pattayamail.gif (2145 bytes)
 



















BOOKS - MOVIES - MUSIC

  HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 
 
Book Review

Mott's CD review

Movie Review

Book Review: Healthy Weight Loss

by Lang Reid

This brightly coloured book caught my eye in the cooking section of Bookazine. Published last year under Editor Fiona Hunter, the book proclaims that it has essential advice on how to lose weight without missing out on delicious appetizing meals. Like most of us as we approach middle age, the well documented ‘middle aged spread’ begins to make itself apparent. This was probably the impetus for me to pick this one from the shelves.

The first 25% of the book is taken up with the medical aspects of weight loss, including how to shop, how to cook, as well as calorie counting and the energy balance equation. While I am happy to review the cooking aspects, I felt it was more prudent to let the Pattaya Mail’s Dr. Iain Corness medically overview the first quarter of the book. His comments follow:

“I warmed to this book right from the introduction where it says, ‘The good news is that choosing a healthy diet doesn’t mean that you are condemned to a life of eating mung beans, brown rice and cottage cheese, nor does it have to mean saying goodbye to the foods you do enjoy. Small changes in the foods you choose and the way you prepare them can be a big difference and can be a positive step towards better health.’ Too often ‘fad’ diets are promoted in popular books and it was refreshing to see the ‘middle way’ being promoted right from the start.

“The concept that there is no ‘fixed’ healthy weight is explained as well as Body Mass Index (BMI), the scale doctors use to define obesity or otherwise. The use of the Glycaemic Index is probably a little too technical for most people, but does help explain some factors relevant to weight loss (or gain).

“The charts with fat content and calories are interesting, but the book’s value for me lies in the chapters on selecting, preparing and putting it all into practice. Medically I can endorse the advice given.”

So now back to me from the cookery book reviewers table - this book is notable for the excellent and clear use of photographs. It is one of those books that is almost a picture book with clear explanations, although the words do predominate. The recipes are split into sections covering breakfast; starters and light meals; meat, poultry and seafood; vegetables, grains and pulses and finally desserts, and are easily followed. In addition there is a comprehensive index.

Available from Bookazine, corner Beach Road and Soi Pattayland 1 for 295 baht, purchase of this book before the 15th of this month also entitles you to go into the draw for a dinner for two at ‘La Petite Planete’ (The Little Planet) restaurant in Soi Day and Night South Pattaya. With a modicum of luck you will even be able to choose healthy items from the menu! The book has (according to our doctor) sound medical advice, and from my point of view it provides a source of easily followed and innovative recipes from a healthy cuisine.

Back to Headline Index

Mott’s CD review:

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

by Mott the Dog

***** 5 Stars Rating

For 12 years Led Zeppelin ruled supreme as the head of state in Rock ‘n’ Roll. Dragged, kicking and screaming, to superstardom by their powerhouse manager Peter Grant - you didn’t mess with our Peter, if he put the bad eye on you for selling Bootleg Zeppelin T-shirts, you stayed sorted.

Led Zeppelin came up in the age of singles. However, on the instructions of the manager, Led Zeppelin did not release one single. Nevertheless, right from the day that the New Yardbirds turned into the beast that was to become Led Zeppelin, the principle players were superstars. They arrived to packed out concerts in stretch limos with masses of P.A. The albums were riding at the top of the charts, and they enjoyed all the excesses of the Rock ‘n’ Roll lifestyle. One minute you’d never heard of them, the next they were everywhere.

Listening to this album 33 years later on, does it live up to the hype? Has it stood the ravages of time? Is a Dalmatian a beautiful dog? Of course it does, the brilliance of diamonds does not dim over a few years.

As soon as the band break into the opening song, you know that you are listening to musical magic. Led Zeppelin had only been together for six weeks when they were ushered into the studio to record their inaugural album. Glyn Johns was the only outsider required to do the engineering and less than four weeks later they emerged with this masterpiece. Basically, they had laid down their stage act on tape, so no wonder the sound is so vibrant and alive. Most of these songs stayed in the live set right to the end and are regularly brought back again whenever Page & Plant decide to strut their stuff on the boards.

