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Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow by Funkadelic
Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow by Funkadelic
1970 | Psychedelic, Rhythm And Blues, Rock
6.4 (5 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This was the first record I took acid to with Richard [Ashcroft]. My dad bought it for 20p in a junk shop. It was the same shop where I used to get all my pedals from. Twenty quid for a flanger and that was what the first Verve record was based on – that flanger. Funkadelic – it didn't even have the proper cover on it, it was just in a tattered white sleeve. I can remember listening to it not under the influence and thinking, ""This is a bit strange!"" Then my folks were away for a week and Richard came and stopped with me for a bit and we did acid. It was my first time, but I think he'd done it a couple of times. We were walking about the field at the back of my house for a bit, but then we went back and inevitably starting ploughing through all the records. Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix, stuff like that. But that Funkadelic record was the one really – we put that up against our first demo and it made our demo sound like toy music. We had a moment of revelation. Not as painful as later on, but just that we were heading in the wrong direction. That's the acid cringe – that portentous, pontificating moment. Because suddenly it was like, ""Oh fucking hell, that really makes sense now"". Those first three Funkadelic albums for me define what a guitar band should sound like. They're just incredible. Eddie Hazel, he sits in the place for me where Ron Asheton does for most people. I love the Stooges but Eddie Hazel crystallised… I don't know if it's as simple as saying psychedelic guitar. He was cramming lots of ideas in. The violence of it to me is what's really appealing. It's the destructive force behind it, but maintaining a beauty about. With Ron Asheton it's all about annihilation, and I like that as well and I do indulge in that. But with Eddie there's texture and space and atmosphere. There's a big fire burning in the middle of it and it is such powerful music. That's what started my love affair with tape echo. I think I had a tape echo at that point, but I wasn't really using it that much. In fact I don't think there's that much on record that caught me using it, which is a shame. But live we were a bit more ferocious than we were presented on record and this is where that came from. I was also into EVOL by Sonic Youth at the time. That's one of my favourite records."

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Nightblade's Vengeance
Nightblade's Vengeance
Ryan Kirk | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
*** I received a free advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***


This summer I read the first Nightblade trilogy: I loved the first one (the world-building, the three different stories running in parallel and occasionally crossing over), enjoyed the second one (character development was the focus plus setting up the conflict in the conclusion) and tolerated the final book (largely a repeat of the same plot as the first two plus a number of loose ends left un-tied).


Given how I fell out of love with the series as it went on, I was a little tentative about reading this, the first in a new trilogy following on from the events of the first. I have to say it was very poor.


Pretty much nothing happens throughout the book, the sole focus is on political manoeuvring and the nightblades have become a shadow of what they were to be at the end of the first series.


The king is dying and has no heir, so one of three lords looks likely to be chosen to take the throne (or decide to take it). There is some unrest within the populace of the Kingdom towards nightblades (ninja-like warriors with a spidey-sense warning them of danger and allowing them to sense each other) - rumours are spreading that nightblades are demanding unreasonable payment for protection and are harming those they are supposed to be serving. And a particularly weak nightblade, the daughter of a dayblade (whose powers are used to heal rather than in combat) killed in service, by a mysterious warrior who subsequently vanished, is looking for vengeance (hence the title).


And that is pretty much it. The plot is very basic, the narrative takes an absolute age to cover what few events are happening and the vocabulary is pretty limited (I think at one point within three paragraphs about 6 things were said to have happened "in a moment" or "for a moment").


Twice in the book the phrase "to cut a long, boring story short" was used and I can't help but think Kirk was referring to what he himself should do.


I wasn't sure after ending the nightblade trilogy whether I would return to the world of the nightblades. Now I am certain I won't.
  
What You Want To See (Roxane Weary #2)
What You Want To See (Roxane Weary #2)
Kristen Lepionka | 2018 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Roxane Weary mystery series is straight-up great!
Roxane Weary is hired by Arthur Ungless, owner of a print shop, to track his fiance, Marin, whom he believes is cheating on him. But her case devolves quickly, between a bounced check and Tom (Roxane's dad's former partner) and a rude cop named Sanko showing up on Roxane's doorstep with the news that Marin is dead. Not only that, they make it pretty clear that they want Roxane to stay out of it. But this is "pathologically nosy" Roxane we are talking about. Stay out of it she cannot. So Roxane continues to work Arthur's case--as the husband, he's the main suspect after all. Roxane is determined he's innocent: a perspective not shared by Tom and Sanko. As she digs deeper into Marin's life, she discovers that she led quite the double life, and Roxane finds herself lost in a world of antiques dealing, wealthy families, and a lot of danger.

I loved this book. I love the first person aspect. The Roxane Weary series is straight-up great mystery writing. No unreliable narrator, no chapters that alternate POV or time periods, no gimmicks--just an excellent protagonist and a strong plot. It makes you long for mysteries of old (think Kinsey Millhone). The ways I love Roxane cannot truly be enumerated--she's a female lead in a mystery series, for one. She's smart, witty, and sarcastic. She's bisexual, but this characteristic is just who she is, not her main defining element or the entire defining point of the novel. As a bisexual female, I cannot stress how amazing this is in literature. To have bisexual representation (and have that representation be intelligent, funny, and not portrayed as evil and deviant), well, it's wonderful. She has relationships of all kinds and works on figuring out herself, just like any other person. Gasp! Imagine that. I couldn't love Roxane more (or Kristen Lepionka for creating this character). Also, Roxane calls waffles "golden beauty" and well, what more do you need in your PI? She's the Leslie Knope of private investigators.

