tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:/blogs/blog-news-feed?p=2
Blog & News Feed
2023-08-04T03:19:26-07:00
Robert Dean Lurie
false
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/7251880
2023-08-04T03:19:26-07:00
2023-10-16T07:55:10-07:00
Edge of the Breakthrough: Glenn Watson’s "Maybe Tomorrow…"
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/394684/330007138d8375033002fc92c03f57a0c4a7e711/original/maybe-tomorrow.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p><p>Here are some things we can count on from emerging Australian songwriter Glenn Watson: solid melodies, appealing chord progressions, tight musicianship, and impeccable production. If a song is hitting your ears, it has already gone through a fair amount of internal quality-assurance testing. This is the work of someone who knows what he’s doing.<o:p></o:p></p><p><i>Maybe Tomorrow…</i>, Glenn’s second solo EP, follows the pattern of its predecessor, <i>How’s the Weather There?</i> in front-loading a set of satisfying, if conventional, pop songs in the late ’80s-to-mid-‘90s alternative mold before casting out for more adventurous terrain. It’s a shrewd approach, mirroring the ideal pacing of a live performance, though it runs the risk of shedding the more attention-challenged listeners before the <i>really</i> good stuff kicks in. A person could drop in for “Days Away (Feels Like Rain)” and “Used to be Loved” and conclude that that’s what Glenn Watson is about. Those are fine songs, to be sure; and “Days Away,” with its dramatic buildup and soaring chorus, would make an excellent single; but they don’t paint the full picture. The propulsive, slightly menacing “Miranda” is where the album truly starts taking risks, nearly all of which pay off. At no point does <i>Maybe Tomorrow… </i>lose its melodic footing—indeed, “Weightless” may be Glenn’s best overall pop song—but other elements emerge: an electric sitar poking its head above the mix like Nessie’s head, echoey guitar leads that glide spectrally from channel to channel, walls of sound that give way to yawning chasms of open space. Vocally, Glenn stretches on these tracks beyond the parameters he’d established on his debut. He has a fine voice reminiscent of Michael Stipe and Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Glen Phillips, and there are growing hints of an as-yet untapped higher range. </p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/394684/4e15c55f60d05408ee971edd92615469f123bb96/original/glenn-in-studio.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_right border_" /><o:p></o:p></p><p>Impressively, the album’s rich array of organic sounds was performed entirely by Watson and collaborator/producer Michael Carpenter. And it says something about the quality of the songwriting and its musical execution that the duo’s cover of Echo and the Bunnymen’s “Bring on the Dancing Horses” slots in comfortably alongside the original material, sounding every bit as if it had been written by Watson.<o:p></o:p></p><p>“Half-Light,” the album’s final track, contains Watson’s most cohesive, acerbic lyrics; and with its flamenco guitar flourishes, dramatic tempo shifts, and punk-rock chorus is his most impressive musical statement. As good as <i>Maybe Tomorrow… </i>is, (and it <i>is </i>“pretty damn good,” in the assessment of renowned music writer Stuart Coupe), I get the sense that Watson is just beginning to explore his stylistic range. It would be exciting indeed if the next album were to use something like “Half-Light” as a jumping-off point. If Watson were to move further in this direction and flesh out these explorations with some similarly expansive live performances, I believe he would find a welcoming audience. </p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://glennwatson.bandcamp.com/album/maybe-tomorrow">"Maybe Tomorrow..." | Glenn James Watson (bandcamp.com)</a></p><p>(Glenn Watson photo by Michael Carpenter)<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045865
2019-12-04T17:00:00-07:00
2022-05-18T06:50:21-07:00
Where to Buy "Begin the Begin" This Holiday Season
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/05b3f9baa9bbe9f3c912ae90a627c8dfbfa99508/original/rem-frontcover4.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjU5eDQwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="400" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="259" /></p>
<p>For the music lover on your holiday gift list, <strong><em>Begin the Begin: R.E.M.'s Early Years</em></strong> is now available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Begin-R-M-s-Early-Years/dp/1891241680/" data-imported="1">Amazon US</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Begin-Robert-Dean-Lurie/dp/1891241680/" data-imported="1">Amazon UK</a>, and <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/begin-the-begin-robert-dean-lurie/book/9781891241680.html" data-imported="1">Booktopia</a> (Australia). For the superfan, I recommend pairing it with Rodger Lyle Brown's excellent <strong><em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Party-Out-Bounds-R-M/dp/0820350400/" data-imported="1">Party Out of Bounds</a></em></strong>, the definitive treatment of the early Athens, GA music scene.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/6af538bfe24095d1126b0463972cbdc9ed271dbf/original/party-out-of-bounds.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjU5eDQwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="400" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="259" /></p>
<p>Additionally, <strong><em>Begin the Begin</em></strong> is in stock now at the following independent bookstores:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.avidbookshop.com/book/9781891241680" data-imported="1">Avid Bookshop</a> (Athens, GA)<br><a href="https://www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9781891241680" data-imported="1">Parnassus</a> (Nashville)<br><a href="https://www.changinghands.com/book/9781891241680" data-imported="1">Changing Hands</a> (Tempe/Phoenix)<br><a href="https://www.powells.com/book/-9781891241680" data-imported="1">Powell's</a> (Portland)</p>
<p>Happy Holidays!</p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045864
2019-09-30T17:00:00-07:00
2019-12-30T14:46:00-07:00
The Zags: Power-Pop Perfection
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/0acae1b43f44c7607269e017dbff66badedb95e0/original/zags.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDAweDI2NyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="267" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></p>
