Emerald writer Craig Wright sat down with Gary Holt and Paul Bostaph of the legendary thrash metal band Slayer on Sunday, March 20 before a performance at Portland’s Roseland Theater. Bostaph is the drummer for Slayer and has been a member of the band for a cumulative decade in two separate stints. The first was from 1992-2001, taking over for Dave Lombardo. Bostaph rejoined the band in 2013 following Lomabardo’s dismissal. Holt joined as a temporary fill-in for founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman in 2011 while he was ill. After Hanneman’s death in 2013, Holt was named a full member of Slayer.

In a small room that reeked of incense backstage at the Roseland, Holt and Bostaph spoke about their worst nightmares, back problems and why not even metal bands want dead cats as a gift. Below is the full Q&A, which has been lightly edited for length.

Emerald: Tonight’s show sold out in a matter of minutes. Does that give you guys a little extra edge to want to put on a good show?

Paul Bostaph: Well we always want to put on a good show. That doesn’t matter, but yeah we’re always excited to play for a sold-out house.

Gary Holt: I have a good feeling about what’s going to snap-off tonight. I think it’s going to be fucking nuts. This club has just got that vibe of violence to it and I like it.

Bostaph: Any club with a pole in the middle of the stage is setting the stage (for a good show).

E: How does Slayer prepare for a show? What do you guys do?

Holt: (Guitarist Kerry King) and I about an hour before start warming up. We don’t prepare by like slaughtering small animals or anything like that. It’s actually pretty tame. It’s mostly just getting warmed up to play this kind of high-energy music, you know? For a guitar player you’ve gotta get the wrists and the arms pumped up so you can keep up and then stretch so you don’t pull something (laughs).

Bostaph: I do the same thing they do. I prepare like an hour before. I stretch, I’ve got a little practice pad kit and I warm up on that and I’ve just got to get myself mentally into the right place to perform.

E: Both of you seem very calm right now, so at what point do you guys become Slayer?

Holt: For me, it’s when the kabuki screen drops. That’s when the shit gets real.

Bostaph: Yup.

Holt: Other than that, standing over in the wings just being generally stupid. It’s not like I’m pacing around breathing hard and shit like that. I’m relaxed until (Bostaph) counts off the first song and then it’s go. That’s like the green light.

E: You’ve both been in Slayer for a few years now. Paul, you’ve been in the band for about a decade now, right?

Bostaph: Yeah. Well, it’s been over a decade now. But I was in the band a decade prior.

E: How does Slayer of the nineties compare to today?

Bostaph: There’s obviously changes that have happened within the band, but Slayer has a different chemistry now because we have different personalities. We have Gary because Jeff (Hanneman) is no longer with us anymore. That’s the obvious thing and whenever you lose a guy and somebody new comes in, that changes the chemistry of the group. It was great with Jeff, it’s awesome with Gary and how does it compare? Well obviously that was the nineties and this isn’t the nineties anymore. I’d like to say I’m a little older, a little wiser. I think I’m a better musician now. I probably say that, I don’t know about for everybody in the band, but from my perspective, I feel the musicianship level is better. The older you get, the more you play your instrument, the more you try to master it, so maybe that’s something that’s happening a little with all of us.

E: Was it is a pretty easy decision to rejoin?

Bostaph: Yeah. It was a no-brainer.

E: In the last few years, reunion shows have become the musical equivalent of superhero movies, especially for festivals like Coachella. How has Slayer avoided breaking up for 34 years?  Obviously you guys have only been there for a few of those years, but how has Slayer managed to keep going through the decades?

Holt: I don’t think any of us know how to do anything else other than play heavy metal, thrash metal, and do it well, be it Slayer or Exodus, or any other project. It’s what I do. I don’t know how to do anything else. Why would I walk away from any of it? And I think it’s the same for Kerry and Tom and Paul. What else are we going to do? You get to play a sold-out show with a pole in the middle of the stage in front of a bunch of people who are going to go nuts, or I could go to trade school. I’d rather be here. It’s kind of an easy choice.

Bostaph: I totally agree with Gary, and the other thing I think would be that when you’re traveling and you’re around each other all the time… We have a relationship and the longevity part of it is not pushing each other’s buttons. We’re out here to play music. Within this band I think it has always been that, that’s been my experience. I think that’s what adds to it. You just don’t push each other’s buttons. Go home. Do your own thing, but when you’re here, let’s play some music because it’s supposed to be fun.

E: Gary, I’ve seen pictures of your blood-stained guitar you made with Vincent Castiglia, so I have to ask, what made you want to make that?

Slayer guitarist Gary Holt rocks a custom guitar painted by artist Vincent Castiglia. The guitar required 18 vials of Holt’s blood. (Meerah Powell/Emerald)

Holt: Because Vincent Castiglia is one of the most well-respected, sick artists walking this planet today. He’s the only American ever to have his work shown in the Giger Museum in Switzerland. To have one of his pieces done on a guitar, well it’s never been done, and you’re lucky if you have one of his pieces to hang on the wall, and I have a functioning piece of destructive art and I get to play it every day. It wasn’t made to hang on the wall. I met Vincent through my friend Brian Werner, the singer for Vital Remains and I think Brian was the first to broach the idea to do a guitar, and we were both like, “Yeah, let’s do it.” It’s just a meeting of the minds, and he came to a show when we did a two-night stand in Huntington, New York and he pulled 18 vials of my blood and painted a guitar with it.

E: That’s dedication. Let’s talk about the “Repentless” and “You Against You” videos. I have a very dark sense of humor and I know Slayer likes to piss people off. I see an underlying humor in them, so am I crazy, do I need psychological help, or am I accurate in saying that they are supposed to be at least a little bit funny?

Holt: No. In the grand scheme of things, I don’t think it’s funny at all. It’s dark and twisted, and that just means you’re fucked up in the head, and I totally admire and respect that (Bostaph laughs). I think that’s awesome. But I mean yeah, I guess you could find some, you know over-the-top violence can always be viewed as a little tongue in cheek and I love it. I think it’s totally a kick to watch, so I’ll watch it smiling and going, “Whoa that’s awesome,” so yeah, I can see where you’re coming from.

E: So it’s not just me. Good to know.

Holt: I’m not like covering my eyes and shrieking away. I’m smiling too, so yeah I guess there’s some fun in that.

Watch the video for “Repentless” below.

E: It’s a bit shocking for a music video to see Danny Trejo gouging a guy’s eyes out.

Bostaph: I think that’s, for me, where the over-the-top humor part of it is, when you have Danny Trejo in your music video and he’s gouging some guy’s eyes out.

Holt: He’s got both his thumbs in his eye sockets (reenacts the motion in the air). That’s awesome.

Bostaph: That’s way over the top.

E: Do people still complain about Slayer music and videos, or has the band reached a point like South Park where people just kind of let it slide?

Holt: I don’t know. The only person who complains about music videos usually is me. Having to do them. The end result is fun, but I have always hated making videos because you’re basically lip-syncing to a song and it’s an unnatural element to being a musician. You’re pretending to perform, and it goes on and on all day, over and over. A typical concert lasts about an hour-and-a-half to two hours. A typical video can be two, three days. It’s always great, the end result, but the “Repentless” video was done on the hottest day of the year in L.A.

E: Of course.

Holt: (laughs) You see the video, and we were outside. We were told to headbang furiously over and over and it was about 110 degrees.

Bostaph: It was very, very hot.

Holt: It was brutal.

Bostaph: We didn’t get a break from the heat. We would stop a take, everybody would go stand against a building which had the only bit of shade, but we’re standing outside drinking water and we were out there for eight hours doing the same thing over and over again.

