My Xtra reviews are starting to appear on their website.
I’ve reviewed some books – including a dreadful piece of crap by a Dominion science columnist, and a guide to making your own Universe.
Music reviewed includes the re-released version of John Coltrane’s classic Blue Train and Sting’s new album. Manu Taylor quoted the last paragraph of that Sting review on his music spot on Linda Clark’s 9 to noon show on National Radio.
He called me “shrewd” too, which I am determined to take as a compliment.
I’ve actually written close to forty reviews – books, films and movies – over the last month or so. They’re being drip-fed to the site. Too much all at once is, well… too much.
I had a look at the New Zealand Herald reviews for a few of the albums I’ve written reviews for that haven’t been published yet – you know, just to make sure I’m on the right track. I looked at their reviews of Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Ugly Duckling, and One Million Dollars.
I’m way more easily impressed than Graham Reid and Russell Baillie. Except when it comes to that Peter Malick and Norah Jones thing, which I thought was pretty much garbage.
Russell Baillie and I more or less agreed on the relative worth of the new Coen Brothers film. My review here – his review here.
(Incidentally, Russell – I know you have a lot more writing to get through than me, but in an effort to be helpful rather than pedantic, it’s “Wheezy Joe” – not “wheezing” – and the One Million Dollars album is called ‘Energy STATE‘ – not Stage… )
I’m thoroughly enjoying the PC version of iTunes, which certainly seems to be far and away the best (and sexiest) piece of software for the music collection.
It has trouble playing CDs, which was a drag at first – but since I’ve decided to start loading my entire collection into the machine (optimistic – we’re talking a couple of thousand albums) I don’t even bother playing them off CD now. Import to mp3, then file the CD away. It’s a bit like taping records and playing the cassettes so the vinyl doesn’t wear out. I really used to do that.
So it looks like I’ll be taking a couple of 40gig firewire drives and a pair of headphones with me in 2004 when we head off to the UK (all going well). Or maybe I’ll even invest in an iPod. A couple of National Radio docos over summer should help fund that.
Meanwhile, I have to go and find something constructive to say about the Ronny Jordan post-lobotomy comeback special he’s put out called ‘At Last’. Maybe I’m just tired, but hell it’s dull.
For actual pleasure, I’m listening to the Dexys Midnight Runners ‘Best of’ compilation (out soon). The title of this post is from ‘The Celtic Soul Brothers’.
Foot-stompin’, blog-postin’ stuff. Play loud.
