I wrote and recorded a song that is “very loosely” inspired by the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy books. (link below, click the orange and white arrow). Mainly it refers to the ultimate answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything. Spoiler alert, the ultimate answer is 42. I took a few liberties. OK, maybe more than a few.
Give it a listen:
Or you can click here to listen:
Let me know what you think, leave me a comment…
Zero Gravity is a collection of nineteen short humorous pieces, some previously published in the New Yorker and some specific to this book. As with his other collections of writings, there are plenty of funny moments as well as an insight here and there too. He is a gifted writer. Sometimes he can almost seem too clever for his own good. Almost. I very much enjoyed these stories, perhaps some more than others, but none were a waste of time. As with his films, all have something to offer and many are excellent.
From the Amazon review:
“Whether he’s writing about horses that paint, cars that think, the sex lives of celebrities, or how General Tso’s Chicken got its name, he is always totally original, broad yet sophisticated, acutely observant, and most important, relentlessly funny.”
If you liked his earlier books, you will like this one. If you have never read any of his books, get on it! He’s a funny, clever, and witty writer, not like anyone else. And then go see his movies when you take a break from reading!
Having read many of Mr. King’s books, I have learned that some are really good and some are just pretty good. This one falls into the latter category. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad, but it has a number of sections where nothing really happens. OK, maybe a little character development but not enough to balance the lack of suspense that it creates.
In his best books you are always wondering what is going to happen next. But here, you are wondering when is something going to happen. I will say that it does pick up as it gets later in the book. But he can sometimes take forever to get to the story (yeah, I’m looking at you, The Stand). I liked this book, but at close to 500 pages there should have probably been more plot and more action.
Millions of people fell in love with Diane Keaton when they watched the iconic film “Annie Hall”. I was one of them. Of course, there was much more to Woody Allen’s award-winning film than just Diane, but she really did steal the show. She also acted in The Godfather films, as well as many more films. This book is sort of her memoir, at least in part it is. We do learn about her life and what she is like, told in her own (writing) voice. [continued]
As you wish. Inconceivable. My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die. I do not think that word means what you think it means. Only mostly dead. Storming the castle. ROUS’s. True love. Grandpa, maybe you could come over and read it again to me tomorrow. (Continued…)
This is the official one. The Beatles by Hunter Davies is the only authorized biography of the group. It was originally written back in 1968, but this is the updated edition. What that means is this: the full original 1968 book is included but also much more. At the end is a chapter from 1985 which updates where each Beatle is at in their lives. But even better, the first, lengthy chapter is a more recent writing from 2006 which updates the history quite a lot. So, the book is historical but also more timely. (continued…)
I was a teenager when I first discovered the Marx brothers. I was channel surfing through the handful of channels at the time, and came across heir movie “Horsefeathers”. I had never seen anything like it. I was hooked. I laughed out loud at Groucho’s lines and ever since I have marveled at his greatness in their movies. So, when I found this book cheap at a used bookstore I snagged it. He wrote it so it had to be good, right? (continued)…
In the past year or so I bought three Kinks/Ray Davies related books, so I figured it was time to read them. I started with this one. People online (some of them) had suggested that it was a decent history of the band, and I did learn a few things. However, I found the book overall to be short on details and insights. What it did have, unfortunately, was an author who had a few flaws himself. [continued]
This book is a short and breezy novel by the author of “Running With Scissors” and “Dry”, among other works. He has a dark sense of humor and wit, which led me to hope for great things from this book. But it wasn’t great. It was mildly entertaining and had it’s moments. [continued]
It was Southern California in the 60s and 70s. It was a great time and place for music. Until it wasn’t anymore. So many great artists came out of this fertile slice of space and time. Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Crosby Stills & Nash, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Warren Zevon, Buffalo Springfield, Tom Waits, JD Souther, Judee Sill, Lowell George (Little Feat), Gram Parsons, The Mamas and The Papas, and more. It was a hotbed for artistic expression and creativity, though it was eventually headed for a very sobering meet up with commercialism, drugs, ego, greed, and corporate rock. This is a very interesting history, meticulously researched, and filled with hundreds of candid quotes and insights. I like a lot of the music, and I thought I knew about it, but I learned a lot from this book. [continued]
I’ve been a fan of Paul Simon (with and without Garfunkel) for a long long time. He’s a great songwriter and artist. That said, I did learn a few things from this book. But with THAT said, I wish I had learned a lot more. This book is a quick and easy read, and its worth reading for what it is. However, it’s quick because it’s short and sometimes light on substance. I learned some new facts and information, but throughout the book I kept wishing that the author would dig deeper and provide more.
It was the spring of 1984. The author had been diagnosed with a lifelong illness. But then things got better. A lot better. Through a combination of luck, perseverance, and XTC fanaticism, Mr. Stafford was able to sit in on a series of recording sessions for XTC, one of the best, most clever, most unique, and most interesting bands in the world. The book recounts how he was there during a couple months while they were recording their album The Big Express. There are some tangents in the writing, mostly interesting though, and his memory is fuzzy about some things. He fully admits it though. [continued]
“At five or so, I became aware of mortality and figured, uh-oh, this is not what I signed on for. I had never agreed to be finite.” – from Apropos Of Nothing
I love Woody Allen. Ever since the seventies when I saw his “early, funny films”. And through out the years (and films) until today and after that I’m sure. I’ve seen all the films save for one of two, many of them multiple times, and I feel strongly that he is the best, most interesting, and most entertaining director and writer in films today. If you agree you can leave a comment below this review. If not, you can leave a comment on that old mailbox outside your door and down the street. Oh, wait, they took that out. Too bad. Now read the rest of the review…
Chrissie is a badass woman. And I mean that in the best possible way. This book chronicles her life, as told by herself. She doesn’t mince words and includes some less flattering parts too. But she remains a unique woman in modern rock. Her attitude and reluctance to compromise set her apart from many others in the business. [continued]
Yes, he’s the master of horror.
I’ve read over a dozen of his books now, and while some are better than others I enjoyed them all. This is one of the better ones. At 1100 or so pages, it took a while to finish, but even at that length I didn’t find much filler. There was one scene that I didn’t really like but overall I liked it a lot and really got to know and care about the characters. I liked the way he switched back and forth between them as kids and as adults. Sometimes you had to read a bit to know which was which. Clever. And Mr. King was very descriptive with being too long-winded. He really does know how to write.
Geoff Emerick was actually THERE. We’ve heard a million times about what happened when the Beatles were recording, from the early days until the bitter end. But he was actually there to see and work on a lot of the music. His accounts of the Beatles pushing the limits of the studio again and again offer a world of insights into their music process. He sometimes seems to brag a bit about his record prowess, but then again you can’t argue with the results. His accountings of the Revolver and Sgt Peppers sessions alone make the book worth buying. But there’s much more than that.
