Jun. 28th, 2014
Greil Marcus "Invisible Republic, Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes" (Henry Holt)

Almost written in a stream of consciousness style itself the well-known Marcus imitates Dylan's approach to lyrics as he dissects the influential Basement Tapes.
About half way through though,there's a digression on the eccentric folk song anthologist Harry Smith which is absolutely fascinating. The banjo picking folk blues singer Doc Boggs gets a mention as well.
Strange and hypnotic, his prose is a bit fractured at times, to the point of being occasionally unintelligible , but very good, if perhaps a little over Romantic, on the sources of Dylan's musical weirdness.

Almost written in a stream of consciousness style itself the well-known Marcus imitates Dylan's approach to lyrics as he dissects the influential Basement Tapes.
About half way through though,there's a digression on the eccentric folk song anthologist Harry Smith which is absolutely fascinating. The banjo picking folk blues singer Doc Boggs gets a mention as well.
Strange and hypnotic, his prose is a bit fractured at times, to the point of being occasionally unintelligible , but very good, if perhaps a little over Romantic, on the sources of Dylan's musical weirdness.
My access problem seemed to stem from BT as others who have BT broadband found similar problems this morning. It has now been resolved and was nothing to do with DDOS attacks. Currently in Faversham at the library waiting for the bus to take me down to Ashford.
BBC News reported it as well.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28071423
BBC News reported it as well.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28071423
Book 61 - David Peace "The Damned Utd"
Jun. 28th, 2014 08:42 pmDavid Peace "The Damned Utd" (Faber & Faber)

The Damned United is the story of Brian Clough's infamous 44 days as manager of Leeds back in the seventies. It also tells, concurrently, the story of Clough's football career leading up to the point he took the position at Leeds. Peace's research allows him to tell the story from Clough's viewpoint. We share his insecurities. We cannot know what is true and what is paranoia. But this is not simply another unreliable narrator. It is the mind as unreliable narrator. A reminder that for each of us if our life is a text then we are our own reliable narrator.
It is also a brilliant (in the sense of sparkling with light as opposed to just good) reminder of the fact that Clough was such a wonderful bastard. He makes a great fictional character because he was such a one-off in real life. A Gordian knot of paradoxes. A self destructive man who orchestrated so many triumphs. An intelligent man who did so many stupid things. A tyrannical socialist. And like that knot he was a problem you could only solve by destroying it.
It is a shame that many will miss this book because it is based in the world of football, as it is not just about football, its about a man, and about what its like inside his head. His story draws you in and makes you want to read on to watch the inevitable roller coaster ride. It's themes are universal and it is outstandingly well written.

The Damned United is the story of Brian Clough's infamous 44 days as manager of Leeds back in the seventies. It also tells, concurrently, the story of Clough's football career leading up to the point he took the position at Leeds. Peace's research allows him to tell the story from Clough's viewpoint. We share his insecurities. We cannot know what is true and what is paranoia. But this is not simply another unreliable narrator. It is the mind as unreliable narrator. A reminder that for each of us if our life is a text then we are our own reliable narrator.
It is also a brilliant (in the sense of sparkling with light as opposed to just good) reminder of the fact that Clough was such a wonderful bastard. He makes a great fictional character because he was such a one-off in real life. A Gordian knot of paradoxes. A self destructive man who orchestrated so many triumphs. An intelligent man who did so many stupid things. A tyrannical socialist. And like that knot he was a problem you could only solve by destroying it.
It is a shame that many will miss this book because it is based in the world of football, as it is not just about football, its about a man, and about what its like inside his head. His story draws you in and makes you want to read on to watch the inevitable roller coaster ride. It's themes are universal and it is outstandingly well written.