Thursday, June 25, 2009

flying + RIP Sky Saxon and Farrah Fawcett

I just watched the achingly beautiful Werner Herzog's "The Great Ecstacy of the Sculptor Steiner" his 1974 documentary about Walter Steiner, a champion at ski-flying. Walter had to pressure the officials to keep shortening the ramp, or starting a section or two lower than everyone else, not out of brio or hubris, but because he simply flew farther than anyone else, sailing past the measurements and markers. I have no desire to ski-fly or even ski myself, but I could watch the slow motion footage of them sailing through the air all day.



And while I was watching it, news came in that Sky Saxon of the Seeds passed away. "Pushin' Too Hard" has been in my head since I first heard in the mid 70s, in a TV commercial for a K-Tel garage rock compilation that ran during episodes of Speed Racer. The following video is not that commercial, but something far, far better



And Farrah Fawcett! She was in the mind of everyone in the mid 70s as well. I'll let Telly tell ya.



[Ed to add] Michael Jackson died that evening as well.

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