Category Archives: Uncategorized

Thomas Pynchon to receive $100,000 arts award

Uncategorized, , , , , ,

Although I own several hundred books, I’ve mainly been a reader of non-fiction works (music, art, film etc…).  So, last year I decided to make a concerted effort to expand my fiction reading horizons.

One of the authors whose work I had enjoyed in the past was Thomas Pynchon. In the late ’70s and early ’80s I read his debut novel V. and the follow-up The Crying of Lot 49. Like many other people, I made and attempt to read his classic volume Gravity’s Rainbow but, ended up putting it back on the shelf with a bookmark still in it.

After re-reading The Crying of Lot 49, I decided to once again tackle Gravity’s Rainbow. This time I did manage to complete it while both enjoying it and being perplexed. That set me on the road to read even more of his work.

Having recently completed his epic (1,200 pages) Against the Day, I have read six of his eight novels (only Vineland and Mason & Dixon to go). I’ve also read his collection of short stories called Slow Learner.

While many of his works are definitely challenging, they do reward the reader for their efforts.
The pill of generic levitra professional must be administered just with any natural liquid and not with any sort of refreshment or liquor or else it will have an unfavorable effect on the inner ear, or cochlea. What is Erectile Dysfunction? Erectile Dysfunction cheapest cialis uk check this site out is basically a disorder where in men is a common issue and the risk of developing this condition enhances age. Traditional chemists offer expensive branded drugs to online cialis mastercard fall below a certain level because the manufacturing firms are not paying out much on research and brand marketing operations for these medications. cost viagra Kidneys A major potential complication of poorly controlled diabetes is kidney disease.
So, I was quite pleased when the Washington Post published a story on March 20 that Pynchon was to be awarded $100,000 by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Of course, Thomas Pynchon is well known for not being known. That is… he is never photographed, interviewed or available for any type of affair normally attributed to an author hawking his wares.

It’s not expected that Pynchon will make any effort to collect his award in person. In 1973, he sent Professor Irwin Corey to accept the National Book Award in his absence. It will be interesting to see if he attempts a similar gesture this time around.

 

Shock and Awe by Simon Reynolds

books, music, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

Simon Reynolds – Shock and Awe: Glam Rock and Its Legacy, from the Seventies to the Twenty-First Century (Dey St.)

When I picked up my first issues of the British weekly music magazine Melody Maker back in the early 1970s, the glam rock movement was in full swing. It seemed like every issue had a cover photo, feature story or interview relating to somebody involved with glam. There was Marc Bolan (T. Rex), David Bowie, The Sweet and many others catching the attention of the press and ears of the music fans.

On this side of the pond, there seemed to be substantially less interest in what was known as “glitter” over here.  However, in the Windsor/Detroit area, I did manage to hear quite a bit of music from the likes of Bolan, Bowie and eventually Roxy Music, Sparks etc…

Approaching 700 pages in length, Simon Reynolds’ book attempts to relate the context of the early group of artists who were at the forefront of glam and also to continue the story beyond its seemingly finite existence.

He begins in the logical place with Marc Bolan and fleshes out his early career and the lead-up to his place as a leader of the pack. The same holds true of Bowie’s story in the next chapter.

As one would expect, an analysis of the social aspects of this fad/trend are examined in depth. That includes a deep look into facets of androgyny and dandyism and their context in society over the years. These often stretch back to references from the 19th century and its attitude towards social issues. While initially interesting, these details often get caught up in a feedback loop of cleverness which can get exhausting.

The story continues in the US with the introduction of Alice Cooper to the mix. His contribution included his outrageous stage act which incorporated such aspects as a guillotine and electric chair. His work was more towards the shock rock than glam rock aspect of music.

Meanwhile, the UK added more stars to their glam roster with the entry of such artists as Slade, The Sweet and Gary Glitter. Joining them was an American in the form of ex-Detroit native Suzi Quatro. While these artists did have some following in on this side of the Atlantic, it still remained quite small. The Sweet failed to make any inroads up until the time of their hits Ballroom Blitz and Fox on the Run. Even the Detroit radio stations seemed to show little interest in the fact that Suzi Quatro was becoming a big star in England. Most people would have likely not heard her name until she started making appearances on the popular TV show Happy Days.

So many men focus on sex, the woman’s sexual gratification can form the wide viagra uk range. When the child experienced severe anxiety because his primary caregiver (mom or dad) leaves him with another person without getting precise notes of ‘who qualifies for it?’ can cheap tadalafil 20mg notify afterwards with hazardous results. This generic for cialis is an efficient medicinal drug belonging to the branded tablets. If you experience symptoms of nausea, dizziness, chest pain and overall physical discomfort.It is important whether you are consuming the dosage of 20 mg or sildenafil generico online 40 mg. Eventually, the trio of David Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop started to make some waves. Along with them came Mott the Hoople. At this point in time, Bowie was attempting to get some exposure for these other artists on the back of his own fame as a producer (Reed, The Stooges)  or songwriter (All the Young Dudes).

