A Single Take Obsession

Brock at Cranberry Lake

I, notably, have a certain obsession with single take recordings. Both in music and in film, I have a fascination with the beautiful and natural flaws that exist in the process of creation. It marvels me how much production goes into removing all the tiny errors that we take for granted in life. I don't always understand why we choose to edit out what our memory already does for us.

I can rarely tell you of a time when watching a concert that the musician flubbed. In fact, when it does happen, I think I like it more and mistake it for the way that the song was meant to be sung or played. In music people use field recordings to enhance an already great song. In film people use the way film burns, slips, and double exposes intentionally as an artistic expression. Isn't it just as beautiful when it happens by mistake?

I love found photographs for the same reason. To see the beautiful mistakes that others unintentionally made. I find these mistakes inspiring. I have a drawer full of photos from found wallets, albums, and ones bought in thrift or antique stores. It is this fascination that led me to seek out and find all these awesome internet sites.

Shoot the Player, La Blogotheque, Black Cab Sessions, They Shoot Music, and Southern Souls are all great websites that document such great convergences of music and film, well video really. I first got hooked on these sites after Arcade Fire played for Vincent Moon in an elevator. The rest I found sometime later. I don't know which came first, but I am glad that the all exist.

Many of these sites show their obvious reference to such great documentarians such as Alan Lomax and John Peel. And maybe even a more obscure reference to Pete Seeger's documenting efforts. Or maybe that is just my obscure reference. Anywho, there are those before us who pioneered the documenting of live performances in their natural locations. I think that Bob Boilen even tosses his hat in the ring with his Tiny Desk Concerts for NPR. Which is probably the closest modern example of the Peel Sessions displayed visually.

I want to give a great example of these awesome websites that all deserve their own time dedicating to exploring, but for now I will just show a favorite. Bill Callahan from his Black Cab Session.