Happy New Year, everyone!
Apologies for the delay in posting this, but I’m still in holiday mode.
Anyway – now we are set for the next rollercoaster year, what have you been listening to / reading / watching / enjoying in the last month ? Please gather round and share
Kid Dynamite says
READING
Working my way through the Bruce book, which was a Christmas present. It’s quite enjoyable, but I’m getting most out of it by mentally cross referencing to the other Bruce biographies I’ve read. He’s only just started Steel Mill at the moment, so plenty to come. I also read The World Of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig, which is a terrific memoir of life in Vienna and elsewhere in Europe in the early part of the twentieth century. It pushed all my Mitteleuropa buttons, and I recommend it to all those AWers who enjoyed Patrick Leigh Fermor’s big walk.
WATCHING
Seen Rogue One three times now. I think it may well be my favourite Star Wars film. Yes, it’s flawed, but so are the others, even (especially) the original Holy Trilogy. The third act is some of the best Star Wars ever, and has some top quality Star Destroyer porn. I also saw Eye In The Sky, which I am a bit conflicted about. It’s very dramatic and thought provoking (what would you do?), but a few things didn’t ring true. I didn’t really buy the emotional involvement of Aaron Paul and his co pilot, and where was the Kenyan government in all the legal discussions? Still well worth watching, though, if only for Alan Rickman’s final performance, which was, of course, excellent. But the big watching news in January is that I have finally succumbed to Netflix. I went straight to Stranger Things, which really is as good as everyone says it is. It’s perfectly designed to hit those 80s genre retro buttons, and I am an only too willing accomplice.
LISTENING
Mostly Afghan Whigs bootlegs via allbootsdulli.com, but also Ott’s ‘Mir’ album, which is some great squelchy psybient stuff. Bristol’s own Milo’s Planes make a big thing of being influenced by Wire and Fugazi. Obviously they’re not in that league, but their ‘Delivering Business Success’ album is the best punky guitar noise record I’ve heard for a while. This month’s obscure Japanese band was TAMTAM, whose ‘Newpoesy” album I liked quite a bit. There are trace elements of dub and jazz, but mostly it’s just polished pop music. I think it could be a grower.
GAMING
Oh lordy, I’ve started Skyrim again. See you in a year or two.
Bingo Little says
We saw exactly the same Star Wars movie, exactly the same number of times. So good.
Friar says
Me too!
Kid Dynamite says
I should also have mentioned the new Run The Jewels album. I didn’t really like the last one, but after a few spins* I’m digging this one a lot more.
*spins? Bloody hell Grandad, what are you talking about? Even my digital copy isn’t on a hard drive these days
Neilo says
READING
Finishing Roger Scruton’s How To Be A Conservative (not as frightening as it sounds) and starting on Simon ‘Geebag’ Montefiore’s doorstopper The Romanovs
WATCHING
The Witch was last film seen on small screen: quite disturbing but brilliant soundtrack and performances
LISTENING
Dipping toe in the waters of Yes: mixed results but not without its pleasures. Enjoying Beulah by John Paul White. Loving the Skylarking remaster as well. Getting back into modern R+B after a lengthy trial separation: Blood Orange, Miguel, Nao and Frank Ocean are easing the transition. Trying to climb out of my comfort zone of Britfunk/acid jazz/AWB/EWF/Steely Dan but I will never lose the smooth!
Locust says
The trouble with December is that almost everything revolves around the upcoming Christmas, most of the money goes towards gifts and food, and you don’t have the time to sit down and read a book…but here’s the very short list (well, it is after all my list, so perhaps not that short):
Read:
No. Didn’t open a single book last month. Lots of magazines, and cookery books while planning the holiday menus.
Seen:
The Swedish TV advent calendar – a drama series for kids of all ages. OK, but not a future classic.
Juicebaren (“The Juice Bar”) – short comedy/drama series about a bunch of hipster friends that was better than expected IMO (not that my expectations were high).
