NBA OR NFL?

36 - have been accused of spousal abuse

7 - have been arrested for fraud

19 - have been accused of writing bad checks

117 - have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses

3 - have done time for assault

71 - can not get a credit card due to bad credit

14 - have been arrested on drug-related charges

8 - have been arrested for shoplifting

1 - currently are defendants in lawsuits, and

84 - have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

Can you guess which organization this is?

Give up yet?

Neither, it's the 535 members of the United States Congress.

The same group of Idiots that crank out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.

JOTD: Do The Math

A guy goes to the supermarket and notices a beautiful blond woman wave at him and say hello.

He's rather taken aback, because he can't place where he knows her from.

So he says, "Do you know me?"

To which she replies, "I think you're the father of one of my kids."

Now his mind travels back to the only time he has ever been unfaithful to his wife and says, "My God, are you the stripper from my bachelor party that I laid on the pool table with all my buddies watching, while your partner whipped my butt with wet celery and then stuck a carrot up my butt???"

She looks into his eyes and calmly says, "No, I'm your son's math teacher."

Ben Folds Fall Dates - Shit! Nothing yet in AZ

Ben's announced a few US tour dates for this coming fall, including:

Nov. 1: Houston, TX - Jones Hall
Nov. 5: Columbia, MO - Jesse Auditorium, University of Missouri
Nov. 6: Lawrence, KS - Lied Center of Kansas
Nov. 9: Bloomington, IN - IU Auditorium
Nov. 11: Geneseo, NY - Kuhl Gym, SUNY / Geneseo
Nov. 12: Fredonia, NY - SUNY Fredonia Gym
Nov. 14: Columbia, SC - Koger Center For The Arts, Univ. of South Carolina
Nov. 15: Washington, DC - Bender Arena
Nov. 18: Chestertown, MD- Lifetime Fitness Center, Washington College

We are being promised more dates, so as the schedule fills up, we'll update.

Bad JOTD: M&Ms

An old man and a young man work together in an office. The old man always has a jar of peanuts on his desk, and the young man really loves peanuts.
One day, while the old man is away from his desk, the young man yields to temptation and scarfs down over half of the contents of the jar. When the old man returns, the young man feels guilty and confesses to his crime.

"Don't worry, son. I never eat the peanuts anyway," the old man replies. "Since I lost my teeth, all I can do is gum chocolate off the M&M's."

GSOTD: London Calling

Click on the title to view the video of "London Calling" by THE CLASH

London calling to the faraway towns
Now war is declared - and battle come down
London calling to the underworld
Come out of the cupboard,you boys and girls
London calling, now don't look to us
Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust
London calling, see we ain't got no swing
'Cept for the reign of that truncheon thing

CHORUS
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running, but I have no fear
Cause London is burning and I, I live by the river

London calling to the imitation zone
Forget it, brother, you can go at it alone
London calling to the zombies of death
Quit holding out - and draw another breath
London calling - and I don't wanna shout
But while we were talking I saw you nodding out
London calling, see we ain't got no high
Except for that one with the yellowy eyes

CHORUS x2
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear error, but I have no fear
Cause London is drowning and I, I live by the river

Now get this
London calling, yes, I was there, too
An' you know what they said? Well, some of it was true!
London calling at the top of the dial
And after all this, won't you give me a smile?
London Calling

I never felt so much alike, like-a, like-a...

Dresden Dolls' Latest Not to Be Missed

Jul 29, 07:44 PM

By ANGELICA WROBEL

There is only one way to describe the Dresden Dolls' latest release -- magnificent! Although the drum, piano and vocal fusion is what first made the Dolls known, the sound is more sophisticated on Yes, Virginia .... The magic sound of punk cabaret has become more sharp-tongued, and that is most certainly thanks to Amanda Palmer, the voice of the duo and its pianist.

The album opens with "Sex Changes," a nice piece filled with breakdowns between Palmer and percussionist Brian Viglione. Over a sweet piano melody, Palmer's lyrics have multiple interpretations. The song is a painful confession nonetheless.

The next track, "Backstabber," captures the before, during and after stages of heartbreak in one of the most memorable songs on the album. Amid the simple and upbeat core of the song, Palmer chants "backstabber, backstabber" repeatedly until it sounds like she's saying "stab her back, stab her back."

It is rare that a band can cater to the masses while staying completely true to itself. Quite possibly, the mix of weirdness, anger, love and hate can earn the Dolls a spot in the heart of America -- maybe not world domination but rather mainstream acceptance.

Down the line, "My Alcoholic Friends" is one of Palmer's greatest lyrical works. Above the choppy piano chords, Palmer sings, "I'm trying hard, not to be ashamed, not to know the name, of who is waking up beside me." Closing the song, she says, "Should I choose a noble occupation? If I did, I'd only show up late and sick, and they'd stare at me with hatred, plus my only talent's wasted on my alcoholic friends."

And that's just in the first half of the album.

The next portion is very soft and allows both Palmer and Viglione to showcase their musicianship. The energy and passion are revived on Track 8, "Mrs. O." It's a slow piece based on an 1897 letter to The New York Sun, in which an 8-year-old girl named Virgina inquired about the existence of Santa Claus. Everything that this album stands for can be found in this song. Palmer softly sings over her piano: "We all know there's no Hitler and no Holocaust, no winter and no Santa Claus, and yes, Virgina, all because the truth won't save you now."

On "Shores of California," the sharp-tongued lyrics reappear and make one crave even more Dresden Dolls toward the end of the CD.

"Necessary Evil" will take a listener's breath away. A spoken- word beginning -- "Let's get lost" -- starts one of the best songs written in a long time. Later in the song, Palmer says, "I've connected speakers to my suitors at the discotheques, and they don't know the difference, are they men or Memorex?"

It's said often that the Dresden Dolls have to be heard to be believed. Yes, Virginia ... offers that opportunity to listen. You won't regret it.

http://feed.insnews.org/

SYV: I Fought The Law

Click on the title to view this video by THE CLASH!

GSOTD: Train in Vain

"Train in Vain" by THE CLASH

Say you stand by your man
Tell me something I don't understand
You said you loved me and that's a fact
and then you left me, said you felt trapped

Well some things you can't explain away
But the heartache's in me till this day

CHORUS
You didn't you stand by me
No, not at all
You didn't stand by me
No way

All the times
When we were close
I'll remember these things the most
I see all my dreams come tumbling down
I can't be happy without you round

So alone I keep the wolves at bay
and there is only one thing that I can say

CHORUS

You must explain why this must be
Did you lie when you spoke to me

Did you stand by me
No, not at all

Now I got a job
But it don't pay
I need new clothes
I need somewhere to stay
But without all of these things I can do
But without your love I won't make it through

But you don't understand my point of view
I suppose there's nothing I can do

CHORUS X 2

You must explain why this must be
Did you lie when you spoke to me

Did you stand by me
Did you stand by me
No, not at all
Did you stand by me
No way
Did you stand by me
No, not at all
Did you stand by me
No way

Clash Cover Art

GAOTW: The Clash

The Clash were an English rock group that existed from 1976 to 1986. One of the most successful and iconic bands from the original wave of punk rock in the late 1970s, they went on to incorporate punk with reggae, rockabilly, dance, jazz, ska, hip hop and eventually many other music styles into their repertoire. They were legendary for their uncommonly intense stage performances.

From their earliest days as a band, the Clash stood apart from their peers with their musicianship, as well as their lyrics; the passionate, left wing political idealism in the lyrics of frontmen Joe Strummer and Mick Jones contrasted with the anarchic nihilism of the Sex Pistols and the basic simplicity of The Ramones. Although they were a major success in the U.K. from the release of their first album in 1977, they did not become popular in the U.S. until 1980.

Their third album, the late 1979 release London Calling is considered by many critics one of the greatest albums in the history of rock music; it was released in the U.S. in January, 1980 and a decade later Rolling Stone magazine declared it the best album of the 1980s.

The Clash's attitude and style, as much as their music, strongly influenced countless other bands such as U2, Public Enemy and Green Day. In 2003 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

History

(1976-1978) Formation and British success

Originally composed of Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Keith Levene and Terry Chimes (credited, as a pun, on their first LP as "Tory Crimes"), the Clash formed in Ladbroke Grove, west London in 1976 during the first wave of British punk. Levene (later of Public Image Ltd.) was a friend of Mick Jones and served as guitarist and songwriter with The Clash, but never recorded with the band and, according to Mick Jones in the 1999 Clash documentary Westway to the World, was kicked out for never showing up to practice.

Strummer, had previously been in the pub rock act The 101'ers (his stage name at this point was Woody Mellor; soon he would rename himself "Joe Strummer"); Jones and Simonon were (briefly) in legendary proto-punk band London SS. At the behest of their manager Bernie Rhodes, Jones, Levene and Simonon recruited the slightly older Strummer from the 101'ers. "You're great," they told him, "but your group is shit." Rhodes then allegedly gave Strummer a couple of days to think about joining the project, but then called him only a day later in a panic. Strummer agreed and the group became The Clash, the name being supplied by Simonon after seeing the word repeatedly in newspapers.

