OFTEN, i wonder aloud how it is that certain authors -- john updike and donald westlake are two recently deceased masters who come to mind -- have been either overlooked or royally screwed up onscreen.with the sherlock holmes novels and stories of arthur conan doyle, the phenomenon is the opposite: holmes is not only thought to be the most adapted character in history (200-some films with 70-or-so … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2009
Who Put the ‘M’ in Manchester
DON'T know how i missed it, but friday was the 50th birthday of one of the key figures in british rock post-clash: stephen patrick morrissey. (the fact that the day was also my anniversary may explain why i am posting several days late.)in any case, mozz celebrated his half-century with a concert in his hometown, manchester, UK, which was in some ways the capital of the industrial revolution as … [Read more...]
Ursula Le Guin Vs. Oliver Cromwell
SOMEHOW, without quite knowing it, i wrote two brief pieces on ursula le guin, and both have recently gone up.the first is mostly an extended intro to my LATimes profile, which adds some excised lines from author/ essayist/ cosmopolitan pico iyer as well as sci-fi scholar/ critic annalee newitz.the second, here, is the seed of what i hope is a bigger project some day on the transition away from … [Read more...]
Christoph Eschenbach, Elegant Cosmopolitan
LAST week i went to meet christoph eschenbach, the conductor/pianist who's been part of one of the nastiest divorces in the classical music world during a strained tenure at the philadelphia orchestra.here is the way my colleague mark swed described him: "Thin and erect, with shaved head and large cranium, dressed in avant-garde sleek black shirt and slacks, he looked like some inscrutable … [Read more...]
David Benoit and Classical Music
MOST serious jazz people detest "smooth jazz" -- let's get this out of the way at the beginning. (here's an example.)but recently i sat down to talk to david benoit, the pianist who is one of the key figures in the movement, and quite enjoyed myself. why? because we mostly talked about classical music. and i was surprised to find that this exemplar of the pleasant and tension-free had been moved … [Read more...]
The 88 and "Highway 61 Revisited"
FOR a week or two now i've been hearing whispers about the LA band the 88 -- that their fan base was dwindling, that their latest show would be empty, that they were gonna have to put out their next record by themselves, etc.so i was pleased to walk into their gig at the key club on sunset last night and find the place quite well attended and the energy level high. is the band in trouble? maybe. … [Read more...]
Camera Obscura and the Glasgow Sound
EVER since i first heard lloyd cole and the commotions at an impressionable age, i've been crazy for scottish rock n roll and especially bittersweet music of glasgow. it's one of the finest legacies in rock music history, putting supposedly sophisticated cities like san francisco and boston to shame. only, i think, portland, ore., and manchester, uk, have better batting averages. (i'm overlooking … [Read more...]
"Dune" and Science Fiction
THIS blog's recent poll was taken by frank herbert's novel "dune," which was trailed closely by gibson's cyberpunk classic "neuromancer" and le guin's political novel-of-ideas "the dispossessed." it was, despite an obscure seeming topic, the most heavily voted of my polls so far. (interestingly, these top three all by west coast authors.)that "dune" is the winner is not much of a surprise: it's … [Read more...]
Olives, Wine and the Central Coast
DON'T think i know too many places greener or more bountiful than the coastal strip that runs from big sur to just north of santa barbara. a wonder that the forces of develop- ment and suburb- anization that have wrecked much of the golden state haven't domest- icated this stretch too with an endless vista of malls and car lots.i had the good fortune to visit san louis obispo, right in the middle … [Read more...]
Miles Davis and "Kind of Blue" at 50
MORE proof that my taste hasn't changed much since i was 20 is tomorrow's LAT piece on miles davis's "kind of blue" record, which marks its 50th this august. (miles himself would celebrate his 83rd birthday on may 25 had he not died in 1991. i still remember that dark day and going to dc's cafe lautrec to see a trio knock out some miles classics that eve.)HERE is my piece. i spoke to jazz critic … [Read more...]