Mr. Almond really goes for it all this year. We've had Soft Cell,
Stranger Things, various collaborations (even leading to an appearance
at the Grand Prix de la Eurovision) and there's even talk of a Soft
Cell CD and more in the can. "The End Of New York" is a selection of
poems, prose and lyrics dating back to 1981, centering around his
impressions of NYC. Nearly all of them have seen the light of the day
in his previous collections "The Angel Of Death In The Adonis Lounge"
(GMP, 1988 out of print) and "Beautiful Twisted Night" (Ellipsis, 1999)
or on various recordings with the two exceptions of "Cats" and "Show
World Girl". So at first sight there's not too much excitement coupled
with this re-thought edition, but the included CD with him reading most
of the selections and the images by Scott Ewalt should have made it a
decent item for his followers and those new to his writings.
Ewalt's works are actually better than the cover implies, based
somewhere beetween Otto Dix and Pierre et Gilles in a very American
kitsch style. Also featured are some black and white shots of NY by
Marc himself which remain uncredited.
The selection itself is no point of criticism; powerful and emotional
writings with colorful images of his favorite subculture in his own
style, serious attempts to push further in any directions. However, for
the price of 23 USD / 15 GBP one could have expected a little more care
with this Publication.
The CD contains a Reading of "The Puerto Rican Go Go Boy" which can't
be found in print, also the Illustration is featured and to top it off
it's indicated as "The Lonely Go Go Dancer" which is - vice versa - not
read. Another illustration, starring Marc as a devil, remains
uncredited and some details just pass by unmentioned. Titles have been
shortened or altered and earlier comments like dedications or when and
where written just disappeared without notice.
I'm wondering why he didn't read all of the selections. In 27 minutes
he managed to read 75% of the material. He should have also taken some
pauses between the selections, as the strength of the words do suffer
through the haste you find yourself in while listening. Furthermore,
the CD-sized package is somewhat disappointing. The two unpublished
pieces don't add very much new or different to the whole picture and
even the reading itself sounds partially like he had not found very
much time for recording it in his undoubted busy schedule. It seems
like Ellipsis were just too eager for a follow up to "Tainted Life" and
so it (go) gos.
When I graduated college I embarked on a cross-country road trip,
stopping at numerous well-known sites that numerous people from all
over the world experience: The Grand Canyon, Graceland, the Hoover Dam,
Niagara Falls, Devil's Mountain, Mount Rushmore, etc,... In retrospect,
yeah, that was an awesome experience but now my taste buds yearn for
something more, something compltely off the wall, some things I've
heard of and some that I've never even dreamed of. Take Carhenge for
example, located in nowheresville Nebraska, replicating Stonehenge but
with cars. The Corn Palace, with a new design every year made entirely
out of corn. I want to swim with dolphins in Florida, I want to go
potato wrestling in South Dakota, I want to visit the 24-hour Elvis
Museum in Portland, Oregon and NOW I HAVE MY GUIDE!!! Lookout, because
the next summer when I have a video camera, money saved and can
convince Rob Devlin to jump in the car with me and two more unnamed
travellers, this will be our book. From the Central Maine Egg Festival
to Cow Pasture Golf in Arizona and oodles of weird places and festivals
in between, this book provides an amazing beginner's list of some of
the most bizarre places and events completely unimaginable. If
anything, at least this book provides some interesting factoids about
this weird country for the Nordic wanderer or armchair traveller in all
of us.
Mick Fish, confused that people might want a third edition of 'The Art
of the Sixth Sense' wrote this instead. (All the text from the second
edition is included in the appendices). It's an interesting, funny and
depressing read that follows Mick following the Cabs from the early
pre-successful days to the self-destructing, what-are-we-doing-here
days of 'Groovy, Laidback and Nasty'. The whole book is about boom and
bust: The Cabs' ascendency into the wealthy realm of EMI followed by
weak records with no hits; the abusive power of the Unions causing
their own demise at Mick's council depot; the boom and bust cycle of
capitalism; the explosion and void of the music scene in Sheffield; the
rise and fall of Industrial music; and finally Mick (and it seems
almost everyone else's) further reliance on booze and drugs with the
inevitable crash that that causes. On the lighter side, we get lots of
inside information on the Cabs and other bands from Sheffield, all told
in Mick's engaging, conversational tone. He doesn't brag and is honest
with his opinions about others and himself. If you have any interest in
any Sheffield band of the period or Industial music then this book is a
must-read. The only down-side to the book is that it reports the truth
- at the end of the eighties the Cabs split in all but name, and Mick
left his previous life behind: the good times had been over for a
while, the bad times had a few more years left in them. Today, Britain
still hasn't recovered and the Cabs have failed to reform.
Fans of Jeff Buckley rejoice: the definitive biography is here. Also,
fans of Tim Buckley rejoice, as this is a triumph of a dual definitive
biography, chronicling the too-short lives and careers of father and
son. David Browne, head critic for Entertainment Weekly and sometimes
writer for Rolling Stone, has been granted unprecedented entry into the
lives of these two men, joined by blood and marked by the same fate.
Both died right when the promise seemed endless. Both died tragic
deaths. And both died far too young. This book lets the reader into all
facets of their lives: business, romance, upbringing, the best of
times, the worst of times. Unique in its layout, "Dream Brother" begins
with Jeff's death in Memphis, then switches focus every chapter from
father's rise to fame back to son's. It's an amazing read, full of
memories of those who knew each man, and the frightening similarities
and also shocking differences in their paths. Of particular enjoyment
are the minor details that fans of either may not know: an account of a
particularly amusing exchange between Tim and Jim Morrison; Jeff's time
in a hair-metal band while in Los Angeles, complete with photograph;
Tim's attempt to reconcile with Mary Guibert, Jeff's mother; Jeff's
secrecy about his father growing up, leading up to his first solo
performance as Jeffrey Scott Buckley at -- his father's tribute concert
at St. Ann's in New York. Fans will rejoice, yes, as they should. But
even non-fans or those unaware of who either man is or of their music
will find something to like in this book. It is at once a very moving,
heartbreaking, and exhilarating view into their lives.
Bill Drummond is most
known for his involvement in the KLF and related incarnates, but the
guy has put in his time as a musician and record executive since the
early 1980s. "45" was planned when he was 33 1/3 years old, in 1986
upon his release on Creation Records as The Man. The book collects
various thoughts and observations of the music world around him through
his experienced, yet jaded and cynical eyes. Various short stories
provide basically a snapshot in his life at 45, including some of the
bizarre attempts at cheating pop music and scoring well with the
masses, comments on self-righteous and somewhat worthless musician pop
stars. It's an entertaining and light read, with dimensions that would
fit perfectly with other 45rpm 7" records. Worth tracking down even if
you have to order it from the UK.
