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Darren Fisher (2474 KP) rated Histoire de Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg in Music

Dec 19, 2020 (Updated Jan 15, 2021)

Ah! Melody

Clocking in at under 30mins and 7 tracks this concept album from Gainsbourg is, for me at least, his best and most consistent album. Regulars Jane Birkin (on vocals) and Jean-Claude Vannier (providing the usual high standard of arrangements and orchestra direction) join in on the proceedings. The concept is nothing new to fans of Gainsbourg, as he accidentally knocks a young girl off her bicycle whilst out driving in his Rolls, and then seduces her (as you do).
The tracks are a blend of blissed out rock with lush orchestration and Serge providing the 'spoken word' approach with his lyrics. With the album being so short you really don't have time to get bored. First time listeners may find that a lot of it sounds familiar. It will. Numerous artists have sampled this album over the years and it is considered a precursor/influence to the shortlived Trip Hop movement in the early 90's.
After the albums release Serge put out a concept video (also starring Birkin dancing around alot) giving the album a visual aspect. It's certainly worth seeking out if you like the album.

Album highlights:
Ballade de Melody Nelson
Ah! Melody
Cargo culte

Kudos

ClareR (6225 KP) rated Platform Seven in Books

Sep 1, 2019 (Updated Sep 2, 2019)

Platform Seven

Louise Doughty | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery

6.0

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

A beautiful, sad story.

If I could give more than 10/10 for Platform Seven, I would. The main character, and I’m giving nothing away here, is a ghost. She doesn’t know her name or why she’s there, but she knows that she’s dead, and she knows that she can’t leave the confines of Peterborough train station. However, two things trigger the return of her memories: a suicide on Platform Seven, and the appearance of a (living) young man in the station. We then learn her name, and the sequence of events that resulted in her death and afterlife at Peterborough train station.

This was a beautifully told story, and I’ll warn you now that you’ll need to read it with tissues at hand. I cried, and I cried quite a lot! This isn’t an action packed thriller. It’s thoughtful, emotional, and at times it’s frustrating. It’s easy to read a story and say to yourself that you won’t make the same mistakes as the lead character, that that character should have made different choices, but this book explains so well a manipulative, emotionally abusive relationship.

I would recommend this story - it really is well worth reading.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this outstanding book.

Kudos

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5) in Books

Sep 5, 2019 (Updated Mar 27, 2021)

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5)

Cassandra Clare | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry, Paranormal, Young Adult (YA)

8.2

(27 Ratings)

Book Rating

43 of 250
Book
City of Lost Souls ( Shadowhunter book 5)
By Cassandra Clare

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

Discover more secrets about the Shadowhunters as they fight to protect the world from demons in the fifth book in the internationally bestselling series. What price is too high to pay, even for love? Clary is willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? This edition contains a map and a new foreword by Cassandra Clare. Read all the sensational books in The Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, The Bane Chronicles, The Dark Artifices, The Last Hours and The Shadowhunter’s Codex.

So I’ve almost totally given up on these books Clary and Jace drive me mental!
This one was the only one I actually enjoyed the reason being it brought the other characters forward instead of focusing on this toxic childish relationship.
I will stick to the end as I’m not for giving up on a series especially 5 books in. The reason for the 3 stars instead of 2 was because the book did bring the other characters forward!