By Steve Marinucci
Published Dec. 5, 1995, San Jose (CA) Mercury News
FAMILY MATTERS.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME PAGE FOR DIVORCED DAD AND HIS CHILDREN
SCATTERED KIDS HAVE A PLACE ON INTERNET
TO SAY Larry Buchanan loves his kids is putting it mildly.
Buchanan, 35, a divorced father of five, has focused much of his devotion toward his children by designing a home page on the World Wide Web for them - and any other kids their age.
The Buchanan Family Web (http://www.buchanan.com), which is accessible to anyone with an Internet connection and a Web browser, is more than an on-line family photo album. There are photos and biographies of his five children, but young Web surfers are also treated to movie and music reviews written by children, and a page chock-full of links to other Web sites of particular interest to kids.
Buchanan, a product manager for the games and entertainment division of the Internet Shopping Network, has his Foster City apartment bedroom completely decorated in contemporary Simba - that's Disney's Lion King for the uninitiated - just to make his kids more comfortable when they visit. Unfortunately, says Buchanan, distance makes their visits rarer than he would like. Dennea, 10, and James, 8, live in Woodland (near Sacramento); Ashley, 9, and twins Bridget and Larry III, 4 1/2, live in Arizona.
When they do get together, the family spends much of its time fine-tuning and updating the Buchanan Family Web. Buchanan calls the site ''kids safe,'' which means Web surfers are very unlikely to stumble into the adults-only areas many parents fear.
Buchanan says that all the activities on the site and all the primary links on the site itself are suitable for children. Buchanan says he checks the links once a week to ensure that none contain something unsuitable.
''There are no links on my site that will take kids to a place they shouldn't be,'' Buchanan says. This policy recently forced him to mention but not link his pages to Riot in Your Mind, which in late November named his site a Hot Spot, because of that site's adult language. ''I would love to add a link to them, but that would break the rules of this page and provide a link to subject matter that may not be suitable for small children,'' he wrote on the Internet.
Monitoring the clicks
Unfortunately, the World Wide Web is in large part an uncontrollable environment. And not even Buchanan can ensure that a few clicks of a mouse won't lead to foul language or sexual images. In fact, just two clicks away from the Buchanan Family Web, a user can land on a search page that anyone with a fair knowledge of the Internet can use to locate just about anything on the Web, including adult-only material. (When informed of this, Buchanan immediately removed a link to the Internet Shopping Network from his Web page.)
Buchanan concedes that because of the ever-changing state of the Web, parents should always accompany their children as they travel through cyberspace. ''Don't let your kids surf alone,'' Buchanan says. ''You wouldn't let them out on a regular highway alone. The same goes for the information superhighway.''
Safety on the net
Buchanan was researching a book on child safety and the Internet when he realized that there were few ''safe places for my kids'' on the net. When the book project fell through, he went to work immediately on the Buchanan Family Web, which has been on-line since early September. The site has been featured in Newsweek as well as Japan's Internet Surfer magazine.
As Buchanan notes on the home page: ''This site was created so my kids could get involved with the Internet in a protected environment.'' These include biographical pages for each of the children, the Kids Kool Konnections Page, with links to pages of interest to kids and parents, and the Kids Review Page, with opinions on movies and music, mostly by the Buchanan children.
Clicking on oldest daughter Dennea's name on the home page brings you to her personal page. ''Hi, I'm Dennea, (pronounced 'Renee,' but with a 'D'), welcome to my WWW page! I am 10 years old, I enjoy swimming, and calligraphy. I started 5th grade this year and really like it. I am studying the clarinet in my music class, it's lots of fun!''
Farther down the screen are links to more family pictures and a place to send Dennea e-mail. (Buchanan screens all the children's e-mail before passing it on to them.) The other children's pages have similar links.
Dennea, who has been around computers since second grade, likes having her own Web page. Like the rest of the kids, she helps her father design it by picking out pictures and graphics to include on it.
Through her page, Dennea came in contact with her pen pal, 11-year-old Rachel, who lives near Chicago and has her own home page (http://www.mcs.net/kathyw/rachel.html). Dennea says she and Rachel both like the TV shows ''Full House'' and ''Clarissa Explains It All'' and singer Mariah Carey.
