MACLAINE

Here’s a great video of a young, groovy Terry Gilliam explaining how he made one of his classic animated segments for Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Just watching him describe his process makes me laugh. The amount of painstaking effort each of his animated segments must have taken boggles my mind. Also of note, I used to think his particular way of speaking was a result of years of living in England, but watching this, it seems as if that’s how he’s always talked.

Against All Odds - by Phil Collins

There’s been a bit of talk about Mr. Collins lately, as he announced he has basically given up on recording and performing music.  One of his reasons is all the public hatred of him over the years has finally gotten to him.  I honestly can’t understand why people hate him so much.  I’m a fan, admittedly, but I do see how his particular brand of music might not be to everyone’s taste.  So what?  In this stark era of garbage entertainment, I would LOVE for someone like Phil to come along and become as popular.  An incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist who writes and performs his own material and sells millions of records doing it?  Yes, please.  It’s awful that he has been denigrated so much that he has given it up, and yet people with an infinitesimal fraction of his talent but with egos too large to be damaged clog up the charts in what’s left of the music industry. 

Here’s Phil at Live Aid in London, 1985.  Phil actually flew from the London concert to Philadelphia on the Concorde jet so he could play at both shows, which is insane.  The emotion in his voice as he hits the high notes only enhances the power of this performance, alone at a piano in front of 75,000 people at Wembley Stadium.  Talk about nerve wracking. 

(Source: youtube.com)