Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E15: The Long Morrow

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E15: The Long Morrow

The science fiction tales of the series are generally my favourite, and it is all about the twist at the end that takes you in. Both of those apply here, but the majority of the story is not about the science fiction aspect, but more to do with fatal attraction and the consequences.

Commander Stansfield has gotten his dream post – a journey into space to a system 141 light years from Earth. A new spaceship can break the speed of light, but his round trip will still take 40 years, though he will barely age as he will be in suspended animation. As he prepares though, he of course decides to fall in love, just as he is about to leave for his 40 year mission, meaning when he returns he will still be the same age but Sandra will be 40 years older. 

OK, now this is where the story gets silly, and just a bit beyond comprehension. Firstly, these two fall hopelessly in love in one evening. Great. Then the round trip ends, and we find Sandra is the same age, because she decided to go into suspended animation for 40 years so she would be the same age when Stansfield returns. Really? Leave all your family and friends for that? And then Stansfield reveals he didn’t go into suspended animation, instead living alone in a tin can for 40 years so he would return as the same age that Sandra would be. Really? How did he live with no food or water for 40 years?

This story has so many holes it becomes a farce. The idea is reasonable, but come on, I’m not going to buy this without considering all of the aspects!

Rating: Now there is a wasted life for you. 3.5/5

Stephen King Book #11: Danse Macabre. 3/5

Book #11. Danse Macabre.
First published April 20, 1981.

Danse Macabre was a book that I had never read until the past couple of weeks. The main reason for this was that I have never owned a copy of the book, nor found one readily available in book shops, nor in any library I had been a member of. When it came to tracking down a copy for this journey I still had no joy in finding a copy with a friend or a book shop or the library. So I began to search online and, bugger me, there I found a site that hosted a pdf copy of the entire book, just sitting there waiting for me to read it. Thus I could progress.

For those not in the know, this is a non-fiction book by King focusing on the horror genre in written, radio, TV and movie form. In it he speaks of his experiences with the genre throughout, and of those parts that he thinks made important contributions not only to his own works but to those around him who also influenced himself and others. And in this respect, although there are places within the pages that are interesting, the majority tends to be a bit of a hard slog. This is for no other reason except that this was published in 1981, and concentrates on an era when he himself grew up. This being the case a lot of his source material, both books and filmed, are of an era that is not as widely known in this day and age as it would have been then. Some of it is, the most popular in essence, but only the hardest core readers and watchers of this era of works will be sure of exactly what he talks about. Much of it I have not been exposed to, especially when it comes to those horror films of his youth.

I thoroughly enjoyed his dissection and comparison in Chapter 2 – Tales of the Tarot – of three seminal works. His thoughts in regards to Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” and the three monsters who are the title characters is entertaining and thoughtful. It discusses them in detail, as well as how they have been the flag bearers for those duplicates that have come since, as well as the many and varied interpretations. Indeed within those three creations can be found much of what followed in many varied forms.
The other sections of the book are informative, but only as much as you find any interest in them. While I felt like I was trudging through a snowdrift at time such was the difficulty in making progress, there was more than enough interesting dissection of the different sections to keep you moving forward.

So while this is a book that has some interesting passages, as a non-fiction book it is not like his novels, where we get the characters and the story and we are taken along for a ride. Instead we have a handbook, a basis for which to explore the media of the genre if you are so disposed to do so. I’m sure that sometime in the future I will in fact use some of this to explore on my own. And though it is interesting it is unlikely to be a book that you return to with love. It is a book you will return to for information, and then place back on that bookshelf under “K” for King, and then grab the next book along.

Rating: For the reference section. 3/5

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E14: You Drive

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E14: You Drive

There’s always something a little bit concerning about the power of guilt and conscience and what it would do to your mental state if you found out you had caused injury or death to another person. But if you do it in the Twilight Zone you are always going to get your comeuppance.

Edward Andrews is terrific as Oliver Pope, who knocks down a young boy on a bicycle on the way home from work, but drives away without helping his victim. He hides the car in his garage and tries to put the incident out of his mind. However, things go awry when the car begins to act strangely. The headlamps flash without anyone in the car, as does the car horn. When his wife drives it the following day, it stalls at the spot of the accident and won’t go on. Then it begins playing the news broadcast of the accident over and over again. When a work colleague is accused of the crime Pope does nothing to change anyone’s thoughts. Eventually, his car completely rebels, and drives itself in chase of Pope in an effort to get him to confess.

This is an enjoyable episode, with all of the cast excellent in their roles, with Andrews at his best in the role of the man trying to get away with his moment in time, only to be thwarted by the machine he used to perpetrate it. Only in the Twilight Zone.

Rating: A seat in the confessional. 5/5

984. Soundgarden / Superunknown. 1994. 4/5

Superunknown is a refinement to what the band had released in the past. For the most part the tendrils of heavy metal have been wiped clean. There are no songs here that come close to some of the material that was written and recorded on Badmotorfinger. There are some good hard rock songs, and some good alternative songs, and some songs that continue to fly the flag for the grunge scene, which was quickly moving away from its peak by the time this album was released. Perhaps it was a more commercial record, or perhaps in essence it is just that two of the singles here went gangbusters both on the music video shows as well as commercial radio.

