tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34663596788174616092024-03-09T01:53:32.335-08:00Braw Books++ visit the Braw Books shop - www.lulu.com/spotlight/evilweecomics ++noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.comBlogger1453125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-24254846765064674782024-02-22T10:22:00.000-08:002024-03-09T01:47:43.789-08:00UndergRound Up of the Year, Part 2....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVsjhj1SGWG_4DIZsAdZ3cc9wlctXjTY8bW_myq2aiv99P8ow0imq3I_bg44jxt6HH0xf2MxU92WUAMTPcN4EK5F0v4_FRUM50BIFhdYj9EK-sz6parfc012AGZbPfxFmPwPNKAKdVrqqLzt1_F8uMeofYVgZxQzeCHBDC6itF-5366qej9EZSLddlklc/s600/UGrUp-DerekandClive.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVsjhj1SGWG_4DIZsAdZ3cc9wlctXjTY8bW_myq2aiv99P8ow0imq3I_bg44jxt6HH0xf2MxU92WUAMTPcN4EK5F0v4_FRUM50BIFhdYj9EK-sz6parfc012AGZbPfxFmPwPNKAKdVrqqLzt1_F8uMeofYVgZxQzeCHBDC6itF-5366qej9EZSLddlklc/s320/UGrUp-DerekandClive.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I know how you feel....</span></div><p style="text-align: justify;">With <a href="https://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2024/01/underground-up-of-year-part-1.html" target="_blank"><b>Part 1</b></a> taken care of it's now time to get on with the serious music business, one that's stopped Rob from taking a one way trip<i> 'doon the watter'</i>, the lure of the Clyde a mere 2 minutes from his work, else he suffers in total silence, itself the sound of amazing and precious existence passing by, totally taken for granted.... (Nothing heartless intended here, mind, as rest assured <b>Braw </b>will get to honouring the terrible loss of <b><a href="https://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2024/01/john-g-miller-1954-2024.html" target="_blank">John G. Miller</a></b> in a more comprehensive manner come the summer....)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9H-rT5JklCBkqwXp6sX6piptRQ06NpUG_IsZKpBI3z_5ljRVKK6N9-a0-9JtksCFU8zG5MUdhWJMkM5x7Aamfv9k08ezton085kFB36UyU16CCM3ZRIdWSYwoiQuO26v4_aXBqwHtD9XQwC1qJBrorYMyvgkc5iYVhbSWAu8PaJ3wqelY9JqpK47ufsjj/s450/UGrUp-Prism.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9H-rT5JklCBkqwXp6sX6piptRQ06NpUG_IsZKpBI3z_5ljRVKK6N9-a0-9JtksCFU8zG5MUdhWJMkM5x7Aamfv9k08ezton085kFB36UyU16CCM3ZRIdWSYwoiQuO26v4_aXBqwHtD9XQwC1qJBrorYMyvgkc5iYVhbSWAu8PaJ3wqelY9JqpK47ufsjj/s320/UGrUp-Prism.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">First up, <a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/music"><b>The Orb</b></a>'s most welcome <a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/prism"><b>Prism</b></a> arrived in Spring 2023 and like 2018's <a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/no-sounds-are-out-of-bounds"><b>NSOOB</b></a> (which is itself going through something of a resurgence Rob-side), when shorn of 2 middling middle tracks that bog it down - <b>Tiger</b> and <b>Dragon of the Ocean (Dogon Mix)</b> FYI - makes for a pleasantly compact hour of quality late-era <b>Orb</b> outings. There’s no doubt in his mind that this current iteration of the good starship, with excellent Ensign <b>Michael Rendall</b> now at the controls <i>‘making it so’</i> for Captain<b> Alex Paterson,</b> is one of Rob’s favourite and most consistent Orbular excursions – there being plenty of <i>‘take it or (mostly) leave it’</i> pairings and albums over the years – 2020’s <b><a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/abolition-of-the-royal-familia" target="_blank">Abolition of The Royal Familia</a></b> lp being an absolute highlight, the crown jewels in their trilogy thus far….</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/WBYMwsJ4B1I?si=34y-_bnVBChdFvvU" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Orb - Picking Tea Leaves and Chasing Butterflies</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">If only <b>DRAP</b>/they could bring that same forward thinking and confidence in their material to their live shows – <b>Paterson</b> has collaborated on 5(!) extra-curricular albums (<b><a href="https://paintedwordrecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-pail-of-air" target="_blank">Chocolate</a></b> <b><a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/yarns-from-the-chocolate-triangle" target="_blank">Hills</a></b> x2, <b><a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/enter-the-kettle" target="_blank">OSS</a></b> x1 , <a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/seti" target="_blank"><b>Sedibus</b></a> x2) in a flurry of ambi-entertainment in recent years, better to churn out than fade away indeed! – instead of treading retro water with endless anniversary themed tours. See farrrrr below for the (not quite so) grim details of how they faired in the UFlesh….</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwsboD0D2OokI2KM0qh5faJFaZB6rcf3CNO7mccVNRrL59pEhCpuNFKmXpnt5Q1CbIeNGE-xSRQpKUfCH1UPEVu0v7KWf6CLeKBWRDwHnsRiHRngatRhkntPG1C59biWmVfnawxQZp2vrLxJaUTcRcGmMAIlf8cq9j3hT7N9uaeNghyphenhyphenKs88uRYxSHh5XA/s450/UGrUp-YMO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwsboD0D2OokI2KM0qh5faJFaZB6rcf3CNO7mccVNRrL59pEhCpuNFKmXpnt5Q1CbIeNGE-xSRQpKUfCH1UPEVu0v7KWf6CLeKBWRDwHnsRiHRngatRhkntPG1C59biWmVfnawxQZp2vrLxJaUTcRcGmMAIlf8cq9j3hT7N9uaeNghyphenhyphenKs88uRYxSHh5XA/s320/UGrUp-YMO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The rest of <b>The Orb</b>'s other huge ever-pulsating discography continued to delight, whether it was the joy of Rob's own <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYuY8QIQ3rH2jYlw1dqBWP2NPL_iQOlNk">Cydonia: Redux</a></b> - throwing away the rule book and making the best double album possible from <b>Cydonia</b> and the <b>Orbsessions I</b> and <b>II</b> originals- or the sheer <b>Thrash</b>-tastic rising sunnyness of their unearthly <b><a href="https://www.discogs.com/release/168212-YMO-Technodon-Remixes-II" target="_blank">YMO Technodon Remixes II</a></b>....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj598VELuR0vL0pSXBqpOvgeCWRU4MfZh0C_FogjPNRDTdYd6r5Nij1P1SsUnC0OD3YUZO-HuYxyEHzDxkOJ-74228LUrO0PKVfmqFYyJSShNyHl603f-TYU9NP7WoNTzHJ3puzbNgG-y2-zsfa7jz7oaQJTYAaGpSdLT_htUL8FR3sjnssi1GAc_3W7Nu2/s450/UGrUp-Spheres.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj598VELuR0vL0pSXBqpOvgeCWRU4MfZh0C_FogjPNRDTdYd6r5Nij1P1SsUnC0OD3YUZO-HuYxyEHzDxkOJ-74228LUrO0PKVfmqFYyJSShNyHl603f-TYU9NP7WoNTzHJ3puzbNgG-y2-zsfa7jz7oaQJTYAaGpSdLT_htUL8FR3sjnssi1GAc_3W7Nu2/s320/UGrUp-Spheres.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">....to the thump-tastic mid(dling)-era <b>Dave Gilmour </b>collaboration <b>Metallic Spheres </b>(given an extra twist/track thanks to an extended <i>Japanese </i>import, and a somewhat pointless 2023 makeover to render it <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Metallic-Spheres-Colour-David-Gilmour/dp/B0C97M58CZ" target="_blank">'in colour'</a></i> which, like almost all post-94 <b>Orb</b>, is passable enough without being wholly essential)....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjr4fJFTKZRmntmV08VmEmTrv3D8w1W5PQjpFiwWyfn78Y4VnB5It7VXy-hTu7wwgFa_EJ6Mkq5-pvsuPmnaCMhOel4KupxQbX-66Mowy4FrdLH89KjHmqNVDwOy05o5IsLZ2UD7oPFZgMnGiOMHAMVHJ4oQdiCskaDMnCdpUAEKjFO8AD9kcmvROvNoFs/s648/UGrUp-Live93.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjr4fJFTKZRmntmV08VmEmTrv3D8w1W5PQjpFiwWyfn78Y4VnB5It7VXy-hTu7wwgFa_EJ6Mkq5-pvsuPmnaCMhOel4KupxQbX-66Mowy4FrdLH89KjHmqNVDwOy05o5IsLZ2UD7oPFZgMnGiOMHAMVHJ4oQdiCskaDMnCdpUAEKjFO8AD9kcmvROvNoFs/s320/UGrUp-Live93.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Again, thanks to the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/621986444582146/" target="_blank">Orb Music & Remixes</a></b> <b>Facebook</b> group, Rob's been delving deeper and deeper into the Live 93 era, an astonishing, fluid, ever-evolving, deftly ambient yet seriously banging time - woah, <b>Brixton</b>! - thanks to space cadet supreme <b>Thrash</b> manning the controls, capably setting them for the heart of the <b>Ultraworld</b>.... Yes, <b>Paterson</b> returned relatively unscathed but it seems <b><a href="https://100mountains.uk/" target="_blank">Kris</a></b> <b><a href="https://krisweston.com/" target="_blank">Weston</a></b> resides there still, lost in space....</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/NAcRIlVRRl8?si=x0tOeQSyL2DjxnLP" width="480"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Valley (Live at Trekkoner Sunset Festival, Copenhagen, 1993) </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And, gee, if Rob isn't totally mad for this live stuff, and the above hitherto unexplored version of <i>Valley</i> in particular, a strange, cavernous thing that just weaves its minimal components together so expertly and hypnotically - it's somehow achingly hollow and impossibly emotionally gargantuan at the same time (as opposed to the planet swallowing sonics of the dribbling loon of the eventual overstuffed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIDTTrnLhn8" target="_blank">studio version</a>). Sad to say the sheer audacity of how unhinged <b>The Orb</b> were live, the careening sounds and oddly nostalgic samples, often gets Rob giggling at the work photocopier, completely adrift in this this deep, private universe that is so warm, so nourishing and so (blissfully) removed from any reality....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamplDRwrHBI5YNhkA2659ZRVIqeLGn4yV2_96mcZbdOGYMtha8KMmctsM3_YmzhWaxcUVmWZo4mkqxoz2st0CjCONCPXMB_MA-1PgJxrShE3pqo6mg7J4LDcskqkeC468m8kkNgTiAtYI5Q1silRWuiCrETAsSzuojaED6kz5U-0yYfkFbMs7UbJbdyTt/s450/UGrUp-UTOH-Deluxe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamplDRwrHBI5YNhkA2659ZRVIqeLGn4yV2_96mcZbdOGYMtha8KMmctsM3_YmzhWaxcUVmWZo4mkqxoz2st0CjCONCPXMB_MA-1PgJxrShE3pqo6mg7J4LDcskqkeC468m8kkNgTiAtYI5Q1silRWuiCrETAsSzuojaED6kz5U-0yYfkFbMs7UbJbdyTt/s320/UGrUp-UTOH-Deluxe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">With all things quiet on <b>The Charlatans</b> creative front in 2023 Rob felt duly obliged - as did they if their retro <a href="https://www.brooklynvegan.com/ride-the-charlatans-reteaming-for-2024-us-tour/" target="_blank">joint tours </a>with <b>RIDE </b>are anything to go by - to rewind the clock 30 years to 1993, scouring his hard drives and record collection to concoct his own<i> 'deluxe edition' </i>of third album, 1994's <b>Up To Our Hips</b>, comprising the lp itself, various b-sides, some demos and a few choice live cuts....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxM8NQRF5OVw_9TP66t6cy_ADC1_bxY3eSofPbbYEcXaT4ChyCk18TtCLmrqHth1FZPxdIRRTNYu606sApduiHGo2RQ_sSR74_A6LJRndnGIQCrUx6uJQYgAdM8Zr3vh9Rx-xo_pYY_ziDObcP_ulAA8Ryx2XvWax-C-2buYAABtl8FYxui1Jk3nKps41/s786/UGrUp-UTOHTracks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxM8NQRF5OVw_9TP66t6cy_ADC1_bxY3eSofPbbYEcXaT4ChyCk18TtCLmrqHth1FZPxdIRRTNYu606sApduiHGo2RQ_sSR74_A6LJRndnGIQCrUx6uJQYgAdM8Zr3vh9Rx-xo_pYY_ziDObcP_ulAA8Ryx2XvWax-C-2buYAABtl8FYxui1Jk3nKps41/s320/UGrUp-UTOHTracks.jpg" width="183" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-p-XKtdJvthAXiEuGrCkCulGwCdc4yJd2tXm8Yk7XQo36mTVy5yAa3WFyDppPBO9s56A8mmm42MVqWx8iaM8EXChzaRSXTjceHPIetceAY-pERC6bazoNJUjGlwyfcDvyd5JOYwHZXXycNdpqKRgLOichE-x-uss4IDNlnP_COb8Mik1leSxXs5Anddf5/s450/UGrUp-RobCollins.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-p-XKtdJvthAXiEuGrCkCulGwCdc4yJd2tXm8Yk7XQo36mTVy5yAa3WFyDppPBO9s56A8mmm42MVqWx8iaM8EXChzaRSXTjceHPIetceAY-pERC6bazoNJUjGlwyfcDvyd5JOYwHZXXycNdpqKRgLOichE-x-uss4IDNlnP_COb8Mik1leSxXs5Anddf5/s320/UGrUp-RobCollins.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">.... revelling in what was to be their last truly <b>Hammond</b> heavy offering courtesy of late keyboard maestro <b><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-rob-collins-1331175.html" target="_blank">Rob Collins</a></b>. Cheers! (The <b>Blackpool</b> leg of <b>Day Tripper</b>, an excellent live bootleg in itself, got its own separate makeover too....) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBnsEafvTlH7rM6_YZM8m3Zc4V027Ub_lpYz1O3WYHb2el6ELl2t9IC3M5zkbiZOQYl3a0jRwEcu_Vp7IQU3CugHKTjY2vIMCETedNW9TcPA_IA-Onkzy0pdUhIGiO4nLtOyKVHOqBzuo9XOjM9D02eNgI33FaLTT_JNVQFBcmznVM_0OQim_RXgxhauY/s450/UGrUp-Floyd.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBnsEafvTlH7rM6_YZM8m3Zc4V027Ub_lpYz1O3WYHb2el6ELl2t9IC3M5zkbiZOQYl3a0jRwEcu_Vp7IQU3CugHKTjY2vIMCETedNW9TcPA_IA-Onkzy0pdUhIGiO4nLtOyKVHOqBzuo9XOjM9D02eNgI33FaLTT_JNVQFBcmznVM_0OQim_RXgxhauY/s320/UGrUp-Floyd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Encouraged by an article on <b>The Quietus</b> (<a href="https://thequietus.com/articles/01084-careful-with-that-axe-pink-floyd-reappraised" target="_blank">here >></a>) Rob decided to give the middle-age spread of <b>Pink Floyd</b>'s <i>‘Wish You Were Here’</i> a rest and instead indulge himself with some choice (overground bootleg) cuts from their early 70’s space rock peak, the period when they drifted far out en route to exploring <b>The Dark Side of the Moon</b>, taking in such concerts and venues as <b>Atomized</b> (Paris 1970, John Peel), <b>Electric Factory</b> (Philadelphia 1970), <b>New Mown Grass</b> (San Diego 1971), <b>Rainbow Theatre</b> (London 1972) and the exceptional, epic eruption of 1972's masterful <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHOza45c57w&t=2s" target="_blank">Live At Pompei</a></b>....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQco_7ZQtJNliLme2fv4VmJgkwxOT9gsE8aK2Xx5dr11FVj21P6mBOIlPDUF7wU18g6pGAXmLnvPU7lbrx87nZfPmKjZJ4ua_38oCkj-ga3_HoBwcOoey4dJTsZO5_yXohIUFEgSWGhV1UpAfnI0h4lI4jfOkxmldOHYO-AN3e_tXRZtgmWWMemC-iQDcN/s450/UGrUp-FLK.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQco_7ZQtJNliLme2fv4VmJgkwxOT9gsE8aK2Xx5dr11FVj21P6mBOIlPDUF7wU18g6pGAXmLnvPU7lbrx87nZfPmKjZJ4ua_38oCkj-ga3_HoBwcOoey4dJTsZO5_yXohIUFEgSWGhV1UpAfnI0h4lI4jfOkxmldOHYO-AN3e_tXRZtgmWWMemC-iQDcN/s320/UGrUp-FLK.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other records that bubbled up included the drifting country tumbleweed of <b>William Tyler</b>’s finger pickin' good<b> Impossible Truth</b> and <b>Modern Country</b> albums, the affecting sonic squall of <b>Canyon</b>’s <b>Live in NYC</b>, the primitive riff 'n' rumble of <b>Earth</b>’s <b>A Bureaucratic Desire for Extra-Capsular Extraction</b>, the pre-and-post-millennial rebel yells of <b>Primal Scream</b>’s <b>XTRMNTR</b> and <b>More Light</b>, the woozy Americana of <b>Brightblack</b>'s lush<b> Ala Cali Tucky</b>, the proto-<b>Charlatans</b> <b>Hammond</b> swirl of <b>The Prisoner</b>’s spiky and charged take on rock 'n' soul on <b>The Last Fourfathers</b>, the cult-born assembly cut of <b>Mansun</b>’s hefty <b>Kleptomania</b> collection and the folking fantastic chill out oddity of the <b>FLK</b>’s cheeky and cannily curated<b> We Know Where The Time Goes</b>....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-HO-nncSLCV9mCw4DnJZmIzed8uCrjmnLxAPrwPzG7snOfB7ylSduEIbJXMuNUgB0EE5nXodr_pTC-MTnZkitnwSWYJ0y5f916CPC1h4OAwwr-TCJgAsGuxzTRSoc3tfgbrzJDSfvTElYDQb2Ctv7KmmxAsd8p4NFAGphUCXZNwaADRuFxujGEhKoQ15/s450/UGrUp-Slowdive.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-HO-nncSLCV9mCw4DnJZmIzed8uCrjmnLxAPrwPzG7snOfB7ylSduEIbJXMuNUgB0EE5nXodr_pTC-MTnZkitnwSWYJ0y5f916CPC1h4OAwwr-TCJgAsGuxzTRSoc3tfgbrzJDSfvTElYDQb2Ctv7KmmxAsd8p4NFAGphUCXZNwaADRuFxujGEhKoQ15/s320/UGrUp-Slowdive.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">With <b>Slowdive</b> returning with their second post-reunion album, the truly slow burn emoting of <b>Everything Is Alive</b>, Rob decided - with a little help from a certain former <b>Teenage Shoegazer -</b> to delve that bit deeper into the 90s heyday of <i>'the scene that celebrates itself',</i> first-footing (and occasionally revisiting) all things FX pedals from the likes of <b>Lush</b>, <b>Paris Angels</b>, <b>Pale Saints</b>,<b> Swervedriver</b>, <b>Chapterhouse</b> and <b>Curve</b>....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3PaNJufKCZRqzxV5_pNP6Ag8M9at3jbcrrLHXSRppYD_V8-l50_2luEP4sHe9Vf8Re6Sn7SkmmXQ5B1jxUvIfCItVgOJFPONhXr8kn-Bo1xYN1dGrHgyVt2Z2JIdzV4PSFTD1Yf3orkrFO6Y9uSdkCw6CT47QtcfkEdnnxLVOhsfpCViDe88qREtCQcW/s450/UGrUp-Hawkwind.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3PaNJufKCZRqzxV5_pNP6Ag8M9at3jbcrrLHXSRppYD_V8-l50_2luEP4sHe9Vf8Re6Sn7SkmmXQ5B1jxUvIfCItVgOJFPONhXr8kn-Bo1xYN1dGrHgyVt2Z2JIdzV4PSFTD1Yf3orkrFO6Y9uSdkCw6CT47QtcfkEdnnxLVOhsfpCViDe88qREtCQcW/s320/UGrUp-Hawkwind.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">One of Rob's discoveries of the year was a seismic spacial shift into the far out sounds of early <b>Hawkwind </b>- his only prior exposure is the thundering sonic attack of their live <b>Space Ritual</b> - wallowing in their much more nuanced on record outsider SF optimism (tethered to earth only by delights). But after 50 years - or <i>'half a century'</i>, that being a more apt SF term, surely? - such wide-eyed stargazing has accumulated a definite and definitive <i>'what if?'