Lines of Flight are creative and liberatory escapes from standardization, oppression, and stratification of society. Lines of flight, big or small, are available to us at any time and can lead in any direction. They are instances of thinking and acting ‘outside the box’ with a greater understanding of what the box is, how it works, and how we can break it open and perhaps transform it for the better.
Pigeon post is the use of homing pigeons to carry messages. Pigeons are effective as messengers due to their natural homing abilities.
Martin Wood and Sally Brown write: “a line of flight is essentially a movement of creativity, a practical act or way of living that wards off or inhibits the formation of ‘centres’ and stable powers in favour of continuous free action.”
“It is necessary to confront vague ideas with clear images.” —Jean-Luc Godard, La Chinoise (1967)
It is a radically simple proposition. It opposes the long and tenacious metaphysical tradition that yearns for the ultimate clarity of ideas above and beyond the confusion of words and images. Ideas are supposed to be perfectible in ways that images and words are not, so that “vague ideas” could always be improved by clearer ideas, according to the principles of logic and the procedures of reason. In such a scheme, images remain perpetually inadequate because they are mired in sensuous particularity, while words are only a little better, useful only for labelling categories and pointing toward higher abstractions. Ideas alone provide true knowledge, once they have worked their way free from their visual and verbal trappings. Even for those who don’t believe in perfection, the hierarchy of clarity still rules: people often feel that they know something deep inside that is always better, always higher, than what can be shown or said.
Now, with a single line, Godard overturns that whole system. Few people will object to the demand to confront vagueness with clarity, but quite a few will object to the suggestion that images are better suited than ideas for the task.
A good image makes its particular matter clear: that’s all. My teacher Fredric Jameson once said: as materialists, we don’t have ideas, we have words. When I first heard this, I felt a flash of embarrassment: saying that you don’t have ideas sounds like a terrible failure. Aren’t all thinkers supposed to “have ideas”? Isn’t that their job? But a moment later the embarrassment vanished. What a ridiculous pretense—to say you “have ideas” when all you ever have, all anyone ever has, are words!
Remember to Remember ‘Remember To Remember’ is a celestial, emboldening downtempo cut. Beginning with the timeless line, ‘Pass the information, extend the knowledge…’ Rick dives into a spoken word stream of inspirational black artists and key figures whose most memorable words and song titles are framed into snippets of wisdom that get ever more significant the greater in number they become. A powerful monologue, in Rick’s warm reassuring tones, shining a light on those men and women who have made ‘strong contributions to mankind because of their compassion and humanitarianism, laid over instrumentation you lose yourself in just as easily...
Pass the information Extend the knowledge
John Coltrane said — A Love Supreme I interpret that to, All Living Things Donny Hathaway said — The Ghetto Woody Shaw said — Why? John F. Kennedy said — Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country
Pass the information Extend the knowledge
Martin Luther King said — I have a dream Stevie Wonder said — Innervisions, interpretation, watch with your ears Aretha Franklin said — Respect Barry White said — Love Nina Simone said — To be young, gifted, and black James Brown said — Stay in school Cannonball Adderley said — Sometimes, we are not prepared for adversity, mercy, mercy, mercy Oliver Nelson said — Stolen moments Isley Brothers said — Harvest for the world
I know there can be better days
Pass the information Extend the knowledge
Roger Franklin said — You’ll never know Hubert Law said — Say it with silence Ashley Wilson said — Guess who I saw today Earth, Wind and Fire said — Keep your head to the sky I know there is a force far wiser than I The creator has a master plan From the pen of Leon Thomas and Pharaoh Sanders Alex Haley said — Roots Gerald Wilson said — You better believe it Charlie Parker said — Now's the time, wake up! Billie Holiday said — God bless the child LTD said — Love, togetherness, and devotion Bobby Bland — Soon as the weather breaks Sam Cooke said — You Send Me Roy Ayers said — Believe in yourself Gil Scott Heron said — Winter in America Hugh Masekela said — Grazing in the grass Richard Pryor said — How long?
How long will it take for us to become one? How long will it take for us to become unified? How long will it take us to understand the meaning of understanding? How long will it take us to do what we have to do that’s most important? How long will it take our priorities to oversee? How long is how long it will take us. We must see beyond the eyes. Focus in on the soul. Love.
