Monday, June 27, 2005
Ry Cooder on Zero Content
Day after something described as Ry Cooder Day in Los Angeles, here's Ry suddenly popping up in an article in the magazine of record, straight from the Big Apple, "Stadia Mania".
“What do you need another mall for?” he went on. “In L.A., that’s all they ever have built. They cut up the Brown Derby. They cut up all those restaurants that looked like funny things, like pigs or hot dogs. They tear down every coffee shop they can find. You talk about heritage, man, it was there. They find a bowling alley, chop it down. Interesting old apartment house, chop it down. Then they give back stuff with zero content, buildings with no past, a useless present, and no future at all. Where nobody is going to get together, where no memories will be created or associations made, or good times. They will simply be directing you into the act of taking your credit card out of your wallet, with that glazed look on your face. So, you see, I’m not a fan of that. You can put the stadium into that category. Some may argue and say no, the stadium’s for fun and it’s a social place and you get together and eat hot dogs—I don’t know what you do in a stadium, because I never go, see.”
(via orange crate art)
Some other reviews on Chavez Ravine to be found in the SF Chronicle.
Joel Selvin, "Forever digging up roots, Ry Cooder breathes life into a lost neighborhood"
Derk Richardson,
"Real Roots Music 'The Buena Vista guy' Ry Cooder goes home to re-create a lost moment in time ¶ 6/27/2005 10:37:00 AM
Day after something described as Ry Cooder Day in Los Angeles, here's Ry suddenly popping up in an article in the magazine of record, straight from the Big Apple, "Stadia Mania".
“What do you need another mall for?” he went on. “In L.A., that’s all they ever have built. They cut up the Brown Derby. They cut up all those restaurants that looked like funny things, like pigs or hot dogs. They tear down every coffee shop they can find. You talk about heritage, man, it was there. They find a bowling alley, chop it down. Interesting old apartment house, chop it down. Then they give back stuff with zero content, buildings with no past, a useless present, and no future at all. Where nobody is going to get together, where no memories will be created or associations made, or good times. They will simply be directing you into the act of taking your credit card out of your wallet, with that glazed look on your face. So, you see, I’m not a fan of that. You can put the stadium into that category. Some may argue and say no, the stadium’s for fun and it’s a social place and you get together and eat hot dogs—I don’t know what you do in a stadium, because I never go, see.”
(via orange crate art)
Some other reviews on Chavez Ravine to be found in the SF Chronicle.
Joel Selvin, "Forever digging up roots, Ry Cooder breathes life into a lost neighborhood"
Derk Richardson,
"Real Roots Music 'The Buena Vista guy' Ry Cooder goes home to re-create a lost moment in time ¶ 6/27/2005 10:37:00 AM
