A friend turned me onto Thomas, who wrote 25 mysteries and thrillers between 1966 and 1994. This post World War II tale set in occupied Germany was a splendid introduction to his vivid characters, lively plots, clean prose and hard-boiled sensibility leavened with cheeky wit. A German Jew who’s been underground through the war is taking out Nazis who’ve avoided capture, and his family hires a former OSS agent and a crafty Romanian dwarf to find him, which the American, British and German occupiers hope to do. I will now happily embark on a Thomas binge.
I am not a fan of pop music star biopics, but this one about James Brown proved itself the exception. Some may find its non-linear structure odd and maybe even off-putting, but it’s an efficient, engaging and effective way to tell many of the key elements story of the Godfather of Soul and an example of the kind of adventurous use of the cinematic form and techniques we see too little of these days. Actor Chadwick Boseman delivers a bravura performance that transmits JB’s larger-than-life personality and mastered the fleeting footwork and onstage dynamism that made Brown one of the most exciting and influential artists in popular music. Only part of the story can be told, and the adaption does stray from facts. But “Get On Up” manages to sum up its subject in a way far stronger than most of these flicks do.
For the first time in his decades-long career, Petty scored a #1 on the album charts with his latest release. Very cool strains of his ‘60s garage rock abound alongside his sophisticated yet muscular West Coast sound and both sweet and down’n’dirty moments. After nearly 40 years of making music on the national scene Petty has come up with a career high point that may be my favorite album of his yet. And hearing an artist and his band continue to bring vitality, soulfulness, smarts and integrity to rock’n’roll makes my heart glad.
From The Progressive Populist, January 1-15, 2015
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