</i> wistful melancholy, a time capsule drifting in outer space waiting for eager cadets to dock and discover them afresh....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDM8hkzavaP7XctsutP9X5IylsvCQ8GTy9fE9GP37VBX9yeSxVubtxeXFR1uLdklGwkTcLkVevezaJnhCbtBUGGtqms2e-GmTeMxWHjB6J9Dw9hP68pLWBdKoECzRD79AI19Jcy3m9UWZN7ccbGhfOOO1X1J0GZ1IqwuyP0vTIx19fn0SVw0SObggR6m9/s450/UGRup%20-%20X-Mix-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDM8hkzavaP7XctsutP9X5IylsvCQ8GTy9fE9GP37VBX9yeSxVubtxeXFR1uLdklGwkTcLkVevezaJnhCbtBUGGtqms2e-GmTeMxWHjB6J9Dw9hP68pLWBdKoECzRD79AI19Jcy3m9UWZN7ccbGhfOOO1X1J0GZ1IqwuyP0vTIx19fn0SVw0SObggR6m9/s320/UGRup%20-%20X-Mix-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Techno-wise there was plenty to choose from, be it <b>System 7</b>’s rattling <b>777</b>, <b>Dreadzone</b>’s dub-centric debut <b>360</b>, <b>Loop Guru</b>’s wonderfully worldly<b> Amrita (...and all these Japanese soup warriors)</b>, <b>Mount Florida</b>’s chilled melange of orbanic, dubby and ambient infusion on <b>Arrived Phoenix</b> and the <b>Storm</b>, <b>Strut</b> and <b>Stealth</b> Eps, or how about the grand techno of <b>X-Mix-2-4</b>, <b>Laurent Garnier</b>, <b>John Acquaviva</b>, <b>Ritchie Hawtin</b> and <b>Dave Angel</b> all knocking it out the mid-90s park with their classic evergreen club mixes. Unbeatable beats indeed….</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRYo12YxKLTPZoOGLxaTQj8YJOqTuCrmpDmqQtUpRNCnaxFrjI0CWluxdLNsGIbqOWcY7IzvizZxMOv4YSv6wyyYcAQxe9ndBXo9BzJi0snDXzq8vWYj160TIZONIvFDESzua8W6lzOPndBVcrTxG4a673HTfNIHN-r2XKWOlHK0oP4n_fuiur_FUGCMk/s450/UGrUp-Dundee.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRYo12YxKLTPZoOGLxaTQj8YJOqTuCrmpDmqQtUpRNCnaxFrjI0CWluxdLNsGIbqOWcY7IzvizZxMOv4YSv6wyyYcAQxe9ndBXo9BzJi0snDXzq8vWYj160TIZONIvFDESzua8W6lzOPndBVcrTxG4a673HTfNIHN-r2XKWOlHK0oP4n_fuiur_FUGCMk/s320/UGrUp-Dundee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There were a few favourite (Original Motion Picture) soundtracks that cropped up this year too, the menacing jazz of <b>Bernard Hermann</b>’s cooly threatening <b>Taxi Driver</b>, <b>John Barry</b>’s brilliant The <b>Black Hole</b>, the Oz evocative sounds of <b>Peter Best</b>’s chirpy <b>Crocodile Dundee</b>, the woozy early ambience of <b>Vangelis</b>’ <b>Blade Runner</b>, pretty much anything by <b>Joe Hisaishi</b> for the <b>Studio Ghibli</b> animations, each as emotionally stirring and inspired as the last....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEZ5AT-KJ9y6dOx8G0a5thKduGcAJnnmOmmGt1A0A-CqmTAyZKXcthVBXFfK6V8RrDkVoNsyn6qjMjkMMgvEzzUL9x2D8RahNVopcXtPAZWFNZaT7bhrZokQSjapWmBTvD6W3_VGb08wgnnN-XcbX74f1q9At6PGJ3sqg-yJIrO1QGkP1XKSU9-oj0G2z/s450/UGrUp-Bedazzled.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEZ5AT-KJ9y6dOx8G0a5thKduGcAJnnmOmmGt1A0A-CqmTAyZKXcthVBXFfK6V8RrDkVoNsyn6qjMjkMMgvEzzUL9x2D8RahNVopcXtPAZWFNZaT7bhrZokQSjapWmBTvD6W3_VGb08wgnnN-XcbX74f1q9At6PGJ3sqg-yJIrO1QGkP1XKSU9-oj0G2z/s320/UGrUp-Bedazzled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(but not least, thanks to a surprise find in <b>MISSING</b>) there’s <b>Dudley Moore</b>’s masterful and deliciously devilish score for <b>Bedazzled</b>….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33XOxzWzrv0Re14V3gJhNeTo6XsPIbSAftTgOZq0wGO8TIB9vRF3OEuTa1rXiyjZG1YhG7x8wuv2iSB568piIMcxW65XpSPknwf85N3qzviosojavcERmdpkWIgeMcp9iIDsg1ApiWIbqQNMkDhzP716IaDHTKkEx-KZWeKbaDTxTYHzja8DSLYbj7dsz/s450/UGrUp-Lindstom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="450" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33XOxzWzrv0Re14V3gJhNeTo6XsPIbSAftTgOZq0wGO8TIB9vRF3OEuTa1rXiyjZG1YhG7x8wuv2iSB568piIMcxW65XpSPknwf85N3qzviosojavcERmdpkWIgeMcp9iIDsg1ApiWIbqQNMkDhzP716IaDHTKkEx-KZWeKbaDTxTYHzja8DSLYbj7dsz/s320/UGrUp-Lindstom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And, much like the dusty DVD, the humble CD has also hit such a low that serious scouring of the charity shelves cannot fail to bring occasional bargain rewards - I mean, <b>Grateful Dead</b>'s <b>Skull and Roses</b> for 33p! - or, say, the perfectly passable post-rock formulas of <b>ISIS</b> and <b>This Will Destroy You</b> (25p each), or the morose songwriter sprawl of <b>Sun Kil Moon</b>’s <b>Ghosts of the Great Highway</b> (25p) to the giddy guitar godliness(?!) of the best of <b>Jimi Hendrix</b> (33p), the doomy indie of Interpol's <b>Turn On The Bright Lights</b> (50p), the heady early hip hop rush of <b>Ultramagnetic MC</b>’s <b>Critical Beatdown</b> (99p), or more bang on banging ambient techno from <b>System 7 </b>on their sleek <b>Power of Seven7</b> (99p)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/P6NDmh86RAI?si=gcFpqMz65xjvupOS" width="480"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Grateful Dead - Wharf Rat (Live at Fillmore East, New York, NY, April 26, 1971)</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">....or perhaps the proto-techno of <b>Kraftwerk’</b>s masterful <b>Man Machine</b> (99p), the flippant komische of <b>Fujiya and Miyagi</b>'s <b>Transparent Things</b> (25p), <b>The Engineer</b>’s gentle nu-gaze of <b>In Praise of More</b> (25p, double cd!), the bombastic clatter of <b>Secret Machines</b>’ star searching <b>Now Here Is Nowhere</b> (25p), the blissful stretched out space disco of (<b>Prins Thomas</b>’ pal) <b>Lindstrom</b> on <b>Where You Go I Go Too</b> (50p, double cd!), coming full circle with (re)purchases of <b>The Chemical Brothers'</b> <b>Leave Home</b> (99p) and <b>Dig Your Own Hole</b> (33p). <i>Life is Sweet</i> indeed (well, far better than the blundering <b>Beatles</b>-aping <b>Setting Sun</b>, for sure)….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3fRboGlyUJ0MeLKqhW2Fy9otVYoeI-CLvPD0oMlE-eNnQOdBqCNPEKvW8Rc2ip7yd-Ali6LjskrE99OJtQKoV8JFGTUTX-JpD1FR_z3PnJ6n-pCCeTh_rkiXlImo7COkJqn17vzFa0yn5S2YDk1Ju6WlK4b92i2m1ROR0RYvIxkJ5W8Ce3iZu87l7iSX/s450/UGrUp-Acetone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3fRboGlyUJ0MeLKqhW2Fy9otVYoeI-CLvPD0oMlE-eNnQOdBqCNPEKvW8Rc2ip7yd-Ali6LjskrE99OJtQKoV8JFGTUTX-JpD1FR_z3PnJ6n-pCCeTh_rkiXlImo7COkJqn17vzFa0yn5S2YDk1Ju6WlK4b92i2m1ROR0RYvIxkJ5W8Ce3iZu87l7iSX/s320/UGrUp-Acetone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Christmas came early in 2023* in the amazing (if wallet busting!) shape of <i><a href="https://acetone1992.bandcamp.com/album/im-still-waiting" target="_blank"><b>'I'm Still Waiting'</b></a></i>, an 11 LP box set of all of <b>Acetone</b>'s albums. Of course, this means the lot have duly arrived on <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/7DnDHNnkHER4ompBXz1ibL" target="_blank">Spotify</a></b> - preceded by, y'know, a rather perfect home-made, ahem, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@acetone130" target="_blank">Youtube</a></b> channel - so now there's simply no excuse not to give this absolutely amazing band some of your sweet sweet time....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*It honestly did, arriving in mid-November with a glut of terrible themed television adverts, I'm even docking <b>Film4</b> a point for screening <i>'It's A Wonderful Life'</i> around that time.... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ByWAV7XBJD0t7ZaF8OJYOm1t3SKQeFnZ27BTchyDWfbcj7zbz5S0M79P5-DEYup1eVkR27vhACm1AwZ3PxhGk7_AMfLgW9CdR_ryAN91MPv_Inpyd_BY9h-Hy45HuUQe_41g2QLgFkD4JNWdz6QqNf-vkcXAafFvZpBLWA4Y4o6yiiSfnqs09w23Wuzy/s450/UGrUp-SunElectric.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ByWAV7XBJD0t7ZaF8OJYOm1t3SKQeFnZ27BTchyDWfbcj7zbz5S0M79P5-DEYup1eVkR27vhACm1AwZ3PxhGk7_AMfLgW9CdR_ryAN91MPv_Inpyd_BY9h-Hy45HuUQe_41g2QLgFkD4JNWdz6QqNf-vkcXAafFvZpBLWA4Y4o6yiiSfnqs09w23Wuzy/s320/UGrUp-SunElectric.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although not without its own (internal) problems this year, <b><a href="https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/is-bandcamp-as-we-know-it-over/" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a></b> still managed to offer up a few tunes that grabbed Rob by the ear, the shimmering <b>Sun Electric</b> offering up the glorious, exemplary ambient techno sheen of <b><a href="https://arjunamusic-records.bandcamp.com/album/sun-electric-live-at-votivkirche-wien" target="_blank">Live at Votivcirche Wien</a></b>, <b>Nick McCabe</b> again reaching for new guitar shapes on his endlessly experimental <a href="https://nickmccabe1.bandcamp.com/album/present-imperfect" target="_blank"><b>Present Imperfect</b></a> instrumentals, while <b>William Tyler</b> also set out on a similar journey with <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egDKbjlg0I4" target="_blank">Frozen Shelter</a></b> - melted and vanished from there, sorry - and old-time Braw faves <b>American Analog Set</b> made a surprise return with more of the same-ish fuzzed out warmth, shot through with a steely 2023 stare down, on <a href="https://theamericananalogset.bandcamp.com/album/for-forever" target="_blank"><b>For Forever</b></a>, and, it goes without saying (only Rob <i>is</i> saying), there’s always time to mention the gnarly ambient of fellow Scots* <b><a href="https://fordellresearchunit.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Fordell Research Unit</a></b> and the rumbling stutter of <a href="https://boobsofdoom.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank"><b>Boobs of Doom</b></a> – check ‘em out!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">*and, y'know, Rob guesses there's plenty room here to plug his own heady <b>The Mind Robbers</b> modest (!) <b><a href="https://themindrobbers.bandcamp.com/album/the-guitar-thanks-god-i-exist-2008-2018" target="_blank">The Guitar Thanks God I Exist, 2008-2018</a> </b>compilation....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyPeP7tnzwt1Lahal3ZwZCWuPPy5kP7v1DJujSjZdNOYixIwhavWZrgaivXHF-q5OdnZeO6qXEWc1bzxw6YuF-JreXpR_CBgjBO1MyerXqYrk5ay8fMnYEIwtYWeiMY0aoOGICqY9A2xDT1o94bu36ZmXP5i4D2ONR3VGEXpTVmwvq-P8bFtf6cAO5bfL/s589/UGrUp-WOD.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyPeP7tnzwt1Lahal3ZwZCWuPPy5kP7v1DJujSjZdNOYixIwhavWZrgaivXHF-q5OdnZeO6qXEWc1bzxw6YuF-JreXpR_CBgjBO1MyerXqYrk5ay8fMnYEIwtYWeiMY0aoOGICqY9A2xDT1o94bu36ZmXP5i4D2ONR3VGEXpTVmwvq-P8bFtf6cAO5bfL/s320/UGrUp-WOD.png" width="244" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">In June Rob took himself off to Glasgow's <b>OVO Hydro</b> to catch up with <b>The War On Drugs</b>, perhaps a little too under-over excited, finding their spacious and rousing rock and soul uplifting in the main - <i>Pain</i>, <i>Harmonia's Dream</i>, <i>Under The Pressure</i>, <i>Old Skin</i> and <i>I Don't Live Here Any More</i> all hit home - but oddly plodding the rest of the time, their <i>'winning formula'</i> being exactly that - sing-soaring solo-sing-soaring solo/outro - while their onstage <i>'bonhomie'</i> had a tendency to tip over into the faintly ridiculous (large) arena of rock star parody, frontman <b>Adam Granduciel</b> often coming across all <b>Jack Black/Tenacious D</b> while drummer <b>Charlie Hall</b>, his perm illuminated and billowing in some manufactured breeze was more laughable <b>Eastbound & Down</b> daft than exuding any <b>E-Street </b>cool. And yet, y'know, for days after Rob's mind was awash with mashed up fragments of their songs, a 24/7 mental comfort blanket. Weird, huh?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlD3vQgokIAV4pWbRkighpTOLGxPG814GZflzmiR5ZSeA-y_PDP4ulHQuGLPTdyL_McCUo7i8kjGz94R2slSamOmYWl4rLkdx7OE5cvxgkAuS4aWD62Ja9ZLgQH5_LH4ZBjvkKr9P5jOIUCnAMutv9QXzZlgu2J7yldTqMiFHonm0dhLjw2n-DoKyYpjp/s450/UGrUp-RoseCity.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlD3vQgokIAV4pWbRkighpTOLGxPG814GZflzmiR5ZSeA-y_PDP4ulHQuGLPTdyL_McCUo7i8kjGz94R2slSamOmYWl4rLkdx7OE5cvxgkAuS4aWD62Ja9ZLgQH5_LH4ZBjvkKr9P5jOIUCnAMutv9QXzZlgu2J7yldTqMiFHonm0dhLjw2n-DoKyYpjp/s320/UGrUp-RoseCity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">On a much more down to earth trip, November saw <b><a href="https://rosecityband.bandcamp.com/album/garden-party" target="_blank">Rose City Band</a></b> make a more than welcome return to these shores, stopping off at <b>The Hug and Pint</b> to play to an enthusiastic sold out crowd of 80 fortunate punters (who can say, <i>"I was there!"</i>). While they're not a million miles away from <b>The War On Drugs </b>- there's less <i>'heart on sleeve'</i> emoting and a more passive, vague wistfulness, <i>'porch music'</i> as they've self-coined it - there just seemed so much more space (man....) for their more than capable members to move around in musically (but not actually, given the jam-packed tiny stage), the mix of pedal steel, <i>'Rippleying'</i> guitar, and jazzy <b>Brian Auger</b>-esque keyboards, all riding a tight, rock solid rhythm section. This adept deftness helps them never lose their clarity or to tumble over into the indulgent or contrived. And, yes, thank the guitar gods, as per last year they wrapped up their set with a blissful run through of <i>Dawn Patrol</i> -the very song that reminded Rob why he loves keyboards in the first place. <b>Paul Hasenberg</b>'s playing is an absolute swirling and dizzying delight!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99nrlKNOdaQUluTqzf59OsDHDHe17XtyZdgbm0zWAraFQe4q9LXTabZ9-zCABKP1YsrRoCz_x8Ed4QsxB2huKGVfm5K_IajI_BRJf8jiRr_BhYlqlm8CaHxjW7AS_0tdkBC7YFPFaCKpU1j1w52927lvjKHrVQma_glgXivTirmGJ5o7oxYNizEw38vDU/s600/UGrUp-QMU.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="600" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99nrlKNOdaQUluTqzf59OsDHDHe17XtyZdgbm0zWAraFQe4q9LXTabZ9-zCABKP1YsrRoCz_x8Ed4QsxB2huKGVfm5K_IajI_BRJf8jiRr_BhYlqlm8CaHxjW7AS_0tdkBC7YFPFaCKpU1j1w52927lvjKHrVQma_glgXivTirmGJ5o7oxYNizEw38vDU/s320/UGrUp-QMU.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Contrary to his best instincts Rob recently took himself off to see <b>The Orb</b> – last seen trashing the <b>Ultraworld</b> at the swoeful <b>SWG3</b> in 2017 – tempted (duh!) by their current <b>Ultraworld/UFOrb</b> run-through/cash-grab. On the plus side this time the gig was at the <b>QMU</b>, a Braw fave, while on the back side of the moon… actually, it wasn’t too terrible, though condensing 3 hours of deft ambience into 1 hour 45 – yep, there was an unannounced and needless left-field support eating up precious <i>Towers of Dub</i> time – left little room for, well, deft ambience, the sonics swallowed up by a booming 4/4 beat clumsily aimed at the legs and not the brain, thus orbliterating their <i>‘layering sounds on top of each other’ </i>mantra. Just about everything suffered the same fate, the sweltering breeze of <i>O.O.B.E.</i> simply blown away by the sudden gust of lumbering drums (far too) early doors – at one point there was an interminable 4/4 that could have been anything (or nothing) before Rob realised it was Assassin (just as it drew to a close). Sure, it’s fine for A Huge...., and <b>UFOrb </b>is characteristically a bit heavier on the <i>‘dance’</i> elements, but still….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/J1DoORHRCjE?si=syVrX1SZ8YvItRZT" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/J1DoORHRCjE/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Orb - Super Nova at the End of the Universe</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thankfully all was not lost (in a retro reverie) for, just as Rob feared it was all over, we were treated to <b>Abolition</b>’s <i>Daze</i> and some of (<b>Prism’</b>s) <i>H.O.M.E.</i>, before a blissfull, dubby four to the floor free <i>Super Nova At The End of The Universe</i> saved the day/night, charged, as it was, with so much welcome space and groove – a total treat! Of course, there was no getting away from the gathering <i>Little Fluffy Clouds</i>, but the predictable rainy day clump clump dampener of that was then wonderfully washed away by a fresh and sprightly <i>Ghetto Love Story</i>, a great grin plastered over the end of a mixed bag of a gig….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34XnQihHma7V6Q0aGPYhdUhl5FJDRU1N_wjZE0E-MROgHEAo8tOqItxaQkiKZYKiGQ8k-AXt0xi4IGBCNbPtzyFlCzUzXgNVsN2h0S9bhQS27c6ynTTs3wIJr-BuatVKQ9Dkmq6MjezFysslYes_i27E6z4bmIW9EFSqHeQxjFFIB6Kd-LN3bB4bJVKkh/s698/UGrUp-Gillespie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34XnQihHma7V6Q0aGPYhdUhl5FJDRU1N_wjZE0E-MROgHEAo8tOqItxaQkiKZYKiGQ8k-AXt0xi4IGBCNbPtzyFlCzUzXgNVsN2h0S9bhQS27c6ynTTs3wIJr-BuatVKQ9Dkmq6MjezFysslYes_i27E6z4bmIW9EFSqHeQxjFFIB6Kd-LN3bB4bJVKkh/s320/UGrUp-Gillespie.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Without a doubt Bobby Gillespie’s <b>Tenement Kid</b> was Rob’s (surprise) stand-out <i>‘weekend'</i> (auto)biography of 2023, a passionate and insightful look into the <i>‘Scream’</i> frontman’s formative years, a love note (albeit at times a spiky one!) to the raw power of punk, the faith in one’s life choices and friends and the unity and optimism of 80s rave culture, an astonishing and detailed book – <b>Gillespie</b> writes about the music, drugs, fashion, and politics that shaped him with real depth and passion, peeling back the layers of <b>Primal Scream</b> (and his beloved <b>JAMC</b>) to reveal much more motivations than their (carefully constructed) hedonistic front ever suggested. More highly recommended than the sun!