Previously
Listening
Highway 61 Revisited by
This is an amazing album. Unfortunatly, I'm not much of a music reviewer so this is going to be much briefer than it deserves. Listening to Bob Dylan for basically the first time felt like discovering the missing link between American traditional music and the Rock and Roll era almost although he is much closer to the former than the latter.
His voice shouldn't be so fascinating - he's no singer in the great scheme of things - but he puts something in there that pulls you into the heart of the music he's making. The title track in particular is mesmeric and I think Dad was right - all schoolchildren should be bought this album out of taxpayer money and made to listen to it.
10 / 10
Live Performances by
Dad mp3'd for me a couple of live gigs Nanci did which were broadcast on the radio in the 80s - one at Anderson Fair and one at an unknown location recorded in 1988.
The Anderson Fair is perhaps my favourite of the pair because it includes before each track the rambling introduction Nanci gives in her tiny speaking voice. Her discussion of Woolworths stores in the intro to Five And Dime is a particular favourite. The whole effect is wonderfully intimate and makes me wish that I could have been to see her play live, especially in a small club like that.
The tracks range from haunting to pretty to full of energy but, apart from From A Distance which I only dislike because I was made to sing it in choir dozens of times, there's not a duff one amongst them really. Always a pleasure and a perfect listen when I'm feeling slightly down.
9 / 10
Bootlegs by
Finally I've downloaded some of my favourite bootlegs from the Q mixes for my listening pleasure on my mp3 player. These are mostly high energy dancy tracks, and it's particularly fun when a track which was pretty poor on its own (say, Christina Aguilera's Genie in a bottle) is turned into a fantastic toe-tapper with the addition of another track's bottom lines.
8 / 10
Hotel Paper by
I'm not quite sure what to say about this one. It's not grabbed me as quickly as the first album by Michelle Branch did, but it has got some very nice tracks. More contemplative and less energetic perhaps. A grower.
8 / 10
False Smiles by
A much better album than I had expect to be honest. I bought this after a long period while it sat on my wishlist when one of the tracks got itself into my head and stuck there and I'm very glad I did.
Amy has a good voice and a lot of energy to sing about stepping out into life. She makes me think in some ways of Alanis Morisette, but her attitude is much more upbeat and her energy is infectious. The album has more of a "I can do this, world, come and get me!".
9 / 10
Be Not Nobody by
When I first bought this album I didn't warm to it that much, but recently I've been listening to it rather a lot and it's not bad, according to it's lights. It's basically piano based female singer-songwriter fare, mostly about love/relationships. The range is not very wide, although the album does include a cover of Paint it Black which is rather nice, but what Vanessa Carlton does, she does well and if you enjoyed the single (A Thousand Miles) the album is well worth a look
7 / 10
The complete works of the Beatles by
What can you say. There's just so much stuff, all produced in a relativly short space of time and yet all of a very high quality. I'm not saying that every track is good, but I think that every album could be described as good and there are really remarkably few duff tracks in the whole thing. Listening to the whole thing together really reminds you of what geniuses Lennon and McCartney really were.
10 / 10
Angels with Dirty Faces by
This is a good fun pop-ish album. If you liked the singles, you'd probably like the album, although it's more varied than that makes it sound - after all, Freak Like Me and Shape are very different in style and mood. The songs veer from empowered ("I'm all alone, and finally I'm getting stronger") to slutty ("I'm virgin virgin sexy. If you want me, just text me.") but they're all listenable too, although the singles are probably the best.
7 / 10
Becoming X by
I find this can be great album to work to - it's got an "in the zone" feel. Quiet but intense, insistant. I particularly love Six Underground, Post Modern Sleaze and Walking Zero, which really get themselvesinto my head and make me twitch slightly at my desk while singing under my breath. Slightly unnerving for my collegues perhaps, but great listening :)
8 / 10
France Info
This is a french radio station. It's a little like Radio 4 but nearly all news - no drama or comedy as far as I can tell. This means that its excellent for me to use for my french learning project because I listen to Radio 4 so much that I normally have some idea of what the international stories are and once I've got a handle on the subject I can understand a little bit of what's being said.
6 / 10
The Spirit Room by
I bought this album on the strength of the single Everywhere which had some really lovely acoustic b-sides on called All you wanted (later also released as a single). I loved all the tracks on the album, although my favourites fluctuate, as happens quite a lot with albums I like. They're all in a fairly similar style to Everywhere - female voice led indie/rock guitar and band - with the exception of the last song (Drop in the Ocean) which reminds me really strongly of Madonnas Ray of Light. Highly recommended.
