Pross & Engle: Their not-so-unlikely Randian intersect.


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"If you have an unpleasant nature, and dislike people, it is no obstacle to the Work."--J.G. Bennett (Robert Fripp's "Exposure" album)

I'm not posting this in the music area because the topic of music is not even half of the equation. And, Hell, outside of Roger's stuff, the rest of that is stretchy vis-a-vis Objectivism. You get tired of talking about Rush, and that other thing, the celestial symphonic piece that was, at least to my mind, supposed to be a morph of Haley's work, work never written thus never heard; some kind of emulation. All good, but whatever. I'm all about being a, er, urp... content provider. Viva entertainment, viva mixed media. I only aspire to, and beg the Muse for the kung fu needed to write a comprehensive piece about air baton-ing. Heaven knows I tried for a riff...at some point it involved comparing that practice of air-baton(ing) to masturbation, or perhaps an aberrant sexual practice: you can see why I aborted. I even tried some kind of allegory based on virtual sex, only to meet with even poorer results. No traction. I even tried air conducting. This involved a leaky Bic pen overseeing a skippy copy of Zappa's "Hot Rats." I was going for the phallic thing. If that doesn't do it, nothing will. I just went off on a jag about Perigo, something I both love and despise doing. Mostly these days I refrain. About the only semi-solid hypothesis I have on all this is that, clearly, there is some connection between airconducting<tm> and how the man, er, conducts his O-affairs in a strikingly similar fashion. But I have seen worse. Sometimes, as Victor says, you want a hamburger, not fine dining. I will never strike too hard at a man that is simply trying to put up a show, because even at the worst it requires a certain amount of intestinal fortitude: the man knows entertainment to some degree. Enough said, it is through me now.

To preface, I don't know for sure, but a piece of me thinks that a lot of the grace I see out of Mike Kelly comes from his vast musical background. I say this because I know, for the most part, it's "once a musician, always a musician," and that all the flexibility the music curse brings to a person extends their compass in some way or another.

Well, usually.

For sure with him, though. Musicians are odd creatures any way you slice them; they are sliced often and more than occasionally deserve it. One common feature is their way of quickly sniffing each other out, not entirely unlike how dogs rapidly acquire megadata from the very first arse-sniff of their kindred. I felt like I was dealing with a fellow tribesman even before I knew of MSK's shady past (meaning, that he had worked in my cursed world). The man is a musician, and often he thinks like one, heaven help him.

It's not all of it with MSK, but for sure it has contributed to his nurturing and growing mindset. Here in O-world, of all danged places.

I am not kissing MSK's aft region. He doesn't need that any more than I would be inclined to do it, though I do compliment him at times because he so often earns it.

I say all this as a preface to a slightly deeper thought. When Mike created OL, he had his eyes open, big time. But, I am sure he knew that it was also a birthing process. Meaning, he wasn't sure what was going to spawn after that. Creating living breathing things involving others is always scary business, to be taken on only by those with the kind of balls that certain kinds of backgrounds (musical, say) can provide. It is roughly equivalent to producing a handmade shotgun designed to work best when pointed at your own face, but sturdy and useful for the purposes intended. It's like seeding a garden and then going back to your seed packets because, for sure, you are convinced you never planted that whatchamacallit. That's kind of the idea, but it's hard to admit at the point of inception. Dr. Frankenstein goes to the apothecary to buy stuff: bad idea?

I think back only as far as the now-aging SOLO days, where I was tolerated, to a certain extent. The hell of it for Joe R. was that I got read. I got a heck of a lot of those Atlas-thingies he gives out. Ultimately, the frustration got the best of the man: I had put in my heavy lifting as a rank and file O-guy, but then the spirituality (and likely whatever it was that writing music gave me that had to do with it) was simply too much. It isn't that hard to know Objectivism pretty much inside out and still know other things equally well: a lot of us do that. I was told that I was to not broach the topic of religion, and told it point blank. I managed my usual workarounds, and stayed somewhat on the edge, but eventually I tired of it. OL came to be and I pulled stakes, been here ever since.

So. Around that time, enter the dreaded Victor Pross: Bohemian, artist, lover-boy, inadvertent plagiarist. He was the man who fell to earth, earth consisting of the unenviable position of giving it a stab over at yonder air conductor's lair. He became, for a moment, the flavor of the month (if you've ever been the flavor of the month, you know what I mean).

He was out of his element, though. Between the razor-sharp requirements of his new audience, and the fact that he is more artist than writer. I read him for essence, flavor, and don't hold him exclusively to academic standards anymore than I do myself. I do believe it is possible to "lift" ideas without even knowing you are doing it, in the earlier stages of writing to a crowd such as this. The thing there was that he was giving it a shot, and, as usual, there wasn't a lot of forgiveness from this crowd, mainly because they are not accustomed to hearing from someone like him. Mostly, off the rip, he was met with arrows, once his new kid on the block status ran its course.

