Strange Days Indeed!
It’s the first Friday of a new month (on some parts of the globe, anyway), so, please, come and join in the Zoom session, make yourselves comfortable with a refreshment of your choice, and share with us – what have you been reading / watching / listening to or otherwise consuming in the last month.
Have you been listening to more music than usual ? Comfort-binging on old episodes of Porridge? Baking ?
All best wishes to everyone – stay safe, stay sane
Reading: I’m continuing to re-read my collection of Freeman Wills Crofts ‘golden Age’ crime novels. The fellow came from my part of the world and wrote a slew of books and short stories, and some radio plays, spanning 1920-57. I’ve got probably 3/4 of his novels but only a few of his short stories. I’ve accumulated my collection over a few years, mostly vintage copies (15 of his books were reissued as green Penguins in the 40s/50s), a couple from a series of low-run reprints 20 years back, which now sell for ludicrous sums – like the original copies of the few titles I’m still missing – and a couple of very welcome recent reprints in the British Library Crime Classics series.
The good news for fans of the Croftsmeister – the master of the so-called ‘humdrum mystery’ – is that Acorn TV are/were (given current circs) filming a TV series featuring Crofts’ series hero Inspector French. Similarly, HarperCollins are republishing several more novels and a promised volume of uncollected short stories. Hurrah!
I’ve also been trawling through my collection of ‘Jazz News’ (1956-63 British monthly, later fortnightly, later weekly, finally monthly, then defunct) to source some case study material on a visiting blues artist for a friend’s PhD. And, of course, getting distracted by plenty of other goings-on in the British jazz world of the time. Thanks to a recent bit of luck on eBay, I think I’m only missing a dozen issues now. (Another bit of luck on eBay – last week – has significantly boosted my collection of 1940s/50s Melody Makers.)
Watching: ‘The Trouble with Maggie Cole’ on ITV is fun. Similar vein to ‘Doc Martin’. ‘Masterchef’… ‘Great British Menu’…
Listening: Listened to ‘Bitches Brew’ this week – fascinating, and I’ve always thought bass clarinettist Bennie Maupin is the unsung hero of the thing, but once in a while is enough. I also listened to Roxy Music’s ‘Manifesto’ and ‘Flesh & Blood’ a couple of times yesterday, for the first time in ages – fantastic.
AOB: As a self-employed proofreader, it’s all just another day at the (home) office – without the periodic catch-ups with freelance friends at pavement cafes. A vintage box set I’ve been working on may be delayed, though. The current situation does focus the mind somewhat on what is ‘important’ – in my case, aside from making more efforts to contact friends by phone instead of messaging, I’m hoping to get some time to do more writing for my next book.
Speaking of which, I was in my local Post Office two days ago. A lady in front of me said she’d been turned away at a nearby PO because they were only allowing ‘essential items’ to be posted. Claptrap, said the man at my local place, or words to that effect. It made me consider for a moment how compelling a case I could make, should it have been required, for the ESSENTIALNESS of the John McLaughlin book I was about to post a punter in Canada. đ
Oh, forgot to mention – my highlight of last month was running a charity show involving a load of musicians/bands associated with a particularly vibrant mid-90s scene in Belfast, The Warehouse. This was Warehouse Remembered #2 (I borrowed the name from some 70s guys from The Pound club who run their own periodic get-togethers in Belfast as ‘The Pound Remembered’). I shared this terrific film of one Dave McLarnon’s Hat Band performing 5 ‘Ulster rock’ classics elsewhere here, but don’t think anyone noticed it. It’s great fun, I think, even if you weren’t there. đ
I saw two gigs, just before the shutters came down on venues across the nation. Ian McNabb in Chelmsford and Steve Knightley in Colchester. Both professional, hugely experienced musicians in great voice. Obviously both shows were overshadowed by the emerging crisis but cheerful, good natured events nevertheless, the sort of evening whic(nit is sustaining me to think will come round again.
Iâm ploughing through The Sopranos at three or four episodes a night. I saw plenty of individual episodes when it was broadcast but this is my first immersive binge viewing, and I am of course loving it. Huge performances, peril, character development, humour, all in all wonderful television.
I have plenty of work to do for now, and have volunteered for two days a week for when it dries up as it likely will, but wfh does at least allow me to visit parts of my music collection I had been neglecting. Itâs mainly womenâs voices I find, the latest Frazey Ford and Maria McKee, a box set of Nina Simone albums, the tracks from Thea Gilmoreâs Patreon site.
With everything else going on I have had little time to read, but am enjoying Colin Batemanâs latest which is being serialised on his Facebook page (Dan Starkey goes to Las Vegas basically), and picked up a copy of Sarah Watersâ Tipping The Velvet which I have had lying around for a while and which provides lush escapism.
Most peculiar mama
This working from my dining room table is all well and good (keeping the wheels of commerce rolling and all that) but my caffeine and nicotine consumption has increased by about 50%, I’m working more hours, and I’m missing talking to real human beings (rather than seeing people moving on skype).
Read:
not much – still going on the Mark Radcliffe book from last month (Reelin In The Years). Might need to get some more books soon.
Latest Mojo knocked off in one and a half evenings – still feels a bit insubstantial, but I’ve just auto-renewed the subscription so I’m locked in for another year.
Heard:
still enjoying Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott – Manchester Calling. It’s the gift that is still giving.
Block 33 (Mod revival band from Hertfordshire) released their debut album -6:36 To Liverpool Street – a week or so ago. Spinning away happily. May not be absolutely devastating, but brilliantly fresh and energetic.
