I am about half way through this and so far it is the best thing I have read in quite some time. Wonderful use of language. Highly recommended if you like your prose poetic. ETA it turns very gruesome in the second half.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
And in the comics trade dept:
Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery - Steve Niles
-Been really enjoying these trades. Witty, fun horror stories. Steve Niles seems to be pretty good for this kind of thing, and I really like the art of Ben Templesmith and Kelley Jones (who does the art on the other tpb I'm reading).
Jonah - we saw The Curious Incident of the Dog.... on stage in London about a couple of years ago. It was brilliant, although I must admit the book is also really good and enlightening.
Second time through, after reading some other stuff on Lear and Macbeth. Interesting to learn about the societal & political impact of the Gunpowder Plot, in light of today's terrorism fears
Really interesting book that I could see a lot of people around here liking. Each chapter focuses on a specific aspect of music, and it's sort of directed at finding things to listen too and ways to listen in an over-saturated world. For example there was a chapter on fast music, from Bud Powell to DRI, and a chapter on slow music featuring classical, drone, and DJ Screw. A really wide range of musical knowledge and eclectic taste, so
I've got this out of the Library at the moment, dipping into it rather than reading from cover to cover, but learning from it nonetheless. The only problem is that it is a little dated (2004) but still OK for the classics.
Still one of those kinds of reviewers who insists that Cage's philosophies were more interesting than his music, but it's nice to see a review even if it isn't a stupendous one. Yes, the reviewer would like to have seen some more "context" in reference to follow-up, but these are only outgoing letters and not incoming ones and I would have to imagine the sifting thru these was a monumental task.
My only complaint - and this is only because of wanting accuracy - is that it could've been proofread a bit more thoroughly. Some words were kept because they were part of the original letters (there's a mention of Cage's misspelling and use of the archaic "therefor" in the introduction to the book) but you can never be sure whether, for example, "June 31" was really part of an original letter or not.
Some things are just plain wrong. The date of death for Duchamp (I've known this exact date because he died on my 10th birthday), a reference to "Empty Words" where what was meant was "A Year From Monday," inaccurate year calculations, etc.
Still, I love this book for all of the beautiful insight into the mind of a man that, even if you knew him well for any part of his life, you still couldn't have been able to delve as deeply into his psyche as you are able to here by reading his personal letters to a range of people - from the graduate student to the most exalted of composer/performers.
I've bought four copies for friends so far. I usually mention to them that while reading this book, I am either listening to a wonderful chance-derived recording from the "10,000 Things (The I-Ching Edition)" app (see here, if you're not familiar) or reading outside amidst the ambient sound of birds, traffic and other silences.
Not really a novel as much a scrapbook/history of Twin Peaks with a fictional commentary. Useful, if a bit dry at times, review for the upcoming Showtime return.
i read quite a number of crime novels on my Kindle, but Ian Rankin is so much better we always get his books in print form. it is a bit like me always buying main Bruce Springsteen albums as CDs not downloads! I'm only two chapters into this, but it is just as good as ever.
Can't find the thread where we were talking about big record collections. But we may have a new winner: Mats Gustafson
eta, Mats refuses to estimate the number, but I did some math (based on 75 LPs per foot) and came up with 11,550. There's also a good story about 'buying' a rare album by playing a solo concert in Lithuania
Yeah, for the past couple of days over at another site, some of us have been discussing the actual quantity with one guy insisting that it's 5000 LPs and I was saying that based on my measurements of my own stash, that it's well over 10,000 - closer to what you're saying Doofy. I like much of his selection - that it's not a lot of just flea market stuff.
My number is also in the ballpark if you calculate from weight (based on 6.7 oz per record and 2,200 pounds per metric tonne). Pushing the envelope on my arithmetic skills while procrastinating on the work day...
Yes, I think you've got it about right. I look at those vertical slots and think that the fully packed ones are closer to 200 LPs each. Mine are about three-quarters the width - possibly two-thirds (hard to tell with the camera angle) and I can fit 150 to 175 in each, so you just look around and see at least 50 shelves (assuming that this is the whole collection) and it's easily 10,000 plus.
