Remembering Boardwalk Empire

So this past week we saw the conclusion of the HBO period crime drama, and it was a bittersweet affair to say the least. Here are a number of observations I have about the final installment and what we can say about the series now that it is complete.

The struggles of season V
1. The Ticking Clock
Although the season was only 8 episodes long, any more would've been bordering on tiresome. The 7 year jump between seasons when the past four seasons had each represented successive years seemed to be a pretty inexplicable move; perhaps a sign that Scorcese, Winter et al where waving the white flag and saying we know we're getting stale, we're cashing in our chips while we can. I get the impression 1931 was always going to be where the story ended, but Terence Winter has said he wanted to 'leave the stage while the audience are wanting more' and I think he feared (and rightly so) that he'd be pushing his luck to go further than he did.
2. Deaths at the end of IV

No Arnold Rothstein, no Richard Harrow. This last season of Boardwalk Empire could feel really long without them; at least Masseria died.

— Graham Abbott (@gsa219) September 15, 2014

With two of the most compelling characters departing at the end of the fourth series, both without any real follow up at the start of the fifth; it meant not only was there a lack of resounding denouement, but much of the reason for watching was fading. The idiosyncratic supporting cast that enriched the show was thinning, without anyone emerging to fill the gaps. This brings up another death from the end of season IV which I'd overturn: I would've killed Eli instead of Agent Knox. Eli had pretty much run his course and there wasn't much more to develop, whereas the intrigue built up around Knox throughout the series, was sacrificed. On the other hand how he would fit in to a story seven years on is a good question and in hindsight Eli was certainly easier to make relevant.
3. Narrowing focus
In place of the broader scope of characters, we saw the writers double down on Nucky; anyone introduced was one dimensional and existed to further him. Because of the recycling of the Nucky vs. Eli storyline (that wasn't too interesting first time around) via flashback, the show no longer had the variety it once boasted. The flashbacks I take as another key piece of evidence for the 'creators running out of ideas' case, with the focus being taken away from 1931 perhaps because there just wasn't enough happening to fill an hour-long episode. By the same token, Mark Pickering's portrayal of young Nucky is absolutely golden, his imitation of Steve Buscemi's mannerisms and tone is uncanny.
4. Death throes produce gratuitous, well, death
Game of Thrones has a reputation for copious deaths (as if no other series has characters dying on a frequent basis), and the last few episodes took the cake. It could be the case that there weren't many deaths initially and they were inserted later for the sake of impact.
4a. Van Alden: perhaps the least unnecessary of these deaths, a happy ending was never likely, however it was fairly unrewarding to see him buy it, particularly given that Eli bewilderingly got away, his conclusion became (excuse the pun) a dead end. It accomplished little seeing as it was to be expected that Capone would be sent down in the end. After seeing him threatened with death for being flakey time after time it made it worthless seeing him come so far, only to be murdered because he couldn't be trusted.
4b. Chalky: seemingly accepted his death very passively, which was unfitting given how ardently he fighted for influence and freedom throughout the series.
4c. Mickey: asks to carry on running the Onyx club, promptly gets shot in the throat. A fairly unnecessary escalation. It said a lot about the amount of deaths in the series (particularly seeing as I wanted him dead just about every week of the first four series) when I thought: 'well at least Mickey Doyle will land on his feet'. Alas that got 86ed quickly.
4d. Dr. Narcisse: hardly a factor in the final series, only appearing in three of the eight episodes. Turns up in the final episode just to be shot by Bugsy.

The saving graces
1. Having said all these things, the death of Nucky made the whole journey worthwhile. I was expecting him to die in the final episode going into the series but it was a brilliant and unexpected piece of retribution on behalf of Jimmy and Richard to see Tommy come from out of nowhere to avenge his father's death. The golden part of this is Nucky was out of the game, he'd lost and his death was personal rather than being a part of his shortcoming in the business war. The fact he was a person (and an emotionally damaged one at that), not just a criminal was what the show tried to sell you on, and ultimately, the fact he couldn't be 'half a gangster' (as Jimmy told him in the very first episode) cost him everything; a death that wasn't from the sphere of his own personal responsibility would've undercut the whole point of the show.
2. Luciano wins Boardwalk Empire: after watching him as a fiery upstart and seeing him develop into a kingpin, it's a nice conclusion to see him inherit the empire. On the contrary there's only himself and Doyle who could've really come out on top, but even at that, it was inevitable that AC would eventually lose to NY.
3. It was nice to know that Margaret finished better off, being rescued from her abusive marriage by Nucky, then escaping the criminal life Nucky led for a legitimate job that she more than survived at. She was pretty irrelevant after the end of the third series, nonetheless her progress was enjoyable to watch when she was around.

So there we have it, Boardwalk Empire is all over. It's sad for me because after the third series I genuinely thought I would be calling this the best TV drama of all, after the final series it's still in my top 5, but I think Oz and Deadwood might have snook ahead; looks like I'll have to do a blog ranking them all one of these days...

Covers That Are Better Than Their Originals

It's not generally the case that a cover version can supercede the work of its creator, but seeing as I said Johnny Cash's version of Hurt isn't one of them I thought I should give a few examples of some that are.

