What are you reading tonight?

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 1:37 pm

Verbal wrote:
Bruce Rioja wrote:Just taken delivery of CRAP LYRICS - A celebration of the very worst pop lyrics of all time.... EVER!, and a fine shitehouse read it looks to be, too.

Having this week heard their latest toe-curling offering, I'm betting that there's an entire edition given over to Razorlight, being written right now!
Evertime I hear that 'America' song I chuckle to myself as I think of that Fry & Laurie sketch...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyHSjv9gxlE

Everytime I hear it I think about how the drummer wrote it, and Johnny 'the world revolves around me' Borrell refused to sing it unless he got joint writing credit. Allegedly. I really liked their first album, and I think the second is an easy target, because he's a twonk, but I've just given up on the whole circus around them, and haven't even listened to their third album.

Bruce Rioja · Post by **Bruce Rioja** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 1:53 pm

I'm not aware of any circus around them, Prufrock, nor to I have a scooby as to how many albums they have out, I just cringe whenever I hear anything by them. So from what you're saying it's not just me then?

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 2:38 pm

Bruce Rioja wrote:I'm not aware of any circus around them, Prufrock, nor to I have a scooby as to how many albums they have out, I just cringe whenever I hear anything by them. So from what you're saying it's not just me then?

The circus is essentially, Johnny Borell is a tosser. It's not just you Brucie, though a lot of people who say they think they are sh*t used to say they really liked them, before it became uncool to like them, in much the same way a large part of those people who go on about how much they dislike the Kooks probably own their first album. Such is the way of the NME following, skinny jean, floppy hair, Hawley arms drinking Indie tossers. Great song on that subject is 'Death to the Indie Disco' by a north london band called Blah Blah Blah who I would recommend as ace. Tis on that Spotify thingy.

As for Razorlight, their first album was good, fresh edgy, the second has it's moments, but as you say has a lot of cringeworthy lyrics where Borrell fancies himself as some sort of profound poet, yet it's poetry written with the english vocab of a six year old mute Spaniard. Have been saying for a while, at some point they will become 'Johnny Borell and Razorlight'

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:20 pm

Just this minute finished a quite remarkable book. A Whispered Name by William Broderick is a harrowing tale centred around the barbaric practise of the British Army in executing its own soldiers for desertion. The book is based on a modern day monks search to unravel a mystery from World War I. The story is good but it is the descriptions of what those soldiers faced that is the stuff that makes old men cry at Rememberence Time.

An added bonus is that one of the characters searched for came from Bolton. Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge and Le Mans Crescent are all mentioned along with references to Boltons cotton mills. A book well worth reading and one that won't be easily forgotten.

William the White · Post by **William the White** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:08 pm

TANGODANCER wrote:Just this minute finished a quite remarkable book. A Whispered Name by William Broderick is a harrowing tale centred around the barbaric practise of the British Army in executing its own soldiers for desertion. The book is based on a modern day monks search to unravel a mystery from World War I. The story is good but it is the descriptions of what those soldiers faced that is the stuff that makes old men cry at Rememberence Time.

An added bonus is that one of the characters searched for came from Bolton. Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge and Le Mans Crescent are all mentioned along with references to Boltons cotton mills. A book well worth reading and one that won't be easily forgotten.

The only Bolton soldier executed in World War One was James Smith of Little Lever.

This was the subject of my play 'Early One Morning' produced at the Octagon in 1998...

A heartbreaking story...

Little is possible in the way of reparations, but, after a long campaign by families of the executed and their supporters the government finally issued a pardon...

And Jim Smith's name (executed Sept 5, 1917) will, at last, be entered on Bolton's Roll of honour of soldiers killed in the Great War, in a ceremony at Bolton Town Hall, on Sat June 27... I'm away, and can't be there, but am pleased that the play contributed a little bit to that decision...

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:14 pm

William the White wrote:
TANGODANCER wrote:Just this minute finished a quite remarkable book. A Whispered Name by William Broderick is a harrowing tale centred around the barbaric practise of the British Army in executing its own soldiers for desertion. The book is based on a modern day monks search to unravel a mystery from World War I. The story is good but it is the descriptions of what those soldiers faced that is the stuff that makes old men cry at Rememberence Time.

An added bonus is that one of the characters searched for came from Bolton. Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge and Le Mans Crescent are all mentioned along with references to Boltons cotton mills. A book well worth reading and one that won't be easily forgotten.
The only Bolton soldier executed in World War One was James Smith of Little Lever.

This was the subject of my play 'Early One Morning' produced at the Octagon in 1998...

A heartbreaking story...

Little is possible in the way of reparations, but, after a long campaign by families of the executed and their supporters the government finally issued a pardon...

And Jim Smith's name (executed Sept 5, 1917) will, at last, be entered on Bolton's Roll of honour of soldiers killed in the Great War, in a ceremony at Bolton Town Hall, on Sat June 27... I'm away, and can't be there, but am pleased that the play contributed a little bit to that decision...

