WHOOSH! and just like that, we hit the first Friday of another month. Meet the new month, same as the old month.
I hope you are all doing ok – any survival tips are welcome.
The main topic, as ever, is – what have you been listening to, watching, reading over the last month. Anything worth recommending ? Anything new coming up that we should know about ?
Stay safe, stay sane
Not a whole lot from me, due to first working hard while everyone else went on holiday, and since the end of July going on holiday myself. This should mean that I’ve had plenty of time to read, listen to music and watch films…but I’m busy giving my flat a much needed make-over.
I’ve bought some gorgeous quality second-hand furniture and am getting ready to get some cheaper IKEA storage furniture next week; trying to go through everything I own and throw out all of the old crap that I have no use for.
And this evening I finished painting some decorative motifs on my kitchen door, which was a lot of fun but left me with aches and pains to remind me that I’m now OLD (I’d show you a picture of the result, but I haven’t uploaded the photos from my camera yet, so maybe later).
Listening to Ray LaMontagne while painting leaves, seed pods and sunflowers made me feel like a bit of a hippie… đ
Seen:
Currently watching a docu series called James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction, which is a bit of fun, although the standard format of these kinds of documentaries is very dull. But I like the subject, so I’m enjoying it anyway.
Since Swedish public service TV is showing the Women Make Film docu series (which I’m taking a break from, mid-through, as it’s a bit much) they also focus on showing films by female directors this summer, and I’ve watched a couple of them so far (both Swedish). Hoping to find the time to see some more before they are taken down. Nice initiative.
Read:
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk was hard work in the beginning, because I got slightly annoyed with the narrator at first, but the more I read the more I started to like her and the story. Not really a very likeable character, but by the end – despite what you find out by then – I was totally on her side.
Earlier in the year I read a beautiful and highly entertaining collection of selected diary entries by a Swedish author, and the way she wrote about writing her novels made me want to read them, thinking that they’d be as brilliant as her diaries were. So I tried two of her classic novels; didn’t really enjoy either of them. I understand why people love them, they’re well written and witty, but they are all about romantic relationships (which I have zero interest in) and the two couples from the two novels were very similar, so reading them back-to-back was a very bad idea. I only just managed to get all the way through the first one, but half-way through the second one I gave up. Disappointing!
Then I found out that another book I read earlier – last year – Last Call by Tim Powers was the first in a trilogy, so I bought the other two, because the first one was one of the best fantasy novels I’d read in a long time.
The second installment, Expiration Date can be read as a stand-alone novel, and unless you know that the two books belong in the same universe you wouldn’t really notice, even if the lore of the two books are similar in flavour. This one has some brilliant ideas and characters in it, and once it gets going it’s a fun read; it had a few too many characters however, and every time the story starts to pick up some speed, everything comes to a halt when the next chapter introduces three more people that you need to remember who they are…and then two more, and then…by the time he gets them all together in the end for the final battle, I struggled to remember some of the less important ones…but well worth reading for Edison alone!
I’m currently three quarters into the third novel, Earthquake Weather, where the cast of characters from books one and two finally get together, along with some interesting new faces. This one has a slightly better flow than book two, but I’m feeling less engaged in how everyone will end up…hopefully the finale will peak my interest again. The many personalities of Plumtree are livening things up a bit, but Last Call is definitely the star of this “Fault Line Trilogy”, as it apparently is known. Great ideas in all of them, a lot of fun lore and historical characters popping up in unlikely places and times, but there are problems with the paceing in the latter two IMO.
Heard:
Very little, I’ve been out and about most days and I only just bought a bunch of new albums, so I’ve only really had time to listen to the new Bob Dylan album a few times, ditto Sourceress by Jess Williamson. Really liking both so far, especially Rough and Rowdy Ways, which is very interesting and unexpected.
I won’t say much about the two I listened to for the first time today – the new albums by Laura Marling and Ray LaMontagne – as they are even less tiggertested than the ones above (at first listen I was slightly disappointed, but I often am after my first go, so that could change fast…)
I bought a huge CD box set, collecting all sorts of good (and bad) music from a so called “legendary” Swedish record company…it was a good deal so I took a punt. Looking forward to some of it…other parts; not so much! đ
Hoping for some rain for the end of next week, and the week after that, so I can stay indoors assembling flat pack furniture without a: sweating too much, and b: feeling envy towards everyone else being outside enjoying the sunshine…
Last Call is a great book. You’re right that it’s the best of the trilogy, but I rated the third a lot higher than the second. Tim Powers can be a bit hit or miss, but if you’re in the mood for any more I recommend The Drawing Of The Dark, The Anubis Gates, and On Stranger Tides (which was (loosely) adapted into a later Pirates Of The Caribbean film, but don’t worry, there’s not a Depp in sight here – I hope Mr Powers got a good payday out of it)
I just finished Earthquake Weather today, and it did engage me more in its final chapters. I rate the second and third about the same, but I liked the characters in the second one better than the characters in the third. None of the people we got to know in the earlier books were as engaging this time around, and the new ones being introduced took a long time to warm to, for me. So in that sense I preferred the second, but the third is better in other ways…so roughly the same, but different…
I just started reading Medusa’s Web today, and I also have The Drawing of the Dark on my “TBR-shelf” (as the “BookTubers” call it…) He’s written a lot of novels, I just picked a couple that had interesting blurbs. Of course, since it’s my holiday, I’m reading much less than usual – don’t have time! đ
I’ll check out your recommendations if I choose to go on reading more from him, so thank you.
