Thursday, January 22, 2004
Wednesday CDs
The Kinks - Low Budget (1979)
Procul Harum - Grand Hotel (1973, 1995)
Squeeze - Argybargy (1980)
Low Budget was one of the first Kinks CDs that I bought. I didn't get the album when it came out because a lot of the tracks were duplicated on the live album One for the Road. When it was first available on CD, though, I did buy it. It was a very high selling album in the US (getting to #11 on the Billboard charts [the first of four albums in a row that did quite well]) and parts of it such as "A Gallon of Gas" is a product of the times - in that case the gas shortage. Favorite tracks are "Attitude," "Catch Me Now I'm Falling," "National Health," and "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" as wellas "A Gallon of Gas."
Grand Hotel is another of the Castle Communications reissues of Procul Harum albums. It is a nice edition and a very nice album. As can be seen in this introduction of Procul Harum by Douglas Adams, the song "Grand Hotel" inspired the idea for The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. I really need to listen to it more. Besides the title song, "Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)" is another favorite on the album.
Argybargy is one of my all-time favorite albums. I remember hearing it on the radio at college and subsequently it has became one of my most listened to albums. It is a really fun album. There is great word-play on many songs and a great beat and liveliness to it. I can't single out any single tracks because it is all so great. The Squeeze website has complete lyrics and some background material on some of the songs.
The Kinks - Low Budget (1979)
Procul Harum - Grand Hotel (1973, 1995)
Squeeze - Argybargy (1980)
Low Budget was one of the first Kinks CDs that I bought. I didn't get the album when it came out because a lot of the tracks were duplicated on the live album One for the Road. When it was first available on CD, though, I did buy it. It was a very high selling album in the US (getting to #11 on the Billboard charts [the first of four albums in a row that did quite well]) and parts of it such as "A Gallon of Gas" is a product of the times - in that case the gas shortage. Favorite tracks are "Attitude," "Catch Me Now I'm Falling," "National Health," and "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" as wellas "A Gallon of Gas."
Grand Hotel is another of the Castle Communications reissues of Procul Harum albums. It is a nice edition and a very nice album. As can be seen in this introduction of Procul Harum by Douglas Adams, the song "Grand Hotel" inspired the idea for The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. I really need to listen to it more. Besides the title song, "Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)" is another favorite on the album.
Argybargy is one of my all-time favorite albums. I remember hearing it on the radio at college and subsequently it has became one of my most listened to albums. It is a really fun album. There is great word-play on many songs and a great beat and liveliness to it. I can't single out any single tracks because it is all so great. The Squeeze website has complete lyrics and some background material on some of the songs.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Tuesday CDs
Barclay James Harvest - Barclay James Harvest/Once Again (1970, 1971, 1995)
Pulp - Different Class (1995)
The Smithereens - A Date with the Smithereens (1994)
R.E.M. - Automatic for the People (1992)
Barclay James Harvest is very evocative of the Moody Blues and King Crimson. I these two albums on one CD. According to the discography, this reissue has been deleted and the albums have been remasterd on their own, but with bonus tracks. This is a European release, so only available as an import in the US. The website contains a wealth of information and notes about all their albums. It is well worth checking out if you are interested.
I listened to Different Class back on August 29 and you can check out some comments there. One of the audio CDs I recently bought from Amazon.co.uk was a Dead Ringers collection. I listened to the first show in the car last Thursday. It was quite amusing. One bit they did was someone siging as Margaret Thatcher singing the song "Common People." After hearing that I wanted to listen to Different Class again and did. As I mentioned before "Mis-shapes" is an absolutely wonderful song. Other favorite songs on the album include "Common People," "Live Bed Show," "Monday Morning," and "Bar Italia."
A Date with the Smithereens is not the best Smithereens album in the world. It seems to be missing something. Maybe I need to listen to it more. Favorite tracks on it include "Sick of Seattle," "Miles from Nowhere," "Can't Go Home Anymore," and "Sleep the Night Away."
Automatic for the People is one of R.E.M.'s best albums. Just about everyone song is great and it holds together very well. Ink Blot Magazine says it is their finest moment. I had heard some of the songs on the radio before getting the CD and was just amazed when I heard it in its entirety.