“Let Me Drown” is a strong opening song in a classic hard rock way with hard drums and solid rhythm followed up with vocals that are forthright and at the forefront of the song. “My Wave” comes from the same production line, with Cameron’s hard hitting drums bursting out of the speakers at you followed by Cornell’s wonderful vocal lines. Songs like this, when Cornell is on song and being the driving force of the song are my favourites because everything works together and there is a force behind it, a driving desire. That still makes songs like the following track, “Fell on Black Days”, terrific in their own right, but it is a different style of song, for which there is more melancholy in both music and vocals. That this band is capable of writing and performing these two styles of songs without skipping a beat is one of their great strengths.
Whatever the process, this almost acts like Soundgarden’s vision of Sgt Peppers. It contain songs that have almost psychedelic connotations with songs such as “Mailman” and “Head Down” and “The Day I Tried to Live”, that really hold themselves back and spin out the drama. Sitting between these songs is the title track “Superunknown” which is the rock alternative to those tracks, while “Limo Wreck” is a real indulgence, a long dragged out affair that combined with “The Day I Tried to Live” combine the thoughtful slow smouldering rhythm within the tonal areas where each songs has its own break out point where the music and vocals both explode for a time. Mixed within the middle of this are the mega-singles, “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman”. “Black Hole Sun” disguises its intent within the clear guitar and smooth vocals before the heavier guitar comes into play, while “Spoonman” is the closest to metal this album comes in regards to drum beat and guitar, which along with that higher range vocal from Cornell initiates some blood pumping through the veins.
It will always be the upbeat songs such as “Spoonman” and “Kickstand” that I remember most fondly, because they are the ones that make a band for me. You can have your melancholy songs and your reflective tunes and those types of songs, because they have their place within the framework. But the faster upbeat songs are the ones that grab your attention and hold it for longer, because that is how they are designed. The back half of the album reigns in these songs to a degree, but that doesn’t make them any less entertaining, it perhaps just muddies up how the album finishes.

I often wonder why this album for me didn’t quite match up to the previous album, and indeed how that occurred again with the following album. More than anything else, the music was changing even if it was ever so slightly. That was necessary for the band to survive the end of the grunge era, but was perhaps at odds against themselves. On a personal level my own metal preferences were being to move towards the faster paced European bands, but in the end for me I felt as though the album tailed off, that its best work was done by two-thirds of the way through. Despite these thoughts, this is still a terrific album, one that I can still put on and enjoy thoroughly.

Rating:  “Whatsoever I've feared has come to life, whatsoever I've fought off became my life”.  4/5

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E13: Ring-a-Ding Girl

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E13: Ring-a-Ding Girl

Once again, the basis of the best Twilight Zone episodes comes not only from the slow and intriguing build up throughout the episode, but also for the conclusion to not only have that twist that you weren’t expecting, it also must be ‘believable’ in a twilight Zone kind of way.

This episode has most of the tools that make a top-flight episode. The Movie star that has never forgotten her home town, who all helped to get her where she is today and is still her best fan club. When they send her a ring as a present and she begins to see family and friends from her home town, imploring her to do things, she drops what she is doing (a new film in Rome) and heads home. While she is there, she sees several people floating into vision, and each time she is compelled to see them, and each time another piece of the puzzle falls into place as to why she is there. None of this is revealed to the viewer, and when she decides to hold an event in direct competition to one that is already scheduled in her town, her friends seem upset. It isn’t until the final reveal – when we see that she is actually on a plane that crashes in a nearby field where the other event was being held, and that her event has drawn away all of the people who would have been killed by being there – that we are dealt the final answer.

So yes, this once again utilises the Twilight Zone as an entity perfectly, and the constant reveal through the episode makes it even more satisfying when the final conclusion comes. Very entertaining.

Rating: I’m leaving, on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again. 5/5

983. Soundgarden / Badmotorfinger. 1991. 4.5/5

There are moments in life that can stand out amongst all other memories, that are the ones that are easily remembered when the right question is asked. When I am asked “When did you first hear Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger album?” it is an easy answer. It was on the day it was released, which was also my 22nd birthday. A mate of mine bought it that day, and insisted I come over for a beer and to listen to it. I had heard snatches of Soundgarden’s earlier material at that stage, but not a lot. What I heard that day didn’t change my life, but it certainly enhanced it.

