July 2002 - zorn-list - mailman.xmission.com

Re: french mcDonalds
by Zachary Steiner 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

I went on a trip around with Europe with a tour company (big mistake, not to be repeated) and found myself in touristy areas with very little time to eat (had to meet at the bus at such and such a time). Ate at a McDonald's in every country. The most fun I had was deviating from the tour and finding something out of the way, like eating at a native restaurant. The people were mostly surprised to see Americans in those establishments, some pleasantly so, some not (depended on the country). I enjoyed the pace of those places, it was a refreshing change from the hectic tour and McDonald's. I will concede that the best burger and fries I ever had was in a hole in the wall in a small village in Tirol. I'm torn between my fondness for change and my love of tradition. Just because something is new, doesn't mean it's neccessarily better. Zach ============================================================ From: SonataPathetique(a)aol.com Date: 2002/07/09 Tue PM 02:48:17 EDT To: zorn-list(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: french mcDonalds Whenever I goto France, the giant M from McDonalds seems like a gateway to paradise, especially when in the more rural areas. I never eat McD's in America but in Europe, it seems like the best food in the world. In Paris, it is the cheapest food you can find (or at least that I can find) and in the rest of the country it is the best tasting (I am only comparing McD's with the places I can afford to eat). Evil corp or not, when I am starving, theres no time for politics. Seth

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Zorn BOMB interview, then sculpture/video (OT)
by thesubtlebody 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

On topic: I really enjoyed the short interview between Goldberg and Zorn in the Summer issue of BOMB, I'm glad Patrice drew our attention to it. Not a great revelation, but Zorn seemed more affable and fun in this interview, and whether on purpose or not, came across as pretty candid and, erm, _human_. It is good news for me that someone would toss out their kitchen altogether to make room for books and records...that's something to live for. Off topic: This might not warrant list discussion, but at the least could folks communicate with me off-list about good single-volume anthologies or series of books with good reproductions of contemporary scuplture and installation work. Reading the feature on Petah Coyne in BOMB made me want to get into all that. Also, any video or DVD anthologies of really great video art are of great interest to me now. Any help is much appreciated. -----s np: Van Dyke Parks, JUMP __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free http://sbc.yahoo.com

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Re: Japanese coffee houses
by MorMovies＠aol.com 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

It's weird. Americans can be sorrowful and sentimental about Japanese coffee houses but if you get all melancholy about ANYTHING from America's past, you're considered a creepy fool and practically burned at the stake! It's a fact- U.S. culture changes, transforms and is influenced by other cultures just as much as any other culture. People are basically the same EVERYWHERE and always resist change of any kind.

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Re: Japanese coffee houses
by Patrice L. Roussel 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

On Tue, 9 Jul 2002 12:53:32 -0700 mwisckol(a)ocregister.com wrote: > > I cast my vote with the "long history of coffee houses in Japan" folks. I > spent a year there in 1981-82, going to college in Fukuoka. I often met > friends at coffee houses, which all seemed to be independently owned and > mostly owner-operated -- each with distinctive touches that made it unique, > occasionally with hobbyist themes. Younger people, at least, seemed to meet > more often at coffee shops (during the day, bars more at night) rather than > at somebody's house. At the time, I assumed this tradition stemmed from the > smallness of the domiciles. OK, let's ask Japan to keep a few of them around for the tourists. Or we could use the other alternative: put one in each museum to remind people of the good old time... In fact we could also use the French way: subsidise the places (to minimize the consequences of a strike from the owners). Patrice. NR: AU BONHEUR DES DAMES: Emile Zola (about the disappearance of little shops in Paris due to the creation of the big department stores; was written in... 1883).

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Japanese coffee houses
by mwisckol＠ocregister.com 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

I cast my vote with the "long history of coffee houses in Japan" folks. I spent a year there in 1981-82, going to college in Fukuoka. I often met friends at coffee houses, which all seemed to be independently owned and mostly owner-operated -- each with distinctive touches that made it unique, occasionally with hobbyist themes. Younger people, at least, seemed to meet more often at coffee shops (during the day, bars more at night) rather than at somebody's house. At the time, I assumed this tradition stemmed from the smallness of the domiciles. Martin

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Fwd: why we don't talk about Zorn anymore (imho)
by Efrén del Valle 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