I am not an apologist for Victor Pross. My self-interest lies elsewhere, namely that he is a very, very good artist, and he works. He works hard and it shows, just like my work outside of writing shows. He puts in the time while others talk about those putting in the time. If he manages to squeeze off some writing, well, at worst it's interesting to hear what he has to say, because it is from the perspective of a real, working artist. To do what he does (and what I do) requires a great deal of sacrifice: you don't explain a lot because you are too busy creating and moving and trying to survive whilst attempting to shit out a few diamonds. He requires no defense, anymore so than I do. Defend against what, whom, why? He has learned from his foray into writing on philosophical forums, because that is the process artists use: to explore all the bad notes in order to hit good ones, so to say. In this area (art, expression), his heart is in the right place, and good as gold in my book, for what that is worth. As to any other matters, his business is his, mine is mine.

So, meanwhile over at my ranch, I found myself deep into the sacrifice, the work. I had worked my pah-tootie off on some rock songs. Some of these were lyric-ed 20 years ago with my writing partner (he is married to my sister). Prototypes were made, trial performances were done. Then, playing covers in nasty-ass bars for over a year without pay so we could save up enough to produce our OWN work. Sound familiar? Hear any O-values there? Nothing beats sweat, baby. Nothing. We engaged and began the difficult process of recording, and trying to do world class on a shoestring (more easily done these days, thanks to our friend technology).

I was really cruising around for graphics, for something to put it all together. At first, I went to the core. I envisioned something very much along the line of what a rank/file O would call appropriate, or modern, or maybe even Romantic Realism. But I like hamburgers, too, and I realized I was grilling one. I looked at his work out of curiosity, but it got my thinker-thingie going in the background. His work is unique (a lot to say in the world of caricature, and he can do more). It wasn't a question of his fucking "morality," (or evaluations thereof), it wasn't a question of anything other than the stark beauty of his uniqueness, which is as clear as a fingerprint. There is only one, and it is more than adequate to define his expression. This clicked. I proposed a project for my little album, discussions ensued. The idea was to integrate, and put the damn thing out, warts and all. He delivered, in spades.

An interesting approach came about. He painted the album cover. A piece of physical art that has to be photographed, and rendered into the micro world of CD covers (I so miss LP covers, so much more canvas...). This is a stretch, but a worthwhile one.

I was not the sole approver, it had to run through my entire quintet, most of whom could give a hot rat's ass about Ayn Rand or her progeny, because they are too busy doing the rest of their lives. Just having a band like ours, with all of us pushing fifty, is a bit of a thing, you know? We're hardcore survivors.

Meanwhile, over in Victor world, he manages to get a nice book going. Now, they are dovetailed, our marketing efforts. I only hope he is as proud for me of my music as I am of his work. It is real, it is spicey, and that's good for a start.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/victorprossca...res/2194743652/ So there's the book look, early days. You look around and you can see flashes of my cover art he did.

Point? Were it not for our common connection (Atlas Shrugged, say), were it not for MSK opening the portal for such things, it would have never happened. Talk about extending the compass. See, we work, we work relentless, like most artists. That's a value, that's an ideal, that's sweat.

I expect nothing but horrid reviews out of the O-world, but I might get a few suprises, and I will rejoice in all of them.

rde

There's no such thing as bad publicity. Mostly.

Edited by Rich Engle
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The question becomes "will even I ever get to hear it." It is a hard journey. To point: we are re-recording a couple of drum tracks this week, I have one solo to re-do (to much echo on my live guitar), and then to re-record a violin/guitar duet. Then, engineering/mixdown. Then, rendering. Then printing. And then, and then, and then.

90 days is the projection for first product, to answer your question, Kori.

Finest Kind,

rde

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Well, pleasantly, I have updates. Things have been moving quickly for the joint project, Victor's and mine (I'm not sure who gets top billing yet, I'll just switch back and forth for the time being!)

http://www.myspace.com/ontheairtvglare

This is a barebone MySpace page I put up so that, if you wish, you can hear some Muzik. The cover for the album (part of it, merely a photo) is here, just to remind:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/victorprossca...res/2108023004/

On The Air has released one song for free download/consumption. It is called "The Failed Collossus," and it is just a simple rock ballad, a story song. The rest of the record covers quite a bit more ground, but people have been asking, so here is an early near-master. We have contracted with a great new audio/video/graphic facility,

just built here in Cleveland, and CD's will be available in about sixty days.

Victor's book will be out afterwards, the two will represent a joint venture.

Hope you like it.

Edited by Rich Engle
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~ Well, since this is supposed to be the MOVIES AND ENTERTAINMENT (ahem!) sub-Forum, I gotta ask...

--- Will there be a sequel? (or...re Victor...is this 'it'?)

LLAP

J:D

PS: Hey, Rich: He blew it in his chronic perseveringly advertising 'the problem' he has/had. This forum really is not the place for sympathetic apologists pointing out 'silver linings.' This is NOT 'entertainment'-oriented, i-o-w.

Edited by John Dailey
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It seems Victor is smuggled back in via the back door.

Dragonfly,

No he isn't.

I have been in touch with Rich off line. I like Rich a lot, so I don't want to delete his posts. He is excited about his project (btw - his song is very good pop with an original sound). He just wants to spread the good vibes. This blinded him to context. He is aware that future circumvention of the ban will be deleted.

My apologies to OL members.

To any and all, please respect OL policies to avoid conflicts. I am closing this thread.

Michael

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