Amy – I liked it, but not as much as my old dad, who discovered her for the first time through this documentary and fell in love with her voice. I had to make him a mix-CD.
Plus plenty of first ten minutes of shows of different kinds before deciding that life’s too short. (And then having to turn the tracking off and on again on the SVT site to erase them from the list…)
Christmas films a-plenty. Good ones, bad ones, preposterous ones – the worse the better! 🙂
Heard:
Martha Wainwright is a favourite of mine, but her latest album Goodnight City is too patchy for my liking, and not enough highlights. But when she’s good, she’s great.
Pet(er) Doherty’s Hamburg Demonstrations is full of chaotic charm – the kind you don’t want in your livingroom but find quite endearing on stage and record… It’s more of the same (quite literally at times) but no complaints if you like his particular flavour (I suspect I’m quite alone on the AW to enjoy Mr Doherty however…)
I was quite disappointed with the new album from Madness, some of the tracks have grown slightly over listenings, but it all sounds a bit tired and pointless to my ears. Maybe I’m just not in the mood for this sort of thing at the moment.
After the praise it’s been receiving here (in Sweden), I tried getting into the latest (final?) album from Swedish soulful pop crooner Peter LeMarc. It’s all about his wife’s fight against cancer – and his own previous to that – and the lyrics are very personal and moving. Problem is that I don’t like his tunes that much. And his voice isn’t as good as it used to be either. I don’t think I’ll reach for it again any time soon. Best of luck and good health, but no, this album’s not for me.
Both Frida Hyvönen and The Radio Dept. made my Best of 2016 list with their strong albums late in the year. Out of the two of them, Kvinnor och Barn by FH is the better one, but it’s in Swedish and the lyrics are more important than the music on this one. Short stories, personal, heartbreaking. The description of an abusive relationship unfolding over several tracks is very chilling and moving.
Running Out of Love by The Radio Dept. is sung in English, but good luck trying to hear all of the lyrics…the singer is famous for mumbling most of the time, but it doesn’t really matter. What you do hear, together with the music, is enough to put a smile on your face and a spring in your dance step.
And I’ve been delving into the quite wonderful Marc Almond CD box Trials of Eyeliner – The Anthology 1979/2016…there’s too much of it to say anything definitive about it yet, but I’m absolutely loving exploring it. There are issues (at least for us die-hard fans), several things could have been done differently, but at the same time any time spent listening to his music will put you in such a good mood that you can’t stay disappointed for long…
Someone (who thinks I have strange tastes in music, I suppose) recommended the Xylouris White album Black Peak to me, but holy moly…I’m finding it very tough going indeed. I can see how they thought it would be for me, but no; not quite my cup of tea. One track, fine. Almost enjoyable, even. Listen to the album all the way through? If I wanted a headache I’d rather get drunk!
AOB:
Apart from the holidays (which were great), not much. I saw the Tove Jansson exhibition with my sister. I’ve been keeping busy going to the many building-sites in Stockholm to take photographs (my specialist subject, photo-wise). I’m already having panic attacks about getting the flat in tip-top shape for my big 50th birthday bash in August…when you’re a champion procrastinator, it’s never too early to fret about it, and never too late to start doing the actual work! 😀
Kid Dynamite says
I had a similar response to the Xylouris White album. When it started, I was really into it. By the time it finished I had vowed never to listen to it again.
Locust says
I believe that even tigger would break the six-listen rule for this album…but yes, it has its moments if you listen to a track a day!
retropath2 says
I think that can sum up a lot of modern music. I bought it on the strength of the Mojo/Unshod featured track: it reminded me of a greek Ukrainians, if you will. I liked it, but had to skip the last track and it will only be thru random I choose it again.
davebigpicture says
I don’t know how much BBC content turns up in Sweden but there was a good documentary about Tove Jansson last year, sadly not available on iPlayer at the moment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pgrk2
Locust says
Thanks, I’ve seen quite a few, though perhaps not that one if it was made by the BBC.
