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Bookazine Book Review: Tales of Thailand

by Lang Reid

This week’s book review is another from the hand of Pira Sudham, a man who has not forgotten his roots in Esarn. Tales of Thailand (ISBN974-89628-5-7) was one of his earlier books, but in the latest reprint he has extensively re-written and even added chapters. It is claimed that he re-wrote this book as a present to himself on his 60th birthday this year.

The first tale of the Old Man and the Boy takes you straight into the despair that can be Esarn. The Moonmouth Dam, the misappropriation of lands, the physical brutality wreaked upon the displaced farmers and their families, all contrasted against the acceptance of their lot as part of their belief in karma. It is not surprising that the farang mind is shocked by such treatment of Thais by other Thais. That a Thai, such as Pira Sudham, would write about this is even more amazing. And perhaps also brave.

In the story about the young army officer who falls from grace after influential classmates become envious highlights some of the worst parts of Thai versus Thai society. “The rank of Leader was stripped from me and I was placed on the bottom rung of the honour list. This was the first time I was aware of how one could lose honour at the wave of a hand. What are honour and position and name when a mere stranger or an adversary could take them away with the wave of a hand?”

Pira admits that his stories are based on reality. Names and places may be changed, but the Thai people, especially the Lao speaking Esarn people, know the real truth. Pira Sudham is attempting to change society, his society, by his writing. He is no firebrand revolutionary leading a charge on the capital. He is a mild mannered man seeking to show his people that there is a need for change, but he knows it will be slow. The mere fact that he has written his books in English is testament to that. Whilst he would reach more people if his books were written in Thai, the sentiments expressed would only reach the oppressors, not the oppressed. As an agent of change, he must progress slowly, accepting in many ways his own karma.

This book will be available at Bookazine and other book outlets, but try to ensure you are getting the 2002 edition. Whilst the previous print run is still a good book, the latest re-write is even better. There are many injustices prevalent in all societies, but Pira Sudham writes from the viewpoint of someone who has experienced those injustices first hand. It is much more than an overview, it is a collection of short stories written from the heart. Some will break your heart and others will make you want to rise up against tyranny. These are real tales of real people in real time - now. You will never see Thailand the same way after reading Pira Sudham’s books. You should have all of them on your personal library shelf. You owe it to yourself and your children.

Movie Review: Men in Black 2

By Poppy

It has been four years since the alien-seeking agents averted an intergalactic disaster of epic proportions. Kay has now returned to the mundane slog of civilian life while Jay continues to work for the Men In Black.

Men in Black 2 once again stars Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in their roles as Agent’s J and K. Members of a secret organization on earth, the unofficial government agency charged with monitoring alien activity on earth and making sure the rest of the world doesn’t know that aliens even exist. This time, however, years after their last adventure and agent K’s (Tommy Lee Jones) retirement, J (Smith) has become an experienced Men In Black field agent.

While investigating a seemingly routine crime, Agent J (Will Smith) uncovers a diabolical plot masterminded by Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle), an evil Kylothian monster who disguises herself as a glamorous model of sexy underwear. When Serleena takes the entire MIB building hostage, there is only one person left J can turn to - his former MIB partner, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones), who now has a boring desk job in another large government office, the U.S. postal service, and prefers simple pleasures, like eating his wife’s cookies, over battles with mammoth alien insects.

I was never sure why I sat through the first movie and I have to say the same about the second, but I did.

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld

Cast:

Tommy Lee Jones ... Kevin Brown/MiB Agent K (Kay)
Will Smith ... MiB Agent J (Jay)
Rosario Dawson ... Rita
Rip Torn ... MiB Chief Z (Zed)
Patrick Warburton ... MiB Agent T (Tee)
rest of cast listed alphabetically
Brad Abrell ... Mannix
Lara Flynn Boyle ... Serleena
Paige Brooks ... Laranna, Queen of the Universe
Nick Cannon ... Autopsy Agent
David Cross (II) ... Newton
Darrell Foster ... Autopsy Agent
Jeremy Howard ... Birdman, Smoking Postal Alien

Mott’s CD review: 

Pink Floyd - Meddle

by Mott the Dog

2 1/2 Stars

This album could also have been called “Muddle” or “The Best And The Worst Of Pink Floyd”.

This becomes apparent after one listen, the first and sixth tracks on “Meddle” are superb; the other four aren’t.

The album opens with “One Of These Days” with whistling wind and then both Gilmour and Waters break in. Lovely vibrant bass lines. The double bass carries on through out the song giving it a very heavy feel. The only words spoken are “One of these days, I’m going to cut you into little pieces”.

The song was dedicated to Jimmy Young, the British Radio D.J., who the band had been having a running battle of words with for several years. The song reaches a dramatic climax with Gilmour laying down some of the greatest slide guitar work he was ever to put down in the studio, skipping straight onto the sixth song on the album, “Echoes”. Originally it had taken up the whole of side two of the vinyl “Meddle” released in 1971, clocking in at twenty three minutes and thirty seconds. From the opening submarine type radar echoes you know that Floyd have combined to give us a real classic. Each musician excels in his own department, Nick Mason changes the role that percussions would be seen in from here on out in rock music. The drums are not just used as a way of keeping time with the song, but actually as a lead instrument. To this end Mason comes out of this song with great kudos (if you get the chance to see the movie “Pink Floyd Live At Pompey” you can see what a devastating effort Mason had both sonically and visually on this song).

“One Of These Days” is the oldest song to remain in the Pink Floyd live set list, right up to their last tour.

Roger Waters laid down a solid bottom end to the song, never letting the weirdness get totally out of control. Rick Wright’s keyboards caught him at a creative peak and his psychedelic solo in the middle has often been copied but never bettered.

The vocals were handled by duets between Gilmour and Wright which suit the song wonderfully, although lyrically it’s just gobbledygook. However, it’s the guitar playing of a young David Gilmour that really catches your attention as he rings every ounce of emotion from his six strings, reaching higher and higher as each passing section of the song progresses, at the same time both violent and controlled.

“Echoes” was to remain in Pink Floyd live set for many a year before “The Wall” took over the whole show. It was even dusted off and brought out for the commencement of “The Momentary Lapse Of Reason” tour (the first Pink Floyd Tour without Roger Waters) before it had to make way for newer material.

Compared to these two wonderful pieces of music the other four songs on the album are horrible. Of the two worst offenders is “Fearless”, which, after meandering listlessly for seven minutes, finishes with “The Kop”. At Anfield, the headquarters of Liverpool football club, singing “You’ll never walk alone” and then chanting “Liverpool” is all very well if you’re a scouser of the red persuasion, but a bit of a bore to the rest of the world. Worse is to follow with “Seamus”. Nearly three minutes of nonsense with David Gilmour stumbling along on acoustic guitar, mumbling some lyrics, whilst Steve Marriot’s dog howls and yelps over the top of it. Truly embarrassing to listen to. It’s what you might imagine Manuel from Fawlty Towers to come up with if you left him in a recording studio.

So my advice would be to get hold of a copy of “Meddle”, cue your CD player to programme tracks 1 and 6, and forget the rest.

Musicians

David Gilmour - Guitar & Vocals
Roger Waters - Bass & Vocals
Rick Wright - Keyboards
Nick Mason - Drums

Track Listing

1. One Of These Days
2. A Pillow Of Winds
3. Fearless
4. San Tropez
5. Seamus
6. Echoes

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