Earl’s World: The Filtered Excellence: July 23, 2021
Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Once a week we take a break from comedy to bring you this week’s picks of the best things to watch, the most interesting things to do, great things to try, the best picks to read, our favorite things to listen to and more.
WATCH THIS
Woodstock ‘99: Peace, Love and Rage. After the success of Woodstock ‘94, promoters Michael Lang and John Scher tried it again with Woodstock ‘99. But instead of three more days of peace, love and music, the festival was marred by stifling heat, lack of basic facilities, high prices, and culminated with sexual assaults, one death, and riots. The kickoff to the new HBO documentary series Music Box has Garret Price speaking with planners, city officials, performers and attendees about that fateful weekend, and how bad planning fed an already toxic cultural landscape created a sickening end to the 1990s. The footage has to be seen to be believed, with all participants either in a state of disbelief, shock and denial as the dream of a musical utopia went quickly went off the rails. It’s Rashomon meets Lord Of The Flies fueled by toxic masculinity, white privilege and a 90s soundtrack. It’s as much of a cautionary tale as it is a documentary. Woodstock ‘99: Peace, Love and Rage is available now on HBO Max.
McCartney 3, 2, 1. For this new 6-part docu-series, Rick Rubin sits down with Paul McCartney to discuss influences, his days with the Beatles, solo work and much more. Armed with a mixing board, they isolate parts of classic tracks and deep cuts to reveal the key elements that made the song work. The former Beatle also puts on the guitar, sits down at the piano to reveal parts of his creative process and the unlikely sources of some of his most memorable work. Even though Beatle mythology has been analyzed and dissected to the bone, McCartney adds new parts that will surprise and startle even the most hardcore fan. Rubin carries off the hosting duties like a seasoned pro, expertly balancing playing the role of curious producer and appreciative fan without overlapping in either role. It’s The Beatles picture presented in an entirely new frame. McCartney 3, 2, 1 is available now on Hulu.
Icon: Music Through The Lens. The relationship between music and photography is the basis of the new PBS docu-series. Broken out over six episodes, it shows how concert photgraphy, album artwork, magazine covers, fine art and the web ran parallel with the music itself, producing images that have become ingrained in the pop culture psyche. Some of the top names in photography (Danny Clinch, Jill Furmanovsky, Mick Rock, Lynn Goldsmith, Terry O’Neill, Baron Wolman, Pooneh Ghana, Albert Watson and Sachs Lecca, among many others) along with some of the biggest names in music are aboard with the stories behind the photos and how the internet has helped – and hurt – how they are viewed and distributed. It’s a must see series for fans of both mediums.
Icon: Music Through The Lens is available now on PBS.
LISTEN TO THIS
Jamie (Reimagined) by Brittany Howard. Brittany Howard’s Grammy-nominated 2019 solo album gets the remix treatment and it features collaborations by Childish Gambino, Bon Iver, Michael Kiwanuka, EARTHGANG, Little Dragon, Badbadnotgood, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Fred Again..& Joy Anonymous, 9th Wonder with Common, Jungle, Laura Mvula, Gitty featuring Syd and J Most featuring Emily King. The overall vision of Howard’s album remains intact, but the songs now incorporates elements of 70s flavored soul, hip hop, electro funk, experimental alt-rock, R&B, and high octane dance music. Having friends and contemporaries take part in the project makes it more labor of love than your basic remix project, placing the songs in a context that will satisfy fans of any genre. It’s a perfect companion to an instant classic. Jamie (Reimagined) by Brittany Howard is available now through all major streaming services.
Sob Rock by John Mayer. From the CBS Records Nice Price album cover, retro PR campaign, and throwback music videos, John Mayer takes us back to the late 80s for his 8th studio album. Working with Don Was (who produced 80s comeback hits for Bonnie Raitt, Iggy Pop and The B52s) and keyboardist Greg Phillingaines (who spent the decade working with Michael Jackson and Eric Clapton), songs such as ‘Last Train Home’ and ‘Wild Blue’ could’ve easily fit onto a Toto or J.J. Cale collection. Despite the overt stabs at Reagan-era nostalgia, Sob Rock finds Mayer embracing various styles, even as he’s still nursing a bruised heart. ‘Till The Right One Comes’ and ‘All I Want Is To Be With You’ has country underpinnings, while ‘Carry Me Away’ is a new wave meets blue-eyed soul gem. ‘New Light’, which Mayer co-produced the No I.D marries 80s sensibilities with 21st Century production perfectly. Overall, it continues Mayer’s mid-career run of exceptionally strong albums. Sob Rock by John Mayer is available now through all major streaming services.
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