E: Wearing all black.

Holt: Wearing all black.

Bostaph: Yeah. I got back to the hotel and I had heat stroke. My whole face was red. It was brutal, like Gary said.

Holt: Those are the things directors do to musicians (Bostaph laughs). That’s why my goal in life is to do a video I don’t have to be in. Animate it! Then you can make me a bit more buff, make me a little bigger, take the gray out of the beard. You could have artistic liberties. It would be awesome (laughs).

E: My angle for this story is to describe what it’s like to see Slayer for people who have never been to a metal show, or who may be afraid to go to one. Can you give me a quick synopsis of what a Slayer show is like?

Holt: It’s electric energy. It’s not a scary place to be. There’s plenty of safe havens to observe from. I’ve had people I know come out to shows that have never been to a metal show in their lives, and, will they go again? Maybe not. But they spent the next three hours doing nothing but talking about how awesome it was and how they’ve never seen anything like it. So I would highly recommend everybody come to every Slayer show everywhere. Yeah. Whether you like metal or not, you should just buy a ticket (laughs).

Bostaph: Another way to describe it is when you come to a show like Slayer, you’re not going to see a band onstage expecting the crowd to do something. We’re all in it together. We’re giving as much as the audience gives and every bit of energy, every bit of intensity we have, it’s right there on stage. When you really get the right combination with the crowd, it feeds off each other.

Holt: Yeah. It’s kind of like a vortex. Like entering the maelstrom. It just builds and builds into like an F5 tornado because we do feed off them, they feed off us. If the crowd is a little bit laid back, sometimes we’ll go the extra mile to get them to join us. Sometimes it’s harder. If they’re really going nuts, sometimes it’s an energy burst for us. It just builds to this big apex; a shitstorm. It’s awesome.

Bostaph: It’s a must-see event.

E: This is my first metal show tonight. 

Holt: No shit! (laughs).

Bostaph: Excellent.

Holt: We’ll try not to disappoint.

E: Gary, what do your wife and three daughters think of Slayer?

Holt: They’re not metalheads, they like a little metal, but my youngest is into stuff like Of Mice And Men and Black Veil Brides and all that. I think the coolest thing for Slayer for her is that she gets to meet Black Veil Brides and Of Mice and Men and gets her picture taken with Austin Carlile and people like that from her favorite bands, so yeah, dad’s really cool all of a sudden. But they think it’s cool. A couple of them have been to a couple of shows and they like seeing their dad play, but at the same time it’s not the music they listen to.

E: Would you say Slayer is a full family activity?

Bostaph: I would say yes. My mom, she can’t come to shows anymore but when she could, she would come all the time.

Holt: Same here. My mom’s seen me when I was 17 and she’s seen me play auditoriums and little bars, but she can’t get out to those anymore.

Bostaph: Geez, whenever we play the Bay Area, more of my brothers and sisters have moved away, but it’s like the family that is in town whenever I come to town there’s a bunch of people that I’m related to that come to that show: cousins, nephews, nieces, friends. Friends are family for me and I’m sure for Gary as well.

Holt: And it’s a nightmare.

Bostaph: It’s a nightmare (laughs).

Holt: Hometown shows. There’s a lot of good there’s and a lot of bad, you know? It’s a hometown show, you want to be at your best but you also have to entertain, police, and be traffic cop to all of your family who, despite how long we have done it, they aren’t really aware of all the protocols. They come barging in everywhere, they get in the way, they’ve usually had too much to drink, they’re super excitable, and you want them to just leave me alone, come see me after the show, just let me get in a zone for this and not have to be traffic cop to every niece, nephew, cousin, brother, aunt and uncle and everything you’ve got here. It’s a lot of work. I’ve been working on my guest list for these two San Francisco shows for about three weeks now. I think I’m done.

E: What does the future hold for Slayer?

Holt: Ride this out until we can’t ride anymore. Stay in the saddle until we fall off and can’t climb back up.

E: If given the opportunity will you both continue with Slayer?

Bostaph: Absolutely.

Holt: It’s been five years now here for what started as a helping hand for some old friends, and it turned into a half-a-decade endeavor. It’s kind of one of those strange journeys. Unexpected.

E: After three decades of thrash metal, is it getting easier to play, or has age started to affect how fast you can play?

Holt: Easier? I have really bad back issues. I have an inversion table in the other room that I have to hang up on several times. I’ve had two epidurals. Any woman who has ever had a child, I know your pain. Not the actual childbirth, but actually having four needles put into your spine, it really sucks, but I will do whatever it fucking takes to keep doing this. I get onstage and I’m not going to half ass anything. I’ll stop doing this when I feel I can’t do it at the level I demand of myself. The older I get, the more I want to show people half my age how this shit is done, and make them look tired. The only difference is I walk off stage and start gobbling more ibuprofen, then I go hang upside down and call my back doctor and they’re riding skateboards down the street or whatever, but I still feel I can do this at a very high level, so I’m going to continue.

Bostaph: Honestly, we don’t have a problem playing fast. As a matter of fact, I play better fast now than I did when I was younger. That’s part of what I was saying earlier is that when I was younger, I could play fast, but shit, I listened to the first record I ever did, and I played way too fast. But now I can control the tools that I have and speed is not a problem. We can play fast, faster. We can play so ridiculously fast if we wanted to that it would make the songs sound like a trainwreck. Speed is never an issue. It’s the control of speed that is a tool we all have. We’re not slowing down in that respect.

Holt: I mean there’s things that I was able to do better younger, things I do better now than when I was younger. Some things are related to just 30 years of repetitive motion on your knuckles and they’re a little bit crooked and enlarged and arthritic now, but there’s certain things that when I was younger, I listen to now and I go “Man, that was fucking really good. Let me try to do that. Wow.” There’s things that I do now that were hard for me then and they’re much easier, mostly right-hand-based stuff. My right hand is stronger, my left hand is, you know, it gives me that… ugh (shakes hand in the air) sometimes, but you know, you just motor through it.

Slayer guitarists Gary Holt and Kerry King solo together during a show at the Roseland Theater. (Meerah Powell/Emerald)

E: Slayer is an intense live act. How do you guys unwind after a show? You mentioned you hang on a bar, but what else do you guys do?

Holt: I go hang upside down again (laughs).

Bostaph: Obvious unwinding is I’ll have a beer. That’s the first thing I do is just crack a beer and sit down. Obviously get changed and just let the adrenaline go away because that’s a huge adrenaline rush and it still exists when you’re offstage, and it takes a little while for me to come off of it. We eat some food, then meet in the dressing room. Sometimes we will have an after-gig shot with Kerry and just unwind.

Holt: I barely drink at all anymore. I have that rare ability to turn that adrenaline off and go straight to bed (laughs).

E: That’s impressive (laughs).

Holt: Yeah, by the time I’ve eaten dinner, an after-show meal, I can go to bed right away. I don’t have to unwind like I used to. He’s a drummer. He’s gotta pump up his adrenaline a little harder, more advanced than I do, but when I’m done, I’m ready to relax. I’ll have a beer, eat some food, go to bed.

E: That actually leads perfectly to my next question. So I had lunch with my grandma today and I told her I’m interviewing basically the founders of thrash metal, and she wanted me to ask: do guys ever have nightmares?

Bostaph: Good question.

Holt: Nightmares? I love nightmares. I love a good nightmare. One that wakes you up in a cold sweat, it’s awesome. It makes you feel alive.

E: Any good ones recently?

