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Automatic Writing by Robert Ashley
Automatic Writing by Robert Ashley
1996 | Classical, Pop
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Robert Ashley is famous for having made these so-called operas, a lot of them were for TV. He works with the voice in these really great ways. I love this record because you don't know exactly what's going on: there's a lot of mystery. You have to piece together what's going on within the minutiae of the musical environment. Or you don't and you just listen and enjoy it. The sounds are very beautiful. Ther's a distant organ in the background just playing this one chord and you can also hear a bass. You can hear this woman whispering in French but you can barely hear her. Then this male singer appears but there's some crazy modulation on his voice. So all these crazy elements combine to create this crazy environment that you want to listen to for maybe ten minutes, because it's not like a song but it's got the elements of a song: you've got a bassline, you've got these instruments playing harmonies and you have voices. But you can't tell what's going on. It has an atmosphere. The album is called Automatic Writing but the track I'm talking about here, specifically, is called 'Automatic Writing'. It's important for me because it reinforced this idea that you could put beauty into music without necessarily using sweet melodies or whatever. I do have that in my music, but I also like the drama that can come from just… voices."

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Songs & More Songs By Tom Lehrer by Tom Lehrer
Songs & More Songs By Tom Lehrer by Tom Lehrer
1997 | Comedy, Pop
8.0 (4 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I love Tom Lehrer, I love a lot of writers of funny songs. I like Noël Coward, I like Flanders and Swann and Tom Lehrer is probably the best and funniest. Incredibly intelligent man and he's well aware of the idiocy of what he's doing. Each song lasts for about 1 minute 45 seconds, because it's like, "Here's the joke, go!", it's really good. I think I was about 26 or 27 when I first heard him. I think it might have been 'The Elements', when he set the list of elements to the Gilbert and Sullivan tune, 'I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General' is the original from The Pirates Of Penzance - I like Gilbert and Sullivan as well! I think I also liked the idea of one man and a piano, being a bit of an entertainer. I finally got up the nerve to do that myself, five or six years ago, and it's been jolly good fun. I was nervous about it, but knew it was a good time to do it. I had a few songs off that album (Bang Goes The Knighthood) that were suited to it. I did have to do an awful lot of practice to get up to standard on the piano, because I did grade one piano, and then gave up - I'm really completely untutored. So I have a bizarre technique, but it gets me through."

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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Murder Outside the Lines in Books

Sep 29, 2021 (Updated Sep 29, 2021)  
Murder Outside the Lines
Murder Outside the Lines
Krista Davis | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Florrie is Haunted by Murder this Halloween
Fall is in the air with Halloween fast approaching. Florrie Fox has a special author appearance planned for Color Me Read, author and psychic Hilda Rattenhorst. However, when Hilda shows up, she claims to have seen a carpet wrapped up with a foot sticking out of it in a nearby doorway. Florrie and her boyfriend, Eric, who is also a police officer, head out to check it out only to find nothing when they arrive. Then, during her talk before signing books, Hilda claims to feel a killer’s presence in the audience. As Florrie is trying to figure out if it is a publicity stunt, one incident after another begins to happen. What is going on?

Even for a Halloween themed cozy, I was a little surprised at the number of potential supernatural elements we got at the beginning of the book. As the crimes took center stage, that began to recede a bit. I did feel the plot could have used better focus. There are quite a few elements to the story, and it felt like it was wandering in the middle. But things came together for a satisfying climax. I was once again charmed by the Georgetown neighborhood where Florrie lives and works. It was great to get reacquainted with the characters and see the next chapter in their lives. This book is for you if you are looking for a charming fall cozy.
  
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Dean (6927 KP) rated Nocturnal Animals (2016) in Movies

Oct 9, 2017 (Updated Oct 9, 2017)  
Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Nocturnal Animals (2016)
2016 | Drama, Mystery
Great cast, especially the 3 lead characters (2 more)
Cool cinematography
Gripping story within a story
Abrupt ending (0 more)
Visually impressive thriller
The visual elements of the film are great, to be expected I guess from a director from the design industry. The lighting and cinematography adds a great deal to many scenes.
The main actors Adams, Gyllenhaal and Shannon give great performances. What makes this interesting is the main story from the novel from Susan's Ex husband and how this links and has parallels to their past and current situation. One that will have you thinking long after the credits roll.... Although I did find the ending a little abrupt. One of the best films of the last year.
  
Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
2010 | Action, Horror, Mystery
6
6.5 (19 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Great in 3D (1 more)
Cool creatures
I preferred this more than the last one to be honest. Although that might be because I saw it at IMAX in 3D. The 3D elements work really well and add to the sense of being in the action, seeing the guns popping right out of the screen. There is plenty of action and at last some more of the important characters from the games make an appearance. Once again this doesn't really tie into any of the game stories. The story in the film is very weak to say the least. However as a 3D roller coaster ride for the eyes, it's an entertaining action film.
  
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Book Divas (227 KP) rated A Quarrel Called (Stewards of the Plane #1) in Books

Dec 12, 2017 (Updated Dec 12, 2017)  
Once I got into the story line I couldn't put it down. This was truly an interesting and intriguing read though by the end I was left with some questions but not enough to deter my rating. I did find some of the characters somewhat lacking but there were others such as Melody and Sam that made it all worthwhile to me. I enjoyed the paranormal elements to this story and I certainly enjoyed the world building. I will definitely read the next book in the series.

 

{I received an eARC when I signed up to host the book tour and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own.}
  
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Role-Playing
One of the most interesting Final Fantasys gameplay-wise (2 more)
strengthened with a stellar cast
gorgeous art direction
Can be highly divisive due to just how different and bold some of its gameplay decisions were; when either narrative or world design falter, the game can noticeably suffer (0 more)
A bold, daring, and different chapter of a series that up-ended our expectations for what Final Fantasy should be—and all these years later, those elements are part of the reason why I still think it’s one of the best entries we’ve ever received.
Critic- Mollie L Patterson
Original Score: 9 out 10

Read Review: http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/final-fantasy-xii-the-zodiac-age-review
  
The Hunger Games (2012)
The Hunger Games (2012)
2012 | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Jennifer Lawrence (0 more)
So much like Battle Royale (0 more)
Not an original concept, but enjoyable watch
To be fair, I had never heard of the Hunger Games series before the film came out. So when I watched it my first reaction was - this is a rip off Battle Royale! Obviously that changed after the other films came out. However, I enjoyed the concept - because I loved BR. And I especially liked Jennifer Lawrence who always plays such fabulously gritty characters such as in The Winter's Bone. It's not a film you can watch repeatedly though because it is rather dark, and there are zero comedy elements in this dystopian fantasy (obviously). That being said, great acting all round.