But I’ve read a few biographies as well as the large volume of her letters that came out (here, at least) in 2015, plus bits and bobs about her in other books.
I’d say it’s quite difficult to stay away from all things Tove Jansson if you live in Sweden or Finland!
Gary says
You’re not alone in enjoying Pete Doherty’s musical ramblings, Locust. Listening to the album on Spotify now. First impressions are positive.
sjmaynard says
Reading
Just finished All the light we cannot see by William Doerr, it was well reviewed and I really enjoyed it despite it not being the type of book I usually enjoy. After a barren fiction period this has rekindled my faith somewhat so if anyone has any good ideas – I prefer what is laughingly called literary fiction (what else is there?) primarily because i am a little pretentious but also because i still like to think when i’m reading.
Watching
off the back of watching 366 films in 2016 as a personal challenge my slightly jaded palate really enjoyed Darak (The Fool) a Russian a film which is very dark but really very good if you like your films as real as films can be. That and Le Famille belier which is laugh out loud funny and extremely touching.
NEW Christmas TV was all about Screen Wipe and Cunk on Christmas the rest was dross.
Listening
end of 2016 i spent rediscovering Prince’s immense back catalogue. Current favourite is Musicology which suffers solely because of “the purple patch (yep, i went there…)” between 1999 and Diamond and Pearls. Would have been a career high for many artists but probably only 6th in my personal Prince album top ten.
Otherwise end of year lists this year i thought were pretty guessable – either i’m reading to support my judgment and don’t see lists outside of that or it was actually quite a bad year for genuinely new artist breakthroughs.
A Van phase has renewed my faith in Poetic Champions compose and No Guru as well so its all been a bit backward looking in the holiday season.
Oh yes and on a retro tip I have had the Soul Jazz Dancehall double CD on hard rotation in the car it is simply magnificent throughout and from a time when it seemed like Here I come by Barrington Levy was the greatest single ever made (it is).
Dodger Lane says
Two book suggestions for you.
The Sympathiser – Viet Thanh Nguyen
A whole life – Robert Seethaler.
sjmaynard says
Thanks, will report back.
sjmaynard says
Hi,
Thanks again for the recommendations, just finished the Seethaler and really enjoyed it. Faith in fiction renewed. Now moving on to Sympathiser via Absolute Beginners.
retropath2 says
Like many I found my listening led by others, namely the others who voted in the 2016 albums. Some I didn’t manage until after the shutters came down, like Angel Olson’s My Woman, which came on all post-punky and delightful, before petering out as she tried to add contrast by way of slower songs. On Horseback, by Deadringers, or perhaps the other way round, I had high hopes, for it coming over all twangy kosmiscsche, Canexico, if you will. Much of it was fine, other bits pointless babble.
On other tangents, despite instructions, I got a little Xmas music, namely the polish jazz rock of Nigel Kennedy in 1995, Kafka. Probably the most listened was Bombay Jazz Orchestra’s eponymous, which had a refreshingly low percentage of sitars and some rather jolly re-mixes.
Christmas telly was awful, tho’ Delicious, with Dawn French is entertaining as it goes. Didn’t much rate the Inside No. 9 special, The devil at Christmas, even if it was better than most else.
Sewer Robot says
Was wondering what others thought of Inside No 9 as I was underwhelmed (and it was quite similar to an earlier one).
At the bit where Jessica Raine was tied to a bed yelling “ravish me”, I thought I must have put my “letter of suggestions to the BBC Head Of Comedy” and my letter to Santa in the wrong envelopes..
Dodger Lane says
Listened to: A lot of stuff that I caught up with months later, thanks to the good judgement of fellow bloggers. Top listens have been the Trio reissue (not something I would normally listen to, but it’s really rather wonderful), Van’s it’s too late to stop now and Look Park (which will keep me going until the next Fountains of Wayne album). Also dug out Quo’s Twelve Gold Bars and played Caroline and Paper Plane over and over again.
