My Top 10 in Television for 2020 - Part Two

This is part two of a two-part blog. Part one, which highlight the bottom half of my ten picks, can be found here. 

5: Lovecraft Country

If someone watched three episodes of this series and then told me "it wasn't for them", I would understand. When it comes to things that will turn off viewers, this series ticks all the boxes. Reasons you might not like it include...

• It is science fiction
• It is horror
• It is fantasy
• It is violent
• It is rich with social commentary
• It is sexually graphic

However, I liked it for many of those reasons although I am not sure I fully understand it. Listening to podcast commentaries (featuring the writers, actors and production team) helped but the multi-layered program requires close attention. 

I guess I'm a sucker for grand spectacle, special effects, epic soundtracks and creepy horror. Wait until you meet Topsy and Bopsy, the stuff of nightmares! Lovecraft Country gives a nod to so many of my favourites from the world of horror, sci-fi and fantasy, and I love homage. HBO/Crave

4: I May Destroy You: If you haven't heard of Michaela Coel, expect to become familiar with her soon. Aged 33, she is already proving to be a massive talent. Her latest project, I May Destroy You, in which she plays the main character Arabella, was written, produced and co-directed by her. 

At its core, the series could be pompously described as a modern bildungsroman (a story that follows a young person's spiritual education). 

Arabella is a Twitter star dealing with the newfound celebrity that has come with the release of her debut book, Chronicles of a Fed Up Millennial. The pressure to meet deadlines for her next book are compounded by the debt she has amassed after blithely spending her advance. 

Shirking responsibility, once again, she goes out for a few drinks with friends in London. When she wakes the next morning, she struggles to remember events from the night before. But, she feels certain she was slipped a "roofie" (Rohypnol, the date rape drug). What follows is a non-linear detective story that keeps viewers guessing...while forcing them to dismantle what "consent" means in the 21st Century. HBO/Crave

3: After Life: Season Two: A black comedy with heart. That description will always win me over. Tony (Ricky Gervais) has lost his wife to cancer and is bent on ending his own life. However, he has promised her to take care of their dog and realizes that, because of his truncated life, he can behave any way he wants. His choice to live unapologetically leads to hysterical and unexpected consequences.

Season One was a perfect story arc and I didn't think a second season was necessary. I was wrong. Season Two is equally entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny. In typical British fashion, each season is a tight, six-episode set, with a total running time of less than three hours. One could watch the series in a single sitting. Netflix

2: The Plot Against America: This one will take you by surprise, so it is tough to explain the premise without giving away the plot. It is a David Simon (The Wire, Generation Kill, The Deuce) project, which is that is all it took to convince me to give it a try. 

The sets are tremendous and so many of the performances are award-worthy, particularly the work of Zoe Kazan. Much like the aforementioned Michaela Coel, hers is a name you will be hearing more about. This series is well worth the six-episode investment of time, and the accompanying official Podcast is engaging and informative. HBO/Crave

1: Better Call Saul: Season Five: It likely comes as no surprise to those who know me that this show would top my rankings, being such fan of the show's creators, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. I love the complexity they build into their multi-dimensional characters and I'm always riveted by the smart dialogue and avant garde cinematography. Editor Chris McCaleb has stepped admirably in to fill the void left by Breaking Bad alumni Kelley Dixon. The montages are still spell-binding.

The show is an anomaly because it is a prequel to Breaking Bad. Consequently, fans of that series know exactly where it is heading. Regardless, it is a clever, tense drama and the inclusion of new characters Kim Wexler and Iganacio "Nacho" Varga contribute to the suspense. Rhea Seehorn, who plays Wexler, has been regrettably overlooked for a much-deserved Emmy Award. Fingers crossed, she receives it in the upcoming (but Covid-delayed) final season, maybe next year. AMC 

Honourable Mentions

• My wife and I just started The Good Lord Bird. So far, it looks like a great candidate for our 2021 top TV list.
• Documentaries were not included in my reviews, but The Last Dance was splendid. Tread. The Ripper and McMillions were also wildly entertaining for different reasons.
• Not making the Top Ten cut but worth mentioning were, Curb Your Enthusiasm - Season 10, Dead to Me, The Outsider, The Great, The Undoing and Upload. Like I've said, we watched a lot of TV during the pandemic 

How about you? What did we miss?

