to somewhat counter what was remarked upon upthread, i'm of the opinion there is some legitimately good post-Nichols stuff by him, but of course ymmv
i read some anecdote once involving him being on a studio lot and spotting bing crosby, who had recorded one of williams' songs. pw was about to go up and greet this living legend and introduce himself, but at the last moment, he freaked out remembering that he was dressed in typical la flower child garb of the times and imagined that square crosby would probably look upon him with disdain as being just another dirty hippie
― pluperfect (del), Sunday, 28 November 2010 18:18 (2 years ago) Permalink
I agree, there really are a lot of good songs on the post-Nichols albums! I didn't mean to make it seem like they weren't that good. I probably should have picked a better word than "lackluster", though; even with "in comparison" after it, it's got negative connotation to spare.
― cwkiii, Tuesday, 30 November 2010 00:21 (2 years ago) Permalink
nah, i think your word choice was just fine...i guess i was responding more to posts upthread suggesting that his later recordings were exclusively dud.
also, it's probably more a reflection of my personal tastes at this point-- someday man and holy mackeral stuff are great sixties-ish soft pop records certainly, but these days i'd rather listen to his schmaltzy singer-songwritery stuff. it's definitely not going to qualify as everyone who enjoys 'someday man''s cup of tea
― pluperfect (del), Wednesday, 1 December 2010 01:13 (2 years ago) Permalink
in any case, i was thinking of stuff like this:
― pluperfect (del), Wednesday, 1 December 2010 01:15 (2 years ago) Permalink
Gah, why is Someday Man the only one of his 70s albums that's in print (domestically)?!
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 16 February 2012 20:02 (1 year ago) Permalink
― Literal Facepalms (Dr Morbius), Friday, 9 March 2012 07:02 (1 year ago) Permalink
Documentary!
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 18 May 2012 15:51 (1 year ago) Permalink
ooh!
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 18 May 2012 15:51 (1 year ago) Permalink
he's working with Daft Punk on their new album, it's been reported.
― andrew m., Friday, 18 May 2012 16:16 (1 year ago) Permalink
Bob Stanley's Croydon Municipal blog has updated today with an interview with Paul Williams with an emphasis on "Someday man"
― Rob M Revisited, Saturday, 19 May 2012 21:11 (1 year ago) Permalink
DIg the nice tantrum from PW in the first scene here.
― pplains, Sunday, 20 May 2012 20:08 (1 year ago) Permalink
re : someday man
a genuine shivers-up-spine track.
v.v.v glad i picked up the now sounds reissue a while back (along with the holy mackeral reissue - what a fantastic double whammy).
― mark e, Sunday, 20 May 2012 21:43 (1 year ago) Permalink
is that a link to tha actual documentary? for some reason i can't see the link.
― piscesx, Sunday, 20 May 2012 21:47 (1 year ago) Permalink
yeah i'm getting either a blank space or a dark blue rectangle that doesn't respond to clicking, but by right-clicking and using "view source" found it. Let's try this:
http://www.youtube.com/v/VYRD4nrgVME
― Lee971 (Lee626), Sunday, 20 May 2012 21:56 (1 year ago) Permalink
or this:
― Lee971 (Lee626), Sunday, 20 May 2012 22:00 (1 year ago) Permalink
I can't make out what he said answering Johnny Carson
― Lee971 (Lee626), Sunday, 20 May 2012 22:04 (1 year ago) Permalink
"A lot of Holiday Inns have heard those lines."
― Johnny Fever, Sunday, 20 May 2012 22:58 (1 year ago) Permalink
holy shit that looks incredible!
― piscesx, Sunday, 20 May 2012 23:54 (1 year ago) Permalink
Can't wait to see this.
It made me realize that Paul Williams was like a variety show era version of the meme celebrity; let's take someone we can laugh at and elevate them like they're one of the beautiful people, until we're bored. It must have been exhausting to capitalize on a break like that; knowing your being laughed at, and trying to convert it to being laughed with.
― bendy, Monday, 21 May 2012 13:29 (1 year ago) Permalink
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/02/the-good-guys-and-bad-guys-that-ive-been-paul-williams-on-paul-williams-still-alive/?hpw
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 4 June 2012 18:13 (11 months ago) Permalink
He's also appearing at the CinemaFamily events in LA this month. Wish I could go, but I'll be on the wrong end of the continent for that.