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/E86gWQs-ios?si=PxDXHuYZ-zmsvFH5" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Primal Scream - Kill All Hippies</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, it all unravels somewhat if you put the later deaths of <b>Throb</b> and <b>Martin Duffy</b> through the same perspective, harsh realities and sad ends that undermine <b>Bobby</b>’s near-evangelical mantras to <i>‘higher states of consciousness'</i> – he celebrates <b>Robert Young</b>’s sudden creative transformation under heroin with beguiling gusto. Again, there’s far too many references to <i>‘sheep’ </i>and <i>‘straights’</i> throughout – er, likely a bulk of the folk who’ve bought his records over the years – which falls a little flat considering when Rob copped him on the phone through a<b> Glasgow</b> hotel window he was on a Smart phone. And, y’know, sorry, but whatever <i>you</i> think of your outsider punk credentials, owning one of those devices makes you the very worst type of conformist sheep, <b>Bobby</b>….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKv8j87yAqDDWMTmN3j5eqZ8UGNLsc6Ze1z9xS9Zp94fBLP0HgM37f6UHNmN-mUGGzVMx5G5ZAtgcTw3LYujtnEuRaq34rrcozK5d7xFYOPi39daxTOugy56Dwce0Lu9_-3-60NCkKp1W5a1vwiGla-xQeqdOQ479qqYxxPkK4KUK65wSJRn28_KHzXHJ/s691/UGrUp-Spaceships.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKv8j87yAqDDWMTmN3j5eqZ8UGNLsc6Ze1z9xS9Zp94fBLP0HgM37f6UHNmN-mUGGzVMx5G5ZAtgcTw3LYujtnEuRaq34rrcozK5d7xFYOPi39daxTOugy56Dwce0Lu9_-3-60NCkKp1W5a1vwiGla-xQeqdOQ479qqYxxPkK4KUK65wSJRn28_KHzXHJ/s320/UGrUp-Spaceships.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By comparison <b>Stuart Braithwaite</b>’s <b>Spaceships Over Glasgow</b> seemed distinctly lightweight – you could argue (on the surface) that if <b>Bobby Gillespie </b>revealed <i>the art behind the hedonism</i> then <b>Stuart</b> revealed <i>the hedonism behind the art</i> – for reasons best known only to himself – a life of pills and thrills and the resultant bellyaching as he gets royally wasted with just about every influential left-field alternative guitar act of the late 90s....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/8AL_H_9m6kA?si=qJNSbn0plpP-Czf6" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8AL_H_9m6kA/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mogwai - Helicon 1</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While there’s something distinctly Scottish, and thereby very amusing, about <b>Mogwai</b>’s refreshingly mindless (mis)adventures – unlike <b>Primal Scream</b>(‘s later years), they’re not beholden to some sort of mythical (ie. horribly dated, tired and totally cliched) <i>“rock and roll” </i>ethos as embodied by <b>The Rolling Stones</b>. One thing's for sure there’s no pre-existing template for <b>Mogwai</b>’s (mis)behaviour…. which is perhaps what sucks all the glamour from proceedings, akin to a <b>Glaswegian</b> superhero (of BMX) pounding the litter-strewn and rainy streets here being ridiculous when lined up against the likes of <b>Spider-Man</b> web-slinging his way through the unimaginably glamourous streets of <b>New York</b> – it’s not like you’d ever see him doing anything as pedestrian as queuing up in <b>Mo’s 24 Hour Store</b>, bottle of <b>Irn-Bru</b> in hand….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/sOi2zJPinJ0?si=NdzMtkaWJAruGR96" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mogwai - Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Still, you can’t shake the feeling the music exists in spite of their antics rather because of it - a hard point to put down in words (but Rob’s for trying nonetheless) - there isn’t a huge- amount of insight into the creative process itself, with just a handful of interesting tidbits for each of the earlier albums before we sprint through their later years. What you have to admire is the band’s rise, it seems almost effortless from their DIY beginnings – there’s not much of the self-questioning toil that peppers <b>Bobby</b>’s tome – and was bullishly, purely on their own terms (which only goes to make their ongoing <b><a href="https://rockactionrecords.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Rock Action</a></b> label and <b>As The Love Continues</b> #1 album status 25 years later even more of a resounding triumph in retrospect)…. Still, it’s not the worst by a long shot – we’re not reduced to guddling around in a chemical toilet for worthwhile spoils as per <b>Alan McGhee</b> or <b>Bez</b>’s totally tedious autobiographical tomes, but neither are we superior emotionally skyscraping a la the top tier likes of <b>Bruce Springsteen </b>or <b>Bob Dylan</b>….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBguhEbGIhtdVkwHXtROg0fiA8Fv_dxaj-TqyqZKHWdpnSm0_4ChlY98PPk71jGKtQhYic3PiWwNWes2Q1-WvbHRxrtmj7Ek4c5VH5uxZbLPvNa7_dO_tT0I3TWyRXHrasHHvUrrxSlE-jvhplwubjjK4Yl3uif2yFBz19w2X-DNkD3C6c33EY9AD4gGvI/s694/UGrUp-Ruin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBguhEbGIhtdVkwHXtROg0fiA8Fv_dxaj-TqyqZKHWdpnSm0_4ChlY98PPk71jGKtQhYic3PiWwNWes2Q1-WvbHRxrtmj7Ek4c5VH5uxZbLPvNa7_dO_tT0I3TWyRXHrasHHvUrrxSlE-jvhplwubjjK4Yl3uif2yFBz19w2X-DNkD3C6c33EY9AD4gGvI/s320/UGrUp-Ruin.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Following on from last year's astounding <b>Children of Time</b> came the two sequels, <b>Children of Ruin</b> and <b>Children of Memory</b>, books which could never hope to match the first's astounding burst of ideas - the second could never be as good, but it has no right to be <i>this</i> good - even it's close second is still light years ahead of the year's other reads.... <b>Adrian Tchaikovsky</b> wrapped up his trilogy with a grounded, less expansive third book, a highly skilled <i>'companion'</i> novel to the one-two punch of the others, still deft, still brimming with ideas, still crazily readable, but not wholly essential....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMx5dT3GYGSwq_4XpqBcbSXyEkNNjW6ZWNxKpAZWvRP0D5EQJVvOdZFV5OCb9M5StyX7TthbdkZf5jTdx2ezKNM4RCN1MgbkTyQRReQ36iLZOAdQ93Kjzj69fP8cFMlxiYg4iEMnp7aNdUNtxBoebT8ZOEvIrzu7l1YjyfKDPCswURk3JaHkbMGKUSAQ0/s672/UGrUp-Romantic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMx5dT3GYGSwq_4XpqBcbSXyEkNNjW6ZWNxKpAZWvRP0D5EQJVvOdZFV5OCb9M5StyX7TthbdkZf5jTdx2ezKNM4RCN1MgbkTyQRReQ36iLZOAdQ93Kjzj69fP8cFMlxiYg4iEMnp7aNdUNtxBoebT8ZOEvIrzu7l1YjyfKDPCswURk3JaHkbMGKUSAQ0/s320/UGrUp-Romantic.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">2023 saw <b>William Boyd</b>, Rob's favourite<i> 'straight'</i> author, make a welcome return with <b>The Romantic</b>, another of his trademark<i> 'cradle to the grave'</i> novels, all historical twists and turns - <b>Boyd</b> likes to sucker punch his characters and readers alike - in what was an excellent read, with a genuinely memorable ending. <b>The Blue Afternoon</b>, an earlier, shorter novel, also got a reread, revealing it to be almost like the midsection of the above, the hopeless narrator trapped in a loveless marriage only to embark on a doomed affair, although this time expertly framed in a captivating murder mystery.... (It's worth mentioning here <b>The Passenger</b> by <b>Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz</b>, a book almost proto-<b>Boyd</b> in a sense, a fine balance of thriller-ish tension and the blackly comic at the same time, concerning a scared, indecisive Jewish man criss-crossing Germany (in vain) in a doomed bid to escape the Nazis....)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbH0yQ4z3qVX-TLrZb3k86WdbdvN5XJrZ6jj6gyrQ8W71eRSU0Kb5TnA-b2U2ReDQqx3UxRNd7YBIjw7Jr1CdsUAKGGf6WKHG5CPQusT91wXGXPTgPqj3e8_ddGPhh2eiRjOAgo5ajarN6ycfeqdHdUHZouvgq3QliNmtXVLL8riuN35eWueXXq3iGI2l/s746/UGrUp-Ulysses.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbH0yQ4z3qVX-TLrZb3k86WdbdvN5XJrZ6jj6gyrQ8W71eRSU0Kb5TnA-b2U2ReDQqx3UxRNd7YBIjw7Jr1CdsUAKGGf6WKHG5CPQusT91wXGXPTgPqj3e8_ddGPhh2eiRjOAgo5ajarN6ycfeqdHdUHZouvgq3QliNmtXVLL8riuN35eWueXXq3iGI2l/s320/UGrUp-Ulysses.jpg" width="193" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">If any book was to throw modern life (and all it's superfluous indulgences) into stark contrast it was <b>Alistair MacLean</b>'s brutal <b>HMS Ulysses</b>. Based in part on his own wartime seafaring experience it was a truly astonishing, emotional and humbling read - the Poppy Foundation ought to give away free copies every year! - that made Rob understand all the better the selfless sacrifice of <i>"those that died so that we may live", </i>for at the heart of this book lies the true<i> 'cost of living crisis'</i>.... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzbu6_pXbVdmwEwjXKbi1aPYTKhxSDOr2g4JVY9T8BDLYmXzd25U1oKvluL44fHVi_rEJNVQC_r30Ah-XcC7DwJB1zyDeh_0xxuJA-GwxbMv9GWaDh70mD-bIJc2caRmgvadBT6MAtjUsY0Vgq5Z7mGG_uyPzGmf-viuFgHLv6GvdkW-rjBtiH90Bdsl3/s730/UGrUp-Orwell.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzbu6_pXbVdmwEwjXKbi1aPYTKhxSDOr2g4JVY9T8BDLYmXzd25U1oKvluL44fHVi_rEJNVQC_r30Ah-XcC7DwJB1zyDeh_0xxuJA-GwxbMv9GWaDh70mD-bIJc2caRmgvadBT6MAtjUsY0Vgq5Z7mGG_uyPzGmf-viuFgHLv6GvdkW-rjBtiH90Bdsl3/s320/UGrUp-Orwell.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Add to the above a double dose of George Orwell's eternally powerful <i>'state of the nation'</i> books, <b>Down and Out In Paris and London</b> and <b>The Road to Wigan Pier</b> and the sobering thoughts were piled on aplenty, more than enough to counter the glut of fantastical fiction Rob absorbed, rendering those hyper-evolved spiders and malevolent killer clowns somewhat pointless.... </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuhDHBvI2-rArwbnQ_OZjjpSzIJqctDdkkIxtfn0VTtQO-lK4KHWny6XQnFClXYMGdv6tlPlf2gD5wU3sL_x81_C3fDCP4FwlUef4ZLZg5yunOPh3MBl5Ly3nctGTf6GhmqyjbK5bBJaPWazcmL7A0Aw21lcUFyWdFK0PE-pDA52p3t2GDd67tNIrEXLr/s667/TheLibrarian.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuhDHBvI2-rArwbnQ_OZjjpSzIJqctDdkkIxtfn0VTtQO-lK4KHWny6XQnFClXYMGdv6tlPlf2gD5wU3sL_x81_C3fDCP4FwlUef4ZLZg5yunOPh3MBl5Ly3nctGTf6GhmqyjbK5bBJaPWazcmL7A0Aw21lcUFyWdFK0PE-pDA52p3t2GDd67tNIrEXLr/s320/TheLibrarian.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">While not quite in the same category, <b>Allie Morgan</b>’s <b>The Librarian</b> still had it’s finger on the state of the current nation’s (weak) pulse, a pertinent slice of life novel about delivering front line library services in Scotland, all <i>‘broken Britain’</i>, austerity cuts and brave facing up to (or should that be facing down?) the limiting council red tape encountered at every turn (of the page). The reality, for that is what it is, is much more interesting, given Rob once worked a Library Assistant’s shift with <i>“Allie”</i> herself, and so he knows many of the parties (who have had their <i>“names changed to protect the innocent/guilty”</i>) involved in this quasi-autobiographical tall tale, as well as identifying with the plight of the librarian’s pain and pleasure, including many of the overarching themes that course through this enlightening book….</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdiDT87ijTQqxQHT2NKcpUK-l4w_w_C4ljaW99ll2KIqhm_VM_v1H_GVMJb8hOup3ALSAp8rM8n3-hV7dyBYEHj50nk8_4br_UqIkZiZFZqwnfYS5A9Y3vn3guDZ4Fv0cQ259ekJqPMoo__YHOfdXldatdnHHgZlAW3ank6btTUVsVEHzSXFDiyvKDvrl/s682/UGrUp-Cheeta.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdiDT87ijTQqxQHT2NKcpUK-l4w_w_C4ljaW99ll2KIqhm_VM_v1H_GVMJb8hOup3ALSAp8rM8n3-hV7dyBYEHj50nk8_4br_UqIkZiZFZqwnfYS5A9Y3vn3guDZ4Fv0cQ259ekJqPMoo__YHOfdXldatdnHHgZlAW3ank6btTUVsVEHzSXFDiyvKDvrl/s320/UGrUp-Cheeta.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">With Alan Partridge again scoring a bullseye - or should that be spearing a b-lister? - with the razor sharp<b> I, Nomad</b>, there was a second entry into the fake autobiography category in the simian shape of <b>James Lever</b>'s <b>Me, Cheeta</b>, a strange and compelling book - you'll often forget it's supposedly written by a chimp - that packs a considerable emotional punch due to <b>Cheeta</b>'s undying love towards <b>Johnny 'Tarzan' Weismuller</b> and her rejection of <b>Jane</b>'s constant reaching for civilisation, her infuriating <i>'time-disease' </i>that threatens to undermine the joy, the <i>'dreaming'</i> of the sanctuary of the<i> 'escarpment'</i> (film set). Sadly the <i>'immortals'</i> of which she speaks (often in scathing and revealing detail) such as <b>Bogart</b>, <b>Chaplin</b> and <b>Niven</b> are already perhaps slipping from view, but nevertheless as the book weaves towards its melancholy climax it proves that the <i>'magic'</i> may indeed be preserved <i>'up there'</i> (on the big screen) forever even if time eventually catches up with us all....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxomlN2TYVuK49oGIoLBQbJhM7pmbK862ag7v835MHjO2E_kB3GIp74veQ__MuVSVmUxfmqlOAyfE90sO-6zlFvB5Pj-kUzv-Y_81uN-vNS3cjFzHKwXPwvvNtrVzH9krP4rVdl7ZAb8Y7zQMPujrU278RRHPzVAlyfxXZKkpi9NNM5nNRREDRnbB1jaUL/s678/UGRup-DeadZone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxomlN2TYVuK49oGIoLBQbJhM7pmbK862ag7v835MHjO2E_kB3GIp74veQ__MuVSVmUxfmqlOAyfE90sO-6zlFvB5Pj-kUzv-Y_81uN-vNS3cjFzHKwXPwvvNtrVzH9krP4rVdl7ZAb8Y7zQMPujrU278RRHPzVAlyfxXZKkpi9NNM5nNRREDRnbB1jaUL/s320/UGRup-DeadZone.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Stephen King</b>-wise Rob tackled three of his more linear novels, <b>The Dark Half</b> and <b>The Dead Zone</b>, finding their single central character arcs and length a little more to his liking (than, say, committing to a sprawling epic like <b>The Stand</b>, with it's giant cast and 1000+ pages of reading). <b>Pet Sematary</b> came billed as King's <i>'scariest book'</i>, but Rob found it his bleakest, his blackest, his most nightmarish and brutal, bordering on the unpleasant and repulsive - the way he punishes and pummels his characters without mercy is pure unflinching horror in every sense. If <b>The Shining</b> could be considered the fear of what a father could do <i>to</i> his son, then <b>Pet Sematary</b> perhaps asks what a father would do <i>for</i> his son....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dYL9SvajPJISwYaOPgJX4IEFFMxKk5T-t5Y5XjSV6deHca13VRp8V5JTDiwo13B1PcgWDnO7Qc8pz4axlnWJ9bXG2UIYlgUTZ6JBuaKYxYQwtwckJeE7lnKuw9aEVNkv4zQLWi1JJILtHiY5daqRBtvAzREJnsx3yvwoLwFnL5oFd2sBpmTLsg-0Pe_Q/s729/UGrUp-IT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dYL9SvajPJISwYaOPgJX4IEFFMxKk5T-t5Y5XjSV6deHca13VRp8V5JTDiwo13B1PcgWDnO7Qc8pz4axlnWJ9bXG2UIYlgUTZ6JBuaKYxYQwtwckJeE7lnKuw9aEVNkv4zQLWi1JJILtHiY5daqRBtvAzREJnsx3yvwoLwFnL5oFd2sBpmTLsg-0Pe_Q/s320/UGrUp-IT.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">With those three <b>Kings </b>under his belt, Rob then ignored his own advice (above) and added several more notches to allow for the gargantuan undertaking that is <b>IT</b>, 1300 pages of quite astonishing novel - the kind of book that sets you wondering, <i>'how the hell could all this possibly come out of one person's mind?' </i>- IT is that good, an incredible, epic, titan of a book - there's a lot of devils in <b>King</b>'s detail for damned sure! Even the slightly <i>'eh?'</i> aspects of the ending - perhaps a stretch too fantastical for Rob, but nowhere near the 1200 page buzzkill some vocal corners of the internet'd have you believe - could not detract from the towering achievement....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rpQ8HGa-cltitBiQR392-3iGnjHQSmhEa9waeSZUEFVvIStl5HPMoH6BdsigTUkQi6AwAnWoV8RaDN_gdUKeHNYtTXxsZ4KAgAvhJs5rBgTM0JQ5Op9YFsQU_EjPrypJzyKycOfSik407tFF3VtErHOIalx2ac-8WaYPfzuQQsNQTm81FvlY-opzM69S/s589/UGrUp-Werewolf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rpQ8HGa-cltitBiQR392-3iGnjHQSmhEa9waeSZUEFVvIStl5HPMoH6BdsigTUkQi6AwAnWoV8RaDN_gdUKeHNYtTXxsZ4KAgAvhJs5rBgTM0JQ5Op9YFsQU_EjPrypJzyKycOfSik407tFF3VtErHOIalx2ac-8WaYPfzuQQsNQTm81FvlY-opzM69S/s320/UGrUp-Werewolf.png" width="244" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">And while we're on the subject, could there be a more pleasant way to while away an afternoon tucked up sick and snuffly in bed than breezing through <b>Cycle of the Werewolf</b>, all the while admiring <b>Bernie Wrightson</b>'s startling and evocative illustrations....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe-yGURTz5CIHu8OfC3xCmQx9bkZBPNevGBHga3ClyrLDMgx39gQRYWA8fbAsTh8l84-L1klechl9hhA8Hnwu2C4B9utEsccu0ZuotD-yrKriZIEKh91LQ3Fgy74x23xNi40EMSrpyF41KpgRLO-muXC6gPTP71f40J5pomF9KMyC3eX-KmmxmJkQVq8P/s451/UGRup---PeopleLove.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe-yGURTz5CIHu8OfC3xCmQx9bkZBPNevGBHga3ClyrLDMgx39gQRYWA8fbAsTh8l84-L1klechl9hhA8Hnwu2C4B9utEsccu0ZuotD-yrKriZIEKh91LQ3Fgy74x23xNi40EMSrpyF41KpgRLO-muXC6gPTP71f40J5pomF9KMyC3eX-KmmxmJkQVq8P/s320/UGRup---PeopleLove.