The Necks

I use to have loads of CD;;s by this band  from down under -  minimalist jazz by The Necks.

The Necks - Athenaeum

Wire magazine pointed me in their direction.

Absolutely gorgeous music that evolves organically.

The Necks are an experimental, jazz trio formed in 1987 by founding mainstays Chris Abrahams on piano and Hammond organ, Tony Buck on drums, percussion and electric guitar, and Lloyd Swanton on bass guitar and double bass. They play improvisational pieces of up to an hour in length that explore the development and demise of repeating musical figures.

The Necks were formed in 1987 in Sydney by founding mainstays Chris Abrahams on piano and Hammond organ, Tony Buck on drums, percussion and electric guitar, and Lloyd Swanton on bass guitar and double bass.

The Necks "issued several albums of abstract, improvised, jazzy mood music." Like Satie on ice cold water.

Time Unfolding Slowly

Just finished two charity shop visits in Whitstable and Canterbury and having a nifty quick pint in a pub before i go home.
Meanwhile , let us get necking again down under -

The Necks - Hanging Gardens part 1

The Necks-Abillera

Full album now as they deserve it in their slow unfolding organic jazz tinged ambiance. It is just one track that lasts sixty minutes.

The Necks - Aether

Chris Abrahams (piano), Tony Buck (drums), and Lloyd Swanton (bass) conjure a chemistry together that defies description in orthodox terms.
Featuring lengthy pieces which slowly unravel in the most mesmerising fashion, frequently underpinned by an insistent deep groove, the sixteen albums by The Necks stand up to re-listening time and time again.

The deceptive simplicity of their music throws forth new charms on each hearing. Not entirely avant-garde, nor minimalist, nor ambient, nor jazz, the music of The Necks is possibly unique in the world today.


Enjoy

The Necks -Some Live Clips

A live clip of the Necks -

The Necks- The Royal Family

A very early film of The Necks performing in a film studio for the Australian film Beyond El Rocco by Kevin Lucas. Shot in 1989 in Sydney. An out-take, never before seen by the public. The music was used in the film but not the visuals. ..so ...very rare! until now.!!!

The Necks - Kilt Maker

The Necks perform 'Kilt Maker'. Recorded in the 90s live on 'The Pulse'.


Piano: Chris Abrahams
Bass: Lloyd Swanton
Drums: Tony Buck

Just Wondering

As my first name is David - here is a different kind of the usual just wondering.

What is your favourite film beginning with D?

What is your favourite actress beginning with A?

What is your favourite actor begging with V?

What is your favourite book beginning with I?

What is your favourite TV show beginning with D?

Okay,must own up to being inspired by spikesgirl58 on this one.

Le Weekend

Last night i watched one of the half pf dozen DVD's my bro gave me on Thursday. It was Le |Weekend - and i recognised this 2013 film at once - as i had seen it at the cinema. I do not remember where and it might have been one of my mystery shop visits. Great film though, with the views of Paris and so on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Week-End






Nick (Jim Broadbent) and Meg Burrows (Lindsay Duncan) are a married academic couple from Birmingham advancing in age and tension. To mark their 30th wedding anniversary, the two embark on a trip to the place they honeymooned three decades ago: Paris, France. Hoping to rejuvenate their marriage, the couple arrives in Paris only for things not to go as planned. Eventually, the two bump into Morgan (Jeff Goldblum), with whom Nick went to university and who is now a successful writer, and attend a dinner party of his that ultimately opens up a new view of life and love for the aging couple.


So i am off to my room fairly soon to watch more DVD's.

Note - cannot believe the common room is so quiet tonight. No clackety noise from the guys and gals playing pool either nor the Tv on- just me typing away.

Book 54- Viktor E. Frankl "Man's Search For Meaning"

Viktor E. Frankl "Man's Search For Meaning" (Rider)





This is an incredibly inspiring story about Frankl's experiences in a concentration camp.

This book is a book of realistic optimism. Victor E. Frankl explores the existential nihilism found in much of the world today, especially in our postmodern thought and that however bad things are we always have a choice, they may not be good choices, but we have a choice.


The first half of the book tells his experiences in concentration camps in heart wrenching detail, and his observations of what gave prisoners strength to keep going. For him, it was to have an opportunity to rewrite a manuscript that was confiscated when he was imprisoned. As he observed his fellow prisoners, he began to ask the question "what is the meaning of life" and discovered that, at our core, humans most want to feel that their life has a meaning or a purpose.

The second half of the book introduces logotherapy, which is his theory that man is able to transcend his suffering regardless of the circumstances. I give the book 4 stars because this section can get a little confusing. But the overall idea is inspiring and one of my favorite ideas of his is that "happiness cannot be pursued, it must ensue". Much of his theory overlaps with existential psychotherapy which focuses on existential conflicts as the root of suffering (see Yalom's seminal work on the topic if you want to know more). Though these ideas obviously don't apply in all circumstances, Frankl provides a snapshot of a fascinating theory in a way that is accessible to more people than just psychologists.

Just 154 pages long i read this in one session.

Existentialism and Buffy

Thinking of that last book (Man's Search For |eaning) and existentialism in general and the choices we make, to be authentic to ourselves, and not have "bad faith"  reminds me of this great TPN review of Buffy Season 2 "Lie To Me".

Good night.