On his page, Dennea's brother, James, writes, ''I am 8 years old and I love the Ninja Turtles and the Power Rangers.'' James says having his own Web page is ''very nice.'' He says he has received e-mail from another James Buchanan in Missouri. Larry Buchanan says the children have received e-mail from correspondents from all over the world.
The Kids Review Page includes comments on movies from, naturally, ''The Lion King'' (''Rating: 5 Toes Up. There hasn't been a movie like 'The Lion King' in a long time. We ALL love Simba and the rest of the gang and have lots of Lion King stuff around the house.'') to ''The Goofy Movie'' (''1 smelly little toe and we're not too sure where to point it. Halfway through the movie, with a fist full of popcorn in her mouth, I got this request from 4 1/2-year-old Bridget, 'Daddy can we go home now?' 'Nuff said.'').
The Review Page also features comments on music for kids, including this on ''Return to Pooh Corner'' by Kenny Loggins (''5 Toes Up. Daddy bought this one for us and we didn't know if we'd like it or not. It turned out to be an awesome collection of lullabies and kid songs that we really like.'')
Buchanan's own personal touch to the Web site is a tribute to the late Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. ''While I was never a 'Dead Head,' '' he writes, ''I do agree that the man was an icon to many.'' A page of pictures of the guitarist can be found at http://www.buchanan.com/jerry.htm.
Though he carefully monitors his children's activities on the Internet, he is convinced that on-line dangers have been overstated. ''The media has blown the hell out of it,'' Buchanan says.
''There are over 15,000 different newsgroups, 3 percent of which are sexually explicit. That's a very small number in comparison to what's really good out there. I think a lot of people are overly cautious because of things that they've heard. People need to relax a little bit and Internet surf with their children. From what I've seen, 97 percent of the Web is fun, safe surfing. There is only a small percentage of things to be cautious about.''
Tuesday, December 5, 1995
Thursday, August 24, 1995
Brian Wilson: "I Guess I Just Wasn't Made For These Times": film takes sensitive look at troubled artist
By Steve Marinucci
Published Aug. 24, 1995, San Jose (CA) Mercury News
MEMO: BRIAN WILSON . . . I JUST WASN'T MADE FOR THESE TIMES 9 P.M. SUNDAY (8/27), DIS
FILM TAKES SENSITIVE LOOK AT TROUBLED ARTIST
IT'S ironically sad that the man responsible for such beautiful songs as ''In My Room,'' ''God Only Knows,'' ''Caroline, No'' and ''The Warmth of the Sun'' has had such an unpleasant life.
Nonetheless, ''Brian Wilson . . . I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' (the title is taken from a song on his introspective ''Pet Sounds'' album) is an uplifting film that reveals how the 53-year-old Wilson survived an abusive father, a nervous breakdown, drug abuse and numerous monumental internal squabbles while a member of the Beach Boys.
In the film, which marks the directorial debut of music producer Don Was, Wilson's mother, Audree, offers fond recollections of her son as a child. But Brian remembers his childhood quite differently. In one scene, he describes savage beatings he and his brothers, fellow Beach Boys Carl and Dennis, endured at the hands of his father, Murry.
With the Beach Boys, Brian became a celebrity, but after a nervous breakdown suffered while on tour in 1964, Brian retired from the road and spent his time perfecting his music in the studio. One result was ''Pet Sounds,'' an album that inspired Paul McCartney's concept for the Beatles' ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.''
After unleashing the wildly successful pop masterpiece ''Good Vibrations,'' Wilson seemed to be the master of his own destiny. The Beach Boys' follow-up album was to be called ''Smile.'' It was one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the '60s. But drugs, pressure from the group's record company, Capitol, and internal disagreements among the band members over the less-than-commercial nature of the lyrics forced Wilson and the band to abandon ''Smile.''
Soon after, Wilson dropped out of the music scene altogether. He struggled with obesity and would often spend many consecutive days without getting out of bed. Audree Wilson reveals that Wilson's father did the same thing, often handling his business dealings from bed.
Wilson's wife at the time, Marilyn, hired Dr. Eugene Landy, a Svengali-like psychologist, to take care of Wilson. But when it became apparent that Landy had a cult-like grip on the singer, Wilson's friends obtained a court order banning Landy from any further contact with his patient. Landy is never mentioned by name in the film; Wilson refers to him only as ''my assistant.''
