The Other, Other, Other, Other Scott Pilgrim Soundtrack

While this is the second Scott Pilgrim soundtrack i'm posting, it still isn't either of the two official ones. This is the playlist Bryan Lee O'Malley has on the last page of Volume 5, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the Universe, probably my favorite book in the series.

And why post a second one? Well, i just got back from the movie, and i have to admit, it's pretty damn good. Practically every review i read beforehand essentially trashed the flick, and as a huge fan of the series, i was worried Michael Cera was going to potentially trash another one of my favorite reads. i can say that he did not. (Also, for a pretty good review about Scott Pilgrim reviews, i recommend this one from NPR.)

i'm not going to go into a full review here, but will point out that sometime around the third and final act, the movie goes its own route, not even close to the Book Six, Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour, ending. Since the Missus opted for a nap instead of the flick, i might just have to go and see it a second time, which in and of itself is a pretty good measure of how much i enjoyed it. The nailed the parts that mattered, and that's good enough for me.

Je ne pas accuse, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World Movie!

mp3: If We Can Land a Man on the Moon, Surely I Can Win Your Heart (Beulah from When Your Heartstrings Break)

mp3: Off the Block (Black Lips from Good Bad Not Evil)

mp3: October, First Account (Be Your Own Pet from Be Your Own Pet)

mp3: Heart of Glass (Blondie from Best of Blondie)

mp3: Under My Thumb (The Rolling Stones from Aftermath)

mp3: Lion's Jaws (Neko Case from Fox Confessor Brings The Flood)

mp3: Perfect Day (Acoustic Demo) (Lou Reed from Transformer (Expanded Edition))

mp3: Flight (Art Brut from Bang Bang Rock & Roll)

mp3: Without You (Badfinger from No Dice)

mp3: I Summon You (Spoon from Gimme Fiction)

mp3: I'm Not Through With You Yet (Sloan from Navy Blues)

mp3: Don't Stop (Fleetwood Mac from Greatest Hits)

At the Cinema: The Rolling Stones - Rock and Roll Circus

It's no secret, I'm a Stones gal all the way. Thusly, it should surprise absolutely not a single one of you to see that I'm writing about something to do with said most awesome band to ever walk the face of the Earth (in my humble opinion, of course). The only surprise is that it's taken me this long to write about a Stones-related flick. But here we go, ladies and gentlemen, at long last, with the one, the only, "Rock and Roll Circus".

My first thought upon watching the intro to the Circus, when the performers parade out performing a circus march amongst a group of acrobats and clowns and what have you was "gee, it sure would have been swell to be around in 1968". This isn't really the kind of thing the kids are throwing together these days, and certainly not involving bands of this caliber (in addition to the Stones, the Rock and Roll Circus features performances by Jethro Tull, the Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and the Dirty Mac).

See Roger Daltrey's amazing fringed outfit! Marvel at Pete Townshend's blue, blue eyes and silly faces during his closeups! Gaze at the dapper figure cut by your ringmaster, Mick Jagger! Stare in awe at the macrame sweater worn by Eric Clapton!

The performances are all pretty darned good, but especially impressive are Jethro Tull's "Song for Jeffrey", Taj Mahal's "Ain't That a lot of Love", and every single song done by the Stones (with Brian Jones), particularly "No Expectations". The Dirty Mac, super sideproject, also nailed "Yer Blues", but I'll admit I could have done without the Yoko howling in their second number.

It's a bold, colorful, delightfully lo-fi one ring circus. Musical performances are peppered with actual circus routines (bar acrobatics and playing with fire, anyone?). The audience is a representation of Swinging London, decked out in satin orange and yellow robes and having a grand ole time, especially the far out dancers during "Jumpin' Jack Flash". The camera shots are frequently choppy and sometimes flat out silly. And it's perfect. There was some kinda magic going on in December of 1968, and it's lucky for those of us that weren't there that someone caught it on camera.