The new band had their first gig on July 4, 1976, supporting the Sex Pistols, and that autumn the band were signed to CBS Records. In early September, Levene left. Chimes left in late November, but was soon drafted back to enable the band to record their debut album. The band released their first single ("White Riot") and first album (The Clash) in 1977 to considerable success in the UK. However, CBS initially declined to release either in the United States, waiting until 1979 before releasing a modified version of the first album in the US, after the UK original had become the best-selling import album of all time in the United States.

Following the release of their first album, Chimes left amicably due to personal differences with the remaining members. In the documentary Westway to the World, Mick Jones referred to him as one of "the best drummers around", but Chimes, who had no great wish to make a career from music, said "The point was that I wanted one kind of life - they wanted another, and why are we working together, if we want completely different things?" Chimes later joined heavy metal group Hanoi Rocks.

The band experienced a period of changing drummers (auditioning many including Jon Moss who formed London before forming Culture Club). Mick Jones recruited Nicholas Bowen Headon, who was nicknamed "Topper" by the band, due to his resemblance to a cartoon monkey, and "The Human Drum Machine" by the producer of Give 'Em Enough Rope, Sandy Pearlman, due to his impeccable timing and skills; the musically-gifted Headon was planning to stay only briefly in order to gain a reputation, so that he might find a better group. In the process, the band's potential became apparent to him and, realizing that he wouldn't find a better band, he changed his plans and decided to stay.

Initially, The Clash were particularly notable for their strident leftist political outlook and distinctive clothes, self painted with Jackson Pollock-style paint splashes and revolutionary slogans, such as "Sten Guns in Knightsbridge," "Under Heavy Manners," and "Red Brigade". Throughout 1977, Strummer and Jones were in trouble with the police for a range of minor crimes ranging from petty vandalism to stealing a pillowcase, while Simonon and Headon were arrested for shooting racing pigeons with air guns from the roof of their rehearsal studio.

(1978-1982) US success

The band's second album, the Sandy Pearlman-produced Give 'Em Enough Rope, was the first to feature Headon on all cuts. It was released in 1978 and debuted at number two on the British charts, though failed to enter the Top 100 in the United States. In the UK, it met with a disappointing reaction from critics, who felt it was too over-produced and slick in comparison to the raw excitement of the debut album. However, it was still received well by the British public.

Give 'Em Enough Rope was the first Clash album officially released in the U.S. (though the UK release of the first album was a best-selling import in the U.S.), and the Clash went on their first tour of the U.S. to support it in early 1979. Their first album eventually got an official release in the U.S. in July 1979, in a changed form from the version that was released elsewhere, dropping some tracks and instead including some singles released between the original 1977 release of the debut and Give em enough rope . These included a roaring version of Bobby Fuller's "I Fought The Law" (later released on their Cost Of Living EP) and the iconic "White Man in Hammersmith Palais".

The third album London Calling, a double album sold at the price of a single album at the insistence of the band, was released in 1979 and marked the height of their commercial success, although, initially, it was greeted by their original fans in the UK with suspicion, since double albums were associated with overblown prog rock groups. It featured a wider array of musical styles and influences than the earlier albums, including American-style rockabilly and Jamaican reggae works that resonated with the dub and ska styles popular in Britain. The album is considered one of the best rock albums ever produced, appearing at #8 on Rolling Stone's recent "Top 500 albums of all time." It was also named #1 on Entertainment Weekly 's "Top 25 Albums of the last 25 Years". Tracks such as "Train in Vain", "Clampdown" and "London Calling" show up regularly on rock stations to this day; "Train in Vain" also became the band's first American Top 40 hit, although it was initially an uncredited extra track at the end of the original vinyl release. The lettering font on the album cover is a homage to Elvis Presley's self-titled debut RCA LP, while the photo is of Simonon smashing his malfunctioning bass guitar in frustration at a show at the Palladium in New York, 1979, taken by renowned rock photographer Pennie Smith. According to Simonon, who initially was reluctant to have the picture used as the album cover, it was the only time he smashed a guitar on stage. He still has the pieces.

In late 1980, The Clash followed the double London Calling with a triple album entitled Sandinista!, (with the catalog number FSLN1, from the Spanish initials of the Sandinista political movement, Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional). Again, the band insisted it should be released at the same price as a single album - paying the difference out of their own royalties.

Sandinista! was even more stylistically varied, and was met with a more mixed reaction by critics and fans, some of whom felt the album was messy, unfocused and very self-indulgent. Despite this, it still topped The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop list of the best albums of the year. Recording every idea they had, the band became less interested in the traditional punk stance as they delved further in their experimentation with reggae and dub ("Let's Go Crazy") and expanded into other musical styles and production techniques that included jazz ("Look Here"), hip hop ("The Magnificent Seven"), chamber music ("Rebel Waltz"), gospel("Hitsville U.K."), ("The Sound of the Sinners"), vocals by keyboard player Mickey Gallagher's baby son, and "Mensforth Hill," a tape loop collage similar to The Beatles "Revolution No 9".

"That's why it had to be a triple album," says Strummer in Westway to the World interview, which devotes twice as much screen time to Sandinista! as it does to London Calling. "Even though it would have been better as just a double album...or a single album...or maybe an EP! Who knows? The fact is that we recorded all that music, in one spot, at one moment. In a single three-week blast. For better or worse, Sandinista! is the document."

Although fans were confused and sales were down, they fared better in the U.S. than in the past, mainly on the back of the previous success of London Calling. Following the release of Sandinista!, The Clash went on their first world tour, including venues in eastern Asia and Australia. The combination of an exhaustive tour schedule and the recording of a new album saw escalating friction between band members.

Tensions and conflicts within the band lead to considerations of disbanding, especially since drummer Topper Headon was rapidly becoming unreliable due to heroin addiction. However, the band managed to record more, while touring and their next album Combat Rock turned to be the worldwide best-selling of all of their records, although sales were not as good in the U.K. Featuring the singles "Rock the Casbah" and the double a-side "Should I Stay Or Should I Go/Straight to Hell", it broke into the American and British top ten. "Ghetto Defendant" featured beat poet Allen Ginsberg, and "Red Angel Dragnet" referenced the film Taxi Driver.

(1982-1983) Tensions and disintegration

After Combat Rock, the Clash began to slowly disintegrate. Much to the band's chagrin, Topper Headon left the band just prior to the release, unable to cope with his ongoing heroin addiction, which had a deleterious effect on both his health and drumming. The true reason for Headon's departure was covered up by manager Bernie Rhodes as a "political difference". The band's original drummer, Terry Chimes, was brought back for the next few months. (For a period, Headon sank into severe depression, only to resurface with a solo album, then entering prison briefly for fraud, before finally cleaning up and kicking the addiction by the end of the decade.)

The loss of Headon brought much friction, as he was an essential part of the band and well-liked by the others. Jones and Strummer began to feud, although it is often said that some of the friction between the two arose because manager Bernie Rhodes disliked Jones and thought him arrogant, and was promoting Strummer against him. The band, although still touring arenas and opening up for The Who in stadiums on their tour in 1982, barely spoke to or even glanced at each other, both during the concerts and backstage. The band continued to tour but by 1983, after years of constant touring and recording, the strain took its final toll. Bandmembers later explained that this was partly because of their still young age - Paul and Mick were still only 26 and 27 respectively and Strummer was 30 - and their relative inexperience to cope with such difficult and tension-plagued situations. Simonon, a long-term friend of Jones, felt inclined to side with Strummer because he became frustrated with Jones' musical experimentation.

Chimes left the band after the 1982-1983 Combat Rock tour, convinced that the band could not continue with in-fighting and turmoil. In 1983, after an extensive search for a new drummer, Pete Howard was recruited and performed with the trio at several low-key US dates and finally at the US Festival in San Bernardino, California. The Clash were one of the headliners of this festival, along with David Bowie and Van Halen (and a host of others). The crowd of roughly half a million was by far the biggest of the Clash's career. This was Jones' last appearance with The Clash.

In September 1983, prompted by Rhodes, Strummer and Simonon sacked Jones from the band, citing his problematic behaviour and divergent musical aspirations. (Jones went on to found Big Audio Dynamite (BAD) with Don Letts, and both Strummer and Simonon collaborated with BAD at various times.)

After a series of auditions, the band announced Nick Sheppard, formerly of the Bristol-based Cortinas, and Vince White would be the band's new guitarists. Howard continued to be the drummer, although there were rumours that Headon or Chimes might return to replace him. The band played its first shows in January 1984 with a batch of new material and launched into a self-financed tour, dubbed the Out of Control tour.

Musically, the new band was capable of almost re-creating the fire and intensity of the original line-up, but chemistry and trust between the old guard and the new were often strained due to circumstance and simple unfamiliarity. Regardless, the band toured heavily over the winter and into early summer. At a striking miners' benefit show ("Scargill's Christmas Party") in December 1984, he announced the band had a new record and would be releasing it early in the new year.

(1983-1986) Cut the Crap and the final demise

Thw recording sessions for Cut the Crap were chaotic, with manager Bernie Rhodes and Strummer working in Munich, Germany. Most of the parts were played by studio musicians, with Sheppard and later White flying in to come up with guitar parts. Struggling with Rhodes for control of the band, Strummer wiped his hands of the project and returned home.

It was roughly around this time that the band went on a busking tour. Applying strict rules that allowed to carry only 10 pounds and one change of underwear, the band travelled separately or in pairs and convened at public spaces in cities throughout the U.K. where they played acoustic versions of their hits along with covers like "Twist and Shout" and "Stepping Stone."