For that matter, outside of vintage film clips, the only Beach Boy interviewed in the film besides Brian Wilson is his brother, Carl. Brian has not toured with the Beach Boys in recent years, and did not appear on the group's last studio album. Recent news reports have revealed more internal fights over songwriting credits with lead singer Mike Love. The dispute has since been settled.
Things are looking up for Wilson. Within the last year he has remarried, (wife Melinda is interviewed with him in the film); he has released a new album on MCA of songs recorded for this film and has another album scheduled for October that will mark a reunion with Van Dyke Parks, his co-writer on ''Surf's Up.''
The preview of the title song from that album, ''Orange Crate Art,'' provides one of the most gorgeous moments in the film. The song, one of 13 tunes - most of them wonderful new versions of old Beach Boy songs - is a beautiful piece with a haunting turn-of-the-century feel that recalls the magnificence of the earlier collaboration.
Another is a remake of the Beach Boys' ''Do It Again,'' with backup vocals by daughters Carnie (who'll be seen this fall as host of her own daytime talk show locally on KGO-TV) and Wendy, the first time the women have recorded with their father as adults. (As children, they sang on a version of ''I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'' with the Beach Boys for a '70s Christmas album never released, though the track itself was on Carnie and Wendy's ''Hey Santa'' holiday album, released in 1993.)
In another touching scene, Wilson and Melinda drive around his old neighborhood where he is almost brought to tears when he sees his former home has been razed for a freeway.
Besides recounting his life, ''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' includes praise for Wilson from a number of his more famous fans, including David Crosby, Graham Nash, session drummer Hal Blaine (who played on a number of Beach Boys sessions), John Cale, Linda Ronstadt, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Lindsay Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac.
''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' is a change of pace from the general good-time fare of the Disney Channel. It's an extremely honest black-and-white portrait of a man whose life hasn't been all good vibrations and fairy tales. Give credit to Doug Zwick, Disney's vice president of original specials and acquired programming, for gaining rights to the film after seeing it at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
And even better, the first showing will be during a free preview when many cable customers without access to the premium Disney Channel can see it.
Published Aug. 24, 1995, San Jose (CA) Mercury News
MEMO: BRIAN WILSON . . . I JUST WASN'T MADE FOR THESE TIMES 9 P.M. SUNDAY (8/27), DIS
FILM TAKES SENSITIVE LOOK AT TROUBLED ARTIST
IT'S ironically sad that the man responsible for such beautiful songs as ''In My Room,'' ''God Only Knows,'' ''Caroline, No'' and ''The Warmth of the Sun'' has had such an unpleasant life.
Nonetheless, ''Brian Wilson . . . I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' (the title is taken from a song on his introspective ''Pet Sounds'' album) is an uplifting film that reveals how the 53-year-old Wilson survived an abusive father, a nervous breakdown, drug abuse and numerous monumental internal squabbles while a member of the Beach Boys.
In the film, which marks the directorial debut of music producer Don Was, Wilson's mother, Audree, offers fond recollections of her son as a child. But Brian remembers his childhood quite differently. In one scene, he describes savage beatings he and his brothers, fellow Beach Boys Carl and Dennis, endured at the hands of his father, Murry.
With the Beach Boys, Brian became a celebrity, but after a nervous breakdown suffered while on tour in 1964, Brian retired from the road and spent his time perfecting his music in the studio. One result was ''Pet Sounds,'' an album that inspired Paul McCartney's concept for the Beatles' ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.''
After unleashing the wildly successful pop masterpiece ''Good Vibrations,'' Wilson seemed to be the master of his own destiny. The Beach Boys' follow-up album was to be called ''Smile.'' It was one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the '60s. But drugs, pressure from the group's record company, Capitol, and internal disagreements among the band members over the less-than-commercial nature of the lyrics forced Wilson and the band to abandon ''Smile.''
Soon after, Wilson dropped out of the music scene altogether. He struggled with obesity and would often spend many consecutive days without getting out of bed. Audree Wilson reveals that Wilson's father did the same thing, often handling his business dealings from bed.
Wilson's wife at the time, Marilyn, hired Dr. Eugene Landy, a Svengali-like psychologist, to take care of Wilson. But when it became apparent that Landy had a cult-like grip on the singer, Wilson's friends obtained a court order banning Landy from any further contact with his patient. Landy is never mentioned by name in the film; Wilson refers to him only as ''my assistant.''
