[looking glass spectacle]

 

 

 

.... walked out of the back of a museum in la jolla, ca to smoke a cig and found this great big mural....

[looking glass spectacle]

some fact checking dates ruscha's use of the phrase to this 1983 painting

 

which predates the death valley single with that song on the b-side... i've always been a huge fan of sy's relationship with artists like gerhard richter, mike kelley, richard pettibon, etc etc not to mention their lyrics inspired by philip k dick and william gibson.

but i have to admit i'm just a tiny bit disappointed to find out that they didn't think of this one themselves.....

[looking glass spectacle]

although now i see the visual context for

Seven days and seven nights
I dreamt a sailor's dream at sea



i have to admit i'm more than a little disappointed that more musicians don't borrow from painters...

[RanaldoNecro]

i have to admit i'm more than a little disappointed that more musicians don't borrow from painters...

I echo that sentiment. I have been dissapointed as well by certain finds. Especialy when they are direct steals...

[looking glass spectacle]

ultimately... i do love a thief with good taste....

[RanaldoNecro]

google kills thiefs...If SY had used that line in a less prominent manner than it might have been ok. But this is shitty.

Whats next? Santa Claus?

[Genteel Death]

Why is it a big deal? It's not like they are the only band who has borrowed from a painter or writer. I could understand if they had blatantly ripped off another song's lyrics, but considering their visual arts background it just seems like a normal thing for them to incorporate words from some artwork in some of their lyrics.

[jennthebenn]

They had a poster of the "Brave Men Run" work in their studio. For what it's worth. Stop children what's that sound. I don't think they were trying to pull the wool with that appropriation.

[RanaldoNecro]

seems pretty direct to me. When you use something as the conceptual basis for a song that is different.

[looking glass spectacle]

gah! now i wish i hadn't pointed out the source of the lyric.

it has nothing to do with 'direct'.... my reason for not minding that they didn't think it up themselves is that i find "originality" to be overrated... originality coupled with bad taste is far worse on the ears or the eyes than thievery coupled with good taste. obviously thievery coupled with bad taste should be punished harshly. this is really what happened to vanilla ice, as the beastie boys had already done far more theft than he had. they got away with it because they'd done it in style... rhymin and stealin, one might say.

jenn's reason for not minding that they didn't think it up themselves seems to have to do with there was no intention to deceive, but you'll have to ask her to elaborate...


in any case, if yr gonna be stubborn about it, forget i ever told you where the lyric came from...

[noisereductions]

um, has anyone said "no shit, Sherlock" yet? Kim openly admitted this like 20 yrs ago.

[jennthebenn]

My only elaboration would be just to reiterate what others have said re:
if you're going to steal/borrow/appropriate, steal/borrow/appropriate
something good. And then have the good sense to admit to your good
taste. Which SY do, repeatedly. The Ruscha painting as inspiration for
"Brave Men Run" has been fessed up to, as NR also points out.

[Inhuman]

And on to more important matters than bickering (just for you LGS!)... the font there looks like another Helvetica knock off. Notice the bottom horizontal 'shaft' of the F is shorter than it should be, the U is a tad wider, and there is more of a sense of squareness in the lettering. Has anyone seen the Helvetica documentary? It's good stuff with good arguments from supporters and haters

 

[Chris Lawrence]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

um, has anyone said "no shit, Sherlock" yet? Kim openly admitted this like 20 yrs ago.

i was waiting for this

[beppie deux]

ach ja, like they say in holland: beter goed gejat, dan slecht verzonnen = something like: better steal it good, instead of making up shit yourself

[flophousefloozie]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

um, has anyone said "no shit, Sherlock" yet? Kim openly admitted this like 20 yrs ago.

Exactly what I was thinking. They've mentioned it a few times. They've never denied it, because their intentions were good.

[flophousefloozie]

Originally Posted by looking glass spectacle

gah! now i wish i hadn't pointed out the source of the lyric.



in any case, if yr gonna be stubborn about it, forget i ever told you where the lyric came from...

And I don't think anyone in this thread needed you to point that out, so no need for regret.

[Dr. Eugene Felikson]

Originally Posted by Inhuman

And on to more important matters than bickering (just for you LGS!)... the font there looks like another Helvetica knock off. Notice the bottom horizontal 'shaft' of the F is shorter than it should be, the U is a tad wider, and there is more of a sense of squareness in the lettering. Has anyone seen the Helvetica documentary? It's good stuff with good arguments from supporters and haters

 

I don't get it. Someone made a documentary with a type of font as the subject? Is there really that much to be said?

[automatic bzooty]

at least ruscha is a good source to steal (heavily borrow?) from