Hi, > > Part of it has to do, I think, with the glut of > releases. How many of us, > not including Patrice, still keep tabs on the amount > of Tzadik/Avant > releases that come out? I'm still checking almost every Tzadik release on a monthly basis and it's still one of the most exciting working labels for me. Exhaustion could make you miss many good releases, which normally are incredibly diversified. Can't say the same about Avant. (not to mention Knitting Factory!). Maybe I am an specific example but I'm under the impression that many people are still interested- basically because you must run to the store not to miss anything, at least here. > Part of the problem has to do with Zorn's releases > themselves. In my opinion > (coming from someone with limited musical > vocabulary), the releases of the > last few years don't lend themselves to much > discussion anymore. I insist: IAO deserves much more attention than it has received. I really thought it would be a controversial item. Apparently I was wrong. > > Don't get me wrong; I really enjoy listening to > Zorn. But in my opinion, his > current stuff just doesn't have the same electric > energy of the > Elektra/Nonesuch years, or the Painkiller albums, or > the first three Masada > albums (and the chamber arrangements), etc. Back > then I would listen with > the sensation that a whole new realm was being > opened before my ears. It was > as if Zorn was always saying, "You ain't heard > nothing yet" with every > album. But now it seems we've heard everything. Maybe I'm wrong again but my expectations with Zorn are still very, very high. I sense this "soft" period just as that. His latest period will lead to something else, probably totally different and relatively unconnected to the exotica/lounge/surf material he's touching upon right now. For me, Zorn is the materialization of "expect the unexpected". Pay attention to any recent interviews (if any). They are really prophetic and will give you an overview of what's to come. He gave an interview to a Spanish magazine way back in 1993 and he already made reference to his wish to make a whole album like his piece "Pueblo" ("filworks IV"). Almost a decade ago we are witnessing the results, call it "The Gift", "Taboo..." or whatever. > Perhaps it has to do with > the fact that Zorn simply works in too many genres > that no one bats an > eyelash anymore when he comes out with a > surf/exotica album like "The Gift." It's just another aesthetic proposal. I don't bang my head against the wall with excitement when I listen to "The Gift" but I understand it as the exploration of some musical sources that have been important to Zorn. As such, they are extremely well done, with invention and virtuosism. I understand Zorn's whole career as an Homeric tribute to his vital influences. This could perfectly be his recreation of Martin Denny, Les Baxter or Brian Wilson's music through his own perspective. What's next? I don't know. Just check Naked City's Cd sleeves for instance, and look for names in the inspirations/thanks section and expect anything. > But I think it really is a matter of exhaustion: > another month, another > Filmworks / Masada album. As far as I'm concerned, they're more than welcome! Just an opinion. Best regards, EfrÃ©n del Valle n.p: JZ "IAO" (I wasn't lying. I love it! :-)) _______________________________________________________________ Copa del Mundo de la FIFA 2002 El Ãºnico lugar de Internet con vÃdeos de los 64 partidos. Â¡ApÃºntante ya! en http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/fc/es/

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Re: idiocy
by Arthur Gadney 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

>Hey, if Osama puts out a really cool CD maybe you ought to buy that >one, >too. Why not? His videos are pretty popular. _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

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Re: french mcDonalds
by Nvinokur＠aol.com 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

In a message dated 7/9/02 2:50:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time, SonataPathetique(a)aol.com writes: << Whenever I goto France, the giant M from McDonalds seems like a gateway to paradise, especially when in the more rural areas >> Who do you think invented French Fries.

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Jazz cafes
by Tosh 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

If I am not mistaken, I think Murakami ran a 'jazz' coffee shop either in Kyoto or Osaka. These specialized 'coffee shops' were (are) the greatest. That is what I hate about Starbucks (and others) is that they sort of borrow the concept - playing jazz or whatever - and then the original shops soon disappear. -- Tosh Berman TamTam Books http://www.tamtambooks.com

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Re: Starbucks Japanese culture
by alastair＠pretentious.co.uk 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

I remember an article by Otomo Yoshihide where he waxes lyrical about "Jazz Kissa", cafes where he could hear the full range of jazz whilst having a cuppa, during the 70s. As I recall, Haruki Murakami's main character in "Norwegian Wood" (Watanabe?) goes into one. So cafes - and damn fine sounding ones - did exist in Japan pre-Starbucks. Often thought I should start one over here... Alastair -----Original Message----- >From : Tosh <tosh3(a)earthlink.net> To : zorn-list(a)mailman.xmission.com Date : 09 July 2002 05:48:25 Subject : Starbucks Japanese culture First off, there were no Japanese coffee shops to be replaced (a >really insignificant number) Coffee houses are a very new phenomena >in Japan and what you are seeing is a springing up and not >a supplantation. And unlike the Europeans who fight not to have malls >erected in thier countries, the Japanese vehemently applaud the >installation of the Kentucky-fried-Gap culture. > > >Actually I think coffee houses or cafes have been in Tokyo since the >1930's. On your statement that the Japanese applaud the >Starbucks/Gap culture -perhaps you are correct. But it still makes >me sad. >-- >Tosh Berman >TamTam Books >http://www.tamtambooks.com > >_______________________________________________ >zorn-list mailing list >zorn-list(a)mailman.xmission.com >To UNSUBSCRIBE or Change Your Subscription Options, go to the webpage below >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/zorn-list > -- Personalised email by http://another.com

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