The one hundred and nineteenth comic: #464 Starstruck
I really wanted to like Starstruck more than I do, but it was difficult to penetrate. Based on a play, the initial comic focuses on the backstories of the play's characters - while they are several somewhat disjointed stories, each smaller tale works well. After that, it starts to tell other stories in this world with the same characters, but the impact isn't there. Their introductions aren't enough for you to get to know them and the storytelling is disjointed enough it's hard to keep track of all the threads. It's a decent set up and there's something interesting in the look and world, but I couldn't really get immersed as much as I like.
The seven hundred and forty-fourth album: #744 Pet Shop Boys - Very
I've mentioned my love of Pet Shop Boys before and Very distilled a lot of the good tracks into a single package. The dance music sound is engaging, but the lyrics that go with it elevates it into having an engaging, often understandable but deeper message - something feels profound about Tennant's vocals when combined with the heavy beat of the music. The album touched me in a way that still worked all these years later, with tracks that have been with me for a long time. Again, Go West just becomes its own anthem that has been imbued with much more meaning than the original in a way that connects more than anything.
The two hundred and fifty-third TV show: #60 Car 54, Where Are You?
I don't have high expectations of comedies from this era - I've seen plenty of cases where the sense of humour doesn't grab me the way it's meant to. Car 54 isn't a show that completely dispels that, with some of the jokes dated enough, but Joe E Ross has a real charm in his performance that carries a lot of it further than would be amusing otherwise. His energy is infectious and effective in carrying the show. Not enough to go deeper on the show, but it's fun enough to watch.
The seven hundred and forty-fourth album: #744 Jamiroquai - Emergency on Planet Earth
As much as their appearance and image might have been made fun of, Jamiroquai's music works effectively by creating their own mix of sounds. The funk sound is filtered through an acid jazz feeling sound that becomes quite unique while the lyrics that highly focus on enviromentalism and a rejction of capitalism feel fresh, especially for their age, and more pointed than what comes from typical music of the age. It's an intriguing mix of sounds that does everything really well and creates a compelling sound.
The seven hundred and forty-second album: #742 Nirvana - In Utero
It's difficult to see the impact Nirvana's relatively short existence had. While there are several other bands hitting similar points, it feels like the specific music of Nirvana is the voice of an angry generation, in a way that resonates with teenage angst through the ages but is also eloquent or thought out enough to resonate at any time. It's not lyrically complicated, but it's that accessibility that helps, and similar for the music - it's not a complicated composition, but that's what makes it something you can easily get into.
The two hundred and sixty-fourth classical recording: #379 Mily Alekseyevich Balakirev - Islamey
Short, frantic and powerful. I saw this mentioned as one of the most difficult piano pieces to play and while I am not in the best place to judge this, I can understand why it would be from the pace, the frantic movement and changes. It sounds powerful, that strength of sound stretching through as a feat of brilliance. Short, but amazing just to listen to.
The one hundred and eighteenth comic: #390 A Contract With God
Telling four stories of a tenement in the Bronx, A Contract With God also feels like it tells different types of stories. The titular first story is a modern fable, a story of losing and finding religion as an impressive story. The final story, based on holidays in the 1930s, is on the other side, with little moral but several intersecting stories of this holiday resort. The others sit in between and give some moral message while giving an look at the difficulties as well. Although the first story was the most compelling to me, the raw look in all the stories is one that got me drawn in.
The seven hundred and forty-first album: #741 Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzy
Despite a lot of its production, there's a raw feeling to most of Fuzzy's country rock. The lyrics are clear, without the gravel that usually come with country vocals, and the music always has a heavy presence even if it is relatively stripped back in places.
The seven hundred and fortieth album: #740 Aimee Mann - Whatever
As another sign of this era's sensibilities, Aimee Mann's rock sensibilities come out strongly. Whether it's her pop rock songs that bring energy or more sensitive rock ballads, the tracks on this album are all a joy to listen to. It's artful, it has variety, it has plenty to make you think. I really ended up falling for this album and knowing there's an evolution of her style ahead, I'm looking forward to exploring it.
The one hundred and seventeenth comic: #809 Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Boulevard of Broken Dreams is an interesting graphic novel. While telling the story of Waldo the Cat, his animator and other people surrounding it, we get it told through several viewpoints, each iteration explaining more details of what happened and exploring it further. At the same time, it's a look into and commentary on the world of animation as well as covering mental health. It's an engaging story, with the revelations that happen not just revealing a mystery, but deepening the story and situation. It's different, sure, but that's what makes it worth it.