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">From 'Sob Miller'</span></div><p style="text-align: justify;">This year's favourite quote comes from the strange, and strangely powerful <b>The People's Act of Love</b> by <b>James Meek</b>....</p><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>'I'm thirsty,' said Mutz. 'Let me put some snow on my tongue.' Bondarenko didn't say anything and his hand didn't move towards his gun and Mutz kneeled down and cupped a light heap of snow in his palm. He stood up and put his tongue into the cold powder. The ice crystals hurt and their taste went deep. Mutz the boy and Mutz the man recognised each other and for an instant he was engulfed by a joy so intense that he could hardly stand.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoy2_U3piv_UInwtAvs7E_o_xmF5qhLQIIv-2lEWw4QenkWvEhzEEPwGgLKdPFkWrO3_qQZVafx9zIxXOPz8ttvc7YycS2FhU8cda85MCCHWb9hVre5YJ4KxbTmMMNQyLRPyPWBS78WTDwxqOYWs4OyKPConTYE4MlDB_TvKB8HeaIbXWgjdcFtA8uWKzP/s450/UGrUp-Dudley.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoy2_U3piv_UInwtAvs7E_o_xmF5qhLQIIv-2lEWw4QenkWvEhzEEPwGgLKdPFkWrO3_qQZVafx9zIxXOPz8ttvc7YycS2FhU8cda85MCCHWb9hVre5YJ4KxbTmMMNQyLRPyPWBS78WTDwxqOYWs4OyKPConTYE4MlDB_TvKB8HeaIbXWgjdcFtA8uWKzP/s320/UGrUp-Dudley.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After a brief <i>‘separation’</i> - move over <b>Billy Connolly</b>, sorry - it was inevitable that Rob would eventually return to the love of his (mid-)life (crisis) <b>Dudley Moore</b>, fuelling the flames of passion with his delightful, playful <b>An Audience with...</b> and career high-point <b>Arthur</b> (which he found a bit perplexing and underwhelming) as well as rattling through two further biographies – Rob now has a book to match the number of wives <i>‘cuddly Dudley’</i> had! In spite of his initial trepidation at covering the same ground for a third and fourth time, Rob was soon smitten with the tales of <b>Moore</b>’s (exhausting) early days of performing, composing, acting (and carousing!) seemingly 24/7, the highlights of the footlights….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8q5wGJoSu-osqOiBJyqfXWrZUnWkc4MTrpF7fcMJSLwOf9xLbN-jslkmMt_FW4QHrIDgAdXzIG2ADF8o97TCNEZqdvJgWYc44C4sOjYJnYH-V2XBEQCxHIrbjwuVx9gxcWX9nRlUkiDZSPspix-7_Mx_k86OjV64yUdO2xSuNmo2ApAsKz7U4TbMt8SiO/s629/UGrUp-Bios.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="629" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8q5wGJoSu-osqOiBJyqfXWrZUnWkc4MTrpF7fcMJSLwOf9xLbN-jslkmMt_FW4QHrIDgAdXzIG2ADF8o97TCNEZqdvJgWYc44C4sOjYJnYH-V2XBEQCxHIrbjwuVx9gxcWX9nRlUkiDZSPspix-7_Mx_k86OjV64yUdO2xSuNmo2ApAsKz7U4TbMt8SiO/s320/UGrUp-Bios.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">….then aghast as his later life truly unravelled, the lowlights of the bright lights – it’s as if his roving eye got the ultimate comeuppance in the spiky form of 4th wife <b>Nicole Rothschild </b>who, by all (these) accounts, terrorized and dominated him into a state of fearful anxiety, draining his wallet just when his (fading film) career ought to have been settling into a tranquil musical (final) phase. Not that dear <b>Dudley</b> could help himself – indeed, all he wanted to do was help himself, continually! – ever-chasing a (perpetual sexual) high with the aid of ecstasy and speed (and prostitutes!) while unable to extricate himself from this crushing love-hate relationship….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpkn4HxNp946-IQw5aZP5GD5lTT9nHkChyphenhyphenC0euDmj8QWDbPKQd5k57QmdfAlweYUVJRtcmkEAX9n-78Z0uq7NZWAGJrTBNYRm1Odd5eLikWQPnRKVbqKWi2mCcHHe6dZjXs6KxSrtI5ew0NcscZgE-f6n3ByFnWA6ggNpuG2zugdFbjy0vkB2dTtja7a3d/s450/UGrUp-DudleyDown.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpkn4HxNp946-IQw5aZP5GD5lTT9nHkChyphenhyphenC0euDmj8QWDbPKQd5k57QmdfAlweYUVJRtcmkEAX9n-78Z0uq7NZWAGJrTBNYRm1Odd5eLikWQPnRKVbqKWi2mCcHHe6dZjXs6KxSrtI5ew0NcscZgE-f6n3ByFnWA6ggNpuG2zugdFbjy0vkB2dTtja7a3d/s320/UGrUp-DudleyDown.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rena Fruchter</b>’s book then picks up where <b>Barbara Paskin</b>’s <i>‘authorised biography’</i> ends (on an upbeat-ish note post-<b>Moore</b>’s firing from <b>The Mirror Has Two Faces</b>) to add a very sad and sorry coda, detailing not only the conclusion of the tempestuous <b>Rothschild</b> marriage but also his diagnosis and struggle with <b><a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/progressive-supranuclear-palsy-2860991" target="_blank">PSP</a></b>, a particularly cruel (and incurable) disease that robbed him of his faculties, the most precious being his desire to see out his days in peace playing the piano (making his <b>Dudley</b> and <b>Songs Without Words</b> albums highly recommended listening). Truly heart-breaking stuff….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6g1tVdn6zdjWul1VaL4DXD7h3DESrys8XQg5meVAnL6ExacybkPXcOqsRZ-3cIqV1Nk6Fcm7P5RLHlqlnb5DEd3z0Er92VPPcstwF_NJvLnmv7j5iQRXyrZPPPy1gk9nEsZPNZR_F5fZMrzExcO9NJjftfzYxtP1FLe65A05DvTRp3rRhu24Z4Vm9_mF/s600/UGrUp-EarthX.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6g1tVdn6zdjWul1VaL4DXD7h3DESrys8XQg5meVAnL6ExacybkPXcOqsRZ-3cIqV1Nk6Fcm7P5RLHlqlnb5DEd3z0Er92VPPcstwF_NJvLnmv7j5iQRXyrZPPPy1gk9nEsZPNZR_F5fZMrzExcO9NJjftfzYxtP1FLe65A05DvTRp3rRhu24Z4Vm9_mF/s320/UGrUp-EarthX.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Comics-wise <b>Earth X</b> was 2023's heavy hitter, a dense (or maybe that's just Rob?) tale that manages to sweep the entire<b> MARVEL</b> universe up into a single, epic book. Maybe there's a bit too much <i>Sentinels</i>, <i>Deviants</i>, <i>Celestials</i> and <i>Inhumans</i> action/chat going on, but it's absolutely worth it with (the late)<b> John Paul Leon</b>'s moody and evocative artwork - rarely has such a thorough comic book history lesson looked this damned good!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC-V0QyOpazlzB0zUNUamjF-HD6JmB8HOBy_j38aAhv6tWNSycD5Uf9txhl5Ix6fq7KrxU4C7uKybJ-pXgdQzzoM7ZUoFwvlrFzrdN3lt25MkJTuuNYC5Zg7QhYigVIrawMb7Q9QDkhRTlZCulLYiaMiuy-tIBHpCCLTdTQcxQ3fNvHarXuT4-npdG04L/s592/UGrUp-BlackMirror.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="592" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC-V0QyOpazlzB0zUNUamjF-HD6JmB8HOBy_j38aAhv6tWNSycD5Uf9txhl5Ix6fq7KrxU4C7uKybJ-pXgdQzzoM7ZUoFwvlrFzrdN3lt25MkJTuuNYC5Zg7QhYigVIrawMb7Q9QDkhRTlZCulLYiaMiuy-tIBHpCCLTdTQcxQ3fNvHarXuT4-npdG04L/s320/UGrUp-BlackMirror.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jock's iconic Batcover + Batconspiracy by Frank Quitely</span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Scott Snyder</b>'s intriguing <b>The Black Mirror</b> headed up the <b>Bat</b>-entry in 2023 - it's just a shame that it's great story is beholden to/spoiled by the then <b>DCU</b> continuity - y'know, <b>Batman</b>'s elsewhere/dead, while <b>Nightwing</b> is maskuerading as <b>Batman</b> and <b>Robin</b> is currently<b> Damien</b> (<b>Batman</b>'s son) and all that pointless <b>Batcrap</b> - but again, the wonderful artwork by <b>Francesco Francavilla</b> and some iconic covers by <b>Jock</b> (his interiors are admittedly less interesting) make it worth a bit of a <b>Bat</b>-punt for sure....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36q0Y2p-c-4KHaAl2rYI0GQ5YGpx9_nOYQWqlPeTkHcChHySDhyPB83_lzbShWXsnvy1d7UCPanpq-3lrcyCCJwGQIOwuAmhBddZbf5FFX2w6UhQKs-44PS6sRo56zNS1As1PTA-4EnN_ijyihXGoqgq4b2B54tOhGqRwWL0SF-6bnLvqVU4Es-BiiNM_/s600/UGrUp-Jerzy3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="600" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36q0Y2p-c-4KHaAl2rYI0GQ5YGpx9_nOYQWqlPeTkHcChHySDhyPB83_lzbShWXsnvy1d7UCPanpq-3lrcyCCJwGQIOwuAmhBddZbf5FFX2w6UhQKs-44PS6sRo56zNS1As1PTA-4EnN_ijyihXGoqgq4b2B54tOhGqRwWL0SF-6bnLvqVU4Es-BiiNM_/s320/UGrUp-Jerzy3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And with the publication of the fifth and final volume of <b>Polish</b> underground sensation <b><a href="https://ksiegarniainternetowa.co.uk/wp/jez_jerzy_dziela_zebrane_tom_5-9788367360517" target="_blank">Jez Jerzy</a></b> then the shelf, if not the mammoth task of actually translating and reading, was finally complete....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAWgy2V9Fj24NOU6yvf1J36GGkq-btEE0arwcpLxEVfRccL04ZaQE2L5_HUU733JHMc2ESwry3Qz6t_vZooYEAbbTdvWeJRwdVU4Utu4y6fZRqzmE-awUCFPTuIqmnK6dOcLoyaKFvf2SeHI7lIixDHgOgmbMoWcV0QPdLXf59UbNDU_JcsZs1_DGFIfZ/s600/UGrUp-SOTL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="600" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAWgy2V9Fj24NOU6yvf1J36GGkq-btEE0arwcpLxEVfRccL04ZaQE2L5_HUU733JHMc2ESwry3Qz6t_vZooYEAbbTdvWeJRwdVU4Utu4y6fZRqzmE-awUCFPTuIqmnK6dOcLoyaKFvf2SeHI7lIixDHgOgmbMoWcV0QPdLXf59UbNDU_JcsZs1_DGFIfZ/s320/UGrUp-SOTL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">There were two further heavy, heavy losses on the braw radar this year - as if the truth behind <b><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-66133881" target="_blank">MF DOOM</a></b>'s passing didn't hit hard enough - as <b>Brian McBride</b> of warm wooze wizards <b>Stars of the Lid</b> – their <b>Even If You’re Never Awake</b> and <b>Requiem For Dying Mothers</b> are bona-fide ambient classics, firm Braw favourites – marking a huge loss for (fans of) left-field sonic explorers everywhere….</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mYkLXK3FQpZcINBf-a3LIsSVbvnVonkrQ5lumUniEm1x71pqr3nYlN0cJpMNuZlzAIVujhFSUvcLhAq6juSLf94JOlJMDoOaQBd5NtLbn1pULghiwMS4BmbRyzB_XTZ6uOXRP6TmfS2jnhfRkbbpO6ABefzWj0mjk2Dzni7c-sBHKOvn_jRt7si-v0O6/s450/UGrUp-DameEdna.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mYkLXK3FQpZcINBf-a3LIsSVbvnVonkrQ5lumUniEm1x71pqr3nYlN0cJpMNuZlzAIVujhFSUvcLhAq6juSLf94JOlJMDoOaQBd5NtLbn1pULghiwMS4BmbRyzB_XTZ6uOXRP6TmfS2jnhfRkbbpO6ABefzWj0mjk2Dzni7c-sBHKOvn_jRt7si-v0O6/s320/UGrUp-DameEdna.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">....and, about as polar opposite as you could get, there was the loss of comedian <b>Barry Humphries</b> who chaperoned <b>Dame Edna Everage</b> and <b>Sir Les Patterson</b> to the great stage in the sky, joining contemporaries like <b>Peter Cook</b> and <b>Dudley Moore</b> – <b>Humphries</b> got a start (of sorts) at Cook’s <b><a href="https://www.theoldie.co.uk/blog/establishment-reject-barry-humphries" target="_blank">The Establishment</a></b> club in the 60’s and never looked back – leaving the world a distinctly less jolly place….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOPelVSQE-YPKRvQpxhdFQUBJtyeuVTly_QRaAlwF4BiJiJv30HRxa3VeygpeQ_LXmPASiAHxf7Gij-yQcv3H6FF_m_0-4KrZV0qqTtn_aD_pmUEXlQq4eM8TtElVcee8bRnsG1IKBcpE8LIEUPrTokU3rxEy-JViMjPiMsNRdI0529vE3kc4dym_D31K/s600/UGrUp-Braw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="600" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOPelVSQE-YPKRvQpxhdFQUBJtyeuVTly_QRaAlwF4BiJiJv30HRxa3VeygpeQ_LXmPASiAHxf7Gij-yQcv3H6FF_m_0-4KrZV0qqTtn_aD_pmUEXlQq4eM8TtElVcee8bRnsG1IKBcpE8LIEUPrTokU3rxEy-JViMjPiMsNRdI0529vE3kc4dym_D31K/s320/UGrUp-Braw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">A</span>nd what, dare you ask, of Braw’s 2023, a year that began with much bravado and optimism as regards working on the <b>John Stark</b> comic only to have crumbled entirely in the past month with the passing of <b>John Miller</b>…? Well, you’re looking at the sum total of Rob’s creative output above – those 3 hour work brainstorming sessions have to be good for something, right? As for now finishing <b>John Stark: Secret Agent</b> itself, who can say what the future holds - there's 50 or so pages of strips<i> 'good to go'</i>, but without a definite ending and John's recovered pages of <i>'work in progress'</i> still to be assessed, then….</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60XOuXpUABm_j_3RtzSWCM3zNVtKgnXibFzw1jwvQ1eOIWIK7Z-YSE9SQgg_mlfowimt5LrcgJynjd5JpUyuncAZMwUiR5hmF1PCuLW3e2kNr05ZJLvIu82C54d2JvgkXUDMZ5e1LbviB8gYG-biX4ypueF1ECedWW0NzeRSW_O-JvtTkaL0AJPUuMgCS/s623/UGrUp-Zazie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60XOuXpUABm_j_3RtzSWCM3zNVtKgnXibFzw1jwvQ1eOIWIK7Z-YSE9SQgg_mlfowimt5LrcgJynjd5JpUyuncAZMwUiR5hmF1PCuLW3e2kNr05ZJLvIu82C54d2JvgkXUDMZ5e1LbviB8gYG-biX4ypueF1ECedWW0NzeRSW_O-JvtTkaL0AJPUuMgCS/s320/UGrUp-Zazie.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As usual the year rounds up with Rob trying to pin down (perhaps) the best thing he saw (or heard), the one moment that touches his (lost) soul (when most needed or unexpected) these past 12 months-ish. Could it have been a gnarled looking <b>Matthew McConaughey</b> rolling back the years, simply transforming himself with a loving smile as he held his Grandson(?) in <b>White Boy Rick</b>, or <b>Bill Camp</b>’s surreal tale about flying his plane through a flock of geese in <b>Paul Dano</b>'s <b>Wildlife</b>? Or watching, heart in mouth, as various characters clambered all over the <b>Eiffel Tower</b> with scant regards for (evidently non- existent 1970s’ ) health and safety in the pure sugar rush of <b>Zazia Dans Le Metro</b>? Or maybe it was the welcome return of <b>John Squire</b> to music, (a swaggering <b>Liam Gallagher</b> in tow – ah, you can’t have everything - making them, what, <b>Squallagher</b>, surely?) with the almost coming up <b>Roses</b> but honestly more <b>Seahorses</b>-shaped <b>Just Another Rainbow</b> and<b> Mars To Liverpool</b>. Then there was<b> Catterick</b>, of course, covered last time. For now the winner is <b>BRMC</b>'s <b>Let The Day Begin</b> - the song and the video - which tended to crop up on those late night soul and <b>Youtube</b> searching sessions that we all have from time to time. All Rob can say in a vague attempt to pin it down is that it's simply alive with the world....</div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/mmtQwtcaqLM?si=jUFy8xh12nQokjoa" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Let The Day Begin</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-69724706654048090582024-01-31T12:18:00.000-08:002024-02-18T09:56:07.457-08:00John G. Miller, 1954 - 2024<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgXYWFJItFsc3dBOxaYPpUko80QqvrdRdtjD3U7Wk6yy4a59nUuI9Pcib7eiSdZ9dbnc42RwrMu90dib2ayayfWDAy0c8VmUSxD2kdvQFYK4gaTwBfVfkG0WTFgkehoNyP5FrL7F-VJmkTMzSYoz_TlIF94X0dxgJ1yeT1Y_boXMbzgJzTXauHstnt8KJ/s330/JGM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="330" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgXYWFJItFsc3dBOxaYPpUko80QqvrdRdtjD3U7Wk6yy4a59nUuI9Pcib7eiSdZ9dbnc42RwrMu90dib2ayayfWDAy0c8VmUSxD2kdvQFYK4gaTwBfVfkG0WTFgkehoNyP5FrL7F-VJmkTMzSYoz_TlIF94X0dxgJ1yeT1Y_boXMbzgJzTXauHstnt8KJ/s320/JGM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Devastated at the passing of <b>John Miller</b>. A true original, a great friend and a defiantly underground character dedicated to his unique craft and a love of comics in general. Be rest assured his story is not finished....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/vd6uQYX5wJc?si=b_HuuvA2rQqdD3RO" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vd6uQYX5wJc/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-35242850859062251152024-01-11T07:11:00.001-08:002024-03-03T02:14:29.248-08:00UndergRound Up of the Year, Part 1....<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckZ0mFIaJZCKos9gQb3nUxenozbaZ9VFNSO7Qvq11gJg3K4DzRFQjTLkHxdE8w2FBSWr71MC-VuqWpdodz_FefT4XxfnPVo3gTXkT_-cQeDSDoqDZ9FDt-fMfG5w3MGUgIJWUuXMz3mcvZ-a8BlYJ_HghVhWwOyL4Jshy3YqQvKK7tXT36gAmYDTmd23v/s600/UGrUp%20-%20DylanElectric.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="600" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckZ0mFIaJZCKos9gQb3nUxenozbaZ9VFNSO7Qvq11gJg3K4DzRFQjTLkHxdE8w2FBSWr71MC-VuqWpdodz_FefT4XxfnPVo3gTXkT_-cQeDSDoqDZ9FDt-fMfG5w3MGUgIJWUuXMz3mcvZ-a8BlYJ_HghVhWwOyL4Jshy3YqQvKK7tXT36gAmYDTmd23v/s320/UGrUp%20-%20DylanElectric.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">And so we bid goodbye to 2023, the forward-looking year in which <b>The Beatles</b> topped the singles chart, <b>The Rolling Stones</b> topped the album chart, <b>Doctor Who</b> him/her/itself hit 60 and <b>Agent Rob</b> did a <b>Dylan</b> and went <i>"electric"</i> (er, toothbrush, that is). A year where it was all about UK television, specifically the people on it (or not), the nation yawning its way through lengthy self-perpetuating, self-justifying media stories as if the <b>BBC</b> and <b>ITV</b> were playing a vast, pointless game of tit for, well, tit as <b>Lineker</b>,<b> Schofield</b>, and <b>Edwards</b> dominated the news, while politicians, the absolute lowest of the low, lined up to throw stones from their eternal glass houses, happy that this trite wallpaper covered the cracks and tracks of their underhand dealings in the increasingly brutal and cruel times we (barely) exist in.... All the death and destruction of the wider world is enough to put any trip by <b>Scotrail</b> into perspective.... Still, that didn't stop <b>Rob</b> from trying to have a good time over the past 12 months. So please read on and enjoy the year gone by's pointless <i>'pundown'</i>.... (as 2024's will no doubt be farted out by some AI blogbot).... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixq283sMDrBMbAxWNjOXFz2-8Hwjzg6gRSlRACu-jOfu8OQDH7AbUd8WDHjXgZ3wDlL_yknh1ItzPCXtUwfztQgKsshjvpZmahNiYsAZ95s-6bk5e5EnWDWfyoGdW6nR75FRxAh3Tgvdc_2Az3EA2ksoGcMYO7gDM-NTCtPaumZlNO3CmOfRxtDshslG0L/s691/UGrUp%20-%20Indy5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixq283sMDrBMbAxWNjOXFz2-8Hwjzg6gRSlRACu-jOfu8OQDH7AbUd8WDHjXgZ3wDlL_yknh1ItzPCXtUwfztQgKsshjvpZmahNiYsAZ95s-6bk5e5EnWDWfyoGdW6nR75FRxAh3Tgvdc_2Az3EA2ksoGcMYO7gDM-NTCtPaumZlNO3CmOfRxtDshslG0L/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Indy5.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Dun da dun dun! Now, did <b>Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny</b> deliver or was <b>Ford</b> phoning it in for the fifth installment of the archaeological franchise...? Hmm, it's hard to say if it was either relevant or relic (or what actual audience it hoped to capture). The de-aged ex-tended intro, sticking to the later <b>The Last Crusade</b>/<b>The Kingdom of Skulls</b> - see that whole film just an edit/draft away from hitting the spot - formula, looked exceptional for the most part. Only occasionally did it dip into <b>Spielberg</b>'s <b>Tintin</b>-esque uncanny valley, though the action itself, conducted in that bluey fake CG darkness never quite hit the spot - watching <b>Tom Cruise</b> being a right stunt in the <b>Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning</b> trailer beforehand just highlighted how hard a sell imaginary action is on the big screen. Then, of course, choosing time travel is about as iffy a concept as big brained aliens - you could imagine if they'd walked through a portal at the end other than (snip - no spoilers!) it would have shaved about $150 million off the bloated budget. Still, <b>Ford</b> put in a typically grizzled shift as the ageing archaeologist - <b>Rob</b> had genuine fears after his decidedly wobbly turn in <b>The Risible of Skywalker</b> - the visual and character call-backs were reasonably well handled, even if it all had a sense of being a bit lifeless and humourless (in spite of <b>Fleabag</b> playing, er, <b>Fleabag</b>). But, hey, just imagine if <b>JJ</b> had got his horrible fanboy mitts on it. Every cloud.... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-N9cXDAAxj9KAChgCzXgGf0xMnM7pSqYcEY_BDWreQYLcbFQFae0uAKLVC2zk32Po836mlqJ8wrx78jHF66EorsWU7b76STBUMURbV6Zmk78-U2ZDQop623e9qhz4Vmah0yOyZ-RSQgiqChhp9a3zwUXAJrxl-TiTgHrxPnump6v9tDC-d5qX8nbNjLF/s643/UGrUp%20-%20Turtles.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-N9cXDAAxj9KAChgCzXgGf0xMnM7pSqYcEY_BDWreQYLcbFQFae0uAKLVC2zk32Po836mlqJ8wrx78jHF66EorsWU7b76STBUMURbV6Zmk78-U2ZDQop623e9qhz4Vmah0yOyZ-RSQgiqChhp9a3zwUXAJrxl-TiTgHrxPnump6v9tDC-d5qX8nbNjLF/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Turtles.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">If it was zip and zing and and bang and whizz and pop you were after then (in another evergreen franchise that never seems to die) there was the sheer visual fizz of <b>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem</b>, which genuinely burst off the screen in a explosion of kinetic animation (thanks in part to a fellow <b><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-66533036" target="_blank">Scot</a></b>). Then again, like self-proclaimed <i>"permanent teenager"</i> <b>Seth Rogan</b>, as a watch it was a likeable and passable enough without actually being remotely funny....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/XJMuhwVlca4?si=B7e_DeStEVGql68_" width="480"></iframe></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Who isn't looking forward to this lady roaring into mad multiplexes in May 2024? Though admittedly the trailer looks nothing special.... But in <b>George</b> (the other one!) we trust (to bring his A-game to big budget B-movie thrills)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbX3IjUe43McMZGOj1iZpQf4KsV6lY3HPDBJAiCKWgLCnD7QkwvPATd1WJw4OXn9pmoCr60veTJj9NXGGIBmN7KWZVpgzA2P1PSjIcLNmd1dB-10o30En3IfsWEOt9N9fFwq8SXlGoMKpKzJvqjGjqkw7UszevGgpYhRZbsgdppF1A7rs8PV2oCOaJ47KI/s676/UGRup-DieLA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbX3IjUe43McMZGOj1iZpQf4KsV6lY3HPDBJAiCKWgLCnD7QkwvPATd1WJw4OXn9pmoCr60veTJj9NXGGIBmN7KWZVpgzA2P1PSjIcLNmd1dB-10o30En3IfsWEOt9N9fFwq8SXlGoMKpKzJvqjGjqkw7UszevGgpYhRZbsgdppF1A7rs8PV2oCOaJ47KI/s320/UGRup-DieLA.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It was a quieter year for films on the big small screen this year, though <b><a href="https://www.channel4.com/now/F4" target="_blank">Film Four</a></b> still managed a select crop of their usual mix of world and indie cinema, screening the likable likes of <b>Mandy</b>, <b>The Lighthouse</b>, <b>White Boy Rick</b>, <b>Beyond The Infinite 2 Minutes</b>, <b>To Live and Die in LA</b>, <b>Bombshell</b>, <b>Special Delivery </b>and <b>Anais In Love</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQu7c9TpDjVlhmOGv7QjwI8LqZsstlzcF4oLhh3BgLox28ImZtOWxBIfIKrzAceub9MK3TZx13dKnnlYg3hBs-PsPh78Q-63HbQSOeNGlLHkfNZ1cPC9XPx2-hFRAH9jegfjUCvqu_tfmWKmAkWak7zvLufDedQUlhE0rSrF2cIkNp1Wk5P2hTHnLJB6v/s679/UGRup-CiscoPike.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQu7c9TpDjVlhmOGv7QjwI8LqZsstlzcF4oLhh3BgLox28ImZtOWxBIfIKrzAceub9MK3TZx13dKnnlYg3hBs-PsPh78Q-63HbQSOeNGlLHkfNZ1cPC9XPx2-hFRAH9jegfjUCvqu_tfmWKmAkWak7zvLufDedQUlhE0rSrF2cIkNp1Wk5P2hTHnLJB6v/s320/UGRup-CiscoPike.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Elsewhere it was much the same, <b><a href="https://talkingpicturestv.co.uk/" target="_blank">Talking Pictures TV</a></b> having a yield somewhat on the grainier side too, but still they stuck to their favoured formula of the culty, the curio and the kinda crappy with <b>She</b>, <b>Vanishing Point</b>, <b>Death Race 2000</b>, <b>The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires</b>, <b>Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry</b>, <b>Cisko Pike </b>and <b>The Knack and How To Get It</b>.... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-Kwc7ynG5-7RQPe-bwExegV4FkOoSxsWls_A9bxWc6eaw2J5CT4hsQtedb1qwtO9lmypXtFtGbVhJUCEZiZ42hyphenhyphen8DKOITv6sssVTrv_LiszsgKtCdmvOI18dFV5F2fU7YKtmVnGXyrv4uP8ZUsXCgrJ3PPw3Jjj_UIa3lqZDC-_IVYv_VJtNpxEyM1U7/s600/UGRup-WildMen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-Kwc7ynG5-7RQPe-bwExegV4FkOoSxsWls_A9bxWc6eaw2J5CT4hsQtedb1qwtO9lmypXtFtGbVhJUCEZiZ42hyphenhyphen8DKOITv6sssVTrv_LiszsgKtCdmvOI18dFV5F2fU7YKtmVnGXyrv4uP8ZUsXCgrJ3PPw3Jjj_UIa3lqZDC-_IVYv_VJtNpxEyM1U7/s320/UGRup-WildMen.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Other than that <b><a href="https://www.freeview.co.uk/freeview-play" target="_blank">Freeview</a></b> was able to scrape together such treats as <b>M.A.S.H.</b>, <b>Wild Men</b>, <b>Horror Express</b>, <b>Master Cheng</b>, <b>Halloween</b>, <b>I Think We're Alone Now</b> and <b>Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCndeqvWClXzT5zJ7JCIJK3lQ4E4zQQlKexJDseys6Nadrrj3HQO5I6-PtCMzx18LwXcKNu1N6CSFUQVRJUuraY0tauwNFJeV6QFjLZznZVYpvUxkuUVxtaZsC8EuYZatGg9lVCzzUmYLdErx07xml5jIooN-FDS4M4FWl0XCmEVoOXVmpql-2zf9-fBW/s450/UGrUp%20-%20Missing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCndeqvWClXzT5zJ7JCIJK3lQ4E4zQQlKexJDseys6Nadrrj3HQO5I6-PtCMzx18LwXcKNu1N6CSFUQVRJUuraY0tauwNFJeV6QFjLZznZVYpvUxkuUVxtaZsC8EuYZatGg9lVCzzUmYLdErx07xml5jIooN-FDS4M4FWl0XCmEVoOXVmpql-2zf9-fBW/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Missing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As ever, that <b>Glasgow</b> city centre stalwart <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/missingrecordsglasgow/" target="_blank">Missing Records</a></b> - a twice a week saviour from the dull, decidedly dead ends of Rob's work - provided a plentiful, ever-shifting stock landscape absolutely ideal for periodical<i> 'pocket money'</i> purchases (helped a huge amount by their <b>Black Friday</b>-esque half price DVD/Blu-ray fest around mid-November)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4gU7iIdtyeXd90Jfjp1DvrASyYh3INKrepCScPL8l8ldBF3pEM5e5XnpHTv_sKbtlaEiXvM0Xhyphenhyphengs5k8wFNP0CB4Bh4qV0DVS3PPmYHp4WCDid6fT_duTnl0Rb2yfQxITFOfpISGOXV-2kmtBYYDcsh6LrSgCoFFFFA1GRvpYOUS7gT2bXvVQh-rfHLF/s600/UGRup-Babettes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4gU7iIdtyeXd90Jfjp1DvrASyYh3INKrepCScPL8l8ldBF3pEM5e5XnpHTv_sKbtlaEiXvM0Xhyphenhyphengs5k8wFNP0CB4Bh4qV0DVS3PPmYHp4WCDid6fT_duTnl0Rb2yfQxITFOfpISGOXV-2kmtBYYDcsh6LrSgCoFFFFA1GRvpYOUS7gT2bXvVQh-rfHLF/s320/UGRup-Babettes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And, gee, did their 50p each for <i>'3 for £1'</i> DVD (and occasional Blu-ray!) deliver - it's just a case of diligently sifting through the dingy piles of <b>Danny Dyers</b> and <b>Daniel Craig Bonds </b>in search of those surprise punts - this year offering up such bargain hunts as the weird and wonderful likes of <b>Babette's Feast</b>, <b>Day Watch</b>, <b>Night Watch</b>, <b>Tron: Legacy</b>, <b>Gridlock'd</b>,<b> Rudo and Cursi</b>, <b>The Streetfighter</b>, <b>Flash Gordon</b>, <b>Close Encounters</b>, <b>Richard Pryor</b>, <b>Lowdown</b>, <b>Planet of the Apes</b> (Blu-ray!) <b>Christopher Nolan</b>'s <b>Batman</b> trilogy (Blu-ray a quid!) and <b>Star Wars: The Last Jedi</b> (admittedly at 33p on Blu-ray still far too expensive)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTqFYpFq6ypFeyUji6RbuuDtEVFN_U-5hK9zhmr0apXNure-m8A-2xFQI1NLvWSdyPHoQVNTQJbZ2ctPgqPI2j245j03gi4ULf183_DBPaCbgpSP-aLrbCV06qiZgtgKaYSZlslpFoGUsI2iDYs7GLHR_cn2VkzyaF1yHKPKDheR7fjqQlyKXQadBCo1l/s637/UGRup-OnceWest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTqFYpFq6ypFeyUji6RbuuDtEVFN_U-5hK9zhmr0apXNure-m8A-2xFQI1NLvWSdyPHoQVNTQJbZ2ctPgqPI2j245j03gi4ULf183_DBPaCbgpSP-aLrbCV06qiZgtgKaYSZlslpFoGUsI2iDYs7GLHR_cn2VkzyaF1yHKPKDheR7fjqQlyKXQadBCo1l/s320/UGRup-OnceWest.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Again, now that the humble DVD has tumbled so much in (resale) value across the board - we're talking 2 for £1, 50p or 3 for £1, 50p or 4 for £1 and, on one startling, if impossible occasion, a whopping 10 for £1! - then charity shopping*, that diligent search for the 1 or 2 or 3 (or often a great 2 and one that'll do) diamonds in the second tier <b>MARVEL</b>, <b>Transformers</b>, <b>Star Wars PT</b>, <b>Bruce Willis</b>, <b>Nic Cage</b> , <b>John Bishop</b>, <b>Michael McIntyre</b> and romcom rough also kept <b>Rob</b> busy in 2023....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*After which you either just trade them in or donate again and, voila, the non-degradable circle is complete....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDSEclMgJM3DkxqMEHU2_JXZBHV_VPqahHsVHGMpqrSZwN5vdEG9TPHtcW3Im_Xzp0rOnsr8vTsfqqR2pgONaM9uVGho2jJiKXeEED4rIIKTznWdPPWN3AiNtDQKQhmM7mDRnXjBhHhDU2XzaDOb4rfYH_hCP0kn5qHSBqjRWgCL-EfPaVgnrVTTtqhOV/s614/UGrUp-NotAWitch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDSEclMgJM3DkxqMEHU2_JXZBHV_VPqahHsVHGMpqrSZwN5vdEG9TPHtcW3Im_Xzp0rOnsr8vTsfqqR2pgONaM9uVGho2jJiKXeEED4rIIKTznWdPPWN3AiNtDQKQhmM7mDRnXjBhHhDU2XzaDOb4rfYH_hCP0kn5qHSBqjRWgCL-EfPaVgnrVTTtqhOV/s320/UGrUp-NotAWitch.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">....offering up such random rarities as <b>Joe </b>(<i>good</i> <b>Nic Cage</b>, ahem),<b> I Am Not A Witch</b> (Blu-Ray, still sealed!), <b>Win-Win</b>, <b>Theeb</b>, <b>13 Assassins</b>,<b> Storytelling</b>, <b>Hallam Foe</b>, <b>Festen</b>, <b>Dracula AD1972</b>, <b>Iron Monkey</b>,<b> Jin-Roh</b>, <b>The Measure of A Man</b>, <b>Weiner Dog</b>, <b>The Beat That My Heart Skipped</b>,<b> The Girl Who Leapt Through Time</b>, <b>Once Upon a Time in The West</b>, <b>Zazi Dans Le Metro</b>, <b>Cape Fear </b>(1962), <b>Allegro</b> and <b>Waiting For Guffman</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEhkxJG4lfupdvbRfYthAjOpuvfFjiAzrIZ5-NDhGumTlxGsS06p_YbahZpiBOjuqcag147KuwnMqz1-3tTv5APaUiyYRYGmvIZb60a5hsOWDXKZVwZ8H67lS6gUwpJR_okzmXO8ci3jWs0DXKqyKD3Fma6ZdBnkst3pMlXhza6iuogV8E5g6YZX2fiki/s668/UGRup-AdamsApples.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEhkxJG4lfupdvbRfYthAjOpuvfFjiAzrIZ5-NDhGumTlxGsS06p_YbahZpiBOjuqcag147KuwnMqz1-3tTv5APaUiyYRYGmvIZb60a5hsOWDXKZVwZ8H67lS6gUwpJR_okzmXO8ci3jWs0DXKqyKD3Fma6ZdBnkst3pMlXhza6iuogV8E5g6YZX2fiki/s320/UGRup-AdamsApples.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And, as ever, for those slightly harder to source oddities - as in the excellent <b>Adam's Apples</b> or ace anime <b><a href="https://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2019/03/manga-manga-on-wall-who-is-greatest-of.html" target="_blank">Wings of Honneamise</a></b> - there's always <a href="https://www.ebay.co.uk/" target="_blank"><b>eBay</b></a> or <b><a href="https://www.musicmagpie.co.uk/store" target="_blank">Music Magpie</a> </b>on hand, those old chestnuts (for to buy other folk's old chestnuts)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLimxoA-HtWXBawSj7gxQVnJAhRO_vEM5p_de4FmdnG3D45ibWh25aGg6MqrL7h3yA0G5V03wTFBkUDoWbNfBAOA2mE-M10ZNWo589SwmiI2NOx2PaL2fKypIw840MN2KEowEG-xv2Ssuk9K67EwaxhGUzwl4e8WWA2uXmbnkDYzh9jCePLMX6p5pD7zG/s626/UGRup-SilentFlute.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLimxoA-HtWXBawSj7gxQVnJAhRO_vEM5p_de4FmdnG3D45ibWh25aGg6MqrL7h3yA0G5V03wTFBkUDoWbNfBAOA2mE-M10ZNWo589SwmiI2NOx2PaL2fKypIw840MN2KEowEG-xv2Ssuk9K67EwaxhGUzwl4e8WWA2uXmbnkDYzh9jCePLMX6p5pD7zG/s320/UGRup-SilentFlute.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Of course, it's not always a case that those diamonds in the rough turn out to truly shine, as can certainly be said for such DVD duds as <b>The Wild Bunch</b>, <b>The Super</b>, <b>Tony Takitani</b>, <b>The Silent Flute</b>, <b>Let The Sunshine In</b> and <b>Quentin Tarantino</b>'s woeful<i> Wild West</i> stinker <b>The Hateful Eight</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-f8ngFqQMz1qHifpqR0yc-jrKIX6XkSMdsEWu9htvzd2yebTBkRGCz6tZbsOah5BidnZg9GsGYGdURDdQtxL3wHyydzg4SugO9VgPJDbQroJaS76lZwIL9AIf83edmFN_btV2MSRdeopno2yo2UaeB53-sR5XCjNolhUSqL6H5KkOAyimZBw2hgDOATBG/s600/UGrUp%20-%20Doc60a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="600" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-f8ngFqQMz1qHifpqR0yc-jrKIX6XkSMdsEWu9htvzd2yebTBkRGCz6tZbsOah5BidnZg9GsGYGdURDdQtxL3wHyydzg4SugO9VgPJDbQroJaS76lZwIL9AIf83edmFN_btV2MSRdeopno2yo2UaeB53-sR5XCjNolhUSqL6H5KkOAyimZBw2hgDOATBG/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Doc60a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And so television-wise <b>Doctor Who</b> returned for its much trumpeted (by the BBC!) 60th birthday with <b>NuWho</b> saviour <b>Russell T. Davies</b> back in the producer's hot seat in the hope of steering the <b>TARDIS</b> back into a more popular space. Strangely<b> </b>Rob always thought that the <i>'T'</i> stood for <i>'Teatime'</i>, but, after an initial spike of excitement at seeing the first episode was based on a <b>Mills</b>/<b>Gibbons</b> 80's comic - a nice nod to an often overlooked <i>Who Avenue</i> (or an indication things are running out of steam?) - it seems this <i>'T'</i> might actually stand for <i>'Troll'</i>.... You could practically hear the <b>Cloister Bell</b> sounding on <i>'Woketor Who'</i> forums across the globe* as the <b>Tennant</b>/<b>Tate</b> love-in commenced with <b>The Star Beast</b>. Unfortunately Rob's immune to their supposed twin charms, sorry, with <b>Tennant </b>looking like the oldest man at a <b>Tintin </b>convention while <b>Tate</b> barks out her lines with a curious lack of, well, anything....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*although they were too likely gnashing their (false) teeth over <b>The Daleks In Colour</b> (see below) to notice....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWzgLRjM91I3S2TI4ZezSXk6rD47gyLkf5TbchpGiQUHFBA2g8qZJVM_eZcQFYszlUTBfCMJVr-0KgPaVZpSkRlxx9b8QMI8sVvSna3SB5O2g7fXsBuCphUF2Me0xM-qbEvGDoJEshY8UFfUVkd4LgeZotYmLPPbkLywg_aYUQfNbSQkfEQ-gkaBy0Xqk/s900/UGrUp%20-%20Doc60b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="900" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWzgLRjM91I3S2TI4ZezSXk6rD47gyLkf5TbchpGiQUHFBA2g8qZJVM_eZcQFYszlUTBfCMJVr-0KgPaVZpSkRlxx9b8QMI8sVvSna3SB5O2g7fXsBuCphUF2Me0xM-qbEvGDoJEshY8UFfUVkd4LgeZotYmLPPbkLywg_aYUQfNbSQkfEQ-gkaBy0Xqk/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Doc60b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On the other hand <b>Wild Blue Yonder</b> smothered its inventive story in ghastly emoting - initially <b>NuWho</b> added a pleasing emotional dimension that soon slipped into endless sloppy sentimentality, the terrible <i>'Titanic in space'</i> Xmas episode being Rob's nadir, and it's dogged <b>David Tennant</b>'s drippy <b>Doctor</b> ever since - and a splurge of <b>Di$ney </b>dollars, evidently in the belief that <i>'more is more'</i> (it isn't, far from it). At least <b>The Giggle</b> didn't have Rob wishing it would end after 45 minutes, but again the bloated <i>'look what we can do'</i> budget - <b>UNIT</b> now have a nice shiny <b>Avengers</b>-esque HQ in central London - and shouty emoting edged out (or, in <b>Tate'</b>s case, shouted down) a potentially interesting story.... that involved the Doctor undergoing a bi-regeneration (geddit?!) presumably so <b>Tennant</b> has an excuse to spin-off behind a <b>Di$ney</b> paywall with <b>Tate</b> - surely a fate worse than regeneration?! - and new <b>Doctor Ncuti Gatwa</b> has a chance to run around in his Y-fronts for 20 minutes. Still, for a(n understated) 60th bash it didn't overly pollute back into <b>'classic' Who</b>, <b>RTD</b> keeping it very much (his own) <b>NuWho</b> centric with a restraint that can only be applauded....