1148 Melody Expression
“It doesn’t matter who you are, what’s important is that you are a part of this folk wave.”
This was the original intention of the Coen brothers in creating "The Ballad of Drunken Country". They presented a picture of an era through this story, and every character and every ballad in the play was not chosen casually. This has also been the case in the past few years. After listening to the soundtrack over and over for days, Renly came to the conclusion that.
Troy Nelson, played by Stark-Sands, sang two songs in the movie.
One is "The-Last-Thing-On-My-Mind", originally sung by the 1960s folk singer Tom-Paxton; "Five-Hundred-Miles" by Jim and Jane, a widely circulated classic song.
In fact, Stark's voice is clear and translucent, and the ending is lively and exciting, which cannot match the true meaning of the original song. The same is true for Troy in the story, he just joined the wave with enthusiasm.
In both songs, Stark failed to present the essence of the original work; but this was precisely the intention of the Coen brothers, because Troy, played by Stark, represented a group of folk singers at the time..
In the wave of folk music, if you simply join it because of love and liking, you may just enjoy the happiness brought by the music in a playful mood; although you lack a deep understanding of the music, you can love it carefree; They did not think deeply about the meaning of music, but instead became simpler because of their simplicity; coupled with their pleasing appearance and pleasant personality, they have more commercial value.
To put it simply, he is the opposite of Le’Veon Davis..
As a result, in the movie, Troy was appreciated by Bob Dylan’s manager Albert Grossman and became very popular in the bar..
“Five Hundred Miles" as well..
The original work is deeply touching, vividly interpreting the wanderer's nostalgia and longing for his hometown, but he is timid and daunted by his hometown..
Under the interpretation of Troy, Jim, and Jane, more fresh lightness is revealed, and a touch of sadness also evolves into a hint of happiness and sweetness. It seems that you can feel the call from your hometown and the waiting of your lover; the ballad is lost Its own wandering and vicissitudes of life gradually coincided with the development direction of the mainstream market, becoming more and more commercial and popular, but in the end it evolved into a saliva song without any characteristics..
In addition, "The-Auld-Triangle" appeared as a four-person choir, using acapella gimmicks to attract attention; "The-Storms-Are" -On-The-Ocean)” added inexplicable alternative instruments in an attempt to create new ideas.
There is also the incompatible song "Please-Mr.-Kennedy", which is completely reduced to a saliva song, lacking connotation, arrangement, lyrics, and even a song. The theme just creates a relaxing and cheerful entertainment effect among a bunch of rhythms.
Everything is confirming one thing. Greenwich folk songs are losing their essence. The pursuit of skills, soul and core has disappeared. For reputation, profit and success, they are gradually integrating towards the popular trend. , completely lost the essential color of folk songs at the beginning of their birth, and became part of the market’s assembly line products..
In the movie, LeVine's only compromise was "Please, Mr. Kennedy." In order to make quick money, he had to participate in the recording process, but he seemed so out of place from beginning to end that he gave up the copyright without hesitation. I just wish I never existed in this song.
But ironically, the song later became a huge commercial success.
This is true of LeVine Davis and Dave Van Ronk: he persisted in trying to include his humanity and creativity in art, but never got what he deserved.
Further irony comes from reality. After the movie ended, "500 Miles" became the most popular track in the entire soundtrack. On the one hand, because of Justin Timberlake's strong influence, he gained a group of additional fans. ;On the other hand, because the arrangement and re-creation of this song is most in line with the market trend.
It’s not that business is bad, or that being popular is wrong. In fact, this is precisely the most helpless part of life. The compromise between art and the market is a subject that every artist must challenge, and then make his or her own Choice. Elegant art does not necessarily mean noble, and vulgar art does not necessarily mean boring. In the final analysis, art is higher than life, but it comes from life..
Therefore, there has never been a distinction between high and low in art..
The reason why it is said to be ironic is because it is exactly opposite to the artistic spirit that LeVine and Dave insist on, and it is also what the movie "Drunken Country Folk" is ridiculing. It has to be said that the real world is also different from the movie. The Coen brothers’ taunts coincided with each other and once again gave LeVine David a slap in the face..
Furthermore, it also gives a slap in the face to all stubborn art creators..
