long May you read

A mixed bunch this fortnight, or is this the monthly set? It’s all blurred. Taking leave from work, travelling home – these somehow disrupt routines. I took some time off to rejuvenate and ended up getting depressed. Now i need a break from writing about the depressing things i saw during my break.

First to the AV set.

Top of the pile is some blues from John Hammond. 'Push comes to shove' i'll take this with me to that hypothetical deserted island.

Then some great Aussie selections from Redgum. 'Caught in the act' is their only live album. Check out "I was only 19" and "diamantina drover".

Tom Petty & the heartbreakers rock with some concert offerings.

There is a book on the songs of Neil Young if you dig Neil Young. Otherwise don’t waste your time.

Then to some videos.

‘We were Soldiers’ is another of those patriotic flicks from hollywood. To be fair it accords equal treatment to both sides of the war in Vietnam. I only borrowed it for a couple of songs on the soundtrack, but it’s okay if there’s nothing else around. Just watch it objectively.

The Oscar-winning film ‘Midnight Cowboy’ is another to watch when there’s not much on TV. I haven’t seen this before and I do like Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight. Although their character roles here are not to be admired, their acting certainly is top shelf. I also borrowed it for the soundtrack which has 'everybody talkin'. This was way back in the early 70s.

To the read list.

The novels. McCarthy’s ‘The Road’ has been both panned and praised. I must have got some bias elsewhere before I read it. Even then i could not find myself enjoying the book. It is way unrealistic.

I read ‘The brothers Karamazov’ before or so i thought. If i did it must have been in another life. Ideal for a holiday getaway. I thought of bringing it to Mainit. Good i didn’t because it would have remained unread.

I picked up Chess champion Kasparov’s book just out of curiosity. I actually enjoyed it. It’s a bit more fun if you know a little chess, but even non-chess players could find some lessons here.

The other items include books on TS Eliot’s works and a biography of Kahlil Gibran. I’d get into them first before reading these books. One of them's fighting in the captain's tower.

More music suggestions.

Oops most are in the first photo too.

Do check out Grant-Lee Phillips. He’s got some good songs.

Then there’s a compilation from The Who.

The who? Yeah you may not have heard of them. They’re of ‘my generation’. He he.