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Gordon Gano recommended track Sweet Jane by Lou Reed in Live in Italy by Lou Reed in Music (curated)

 
Live in Italy by Lou Reed
Live in Italy by Lou Reed
1984 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

Sweet Jane by Lou Reed

(0 Ratings)

Track

"This is from Rock 'n' Roll Animal, which I don’t listen to anymore and haven’t for years. I prefer to listen to - and really enjoy - other versions of ‘Sweet Jane’ much more. This has the big dual-electric guitar thing going on, and a long intro before he comes onstage. You can hear the audience respond after it’s gone on for several minutes and gone through all this sort of classic rock sounding stuff, which I liked a little bit when I first heard it, but now it doesn’t really speak to me. I’m remembering it because he’s coming onstage and the way he starts singing. I think this was first album that I had, or got out of a library, that I was able to listen to a bunch of times. I listened to it a lot of times and I really liked the song. Shortly after that, the brother I stayed with in New York City, who took me to the Johnny Thunders show, had actually been at the concert that they recorded Lou Reed’s Rock 'n' Roll Animal. He and friends were there, they were way in the back. They did two shows, two sets, with two audiences. For the next one they didn’t have all the seats filled in the front, so my brother and his friends got invited to be up front for the second show, so one of those crowd people screaming or yelling could have been him. He was there at the show and that was a little extra or bonus I found out after the fact. Speaking of that, it’s possible that I got a lot of stuff out of a library and kept checking things out, he would give me some albums for Christmas or a birthday, so it’s possible that that one came from him as well - which sort of makes sense if he was there at that concert!"

Source
  
More Than Words
More Than Words
Jill Santopolo | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the thirteenth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!

Nina Gregory has always been a loyal daughter. After her mother's death, she was raised by her father, the owner of the Gregory Hotels, a renowned chain in New York City. She knows she will take over the family business someday. And her father has always taught her that family (and reputation) come before everything. But when Nina's father dies, she finds herself adrift. Not even her boyfriend, Tim, whom she's been raised with since childhood (his parents work with her father) can provide comfort. When Nina finds out something about her father that causes her to question everything, she finds herself turning to her boss, mayoral candidate Rafael. Nina's always been cautious and proper. But now, she's not so sure what to believe.

"Not only was she going to lose her father, she was going to lose the life she'd imagined for herself. The future she'd expected would be hers."

This was a good read about love, loss, and politics. I think parts of it might have annoyed me more, but I read it at a good time. Nina honestly came across as self-centered at moments, but she was certainly going through a lot, trying to find herself in the wake of her father's death. With her family legacy, she was under a lot of pressure. The book did a good job of capturing grief and loss. I also really liked Rafael--he was a character I could root for. The story seemed to meander a little and could be heartbreaking, but it was a book centered around death, after all.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. It's sad, but hopeful too. A good read if you go in with the right mindset. 3.5 stars.
  
Love, Hate, and Other Filters
Love, Hate, and Other Filters
Samira Ahmed | 2017 | Romance, Young Adult (YA)
9
8.3 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
A lovely teen read that delves into deep topics
This is the twelfth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!

Maya Aziz feels like she lives two lives. In one, she's the dutiful daughter to her Indian Muslim parents: attending college near home, marrying a suitable Muslim boy, and becoming a lawyer. In the other, she goes to school in New York City to become a filmmaker and falls in love with whomever she wants--maybe even Phil, the boy she's loved forever. And in Maya's real world, horrible things happen, often hate crime motivated, that can turn her world upside down.

This is such a beautiful book, and I completely fell in love with Maya and her voice. As the child of the only Indian Muslim family in her small suburban Chicago town, she's always felt different. She dreams of making films, not conforming the way her parents desire. But she also wants to please them. And she's scared, as she deals with all the terrible bigotry and Islamophobia that her family faces.

Ahmed writes so lyrically, weaving her story about Maya finding her way in the world, while still painting a stark and timely picture of racism. It's a bit of a love story, yes, but also one of discovering yourself and finding strength in yourself and the people around you. Maya and Phil's relationship is sweet, and it's so easy to root for her on all levels.

I found this to be a profound read. In many ways, it's simply about a teenager trying to stand up for herself, but it also speaks deeply about Islamophobia. It's often sad, but it's quite hopeful too. I found myself tearing up a bit while reading. Definitely worth a read. 4.5 stars.