There are nine songs in all, ranging from the blitzkrieg heavy metal thrash of “Communication Breakdown” at 2 minutes 26 seconds to the control and magnificence of “How Many More Times”, at 8 minutes 30 seconds. This closes with an uncredited run through of “The Hunter”, which is a favorite for this dog. However, it is the amazing slow ‘Blues’, “You Shook Me” by Willie Dixon that really shows off the talent of all the group members. The Jeff Beck Group (Jimmy Page’s old running mate in the Yardbirds) had, six months previously, issued a version of this song on his debut album “Truth” (August 1968) and it had Rod Stewart on vocals. Despite this, after Beck heard Zeppelin’s version, it gave him an inferiority complex that has lasted up until today. Please note that the Beck version is brilliant, it’s just that Zeppelin took it to another level.

Of course, over the years, “Dazed & Confused” became Jimmy Page’s “Tour De Force”. It stretches up to 30 minutes on stage, with the guitarist using violin bows & all sorts to show his virtuosity. On the album though, you get the original tune, which is often easier listening, without having to suffer the over indulgence from Page.

Zeppelin achieved this magnificent album without bothering the writing skills of Robert Plant. All that was still to come when Page/Plant became as famous as Lennon/McCartney or Jagger/Richards.

From here Led Zeppelin went onto conquer the world, and this was their glorious start.

John Bonham - drums, tympani, backing vocal

Robert Plant - lead vocal, harmonica

Jimmy Page - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, backing vocal

John Paul Jones - bass, organ, backing vocal

Track Listing

1. Good Times Bad Times
2. Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
3. You Shook Me
4. Dazed And Confused
5. Your Time Is Gonna Come
6. Black Mountain Side
7. Communication Breakdown
8. I Can’t Quit You Baby
9. How Many More Times

Back to Headline Index

Movie Review: The Animal

By Poppy

For wimpy Marvin Mange (Rob Schneider), life is a series of humiliations. A glorified secretary for the local police department, Marvin aspires to be a cop. But, unable to meet the physical demands posed by the obstacle course section of the entrance exam, it seems as though Marvin will never achieve his dream. When Schneider’s car goes off a cliff, his mangled remains are whisked away by a mad doctor (Michael Caton) who secretly performs surgery. He saves Marvin’s life by patching him up with animal organs from several different animal species.

Suddenly Marvin finds himself with the keen sense of smell of a bloodhound and the speed of a thoroughbred race horse, both of which give him a leg up, so to speak, in his romantic pursuit of animal lover Rianna (Colleen Haskell).

The only problem is that Marvin can’t control the animal urges welling up inside of him. He urinates on restaurant chairs to mark his territory and constantly battles his creature-spawned urges - beaver, dolphin, seal, etc.

These new abilities clearly impress Marvin’s boss (Ed Asner) as well, but his jealous co-worker (John C. McGinley) is determined to find out what’s led to this drastic change.

Vulgar sex gags and jokes involving bodily functions, slapstick violence, scattered profanity, simulated sex (done for laughs) but somehow I just couldn’t laugh - definitely not my scene.

Cast:

Rob Schneider ... Marvin
Colleen Haskell ... Rianna
John C. McGinley ... Sgt. Sisk
Edward Asner ... Chief Wilson
Michael Caton ... Dr. Wilder
Louis Lombardi ... Fatty
Guy Torry ... Miles
Bob Rubin ... Bob Harris
Pilar Schneider ... Mrs. De La Rosa
Scott Wilson (I) ... Mayor
Raymond Ma ... Mr. Tam
Michael Papajohn ... Patrolman Brady
Ron Rogge ... Patrolman Jaworski
Holly Maples ... Elkerton Police Officer
Henriette Mantel ... Elkerton Police Officer

Back to Headline Index

News | Business News  | Features | Columns | Letters | Sports | Auto Mania | Kid's Corner 
Who’s Who | Travel | Shopping | Our Community |  Classifieds
Community Happenings  | Books Music Movies | Sports Round-Up

Updated every Friday
Copyright 2001  Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel. 66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax: 66-38 427 596

Updated by Chinnaporn Sungwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk.
E-Mail: [email protected]