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Book Review: At The Bamboo Bar
by Lang Reid
Another book from Morgan McFinn, whose previous titles
include Out of the Loop and All Over the Map, and this new one At the
Bamboo Bar (ISDN 974-8303-68-1) which was published last year and released
by Asia Books.
McFinn is known for his pithy descriptive style. Take
for example, those unfortunate people who bring on their own maladies to
invoke sympathy. McFinn describes them as follows, “Make public
spectacles of themselves wallowing in their own miserable, stinking
puddles of emotional puke, self-pity and spiritual nausea. What a joy they
are to be around.” What a joy indeed!
The book revolves around an evening spent at the Bamboo
Bar of the Oriental Hotel, and is a series of vignettes that are brought
forward by the events of the night at the bar, and incidentally,
McFinn’s 50th birthday. Before getting to the bar he starts with his
description of Soi Nana in Bangkok, and being conversant with the area, I
could recognise the cobbler cum key cutter on the corner of Sukhumvit and
the open air luggage shop. The Bamboo Bar area I am not so conversant
with, the Oriental being just a tad too upmarket for the Lang Reid
pocketbook.
McFinn slips very easily from episodes regarding the
present, to those cajoled and dredged up from deep recesses of his memory,
with the night in jail after his car was out of its emission testing
time-frame being particularly amusing (and a wonderful view upon current
western society and its priorities and watchdogs), however, most of the
action revolves around the Bamboo Bar.
The review copy was supplied by Bookazine, with the
somewhat peculiar RRP of 389 baht, and should be available at all major
bookstores. For a writer of humour, McFinn is actually eloquent, and uses
several words of several syllables. That, in itself, elevates this book
above the general run of locally published books on “Life in Patpong/Nana/Pattaya/Cowboy”
(delete one or all of the above), written to appeal to the lowest possible
denominator, where phrases such as “juxtaposition of cultural
anomalies” would be considered effete, or more likely, too difficult to
spell and incomprehensible.
It is a book that very ably looks at life and its
characters. McFinn is not guilty of dreaming up ‘larger than life’
characters for his book, for me, they were all very plausible, even if
they included a one legged author, an Irish Catholic priest, an American
couple from the Ozarks and a trio of Thai politicians. McFinn’s skill
comes in his abilities in describing their ‘real life’ foibles in a
most amusing way. He was also very masterful in the way he brings most of
them together for the finale.
I found this a most enjoyable book, very witty and well worth the B.
389 RRP. In fact, I would not have complained if it had cost the other 6
baht I expected to pay. If you enjoy slick characterizations and a good
laugh, buy this book. If you were enthralled with “Hello my big honey”
do not get this book, many of the words will be too difficult for you.
Movie Review: Chicago
By Poppy
It’s 1929 and the movie begins with Roxy Hart (Renee
Zellweger) watching Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) on stage and
dreaming of becoming a showgirl herself. That night Roxy shoots her lover
and then convinces her besotted husband, Amos (John C. Reilly), to take
the rap. When he realizes that the dead man was not the burglar that Roxy
claimed he decides to step aside and let her take the consequences. Renee
plays a great part in this - far better than expected.
Velma is locked up in the same jail for killing her
husband and sister when she found them together. Surprisingly, Catherine
Zeta-Jones is not the actress you end up watching.
The two women compete for the attention of Chicago’s
superstar defense attorney, Billy Flynn (Richard Gere). But Billy is only
interested in Billy and always works on the case, most likely to get him
on the front page. He likes to manipulate the press and the truth for his
own financial gain.
The songs are in dream sequences rather than the actors
just bursting into song at anytime, making them a little more plausible.
The dance scenes are great. I especially like
Reilly’s “Mr. Cellophane”, a one-man soft shoe lament about being a
see-through husband.
If you like musicals you’ll like this movie.