<p>One of my favorite bands of the moment is the Zags, a hook-infested Portland group headed by veteran songwriters David Ricardo and Stanton Hall. They have the pop concision thing down; in all of their work I sense a continuous paring away, as if they're carving their words and melodies out of the big wall of noise that overwhelms the rest of us. Case in point is the new song "Neither/Nor," which tackles the thorny issue of privilege with intelligence and grace. Stanton's lyrics are self-aware but not self-flagellating, which makes me wonder if we should just turn all of the hot button issues of the moment over to songwriters to hash out. Why the hell not?</p>
<p>Topical concerns aside, check out those harmonies, that ascending guitar riff, and the way the Zags credibly work "caveat emptor" into a lyric. (What?) Plus, the video is unstoppable.</p>
<p> </p>
<div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="wrapped wrapped" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/te7CfF56JVw" width="560"></iframe></div></div></div></div>
<p>Full disclosure: Stan and I go back a ways. We used to watch <em>Gimme Shelter</em> in college and dream impossible dreams. But that doesn't change a damn thing about this conversation. The greatness of 2016's "Dada Plan" should be apparent to all: </p>
<p> </p>
<div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="wrapped wrapped" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/roxL44wPLoc" width="560"></iframe></div></div></div></div>
<p>Keep an eye out for the Zags' new album <em><a data-imported="1" href="https://thezags.bandcamp.com/">The Cliff</a>, </em>available on Oct. 25. I've heard several of the tracks and they're every bit as good as what I've posted here.</p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045863
2019-06-03T17:00:00-07:00
2020-10-23T05:27:02-07:00
Five Books That Influenced Begin the Begin
<p>The following five books have greatly influenced my writing and thinking about music. This is the best nonfiction I've come across on rock 'n' roll, but I say that with a caveat: I have not yet read <em>Life </em>by Keith Richards (which a lot of people say is <em>the </em>best rock book) or <em>Hellfire </em>by Nick Tosches. So—this deck may get reshuffled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>1. <em style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Ballad of Bob Dylan</strong> </em>by Daniel Mark Epstein</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/94438c44c441a46001bef8fd2f0dd0ad52475385/original/dylan-cover.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjAxeDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="201" /></p>
<p>Acclaimed poet Epstein vividly recounts four Bob Dylan concerts from four different phases of the songwriter's career and uses these as a jumping-off point for his impressionistic retelling of the Dylan saga. Epstein weaves generous helpings of memoir in with the biographical elements and makes it all matter. What's more, his tenacious research has yielded new revelations at this seemingly late stage. The gold standard.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>2. <em><strong>Just Kids</strong> </em>by Patti Smith</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/34957e46597525442f8e285f3efc6182456815d9/original/just-kids.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjAxeDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="201" /></p>
<p>The best rock memoir, and a legitimate work of literature as its National Book Award attests. Lyrical and heartfelt, <em>Just Kids </em>gave me the appreciation and understanding of Smith's music that I had previously lacked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>3. <strong><em>Shakey: Neil Young's Biography</em></strong> by Jimmy McDonough</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/1c7af90fcffd5287f8e34d02962e32b20bbae800/original/shakey.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTk1eDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" width="195" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">An unruly mess that somehow achieves perfection, <em>Shakey </em>lives up to its preposterous subtitle: this <em>is </em>Neil Young's biography; there can be no other. (Even Young's own books can't compete). Here are just a few of the lessons I took away from this glorious book: 1) A writer's reach should always slightly exceed his grasp; 2) The clean, impartial tools of journalism—so necessary for parsing something like the Mueller report—have no place in rock biography; 3) Anyone crazy enough to take up the quixotic task of writing about rock 'n' roll is in some sense writing about themselves, so— might as well make the connection explicit; 4) The best rock music is high-stakes, passionate, and deeply irrational; the best rock writing should be the same.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">4. <strong><em>The Dark Stuff</em></strong> by Nick Kent</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/ed9db40da66b67fa6db4b3b85920dda87a87253e/original/nick-kent.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTkweDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="190" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Kent demonstrates that there is a way to write about the occupational hazards of a music career—the substance abuse, exploitation, madness, and occasional violence—without coming off like Kitty Kelley or the <em>National Enquirer</em>. He elevates his material via his assured writing and a deep conviction of art's vital importance to the human spirit.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">5. <em><strong>The Last Days of John Lennon</strong> </em>by Frederic Seaman.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/8c5bfef89e8978c543ff3470a32939cf26e5808e/original/lennon.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjAzeDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="203" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Possibly a controversial pick but I will stand by it. Seaman was Lennon's personal assistant during the final year of the songwriter's life and was therefore privy to aspects of Lennon that few other people (apart from Yoko) saw. To the great benefit of readers, Seaman has the writing chops to get this story across beautifully. The controversy stems from the author's arrest and conviction for walking off with a number of Lennon's journals and other personal items in the chaotic aftermath of the singer's murder. (Seaman maintains that he was instructed by Lennon to get his journals to his son Julian if something were to happen to him). Whatever the truth behind that incident, I don't believe it has any bearing on Seaman's narrative—which feels compassionate and authentic. There are no bombshells here, just the accumulation of the day-in, day-out rhythms of a troubled genius unaware that he is running out of time. I've read a lot of books on Lennon and the Beatles. This is my favorite. Where are you, Fred Seaman, and why haven't you written another book? </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045862