Holt: Not recently. I always have had them. I usually get them in the day when I take naps. I have some really, really good ones. Two Exodus albums ago I wrote a song about my nightmares. I love them. Most people are terrified of them. Those are the dreams I remember. The ones that fucking terrify you. 

Bostaph: Yeah, I have tons of nightmares. When I get them, they’re super intense. I wake up from a nightmare, and I couldn’t tell you any one in particular, but I’ve had dreams where I go into a dark room and I know there’s something in there. I know it’s coming to get me. I can feel it. I can feel the goosebumps. When I was younger, I used to run out of that room, but there are some times in that dream where I stand in the middle of that room and I go “OK motherfucker, let’s go” and I’m actually throwing blows with whatever it is and I wake up. Then there are some of those nightmares where it’s whatever that fear is, I wake up from it and I get this cold goosebump energy that passes through my body, and sometimes I wonder if that’s even a ghost that’s in the room. You wake up from it and you go, “That was fucking creepy and weird.” When I get that goosebump feeling that passes right through when I wake up, it’s intense.

Holt: I have some terrifying nightmares. In Exodus my dreams are legendary because I’ll wake up and be like “Guess what happened last night?” And they’ll be like “Dude, you’re fucked up.” I had a dream once many years ago, a simple dream, no fantasyland type shit that I murdered somebody and I swear for a month I believed that shit. I thought it was a repressed memory thing. It was so real that I was asking myself, “Did I really do that shit? No, I couldn’t. I didn’t kill a man and bury him in a park by my mom’s house.” But it kept fucking popping back up as this repressed memory before I realized what it was which was just the memory of this dream coming back. It was pretty gnarly.

E: So how did that affect you for that time span?

Holt: It was scary. But cool as fuck at the same time.

E: I have to ask: What’s the strangest thing you have seen or experienced on this tour?

Bostaph: I can’t think of anything strange on this tour.

Holt: It’s all normal to us now, so it’s not strange at all!

Bostaph: It has to be way outside of this environment, as Gary said, we’re so used to it. It has to be way out there.

Holt: I’d have to go back years to find the really strange shit, like when I was in Europe with Exodus and some super-fan came up to a show with this black plastic bag and he brought us a gift that was a dead cat he found on the road.

Bostaph: OK, that’s weird.

Holt: I really don’t want that. You can get the fuck out of here with that dead cat right now. Why do you think I’d want that?

E: Do fans ever think to take the lyrics literally because a lot of Slayer is about murder and death and violence?

Bostaph: Look. I’m just going to say that 100 percent of people who that show up to our shows don’t take it literally. That being said, there’s always somebody out there that just, I couldn’t explain to you who they are or where they are, or why they are, but maybe there is somebody out there that does, but I don’t know any of them.

Holt: There have been far more killings in the name of Christ than there have been in the name of Slayer. Like the year before last, some guy in, I think from Kentucky, had posted the lyrics to the Exodus song “Class Dismissed” which is about school shootings through the eyes of the shooter, and someone took the lyrics very literally as it was his own manifesto and they arrested him. It would only have taken a cursory Google search to realize he was just reposting lyrics, but some people thought we were condoning (school shootings). Of course not. I have three children in school. What kind of a person condones it? (The song) was inspired by the Virginia Tech shooting, and the guy went to jail. He happened to be in a very Red State place to live, and it took him a little while to get himself out of that one.

Bostaph: Not just to look at lyrics, but look at movies that you go see. If you go see a movie, say JFK for instance. It’s about an assassination. Tons of people went to go see that movie, but nobody was questioning if anybody who went to the movie is going to go out and shoot somebody. It’s the same thing.

Holt: But if you write a song about the Kennedy assassination, all of a sudden, you’re all for it.

Bostaph: It’s weird because if you can pen something to paper, it’s almost like, “Is this really what he thinks?” But if you can make a movie…

Holt: Then it’s just entertainment.

Bostaph: Yeah, it’s just entertainment. But in the same sense they’re related because they’re art. They’re art forms. People can be really sensitive when it comes to art. They only like the art that makes them feel comfortable, and something that doesn’t make them feel comfortable, not everybody, there are people who can accept all kinds of art, but we all have opinions about what we like. But sometimes there are people who do like the macabre and the strange, and that’s an art form.

Holt: I always say it like this: if you can take this world and turn it into a perfect paradise that’s completely hate-free, I’d be happy to stop writing about hate. I’m not that selfish that I’m like, “Well what else am I going to write about?” if we lived in this tranquil, perfect society where there’s no hate and there’s no racial prejudice, no violence, I’d write about happy shit, but that’s not the world I live in. We live in a fucked up place, so that’s where my inspiration comes from.

Bostaph: There it is.

New Jersey legend and American icon Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band brought the River tour through Portland last night in a 33-song, three hour and 15 minute concert at the Moda Center.

In recent years, Springsteen has gone through his archives to formally release previously unissued material. The Ties That Bind boxset provided a chance for fans to hear the original single-disc version of what would become Springsteen’s epic 1980 double album, The River. It also gave Springsteen the chance to closely reexamine his entire body of work from that era. For this tour, the E Street Band has played The River in full at every show.

Calmly taking the stage as a ten-piece band at approximately 8 p.m. with all of the arena’s lights on, E Street opened with an energetic take of “Meet Me In The City,” an outtake from The River. Fans in the floor section were able to shake off any remaining rain drops collected while waiting in line for hours in the stop-and-start rain.

Before beginning the River sequence, Springsteen took a moment to explain to the crowd that The River was his coming-of-age album. When he wrote it, he believed in a type of nonexistent love that required no effort and was solely based on fun. A nearly two-hour performance of the album followed.

Right off the bat, “The Ties That Bind” set a high standard for the rest of the album performance, and songs like “The River,” “Out In The Street,” “Drive All Night” and “Stolen Car” easily exceeded expectations.

Saxophonist Jake Clemons has become a focal point in the band, much like his uncle Clarence “Big Man” Clemons once was. Since the Wrecking Ball tour, Jake has gained a newfound swagger and his interactions with Springsteen feel entirely natural. Whether they’re trading solos or hopping across the stage towards each other in unison, the genuine appreciation they share for each other is obvious. Clemons has also become a stronger and more confident saxophone player, with every solo generally verging on being any song’s highlight.

For “Hungry Heart,” Springsteen let the crowd sing the entire first verse before jumping in. With a smile on his face, he walked across the arena onto a smaller stage where he sang the latter half of the song, shaking hands with as many eager fans as he could. Instead of walking around the other side of the stage and taking the stairs back up, Springsteen fell back and crowdsurfed his way back to the main stage. Arriving at an awkward angle, Clemons and guitarist Nils Lofren had to help him up, interrupting Clemons’s solo.

Towards the end of “Ramrod,” the band lined up at center stage and collectively shook their booties at the crowd. In band introductions at the end of the night, Springsteen declared them the “heart-stopping, pants-dropping, booty-shaking, Viagra-taking, legendary E Street Band” (more superlatives were tossed around, but we only needed proof of the booty shaking part).

There’s no denying The River’s greatness, but it is safe to say that most people would trade “Crush On You” for “Jungleland.” The River material allows the band a chance to take a different approach to a live show, playing songs that don’t often fit in a live performance.

The show reached a new plane of energy that never let up once Max Weinberg played the drum intro to “Badlands.” The energy stayed constant through “Thunder Road,” “Because The Night,” “Dancing In The Dark” and all the way until the show ended with a high energy cover of “Shout” that had Springsteen asking the audience, “Do you have anything left?”

