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JohnJ

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  3. 40 years of Ziggy Stardust, and other musical milestones

    in Miscellaneous Music

    Posted

    I saw him perform Ziggy Stardust at (IIRC) The Rainbow in North London. At the time I may have been more impressed by Roxy Music who opened for him. I didn't get a lot of Rock and Roll at the time.

    Saw both Bowie and Roxy seperately at the Rainbow. Loved both but definitely prefered Roxy. Still listen to both but more often to Roxy/Ferry who I think are very underrated.

    My favourite Bowie album is 'Hunky Dory', a masterpiece in my opinion.

  4. Ray Charles' complete Atlantic recs. due out 9/20

    in Re-issues

    Posted

    So glad that Newberry had this set at this price...I'm familiar with all the R&B stuff to the point of complacency, but not nearly so much the small group jazz stuff, which is really hitting the spot right now.

    Newbury has it back at the same price. Finally ordered after procrastinating last time around. Just a few copies though so anyone interested should move quickly!

  5. Suggest Vintage Exotic Novels or Travelogues

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    You are welcome, I am happy to see it has been reissued. Hope you enjoy it, I should reread before my trip to Bangkok this weekend!

    You should look at the Thailand sections of these too:

    http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Dust-Ian-Buruma/dp/0753810891/

    http://www.amazon.com/Video-Night-Kathmandu-Reports-Not-So-Far/dp/0679722165/

    Thanks Pete, I am quite familiar with both of those authors and 'Video Night in Kathmandu' is one of my favourite travel books. I know Thailand pretty well, some of my closest friends live there and I have visited numerous times.

  6. Suggest Vintage Exotic Novels or Travelogues

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    2) A Woman of Bangkok -Jack Reynolds (1950's Thailand). Obscure and hard to find but to this day the definitive novel about a young westerner discovering the temptations of the East, and paying the price.

    I have been seeking a reasonably priced copy of this since you suggested it. It has been reissued:

    http://www.amazon.com/A-Woman-Bangkok-Jack-Reynolds/dp/9810854307/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334951136&sr=8-1

    I just ordered a copy and cannot wait to read it. I've read online comments from westerners who have spent time in Bangkok, and many seem to think that this book captures the time and place perfectly.

    Thanks for the recommendation!

    You are welcome, I am happy to see it has been reissued. Hope you enjoy it, I should reread before my trip to Bangkok this weekend!

  13. Now reading...

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    Glad you guys are discussing Le Carre; after seeing the Gary Oldman flick, I'm ready to dive in. Any suggestions as to where to start?

    In view of the way the discussion has gone, start with a shorter, early one. I think The looking Glass War is great - full of atmosphere from the first page.

    Good choice. 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' would be another.

  14. Now reading...

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    OurKindofTraitorCover.png

    Le Carré's latest.

    Bill - you're obviously a big fan. I am currently reading "Tinker Tailor" on the recommendation of my wife. I am bored with it - none of it makes sense to me. What am I doing wrong?

    You're doing nothing wrong. LeCarre was in his depths by then. His best are his earliest 5 or so novels, and he's written better ones (like The Night Manager) in later years.

    I couldn't follow Tinker either. Struggled to the end then got rid of the copies of The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People that I had been planning to read next. I consoled myself while reading Tinker with spotting instances of bad grammar and poor sentence construction. A pity, as I liked The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.

    You surprise me Crisp. Those three novels, published collectively as 'Smiley vs Karla' are easily my favourite Le Carre's and are generally regarded as not only his best work but the best of the genre. While they all have complex plots I never found them particularly difficult to follow, just superb storytelling.

  20. The Great Song Stylists - Male Vs. Female Singers

    in Miscellaneous Music

    Posted

    Regarding the classic jazz and pop song stylists who sang the Great American Songbook:

    When it comes to female vocalists, there are so many that I love - Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Ella, June Christy, Julie London, Anita O'Day, Dinah, Jo Stafford, the list goes on. There are so many good ones that it is hard if not impossible for me to rank them in any kind of meaningful order.

    However, when it comes to male vocalists, I easily place Frank at the VERY top, and think there is a really steep drop until you hit the next level. I don't mean to knock any of the other male singers; I love Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, many others, but I think Frank is in a class all by himself. Some would say Tony is a close second. I think he's nearly as good at the rhythmic, uptempo stuff, but as a ballad singer, I don't think he's half as great as Frank.

    Not trying to create a let's-trash-male-vocalists thread; I just think this is an interesting dichotomy.

    Completely agree TTK.

    So many great female vocalists while on the male side Sinatra really is in a class of his own.

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