You can add Dinner At The Deviant’s Palace to the list but, for me, The Anubis Gates is the essential Tim Powers read.
Noted. Has anyone read Three Days to Never? The book I’m reading now has a sample first chapter of that one as a bonus, and I enjoyed it and wanted it to continue, so I’m a bit tempted to pick that one up next.
Iâve read that one and from memory it was an entertaining read with a nice use of Albert Einstein as a character/plot device.
It’s going on my list!
Watched : Schitt’s Creek – sometimes I think it’s awful, sometimes genius. Very uneven, often in the same episode.
Read: Goldman’s “Lives of John Lennon”, even if he made 20% up the rest is pretty mind boggling.
AOB: A friend of mine died suddenly late last week after battling cancer, he was 60. This, just a few days after my ex wife’s partner passed away, upsetting my daughter (and her naturally). Difficult stuff.
Heard
Now the charity shops are open again I have been able to resume my old-fashioned hard copy music format habits. The pick of the finds so far is probably a couple of Tricky CDs, Blowback and Knowle West Boy. Tricky is one of those artists I think of as being ânewâ, until I realise that I havenât kept up with much of what heâs done since Maxinequay, and that was last century. Of the two albums Knowle West Boy is probably the better, though much of Blowback with its âfamous friendsâ collaborations is easier to listen to. Both confirm that I should have been paying more attention to Trickyâs restless and always rewarding career.
My new find of the month is another artist I hadnât listened to in years, but Jackie Oatesâs The Joy of Living is a beautiful and varied album ranging from Lennonâs Mother to more standard folkie fare such as Freedom Come All Ye and frequent folk festival closer Rolling Home. I sought out the album when her recording of Lal Watersonâs The Bird was played on Radio 3 and stopped me in my tracks in a way that songs rarely do, and I have been playing the album ever since.
And like many on here I have been enjoying Taylor Swift doing her best London Grammar impersonation on Folklore. I donât know much about her music, and suspect this one might be an outlier, but I like it a lot. Otherwise Iâve been playing a lot of instrumental music as I wfh â Mogwai soundtracks, Messer Chups for a surf vibe to match the sunshine and the new Khruangbin for some woozy mellowness, though theyâve thrown some lyrics in for this one. Oh, and itâs been said elsewhere on here but the Bowie CD with the most recent Mojo is a keeper.
Read
I had trouble reading during lockdown, which I know was common. The solution turned out to be a few lighter books which can be read without too much concentration. I like Alexander McCall Smithâs books and my favourites among those are the Isabel Dalhousie series. There is a new one just out, The Geometry of Holding Hands, and I pre-ordered the hardback. Itâs standard Isabel Dalhousie fare, as she contemplates the moral conundrums of being asked to act as executor for a strangerâs estate, while trying to limit her involvement in her niece Catâs professional and romantic lives. And as usual with AMS, the real problems pretty much solve themselves by the time his amiable 220-page count is up.
An early charity shop find was a John Niven book which I had never even heard of, let alone read. No Good Deed from 2017 is about a media tart restaurant critic who meets an old school friend living rough on the streets of Soho. As the title suggests his guilt driven attempts to help bring unintended and unwelcome consequences. For all that, itâs better natured and less cynical than the Stelfox books and an immersive read.
The thinnest of silver linings to the quiet high streets is that new books I might otherwise have to wait for months for at the library are sitting on the shelves. So it was with Craig Brownâs Beatles book One Two Three Four (I spotted that Alexander McCall Smith on the new release shelves while I was there too.). In fact, the helpful librarian went âout the backâ to find their brand-new copy when I couldnât see it on display. Like Brownâs Princess Margaret book âMaâam Darlingâ this is a collective memoire gathered from other peopleâs published recollections rather than a traditional biography. This makes the quibbles some people have about the lack of fact-checking beside the point, though a reference to Dylanâs âLong Train Comingâ shouldnât have made the printed page and hopefully didnât reach the second edition.
Unlike the earlier book, One Two Three Four also contains autobiographical descriptions of Brownâs visits to Beatle attractions and guided tours in a series of chapters which are very reminiscent of Bill Brysonâs travel books in their depictions of self-consciousness and absurdity. Through in chapters themed on Auntie Mimi, the Beatlesâ teeth and so on and itâs an unusual but effective treatment of a very familiar theme.
