Reading - May 2015

Guitarist (June 2015 / Issue 394)

The Week (2 May 2015 / Issue 1020)

Confessions Of A Record Producer by Moses Avalon (1998)

As a student of the pop music industry, I have read quite widely around the subject - not just pop bios but also the business side of things. Nevertheless this managed to surprise me in a number of respects - mostly the one-sidedness of contracts even forty years on from the most notably exploitative ones. Interesting, revealing and essential reading for anyone assuming that whoever you see on your television is automatically rich, let alone anyone thinking they might enter the business. The fact that this edition is quite old (nearly 20 years!), and as a result notably wrong about the impending digital revolution, doesn't lessen its impact.

The Week (9 May 2015 / Issue 1021)

The Week (16 May 2015 / Issue 1022)

Twentieth anniversary issue! A fact denoted by a small flag on the front cover, a brief mention on the editorial and nothing else (the thousandth issue was even less celebrated).

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (2006)

The Week (23 May 2015 / Issue 1023)

Slash by Slash with Anthony Bozza (2007)

I couldn't name more than about two Guns 'n' Roses songs and fewer of any post GNR bands Slash has been in, but I was intrigued enough by his story to keep going through what is a fairly lengthy book. There is no way this guy should be alive! Although he says it's the music that has kept him together, there's not really much about how he arrives at it - maybe he or the publishers think that the general public won't be interested. Still, it's made me keen to go and listen to his albums ... I just have to see how long I can bear Axl Rose's voice (who btw comes across as a prize tit in this book).

The Week (30 May 2015 / Issue 1024)

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
2006

I didn't know exactly what age this book is aimed at, but it's published in the UK by Electric Monkey, an Egmont imprint that specialises in teen/YA (presumably "young adult") fiction. Since Norah is eighteen in the book, and Nick a touch older, I would guess that the intended readership is therefore roughly fifteen-plus. Is the "plus" bit of that supposed to extend all the way to 46? No matter - I'm a sucker for a nice bit of romantic fiction and I enjoyed the film so I thought, let's try the original book, even if it is for kids.

Well. Um. Teen fiction sure has changed since I was that age. I can't remember exactly what I was reading when I was fifteen, but I'm pretty sure that none of the characters swore (at all), had abusive ex-boyfriends or (almost) gave blow-jobs in public places. In fact, the whole thing is much more like one of the racier Harlequin novels (maybe something from the Desire series) than what I had expected - although for Harlequin they would have to reduce the teen angst.

Oh - and seriously tone down the language. This book has probably the single highest FpP ("fuck" per page) count of any I have read recently - and when you consider that I am also currently reading Slash's autobiography, that's really saying something. I know that's how kids talk, and it doesn't offend me, but generally you don't write dialogue exactly how people talk because it doesn't come across right ("Like, um, so, he said, I dunno, something, right, and I was so, like, um ...") - unless you're going for a specific effect. Here, it just speaks of an insufficient vocabulary. Maybe that's right for the characters when speaking (although they are both supposed to be intelligent) but for their internal dialogue, it just seems lazy.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. It successfully captures a very teen experience; the heady, hormonal rush of meeting someone amazing and becoming so involved with them in just a few hours that you feel you know them inside out. I like the "he said/she said" format of alternate chapters from each character's viewpoint, although the motivations are still a little hazy sometimes. But it's a good read, the right length and the right ending.

Would I let my teenage children read it? Well, I actually did already know that teen fiction is a lot different from what I read. My 13 year-old has read the Hunger Games trilogy and although I haven't, I believe it's fairly grim. He wouldn't be interested in this because it's not action/thriller stuff. But my daughter? Well, it contains references to things I would like to think she doesn't need to know about until she's at least fifteen ... but maybe I'm kidding myself. I don't know.

Reading - April 2015

The Illustrated Eric by Terry Pratchett and Josh Kirby(1990)

The usual - very funny in places, some satire, particularly of religion in this case. Rincewind isn't one of my favourite characters but this is at the usual standard.

The Week (4 April 2015 / Issue 1016)

The Week (11 April 2015 / Issue 1017)

Bedlam by Christopher Brookmyre (2013)

Just as enjoyable the second time round. Shades of The Matrix aside, there's some good ideas in here and an interesting side-line in the ethics surrounding what he calls "digital consciousness". And any Christopher Brookmyre is all right with me.

Which Lie Did I Tell? by William Goldman (2000)

Another read of the sequel to the wonderful Adventures In The Screen Trade (although bear in mind that Goldman himself says that, in the movies, sequels are whore's films - because they are always about the money). More about the craft of screen writing this time. Entertaining but could have been a little shorter.

Wood & Steel (Winter 2014 / Volume 81)

The most comprehensive advert I have ever seen. Taylor Guitars' in-house magazine - interesting but only designed to make you want to buy more guitars (and in this it has succeeded. I would love another Taylor.)

The Week (18 April 2015 / Issue 1018)

Le Freak by Nile Rodgers (2011)

I'm not normally a fan of biographies. However this was recommended and in this case the story is so unusual that it is quite an amazing read. And if Nile appears to be a little full of himself at times ... well, he's probably got good reason to be.

The Week (25 April 2015 / Issue 1019)

Reading - March 2015

What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell (2009)

Despite knowing about Malcolm Gladwell, this is the first book of his I've read. I can see why he is popular: the articles (all originally from The New Yorker magazine) manage to condense some complex subjects into very readable, entertaining and thought-provoking pieces. In style, he reminds me of Tom Wolfe. There's a couple of pieces about Enron and their problems - their "star" culture and dodgy financial engineering - that come a little close to home for comfort.

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (~1599)

An old favourite and the only Shakespeare play I have ever read. Mainly because of the 1993 film, which we watched load and loads, 20 (gulp) years ago.