For that matter, outside of vintage film clips, the only Beach Boy interviewed in the film besides Brian Wilson is his brother, Carl. Brian has not toured with the Beach Boys in recent years, and did not appear on the group's last studio album. Recent news reports have revealed more internal fights over songwriting credits with lead singer Mike Love. The dispute has since been settled.
Things are looking up for Wilson. Within the last year he has remarried, (wife Melinda is interviewed with him in the film); he has released a new album on MCA of songs recorded for this film and has another album scheduled for October that will mark a reunion with Van Dyke Parks, his co-writer on ''Surf's Up.''
The preview of the title song from that album, ''Orange Crate Art,'' provides one of the most gorgeous moments in the film. The song, one of 13 tunes - most of them wonderful new versions of old Beach Boy songs - is a beautiful piece with a haunting turn-of-the-century feel that recalls the magnificence of the earlier collaboration.
Another is a remake of the Beach Boys' ''Do It Again,'' with backup vocals by daughters Carnie (who'll be seen this fall as host of her own daytime talk show locally on KGO-TV) and Wendy, the first time the women have recorded with their father as adults. (As children, they sang on a version of ''I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'' with the Beach Boys for a '70s Christmas album never released, though the track itself was on Carnie and Wendy's ''Hey Santa'' holiday album, released in 1993.)
In another touching scene, Wilson and Melinda drive around his old neighborhood where he is almost brought to tears when he sees his former home has been razed for a freeway.
Besides recounting his life, ''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' includes praise for Wilson from a number of his more famous fans, including David Crosby, Graham Nash, session drummer Hal Blaine (who played on a number of Beach Boys sessions), John Cale, Linda Ronstadt, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Lindsay Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac.
''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' is a change of pace from the general good-time fare of the Disney Channel. It's an extremely honest black-and-white portrait of a man whose life hasn't been all good vibrations and fairy tales. Give credit to Doug Zwick, Disney's vice president of original specials and acquired programming, for gaining rights to the film after seeing it at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
And even better, the first showing will be during a free preview when many cable customers without access to the premium Disney Channel can see it.
Monday, April 24, 1995
Not getting your O.J. fix? Try tackling the trial on the Internet
By Steve Marinucci
Published April 24, 1995, San Jose (CA) Mercury News
JUST BECAUSE THE COURT HAS CALLED A RECESS DOESN'T
MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW
NOT GETTING YOUR O.J. FIX? TRY TACKLING THE TRIAL
ON THE INTERNET
O.J. IN your living room, O.J. in your newspaper, O.J. on your radio.
And for those who simply can't get enough of the O.J. Simpson trial -- and you know who you are -- there's even more on the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial out there in cyberspace.
Computer users with access to the World Wide Web and the Internet can tap into court documents, pictures and even humor with the simple click of a mouse. Although Web sites can change overnight, here's some of what we found recently:
The most impressive O.J.-related site with the most extensive information related to the case available on the World Wide Web is Dmitri's O.J. Simpson Trial Center (located at http://www.cs.indiana.edu/hyplan/dmiguse/oj.html).
Here you'll find all sorts of documents related to the case, from Simpson's initial interview by police, notes allegedly written by victim Nicole Brown Simpson to her ex-husband, a vast collection of evidence photos, transcripts of the preliminary and pretrial hearings and links to a complete library of all the transcripts back to the beginning of the trial. (The transcripts can be accessed directly at http://www.islandnet.com/walraven/simpson.html.)
You can also find addresses to write Simpson, prosecutor Marcia Clark, Judge Lance Ito and attorneys Johnnie Cochran and Robert Shapiro, along with an address for the Mark Fuhrman Defense Fund.
Another interesting site is Pathfinder's O.J. Central (located at http://pathfinder.com/pathfinder/features/OJ/). Pathfinder is the Web site for Time-Life, so it's not too surprising that you'll find audio excerpts (in downloadable WAV, AIFF and AU file formats) from Simpson's book "I Want to Tell You," which is published by the company. Also available is an O.J. Calendar with month-by- month developments in the case and the most recent transcripts from the trial, plus "The O.J. Files," with links to Simpson-related stories from Time, Life, Court TV, NBC News and Sports Illustrated. Craig Bromberg, assistant managing editor of Pathfinder, says O.J. Central has been a busy place, averaging approximately 325,000 hits (or visits) a week (plus or minus 10 percent).