Art is extremely important, but life is even more important. After all, not every ordinary person can get rid of the shackles of life and pursue the influence of art; however, everyone attaches importance to life. When the material level reaches a certain level, the spiritual level is empty. What about boredom? What about the development of art and the inheritance of culture?？
Perhaps, most artists must be like Vincent Van Gogh, who leads to the end of self-understanding in depression; or, like LeVine Davis, they are spinning in circles like a headless fly, trying to change , but I don’t know where to start or what to do..
This kind of helplessness, this kind of confusion, is precisely the aftertaste left by "Drunk Country Folk Songs".
During the flight back from London to New York, the soundtrack was played over and over again, but Renly couldn't help but have an idea: If he tried it again, could "Don Quixote" still be a success?？
Absurdly but realistically, Renly's answer is no..
If it misses that point in time, "Don Quixote" will be doomed to be submerged in the wave of fast food culture, just like the "About LeVeon Davis" album - or in other words, " About the Dave Van Ronk album.
You can get some clues from the Coen brothers' casting choices. They consciously stayed close to the character's temperament and selected actors who were closer to their true colors..
They chose Stark Sanders to play Troy Nelson instead of an actor with a voice more akin to Tom Paxton.
They chose Justin Timberlake to play Jim because in real life, Justin is a top pop star. Among Justin's two solo albums, the artistry of the first album was unanimously recognized, but the sales volume was slightly lower. inferior; the second one was more popular and popular, reaping huge market returns, but took a step back in terms of art..
They also chose Adam Driver to play the role of Al-Cody, the singer who sings "Please, Kennedy" with Jim and LeVine. He has his own persistence and his own characteristics. Between Jim and LeVine, they are struggling. The same is true for Adam in real life..
This is not a bad thing, nor is it a criticism.
It is just a game between the contradiction between art and business. Some people choose the former and some choose the latter. In the wave of the times, it is often the latter that succeeds and the former disappears in obscurity. For art creators , but it is inevitable to feel a little sad.
For the same reason, they chose Renly Hall to play Le'Veon Davis.
Because in real life, Renly is an incompatible artistic creator, both in the fields of folk songs and performances. Even though he won the Oscar for Best Actor, Renly's career choices can still create unexpected surprises frequently, which is surprising. Shocking. It looks like Renly is more like Bob Dylan, but in his heart, Renly is always Dave Van Ronk..
It was discovered that Bob Dylan's manager Albert Grossman was the prototype of Bud, the Chicago bar owner and manager in the movie. The discerning Bole in real life became Levi in the movie. Well, last chance.
Bud heard LeVine's graceful and moving "The-Death-Of-Queen-Jane", but his reaction was, "I don't see the commercial opportunity in this song.".”
This sentence comes from the Coen brothers' ridicule, because Alberg is a well-known "pure businessman opportunist" in the industry; it also comes from the endless debate between business and art.
In the eyes of the older generation, folk singers are like believers who believe in ideals, refuse to compromise, live in poverty, and are defeated by reality in anonymity. But for businessmen and outsiders, they cannot see out of meaning.
The cruelest part of reality is that this group of folk singers have to make their own choices in the face of the oppression of life, and slowly lower themselves in front of those stubborn and stupid, powerful and realistic music publishers. head, gradually learned to find a balance between public aesthetics and self-feelings.
Therefore, Troy Nelson has a future; therefore, Jim and Jane have a stable life and become the middle class; therefore, Le'Veon Davis is a loser who cannot see tomorrow.
Therefore, it didn’t take long for Bob Dylan to successfully sign with the label as a resident singer; therefore, no one knew about Dave Van Ronk, a pioneer of folk music..
It’s not easy to stick to your dreams, it’s even harder to stick to your art.
Only by truly understanding the trend of the entire era, and only by truly understanding the confrontation between art and business, can we truly give each character a soul. For example, Troy must be simpler and fresher, not only in the arrangement, but also in the way of singing. So; for another example, Jim and Jane must be more popular, and the song "Five Hundred Miles" must weaken the emotional intensity and become more relaxed..
Finally, there’s LeVeon Davis who performed multiple tracks.
Throughout the film, LeVine performed a total of six tracks, but they were scattered in different passages of the film, and formed a circle at the beginning and end..
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