Farewell, Nurse Chapel

December 19, 2008

Rest in Peace
Goodbye, Nurse

Majel Barrett, best known as Nurse Christine Chapel from the original Star Trek series, died yesterday at age 76.

Majel Barrett was originally cast as Number One in the original Star Trek pilot episode, “The Cage.”  According to Star Trek lore, the network suits hated both her character and Spock.  When the series was green-lit, Gene Roddenberry kept Spock.  Per Wikipedia, “Barrett often joked that Roddenberry, given the choice between keeping Mr. Spock…or the woman character, ‘kept the Vulcan and married the woman, ’cause he didn’t think Leonard [Nimoy] would have it the other way around.’”  (Barrett and Roddenberry were wed after the series was canceled.  She became Majel Barrett Roddenberry and they remained married until his death.)

Recast as Nurse Chapel, she was Dr. McCoy’s trusted assistant, and had an unrequited love for Spock which lent pathos to her character.  Her screen time was limited, but she had a crucial role in “Amok Time,” one of the most highly regarded episodes of the series.

She had bit parts in two of the movies, Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, by which time Nurse Chapel had become Dr. Chapel.

Majel Barrett went on to play Lwaxana Troi, Deanna Troi’s mother, on both The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.  She also did voice-over work as the computer for all of the Star Trek franchises, including the animated series.

Happily, she will again be the voice of the computer in the upcoming Star Trek relaunch, having wrapped up her voice-over work two weeks before her death.

Rest in peace.

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Posted by Gordon Winslow

Almost the Best of 2008

December 19, 2008

I have been feeling a little blogger’s remorse for a few records that I left off of my Top 10 of 2008 list.  I have a very difficult time ranking albums, movies, food, or whatever because I don’t really think in terms of “favorites.”  Different things affect me in different ways at different times, and I like them for different reasons and in different situations.  So, I have decided to create a little addition to my Top 10 of 2008 list by adding a few that just missed the top 10, in no particular order.  Because isn’t 10 really just an arbitrary number anyway?  15 is way better.  Don’t argue, just go with it.

Why? – Alopecia

It’s not quite hip hop, and it’s almost rock.  However, this genre-bending record is excellent, and the lyrics are about as honest, personal, gritty, and sometimes downright disgusting as any that I’ve heard.

Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

Critics, bloggers, and fans alike gushed over this record, which, honestly, I added and removed from the top 10 a few times.  I finally decided to leave it out due to a few missteps, especially the song “One (Blake’s Got A New Face),” which in my opinion just does not work on any level.  The album does contain some of the most addictive songs of the year, though, such as “Oxford Comma,” “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” and the Police-influenced “A-Punk”.

Hercules and Love Affair – Hercules and Love Affair

I always intended to review this record on the site, but to be honest, I really struggled with what to say about it due to having really weak frames of reference in this genre.  Dance music has never really been my thing, and this record is pretty much a voyage through disco/pop/house history.  I am, however, a major fan of Antony Hegarty and his unique voice, which actually fits incredibly well with this type of music.  It even made a mopey indie kid like me wanna get up and shake my ass.  Not an easy thing to do.

The Tallest Man on Earth – Shallow Graves

The greatest Dylan album that Dylan had nothing to do with.  The mysterious Swedish artist Kristian Matsson has taken up the mantle of classic, finger pickin’ folk from Bob and made it into something entirely his own.  With cryptic, elemental lyrics that frequently touch on earth, wind, fire, and water, as well as religious symbolism and a gift for melody, The Tallest Man on Earth has arrived on the scene with an excellent album that reveals more depth with each listen.

Department of Eagles – In Ear Park

I was pretty late getting to this Grizzly Bear side project, and it did not make it in under the wire to be included on the top 10 list, but it might have inched in there if I had heard it just a few days earlier.  C’est la vie!  This is a hell of a record, though, and I’ll have to get to a proper review up soon.

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Posted by Jason Austinite

Album Review: The Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust

December 19, 2008

I have no problem at all with the Raveonettes’ unashamed worship of the Jesus & Mary Chain–I love that sound.

But, as with the Jesus & Mary Chain, the distorted sonic gauze can cause songs to blend together and not really register.  Ordinarily, I’d complain about that.  In the case of Lust Lust Lust, I don’t know that I’d want it any other way.  While it takes some listens for the songs to distinguish themselves from one another, the album rewards the effort.

With an exercise in atmosphere like this, singling out individual songs for praise almost seems beside the point, but if you like the single “Dead Sound,” you’ll probably like the whole thing.  And I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight the absolutely lovely “Blush”–it’s like the best of the alt-rock girl bands of the early-to-mid nineties, only with the guy singing lots of it, loads of fuzz, and music that sounds innocent even if the lyrics (which you can barely hear anyway) don’t.  Wonderful.

The Raveonettes seem to be tipping their hat to their primary influence with songs titled “You Want the Candy” and “Honey, I Never Had You.”   Good of them to respect their elders and all, and “Honey” is an excellent choice for a closer.

Really, there’s not a bad moment on Lust Lust Lust, and though it won’t change your life, it is quite enjoyable.

Three and a Half Stars

“Dead Sound”:

“You Want the Candy”:

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Posted by Gordon Winslow