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Neil Hannon recommended Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis in Music (curated)

 
Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis
Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis
1960 | Rock
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Somebody gave it to me in the late nineties, just on a blank cassette and then yep, I was completely dubious, because when people mention Miles Davis or jazz in general, I would just think of those crazy funk-jazz things they did in the seventies, and I didn't know he was capable of this incredible orchestral soundscape. It helps that he's reading from an already fantastic piece of music but what he did to it was astonishing again, so I love it. It's just the most evocative record. Recently I had the pleasure of a train journey from Bilbao to Madrid and I put that on my headphones and it was like, "oh yeah, everything is cool". Actually, it didn't [unveil new layers to the record], as I think it was really cool to experience it on the train going through Spain and yet I always think that music is so powerful that the images that you have in your head if you're listening to it in your bedroom are as powerful, if not more so, than if you were in some incredible vista. After that I went back and bought the early Blue Note records, which are generally brilliant. I'm not a real jazz aficionado and if I've put on an old jazz record, it's mostly about mood, because I can't really understand what's going on. Whereas with Sketches Of Spain, it seems more orchestral, where I can understand what's going on better."

Source
  
RIVETING READ
For a debut novel ... this is a real page turner!
Pritchard has done an excellent job with the characters; great lead character with lots of layers to him and the "villain" of the story is expertly crafted and not revealed until the final moments!!
Will keep you on your toes with the pace and plot which flows so well and the description of Spain is flawless.
I have never personally been but after reading this I feel like I was there as the writing was so descriptive it just made you feel as if you were watching it happening before you.
I look forward to reading the ones after this and will be following!
  
40x40

Deborah (162 KP) rated The Last Queen in Books

Dec 21, 2018  
TL
The Last Queen
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The start was a bit shaky - a few Americanisms thrown in there (Why 'visit with'??! It's a daft, redundant sort of expression!) but when I got in to it I found it to be a really rather compelling novel! This is the story of Juana 'The Mad', Quuen of Castile, daughter of Ferdinand & Isabella, the catholic kings. Gortner has an interesting take on Juana's 'madness' which he develops in the novel.

It's not altogether a comfortable read though! so many times I felt myself to be frustrated for Juana and the situation she found herself in - manipulated by others.

An interesting and thought-provoking read about a queen perhaps not much known outside of Spain.
  
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