2019-05-23T17:00:00-07:00
2019-05-23T21:43:45-07:00
DC Reading and Book Signing
<p><strong>Washington DC Event</strong></p>
<p>I will be doing a reading and book signing for <em>Begin the Begin: R.E.M.'s Early Years</em> at the Mansion on O Street on June 25 at 6:30 PM. The event is free, but you will need to make a reservation at the Mansion's <a href="http://www.omuseum.org/visit#events" data-imported="1">events page</a>.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/5baf300672d56a69ebcc3043e039022afa1dcfac/original/event-booking.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6ODAweDIwMiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="202" width="800" /></p>
<div>Also, the Minus 5 (featuring Scott McCaughey and Mike Mills) will be performing at the Rock and Roll Hotel later that evening, and I encourage everyone attending my reading to go to the show. (Purchase Minus 5 tickets <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-minus-5-tickets-57403164410" data-imported="1">here</a>).</div>
<div></div>
<div>See you in DC!</div>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045861
2019-05-13T17:00:00-07:00
2019-12-31T14:53:06-07:00
"Begin the Begin: R.E.M.'s Early Years" Available Now
<p><em>Begin the Begin: R.E.M.'s Early Years</em> is available now. You can purchase on <a data-imported="1" href="https://www.amazon.com/Begin-R-M-s-Early-Years/dp/1891241680">Amazon</a>, or direct from Athens Georgia's wonderful <a data-imported="1" href="https://www.avidbookshop.com/book/9781891241680">Avid Bookshop</a>. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"The start of R.E.M and the rise of the Athens, GA music scene has been the subject of countless books, but few crackle with the ring of truth of Robert Dean Lurie’s fascinating new volume <em>Begin the Begin</em>," writes James Mann at The Big Takeover. Read his full review <a data-imported="1" href="https://bigtakeover.com/books/BegintheBegin">here</a>. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There will be several release events. The big kickoff will be a party and fundraiser at the Athens GA Foundry on Sunday, May 19 featuring a reading, book signing, and live music courtesy of Dead Letter Office. This event is co-sponsored by Artist2Artist and Avid Bookshop, and proceeds from the door fee ($10 now or $15 day-of) will go to support suicide prevention and PTSD outreach programs for veterans. See flyer below for info. Tickets on sale <a data-imported="1" href="https://thefoundryathens.com/?Page=https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.ticketbiscuit.com%2FMeltingPointAthens%2FEvents%2F371899">here</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/630dfc1b1b65f7a2ca6480f4b66fa6edecf8ba2c/original/450.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6Mjk5eDQ1MCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="450" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="299" /></p>
<p>There will also be a reading and book signing on June 25 at the Mansion on O Street in Washington DC, and two North Carolina events are in the works for the fall. Watch this space for more details!</p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045860
2019-05-02T17:00:00-07:00
2021-06-26T11:46:14-07:00
Glenn Watson
<p>Really enjoying <em>How's the Weather There?, </em>the new EP from Australian songwriter Glenn Watson. This is ostensibly a debut, but he has clearly been doing this for a while. The songcraft is assured, drawing from the likes of R.E.M., Tom Petty, and Toad the Wet Sprocket, and the guitar work has more than a little of the Church in it. (The ending of "Horoscope Girl" nods to the Church's "Life Speeds Up"—now <em>that </em>got my attention!) You can't go wrong with those influences, but there is also a distinct Glenn Watson style emerging, one that puts melody, hooks, and musical economy at the forefront. Standout tracks: the epic "Something You Are Not" and "Horoscope Girl"—which ought to be a hit everywhere.</p>
<p></p>
<div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><iframe frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ucn_6DJmSig" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="425" class="wrapped wrapped"></iframe></div></div></div></div>
<p><em>How's The Weather There? </em>is available at <a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/glennwatson" data-imported="1">CDBaby</a> and on all the streaming services. Check it out!</p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045859
2019-04-11T17:00:00-07:00
2021-04-27T06:25:12-07:00
Begin the Begin: Artwork Outtakes
<p>I had this harebrained idea that I would illustrate my own book. This despite the fact that I haven't taken art seriously since high school. As it turns out, it's <em>not </em>like getting back on a bicycle; I bailed after doing three pieces. </p>
<p>Still--I feel like these illustrations have a certain...I don't know...they're like a flailing boxer who is all heart. They're like Rocky at the beginning of the first movie when he's kind of a lovable trainwreck. If these are not book-worthy, they can at least live on in this blog.</p>
<p>And speaking of boxers, my Michael Stipe ended up with a cauliflower ear and a swollen right hand, but other than that I'm pretty happy with him!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/afb54bc8810d4b0cbaf96d4187838747d367f7d2/original/stipe-lurie-drawing-mic-lurie.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzkxeDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="391" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>My Bill can't decide if he'd rather be Robert Mitchum. But he smolders, yes?</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/c00bc5d5b99c22ebc2188e3e6e3156eca587255f/original/berry-lurie.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDI1eDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="425" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>And finally we have William Orten Carlton (AKA "Ort"), legendary confidante of the B-52s and R.E.M. (and Government Cheese, Bowling Green, KY's finest musical export). To write of Athens music without mentioning Ort would be like leaving Lenin out of the story of the Russian Revolution. (I recognize that my analogy is imprecise; Ort did not return from exile on a sealed train to foment the Athens music revolution--at least I don't think he did. But why sacrifice a good line for the sake of accuracy?) Anyway, here is Ort circa 1986.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/02588e34c2fe53cef8e8e9def3ceb838785bdff6/original/ort.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6Mzg4eDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="388" /></p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045858
