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Book Review: The gangster we are looking for
by Lang Reid
 Unfortunately
this book arrived too late to be included in my review of books from 2004,
with this review being the first of 2005. If it had come across my desk
earlier I would have given it the nod as the best ‘first book’ of
2004.
‘The gangster we are all looking for’ (ISBN
0-330-43473-X, Picador publishing 2004) was written by a Vietnamese
immigrant to America, Le thi diem thuy. It details the life of boat people
who escaped from Vietnam, and in this case, reaching America, the supposed
land of milk and honey.
Le thi diem thuy was six years old when her family fled
from Vietnam. On the beach they were split up in the melee of refugees
trying to get on one of the boats. Her mother was left behind on the
beach, while her elder brother drowned trying to reach the boat that had
Le and her father on board.
After a refugee camp in Singapore, the pair were teamed
up with another four males (‘uncles’) and they were accepted by
America as immigrants.
She describes going around a supermarket at one in the
morning with her father. They did not have money to buy anything, but just
went there to look, touch and wonder at the kind of goods they had never
seen before - their domestic shopping in war-torn Vietnam being local
market fare only.
Her father resorts to alcohol, the strain of living
with the death of his son almost too much to bear. When her mother finally
makes it to America and they are reunited, her parents find that the mores
and customs of the Vietnamese people do not fit in with their new society,
and vice-versa.
This is a most powerful and moving book. Le thi diem
thuy manages to paint word pictures that are far more graphic than mere
photographs. The oft quoted “A picture is worth a thousand words” is
quite inappropriate here. Her words are worth a thousand pictures. Not
only does she describe her new surroundings in America as a six year old,
but she describes her family, comprising her parents, her elder brother
who drowned trying to flee Vietnam and her grandparents who remained
there.
The traumas undergone by these people are far more than
physical hardship, locked away between decks in fishing boats for weeks,
but the psychological traumas of dislocation from ‘home’, no matter
where; the separation of family members and the culture shocks which span
years, are poignantly inscribed with a scalpel-like sharpness.
The writing is beautiful, even though the subject
matter can at times be heart rending. By the time you get to the last page
of this slim volume, you will have a much greater understanding of the
real plight of refugees. This book is a seminal work that deserves to be
incorporated into the syllabus of schools in this region. English
expression wonderfully applied to become thought provoking images and
concepts.
As a first book it is superb. As a literary work in any part of an
author’s life, it is similarly superb. Get this book.
Mott’s CD review: Molly Hatchet - Double Trouble, Live
Scratched by Mott the
Dog
Re-assembled by Ella Crew
 3
Stars ***
Ahh... Southern Rock. Breathe deeply and you can
smell it. Well, not the music, but you can sure fill your nostrils with
the heavy aroma of Jack Daniels. Southern Rock comes in many different
packages, like Little Feat, very funky; the Outlaws, country influence;
Blackfoot, who veered heavily towards hard rock; the Allman Brothers,
carrying the flag for the blues; and of course Lynyrd Skynyrd, the
ultimate Southern rock band. Molly Hatchet are the Stones and rhythm and
blues influenced Southern rock band. What all the bands have in common
is gruff vocals, a penchant for guitar solos, and no regard to dress
sense as long as it’s blue jeans and cowboy boots, topped off by a
Stetson hat. Also scant notice is taken of expanding waistlines and
certainly no regard is wasted in keeping a stable line-up. Molly Hatchet
are true to form in all these elements.
This album catches Molly Hatchet in fine form with
the great Danny Joe Brown out in front with his hard living attitude and
great diction. He sang and lived the Southern attitude to the maximum, a
great focal point, charisma just oozed from this man, his vocals
completely dominate these recordings, which is no mean feat considering
what is behind him.
Danny Joe Brown can be heard at his absolute best on
Hatchet’s tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, when they break into an eleven
minute version of ‘Freebird’ in the middle of this set. The song is
given an emotional introduction before the band came crashing in. What a
band, too. By now and after six years on the road, when this concert was
recorded on a home coming gig in Dallas, Texas, and a sultry night in
Jacksonville, Florida, the Hatchet had been reduced to a twin lead
guitar attack (there had originally been three) comprising of Dave
Hlubek, who turns in a fine display of slide playing, and another
original Hatchet man Duane Roland.
Backing them up are Bruce Crump on drums and the
marvelously monikered Riff West on bass. Sitting quietly at the side of
the stage was the recently acquired John Galvin on keyboards, but there
really isn’t much room in Southern Rock for tinkling of the ivories
with all the guitar and vocal action going on.
All the classic Hatchet songs are featured here in
all their glory. (One glance at the song titles will tell you what they
are about.) The band takes most songs on the gallop and only
occasionally swaggers into a canter. Certainly do not bother looking for
any ballads here; not an album to sit down to. Instead, turn up the
volume to eleven and do some grotesque gurning down at the front of the
stage. Every song here would go down well at the front in Tahitian
Queen’s famous rock ’n’ roll Happy hour on Friday evening.
Molly Hatchet is now embarking on their 25-year
anniversary tour. But, is it really Molly Hatchet you may ask? After
this long lifespan, all of the original members of the band have left.
Even this line-up, which played together six years after the band’s
conception, only contained three originals, and none of these guys are
presently with the band. Over the years new guys arrived to fill the
shoes of those who left and Southern Rock is an attitude, not a line-up.
So what the heck, if it sounds good and feels good, love it. Deep Purple
have only got the drummer left from the original quintet, and they make
Spinal Tap look like a stable animal.
So then, why only three Stars? Well, two songs have
been left off from the original release to make it possible to fit onto
one CD. When it comes to releases, this dog wants it all. Then the
transfer over onto CD from the tapes is appalling, losing an awful lot
of the bottom end. If ever a collection of songs needed the double CD
re-mastered, made over with additional tracks, etc., this is it. Warner
Brothers have already done a marvelous job of re-vamping Little Feat’s
live album “Waiting for Columbus”. Com’on, Epic Records, the
Hatchet job’s awaiting.
Hatchet members
credited with this album
Danny Joe Baker - Vocals
Dave Hlubek - Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar, and Backing Vocals
Duane Roland - Lead and Rhythm Guitar
Bruce Crump - Drums
Riff Wes - Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals
John Galvin - Piano, Synthesizer, and Backing Vocals
The Songs
Whiskey Man
Bounty Hunter
Gator Country
Flirtin’ With Disaster
Stone In Your Heart
Satisfied Man
Bloody Reunion
Boogie No More
Freebird
Dreams I’ll Never See
Edge Of Sundown
Fall Of The Peacemakers
Beatin’ The Odds
To contact Mott the Dog email: [email protected]
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