There was something I wanted to say about people getting drunk at office parties and chanting “Floyd-Floyd-play-Floyd-man”, and generally being very happy when somebody plays The Man Who Sold the World. I’ll skip the pleasantries and just say – “Fuck you.”
I wonder if there is some kind of Hell in which they alternately play Sultans of Swing, The Man Who Sold The World, Smoke on the Water, Hotel California, Another Prick-oops-Brick in the Wall and Light My Fire throughout eternity, and I wonder if these people will still be very happy listening to the same freakin’ songs over and over and over again, and if they will still sing along for the four million five hundred thousand two hundred and ninety seventh time…..
Ok, so I am turning into a musical snob. So friggin’ what?
Last evening I listened to Frank Zappa 101 ( that was how amazon.com descibed the Strictly Commercial album). I don’t know if this classifies me as a Zappa fan, but it was good, really. Weird, funny lyrics. ( Strange but true! I actually paid attention to the lyrics, they were that-kind-of-weird ). Then Suzanne Vega’s Retrospective album.Then Street Survivors by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Did I have a good time or what.
Books: The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman: over and done in a night. I dunno why, but the Sally Lockhart trilogy seems a bit over-rated to me. For one thing, this does not exactly fall in the kiddie-adventure category ( there’s a bedroom scene somewhere near the end), and the events seem disjointed somehow…..you know what – if this weren’t set in Victorian London, this would be a proper Hardy Boys-Nancy Drew story, loads of “supporting” characters, coincidence after coincidence ( Only in the Hardy Boys’ world would we find Fenton Hardy after the same guy who dropped a red button in the park which Frank and Joe “happened” to find, and which leads them all to crack some international drug cartel) I will give Pullman credit, however, for killing off characters without much fanfare – one common ailment writers of series and trilogies suffer from is the inability to let go of favoured characters ( JK Rowling, anyone?). A satisfying read, but nothing memorable. I wonder if I should read book 3 soon enough and be done with it.
My Years With Apu: A Memoir by Satyajit Ray was good. Far shorter than it should have been, and an abrupt ending, which was kind of expected because it was a reconstruction of the first draft by his wife, rather than the final book itself. Seems the book was incomplete when Ray died. A brilliant insight into what went into the making of Pather Panchali, along with bits from Ray’s early life. To tell the truth, I haven’t watched any of Ray’s films, except for Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, which I really enjoyed as a kid. Read the translation of Pather Panchali, but never seen the movie. I am still not sure whether I want to. Aparajito is more sparsely covered, and Apur Sansar comes to two pages.
The Hunger by Whitley Strieber. Vampire fiction. Supposed to be a cult book, yadda yadda yadda, but hasn’t grabbed me yet.
Or maybe it’s because of Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Burn, baby, burn!
Bought a new cd writer STOP 52 x STOP Eagerly awaiting your 1000 cds STOP Regards Madhav
er….did the STOP refer to the 28 audio cds i wrote on saturday, and the 40 cds i am getting tonight?
which brand, btw?
P.S do i need to repeat the last line of my post? ;-)
which brand, btw?
Samsung, NOT the combo drive, for Rs 2270.
I’ll be in Hyd on Dec 10th, btw
How about meeting up in Dec? Me, you, Beatzo and all other interested hyd blokes?
will give Pullman credit, however, for killing off characters without much fanfare – one common ailment writers of series and trilogies suffer from is the inability to let go of favoured characters ( JK Rowling, anyone?).
have you read his dark materials? by pullman?
i thought the first two were good but then he got totally carried away and became ranty, whiny and so zealously agnostic that it totally put me off the third book and him altogether. (although lyra and whathisname were quite the perfect pair if not for the fact they were horribly underaged)
Deja Who?
have you read his dark materials? by pullman
Haven’t you asked him this before?
Deja know this?
That was just a glitch in the Communist…er…the you-know-what.
Re: Deja know this?
Heh heh.
no, i haven’t. saving them for a better time. :)
by the way, why are they called His Dark Materials? does the “His” refer to Pullman himself?
Heh, have to admit, I am a Floyd fan myself, but in my defence I tend to stay away from assorted hobos and junkies who have memorised all their songs and sing along for the four million five hundred thousand two hundred and ninety seventh time.
I like to listen to music in controlled, varied doses. I am not a junkie, or a purist, so it helps when I mix my Live with my Springsteen, and so on…
Pullman, though. I was thinking of picking up the book(s), but now that you advise against, I think I’ll stick to Bryson.
Advise against Pullman ??? I don’t think he said that, really. Please do try His Dark Materials trilogy.
Actually I got my doubts when he compared it to the Deus Ex Machinae of Hardy Boys. Actally his Dark Materials Trilogy is the most recommended one so far, and I was going to buy it this weekend… lessee, I might end up doing just that.
The Sally Lockhart trilogy was overhyped, imho. I still want to read Dark Materials, and I suggest you do, too.
I have the ebooks, maybe u can take a look at some sample pages and then decide whether to buy them. Want? :)
yessssss…. my precioussss…
sssssssent to your pusaar id.
Danke.
Na na, i don’t have anything against Floyd fans, or any kind of fans of any kind of music. The rant was directed against those unmusical morons whose idea of fandom is listening to the same three songs everyday, and forcing them down everyone else’s throats and then saying things like “floyd is god, man”. bah!
*again, i don’t have anything against Floyd fans, which does not mean i don’t get my kicks pissing them off at times. heh.( three negatives in a sentence. not bad at all)
I know the breed, dude. Fanboys, irrespective of their pop culture influence, always get on your nerves. If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard
“The X-Box R0xx0rs dude. The Lamecube and the Gaystation suxx0rz! SUXX0RZ!!!!” or variants thereof over at gaming forums, well, I would have a lot of pennies.
Same goes for lame fanboys of Floyd/Nirvana/Doors. They are great musical geniuses, but the fanboys just reduce them to a lowly level.
Ok, so I am turning into a musical snob. So friggin’ what?
And foul mouthed :-“
Try Ray’s short stories. They are mindblowingly good. Borrow them from me or buy for yourself :p :x
Re: Ok, so I am turning into a musical snob. So friggin’ what?
And foul mouthed :-“
cluck cluck.
Sultans of Swing, The Man Who Sold The World, Smoke on the Water, Hotel California, Another Prick-oops-Brick in the Wall and Light My Fire throughout eternity
people who get stuck with music are not fans… once you plunge into something… you would like to explore as much of it as you can… i can listen to 100 new songs in a day… and would be still hungry for more…. that’s just me though!
You’re one of my inspirations when it comes to listening to good music, man. :)
Just for the record, so’s your immediate junior.