Inspired by the podcast link here, I finally “got” Diamond Dogs this month – I liked it, but obviously never properly listened to it. This now rises in my list above Aladdin Sane (yes I have a list)
50 quid Amazon voucher just applied – I will spend some time perusing before committing
Open question: what will be the effect of this crisis on future pricing and availability. I think it will drive out a lot of the smaller companies, letting the “big boys” set higher pricing and delivery terms because there is no competition.
Seen:
John Otway Facebook stream – watching him to House Of The Rising Sun with the audience response in the comments is amusing. If there’s one dafty bugger to provide a bit of light in these moments, Otway is your man.
Two docs on BBC4 recommended (ie I enjoyed them): Ready Steady Go and Eel Pie Island
Sorted out a few DVDs to watch again (instead of 24 hour rolling news)
Still Crazy is a great film – if you haven’t seen it, or even heard of it, do seek it out
Long Good Friday already planned for later this evening (I’ve got a day off tomorrow – tonight may involve booze)
On the plus side, I have avoided all replays of Mrs Browns Boys and Citizen Khan
Another thumbs up for ‘Still Crazy’ đ If I remember correctly, the music of the fictional progressive rock band therein is co-written by Chris Difford. I dug out his ‘Last Temptation of Chris’ album out recently and played it three times in a row.
Chris Difford did a fair bit, ably supported by Clive Langer, Russ Ballard, and Foreigners Mick Jones.
There’s also a couple of Jeff Lynne co-writes (with Ian La Frenais).
Why is the film so good?
Written by Clement and La Frenais, a great cast (with no big name diva types), and effort put into the soundtrack (rather than just re-cycling old tracks)
John Otway has made âRock and Rollâs Greatest Failure: Otway The Movieâ available to stream for free. Itâs very entertaining. I was outraged that Geneva (one of my Desert Island Discs picks) gets a right slagging by commentators. But the film is a hoot, with the loveable rogueâs contrived eccentricities providing frequent laughs (âHe ripped off his shirt, sang the song⌠then ate the shirtâ; âApparently the Royal Albert Hall wonât allow a horse on stageâ).
http://www.johnotway.com/movie2.html?fbclid=IwAR2fMzep3IaC3nk1Z-3f-MNtrS__gvYtjwRnXzgOi2r-RIcna3WDqCNZOR4
Can I repeat my John Otway joke please?
This film, Is it really free?
It’s really free, really free.
Really really really free
Have an up!
Went to see the film with Mr Otway (not personally he was talking about it) loved the fact that at the premiere in Leicester Square he tagged the film of him arriving at the premiere onto the end of the film.
Highly entertaining evening.
This was not last month to make it clear.
Otway is Live again on his Facebook page right now
(if anyone is bothered …)
Sport:
Cornish Pirates and then Penzance A.F.C. and then ⌠it’s “civilian time.”
Yikes!
So this is what civilians do when they should be at football.
Had a Leyton Orient match lined up when it all went tits up, n’all.
Most junior clubs will probably survive all this (it’ll be an effort, mind).
Odious Chelsea, Tottenham, Man. Utd. et al will probably end up making money, they’ll all outlast the scorpion.
It’s the likes of Leyton Orient, Barnet, Dagenham etc. I really worry about.
Cinema:
“Misbehaviour,” excellent film.
Local cinema obviously now shut.
Reading:
Thank the Lord I kept up my subscriptions to “Mojo” and “Now Dig This”.
60th Anniversary of Eddie Cochran’s death on April 17th.
I’ll probably buy any future issues of Uncut and Record Collector (although nothing will persuade me to buy the 12″ singles RC cover) as essential items.
1930s local newspapers ⌠I’m way ahead of schedule for a book on the local football team.
Averaging about 80 pages per season, it’ll need editing.
Music:
Rarely play Dylan’s “New Morning,” but, hey, thought I’d really put it through its paces.
Strange thing, isn’t it? However, the more you play it the better it gets and the final couple of songs scream “Exile On Main Street.” Jagger obviously dug it.
At this rate I’ll get to the delights of dire 1980s Dylan sometime in the 2060s.
Re: New Morning you might be interested in an Alternate New Morning Acetate which is currently available for download on bigozine2.com. It’s years since I’ve listened to the original album but I did enjoy this.
A book on your local football team @deramdaze ? I did one on mine a couple of years ago to coincide with a playoff final we were in. How are you going about doing yours, re publishing etc?
So, March…
Saw:
Well, Sharon and I saw Hayes Carll and Allison Moorer at the Birchmere. It was what one would expect. Good songs, witty repartee, and the two of them look really good together. If that’s the last gig I see before we move, I’ll be happy. (Currently scheduled: Greg Dulli in early May – I suspect that will die. WWPJ in early june has a better chance of survival)
Read:
A lot. Unsurprising given lockdown! Ronald White’s biography of Ulysses Grant is a really well rounded book, and insightful. I read what can only be described as a hack biography of Sherman that was…well, bad. I’m still only part way through Kay Carmichael’s collection “It takes a lifetime to become yourself”, which I recommend unreservedly. What else? Enjoying the utter tosh that is Laurie King’s Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books. Pleasant surprise? Harley Quinn reboot and BatGirl (rebirth). Funny, clever, and just good reads. Unlike the UberSerious everything else DC has become.
Watched.
Harley Quinn movie. Don’t watch it for the plot, just watch it for the fun. The fight scenes on the bouncy castle are worth the price of admission alone. I’ve come to the conclusion that female directors and DC movies is a winning combination. Zack Snyder should be executed.