The Week (28 February 2015 / Issue 1011)

The Week (7 March 2015 / Issue 1012)

Guitarist (April 2015 / Issue 392)

One-Hit Wonder by Lisa Jewell (2001)

A lovely, warm novel, that I (re)read at almost one sitting. One of my favourites. Great characters and a good story. Why hasn't this been made into a film?

The Week (14 March 2015 / Issue 1013)

Adventures In The Screen Trade by William Goldman (1982)

An absolute classic and a must for anyone with a passing interest in film, or in fact anyone who has ever watched a film. One of the kind of books you find yourself quoting at people whenever the subject comes up. I've re-read it many times.

The Week (21 March 2015 / Issue 1014)

The Week (28 March 2015 / Issue 1015)

Behind The Scenes At The Baked Bean Museum by Hunter Davies (2010)

Hunter Davies is probably best known as the author of the only authorised Beatles biography (a title he is likely to retain forever now), but I first came across him in the pages of Punch magazine in the 70s. This book is sub-titled "My Search For Britain's Maddest Museums" but my guess is that was imposed by the publisher, since the only really eccentric museum is the one in the title. The rest seem perfectly understandable - unusual maybe, but no more than others. He only visits eighteen, out of what I am sure are many more, and at least three of those are proper, legit businesses (or owned by one), like the National Football Museum in Preston (now in Manchester), or the money museum in Edinburgh. So really it's just a wander through a miscellany of museums. Entertaining enough though.

We get the politicians we deserve

"Every nation gets the government it deserves"

Joseph de Maistre (1753 – 1821)

When you consider the hatchet jobs, launched by a media desperate to fill yawning caverns of space, and consumed by a complacent public uncaring about the collateral damage it causes to real people and real lives, you have to wonder who would willingly place themselves in that position. Perhaps people who are sufficiently thick-skinned or arrogant enough to not care about other people - at all?

When you consider the dredging up of personal information, the assumption by everyone that anything about a politician's life is fair game because they are in the public eye, and knowledge of which is regarded as a right by the general public rather than the invasion of privacy it is, you have to wonder what would motivate someone to put themselves there. Perhaps someone whose main aim is to further their own interests rather than to help people?

When you consider the pathetic small-mindedness of the political game-playing that rejoices in scoring the most trivial of points off the opposition rather than debating genuine issues and the demonising of people based on a slight difference of opinion, all a result of attempting to appeal to a public that refuses to understand or engage with the real issues, you have to wonder what kind of person suits that role. Perhaps someone sufficiently small minded and trivial to play the game well or think it worth playing?

We get the politicians we deserve.

Organized

Morgan
2000

As I have mentioned before, my last great single buying period (er, OK, the only one) threw up a surprising number of good tracks. One of my favourites is a perky, organ-led groove called "Miss Parker" by the mysterious "Morgan". I knew nothing about it at the time and despite occasional searches, nothing more for some time.

I finally got round to buying it ten years later and, even later than that, some information emerged. "Morgan" is Morgan Nicholls, originally the bass player with Senseless Things, minor-league indie faves from the early 90s. This is a whole lot more prosaic than I expected from the single, to be honest.

Still, it shouldn't and doesn't detract from the album. Despite showing obvious influences - from acid jazz days (and JTQ in particular), most obviously on something like "When I Close My Eyes", plus a bit of Lemon Jelly (the Tom Jones sampling "At The Flamingo Hotel") - Organized (great title) stands up by itself. Stand out tracks: "Miss Parker" of course (although I prefer the Dust Brothers remix) and the laid back, hazy, Hammond-drenched "Soul Searching Part 1". "Something He Said" is also nice in a groovy, late-90s way. Well worth investigating.

Reading - February 2015

Guitarist (March 2015 / Issue 391)

Simon's Cat by Simon Tofield (2009)

Cute but nowhere near as funny as the YouTube cartoons. K is enjoying it.

The Week (7 February 2015 / Issue 1008)

The Week (14 February 2015 / Issue 1009)

Quirkology by Richard Wiseman (2007)

A compendium of studies into the way people think and act. Mostly fairly trivial things (the kind that make you think, "people get paid for researching this?"), but some that have serious consequences, like what unconsciously affects who people vote for (clue: nothing to do with policies). Very anecdotal but well footnoted, but a few too many occurrences of phrases like "although later studies have called this into question" - which makes me think that perhaps the initial study, however interesting, shouldn't be quoted.

The Second Book Of General Ignorance by John Lloyd & John Mitchinson (2010)

More amazing facts etc. Mostly very interesting (and with an occasional overlap with Quirkology, above), but sometimes a little too little varied in tone - "here's another thing everyone is wrong about". More for dipping into than anything else.

Simon's Cat in Kitten Chaos by Simon Tofield (2011)

Actually rather wearing after a while. Didn't finish it, despite the fact that doing so would only have taken about 10 minutes.

The Big Issue (16-22 February 2015 / Issue 1141)

The Week (21 February 2015 / Issue 1010)

How To Bake by Paul Hollywood (2012)

A good introduction to a number of types of baking, including bread. Feels a bit like a short book about bread that got expanded with other baking so that they could charge more for it, but decent amounts of info on bread-making techniques and equipment, and including some approaches and recipes I haven't come across before. Good illustrations. Suffers from a common issue with recipe books, which is that it is nicely bound but won't stay open at the page you want while you try actually make the recipe!

Lunarbaboon Vol 1 by Chris Grady (2014)

Lunarbaboon is my favourite web comic and so last year I put some cash down for my first Kickstarter project to get a copy of the first book. It contains comics from the first year, so I've mostly read them, but I think they're good enough to preserve. The book is now more generally available - buy a copy!