After a gig in Athens, Strummer fled to Spain to clear his mind. When he returned he effectively broke up the band. While Strummer was gone, the first single off Cut the Crap, "This is England" was released to mostly negative reviews. The song, much like the rest of the album that came out later that year, had been drastically re-engineered by Rhodes, with synths, drum machines, and football-style chants being added to Strummer's incomplete recordings. Other songs played on the tour remain unreleased to this day: "Ammunition", "Glue Zombie", "In the Pouring Rain". Although Howard was an adept drummer, virtually all of the percussion tracks were produced by drum machines.

(1986-present) Post-Clash careers

Joe Strummer

In 1986, Strummer collaborated with ex-bandmate Jones on BAD's second album, No. 10 Upping St., co-producing the album and co-writing seven of its songs. Strummer acted in a few movies, notably Alex Cox's Walker, and Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train. He became known in this period for his work on movie soundtracks (notably "Love Kills" for the film Sid and Nancy), and later for co-producing the successful Grosse Pointe Blank soundtracks with John Cusack) and experimented with different backing bands with limited success. In 1989, he resurfaced in the music scene, releasing the first of his solo albums. Earthquake Weather was neither a commercial nor critical success. He did however tour with a new backing band, The Latino Rockabilly War, and released the single, "Trash City." In 1991/92 Strummer joined The Pogues after their split with former frontman Shane MacGowan for a series of concerts across Europe. Finally in the late 1990s, Strummer gathered top-flight musicians into a backing band he called The Mescaleros. Strummer signed with the California punk label Hellcat Records, owned by Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, and issued an album co-written with Anthony Genn, called Rock Art and the X-Ray Style. A tour of England and North America soon followed; sets included several Clash-fan favourites. Genn left The Mescaleros in the middle of recording sessions for the second album, Global A Go-Go, which included violinist, guitarist, and longtime friend of Strummer's Tymon Dogg, who contributed the song "Lose This Skin" to Sandinista! Following the release of Global A Go-Go, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros mounted a 21-date tour of North America, Britain, and Ireland. Once again, these concerts featured Clash material ("London Calling", "Rudie Can't Fail"), as well as classic covers of reggae hits (Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come", The Specials' "A Message To You, Rudy") and regularly closed the show with a nod to the late Joey Ramone by playing The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop".

In December 2002, Strummer died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 50. The Mescaleros album he was working on at the time, Streetcore, was released posthumously to critical acclaim in 2003. It was very bad fortune for The Clash, as Jones commented in the press that after the brief reunion on Westway to the World in 2001 the foursome were seriously considering reuniting for a tour, and that it looked likely to happen.

Mick Jones

After his expulsion from The Clash, Jones formed Big Audio Dynamite (often shorted to B.A.D.) in 1984 with film director Don Letts who directed various Clash videos and Westway To The World) The band's debut album, This is Big Audio Dynamite, was released the following year with the song "E=MC²" receiving heavy rotation in dance clubs. The next album, No. 10 Upping St. reunited Jones with Strummer. Mick released three more albums with Big Audio Dynamite before reshuffling the line-up and renaming the band Big Audio Dynamite II. The band was later renamed Big Audio in the mid-90s. Shortly before Strummer's death, Jones performed an encore onstage with Strummer and the Mescaleros in late 2002. Jones featured on the two studio albums by The Libertines as producer and also produced the debut Babyshambles album. Jones is currently touring and recording with his new band, Carbon/Silicon.

Paul Simonon

Following the break up of The Clash, Simonon formed a group called Havana 3am, which recorded only one album in Japan and quickly folded. Then Simonon returned to his roots as a visual artist, mounting several art-gallery shows and contributing the cover for Jones' third BAD album, "Tighten Up Vol. 88". Simonon's reluctance to play music again has largely been cited as the reason why The Clash were one of the few 1970s British punk bands that did not reform to cash in on the punk-nostalgia craze of the late 1990s. Bruce Springsteen reportedly offered to stand in for Simonon for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the performance never materialized. It is widely speculated that Paul Simonon has not played the bass in more than a decade and he was quoted in Westway to the World as saying that The Clash are over and that "suits him fine". It's been reported that he'll be collaborating with Damon Albarn of Blur and a third, as of yet un-named artist to record an album.

Topper Headon

Headon's contribution to The Clash was by no means limited to his drumming for the band; he composed and performed the music for "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" and "Rock The Casbah" almost entirely by himself, the latter becoming the band's biggest hit in the U.S. when it reached #8 on the Billboard charts in 1982. By this time, however, Headon had been dismissed by the rest of the band due to the heroin addiction which has dogged him for most of his adult life. His addiction stood in the way of any musical alliances he tried to form, and eventually landed him in jail for supplying a user who later overdosed and died. Except for forming a short-lived R&B band (in 1986 he recorded a LP called "Waking Up" as well as a 12"E.P. titled "Drumming man"), Headon disappeared from the music business until the filming of Letts' retrospective documentary about The Clash, Westway to The World, where he sincireley apologized for his addiction. Headon also attended a subsequent presentation to Strummer, Jones, Simonon, and Headon of a Lifetime Achievement British Music Award. After many years of unsuccessfully trying different forms of rehabilitation, he has now apparently kicked his habit and is performing live again. It was after one of his live performances that he heard the news of Strummer's death, in 2002.

Terry Chimes

Chimes played with various other bands between and after his stints with the Clash. He was Black Sabbath's drummer for a couple of years in the mid-1980s. He eventually retired from rock and roll to become a chiropractor. Since 1994, he has had his own practice in London's South Woodford neighborhood.

Pete Howard

Howard joined Queen Adreena in 2002.

Discography

1. The Clash - (April 8, 1977) #12 UK, #126 U.S.1 2

2. Give 'Em Enough Rope - (November 10, 1978) #2 UK, #128 U.S.

3. London Calling (2LP) - (December 14, 1979) #9 UK, #27 U.S.

4. Sandinista! (3LP) - (December 12, 1980) #19 UK, #24 U.S.

5. Combat Rock - (May 14, 1982) #2 UK, #7 U.S.

6. Cut the Crap - (November 4, 1985) #16 UK, #88 U.S.

Note 1: The 1979 USA release of the debut album was significantly different from the original 1977 UK release. See The Clash for a discussion of those differences.

Note 2: All of The Clash's albums and singles were originally issued on CBS Records; subsequent re-issues and CD releases have been through Epic.

Politics

Like many early punk bands, The Clash protested against the monarchy and the aristocracy in the U.K. and around the world. However, unlike many early punk bands, The Clash rejected the overall sentiment of nihilism. Instead, they found solidarity with a number of liberation movements going on at the time. Their politics were expressed explicitly in their lyrics, in early recordings such as "White Riot," which encouraged disaffected white youths to become politically active like their black counterparts, "Career Opportunities," which expressed discontent less about the lack of jobs in the U.K, and more about the alienation of low-paid, production line style employment and the lack of alternatives, and "London's Burning," which vented at political complacency.

In 1978 at a Rock Against Racism show organized by the Anti-Nazi League, Strummer wore a controversial t-shirt bearing the words "Brigate-Rosse" with the Red Army Faction (Baader-Meinhof) insignia in the middle. He later said in an interview that he wore the shirt not to support the left-wing terrorist factions in Germany and Italy, but to bring attention to their existence. Still, he felt bad after the show, prompting him to write the song "Tommy Gun," renouncing violence as a means of protest.[citation needed]

The group also supported other musician's charity concerts, most notably at the December 1979 Concerts for the People of Kampuchea, presented by Paul McCartney. The benefit album released from the concerts features one song by The Clash, "Armagideon Time."

The Clash offered some support to the Sandinista and other Marxist movements in Latin America (hence the title of their 1980 album, Sandinista!). They were also involved directly with the Anti-Nazi League and Rock Against Racism.

By the time of the December 1979 album London Calling, the Clash were trying to "square the circle" of maintaining punk energy while developing increasingly musicianly chops. They were especially wary of their own emerging stardom: they always welcomed fans backstage after shows and showed open-mindedness, genuine interest and compassion in their relationships with them.

The title of London Calling evokes American radio newsman Edward R. Murrow's catchphrase during World War II, and the title song announces that "...war is declared and battle come down..." It warns against expecting them to be saviours — "... now don't look to us / Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust..." — draws a bleak picture of the times — "The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in / Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin" — but calls on their listeners to come out of their drugged stupor and take up the fight without constantly looking to London, or to The Clash themselves, for cues — "Forget it, brother, we can go it alone... Quit holding out and draw another breath... I don't want to shout / But while we were talking I saw you nodding out..." — finally asking, "After all this, won't you give me a smile?"

The Clash are generally credited with pioneering the advocacy of radical politics in punk rock, and were known as the "Thinking Man's Yobs" by many for their politically astute take on the world. They were never driven entirely by money; even at their peak, tickets to shows and the prices of souvenirs were kept reasonable. Similarly, the group insisted that CBS retail their double and triple album sets London Calling and Sandinista! for the price of a single album each (then £5), succeeding with the former and compromising with the latter by agreeing to sell it for £5.99 and forfeit all their royalties on its first 200,000 sales. These "VFM" (Value For Money) principles meant that they were constantly in debt to CBS, and didn't start to break even until around 1982.