Watched: Films which everybody has probably seen, gifted by family – Grand Budapest Family (I had been nagged for years to see this and it really is as wonderful as everybody has said – visually, great fun and moving) and Lady in the van. On telly, Witness for the prosecution was good but nowhere near as good as the film.
Read: Robert Harris’s Conclave. Hadn’t read anything by him for years and this is good, didn’t seem very auspicious – a papal conclave but it’s a very good and surprising read. Camilleri’s latest – A voice in the night – he never disappoints, and 1956 by Simon Hall, and we thought 2016 was interesting.
AOB: Now going to try to get into work on the tube. Really don’t like working from home. Finally, had to invest in a new cd player, fed up with cds jumping about all over the place, Cambridge Audio in case you’re interested and all good.
Hawkfall says
Read
I’ve just re-read Thomas Frank’s “What’s the Matter With Kansas?”, a book from 2004 that describes how the Republicans had been successful in traditional Democrat strongholds by fighting on cultural (e.g. abortion) rather than economic issues. I’m currently reading his 2016 book “Listen Liberal” which is very critical of the Democrats for ignoring inequality and abandoning their core base and trying to appeal to professionals, thinking in the expectation that their base wouldn’t go over to the republicans. Hmmm.
I’m enjoying reading comics again after reading Ed Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree, so I’ve just started reading Harrow County, which is a very different kettle of fish, being a Southern gothic Horror story. Pretty good so far.
Watched
I’ve started watching Hip Hop Evolution on Netflix, made by the same production company that made Metal Evolution a few years back. The first coupe of episodes have been good, the highlight being Grandmaster Flash showing how he would mark his records to enable him to loop breaks back in the day.
Heard
I’ve been listening to a lot of Sergio Mendes stuff. I like how his stuff gets vaguely hippyish as the 70s come along and how well his music goes with that early 70s vibe.
Leicester Bangs says
READING
For Christmas I was given David Hepworth’s ‘1971’, which I enjoyed, but not as much as I expected. He seemed to state his case more effectively in the publicity surrounding the book than in the book itself, which emerged as a kind of month-by-month guide to some fun stuff happening that year. I wanted more opinion, soapbox rhetoric and fresh angles on old saws. But if this stuff was there then it was somewhat crowded out by tedious longeurs like a detailed account of Mick Jagger’s wedding. Despite a pledge to read more fiction, I moved onto Ben Westhoff’s ‘Original Gangstas’, which is a new book in the ‘Have Gun Will Travel’ vein, aiming to lift the lid on NWA, Dr Dre-Death Row, Tupac, Biggie etc. Decent so far.
LISTENING
Catching up on things that cropped up in AOTY lists, I’ve been listening to ‘1992’ by The Game, which is very good indeed, and has had me revisiting ‘The Documentary’, only to find it even better than I remembered. Check it, headz. Also on a hip hop tip, Pete Rock’s new album, the new one by Deacon the Villain from Cunninlynguists and Goon Bap by the ever-reliable Snowgoons. Now the kids are back at school I should be able to give this lot a better listen. Away from beats I’ve been enjoying the the remaster of ‘Album’ by Public Image Limited, which includes a rambunctious and ill-tempered Live At Brixton CD. John very riled by people spitting. People keep spitting. A combination of drink and idle moments meant that I ordered too many CDs over the break so I’ve lots of stuff to catch up on.
WATCHING
‘The Revenant’, great, ’13 Hours’, great, ‘Westworld’, great. Everything else not so great.
nogbad says
Red – Bill Brewster’s Dodgers, US crimey thing which explores the relationship between two teenage drug salaspersons against a backdrop of a USA which doesn’t fully understand what is has become.