9 / 10
By the way by
Utterly fantastic. That's all I can think of to say about this album! I just love it. Catchy guitar music the way it was meant to be played, and not a duff track in sight. Now I just have to go back and find their older stuff!
10 / 10
Reading
Snow Crash by
Well, it's a classic, isn't it. I always find it harder to review books that I know really well but here goes.
Snowcrash has it's faults; the lengthy info-dumps, for example, don't suit everyone. Personally though, they don't jar too much for me because the information is so fascinating. Still, it's a weakness. But the relentless cool of the writing style and the fascination of the ideas is more than enough to make this a recommendation for almost anyone. If you don't read anything else, read the introduction. It's fantastic.
8 / 10
Wizard And Glass by
This one has a different feel to the three previous books, although I find it hard to describe exactly why. Less desparation perhaps?
The flashback works well in translating Rowland's character to a younger age and if Susan Delgado is a bit idealised really, well I guess that's forgivable. The bracketing sections in the "present day" though, are rather confusing really and the whole sequence seems to be becoming increasingly surreal.
Still an interesting read. Not as pacy as the first 3 but worth persevering with.
7 / 10
The Hobbit by
A classic and one I always enjoy, going back to read it again. There's something about Tolkien's style that I love - I can just imagine his tales being told by minstrels in feasting halls or to rapt audiences in the village tavern. Perhaps it's what Robert Jordan refers to as High Chant.
Anyway, the story of The Hobbit is charming and beautifully told and is basically a fun adventure, in contrast to the much grimmer tale to which it is the prolog.
9 / 10
The Light Ages by
This was another recommendation from Niall, determined to find a book I'll like as much as the Sparrow. This wasn't quite up to that standard, but after a somewhat slow start I did find it a very good read.
After the initial mystery of the prologue, I found the first part of the book, describing Roberts Nothern childhood a little slow. It felt very Victorian, very "it's grim oop North" which is never a setting or style which appealed to me much. Something about the writing kept me going with it though and as Robbie matures and moves away, what there was of the plot folded me in.
I found the writing very intriguing because at least half the story seemed to be more about the setting, both in time and place than the characters. It was recording a moment in the history of that place; a pivotal change. Although the characters themselves were central to that, I found that in the main, I was interested in their story mostly for other reasons and so the book felt like almost 2 separate strands. The pace throughout the book was languid, the writing almost liquid but nevertheless you are drawn into the tale.
I'm not sure if there is anything I can compare this book too. It feels very different from anything else I've read. The more I think about it though, the more I think that it really was an excellent book, beautiful and complex.
9 / 10
The Wastelands by
Third in the Dark Tower series (unfinished, I believe, at time of writing) this is very much in the mould of the other two, with a similar lyrical writing style and engaging characters. This one contained more viceral moments than the previous one where I almost wanted to turn away as it were and it feels like the further we're drawn into the series, the less detatched from the action we become.
The ending is rather inconclusive, particularly as the next book doesn't pick up but is rather somewhat in the nature of a prequel, going back to Rowlands past, so we can only keep our fingers crossed that King will come back to this fertile ground again.
8 / 10
The Drawing Of Three by
After the strange ending of the previous book, Rowland is bought back to earth with a shattering bum, maimed by terrifying sea creatures with infected wounds he is kept upright only by his quest to take him to the still mysterious Dark Tower. I found him a very compelling character - his determination, his quickness and his pragmatism combine to make him very sympathetic. Those he "draws" to him via mysterious doorways into our world are equally compelling in their own very different ways and combine to make the book an addictive read.
The one thing I felt uneasy about was the sheer amount of unexplainedness in the book. Walter had prophecied the drawing at the end of the previous book and the mysterious doors appear as promised, but why, and how? At whose command? To begin with, Rowland is too sick to be asking that kind of question but it's frustrating that he doesn't begin to later on. In some ways it's not in his character to question it but you would think that the questions tactical and strategic implications would interest him - who is aiding his quest and why? Is he truely aided or merely maniuplated? It's just not explored. On the other hand, this is a long series so perhaps later it will come up.
8 / 10
The Gunslinger by
This one was a grower. I read it the first time a few years ago and didn't really get into it but this time I found that I was more and more gripped by the slow trail of the story. The end takes a sudden turn to mysticism after the arid prose of the journey across the wasteland but I don't think that this detracts particularly. I found the writing very evocative on a second reading and the pacing works very well, accentuating the style.
This book always makes me think of the song Man in the Long Black by Joan Osbourne for some reason.
8 / 10
Grailblazers by
Tom Holts books may not be quite so sharply satirical and observant as Terry Pratchetts but he makes up for it to a certain extent with a certain unbridled silliness. It makes for an amusing read to pass the time without being taxing in any way.