How do you describe such an album? I wasn’t sure at the time, but this was when grunge was just beginning to take hold, with albums such as Nirvana’s Nevermind, Pearl Jam’s Ten and Alice in Chain’s Facelift also coming out, each with their own interpretation of the Seattle sound. Badmotorfinger wasn’t like those albums. It immediately had that traditional heavy metal element infused into the songs, such that I couldn’t possibly categorise the album as a grunge album. In fact, I couldn’t categorise them in any particular genre, because in many ways this album transcends that (as indeed do all of those albums mentioned). All I knew was that from the opening stanza this album was something special, and I had to get it.
For me, it is the first half of this album that does everything right. It appeals to my musical loves. I never owned this on vinyl, as by this time it was CD that had become the format for my collections, but if I had I reckon I would have worn out the first side of the album such was its pull over me. From the opening strains of “Rusty Cage” to that amazing sound the band squeezes out of “Outshined” as those vocals croon at the brilliant pitch, the two opening songs sound like studio jams with the foursome just hammering away on their instruments while someone records them in a corner. That guitar sound in “Outshined” is just fantastic.
For those that are of a mind to want to categorise this album, it’s not an easy one. Grunge had arrived and Soundgarden certainly infused that sound throughout their music, but this was mixed with the hard arsed metal guitar of Kim Thayil. “Slaves & Bulldozers” may be the perfect example of this. It has that slow tempo throughout that typified much of what grunge was, but listen to that guitar! Not only in the rhythm rumbling along the underlying song with Ben Shepherd’s cool as ice bass and Matt Cameron’s perpetual motion drumming, but also in the solo pieces he gets to add. And then Chris Cornell’s vocals, going from calm and low to the brilliant high energy scream. There is so much of Black Sabbath’s legacy within this song that surely it has to be metal! So, how do you categorise it? In the long run, if you are trying to describe the sound to a potential listener, you just have to say ‘put it on and find out for yourself’
For the metal lovers, “Jesus Christ Pose” and “Face Pollution” are the obvious winners on this album because they just hammer along and drag you into that headbanging action you know so well, and force you to try and sing along at the same pitch that Cornell does. Which is literally impossible, but you have to try, before eventually finding your own range of comfort. As “Slaves & Bulldozers” rolls almost literally into the brilliant “Jesus Christ Pose”, with that fabulous riff over Cameron’s amazing drum performance before Cornell’s vocals just take off, you can only wonder in awe at how this band puts together so many unique sounds in a collection of songs. “Jesus Christ Pose” is that song that every garage band in the world wants to play, but has four instrumental pieces combined here that are practically impossible for amateurs to play and make sound good. Bass, guitar, drums, vocals. No chance on all counts. “Face Pollution” then follows this up at speed with not so much low end guitar but plenty of flailing and energy.
I’m not going to say that this is the best section of any album ever, but while I can find others that may equal this, I cannot say that there is any better ‘first five songs on an album’ ever. So don’t get me wrong when I suggest that the second half of the album mightn’t quite stack up to the first half. I’m not saying is that it isn’t very good. That isn’t true, because the performances and songs on the second half of the album are still awesome. They are different though. They are of a slower tempo generally, and find their way into that alternative medium that is more similar to those other bands they came through the scene with.
“Somewhere” pulls back from the metal heights and finds the middle ground again in more of an alternative sound, clearer guitar. “Searching With My Good Eye Closed” is perhaps the less impactful song on the album for me after the assault of the opening songs. This is brought back into line by “Room a Thousand Years Wide” which has a great underlying riff throughout while Cornell takes control of the song with his driving vocals. “Mind Riot” and “Drawing Flies” both settle back into that comfortable mid-section of the album. The passion of Cornell’s vocals in “Holy Water” drags this from being a good song into being a terrific song. The closing track “New Damage” has that mid-range latter day Sabbath tempo with the band doing their thing while Cornell croons over the top. The sludgy, syrupy guitar, drum and vocals here is the closest indicator to the bands’ genre standing in the community.

25 years after its release, Badmotorfinger remains a hallmark of the period. It managed to draw in those punters who were beginning to take on the newly romanticised genre of grunge while also compelling those punters who were hanging on to 1980’s heavy metal to also love this, and yet it hasn’t dated. It holds true to what it was when it was recorded, and still old fans and new fans alike can put this on in this day and age and find stuff to love. Perhaps it is not for everyone, and future blockbuster albums were perhaps more accessible for the next generation, but this album is perhaps still the one that best holds true to Soundgarden’s roots.

Rating: “Now I’m in the mirror, now it’s getting clear”  4.5/5

Review: No Cunning Plan

No Cunning Plan by Sir Tony Robinson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Most people will know Tony Robinson as the wonderful Baldrick in the Blackadder TV series, in recent years I have been just as enamored with his series of historical walks and work with the TV series Time Team. So when I was at the library last week looking for something new, this poked its head out at me.
As an autobiography, this is in depth. It is mostly quite dry reading, and if you are looking for something that is fall over laughing humorous you are in the wrong place. It has smatterings no doubt, but what this provides is a detailed run down of his life in show business, with practically every stage show he has participated in or directed or written or all three. If you aren't interested in shows that you've never heard of and are unlikely to ever see, then this may not be for you. However, if you are interested in Tony's life and loves, and how the decisions he made changed his life stream throughout, then this is a good read. It does get repetitive in places, but if you can wade through these it is rewardingly informative.

View all my reviews

APJSC Under 10 Whites vs Coniston Gold

In the second series of Monty Python's Flying Circus, there is a sketch entitled It's The Mind, where Michael Palin tries to talk about deja-vu, where everything keeps repeating. The opening monologue goes like this:

"Good evening. Tonight on 'It's the Mind', we examine the phenomenon of deja vu. That strange feeling we sometimes get that we've lived through something before, that what is happening now has already happened. Tonight on 'It's the Mind' we examine the phenomenon of deja vu, that strange feeling we sometimes get that we've ... (puzzled look) Anyway, tonight on 'It's the Mind' we examine the phenomenon of deja vu, that strange... how... strange..."

This is a more imaginative way of opening up this weekend's soccer match report, because you have honestly heard it all before. Taking on Coniston Gold at Terry Reserve, the Albion Park Under 10 Whites again just hadn't quite switched on in the first half, and as a result they were down 3-0 at the half time break. And once again, as has happened in every match this season, they were quite superb in the second half, once again being the dominant team and didn't stop running while their opponents tired. Attacking raid after attacking raid couldn't find the goals. No less than four shots hit the posts and bounced away from the goals, while at the other end theirs hit the posts and bounced in.The Park team once again lacked only an ounce of luck, a touch of which may have changed the result.