Seen
Browsing through iPlayer I found x + y, a British film about a troubled teen maths prodigy and his emotional growth when his MS afflicted mentor proposes him for the maths Olympiad. Put like that it doesnât sound like a barrel of laughs but itâs crammed with excellent performances, well thought out character arcs and some cracking lines. Itâs still on iPlayer and I recommend you seek it out.
I rationed The Sopranos as my lockdown viewing, but all good things must come to an end and I watched the last few episodes in July. Like a lot of US long-form series it takes some odd turns in itâs final season, with some odd character behaviour and some rushed plotlines as it sprints towards a conclusion, but overall itâs as good television series as I have ever seen. Iâm very late to the party with this, and I saw some episodes individually when it was firs broadcast, but this was my first immersive viewing.
aob
At the end of June I lost an inlay from a pre-molar, though thankfully saved it before I swallowed it (an inlay is a mid-way stage between a filling and a crown, a custom made piece of ceramic which is cemented on to as much of the healthy tooth as can be preserved. This one had been in my head for a dozen years or more.) Several weeks later my dentist was finally able to see me, and luckily the repair was a simple job. She just removed the temporary repair stuff from Boots which I had packed around the broken tooth and glued the inlay back on. I was in the chair for about 15 minutes, and that included the compulsory conversation which my dentist, a very likeable and chatty woman, always includes in the price (Band 1 NHS btw, so a little over 20 quid with no PPE surcharge as I have heard of elsewhere).
She told me from behind her apron, visor, mask and hairnet that she is still extremely limited in the treatments that she can offer, and when she was able to open again at all she spent a lot of time extracting teeth which could have been saved if she had been permitted to drill. If youâre suffering badly the choice to end the pain by losing the tooth must be an easy one, but there are going to be a lot of people with gappy teeth and âCOVID smilesâ in future.
I mentioned elsewhere, I’ve been on holiday on Shetland and Orkney. Cycling by day, that still left plenty of time for reading and for learning songs. One of those that I took, prompted by Jackie Oates’ performance at Folk at the Hall last year, was Ewan MacColl’s The Joy of Living. 28 lines, laden with meaning. When you learn a song, you bounce off its greatness. No doubt about it, once it is your mouth delivering the words, you weigh its import all the more. As I learn a song, I will usually get to a line where my voice cracks, not always for obvious reasons, but usually because it contains, for me, the nub of the song. I have to get through that point, but then I know it will be worth me singing. Well every bloody verse of The Joy of Living had me welling up artesian. How Jackie could sing it so close to losing her father is beyond me.
Being in the Far North of Scotland was a deliberate attempt to distance and distract from Sidmouth where I should have been singing and dancing for 10 days. It failed. I would be in my pedalling groove up some Nordic mountain north of Lerwick, gazing at fjords, but my soul was seeing the red cliffs of Devon, knowing that it was midday and I should be in the pub singing, or it was midnight and I should be dancing. It helped and didn’t help that I was reading Simon Armitage’s ‘Walking Away’, his account of walking the South West Coast Path, busking with poetry readings at night. The SWCP was another cancelled event from June; I’m walking it in stages with a mucker from work. Armitage covers pretty much what we have done already, and it was easy to peg progress and recall locations. Travel writing is such a swamped market, and I have seen enough accounts that are simplistic, ill informed and uninformative, and often patronising, becoming about the writer not the place. Armitage pitches it right for me; dry and self-deprecating without being arid; observant without being aloof.
God I have missed the South West of England this year.
Iâm not a folkie by any stretch but have been to Sidmouth at festival time twice and itâs a lovely place and vibe.
It is indeed a lovely place. Not that far from me as it happens.
I had a missing front tooth throughout the main lockdown. The remainder of the previous one was extracted in March and preparation for an implant begun. Then in June and July I was back for completion, so I have actually been to the dentist 3 times since it was allowed again. I am $3000 poorer, but my smile is a lot better now.
Test Cricket
Thanks are due to all those (especially the players of the West Indies and Pakistan) who have made it possible. And I’ve been going up the hill to watch the local village cricket team, time will tell what the futures of the various local football and rugby teams will be.
The best football has not been Arsenal, Tottenham et al, most of which has been exceedingly dull, but Wycombe Wanderers getting into the Championship. Fantastic achievement. I used to see them in the old Isthmian League against Barking, Enfield, Walthamstow Avenue and Leytonstone, and now they’re in the same League as Nottm. Forest and Derby County.
Seen
Laurel Canyon, a two-part documentary on Sky, and a crash course in how drugs, money and ego can see something great crumble. “Manson” was given, not unreasonably, as a mitigating factor, I’d cite “cocaine” as the deal breaker.
The beginning (Mothers, Doors, Love, Byrds) was much, much more interesting than the end (Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Eagles). It was beautifully filmed, but needed more acerbic observations by the likes of Zappa and Alice Cooper ⌠and the GTOs weren’t mentioned once. I want to know about them, not Linda Ronstadt.
