http://thirteenbirds.com/blog/2008/09/30/u2-zooropa/ Words About Music Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:22:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://thirteenbirds.com/blog/2008/09/30/u2-zooropa/comment-page-1/#comment-6171 How Bad Can It Be?: One Eskimo, "All Balloons" | Popdose Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:31:48 +0000 http://thirteenbirds.com/blog/2008/09/30/u2-zooropa/#comment-6171 [...] The larger cultural impact point here, of course, is one that’s been with us since the twinned births of recorded music and the moving picture. Music is just so goddamn big, too big and too wild to be adequately conveyed by conventional photography, too profoundly stimulative of the imagination to constrain with realism. And so animated cartoons have been a congenial fit with music, from the earliest Silly Symphonies to Fantasia and Yellow Submarine to a-ha; the medium allows for levels of abstraction, expression, and iconography unavailable to conventional representational film, bringing the emotional affect of the song front and center. Figures can stretch, transform, levitate, burst into flame, or crumble to fragments as the feelings of the moment demand. And, of course, cartoons make a perfect vehicle for the larger-than-life personas that musicians like to project — whether we’re talking stylized doppelgangers, or an out-and-out alter ego. [...] [...] The larger cultural impact point here, of course, is one that’s been with us since the twinned births of recorded music and the moving picture. Music is just so goddamn big, too big and too wild to be adequately conveyed by conventional photography, too profoundly stimulative of the imagination to constrain with realism. And so animated cartoons have been a congenial fit with music, from the earliest Silly Symphonies to Fantasia and Yellow Submarine to a-ha; the medium allows for levels of abstraction, expression, and iconography unavailable to conventional representational film, bringing the emotional affect of the song front and center. Figures can stretch, transform, levitate, burst into flame, or crumble to fragments as the feelings of the moment demand. And, of course, cartoons make a perfect vehicle for the larger-than-life personas that musicians like to project — whether we’re talking stylized doppelgangers, or an out-and-out alter ego. [...]

]]> http://thirteenbirds.com/blog/2008/09/30/u2-zooropa/comment-page-1/#comment-1784 Brian Chidester Fri, 02 Jan 2009 02:31:43 +0000 http://thirteenbirds.com/blog/2008/09/30/u2-zooropa/#comment-1784 Wow! You said everything I've ever wanted to say about this album, and about the early '90s, in one foul swoop. Kudos for associating "Nevermind" with "Nevermind the Bullocks," making sure to include mentions of the Situationists, glam, Eurotrash music, Warhol and more. Pointing out the audacious nature of U2's "Helter Skelter' and "God Part II" was a stroke of genius. I dug the sly reference to "loving the bomb" too. But the best part about this blog is your astute understanding of "Zooropa" (the album) as a glam record, full of the same apocalyptic cabaret smarts as that of Bowie and Reed in the '70s. I was the same age as you when this album came out, and wish I had your talent for writing, because you didn't miss a beat. Well done! Wow! You said everything I’ve ever wanted to say about this album, and about the early ’90s, in one foul swoop. Kudos for associating “Nevermind” with “Nevermind the Bullocks,” making sure to include mentions of the Situationists, glam, Eurotrash music, Warhol and more. Pointing out the audacious nature of U2’s “Helter Skelter’ and “God Part II” was a stroke of genius. I dug the sly reference to “loving the bomb” too. But the best part about this blog is your astute understanding of “Zooropa” (the album) as a glam record, full of the same apocalyptic cabaret smarts as that of Bowie and Reed in the ’70s. I was the same age as you when this album came out, and wish I had your talent for writing, because you didn’t miss a beat. Well done!

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