With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker
Originally by the Beatles it was a fairly tame number, but this cover has an iconic guitar intro provided by Jimmy Page, lending a far more distinct essence to the track.


Where Is My Mind? - Placebo
As opposed to the Pixies rendition (one of their signature songs, I might add), Placebo are far smoother and Brian Molko's are much more controlled and melodic than in the original. The sound overall is much sharper and all things together feel much more complete.


All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
As was the case for With A Little Help From My Friends, this is a song that wasn't initially spectacular, but has new life breathed into it through some masterful guitar work. Hendrix' vivacious vocals match the new feel to build the finest moment of his lamentably short career.


Both Sides, Now - Neil Diamond
Maybe I'm a little biased toward a voice similar to my own but I think, this version of Joni Mitchell's classic is its finest rendition. Lyrically I have this down as one of the best songs ever and the boldness of Diamond reflects the song's majestic air. As well I think taking 'and' out of the verses is a slight touch that makes the song flow much better.


Such Great Heights - Iron & Wine
This is a rare occasion that a simple acoustic song is the more fitting version, Ben Gibbard's voice on the original sounds robotic and lifeless, also the higher tempo feels uncomfortable, a lot like the song is being rushed. The relaxed soulful vocals that Sam Beam provides makes for a beautiful song.


Out of Time - Chris Farlowe
On the other hand, as opposed to the Rolling Stones' original counterpart which feels too lively and ostentatious, possibly even glib with Jagger's voice; Farley approaches the song with the emotion this ballad needs.


My Humps - Alanis Morissette
I really do hate 'My Humps' as a song, it tries to be sexy but comes across completely ludicrous. Give it to Alanis Morissette and let her do it in her style and the pisstakey video is only the icing on the cake for this parody that simply let's the preposterous lyrics create the comedy.

Shake It Off by Taylor Swift - Reviewed

No time like the present eh? So I see this come up in my twitter feed...

Taylor Swift actually has a long history of trying to rap... http://t.co/xsAqovBmxo pic.twitter.com/w5JBwBMCTC

— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) August 19, 2014

I thought 'oh, ok' out of morbid curiousity I have to have a look at this: Taylor Swift's new song; and lamentably there will be no hipping and hopping on this sick beat.

In spite of not only being a Taylor Swift song, but also being possibly the most obnoxious song I've heard in a good long while; I really like it. It's uptempo, in-your-face and ridiculously catchy and that's about all there is to it; I'm a little apprehensive of saying this, but I think it's the case that the catchiness that gets Taylor off the hook for goofy lines like: 'The haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate hate'. To criticise the outlandish lyrics would be to completely miss the point and take the song too seriously; this is a song that falls into the same category as Happy by Pharrell Williams and Friday by Rebecca Black: infectiously memorable and simply about having fun.

The only thing I'm going to say holds the song back is the uncomfortable talking part in the middle: very reminiscent of Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne and Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani. In fact, I'd go as far as saying the ostentatiousness turned up to 11 feel was what Gwen was going for, but it fails as a song by not being playful at the same time. And I'm not sure what it is about awkward mini-monologues mid-song that Taylor insists on, I've already mentioned this on the blog before here. Nonetheless it's good to see Taylor not taking herself too seriously and laughing at herself as opposed to whining about various subject matter in frequently insecure appearance.

It's already got well over 13 million views and it was uploaded under two days ago at time of writing, my hope is it doesn't suffer the dreaded death by overplay, I fear this song may become inescapable and wear thin fairly quickly; at the moment though I am hopeful that this song will have a pretty good lifespan.

Hurt: What's the Best Version?

So the song Hurt, just about everyone knows it, and it ranks very highly in my favourite songs lyrically. There is one thing I struggle to put my finger on however; that is what is the best version of the song? There has been a number of strikingly distinct renditions of the song and making a decision as to which treats the lyrics better is indeed difficult. If you look at any version's youtube video the comment section is packed with disagreement over who performed the superior rendition, and in typical youtube comment section fashion, the discussion is completely sophomoric, so here's my thoughts in a little more detail on the who did it best.

To begin with let's talk about the original by Nine Inch Nails, written by lead singer Trent Reznor. It deals with the isolation felt within the grip of heroin addiction and self-harm and the feeling of all internal value being dismissed one way or another. The lyrics' sheer bleakness is matched by sparse atmospheric instrumentation and a beat with real impact on the chorus, almost like its begging for some kind of breakthrough to the solitude. What brings the whole song together is the way he Reznor goes high on the chorus putting desperate emphasis onto the words 'You could have it all, my empire of dirt, I will let you down, I will make you hurt', driving home the image of the singer as a liability: no good to himself and no good to anyone else, expecting nothing less than desertion.


