Like Tarantino or Lucas, even William Shakespeare had one of his masterful histories split in two. While the series of usurpers and ruthless behavior is lengthy, the Bard's "Henry IV, Part One," wisely follows the rise of three rebellions sandwiched in between two major battles. The first Lancasterian king is beset with both personal and political problems after seizing the throne from Richard II. As it opens, the king eloquently wonders if he is cursed by fate and if a trip to the Holy Land would act as a quick solution.
However, how can the king and his faction even dream of leaving for a crusade ("our holy purpose to Jerusalem") when his own nephew, Young Harry Percy ("Hotspur"), has joined the Earl of Worcester's cabal, and his own son, Hal, the Prince of Wales, is forming his own ragtag but effective coterie. In a unique writing choice, Shakespeare switches from free-verse near-heroic couplets to a more conversational prose as a means of balancing the numerous forces at work. Because of this, we must dig into the formality of the poetic pronouncements of the king to remedy the blood-soaked battles far away from the crown.
As the play opens, we find the king troubled, seemingly out of control of the throne's distant affairs. His speech seems riddled with mistrust ("Those opposed eyes, which, like the meteors of a troubled heaven") and distracted — but not consumed by — unrest (his recounting of the battle and prisoners taken by Hotspur is met with a trailing question: "And is not this an honorable spoil? A gallant prize?") In some faraway dank corner of England, Prince Hal trades barbs playfully with his foil (and the comic relief here), Falstaff; the two exchange good-natured ribbing about Hal's Rumspringa-like time away from the perils of home. Yet, for as much as Hal is enamored with the bellicose and jocular Falstaff (and vice versa), Poins and he have their own plot to subvert his vision of being on the side of the good, honest thieves.
Between a set of negotiations (both increasingly tenuous), Shakespeare employs his usual double-sided wordplay using "cozens" and its derivatives to both imply familiar connection and use them as synonyms for both cheating and doing business with the Devil. In his hands, the brewing hate of Hotspur makes the character's use of the king's original name, Bolingbroke, sound like an expletive. In addition, Shakespeare regularly inserts multiple words (the plotting Earl of Worcester excites Hotspur's love of battle, saying, "To save our heads by raising of a head" in reference to an army) to make his characters smart and somewhat manipulative.
However, the important part of any subplot here is that the character targeted never sees the twist coming. So why not scheme right in front of the mark and let them be in on the effrontery? The king demands Hotspur return all the prisoners, but that he will pay no ransom for Hotspur's brother-in-law, the Earl of Mortimer. Hotspur is deeply offended by this directive until the Earl of Worcester informs him that Mortimer is the natural heir to the crown. (In fact, the one prisoner Hotspur is "allowed" to keep in Mordake, the Earl of Fife, is also of royal blood — therefore off limits.) Thankfully, an easier-to-digest nested plot is demonstrated by a planned high-road robbery by Falstaff and his crew. Wherever Prince Hal can eschew involvement in such a crime, he does so with words and brilliant forethought. However, it is their mate Poins who wishes to prank Falstaff and thus keep Hal safe from the gallows. In a well-constructed contortion, they hide Falstaff's horse, knocking him off his big-talking game. Then, when the actual robbery happens, Poins and Hal appear masked to rob the robbers. Falstaff is only able to register a "blow or two" and then flees the scene without the spoils of his labor.
In due time, Shakespeare will draw the lines as to who is truly heroic and who will be scattered among the footnotes in the pages of history. In its complicated setup, Shakespeare hides his deeply-knit plotting in one set of lines from the smart but increasingly deceptive Earl of Worcester.
For, bear ourselves as even (carefully) as we can,
The King will always think him (self) in our debt,
And think we think ourselves unsatisfied
Till he hath found a time to pay us home.
—
Mik Davis is the record store manager at T-Bones Records & Cafe in Hattiesburg.
New music this week by Mik Davis at T-Bones Records
MK.GEE - Two Star and The Dream Police [GREEN LP/CD](Many Hats) • Released on its own back in February, this guitarist/singer/songwriter has used a block of these tracks, driven by fan support, to steer this small release into the collective consciousness. After months of listening to cuts like "Alesis," "I Want," and "Are You Looking Up," its magnetic pull still defies description. His newest single "ROCKMAN" (not on here) finally exposes the similarities to mid-tempo Police. However, there is something mysterious about how Mk.gee mixes his vocals at nearly the same level as his guitar twirls (which have recently earned fans in both John Mayer and Eric Clapton). While some could classify it as "sadboi" music, spin "Are You Looking Up" a few times and it is impossible not to hear the optimism beaming through the wail of dissatisfaction. Even when crestfallen on the beautiful "I Want," its sweet '80s sheen (a la Paul Young or even Sade) makes it overtly romantic. Mk.gee's muffled vocals and elegantly picked guitar work occupy the middle ground on this stellar album allowing the minimum of added sound (or his backing vocals) to paint even the greyest cloud with a silver lining. In summary, this is the sound of the future.