Just from visual clues and my own very denuded vinyl collection I go with 5K. No way are there 200 lps in each of those alcoves. Given that anyone can buy vinyl by the yard and I appreciate most of that will be quality. If the same shelving goes around the other two sides of the room then yes. He could of couse have x to the 1,000th more if it was all digitised on hard drives ;-) I know live show collectors with 100+ 4/8 etc Tb drives all full. Mad I tell you.
The bottom one - with the least number of boxsets - has 182 and the one at the top which probably has the fattest/largest number of boxes has 155. Online vinyl junkies appear to agree with the idea of about 5 LPs per inch. The picture makes it look like MG's shelves are larger than 36", but I can't be sure. I'm guessing that they are exactly one meter width each, so that would be 39", but I'm figuring conservatively at 36" in the math below.
Here's the math based on what MG says:
MG says: “two and a half tonnes”
In pounds (because as an American, it’s easier for me to figure): about 5500 lbs.
I have many boxes of these. They hold about 110 LPs and weigh about 60 lbs each (allowing for the occasional box set), so if we do the math:
5500 lbs ÷ 60 lbs. = ca. 92 boxes X 110 each = 10,120 LPs
Just finished this. I found parts of it very helpful, especially the first half (the second half, while enjoyable, lapsed at times into seeming a bit more like a potted version of his history of jazz, which I am also gradually reading, and had at times a less concrete focus on how to listen). The best parts are exactly what I was looking for and would love to read more of in many musical genres: writing that does not parade theory or substitute the history of how the music was made, but says "if you listen to this bit in this song, and listen out for this particular thing, this is what you might hear, and this is why that is pretty cool and hard to do". For someone like me, with no music theory background but a lot of music listening experience, this was just the right approach. I picked up a few useful nuggets that have already enabled me to hear more in other songs. Very enjoyable read, would read more like this.
I just picked up this for $49 like new with free shipping on ebay (cheapest used copy on Amazon is $80). It has six CDs of tracks arranged chronologically and a couple of pages of commentary on each track in the large accompanying book. I plan to work my way through it reading along with each track, but not all at once, so I'll be reading this one for a while:
Decided to check out the book after watching the tv series it's based on. It was a decent read but didn't quite have the engaging banter between the two main characters that the tv series depicted and just had a different pace overall. Maybe I would have a different opinion if I read the book first.
Comments
I am about half way through this and so far it is the best thing I have read in quite some time. Wonderful use of language. Highly recommended if you like your prose poetic.
ETA it turns very gruesome in the second half.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
And in the comics trade dept:
Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery - Steve Niles
-Been really enjoying these trades. Witty, fun horror stories. Steve Niles seems to be pretty good for this kind of thing, and I really like the art of Ben Templesmith and Kelley Jones (who does the art on the other tpb I'm reading).
Second time through, after reading some other stuff on Lear and Macbeth. Interesting to learn about the societal & political impact of the Gunpowder Plot, in light of today's terrorism fears
Really interesting book that I could see a lot of people around here liking. Each chapter focuses on a specific aspect of music, and it's sort of directed at finding things to listen too and ways to listen in an over-saturated world. For example there was a chapter on fast music, from Bud Powell to DRI, and a chapter on slow music featuring classical, drone, and DJ Screw. A really wide range of musical knowledge and eclectic taste, so
I've got this out of the Library at the moment, dipping into it rather than reading from cover to cover, but learning from it nonetheless. The only problem is that it is a little dated (2004) but still OK for the classics.
Just started:
ETA, and it also led me to this person's blog about learning to play the cello after 50, and I have enjoyed reading his stories.
Don't know much about John Cage, but was interested to read this NYRB review of a new book of his letters.
Still one of those kinds of reviewers who insists that Cage's philosophies were more interesting than his music, but it's nice to see a review even if it isn't a stupendous one. Yes, the reviewer would like to have seen some more "context" in reference to follow-up, but these are only outgoing letters and not incoming ones and I would have to imagine the sifting thru these was a monumental task.