The E Street band is a rare entity. On any given night, it will make you giddy; it will make you think; it will make you laugh, but most importantly, it understands the single word definition of why we go to concerts in the first place: entertainment. And entertain they do, for every moment of a three-and-a-quarter-hour concert.

Setlist:

“Meet Me In The City”

(The River double album played in full)

“Badlands”

“Lonesome Day”

“The Promised Land”

“Brilliant Disguise”

“The Rising”

“Because The Night”

“Thunder Road”

“Born To Run”

“Dancing In The Dark”

“Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)”

“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”

“Shout”

Sir George Martin, the legendary Beatles producer, has joined a tragically long list of music icons who have passed away recently. He was 90. Although he is known as the fifth Beatle, his career extended far beyond The Beatles and he produced numerous No. 1 records, won Grammy awards, composed an Academy Award-nominated score and was knighted by the Queen of England in 1996.

The Beatle-Martin partnership was born after the band auditioned for Parlophone Records in 1962. Martin was summoned to hear The Beatles play “Love Me Do,” at which point he realized their potential. At the end of the session he offered his thoughts about where the band was going wrong. He asked the group if they disliked anything he had suggested, to which George Harrison replied, “Well for a start, I don’t like your tie.”

Together, they made 22 singles and 13 albums. It was enough to change the course of popular music forever.

The University of Oregon offers an entire course dedicated to “The Beatles and Their Times.” Professor Carl Woideck had this to say about Martin’s relationship with the Beatles:

“It’s hard to imagine the Beatles’ recordings without George Martin. Sure, they would have been a great live band, but would they have been challenged and encouraged to record ‘Tomorrow Never Knows,’ ‘Eleanor Rigby,’ ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’? Another, more conventional, producer might not have been receptive to the Beatles’ desires to change and grow as musicians. Lennon and McCartney started out writing teen pop, and lots of record companies would have wanted them to keep churning out more of the same. That’s why having a creative ally like George Martin was so important. As Paul McCartney said upon learning of Martin’s death, ‘If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George.’”

Here is a brief list of Beatles songs that would not be the same without Sir George Martin in which his contributions range from simple suggestions to industry-changing editing practices: 

“Please Please Me”:  John Lennon wrote this song as a slow Roy Orbison-style ballad. Martin heard it and asked them to try the song at double time. After hearing the result, he famously announced, “Congratulations gentlemen. You’ve just made your first Number One.”

Watch the video below from The Beatles Anthology to hear Martin himself discuss the track.

“A Hard Day’s Night”:  In what could be the single most famous chord ever created, Martin plays a sustained piano chord to add the note’s infamous echo. The effect is unparalleled and music scholars still debate exactly how the chord was played. The most accurate analysis to date comes from the video below, released in 2011 which analyzed each of the four-track tape masters with music software. The song was released in 1964. Fifty-two years later, the debate still exists. Being a part of this chord is worthy of a place in history by itself. 

“Yesterday”: What began as a melody McCartney heard in a dream (and the title “Scrambled Eggs”) turned into one of the most covered songs in history. In his touching tribute letter about George Martin, McCartney lists the recording of “Yesterday” as one of his favorite Martin memories:

“I brought the song ‘Yesterday’ to a recording session and the guys in the band suggested that I sang it solo and accompany myself on guitar. After I had done this George Martin said to me, ‘Paul I have an idea of putting a string quartet on the record.’ I said, ‘Oh no George, we are a rock and roll band and I don’t think it’s a good idea.’  With the gentle bedside manner of a great producer he said to me, ‘Let us try it and if it doesn’t work we won’t use it and we’ll go with your solo version.’ I agreed to this and went round to his house the next day to work on the arrangement.”

“In My Life”: Martin’s piano solo adds an eerie baroque feel that perfectly blends with Lennon’s song about his Liverpool upbringing. Although it sounds like a harpsichord, it is actually an electric piano played at half speed and varispeeded to tempo in production. The Beatles would continue to manipulate tapes in post-production, which led to some of the greatest songs in history, “In My Life” included. 

“Tomorrow Never Knows”: As professor Woideck said, Martin was the ally that helped The Beatles pursue continually diverse sounds by not only allowing the group to be inventive in the studio, but also by challenging them to explore and create new sounds. How many producers would be willing to let the band run wild on a song with only one chord? The inclusion of the drum loop, high-pitched seagull sounds (actually McCartney laughing in reverse and at a faster speed), a sitar and more tape loops became a psychedelic masterpiece. Martin also plays the piano outro, adding a nice touch of finality to the masterful 1966 album Revolver. 

“Got To Get You Into My Life”: As the Beatle most hesitant to take drugs, McCartney finally felt determined to write an ode to marijuana as the psychedelic period came to full fruition. “Got To Get You Into My Life” features a bright horn section arranged with Martin’s assistance.

“Eleanor Rigby”: As the first Beatles song where none of the Fab Four play an instrument, it still managed to reach number one on the charts due to the orchestral score Martin provided. With lyrics about death and loneliness, The Beatles again proved they were a band capable of saying much more than just “Thank You Girl.” 

“Yellow Submarine”: Many consider “Yellow Submarine” a novelty song when placed next to other Beatles classics, but Martin had the band (and guests including Brian jones of the Rolling Stones) use any instrument they desired in the Abbey Road “trap room.” On the finished record are clinking glasses, a chain dragging in a bathtub and Lennon blowing bubbles into a bucket of water. Try to fight singing along to it.

“Strawberry Fields Forever”: At the peak of his LSD days, Lennon presented Martin with a unique challenge for “Strawberry Fields”: Connect two takes in different keys and different tempos.  The first take was a slow version. The second was faster, with thundering drums. By speeding up the first and slowing down the second, Martin was able to accomplish the impossible by splicing the two together in a seamless take — added flourishes include backwards cymbals, and Martin’s trumpet and cello score.

This song alone required 55 hours in the studio.

“A Day In The Life”: Lennon and McCartney each brought an incomplete idea to the studio. Lennon’s portion was partially inspired by reading the newspaper, while McCartney’s was about an everyday morning routine. They left a 24-measure gap to be counted by road manager Mal Evans and an alarm clock. With a little help from Martin and a 40-person orchestra, the two ideas were fused together with the orchestral crescendo that began at each player’s lowest note and crescendoing up to the highest note and volume possible in the 24 bars. The final note of the song is a sustained chord with two pianos and Martin on harmonium that lasts for nearly a minute. Also, Lennon blows a dog whistle at the end. The result is chaotic perfection. 

“Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!”: The hallucinatory middle section with off-time, disorienting organ riffs are intentionally strange, as George Martin recalls the guidance Lennon gave him for the song: “It’s a fairground sequence. I want to be in that circus atmosphere.” Here’s how Martin attained the desired sound:

“I knew we needed a backwash, a general mush of sound, like if you go to a fairground, shut your eyes and listen: rifle shots, hurdy-gurdy noises, people shouting and – way in the distance – just a tremendous chaotic sound. So I got hold of old calliope tapes, playing “Stars And Stripes Forever” and other Sousa marches, chopped the tapes up into small sections and had Geoff Emerick throw them up in the air, re-assembling them at random.” (From Beatlesbible.com).

While the effect was not initially random enough, they proceeded to begin cutting tape into smaller pieces and playing some forward, some backward. Eventually, the collage of organ sounds satisfied Lennon’s demands.

“The Long Medley”: Starting with “You Never Give Me Your Money,” the B-side of Abbey Road is commonly referred to as the “Long Medley.” Although there is a brief break between “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” and “Golden Slumbers,” the “Long Medley” flows as one massive track that was recorded in separate parts that Martin fused together, creating the perfect ending survey of the Beatles’ career. Ultimately, the “Long Medley” reminds us that each incomplete idea presented was able to not only be finished with the others’ help, but that when they all worked together, greatness was possible.

