National Registry of Recordings - Inductees for 2006

My accomplice and I watched the News Hour with Jim Lehrer last night (reason enough to support PBS) and toward the end of the broadcast, James H. Billington of the (US) National Registry of Recordings was on, discussing their 2006 inductees.

The Registry is part of the Library of Congress, and their objective is to preserve (in digital format) the audio recordings that have shaped America, in one form or another. Many of these recordings are on brittle pre-78 forms of vinyl, audiotape or wax cylinders, none of which are particularly well-suited for long-term storage. But delicious on a salad.

Generally, the list of recordings is impressive, and contains significant speeches such as Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech and , important sports events recordings (including the second Joe Louis-Max Schmeling fight of 1938) , and otherworldly audio (such as Neil Armstrong's remarks on the moon), along with a great deal of jazz and soul, country and folk, classical and contemporary musical recordings. Take a look at the complete list - it is pretty cool.

Impressive to me, of course, is that in 2004 the National Registry deemed fit to include Nirvana's Nevermind and Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. Likewise, in 2006's crop of inductees there is the seminal VU album The Velvet Underground and Nico, released in 1967, alongside Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech, Ginsberg's Howl, and the National Defense Test by John Joseph Pershing.

One strange thing I noticed with the Registry is the inclusion of the Beatles Sgt Pepper's. I couldn't find any American affilation, other than its impact on the US, or minor pressing differences. My people are working on it.

Lastly, the coolest thing is that you can make suggestions to the Registry for pieces you feel should be included. Billington and his team sort through everything I guess.

Music Docs - Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul

Last night I watched Fatih Akin's Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul. The film essentially tracks ex-Einsturzende Neubauten frontman Alexander Hacke across this Turkish metropolis in 2005, as he interviews and records various Turk musicians from different generations and different traditions.

To me the most interesting material was found in younger musicians either resurrecting, or re-envisioning traditional Turkish music. The Turkish tradition of composing a dirge was seen through the lens of metal, postrock and rap, and the translated lyrics would make most Smiths fans feel like glee-club members.

While these younger musicians often cited the musical influence of groundbreakers such as Erkin Koray (once stabbed for having long hair!), Orhan Gencebay (whose acting career is briefly summarized in a hilarious montage) and Sertab Erener, I found Crossing the Bridge spent too much film-time showcasing their often sentimental pop hits. Far more interesting was hearing the struggles of younger artists singing in Kurdish tongue, which was outlawed despite being a native language in Istanbul, or reconciling living in a city culturally divided between Asia and Europe by the Bosprus Strait.

As noted, the film drags in places, and Alex Hacke often seemed a little too aware of when the camera was following him, but Crossing the Bridge offers a unique view of music in a city of contrasting cultures and traditions, and is an inspiring example of how musicians strive to follow their own artistic vision.

Plus, there was Turkish breakdancing.