Stoned

I’d wanted to see this since it came out and finally did so tonight. I was very very impressed. This is an excellent film and is an instant classic of British filmaking. In an informative documentary about the making of the film included on the DVD, Stephen Woolley talks about ‘Performance’(without a doubt, my favourite film of all time) being the main influence on his style as well as Joseph Losey’s ‘the Servant’, ‘Accident’ and ‘the Prowler’ and Polanski's 'Repulsion'. I could see this influence and they are good ones to draw on. This film is not in any way a copy of anyone else’s and has a unique identity. If you like to see great film, see this one.

Emil Brynge

On my random wanderings in myspace I came upon some new music recently that I feel compelled to write a few words about. Emil Brynge is a young Swedish singer songwriter who has left a big impression on me. He channels the spirit of the late 60s and early 70s English folk scene with an uncanny recognition.There’s shades of John Martyn, ISB, Nick Drake and others, but he has his own unique voice. Hear him.

Three novels

The three books I read while in Cornwall were ‘the Cloven Knight’ by Italo Calvino, ‘the
Necropolis Railway’ by Andrew Martin and the ‘Portrait' by Ian Pears. All three are excellent novels evoking different periods of history with power and poetry. My favourite was ‘the Potrait’ , which is a mindblowingly brilliant piece of writing.

Allan Springfield

Recently we had a holiday near St Ives. I hastily gathered cds and cdrs to take and ended up with about 40 to choose from. Every night I went back to only one album. The album is ‘the Last Ritual’. This is a dense and fascinating work that I haven’t deciphered yet. I can find very little about Allan Springfield on the web and anybody who can tell me more, please let me know. I know about Chelsea Beige, which is an album I like a lot but it doesn’t have the mad artistic passion of the Last Ritual.

Songs that were salvaged from my mp3 player - 4

Da da da – the Nits
Daddy died on Saturday – The Outsiders
Daisy and Violet – Marrisa Nadler
Dance the night away – Cream
Dark eyed woman – Spirit
Dark on you now – Peanut butter conspiracy
Darkness darkness – The Youngbloods
Darling I need you – John Cale
Day and the night – The Nits
Do it – Jesse Winchester
Don’t let my marigolds die – Bill Fay
Don’t play games – The Youngbloods
Dynamite Daze – Kevin Coyne

Returning from the end of the land

Today we drove back from the end of the land to where we live.  Cornwall has refreshed my soul for a while.

The Snailsurroundsystem

I've been listening to a cd given to me by the the Snailsurroundsystem tonight and thinking about Rotterdam and den Haag 6 years ago. It's that long since I've experienced their live peformance and that's too long. True innovators in music, their infuence on me was great.

Where in the world?

Songs that were salvaged from my mp3 player - 3

Candyman –The Grateful Dead
Can’t find a reason – Atomic Rooster
Can’t you hear me knocking - The Rolling Stones
Caravan –Thin White Rope
Carnival Dark – Jackie Leven
Caribbean sunset – John Cale
Carry on (Glittering dancer) – Ruthann Friedman
Cars and cars – The Nits
Cat fever – Little Feat
Cats or dogs – La Kidda
Caution-do not stop on the tracks – the Grateful Dead
Cease fire – Alan Stivell
Celestial Dreams – Dragonfly
Chameleon – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Chances – The eyes of blue
Chelsea (is a horse) – Spot
Cheryl’s going home – Blues project
China cat sunflower – the Grateful Dead
China sea – John Cale
China white – Incredible string band
Circle round the sun – James Taylor
Cicus days –Junior’s eyes
Citadel –The rolling stones
Classic northern diversions –Jackie Leven
Coloured rain –Traffic
Coloured rain – Eric Burdon and the Animals
Come all ye –Fairport Convention
Come around – Skip bifferty
Come here my love – Van Morrison
Come summer – Horslips
Coming back to me – Jefferson Airplane
Coming down – the United States of America
Coming down-love song for the dead Che-coming down – Locomotive
Complainte gallaise – Tri Yann
Con man – Golden earring
Confessions of a mind – the hollies
Connection – the rolling stones
Conquistador –Procul harum
Copperhead road –Steve Earle
Cream puff was – the Grateful Dead
Crest of a wave –Rory Gallagher
Crime & punishment – the Nits
Crow Jane lady – Crazy horse
Cruel sister – Pentangle
Cry baby cry – the beatles
Crystallization – Cosmic dealer
Cubist town –Manfred Mann
Cuckoo – Kaleidoscope

Songs that were salvaged from my mp3 player - 2

what's below is the second part of my list of mp3s that were on my player when it ceased to function.

