Good Morning

Book 71 - Richard Taylor "How To Read A Church"

Richard Taylor "How To Read A Church" (Ebury Press)





I was seriously disappointed in this book. It was meant to be a guide to help the untutored observer make more sense of what he sees in a traditional church or cathedral, but instead of some in-depth examples of such readings, the book's chapters comprise laundry lists of the most basic facts about Jesus, the Bible and a few of the saints. So much space is used to try to fill in these foundational blanks that - which literally bore me to tears being an atheist - there is little time left to consider actual church architecture and decoration. The book's illustrations and diagrams are also incredibly basic. Not recommended.

Mark Hollis and Talk Talk

Sometimes it is serendipity or sometimes just happenstance. Last night I was listening to the last two albums by Talk Talk, "Spirit Of Eden" and "Laughing Stock", followed by the self-titled "Mark Hollis" album. The latter I remember being reviewed in Wire magazine around 1998. Blow me, my bro coming42 uploads a track from Spirit Of Eden today.

What prompted me to play these was one of the articles I read in "Epiphanies".



Mark Hollis, influenced by jazz, Debussy, Edgard Varese, Erik Satie and minimalism had already expanded the sound palette of the band by the time of Spirit of Eden - and for some, it was the Astral Weeks for the eighties, to which I would concur. In the climate of nostalgia, irony and postmodern mimicry that characterised the culture of the times, the record pricked the bubble economy of the Thatcher years like no other. Their label at the time was frustrated with the fact there was no obvious single on the album and the band decamped from Parlophone to Verve - a label best known for its jazz. Laughing Stock was their bleakest, austere and yet finest in my opinion, and most ambient exploring even further sound collages and noise into their milieu.
Soon after Talk Talk disbanded and seven years later Mark recorded his solo album. He died earlier this year - only 64 - but he leaves us with some of the finest modern music you can listen to.

Talk Talk - Eden

From"Spirit Of Eden"

Talk Talk - After The Flood

From "Laughing Stock"

Mark Hollis - A New Jerusalem

From the album "Mark Hollis"

Mark Hollis - A Life

As a primer, if you want to get into Talk Talk these are the three you should seriously consider.

Blues and Old Music

Some very old blues and bluegrass from the USA -

Dock Boggs - Country Blues

Stanley Brothers - Little Maggie

Robert Johnson- Sweet Home Chicago

Charley Patton - A Spoonful Blues

Robert Crumb and his 78's

This book has a CD full of the old blues,  bluegrass  and jazz stiff.



Enjoy.

Zappa's Doo Wop

This one is for

akalablossom



Frank Zappa - I'm So Happy I Could Cry (1965)

Frank Zappa - Cathy My Angel

Frank Zappa- Every Time I See You

Frank Zappa - Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder

Frank Zappa - Love Of My Life

Frank Zappa -Valerie

enjoy.

Why Zappa Loved Doo Wop

Frank Zappa was a musical magpie like myself. He loved doo-wop, jazz and Edgard Varese as well as blues and other byways.

And the reason he loved doo-wop

..and my fave Zappa doo-wop song is -

Frank Zappa — What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?

We're Only In It For The Money

Before I hit the bed why not have more Zappa -

Frank Zappa(The Mothers Of Invention) - We're Only in it for the money (1968)

A great cocnpt album with a pastiche of Sgt.Pepper album cover lol!

Good Night