2019-03-25T17:00:00-07:00
2019-03-25T22:18:58-07:00
"Begin the Begin" Release Date Set, Excerpt Online
<p>Dear Friends,</p>
<p>I'm thrilled to report that the release date for my new book <em>Begin the Begin: R.E.M.'s Early Years </em>has been set for May 14, 2019. You can <a href="http://www.versechorus.com/begin-the-begin" data-imported="1">view a slideshow of the interior graphics</a> at VerseChorus.com, and the excellent website Dangerous Minds has published an excerpt from the book <a href="https://dangerousminds.net/comments/legendary_r.e.m._performances_captured_before_they_were_famous_1981_with_a_" data-imported="1">here</a>. Last but not least, copies are <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Begin-R-M-s-Early-Years/dp/1891241680" data-imported="1">now available for pre-order</a> via Amazon.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Begin-R-M-s-Early-Years/dp/1891241680" data-imported="1"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/425bec424a52acb9dfcf5f5dc0bee01467834745/original/rem-book-cover-begin-the-begin-photo-by-joanna-schwartz-copy-465-698-int.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjUweDM3NSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="375" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="250" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045856
2017-12-14T17:00:00-07:00
2021-08-05T10:22:48-07:00
New Book Announcement: "R.E.M. The Early Years"
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/afb54bc8810d4b0cbaf96d4187838747d367f7d2/original/stipe-lurie-drawing-mic-lurie.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzAweDIzMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="230" style="vertical-align: middle; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></p>
<p>I have waited a long time to make this announcement. My forthcoming book is <strong><em>R.E.M. The Early Years.</em></strong> This deep-dive into the origins of a great American band has been in the works since 2012 and will see release in Fall 2018 from Verse Chorus Press. If you would like to be on a mailing list for further announcements, please go to my main page at <a href="http://www.robertdeanlurie.com/index/" data-imported="1">http://www.robertdeanlurie.com/index/</a> and enter your email address in the "Join" box. Can't wait for y'all to read this one.<br> </p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045857
2017-12-07T17:00:00-07:00
2021-06-29T06:42:45-07:00
New Les Biches Track and Blurt Piece
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/17e3f4620cfaa8f16616e9e62b247ba0ba8b083a/original/les-biches-nfta-1-450x300.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDUweDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" width="450" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">A big highlight of 2017 for me was the opportunity to work with one of my musical heroes, Keith Joyner, in promoting his new band les biches. <em>Blurt</em> posted a piece this week that includes excerpts from the band bio I wrote along with the unveiling of a monster new track. If I could make everyone I know--especially my friends who are into the Church, Bowie, and the Cure--sit down and listen to the song "North From the Airwaves," I would. C'mon, give it a go! You can read the piece, and listen to the song, <a href="http://blurtonline.com/news/track-premiere-les-biches-north-airwaves/" data-imported="1">here.</a></p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045855
2017-10-29T17:00:00-07:00
2017-10-30T05:48:01-07:00
Political Beats: Hall and Oates
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/c8e889eb80a54e3a2fa61a257d18897777570c07/original/hall-oates-blog.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzAxeDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="301" /></p>
<p>It was a huge honor to be invited onto National Review's new music podcast "Political Beats" this week to discuss the career and legacy of Hall and Oates. If, like me, you have been earnestly seeking that sweet spot where Smokey Robinson, Aleister Crowley, Robert Fripp, George Harrison, doo-wop, and Philadelphia soul overlap; if you have been pondering the meaning of the "Las Vegas turnaround" or the relation of "Maneater" to 1980s corporate greed; if you have been wondering who "Sara" might be; look no further my friend! Come for the mustache, stay for the guided tour through one of the most impressive pop songbooks of the 20th century. Listen <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/media/political-beats/political-beats-hall-and-oates" data-imported="1">here</a>.</p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045854
2017-01-15T17:00:00-07:00
2021-04-16T02:45:30-07:00
New Pieces on Bowie and Dylan
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/a1ff339fe8fc4edaa4d3027edb00d8ef3a073034/original/eno-fripp-bowie-copy.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDQ1eDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" width="445" /></p>
<p>In commemoration of the first anniversary of David Bowie's passing, Blurt Magazine has <a href="http://blurtonline.com/feature/stained-looking-glass-david-bowie-berlin-trilogy/" data-imported="1">published an extended excerpt</a> from my book <em>We Can Be Heroes</em>. This section pertains to the making of the acclaimed Berlin Trilogy.</p>
<p>Also, in honor (sort of) of Bob Dylan's recent ascent to the status of Nobel Laureate, I have written a <a href="http://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2016/12/bob-dylan-the-lyricist/" data-imported="1">brief review</a> of his<em> Lyrics 1961-2012</em> collection for Front Porch Republic.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045853
2016-05-06T17:00:00-07:00
2019-12-26T05:47:37-07:00
New David Bowie eBook Available now
<p>I am thrilled to announce publication of my new eBook <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Can-Be-Heroes-Individualism-ebook/dp/B01ETWDZPQ?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc" data-imported="1">We Can Be Heroes: The Radical Individualism of David Bowie</a>. </em></p>
<p>Details below:</p>