Indy Middleton was fantastic in goals for the whole match, saving a number of chances and found himself in the right position on most occasions. Jack Tate and Brock Young, who played at the back for most of the match, were both terrific once again. Both showed a lot of hustle to chase down attackers and force the ball off them when they thought they had an open goal to shoot. Livewires. They are great to watch.The midfield of Belle and Claire Kadwell were dogged, always in the face of the opponents midfield when they were trying to clear the ball. Josh Peters and Noah Black shared midfield and forward spots, and provided for each other excellently. Noah as always was dangerous when given the ball, while Josh ran hard up and back all day, and provided the impetus upon goal when it was needed in the second half. 

Josh's strike to bring the score back to 4-1 was fantastic, and tended to shut up the opposing keeper who had been happy to sit on the ground because, as he claimed, he was bored and no one would score against him. The fact it was SHOOSH day prevented me from suggesting anything on the field after Josh scored. Josh's corners were also terrific, and found his players perfectly on the back post, and with a bit of luck up to three goals could have been scored. He also defused a number of attacks down his wing in the first half, and his passing today was spot on. I don't like to go on too much about Josh being his father and all, but he was terrific today, and the training he is getting from Matt, Shane and Dan is paying off. I was proud of his efforts today. If only he would be that good with the stuff he has to do at home.

Up forward, Jack-Ryan Eberwein and Zoe Middleton had great days. Zoe again fought hard for the ball, and some of her passing to Jack-Ryan and Noah was exceptional. Jack-Ryan again used his strength to force his way through when he could, and he is getting better each week as well. And let's not forget "SuperSub" Zali Middleton who was like a livewire again every time she was injected onto the field. A couple of her runs through the midfield were spectacular and far beyond her years. Another great appearance from her.

The scoreboard was once again against these kids, 4-1 at the end, but once again, they dominated the second half. And though it is certainly deja-vu to say it, if they can just hold their opponents in the first half, and get some much deserved luck to go their way, they will be winning games before they know it.

The Player of the Match this week was Brock Young, who defended manfully in the first half before moving to the midfield in the second half and providing great service both back and forward.

982. Operation: Mindcrime / Resurrection. 2016. 1.5/5

I guess we can be brutally honest about this. There must be someone, somewhere out there, that thinks that what Geoff Tate is doing in his current musical field with his band Operation: Mindcrime is the equal of or better than what is happening in the Queensrÿche camp. I don’t know any of them mind you, but there must be fans out there who are enjoying this stuff. And what it shows is that the split between the two should have happened a long time ago, and let Geoff do this without dictating to others what should work best for them.

You can’t argue with his work ethic though. Albums keep coming forth on a regular basis, and he tours as he feels it necessary. The fact that he celebrated the final parting with Queensrÿche by christening his new ‘band’ by the title of its most famous album, and then engaged in writing and releasing a concept album trilogy, of which this is the second chapter, makes it even more thought-provoking as to why he stuck with it for so long. No doubt the name of the band was making more money.
And so on to Resurrection, which is Part Two of this story that apparently details virtual currencies, internet banking and stock trading. Honestly I haven’t listened to the lyrical side of the songs hard enough to garner that information out of them, I just found it on Wikipedia and threw it in here. And was it not for the addition of Spotify into my life, I am quite sure I would never have heard this album because the utilising of virtual currencies, internet banking or stock trading to purchase this album was out of the question given the two albums that preceded this. So I had no illusions going in. I was probably going to hate this.
Is hate too strong a word? Having now listened to this album in full on a number of occasions, it probably is. But is there anything likeable about it? Very little as you can probably imagine, and that is simply because it is nothing like any kind of music that I do like. It’s like asking me to review anything by Justin Bieber – I don’t like his music, so any review or rating is going to be coloured by that. Resurrection more or less takes up from where The Key leaves off. It is dreary. It’s like listening to the rain at the end of Queensrÿche's “Della Brown” and expecting to hear “Another Rainy Night” but instead getting “The Queue” from the previous album. Honestly, this album goes for over an hour, but it feels like an afternoon. There is little to distinguish between the songs, they all roll into one another. Geoff’s vocals all remain monotonic for great passages, even when layered on each other. There’s more synth than guitar or drums. It almost redefines a progressive rock genre into something far less, almost into easy listening. Most of it will lull you off to sleep if you allow it. It’s not that it is all terrible, but there are parts that cannot bring out any other adjective apart from that. “Taking on the World” is the closest this album has to a hard rock song, and having brought on Tim “Ripper” Owens and Blaze Bayley to take part as guest vocalists for this one song should make it the centrepiece of the album. The fact that it is, even though it doesn’t allow Ripper to actually unleash his powerhouse vocal (perhaps for fear that it would overshadow Tate’s degenerating vocal abilities) is a shame. This is the one song on the album I can almost get on board with, and I would be lying if I said it was for any reason except for Ripper and Blaze’s appearance.

The fact that Tate has struggled gain the Operation: Mindcrime name seems absurd given that the albums are practically still a two man show, with himself and Kelly Gray doing the bulk of the instrumentation. Why not just stay as Geoff Tate or The Geoff Tate Band? Is it so necessary to market himself based on his past with his other band? Despite this, the music will still be what he is judged on, and so I come back to the way I started this review. There must be people out there who like what Tate has been writing, both here and in the last ten years of his time with Queensrÿche. I’m just not sure who they are. This album is probably a little more interesting that The Key. That’s about the best I can say about it.