― Matt M., Monday, 4 June 2012 18:24 (11 months ago) Permalink
I've recently been listening to this collection alot - it's actually a comp of their demos, although it's polished enough to pass for a proper studio album. This includes the first full recording of "We've Only Just Begun"; neither of them had any idea their creation would be played at millions of weddings over the next few decades - as well as impressive early takes of "Someday Man", "Let Me Be The One", and others. Essential for any fans of early-'70s pop IMO.
― Lee626, Tuesday, 5 June 2012 15:13 (11 months ago) Permalink
arggh WANT
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 5 June 2012 15:29 (11 months ago) Permalink
An interview in the NY homo weekly... on his meeting with Mae West, Streisand's instincts, etc:
http://gaycitynews.com/evergreen-songwriter/
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Friday, 8 June 2012 19:08 (11 months ago) Permalink
that docu better talk about FROG
― Word of Wisdom Robots (Abbbottt), Monday, 11 June 2012 01:40 (11 months ago) Permalink
― dell (del), Monday, 11 June 2012 03:46 (11 months ago) Permalink
from the Times piece:If I could tell you the things I’ve announced that didn’t get done — I sat down and wrote one of the funniest screenplays, I think, in my life, with Johnny Hart, who created “B.C.” and “The Wizard of Id.” We wrote “The Wizard of Id” as a screenplay.
!!
― dell (del), Monday, 11 June 2012 04:15 (11 months ago) Permalink
I write “Ouch, mommy” songs. Pick me up and love me. Think about it. “I Won’t Last a Day Without You” is not really a healthy thought.
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Monday, 11 June 2012 11:13 (11 months ago) Permalink
Went to a screening of The Rules of Attraction yesterday, and lo and behold, there he was playing a wiseguy doctor.
― clemenza, Monday, 11 June 2012 12:00 (11 months ago) Permalink
jesus christ the chorus of Someday Man...
― retro-shittified (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 11 June 2012 19:09 (11 months ago) Permalink
I saw the documentary tonight. Williams is quite good--very sane about his past ordeals, never cloying, a little cagey the whole way through. He seems at once to have genuine doubts about the feasibility of the film, and also to realize it would be crazy to pass the invitation up. Lots of great clips, needless to say; Horshack from Welcome Back, Kotter even turns up, and he just died today. I don't what people say on this thread, but as great a songwriter as Williams sometimes was, he's no singer--not then, not now.
The one thing that gets in the way is the director. I can understand to an extent why he interjects himself as a framing device, but I've reached a point with this kind of documentary where I've got to say enough. Even more clips, please, and fewer whimsical intrusions.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 15 August 2012 02:45 (9 months ago) Permalink
Agreed. The documentary was depressing, mainly because of the director's shallow and condescending viewpoint. He was too fixated on the "once was / where are they now" characterization of Williams, and completely missed the opportunity to gain insight into the music. Not to mention all the insane celebrity party anecdotes he surely has. The guys life was like a who's who of the 1970's, and he knows how to spin a yarn. The film was not a proper tribute.
― Leon Septamost, Thursday, 29 November 2012 06:25 (5 months ago) Permalink
Not to mention all the insane celebrity party anecdotes he surely has.
I haven't seen the movie yet but now I'm sad because I was hoping for less clever intrusive director and more
he used to get high with Wallace Shawn and Billy Barty back in the day
― ambient bangers (gnarly sceptre), Monday, March 30, 2009 1:47 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― xanthanguar (cwkiii), Thursday, 29 November 2012 14:49 (5 months ago) Permalink
paul williams monkey needs his glasses back
― passion it person (La Lechera), Wednesday, 2 January 2013 19:20 (4 months ago) Permalink
will be present at his NYC film retro this weekend
http://www.movingimage.us/films/2013/01/25/detail/paul-williams/
― saltwater incursion (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 22 January 2013 23:14 (4 months ago) Permalink
Picked up "Just an Old Fashioned Love Song" in a dollar bin yesterday and it is treating me so right on this Sunday morning.
― Trip Maker, Sunday, 21 April 2013 15:01 (1 month ago) Permalink
Such a fantastic album. My favorite one.
― Johnny Fever, Sunday, 21 April 2013 16:16 (1 month ago) Permalink