Barclay James Harvest - Barclay James Harvest/Once Again (1970, 1971, 1995)
Pulp - Different Class (1995)
The Smithereens - A Date with the Smithereens (1994)
R.E.M. - Automatic for the People (1992)
Barclay James Harvest is very evocative of the Moody Blues and King Crimson. I these two albums on one CD. According to the discography, this reissue has been deleted and the albums have been remasterd on their own, but with bonus tracks. This is a European release, so only available as an import in the US. The website contains a wealth of information and notes about all their albums. It is well worth checking out if you are interested.
I listened to Different Class back on August 29 and you can check out some comments there. One of the audio CDs I recently bought from Amazon.co.uk was a Dead Ringers collection. I listened to the first show in the car last Thursday. It was quite amusing. One bit they did was someone siging as Margaret Thatcher singing the song "Common People." After hearing that I wanted to listen to Different Class again and did. As I mentioned before "Mis-shapes" is an absolutely wonderful song. Other favorite songs on the album include "Common People," "Live Bed Show," "Monday Morning," and "Bar Italia."
A Date with the Smithereens is not the best Smithereens album in the world. It seems to be missing something. Maybe I need to listen to it more. Favorite tracks on it include "Sick of Seattle," "Miles from Nowhere," "Can't Go Home Anymore," and "Sleep the Night Away."
Automatic for the People is one of R.E.M.'s best albums. Just about everyone song is great and it holds together very well. Ink Blot Magazine says it is their finest moment. I had heard some of the songs on the radio before getting the CD and was just amazed when I heard it in its entirety.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Mom update
I received an email from my Mom that she took her first swim since the surgery and it went well.
More on visit to MCI Center
When we were leaving the game we first followed the crowd towards the escalators. There was a gigantic crowd there, but we saw a few people going the other way. We went that way and noticed that there was a stairway going down. So, we decided to use that. There wa hardly anyone using the stairs and we made it down quite quickly.
Desktop of the Week
I chose an image this week of Mars from the Press Release Images site for January 6. I picked the Martian horizon image.
I received an email from my Mom that she took her first swim since the surgery and it went well.
More on visit to MCI Center
When we were leaving the game we first followed the crowd towards the escalators. There was a gigantic crowd there, but we saw a few people going the other way. We went that way and noticed that there was a stairway going down. So, we decided to use that. There wa hardly anyone using the stairs and we made it down quite quickly.
Desktop of the Week
I chose an image this week of Mars from the Press Release Images site for January 6. I picked the Martian horizon image.
Labels: desktop
Monday, January 19, 2004
Alan's Birthday Party with the Washington Wizards
Alan wanted to see a basketball game for his birthday. We looked at various possibilities and then the Washington Post had a great offer in the newspaper. For January 19, Martin Luthor King Jr.'s holiday, the Washington Wizards had a game at 1 PM and a family four-pack was just $76 including a hot dog and a soda. This was for tickets that regularly go for $50 each. We decided to go for this. So, I went with Alan and took two of his friends to the game today.
We left at about 10:40 and drove in. At first we thought we'd take the Metro down, but since there was four of us we decided to drive and park downtown. Since it was a holiday, Metro would have cost $16 for the four of us. We found a parking lot a few blocks away which cost just $15 for event parking. So, not much of a savings, but probably a little more convenient.
We walked to the MCI Center and went to Will Call to get our tickets. They had them, but it was only a little past 11 AM and the MCI Center wasn't going to open until 12. So, we went into Modell's and looked around there. I bought Alan a blue Larry Hughes jersey which he wore during the game. After wandering around Modell's for a while we waited in line in order to get onto the concourse for the game. Alan and his two friends, Rene and Jeremy, were some of the first children on to the concourse. We went straight forward to get a program and one of the Wizards Energy Squad asked us if the kids would like to participate in the high five club. Alan had done this at a previous game and was quite happy to do it again. At 12:30 we would meet by Section 108 for the festivities.
We went to our seats in section 402, row M. They were very high up in the Center, but gave us a good view of the court. Once we found our seats we redeemed our tickets for the free sodas and hot dogs and then had our lunch in our seats. At about 12:20 we made our way down to Section 108. At 12:30 all the children in the high five club were brought down to near the court. At about 12:45 they were led onto the court. Soon the Wizards came onto the court for practice and gave each of them a high five. The drummers from some band were there with them. The whole ceremony was on the indoor TV screens and might have been on the local telecast for all we know.
