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Bookazine Book Review: Blood Brothers

Crime, Business and Politics in Asia

by Lang Reid

Blood Brothers (ISBN 974-7551-79-9) was published this year by Silkworm Books and was written by Bertil Lintner, a senior writer for the Far East Economic Review.

Divided into eight chapters which encompass Shanghai, Macau, the Yakuza, the Russian “Mafiya”, Indochina, Burma, Australia and yes, even Thailand (and Pattaya gets its mention too), Lintner uses an almost d้jเ vu style of writing, commencing with the current situation in many of these countries and then referring back to the historical make-up of the gangs and illicit commerce, showing that there is nothing new under the sun. For example, in 1917, about one third of Hong Kong’s economy came from the Opium Monopoly.

How the well known Khun Sa came to power is documented, along with how he managed to buy more weapons for his private army than armaments possessed by the Burmese Army itself.

While the drug trade features highly this is not the only form of organized crime investigated, with the trade in humans also looked at in depth. Are you aware, for example that the vessel Tong Sern, anchored off Koh Si Chang, and renamed the Golden Venture, was run aground in America full of illegal immigrants?

The back cover claims that organized crime is one of the biggest and most complicated issues in the Asia Pacific. However, this book also shows that for crime to succeed, no matter where the gang originates, there has to be a market in the target country, plus a well set up network involving the politicians and so-called crime fighters in those countries. That Lintner has managed to unravel the convoluted threads as well as he has done is an amazing feat. It is also a chilling indictment of the world society that countries can have an economy based on an illegal product, while at the same time proclaiming loudly their fight against drugs of addiction. In some of those countries, it is readily apparent that the government even runs the manufacture as well as the distribution networks.

The review copy was made available by Bookazine, Royal Garden Plaza, 1st floor, and has an RRP of 795 baht. This is a book written by a top-line investigative journalist with references to his sources on every page. The Notes and Bibliography at the back of the book go for many pages, and you are left with the feeling that Lintner has not only researched his subject fully but has also been unafraid to name the “big” names and their associates. For any Asiaphile, many of the people mentioned in the book will be well known. Teddy Yip and Stanley Ho in Macau, Abe Saffron in Australia, Khun Sa and Ne Win in Burma, the Suharto family, right the way through to a certain Bill Clinton, President of the United States.

This is a powerful book, one which should be made compulsory reading at all universities. By bringing the subject matter out into the open, perhaps one day somebody will be brave enough to tackle it. Bertil Lintner’s book is a good starting point. Definitely should be on your bookshelf.

Movie Review: Stuart Little 2

By Poppy

In 1999 a young mouse named Stuart (Michael J. Fox) found himself a home and was adopted by the Little family. Now, Stuart is firmly entrenched as a member of the Little family but, since his baby sister was born, his adopted mom (Geena Davis) has become even more overly protective of him.

Mrs. Little frets that Stuart, who has a liking for soccer, will get hurt playing with the big boys but his father (Hugh Laurie) realizes the small guy needs to find his place in the world.

Stuart has a good life, except his big brother George (Jonathan Lipnicki) has found a new friend, leaving him on his own. When a pretty little injured bird named Margola (Melanie Griffith) falls into Stuart’s car, he learns that life is an adventure. Although Margola pretends to have a broken wing and is befriended and taken home to safety by Stuart, she is really working for Falcon (James Woods), who has assigned her to infiltrate the Little home and steal whatever valuables she can find.

This charming, intelligent, entertaining and fun flick represents true family entertainment that will give pleasure to all ages. The filmmakers have taken the computer imagery to new heights as they seamlessly meld it with the live action into a lively, exciting fantasy world.

If you have kids or not, you should definitely look into seeing this film. It’s short, but once you’re involved in the plot twists, it doesn’t seem it. Try it out; you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Directed by Rob Minkoff

Cast:

Michael J. Fox ... Stuart Little
Geena Davis ... Eleanor Little
Hugh Laurie ... Fredrick Little
Jonathan Lipnicki ... George Little
Anna Hoelck ... Martha Little
Ashley Hoelck ... Martha Little
Nathan Lane ... Snowbell
Melanie Griffith ... Margalo
James Woods ... Falcon
Steve Zahn ... Monty
Marc John Jeffries ... Will
Angelo Massagli ... Angelo
Jim Doughan ... Coach
Brad Garrett ... Plumber
Conan McCarty (I) ... Referee

Mott’s CD review: 

The Who - Live At The Isle of Wight 1970

by Mott the Dog

***** 5 Stars Rating
After being booked as headliners for the two great Rock ‘n’ Roll festivals of 1969, “The Who” were immediately re-booked as headliners for the 1970 Isle Of Wight festival. Over the previous 18 months “The Who” had released two milestone albums in the double concept album “Tommy” and the fantastically raw “Live At Leads”. “Tommy” took on a life of its own and is still on Broadway as a stage musical. The film version starring Roger Daltry by Ken Russel is a classic of its kind.