Crosby, Stills and Nash (and I’ll throw in Joni Mitchell) looked as much fun as an Arsenal-Chelsea Cup Final. On the flip side, Mama Cass was seen in an almost heroic light.
Read
The only interesting thing to come out of the world of CSN is, of course, Neil Young, and Record Collector, a magazine I usually try to avoid, did, in fairness to them, run a brilliant piece on “After the Goldrush” (a.k.a. “The only singer-songwriter album you really need”). Throw in the Uncut Special on Neil Young, fascinating pieces on piles of records I never ever want to hear!
and âŚ
Heard
The first three Neil albums and the various live CDs (68-70) that came out on his Archives label.
The Canterbury House one, from November 68, is wonderful.
And my favourite album of all time is an album I hadn’t heard when we did that poll three months ago ⌠“Cauldron” by Fifty Foot Hose ⌠think Judy Dyble’s Fairport Convention crossed with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop ⌠many thanks to Mojo, which I do still like, for that recommendation.
@deramdaze I enjoyed Laurel Canyon too but not sure I agree re the second part. The CSN and Y section was vital since it touched on Kent University and the Manson murders which were the start of the end of the dream
What took me by surprise was that the Monkees were part of the Laurel Canyon scene.As a teenager growing up in the late sixties/early 70’s I only recalled them as being a novelty teeny band. I appreciate their singles now but not then. Somehow they didn’t fit into my perception of that scene.
Might have been a bit unfair on CSN.
I’ve now seen it all three times.
It’s actually a really good programme to dip into.
Been in Ireland for 3 weeks now including 2 in quarantine. After 20 years in the U.S. it’s been interesting to become immersed in culture here.
What we’ve been watching – prepare not to be dazzled. It’s amazing what you get by with.
Got pretty limited TV in our flat at the moment. Diarmuid Gavin’s gardening show has been pleasant – the GLW is keen to learn about what works well over here. On a similar theme we like the Instant Gardener show. Lots of good ideas. Homes Under The Hammer has become something of a go to for all 3 of us – our 8yo loves it. Devon & Cornwall (Ch 4 I think) has been very pleasant – I lived in south Devon for several years. Once the lad is in bed we have been enjoying 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown. Really like Sean Lock so must seek out more stuff from him. Used NowTV to watch a bit of sport but wasn’t really getting good value from it.
Listening
Not a lot. Once we have a permanent home we’ll have the system up and running. Desperate to get to see live music again.
Reading
I’ve been re-reading a few Bryson’s. Also finished the updated version of the Goodfellas book. on deck is the Roger Daltrey autobiog, Aron Ralstons book (he hacked off his own arm) and a book about UK Wrestling (of which I had zero interest) but it’s written by Simon Garfield who I like.
I love Garfield’s The Wrestling. One of the most evocative oral histories around, and so much more than just about the ‘ask him ref, ask him’ game. Les Kellett. Wow.
Thatâs good to know. The Nations Favourite, also written by him is exceptional.
Itâs been many years since I read that book but I still vividly remember the bit where Les Kellett asked another wrestler to stamp on his infected hand. Hardcore.
Seen
Mrs America – I absolutely loved this historical drama series telling the story of the Equal Rights Amendment. Cate Blanchett is superb as always and Tracy Ullman is a revelation.
Disturbing The Peace. âThe worst film Iâve ever seenâ is a description Iâve often come across on IMDB. I always think âwell you canât have seen many films thenâ. Of course itâs always a subjective and debatable choice, but I would challenge anyone to name a worse film that stars an already established and lauded actor at the peak of an illustrious career. What on earth was Guy Pearce thinking when he agreed to do this? Itâs not bad in a Showgirls kind of way, itâs bad in a crummy cheapo crap telly kind of way. Thereâs nothing to laugh at, nothing to interest anyone. Everything is shockingly third rate: the acting, the dialogue, the editing, the visual effects, the make up, even the sound editing, everything. Dire film with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Read
I re-read William Boyd’s Brazzaville Beach. I usually love re-reading books I adored first time round and was really looking forward to this, but this time I was a little disappointed. I remembered it as a 5-star novel but on second reading I’m demoting it to 4 stars. So there. I remembered it as being a fascinating thriller involving chimpanzees, but the chimpanzee bits – the best bits – are far fewer than I recalled.
It’s a difficult time of the year for me. Lots of sad anniversaries to contend with. The years drift past but the past stays present. So I thought I’d try and cheer myself up by watching…
Seen.
Once Upon A Time In Iraq. Compelling, horrifying, disturbing and brilliant television. It’s not a relaxing or comforting watch. It made me cry with anger. The world is an unholy mess and it’s getting worse, or am I just growing old and weary of it?
Apart from that I’ve been half-heartedly watching Narcos Mexico on Netflix which is mildly engaging.
