Monday, January 9, 2012

hit me with your rhythm stick




last night i saw the film “sex & drugs & rock and roll.” for those of you who don’t know this phrase was coined (at the very least, popularized) by the late great ian dury, punk pioneer. it was the title of a 1977 single by ian dury and the blockheads, seminal in the punk/new wave scene of the late 70’s early 80’s. of course, it also became the ethos of a whole generation and the marketing slogan for the commercialization of rebellion. 
if you don’t know mr. dury, you should. the music is punky and funky and jazzy and poetic and cacophonous. in short, fantastic. and the film’s soundtrack illustrates this perfectly. dury is flawed, often selfish, a wordsmith, polio survivor, fighter, force of nature. andy serkis, who you might know as gollum, gives an outstanding performance as dury, portraying the wounded, hopeful soul within the outrageous rock star. the film is beautifully shot. and have i mentioned the music is killer?