Members

Main lineup

Joe Strummer - vocals, guitar (1976-1986)
Mick Jones - vocals, guitar (1976-1983)
Paul Simonon - bass (1976-1986)
Topper Headon - drums (1977-1982)

Other members

Terry Chimes - drums (1976, 1977, 1982-1983)
Keith Levene - guitar (1976)
Rob Harper - drums (1976-1977)
Pete Howard (1983-1986)

Appeared in "New Clash" or "Cut The Crap Clash", after Jones quit:

Nick Sheppard - vocals, guitar (1983-1986)
Vince White - guitar (1983-1986)

Next week: DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

Tom Jones' SOTD: Who Are You

I woke up in a Soho doorway
A policeman knew my name
He said "You can go sleep at home tonight
If you can get up and walk away"

I staggered back to the underground
And the breeze blew back my hair
I remember throwin' punches around
And preachin' from my chair

chorus:
Well, who are you?
I really wanna know
Tell me, who are you?
'Cause I really wanna know

I took the tube back out of town
Back to the Rollin' Pin
I felt a little like a dying clown
With a streak of Rin Tin Tin

I stretched back and I hiccupped
And looked back on my busy day
Eleven hours in the Tin Pan
God, there's got to be another way

Who are you?

I know there's a place you walked
Where love falls from the trees
My heart is like a broken cup
I only feel right on my knees

I spit out like a sewer hole
Yet still recieve your kiss
How can I measure up to anyone now
After such a love as this?

GSOTD II: All You Need Is Love

"All You Need Is Love" by THE BEATLES

Love, Love, Love.
Love, Love, Love.
Love, Love, Love.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.
It's easy.

Nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.
It's easy.

All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need.

All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need.

Nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
It's easy.

All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need.

All you need is love (All together, now!)
All you need is love. (Everybody!)
All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need (love is all you need).

Yee-hai!
Oh yeah!
yesterday
She loves you, yeah yeah yeah.
She loves you, yeah yeah yeah.

West Side Story

My son has been working the lights at a local production of West Side Story. We went and saw it last night. The cast did a good job. I didn't realize there were so many homosexual gang members in NY. Oh, well, live and learn.

West Side Story is a musical written by Arthur Laurents (book), Leonard Bernstein (music), and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), and was originally produced, choreographed, and directed by Jerome Robbins. West Side Story debuted on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater on September 26, 1957 and played 732 performances before going on tour - a very successful run for the time.

The plot is loosely adapted from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, in that the best friend of a gang leader falls in love with the relative of a rival gang's leader.

The dark theme, sophisticated music, and focus on social problems marked a turning point in English language musical theater, which had previously (with rare exceptions) tended toward light and fluffy themes. West Side Story is still produced frequently by local theaters and is occasionally produced by classical opera companies.

Bernstein's score for the musical has been extremely popular. Some of the songs include "Something's Coming", "Maria", "America", "Somewhere", "Tonight", "Gee, Officer Krupke", "I Feel Pretty", "One Hand, One Heart", and "Cool". Some music he wrote but did not use later became integrated into the Chichester Psalms.

Criticism in Puerto Rico

Worth noting is that the production made a commentary on racism in a time when public displays, or articulations of race issues (and many other issues that are commented on in the production), was uncommon in popular mainstream films and entertainment.

Specifically contained in the song "America", what stands out is that the movie version (1961), plays the United States as the horrible place to live, versus the play version (1957), in which Puerto Rico is portrayed as a poorer choice to live.

To this day, however, mentioning "West Side Story" in Puerto Rico is practically a taboo, and most Puerto Ricans perceive the play and subsequent film (still, even more than forty years after their publication) as the originators of an offensive stereotype that has been slow and difficult to remove from the collective American psyche.

Many Puerto Rican scholars have panned the musical as culturally inaccurate at best, and blatantly racist at worst. Some of their criticism is directed at Bernstein's lack of use of true Puerto Rican musical influences in his score (for example, "Mambo" is decidedly afrocuban, while "America"'s rhythm and instrumentation mimics that of Mexican and Central American musical forms, but nowhere were autoctonous musical forms such as bomba and plena used). Ambientation, character names and cultural nuances have also been depicted as inaccurate. The selection of Natalie Wood, whose ancestry was Russian, as the lead character in the film version is occassionally mentioned as a minor negative. However, the bigger offense seems to be the perceived unfavorable portrayal of Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans in the story.

Rita Moreno, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Anita in the motion picture version (and a Puerto Rican herself), has defended "West Side Story" by stating: first, that Italian-Americans and other second generation Americans had the same right to feel offended by the unfavorable portrayal in the story; second, that (unfortunately, in her view) the general subtexts of gang violence and poverty being prevalent among Puerto Ricans were true at the time the play was written. She does recognize the lack of authenticity in many aspects of the play and subsequent productions, but puts them in the context of the time and place when it was first produced. Finally, she reminds people that the basic premise of the story -love conquering hatred- and the veiled criticism of racism and bigotry in the plot are missed by many of the play's detractors.

The original 1957 stage production starred Larry Kert as Tony and Carol Lawrence as Maria

A 1980 Broadway revival starred Debbie Allen as Anita. A 1987 tour starred Jack Wagner as Tony. A 1995 tour starred Marcie Harriell as Maria and H.E. Greer as Tony. A 1998 tour starred Rikki Lee Travolta as Tony. A 2002 tour starred Natasha Harper as Maria.

George Chakiris, who won an Academy Award as Bernardo in the 1961 film version of West Side Story, originated the role of Riff in the 1958 London stage premiere.

Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Act 1

In the Prologue, a conflict between two rival teenage gangs, the Jets (2nd generation Americans) and the Sharks (Puerto Ricans) is enacted through dance. The boys are struggling for control of the neighborhood. Accented by police whistles and taunting phrases, the Prologue establishes the fierce rivalry between the two groups.

Following a brief exchange with the ineffective policemen, Lt. Schrank and Officer Krupke, Riff, the leader of the Jets, devises a plan to gain control of the street ("The Jet Song"). The members of the gang boast of their strength, restate their bond to one another and declare their intention to protect their turf. Riff and the Jets decide to initiate a rumble, with control of the neighborhood as a prize for the winning gang.

Riff has a harder time getting his best friend Tony to re-join the gang. Riff convinces Tony to join the Jets at the neighborhood dance where Riff's plan will be put into motion. Tony agrees out of a sense of loyalty to Riff, but expresses his unhappiness with his current life. He feels himself growing away from the gang and envisions a different and better future ("Something's Coming").

Maria, the sister of the Shark leader, Bernardo, has only been in America a short time. She works with Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend, in the bridal shop. Anita is making Maria a dress to wear to the neighborhood dance. Maria sees this dance as the official beginning of her life in this country. Like Tony, she is full of hope. Bernardo arrives with Chino, a quiet, intense member of the Sharks. Maria's family has selected Chino to be her future husband.

A social worker, the Gladhand, introduces the rival gang members and their girls; they dance sociably for about two minutes. Then a challenge dance erupts. Tony and Maria, however, suddenly see one another. In a moment of romantic suspension, they dance together, oblivious of the tension around them. They fall in love. The romantic idyll is interrupted when Bernardo roughly pulls Maria from Tony's arms. Maria is sent home, as Riff and Bernardo arrange a War Council at the local coffee shop which is considered neutral ground.

Unaware of the plan between the two leaders, an ecstatic Tony sings of his newfound love ("Maria"). As he sings, Maria appears on a fire escape above him. They profess their love for each other ("Tonight").

Anita and Rosalia, along with other Puerto Rican girls, are gathered on a city rooftop. They begin to express conflicting views about their lives in the United States ("America").

At the drugstore, the shopkeeper, Doc, tries to convince the Jets not to have a rumble with the Sharks. The gang try to show Doc their pent-up tension they feel ("Cool"). Ignoring Doc, Riff and Bernardo set up the rumble for the next day and agree on weapons. Tony suggests a less dangerous fist fight. After the others leave, Tony dismisses Doc's fear with his conviction nothing can go wrong because he is in love with Maria.

The next day, Maria learns about the rumble from Anita at the Bridal Shop. When Tony arrives, Anita leaves. Maria begs Tony to stop the rumble and he promises her he will. They enact a mock marriage ceremony ("One Hand, One Heart") swearing that "even death can't part us now."

Later that night the boys on both sides prepare for the upcoming rumble, Anita prepares for her date with Bernardo after the rumble,and Tony and Maria sing of the excitement they feel for when they will see each other again ("Tonight Quintet").

Tony tries to stop the rumble in progress under a highway. In the midst of insults, pushing, and shoving, Bernardo stabs Riff. As he dies, Riff passes Tony his knife, as if he knows what is going to come next. In blind fury, Tony angrily stabs Bernardo in an act of revenge. The sirens scream; everyone runs except Tony, who stands transfixed at what he has done. Anybodys, a tomboy whose dream is to become a Jet, has followed the gang, and prods Tony to escape, just in time. The curtain comes down on a stage which is empty except for the bodies of Riff and Bernardo.

Act 2

Unaware of the tragedy under the highway, Maria sings to her friends about her reactions to love ("I Feel Pretty"). She speaks of marriage, and her friends assume she is thinking about Chino. Chino enters with the news Tony has killed Bernardo. Left alone, Maria is praying; Tony enters through the window. He explains why he killed Bernardo in a moment of anger over Riff's death. Maria forgives him, and they declare their determination to be together. They both imagine a new world where they can live together in peace and acceptance ("Somewhere"). At the end of the dream, Tony and Maria are in her bed, in each other's arms.