Star Trek: Picard (since it’s free now). It was SO good, and tears were shed. If you’re trekkie-inclined, and/or a TNG fan, you’ll find something to love. It also highlighted for me how much I appreciate understated acting. Every single thing Patrick Stewart does delivers a moment, or an emotion; some of his costars are JUST EMOTING at everything, and it diminishes their performance. I’ve also started ST Discovery and am enjoying that more than I expected.
Listened to:
SSDM – same..stuff different month
AOB
As you may know, I spend a lot of time on rugby. my National Body, USA Rugby, just declared bankruptcy. I’m not drunk enough to explain all of it but if I had billed out at my normal rate all the work I’ve done this month on rescuer work, I’d be a happy man. As it is, I’m ready to yell at people…
Gigs:
Start of the month – got in two gigs. Porridge Radio doing a Sunday evening 7.30 pm short gig/signing at Rough Trade. They are good but not as good as their frontwoman thinks they are. The schtick is Raincoats play Led Zeppelin with a bit of Joy Division repetition/tension in there. The voice is a bit grating live, works better on the album.
The Ramonas – Bristol Louisiana. I’m not much one for seeing yer original bands that I saw back in the day who are still touring now (Although I have made exceptions for the Buzzcocks in 2003 and the Specials in 2008) or tribute acts but I thought this would be worth a ÂŁ12 punt. As it was. I never saw the Ramones back in the day and this lot delivered just what it said on the tin. I was going a bit more crazy -singing along, dancing crazily than the average punter – either young women who seemed to be there for the all female line-up and didn’t get it or old fat punks too drunk and fat to move much. I was just off of a 12 hour nursing shift in a mental hospital so probably had more to release than most there.
Watching
Watching slightly less TV than normal. The girlfriend and I have settled into the habit of watching the hamster when it wakes up around 9ish as it provides delightful company climbing the bars of its cage and rampaging around the flat in its Zorb ball.
At the start of the month I watched Sexy Beast in the middle of the night as I was keeping up in preparation for a night shift the next night. Yes I can see why it’s a classic etc.
One night we watched The David Brent On the Road film. I’ve seen it before – she hasn’t. A worthy successor to the office but the ending/last 20 minutes or so bit rushed and insubstantial . The bittersweet turnaround that the Office Christmas specials did brilliantly attempted in a watered down rushed second album syndrome style. No More Heroes to Rattus Norvegicus if you know what I mean.
I also saw the first Pink Panther film as I’ve never seen any of them. Apparently it’s the second one – Shot in the Dark where Clouseau comes into his own. Certainly on this showing I found the character annnoying rather than hilarious. Feel I have plugged into the culture a bit though.
Reading
Listening ton reading / watching / listening to or otherwise consuming in the last month.
Have you been listening to more music than usual ? Comfort-binging on old episodes of Porridge? Baking ?
All best wishes to everyone â stay safe, stay sane
Sorry I appear to have inadvertantly pressed post comment whilst in the middle of this post. I have been re-editing and adding to this and have now been timed out so have lost the remainder of post.
I will come back and add my comments on
reading –
in their own write – adventures in the music press – paul gorman
the man who cycled the world – mark beamount
listening to
talking heads fear of music
6 music radio
reading â
in their own write â adventures in the music press â paul gorman
published in 2001 – vox pop straight from the journos’ mouth of the 60’s us fanzine origins, 70’s golden age nme/melody maker, 80s smash hits/the face glossy era and the corporate loss of direction/corporate drear of the music press. julie burchill may be totally mad these days but she is spot on and so funny about her colleagues in the 70s, charles shaar murray also very good value as big hearted and funny personal overview of the scene from the early 70’s to the millenium.
the man who cycled the world â mark beamount. in 2007 this 23 year old cycled 18,000 miles in 180 days around the world on his own with full kit, supported by a his mum managing the logistics back home. he’s a bit of a nutter but it’s an interesting read. after reading this i was amazed that 10 years later he achieved the same feat in 80 days. i think that time around he had a full support team with him and on a better bike not carrying his gear. I’m tempted to read this next.
listening to
talking heads fear of music – i got this out of the library (remember them) just before the lockdown. i used to have it on tape and think it is arguably their best album (although like remain in light it tails away at the end). I also got out a couple of books on the talking heads – jonathan lethem – fear of music 33 1/3 – very patchy,mostly leaves me cold and talking heads once in a lifetime – the stories behind the songs – ian gittins – hack job but a good reminder, overview of their career. in my view – the best band ever for the first four – starting to lose it on speaking in tongues with some weak material – and piss poor on the last three – actually i have never heard the whole ‘naked’ but the tracks i have heard don’t make me want to seek it out.
6 music radio – i listen to this a lot but due to being stuck in more have been listening even more. i think they are striking the right mix of positivity and realism in their presentation although i am missing some of my faves – steve lamacq and sean keaveney – from the daytime schedule. i am listening to less radio 4 than i usually do at the moment. i suppose i am going for the comfort of music i already know and like/love rather than spoken word, documentaries, news of what is going on at the moment.
over and out. stay safe and do what you love.
If you’re interested in tales of round the world cycling derring-do, Stan, the foundation stone is Peter Duker’s ‘Sting in the Tail’ (1973) about his 1971-72 solo (totally solo) cycle, breaking records along the way – aged around 40. Duker was previously Big Pete Deuchar, Tyneside trad jazzer and character who got out of music cos he couldn’t stand pop. In this book, you’ll come across legions of other things he couldn’t stand (most foreigners). It’s like Mallory going up Everest – an adventure from a distant age.