Sounds really good WTW. The Bolton man in the story wasn't an executed one, just a link in the mystery (which is fictional).
I'm willing to bet though that some of the circumstances in the story mirror the story of James Smith.

Dave Sutton's barnet · Post by **Dave Sutton's barnet** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:56 pm

Cards on the table: William the White's a mate, wrote for the fanzine I edited, we have drunk alcohol together at the odd party.

But I show no bias when I say that Early One Morning is one of the best plays I've ever seen, and I'm all but welling up to hear that Jim Smith will finally be listed with the rest of our dead. RIP.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:22 pm

I started my working life (a few hundred years ago) at Dobson and Barlows in Bradley Fold, right next to the railway which was the start of Little Lever. Many of the lads I worked with were from t'village and many will also have passed on now. Villages being what they are I'd imagine even then your story would be known about amongst my work mates even that many years later, although I never heard it mentioned. I'm glad it came out right in the end for his family's sake.

Those men weren't SAS trained soldiers, just simple weavers, miners and factory workers thrown into a barbaric war, a lot at very tender ages, to see their comrades killed daily by the thousands. I really hope I get chance to see your play somewhere along the line WTW.

hisroyalgingerness · Post by **hisroyalgingerness** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:24 am

American Psycho, enjoying Bret Easton Ellis at the mo

Dave Sutton's barnet · Post by **Dave Sutton's barnet** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 9:59 am

TANGODANCER wrote:I really hope I get chance to see your play somewhere along the line WTW.

Remember And Did Those Feet is back in spring... support your local theatre, not every provincial town is lucky enough to have one...

Back on topic, I found myself dipping back into Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island and can't put it down... damn kids with their superglue...

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:25 am

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:
TANGODANCER wrote:I really hope I get chance to see your play somewhere along the line WTW.
Remember And Did Those Feet is back in spring... support your local theatre, not every provincial town is lucky enough to have one...

Back on topic, I found myself dipping back into Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island and can't put it down... damn kids with their superglue...

Do you have dates for this? Missed it last time round but I'd love to see it.

Edit. Got them from the link. Thanks for that.

Athers · Post by **Athers** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 12:56 am

Because I'm not on the piss tonight I've decided to spend some of the money I would've drank away on some books - got carried away with the "Recommended" on Amazon and ended up going down a little route of purchasing related items. Such a sucker for that sales technique but I don't care.

# 1 of: Fever Pitch (Hornby)
# 1 of: Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics (Wilson)
# 1 of: Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football (Winner)
# 1 of: Football and Chess: Tactics Strategy Beauty (Wells)
# 1 of: How Life Imitates Chess (Kasparov)

Bruno · Post by **Bruno** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 1:01 am

I bought Garry Nelson's LEFT FOOT FORWARD and read that on holiday, really recommend it to anyone who likes behind-the-scenes football books.

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:10 am

Bruno wrote:I bought Garry Nelson's LEFT FOOT FORWARD and read that on holiday, really recommend it to anyone who likes behind-the-scenes football books.

That's a class book and my fav football biographies by a long way, follow up is good too.

General Mannerheim · Post by **General Mannerheim** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:53 am

hisroyalgingerness wrote:American Psycho, enjoying Bret Easton Ellis at the mo

me too! started American Psycho then put it down to read Stephen Fry with a view to getting back into it on the flight to vegas next week - which other B.E.E have you done

Bruce Rioja · Post by **Bruce Rioja** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 9:17 am

Raven wrote:
Bruno wrote:I bought Garry Nelson's LEFT FOOT FORWARD and read that on holiday, really recommend it to anyone who likes behind-the-scenes football books.
That's a class book and my fav football biographies by a long way, follow up is good too.

Thirded. A superb read and a fantastic account of life as a work-a-day footballer.

Bruno · Post by **Bruno** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 10:17 am

General Mannerheim wrote:
hisroyalgingerness wrote:American Psycho, enjoying Bret Easton Ellis at the mo
me too! started American Psycho then put it down to read Stephen Fry with a view to getting back into it on the flight to vegas next week - which other B.E.E have you done

I studied the work of Bret at university and college, he's my favourite author. Read Glamorama instead, but American Psycho is still his best work. Lunar Park is good too.

hisroyalgingerness · Post by **hisroyalgingerness** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 11:11 am

Bruno wrote:
General Mannerheim wrote:
hisroyalgingerness wrote:American Psycho, enjoying Bret Easton Ellis at the mo
me too! started American Psycho then put it down to read Stephen Fry with a view to getting back into it on the flight to vegas next week - which other B.E.E have you done
I studied the work of Bret at university and college, he's my favourite author. Read Glamorama instead, but American Psycho is still his best work. Lunar Park is good too.

Yeah read Glamorama and prob get Rules of Attraction next. I love how different the chapters are in AP. Ridiculously gory one moment, filthy as fook the next interspersed with super character development

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 11:29 pm

FINALLY finished 'Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets' by David Simon. Absolutely brilliant, one of the best books I've read, certainly. Any fan of the The Wire needs to read it.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 11:26 pm

Just finished Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zaffon.

Connect with your social network account

What are you reading tonight?

Who is online