My Top 10 in Television for 2020 - Part One

NOTE: Just a quick diversion from my usual The 500 Blog Post series. It's my break and I have a little extra time.

Household secret from the pandemic: Lots of time to watch TV. And, being small-screen aficionados, my wife and I did just that. Throughout our lengthy quarantine, we researched programs and, after viewing, enjoyable conversations ensued including one the other day in which we debated our Top Ten television programs of 2020. 

Our tastes are eclectic and we are not easily offended, so pretty much anything goes. For my list of Top Ten series in 2020, I am focusing on new programs. Consequently, some may be 2019 releases that we watched during this calendar year.

10. The Crown: Season 4: Sure, they took some liberties with the dialogue and the facts and Netflix refused appeals to put on disclaimers to that effect. Granted, few know what was actually said behind closed and heavily guarded doors. However, despite the falsehoods portrayed and presumptions made, such as the doubtful arguments between Prince Charles and Lord Mountbatten, the acting was exception and I enjoyed the quick, clever banter. The sets and costumes are still spectacular. Additionally, the series made it to the eighties when I was more aware of royal events. Everyone of my vintage remembers Diana Mania. Netflix

9. The Queen's Gambit: I watched this one solo, while recovering from a foot surgery. I binged it in two days. Tremendous cinematography, stunning set and costume design, with an outstanding multi-generational soundtrack to boot. And who would have thought chess could be sexy. Then there is the character Jolene, who delivers a line that nearly made me spit my tea with laughter. Netflix

8. Watchmen: I was skeptical when I learned that one of my favourite graphic novels was going to be a television series. I wasn't wowed by the 2009 film adaptation and this new series was pitched as an "original remix of the source material". It's a bit uneven at times and "suspension of disbelief" is mandatory. It also tends to divide viewers based on their political leanings. I pushed all that stuff to the side in favour of a fun, viewing adventure. Watchmen is worth the ride for many reasons -- the soundtrack, the fascinating storytelling choices and, perhaps above all else, the special effects that are blended with eye-popping cinematography. 

If you've seen it, perhaps, like me, you want to try Nostalgia Pills and wonder why you didn't know about the Tulsa Race Massacre and Black Wall Street before 2020? HBO/Crave

7. The Boys: (Season 1 & 2): This is not for the faint of heart. The violence, although comically exaggerated, is disquieting to say the least and the language is ghost-pepper spicy. Karl Urban's character, Billy Butcher, drops enough F & C bombs to rival a Tarantino or Scorsese script. If you can get past all of that, it has plenty to offer: action, comedy, intrigue, mystery and even a playful dollop of social commentary mixed with a Billy-Joel-friendly soundtrack. Plus, I am envious of the T-shirt collections of several characters -- perhaps that is why is is on Amazon Prime.

6. Schitt's Creek: My wife and I started this series in 2015. We liked it, but didn't love it. Consequently, it fell by the wayside. This year, on the strength of its showing at the 2020 Emmys where it won a record nine awards, we took another look. Boy, are we glad we did. It takes a full season for the show to get its legs. When it does, comedy gold follows. 

This half-hour sitcom was a wonderful distraction from everything negative that 2020 offered. If you want to escape politics and the pandemic...I recommend a heavy dose of the Rose Family, taken nightly. The whole cast is great, but Catherine O'Hara is a national treasure. 