<p>"Robert Dean Lurie is a rock and roll writer in a Tertium Quid groove: he is lucid and thorough and provocative, capable of soaring flights of fancy yet grounded and wise. In <em>We Can Be Heroes</em>, Lurie invokes Burroughs and Nietzsche, Orwell and Rand, Aleister Crowley and Edmund Burke (Crowley and Burke?!), and the result is a song of David Bowie that rings euphoniously, cacophonously true."</p>
<p>--Bill Kauffman, author of <em>Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette</em></p>
<p>"Comparisons to punk or Prince are easy enough, but any book on Bowie that opens by likening his under-appreciated band Tin Machine to Howard Roark has my attention. By the end, we've learned the revealing philosophical origin story of this musical "Superman," with cameos by Nietzsche, Aleister Crowley, Elvis, and the other acknowledged influences who separated Bowie from the herd of common homo sapiens and made him something unapologetically higher." <br> --Todd Seavey, author of <em>Libertarianism for Beginners</em></p>
<p>Utilizing song lyrics, interviews, biographical resources, and commentaries from a diverse range of writers and artists, <em>We Can Be Heroes</em> follows the strong thread of radical individualism running through David Bowie's work and life, exploring its parallels with the ideas of such diverse figures as Friedrich Nietzsche, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Ayn Rand, and Aleister Crowley. Bowie's legacy is also compared with that of his successors, such as Madonna and Lady Gaga, a contrast that demonstrates that his philosophical foundation, largely absent from the work of these and other more image-oriented performers, has guaranteed his body of work the sort of longevity usually only accorded to authors and visual artists. Bowie kicked off a one-man revolution in self-actualization. This book examines its substance and implications.</p>
<p>A must-read for fans of Bowie, as well as passionate proponents of individualism.</p>
<p><em>We Can Be Heroes </em>is available <a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Can-Be-Heroes-Individualism-ebook/dp/B01ETWDZPQ?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc" data-imported="1">exclusively from </a><em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Can-Be-Heroes-Individualism-ebook/dp/B01ETWDZPQ?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc" data-imported="1">Amazon.com</a> </em>and can be read on any device via the free Kindle app.</p>
<p>An excerpt from the book can be read <a href="https://www.libertyislandmag.com/creator/robertdlurie/content.html?ln=howdavidbowiekickedoffaonemanrevolution" data-imported="1">here</a>.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/80caaef4f4bb110535e9afd81bfcb20c08240d2a/original/heroes-cover-copy.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjAweDI2NiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="266" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045852
2015-01-14T17:00:00-07:00
2019-12-26T05:47:35-07:00
Throwback Thursday: What We Talk About When We Talk About The Piña Colada Song
<p></p>
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<p>I've been thinking lately about "The Piña Colada Song" (AKA "Escape") and there are a number of things that just don't add up.</p>
<p>First of all, just how long has this couple been together? I suppose it's possible that the narrator doesn't know about his partner's fondness for "making love at midnight in the dunes of the cape" (which, after all, might have occurred during her wild college years), but I have a hard time believing that he would also be oblivious to her taste for piña coladas, the rain, and her <em>dis</em>taste for yoga. Those are a lot of blind spots for a couple that has supposedly been together long enough to fall into a "dull routine." A counter-argument could be made that theirs was a relationship based solely on sex, but if that were the case then he probably <em>should</em> have had some inkling about her thing for the dunes of the cape.</p>
<p>Also, am I the only one who is annoyed by the fact that the narrator does not directly address the mystery woman's point about yoga? Instead, he goes off on a tangent about health food and then declares, Tourette's-like, "I am into champagne!" The woman stipulated in her overture that her fantasy suitor "have half a brain," but the man's reactions indicate at least some degree of cognitive challenge. Perhaps he's taking the "half a brain" request literally rather than figuratively, and is seeking to demonstrate that he is only operating on 50% brain capacity.</p>
<p>Let's follow the yoga point a bit further. One wonders why it is so important that the woman's would-be lover eschew this ancient art. Given how quickly the male physique can deteriorate, it would seem that a potential partner's interest in yoga would be an asset, even if the other partner doesn't share it. But perhaps she is opposed on religious grounds? (Also, we don't know what the "lovely lady" actually looks like; there might be an intimidation factor. Given the appearance of the song's author, Rupert Holmes, it's reasonable to assume that we're not dealing with Lana Turner here).</p>
<p>I would also guess that the man's declaration that he's "not much into health food" and that he might even be nursing an alcohol dependency would be a further red flag. Heavy consumption of alcohol brings with it a lot of empty calories and has been linked to poor sexual performance. Now, I'm not Dr. Oz, but I'm thinking that without a healthy diet to balance out the heavy drinking, there are probably some serious medical issues on the horizon. Is that really what she wants in a companion?</p>
<p>Finally, we're left with the supposed happy ending in which the husband and wife realize that they've really been corresponding with each other the whole time. But think about this for a moment. Once the afterglow of getting it on at midnight for apparently the first time in their relationship subsides, there will be some tough issues to work through—for a start, the fact that they were both actively conspiring to carry on affairs.</p>
<p>Given this couple's history of poor communication, I don't hold out much hope for them in the long run. If divorce doesn't get them, liver failure or heart disease will. Sorry to rain on anyone's parade, but I've got to call this as I see it. Next!</p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045851
2014-01-26T17:00:00-07:00
2014-01-26T22:03:38-07:00
Postcard from The Edge