Rating:  One long monotone.  1.5/5

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E12: Ninety Years Without Slumbering

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E12: Ninety Years Without Slumbering

What does it say about a story when the person who wrote the original script dislikes the extensive re-write so much that he asks to be credited under a pseudonym? This is the case here, and while that may be a bit extreme it doesn’t bode well for what lay ahead.

The concept works well enough. Our protagonist Sam Forstmann spends all of his time tinkering with a grandfather clock, that his father had purchased on the day that Sam was born. He now believes that if the clock ever stops, then he will die. This causes disruption in his household, and though he then sells it to appease his family, it is only next door so he can keep an eye on it. However, when they go away for the weekend he tries to break in to ensure it is wound, and is arrested.

Despite the appearance of Ed Wynn in the main role, this story never really kicks into gear. Even the third act scenes where Sam is talking to his spirit, announcing the clock has stopped and it is time to go, just don’t give this episode a defining moment, something that makes it unforgettable for a good reason. It’s OK, but nothing special.

Rating: Time through the clock just keeps talking. 3/5

Songs of My Life #66 - Soundgarden - Burden In My Hand - 1996

Songs of My Life #66 - Soundgarden - Burden In My Hand - 1996

The triumverate of Soundgarden albums in Badmotorfinger, Superunknown and Down on the Upside are at the top of the tree when it comes to what made the 1990's for me in regards to music. Each had its own characteristics, ranging from slow grunge to slow burners to high energy fist pumping screamers. I love every album and almost every song that these three albums contain.

My favourite all time Soundgarden song is this one, which until recent times looked as though it would be their last when the band split after this album. Listen to Chris' vocals, feel the anguish and torment, and just embrace the magnificence of the band as a whole. Their versatility and range in songwriting is what made Soundgarden so brilliant.

On the day that Chris Cornell has left us forever, this is the song I will always remember him for. Thank you Chris for being a part of our lives through your music. Rest in peace.

"Follow me into the desert
As thirsty as you are
Crack a smile and cut your mouth
And drown in alcohol
'Cause down below the truth is lying
Beneath the riverbed
So quench yourself and drink the water
That flows below her head

Oh no there she goes
Out in the sunshine the sun is mine

I shot my love today would you cry for me
I lost my head again would you lie for me
I left her in the sand just a burden in my hand
I lost my head again would you cry for me

Close your eyes and bow your head
I need a little sympathy
'Cause fear is strong and love's for everyone
Who isn't me
So kill your health and kill yourself
And kill everything you love
And if you live you can fall to pieces
And suffer with my ghost

Just a burden in my hand
Just an anchor on my heart
Just a tumor in my head
And I'm in the dark

So follow me into the desert
As desperate as you are
Where the moon is glued to a picture of heaven
And all the little pigs have God"

Vale: Chris Cornell

Follow me into the desert
As thirsty as you are
Crack a smile and cut your mouth
And drown in alcohol
'Cause down below the truth is lying
Beneath the riverbed
So quench yourself and drink the water
That flows below her head

Oh no there she goes
Out in the sunshine the sun is mine

I shot my love today would you cry for me
I lost my head again would you lie for me
I left her in the sand just a burden in my hand
I lost my head again would you cry for me

Close your eyes and bow your head
I need a little sympathy
'Cause fear is strong and love's for everyone
Who isn't me
So kill your health and kill yourself
And kill everything you love
And if you live you can fall to pieces
And suffer with my ghost
Just a burden in my hand
Just an anchor on my heart
Just a tumor in my head
And I'm in the dark

So follow me into the desert
As desperate as you are
Where the moon is glued to a picture of heaven
And all the little pigs have God

"Burden in My Hand" by Soundgarden. Written by Chris Cornell.

Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management US, LLC

Do you remember where you were when you first heard Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger album? I do. It was the day it was released, my 22nd birthday. A mate had bought it and insisted we listen to it. I will never forget the first time I heard the introduction to "Rusty Cage" and the scream of "Jesus Christ Pose". Holy crap, here was Seattle and it was bloody heavy as f@&k! Lighting up the senses!

From there came Superunknown and then Down on the Upside, which has my favourite Soundgarden song of all time, "Burden in My Hand" where Chris' vocals soar. And then into Audioslave, which was another assault. 

Chris Cornell's passing is a tragedy at the ridiculous age of 52. He had achieved so much but had so much time to do more. I'll never forget my 22nd birthday because of him, and now May 18 will always pass with the strains of "Burden in My Hand" being played in his memory.
Thanks for everything Chris. Rest in peace.

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E11: A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E11: A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain

Are there such people in life? In the world? I know there probably is, because most writing is based on a knowledge of such characteristics. Those of the elderly man who marries a much younger woman for actual love and perhaps to revisit their youth, and the much younger woman who marries an older man for prosperity and not for the right reasons.

Nonetheless, can we subscribe to the story as it is, as well as the scientist brother who happens to be developing a youth serum, and despite his misgivings injects his brother with it? Then we are expected to believe that the wife, who has been shown throughout to be petty and obtuse, suddenly and magnificently in awe at the new youthful husband who appears? And all the way through to the end, when the youth serum comes into full force, reducing our main part to a baby, at which point our lady friend (such as in previous episodes) is left with a conundrum – leave penniless, or stay and be a slave to the protagonist.