PS: My sympathy to anyone named David who just spent the year hearing their name pronounced exaggeratedly with Moira-esque aplomb. CBC Gem or Netflix

Coming Up Next - Part Two

   

The 500 - #390 - Elephant - The White Stripes

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 390

Album Title: Elephant
Artist: The White Stripes
Genre:  Garage Rock, Revival Blues Rock, Punk Blues
Recorded: Toe Rag & Maida Vale Studios, London, England
Released: April, 2003
My age at release: 37
How familiar was I with it before this week: Somewhat
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Ball and Biscuit

Elephant is the fourth studio album by Detroit garage-rock duo The White Stripes -- aka: Jack and Meg White. Acclaimed by critics and fans, it has multiple platinum sales certifications. It also received the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and now, nearly two decades later, its release is still hailed as "one of the defining events" in the 2000s garage rock revival.

Jack and Meg White - Grammy Awards Ceremony (2004)

Elephant is the second record by The White Stripes to appear on The 500 list. The first, White Blood Cells, appears at #497. For this blog, I reviewed what I had previously written. It wasn't awful, but it would benefit from some additional editing. 

White Blood Cells Album Cover (2002)

The Japanese use the term Kaizen to describe the notion of perpetual growth. Developed shortly after World War II, the philosophy is credited with transitioning fledgling companies, like Toyota, into industrial juggernauts. At its core is the acceptance that change is good and necessary for growth, prosperity and happiness. Additionally, it postulates that all things must contribute to growth; it does not occur in isolation. Change should not be dictated through a "top-down" approach governed by upper management.

Much of an educator's time is spent promoting improvement. The recognition of advancement, no matter how small, is essential to motivation and progress. Indeed, phrases such as "has shown improvement" or "is learning to" are staples 

on student report cards. 

Unfortunately, we are often reluctant to extend that courtesy to ourselves. Rather than dwelling on the negative while re-reading my first White Stripes post, I put on my metaphorical educator's cap, and reflected on my personal growth. 

My later posts became tighter, better edited and, I feel, more seamlessly blended my love of music with my experiences. Thus, my blog is in a constant state of change.  

Similarly, Jack White has grown and matured as an artist. Last October, he was a surprise musical guest on Saturday Night Live. The scheduled guest, country singer Morgan Wallen, was nixed from the program due to a violation of the network's Covid-19 protocols. (A remorseful Wallen was invited to return two months later).

Morgan Wallen (December 12 SNL Appearance Promotional Shot)

So it was that, on October 2, Jack White dominated the famous stage at Studio 8H, Rockefeller Center. He fronted a power-trio with bassist Dominic John Davis and Daru Jones, whose drum-kit was tilted forward at a such an improbable angle that seemed to defy gravity.

Jack White and drummer Daru Jones on SNL (October, 2020)

In the spirit of Kaizan, White opened with a remixed version of Ball and Biscuit from the album Elephant (2003). This blistering mash-up began with Don't Hurt Yourself, a song he co-wrote with Beyonce (2016). He transitioned beautifully into Ball and Biscuit, which was retooled to incorporate lyrics from the Blind Willie Johnson blues-standard Jesus Is Coming Soon (1927).

White's second offering was Lazaretto from his 2014 solo release of the same name. The guitar he played was designed for him by virtuoso Eddie Van Halen, who had died a few days earlier. Just before the three-minute mark in this performance, White presented a brief, finger-tapping solo on the guitar. Clearly, this was a tribute to Eddie, who developed that playing technique in the 1970s. It was a subtle, personal nod to one of the greatest guitar players of all time and one of White's heroes. It can be seen here.

Jack White is an artist that embraces music as a force in perpetual motion. He celebrates Beyonce, Blind Willie Johnson, The White Stripes and Eddie Van Halen (1927-2020) in two powerhouse performances. A moment that, if it were not for Morgan Wallen's ill-advised transgression, might never have been seen. A flash of Kaizan created amid the chaos of a global pandemic. At least that is how I like to frame it. 