We cheered loud and hard during the first half of the game, but unfortunately, the Wizards were losing 58-43 at the end of the half. We were not too pleased about matters then, but the Wizards started to come back in the third quarter and by the end of the third quarter they were down only 70-67. Things were getting very exciting and the Wizards briefly tied it up and took the lead for a while, though the Bulls pulled ahead again. With just 3:54 left the Wiazrds tied it again and then took the lead for good, though it was still very tight until less than a minute was left. The final score was 93-83 and Larry Hughes had the game high of 25 points. An official game recap is here.
Alan wanted to see a basketball game for his birthday. We looked at various possibilities and then the Washington Post had a great offer in the newspaper. For January 19, Martin Luthor King Jr.'s holiday, the Washington Wizards had a game at 1 PM and a family four-pack was just $76 including a hot dog and a soda. This was for tickets that regularly go for $50 each. We decided to go for this. So, I went with Alan and took two of his friends to the game today.
We left at about 10:40 and drove in. At first we thought we'd take the Metro down, but since there was four of us we decided to drive and park downtown. Since it was a holiday, Metro would have cost $16 for the four of us. We found a parking lot a few blocks away which cost just $15 for event parking. So, not much of a savings, but probably a little more convenient.
We walked to the MCI Center and went to Will Call to get our tickets. They had them, but it was only a little past 11 AM and the MCI Center wasn't going to open until 12. So, we went into Modell's and looked around there. I bought Alan a blue Larry Hughes jersey which he wore during the game. After wandering around Modell's for a while we waited in line in order to get onto the concourse for the game. Alan and his two friends, Rene and Jeremy, were some of the first children on to the concourse. We went straight forward to get a program and one of the Wizards Energy Squad asked us if the kids would like to participate in the high five club. Alan had done this at a previous game and was quite happy to do it again. At 12:30 we would meet by Section 108 for the festivities.
We went to our seats in section 402, row M. They were very high up in the Center, but gave us a good view of the court. Once we found our seats we redeemed our tickets for the free sodas and hot dogs and then had our lunch in our seats. At about 12:20 we made our way down to Section 108. At 12:30 all the children in the high five club were brought down to near the court. At about 12:45 they were led onto the court. Soon the Wizards came onto the court for practice and gave each of them a high five. The drummers from some band were there with them. The whole ceremony was on the indoor TV screens and might have been on the local telecast for all we know.
We cheered loud and hard during the first half of the game, but unfortunately, the Wizards were losing 58-43 at the end of the half. We were not too pleased about matters then, but the Wizards started to come back in the third quarter and by the end of the third quarter they were down only 70-67. Things were getting very exciting and the Wizards briefly tied it up and took the lead for a while, though the Bulls pulled ahead again. With just 3:54 left the Wiazrds tied it again and then took the lead for good, though it was still very tight until less than a minute was left. The final score was 93-83 and Larry Hughes had the game high of 25 points. An official game recap is here.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Saturday and Sunday albums
Linda Thompson - One Clear Moment (1985)
Art Garfunkel - Scissors Cut (1981)
Simon and Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966)
Simon and Garfunkel - Bookends (1968)
Mary Poppins Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1964, 1989)
Justin Hayward and John Lodge - Blue Jays (1975, 1987)
Steve Martin - A Wild and Crazy Guy (1978)
I was introduced to One Clear Moment by one of my housemates durign my first years in graduate school. I liked it then and still like it. Favorite tracks are "Can't Stop the Girl," "One Clear Moment," "Take Me On the Subway," and "Only a Boy." Linda Thompson had another solo album in 2002 - Fashionably Late. Both that and One Clear Moment are reviewed here. From that it seems that there was recently only a limited edition CD available of One Clear Moment and that doesn't seem to be available any more.
Art Garfunkel's Scissors Cut is a very pleasant album. Highlights include "A Heart in New York" and "Bright Eyes" (more known from the soundtrack of Watership Down).
Simon and Garfunkel's Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme and Bookends are two great albums. Practically every song on PSRT is great, though the "7 O'Clock News / Silent Night" might be a bit too political for some people. Bookends is also great, though the track with "voices of old people" is a bit of a surprise when you first hear it. Lots of great songs throughout and a lot of history.