It’s fair to say at this point that I don’t find a lot enthralling about this episode. Even if the basis of the story was likeable I’m sure I could find a way to enjoy it. But as a three person, one room play, it didn’t engage me at all. All I was left with was a disappointing lack of emotion one way or the other.

Rating: Do you want to live your life over twice? 2/5

981. Megadeth / Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? 1986. 5/5

My introduction to Megadeth’s sophomore album was inevitably through the magic of music video, and their appearance on music shows such as Rage on ABCTV late on Friday and Saturday nights. Both videos for “Peace Sells” and “Wake Up Dead” were excellent, and the songs even better. My problem living in Australia in 1986 was that it was almost impossible to find this album. It wasn’t until I finally discovered Utopia Records in Sydney that this became easier. As it was, it was a miracle when I finally found this on vinyl in a rack at Wilson’s Records in Wollongong in early 1988, and I finally was able to experience the album of PS…BWB rather than just the two songs I knew so well by that time.

Is there a finer opening song to an album than “Wake Up Dead”? It would be far too difficult to nail down an exact answer to that, but I have always felt that while there would be many songs that could be rated as an equal, certainly none is better than this. The needle would hit the vinyl, and then BANG, we are straight into the album, with Dave explaining to us about his sneak entry into his own house that evening. The difference between the opening thirty seconds of this song and everything that appeared on their debut opus is startling. That album was raw thrash just thrown out there, a wall of noise coming at you at a rush of speed. “Wake Up Dead” is heavy – fucking heavy – but refined in a way those early songs were not. The band is tight, the music is hammered together and the production is a hundred times better without stripping back any of the anger and fury that is pouring out of the speakers. This is a classic, and Dave being able to come up with songs about particular relationships was something that he can still draw on. “The Conjuring” is the follow up, and continues in a similar vein. However, though it is fast and heavy it doesn’t come across as frantic as the band’s earlier material. It is full of great riffs and fast and heavy material, but it is not in a frenzy. It is a real triumph as to how quickly the band matured in writing and playing, and about how better production can tighten songs that are pliable due to their strength.
“Peace Sells” is a classic in its simplicity, beautifully held together by Dave Ellefson’s wonderful bass line rumbling along underneath the simple by effective drum and guitar riff, while Mustaine stands on his soap box and pontificates on his vision of the world as he sees it. It also comes with the perfect lines for crowds to cry back at the band during concerts, an easy form of hero worship through the lyrics. The music video exacerbated this through its clever depiction of world events, and it spoke to the teenage generation at their hearts. Combine politics and anger in a song. It’s a winner. This then crashes straight into “Devil’s Island”, with Ellefson again flying along on bass guitar throughout while Mustaine and Chris Poland have a ball in their selected category. It’s amazing how fast a five minute song can go when it goes at this pace. Great stuff.
The opening to the second side of the album is “Good Mourning / Black Friday”. Good Mourning is just that, a slower mournful opening with Dave’s spoken feelings, before we suddenly fall downhill into Good Friday, which holds the torch for speed metal high and proud on this album. This flays along at what Dark Helmet in Spaceballs would call Ludicrous Speed. It is almost impossible for the listener to keep up with the song, and I can’t imagine how on earth Mustaine and Poland managed to pick their guitar strings at this speed. This is just awesomely fantastic, and even though it will rick your neck completely you can’t help but thrash along in time. Brilliant stuff. “Bad Omen” starts off in a similar vein to Good Mourning, but maintains a more attainable speed once the song starts, before careering over the edge as well in the final third of the song.
If there is an issue to be had, then it is with “I Ain’t Superstitious”, a cover version of the song originally recorded by blues artist Howlin’ Wolf. This version is (of course) a lot different from the original, but it is still noticeable that it doesn’t completely fit the vibe of the rest of this album. It is listenable, yes. And it must be said, even perfect albums can have a slight flaw in them (yes I know that is basically a contradiction, but I don’t care). Everything is forgiven by the closing track “My Last Words” which again starts with a slower riff before bursting into the heart of the song at speed, and Mustaine taking the bull by the horns and letting it charge. This is a terrific closing track, leaving you just as high and blazing as you are by the opening of the album. Just scintillating.

Apart from any reservations raised by “I Ain’t Superstitious”, it is practically impossible to find any weaknesses in this album. While Gar Samuelson’s drumming is sometimes criticised, his work here is solid and builds the basis for the other three musicians to weave their spell. Dave Ellefson is tremendous, and his bass guides throughout are a major component of what makes these songs so heavy in the bottom end. Chris Poland and Mustaine himself once again show a wonderful combination in their guitaring, and it is a disappointment that Poland was dismissed following this album (along with Samuelson) for excessive drug use as their partnership is just fantastic here. On top of all of this, Mustaine’s vocals continued to suit his songs, and with a deepening political and social bent in his lyrics the album ticks all of the boxes. Even as a stepping stone to further great albums to come, this still holds its own and stands the test of time some 30 years on.

Rating: “I want to watch the news….. this IS the news!”  5/5

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E10: The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E10: The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms

Being that the Twilight Zone is a fifth dimension, there are no doubt time holes all around, just ready for unsuspecting people to fall through and find themselves in a different time. Such is the storyline here, with fluid movement between both the present and the past.

The idea works well. Three soldiers participating in a war game on the site of Custer’s Last Stand, on the anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn, suddenly find they can hear the sound of horses and Indian war cries. Though they can’t see anything, what they are hearing provokes a belief that there is some time distillation going on. Obviously on reporting it they are reprimanded. But when they head back the following day, they find more than they bargained for, and eventually the three of them rush of into battle.