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcKszCc165QLyAN9E_nnrBAqRuezSqLCVgR4phTrSaGlZFu8UjgoV9Rhn4UKw0H6tDJu5jqDnOCFO8PO_ruORNK0pNcZCSsE-JSHfMksC5hrFhTui9G4ZCBPUaBk6Nr8k7U2VBlhRZkN6U6gtA_o-la7YPVmSgvetR2FnedAEhv5h3thXZVLzCUSu-lGo/s562/UGrUp-Doctor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcKszCc165QLyAN9E_nnrBAqRuezSqLCVgR4phTrSaGlZFu8UjgoV9Rhn4UKw0H6tDJu5jqDnOCFO8PO_ruORNK0pNcZCSsE-JSHfMksC5hrFhTui9G4ZCBPUaBk6Nr8k7U2VBlhRZkN6U6gtA_o-la7YPVmSgvetR2FnedAEhv5h3thXZVLzCUSu-lGo/s320/UGrUp-Doctor.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Amazingly <b>The Church of Ruby Sunday</b> was a much more consistent and (reasonably) enjoyable viewing (shorn as it was of the <b>RTD</b> baggage being tied up in the previous 3 episodes). Even if the story was middling twaddle it cracked along at a fair pace with <b>Ncuti Gatwa</b>'s shape-shifting <b>Doctor - </b>dare Rob say <i>'fluid'</i>?<b> - </b>cutting a suitably <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067741/" target="_blank">Shaft</a></b>-esque figure (and thankfully not quite encapsulating the <i>'Captain Jack turned up to 11'</i> Rob was anticipating/fearing from RTD). At one point <b>Rob'</b>s pretty sure there's a <i>'was that the dinner bell</i>?' call back to <b>Colin Baker</b>'s incarnation. Though it has to be said that statements like, <i>"I spent a long, hot summer with Harry Houdini” </i>are obviously as intentionally loaded as they come, ahem, all delivered in <b>Gatwa</b>'s strange (and variable) blend of broad Scots and gentle purr, while new companion<b> Ruby Sunday</b> settled into her obvious post-<b>Rose</b>/<b>Clara</b> cute boots well enough from the off. The proof will be in the pudding come May....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0_KTiarDYPndw2t5Re347f3HoFSwMNS7lNnqFMjitPVf7DdCR2GC7OpWevAtCI3Usz_K9glEcG2vCJ32A7ttgMfnpXNeL4oIWFSWZsh1g0SdZgRpD1XqSK7nEoSVEq87Kxk6e14tAYjuSP5E7K281erlNpIAlqkAMP-Uo77uFbuRx7XACkYmDyoEkxTV/s450/UGrUp%20-%20Daleks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="450" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0_KTiarDYPndw2t5Re347f3HoFSwMNS7lNnqFMjitPVf7DdCR2GC7OpWevAtCI3Usz_K9glEcG2vCJ32A7ttgMfnpXNeL4oIWFSWZsh1g0SdZgRpD1XqSK7nEoSVEq87Kxk6e14tAYjuSP5E7K281erlNpIAlqkAMP-Uo77uFbuRx7XACkYmDyoEkxTV/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Daleks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">In terms of a genuine <b>Timelord </b>birthday treat there was <b>'The Daleks In Colour'</b> on BBC4 - or, if you want to stick to the modern naming trend, how about <b>'The Colourisation of The Daleks'</b>?, a 75 minute show that slimmed down and polished up in zinging colour the original classic(-ish) <b>William Hartnell</b> adventure (in time and space) that, well, started it all.... Not that it was perfect by any means, the merciless truncating of the story leading to a few <i>'huh?'</i> moments (but <b>Barbara</b> putting her hand on the camera lens - one of Rob's all time fave tv moments - survived), while the new soundtrack seemed to be suitably, ambient, gloomy and perky as required - thankfully they kept another fave, the ominous<i> 'dong!'</i> that welcomed the <b>Dalek City</b> too. So not, given the muted response online, <b>'The Decimation of The Daleks'</b> by any means, but instead something truly<i> 'special' </i>to be unwrapped for Who's 60th, the icing on the top of this particular cake being the end montage of the earliest era - yum!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIWgpTvbCefepwUPstrF0A9P0RsmHNRgxPlaF9ZVJAyi4Ni1vkmR-mgiZgVzySTdD5rkFS2tcRdio9-GsBs2i-zwnGi2qEqnuFcX7-pq1mRcP37aF6AHfOL0Cj6wQFGv334OljsgfN_qxNzW0VIOH8dtGidph-Rysx2uMR3hZFeGC0531z_VUTGL0fLpK/s600/UGrUp-ClassicWho.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIWgpTvbCefepwUPstrF0A9P0RsmHNRgxPlaF9ZVJAyi4Ni1vkmR-mgiZgVzySTdD5rkFS2tcRdio9-GsBs2i-zwnGi2qEqnuFcX7-pq1mRcP37aF6AHfOL0Cj6wQFGv334OljsgfN_qxNzW0VIOH8dtGidph-Rysx2uMR3hZFeGC0531z_VUTGL0fLpK/s320/UGrUp-ClassicWho.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The cake itself, of course, is the fact that the entire 'classic' era has arrived on iPlayer <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0ggwr8l/doctor-who-19631996" style="text-align: left;"><b>BBC iPlayer - Doctor Who (1963–1996)</b></a> - a slice big enough for everyone! Tuck in!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqkMWm3k5sheGaNDUZX3pqfZnbq8iwfsBqgFE-LwFQYjAWqAYMSaVoaPGrdfUOTdXX1jDf0KkGxbkY79puywCClMpcpzkFRsNX3qTgrGD6mQ92NnODJJxhp6J6fN0sTiFs89OTNwS-UbhPUitt8-uV0lAHgvgoX5Kw26DYpG6lfmPU9C0HYlfvTq4b10T/s563/UGrUp%20-%20SapphireSteel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqkMWm3k5sheGaNDUZX3pqfZnbq8iwfsBqgFE-LwFQYjAWqAYMSaVoaPGrdfUOTdXX1jDf0KkGxbkY79puywCClMpcpzkFRsNX3qTgrGD6mQ92NnODJJxhp6J6fN0sTiFs89OTNwS-UbhPUitt8-uV0lAHgvgoX5Kw26DYpG6lfmPU9C0HYlfvTq4b10T/s320/UGrUp%20-%20SapphireSteel.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Sticking with talk of the ever-ticking time travel theme, 2023 started with finishing <b>Sapphire and Steel</b>, Rob impressed by <b>David McCallum</b>'s (RIP) icy cold turn and <b>Joanna Lumley</b>'s warm, plummy performance. Clocking in at a mere 34 (30 minute) episodes - making it akin to <b>The Prisoner</b>'s 17 hours of locked up lunacy - the show succeeds on the strength of its (budget curtailed) claustrophobic settings, 1 per each of the 6 "assignments", and its small but uniformly excellent supporting casts - <b>Steven O'Shea</b>, <b>Gerald James</b>, <b>Val Pringle</b> (as <b>Lead</b>), <b>David Collings</b> (as <b>Silver</b>) and <b>Edward De Souza</b> and <b>Christopher Fairbank</b> (as <b>Transient Beings</b>) all merit a mention. Such a shame then that it concludes with the chilling menace of the Transients (only really beginning to suggest what further, deeper assignments may have been in store). Highly recommended viewing....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">(One can only imagine how great mid-80's <b>Doctor Who</b> could have been had <b>McCallum</b> swiped the <b>TARDIS</b> keys from <b>Colin Baker</b> and fellow Scot S<b>ylvester McCoy</b> and delivered a similarly steely stint. Indeed, but for <b>Mary Tamm</b>'s posh performance as <b>Romana</b>, the delightful<b> Ms. Lumley</b> - as was mooted around the time - could have given the pre-<b>Whittaker </b>Timelord a deliciously graceful tongue in cheek regeneration.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvdmWpL9fcg4NTYUz9ILgcBUYrHCVDoc1jt4Ru3knkTbhlycoakbfCbCgm6O0F10Kve8Ck7ED1TDfZAK_iKSqBr4reYAdD1u18VMJp_4LrGYk6qT5HjRCDejphSGGYRE7wJR3l2GMBOCmKP4-4F4tlWK5HDhROfTfMuvopE6BJvxxFeX_miDRs5xf-8GW/s477/UGrUp%20-%20Lovecraft.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvdmWpL9fcg4NTYUz9ILgcBUYrHCVDoc1jt4Ru3knkTbhlycoakbfCbCgm6O0F10Kve8Ck7ED1TDfZAK_iKSqBr4reYAdD1u18VMJp_4LrGYk6qT5HjRCDejphSGGYRE7wJR3l2GMBOCmKP4-4F4tlWK5HDhROfTfMuvopE6BJvxxFeX_miDRs5xf-8GW/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Lovecraft.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Kicking off with a trip into <b>HBO</b>'s <b>Lovecraft Country</b> - once cancelled and now cancelled again along with star <b><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67726767" target="_blank">Jonathan Majors</a></b> - a show that somehow ended up less than the sum of its stitched together parts - is it a horror, is it sci-fi, social commentary, history lesson, all of the above? That's not to say it wasn't sporadically great - the <b>Jig-a-Bobo</b> episode certainly brought the scares - but some of the overarching themes were surplus to requirements and Rob felt that often the core character drama - which ought to have been hard-hitting - was undermined by the fantastical events surrounding and thereby distracting from it. At it's best it evokes the similar <b>WATCHMEN</b> but is unable to be consistently enough batsh*t crazy to go toe-to-toe or, indeed, tentacle-to-tentacle with that show....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsptzC5WsMyeHRx-Eqqm_Vk1lgA3TQTCB1-UbF5WrgQs-ttib8DdzMrkNi9s6nKKG-y_c08KYHykJ4sasGODDQz_TKQV7DlUzDTpRp8MYW4kYwQasQC3kgksQO347g4XQaYzkliTL1rGuZpOiROisXHcW2lIq1wFOltuAMpoWwwHbpBj99xwgj0i5Q0RoJ/s633/UGrUp%20-%20Dexter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsptzC5WsMyeHRx-Eqqm_Vk1lgA3TQTCB1-UbF5WrgQs-ttib8DdzMrkNi9s6nKKG-y_c08KYHykJ4sasGODDQz_TKQV7DlUzDTpRp8MYW4kYwQasQC3kgksQO347g4XQaYzkliTL1rGuZpOiROisXHcW2lIq1wFOltuAMpoWwwHbpBj99xwgj0i5Q0RoJ/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Dexter.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Showtime's <b>Dexter: New Blood</b> was certainly a pleasant televisual surprise, picking up as it did 10 years after the original half great/half ropey 8 seasons had (unsatisfactorily?) concluded. Indeed, for all its plot hole hokey dokeyness there was something immensely enjoyable (about, er, rooting for a serial killer...?) and curiously addictive about this bloody good series as a whole. Certainly it was far better than it had any right to be (especially when compared to an attempted rewatch of the hyperbad series 8 that didn't even last a single episode)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2Oh8_Nq-yfdbDHVj3aANeO8Q325TjE18xZQzV1onlQhMIfnPUvPq8RvWW0C2RckMQmhe-VTuK1b2fjRF5jUdPJZl157a7xEDu068VToNN1hCbnchCk6oPuCXWfenB-7BFr1Mz5fs9oFBMnrLFdc781PTF3EJe2bUTICBpPwco-qaXGj4mPEvIVRko-lu/s1080/UGrUp%20-%20Fortitude.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2Oh8_Nq-yfdbDHVj3aANeO8Q325TjE18xZQzV1onlQhMIfnPUvPq8RvWW0C2RckMQmhe-VTuK1b2fjRF5jUdPJZl157a7xEDu068VToNN1hCbnchCk6oPuCXWfenB-7BFr1Mz5fs9oFBMnrLFdc781PTF3EJe2bUTICBpPwco-qaXGj4mPEvIVRko-lu/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Fortitude.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Other TV shows aiming for if not hitting the spot every time included HBO's darkly funny <b>Succession</b>, their hit show about avoiding a corporate sh*tshow as ailing media mogul <b>Brian Cox</b> tried to control his self-centred sons and daughter as they wrestle for control of his self-made empire - horrible people doing horrible things! Then there was <b>Glenn Close</b> chewing up the scenery without mercy in <b>FOX</b>'s dodgy legal drama <b>Damages</b> - which it was, being subject to the law of diminishing returns after 2 great opening seasons - and <b>SKY</b>'s <b>Fortitude</b>, their fine foray into <b>Twin Peaks</b>-esque territory (though the ambience was decidedly chilly as opposed to warm)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFdpJaE1ntjbHVeKLwJ24WLDMqi-ctAK6vi4jMdPZFZ8iFlmvf-kD4GpnDcM5KTSyy5dIK8gbzRjK-BuT2p6kKDlbFJjhDPq2YyEX6KSAfc5cFoTt5tqSmDh8IPSZd5BOVuANvtOmsV2Dywu_lGAIAS3fScwz3W8CWa710XMHptYBOCzKCF7XDPkzJM_X/s675/UGrUp-Chernobyl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFdpJaE1ntjbHVeKLwJ24WLDMqi-ctAK6vi4jMdPZFZ8iFlmvf-kD4GpnDcM5KTSyy5dIK8gbzRjK-BuT2p6kKDlbFJjhDPq2YyEX6KSAfc5cFoTt5tqSmDh8IPSZd5BOVuANvtOmsV2Dywu_lGAIAS3fScwz3W8CWa710XMHptYBOCzKCF7XDPkzJM_X/s320/UGrUp-Chernobyl.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">....the brutal gut-punch of <b>SKY</b>/<b>HBO</b>'s truly chilling <b>Chernobyl</b>*, the genuine <i>'cost of living'</i> crisis in the shape of <b>HBO</b>'s superb, stately <b>Band of Brothers</b> and <b>The Pacific</b>,<b> </b>the tense home turf defense drama of <b>FOX's </b>war and terrorist <b>Homeland </b>and the <b>BBC</b> coming good not once, but twice, with the frazzled revenge Western of <b>The English</b> and the outback twist and turns of <b>The Tourist</b>**. Showtime scored another late winner with the first season of <b>Yellowjackets</b>, their feisty female footballers survivalist/survivors drama, although a killer but frustrating twist towards the end was almost an own goal - but Rob supposes that's the best telly doing its job, innit, if it provokes enough that you can't stop thinking/talking about it....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*proof indeed that everyone in a position of power knows absolutely nothing about anything, their only point being to make ill-educated and irreversible decisions on everything....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">**Spoiler/spoiled alert! The second season just premiered and already it's a total stylistic bomb a la <b>Killing Eve</b>'s fall from grace, paper thin characters spewing witless one-liners in a pointless morass of seen it all before violence. That it's been unceremoniously dumped on <b>iPlayer </b>in its entirety is a sure sign it's a post-Xmas turkey....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAlVCCN5Z5p9MVBa9YiTMg2bdsELdUKwKSUG_HNS39k-C6uqZWkQPrby85Z8rzON_y11QHjzJ2ysdUms6NLGiEiuFiW9ziDE_AERj160c3Z54MgsKHVV3nn9LogT1lWGEfZ7xBBbXdv96etdBbdg2C235OilWP9V9UTFm5VOmgIadz-RdTacA-VBfSxD3/s600/UGrUp-OurFlag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="600" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAlVCCN5Z5p9MVBa9YiTMg2bdsELdUKwKSUG_HNS39k-C6uqZWkQPrby85Z8rzON_y11QHjzJ2ysdUms6NLGiEiuFiW9ziDE_AERj160c3Z54MgsKHVV3nn9LogT1lWGEfZ7xBBbXdv96etdBbdg2C235OilWP9V9UTFm5VOmgIadz-RdTacA-VBfSxD3/s320/UGrUp-OurFlag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Hot on the fangs of <b>What We Did In The Shadow</b>'s toothless third series, the (near enough) same team loaded up another mirthless misfire in the shipshape of <b>Our Flag Means Death</b>, a strange, expensive-looking but mostly tedious pirate-cum-bromance-cum-whatever-cum-'<i>if all else fails just swear (a lot)'</i> programme that was all at sea in every sense. Sunken, yes, treasure, no....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdQq_vOtCaIPCHQnM7u-gsFulM_3dA0DtcjN6p3n9XH6Hmbw77vUrSGBswHcu02IFCOMhBWAcjTyMhNOsnKIbsP0N0SBQCvLYsoZukLf2hnhyphenhyphenMr4cOtbZZwP1kf6iV9mdKPMKqrzPrOVSHlRoPIPlbJpiH7fxh6vpc1cThUR0nY4DHGH3QcaOMRtTdEbb/s633/UGrUp%20-%20Andor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdQq_vOtCaIPCHQnM7u-gsFulM_3dA0DtcjN6p3n9XH6Hmbw77vUrSGBswHcu02IFCOMhBWAcjTyMhNOsnKIbsP0N0SBQCvLYsoZukLf2hnhyphenhyphenMr4cOtbZZwP1kf6iV9mdKPMKqrzPrOVSHlRoPIPlbJpiH7fxh6vpc1cThUR0nY4DHGH3QcaOMRtTdEbb/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Andor.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Time for Rob to eat some humble <b>Bantha Pie</b> as he has to admit that 'bl<b>Andor</b>' (as he so wrongly tagged it last year) is easily the best <b>Star Wars</b> spin/rip-off so far, far away... Indeed it might be the very best <b>Di$ney</b> production of all - it's easily better than <b>The Mandalorian</b> (okay, but lazy) and <b>The Book of Boba Fett </b>(wayyyy beyond lazy) and the <b>Rogue One</b> film (director <b>Gareth Edwards</b> and company bashing all their OT toys together like mindless 8-year olds). Considering <b>Cassian Andor</b> and <b>Jyn Erso</b> were the least interesting characters in R1 - Rob dismissed <b>Cassian</b> as the<i> 'world cinema' </i><b>Han Solo</b><i> </i>at the time, with particular reference to the early fumble of the informant killer scene, as per <b>Greedo</b>, finding him dull and lacking in big screen charisma. (Just to note, while we're happily bashing post-<b>Lucasfilm</b> SW - check any sad middle-aged male for details - that all this makes <b>Poe Dameron</b> the <i>'cosplay'</i><b> Han Solo</b>.) But it has to be said that on the big small screen there's a better intensity to <b>Diego Luna</b>'s performance, helped by the fact that he's supported by an excellent cast across the board - every actor seems to fit perfectly into inhabiting their smaller roles....