Mostly it’s been music that has filled in my waking hours when I haven’t been scribbling and daubing. So…
Heard
Jazz as usual but a few plays of Hejira and Hissing Of Summer Lawns have happened along with a few spins of various albums from Tim Buckley, Roy Harper, Goat and even a rare outing of Rotter’s Club by Hatfield And The North but the stuff that’s been getting the most replays has been.
Nadine Shah – Kitchen Sink.
Sam Rivers – Contours.,
Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard & Steve Swallow – Life Goes On.
Christian McBride – Bringin’ It.
Chick Corea – Return To Forever.
Roberto Fonseca – Yesun.
Cecil Taylor – Unit Structures.
Stanley Turrentine – Joyride.
Hank Mobley – Soul Station.
Chromatics – Cherry and Kill For Love.
Loscil – Sketches From New Brighton.
Kamaal Williams – Wu Hen.
Dinosaur – To The Earth.
Motorpsycho + Jaza Jazzist Horns – In The Fish tank 10.
Ladytron – Witching Hour.
Read.
Purple Cane Road – James Lee Burke.
My Cousin Rachael – Daphne du Maurier.
Mexican Gothic – Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
The Weird And The Eerie – Mark Fisher.
Dead Lions – Mick Herron.
A Time Of Gifts – Patrick Leigh Fermor.
Angel – Elizabeth Taylor.
Fat City – Leonard Gardner.
The Familiars – Stacey Hall.
The Vorrh – Brian Catling.
A.O.B.
Painting & drawing. Making sense of the nest of cables that dwell in the dark and dusty space behind my kit rack.
@pencilsqueezer
Have recorded the Iraq programme but canât quite face it at the moment.
Hope youâre ok and keeping busy.
I’m ok thanks Freddy. Most kind of you to enquire. I appreciate it.
I finished a painting this morning and I’ll start work on another tomorrow. This afternoon is being given over to music and books so yeah I’m keeping busy.
Stay safe and well brother.
two books in your read list there I’m curious about…how is The Vorrh? It’s one of those books I am forever almost buying but never quite manage it. And the Silvia Moreno-Garcia – I enjoyed a couple of her earlier novels (especially Signal To Noise, about the magic inherent in music) but haven’t read this or the preceding one.
The Vorrh is definitely an oddity. A lot of seemingly disconnected storylines which gets somewhat confusing. It’s also a Freudian cornucopia. I am now roughly halfway through the second in the trilogy The Erstwhile and the story arc is making a little more sense now but it’s still mostly all over the place. Entertaining in a strange way.
I didn’t get along with Mexican Gothic. I found it too formulaic and predictable. It’s a middle grade novel in essence and probably not really aimed at an old geezer like me.
definitely fancy The Vorrh after that, but will probably skip the SMG unless it’s a dry week at the library (when I can go there again…)
I’ve virtually finished the second volume now and the narrative whilst still veering off at seemingly unconnected tangents without warning has become less baggy. I can now see the wood despite the trees.*
*pun intended.
This month somehow I managed to achieve 50 years on this planet.
Not the most memorable way to celebrate this milestone birthday, but easing of restrictions allowed some face-to-face family contact.
And I’m off to the British Grand Prix next year (if it happens …)
Heard
– Massive Wagons (as recommended by this very site) has blown cobwebs away.
– Sports Team have been doing a similar job – imagine Fontaines DC without the Irish accent crossed with Sultans Of Ping FC
– Cherry Red’s very fine Pub Rock compilation has been getting lots of airplay
– As has The Police Box Set Message In A Box – billed as “every note officially released by the band”, and it cost me the grand sum of ÂŁ12
Seen
– The Gentlemen – As good as any Guy Ritchie film (if you’re a fan), and even if you’re not it’s worth a watch
– Le Mans 66 – Such a great tale, and it’s got Racing Cars in it (one observation: why was Ken Miles, the English Racing Driver, speaking with an Australian accent?)
– Rockfield Studios documentary – a good doc, but could’ve been better. There is probably a story or two to be told about the Studio, but this doc didn’t do that preferring to concentrate on its 1990s incarnation
– The Robert Plant doc after it (which didn’t get the same fanfare) was a better watch. He really does come across as a top bloke, and one to add to the list of “Rock Stars You’d Like To Have A Pint With”
Reading
Lockdown started with some veracious reading, it’s slowed to a slow drip now – only Mojo consumed properly this month.
Not sure I’ve even opened a book this month.
AOB
Youngest daughter finished University with a 2:1 (1% off a first apparently, which disappointed her – and she can’t be arsed to appeal) – she sent out 2 CVs, got 2 interviews, and is due to start her first job (Graduate Scheme) in September.
Madly dis-organised Eldest daughter has just realised the lease period on her 3 year old car is up, so I now own a 3 year old Ford Fiesta.