Baby you’re a rich man – The Beatles
Bad words and evil people – Skin Alley
Badge – Cream
Bamboo floor – John Cale
Banks of the Nile – Fotheringay
Barrel full of wine – New York Rock ‘n Roll ensemble
Battle of Waterloo – Old blind dogs
Be not so fearful – Bill Fay
Become like you – Small Faces
Behind Blue Eyes – The Who
Bell bottom blues – Derek and the Dominoes
Berkshire poppies – Traffic
Between Alpha and Omega - Brainbox
Between blue and me – Family
Beware of darkness – George Harrison
Big tree blue sea – Golden Earring (Wall of dolls)
Big tee blue sea – Golden Earring (Moontan)
Bild am sonntag (as usual) – The Nits
Bitter Wind – Moby Grape
Black autumn – Roy Buchanan
Black Dog – Babe Ruth
Black dog blues – Dirk Hamilton
Bless the weather – John Martyn
Bluebird – Buffalo Springfield
Blue Jack of diamonds – HP Lovecraft
Blue light – Spot
Boardroom Walk – 22 Pisterpirkko
Boats –Spring
Bombay – Golden Earring
Book song – Fairport convention
Boredom – Procul Harum
Born to move – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Boundsgreen Fair – Freedom’s children
Bounty on my table – Ramatam
Box of rain –the Grateful Dead
Boy trapped in a man – Jackie Leven
Boys in the band – Mountain
Brian Boru – Alan Stivell
Bring it all down – Flying Dutchman
Bring it on up – John Cale
Broken Arrow – Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo – Writing on the wall
Burning love –Malcolm Morley
Burning stuntman – Golden Earring
Burning the box of beautiful things – Jackie Leven
But I might die tonight – Cat Stevens
By and By – The Rising sons

Children of men

Another to add the the list of films that I feel compelled to write about. This film is superb in every respect.  This is an unrelentingly suspenseful, harrowing and often moving film. One you should see if you enjoy great cinema.

Motion Demon - Silent Hill August 9th 2008

Yesterday at Silent Hill

Dr Euphoria and the Mind Gardener’s Eternal Playlist - 2

Last night, they repaired to the cellar of dreams and added more to the eternal playlist:

Dr Dopo Jam – Suite (side one of Entrée)
Stars & Stips - Tango Mafido
Stackridge – Sliding down the razor of love
Dragonfly (Switzerland) - Behind the spider’s web
Glencoe – Hay Fever
The Rascals – Please love me
Blues Section – Wolf at the door
The Temptations – Take a stroll through your mind
Ross – Changes
Fred – Night Lillies
Miller Anderson – Shadows cross the wall
Grace Slick – Come again toucan

John the Baptist

Talking to Emily on IM the other night, she told me that her favourite song from the three discs I made for her for the USA was 'John the Baptist' . This is from 'Stormbringer' by John and Beverley Martyn. This album reaches a peak of intensity for John Martyn's songwriting. You can almost touch the yearning in his songs.

Motion Demon and Louis V - three

and another from Musicon in 2007

Motion Demon and Louis V - two

Another picture from the den Haag session

Motion Demon and Louis V

This was taken by Steve Kethero at the door of the studios in den Haag where Motion Demon and Louis V worked together in 2007.

songs that were salvaged from my mp3 player -1

There were a few thousand songs on the player when it stopped working.  Before the machine stopped, I managed to salvage 425 mp3s.  To remind myself I've started to list them. The list is alphabetical.