7 / 10
The Dragon Waiting by
As alternate histories go, this one is a pretty strange one! Because it's actually a period I know very well I found the close mirroring of the actual events almost distracting - only a few things are different in terms of the timeline, but in terms of the motivations it's all very much changed.
I found the plot itself engaging, although partly because of the above I got slightly lost in the twists and turns towards the end. I also enjoyed the fact that you are plunged into a changed history without explanation - it's left up to you to discover through the story the rules of this changed world whcih adds another dimension of interest to the book.
8 / 10
Crossroads of Twighlight by
I have to say that this is probably the least favourite of all of the WOT books I've read so far. I think he'd made a concious choice to avoid Rand in this book and concentrate on the other stories which felt like a strain. The Mat and Perrin strands were both dull and repetitive. The Elayne and Egwene strands were a bit more interesting but I was very annoyed by the ending cliff hangar - I felt that Egwene took a stupid avoidable risk. I expect that I'll still read the next one, if only out of a sense of determination to get through the whole series but this felt like a placeholder book, which a series of about 13 books could really do without.
5 / 10
Damiano by
Reading the rather florid descriptive prose in the first few paragraphs, my heart sank, but actually this turned out to be a very good trilogy of fantasy novels (Damiano, Damianos Lute and Raphael). Only rarely did the style get over ornamented, and the story to be told was interesting and surprising.
Damiano himself was a very endearing character in what started off as a puppyish way, impulsive and innocent. He grows up some over the course of the books, but remains charming, and very honourable - determined to do the right thing. His friends, gathered as the book progresses all mirror different aspects of him and he learns from them as they learn from him. I particularly enjoyed the whole thing because all too often, the ending was not the one that I expected.
7 / 10
Super-Cannes by
I wasn't as impressed with this as I had expected to be, based on Ballards reputation and the reviews the book got. As a thriller it was extremely predictable - I was disappointed to find that the outcome I predicted at the end of the first chapter was the one that actually came to pass and there weren't really any surprises along the way. The style was a bit selfconciously literary for my taste and I found the main character to slow on the uptake to be interesting. All in all, not a great read.
5 / 10
The Separation by
Although the SF community has been very excited about this, it's not really an SF book, it's an excellent and enjoyable alternate history. It was a very dense book, and I read it at a speed which didn't really do it justice; I need to go back to it and read it at a more considered pace to absorb all the doubling and twists of the strands the book plays with.
The branching point of the alternate history didn't seem very likely to me, although Mike could probably tell me more about that but that didn't spoil my pleasure in the book.
8 / 10
The Wind-up Bird Chronicles by
I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It's... odd. I started it 3 times before this, but was put off partly by a feeling that it was being self-conciously weird. Having finished it, I don't think that it's that, but I get the feeling of a huge culture gap that I'm kind of gazing across.
It probably didn't help that I read the book in odd chunks, often while in the queue or waiting for the meeting to start at WeightWatchers which added hugely to the feeling I had of not really understanding how the parts of the story connected or why they connected. I found the story telling style felt very slow paced and detatched, like a story being told by a dreamer, which was perhaps the intention.
Although many of the threads came together at the end, not all did, which I liked and didn't like - it gives the characters a feeling that they are part of something larger than the novel, but on the other hand, I wanted to know more about Malta and Creta Kano and Nutmeg and Cinnamon. I think on the whole I would recommend this book as one to persever with as long as your weird tolerance is pretty high
7 / 10
Light by
I wasn't sure what I thought of this in the end. I did find it gripping, after a slightly slow start, but I felt slightly at a distance from the action and the characters, never really getting a strong sense of involvement in the narrative. It felt like all 3 main characters were very isolated even though Kearney is with Anna quite a lot of the time and Ed hangs out with various people.
I wasn't convinced that Seria's abuse was necessary. People in SF books always seem to be fucked up to extremes - I found her more interesting when she was only being damaged in more subtle ways.
I also felt like the end didn't really explain any of what had happened, or very little. Perhaps that was intentional, but I found it vaguely unsatisfying and although I enjoyed the book, I was left feeling that it was slightly unfinished
7 / 10
God's Debris by
This is basically a book written by someone who's started wondering about philosophical questions, but hasn't bothered to read any existing philosophy or learn to think logically and philosophically before diving right in a writing his own. As a result, it's a frustrating book - it sometimes raises interesting questions but gives incomplete or obviously illogical answers and, inevitably, it's often covering ground which has been covered better and more completely elsewhere.
