through the rest of your reading. -C
"Ophelia" - Levon Helm and The Band - YouTube
The energy and joy in this live performance of a classic just makes me happy. -B
I've got a music playlist system. There's a "working" playlist and a "focus" playlist and a "new" playlist and a "chill" playlist. But this is the backbone of the playlist system. It started as a short list of songs I could listen to as part avoiding anxiety if I got stuck in traffic. It has transformed into a 3D map of my soul. I share it with not a little trepidation and beg you for your charity. Hit shuffle and I'm positive you'll find some gems you've never heard of but will love along with some obligatory staples -B
Song For My Father by Horace Silver
Thanks to Gerry for sharing an awesome album that has been jazzing up my workdays for the past week. -C
Sea Shanties
If you missed the hubbub of sea shanties that saturated the socials a few weeks ago, we'd like to help you catch up. You won't be able to get these out of your head, and you'll likely find yourself humming them as you perform menial tasks throughout the rest of your week. - C
First, a damn solid video from a guy who deserves more subs about the rise of TikTok Sea Shanties.