BUBBLE TEA AND CIGARETTES - We Should've Killed Each Other [LP](Lauren) • With their whispery voice (female, this time) and the elegance of their slow, unwinding afterburn of love songs ("Swallowtail Butterfly"), Bubble Tea sounds a lot like another very popular group with Cigarettes in their name. Nonetheless, they have a wealth of good ideas about making spacious, romantic gentle rock of their own. Following in the path of Mazzy Star, "French Movie" is a standout with its opening theme and pillowy confessions.
WIDESPREAD PANIC - Hailbound Train [LP](Widespread/ThinkIndie) • While their second album of 2024 may seem slight (just five songs, two covers), "Hailbound" does well to follow the trail led by "Snake Oil King." Songs do not sound refined, but at least feature all the moving parts in the right places. "Blue Carousel" benefits from a Dead-like guitar filigree and neat solo. Longtime favorite "Halloween Face" closes the album after Widespread cover Warren Zevon and Bloodkin.
REISSUES OF THE WEEK
TALKING HEADS - '77 [2LP/DLX LP](Sire/Rhino) • After a couple of years as a trio that included cutting demos (which are finally included in the Deluxe package), Talking Heads leaped from the small stage at CBGB's to the world as a nervous, jangly alternative to pop, punk, and rock. Defying classification, these talented art students mixed their love of minimalist funk ideas with lyrics that sounded like collegiate successes struggling in the gritty post-Watergate world. David Byrne's hiccuping vocals could have been the most punk aspect if he did not possess such a great ear for hooks. "Love --> Building On Fire" and "The Book I Read" are still "intelligent writing," however with the band, they manage to feel foreign and danceable. This bit of resembling music from some other world (and again, not belonging to a category) made those who listened sit up and pay attention. Once it spread outside of the urban arts scene and cognoscenti, their more "American" tales of suburban wonder ("Don't Worry About The Government") and even simple dancefloor exercises ("Pulled Up") proved that the Talking Heads were about to play well everywhere.
NEIL YOUNG - On The Beach 50th ANN [LP](Reprise) • 1974's "On The Beach" was Neil Young's announcement to America that he was about to get real. On the painful 1973 tour after losing guitarist Danny Whitten to a drug overdose, Young recorded a handful of bleak, drunken songs that even the label found to be too raw and too dark. So Young shelved it and went to Los Angeles to try again. The rejection of his record and grief turning into a world-weary view of post-Watergate America makes "On The Beach" a real event record for Young. "Walk On" was his best rock single in years, while "For the Turnstiles" cooled the instrumentation but maintained the fire. Even the barbs tossed at him by fellow L.A. burnouts ("Vampire Blues"), critics ("Ambulance Blues") and Lynyrd Skynyrd were fuel for Young's fiery guitar-laden slow burn. Over the nearly seven minutes of the title track, it is still hard to tell whether Young knows what is coming next and does not care. Classic.
MILES DAVIS - Miles in France 1963/1964 [2LP](Legacy) • This special "Bootleg Series" recording gets you REALLY close to how it must have sounded to hear Miles' famous First Quintet live. Miles blows HARD with lightning runs through "So What" and several other well-known standards. However, hearing him retreat from the mic and blend with the oblique stop-time chording of Herbie Hancock is a feature rarely captured during this period. In fact, while the rhythm work of bassist Ron Carter tends to disappear first, the separation of these classic players makes it a must to hear how they correspond to each other.
HAWKWIND - Doremi Fasol Latido [3CDS+ 2BR BOX](Atomhenge/Cherry Red) • 1972 was the year that Hawkwind finally broke through. After years of kicking around Ladbroke Grove, the promise of a mind-altering live show led to a famous February 1972 live recording ("Greasy Truckers Party") spawning a #3 hit with "Silver Machine" in the Summer of Glam. Newly invigorated and having tasted success, Hawkwind hit the studio with a fury in September. Nik Turner's "Brainstorm" opens the album, before the layering of effects starts to blend the tracks together into a druggy haze (especially Del Dettmar's intro to "One Change"). As Hawkwind takes off on "Lord of Light," they unveil another lengthy suite ("Time We Left This World Today") thus leaving Lemmy to turn on the afterburners for parts unknown on the fuzzy closer "The Watcher." If a new stereo mix in 5.1 was not enough to draw you into space rock travel, among the extra tracks they include the amazing single "Urban Guerilla" from when Robert Calvert joined. The single was banned by the BBC and is yet another pillar in the evolution of these classic purveyors of space rock.