But not everyone on the Web is taking the trial seriously. The Official Unofficial O.J. Web Page (http://www.best.com/rdc/roger/oj.html) takes a definite stand on the case. The Web page opens with "Get a Life. OJ is Guity (sic). Move on. Go Outside. Plant a tree. Say hello to the neighbors."
Additional clicks bring up a satirical cartoon, an address to write Simpson with some suggested remarks, including "Where can I get that dreamy Kato's phone number?" and a photo of the bloody glove.
Derek Cashman, a student at Old Dominion University, has directed a lot of humor at the Simpson trial. There are David Letterman's Top 10 O.J. Trial Juror Pet Peeves (http://www.cs.odu.edu/cashman/humor/OJjuror.html), the 1995 Oscar Winners -- OJ Special (http://www.cs.odu.edu/cashman/humor/oscar95.html) and the words to "The Ballad of O.J. Simpson," a parody on "The Ballad of Lizzie Borden" (http://www.cs.odu.edu/cashman/humor/OJballad.html). A list of O.J. anagrams can also be found at http://www.teleport.com/bwalter/oj.html.
There's also a lengthy collection of mostly non-PC jokes called the O.J. Simpson Canonical List of O.bligatory J.okes (http://www.cs.odu.edu/ cashman/ humor/OJ.html).
Cashman says when the joke page first went up last year, it averaged 5,000 to 7,000 hits a week in June and July, tapering off to 500 to 1,000 a week from September through the end of the year. He says traffic has increased again now that the trial has begun.
Setting your browser to http://tvnet.com/OJ/OJ.html brings up The O.J. Web, a selection of small pictures related to the Simpson case, including Simpson, his ex-wife, the Bronco chase and the murder scene.
At another spot on the Web, you can see an ad for ordering the O.J. workout video (with outtakes!) that includes some promotional pictures. This is located at http://199.170.0.48/home/
tornpage/simpson.html. You can also read a criticism of press coverage on the case, called "Murder Trial: Genre or Event-Scene" written by Anita Susan Brenner at http://english-
server.hss.cmu.edu/
ctheory/E-murdertrial.html.
Finally, those with only access to the Usenet newsgroups will find plenty of reading in the newsgroups alt.fan.oj-simpson, alt.fan.oj-simpson.die. die.die, alt.fan.oj-simpson.gas-chamber, alt.fan.oj-simpson.transcripts alt.fan.marcia-clark, alt.sex.
marcia-clark, and perhaps the most appropriate, alt.oj.coverage.gone.overboard.
Published April 24, 1995, San Jose (CA) Mercury News
JUST BECAUSE THE COURT HAS CALLED A RECESS DOESN'T
MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW
NOT GETTING YOUR O.J. FIX? TRY TACKLING THE TRIAL
ON THE INTERNET
O.J. IN your living room, O.J. in your newspaper, O.J. on your radio.
And for those who simply can't get enough of the O.J. Simpson trial -- and you know who you are -- there's even more on the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial out there in cyberspace.
Computer users with access to the World Wide Web and the Internet can tap into court documents, pictures and even humor with the simple click of a mouse. Although Web sites can change overnight, here's some of what we found recently:
The most impressive O.J.-related site with the most extensive information related to the case available on the World Wide Web is Dmitri's O.J. Simpson Trial Center (located at http://www.cs.indiana.edu/hyplan/dmiguse/oj.html).
Here you'll find all sorts of documents related to the case, from Simpson's initial interview by police, notes allegedly written by victim Nicole Brown Simpson to her ex-husband, a vast collection of evidence photos, transcripts of the preliminary and pretrial hearings and links to a complete library of all the transcripts back to the beginning of the trial. (The transcripts can be accessed directly at http://www.islandnet.com/walraven/simpson.html.)
You can also find addresses to write Simpson, prosecutor Marcia Clark, Judge Lance Ito and attorneys Johnnie Cochran and Robert Shapiro, along with an address for the Mark Fuhrman Defense Fund.