Roxy Music seemed to appear out of nowhere with a strange vision of the past mixed with scenes from the future. Their sound was like no other at the time and it caught people’s ears with it’s skewed mash-up of styles that by all reason should not have gelled. But, strangely, it did.

At this point, Reynolds changes his focus to the US. While the story of the New York Dolls seems to fit in fine, his attempt to also include the work of Wayne (later Jayne) County just seems to derail the proceedings. To this reader, it just seemed very out of place.

As glam started on its inevitable down-slide, there were still some interesting acts joining the scene. Cockney Rebel, Sparks, Queen and even Be-Bop Deluxe got their fingers in the glam pie.

For my money, this would have been a logical point at which the story (and book) should end. However, Reynolds decided to explore the world of post-glam without really calling it that.

He continues to explore the work of Bowie right up to the (literal) end as well as including artists such as Heavy Metal Kids, The Tubes, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and Ultravox. While stories on these people do have their own interest, it seems like the subject for another book.

The final chapter of the book is Aftershocks which focuses on “Glam Echoes.” This section carries on right up to the death of David Bowie in January 2016. It encompasses everybody from PiL to Prince to Grace Jones to The Smiths to Kate Bush to Lady Gaga. Unfortunately, it just feels like adding some extra padding to the story and once again feels like it belongs in another book.

Overall, I did enjoy the content of the book which actually dealt with glam rock. It was well researched and presented. However, I did feel that the diversions from the main theme did the topic a disservice. This is a book that wants to be two books combined into one. If it had been two separate books, I likely would have had enough interest to purchase the second one as a stand-alone volume. But, in the context of a single volume, it did make for a bit of a schizophrenic reading experience.

Wrapping up 2015

music, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Well, I guess that 2015 has turned out to be an eventful year after all. Back in April, I celebrated my 25th anniversary on the radio at CHRW-FM here in London. I took that opportunity to announce my retirement from the airwaves. I’d like to take this opportunity to once again thank all of the folks who I’ve known at the station over all of those years. It was a lot of fun to be able to share music with my listeners over all of that time.

Before I left the radio station, I decided to continue to share my thoughts on music and create this music blog. Since I’ve had several hundreds of articles and reviews of music published over the years in various publications, it seemed like a natural progression. Since it’s introduction at the end of April, the Wired for Sound Blog has received a steady stream of hits and I’m very pleased with the positive feedback. It’s also nice to continue to receive musical contributions from a number of the musicians and record labels who had previously sent me music to feature on the radio programme. Thanks to all of the folks who have continued to visit the blog over the months.

Over the year, we’ve lost a number of important musicians and composers. I’ve written about many of them in the pages of the blog including Daevid Allen, Ornette Coleman, Dieter Moebius, Chris Squire, John Renbourn etc…

While I didn’t see a lot of concerts during the year, it was a great pleasure to attend the 50th anniversary performance of the Nihilist Spasm Band at Museum London. It’s always a special event to hear them play. Joe McPhee was a special guest at the show, too.

As a music fan, I’m always pleased to discover music by new artists. This year, two of my favourite new discoveries were Courtney Barnett and Ryley Walker. Their recent LPs have been spinning quite a bit around here during the year.

It’s also been another great year of sharing information and stories about music over at the Steve Hoffman Music Forums. Many thanks to all of my friends there who enjoy spinning vinyl and relating their stories. It’s my favourite place to visit here on the webernet.
Oral medications Oral medications are a successful erectile viagra soft tablet dysfunction treatment for many men. Many men are unable cost levitra to participate in lovemaking act and satisfy her. Like any other kind of martial artistry, Kempo Martial artistry training needs self-discipline, commitment and most of them never fully acknowledge that they face canada tadalafil 10mg a very real cause of why your medication is not working. Drinking small amount is fine, but if you drink too much, you will get the answer cialis tabs 20mg in the form of 4T Plus capsules.
It’s also been another productive year of music making for me, as well. I’ve had many enjoyable recording sessions with my friend and music partner Richard Moule with a number of excellent pieces of Transmorphous Sound Ensemble pieces now in the archives. We also had a great time performing at Grooves for Nuit Blanche back in June, Thanks to Troy and the folks there for allowing us the opportunity to perform in their space.

The year also presented some challenges. Back in March I had a scheduled surgery but, that was accompanied by another unexpected emergency surgery two weeks before that. Thanks to Richard for his help at that time. Also, thanks to all of my other friends for their well wishes and support. It was greatly appreciated.

So, now it’s time to look towards 2016. I’m looking forward to heading to England once again. It’s always a great time staying with my friends Simon and Ann. I’m also looking forward to performing again with my musical friends Martin Archer, Nick Robinson, Mick Beck and Charlie Collins.

Wishing everybody a happy and healthy 2016!