Step Daughter moved out to her own house this weekend – I am now in the process of re-organising my office / den / music room, and now find that Ikea no longer sell the same colour shelves I already have.
As Mrs D now tells me: “You’re officially an old git”. I’ve been practicising curmudgeonly and old gitdom for a few years, so the transition should be fairly smooth
Happy birthday!
Seen
Happy Death Day
Whilst this horror flick is wildly derivative (Groundhog Day meets teen slasher) it is also really entertaining. Helped no end by a witty script and Jessica Rothe, who is hugely charismatic in the lead role.
Aquaman
Although it looks good and there are a couple of striking set pieces this is a dull, ponderous superhero movie.
The Limehouse Golem
Despite a decent cast, this plays out like a poor Sunday night period piece TV show with some added gore. The woeful script doesnât help.
20th century women
Melancholic, elegiac story set in 1979 and featuring a wonderful ensemble of actors. Annette Benning is tremendous as the chain-smoking Dorothea, a complex character who reminded me of Olive Kitteridge from Elizabeth Stroudâs magnificent book of the same name.
VEEP
Deep into series 6, the show remains filled with grotesques and incompetents – yet they still seem more capable and less venal than those sitting atop the US and UK political piles.
Friday Night Dinner.
Never watched this show before because it looked irritating. And, yes, it is. But it also makes me laugh enough to get past the irritation. Iâve watched the first 2 series â but thatâs about enough for me, I think.
Read
Three hours by Rosamund Lupton
Gunmen have launched an attack on an independent school in England and this book is set during the 3 hours of the siege. A decent thriller, if a little on the nose sometimes.
Hot Stone by Donald Westlake
Rambunctious crime thriller that is centred around a series of capers to liberate a famous African emerald. Great fun.
Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
The harrowing tale of a young black man caught up in the grinding gears of an American prison reform school. Sad, frightening and heart-breaking.
Heard
Spent a few evenings listening to big chunks of New Orderâs back catalogue. Theyâve always had a reputation as inconsistent live performers, brilliant one night and shambolic the next (seem to recall Peel saying he found that inconsistency endearing) but Nomc15 (Live) is a magnificent live set.
Also dipped my toes into the world of Lampchop.
Of my regular podcasts I am mostly enjoying, Athletico Mince, Top Flight Time Machine and Betamax Babylon.
Thank God we have decent weather that makes the current Pandemic just a little bit easier to endure because it really is starting to get on my tits. Anyway here goes:
HEARD:
Lots this month.
Enjoying Jarv Is – as you would expect from Jarvis Cocker lots of good ideas. The edition I got was a Rough Trade exclusive that came with a bonus cd suite for Iain and Jane which was an accompanying soundtrack to a tv series and very good it is too.
Jayhawks XoXo – loving this – the last 2 Jayhawks albums have been the best of their career I would say.
Three Queens in Mourning – an Alasdair Roberts lead trio tackle the songs of Will Oldham aka Bonnie Prince Billy and then he returns the favour by covering four of their songs at the end of the cd. I am a huge fan of Bonnie Prince Billy so this was a no brainer but their version of I see a Darkness even surpasses the original which was a grat surprise given its greatness.
Chuck Propjhet The Land that time forgot – a departure from his normal sound – more stripped back acoustic based songs but its Chuck Prophet so another quality release from him.
Brigid Dawson and the Mothers Network – Thee Oh Sees are at their best when Brigid Dawson vocals are to the fore so it was great to see her strike out on her own – this a fine debut release with some quirky psychedelia – havent yet reached the @Tiggerlion required 6 listens but I am enjoying what I am hearing.
A bonkers compilation of largely instrumental 60’s oddities Records,R
Sorry this cut off mid sentence for some reason and I couldn’t re-edit:
so – Records,Records,Records – Drowning in a sea of Cramps.
Finally Dream Wife an excellent 3 piece girl band heavily indebted to Blondie for their melodic songs and energy. This is their second cd – I think called who you gonna (i dont have it in front of me). A couple of very catchy songs on the album – highly recommended.
READ:
Difficulty reading novels at present meant William Boyd’s collection of short stories The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth was right up my street. Interesting characters not least the young lady who gives the collection its title. Have loved William Boyd sincve his very early works A good man in Africa and Ice cream Wars – I pickedup one of his more recent novels Restless which I will save for my holiday later this month.
SEEN:
Like @Gary I though Mrs America was fabulous – Blanchett was great but her character was obnoxious and made me want to throw things at the TV which I guess was testament to how good she was. Tracey Ullman has now been in the USA long enough to take on all the quirks of the role she was playing – utterly convincing.
I really enjoyed the documentary Germaine bloody Greer – what an interesting person and I found myself agreeing with a lot of her ideas and thoughts.
Money Heist is raved about by many of my work colleagues – to my mind it is an over long hostage plot with some good ideas but unable to hold my attention – I am half way through season 1 and unless anything drastic happens doubt will watch the next 2 seasons.