Right off the bat I'm going to upset a few people by saying that the best version is quite certainly not the Johnny Cash cover from American IV in 2002; there are few songs for which we can say the cover is better than the original and I'm afraid this is not one of them. I speak as a big fan of Cash (who himself was no stranger to addiction), of course it is such a significant song looking back at his life: it's gone down as his epitaph, being released so close to his death. As well as this the video is so touching, filmed in his own home, it reflects the pain in the lyrics being taking form in Johnny's grief for his wife June, and as the closing of the piano lid at its conclusion is such a fitting farewell for the music legend we call The Man In Black. While I (as well as Reznor himself) consider the changing of 'crown of shit' to 'crown of thorns' in the second verse a more fitting, thoughtful idea; Johnny's age really shows in his vocals, staying flat in the chorus is a lot to lose for the progression of the song, no less the lack of time taken to build the song, the tempo ought to evoke lethargy rather than the usual cadence one would expect from a country record.


David Bowie joined NIN for the performance of Hurt at then end of their set before playing his own as they opened for him in 1996. There's two things about this version that make it stand out, one is the all new guitar riff to introduce the song, adding another edge to the song. The second is the harmony that Bowie provides on the chorus making the words flow in much more melodic fashion.


The piano based version from the Beside You In Time live film; if you prefer piano to guitar then this bonus will probably be preferable, that's more of an arbitrary preference though. Another benefit of a live version to this particular song is how authentic Reznor's vocals sound to the mood of the song, sounding somewhat tired and out of breath toward the end of the set. Another difference between this and the studio is the conclusion is cleaner and for my money is an improvement as opposed to the distortion of the original, meaning the whole band coming in on the last line has more impact.


So it turns out Leona Lewis covered this song. Wait, what? No and no. Leona Lewis voice does not fit this song whatsoever, and the production sounds daft; it would fit your average Leona Lewis song but does not match the decorum a song such as Hurt merits. Also most of the second verse and chorus is cut for some reason. Honestly, it's as baffling a choice for a cover version as you'd expect, and given its shoehorning into Lewis' style, you have to wonder why they bothered.


Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam performed the song live in Chicago in 2008. Sadly it's surprisingly unremarkable, recommended only if you really enjoy the sound of his voice. Depending upon the acoustic guitar put's him right up against Cash, and he's someone difficult to beat when that's all you have with your vocals.


It is thanks to my good pal Ben that I heard the version reimagined by choral composer Eric Whitacre at Union Chapel in London a few weeks back and good grief does it capture the haunting nature of the song. The last few lines are dropped, but that can be forgiven, seeing as it takes the best part of seven minutes.


I'm inclined to say this version from the Vevo Presents concert is my personal favourite. The ethereal feel of the chorus really appeals to me, and there's something about that slightly quirky sounding piano coming in on the chorus that sounds beautiful. With this and the retention of all the benefits of the Beside You In Time version, here is the best version of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails.

Some Good, Some Bad: World Cup Songs

With the World Cup in Brazil just around the corner I thought it's time to review some of the football songs we've had over the years that surround the major football tournaments.

New Order - World In Motion
1990 was a very important year in rap music: Ice-T and Run DMC were still going strong, Public Enemy dropped Fear of a Black Planet, Ice Cube released his first solo album after breaking with N.W.A. and England winger John Barnes of all people did his part for one of the country's best loved football anthems. It's not just the rap (that people drunkenly try to sing along to every two years) that makes this song iconic, it's a great mix of New Order's dance sound and a good old-fashioned football match sing-along, either way it's very catchy and easy to sing along to.


Baddiel & Skinner and The Lightning Seeds
Like New Order, a song very heavily influenced by its time, with The Lightning Seeds providing a britpop backdrop. What makes it really great is it captures perfectly what it means to be an England fan, being let down time and again but still believing that they can redeem themselves at the next tournament and emulate the heroes of '66.

Both the '96 and '98 versions got to #1, it turns out it's one of only two songs that has reached the top of the charts twice with different lyrics; the other you ask? Mambo No. 5, originally by Lou Bega, covered by Bob the Builder.

Pitbull ft. Jennifer Lopez - We Are One (Ole Ola)
No...not you two again. why do Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez have to keep getting together for pop songs? I've complained about 'On The Floor' and 'Dance Again' before on this blog and it looks like I have to cover them again. For goodness sake it is no surprise that Pitbull has landed himself the job of singing the official World Cup song being the generic, corporate muppet that he is. The title says it all to be honest, it's a song that is so hopelessly trying to be memorable and inviting all to sing along that it falls flat on its face, that and there's always the problem of Pitbull writing lyrics. I don't think I'll mind hearing it on TV too much this year though: the obligatory samba backdrop for the song makes it at least passable in spite of whatever the featured artists could do.


442 - Come On England
Now right off the bat I'll come out and say I don't really like 'Come On Eileen' by Dexy's Midnight Runners but this song is egregious on possibly every level. New Order mixed in a few words from Kenneth Wolstenholme's legendary commentary in '66, Baddiel and Skinner had a bit more commentary and pundit quotes from the 90s for their introduction; but 45 seconds of unbroken commentary of David Beckham's free-kick vs. Greece in 2001 is just awkward. Add to that the crime of shoehorning lyrics into a popular song means the song is like a carcrash, you want to look away but you just can't. The video also includes the singer repeatedly committing the offence of getting far too close to the camera while pulling gawky smiles as he sings the words, almost as if he knows how bad the song is already.