Post-Script Coincidences

• The guest on the third episode of The 500 Podcast was comedian and actor Bill Burr. He and host Josh Adam Meyers discussed The White Stripes' album White Blood Cells.
• The host on the October 2, 2020 Saturday Night Live episode, featuring Jack White...was Bill Burr.
• The first time I learned about the The 500 Podcast was when Josh Adam Meyers was a guest on Bill Burr's Monday Morning Podcast. Thus began my blogging journey.

Bill Burr (left) and Jack White backstage
at Saturday Night Live (October, 2020)

 

The 500 - #391 - The Pretender - Jackson Browne

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 391

Album Title: The Pretender
Artist: Jackson Browne
Genre:  Rock, West Coast Rock (Yacht Rock)
Recorded: Sunset Sounds, Hollywood, California
Released: November, 1976
My age at release: 11
How familiar was I with it before this week: One song
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: The Pretender

The Pretender Album Cover - Jackson Browne (1976)

The Pretender, the fourth studio record by Hall of Fame musician and songwriter Jackson Browne, is many things. For fans, it marks the end of his "classic period" as Browne begins a new direction with his music. The record also includes his growing interest in social commentary. However, most importantly, The Pretender is a cathartic love letter, borne out of tragedy.  

Browne's first wife, Phyllis Major, died of a drug overdose in March, 1976. The model and actress' death was deemed a suicide and occurred just two years after the birth of their only child, Ethan. 

Phyllis Major (1974)

Browne found himself a widowed, single-parent at the age of 27. Understandably, several of the songs on this record were shaped by his heartbreak. In particular, Here Come Those Tears Again, the first single from the record, was co-written with his late wife's mother, Nancy Farnsworth, who had never written a song before.

Album cover for the release of Here Come Those Tears Again

The album includes several songs that depart from Browne's typical, West Coast sound (often dubbed Yacht Rock). Another cut, Linda Paloma, is a Spanish-influenced celebration of happier times with his wife. It is rumoured that the song was inspired by frequent visits they made to a Mexican cantina in California, where the restaurant's mariachi band entertained patrons waiting for their meals. Consider this opening stanza:

"At the moment the music began,

And you heard the guitar player starting to sing,

You were filled with the beauty that ran

Through what you were imagining.

Dreaming of scenes from those songs of love.

I was the endless sky,

And you were my Mexican dove."

The album concludes with the title track which, until a week ago, was the only song with which I was familiar. The Pretender tells the story of a man who betrays his ideals in the pursuit of wealth. Released in the mid-seventies, many critics have remarked that Browne eerily predicted the transition of Hippie culture into the Yuppie movement that defined the excesses of the 80s. 

The Yuppie Handbook - a satirical
look at the cultural phenomenon (1984)

While researching for this record, I stumbled on this 1994 version from BBC TV. It featured a storyteller introduction, a popular practice at the time, in which Browne deconstructed the song's history and meaning, he remarked:

"It's about someone who has lost sight of their dreams and is trying to make a stab at the way of life he sees other people succeeding at. It's about people who have embraced a material lifestyle in the place of dreams that they had."

Typically, when I review a record, I select an unfamiliar song for the Spotify Playlist I have been curating. However, the beautiful structure of The Pretender and its magnificent lyrics elevate it and make it my only possible choice. These words resonate with me differently than they did when I first heard them at about the age of thirteen. I suspect that is the point.

"I’m gonna be a happy idiot

And struggle for the legal tender

Where the ads take aim and lay their claim

To the heart and the soul of the spender

And believe in whatever may lie

In those things that money can buy

where true love could have been a contender

Are you there?

Say a prayer for the Pretender.

Who started out so young and strong

Only to surrender."

  

The 500 - #392 - Let It Be - The Beatles

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 392

Album Title: Let It Be
Artist: The Beatles
Genre:  Rock
Recorded: 1968-1970 Apple, EMI, Twickenham Studios
Released: May, 1970
My age at release: 4
How familiar was I with it before this week: Very
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Two of Us 

Let It Be Album Cover - The Beatles (1970)

It is a testament to a band's greatness that a record forged in frustration, resentment, addiction, skepticism and even abandonment would find its way to The 500 Greatest Albums list. Such is the case with Let It Be, the twelfth and final studio release from The Beatles.  