Director: Rob Marshall
Cast:
Renee Zellweger ... Roxanne ‘Roxie’ Hart
Catherine Zeta-Jones ... Velma Kelly
Richard Gere ... Billy Flynn
Queen Latifah ... Matron ‘Mama’ Morton
John C. Reilly ... Amos Hart
Taye Diggs ... Bandleader
Lucy Liu ... Kitty Baxter
Christine Baranski ... Mary Sunshine
Colm Feore ... Assistant District Attorney Martin
Harrison
Deirdre Goodwin ... June
Dominic West ... Fred Casely
Chita Rivera ... Nickie
Ekaterina Schelkanova ... Hunyack
Denise Faye (I) ... Annie
Susan Misner ... Liz
Mott’s CD review:
Uriah Heep - Demons and Wizards
by Mott the Dog
***** 5 Stars Rating
Although this actually goes down in chronological order
as Uriah Heep’s fourth album, it could in many respects be put down as
their first. It was the first time the nucleus of the band, vocalist David
Byron, lead guitarist and cheeriest man on the planet Mick Box, plus the
man with the keyboard patent on heavy rock Ken Hensley, had found a
compatible duo to fill the roles of bassist and drummer to form a rock
like rhythm section: ‘The Thin Man’ Gary Thain, and behind the bins
the hard livin John Candy look-a-like Lee Kerslake, who is still in the
band today after only a two year break at the end of the seventies.
Something of a clean sheet for a band that have had 6 bassists, 6
vocalists, and 4 keyboard players, and, surprisingly, the present lineup
of Uriah Heep is probably their best, certainly musically, and their most
stable having been together now for sixteen of the band’s thirty-two
year career.
But in the heady days of 1972, although the band had
laid down the template of the Uriah Heep sound with songs from their first
three albums, noticeably “Gypsy” from ‘Very’ Eavy Very’ Umble’
(70), “Bird Of Prey” and “Lady In Black” from ‘Salisbury’
(71), and the title track plus the epic “July Morning” from ‘Look At
Yourself’ (71). It was only six months later, after three years of
saturation touring and recording, that this classic hard rock album was
released to the public with its much imitated Roger Dean artwork. This
album broke the band worldwide leading to Uriah Heep selling over 30
million albums globally. “Demons & Wizards” reached number 20 in
the British charts, but, more importantly, was the first of five
consecutive albums to go top 40 in the massive selling American charts.
The music stands up today as well as it did at the
time. Opening song “The Wizard”, with its acoustic opening before
stepping up with rock guitar and keyboards, is the perfect opening for any
album. The humour of the first lyrics leave you knowing that the band have
tongue firmly in cheek.
“He was the wizard of a thousand things
And I chanced to meet him one night wondering
He told me tales and he drank my wine
Me and my magic man are kinda feelin fine”
“The Wizard” was actually co-written with Ken
Hensley by Uriah Heep’s previous bassist Marke Clarke, who, though
typically only in the band for three months, has left his impression on
the band by writing one of their classic songs sung by every vocalist who
was ever in the band and is still in the band’s live set today. “Hope
the royalties are still pouring in, Marke”. Marke Clarke went on to play
with Colosseum, Tempest, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, and Ian Hunter.
Next up is the hard rocker “Traveller In Time”
featuring all the guitars in the band. “Easy Livin’” is a thundering
express train of a song, these days used to bring Heep’s shows to a
rousing conclusion, and it was also a surprise hit single in the States.
“Poets Justice” showed off the amazing vocal range of Heep’s
vocalist David Byron (one of the finest front men this dog has ever
witnessed live on stage), from throaty bass rumble to ear-spilling
falsetto - all in full effect.
“Circle of Hands” is the first of the album’s
epics, showing Ken Hensley’s more subtle piano playing until Mick
Box’s guitar solo takes us to a rousing conclusion. “Rainbow Demon”
is very reminiscent of early Atomic Rooster with its dark and gloomy
keyboard led riffs, which beat their way into your brain waves, and
perhaps the album’s most memorable track. After the light relief of the
short sharp “All My Life”, the album closes with two Hensley penned
epics in “Paradise” and “The Spell”, both using all of Uriah
Heep’s many assets. “Paradise” is the softer side before “The
Spell” comes rushing in.
Uriah Heep have never been the critics’ darlings.
Listen to the music yourself before you make up your own mind.
Musicians
Gary Thain - Bass Guitar
Lee Kerslake - Drums and Percussion
Mick Box - Guitars
Ken Hensley - Keyboards, Guitars, Percussion
David Byron - Vocals
All other voices by Uriah Heep
Track Listing
1. The Wizard
2. Traveller In Time
3. Easy Livin’
4. Poet’s Justice
5. Circle Of Hands
6. Rainbow Demon
7. All My Life
8. Paradise
9. The Spell
To contact Mott the Dog email: [email protected]
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