In related news, Paul McCartney has announced a Portland, OR performance as part of his “One On One” tour at the Moda Center on Friday, April 15. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday at 10 a.m. It will be his first Portland show in 11 years.

Emerald writers Emerson Malone, Craig Wright, Chris Berg and Braedon Kwiecien found a good time of day to meet and discuss the 88th Annual Academy Awards with special guest Hunter Moore. In this episode, the #sowhite #somale cohort discuss how the big night went for people like Chris Rock, Jacob Tremblay, Louis C.K., and Brie Larson.

Listen to the episode below. It’s a juggernaut!

In 2011, standup comedian Louis C.K. released his Live at the Beacon Theater comedy special for $5 through his website. Since then, all of his specials have been released in the same manner due to its success. Lately, his main project has been the FX show Louie, arguably one of the funniest and most thought provoking programs in television history (watch season four for proof) which is currently on an indefinite hiatus following its fifth season.

Clearly, C.K. is staying busy while Louie is on break. FX debuted Baskets on Thursday, Jan. 21, while on Saturday, Jan. 30, C.K. released an hour-long web-series pilot called Horace and Pete.

The first episode of Horace and Pete is available for $5 (though future episodes will drop to $2 or $3) and features a stellar cast. It was surprise-released with an announced to members of C.K.’s mailing list.

Steve Buscemi plays Pete, and he co-stars with C.K. (Horace). Together they are the seventh generation owners of a 100-year-old family-owned bar. From the first scene, it is clear that Pete isn’t acting normal, and Horace must attempt to keep him calm as Pete runs out of his medication for a mental condition.

Alan Alda is Uncle Pete, the former owner and a foul-mouthed racist who is not afraid to send dive-bar seeking hipsters home, or stand up for family tradition over legal practices. A crew of bar patrons and other family members populate the bar, including Jessica Lange, Edie Falco, comedian Steven Wright, Aidy Bryant and more. The bar patrons share sharp dialogue about the 2016 election, the Super Bowl, and how preconceived notions of labeling people as “conservatives and liberals” kills any chance of ever discussing politics as fellow humans.

Louis C.K. is best known for being an edgy comedian, and much of Horace and Pete feels like a Broadway drama fueled by incredibly dark comedy. C.K.’s best work forces viewers to question their own beliefs without creating a sense of guilt. Horace and Pete has humor readily available, so long as you’re willing to laugh at the powerful scenes.

Also of note: the original theme song is written and performed by Paul Simon.

In a more traditional comedy, Baskets is co-created by C.K., Zach Galifianakis, and Jonathan Krisel. Galifianakis stars as Chip Baskets, a clown who flunks out of a prestigious French clown academy due to his inability to speak French. He returns to California with a wife who only agrees to marry him so she can live in the U.S. and promises to leave Baskets once she finds a better looking man. Baskets agrees to these terms and spends most of his time trying to scrounge money for her, living separately.

The only clowning gig in town is at the local rodeo which pays about $4 per hour for running from bulls. On his way to work one day, bees fly into his helmet and he crashes his scooter. An unlikely companionship forms between Baskets and his insurance agent Martha (Martha Kelly) as they awkwardly try to raise $40 from family members (Galifianakis plays his own twin, Louie Anderson his disappointed, Costco-obsessed mother).

After two episodes, Baskets relies heavily on the concept to carry the show. It has funny moments, but unlike Horace and Pete, it lacks the philosophical depth to carry the slow parts. It looks like it will improve over time, but that’s not to say it’s a bad show by any means. Fans of C.K. or Galifianakis will likely enjoy the uncomfortable relationships and ridiculous clown gags, but outsiders unfamiliar to the style of humor may feel inundated by the lack of likable characters and oddball jokes.

C.K. will also star, direct and write the film I’m A Cop, which is currently in development. He is a voice actor in The Secret Life of Pets and will direct the first episode of Better Things with his Louie sometimes co-star and writing partner Pamela Adlon.

Baskets airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on FX. Horace and Pete is scheduled for release every Saturday through Louisck.net.

After years of living in squalor on the road and playing countless gigs for little pay and sparse crowds, most bands break out to a larger audience that enables them to live a life of luxury. The tour buses grow larger, the venues grander, and the public adoration more intense.

Then there’s the Replacements, a group of Minneapolis punk legends who refused to grow up, refused to quit drinking and refused to attain success. In a ten-year span (1981-1991), the band managed to squander every legitimate shot at fame in riotous fashion. They were banned from Saturday Night Live; they would drunkenly stumble through cover songs they didn’t know in front of record label executives; they played “dodge-knife” (think dodgeball, but with knives) and scared Metallica while recording Don’t Tell A Soul, and forced at least one bus driver to quit his job and become a born-again Christian.

Ultimately they became one of the most influential punk bands of all time and recorded some of the most beloved music of the 1980s despite their appetite for self-destruction. As author Bob Mehr says, “They (became) ‘legends’ without ever really becoming stars.”

Mehr’s new book, Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements, leaves no stone unturned in the Replacements’ history. Trouble Boys traces the start of the band from when Paul Westerberg hid in the bushes of the Stinson home on Bryant Ave to listen to the proto-Replacements band Dogbreath practice, to the triumphant “Back By Unpopular Demand” reunion tour in 2015.

No other book in print comes close to the unrelenting depth of Trouble Boys. Die-hard fans will rightfully recognize it as the definitive Replacements Bible, while casual fans will find more laugh-out-loud tales of absurdity than they knew existed.

Each member of the band (singer, songwriter, guitarist Paul Westerberg, guitarist Bob Stinson and his half-brother Tommy who joined as the 11-year old bass player, drummer Chris Mars) has their entire story shared from birth to the present.

The bold prologue begins at Bob Stinson’s funeral with the haunting image of his son Joey, who suffered from Cerebral palsy and was quadriplegic, grasping Bob’s cold hands at the open-casket service, while the rest of the band sheds tears in a corner with former manager Peter Jesperson. After five pages, it’s clear that the content of this book will spare no detail too unpleasant.

Much like a Replacements song, the writing feels both meticulously crafted and effortless. The stories spring to life through new and preexisting interviews with the band, and those who know them best. Readers are inserted into Oar Folkjokeopus where Jesperson discovered the ‘Mats, the CC Club that inspired “Here Comes A Regular” and the corner on St. Mark’s Place where Westerberg watched Alex Chilton of Big Star check on his hidden marijuana stash by the trash.

Every story that fans proudly told one another while waiting in lines during last year’s reunion shows are immortalized here, while countless other unheard tales of bored midwestern teens with an unnatural knack for chaos become forever engraved in ‘Mats lore.

Paul Westerberg sings “Androgynous” from a tent at The Replacements’ Paramount Theater performance in Seattle on April 9, 2015 during the “Back By Unpopular Demand” tour. Photo: Craig Wright

Peter Jesperson’s prominent role conveys how his unwavering love for the band was challenged nightly as the lone clapper at early shows. His involvement results in a first-hand recollection of the funniest moments they experiences, along with the brutal reality of the band’s darkest days and most embarrassing moments.

Most importantly, Westerberg and Stinson are involved and recall, fairly objectively, where they screwed up, and what they feel no shame for. The most memorable passage of the book is when Westerberg reveals why he carried out his career in the highly unstable manner he did, and how he transformed from an indestructible punk to a “Rock And Roll Ghost.” As always, Westerberg is full of memorable sharp-tongued quotes.

