MovieChat Forums > O Lucky Man! (1973) Discussion > All those annoying songs...

All those annoying songs...

posted 15 years ago by tomrombouts
22 replies | jump to latest

Hi -

I have seen "O Lucky Man!" three times and I would enjoy it much more without all those Alan Price songs. (Or, at least without cutting away from the action to musicians performing the songs. That would have been a slight improvement.) I mean, if a film is well done, do we really need song lyrics to explain what we should be thinking?

Now I am sure there are those here who think Price is some kind of musical genius (apparently he was very popular in the U.K.), and I do think he is talented, but somewhat like the Lovin' Spoonful songs in "What's Up Tiger Lily?" cutting away to the musicians really detracts from the film. Using his title song for the start and/or end of this film would have been plenty.

- TWR
Redondo Beach, California

[–] judacia 15 years ago

I think those scenes are supposed to show Alan and his group not only rehearsing, but perhaps they're supposed to be providing the soundtrack to Mick Travis' life (as well as the people he encounters). Reminds me of "There's Something About Mary", with Johnathan Richman providing music as well as being visible in the film.

[–] nephihaha 15 years ago

Richman is incredibly annoying in Something about Mary. And to think I liked Roadrunner!

[–] tripitacha 14 years ago

It's like in Greek tragedy, a large chorus would sort of bookend each significant movement with a summation of the events sung in verse. Anderson uses a lot of different dramatical techniques as well as the Greek chorus (like silent movie and panto), and I think they all work brilliantly.

Tomorrow is my birthday.

[–] mitchl-2 15 years ago

I am one of those Alan Price fans. He has captured, with his soundrack, the themes of the whole thing even better than the movie itself!

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] nephihaha 15 years ago

If anything dates this film, it's those songs. However, some of them cut into live scenes so it would be difficult to cut it.

[–] Bzine 15 years ago

I'm going to count myself as a fan.

Much like the McDowell narrative sequences, it's *really* tricky trying to figure out when Price is kidding or not. We can probably agree that "Poor People" is intended to be sarcastic, but is "Over Your Shoulder"?

I love how Price's music is so gentle, sunny and catchy, even when he's confessing his complicity is the most cut throat dog-eat-dog philosophy.

I also like how the musical accompaniment all seems to be recorded "live". It's like Anderson has pulled back the curtain on the filmmaking/music making process in the same way that Price pulls back the curtain on the world's wicked ways.

[–] taffy_turner 14 years ago

I hate it when people say that a film or it's music is dated.

For God sake, in most cases that is a good thing as it's a snapshot of a time that's gone and the UK is a very different place today (and worst for it too).

So those songs actually make the film what it is, a time gone by classic.

Anyway I've got the Alan Price soundtrack album on CD and it's great.

http://www.myspace.com/taffy1967

[–] nephihaha 14 years ago

"I hate it when people say that a film or it's music is dated.

For God sake, in most cases that is a good thing as it's a snapshot of a time that's gone and the UK is a very different place today (and worst for it too)."

I think you're confusing the concept of a period piece and a dated film etc. There is a difference!

[–] taffy_turner 14 years ago

Well I just think you're confused full stop.

http://www.myspace.com/taffy1967

[–] nephihaha 14 years ago

Personal comments don't work when you run out of decent arguments.

The songs are dated - they don't work anymore. It's like the difference between a rusty banger from the seventies which looks hideous, and a well maintained classic sports car.

Several people have commented to me on how out of place the songs are - maybe they worked three decades ago.

[–] funkyfry 14 years ago

I think you're misunderstanding, if I can just step in and argue for the other poster's point.

A movie isn't just a vehicle. Maybe that's how George Lucas makes movies, but not Lindsay Anderson. The movie doesn't just exist for a thrill-ride or for any particular purpose. It's not like a car that takes you from point A to point B.

Have you seen "Britannia Hospital" and "If...."? If you have then I'd be surprised you make these comments. These 3 Lindsay Anderson films are very firmly rooted in the time they were made. That doesn't mean they aren't still interesting or valid as artistic statements or even as entertainment, but basically he was making these films to comment on social, political and cultural changes in England and in Western civilization generally. If the songs are "dating" the film by placing it in that period, people are saying that it's helpful to Anderson's cause. To complain about the songs making the film "dated" is kind of like complaining that you can tell that one guy who plays an African dictator is really a white guy in blackface. Of course you can tell! There are a lot of Brechtian devices you could say in this movie, elements that are designed to actually make you more conscious of who you are and more conscious of the act of watching, more conscious of your perception itself. The music and the way he weaves it in and out of the story, even using Alan Price as a character, is all part of that process. It's not like many other movies that are just designed to make you forget for 2 hours that you're watching a movie, or to forget about yourself and your problems.

Did I not love him, Cooch? MY OWN FLESH I DIDN'T LOVE BETTER!!! But he had to say 'Nooooooooo'

[–] nephihaha 13 years ago

"Have you seen "Britannia Hospital" and "If...."? If you have then I'd be surprised you make these comments."

Yes, even "This Sporting Life" as well. I know these are 1970s classics, but in this film Anderson thought of using some second string musician's band as a Greek chorus.

"If the songs are "dating" the film by placing it in that period, people are saying that it's helpful to Anderson's cause."

The difference here is between period detail (effective) and dated detail (gets in the way of other things).

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It's not "sci-fi", it's SF!

[–] jnarimbaud 13 years ago

The only thing that matters is whether you like it or not. If your enjoyment of something purely rests on whether or not you can tell which time period it came from, then I feel sorry for you. Obviously bound by convention as you are, & I would think the films of Lindsay Anderson are perhaps not for you.

[–] nephihaha 13 years ago

I like the film, but the band is horse excrement, sorry, and it doesn't work.

"Obviously bound by convention as you are, & I would think the films of Lindsay Anderson are perhaps not for you."

Very nice ad hominem there. Did you read what I said? I've viewed four of Anderson's films numerous times. Why would you think that "the films of Lindsay Anderson are perhaps not for you", if I happen to think that a rock band is rubbish? Every director fails somewhere, and this is an example in an otherwise brilliant film.

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It's not "sci-fi", it's SF!

[–] jnarimbaud 13 years ago

You said the songs were dated, not the band was just bad. It seems you didn't even read what you said!

I repeat, bound by convention as you are & the misguided opinion that something is bad because it's old. I feel sorry for you & your conventionality.

[–] m_a_singer 13 years ago

Someone got it about seven posts ago by saying "Brecht." You're *supposed* to be yanked out of and forced to think about the action when the songs play. Now, I don't think it's entirely successful and have never wanted to hear any of these songs again outside this film, but I absolutely admire Anderson's (and Price's and everyone else's) conviction in doing this no matter what. Too many movies are so afraid to make you uncomfortable that they end up not making you feel much of anything at all. This one is a glorious mess; Voltaire would have nodded and smiled (and then maybe called his solicitor, but what can you do?).

[–] vince-volaju 13 years ago

Alan Price's superb songwriting and music talents are obviously beyond the limited musical appreciation of plebians.

Few movies besides 'O Lucky Man' have seamlessly integrated the story with the soundtrack.

Tripitacha said it best upthread on Mon Dec 7 2009 : "It's like in Greek tragedy, a large chorus would sort of bookend each significant movement with a summation of the events sung in verse. Anderson uses a lot of different dramatical techniques as well as the Greek chorus (like silent movie and panto), and I think they all work brilliantly."

http://vincentandmorticiasspeakeasy14846.yuku.com/directory

[–] nephihaha 12 years ago

"You said the songs were dated, not the band was just bad. It seems you didn't even read what you said!"

The band are playing their own songs (presumably) and not playing them well. That means that they're a bad band, and bad song writers.

"I repeat, bound by convention as you are & the misguided opinion that something is bad because it's old. I feel sorry for you & your conventionality."

Yes, very nice. I like plenty of old things. But some old things are not so good, like mouldy bread.

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It's not "sci-fi", it's SF!

[–] emvan 11 years ago

You are of course entitled to your opinion, but if you think these are bad songs played poorly, all you're doing is revealing a stunning lack of musical acumen.

"O Lucky Man!" is a brilliant song. The others are solid, with especially good lyrics. Price is a terrific keyboard player, his bass player is tremendous, and the drummer and guitarist solid. Overall, it's the best use of a "Greek chorus" sort of soundtrack in any film I know of.

I was a rock critic for twenty years with a track record of spotting major indie-rock acts at insanely early points in their career, and I've been paid plenty over the years for my opinion about music. No charge for this one.

Prepare your minds for a new scale of physical, scientific values, gentlemen.

[–] tonyinjapan 11 years ago

Fantastic songs! A friend bought the soundtrack after seeing the film, and our only regret was, in those days, an LP that was something like 20-30 minutes long. Still, the Alan Price soundtrack is genius!!!

[–] Karma_Kramer 8 years ago

I've always liked the songs in this. In fact I bought the soundtrack but was disappointed to find that one of my favorite bits wasn't included. It's when Mick is in the van with Alan and his band. Just as their coming into London there is this sort instrumental passage that I think is quite nice. There is a song on the soundtrack called "arrival" that sounds similar, but with a much faster tempo. But it's not quite what we hear in the movie.