The film Mary Poppins is quite a delight for old and young and so is the soundtrack. It seems to have been reissued again in 2001. One of the great things about this CD is a special feature where the Sherman brothers reminisce. They give behind the scenes information and previously unreleased demo recordings.
We listened to Blue Jays at the Moody Blues listening party today. The most recent versions include not only the original album but a bonus cut, "Blue Guitar" which was produced with 10cc (and you can clearly hear the 10cc influence). There are extensive liner notes. My favorite tracks are the three middle songs "Nights Winters Years," "Saved By the Music," and "I Dreamed Last Night." You can just sail away on the wave of this music.
A Wild and Crazy Guy is quite a funny album. It features the song "King Tut" and won a grammy for best comedy album. Besides the song, my favorite parts are when he is talking about how much he can make in a concert and his talking about speaking in France.
Linda Thompson - One Clear Moment (1985)
Art Garfunkel - Scissors Cut (1981)
Simon and Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966)
Simon and Garfunkel - Bookends (1968)
Mary Poppins Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1964, 1989)
Justin Hayward and John Lodge - Blue Jays (1975, 1987)
Steve Martin - A Wild and Crazy Guy (1978)
I was introduced to One Clear Moment by one of my housemates durign my first years in graduate school. I liked it then and still like it. Favorite tracks are "Can't Stop the Girl," "One Clear Moment," "Take Me On the Subway," and "Only a Boy." Linda Thompson had another solo album in 2002 - Fashionably Late. Both that and One Clear Moment are reviewed here. From that it seems that there was recently only a limited edition CD available of One Clear Moment and that doesn't seem to be available any more.
Art Garfunkel's Scissors Cut is a very pleasant album. Highlights include "A Heart in New York" and "Bright Eyes" (more known from the soundtrack of Watership Down).
Simon and Garfunkel's Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme and Bookends are two great albums. Practically every song on PSRT is great, though the "7 O'Clock News / Silent Night" might be a bit too political for some people. Bookends is also great, though the track with "voices of old people" is a bit of a surprise when you first hear it. Lots of great songs throughout and a lot of history.
The film Mary Poppins is quite a delight for old and young and so is the soundtrack. It seems to have been reissued again in 2001. One of the great things about this CD is a special feature where the Sherman brothers reminisce. They give behind the scenes information and previously unreleased demo recordings.
We listened to Blue Jays at the Moody Blues listening party today. The most recent versions include not only the original album but a bonus cut, "Blue Guitar" which was produced with 10cc (and you can clearly hear the 10cc influence). There are extensive liner notes. My favorite tracks are the three middle songs "Nights Winters Years," "Saved By the Music," and "I Dreamed Last Night." You can just sail away on the wave of this music.
A Wild and Crazy Guy is quite a funny album. It features the song "King Tut" and won a grammy for best comedy album. Besides the song, my favorite parts are when he is talking about how much he can make in a concert and his talking about speaking in France.
The Amber Spyglass
This morning I finished reading The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. This finishes up the original three volumes of His Dark Materials. There is a great fan website with lots of information and answers to frequently asked questions about the series. I finished the first volume The Goldden Compass on December 26th and wrote a little about it that day here. I finished the second book, The Subtle Knife on January 1. The third book was the longest. It was quite an interesting series and I am quite happy I read it. Amazon.co.uk is still in the middle of a big sale and I bought the full cast unabridged recording of the whole series along with some other audios that were on sale. I am looking forward to listening to the series, though I might wait a while before starting that. So, while I was given the first book as a promotional item and borrowed the second and third from the library, I have more than made up for it in buying the audio production.
This morning I finished reading The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. This finishes up the original three volumes of His Dark Materials. There is a great fan website with lots of information and answers to frequently asked questions about the series. I finished the first volume The Goldden Compass on December 26th and wrote a little about it that day here. I finished the second book, The Subtle Knife on January 1. The third book was the longest. It was quite an interesting series and I am quite happy I read it. Amazon.co.uk is still in the middle of a big sale and I bought the full cast unabridged recording of the whole series along with some other audios that were on sale. I am looking forward to listening to the series, though I might wait a while before starting that. So, while I was given the first book as a promotional item and borrowed the second and third from the library, I have more than made up for it in buying the audio production.