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX-RGHJcSrmH3RcZsfrqO0K524rtoMsUZ49Qib7Hc2V6Bompvgt0aEK1gQVFdyqN0h-kdZ4ZbQ4kMHF80e35iVrnuJnamGCBWdF4AeDNb0JOaFsVZQvNmuEPg7ZJDGHDUp2Z4LruBOKekOKDl66eWJdYwRR1oJ0CVY98DS-4ruMOcDW7GSYitBPSWlmWD/s450/UGrUp%20-%20Andor2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="450" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX-RGHJcSrmH3RcZsfrqO0K524rtoMsUZ49Qib7Hc2V6Bompvgt0aEK1gQVFdyqN0h-kdZ4ZbQ4kMHF80e35iVrnuJnamGCBWdF4AeDNb0JOaFsVZQvNmuEPg7ZJDGHDUp2Z4LruBOKekOKDl66eWJdYwRR1oJ0CVY98DS-4ruMOcDW7GSYitBPSWlmWD/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Andor2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We're delving deep into life on the ground, the show expertly teasing out little unexplored corners of the galaxy in a welcome slow-burn fashion, watching as the<b> Empire</b>'s vast boot grinds the universe under its heel. And it works! The show feels fresh in spite of its tendency to drain all the (Industrial) light and magic out of <b>Star Wars</b> - there's no <b>Force</b>, no sunlight, no sand to be found here (so likely it appeals to Rob's inherent bleak Scottishness). At first there's a creeping sense of flab - do we really need to round out every character? - but by the midpoint Rob just wanted more and more until, with a few episodes to go he then kinda just wanted it to end (which it did in a somewhat <i>'meh'</i> fashion, having peaked around episodes 9 and 10). Still, Rob cannot wait for season 2 for this jewel in the <b>Star Wars</b> crown to blast off....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYKAASgXDvXDswUE_QBBQI0X0QaVMO-eiJEAgCmnZlcZT55Cp4sEf6H8N-Zlhkqu0TGhBhy9b98Di6oVwKbUeqwAKGzCg4B4WoMwLzzt8Y0O82zVRcuDT3D04E91yCWtB0oVCtstuJdu9NYB4QYbZZLqSA79Gws2S0jvyCyJqs5WfXxb80wF5epgsxyNb/s600/UGrUp%20-%20Star%20Trek.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="600" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYKAASgXDvXDswUE_QBBQI0X0QaVMO-eiJEAgCmnZlcZT55Cp4sEf6H8N-Zlhkqu0TGhBhy9b98Di6oVwKbUeqwAKGzCg4B4WoMwLzzt8Y0O82zVRcuDT3D04E91yCWtB0oVCtstuJdu9NYB4QYbZZLqSA79Gws2S0jvyCyJqs5WfXxb80wF5epgsxyNb/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Star%20Trek.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Contrary to <b>Andor</b>, Rob was pretty hyped for Season 1 of <b>Star Trek: Strange New Worlds</b>, only to find that (the)<i> 'Same Old Worlds'</i> seems a better tag, the only substantial spin being that the <b>Enterprise</b> is crewed by a ticking time-bomb of mental health casualties, every member seemingly saddled with a secret or a doubt or an insecurity that makes you wonder just how this bunch of the <b>Federation'</b>s finest (closet) f*ck-ups ever passed enough muster to make it into deep space! Not only is <b>Mr. Spock</b> so badly cast as to continually pull you out the story - this is embarrassing <i>'fancy dress'</i> Spock, not even <i>'cosplay'</i> level - but <b>Captain Pike</b> himself is so lackadaisical and unsure of himself - he's haunted by his impending death, gah! - it's doubtful whether you'd let him mix you a drink let alone command a <b>Starship</b>. As per <b>Star Wars</b> it looks a million dollars (7 per episode to be exact!), but as ever they sure didn't spend it on the writing. (To be honest the<i> 'wee kiddie winkies' </i>got it good/better with <b>Star Trek: Prodigy</b>....)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWg5dDDg2g0yduXq9v3Jg0LKbJMQ7K-DJ0ZXsUFeH1rx0GNXTrkiQo5lPoLCKUxeNM92huY16HX0VPm0jj23aOfTopjnLunK5NPUKbWOsfcTH8BskYj2F_4gDPVy6NyHJ4dw4wMvPpQqAQsBeqleOJ16VL-4Cuc_q9t6HKNTA1BqI9AJB0JI69rtrmFBaA/s600/UGrUp%20-%20Catterick.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="600" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWg5dDDg2g0yduXq9v3Jg0LKbJMQ7K-DJ0ZXsUFeH1rx0GNXTrkiQo5lPoLCKUxeNM92huY16HX0VPm0jj23aOfTopjnLunK5NPUKbWOsfcTH8BskYj2F_4gDPVy6NyHJ4dw4wMvPpQqAQsBeqleOJ16VL-4Cuc_q9t6HKNTA1BqI9AJB0JI69rtrmFBaA/s320/UGrUp%20-%20Catterick.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The biggest grin of the year - a strange fleeting pulse of pure happiness - was (inexplicably) reserved for <b>Catterick</b>, <b>Vic and Bob</b>'s 2004 sitcomedy drama, er, experiment. Of course, it faded fast - it's not as if Rob was watching to see if it held up, considering it really didn't hold up in the first place.... But somehow amid all the (highly talented) mugging and laboured gags there's something unique at play, gleeful moments of joy/idiocy in this strange, uneven middle England of surreal static caravans, garden centre gunfights and tacky hotels (all a little uncomfortably spliced with post-<b>Pulp Fiction</b>/<b>Lockstock</b> violence) - the sheer fact that this deranged world exists at all is a cheering wonder to behold and something to cherish....</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/pyOvr_ZyaW8?si=MocwUyJ6hvm4ntK5" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pyOvr_ZyaW8/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Catterick - Kinky Boots</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-87942686769477394702023-12-20T06:02:00.000-08:002023-12-23T01:58:04.223-08:00A Chronicle of Doom....<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmOk9NE5zgIneQ4_QDpE1HCtNaCb4qowxFgnZ5Mkix67Ge17DWwF4UV-eyksXZSgTfZVRe4bhUcSjvByPSjT68s26Z8ojv-tgI2qdm-kMBl6To7F3M_9F-7h17rd5okM9xVSVbWugslv6xtQ9Y08NHdI_AQnLTm0BRoaQQDJN4B4XOcsyC0Af3MoygEMS/s698/BrawBlog-Lifeforce.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmOk9NE5zgIneQ4_QDpE1HCtNaCb4qowxFgnZ5Mkix67Ge17DWwF4UV-eyksXZSgTfZVRe4bhUcSjvByPSjT68s26Z8ojv-tgI2qdm-kMBl6To7F3M_9F-7h17rd5okM9xVSVbWugslv6xtQ9Y08NHdI_AQnLTm0BRoaQQDJN4B4XOcsyC0Af3MoygEMS/s320/BrawBlog-Lifeforce.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Thank the heavens above is it time for another expedition to <b>Ice Station</b> to visit <b>Agent Johnny</b>? Indeed it is, <b>Agent Rob </b>surviving Sunday bus drivers on a Saturday and dodging dodgy 20p pieces in LIDL to make the round trip to <b>Slateford</b> to see everyone's favourite secret agent (shh!). Only this time, as <i>Rob</i> was heard to remark, he was (in contrast to his previous, morose, trip) <i>"bringing the vibes"</i> - you get out what you put in for sure - as well as a couple of brilliant butter croissants, some luscious <b><a href="https://www.lidl.co.uk/p/favorina-chocolate-lebkuchen/p10008505" target="_blank">Lebkuchen</a></b> and other assorted food supplies fer the day. And, yes, that means cooly kranking the <b>Karmi</b>, shaken (in <i>Rob</i>'s rucksack) not stirred, with a cheeky can of <b><a href="https://www.brooklynbrewery.world/en-gb/" target="_blank">Brooklyn Pilsner</a></b> sandwiched between bottles, and getting deep down to Braw business....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfP3KOcX0bi8ckZoVDp9uWQwvTc8nQtvqgklt5eeLfFsXqtTXhn2JXmyhUZCNOHXGS4XMF5KQ9JkPh1RQsgi1yCR0lYfIBYqmb4e4vfeYQuhzkGs4MX74S1OSpzKQyssi0Q8AS2uasojHUDGjK_y_UmcfgMBJDuZVkJIrlOfm1Cdhyphenhyphengm2PW9WKcS6yM-2H/s626/BrawBlog-ManMac.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfP3KOcX0bi8ckZoVDp9uWQwvTc8nQtvqgklt5eeLfFsXqtTXhn2JXmyhUZCNOHXGS4XMF5KQ9JkPh1RQsgi1yCR0lYfIBYqmb4e4vfeYQuhzkGs4MX74S1OSpzKQyssi0Q8AS2uasojHUDGjK_y_UmcfgMBJDuZVkJIrlOfm1Cdhyphenhyphengm2PW9WKcS6yM-2H/s320/BrawBlog-ManMac.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Er, which basically involved a very pleasant afternoon of contented chuntering through Saturday morning serials (after a genuine and yet gentle negotiation addressing <i>'the elephant in the room'</i> of last time - not forgotten!) that kicked off with chat about the <b>Lifeforce</b> fillum, before covering the <b>Draculas </b>of<b> Prince of Darkness</b> and <b>AD1972</b>, T<b>he Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires</b>, <b>Shatter</b>, <b><a href="https://infinitymagazine.co.uk" target="_blank">Infinity magazine</a></b>, the <a href="https://www.pbs.org" target="_blank"><b>PBS</b></a> channel, <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058842/" target="_blank">Public Eye</a></b>, <b>Star Trek</b> old (positive) and new (negative) and <b>Doctor Who</b> - specifically the <b><a href="http://www.tonystrading.co.uk/galleries/tvscifibooks/drwho-all-2.htm" target="_blank">Target</a></b> books of old, <i>Rob</i> talking at length about <b>Tom Baker</b>'s <b>The Nightmare of Eden </b>novelisation, before <i>Johnny</i> got on to the topic of <b>William Hartnell</b>'s run, continuing the <i>'classic' </i>appraisal by recollecting <b>The Web Planet</b> and <b>The Keys of Marinus</b> in (incredible childhood) detail....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAV6HMJ1HfkC1GuRyQrxwPJjpA5AcDV0s8022znuFcyKEB2OvVTGV1tlx8dfKbQ-b9LT4CI-KWsCe3Afwbf9owyeK7xIaF_VJcIlHTgZJI4wKSJinXWI3q3Q04Ru4gfz5UmGY0yb6spPaknV7SUD7Nq8sHGn9tcdzq21CYsWkOSrkmbswjAlN2VKJKK_U/s695/BrawBlog-PlanetBuyer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAV6HMJ1HfkC1GuRyQrxwPJjpA5AcDV0s8022znuFcyKEB2OvVTGV1tlx8dfKbQ-b9LT4CI-KWsCe3Afwbf9owyeK7xIaF_VJcIlHTgZJI4wKSJinXWI3q3Q04Ru4gfz5UmGY0yb6spPaknV7SUD7Nq8sHGn9tcdzq21CYsWkOSrkmbswjAlN2VKJKK_U/s320/BrawBlog-PlanetBuyer.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Talk then moved on to more musical matters with an interestin' back and forth about <b><a href="http://www.hawkwind.com" target="_blank">Hawkwind</a></b> - a band <i>Rob</i> has only just begun to properly explore in depth - as well as his recent <i>'excursion'</i> to see <b><a href="https://www.rosecityband.org" target="_blank">Rose City Band</a></b> at <b><a href="https://www.thehugandpint.com" target="_blank">The Hug and Pint</a> </b>in <b>Glasgog</b>. Oddly enough there wasn't much time to discuss any ongoing <b>Braw</b> projects which, y'know, was fine as they all remain in a sort of painful stasis, both <i>Agents</i> admitting they've done next to nowt (actually nowt!) in the past few months. What, indeed, happened to 2023's proposed burst of renewed creative energy...? Oh well, what's left to say but <i>'here's to 2024'</i>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Sights: <b>The Buccaneers</b>, <b>Devil Girl From Mars</b>, <b>The Outer Limits</b> and various <b>Talking Pictures TV</b>....</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/gim7c06Y2sE?si=M6ibgiFReDx4o18I" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hawkwind - Space Is Deep</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-83849527727165825012023-09-16T06:22:00.216-07:002023-09-16T06:22:00.149-07:00A Chronicle of Doom....<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XBxyl-NB5r3zRlcjQ7lTVYN64DruTHhdLrCIRMgRcqS2Q2kiZh4GFVkzUSE23HMSibG2m4uNAs1bMRrMHh1x1PLQ17DV0kqKy4Esi5c_z2Lk2ODXevq_0HWn3BG5Doc7FNeYzBn7DSMCrUAwtCs3Why8kecbyzQ3jTlqwpWKHHKitIxSgaa3XNRtE6FQ/s590/BrawBlog---Buccaneers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XBxyl-NB5r3zRlcjQ7lTVYN64DruTHhdLrCIRMgRcqS2Q2kiZh4GFVkzUSE23HMSibG2m4uNAs1bMRrMHh1x1PLQ17DV0kqKy4Esi5c_z2Lk2ODXevq_0HWn3BG5Doc7FNeYzBn7DSMCrUAwtCs3Why8kecbyzQ3jTlqwpWKHHKitIxSgaa3XNRtE6FQ/s320/BrawBlog---Buccaneers.jpg" width="244" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">And so once again <b>Agent Rob</b> takes a long overdue troop up the <i>'The 16 Steps'</i> to visit <b>Agent Johnny</b> at <b>Ice Station MKII</b>, amazed to think that since his last visit <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048850/" target="_blank">The Buccaneers</a> </b>- he perused a distinctly battered copy of the above annual on his last trek - has begun airing on <b><a href="https://talkingpicturestv.co.uk/" target="_blank">Talking Pictures TV</a></b>, actor <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001727/" target="_blank">Robert Shaw</a></b> looking remarkably mature for his 29 years in the title role. Even at that young age he has a rugged, icy quality that suggests a very real inner menace hiding behind his frisky warmth. (Indeed, the episode <i>Rob</i> saw at home even had future <b>Carry On...</b> stalwart <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0416228/?ref_=fn_al_nm_2" target="_blank">Sid James</a></b> jauntily friggin' in the riggin')....</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1AOwFpUX9HHd1QIl3gCf0efQqAdNIobGqUdLaDOpPwPIEIN7IuhHmpJcwN1JnAIzgaisXleiGMSM8bGZkQ98EA89wmM0UQmt2PBJmQgij_Yz2Rgp3PEkR73BWqOQI9jzxLcVAEjHEkQNZPT1ViQN7vyYmhjn7x3uyAmOPZf8UgH75fAFEgz037DYIGF5/s566/BrawBlog---Art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1AOwFpUX9HHd1QIl3gCf0efQqAdNIobGqUdLaDOpPwPIEIN7IuhHmpJcwN1JnAIzgaisXleiGMSM8bGZkQ98EA89wmM0UQmt2PBJmQgij_Yz2Rgp3PEkR73BWqOQI9jzxLcVAEjHEkQNZPT1ViQN7vyYmhjn7x3uyAmOPZf8UgH75fAFEgz037DYIGF5/s320/BrawBlog---Art.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">With several fresh <b><a href="https://infinitymagazine.co.uk/" target="_blank">Infinity Magazines</a></b> to hand there ought to have been no shortage of topics for contented chunterin' - there's <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076716/" target="_blank">Sinbad and The Eye of the Tiger</a></b> for starters! - only it turned out there was.... so with the <b>Karmi </b>kranked it was left to <i>Talking Pictures</i> to provide the bulk of the stimulation, which they duly did by trotting out their Saturday morning regulars, from the upturned buckets of <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045064/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Radar Men From The Moon</a></b> to the cold blooded killings of <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053337/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_teenagers%2520fro" target="_blank">Teenagers From Outer Space</a></b> and the leery <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056777/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2">The Outer Limits </a></b>- starring <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000380/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Robert Duvall</a> of all people! - via the aforementioned vintage swashbuckle of <i>The Buccaneers</i>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CKfgoe15GHBPVkTOorN5D9aKLK5579hN1ssWV9nywxzKM63lR4ydmP9ktnL1UzzXZ8wdG7fFzHIgLpT3xIUGPE5GKzY5nxxO9DS5KdPN2IX0urGzPEBYp58jJ5OX5pGVhj9m1wMixMHpRkoczu3Xic9nswmY81kALwZXUuPiIZkE8bpfAz3RrNydkIMY/s645/BrawBlog---Garbage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CKfgoe15GHBPVkTOorN5D9aKLK5579hN1ssWV9nywxzKM63lR4ydmP9ktnL1UzzXZ8wdG7fFzHIgLpT3xIUGPE5GKzY5nxxO9DS5KdPN2IX0urGzPEBYp58jJ5OX5pGVhj9m1wMixMHpRkoczu3Xic9nswmY81kALwZXUuPiIZkE8bpfAz3RrNydkIMY/s320/BrawBlog---Garbage.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But for whatever reasons, there was no welcome dreamy reverie to be found on this day - likely a genuine<i> 'view to a swill'</i> would have ended in alcohol induced tears - <i>Rob</i> suddenly acutely aware of the time (and lives) trapped between the pages of <i>John</i>'s countless books, many, but not all, forgotten records of vanished and rapidly vanishing eras.... Just as our two Agents are trapped in time themselves, slowly vanishing, winding down day by day, knowing the wheel must forever turn - even if they cannot pass muster to voice that they see it, this melancholy elephant in the room - and that all things must pass....</div><p></p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/nBV4Uk5_vUk?si=XQgqXIp_Z2EB7w8N" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Tonstartssbandht - What Has Happened</div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-80787708434119251502023-05-20T08:44:00.013-07:002023-05-21T10:25:12.436-07:00Orbsessed - Cydonia Redux....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkgwGfSV3AUe04QiLE8eA21jffBZrH_sFm8fOcX0l7fr9Girfy8w-tAJyhHSkrEslXytq7M3lUOQzVYaAnvScCMHBigyVKogecQUhgtu2r4Ns7v5Lsds-KjV4QO0CN1mzIdrnh418nMn73Kn2B7icmrNvbVD93gokbvzVPZF9y9V1-9PwraeUfCYlZw/s575/Cydonia-Redux.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="575" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkgwGfSV3AUe04QiLE8eA21jffBZrH_sFm8fOcX0l7fr9Girfy8w-tAJyhHSkrEslXytq7M3lUOQzVYaAnvScCMHBigyVKogecQUhgtu2r4Ns7v5Lsds-KjV4QO0CN1mzIdrnh418nMn73Kn2B7icmrNvbVD93gokbvzVPZF9y9V1-9PwraeUfCYlZw/s320/Cydonia-Redux.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Turning back the <b>Braw Blog</b> clock 5 years (which in itself was turned back 16 to 18 years at that time) saw Rob tackle the thorny issue of <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2018/04/orbsessed-reconstructing-cydonia.html" target="_blank">Cydonia</a></b> by <a href="https://www.theorb.com" target="_blank">The Orb</a>, their somewhat troubled final album for <b>Island Records</b> – it took 18 months or so to complete and on arrival was deemed <i>“a stillborn relic”</i> by <b><a href="https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-nme-3953-327868" target="_blank">NME</a></b>. The general consensus over time is that the original 1999 double album CDr promo version – <i>The Orb</i>’s Holy Grail of sorts, perhaps a complete soundboard recording of the pre-<b>FFWD</b> track <b>Hidden In Heaven</b> aside - was far superior to the much chopped, changed, rerecorded and truncated solitary CD effort that limped into a completely indifferent musical landscape in 2001….