Hammers Of The Gods

Last night I was witness to an amazing thunderstorm in Central Park. It was flashy and loud, and my dog, who as a Southern California-raised girl is used to such qualities, but not in weather, didn't like it one bit.

Lightning forks lit up the sky, so powerful and clearly etched that it looked like Zeus and Thor were having a throwing contest, and it made me think of songs about thunder and lightning, including:

• "Thunder Road," by Bruce Springsteen;
• "Knock on Wood," by Sam and Dave ('It's like thunder, lightning - the way you love me is frightening");
• "You Love The Thunder" by Jackson Browne;
• "Riders on the Storm" by The Doors (if that's playing on classic rock radio, you know it's raining);
• "Chain Lightning," by Steely Dan

And a list like this wouldn't be complete with the thunderously heartbreaking Johnny Thunders:

Iron Man Is "Institutionalized"

I really loved Iron Man, one of the better superhero movies ever. Great performances by Robert Downey, Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Palrow and Terence Howard (and the best robot team since R2D2 and C3PO) and strong direction by Jon Favreau give life to a smart, action-packed script.

Music plays an important part in the movie, including the accidental destruction of a Bluthner piano, which horrified me more than the subsequent pulverizing of a mint-condition Lotus (and, in a production that features blatant product placement throughout, made me wonder, why not Fazioli or Bosendorfer?).

The song choices by music supervisor Dave Jordan, also responsible for Transformers and The Fast and the Furious, were excellent, especially Suicidal Tendencies' hardcore plaint "Institutionalized," used perfectly to express our hero's angst. (Yes, that is indie-film superstar Mary Woronov as the mom in the original video below.)



Wired's Listening Post blog has an excellent rundown of various kinds of Iron Man music, past and present. Who knew the Cardigans covered Black Sabbath?