There is a song by the great band Talking Heads called “Heaven” and you should hear it. The best version I’ve found is here, with a haunting female harmony behind David Byrne’s powerful and emotional voice. If you’ve never heard it, read the lyrics first, before playing the song.
Here’s the thing about Heaven. Alone, the lyrics are unspectacular and the thrust of the song appears dull. Without the other elements, the melody is pleasant but subtle. Tina Weymouth’s bass line is fabulous but understated. Byrne plays a lovely acoustic guitar, nothing fancy, just carries the tune forward. The lead vocal is David Byrne factual, there’s emotion but nothing close to his frantic self. Only the harmony soars.
What makes the song, all of it, is the combination of all elements brought together in a powerful ballad. “Heaven” really isn’t one of their 20 best songs, but it’s one of my favourites, has been since I heard it over 40 years ago. Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens. Only a Talking Heads fan would smile at that line.
When a hockey team works really well, like the early 1970’s Bruins or 1980’s Oilers, there are so many parts that work in unison to drive success. It’s talent, experience, hard work, precision. Edmonton’s top talents have it all figured out, they soar like majestic eagles. It’s the rest of the roster, the sixes and sevens and nines, who must come together and create something more than their individual talents imply.
Training camp is just around the corner, the fans will soon take their seats, then lights, camera, action. Hockey season, hope and heartbreak, are just ahead.
THE ATHLETIC!
- New Lowetide: Oilers’ reasonable expectations for 2021-22: Goal scoring
- New DNB: Mailbag.
- Lowetide: Oilers’ potential Olympians are a small group with maximum possible impact
- Lowetide: What should the Oilers expect from Cody Ceci in his first season?
- Lowetide: Why Oilers can expect an offensive rebound from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
- Lowetide: Projecting the 2021-22 Edmonton Oilers opening night lineup
- Lowetide: Why Oilers fans should be excited about the progress of Maxim Berezkin
- Lowetide: What should Oilers expect from Duncan Keith in his first season?
- Lowetide: Did the Oilers find the new Fernando Pisani when signing Derek Ryan?
- Jonathan Willis: Tyler Benson, Devin Shore and the 4-year difference between a prospect and a has-been
- Lowetide: What should Oilers fans expect from Zach Hyman in his first season?
- Lowetide: Dylan Holloway headlines new arrivals for Bakersfield Condors in 2021-22
- Lowetide: Why Oilers fans should expect more trades and a deep playoff run this season
- Lowetide: How much playing time will Evan Bouchard get with the Oilers this coming season?
- Jonathan Willis: A resurgent Zack Kassian could be an important part of the Oilers’ scoring
- Lowetide: How many goals will Jesse Puljujarvi score for the Oilers next season?
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers 2021-22 depth chart
- Lowetide: Oilers top 20 prospects, summer 2021
Barring injury, these are your 2021-22 Edmonton Oilers, save unsigned Kailer Yamamoto. The forwards are a fine group, Edmonton should score enough goals to outrun the mistakes many nights this winter. A third consecutive post-season berth seems likely. Ideally Evan Bouchard moves up the depth chart during the season and I’m still wondering about the goaltending, but that probably gets solved via trade.
I expect we’ll see a defenseman (Michael Stone gets mentioned by the rights-holder media) and do wonder about Alex Chiasson as an insurance policy for the Yamamoto situation.
Edmonton needs an emerging defender (like Samorukov) to take a big step forward and force his way into the top-six and would also be blessed if one of the bubbling under goaltenders delivered strong play and forced a recall.
I expect we’ll be getting the full rookie roster in the next few days, more names likely to filter in. There are a few players on the distant bells list (Konovalov, Broberg, Holloway) who could play in the NHL this season.
TULLIO 2.0
I forgot to include this yesterday like a dummy, and it’s an interesting piece from Byron Bader at HockeyProspecting.com. It’s a fun site and gives us a range of possibilities for this player. Most of the names represent a home run based on where he was chosen, but Tullio should have gone earlier (I had him No. 53 overall in 2020).
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
A busy, fun morning on the Lowdown, we get rolling at 10 on TSN1260. Bruce McCurdy from the Cult of Hockey at the Edmonton Journal will join me to talk about Dylan Holloway and the Oilers drafting record over the last decade. At 10:40, Joe Osborne from OddsSharks drops in to talk NFL Week One, CFL coming into view and baseball’s best bets down the stretch. Author Dan Gallagher will join us at 11 to talk about Larry Walker and his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. Talk soon!
