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Book Review: 600 Thai Words
taken from English
by Lang Reid
 The
title, 600 Thai Words taken from English, of this latest book from Ken
Albertson (author of Lali’s Passage) was enough to make me pick it up. A
chance to add 600 words to my appalling Thai vocabulary was too good a
chance to pass up.
In the literature that came with the review copy, it suggested that the
target group was primarily beginners or intermediates who want to quickly
learn to converse in Thai, but goes on to suggest that even fluent speakers
will find there are new bits of information.
At the back of the book, author Albertson admits that he is not a fluent
Thai speaker, in fact putting together the book was an aide memoire for him
too. One complaint I have with most ‘learn to speak Thai’ books is that they
use the phonetic alphabet to allow the reader to attempt to grasp the
pronunciation. So as well as learning spoken Thai and written Thai, you have
to learn a third language, Phonetics, full of almost as strange diphthongs
and squiggles than Thai script.
Other books claim that it is impossible to teach the pronunciation using a
Romanized alphabet, but I would have to say that getting close enough,
reading something you can already understand, beats learning phonetic
hieroglyphics any time. So one plus mark to Albertson.
This book does, however, have a rather strange page size, author Albertson
going for a vertical 10 x 26.5 mm format. This I found somewhat annoying, to
be honest. It is too tall to sit in a coat pocket, and does not assist for
easy reading or perusal. So one minus for format.
The 600 words are easy enough to understand, such as “lipstick”, pronounced
in Thai as “Lip sah-dtik” or the well known alcoholic drink “wisagee”.
However, I was surprised to see “cable” left as such, when I always hear it
pronounced as “kaybun”. Another plus point, however.
These magic 600 are only a small part of the book, however, as Part 2 covers
word associations, a learning method being used by Albertson to help imprint
the words into an unwilling brain. Many of these I found very contrived
(such as “Viet-nam” for “nam” meaning water), but association is a well
documented learning method, so it may work for those who did not know that
“nam” was water (I did). Plus a half.
Part 3 covers simple phrases and opportunities to use them, such as taxis,
hotels, markets etc. This section is certainly helpful, but the format of
the book makes it such that it cannot be toted. Plus one, minus a half.
Part 4 covers addendum and opinions, Thai classifiers, couplets and other
dribs and drabs.
Finally, there are several cartoons dotted throughout the book, which author
Albertson says were “thrown in to further spice up the text and to fill
blank page spaces.” For me, these were needlessly inappropriate in a book
such as this. Minus one more I’m afraid.
The book is available in soft cover at B. 350, or as an e-book at B. 200. If
you have difficulty you can order at www.wonderfull.com
Mott’s CD review: Charles Brown
Atmospheric Journey
Written by Mott the Dog
Re-Scratched
by Meow the Cat
 5
Stars *****
Charles Brown has been around on the American music scene for over
thirty years now. Although he has never exactly grabbed the limelight
his work has always been held in the highest esteem by his peers. It is
the variety of his work, and the combined influences that have at times
been the reason for holding him back from being held in the same regard
as other musicians of his calibre such as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, or
even Robert Fripp.
As I have often said there is nothing wrong with an artist showing his
influences, as everybody has them. There is not a guitarist alive that
does not have to give a nod to Robert Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page
or some other worthy that has gone before. All the previous three can be
heard somewhere along the line on this album, plus quite definitely some
Ritchie Blackmore, and I believe that Charles Brown may have listened to
a Peter Banks album or two.
As well as guitar influences there are also elements of jazz with
perhaps Pat Metheney coming to mind, whilst in general French Baroque
styles are incorporated, Renaissance music, and the Classics have not
been overlooked either with ‘Allemande’ from the great composer Bach
being suffused into the closing piece of music.
This may at first sound a little harsh, and intimate that Charles
Brown’s music is not original and inspiring, far from it. Only his name
could have been changed not to have conjured up images of a little boy
falling flat on his back every time he tried to kick a football.
Charles Brown has welded all these elements together and come up with a
really fine musical experience, the equivalent of a finely painted
landscape of the musical spectrum from full out kick in the stomach
heavy metal riffs to highly polished classical acoustic guitar picking.
The album is broken into two parts: firstly there is the title track
‘Atmospheric Journey: The Suite’. This comes at you in seven different
segments, and clocks in at twenty five minutes long, holding your
attention every minute of the way. This is followed by fourteen minutes
of ‘Encore’ which is broken into four sections.