We actually got to go to the cinema and caught a film called Summerland which I think was released at the start of lockdown. Starring Gemma Arterton I can highly recommend this film of reluctant woman living alone in Kent having to take in a young evacuee boy during the second World War. There was a massive twist I didn’t see coming but a very moving film about displacement and the ability to find companionship in the unlikeliest of situations.
I also saw my first live music since february in the guise of an acoustic blues duo The Whiskey Brothers. They played a set in the Botanical Gardens on a sunny Sunday afternoon – it was nice to just hear live music again and made me yearn for gigs. God knows when that will be – amazed that a friend of mine saw John and Lily Hiatt at a gig in Nashville this month – perhaps explains why their infection rates are still so high. Who knows?
Saw: Watching a LOT of sport – mainly rugby from ANZ. One of our cable channels has just started rerunning babylon 5, so that’s 3 hours a day sorted for me. We just picked up HBO again, so working my way back through, but the one thing that is delighting me is the animated Harley Quinn series. It’s a foul mouth satire on the DC comics, and is genius.
Listened to: nothing new.
Read: Jason Fagone’s book on Elizebeth Friedman, “The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America’s Enemies” was a really good read. A ton of comics, and Keith Thomas “The Ends of Life: Roads to Fulfillment in Early Modern England”, which is enlightening and informative.
AOB: getting ready for our move to Australia, and accepted on to two (waiting on news of my third) on-line MBA for when we move
Saw…
A few bits of football on TV. It’s all a bit pointless without crowds isn’t it?
Ozark-finally up to date, and what a grower the show turned out to be. Excellent stuff.
Heard…
The new Sparks album. Just brilliant and full of tunes. That’s all I need from an album really. Not a massive fan before this, apart from the 70’s singles, but decided to dip in and what a great decision that proved.
Other than that, the new Paul Weller album continues to hog the speakers. His best in some years I think.
Read…Johnny Green’s book on The Clash. Good insider view from one who was there for most of it.
AOB…the usual summer trips in the camper van all postponed, as at the age of 47 my wife just had a hip replacement at very short notice due to Covid related cancellations etc. Marathons really aren’t a good idea for someone born with clicky hips…
Regarding the crowds. Have you watched any snooker? I’m actually enjoying it, but the canned applause is pathetic. I used to think the sound effects of the balls connecting, or hitting the back of the pockets was bad enough, but this is worse.
Sound affects for the balls? That comes from microphones placed in and around the table.
I am talking about the added sound effects used in the replays.
Oh I see
Actually watching now I don’t think anything special is going on, it is just the usual sound slowed down very much.
When someone plays a shot, worthy of a replay, usually a long shot, hit hard, then the sound effects give a pop for the cue strike, then it’s almost like a rifle crack when the balls make contact, then you’d think a bomb had gone off when the ball hits the back of the pocket. I think it’s very noticeable.
Eurosport have noted how inconsistent âthe man on the applauseâ is. Joe Johnson giving the (Eric Morecambe?) line âI donât know how weâd manage without you Arnold, but from tomorrow weâre going to find out!â
What I find strange is that in the two table setup it was always a bit annoying to hear applause from the other table, but they seem to be continuing this when it is completely unnecessary.
@nick-l
Isnât the Sparks album great? I think it could also be a career highlight. Will give it it another blast while I make tea.
@Freddy-Steady
It really is fantastic. Most albums these days take me a few listens but this was immediate. I was a bit taken aback if truth be told but what a great surprise.
@nick-l
Youâre absolutely right, itâs really really immediate. Doesnât need the Tiggs Six Listens….
Steve Lamacq playing a track on 6Music now FYI.
New Perry Mason and Wang Chung, âPoints on the curve.â
Seen
Have to say, Iâve been enjoying the World Championship snooker, although the BBCâs coverage is hugely frustrating as you flit between BBC1, the red button, BBC2, then BBC4 and then back to BBC2.
Canât remember if I mentioned this last month, but Once Upon A Time In Iraq on the BBC iPlayer is a very good documentation of the various modern-day conflicts. Horrifying to see what the US and UK put that country through.
Read
A Big Country track popped up on shuffle. Then in a kind of morose way, that led me to download the book about Stuart Adamson by Allan Glen. Of course we all know the tragic ending, but Iâm enjoying it so far â and along with reading the book, I have been revisiting the Big Country back catalogue.
Heard
Of new stuff I have been listening to the new Jarvis album and also an album by a New Zealand artist called Jonathan Bree. On his album âAfter The Curtains Closeâ he has kind of out-Jarvisâd Jarvis at his own game.
Also been giving this website a go – you get a random album from the 1001 albums you must hear….. every week day. Really enjoyed some albums that I would have never normally listened to. https://1001albumsgenerator.com/
I see that https://1001albumsgenerator.com/ claims to be “brilliant for the workplace”.
