Royal Oak

I read three Nelson Algren books four or five years ago - this, Walk on the Wild Side and Never Come Morning. I think it was Walk on the Wild Side I enjoyed most, though I agree, they are a touch quaint. Hubert Selby's books are distinctly more unpleasant, for example. I think someone out of "Walk on the Wild Side" said something along the lines of "You can't be too mean to some people, but you can be too nice", which has always stuck with me.

I have never tasted buttermilk, but whenever I hear the word, I think of the song "Bloodshot Eyes" Bloody hell, that's a lot of syrup on those pancakes

Ivor The Engine Thomas the Tank Engine The Fat Controller

Linda Carter Linda Hamilton Hamilton Academical

One of only two Esquire records I have

I started listening in the CD era, but do recall buying LPs very occasionally when the CD wasn't available. I think the first was probably an Art Pepper OJC, either "Plus Eleven" or "The Way It Was".

^ recently new to me this session, it is a good one

I see quite a lot of those "Rugby songs" albums in charity shops in the UK

Yes, it cooks....

It is, isn't it?

Joe Henderson - Inner Urge. Joe is a TOTAL motherfucker

My car is a Nissan Note - it's blue.....

Ha, I'd forgotten about Jazz after shave / scent / whatever - it was all the rage when I was a young man (late 80s / early 90s)

Soft target...

Yes, the old "jazz mag" was my first thought Jazzles, in the UK anyway Also, "Vajazzle" - probably best not to look this up at work

That looks quite interesting. I remember reading a newspaper article a few years ago, dating the beginning of the demise of British society not to 1979 / Margaret Thatcher, as is often promulgated, but the year 1966. I wish I could remember the source..

It took me quite some time to appreciate Monk; in my early days of listening, when CDs were expensive and my disposable income was small, he was fairly low down on my list of purchasing priorities, as he didn't immediately grab my ears I like the album anyway, a very nice version of Round Midnight (are there any bad ones?) probably the highlight for me

Yes, a bit embarrassing to have waited over 20 years to get round to it, I admit.

Mulligan Meets Monk (OJC) - another new one to me.

Good point, and at least part of the reason I never finished, among other fat books, Bleak House, The Brothers Karamazov and Atlas Shrugged. My copy of the latter went everywhere with me for about six months, until I could take no more and abandoned it in a hotel room in York. To paraphrase the cricket commentator David Lloyd, "Start the car...short book's a good book"

I have read "On The Road", and not all that long ago, but don't recall very much of it, which tells you all you need to know I suppose. The Dharma Bums was alright, as Karl Pilkington might say, but I wouldn't walk to Buxton to read any more Kerouac.

Just finished Jack Kerouac's "The Dharma Bums". Blaaaaahhhh, at least I managed to finish it.