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/52317fa87ba2e61e87f74893030058c3bf63642a/original/frontcover-4495291.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjIxeDM1NCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" height="354" width="221" />Five years ago I did something very impulsive: I committed myself to a writing project that would eat up a large amount of my time over the next few years with very little guarantee of financial compensation. While one might argue that nearly <em>every </em>writing project matches that description, this particular book really <em>was</em> out of left field. </p>
<p>It all started with some lovely Taoist-themed poetry that martial arts teacher Ray Fisher published in one of his karate manuals. At the time that I across these poems, I had been training in Kenpo karate with Fisher for about a year; I already knew him to be an intense and charismatic teacher, but I had not until then been aware of his introspective side. In a very understated way, Ray's words spoke to some underlying issues I was then (and still am) working through: the lasting effect that past emotional baggage can have on the psyche and the need to gently transcend such psychological dead weight in order to live a more intentional life. Impressed and moved, I shot Ray an email stating that if he ever wished to compile his poetry and other writings into book form, I would be happy to help him edit such a volume.</p>
<p>A week or two later, Ray and I sat down to discuss the idea further. It quickly became clear that this project would not simply be a collection of Ray's pieces (though some of the poetry would make an appearance). Rather, the concept that evolved was of an original work co-authored by the two of us that would focus on martial arts philosophy. Ray harbored a concern that some of his newer students lacked interest in the "history and philosophy" of martial arts and were thus not properly grounded within the tradition. While it was not our aim to write a linear history (such a work would fill several volumes), this concern did animate the series of interviews Ray and I held over the succeeding years, discussions which generated much of the material in the book.</p>
<p>Casting about for a suitable structure for our narrative, I kept going back to a book I had enjoyed called <em>The Art of Happiness</em> by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D. That book had been framed around a series of interviews Cutler, a psychiatrist, had conducted with the Dalai Lama. Each chapter addressed a different problem or philosophical concern, unpacking it from both Buddhist and scientific perspectives. Cumulatively, the practices outlined by the Dalai Lama in the discussions constituted a sort of checklist, or manual, for achieving happiness.</p>
<p>Our ambition was not so lofty, but Ray <em>did</em> have some eloquent things to say about how qualities such as loyalty, leadership, forgiveness, and self-discipline could be cultivated through a life in the martial arts. In a similar manner to <em>The Art of Happiness</em>, we broke our narrative into themed chapters. I then added aspects of my own story, for I could not ignore the fact that I was actively grappling with all of these concepts in the process of my advancement as a martial arts student. Thus, our book quite organically took on a dual-narrative structure, with our individual journeys complementing each other like two distinct melodies in the same key.</p>
<p>In hindsight, I am impressed by how smoothly things fell into place without a whole lot of conscious planning. Ray would typically select the topic for each talk and choose one of his poems to go with it. I would then write a lead-in hashing out my own thoughts on, and struggles with, that particular topic. Then during our talk we would examine the idea from all conceivable angles, occasionally circling back to my intro or Ray's poem. </p>
<p>We repeated this process eleven times. Ten of the discussions were pared down and incorporated into the book (the eleventh, a talk on punctuality, didn't make the cut due to a faulty tape recorder and the fact that I had very little to contribute on that subject!). It then fell to me to assemble the material into a rough draft, which Ray fleshed out with additional material--corrections, elaborations, new angles. We did at least a couple rounds of this before the book made its way into the hands of our very capable editor Leigh Blackmore.</p>
<p>Neither Ray nor I realized during our first planning meeting at Chin-Chin's restaurant back in 2009 that our book would take four years to complete. But I think we'd both agree that the final product more than justifies the time spent. For me personally, working on the book has been an immensely rewarding process--one that has enabled me to get far beyond my comfort zone of rock 'n' roll biography and develop what I might call my "metaphysical voice." I am sure that this difficult work will yield immeasurable benefits in the future.</p>
<p>It remains to be seen whether <em>The Edge </em>will find much of an audience beyond the Arizona martial arts community, but we certainly wrote it for anyone--martial artist or not--to enjoy.</p>
<p>I'm glad I sent Ray that email. It's been quite a ride. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Edge-Lessons-Martial-Master/dp/1493570765" data-imported="1">The Edge: Life Lessons From a Martial Arts Master</a> is now available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, CreateSpace, and other book retailers.</p>
<p> </p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045850
2013-12-16T17:00:00-07:00
2022-03-04T05:50:07-07:00
Colin Wilson and The Occult
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/98b809cd5ff58f65aa2aab4ea3f5c856b18a5c09/original/occult-cover.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDAweDYwNSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="605" width="400" /></p>
<p>Back in the pre-Internet days, when the University of Georgia Library served as my Google, I stumbled across a doorstop of a book by Colin Wilson titled <em>The Occult, </em>its cover emblazoned with the words, "The ultimate book for those who would walk with the Gods." Being in my early twenties and both painfully insecure and painfully ambitious, I obviously had to read this.</p>
<p>The book turned out to be less a manual than a history and philosophical treatise. The first half consisted of an extended essay on something called "Faculty X." The premise: that the human race is evolving toward a point where people will have greater access to the brain's hitherto untapped capabilities--psychic powers, heightened consciousness, peak experience--and that so-called "occult" practices and phenomena are merely man's imperfect attempts to tap into these latent powers.</p>