In an alley, the bumbling Officer Krupke is questioning the Jets about the murders. The gang ridicules him and the adults (social workers, cops, psychiatrists, and judges) who fail to understand what motivates their behavior ("Gee, Officer Krupke"). Anita arrives at Maria's apartment. Tony escapes through the window, telling Maria to meet him at the drugstore so they can run away together. Anita realizes Tony has been with Maria and turns on Maria in fury for making love to the man who killed her (Maria's) brother ("A Boy Like That"). However, when Maria explains ("I Have a Love"), Anita realizes Maria loves Tony as much as she loved Bernardo. She warns Maria Chino has a gun and is planning to kill Tony. When Shrank arrives to question Maria, Anita agrees to go to the candy store to tell Tony to wait for her.

Anita is prevented from reaching Tony by the ethnic prejudice of the Jets. The gang's verbal taunting of Anita gets physical and is turning into rape when she is saved by Doc. In her fury and humiliation, Anita lies and tells Tony's buddies Chino has killed Maria. Doc tells Tony, who is hiding in his cellar, Maria and his dreams for the future are gone because she is dead. Feeling there is nothing to live for now, Tony runs out to find Chino. On the street, he sees Maria. As they run towards each other Chino appears and shoots Tony. Tony is still alive, but struggling. As Maria the Jets and Sharks flock around the lovers, Maria tries to pull Tony back from the brink of death ("Somewhere Reprise") . But Tony is mortally wounded, and he dies in Maria's arms. The adults arrive at the scene, and Maria takes Chino's gun. She tells everyone that hatred is what killed Tony and the others, and now she can kill them because their hate has affected her. But she is unable to bring herself to fire it, and she collapses in her grief. She brings the cycle of violence that the gangs have had to an end.

Gradually, all the members of both gangs assemble on either side of Tony's body. They agree to stop their feuding and resolve their differences, as Maria kisses him gently. The Jets and Sharks form a procession and together they carry Tony offstage. Chino is hustled off to jail by Krupke, while the adults stand by, still helpless.

Grant Lee Phillips spins 'Eighties' music to his own taste

BY TIM SHELLBERG

Times Correspondent

When songsmith Grant Lee Phillips made his way to Los Angeles in the mid-80s, the lines were clearly drawn, for better or for worse, in its music community.

"You had the bands that were very flammable, with all the hairspray, and then you had those out there that were putting out these great records seemingly on their own," he said. "And to me, the guys that were doing it on their own were really making music for the art of it, and that to me was what was very exiting, and I followed that."

Scheduled to perform Tuesday and Wednesday at Schubas on Chicago's North Side, the northern California-reared songwriter and performer first rose to prominence in the '90s as the leader of the alt rock outfit Grant Lee Buffalo, which released a quartet of critically heralded albums before calling it a day in 1999.

Phillips struck out on his own a year later, releasing his solo debut, "Ladies Love Oracle." Along with releasing acclaimed works such as 2001's "Mobilize" and 2004's "Virginia Creeper," Phillips' cult grew as a result of frequent appearances as the town troubadour on the long-running "Gilmore Girls."

Phillips' latest collection, "Nineteeneighties," is a tribute to some of the artists that inspired him to become a songwriter and performer. Sticking solely to the album's title decade, Phillips covers acclaimed, but largely overlooked at the time pre-alt bands such as R.E.M. ("So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)"), the Smiths ("Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me") and the Pixies ("Wave of Mutilation").

"All of these songs had a big influence on me in various ways," he said. "I came to L.A. when I was 19, and my head was kind of way open (for music). I was quite the sponge for everything that I could devour. And luckily for me, I chose some pretty interesting music. The mainstream radio wasn't adventurous enough for me."

But while paying homage to his masters, Phillips, on "Eighties," doesn't play strictly by the originals' books. Here, Phillips spins these now-classics into a dreamy sonicscape and changes a line or two to suit his interpretation.

"These songs are in my blood and in my memory banks, but I did take a few liberties with a few chords and with maybe a few lyrics," he said. "That's how we do it around the campfire."

Despite the recent release of "Eighties," Phillips is already deep into his next set, his first collection of new material since "Creeper." If all goes well, Phillips' fifth full-length set could grace record store racks early next year.

Phillips also expects to be back on set when "Gilmore Girls" reconvenes for its seventh and rumored final season. He had a larger-than-usual role on the show's season finale in May, when his character was chosen to open for a Neil Young show and other real-life rockers, including Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo, who make their way to the "Girls'" town to get attention as well.

"Having Sonic Youth there was kind of a stranger than fiction thing," he said.

"I talked to (Sonic Youth frontman) Thurston Moore and they actually went on tour with Neil Young once."

onstage

Grant Lee Phillips

When: 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday (21-and-over show)

Where: Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., Chicago

Cost: $15 advance, $18 at the door

FYI: (773) 525-2508 or www.schubas.com

The Top 50 Movie Endings of All Time

I've seen Chinatown a dozen times, and while it's a great movie, two specific things about it stick in my mind: Jack Nicholson's bandaged nose and the final line of dialogue. Acting, directing, a great script… these are essential to any film. But a classic ending, now that can really make a movie.

We spent literally months brainstorming and corralling the 50 films with the absolute best endings we've ever seen. We're not talking about the last half hour. We mean the last minute of movie. You know, the ending.

Needless to say you can consider this entire article one monster SPOILER ALERT. Most of the films here are classics that you've probably seen several times over. But if not, skip past the ones you haven't seen and put 'em in your rental queue, otherwise you're going to ruin a whole lot of good films. Check out the flicks and we promise you won't be disappointed when the credits roll. As always, apologies in advance for the ones we stupidly forgot (and we know you'll be writing to let us know -- yes, Jaws, The Sixth Sense, Seven, Carrie, we're sorry!).

- Christopher Null, Editor-in-Chief

50. The Blair Witch Project (1999) - The movie isn't particularly scary... at least until the last two minutes, which take the tension level from 10 to 100 at an exponential pace. The final seconds -- wherein a member of the cast is spotted, back turned and facing a corner, as an unseen spirit does away with the remaining member of the crew, who's been filming all of this in a panic-stricken run through an abandoned house -- rank as some of the most terrifying moments ever put to film. It gives me chills just to write about it. -CN

49. A History of Violence (2005) - David Cronenberg’s sly, brilliant merger of a revenge fantasy and an essay on the American Dream has an appropriately messy, provocative ending. Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) has exposed a terrible truth about himself that’s left his wife, Edie (Maria Bello), in despair. They gaze at each other in silence across the dinner table, and the looks in their eyes lets you know it’s impossible, yet painfully necessary, to pretend nothing has changed. -MA

48. Batman Begins (2005) - As the title suggests, the Dark Knight's mission to cleanse Gotham has just begin. Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) hands Batman (Christian Bale) a playing card left at the scene of a recent crime. He flips it over, and fanboy hearts race in unison as we contemplate director Christopher Nolan's next move. -SO

47. All That Jazz (1979) - A film especially priceless in its rendering of death in big, Broadway musical number style. Extremely well collaged as the self-defeating choreographer ties up all his loose ends in fantastical choreographic zeal, Roy Scheider's Joe Gideon simply walks into a flirtatious angel's embrace. -RG

46. Dead Again (1991) - The second film Kenneth Branagh directed before his ego became too inflated from his Shakespeare renown, is also still the best helming he has managed to date. Beautifully combining intelligent romanticism with reincarnation between he and his then wife/co-star Emma Thompson, the film gracefully culminates with a death scene, love re-established, and the past resolving itself, without losing an emotional beat. Even those who don’t believe in filmic romance melt as the modern day Branagh holds his partner and exhaustedly says “The door is closed.” -RG

45. Pulp Fiction (1994) - It's hard to pick this over Reservoir Dogs, since Quentin Tarantino plagiarized himself here, but Pulp is more refined and more funny in its treatment of a Mexican standoff, this time with a "happy" ending to it. Of course, we know the buffoonish Vincent Vega's going to get shot coming out of the toilet on another job, but he and his Bible-spewing pal get to walk away this time, even if they do look like idiots. -CN

44. Fargo (1996) - Cinema, especially recent cinema, isn't known for its portrayals of happy marriages -- especially not in crime movies. But the last scene in this Coen brothers masterpiece doesn't involve any blood, bullets, or double-crosses. It just shows the Gundersons, Marge (Frances McDormand) and Norm (John Carroll Lynch), sitting in bed. He tells her that his painting is going to put on a three-cent stamp, she tells him how great that is, and the emotional core that has been developing throughout the film is suddenly sitting right in front of us. No wood chipper needed. -JH

43. Shane (1953) - When the kid yells, "Shane, come back!" at the departing hero, it's one of the rare tear-jerker scenes that just feels right. -DB

42. The Terminator (1984) - One of the first major science fiction trilogies to be a true inspiration to an entire new generation of filmmaking, the initial installment is brutal, bright, and brilliantly executed. From Ah-nold’s one-liners to Sarah Connor learning to want to be great female hero, it was also one of the first films to create a spellbinding circle in its narrative, to have the end reflect where it all began. He'll be back. -RG