NEW for The Athletic! Reasonable goal-differential expectations for the Oilers in 2021-22
https://theathletic.com/2810606/2021/09/08/lowetide-reasonable-goal-differential-expectations-for-the-oilers-in-2021-22/
Our Junior Club started training camp today. Hockey is near ?
I am soooooo excited for this Oilers team. Cannot wait for mid Oct puck drop
On a hockey note…
Watching USSR v Canada playing in 1972 am astonished at how good the Soviet team is.
Watching Central Red Army vs the 1985 Oilers am astonished at how good the Russian club team is.
In 1972 the Russian passing was astonishing. As a Canadian who was used to the NHL style, the Russians passed up fine shooting options in order to keep possession. Team Canada (specifically Ken Dryden) had a tough time with the style.
We have plenty of baiting going on so I’m going to cull some tweets. One so far, but if you’ve come by to angry up the blood, perhaps another site is best for tonight.
Your Calder Trophy odds.
https://www.oddsshark.com/nhl/odds-win-nhl-calder-trophy?utm_source=Sportsnet&utm_medium=Sportsnet&utm_campaign=Sportsnet&utm_term=editorial&utm_content=Sportsnet
I think it’s about 50/50 that Bouchard outscores Podkolzin this coming season. JMO.
Possible I suppose if he gets lots of PP time but Barrie seems to be standing in the way.
I guess I’m betting largely on Podkolzin there.
Bouchard’s small sample size rates from this past year suggest a 30 point 200+ shot season, even with minimal PP time.
If he can get to 35 points with a little PP time that’s probably 50/50 to outpace Podkolzin in a 3rd line role.
Quite likely Podkholzin plays in the top 6 with Horvat and Garland but lots of time to see how that plays out.
You think Green will break up Pearson-Horvat, who’ve been fixture for years, to put Podkolzin there? Huh.
That kind of push would give Podkolzin a chance to post some offense, just not sure the likelihood or wisdom of it.
I think I’ll take the under on Podkolzin being a top 6 fixture myself.
Green has already said he would like Pearson to play on the 3rd line with Dickinson and Hoglander but says training camp and exhibition games will determine that.
Miller-Pettersson-Boeser
Garland-Horvat-Podkholzin
Pearson-Dickinson-Hoglander
Sounds like Kassian a 1RW. Coach would ‘like’ it, but isn’t himself convinced.
We’ll see if it comes to fruition, and how long it lasts if it does.
Podkholzin And Hoglander can easily switch lines.
I’d assumed Pearson-Horvat-Garland as the 2nd line.
Holland and Yamamoto will speak over the next few days and look to get a deal done. They took a break for a few weeks to let the market sort itself a bit. They isn’t good for the team given a couple overpays recently for players coming off ELCs.
David Byrne was the Ian Curtis who lived.
T.S. Eliot:
At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.
I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where.
And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time.
Waiting for Godot10
Arguably, Samuel Beckett’s response to this verse by Eliot was “Waiting for Godot”.
At least in my mind, and Byrne encompasses the dialectic in “Heaven”.
What language can accomplish given rein by great minds.
Samorukov (at RD) and Broberg (LD) basically have to be NHLers this season. And Keith needs to retire at season’s end (or right now).
I fell down a rabbit hole & am mad about the Bear trade again. Who is going to play defence?? or in goal??
Looking forward to seeing a Broberg-Samorukov pairing in the AHL shortly. That’s 50% of the Oilers future top-4 right there.
Hopefully they just play in the opposition’s end the whole game. Easy-peasy, what could possibly go wrong..
These things could be true or they could end up not being true at all.
Cecil was very good in Pit last year which included after he moved up the lineup. He doesn’t play the same game as Larsson but could be just as an effective a 2RD as Larsson has been. He was last years.
The Bear trade is fine – it was a hockey trade and the Oilers got a very good cost controlled prime years versatile player out of the deal.
2LD last years as Jones, Kulikov, Russell, Lagesson, Keokkoek – we’ll see what we get from Keith but his term is a good stop gab knowing that d-man don’t develop in the straight line we would hope.
“Heaven” is comfortably within my top 10 Talking Heads songs, let alone Top 20.
Side 2, Track 2 of the seminal album Fear of Music. Released in August of 1979, for me it was the soundtrack to Oilers’ first NHL season. I listened to that album *a lot* that season. It remains on the “frequently played” list to this day.
I wore the grooves off of that record!!! Back in the day we would listen to that album and then go out to the bar…the name of the bar, the bar is called Heaven.
Talking Heads Live In Rome 1980 video- at the top of their game with Adrian Belew absolutely thrashing it on guitar. Sublime performance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwWW742T0Wc
I guess BioSteel Camp is over!
Good to see Broberg is over early (I know Drai got back “home” a few weeks ago).
Tom Gazzola
@TomGazzola
·
36m
Eyes & Ears from Rogers Place as informal skates continue today:
Oilers players taking part – McDavid, Draisaitl, Nurse, RNH, Hyman, Puljujarvi, Kassian, Russell, Bouchard, Broberg, Shore & Turris.
No Yamamoto. UFA Tyler Ennis also skating with the group.
Interesting Ennis is kicking around. I take him 10 times out of 10 over Shore, I know people disagree. 2-way deal? PTO? Ennis-Holloway would be a nice duo in Bako. Want Benson to get a shot at 4LW.
Ennis was cheap last year and cleared waivers twice.
I don’t think this is a big surprise.
So what do you think the Oilers are offering Yamo and what his camp wants?
Ennis as an AHL call up and mentor to a young squad is ok, but he brings nothing the NHL team needs game to game.
He has some skill, but he’s a fading skill perimeter player that is really small. Exactly what made the Oilers not good in the playoffs. They don’t need his skill at this point and I don’t seem him as the type of bottom 6 they need.
There are already Nuge Yama Ryan as the undersized forwards. And Benson is teetering on the line. Marody would be a better bet as he at least could have some upside and is 3 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier.
We need forwards that go to the paint it can’t just be Leon and Connor show. Fogele, hyman, Holloway and a fresh Kassian are here to safe the day.
Corey Pronman ranks the top under 23 NHL players and prospects…a very deep dive sorted into tiers.
https://theathletic.com/2804584/2021/09/07/ranking-the-best-under-23-nhl-players-does-cale-makar-or-andrei-svechnikov-top-the-list/?source=user_shared_article
Saw yesterday Turcotte around 115. Doesn’t line up with being part of of an opening night center lineup that is deeper than one that includes McDavid/Drai/Nuge/Ryan but that’s just me.
The Oilers 6/C/7C this year was at 90th.
Turcotte won’t be playing centre.
Tyson Jost is their 3C and they have about 10 candidates to play 4C although Alex Newhook is the favourite heading into training camp.
ummmm, what?
All the non-Oilers teams have merged into one!
And they still only have Jost as 3C and Turcotte at 4LW or meandering in the minors!
My mistake…was posting while talking to my accountant.
Perhaps you were referring to Nuge (who is now a winger) and Ryan being superior to Quinton Byfield.
”Even as an 18-year-old, he’s a force to deal with as a 6-foot-4 center who can skate and bully his way to win puck battles. His compete level stood out in the AHL, winning a lot of battles and finding ways to create a lot of offense around the net. Byfield has great hands, and with his reach and speed he’s able to put pucks through defenders easily with pace. His puck game and playmaking won’t be true top tier in the NHL, but they’ll be more than good enough to score a lot and play high in a lineup. Byfield projects as a No. 1 center in the NHL with a chance to be a star.
And I recall you told me I had comprehension issues and to be better…
Ahahahaha
Probably for the best Turcotte isn’t playing C. He hasn’t shown himself early, he wasn’t even close to a ppg in the watered down AHL and he plays on a team that is league average in age. I am surprised you are not calling him a bust.
Turcotte just turned 20 and is ranked in the same tier as Yamamoto and Holloway.
Are they all busts?
I don’t know, you tell me? I am using your criteria.
It’s also the 7th and last their, containing more than half of the players listed. The tier that also houses Bouchard and Broberg.
Yamamoto and Holloway are ranked ahead of Turcotte. Which ones are the top 5 picks?
Worth noting…the LAK have four players ranked higher than Yamamoto, the Oilers top ranked player who is almost an old man in this exercise.
Worth noting, Oilers are in win now mode and have traded picks for players.
Weren’t you posting the other day about the difference between teams in win now mode vs win 5 years from now mode?
You twist yourself into pretzels trying to justify how bad the LA Kings are now by promising they will be dominant 5 years from now.
For their sake, I would hope they have better prospects now because the Oilers NHL team now is much, much better.
The Oilers are absolutely in win now mode. Picks have been sent away, but worth noting that none of the 1st rounders has been touched yet.
And the Kings are clearly building towards something, though there’s a 10 year gap between their prospect cohort and quality vets on their team. Have to wait and see how that goes.
But the place you really don’t want to be, is the place where you’re sending away picks and prospects while not actually being a good team. The Canucks appear to be in that space right now. Frustrating spot to be, though they should be somewhat better in the Pacific this year than they were in the North last year.
Worth noting that the conversation was about the best center depth in the NHL next season if Nuge was deployed at center. That center depth is:
McDavid
Drai
Nuge
Ryan/McLeod
It was countered with some weird take of
Kopitar
Danault
Byfeild
Turcotte
Its not possible to actually think the latter will be better in the NHL this coming season. Listing a bunch of prospects doesn’t mean anything when talking about the present and I note that Holloway, a center, was listed above Turcotte on the Best 23 and Under (and Holloway would be 6/7C on the depth chart.
I don’t care about a straight comp between Byfield and Nuge – that means nothing vis-a-vis this coming season. Even if Byfield does pass Nuge this year (probably not this year, but in the future) he does not make up for the massive delta between McDavid/Drai and Koptiar/Danult.
Context of the conversation on Turcotte is important – touted as part of a center group better than the Oilers this year.
Where Jost and Newhook came in, I have no idea.
Very surprised you had no comment on Bouchard tumbling down the standings…now trailing many of his draft cohort by a lot.
That had nothing to do with Bouchard. I wonder what the real reason for him not playing, sounds like internal politics to me.
You know the reason he didn’t play that much last year – you don’t agree with the reasons (and aren’t alone) but you know them – they are clear and oubvious.
Bouchard tumbling down will be seen as nonsense in short order, likelly by the new year.
Bouchard’s next two seasons will look like this:
64, 7-18-25
72, 10-32-42
These are actual numbers for the first two full years for Dougie Hamilton, who Bouchard somewhat reminds me of.
Hamilton can skate like the wind.
Bouchard’s skating is just fine – his lateral mobility is what keeps him fro being listed as a plus skater – his straight away speed is plus, his acceleration good and his backward skating plus.
Not everyone needs to be Hieskanen out there.
Did you want to say anything about Jim Benning trading Dylan Guenther, the 2nd best player drafted in 2021, for 6 years (@ $7.25M) of broken down OEL?
I had heard that because the Sedins were given consultant positions and are considered very bright, that Vancouver would start becoming an attractive destination for Swedish players and would start bringing in more Swedish players.
I guess this is the result?
Pettersson, Hoglander and OEL all represent the Tre Kroner with several other prospects on the way.
I’m pretty sure they will be thankful for the Sedin’s mentorship.
If Pettersson stays, that is.
He hasn’t signed yet and based on your comments yesterday, that means he is looking for a new address.
Well they sent Alex Edler away. And Adam Larsson didn’t seem to have any more interest in that ‘attractive destination’ than for Edmonton.
Given the price for OEL, you’ve got to wonder what they’re paying the Sedin’s for their consulting. Likely an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Sure…he got a top 6 player, RIGHT NOW in Conor Garland who is signed to huge value contract at 4X$4.5 million and moved Eriksson, Beagle and Roussel ($12 million combined cap hit) for OEL with Arizona retaining.
OEL is a risk for sure but it’s not like he sent away a cost controlled #2D in return for a year old defenseman with no salary retention.
38.
So Bear is a 2D now that the Oilers traded him?
Sometimes I have trouble keeping up.
And ‘cost controlled’ for the next 9 or so months.
Its boggling to me when the narrative is the Oilers gave up a “cost controlled 2RD for a 3rd liner”.
1) Bear is cost controlled for one year – the player in return is cost-controlled for 3 years.
2) Bear is likely a 2RD but he’s no more solidified in that spot than Feogele is as a 2nd line winger
3) Foegele is already solidified as a high end 3rd liner, that drives goal share on the 3rd line, has the “right attributes” for playoff hockey and what the team needs (big, fast, aggresive, give a shit, banger, puck hounds, skill) with legit ability to spot up the lineup.
4) Foegele is signed for what is likely a big value contract for his prime years
The team will miss Bear. The team will love Foegele.
Hockey Trade!
Value contract. Moved dead cap. Arizona retained.
What’s the remaining OEL cap hit the Canucks are on the hook for?
Sure seems like some of that hit would have been useful in getting Hughes and Pettersson signed.
He moved 3 players with one year left on their bloated contract for a guy with, what 7 years left on his – a guy approaching 30 and already had two straight regression years. Even with the Yotes retaining the contract is very very negative on OEL.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the Canucks will be better this season – Garland is a legit top 6 winger – he’s a complimentary piece, but he’s a good top 6 winger, that helps. I think OEL will bounce back somewhat and help the Canucks.
At the same time, Garland for Dylan G. is one of those moves to put teams over the top….. the canucks are not there.
The OEL trade, while it should help this season, was horrible cap management going forward – Benning could have just waited out those one year deals and had real flexibility to build properly going forward but he’s caved his cap structure.
Yes, Holland did a similar thing with Keith re: cap space but its a two-year commitment tops and he, given the progression of Samorukov and Broberg, the timing works out well.
I do think the Canucks could/should battle LA for 3rd/4th in the division this season but the moves they’ve made have lowered their ceiling in the next 5 years, give or take.
As usual for HH this comment won’t age well.
I think I agree that Russell is more of a certain Oiler than Koekkoek but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Slater as 3LD and Russell in the press box opening night – that happened last season.
Will be very interesting to see which which two of Benson, Perlini, Turris, Marody get opening night roster spots (assuming Shore is a lock) – I bet on Benson and Turris.
A depth right shot d-man would be nice – as of right now, Russell on the right side is the first injury cover assuming Berglund doesn’t surprise. That’s not the end of the world if its the 3rd pairing but not ideal.
A PTO is one thing but the issue is where does another d-man fit in with so many players. I don’t think they can go 8D, heck, they might have to keep 3 goalies. If they do 7D, that already bumps Lagesson down to the AHL (assuming he clears) which is in addition to Berglund, Broberg, Samorukov, Niemelainen Kesselring and Kemp (plus Deharnais and Kaldis on AHL deals). If another D is signed, and there is no injuries, that means Koekkoek (or Stone) are in the KHL.
I’m very curious to see how quickly Samorukov gets in the lineup and how he plays. He has definite 2nd pairing potential and I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves up the lineup quickly but that also doesn’t sound all that reasonable. He also played the entire KHL season on the right side in their top 4 – I will stop short of suggesting that he can translate the right side efficiency to the NHL where every d-man decision needs to be made quicker, however, I wonder if the coaches would try him on the right side for injury cover as a raw rookie.
I do think, yes, Mikko is pencilled in for that back-up 2G spot. I do think that Stalock should be given a full opportunity to compete with Mikko. His puck handling is an important factor. I don’t think he will get that opportunity.
I do think 3 goalies on the roster could be a thing.
I think the opening 23-man roster will be subject to early change.
I think they’re likely to either keep or demote Turris based on salary cap considerations (I think they need to push as close to the cap as possible to maximize LTIR).
I doubt they demote Benson because he’ll get lost to waivers. I hope they feel the same about Marody.
I bet Shore gets demoted as a paper transaction and won’t get claimed based on his year 2 salary. Ditto Koekkoek.
From there I can see them giving early at-bats to Benson (hopefully Marody), keeping them and their 800k cap savings on the payroll in favour of Turris.
Edit – the cap savings of keeping eg. Benson over Turris would be roughly $400k, not $800k.
When I talk about “opening day roster”, I’m speaking of the roster that is intact for game 1 which may not be the same roster they submit to the league on day (which may have various paper transactions for cap and LTIR reserves purposes).
Koekkoek also capable of playing right side, did a lot of it in Chicago.
Some good info from Byron Bader there.
I always get a kick out of…
He could be Mark Scheifele or he could be Curtis Lazar.
He could be Bo Horvat, or he could be Maxime Talbot.
🙂
It truly is one of those ‘half of one, six dozen of the other’ scenarios!
Michael Stone always reminds me of a bigger version of Kris Russell.
As in, often looks better than his analytics would suggest
“the Yamamoto situation.”
In the voice of Jerry Seinfeld…”NO! NO!…No situation! No Situation!”
First things first. LIVE music! (nough said)
Secondly, I want to thank you. I mean really thank you. I fancy myself a music oficiando, which makes me almost embarrassed to say I never listened to the Talking Heads as a yute. Sure a heard a song or two on the radio, but it wasn’t until a few years ago at around age 57-58 that you turned me onto the band. You linked to a version of Once in a Lifetime and introduced me to an original sound that was for me NEW…at age 58…that is so rare, so thanks for that (gift).
Thirdly, David Byrne for me became an American version of David Bowie. A true performance artist.
Fourthly, Byrnes vocal in this song (and others) reminds of Ray Davies, who I happen to adore. There seems to be at least two interpretations to this song Heaven; One group views it as sarcasm; eternal life is not all that it’s cracked up to be and being finite is what gives life it’s meaning.
My interpretation is the flip side of this. The Chinese have a saying, “It’s a curse to be born in interesting times”, implying that a simple life is more rewarding, and the important things are the simple things, friends, family, the eternal party that is your best day.
Byrne lyrics for me distills things down to their essence. Simultaneously melancholy and uplifting. (another Ray Davies quality)
Finally, as for “Only a Talking Heads fan would smile at that line.” I sadly admit, I don’t get the line.
Would love really appreciate the insight of a 20 words or less explanation.
Suspect it’s similar to a an instance in Life During Wartime LIVE Los Angeles ’83, after a emotionally charged performance, Byrne coyly/demurely says to the crowd “Thank you! Does anybody have any questions?”
I think the line ‘heaven is a place where nothing ever happens’ is, like the song, a matter of your view/emotion/mind set at the time. Like many Byrne songs, it’s two sides of a story and can be both utopian and a nightmare depending on where you are in that moment.
Well you nailed that for me. I’m currently reading a book by Eckhart Tolle. One of the many tenets of the book is “heaven on earth, achieved by conquering your own ego”.
The modern version of “know thyself”. 😉
I guess if you’re a successful organization, nothing ever happening roster-wise would be a good thing. No drama, just business as usual.
Great band and another band where you can point at some of their influences but they are truly sui generis, like all great bands.
By the by…this sentence “It’s talent, experience, hard work, precision……top talents have it all figured out, they soar like majestic eagles. ” reminds me of Byrne’s new(ish) stage show, “American Utopia”
For Byrne, utopia is about embracing difference. It’s about men and women from a diversity of races and cultures coming together to create something new, alive and beautiful that helps people connect.
At the heart of the matter, isn’t that really what David Byrne is about? Helping people connect
I think that depends on who you ask. I’m not sure his former band mates feel that way from what I’ve read.
Love the band, each member amazing in their way. Like most or all great bands.
And teams if we’re talking about hockey and especially the glory Oilers.
Here is the link to the greatest moment of the greatest concert film ever made. Anyone disagrees, let’s fight in Burke’s barn.
I think the line is the focal point of the song and is exactly what you describe. If there is no possibility of anything bad ever happening–just maximum satisfaction of all cravings– every day just becomes the same and there is nothing to look forward to or be excited about. Every day just becomes a boring blur of ice cream for supper and your favorite song on repeat all day. Nothing new every happens, which to humans is really like nothing ever happens.
The other nice couplet in there backs this up:
“It’s hard to imagine that nothing at all
Could be so exciting, could be this much fun”
Which is a clever twist on the phrase “nothing beats XXX” which is used to mean there is no thing that is better than XXX, though of course here he means that he’d rather be nothing and just disappear into the void than be trapped in a grey malaise of sameness.
The well-done (though a bit lightweight and schmaltzy) show The Good Place addresses this question in its final season.
Not sure if any of you have seen it, but the new docuseries McCartney, 3,2,1 (which I think is on Apple TV up there) is truly astounding. Just him and producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin listening back to the original tracks, fiddling with levels to hear different parts, and following Paul’s train of thought and reminiscences while listening. I always think of the Beatles as a catchy pop guitar band, never realized just how innovative and driving the bass lines were.
and David Byrne’s American Utopia is an amazing live concert of his Broadway show which is also just magnificent. No idea where it streams in Canada, HBO down here.
It is a great series. I think I watched it on Disney plus!
Thanks. I’ll check out.
I attended David Byrne’s American Utopia at the Jube in 2018. On the short list of greatest concerts I’ve ever seen. Such a novel concept, 12 self-contained musicians performing in an otherwise empty stage. No mics, no amps, no floor monitors, no risers, no drum kits, no nothing that didn’t move with the musicians themselves. A brilliant concept accompanying brilliant tunes, many Talking Heads favourites among them.