Ploughing thru’ Giles Tremlett’s Ghosts of Spain to help me understand more about the place as I plan to spend a few months of each year based in Valencia.
Herd – lots of Darren Hayman, plenty of The Shazam
Sore – still enjoying The Affair, which seems to rely less on brutal violence, although not short on legovering, but focuses on charcater perceptions of what’s happening to them.
Started again to watch Silent Witness, which seems to be one of the few things that Nog Junior IV can stand to watch besides Instagrunt and so now constitutes faaaamily viewing.
Gigs looming are basically 1985 re-visited, Blue Aeroplanes, Julian Cope, but also Michael Kiwanuka and the Lemon Twigs .
All marvellous !
Getthenet says
And what do you think of Darren Hayman’s new (ish) stuff ?
Sewer Robot says
Seen:
I used my free time during the holidays to catch up on some TV recommendations. National Treasure was pretty good as was The Night Manager. In light of remarks made earlier about Happy Valley series 2 (which I’ve not yet seen) it did seem seem the female characters in TNM were there to be abused with the exception of Olivia Colman’s character whose sex was, I gather, changed from the source material. I thought maybe it was “of its time”, but then discovered that the novel was written in 1993.
Colman, Walters and Coltrane were predictably great and I must confess I hadn’t previously appreciated just how handsome Tom Hiddlestone is. Yowsah!
Filmwise, Central Intelligence and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping provided some chuckles. The former is odd couple chemistry between The Rock and Kevin Hart, the latter is a Tap-style comedy music documentary which nonetheless has its moments:
https://youtu.be/10inOO3kfOQ
On a more serious note, the documentary 13th (available on Netflix) joins the dots between slavery in the U.S.A., the subsequent Jim Crow laws, the fate of sixties Civil Rights leaders and the makeup of the U.S. prison population today – perhaps most eye watering is how plea bargaining and being branded as a criminal for life is the preferable option for someone charged with a serious offence.
But, best of all was the Korean Zombies-on-a-train flick Train To Busan, which is a fantastically efficient thrill ride. It also features this peach of dialogue (which, it occurs, may be a mistranslation and I quote from memory)
Child: I think there’s a zombie on the train
Patronising businessman: Don’t be silly, there are no zombies nowadays..
Heard:
I treated myself to Island’s dirt cheap Dub double cd comp. it’s alright, but it’s had me digging out all the other Dub stuff in the house and playing it very loudly through proper speakers, which is something I don’t usually do.
Exploring other people’s lists of 2016 faves, I’ve been fascinated by Of Desire by TheKVB. It has always seemed extraordinary that New Order progressed from the hesitant mumbling of Movement in 1981 to the know-it-all swagger of Temptation 82, Your Silent Face 83, Thieves Like Us 84 and Perfect Kiss 85. It was as if they popped off to another dimension and recorded developmental records at the end of 81 before returning fully formed. Well, Of Desire is the demos from that parallel dimension album – it’s more interesting than it is good, but the extent to which it fits my fanciful thesis is uncanny.
It seems every year there’s an album which I vote for in the AW poll which no-one else mentions. This year it was HEAVN by Jamila Woods. Lately I’ve been fixating on a particular track called Breadcrumbs which has a resonance as we’ve watched the progression of Dementia in our Mum.
(Actually, I spent a couple of days in a very busy A&E ward last week and it occurrred to me listening to all the machines bleeping and whirring above the background bustle, that 75 minutes of this chaos, cut up into tracks, would probably make the album of the year shortlist for some of the posters on here!)
Read: Alas, I’ve skimmed through or started loads of Santa’s swag, but made serious inroads into none of them..
Kid Dynamite says
I really enjoyed Train To Busan. Thought it set up and handled its characters really well, so you were actually rooting for them instead of just eagerly awaiting chomping time.
Marwood says
Train to Busan is great. I’s hard to find anything original in zombie film, but this did. Great set pieces, really engaging character and a strangely bitter / sweet finale.