Another interesting site is Pathfinder's O.J. Central (located at http://pathfinder.com/pathfinder/features/OJ/). Pathfinder is the Web site for Time-Life, so it's not too surprising that you'll find audio excerpts (in downloadable WAV, AIFF and AU file formats) from Simpson's book "I Want to Tell You," which is published by the company. Also available is an O.J. Calendar with month-by- month developments in the case and the most recent transcripts from the trial, plus "The O.J. Files," with links to Simpson-related stories from Time, Life, Court TV, NBC News and Sports Illustrated. Craig Bromberg, assistant managing editor of Pathfinder, says O.J. Central has been a busy place, averaging approximately 325,000 hits (or visits) a week (plus or minus 10 percent).
But not everyone on the Web is taking the trial seriously. The Official Unofficial O.J. Web Page (http://www.best.com/rdc/roger/oj.html) takes a definite stand on the case. The Web page opens with "Get a Life. OJ is Guity (sic). Move on. Go Outside. Plant a tree. Say hello to the neighbors."
Additional clicks bring up a satirical cartoon, an address to write Simpson with some suggested remarks, including "Where can I get that dreamy Kato's phone number?" and a photo of the bloody glove.
Derek Cashman, a student at Old Dominion University, has directed a lot of humor at the Simpson trial. There are David Letterman's Top 10 O.J. Trial Juror Pet Peeves (http://www.cs.odu.edu/cashman/humor/OJjuror.html), the 1995 Oscar Winners -- OJ Special (http://www.cs.odu.edu/cashman/humor/oscar95.html) and the words to "The Ballad of O.J. Simpson," a parody on "The Ballad of Lizzie Borden" (http://www.cs.odu.edu/cashman/humor/OJballad.html). A list of O.J. anagrams can also be found at http://www.teleport.com/bwalter/oj.html.
There's also a lengthy collection of mostly non-PC jokes called the O.J. Simpson Canonical List of O.bligatory J.okes (http://www.cs.odu.edu/ cashman/ humor/OJ.html).
Cashman says when the joke page first went up last year, it averaged 5,000 to 7,000 hits a week in June and July, tapering off to 500 to 1,000 a week from September through the end of the year. He says traffic has increased again now that the trial has begun.
Setting your browser to http://tvnet.com/OJ/OJ.html brings up The O.J. Web, a selection of small pictures related to the Simpson case, including Simpson, his ex-wife, the Bronco chase and the murder scene.
At another spot on the Web, you can see an ad for ordering the O.J. workout video (with outtakes!) that includes some promotional pictures. This is located at http://199.170.0.48/home/
tornpage/simpson.html. You can also read a criticism of press coverage on the case, called "Murder Trial: Genre or Event-Scene" written by Anita Susan Brenner at http://english-
server.hss.cmu.edu/
ctheory/E-murdertrial.html.
Finally, those with only access to the Usenet newsgroups will find plenty of reading in the newsgroups alt.fan.oj-simpson, alt.fan.oj-simpson.die. die.die, alt.fan.oj-simpson.gas-chamber, alt.fan.oj-simpson.transcripts alt.fan.marcia-clark, alt.sex.
marcia-clark, and perhaps the most appropriate, alt.oj.coverage.gone.overboard.
Friday, February 24, 1995
Highway 61, reprogrammed
By Steve Marinucci
Published February 24, 1995, San Jose (CA) Mercury News
WHEN Bob Dylan first recorded "The Times They Are A' Changin' " in 1963, he was commenting on political change blowing in the wind. But today, with Dylan releasing new material on CD-ROM, that title takes on new meaning.
Dylan has joined the artist formerly known as Prince, Todd Rundgren and David Bowie at the forefront of a technology that allows listeners to take part in the audio-visual experience.
The new Dylan CD-ROM -- 'Highway 61 Interactive' (Graphix Zone, $59.95) -- just reaching stores, is the newest and among the most intriguing.
Idea intriguing
While earlier discs concentrated on music alone, "Highway 61" is a scrapbook incorporating historic film footage, observations from Dylan associates such as Roger McGuinn, Lou Reed, Eddie Vedder and Eric Clapton and previously unreleased outtakes from his legendary musical canon.
Why would an artist of Dylan's stature and one with his penchant for privacy consider a project like this?