Wake up! See beyond the eyes Remember the past, and begin with the future
Malcolm X - Muhammad Ali - Marcus Rick Holmes - Miriam Makeba - Richard Pryor Adam Clayton Powell - Martin Luther King - Elijah Muhammad W. E. B. Du Bois - Frederick Douglas - Nat Turner Tom Bradley - Barbara Jordan - Shirley Chisholm Ron Dellums - Andrew Young - Anwar Sadat Clara Holmes - George Washington Carver - Cesar Chavez
Sidney Poitier - Count Basie - Duke Ellington Fats Domino - Art Tatum - Fats Waller Bill Robinson - Eric Dolphy - Rahsaan Roland Kirk Paul Rogan - Stevie Wonder- Minnie Riperton - Louis Armstrong
Remember
All of these people, and more, have made strong contributions to mankind. Because of their compassion and humanitarianism, even with their self identification based around love and unity, peace, these men are now profound and prolific. Factor that.
These men and women have made their great contributions to mankind. We are to pass it on for the next generation We shall never forget
Remember to remember to never forget
How long? How long? How long is how long How long will it take? How long will it take, man? How long will it take for us to come together? It’ll take us as long as you make it
May I prolong your life? Life for you to live and to give, as generations do? Focus
Rick Holmes Rick Holmes hailed from Knoxville, Tennessee. The radio deejay achieved success in the States and the U.K. via a collaboration with Roy Ayers, in 1981, for his 12” single ‘Remember To Remember’ backed with ‘To The Unknowledgeable One’ for the Blue Mink Records imprint. Stateside soul radio listeners will know of Rick’s, Los Angeles based, radio shows for KBCA and KJLH stations.
Born in 1936 to Clara Sams-Holmes and Richard Arthurs Holmes, Sr., Rick spent his early years in Knoxville. He served in the United States Navy, later relocating to Los Angeles. Rick initially worked for the US Postal Service, which enabled him to attend broadcasting school. He became a member of the Holman Methodist Church, and then took up a radio career at KBCA Radio 105.1 FM. Rick’s radio show was entitled ‘Rick's Family Affair’, where he broadcast between 1967 and 1976.
In 1970 Rick married and began broadcasting at KJLH 103.2 FM (a station owned by Stevie Wonder), calling his show ‘Holmes in your Home’. At this time he began a career as a spoken word recording artist, collaborating with Cannonball Adderley on his albums ‘Soul Of The Bible’, ‘Soul Zodiac’ and ‘Love, Sex, And The Zodiac’. On leaving KJLH, Rick returned to Knoxville to spend time with his mother.
Roy Ayers Roy Ayers is a highly popular jazz vibraphonist and vocalist. He reached the peak of his commercial popularity during the mid-70s and early 80's, whilst signed to the Polydor label, his album release ratio becoming quite prolific at various stages. Roy played piano as a child (his father played trombone, his mother taught him the piano) and took an interest in the vibes after the late Lionel Hampton gave him his first vibraphone mallets when he was just five years old. It wasn't until he became a teenager, that he took up the instrument seriously.
He grew up in the South Central area of Los Angeles and attended various schools including Wadsworth Elementary, Nevins Middle School, and Thomas Jefferson High School. The latter institution was the educational school attended by Dexter Gordon amongst other musicians.
At school Roy formed his first group, the Latin Lyrics, and in the early 60's began working professionally with the late flautist / saxophonist Curtis Edward Amy during 1962 (who later played the solo on the Carole King song 'It's Too Late').
When Ayers was asked about Rick Holmes he told a story about how Rick was once fired from his radio position. He mentioned how Rick Holmes smoked a lot of weed, and one night, while playing Miles Davis, he got on air in mid song and said “Miles Davis is a BAAAAD Muthafucka”. He was fired on the spot.
Rick Holmes recorded ‘Remember To Remember’ for Gold Mine Records (based in New York and a subsidiary of Roy Ayers’ Uno Melodic records) in 1981, a song co-penned by Rick and Roy Ayers. Rick’s 12” single is only one of two known 12” singles pressed on the label, the other being a track on Jaymz Bedford entitled ‘Just Keep My Boogie’.