Cheap second-hand copies here:
thanks for this. i may well check it out
The best TH book, by a long chalk, is ‘Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa: The Adventures of Talking Heads in the 20th Century’ by David Bowman from 2002.
I’ve already read that a while back. On the subject of books about music has anyone read mark sinkers A Hidden Landscape Once a Week: The Unruly Curiosity of the British Music Press – and is it any good – not one reviewer comment on amazon – definitely a niche market
and on the subject of music books in general – what do people have to say about the following music autobiogs and biographies
cosey fanny tutti – art sex music
kim gordon – girl in a band
the robert wyatt biog
freak out the squares – russell senior
anymore out that that are witty and well written. that you would recommend.
The Mark Sinker was a kickstarter book – I don’t know if it was sold anywhere else. It is very good, as is the similar book by Paul Gorman – In Their Own Write.
Mark Ellen’s book Rock Stars Stole My Life is very good (for those of us like me who like his style), and I’d also recommend Isle of Noises by Daniel Rachel – Conversations with Great British Songwriters
I read Art Sex Music on holiday a couple of years ago. Very interesting. Although, unlike most music-related books, I didn’t want to hear any of the music after I had read it.
I learned that Gen P. O. was even more horrible than I already thought.
Chris Frantz’ memoir, ‘Remain In Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina’, is coming out in July.
Looking forward to that one.
True Stories is weak. But Little Creatures and Naked are pretty solid, at least a few great songs on both.
True Stories is a great album. It’s a soundtrack and the Complete release recently is the proper version. Talking Heads are merely the backing band. Except for their greatest single, Love For Sale, and a couple of other numbers. đ
Puzzlin’ Evidence
Naked was still a vinyl era album for me, just, and I find it an album of two sides, and I find the second side just too damn dark and forbidding to listen. But Nothing but Flowers is ace.
The tracks were edited to fit onto vinyl. I prefer the LP version to the CD. Gets to the point quicker and has more punch.
Nothing but flowers could be a very fitting song for our current predicament.
Read – initially sceptical when Wolf Hall came out, I bought The Mirror and the Light on the day of release and am up to p.500. Mantel is still wringing further pathos, mystery and revelation from Thomas Cromwell after getting on for 2000 pages.
Heard – the Dua Lipa album is the album of the year so far, despite what the naysayers may think. And anything that brings some fun and joy into our lives at the moment are worthwile. The new Waxahatchee is also great, though less remarkable given her high standards set on Ivy Tripp and Into the Storm.
Seen – we finished the massively under-rated Giri/Haji which concludes with one of the most WTF endings of any series I’ve seen in recent times. Not sure if it is still on the iplayer but grab it while it is. The return of Brooklyn 99 is to an unmixed blessing, though not sure about Raymond the beat cop.
That wtf broke it for me, loathed it, but the wife and step abso loved it.
I’ve been mad busy since the apocalypse and yesterday was the first in three weeks where I didn’t do 14 hours on the lappie. Entertainment opportunities have been slim, and I haven’t had a chance to embrace the possibilities of this new age. Friends obviously have though, and everyone’s taking the opportunity to indulge their creative side.
I’ve had requests to edit a film of six people singing (harder than you’d link, as the sound’s all over the place and half the clips have traces of the backing track on them); write a monologue for an actor friend; read and critique two novels; and collaborate on a screenplay (with the implied brief “rewrite it completely but don’t change anything.”)
We’re two episodes into Giri/ Haji which as well as what’s been said above has some lovely moments of understated humour. There’s this great documentary called The Walking Dead which is getting better again after a couple of years of aimless wandering. I got the the end of the West Wing Weekly podcasts which have been a walking/running companion for the last 154 episodes.
Music? Just comfortable old friends while cooking dinner – hearing woodpigeons took me back to Kate Bush’s Ariel, and the gorgeous Endless Sky of Honey which is like a cold beer for the soul at the end of the day.
Talking of which, alcohol. Oh my goodness me.
AOB: Congratulations to Niall B of this parish who has retired this week after 43 years with one of the companies I work for. It’s a strange time to suddenly have free time, but you’ll use it well Niall.
Saw Pat Metheny in NZ with Nick Duvet of this parish. Attended Womad NZ. Both reviewed here.
Finally got around to reading Hepworthâs Never A Dull Moment. I do enjoy his turn of phrase and how he connects his sequence of points. As others have commented, runs out of puff in second half like he just wanted to finish it. Currently reading Anthony DeCurtisâs bio Lou Reed released in 2018. Up to Loaded period currently – very thorough and well written. Author is a lecturer in creative literature and a contributing editor at Rolling Stone. Half way thru vol 1 of Ian Bellâs Bob Dylan, having read and I recommend vol 2. Just very detailed like muesli you have to chew too much.
Bought a bunch of stuff in NZ and playing it a lot in iso. A double Dylan boot from Woodstock 94 , the start of the Never Ending Tour so legend has it. Vocals eccentric and haphazard approach to lyrics but as a band – smokin. An early Gregory Isaacs and a Prince Linval Thompson twofer on the reggae front. Nathaniel Rateliffâs solo latest plus with the Nightsweats live at Red Rocks. Some kudu/CTI jazz funk – idris Muhammad Power Of Doul vinyl reissue and a surprise Curtis Mayfield CD Baby Doll. On a budget label includes tracks from disco era. Some great country style stuff on it too. Lastly bought Hejira having lost it from my collection. What an incredible sounding record.Not just Jaco and Larry Coryell. All of them. And those lyrics, so honest, so difficult , so Joni.