<p>It's an appealing idea, and yet I found that first half of the book extremely slow-going. I may have skipped ahead to the second half, which was a different story altogether. This comprised nothing less than a comprehensive overview of the Western esoteric tradition, beginning with the first glimmerings of pre-historic time and carrying through to the 1970s. All kinds of intriguing and shadowy figures were brought to my attention: Pythagoras, Mesmer, Count Cagliostro, the Comte Saint-Germain, Daniel Dunglas Home, Madame Blavatsky, Gurdjieff, Aleister Crowley, and Wilhelm Reich. Wilson sketched these sometimes comically eccentric personalities with a deft mix of sympathy and skepticism, and proved himself a master at synthesis--collating the disparate threads of their philosophies into an unruly yet beguiling whole that did indicate forward momentum toward the elusive Faculty X.</p>
<p><em>The Occult</em> is a weird and wonderful book, and I am immeasurably richer for having read it. My summary of the Faculty X theory (which sounds vaguely Marvel Superheroes-esque in my retelling) does not do it justice. No single book, save perhaps <em>Siddhartha, </em>has had a more sustained impact on my thinking with regards to the metaphysical.</p>
<p>To the general public, Wilson's best-known work is probably <em>The Outsider</em>, which does for the intellectual loner what <em>The Occult </em>does for the sorcerer. This too is a subject near and dear to my heart but I confess I was unable to get through <em>The Outsider</em>. Wilson had a tendency to sink into muddled, quasi-academic prose when pontificating on his BIG IDEAS. I suspect there is much of value to <em>The Outsider</em>, but I am not yet at the point in my life where I have the patience to assimilate it.</p>
<p>Until very recently, I tended to think of Colin Wilson as a guy who had pretty much figured it all out. It seemed a little baffling to me that he was not better known. Then I came across an audio interview and his relative obscurity suddenly began to make sense, for in this recording Mr. Wilson displayed staggering arrogance coupled with a complete lack of self-awareness. He held forth on his contemporaries (Anthony Burgess among them) and found them lacking in relation to his own brilliance. He spun a tale of Vivien Leigh having made a pass on him ("she was a nymphomaniac," he said blithely), and told of various other fantastical brushes with celebrity in which he, not the celebrities, was the object of desire and adoration. He concluded that his critics simply could not comprehend his genius. Over the course of 45 minutes I almost lost all interest in Colin Wilson.</p>
<p>Almost. His passing last week at age 82 has brought the writing back into relief. I can't speak to the overall body of work (Wilson wrote something like 100 books, including several novels), but with <em>The Occult</em> and some of his other writings on the paranormal, he set my imagination alight. Underneath the oversized ego, there may not have been genius, but perhaps there was a little bit of magic.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Further reading: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/13/books/colin-wilson-author-of-the-outsider-dies-at-82.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0" data-imported="1"><em>The New York Times</em>' Obituary for Colin Wilson</a></p>
<p> </p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045849
2013-12-06T17:00:00-07:00
2013-12-06T23:13:56-07:00
The Songs of Dan Lurie
<p></p>
<div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><div class="video responsive"><div class="video-container"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GfiBU-tnjxU" width="420" class="wrapped wrapped"></iframe></div></div></div></div>I'd like to share some thoughts this week on one of my favorite songwriters: my brother <a href="http://www.danluriemusic.com/" data-imported="1">Dan Lurie</a>. He's one of those freak tunesmiths who came out of the gate seemingly in full command of his craft--possibly because he spent so many years prior to his debut obsessively <em>listening</em> to music of all stripes.
<p>Nearly every one of Dan's songs is melodic, tightly constructed, and notably free of sentimentality. He seems to apply a pared-down, punk ethos to pop music. What we get when we listen to Dan's songs--either in the context of his former band Solyoni or his current solo work--is a gentle bait-and-switch. We think we're in for something light, but most of the material has a melancholy tinge to it. Whether he's singing the lines "Open up her head / and find someone else instead" (in Solyoni's "Nesting Doll") or "Wanna be an actor / or play one on TV / Wanna be the thing / I could never be" (in "Beautiful Burbank") he's often mining feelings of nostalgia for people and places that quietly slipped away--or were never there to begin with.</p>
<p>Solyoni released three very solid albums during their run, and Dan is now in the process of rolling out his second release. It's great, great stuff. Do consider giving him a listen; this artist deserves a wider audience. (And it's not just big brother pride motivating my feelings; the work speaks for itself).</p>
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<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/9fe8e9b5071ae27844bd1b0ad84d3454f990589e/original/danluriedan-bar.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAweDMzNCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="334" width="500" /> </p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045848
2013-11-28T17:00:00-07:00
2019-12-26T05:47:31-07:00
Notes on Fatherhood pt. 1
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394684/10492767b6419a530c3f420aa61ca708a85bba48/original/father-daughter-snowman.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MjAweDI1NyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="© Madartists | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images" height="257" width="200" />I'm just about eleven weeks into this fatherhood gig, so I'm not exactly a seasoned dad. Nevertheless, I thought I'd share the following random observations:</p>
<p><strong>1. </strong>It's true what everyone says about the disorientating aspects of this experience. Sleep has been disrupted and I've had to develop a more intimate relationship with chaos and uncertainty--a difficult prospect for a creature of routine. As my friend and fellow writer T. Kyle King puts it, "Everything in your life now operates approximately on the same schedule as boarding the last helicopter out of Saigon." (And that's just <em>my </em>experience. Increase these feelings exponentially and factor in the responsibility of being the sole food source and you might have some approximation of what my wife is going through.) However, I don't think any of the disruptions above are what I'll ultimately hold in my memory. Each time my daughter looks at me with those deep, soulful eyes, I catch a glimpse of the divine mystery. This happens countless times every day. <em>That's </em>what I'll take with me.</p>