“Live At Leeds” showed the world for the first time what they were a full throttled, full ahead Rock ‘n’ Roll band. “Live At Leeds” has to be in any true rock fan’s top 3 live albums of all time, and since the advent of CD, has been released in expanded version, stretching it from its original 40 minutes to the whole show at nearly two hours.

So why would you want to get yourself a copy of a set recorded a year later? Well, simple really, it’s longer, better, faster, funnier and by way more furious, which, if you review the circumstances, is quite surprising. Everything that could go wrong at the Isle Of Wight had gone wrong. Fences were broken down to let the audience in free and there were terrible fights between the heavies of the seventies and the peace loving hippies of the sixties, firmly marking the end of an era. John Entwistle had changed into his brand new stage gear of a black body stocking with a human skeleton painted on it, only to find that it was so tight he couldn’t sit down. He had to remain standing for 4 hours before hitting the stage. This delay was caused by the band schedule running 4 hours late, so not going on at 11 p.m. as expected. “The Who” didn’t get on to play until 3.00 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Under these circumstances it’s incredible that they turned on such a show. Bursting straight into John Entwistle’s “Heaven & Hell”, “The Who” immediately demonstrated what magnificent musicians they were, and after a year on the road there wasn’t a tighter band in the world.

Although you maybe buying material you have bought before in one form or another, never will you have heard it in such magnificence. Don’t think twice about shelling out for this. No other recording shows “The Who” in the entirety of their talents. Pete Townshend at his most explosive after the tragic loss of Hendrix, and Eric Clapton going into voluntary seclusion, he was probably carrying the mantle of most innovative Rock ‘n’ Roll guitarists in the world. Listening to him leading the band through the shattering Rock ‘n’ Roll medley at the end of the set is nothing short of jaw dropping.

John Entwistle holding the whole band musically together with maximum Ox-ness. Keith Moon, at the peak of fitness after a year on the road, plays with an exuberance only he could summon up and few drummers then or since have hit the drums harder. Roger Daltry had by now become the ultimate showman and his long fringed jacket had become The Who’s trademark. He sung every song as if he’d lived everyone of them. How his voice was still in tune after two hours is a true wonder.

After this set “The Who” went back into the studio to record “Who’s Next”. The live set was completely revamped and this was the last time that the original “Who” were able to play the whole of Tommy live. What a monster the rather sterile studio recording became on the stage, Daltry and Townshend bringing it to a shattering conclusion with “We’re Not Going To Take It”.

After this it’s a toss up between who is having a better time, the audience or the band, as they go into a 25 minute encore swapping between classic Rock ‘n’ Roll and their own compositions, brought to a conclusion by the sound of the band self destructing and destroying all their equipment. A great end to a great concert. Probably after six hours allowing “The Ox” to strip off and sit down. Rock music at its ultimate best.

Musicians

Roger Daltry - Vocals & Harmonica

Pete Townshend - Guitar & Vocals

Keith Moon - Drums & Jokers

John “The Ox” Entwistle - Bass

Track Listing

Disc One

1. Heaven And Hell

2. I Can’t Explain

3. Young Man Blues

4. I Don’t Even Know Myself

5. Water

6. Overture

7. It’s A Boy

8. 1921

9. Amazing Journey

10. Sparks

11. Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker)

12. Christmas

Disc Two

1. The Acid Queen

2. Pinball Wizard

3. Do You Think It’s Alright

4. Fiddle About

5. Tommy Can You Hear Me?

6. There’s A Doctor

7. Go To The Mirror

8. Smash The Mirror

9. Miracle Cure

10. I’m Free

11. Tommy’s Holiday Camp

12. We’re Not Gonna Take It

13. Summertime Blues

14. Shakin’ All Over

15. Substitute

16. My Generation

17. Naked Eye

18. Magic Bus