Hi folks
Some of these might have been late in February rather than March but Iâm sure no-one will shoot me for that.
HEARD:
Love the new Cornershop record. Fun, life-affirming, catchy as anything. Has sent me back to the back catalogue as well; I had forgotten how much I liked a lot of their stuff.
Those of you who like a bit of classic soul might like the Monophonics, a new name to me but an act who have clearly been listening to the right records.
Gorkyâs were a favourite of mine back in the day, however I slowly but surely lost track of the solo career of Euros Childs. Gingerbread House Explosion is a cracker though â if you can get beyond the whimsy that he is fond of. Not on Spotify, but it is on his own website for streaming.
Luke Haines and Peter Buck â was very excited to hear of this collaboration and it has brought out the best of Haines after some underwhelming stuff. Love the title track, Beat Poetry For Survivalists.
SEEN:
Quite a bit actually. Caught up on all the Netflix films that the rest of you had already seen. The Irishman was overlong as we all knew it would be, but for the most part it won me over. The de-ageing largely worked I thought, except when a âyoungâ DeNiro would be walking like an old man. Uncut Gems seems to be divisive; my wife couldnât stand it and other friends had the same experience whereas I really liked it. I didnât find it quite as tense as the reviews were making out, but it was a fascinating character study and Sandler was excellent. Marriage Story was just brilliant â I havenât seen RenĂŠeâs Oscar winner but if she was better than Scarlett she must have been good.
On TV, ploughed through Curb Your Enthusiasm. Some sniffy reviews, but I still love it. The final payoff was classic Larry. Also caught up on The Trial Of Christine Keeler which I liked, but didnât love. James Nortonâs Stephen Ward was supremely annoying, which may well have been the point.
READ:
Making use of the lack of pubs, gigs, sport etc by actually reading a bit. Ronan Farrowâs Catch & Kill is a very digestible account of his attempts to get the story about Harvey Weinstein out there, and how hard it proved to be. A lot of men in high places come out of this book rather poorly. Iâd imagine it kept the lawyers busy. Highly recommended.
I saw Nobodyâs Fool (a film of a Richard Russo book) in the mid 90s and have meant to read him ever since. Iâve finally broken my duck with Empire Falls. I loved it. Great characters, and not a wasted word over nearly 500 pages. Perfect for lockdown.
@monsignorbonehead that’s two of us who love the Cornershop album.
It’s a really joyous effort.
Sort of a weird one for me, as, unlike many, working as normal. OK, not remotely as normal. For a start, hardly actually seeing a soul. Or a sick soul, anyway. Surgeries are all phone and e-mail consultations, having to decide actions on the basis of experience rather than blood tests and X-rays. Not so tough for old guys like me, but a whole new ball game for younger clinicians, and not without self-questioning of decisions made. Little actual Covid work per se; this is mainly managing those unlucky to be already unwell with the other illnesses, none of which have turned away in deference. OK, there is some and it is, this week, ramping up, as folk are discharged with positive swabs and some die: admission to hospital remains the only route of getting a test, outside of celebrity or royal status. Myriad households have “probable” or suspected covid, but, unless ill enough to be unable to get on with it, simply have to. We throw antibiotics hopefully their way, just in case their viral symptoms aren’t, almost in deference of all earlier training. Clinicians and ancillary staff routinely disappear for weeks and fortnights, as they get potential symptoms, remaining ever uncertain whether it may have been. Or whether that is the next time…..
I go home and watch TV and listen to music. I drink marginally more than the current guidelines. Lots of good telly at present, too many balls to keep in the air. Breeders remains terrific, regaining any kudos for Martin Freeman after the less satisfactory post Office gigs he had to take. There is also a fascinating series with an unwell looking Julia Roberts, Homecoming. I am also finding Chiz’s documentary about the post apocalyptic world, The Walking Dead, to suddenly have a greater creedence. See Me Too seems to be very confusing and enthralling at the same time and, if the wife can be persuaded, will warrant a good seeing to.
Strangely, I haven’t managed the cinema or theatre this month.
Music? The new Lilly Hiatt is great.I have also been giving Sweep Sings a lot of attention, feel good covers for the moment. Go look at youtube to discover more.
Retro, you are a beacon of light.
@retropath2 I wondered about the situation with patients with pre-existing conditions and whether they would continue to be seen. I have heard of cancer treatment being delayed because of the focus on Covid-19 which is pretty stark if true.
I had a private cataract operation postponed indefinitely because Spire have gone under the control of the NHS. I thought that was pretty odd given there is no bed required for such an operation.
Yup, sad but true that delays now being âallowedâ for. Mind you, patients I am seeing, even with a prospective cancer are seeking a delay, hospitals being perceived as plague pits. Which isnât entirely true. Your cataract cancellation frees up the eye surgeon, the nurses and admin staff.
Some cancer patients are being seen for scans and treatment in Private hospitals, to keep them out of risk of going to main ones. Others have been told to stop treatment or part of it till the risk of covid diminishes, because the treatment makes their immune system so weak and susceptible – ie immediate risk of dying from covid is higher than the cancer.
I had a grim time at hosp yesterday – even though it is dedicated cancer hosp, it has covid and v strict protocols and one scanner out to the two was reserved for covid patients. Security was fierce at entrance and had hell of a time persuading them to let my sister in with me (already pre-agreed with scan department – I really needed her there, it wasn’t just for company). Eventually got the scan after hours of lying on stretchers/waiting for porters. Warren of small corridors so social distancing impossible!