To grab your attention from the get go is opener ‘Prelude and Allegro:
The Awakening Sky’. In true rock ‘n’ roll style the amps are tuned over
eleven and Charles Brown lets rip on some Heavy Rock style guitar making
sure you are paying attention. It is the musical comparison to putting
someone in a neck hold. The guitars are double layered one over another
to give the sound of a whole guitar orchestra thrashing away, leaving
plenty of room for gritty rhythm guitars, plus all of the widdly diddly
guitar overdubs that we all so love here in Thailand. With the Charles
Brown style of guitar playing if you have got it flaunt it. Why play one
note when a hundred can be played at supersonic speed in the same time
period? Awe inspiring stuff.
The first two sections are not so much brought to your attention but
battered into your subconscious, good solid rock that the likes of
Satriani, and Vai would be as well to put back into their recorded work
before people start losing interest.
Once Charles Brown has got your attention and has you sitting up in your
seat he is able to take the foot off the pedal and show off the other
products he has available on his counter.
For the third section of the Suite we are for the first time introduced
to the Brown acoustic guitar (unless there is some multi-layered
acoustic guitar underneath the carnage of the first two sections). This
drifts into a short introduction piece aptly titled ‘Journey to The
Clouds’, for the first time featuring some subtle keyboards played by
the talented Steve Espinosa.
These ideas are further expanded on the following part of the suite
‘Storm Passage’ (the name of each part of the Suite is more or less self
explanatory) where the lead electric guitar is brought back to the fore,
but not before a Purple style instrumental battle between the six
strings and the keyboard. The solo that brings this part to its
conclusion can only be described as blistering.
As in a fulfilling walk, if ‘Storm Passage’ brings you to the top of the
hill then the next piece ‘Atmospheric Change’ leads you gently down the
other side and back to safety. It’s a charming acoustic guitar number
with some atmospheric keyboard work layered on top.
A brief interlude between guitar and keyboards leads us to the climax to
the Suite. As is appropriate all of the aspects of the suite are shown
off to fine effect in the finale, but one’s ears cannot help but be
impressed and drawn to the dazzling six string work, which again ignores
the torpedoes and heads in for the kill, a truly masterful and complete
instrumental workout, which I have not heard topped by any of the other
contemporary musicians of the day.
The ‘Encore’ section of the album is certainly no filler material, but
rather four separate instrumentals. Featuring different aspects of
Charles Brown’s skills, the jazzy feel to ‘Maroon Sunrise’ is perfectly
placed to relax you after some of the more frantic sections of the
Suite, showing off Charles Brown’s ability to slow things down and make
every note count, if the need so requires.
‘Emerald Wind’ sees the acoustic guitar given a complete workout in
almost a hoedown style, just when you felt you could categorize Charles
Brown he goes and pulls another rabbit from the hat, fitting in
perfectly with the taste of the album.
‘Slow Burn’ is exactly that, the guitarist lights the blue touch paper,
and then it is stand back in amazement as he lets loose with some
stunning guitar pyrotechnics interspersed with some gasps for air with
keyboard or acoustic guitar fills.
The set is brought to a shimmering conclusion with the final piece to
the jig-saw, ‘Windsong’, which lovingly drifts you back home after the
atmospheric journey. A hugely rewarding musical adventure.
Music of this quality should not be allowed to go unnoticed,
particularly when you look and see what a load of old rubbish often
fills up the commercial charts. For those of you wishing to know more
about this amazing musician please look up his record company’s website
at www.fossilrecords.net
Musicians
Charles Brown: Roland GR30 Guitar Synth, Fender Stratocaster, Les Paul
Standard, Marshall Amps, Acoustic and Classical Guitars
Ken Lark: Drums
Steve Espinosa: Keyboards.
Matt Bassano: Keyboard Solo, ‘On The Wings Of The Sun’
Bill Boerder: Outro Solo, The Gathering Storm, The Atmospheric Journey
Suite
Prelude and Allegro: The Awakening Sky
Allegro Con Brio: The Gathering Storm
Courante: Journey To The Clouds
Moderato: Storm Passage
Andante: Cloud Dance
Finale-Presto: On The Wings Of The Sun
Encore
Maroon Sunrise
Emerald Wind
Slow Burn
Windsong (Featuring ‘Allemande’ J.S. Bach)
To contact Mott the
Dog email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.mott-the-dog.com
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