My only complaint - and this is only because of wanting accuracy - is that it could've been proofread a bit more thoroughly. Some words were kept because they were part of the original letters (there's a mention of Cage's misspelling and use of the archaic "therefor" in the introduction to the book) but you can never be sure whether, for example, "June 31" was really part of an original letter or not.
Some things are just plain wrong. The date of death for Duchamp (I've known this exact date because he died on my 10th birthday), a reference to "Empty Words" where what was meant was "A Year From Monday," inaccurate year calculations, etc.
Still, I love this book for all of the beautiful insight into the mind of a man that, even if you knew him well for any part of his life, you still couldn't have been able to delve as deeply into his psyche as you are able to here by reading his personal letters to a range of people - from the graduate student to the most exalted of composer/performers.
I've bought four copies for friends so far. I usually mention to them that while reading this book, I am either listening to a wonderful chance-derived recording from the "10,000 Things (The I-Ching Edition)" app (see here, if you're not familiar) or reading outside amidst the ambient sound of birds, traffic and other silences.
Entertaining book from the ex Smiths guitarist
50 Years Ago, the Wah-Wah Pedal Was Born in a Hollywood Hills Garage
An inevitable Christmas present for me!
Not really a novel as much a scrapbook/history of Twin Peaks with a fictional commentary. Useful, if a bit dry at times, review for the upcoming Showtime return.
Just saw this is $2.99 on Kindle. Highly readable and enlightening "biography" of the era, not just King
i read quite a number of crime novels on my Kindle, but Ian Rankin is so much better we always get his books in print form. it is a bit like me always buying main Bruce Springsteen albums as CDs not downloads! I'm only two chapters into this, but it is just as good as ever.
eta, Mats refuses to estimate the number, but I did some math (based on 75 LPs per foot) and came up with 11,550. There's also a good story about 'buying' a rare album by playing a solo concert in Lithuania
and the one at the top which probably has the fattest/largest
number of boxes has 155. Online vinyl junkies appear to agree
with the idea of about 5 LPs per inch. The picture makes it
look like MG's shelves are larger than 36", but I can't be sure.
I'm guessing that they are exactly one meter width each,
so that would be 39", but I'm figuring conservatively at 36"
in the math below.
Here's the math based on what MG says:
MG says: “two and a half tonnes”
In pounds (because as an American, it’s easier for me to figure):
about 5500 lbs.
I have many boxes of these. They hold about 110 LPs and weigh
about 60 lbs each (allowing for the occasional box set),
so if we do the math:
5500 lbs ÷ 60 lbs. = ca. 92 boxes X 110 each = 10,120 LPs
******************************************************************
If you use his “forty-seven metres” as a length measurement, you get:
1860 inches.
Figure 180 LPs per 36 inches and you get
1860 ÷ 36 = ca. 52
and 52 X 180 LPs = 9360 LPs
so give or take - 9360 to 10,120 - we’re pretty close to 10,000.
Yes, that John Darnielle (of the Mountain Goats).
Just finished this. I found parts of it very helpful, especially the first half (the second half, while enjoyable, lapsed at times into seeming a bit more like a potted version of his history of jazz, which I am also gradually reading, and had at times a less concrete focus on how to listen). The best parts are exactly what I was looking for and would love to read more of in many musical genres: writing that does not parade theory or substitute the history of how the music was made, but says "if you listen to this bit in this song, and listen out for this particular thing, this is what you might hear, and this is why that is pretty cool and hard to do". For someone like me, with no music theory background but a lot of music listening experience, this was just the right approach. I picked up a few useful nuggets that have already enabled me to hear more in other songs. Very enjoyable read, would read more like this.
I just picked up this for $49 like new with free shipping on ebay (cheapest used copy on Amazon is $80). It has six CDs of tracks arranged chronologically and a couple of pages of commentary on each track in the large accompanying book. I plan to work my way through it reading along with each track, but not all at once, so I'll be reading this one for a while:
Picked up from Chris Arnade's twitter feed which I can't get enough of lately and which has lots of links to interesting stories.