Month: October 2023

Posted in Paper Chase

Q3 2023 Read It

Posted on by Michael

Delia Owens’ first novel, Where the Crawdads Sing turned into a sensation when published in 2018. The story follows Kya who is abandoned by everyone in her family as a child and lives alone in the North Carolina marsh. She survives through ingenuity and kindness of others including Jumpin’ who runs the boat shack and looks out for her. A second narrative follows the possible murder of local celebrity Chase Andrews when he is found dead from a mysterious fall. The straightforward story is quite the page turner and has the reader rooting for Kya throughout.

7.5/10

Jane Austen’s fourth novel Emma was first published in 1815 and follows that young lady through her genteel life while trying to play matchmaker for her friend Harriet. The lives of Emma’s friends and family are explored, mostly through the lends of who’s marrying who. Her devotion to her father and lack of romantic interest in others suddenly catches up to her as her feelings start to change. The callsi novel is a delightful read with many funny moments and clever writing.

9/10

Posted in Album Reviews

David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars: The Motion Picture Soundtrack (30th Anniversary Edition)(2003)

Posted on by Michael

Recorded just over 50 years ago, the soundtrack to the D.A. Pennebaker live concert, Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars: The Motion Picture, didn’t see release until 1983.  The concert from the Hammersmith Odeon is famous for being the one where David Bowie announced to both the crowd and band that this would be the last ever show by his alter ego – Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars.

The album has several songs in common with Live Santa Monica ’72 including the guitar bursting “Hang on to Yourself” and of course “Ziggy Stardust”.  The first sound of a blip gets a warm reception from the audience as the band plays, “Space Oddity” and Bowie again includes his cover of Jacques Brel’s “My Death”. “Suffragette City” ends the main set on a high note.

The album swaps out a few tracks from the Santa Monica concert.  Instead of The Velvet Underground’s “Waiting For the Man” you get a joyous cover of “White Light/White Heat”.  “Life on Mars” gets replaced by an abridged version of “Oh You Pretty Things” that appears in a medely with the Bowie penned “All the Young Dudes” and “Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud” that gets a big ovation from the crowd.

The 30th Anniversary edition includes 5 songs not on the original including the full 16 minute version of “Width of a Circle” that sees the band let loose and jam. It also includes the symphonic introductions that sound like they are played on a small record player to a theatre full of Bowie fanatics. “Cracked Actor” from the recently released Aladdin Sane album is a highlight on both versions. The night closes with Bowie making his famous speech that the Ziggy band will never tour again before they play the fitting “Rock N’ Roll Suicide”.  It was a historical rock and roll night that sees the band in electric form before the curtain closes and the rug gets pulled out from underneath.

7.5/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Slowdive – everything is alive (2023)

Posted on by Michael

In 2017, the 90s band Slowdive had a very successful return with their self titled album that ranked high on our list of favourite albums that year.  Five years on, the band return with their second release since reforming.  Neil Halstead wrote all the songs and produced then mixed with Grammy award winner Shawn Everett.  A darker, synthesized sound envelopes many tracks including first song “shanty”.  “Skin in the Game” adds distorted guitar with a haunted voice.  As Halstead sings, “skin in the game”, his voice sounds disembodied.

One of the hallmarks of the band is the vocals of Rachel Goswell who sings the opening lines on the warmer sounding “Alife”, a song that feels like sitting in a whirlpool when the jets come on. “Kisses” is more pop oriented, one that could fit on many indie dance playlists.  “Chained to a Cloud” rides a synth arpeggio that is reminiscent of Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy” before the album closes with the intense “The  Slab” and it’s buried vocals. everything is alive is not as immediate as it’s self titled predecessor, it shoots for inner rather than outer space. The oceans of guitar are a bit colder and darker on this return.

7/10