41. Say Anything... (1989) - Lots of romantic comedies end with the boy getting the girl; Say Anything makes him, her, and us all earn it. We leave Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) and Diane Court (Ione Skye) not in passionate embrace, but sitting on an airplane, holding hands, looking upward, waiting for the "ding" that will tell them everything is okay. This final shot is everything that's great about Say Anything: sweet, a little bit funny, and completely believable. -JH

40. The Thing (1982) - Easily the most chilling ending in horror, Carpenter purposefully never lets the audience in on exactly how the contagion is spread and allows us to stew in absolute terror as to which man will split apart and become the alien host. The last thumps of the moody score are enough to make anyone shiver with fear. -CC

39. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Find me a better last line uttered by any villain than "I'm having an old friend for dinner." With wit, charm, and unyielding bravado, Hopkins caps off his career performance with an exit (forgetting Ridley Scott's forgivable Hannibal) that oozes menace and wild provocation. Fava beans, anyone? -CC

38. 8 1/2 (1963) - As the crazy director finally embraces the joy and absurdity of life, a group of freaks, friends, loonies and journalists begin to dance in a huge circle, with the great circus behind it; it's so good that Woody Allen would outright copy it in Stardust Memories. Has any ending, or any film for that matter, better encapsulated what it's like to understand life as the great, crazy joke it is? -CC

37. Rocky (1976) - As Bill Conte's score soars in the background, a bloodied Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and a hatless Adrian (Talia Shire) finally proclaim their love for one another. And in the distant background, a ring announcer tells a frenzied crowd that our hero has actually lost the fight that held us captive for an entire final act. In one dramatic move, two shy nobodies find their hearts and nothing else matters. -NS

36. Jacob's Ladder (1990) - It was all a dream, freak-out style. This time at least it's with good reason: We find out that Jacob (Tim Robbins) was on his deathbed, having been shot during the Vietnam War, and everything that has preceded has been a sort of cruel flash-back-forward because Jacob hasn't been willing to let go. Suddenly it all makes sense. -CN

35. Back to the Future (1985) - The most brazen call for a sequel imaginable. What if the movie had flopped? Not a chance. All seems right with Marty's world, until Doc Brown returns from the future to alert him of a troubling family issue. The stage is set for an eventual trilogy that continues to entertain to this day. -SO

34. King of New York (1990) - After facing the last (and oldest) cop of the four that stalked him, crime lord Christopher Walken sits in a cab, letting the bullet in his gut take its final resting place. Abel Ferrara's crime sonata ends the idea of the great overblown gangster ending, seeing Scarface as an aging villain who can't say anything else, feeling the only thing left for him to do is silently drift off to death amongst the dazzle of the city he loves. -CC

33. A Clockwork Orange (1971) - Stanley Kubrick excised the last chapter of the book in order to give Clockwork a nihilistic ending that has Alex (Malcolm McDowell in the role of a lifetime) learning absolutely nothing from the last two hours of screen time, dreaming of an orgy while trapped in a hospital bed. It's a controversial choice that has had cineastes debating for decades, but it still packs a wallop. The book's ending, suffice it to say, would have hardly been cinematic. -CN

32. Being There (1979) - Peter Sellers' crowning achievement ends with a little bit of mysticism, which is at once completely out of character for this very grounded movie while also being totally apropos. You have to smile when you see it. -CN

31. Magnolia (1999) - Everyone remembers a certain cataclysmic plot turn in the final act, and while I love P.T. Anderson's audacious willingness to simply let frogs fall from the sky, the real ending to Magnolia is much simpler. In an extended close-up, we see troubled Claudia (Melora Walters) listen to sweet cop Jim (John C. Reilly) talk. His words are barely audible; instead, we focus on Claudia's face, which finally breaks into a slight smile, a split second before the movie cuts to black. Desperation turns to hope in an instant, and Aimee Mann's "Save Me" ices the cake perfectly. -JH

30. Pickpocket (1959) - Copied and re-rendered by hundreds of films (most recently: L'Enfant and Art School Confidential), French master Robert Bresson ends his tale of spiritual bartering with the pickpocket and the girl who loves him, pressing against each other in a prison visitor room. Emotionally penetrating and gorgeously shot, the ending brings up all the yearning and transcendental themes into complete concentration, using Bresson's patented flat acting style. -CC

29. Wait Until Dark (1967) - In this suspenseful period thriller, Audrey Hepburn plays a blind woman targeted by a hit man (Alan Arkin). At the end of the film, she is trapped in her flat and he's stalking her. She knocks out all the lights so that they will be equal... but she forgets one light! This one is exciting right up to the last minute. During its first run, theaters turned out all the lights for the last few minutes to enhance the effect. -DB

28. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986): For sheer pleasure, you can't beat the sweetness of watching reformed drug addict/punk-rock chick Dianne Weist and comedy writer/religiously-confused Woody Allen cuddle in a dim hallway as she breaks the good news to him. Call it artful sentimentalism. -CC

27. The Searchers (1956) - John Wayne, a symbol of the male ego, dominance, and everything right with the Wild West, stands alone in a doorway, isolated by feelings and ideologies that simply won't be accepted anymore. Deconstruction of the cowboy myth began here and John Ford, haunted by his own racist past, gives the shot a haunting, sobering feel of loneliness and change. -CC

26. Rushmore (1998) - The Salinger of the screen ends his best film in his lovable faux-theatrical and pastel style without a hint of irony. Max and the woman of his obsession stand prepared to dance as The Faces' "Ooh la-la" plays, easily ranking in the top 10 best ending songs of all time, as the other characters dance around them. It sure beats the hell out of a gate closing on a headstone. -CC

25. Real Genius (1985) - The entire film builds and builds to this exquisite ending, where Chris Knight (Val Kilmer) and his brainiac pals finally revel in their revenge plot against the evil Jerry Hathaway (William Atherton). How they pulled off the stunt to make an entire house look like it was filled with popcorn I still can't figure out. The effect is, ahem, genius. Growing up, my little sister called this film "the popcorn movie." -CN

24. The Bank Dick (1940) - This great W.C. Fields film comedy ends with a parody of a car chase, which was already a film cliché in 1940. Then, in a case of art imitating life, Fields heads to his favorite bar for another drink. -DB

23. House of Games (1987) - David Mamet's finest movie and a personal favorite: After demure psychiatrist Margaret Ford (Lindsay Crouse) murders the ringleader of the gang of con men that cost her thousands of dollars, she takes a vacation. After a little misdirection, she steals a gold lighter from a woman dining one table over. She's got the con game bug, now. So satisfying, but so creepy. -CN

22. Brazil (1985) - Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro) swoops in to save the day, but it's not to be: Our hero Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is revealed to be wallowing in a torture chamber and, alas, "He's gone." The ending was so controversial that the studio basically stole the film from director Terry Gilliam and edited together a happy ending, known as the "Love Conquers All" ending. Comparing the two versions is a film geek's wet dream. -CN

21. The Usual Suspects (1995) - For two hours, Kevin Spacey's spineless Verbal plays helpless lamb being lured to Chazz Palminteri's slaughter. But with the drop of a coffee cup, and the shaking off of a limp, the true identity of a criminal mastermind is revealed. -SO

20. Before Sunset (2004) - Cooler than pre-Scientology Isaac Hayes in Antarctica eating popsicles and drinking iced coffee, Julie Delpy dances and sings Nina Simone in front of Ethan Hawke and croons, sexy as they come, "Baby, you're gonna miss that plane." Delpy has never been given enough time on screen to fully capture audience appeal, but in this moment, she has it over any hip chick this side of Santa Monica. -CC

19. Memento (2001) - Our sympathetic hero commits an abrupt, cold-blooded, and vengeful murder, entirely to serve his own purposes. He's not the Leonard Shelby we thought we knew. And major bonus points for it coming at both the very beginning and the end of the movie, which are actually the ending and the beginning. Got that? -AG

18. The Wizard of Oz (1939) - The first "it was all a dream" ending ever? I'm not sure, but it's certainly one of the most memorable. The revelation that nearly all the characters we've seen in Dorothy's fantasy world were drawn from her friends (and enemies) is magical. -CN

17. Planet of the Apes (1968) - Charlton Heston (as a lost astronaut) spends most of this modern classic convincing a dominant ape race that man can indeed communicate and reason. And while there's plenty of irony and social commentary there, co-writer Rod Serling's trademark storytelling really surfaces in the final scene. As a cowboy of sorts, a half-naked Heston grabs his woman and rides his horse into unknown territory... but quickly finds that many have been there before him. In an ending worthy of the greatest Twilight Zone zingers, Lady Liberty's head and torch emerge from the sand. And Heston drops to his knees and damns us all to hell. We got it coming. -NS

16. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Lethal fight scenes, great dialogue ("I love you." "I know."), a traitorous Billy Dee Williams, and the biggest paternal twist in sci-fi history. And then the final shocker: Han Solo is still frozen, and he's not getting out 'til the next movie! What!? Empire turned George Lucas' universe on its ear, raising his franchise's bar to a height no Star Wars sequel or prequel managed to touch. -SO

15. The Godfather (1972) - Derelicts will argue the second one is better, but the ending of the Godfather is everything it should be, foreshadowing all the dark, murky secrets that would be dragged from the depths in Part 2. Kay finally asks about Michael's business and he lies, outright, as the door closes on a good kid who turned into the ultimate family man, and a brooding, calculating monster. -CC