Much fewer patients around and hope I can do next week’s follow-up on phone. Staff just as kind and supportive, despite being all masked up. Oh and the ambulance broke down on the way so I missed one of my apps! So all in all, had better days.
Hey up. Still working as a protected industry. Alternating between home and office where the seating arrangements have been tampered with to assume social distancing. Around 33 percent of staff have been furloughed and in fairness it is a good govt scheme to prevent mass redundancy. Odd that this most Tory of govts has been forced to act in the most socialist of ways this country has seen since the war.
Heard: A radio broadcast cd Balcony of Love of the Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris tour.
Infinity of now by The Heliocentrics – I really like this, its a cross between Massive Attack and The Comet is coming so right up my street.
Matthews Southern Comforts album The New Mine is ace – his voice is in very good shape on some great new songs.
Arboretum – Let it all in is also wonderful – a cross between Midlake and Fairports with some Jethro Tull thrown in and some great guitar wig outs.
Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela – Rejoice – what’s not to like? Masekela’s trumpet soars and there is a great tribute to Fela Kuti.
Read: Just getting to end of Elton John’s autobiography and have the Pete Paphides one lined up.
Seen: No cinema, no theatre, no live music.
Enjoyed Unorthodox very much – beguiling story of one woman’s fight to escape the straightjacket of Jewish orthodoxy. Great acting.
Sunderland til I die was just fab – shame there were fewer episodes than the first series. My wife doesn’t like football but was hooked on this in the same way that I was .
Race Across the World is just fabulous and I hope mother and son become the eventual winners.
AOB: I inadvertently picked up a multi pack of Walkers Tomato Ketchup crisps. I had never eaten Tomato Ketchup crisps in my life but have now become a major obsession.
Oooh, yes, forgot about Arbouretum: fabulous stuff. As @steveT says, echoes of Fairport circa Sloth in the meandering instrumental breaks, and, strangely, early Hawkwind without the bleep and booster noises.
Recommended!!!
The EJ book is fabulous, isn’t it? See also: Rocketman. He’s quite the storyteller. Next up for me is Debbie Harry’s book… probably not so much of a riot, but will nodoubt be riveting in its own way.
Nice to see the love for Arbouretum. I’ve been listening to them for a very long time, great band and the new record consolidates my view.
SEEN:
A couple of classical music concerts before lockdown as a part of a series that brings top class international artists to play in small college venues in Cambridge. Hugely enjoyable â a string quartet plus piano playing Shostakovich, a cello/piano combo playing Chopin â with zero fuckwittery and stout bladder control from a rapt audience.
Otherwise, lots of TV â “Tiger King” was both gripping and disturbing but left you feeling a bit grubby after watching it as the characters revealed themselves throughout the series. Compelling stuff though. Likewise â as @SteveT recommends â “Sunderland Til I Die” â which tells you all you need to know about the state of football, particularly those clubs whoâve taken a tumble down the tables in recent years. Itâs really well done â the tension and madness of transfer deadline dayâŚdealing with agentsâŚand the tragicomedy of âThe Officeâ type characters wrestling with a disastrous business model and a sullen bunch of staff. Knowing how the season ends only adds to the drama.
Enjoyed series two of âHiddenâ â standard police procedural set against a slate-grey North Wales backdrop but with some decent acting and beautifully filmed. Also â new fave series â âHomestead Rescueâ which follows Stetson-wearing hero Marty Raney as he tries to help feckless families whoâve gone âoff gridâ only to find themselves in the path of tornadoes, forest fires and flood â and usually bears, wolves and coyotes too.
READ:
Andrew Michael Hurleyâs âStarve Acreâ â the latest in his creepy gothic tales centred in the north west of England. Not quite the same sense of âplaceâ as his earlier work but he does write well in ratcheting up the tension. Also, Shaun Bythellâs âConfessions of a Booksellerâ â a little more downbeat than his first similar tome â and makes you realise that no matter how much you like the idea of owning a second hand bookshop, the reality would be a nightmare on so many levels.
HEARD:
A great month for new music â particularly if you like jazz piano – with releases from a host of personal favourites. Lynne Arrialeâs âChimes of Freedomâ captures her graceful muscular playing beautifully and has a couple of decent vocal covers of Dylan/Paul Simon classics. Robert Glasperâs âThe Photographâ is a lovely late-night acoustic set â while Kenny Barron/Dave Hollandâs âWithout Deceptionâ swings superbly with the great drummer Jonathan Blake rattling along.
He turns up on a couple of other really strong albums – Kurt Elling/Danilo Perezâs âSecrets are the Best Storiesâ is superb with Kurt at his wayward vocal best. And then thereâs Oded Tzurâs âHere be Dragonsâ which even for an ECM album is a little underpowered but gradually reveals itself to be a bit of a gem â with a nice version of Elvisâs âCanât Help Falling in Love.â
As @Tiggerlion says, the new Shabaka Hutchingâs album is excellent and destined for the 2020 top 10. In a similar South African vein, Nduduzo Makhathiniâs debut on Blue Note âModes of Communicationâ is also recommended.
Other standout new releases – Pat Methenyâs âFrom this Placeâ is hugely enjoyable, harking back to his late 80âs Geffen output in terms of melody and musicianship with his superb new-ish band really settled in now. Best soul album so far this year – Jose James âNo Beginning No End 2â â great tunes and the sort of summery vibe thatâs ideal for now.
Also a couple of decent blue-eyed soul sets recorded at the Hi Studios in Memphis – Tad Robinsonâs âReal Streetâ and Morgan James âMemphis Magneticâ â both capturing the Willie Mitchell-style sound well.