Sewer Robot says
All true. Interesting Mr M that your description just as neatly fits Britfilm The Girl With All The Gifts. And, like Busan, TGWATG has at its centre a fantastic performance by a very talented young girl..
Gary says
Totally agree. Marwood’s post is exactly how I would describe TGWATG.
Rigid Digit says
Read:
Sex Pistols biographies – The Inside Story (Fred and Judy Vermorel), Young Flesh Required (Alan Parker and Mick O’Shea) and I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol (Glen Matlock).
All cover similar ground/similar stories (well they would wouldn’t they) – the Glen Matlock bio is the best of this lot, because he was in the middle of it all. No moaning, slagging off, and no big headedness.
Paul Du Noyers Conversations With McCartney on the go – seems a little lightweight historically, but informative and entertaining (and direct from the mouth). So no complaints there.
Seen:
Oasis – Supersonic. If you like Oasis, it is definitely worth watching. If you don’t, then it may still be of interest.
Still not yet seen Beatles Eight Days A Week, despite it sitting next to the DVD Player.
Charlie Brookers Screenwipe and Philomena Cunk on Christmas were probably the memorable highlights of Holiday TV (Hootenany failed to deliver … again!)
Heard:
John Otway – Cheryls Going Home (A Rock Opera) – saw him live before Christmas and just had to buy a CD from the Merch stand.
Mad, surreal, plain silly – but brilliantly delivered. A “Great Forgotten Album”?
Also saw Dead Men Walking (Acoustic show featuring Jake Burns (SLF), Seggs, Ruffy (Ruts) and Kirk Brandon (Theatre Of Hate / Spear Of Destiny).
Forgot how good The Ruts were, so spent a few days re-acquainting myself.
Completed the Bowie CD catalogue at Christmas – how could I have got this far in life without realising how good Station To Station is?
Brian Eno – Reflection sitting on the CD Player awaiting an hour of undivided attention
Baron Harkonnen says
I always liked John Otway`s version of `Cheryl`s Going Home` and in doing so have incured a bill for over £30* on JO`s site becuase of you Mr @rigid-digit!
*I ordered his new album `box set` along with The CD you spoke of. John Otway truly is a National Treasure and a raving lunatic rolled into one.
SteveT says
What a month – my Dad passed on 22nd December so the music I listened to after that day was on the melancholic side so apologies in advance for that:-
HEARD: Olafur Arnalds – Island songs. If I had heard that before the end of year polls were in it would be in my top 10. Absolutely beautiful music – dreamy music that perfectly evokes Icelandic landscapes and frozen tundra. Has a dreamlike quality and was a big help to me in the dark days around Christmas. Also Ibrahim Maalouf a fabulous trumpeter I heard on 6music – I jumped in head first with the purchase of 2 cds – Wind and Kalthoum. Both excellent but like the Eastern sounds of Kalthoum more.
@Pencilsqueezer recommended Silver Tears by Aaron Lee Tasjan and I am glad he did because it is top notch.
Also in the month I got a splendid James Booker collection Classified which I have been enjoying a lot.
SEEN: Family in December were very good and Roger Chapman in fine voice. Was a bit miffed that they treated My Friend the Sun in a slapdash way because it is a very fine song.
On the TV screen I finally caught up with the Eagles documentary which was very interesting and captivating too. The level of acrimony is frankly astounding.
I also saw Whiplash which I had wanted to see at the Cinema but missed upon release. It was very intense but riveting.
On the big screen I saw Sully: Miracle on the Hudson which was marvellous – a great performance by Tom Hanks and if the story is completely true to events that took place then it is a scandal that they tried to stitch up a top pilot who saved 155 lives. I was so taken by the story that I have bought Sully’s autobiography to see if it differs from the film.
READ; Thirteen Ways of looking by Colum McCann. The title story is a Novella and extremely well written. Very rhythmic prose and a fascinating guessing game about a murder on a New York Street and how the suspects are picked and then eliminated. Very appealing writer and the remaining short stories have the same quality.
