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March 23, 2005

it’s a miracle i saw you passing through

Today I got in the mail the Toulouse record which have topped my wish list and ebay searches for years, “The way the city stretches”. I would add a few biographical notes about Toulouse and their great concept-album but my readers have heard me tell this one before!

Probably the long wait was key, but right now I can’t think of any 5$ that ever bought me such joy. I like the blue prints on the carboard, and the undoubtedly lovelier sound of a needle on a slow-spinning vinyl! (my turntable is almost shot). The tincan ringing of the mp3s I used to listen to has reveal itself vintage, but it just sounds many degrees warmer.

At first I was heartbroken to not find a lyrics booklet, even though I often end up disappointed, but then I found instead a note for each song :

- one a.m.
the city built on stilts is not such a terrible idea…here, one can survey the motorways below from a safe vantage point above.

-know better
the city built on inaction must be provided with the impetus to act.

-chant marigot
the city built on the sea sways softly…its youth lament the tragic ends of their past amorous adventures.

-sadness will persist
the city built on rubble must certainly fall to the ground. its foundations are far too fragile.

-and the connections
the city built on concrete, glass, and cars is a never-ending squalor of sights and sounds. one must find a guide if one is to avoid becoming lost in its byzantine mass.

-memory is nothing
the city built on dreams must never turn to memory as a crutch. its motels and airports are filled with misguided travelers.

-never said
the city built on springs is a wonderful contraption. watch as it bounces and moves about.

—-

I guess many people could find the record dated but it still sounds intemporal to me. Like finding myself at intersections, chosing this or that path, without always thinking about which part of me finds it beneficial, and what do I lose in the trade. I seldom seem to make the wiser choices, and the melancholy of these songs just proves me right. It reminds me of the dilemma at the heart of architecture, or music, and of the way Toulouse failed to make a second good album (well there’s always Vitesse I guess!)

“As urban designers, we must consider every denizen of the city. How does each city-dweller view his/her environment, and how do these perceptions affect his/her daily enjoyment of the city? A stockbroker who goes to work at nine and returns home at five certainly appreciates the steady flow of traffic afforded by broad streets. However, we must not forget the youth of our cities. They sneak out all night, play like spies. They enjoy running down streets and hiding far from sight, and as such, they would presumably prefer narrow, nameless streets.”
Venturi, Robert, Complexity and contradiction in architecture, 1966

Posted by nathalie at March 23, 2005 8:59 PM

Comments

i only have this on an mp3 cd you made me! i’d like to hack the freeway status signs in houston and make them display SADNESS WILL PERSIST during rush hour.

Posted by: chris on March 23, 2005 9:36 PM