The Reviewer

At the end of last week I sent copies of ‘Zen Words’ and ‘Umbrian Images’ through to Gerald England in Stockport. He runs a website which has heaps of information about poetry and a reviews section. I wanted him to review my first two poetry booklets – he replied today with a positive. They will be reviewed soon – I wonder what the reviewer will make of them! In the meantime, I asked him if he needed any more reviewers. His response – incredibly rapid – was in the form of three booklets for me to look at. So, it looks like I am a reviewer now. Time for some serious reading, and a few words of comment.

Meanwhile, thoughts continue to develop on the next two publications from bluewater books (site needs updating, but it is here). I’m working on the idea of producing a booklet with a mini-CD included. I’m really impressed with those little CDs that are about 3 inches across, play on ordinary CD players and hold about 20 minutes of sound files. Small enough to fit inside the back of a booklet. More news on this as the idea develops.

Musically I am still bouncing around inside the back catalogue of Joni Mitchell – scope for months of exploring there. At the weekend I bought the new album by The Divine Comedy which is back down to just Neil Hannon again. He moved to Ireland and his wife had their first baby since the last album. The album is a set of beautiful pop songs. Sounds like he has been listening to Scott Walker and maybe Frank Sinatra a lot lately. Orchestrations and production are wonderful. Favourite songs so far are ‘Absent Friends’ (title track), ‘Come Home Billy Bird’ and ‘Our Mutual Friend’. I also really like the sentiment in the last track where he sings about his ‘charmed life’ to his baby, hoping that his baby will one day ‘call your life a charmed life’ too. I know it sounds a bit coy, but within the confines of the song it works really well.

Mitchell and Nelson – alphabetical partners

Latest obsession is the music of Joni Mitchell. I’m revisiting some albums I haven’t heard for probably 20 years. And I am listening to some for the first time. As it says in the biography which I am reading (Joni Mitchell: Shadows and Light, by Karen O’Brien) she is “renaissance woman, painter and poet, one of the great formative influences on contemporary popular music”. The website dedicated to her is pretty good too.

Another website I have revisited recently for the first time in a while is Bill Nelson’s website, Permanent Flame. There’s a really good diary at this site which is worth a look. Bill Nelson has given up on the recording industry and gone out on his own to produce music himself using Lenin Records for distribution. I remember being really enthusiastic about the music of Be Bop Deluxe when Nelson was their guitarist. I’m curious to hear some of his more recent stuff. The last I heard by him was a few tracks on a compilation from Robert Fripp’s label. These were highly creative, imaginative and eclectic pieces with great tunes too!