14. The Tenant (1976) - You simply can't comprehend it: after plummeting through glass once, the titular tenant drags himself up the stairs again to finish the job, only to end up the crazed lunatic that kicked off Polanski's most concentrated study of paranoia. It doesn't have the acute horror of Rosemary's Baby, but The Tenant sits in your stomach with sick discomfort, like remembering the most private, embarrassing ordeal you've ever been through. -CC

13. Citizen Kane (1941) - Well, we kind of have to put this one on the list, don't we? One of the earliest examples of don't-spill-the-secret endings and also I've-been-robbed anti-climax, that little wooden sled explains everything and explains nothing about Charles Foster Kane, but it's the elusive piece of the jigsaw that drives one of the greatest movies ever made. -AG

12. The Birds (1963) - Our heroine and her strapping man might be making a stealthy escape from Bodega Bay, but the camera pulls further back and there are birds, birds, menacing birds as far as the eye can see. How safe are they really, in that soft-top convertible, with those lovebirds? -AG

11. The Graduate (1967) - Dustin Hoffman crashes Katherine Ross' wedding, whish has just ended, and he steals her away on a bus. Her mother tells her "It's too late" and she yells, "Not for us!" It's unbelievable, it's corny, but also (as the guy says in Barcelona) it's real. It symbolizes the moment when the disenchanted '60s generation started their lives. This isn't how romances were supposed to end. -DB

10. Some Like It Hot (1959) - Jack Lemmon finally drops his drag and reveals his true gender to his horny suitor (the perfect Joe E. Brown), who couldn't care less. "Nobody's perfect!" he says, the final cherry on top of a whipped-cream and chocolate-covered sundae of a comedy. -DW

9. Don't Look Now (1973) - Donald Sutherland chases the little child in the raincoat he's seen for the whole film and then Roeg's nightmare springs one last terror on you. That face under the red raincoat is no child, and it will stay in your nightmares for months... or else you'll put it as your computer's desktop picture like my roommate. -CC

8. Big Night (1996) - The old term "silence is golden" has never seemed so appropriate. After a grand night of arguments, fantastic food, and a no-show crooner, the two idealistic opposites (art vs. commerce) sit down to a simple omelet with their waiter, knowing their lives will go separate ways (and bankruptcy is a near certainty) but not needing to talk about it. Soulful, delicate, and bypassing tearjerk-o-rama, directors Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott create a sincere goodbye to their lovely, little film. -CC

7. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - Without a hint of being self-conscious, Romero's horror masterpiece raised the middle finger to all modern narrative constructions. The family dies, the young white couple dies and the black protagonist, surviving the gruesome night, is shot by the cops. It's complete film rebellion, and you can't help but savor it. -CC

6. Boogie Nights (1997) - One of the most unexpected endings in cinema history. Mark Wahlberg's faded porn star stand in the mirror and yanks his penis out, saying with complete conviction, "You're a fucking star." The soul of the inept, underage star still resides in the aged, coke-snorting loser. Its pathetic grandeur (both the ending and the unit on display) is unmatched. -CC

5. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - The constantly underrated Arthur Penn brings his great, gritty tale of the criminal lovebirds to an end with a scene of unyielding violence and shock. There were so many bullet holes in Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway that the MPAA decided it should be the first film christened with the R Rating. These days, it'd pass as a mid-level PG-13. Think of it as the alternate ending for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which ends exactly the same way but stops the film about 20 seconds earlier. -CC

4. Casablanca (1942) - "The beginning of a beautiful friendship" and one of the best movie endings – so good it was recycled as the ending of at least one great film, Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam. Like the rest of Casablanca, the last scene is now the stuff of cliché, but that's because there are so many dang quotable lines. -DB

3. Chinatown (1974) - "Forget it, Jake, its Chinatown." Chinatown has nothing to do with Chinatown, but it also has everything to do with Chinatown. Explaining its intricacies could fill a book, but it's the very end that punches you in the gut: The bad guy gets away and Nicholson's Jake Gittes, after solving the case, is told to forget the whole affair. Ow. -CN

2. Fight Club (1999) - No matter what you think of David Fincher's translation of Chuck Palahniuk's pre-iPod, post-post-punk nightmare, you have to admire an ending that foresaw things that are still being talked about today. The film predicts the emo-boy nation that we swim in these days, but the ending, with the Pixies' raucous "Where is My Mind?" wailing in the background, sees self-terrorism and numb romance as the new, essential way of life. -CC

1. Dr. Strangelove (1964) - You may remember otherwise, but the climactic scene where Slim Pickens rides the bomb down is not actually the ending of Strangelove (though even if it were, it would still be #1 on our list). Rather, there is a strange scene afterwards in which the leaders of the free world wait for the end of the world while having a demented argument about how to survive the impending nuclear winter ("We must not have a mine shaft gap!"). Then, signaling apocalypse, Peter Sellers' titular mad scientist, wheelchair-bound for the entire movie, stands up and begins to walk, before the War Room (and the rest of the world) explodes to the tune of "We'll Meet Again." It's all weird but absurdly logical, like everything about Kubrick's masterpiece. -DB

http://filmcritic.com/misc/

George Carlin's new rules for 2006

1. New Rule: Stop giving me that pop-up ad for Classmates.com. There's a reason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them! Besides, I already know what the captain of the football team is doing these days: mowing my lawn.

2. New Rule: Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a seagull. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What did you expect it to contain? Trout?

3. New Rule: Stop saying that teenage boys who have sex with their hot, blonde teachers are permanently damaged. I have a better description for these kids: lucky bastards.

4. New Rule: If you need to shave and you still collect baseball cards, you're gay. If you're a kid, the cards are keepsakes of your idols. If you're a grown man, they're pictures of men.

5. New Rule: Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: do you have two of them? Okay, we're done.

6. New Rule: There's no such thing as flavored water. There's a whole aisle of this crap at the supermarket - water, but without that watery taste. Sorry, but flavored water is called a soft drink. You want flavored water? Pour some scotch over ice and let it melt. That's your flavored water.

7. New Rule: Stop f*cking with old people. Target is introducing a redesigned pill bottle that's square, with a bigger label. And the top is now the bottom. And by the time grandpa figures out how to open it, his ass will be in the morgue. Congratulations, Target, you just solved the Social Security crisis.

8. New Rule: The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the asshole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a "decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n'-Low and one NutraSwee t, " ooooohhhhhh, you're a huge asshole!

9. New Rule: I'm not the cashier! By the time I look up from sliding my card, entering my PIN number, pressing "Enter," verifying the amount, deciding, no, I don't want cash back, and pressing "Enter" again, the kid who is supposed to be ringing me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy.

10. New Rule: Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn't make you spiritual. It's right above the crack of your @ss. And it translates to "beef with broccoli." The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren't pregnant. You're not spiritual. You're just high.

11. New Rule: Competitive eating isn't a sport. It's one of the seven deadly sins. ESPN recently televised the US Open of Competitive Eating, because watching those athletes at the poker table was just too damned exciting. What's next, competitive farting? Oh wait. They're already doing that. It's called "The Howard Stern Show." <>
12. New Rule: I don't need a bigger mega M&M. If I'm extra hungry for M&Ms, I'll go nuts and eat two.

13. New Rule: If you're going to insist on making movies based on crappy, old television shows, then you have to give everyone in the Cineplex a remote so we can see what's playing on the other screens. Let's remember the reason something was a television show in the first place is that the idea wasn't good enough to be a movie.

14. New Rule: No more gift registries. You know, it used to be just for weddings. Now it's for babies and new homes and graduations from rehab. Picking out the stuff you want and having other people buy it for you isn't gift giving, it's the white people version of looting.

15. New Rule: and this one is long overdue: No more bathroom attendants. After I zip up, some guy is offering me a towel and a mint like I just had sex with George Michael. I can't even tell if he's supposed to be there, or just some freak with a fe tis h. Don't want to be on your webcam, dude. I just want to wash my hands!

16. New Rule: When I ask how old your toddler is, I don't need to know in months. "27 Months." "He's two," will do just fine. He's not a cheese. And I didn't really care in the first place.

Dumb JOTD: The Mystery of Childbirth

A boy was assigned a paper on childbirth and asked his parents, "How was I born?"

"Well honey..." said the slightly prudish parent, "the stork brought you to us."

"Oh," said the boy. "Well, how did you and daddy get born?" he asked.

"Oh, the stork brought us too."

"Well how were grandpa and grandma born?" he persisted.

"Well darling, the stork brought them too!" said the parent, by now starting to squirm a little in the Lazy Boy recliner.

Several days later, the boy handed in his paper to the teacher who read with confusion the opening sentence:

"This report has been very difficult to write due to the fact that there hasn't been a natural childbirth in my family for three generations."

Bern News

Hi Folks,

We have lots of Dan Bern news for you today! First and foremost, Dan's new full-length cd, Breathe, will be released on September 19, 2006!