All the same – Spirit
All the things – The Byrds
Alone again or - Love
Amazing Grass- Peter Brown and Graham Bond
Americana/the Ghost-Thin White Rope
Amsterdam-John Cale
Amsterdam –Tax Free
Amsterdam – Kevin Coyne
Anchor Me – The Mutton Birds
And your bird can sing – The Beatles
Andalucia – John Cale
Angel – Jimi Hendrix
Animal Zoo – Spirit
Anyday- Derek and the Dominoes
Anyone for Tennis – Cream
Appleknockers Flophouse –Cuby + Blizzards
Ardath – The Eyes of Blue
Are you receiving me – Golden Earring
Around the world in 80 days – Stray
As Close as This – The Mutton Birds
At the zoo – Simon and Garfunkel
Auburn Queen – Haystacks Balboa
Austin Osmanspare – Bulldog Breed
Autopsy-Fairport convention
Aviator-Michael Chapman

Skipper Boetlek

My friend, The Skipper

Misfit and the The Man on the dune

The name of this blog is from two of my favourite songs from one of the absolutely crucial albums in my life. Since the first night I heard 'CQ' by the beach in Zandvoort, it has been one of those records that shape the way I think about music.

I found this on you tube this evening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt8lVj5zdGY

I hadn't thought about van Gogh, for a while, until a few days ago.

It was a surprise to see his face on youtube tonight. I liked the link with The Outsiders

In 2007 I was at the van Gogh Museum doing poetry with music with friends, whose aims are very similar to mine.

http://www.myspace.com/skipperboetlek

V for Vendetta

A thrillingly good film, with a great script and wonderful casting. One of the most topical political films I have scene. Orwell would have smiled at the cleverness of this film. We live in a world all too close to this vision. Think about that, when you are watched 300 times a day. Thinks about the fact that the mechanisms of control are there, think about identity cards and DNA databanks.

For Emily in Missouri -7th July 2008

Neil Young and the International Harvesters – Powderfinger
Ted Leo and the Pharmicists-I’m looking through you
Picadilly Line-Visions of Johanna
Please-Steal your dreams
Steve Miller Band –Going to Mexico
Roky Erickson & The Explosives –You’re gonna miss me
Joe Cocker and Leon Russell –Girl from the north country
Country joe & the fish-here I go again
John Martyn-don’t think twice it’s alright
Jolliver Arklansaw-Hatred Sun
Pink Floyd – Paintbox
Phil Ochs – Changes
Judy Henske and Jerry Yester – Raider
Love – Singing cowboy
Bob Dylan and the Band – Dirge
Leonard Cohen –Suzanne
The Rolling Stones – You can’t always get what you want

Dr Euphoria and the Mind Gardener’s Eternal Playlist - 1

Last night Dr Euphoria and the Mind Gardener repaired again to the cellar of dreams.
The eternal playlist begins:

The Guess Who – Eye
Gypsy – Blindman
Dolce Aqua – Preludio
The Nits – Home Before Dark
Culpepper’s Orchard – Time Flies
Blue Oyster Cult – Burnin’ for you
Graham Nash – Everybody’s been burned
Oakley Hall – House Carpenter
Punch Brothers – It’ll happen
Soft Machine –We know what you mean
Beck Bogert & Appice – Living life backwards
The Henry Road – Jeff Lynne is five
Steely Dan – Sail the waterway
Ramatam –The Land/rainy Sunday evening
Marissa Nadler – Daisy and Violet
Demian Dempsey –St Patrick’s Day
Gene Clark – Silver raven
Pan – To get along
Jack Bruce – Victoria Sage
Golden Earrings – Must I cry
Debbie Saloman – Long velvet sigh

Cutter's Way

The greatest film noir of the 1980s , I saw this film again after a more than 20 year gap. If anything, it was more powerful than on previous viewings. The light of California is permeated with the darkness of power and corruption, against which struggle flawed heroes.The three leads(John Heard, Jeff Bridges and Lisa Eichhorn give what may be their greatest performances. Written by Jeffrey Alan Fiskin from the novel by Newton Thornburg and directed by Ivan Passer, this film has been unjustly neglected and should be known by more.