1974
Noah’s Barks pages covering things relating to the year 1974.
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Young Frankenstein
Oh, no! Young Frankenstein is perfectly good with nothing easy for me to pick on. All I can give this one is that it was a movie almost completely focused on laughs, and I’ve laughed harder. Gene Wilder is phenomenal, yet Peter Boyle almost steals the show. It’s a waste he practically disappears from the… (read more)
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Deep Purple – “Stormbringer”
I want to like Stormbringer more than I actually do. Well, that describes my feelings towards Deep Purple in general. But this one’s kind of an underdog: it marks uncharted territory for the band with the funk addition which actually works since Coverdale doesn’t opt the vocal mannerisms of funk like a lot of lame… (read more)
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Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
A Mexploitation of exploitations? It has to be Sam Peckinpah, and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia poster makes both facts obvious. Warren Oates might want to be cool, but he’s an aging, poor bartender who lives in squalor with his prostitute lover. Problems aren’t solved with a bullet and a laugh this time… (read more)
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Céline and Julie Go Boating
The theme to take away from ‘Céline and Julie Go Boating’ is the opposite of what it likely aims for: some art is too distant to attempt to make your own. (read more)
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Can – “Soon Over Babaluma”
‘Soon Over Babaluma’ is a pleasant album. All the best Can albums are pleasant. But this is a more ordinary kind of pleasant. It doesn’t reach a spiritual level. (read more)
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Mazinger Z vs The Great General of Darkness
In this expanded, theatrical conclusion to the classic Mazinger Z TV series, Mazinger finds itself on the ropes when facing off against its greatest foe yet. Who will save the day, if Mazinger Z isn’t enough? (read more)
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The Conversation
The Conversation is possibly the best example of Francis Ford Coppola‘s directing talent as it goes for something more subtle that his usual hugely bombastic ambition can’t distract from. There’s such an intense focus and purity on the writing and portrayal of this story that it’s one of the most flawless movies I’ve seen, even… (read more)
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Comus – “To Keep From Crying”
First Utterance is one of my favorite albums of all time. I went into To Keep From Crying expecting it to be completely generic southern pop garbage; totally disposable. It uh, wasn’t. I think? As far as I know. I don’t go out of my way to listen to a lot of (I guess) early… (read more)
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Queen – “Queen II”
An often overlooked Queen album (aren’t most of them?). Queen II is loose concept album where the first side of the album is meant to have brighter lyrical imagery with all songs written by guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, while the second side contains darker songs all written by lead vocalist Freddie Mercury. As usual… (read more)
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Queen – “Sheer Heart Attack”
‘Sheer Heart Attack’ is a great album, and one of Queen’s few that to feel like a cohesive whole instead of an arbitrary song collection. (read more)