Mehr tells the story with no bias. He is not afraid to show how downright awful the band could be to other people. It will make you want to slap your forehead; it will make you want to listen the entire Replacements discography.

This band is the definition of the saying “for every high there’s a low” and neither is either glorified profusely or criticized too harshly and it answers the age-old Replacements question: How Did The Vomit Get On The Ceiling? (hint: it’s vile).

They were always “Treatment Bound” and to this day the surviving members remain Trouble Boys. For any level of interest, this is the definitive book to seek out about the Replacements.

Trouble Boys will be released March 1 from Da Capo Press.

Check out the Emerald’s investigation of the Replacements Dec. 1987 show in Portland, widely regarded as the band’s worst here.

And a review of Westerberg’s new album Wild Stab with Juliana Hatfield as the I Don’t Cares here.

The liner notes to The I Don’t Cares debut album Wild Stab include the message, “Recommended: Play at a moderate sensible adult volume.” While this is a far cry from the “File Under: Power Trash” note placed on The Replacements’ Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash, the intention of the message is clear: Paul Westerberg is still the wisecracking smartass most songwriters wish they could be.

Westerberg, the singer, guitarist and songwriter for the legendary Minneapolis punk band The Replacements, has teamed up with Juliana Hatfield (Blake Babies, The Juliana Hatfield Three, Some Girls and Minor Alps) to form The I Don’t Cares. With 16 songs and a 52-minute run time, Wild Stab breezes by with few speed bumps and showcases the occasional diamond-in-the-rough to emerge from Westerberg’s basement.

In a recent interview with Peter Wolf for Vanyaland, Westerberg described the combination of his and Hatfield’s vocals as “sandpaper and daffodil.” He also explained how the collaboration centered on Hatfield picking her favorite tracks from Westerberg’s basement recording studio. Westerberg used to write a song a day, few of which left the basement and many were discarded or taped over, lost forever.

It’s difficult to critique an album by a band called The I Don’t Cares, especially one fronted by one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most notorious underachievers.

To best describe the mood of the album, look at “½ 2 P” (sound it out). It’s partially a love song, partially an indication of an overactive bladder issue. “When you call me baby, I need to find an alley / Your voice always makes me have to pee,” Westerberg and Hatfield sing in tight unison backed by a bright acoustic and prominent electric guitar.

As a duo, Hatfield and Westerberg mesh beautifully. Hatfield understands when to sing backup and when to insert herself into the forefront of the song, and as the album progresses, Hatfield’s role becomes more prominent. The album maintains its light feeling until the final track.

Most of the drums are balanced low in the sound mixing, but Wild Stab is all about the vocals, guitar and ensuring these tracks were recorded before they were destroyed. The only song that would be significantly improved by better drum mixing is “Love Out Loud” which recalls the feel of the Replacements’ “IOU” and is fueled by a similar mannerism.

The only uninspired track is “Dance To The Fight.” It carries the heavy-handed rhythmic strumming common through much of Westerberg’s solo work, but the lyrics seem to have been left on a sheet of paper that was destined for destruction. Luckily, it falls to the wayside as it is placed between “Sorry For Tomorrow Night” and “Kissing Break,” the duo’s most tender ballad and best instance of harmonization.

While the opener “Back” features Westerberg’s most vulnerable sounding vocals, the finale “Hands Together” is a haunting analysis of his current life. It features the densest collection of brilliant Westerbergian one-liners, and is his best song since Pleased To Meet Me (1987). Armed with a 12-string acoustic guitar, Hatfield’s beautiful backing vocals, and light drums, Westerberg yet again confirms his reputation as a world-class songwriter.

After sharing breakfast with a cigarette that “insisted on rolling on the floor” and dinner with a cup of coffee that “likes to be called a mug,” he discovers he is “long, tall, dark and handsome, still lonely as shit” by observing his relationship with household items:

“The dreams I had before are now too bored to even show up / And the blankets are embarrassed / It’s only me that they cover up.”

For once in his career, Westerberg is fully admitting he feels trapped and alone, and it feels like a clear window into his soul. Usually, he disguises his feelings through the veiled perspective of a character, but this is Westerberg narrating from an unfiltered perspective, likely still reeling from his 2014 divorce. The song is an illustration of loneliness and despair, and the results are devastating.

Paul Westerberg, singer of the I Don’t Cares, performs from a tent with The Replacements at the Paramount Theater in Seattle on April 9, 2015. Photo courtesy of Craig Wright.

The possibility of a new Replacements album almost became a reality during the 2015 “Back By Unpopular Demand” tour, but after a dead-end recording attempt, the current rumor is that the Replacements are finished.

If Wild Stab is the type of material The Replacements would have recorded, it’s for the best that they did not record. Performed in a serious context, much of Wild Stab would be mercilessly trashed by critics. In this laid-back context, it’s impossible to deny that it is a fun album and a worthwhile collaboration. Tracks like “Need The Guys” and “Little People” portray the album’s intended unpolished feeling, while “Born For Me” (originally on Suicaine Gratifaction, 1999) and “King Of America” serve as the high production counterparts.

While Westerberg wrote the songs, Juliana Hatfield should receive as much credit for selecting the ones worthy of saving from destruction.

Listen to “1/2 2 P” from Wild Stab below.

Andrew Katz, an alum of South Eugene High School and 2012 economics graduate from the University of Oregon will return to Eugene this Friday, Jan. 22. He returns as the drummer for Car Seat Headrest, a rising indie-rock band reminiscent of Room On Fire-era Strokes, with the loose quality of Guided By Voices.

Car Seat Headrest is touring in support of its critically acclaimed album Teens Of Style. The lead single “Something Soon” accompanied the album on many best of 2015 lists.

The band will perform at Sam Bond’s Garage (407 Blair Blvd.) with Pluto the Planet. Tickets cost $8 in advance.

We caught up with Andrew prior to Car Seat Headrest’s first Eugene show.

Emerald: What are you most excited about in coming back to Eugene?

Andrew Katz: It will be nice to see my family. I grew up there, so I know some people are going to come to the show. I’ve got a lot of friends who still live there. I’m hoping to take the band to Track Town Pizza — gotta get a little plug in for Track Town. They have the best pizza on the planet.

Car Seat Headrest will perform at Sam Bond’s Garage on Friday, Jan. 22. Photo courtesy of Andrew Katz.

E: I read that you joined Car Seat Headrest by answering a Craigslist ad. Is that true?

AK: That is true. It was actually [frontman] Will Toledo answering my ad, I think. When I moved to Seattle, I knew I wanted to pursue music more heavily, so I was posting ads on Craigslist, and I was even doing that in Eugene … Will found me and he came over to my place in Seattle. We jammed, and it went pretty well and we kept playing together.  

E: Will is a prolific songwriter who’s written 12 albums already. How many of those have you been a part of?

AK: He is a prolific songwriter. Teens Of Style is the first one that I am on. A lot of Teens Of Style is from Will’s back catalog. I think there’s actually only one brand new song. The others are a selection of old songs that he picked for the album.

E: You mentioned you were an economics major. Were you expecting to be in a touring band out of college?

AK: Of course not. If you expect that, you’re going to be really let down. I got lucky. When I first graduated, I got a job working at the University of Washington in an econ-research lab. That was really nice because I had super flexible hours, so I was able to be a musician. I met Will, and I knew he was a very serious musician after playing with him and checking out his backlog of music. I knew there was a chance it could happen, but I never expected anything to happen, and when it did, it was quite a lovely surprise.

E: What should the crowd expect at Car Seat Headrest’s first Eugene show on Friday?

