We Will Pass Through Undetected

Listening to Sonic Youth’s Murray Street record this afternoon, I realized that even though I hadn’t conciously selected this album as my discman soundtrack for my exploration of Vinegar Hill, it was just about the most perfect record I could have chosen. I remember hearing “Disconnection Notice” on the street with all the old warehouses, noticing that I was enjoying that song more at that moment than I had previously. Listening to the album now, my visual memory recalls those low streets, the decay, the trash in the streets, the fences and walls, all baking in the afternoon sun. It makes a lot of sense. I knew from the first time I heard the album that it was an afternoon record, the music can’t help but bring to mind harsh sunlight and blue skies. Now the aimless, subdued melancholy of the record makes visual sense to me too. I’m starting to think that this might be my favorite record this year.

In related news: Amy Phillips’ poorly written and highly unprofessional review of the record in the Village Voice has yielded a number of irate letters to the editor, though there are a few positive reactions to the review as well. This vocal, polarized reaction probably just means she’ll be writing more terrible record reviews in the future. Sigh. This woman should NOT be employed to be a critic.

No More Of This “Selfless Hero” Bunk! It’s Time For ME!

I finally got around to buying a copy of Peter Bagge’s Megalomaniacal Spider-Man a couple days ago. It’s a lot of fun – Bagge gives us an irreverant ‘what if’ story in which Peter Parker learns that his Uncle Ben was actually a sleazy bastard, undermining his sense of morality, and causing him to lose the plot completely. He eventually quits the thankless life of fighting supervillains, discovers Ayn Rand (which I think is a nod to the fact that Spidey creator Steve Ditko is/was a zealous objectivist), and a decade later becomes a corporate media mogul. Bagge’s Peter Parker is a far right wing maniac, a sexist who taunts his left wing sweetheart Gwen Stacy, and tortures his ex-boss J Jonah Jameson (who is now in Parker’s employ). I’m being kind by not quoting any of the great one-liners and gags, you’ve really got to check this out. I’ve seen a lot of superhero parodies, but this is probably one of the most intelligent and savage ones I’ve ever encountered. Highly recommended.