In 1969, the glue that had kept the four Liverpool lads together for the previous nine years was beginning to come undone. Each member was now married, or in a relationship. They were exhausted from touring and, by 1967, had resigned themselves to be a "studio-only" band. Ringo and John were both battling addictions -- heroin for John and a combination of alcohol and cocaine for Ringo. 

Ringo with first wife, Maureen Cox  and
John with second wife, Yoko Ono (1969)

George had "left" the group, not formerly but certainly mentally and emotionally. A visit to the United States and time spent with Bob Dylan had helped him realize that music could be created communally. This was in contrast to the domineering style of Lennon and McCartney, who controlled most of the songwriting and the group's creative direction.

Harrison and Dylan (1968)

Additionally, the band had been rudderless since the suicide of their manager, Brian Epstein, two years earlier. Despite Paul's objection, Lennon had convinced the band to hire Allen Klein, who came with a tough, but dubious, reputation.

Allen Klein (center) signing The Beatles

In a final bid to help the band members bond again, Paul proposed that a film crew document their rehearsals and song-writing sessions. It was his hope that this would revive the positive energy of live performances without the tedium of touring. The experiment was short-lived and the experience was filled with acrimony. Harrison's suggestions were, again, ignored. Consequently, much of the material he wrote later appeared on his first solo album, All Things Must Pass (#433 on The 500 List). Clearly, this demonstrated that there was quality in Harrison's work.

Interestingly, many of the song ideas work-shopped by Lennon and McCartney would also appear on their solo efforts. It was clear that all of the members were in Beatle-break-up-mode. Lennon, deep in heroin addiction, was always flanked by his partner, Yoko Ono -- who is often blamed (unfairly) with breaking up The Beatles. Lennon was a shell of his former self and prone to loud arguments -- most often with Harrison.

John and Yoko (1969)

Ringo, who at the height of his addiction, consumed a staggering 16 bottles of wine a day. He was kept buoyant by what his former wife, Maureen, described as "mountains of cocaine". Ringo was unable to perform when drunk and unmotivated to perform when sober (which was seldom). It was a poorly kept secret that McCartney recorded some drum tracks himself. Ringo, also mired in addiction, pretended not to notice.

An uncompromising schedule and long hours in the studio began to take its toll on the four lads. It became apparent to filmmakers that they were documenting a band falling apart. The picture below, taken during these sessions and later parodied in an episode of The Simpsons, captured their emotional exhaustion.

The Beatles would not officially dissolve for another year due to financial obligations. The recordings from these sessions, and their live performance on the rooftop of Apple Studios, eventually found their way to sound engineer Phil Spector who overhauled the songs, adding his own orchestrations.

As Lennon put it: 

"Phil was given the shittiest load of badly recorded shit, with a lousy feeling to it, and he made something of it."

Despite all of this, the record was a commercial hit, going to number one on the charts. However, critical reviews were mixed in 1970 but over time it has been acclaimed and several songs have become Beatles' classics. In 2003, McCartney remastered the record and released it under the moniker Let It Be...Naked. This alternative mix removed Spector's embellishments and captured, according to McCartney, "the stripped-down aesthetic" intended by the group.

Let it Be...Naked album cover (2003)

As a teenager, I owned a copy of the original LP on vinyl and was unaware of the backstory behind it. I knew it was their last release and, like many, blamed Yoko for the group's dissolution. It was easy to make her a scapegoat without understanding that group dynamics are complex, particularly when creative frustrations and addictions are involved. 

I had a tough time deciding what to put on my Spotify "The 500 Playlist". In the end, I settled on Two of Us because of a lyric that always makes me think of my wife. 

"The two of us have memories, longer than the road that stretches out ahead."