AK: Don’t expect much. I like to set low standards. But it will be a good show. We like to rock pretty hard, and I think Eugene will really like it.

E: What advice would you give to UO students who are in bands looking to catch a break?

AK: Join another band. Be in as many bands as you can. Spread your chances over a big area. In college, I literally played with hundreds of musicians. That’s the only way to do it as a drummer. If you’re a songwriter, keep writing songs. Get better and better at it. If you listen to Will’s first recordings, they’re not as high quality as they eventually sounded. He got better and better as he did it. 

E: Now, perhaps the most important question of all: Rennie’s or Taylor’s?

AK: Oh, Rennie’s for sure. Taylor’s is great if you’re almost blackout drunk, but if you’re trying to be a human being, Rennie’s is the place to be.

Listen to Car Seat Headrest’s “Something Soon” below.

The post Q&A: UO grad Andrew Katz returns to Eugene with Car Seat Headrest appeared first on Emerald Media.

In our Double Takes series The Emerald provides two reporter’s contrasting opinions about Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Golden Globe-winning The Revenant, his first film since winning the Academy Award for Best Picture of 2014 for Birdman. Craig Wright was not impressed by the camerawork, while Meerah Powell says it is an immersive film.

The film follows the true story of a 19th century fur-trapper named Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio). Surrounded by a frigid and dangerous landscape, Glass attempts to persevere through a harrowing journey for revenge after being betrayed by his colleagues and left alone and injured to fend for himself in the brutal elements of the wilderness.

Listen to Craig and Meerah in our special Double Takes podcast below:

Craig Wright:

If you’ve seen the theatrical trailer of The Revenant, you have essentially seen the full picture. If you would like to avoid the price of admission and save a grueling two-and-a-half hours, here’s a recommendation: watch the trailer twice, think about the archetypal hero’s journey, predict the ending, and wait until video.

In director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s follow-up to 2014’s Best Picture winning Birdman: or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Leonardo DiCaprio plays Hugh Glass, the tracker/navigator for a fur trading company during the harsh winter of 1823. An attack by a Native American war party forces the decimated crew to find a safe passage home through the unforgiving wilderness, in which Glass is viciously mauled by a grizzly bear and left as a liability to the others. Glass has no choice but to track John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) down and improbably pursue his revenge after being left for dead.

To start with the positive, the sound production in The Revenant is fantastic. It’s rare that a film’s sound demands attention for its quality, but every gust of wind, every cracked branch and every gunshot is captured in stunning clarity.

The cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki is beautiful, but every scene seems to begin and end with an extended landscape shot, or a closeup of ice on leaves and trees. It feels like an episode of Planet Earth, not a tale of defying death and revenge. This is part of Iñárritu’s plan. To make the violence seem more grotesque, he contradicts it with the beauty of nature.

That’s where the problems begin.

The most aggravating thing about The Revenant is the intrusive camerawork. Although Leonardo DiCaprio won best actor at the Golden Globes (and will likely claim his elusive Oscar for this performance), the camera is the actual star of The Revenant.

Much like in Birdman, the camera is not the means for filming scenes, rather it is the focal point of every scene. Good camerawork should be noted for how it creatively captures the scene, not how the actual object itself steals every scene.

The most blaring violation of camerawork comes after Glass has been abandoned. In near silence, the camera pushes so close to Glass’s face that his breathing fogs up the camera lens.

To many, this is perceived as an artistic feat of brilliance that no other director would dare attempt (Iñárritu took home the Golden Globe for best director). There’s a reason why few directors do this. It transports the viewer out of the frostbitten wilderness we have become entrenched in and shatters the illusion of an onscreen reality.

It shouldn’t be a big deal, except the same breath-on-the-lens gimmick is repeated twice more (!) in later scenes. It does not make the film more personal, as it is undoubtedly intended to do. It only calls attention to the filming in a distracting manner.

Iñárritu does capture the bestiality of man well — to an extent. His attention to detail is incredible, however, the overindulgence of camera interference exposes the details as a fault that interrupt the natural habitat of the film. The fights are well choreographed and suspenseful, but the blood, rabid drooling and sweat seems to always find a way to land on the camera lens, which is forced to act as a windshield. Every shot feels like a plea to notice Iñárritu’s self-indulgent, meta “greatness” that overuses every single trick in the book.

The movie reeks of Oscar bait for which the voters are likely to fall.

Despite solid performances from the stars (excluding the camera) The Revenant is an average survival movie with beautiful cinematography and sound. The problem is, it had the potential to be great.

In short, The Revenant is a movie that is destined to be analyzed by high schoolers for decades to come because it appears to be deep on the surface. It is the foil to Hemingway’s “iceberg theory” of storytelling; there is empty symbolism that leads to nothing, and overt symbolism that is so painfully obvious it’s tough not to chuckle in the theater.

Meerah Powell:

“When you see the film, you will see the scale of it. And you will say, ‘Wow,’” said director Alejandro González Iñárritu in an interview with The Guardian about The Revenant, and he’s not wrong. Whether you loved it or hated it, it’s doubtful that you didn’t experience moments of awe during the film, whether due to its stunning cinematography, overtly visceral violence or emotionally evocative acting.

The Revenant, in my and many others’ opinions, is one of the best films of the past few years. The film, recently winning numerous Golden Globe awards including Best Motion Picture – Drama, has been praised for not only its rock solid plot and strong acting but also its equally matched, utterly haunting visuals.

Hugh Glass’ determination for revenge is illuminated by Leonardo DiCaprio’s more than convincing character portrayal that some suspect might finally earn him an Oscar for best actor. DiCaprio’s performance is exceptionally realistic, from grimacing pain to heart-wrenching loss, and a lot of it was real — such as DiCaprio eating a raw bison liver.

This stark visual reality was something that Iñárritu’s direction stressed, and something that becomes obvious in the film’s realistically cringe-worthy violence. Though the film features enough gore to satiate Quentin Tarantino, all the blood and guts aren’t in excess. The savage imagery, though hard to view at times, helps to ground the film in its very specific, and very brutal, reality by forcing the audience to watch difficult moments without giving them the option to look away.

Not all of The Revenant’s scenes are punishing to watch, though. The film also features breathtaking shots of its snowy, forested setting in order to transport and situate the viewer into the setting as well as to reveal the large-scale, equally beautiful and dangerous essence of nature that Glass must face head-on.  

The Revenant balances its brute reality and soaring cinematography with surreal dream sequences experienced by Glass throughout the film. These dream sequences bring up penetrating memories from Glass’ past, mostly of his deceased Native-American wife, and help to add an overarching psychological aspect to the movie as a break from its intense physicality.

Overall, The Revenant serves as a serious form of engaging escapism that’s not as normally brought forth by film as it should be. When watching the film, it’s hard not to sympathize with Glass and other characters, feel their pain and hold their same desires. All of the film’s 156 minutes serve as an effortless platform to forget about sitting in a movie theater chair, and instead truly experience cinema rather than just passively view it. The Revenant serves as a film to get fully lost in.