Couple of listens into Kandace Springâs covers album âThe Women Who Raised Meâ â probably need more time as itâs a lovely thing but I find her voice a little characterless. Elsewhere – Luciana Souzaâs âStorytellersâ is a beautifully produced album of Brazilian songs with stunning as always Vince Mendoza/WDR Big Band settings. Makaya McCravenâs re-working of Gil Scott Heronâs âIâm New Hereâ is also a gem â stripping out the electronics and setting the vocals amidst a more suitable jazzy backdrop.
Finally, best recent reissue â the Clark Sisters âYou Brought the Sunshineâ on Ace âand includes sister Twinkieâs âAwake O Zionâ – probably the best gospel disco record ever.
I go to see classical gigs at West Road Concert Hall fairly regularly, as a couple of friends are in community orchestras. They usually get a professional in for the soloist, then use the amateurs* to make up the numbers. I don’t always understand the music but I always have a great time – fantastic acoustics and an audience who know how to behave.
All for the cost of a gig at the Portland Arms, where I usually get deafened and have someone very tall block my view and have beer spilled over me.
(*) One is the Head of Music at the local secondary school, so hardly beginners.
More fans of ‘Hidden’ here, myself & the Baroness quite enjoyed this series despite it’s ‘bleakness’, hope there’s a 3rd series.
HEARD:
I have discovered my comfort zone is 1973 with Aladdin Sane, Dixie Chicken, Countdown To Ecstasy, Slayed??, Fresh, Goats Head Soup, Roxy Music & For Your Pleasure.
However, words seem trite at the moment, so I’m listening to Classical(Siecles’ Mussorgsky/Ravel, Beth Gibbons & the Polish National Radio Orchestra Gorecki, The Scottish Chamber Orchestra Schubert 9th Symphony, Louise Adler’s song collection) , Jazz (Nat Birchall’s tribute to Yusef Lateef, Getz At The Gate, Shabaka & oodles of 1961-3 Coltrane) & Dub (Bunny Lee, Prince Fatty, Linval Thompson).
One album took my surprise arriving on random, The Yes Album remixed by Steve Wilson with the studio Clap. The lyrics are deliberately trite (aren’t they?) but without Wakeman, the rhythm section and guitar can fly. They really rawk on this LP, probably my favourite of theirs.
SEEN
Westworld. It’s turned into an updated Blade Runner, hasn’t it? I liked it best when I wasn’t sure what was real and what was fake.
READ
Nothing but loads of stuff on Covid 19 and anything posted here.
Not contributed to this before but here goes.
Watched:
The whole 5 series of Schitts Creek on Netflix. It is bubblegum for the brain but the characters are so well acted. I loved it.
The Test on Amazon Prime. If you are missing sport, in this case cricket, this series takes you behind the scenes as the Australian team re-build after the ball tampering incident in South Africa in 2018. It is really a warts and all view of a team being rebuilt with a new coach and the ‘cheats’ being reintroduced into the team following a 1 year ban. A great watch and even I as a staunch England cricket fan felt for them!
Heard – a lot of Karen Carpenter’s wondrous voice, and also Judy Collins from Box Sets bought recently. Calming and beautiful. Mahalia, Sarah Vaughan and Ella when my spirits need lifting. New Stuff – Jonathan Wilson, as terrific as Twang’s review here said. Scottish group Salt House Huam – lovely playing and songs, folky gentle. 3 “A”s, Amanda Boman, ethereal delicate Scandi artist, Anna Lynch new EP, highly recommended to Americana fans, and the searing Alison Moorer Blood I have just caught up with. Also thanks to a review here I was alerted to the Unthanks new one, and had the joy of hearing mainly Rachel and Becky in harmony.
Not Heard – Given up my practice of having dinner listening to the Radio 4 6pm news, Not compatible with peace of mind just now.
Heard (non Music)
Punt and Dennis been doing a brilliant job of the Now Show remotely. Archers a parallel universe where Corona does not exist and Phillip has suddenly morphed from sensitive caring highly competent Boss and partner of Kirsty to Sinister Unprincipled Cruel Gangmaster – this is somewhat unlikely and Kirsty really does not need any more doomed weddings/upset! Lynda’s portrayal of physical/emotional suffering in hospital after terrible injury was extremely impressive and affecting. Will be weird when the Archers finally “gets” the virus in May.
Audiobook from Liane Moriarty Nine Perfect Strangers. Although some critics were not as keen on this as her others such as Big Little Lies, for me this has been 19 hours of escapism into the crazy Tranquilum Australian Health Resort with twists and turns, and her usual sly wit.
Going to leave this pinned for a few more days as recommendations may be even more use in these lock-down times
Your thoughtful Mod Team
gracias
Hi guys, still here but have been too tired to join in much. And all of March (and the beginning of April too) I’ve somehow only read books by Swedish authors and seen Swedish films; not by design, it just happened that way. So no recommendations that you’d find useful.
And I’ve barely listened to much music at all, and only as background noise really.
My recent health surprise (my type 2 diabetes of many years turning out to be LADA, a type 1 variation…) has taken up a lot of my time and thoughts, but I’ve gotten used to everything now and it’s working out fine.
Being a so called “essential worker” in a job that can’t be done from home means that I’ve probably worked harder these last couple of months than ever before.
I hear people moan about being bored at home…that would suit me just fine! Not that I’m a bit worried about getting the virus, but I’d be so good at being quarantined for a long time – every part of my personality was made for social distancing at home. đ
But it’s not going to happen, so I guess I’m not going to finish writing my novel in 2020 eitherâŚ
Today I’ve celebrated Easter by emailing and calling family and friends since we can’t meet up. Going to work tomorrow instead of the usual family feast that would happen any other year. It’s sad, but we’re all well so that’s good.