5 / 10
Very Good, Jeeves by
The old ones are the best. There's something about Jeeves books which is very restful. I remember that I was very proud of this book when I was given it. Dad bought it home for me one day when I was fourteen, saying that he wasn't sure if I'd like it because it was quite grown up. I didn't get all of it first time round (for some reason, e. and b. for breakfast eluded me for ages) but I loved it, and still do. What ho!
8 / 10
Timelike Infinity by
Again this was a book which I came away from feeling slightly unsure about the whole moving through time thing. Its probably the science fiction concept that I have the most trouble suspending disbelief about - it a lot of ways, it just doesn't make sense to me. Apart from that though, this book was good fun although the storytelling was a little blunt, the characters not quite as fleshed out as I might have liked.
7 / 10
The Dispossesed by
This was very compelling. I found the idealism of Annares touching and again was drawn into the story by the characters, particularly Shevek. I liked the ideas about language shaping thought, and the almost religious aspects of Odonianism. I also liked the way the past storyline was interwoven with Sheveks experiences on Urras, showing how his views are coloured by his assumptions and experiences, slowly bringing things to the point where what he's done makes sense to us.
8 / 10
Timescape by
I liked this, although it's not the sort of thing that I would have expected to really. The story proceeds slowly, but it is compelling. In the end, I wasn't entirely clear about how the changing the future paradox had been dealt with although I think that was partly because I only partly understood the physics.
7 / 10
Watching
Alias S1
West Wing S3
I thought this was choppier than the previous 2 seasons. Perhaps it's that things always seem to have to escalate in US TV - it has to be harder, more serious this time than ever before.
I found some of the focus on forign affairs slightly uncomfortable, but mostly it still works and I still find myself wanting to engage in the debate with the characters, even when I passionatly disagree with them.
The episode that particularly stood out for me though, wasn't one of the political ones but the one where CJ goes home to visit her father and realises how far his altzeimers has progressed. It's heartbreaking.
I should note that I haven't really finished this as Nialls CDs didn't include the last 2 eps.
8 / 10
Farscape season 2
We just found this too depressing! Too much shade and not enough light. The first season had some fun and this probably picks up but we didn't manage to find out.
5 / 10
Futurama 2, 3 & 4
Yay for Futurama! Perhaps my favourite episodes are those with the Robot Devil in them but there's really not a lot to complain about in the whole run of this show. I can't, off hand, think of a single duff episode, which is high praise indeed.
9 / 10
Futurama Season 1
It's like the wit and observation of the Simpsons but for geeks like me! Perhaps the fact that the audience for this was basically my peer group explains why it didn't have the staying power of the Simpsons comercially - after all, in-jokes are what we like best - but it's all the better for it in my opinion (surprise, surprise :) )
8 / 10
Farscape Season 1
Pretty damn excellent TV, actually. The writing is good, the directing is good, the shooting is good and it all comes together into a great package.
I am still faintly unconvinced by Rygel as a puppet - he doesn't quite work for me - but Pilot has got to be the best puppet I have ever seen and is really amazing. I found myself wondering if the aliens had worked with movement and voice coaches - even those who were just basically humans in coloured make-up feel alien because of the way that they move and inflect when they speak - Chiana is a case in point (and I know that's almost certainly spelt wrong) but it's also true for characters who were just in it for one episode.
The thing that I really love about the show though, is it's smart. I don't think there was any time when I wanted to shout at the characters "No, don't do that you idiot!". None of the plots relied on them not figuring out something which was blindingly obvious to me. In fact, I was rarely ahead of the characters in figuring things out and, despite my knowledge of the treasury of SF show story lines there were few which turned out the way I would have predicted. I like to be kept guessing, although perhaps not quite to the extent of the cliffhanger at the end!
10 / 10
Reboot
Yay! It's great stuff is Reboot. Random complicated plots which don't even quite all get explained. I wish that they'd produce DVDs of the other series but this will do for the time being.
Reboot is filled with metaphor, parody and is crowned to perfection by the opera of the series performed by the binomes :)
8 / 10
The West Wing
Absolutely fantastic television. It's passionate, vibrant, beautifully acted and beautifully shot. For those who don't know, it's set in a fantasy White House where an idealistic Democrat and his team have made it to the Oval Office. It's how Americans wish their government was and it's lovely. Because these are fantasy politicians, you are drawn in, rooting for them because they are trying to fight the good fight. It's compulsive - there's no other word for it really.
10 / 10
Playing
Neverwinter Nights
I really enjoyed doing this as far as I got, but it's a pretty long game and I ended up with a few weeks with no time and I just lost track of where I was. I'll probably still pick it up again at some point and finish it off, but for now, that's it.
8 / 10