Like all great poetry, it is a line that resonates with me, creating powerful and conflicting emotions. I wistfully reflect on 34 years with a beautiful lady who adores me, while being reminded that we'll share a limited time on the road ahead.

The 500 - #393 - Kala - M.I.A.

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 393

Album Title: Kala
Artist: M.I.A.
Genre:  Dance, World, Hip Hop
Recorded: 2006-2007 (Multiple Global Locations)
Released: August, 2007
My age at release: 42
How familiar was I with it before this week: Two songs
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Boyz

Kala by M.I.A. (2007)

In 2009, it was virtually impossible to escape the infectiously catchy single Paper Planes from Kala, the second studio release by British singer, songwriter, producer and activist M.I.A. Paper Planes first crossed my radar when I saw the trailer for the film Pineapple Express. The song began with a cleverly remixed sample from Straight to Hell, a 1982 single from The Clash.

EP single of Straight to Hell by The Clash (1982) 

The jarring chorus demands attention. Singing children are interrupted by three gun shots punctuated by the familiar ring of a mechanical cash register. A few months later, Paper Planes was featured prominently in the Academy Award winning film, Slumdog Millionaire and I wanted to learn more.  

In 2008, YouTube was still in its infancy. In fact, the free video sharing website was not yet showing commercials. "Surfing the Tube" became a popular pastime as viewers switched from televisions to computer screens for their entertainment. 

I was among the converts, regularly plugging in my headphones to allow my shift-working wife her much needed sleep. Hours were spent down this virtual rabbit-hole, watching videos or listening to music while simultaneously researching information on corresponding web pages.

It was on one of these auditory and informational explorations that I learned more about M.I.A. and her incredible journey from the Sri Lankan Civil War to refugee status in London, England, to global superstardom. Her music included powerful political messages about illegal immigration, poverty, capitalism and violence. All of this, cleverly hidden among catchy riffs, dance-hall beats and hip-hop-inspired melodies borrowed and remixed from a array of eclectic sources, including Bollywood film, punk rock, playground rhyme and even the Australian aboriginal wind instrument, the digeridoo. 

M.I.A. (Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasm) 2013 

Summarizing the fascinating life of M.I.A. (born Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasm) in a short blog post is a challenge. However, there is one interesting snippet worth sharing.

Maya was born in London, England, in 1975 to Arul Pragasam, an engineer, writer and activist, and his wife, a seamstress, Kala, who is the namesake of this record. The family moved back to Sri Lanka when Maya was six months old. Her father became a significant figure in a militant organization struggling for an independent state for Tamils within Sri Lanka. His group was connected to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Logo for the LTTE

Eventually, the family were forced into hiding, assuming false identities. Maya, now eight, attended a Catholic school where she gravitated to the arts. Surprisingly, she recalls this as a "happy time", despite poverty, hunger and the ever-present threat posed by the Sri Lankan military. Students were trained to dive to the floor when passing soldiers were inclined to fire bullets through the school house windows. Her father visited sporadically, but to protect the family, he was introduced to Maya as an uncle. She was in her mid-teens when she learned that her uncle was, in fact, her dad.

Maya and her father Arul (2007)

In 1986, the family returned to London as refugees, living in a public housing project called Phipps Bridge Estates. The area was plagued by crime and, as one of the few Asian families living there, she faced racism daily. 

In an amazing quirk of fate, her mother secured employment as a seamstress with the Royal Family. Her duties included the intricate sewing required for medals which were worn by the Royals and also awarded to citizens.

M.I.A. receiving her M.B.E from Prince William

In 2019, Maya, was recognized with an MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for her contributions to the arts. The medal presented to her by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, was hand-stitched by her mother. 

M.I.A. and her mother Kala following the MBE ceremony.

Maya, now 45, continues to make music and is involved in numerous charitable causes -- including efforts to bring justice to Tamils for alleged war crimes perpetrated during the decades-long Sri Lankan Civil War.