''He has . . . a set of very creative people who surround him and do a lot of his publishing as well as creative work," says Chuck Cortright, Graphix Zone president and CEO. "They had been looking at this technology, and Dylan was intrigued. When we approached him with it, one thing led to another."
Personally picked
Dylan personally chose several songs on the disc, as well as the title and cover shot. And Graphix Zone received full access to Dylan's archives, says Cortright.
''They completely opened up the vaults, both at Sony/Columbia and Dylan's offices," he adds. "It was incredible having access to the total outtakes of the 'Like a Rolling Stone' session." (Nine of these are included on the CD- ROM, as well as the ledger from the session.) "We had access to some songs that had never been released before."
The disc includes a previously unreleased electric version of "House of the Rising Sun," recorded by Dylan in 1962, two years before the Animals' version hit the charts. This track can also be played on any audio CD player.
''Even little things like posters (from) when he first started playing" were made available, says Cortright. "Sony/Columbia had a warehouse, a secured vault area, where they had all that stuff."
All the archival elements can be viewed through the huge collage that a user first encounters when opening the CD-ROM. Click on almost anything here, and you'll see some element of Dylan's career. You can can take virtual- reality tours of Greenwich Village in the '60s, where Dylan performed in a coffee house; a Dylan recording session from the '60s; and the 30th- anniversary tribute to the artist at Madison Square Garden in 1992.
Though the booklet included with the set and a "read me" file on the disc give some hints about what you'll find, it's more fun to explore the program without them. (However, a time-line on the disc enables you to bypass the collage and click on elements directly.)
As one might expect, there are some surprises. One is the presence of Jimi Hendrix in the collage, which leads to a short clip of Hendrix performing "Like a Rolling Stone" at the Monterey Pop Festival. "They respected each other," says Cortright. "In fact, Dylan has said many times that he loved Hendrix's version of 'All Along the Watchtower' better than his."
Even more surprising is a collection of covers from various Dylan bootleg albums. You access them by clicking on a pair of handcuffs. According to Cortright, that was Dylan's idea. "It's another way of defusing (bootlegs), I suppose."
Another component is an up-to-date compendium that includes lyrics to every song Dylan has ever recorded (including "Dignity," released recently on "Greatest Hits, Vol. 3") as well as a list of all the artists who have covered each song.
Also included are sound bites from more than 40 Dylan songs and two full- length videos -- the classic "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and a video montage set to "Masters of War."
Cortright says Graphix Zone initiated "Highway 61" as a follow-up to a CD-ROM by Prince. "I approached (Dylan's) manager, . . . showed him what the possibilities were, and six months later we got the deal." The disc took about seven months to produce with 18 people working full time.
The disc is being sold by local music and CD retailers as well as computer stores.
Graphix Zone plans other music CD-ROMs. And late in the summer the company also plans a to release a series of comedy/educational CD-ROMs in cooperation with the Improv comedy club, described as "laugh as you learn."
Cortright has bright hopes for the future of the medium. "This is a new form of entertainment. By no means do I think this is going to replace CD audio. (The CD-ROM) allows us to interact (with) every form of media -- CD- quality music, animation, text, graphics.
''I think it's a form of entertainment that's definitely going to stick around."
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED
''Highway 61 Interactive" runs on either Windows or Macintosh. Minimum requirements: For Windows, a 486SX 25 MHz computer or faster, 4MB RAM, Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later, 640x480 screen resolution, double speed CD- ROM, 15MB hard disk space, 16-bit Sound Blaster or Windows compatible sound card and a mouse. For Macintosh, 8MB RAM, System 7.01 or later, 640x480 screen resolution, double speed CD-ROM, 10MB hard disk space.
CAPTION: PHOTO: The new Dylan CD-ROM is a scrapbook incorporating film footage, observations from his associates and previously unreleased outtakes.
950224 EY 45
Published February 24, 1995, San Jose (CA) Mercury News
WHEN Bob Dylan first recorded "The Times They Are A' Changin' " in 1963, he was commenting on political change blowing in the wind. But today, with Dylan releasing new material on CD-ROM, that title takes on new meaning.
Dylan has joined the artist formerly known as Prince, Todd Rundgren and David Bowie at the forefront of a technology that allows listeners to take part in the audio-visual experience.
The new Dylan CD-ROM -- 'Highway 61 Interactive' (Graphix Zone, $59.95) -- just reaching stores, is the newest and among the most intriguing.