Let’s just hope that the 1001 albums from which the selection is made do not include “Barbed wire maggots” by Borbetomagus. If you played that in the average workplace, you’d have a riot on your hands within about 30 seconds….
Funny old month, but aren’t they all this year?
Managed to end the month getting away for the first time since the end of Feb, with a long w/e in Docking, 5 miles from the North Norfolk Coast. Wonderful walks on Brancaster Beach, big enough to handle the relative throng, with the beach at Burnham Overy topping that, the mile or so walk cutting further the number of casual punters. Glorious. Is there a better ambience than dogs on sand and in the sea? The Jolly Sailor (pizzas) and the White Horse (lobby and oysters, despite the lack of any R in the month) seemed to have working and safe systems, but the find of the w/e was the Ship Hotel in Brancaster village, as opposed to Staithe.
Since coming back, most of my time has been watching the Netflix rerun of the Fall, police procedural with Gillian Anderson and set in Belfast. About 5 years old and I remember little fuss at the time, but, blimey, absolutely traffic stuff, start to late night finish. Grab it while you can.
Having read the Mark Lanegan autobiography last, a cheerless piece of work, both the book and the then him, I needed the uplift of a reliable read, Anne Tyler always hitting that for me. Her tales of somewhat sad and seedy ordinary folk never fail to uplift. Clockdance takes a bit of time to get going, but gets into predictable territory of small disappointments and little joys eventually.
Music was consumed by the issue of i-tunes eating all my homework. The vast majority of my library is stuff I have ripped into the computer myself, always finding i-tunes at least functional as a database, if nothing else. (As a mac user I no longer have access to my earlier preferred of Media Monkey.) But one day I woke up and there were only the (very) few songs downloaded from i-tunes store. I read around all the alternatives as the files were obviously all still there, just not being registered anymore. Tried the Swinsian malarkey and loaded it, getting it to hoover up all the music files, which it did adequately. Can’t say I liked the appearance but accepted it, given the commendations. But when it came to add to the library it was a complete waste of itself, as you cannot rip thereto direct, necessitating maintenance of i-tunes alongside, to rip new stuff to and to then suck them back out from i-tunes to Swinsian. Binned it before having to pay, and restored everything back to i-tunes, a long and laborious. mp3s are quick enough but the m4a files, the majority, took several days…( Guess it doesn’t help that my drive is approaching peak fullness, slowing everything down. The half a terrabyte I was told would be plenty 6 years ago clearly isn’t and I probably need to consider investing in an upgrade…….)
Of the new stuff it has been a real old mix and muddle of old and new. The new Zara McFarlane has had a few listens and, yes, it’s good and it is probably very cutting edge, what with all the electronica. Sounding a bit like an edgier Morcheeba, with the sort of bleep and booster backing not vastly dissimilar to the production team used by Anohni these days, Oneohtrix etc. I feel it is, however, a backward step for her, her Ella-grade vocals better suited to the more conventional jazz and reggae tints of her last record.
In my never ending cover versions quest, I got the 2015 Lemar set, The Letter. I have always thought him soul-lite for footballers, but this record is a belter. Bizarrely, and possibly because he is a brit rather than a yank, it all sounds closer to gritty blue-eyed rockers who flirt with soul than I anticipated. Paul Rodgers, say.
The two Ghostland albums: Justin Adams’ work post Jah Wobble and pre Robert Plant, along with John Reynolds and cellist Caroline Dale, are well worth a go. All ethno-electronica with loads of strings and guest vocals from the likes of Natacha Atlas, Cara Dillon and Sinead O’Connor, plus some quirky guitar from Adams.
I delved deeper into the Walkabouts catalogue, americana noir with a european art house ambience, and their covers album of originally non-anglophone european songs from Greece, Portugal etc, is superb, despite that sounding a description to steer clear of. The Train Leaves at Eight, it is called. Finally, and getting big airplay in Norfolk, the Duncan Chisholm records, Canaich and Farrar, scottish/gaelic fiddle music par excellence. I had bought the 3rd record in the trilogy some years back, somehow not getting around to completing the set until recently.
Saw Duncan Chisholm play the trilogy at Folk at the Hall a few years ago, just after its completion. Excellent gig.
That Justin Adams looks interesting. I’ve been playing the JuJu albums much of the summer; he’s a natural collaborator – and clearly many enjoy collaborating with him.
As it happens, we’re going to Docking in September, so that is very helpful advice!
Lovely village, @murkey , if overly top heavy in rental homes. (And, yes, of course we were in one of ’em, so…..) Needs a bigger and better shop than the Spar. Or even a choice, not least with 100 houses being currently built in a couple of sites. Didn’t make it to the pub as was too long a walk from our end of the village. Fish ‘n’ chip shop seems highly rated by locals.
I thought The Fall started well, but became more and more ludicrous the longer it went on. For me, a disappointment
I disagree. They had their ups and downs but they had plenty of moments of greatness right until the very end.
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