Master of None (Netflix)

Aziz Ansari’s 10-chapter series is a remarkable assembly of talent. Its understated, comedic sensibility gives it the feeling of a program that doesn’t belong on Netflix, but a more irreverent network like IFC. Ansari plays Dev, a man-child living in New York City that gets by with tangential roles in films and commercial. His claim to fame is a Go-Gurt commercial. Each episode corresponds to a different element of adulthood with which Dev reckons — the Plan B pill, old people, mornings and parents. The particularly profound episode “Indians on TV” zeroes in on how white actors will often take on Indian roles; it’s both devastating and comic genius. Writing credits go to Ansari, co-creator Alan Yang and a third Parks and Rec alum, the late Harris Wittels. The directorial talent matches the writing talent, with directors including Tim & Eric’s Eric Wareheim and indie-film director Lynn Shelton. – Emerson Malone

Master of None (Netflix)

Aziz Ansari’s debut sitcom is modern comedy at its best. It’s relatable, it’s funny, and it’s smart. Netflix’s show is a lot like others that feature stand-up comedians and their exaggerated problems, except this one explores problems our society faces daily. Over the course of 10 episodes, Ansari’s character, Dev, experiences problems with family, race, gender and relationships. It even features Aziz’s parents as Dev’s parents who tell their real story of how they came to America.The soundtrack has everyone from Dean Martin to Father John Misty. The supporting cast offers great perspectives that Aziz can’t give in unique and amusing ways. Master of None is just a really good sitcom that doesn’t pander to its audience. It’s the show Aziz Ansari wanted to make and the one we needed to watch. – Alex Ruby

Mr. Robot (USA)

Rami Malek plays Elliot Anderson, a neurotic, messianic coding geek. His mental instability, evident from the first frames, is manifest in the narration as he speaks to the viewer, an imaginary character conceived in his head. This drives the show’s ambiguous reality, as it’s entirely told from Elliot’s point of view. Showrunner Sam Esmail’s program centers on Elliot, a cybersecurity worker by day, who’s recruited into an underground group of hackers who are planning to take down a large corporation and dissolve all student loan debt. Originally written as a feature-length film, the show’s cinematic writing and pacing is an intriguing draw; not a moment nor line of dialogue is wasted. Mr. Robot is an example of incredible storytelling on a network channel, when it could have easily landed on HBO or Showtime. – Emerson Malone

Mad Men (AMC)

Showrunner Matthew Weiner guided his series to a graceful ending in 2015, even as AMC chose to split the final season across two Emmy seasons. Jon Hamm’s Don Draper became less of a polished adman and more of a woebegone American tragedy as the episodes wore on, as every other character underwent similarly profound trajectories. The most gripping and heartwrenching element of watching Draper’s final ad idea capping the end of the series, wasn’t just that it meant the conclusion of Mad Men, but with it came the certainty that these characters were still out there somewhere, continuing to live their lives. – Emerson Malone

The Jinx (HBO)

Andrew Jarecki lucked out on The Jinx. Like, really, really lucked out. After Jarecki put out his 2010 film All Good Things, Bob Durst agreed for a sit-down interview. The interview was the catalyst for the documentary miniseries, as Jarecki pries closely into the string of murders for which Durst was accused. In six episodes, viewers get to know Durst better – arrhythmic blinks, mumbling and all. Durst’s arrest occurred the day before the miniseries’ finale, which further goes to show that law enforcement has no sense of creative timing. – Emerson Malone

Fargo (Showtime)

In 2014, two anthology detective series – True Detective and Fargo – became definitive releases for the genre. In 2015, the latter effectively proved to be the superior one. Fargo’s second season, a new story from the first go-around, rewinds to Minnesota and North Dakota in the 1970s. This season stars Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Ted Danson and Nick Offerman. It retains much of what makes the show inimitably brilliant: a complex murder mystery, well-etched characters and countless peripheral, winking references to Coen Brothers’ films (not just the one that inspires the series’ title). – Emerson Malone

Deutschland 83 (SundanceTV)

SundanceTV’s German-language miniseries follows Martin (played by Jonas Nay), a 24-year-old, sleepy-eyed worker for the East German military, who’s swept away to West Germany to serve as a spy covertly under the West’s military. Upon being tossed across the Iron Curtain, Martin is taught how to adjust to life in the West and not blow his cover, how to properly be a spy and to adapt to the West’s lingo. The pacing and elegant visualization of Deutschland 83 is comparable to the likes of a Martin Scorsese production. Wunderbar! – Emerson Malone

South Park (Comedy Central)

The gentrification of South Park, Colorado set off a chain reaction that nobody saw coming. It’s been 19 seasons since we first met the foul-mouthed kids who court controversy like no other. And yet, the show pushed the envelope further this season; nothing is sacred in South Park. ISIS, advertising, the politically correct movement of 2015, Yelpers, college “safe spaces,” Donald Trump, Caitlyn Jenner, Whole Foods, police brutality, guns, the death of Reality, immigration and Jared from Subway all received the South Park treatment, leading to arguably the greatest single season in show history. Instead of mercilessly mocking the above categories, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone take an objective look at these issues and make the viewer decide what is right and wrong. The show that began with Eric Cartman receiving an alien anal probe has evolved into one of the most intelligent comedies on television and a force in social commentary, long after the time when most shows would have been cancelled. – Craig Wright

Better Call Saul (AMC)

Yes, Breaking Bad is over, but that doesn’t mean we can’t will it back into a small form of existence. Creator Vince Gilligan once again returns to the Breaking Bad universe, this time focusing on Jimmy McGill, the man who will one day become Walter White and Jesse Pinkman’s crooked lawyer, Saul Goodman. The first episodes focus on his humble beginnings, as the underachieving younger brother to one of the top lawyers in the area. (“Slippin’ Jimmy with a law degree is like a chimp with a machine gun!” his older brother decries.) The show does a great job of foreshadowing his arrival as the sleazy infomercial dwelling lawyer he will one day become, complete with characters from Breaking Bad, this leaves enough of a connection to Breaking Bad to cure the instant nostalgia we all crave, but also pushes the show forward to unexplored territories. – Craig Wright

Rick and Morty (Adult Swim)

Rick and Morty is a perfect blend of science fiction, dark comedy and overly realistic dialogue that will command your attention from the moment you start watching. The show, created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, follows the adventures of an alcoholic scientist named Rick Sanchez and his awkward grandson Morty as they travel across the universe and to different dimensions having all sorts of strange encounters along the way. Even though the show takes place in a fictional universe, the main cast of characters is unexpectedly relatable and interesting to watch. The ratio of funny to serious is just right, with the majority of episodes being comprised of clever jokes and slapstick comedy, but ending with serious scenes that genuinely surprise you and make you question what you just watched. If you’re looking for a sci-fi show that is interesting but doesn’t take itself too seriously, Rick and Morty is for you. – Mathew Brock

You’re The Worst (FXX)

When two dysfunctional, awful people get together it’s never a a good sign, but You’re The Worst makes it work, and it works really, really well. 2015 marked the second season in FXX’s anti-romantic sitcom that stars Aya Cash and Chris Geere as two self-destructive people who end up falling for each other in Los Angeles. While first season merely set up its characters, the fantastic second season delves deep into each characters’ motivations and personal problems. It came out as a detailed, powerful look at clinical depression and how it played into modern relationships. The show definitely has humor, but its heart shines through so much more because the characters’ problems are so very real. – Alex Ruby

Marvel’s Jessica Jones (Netflix)

The newest entry in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is a dark, almost disturbing show set in the seedy neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen. It marks a drastic shift in tone from the family-friendly Avengers movies with sex scenes, painful violence and psychological breakdowns. Not only is her story unique and compelling, but it features a strong female lead that was previously unheard of in the Marvel universe. She’s wickedly smart, she kicks ass and she has a killer, cynical sense of humor. Jessica Jones also has Marvel’s best villain yet: Kilgrave, a disturbed man with the power to control people’s thoughts and actions. His presence was everywhere, even when he wasn’t on screen. If Marvel’s Netflix shows continue on this track, they’ll definitely turn out better than the movies. – Alex Ruby