Idea intriguing
While earlier discs concentrated on music alone, "Highway 61" is a scrapbook incorporating historic film footage, observations from Dylan associates such as Roger McGuinn, Lou Reed, Eddie Vedder and Eric Clapton and previously unreleased outtakes from his legendary musical canon.
Why would an artist of Dylan's stature and one with his penchant for privacy consider a project like this?
''He has . . . a set of very creative people who surround him and do a lot of his publishing as well as creative work," says Chuck Cortright, Graphix Zone president and CEO. "They had been looking at this technology, and Dylan was intrigued. When we approached him with it, one thing led to another."
Personally picked
Dylan personally chose several songs on the disc, as well as the title and cover shot. And Graphix Zone received full access to Dylan's archives, says Cortright.
''They completely opened up the vaults, both at Sony/Columbia and Dylan's offices," he adds. "It was incredible having access to the total outtakes of the 'Like a Rolling Stone' session." (Nine of these are included on the CD- ROM, as well as the ledger from the session.) "We had access to some songs that had never been released before."
The disc includes a previously unreleased electric version of "House of the Rising Sun," recorded by Dylan in 1962, two years before the Animals' version hit the charts. This track can also be played on any audio CD player.
''Even little things like posters (from) when he first started playing" were made available, says Cortright. "Sony/Columbia had a warehouse, a secured vault area, where they had all that stuff."
All the archival elements can be viewed through the huge collage that a user first encounters when opening the CD-ROM. Click on almost anything here, and you'll see some element of Dylan's career. You can can take virtual- reality tours of Greenwich Village in the '60s, where Dylan performed in a coffee house; a Dylan recording session from the '60s; and the 30th- anniversary tribute to the artist at Madison Square Garden in 1992.
Though the booklet included with the set and a "read me" file on the disc give some hints about what you'll find, it's more fun to explore the program without them. (However, a time-line on the disc enables you to bypass the collage and click on elements directly.)
As one might expect, there are some surprises. One is the presence of Jimi Hendrix in the collage, which leads to a short clip of Hendrix performing "Like a Rolling Stone" at the Monterey Pop Festival. "They respected each other," says Cortright. "In fact, Dylan has said many times that he loved Hendrix's version of 'All Along the Watchtower' better than his."
Even more surprising is a collection of covers from various Dylan bootleg albums. You access them by clicking on a pair of handcuffs. According to Cortright, that was Dylan's idea. "It's another way of defusing (bootlegs), I suppose."
Another component is an up-to-date compendium that includes lyrics to every song Dylan has ever recorded (including "Dignity," released recently on "Greatest Hits, Vol. 3") as well as a list of all the artists who have covered each song.
Also included are sound bites from more than 40 Dylan songs and two full- length videos -- the classic "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and a video montage set to "Masters of War."
Cortright says Graphix Zone initiated "Highway 61" as a follow-up to a CD-ROM by Prince. "I approached (Dylan's) manager, . . . showed him what the possibilities were, and six months later we got the deal." The disc took about seven months to produce with 18 people working full time.
The disc is being sold by local music and CD retailers as well as computer stores.
Graphix Zone plans other music CD-ROMs. And late in the summer the company also plans a to release a series of comedy/educational CD-ROMs in cooperation with the Improv comedy club, described as "laugh as you learn."
Cortright has bright hopes for the future of the medium. "This is a new form of entertainment. By no means do I think this is going to replace CD audio. (The CD-ROM) allows us to interact (with) every form of media -- CD- quality music, animation, text, graphics.
''I think it's a form of entertainment that's definitely going to stick around."
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED
''Highway 61 Interactive" runs on either Windows or Macintosh. Minimum requirements: For Windows, a 486SX 25 MHz computer or faster, 4MB RAM, Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later, 640x480 screen resolution, double speed CD- ROM, 15MB hard disk space, 16-bit Sound Blaster or Windows compatible sound card and a mouse. For Macintosh, 8MB RAM, System 7.01 or later, 640x480 screen resolution, double speed CD-ROM, 10MB hard disk space.
CAPTION: PHOTO: The new Dylan CD-ROM is a scrapbook incorporating film footage, observations from his associates and previously unreleased outtakes.
950224 EY 45
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)