It’s a nice touch at the end of the episode when their commanding officer finds all three names on the Custer Memorial board for having died in that battle 88 years before. His final comment of ‘it’s a pity they couldn’t take their tank with them’ makes for a chuckle at the conclusion.

Rating: Probably not the battle to choose to fight. 3.5/5

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E09: Probe 7, Over and Out

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E09: Probe 7, Over and Out

Another of Serling’s twist episodes, where rather than this being a journey into the Twilight Zone it is a story told with the reveal at the end that puts a brand new idea on an old story.

The first half of the episode deals with the stranded space traveller, crashed on an outer planet and his craft smashed beyond repair. Back home, war is about to break out, with the likelihood of complete annihilation very high. As a result, Adam Cook is instructed to explore his new world and make the most of it that he can. Believing he is alone, he is stunned to find another person there, who appears to come from another planet as they look similar but have different languages.

The outcome is the pleasing twist. Adam Cook meets Norda Eve. She gives the planet they have been stranded on the name of Earth. And they go off hand in hand to search for fruits called apples and a garden perhaps called Eden. Nicely played Rod Serling.

Rating: In a gadda da vida baby. 3.5/5

All of Your Essential "Ronnie James Dio Day" Tools Are Right Here

Today marks seven years since the untimely death of one of the greats, and my favourite vocalist of all time, Ronnie James Dio. It was a sad day. And on every May 16th since I have celebrated 'Ronnie James Dio Day', where I play his material all day as a tribute to his work.

So that you too can join in and enjoy the day, I've taken the hard work out for you, and put a selection of his greatest songs in one place for you all to savour.

Love Is All


Man on the Silver Mountain


Sixteenth Century Greensleeves


Tarot Woman


Stargazer


Still I'm Sad


Long Live Rock and Roll


Gates of Babylon


Kill the King


Rainbow Eyes


Neon Knights


Children of the Sea


Heaven and Hell


Wishing Well


Die Young


Turn Up the Night


Sign of the Southern Cross


The Mob Rules


Falling Off the Edge of the World


Stand Up and Shout


Holy Diver


Gypsy


Caught in the Middle


Don't Talk to Strangers


Invisible


Rainbow in the Dark


We Rock


The Last in Line


Breathless


I Speed at Night


One Night in the City


Evil Eyes


Mystery


Eat Your Heart Out


Stars


King of Rock 'n Roll


Sacred Heart


Rock 'n' Roll Children


Hungry For Heaven


Just Another Day


Night People


Dream Evil


Sunset Superman


All the Fools Sailed Away


Faces in the Window


Born on the Sun


My Eyes


Computer God


Time Machine


I


Buried Alive


Firehead


Evilution


This is Your Life
Welcome to my Nightmare
Dream On
Lord of the Last Day
Fever Dreams
Feed My Head
Eriel
As Long As It's Not About Love
Losing My Insanity
Killing the Dragon
Push
One More For the Road
Master of the Moon
Tonight
The Chase
Ear in the Wall
Bible Black
Eating the Cannibals

980. The Raven Age / Darkness Will Rise. 2017. 3/5

Twelve months ago I had the pleasure of seeing Iron Maiden live in Sydney once again, and their support band on this leg was The Raven Age, a band that all I knew about was that Steve Harris' son George was one of the guitarists. They played, and it turned out that they weren't one of the worst support acts I've seen. So when they announced that their debut album was coming out I felt it prudent to seek it out and see what they had to offer.

From the very beginning, for a debut album, it is long. That's a risky thing, given you are trying to grab people's attention. You don't want to the album to feel as though it is dragging on too long or you are going to lose people. Not only that, the songs are long, the shortest being five minutes. It's the same principle surely, if you start to lose your fans interest, where do you go from there?
My problem with this album lies in the same areas as I have with other bands of a similar ilk. The vocals of lead singer Michael Burrough are of that type that sound the same in every single damn song. The range doesn't change, and they just seem to hammer across the melody of the guitars. That's not to say they are poor vocals, but I feel like I'm listening to the same song all the time because that's just how the singing sounds - different lyrics but the same pattern all the time. If it is done well enough this becomes less noticeable, and this is also true of the more you listen to and get used to an album. But you have to be able to work past that if you are going to get the most out of this album, and that's not an easy thing.
There is also a very formulaic feel about the song writing. Despite the twin guitars in the band, there is very little break out soloing that takes centre stage of the song. The solos are there, but they just don't stand out from the rest of the song. The musicianship is fine, like clockwork really, but it is just the fact that it doesn't break away from the metronome type of feeling that there is some issue in finding something to grab onto, something that makes this album click.
All of this probably makes it sound like I don't like the album, and that's not completely true. What I did find was that I liked SECTIONS of songs without necessarily enjoying all of the song. Half the time that is solved with time and repeated playings, as the songs become more familiar, and to a certain extent that has happened here. The opening salvo of "Promised Land", "Age of the Raven", "The Death March" and "Salem's Fate"all grew on me over time, even if they have never become good friends. Their characteristics are similar and if not ignored would become a burden, but time has improved their edges.
"The Merciful One" breaks out of the sludgy mold that many of the songs have been cast from, and driven by the excellent rhythm drum and bass of Jai Patel and Matt Cox this became one of my immediate favourites on the album - at least until the middle of the song, where inexplicably it goes quiet leading into a mournful section again. OK, so by this time I have to accept that this is the band's style and genre, and that I'm not going to hear what I might consider would be that ultimate break out moment. "Eye Among the Blind" also comes from their debut EP, and it is noticeable that there is some difference in the song writing between the releases, except for where we again seem to stop mid-song once again, go into quiet vocal mode, before bursting back to complete the song in mourning again. Really? It's the same format, one song after the other.
"Winds of Change" and "Trapped Within the Shadows" for me are the best on the album, showcasing the best of the undertow of the band and also allowing Harris and Dan Wright the room to show their skills on guitar. "My Revenge", "The Dying Embers of Life", "Angel in Disgrace" and "Behind the Mask" are all off that same conveyor belt of the start of the album, and without trying to repeat myself, will be songs you either learn to like or will dispose of forever.