I was worried that the second Roxane Weary novel wouldn't stand up to the first, but I was anxious for no reason. The second book is just as wonderful and intricately crafted as the first, and we get to see Roxane both struggling and growing professionally and personally. The case is a great one--it had me frantically reading and totally shocked me at the end, which I love. So rarely can a detective novel keep me guessing to the anymore. Marin Strasser is quite the character, and her web of lies pulls in a whole host of supporting characters.

We also see Roxane navigating new territory with Tom, her former lover (and, as mentioned, her dad's ex-partner), and get appearances again from the appealing Weary brothers and Roxane's mom. Roxane is still working on her relationships--not just romantic ones, but life ones, and you'll be touched as she figures out trying to be a "surrogate aunt" to Shelby, who appeared in book one. Watching her let her guard down at times is enjoyable.

The case is still mainly the star, though, and it won't disappoint. It's complicated and intriguing and everything comes together in ways that will make you gasp and keep you riveted. I was definitely shocked several times while reading. Not to mention I love it when an author can write a character that I truly hate--you know they've done a good job when you can feel that anger viscerally through the pages!

Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this book. Maybe that it's over, and I have to wait now for a (hopeful!!) book three? I love Roxane. I feel kinship toward her for sure, this sarcastic, bisexual PI whose still navigating the world around her. The mystery in this book won't disappoint, nor will the characters. If you haven't read the first Roxane Weary novel, I do recommend reading it first (mostly because it's also so good), but this will stand on its own. Highly recommend!!

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review. More at http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/.
  
OMG!!! Colin and friends are back once again to entertain and captivate and I must say that though I loved the first book in this series I Loved, loved, loved this one. Full of werewolves, vampires, witches and an adorable; well, I think it's adorable, fire imp. This author immediately pulls you in and entangles you in the story line with his witty reportoire and characters that you'll quickly fall in love with. This is a book you'll want to read over and over again!!
 
A MUST read!!

(I requested a copy for review purposes and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed herein are unbiased and my ow.)
  
Oxenfree
Oxenfree
2016 | Action/Adventure, Horror
Amazing characters (2 more)
Nice story progression
The art and sound design were beautiful
The game sometimes had minor bugs (1 more)
Not very replayable
OxenFree
I want to start this by saying that I love OxenFree, I experienced it the first time over a year ago and again recently and that’s what it was an experience. The characters are well written and the story flows seemlesly and my only qualms with the game come with the replay, after the second time you play it through nothing but your choices are different and the game starts to drag but this is very minor and has no impact on the enjoyment unless you are hunting for all the endings and/or achievements
  
SI
Staring Into the Sun
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Staring Into the Sun is a collection of poems that focus on love. Some of them were really sweet and cute, but others were hard to figure out. It's written so that the first line is one speaker, and the second line is the second speaker, but you're not really sure which is which until about the middle of the poem. At one point, it got confusing, and I wasn't sure if the person in the poem was straight or gay, and it threw me. I liked the poems, though. They felt like casual dialogue sometimes, and other times more intense confession. Staring Into the Sun is a light fast read (there's only about 40 pages).
  
Okay, I love Molly Harper, but this book had some inconsistencies for me. A couple of times in the book Maggie tells Nick that Vampires don't exist to her knowledge. However in the first Naked Werewolf book Mo references Jane from the Vampire novels meaning that these books take place in the same world and around the same time as the Vampire books, which means that Vampires had already been outed and (somewhat) accepted worldwide. Even if Maggie was completely sheltered from all outside media and news sources there is absolutely NO WAY that Nick, being from the Lower 48 AND a Mythological creature buff, would have not known about their existence.
  
40x40

Heathski (173 KP) rated Paladins Strike in Apps

Feb 12, 2019  
Paladins Strike
Paladins Strike
Games
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
App Rating
Paladins (1 more)
Customizable
Aiming is difficult (1 more)
Touch screen controls feel clunky
Good but just as frustrating as the original
I love/hate paladins. I find it hugely frustrating or very satisfying depending which way the games go. Paladins Strike, on android? Cool! First few games were good then it all started going downhill. It might be me but I found it hard to control. I've played other games with the same set up, but this just doesn't work that well. Skill choices that you buy with credits, pop up on the screen while you are playing. Thats distracting. It could be quite fun but the lack of control makes it a dud for me.
  
In the Garden of Iden (The Company, #1)
In the Garden of Iden (The Company, #1)
Kage Baker | 2005
4
5.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I cry mercy. Love the concept, and the first third or thereabouts was good, but everything after: the barely there plot, the romance, manor life in the English country, pretty much everything, was all dull, dull, dull. I was disappointed in the lack of sci-fi and the history that was only spoken about and never lived through, so it didn't deliver on either account. Sure, the author can string a sentence together, there were a couple of amusing lines, and the Elizabethan English seemed well-done (although I couldn't be further from an expert), but I have a feeling the other books in the series are better. However, if the next one doesn't spark my interest, I'm done.