Just about to start on the Springsteen book but given the speed in which I am currently reading I doubt it will be finished by the time next months blogger takeover comes round.
Gary says
I’m surprised you liked Sully. I’m surprised anyone liked Sully. Rarely have I found a film so dull.
jockblue says
There was an interview with Tom Hanks on Wittertainment where he admitted that the film’s portrayal of the authorities trying to discredit Sully for his work in saving the plane and passengers was mainly dramatic effect, as without a follow-up story, the film would have lasted only about 20 minutes. So, in real-life the witch-hunt didn’t happen.
SteveT says
Hi @Jockblue that’s exactly why I have bought the Sully autobiography so that I could see exactly what happened.
Baron Harkonnen says
Seconded re: Silver Tears by Aaron Lee Tasjan @stevet and like you thanks to @pencilaqueezer for the tip. A great Americana Album, come back tiggs, I don`t know anything about ALT but he`s bloody good.
SteveT says
Each to their own I guess. At the hearing when they confessed that there were 17 simulations to get the plane to successfully land at Newark I thought was both astonishing and also pretty tense. I think Clint Eastwood directed the film well.
Johnny Concheroo says
I enjoyed Sully, too. It was an amazing story, well told.
Native says
Reading
Swiftly read Tim Burgess’ book about vinyl and record shops; Tim Book Two; Vinyl Adventures from Istanbul to San Francisco. Really enjoyed it, and it prompted me to check out a few records I’d missed before, including ‘Sandinista!’ by The Clash and ‘The Durutti Column’ by Vini Reilly – both of which I really like!
The premise is quite simple; Tim asks a number of famous people who he comes in to contact with to recommend him a record. He then tracks the record down as he visits record shops from around the world. Recommendations come from a wide range of folk; Boy George, Johnny Marr, Stephen Morris, Edwyn Collins and Neil Tennant, to name a few.
Started reading Phil Collins’ autobiography. Not sure how far I’ll get with it, but it’s enjoyable enough so far – and actually quite funny in parts.
Listening
An album I’ve discovered from the endless ‘best of 2016’ lists is ‘Houndstooth Harmonics’ by Microfilm. Some amazing, fairly complex soundscapes – it really is a good listen; something different strikes me every time I hear it.
Started my 2017 quest to discover more rap music – spent the last two weeks listening to Mos Def’s 2006 album, ‘True Magic’. It’s ok, but I’m convinced they’ll be better to come from him as I work through his back catalogue.
Watching
Have watched the first two episodes of Sky’s new drama ‘Delicious’. I like Dawn French and Emilia Fox, so had high hopes. Afraid it’s all a bit style over substance though, but I’ll probably persist. Again, Emilia Fox related, enjoying the new series of Silent Witness.
Also watched The 33, the film about the Chilean miners who were trapped for 69 days in 2010. Was a solid enough effort.
Neilo says
Emilia is a dish and has improved greatly as an actor in the last decade or so.
Marwood says
Seen
Rogue One was not a film on my ‘must see’ list; I knew the ending (good guys get the plans), there were stories of troubled production (which can equate to a muddled finished product) and despite the fact I enjoyed The Force Awakens, I have had no real desire to watch it again in the year since. Also, I saw a bit of a trailer during the summer – that line ‘I rebel’ was just groaningly poor.
But…on the other hand, when it was released the reviews were good and one of my mates saw it and urged me to go, saying that it was a ‘brilliant war film.’ With the daughter at her grandparent’s me and the missus ventured warily to the local multiplex and…
Wow. What a film. Exciting, funny, shocking and touching. I came in knowing next to nothing so the cameos were a surprise (uncanny valley, certainly, but also kind of wonderful). Also the general tone took me aback – even as ‘events’ began to escalate I kept thinking ‘This is a Star Wars film, they are bound to wimp out at some point.