Dan Bern's sixth long-playing album, Breathe - which again reunites him with big-league producer Chuck Plotkin - is something entirely new for the artist. It takes the personal and finds in it a seedling of renewal. This isn't music that has 'big balls;' instead, it has a big, beating heart. In a way, Bern had always been 'arriving' prior to this, but with this album he has finally Arrived. The songs are not merely preternaturally observant, as they have always been, but feel fully present and made from flesh and blood. They trade in the verbal fireworks of the past and make a touching investment in the lives of their characters, who are often burned out and beat down by their overwhelmed lives - even the Messiah, who reappears in the title track for His third act, seems more than a little downcast - but who nevertheless somehow find the strength and courage to beat back at the
world, even if only in small or symbolic ways. With a gesture of selflessness, Dan disappears into these song-sized narratives and allows his characters to voice their own - and, by extension, our shared - lives. In the process, he has given them and his songs and himself a reason to hope. And room to breathe.

And if this weren't enough excitement, we are now accepting pre-orders for Dan's upcoming 5 song EP called Breathe Easy! This EP will include the song Breathe, as well as 4 other tracks from the same recording session that are not on the full-length album. This EP will only be availabe at Dan's shows and online. The expected shipping date is August 7.

Finally, Dan will be doing a huge US and Canada tour from September - November. More dates will be added soon, so please refer to http://www.danbern.com/tour.html to see any new shows. But here is what we know so far:

9/8/06
El Mocambo
Toronto ON
TBA
http://www.elmocambo.ca/
416-870-8000

9/9/06
Barrymore's Music Hall
Ottawa ON
TBA
http://www.barrymores.on.ca/
613-775-1111

9/10/06
Main Hall
Montreal QC
9 PM
514-524-9225

9/13/06
Higher Ground Showcase
Burlington VT
8 PM
http://www.highergroundmusic.com/
802-654-8888

9/14/06 Iron Horse Music Hall
Northampton MA
7 PM
http://www.iheg.com/
413-586-8686

9/15/06
Harper's Ferry
Allston MA
9:30 PM
http://www.harpersferryboston.com/
800-594-TIXX

9/16/06
Irving Plaza
New York NY
9 PM
http://www.irvingplaza.com/
212-307-7171

9/20/06
Ashland Coffee and Tea
Ashland VA 8 PM
http://www.ashlandcoffeeandtea.com/
804-798-1702

9/22/06
World Cafe Live
Philadelphia PA
7:30 PM
http://www.worldcafelive.com/
215-222-1400

9/23/06
Jammin' Java
Vienna VA
8 PM
http://www.jamminjava.com/

9/26/06
The Evening Muse
Charlotte NC
8 PM
http://www.theeveningmuse.com/
704-358-9298

9/27/06
The Grey Eagle
Asheville NC
8 PM
http://www.thegreyeagle.com/
828-232-5800

9/28/06
Eddie's Attic
Decatur GA
7:30 PM
http://www.eddiesattic.com/
404-377-4976

9/29/06
Pollak Theatre
W. Long Branch NJ
TBA
http://www.monmouth.edu/
732-571-3483

10/3/06
Bluebird Cafe
Nashville TN
9 PM
http://www.bluebirdcafe.com/
615-383-146
1
10/6/06
The Ark
Ann Arbor MI
8 PM
http://www.theark.org/
734-761-1818

10/7/06
Comstock
Earlham College
Richmond IN
TBA
http://www.earlham.edu

10/8/06
Canal Street Tavern
Dayton OH
9:30 PM
http://www.canalstreettavern.com
937-461-9343

10/10/06
Headliners Music Hall
Louisville KY
TBA
http://www.headlinerslouisville.com/
502-584-8088

10/12/06
Martyrs'
Chicago IL
TBA
http://www.martyrslive.com
773-404-9494

10/13/06
CSPS
Cedar Rapids IA
8 PM
http://www.legionarts.org
319-364-1580

10/14/06
The Gargoyle at Washington University
St. Louis MO
TBA
http://www.gargoyle.wustl.edu
314-935-7576

10/18/06
Soiled Dove
Denver CO
TBA
http://www.soileddove.com/
303-399-0007

11/4/06
Mogollon Brewing Company
Flagstaff AZ 9 PM
http://www.mogbrew.com/
928-773-8950

11/9/06
The Attic
Santa Cruz CA
8 PM
http://www.theatticsantacruz.com/
831-460-1800

11/10/06
Slim's
San Francisco CA
8 PM
http://www.slims-sf.com/
415-522-0333

11/11/06
Center for the Arts
Grass Valley CA
8 PM

11/15/06
Sam Bond's Garage
Eugene OR
TBA
http://www.sambonds.com/
541-343-2635

11/16/06
Doug Fir Lounge
Portland OR
9 PM
http://www.dougfirlounge.com/
503-231-WOOD

11/17/06
Tractor Tavern
Seattle WA
9 PM
http://www.tractortavern.com/
206-789-3599

11/18/06
The Red Room
Vancouver BC
8:30 PM
604-280-4444

11/19/06
Central Bar and Grill
Victoria BC
9 PM
http://www.centralbarandgrill.com/
250-382-8499

Stop what you're doing and breathe,

Miki at DBHQ

GSOTD: Fixing a Hole

"Fixing a Hole" by THE BEATLES

I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go
I'm filling the cracks that ran through the door
And kept my mind from wandering
Where it will go
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong
I'm right
Where I belong I'm right
Where I belong.
See the people standing there who disagree and never win
And wonder why they don't get in my door.
I'm painting the room in a colourful way
And when my mind is wandering
There I will go.
And it really doesn't matter if
I'm wrong I'm right
Where I belong I'm right
Where I belong.
Silly people run around they worry me
And never ask me why they don't get past my door.
I'm taking the time for a number of things
That weren't important yesterday
And I still go.
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

Celebrity culture embraced this 'crazy' artist, but the price of fame is crippling.

Daniel Johnston doesn't have much of a singing voice and can't really play guitar. Now in his early 40s, he walks on stage at the Key Club in Los Angeles, a fat man with a voice like a squeaky teenager, after a big introduction: "Ladies and gentlemen, the best singer-songwriter in the world today."

Who are they kidding? Who is this guy, anyway? His lyrics are like those of a lovesick schoolboy, his songs are primitively constructed, with barely three chords, which he struggles to play. Some of them sound like the songs Neil Young rejected and yet the more you listen, the more obvious it becomes that they are heartfelt.

The lyrics may be full of cliches, but Johnston sings them with such intensity that he becomes mesmerising. If a singer communicates his pain, who cares how well he can play the guitar? Some of the songs have a real sweetness. They're innocent, honest, undissembling songs about real emotions.

The pain is why he is on stage and the subject of this remarkable documentary (which won Jeff Feuerzeig the best director prize at Sundance last year). The pain has made him famous, which is what he always wanted to be. The pain may be the main reason he is mentally ill, which is another reason for the fame. Johnston is that kind of singer the media love - crazy as a bedbug and doing it all on stage for a public that's eager to see the nutcase singer.

Some of this is hard to watch. Johnston has been filmed a lot in his life, growing up in the age of the home video recorder. Feuerzeig (who made Half Japanese, another documentary about a musical maverick, Jad Fair) cuts the old tape together so that we see how much he has changed through the decades. It's like watching a man disintegrate before your eyes - from sweet and funny teenager, with bright eyes and mischievous face, to chain-smoking, overweight, middle-aged man who now lives in a heavily medicated state with his long-suffering parents.

A lot of his performances elicit laughter from audiences and only some of it is sympathetic. Some are paying to see a modern freak show and Johnston's illness raises questions about informed consent.

The hard part is working out who, if anyone, is the victim in this exchange. Johnston wants to sing so desperately that he would probably do it on street corners in the middle of the night. He has an artist's compulsion to create, writing hundreds of songs in the past 25 years, at least when his medication didn't deaden his senses too much. A lot of them are about the same thing - his love for a woman called Laurie, a friend from school days who married her high-school boyfriend, who became an undertaker. (Yes, I know, it's like a bad country and western song.)

Johnston also has a strongly narcissistic desire to get noticed, to grab his 15 minutes and get on television. An MTV crew filmed him in Austin in the 1980s, when he was cleaning tables at McDonald's and making cassette recordings in his basement on a portable Sony boombox. He would hand-draw the label for each one and give them away to anyone who would listen.
The MTV spot made him famous. He began to hang out with other musicians from bands such as the Butthole Surfers, taking acid and smoking a lot of marijuana, which just made him more depressed and manic. Kurt Cobain wore a T-shirt with Johnston's Hi - How Are You album design to the 1992 MTV music awards and called Johnston the greatest living songwriter. Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, became a big fan.

Atlantic Records signed him, but dropped him just as quickly when his sales were bad. Johnston became violent on a couple of occasions, taking an iron bar to his then manager and causing an old lady to jump out of the window of her apartment. He has been committed to a state psychiatric institution for treatment on a couple of occasions.

His fundamentalist Christian parents would often try to rescue him. On one of these rescue missions, Johnston caused his father to crash his light plane into a tree, almost killing them both. Johnston thought that he was Casper the friendly ghost and tried to jump out of the plane.

So it's hard to know if fame has hurt him or made him happier than he might otherwise have been. Anonymity was, for him, a kind of void. The film makes you aware that Johnston has been the principal architect of his own legend all along, rather than a victim of uncaring media. The fact that someone has made a movie about him is, in that sense, a crowning achievement.
How great a singer-songwriter he is, I can't really say, but it's clear by the end of the film that he has much more talent than his squeaky voice and fumbling guitar playing initially suggest.

Feuerzeig's film is sympathetic to his predicament and his talent. It's an engrossing, intriguing, well-observed film.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/film-reviews/