<p><strong>2. </strong>There are certainly times when I look into her face and wonder about the person she will become. But mostly my daughter has taught me to live in the present--to enjoy every single moment and experience her for who she is now.</p>
<p><strong>3. </strong>I don't think I can convey in words the power of her smile, but I feel like it was genetically engineered to deliver concentrated shots of happiness to anyone on whom she bestows it. I'm sure most parents feel that way about their children, but that doesn't in any way diminish the effect that my baby's glowing, guileless grin has on me.</p>
<p><strong>4.</strong> I am grateful for the privilege of being a dad. I hope that I will always remain in awe of the wonder of life, and, even when facing the challenges ahead, I pray that I will never take this blessing for granted.</p>
Robert Dean Lurie
tag:robertdeanlurie.com,2005:Post/6045847
2013-11-20T17:00:00-07:00
2019-12-26T05:47:29-07:00
Doctor Who Memories
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<p>The British sci-fi TV series <em>Doctor Who </em>turns 50 years old on Saturday. In a medium not typically noted (at least until lately) for producing work of lasting interest, this is a momentous achievement--all the more so because the show has never been more popular than it is now. Here in the US, the 50th anniversary TV movie will be simulcast in major movie theater chains across the country. Thirty years ago, I would have found such a turn of events about as far-fetched as an invasion by sentient shop-window dummies.</p>
<p>Like many American anglophiles of a certain age, I first discovered <em>Doctor Who </em>in the early 1980s via my local PBS station. I was nine years old at the time and deep in the clutches of a <em>Star Wars</em> obsession, but this far-stranger (and much lower-budget) take on the science fiction genre immediately won me over. Despite the show's complex and confounding mythology--the inevitable by-product of such a long run--its central premise was pretty easy to grasp: A mysterious traveler wanders throughout the universe, doing good where he can. Stripped to its core, this is the classic story of the stranger who rides into town, fixes a problem, and rides out again. There's more to it than that, of course: <em>This </em>traveler, known only as "The Doctor," journeys through space and time in a machine that looks like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_box" data-imported="1">British police telephone box</a>. He is hundreds of years old and can "regenerate" his body if dealt a mortal wound (This clever ploy has enabled twelve actors--including, in the upcoming TV movie, John Hurt--to assume the lead role over the last half-century).</p>
<p>For me, <em>Doctor Who </em>became not just a favorite show but a way of life--as, I suspect, it has for many fans. How could a misfit kid <em>not </em>identify with the Doctor: the ultimate loner, a renegade from his own people? He had broken free of the constraints of his upbringing and went to places, and associated with people, of <em>his</em> choosing.</p>
<p>Yet despite the appealing premise, I found the show a hard sell to most of my peers. They couldn't quite grasp why alien races throughout the universe would speak in a British accent, or why they would continually use London as the staging ground for their attempted invasions of Earth. Most damning was the fact that, due to the BBC's budgetary constraints at the time, the special effects and rubber monster suits looked ridiculous to kids who had grown up with George Lucas's visual wizardry. No matter; I stuck with it. <em>Doctor Who </em>set my imagination on fire like nothing else I had ever come across. And as I eventually discovered, I was not quite so alone as I had once thought. In college and beyond, a scenario repeated itself multiple times: I would befriend someone who shared my interests in literature and history, and after several months--or sometimes even years--it would emerge that my friend had <em>also</em> obsessively followed the show on PBS back in the 80s. I discovered that some of my favorite musicians--Robert Smith of the Cure, Robyn Hitchcock, and Steve Kilbey of The Church, had all watched the show as kids. This is significant, I think. I've come to believe that a childhood steeped in <em>Doctor Who </em>fosters certain qualities: intense curiosity, open-mindedness, and, typically, interests in history and foreign cultures. I can't think of any other TV show that has anywhere near that effect.</p>
<p>The series' longevity was not always a foregone conclusion. In fact, the situation looked positively dire when dwindling ratings forced its cancellation in 1989. Yet the show had managed to cast a wide-enough net on my generation by that point that at least one of our number--Russell T. Davies--never quite let the dream die. Even as he enjoyed massive success as the creator and chief writer of the original <em>Queer as Folk</em>, he continued to nurse the seemingly quixotic ambition of resurrecting <em>Doctor Who. </em>When he was finally given the opportunity to relaunch the series in 2005, he very quickly transformed <em>Doctor Who </em>into the biggest cash cow in the history of British television. The once-maligned low-budget serial now boasts state-of-the art special effects and a rotating cast of A-list actors. There was a trade-off, of course: in my view, Davies appropriated some of the more egregious traits of Hollywood blockbusters into his version: frantic pacing, bombastic music, and the sacrificing of plot in the service of spectacle. But there can be no denying that Davies' vision struck a chord with younger audiences and made the series a far more marketable export than it had been in its earlier iteration. (I should mention that some of the aforementioned vices have lessened since Steven Moffat took over the show in 2010).</p>
<p>An oft-repeated statement of late is that the Doctor has now made the transition from a man of his time to a character for the ages: one that will return again and again, a la Sherlock Holmes. I suspect that's true. Great ideas have a way of sticking around--which is wonderful, because I'm looking forward to the day that I can begin watching<em> Doctor Who </em>with my daughter.</p>
Robert Dean Lurie