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My Fourth of July: Head

July 4, 2007

So far I’m spending it watching Head and pondering why popular entertainment these days isn’t willing to take a similar stand, what with another Vietnam and another Watergate taking place in front of us. (Saddest of all: searches on those terms in connection with Bush show articles and concern years old.)

Head poster

Perhaps the movie itself answers that:

Pleasure, the inevitable byproduct of our civilization. A new world, whose only preoccupation will be how to amuse itself. The tragedy of your times, my young friends, is that you may get exactly what you want.

Where else can you see Frank Zappa with a cow advising Davy to work more on his music? We’ve also coined a new rule, based on this film and How to Stuff a Wild Bikini: the best 60s movies have both Toni Basil and Teri Garr in them.

Ah, well, the music still rules. “Circle Sky” is still one of the greatest rock songs ever, in my opinion, along with “Listen to the Band”. Michael Nesmith, unacknowledged pioneer.

Hey, speaking of which, I’d love to see the Monkees in the Rock Hall of Fame, if only because they’re like the only band from that era with all the members left alive.

Anyway, ramble ramble. Happy Independence Day, Americans! I value the rights that allow me to say all of this and a day off of work to read manga.

10 Responses

Rob S. writes:

July 4, 2007 at 12:23 PM

I saw Head in high school at the TLA in Philly (back when it was a movie house instead of a concert venue). Blew my everlovin’ mind…

It never even occured to me that it would be on DVD. I’ll have to check it out.

Richard Marcej writes:

July 5, 2007 at 9:10 AM

“So far I’m spending it watching Head and pondering why popular entertainment these days isn’t willing to take a similar stand, what with another Vietnam and another Watergate taking place in front of us. (Saddest of all: searches on those terms in connection with Bush show articles and concern years old.)”

Simple.
No draft.

IMO, if there were a draft, as there was for the Vietnam War there would be numerious demonstrations and protests.

Right now, what with only volunteers dying in the war it’s too easy for many not to even notice.

Johanna writes:

July 5, 2007 at 9:48 AM

Rob, it’s a barebones presentation — we were hoping that for the 40th anniversary, they’d do a nice retrospective, but it looks like that idea is running out of time.

Richard, you are probably very right. The only sacrifice most people have been asked to make is higher gas prices, and outrage over that seems to have disappeared as well.

Rob S. writes:

July 5, 2007 at 10:12 AM

Does it include the bizarre trailer? If not, you can see it on the Netflix site. It’s at the top of my queue now!

Johanna writes:

July 5, 2007 at 11:28 AM

This would make an excellent double feature with 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee, by the way, available on the second season box set. If you’re looking for more rental suggestions.

Sandy Jarrell writes:

July 5, 2007 at 12:28 PM

Circle Sky is the rock. My band used to cover that. It was obscure and it rocked, the best sort of cover tune. And our first flyer quoted Zappa from a Monkees episode: “White boys have soul too, just on different beats”. Whatever that means…

Johanna writes:

July 5, 2007 at 12:39 PM

Does it refer to the difference between 1, 3 and 2, 4 patterns?

When I was at DC, some of my co-workers had a band called Circle Sky that they later renamed to Circus Guy. Never knew why.

Sandy Jarrell writes:

July 5, 2007 at 12:49 PM

That is what it referred to! Zappa was explaining rhythm to Davey. It was just out of context/open to interpretation on the flyer.
I know I could’ve been singing “Circus Guy” all along and nobody would have known any different…

Jonny writes:

November 23, 2007 at 4:53 PM

Who says that quote? “Pleasure, the inevitable byproduct of our civilization. A new world, whose only preoccupation will be how to amuse itself. The tragedy of your times, my young friends, is that you may get exactly what you want.”

Johanna writes:

November 23, 2007 at 5:34 PM

According to IMDB, Charles Macaulay playing Inspector Shrink.