As a summary, I can only convey that I enjoy the album. It goes in a different direction song-wise than I would have imagined, and both the length of the songs and the length of the album is probably too long. A tightening somewhere along the way would probably have improved its impact. Still, as an opening effort it is a good listen once you have sanded those dull edges.

Rating:  "Destroy all you've ever known and hide the lies of your purity".  3/5

Stephen King Book #10: Roadwork (published as Richard Bachman). 3/5

Book #10. Roadwork.
First published March, 1981.

What is most interesting about this process I have embarked upon - the reading of all of Stephen King's writings in chronological order of being published - is the difference in styles at different times. Obviously this will occur most when books have been written at far different times than one after the other. This story is certainly not a horror story, it is a dramatic story of a man whose world is collapsing around him and he is incapable or unable to stop from sabotaging his own life.

King has mentioned in dispatches that it was written in the year after his mother was taken by cancer, and a fair amount of melancholy appears to have gone into the writing. Certainly the protagonist Dawes has a fair bit going on that he cannot fathom. His son has recently passed on due to cancer, and a new highway extension is not only claiming requiring that his workplace find new premises as it will be demolished, so is his house where his strongest ties to his dead son prevail. It all becomes too much for him to deal with. What results from this is his complete inaction to do anything in regards to his workplace where he is supposed to be finding a new location for the business to be moved to, or in accepting that he must also find a new place to live. And so, despite what he has been saying to those around him, he creates a massive problem at work and in his home life once his duplicity (or inactivity) has been discovered. To exacerbate this, he then quits his job rather than accept his mistakes, and his wife is brought to the brink and decides to separate.

I have always had some trouble coming to terms with the breakdown of the relationship between husband and wife here - much as I did in similar circumstances with the future Bachman novel Thinner, but more on that later - and that troubled me more than it probably should have, especially in later readings. But it remains there, not only with the lunacy of Dawes pursuing this as far as he does, but for allowing that to break down his relationship. In the long run, I guess that is what mental imbalance and fatigue will do, isn't it? This is as much about obsession and mental breakdown as it is about the futility of fighting against the powers-that-be, no matter how deluded or crazy the cause may be. The subsequent meeting up and tryst with Olivia then takes on all sorts of other discussion. Perhaps it is just my own paternal feelings taking hold, but this whole section of the plot does hold me back.

Perhaps it is just that I cannot relate with such mental anguish as to not only allow the above to occur, but to then go as far as to purchase explosives illegally and then blow your house and yourself up. And though I am fully aware that this is escapism, a fictional novel that is just a tale that you read for fun and enjoyment. Roadwork has less of that than most of King's work. I am not as invested in the characters as I would normally be, and even the characterisation doesn't excite me as they normally do. King does bring across to the reader the anguish of everyone involved - Dawes, his wife Mary, his employer - but whether it is just me or not, I find this less accessible over time.

My copy of this is a part of the omnibus edition of The Bachman Books, and over the years when I picked it up to read I would faithfully read all four novels without question. Previous to this time however, it had been about twenty years since I had last read Roadwork from cover to cover. It just doesn't hold any joy or substance for me as an ageing adult. If I'm going to re-read a novel obviously it has to be a loved one. It doesn't necessarily have to have that happy ending everyone is looking for, but it has to have a story that can hold the interest without questioning the make up of the story itself. Roadwork is a good novel about how mental anguish can dominate a person's decision making, and how it can affect the people around them, and in the extreme case to go through the process that Dawes eventually concludes with. It's well written and explores all of these things. It's just that in the long run it's not an ENJOYABLE book to read often.

Rating:  A miserable end to a miserable three years.  3/5

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E08: Uncle Simon

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E08: Uncle Simon

Episodes like this frustrate me enormously. I know they are supposed to, because no matter how real the circumstances are that can make this fantasy actually occur, you can’t help but think that there are certain actions that should be taken by the characters within the play to alleviate their situation.

Point in fact – Barbara Polk obviously feels compelled to continue to be bullied by her boorish uncle simply to ensure that she gains the inheritance from him as his only heir. This doubles again when he does die (thanks to her own influence) but she now suddenly is forced to provide the same care for a robot he invented to remain in her position. A robot, of course, that mirrors the same personality and traits as her dead uncle. And if she doesn’t look after it, she will lose the inheritance. But can’t she see now that the robot will likely outlive her? JUST GET OUT YOU DINGBAT!!!

Again, the episode is fine to watch, but overtly frustrating in that, surely, you just wouldn’t be there. But I guess if you have nowhere else to go…

Rating: Turn the bloody thing off. 3.5/5