Have a nice Easter weekend and stay safe, all of you!
And you, Loki
And you, Loki
Red, Herd and Sore…
Hope all well and enjoying this almost literal month of Sundays…..
Managed to hit the library pre E of the W, and have on indefinite loan a bunch of Mick Herron Spy-fi, mostly his Slough House series..
All v fab and worth a punt .. currently sitting on ebay at abt ÂŁ4-5, as I’m sending some to my bro’.
Finished “You never had it so good, ” Dominic Sandbrook trawl thru’ late ’50’s – early ’60’s Britain, (but mostly England). It gives us a glimpse of the post-war era, to which we may need to become re-acclimatised and at 900 pages, is good exercise.
I’m now redoing 100 Years of Solitude and still finding the fact that everyone has the same name slightly brain – addling.
Lockdown listening continues apace and I’m aiming for at least one elderly piece of vinyl each night.
Last week took in Judee Sill, John Prine, Big Youth, Keith Christmas and Field Music amongst others.Plenty of pods, includeing Word in Your Ear, Strange Brew and a few football, some of which have improved since the football stopped, bizarrely
Viewing has included Twins – the Scandi BBC 2 thing, which has begun promisingly enough and Better Call Saul and I’m getting to the end of Game of Thrones which I’m pretty convinced could have been knocked off properly in 12 episodes, rather than the 450 or so which I’ve condemned myself to sit thru’… ask me anything you like about the larks of Mark Stark and I won’t care…
Best to all.
I like Dominic Sandbrook’s history books. Well researched and well written. Stays on subject and doesn’t get too heavy or opinionated
For completeness, follow up with White Heat and Seaons In The Sun, taking you to 1979.
(Didn’t think he’d gone any further, but I see Who Dares Wins 79 to 82 came out last October. On my list now …)
The Slough House series is ace. And keep meaning to check out the Dominic Sandbrook books so this has given me a reminder…ta. Get paid Wednesday!
As a fully (well, 80%) paid up member of furlough club, I’ve been reading and watching an awful lot these past weeks.
READING
I am almost at the end of Len Deighton‘s Bernard Sansom books – 8 down, 1 to go (not sure if I’ll add Winter or not). They have been great, if dated, fun. Slightly concerned that the eighth (Hope) was a bit off the pace of the rest, so I hope the climax doesn’t end up as bit of a damp squib. Mat Osman out of that Suede has written a novel, called The Ruins, and it is actually very good, good enough to put me in mind of early Iain Banks, which is about as good a praise gets round my way. Another debut novel came from Nick Bradley, a set of linked stories in contemporary Tokyo called The Cat And The City. Longtime Kid Dynamite watchers will know that city is close to my heart, and he captures it well. Over on the genre shelves, N.K. Jemisin has changed tack dramatically after her multi award winning Broken Earth series with The City We Became, a kind of superhero origin story where the superhero is modern New York City. It bounces and crackles, pops and fizzes with all the livewire energy of the city it celebrates. Robert Jackson Bennett has added to his reputation as one of the best living fantasy writers with Shorefall, the second in a series with one of the best ideas for a magic system I’ve read in recent years. Finally, Max Brooks has belatedly followed up World War Z with Devolution, a very silly but very readable B-movie romp of a book about a lost settlement of Bigfoots massacring some yuppies.
WATCHING
Absolute top of the pile this month has been Kingdom, a Netflix series about a zombie outbreak in feudal Korea. It is terrific, with some great costumes and locations, courtly intrigue, and marvellous set pieces – the first twenty minutes or so of episode three are incredible, and the chase sequence in episode four is proper edge of the seat stuff. Bacurau is a Brazilian thriller in thrall to John Carpenter, which is no bad place to be. It’s a riff on The Most Dangerous Game, with wealthy Americans paying to hunt poor Brazilians. There’s a lot to like in it, especially the characterisation of the titular village and its inhabitants, but it’s just a little less than the sum of its parts, with a faintly unsatisfying ending – I was hoping for some 13 Assassins style epic running street battles but that’s not how it goes. A couple of Chinese gangster movies next – Kaili Blues was Bi Ganâs first movie, a story of an ex-con doctor looking for his nephew in modern China. It chops up time and events without any indication, and the story is ambiguous and elliptical almost to the point of not existing, but it looks gorgeous (the cinematographer has a real eye for greens and blues), and it has stayed with me for a couple of days now. Worth a go if you want something slow and haunting. Wild Goose Lake is a gangster / noir movie from the same lad who made Black Coal, Thin Ice. It had some really good set pieces but collapsed under all its own twists by the end. Also rewatched the excellently daft Mars Attacks and spent a few days walking around just saying ack ack ACK ack ack ACK ACK. My family love me, really they do.
LISTENING
I made it to a gig on Friday 20th March, just before the curtain came down. French blackgaze pioneers Alcest at the Fleece. They were excellent, epic, vicious, beautiful and melancholy by turn. Thought about buying some earplugs afterwards, just as well I waited. Home listening has been dominated by the bow church album I reviewed elsewhere, as well as some excellent punk rock from Dogleg whose Melee album bought back happy memories of late 90s emo classics like Texas Is The Reason and The Get Up Kids. Waxahatchee‘s newest, Saint Cloud, is also top notch stuff, ditching the indie rock of previous offerings for a more southern, Americana vibe. Fire is possibly the song of the year so far: