Hank
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Poster: Hank @ Sat May 09, 2009 12:22 am
If this wasn't an exhausting, will-leaching demonic twister of a week, I'll be a monkey's uncle. And since none of my siblings are married to monkeys (insert Italian joke here), that's obviously not going to happen. Therefore, it was just such a week. [ed note : hey, at least sixguns.com is back on line!]
Sometimes, I like to briefly take my mind off the griddle of dread and concentrate on the few honest examples of true perfection that exist in our frail, tattered world. You know, things in which there is no element that could be removed or improved without corrupting the whole, where each minute part is as essential as a Maraschino cherry in a 'Shirley Temple'. Here's the short list :
- "Blazing Saddles"
- Guacamole
- Jesus
I want to talk about a few examples of real, actual perfection in my favorite entertainment medium, pop music. I'll start out with one that I think gets overlooked far too often : "The Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" by Digable Planets.
This track is so stoopid fresh that it kind of hurts. Sitting on top of a funky bass loop and crisp finger-popping are a def horn sample and some of the most architecturally-sound raps ever committed to tape. The cadence of the verses is simple, and the actual content of the lyrics just melts into the whole performance such that lines like "She innovates at the speed a cat naps" appear to be vital to the whole tune even though they don't make a whole lot of sense (note : this phenomenon is also seen with AC/DC tunes). Listening to this track is like watching a fast-motion video of cathedral being built. The pacing is tighter than 'Spanx' on a polar bear; rare is there a song at this relatively slow tempo that is so riveting and propulsive.
The whole insect schtick is a shade silly, but they are so assured in their delivery that it's hard to even get up enough psychological pluck to question or ridicule it, for fear that 'Ladybug' is going to poke her 'Cleopatra Jones' carbine right out of your iPod and lay waste to your poor hipster mug. One is even compelled to forgive 'Butterfly' for his dalliance in snooze-edge group Cherrywine by mere association with 'Doodlebug' when the latter utters the classic line : "Him? That's my man -- with the asteroid belt." Who among you isn't picturing his gesture from the immortal video when you hear that line?
"The Rebirth of Slick" is like a gun. It's powerful, and every piece in it is plum necessary. It can even protect you from harm by hostile folk and 'goblins.' Truly! Next time you feel threatened, just say "The rebirth of the slick like my gangsta stroll," and see if they don't turn tail.
Next time of "Hank Presents : Reasons to Live," we'll talk about the best music video of all time : "Mama Said Knock You Out." (Sorry, kids, it beats 'Thriller' by a country mile.)
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