Also – we saw this after Carrie Fisher passed away, so amongst all the euphoria, it was quite moving too.
Read
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Stroud. It’s a novel made up of a series of short stories all of which feature the titular character. Sometimes she is front and centre, other times she lurks in the peripheries of the story. As the book continues the reader gradually accumulates a view of a contradictory character – who seems filled with self doubt, empathy and compassion and yet is also distant and angry and strident. It’s a lovely, lovely book and I’m already looking forwards to reading it once again.
Heard
As the year wound down, I found myself listening to Bowie singing ‘I can’t give everything away’ and George Michael’s ‘Praying for time.’ What a sad year 2016 turned out to be.
duco01 says
I can highly recommend the four-part mini-series that was made of Olive Kitteridge in 2014. Features a fine central performance by Frances McDormand.
davidks says
Seen: My wife and I watched OA (the Netflix series), a great concept let down badly by its ending.
We also saw La La Land on the big screen. A marvellous movie, loved it. The 2 leads were great. Expect it to pick up many Oscars. Similarly, Arrival was magnificient, intelligent sci-fi based on a new concept of alien/human interaction.
Caught the Beatles Documentary – Eight Days of The Week. Very well done, a great look at the gruelling side of touring.
Half way through Season 2 of The Man in the High Castle. Really enjoying it, particularly Rufus Sewell’s performance.
Read: Finished Lee Child’s new one “Night School” in short order. Very good, as always.
Started Christopher Brookmyre’s “Black Widow”. He is my favourite writer, and so far it is up there with his best.
Listened: I have just finished listening to Alan Partridge “Nomad” on audiobook. Guffaws a plenty. Very, very funny.
My kids have insisted on listening to the Moana and Trolls soundtracks in the car. Not bad in small doses, but they become earworms very quickly.
AOB: I have started writing short stories, was looking for a creative output. We will see if I stick with it. Only for my personal enjoyment, I’ll let my wife read them but not ready for anyone else to look at them.
I’ve also joined a 5 a side football team, 1st game tomorrow night. I may live to regret this. I may be the 41 year old trying to keep up with younger players and failing badly.
Twang says
Seen
Just had a few days away solo so caught up on some DVDs – the Tarantino Grindhouse set (much better than I expected), rewatched “Blazing Saddles” (as someone said, it just wouldn’t get made today…), “The wild bunch” from my Peckinpah set of westerns I got for Christmas and a BBC drama called “State of Play” whichis gripping stuff (which I got for Christmas last year). No gigs yet but did book for Jackson Browne next summer.
Read
Read a couple of Harlan Coban novels – the first one (pretty poor, by his own admission – in the introduction he advises against reading it) and a later one (better). Been on a Reacher binge. Just started “24 hours at Waterloo” and picked up the Trump auto biog in the Eurotunnel terminal – on the cover the New York Times says “Trump makes one believe for a moment in the America dream again” – a recommendation they may now be regretting I suspect.
Heard
Been catching up on the albums of the year I missed. Agnas Obel very nice if a bit slow. Dawes nice but not as good as the previous IMHO. Didn’t like the Paul Simon at all. Those tuneless songs he does over drums are so 80s aren’t they? Love the case/lang/vipers as I expected I would. Bought the Big Big Train and love it. Some of Ducco’01’s faves of primitive American guitar are pleasant – a bit like hanging out in an acoustic guitar shop on Saturday morning. A 2016 I didn’t mention in the round up of the year is by The Family Silver, a bit of a Britpop supergroup whose album is good stuff – a bit like Weller in his sounding a bit like Traffic phase. Also listened to the new audiobook by Mixerman – “Mixerman and the Billionheir Apparent” – so far it’s not as much fun as the previous one. Another audiobook too, David Starkey’s “Monarchy”, is excellent. Just up to Queen Anne. Religion has a lot to answer for.