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/zpjKsOnOsOc" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Orb - It's A Small World</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Arriving at the here and now however, and encouraged by a posting on <b>The Orb Music & Remixes</b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/621986444582146/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> group <b>Rob</b>’s returned to his 2017 reconstruction, christening this long-gestating 2023 makeover as the (ultimate) <b>Cydonia Redux</b>. This all began by first considering swapping out <b>Disc 2</b>'s <b>Yungle</b> for (<i>Rob</i>’s whooshy favourite) <b>It’s A Small World</b> from <b><a href="https://www.theorb.com/orbsessions-volume-two/" target="_blank">Orbsessions Volume Two</a></b>, before things quickly fell into place with the removal of the two <i>"songs"</i> (to an imaginary <b>Disc 3</b>), the repositioning of the rescued <b>Hamlet of Kings</b> to <b>Disc 1</b> and adding the one-two old school heavyweight punch of a reinstated <i>Yungle</i> and (kinda) rediscovered <i>It’s A Small World</i> to <i>Disc 2</i>. Last but not least, each ‘Disc’ has also been given a title that relates to an area of the <b><a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express/Cydonia_-_the_face_on_Mars" target="_blank">Cydonia Region</a></b> of <b>Mars</b>, thus completing the super cycle....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/vdRHWgNo260" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vdRHWgNo260/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Orb - An Extra Mile Long Lump of Lard</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, all this is playing fast and loose with the exact late 90s timelines – likely only the <b>Good Doctor</b> himself knows what record a track like <i>It’s A Small World</i> was originally destined for – and really only takes the random <b>Orbsessions</b> collections as a rough starting point…. but helps in a <i>‘three birds with one stone’</i> way, being the cream of that crop too (as the rest fall under that much of a muchness bouncy (barely) techno that seemed to typify <i>The Orb</i>’s output until the mid 00s, y’know, samey short form tracks mostly devoid of depth and samples and thereby any sort of identifiably Orb-ish <i>‘layering sounds on top of each other’</i> personality - yep, yet again for all his talents poor <a href="https://www.thomasfehlmann.com" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Thomas Fehlmann</a> just can't seem to catch a Braw break towards his beatiful contributions when it comes to <i>Rob</i>'s take on taking on <i>The Orb</i>!*). But whatever, this is now <i>Rob</i>’s <b>Cydonia Version</b> of choice and has been capably getting him through the past few months on a near-daily rotation (er, until such a time as some whopping <i>Live 93</i> <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPcPrFCe8EM" target="_blank">Brixton</a></b> <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ0y9b4fsT4&t=0s" target="_blank">Academy</a></b> bootlegs - <b>Plateau</b>! <b>Valley</b>! <b>Assassin</b>! - knocked him for another six.... prior to <b><a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/prism" target="_blank">Prism</a></b> landing)….</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_FrBEoc1FbBevsFjus3CEs_bTy7XUGcKNEwrC_5BimvhKo50Qrer8GjmlhTWHj-_1FJ-u0dGLxihKIGxkd-7NPhbfDtMcDN_2HSL_7sTOmupgXi1gEUNmHqVJCioRTmFLK_OlGRsq1_16tWOPWPyM42r-Q1gTofPkInhdQeWVd-k8hkVaFmTaX7xWw/s450/Cydonia-Redux2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="450" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_FrBEoc1FbBevsFjus3CEs_bTy7XUGcKNEwrC_5BimvhKo50Qrer8GjmlhTWHj-_1FJ-u0dGLxihKIGxkd-7NPhbfDtMcDN_2HSL_7sTOmupgXi1gEUNmHqVJCioRTmFLK_OlGRsq1_16tWOPWPyM42r-Q1gTofPkInhdQeWVd-k8hkVaFmTaX7xWw/s320/Cydonia-Redux2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://science.nasa.gov/face-mars"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://science.nasa.gov/face-mars</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disc 1 – Mensae Side</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 – <b>Terminus</b> - Andy's Mix from the Cydonia Bonus Disc.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 - <b>Hamlet Of Kings</b> – an ambient bonus from the original Cydonia best placed here before we get to the album proper.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 - <b>Jam On Yer Honey</b> - from Orbsessions Volume Two (where it's called Jam On Your Honey).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">4 - <b>Ralf</b> - from Orbsessions Volume Two (where it's called Ralph's Cupboard).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">5 - <b>Promis</b> - Version from the Cydonia Bonus Disc, clocking in at a slightly longer 5:47 (and very close to the 5:45 of the promo CD-R's).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">6 - <b>Bicycles & Tricycles</b> - from Orbsessions Volume Two (where it's called 2026).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disc 2 – Colles side</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 - <b>Turn It Down</b> - Long Version from the Cydonia Bonus Disc.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 - <b>Yungle</b> - from Orbsessions Volume One.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 – <b>It’s A Small World</b> - from Orbsessions Volume Two.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">4 - <b>A Mile Long Lump Of Lard</b> - album track from the original Cydonia, sadly shorn of about 4 minutes in comparison to the promo CD-R’s – the earlier uncut version is here, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdRHWgNo260">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdRHWgNo260</a>)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">5 - <b>Freely Wheely</b> ("Feely Wheely") - from Orbsessions Volume Two (where it's called Ba'albeck).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bonus disc – Labyrinthus side</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 - <b>Once More</b> - album track from the original Cydonia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 - <b>Ghostdancing</b> - album track from the original Cydonia – can be replaced with the Version (instrumental) from the Cydonia Bonus Disc as it dispenses with the vocals and the crossfade into Turn It Down.</div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXZ-dW65HZLVCEuX0zVKzb49HGQkEzOeu_zq66hiQxByf31rjXvCbdKv7nmc0PVlLnwzJsNo8l6Mf2bIqoBoBvbTKWy9GPABcgRfvRxBVNBeSZ4MKi0Ea3vr1Np-vNswBs3KSA1YYQlY/s1600/BrawBlog_0rb9_BiciclesTricy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXZ-dW65HZLVCEuX0zVKzb49HGQkEzOeu_zq66hiQxByf31rjXvCbdKv7nmc0PVlLnwzJsNo8l6Mf2bIqoBoBvbTKWy9GPABcgRfvRxBVNBeSZ4MKi0Ea3vr1Np-vNswBs3KSA1YYQlY/s320/BrawBlog_0rb9_BiciclesTricy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Indeed, if we're going to bag a <i>fourth</i> bird** with one stone then copied here's the bulk of an abortive Braw blog about <b><a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/bicycles-tricycles" target="_blank">Bicycles & Tricycles</a></b> found languishing in the Orbsessed drafts:- Such a curious album this, the tracks are pared right back - often composed of only a few repeating motifs with (seemingly) little attempt being made to merge the sound - and so overall it sounds quite cold, thin and clinically clean, lacking the warmth of (the slightly better and similarly minimal) <b><a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/okie-dokie-it-s-the-orb-on-kompakt" target="_blank">Okie Dokie</a></b> from the following year, no matter the fact B&T's more quirky samples heavy (a technique that can often round out and paper over any sonic shortcomings). Really only <b>Gee Strings</b> here has any decent spintime.... for it's rather short 5 minutes or so....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(It seems the point of all this was to ultimately compare the different 2003 <b><a href="https://www.discogs.com/release/237085-The-Orb-Bicycles-Tricycles" target="_blank">Japanese</a></b> album release with the 2004 <a href="https://www.discogs.com/release/308368-The-Orb-Bicycles-Tricycles" target="_blank">UK</a> release, but take it from Rob, they are both terrible....)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/xsrdSHWxkv8" width="480"></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Orb - Gee Strings</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">**a <i>fifth</i> bird is a barely there draft blog, <i>'Reliving The Dream' </i>which has a clutch of links to reviews - the <b><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/f29x/" target="_blank">BBC</a>,</b> <b><a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11592-the-dream/" target="_blank">Pitchfork</a></b> - and only goes so far as to suggest <i>'</i><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Tim Bran brings those essential <b>Dreadzone</b> dubby vibes'</i> to <b><a href="https://liquidsounddesignuk.bandcamp.com/album/the-orb-the-dream-2022-remastered-edition" target="_blank">The Dream</a></b> album....</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/WdNYzecIv0o" width="480"></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Orb - Codes</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Playlist >> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYuY8QIQ3rH2jYlw1dqBWP2NPL_iQOlNk" target="_blank">Cydonia Redux</a></b></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-75326186453638796802023-04-08T06:22:00.014-07:002023-04-08T06:22:00.181-07:00A Chronicle of Doom....<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQKwhmDu2YMYerVrn3DZ8M6K23pXcCH-_rr9HCrnd8IdWS0u9-nUCBY5qyq2qVZwImdymhEHrwJuyeHm0MhqDTUeFwafDnuB9x6Z8kSzip6bV_N45qDGUv_MedHik8WTihGPVqMVwpO7dLor1NoSd_8S7gZdzjOt7VUTg7xEZ_m68A-_HISp_L-TZyQ/s466/BB-00.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQKwhmDu2YMYerVrn3DZ8M6K23pXcCH-_rr9HCrnd8IdWS0u9-nUCBY5qyq2qVZwImdymhEHrwJuyeHm0MhqDTUeFwafDnuB9x6Z8kSzip6bV_N45qDGUv_MedHik8WTihGPVqMVwpO7dLor1NoSd_8S7gZdzjOt7VUTg7xEZ_m68A-_HISp_L-TZyQ/s320/BB-00.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cottonon.com/UK/typo-home/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://cottonon.com/UK/typo-home/</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Aha, and so we come to the first, long overdue, <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20Chronicle%20Of%20Doom" target="_blank">Chronicle of Doom</a></b> of 2023, <b>Agent Rob</b> booking himself a most welcome <i>'awayday'</i> to visit <b>Agent Johnny</b> - the cartoonist that <b><a href="https://www.brokenfrontier.com/the-collected-john-g-miller/" target="_blank">Broken Frontier</a></b> just recently called <i>"A dizzyingly brilliant genre unto himself"</i> - at <b>Ice Station Zebra</b>. It's about now (in every sense) Rob can insert his obligatory <i>'what a pair of April fools'</i> gag....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5v-PM7FE1PSu32eM2fD6oCqV0GNwETw_ramuPrw9tUWFwWSs4z6lB056IePQMUomLdumXiaRiTaiVDAsbXz4YpPmP7G8kAXVPQLcyQJCrL-HKXjUwXdfyZr7FeO94eai8LSbWmfwIg7JSaiynawpcNCI1CwZ8ey0SZ35P-UvRy76HLVyWv-udXjwmg/s571/BB-01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5v-PM7FE1PSu32eM2fD6oCqV0GNwETw_ramuPrw9tUWFwWSs4z6lB056IePQMUomLdumXiaRiTaiVDAsbXz4YpPmP7G8kAXVPQLcyQJCrL-HKXjUwXdfyZr7FeO94eai8LSbWmfwIg7JSaiynawpcNCI1CwZ8ey0SZ35P-UvRy76HLVyWv-udXjwmg/s320/BB-01.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Actually there was nothing remotely amusin' about <i>Johnny</i>'s sudden spike in pencillin' productivity, with several new startling pages on the go as well as several stunners in various stages of inking - a sight for <i>Rob</i>'s increasingly screen sore eyes! Why, if anything should merit kicking back, kracking open the <b>Karmi</b> and kranking up <b>The Dead's Europe 72 </b>then....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsPDcCFYYus70gxuMQ8VHkKVqpv4iMEyg0DPd8npk-ALM5FscCHs9LXwDbmr8eVfZvJYvMAnnVnp-lsvZLXeGt8X5ceIx7ewY6ZqRvv-kYuqa4IvKgupGHIE2Y73WPgPBqAYWVJQOcfE4zAx7RCVvEbwfnLjR4ByQJb4S4R8zohHZphfpBlN3L2wdzA/s582/BB-02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsPDcCFYYus70gxuMQ8VHkKVqpv4iMEyg0DPd8npk-ALM5FscCHs9LXwDbmr8eVfZvJYvMAnnVnp-lsvZLXeGt8X5ceIx7ewY6ZqRvv-kYuqa4IvKgupGHIE2Y73WPgPBqAYWVJQOcfE4zAx7RCVvEbwfnLjR4ByQJb4S4R8zohHZphfpBlN3L2wdzA/s320/BB-02.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There followed an interestin' conversation about the nature of true personal freedom - can ye honestly <i>'beat the system'</i> or merely hope to <i>'bend the system'</i>, existing in it as best ye can, ploughing your own individual furrow but within the lines? This was followed by Johnny tall tailing a dim and distant past encounter whereby he wiz pinned to the ground by a loin, only to be passed up by the pride....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyreIRe3WM2oY-0YWavYBUxhDbUXlCB2HPCSbGP92_-jIkz3GvlctbqWOsuw7aEs1jIEZSwGLASgfwqw3E0zqHzNPhTr-Vx_zLLUjVg-t2uIDOdDcXYF_9RTE00VevlvDutDNww0GIFVjVJSvxkC19sRAuYZH65kLMUkK6iBrxvPE97X3V3_0k4yHdKw/s609/BB-03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyreIRe3WM2oY-0YWavYBUxhDbUXlCB2HPCSbGP92_-jIkz3GvlctbqWOsuw7aEs1jIEZSwGLASgfwqw3E0zqHzNPhTr-Vx_zLLUjVg-t2uIDOdDcXYF_9RTE00VevlvDutDNww0GIFVjVJSvxkC19sRAuYZH65kLMUkK6iBrxvPE97X3V3_0k4yHdKw/s320/BB-03.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Thereafter topics ranged from the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058814/" target="_blank"><b>Honey West</b></a> tv show, thru <b>Philip K. Dick</b> - via fellow sci-fi authors <b>Robert Heinlein</b>, <b>Brian Aldiss</b> and <b>Clifford D. Simak</b> - and on to <b><a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman_R.I.P." target="_blank">Batman RIP</a></b> and (current Agent obsession) <b>Captain America</b>. Not that any of this could stop the clocks ticking ever forward and soon it wiz time to hit the road, <i>Rob</i> contentedly train truckin' his way back to <b>Glasgog</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Sounds: Europe '72 and the <i>"Beautiful Jam"</i> from '71 by <b>Grateful Dead</b>....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/0VXJaGa8pzU" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Grateful Dead - Truckin' (Live in London 1972)</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-62438045273126547392023-02-22T06:22:00.792-08:002023-03-12T09:51:11.142-07:00UndergRound Up of the Year, Part 2....<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbOmbvhkuLy0YrRtvmjQuE7itkhS22us00UJMHYzMtQ3Lo25Yyq7y635zr2LAmtCrYKCX2E5qYnTpZD0fxZxUKGqjKM9fayqyz-3zUWSSh2qfhcrT-HBSrbCYxO0y9e2ValmDdXfwXeIQYfdPSIrwvzF9BVfb01s93xU0JSdHakkv6X4uDIxxIHsflg/s600/UGRup_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbOmbvhkuLy0YrRtvmjQuE7itkhS22us00UJMHYzMtQ3Lo25Yyq7y635zr2LAmtCrYKCX2E5qYnTpZD0fxZxUKGqjKM9fayqyz-3zUWSSh2qfhcrT-HBSrbCYxO0y9e2ValmDdXfwXeIQYfdPSIrwvzF9BVfb01s93xU0JSdHakkv6X4uDIxxIHsflg/s320/UGRup_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Godspeed You! Black Emperor</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Welcome to <b>Part 2</b> of <b>Braw</b>'s <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2023/01/underground-up-of-year-part-1.html" target="_blank">UndergRound up</a></b> of 2022 - congratulations if you survived the plethora of brackets first <i>'up around'</i> - where this time it's all about the ears and eyes as we delve into music, surely the purest art form of all, one that can transcend every border and boundary, the one that best expresses every shape or form of human emotion - music is love indeed! - and the wonder of books and comics, signing off with the year's favourite sight....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/48gtMUka-iQ" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">David Crosby - Music Is Love</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NOvp7tsZG2DzZWpqiuIGcomwA5xqNzGKwfBdMEfm2GD_sADqDa-PZBovj4Njs4HNsGzN9Z6W4qsQFdXpr-t6cNom8x8PiBq5foSGoeGtiYDiyZmz8HDjG16V7qlhXAfbXpFpZmGljdYCBjpkwOIIy42e_oDsC5XQkTvSH19uPXTaBCy3WRn6ctkY5A/s450/UGRup-02-PlatOOBE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NOvp7tsZG2DzZWpqiuIGcomwA5xqNzGKwfBdMEfm2GD_sADqDa-PZBovj4Njs4HNsGzN9Z6W4qsQFdXpr-t6cNom8x8PiBq5foSGoeGtiYDiyZmz8HDjG16V7qlhXAfbXpFpZmGljdYCBjpkwOIIy42e_oDsC5XQkTvSH19uPXTaBCy3WRn6ctkY5A/s320/UGRup-02-PlatOOBE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">PlatOOBE</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the going gets tough <b>The Orb</b> gets going! First things first in 2022 saw <b>Agent Rob</b> compile an album of live and alternate mixes (5 of each) of their titanic<i> 'Godlike'-</i>era tracks <b>Plateau</b> and <b>O.O.B.E.</b> in order to provide 2+ hours of horizontal listening pleasure that just about generated enough womb-like warmth to comfort blanket him through the colder months....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlg9L1AW7gg6XAX8hLrQJsCzIqvC4wh87eWUwxa_cKe_sQXiFBcWJ0M6a00zssyCpTMoy7HRk7CdFQtuYIRrPbOfbYUZawwC3JtHuR6YIZNDFIqqDMqDjcIzZGV6epDnz72X5pvVoeuAgSHXkd4hBHqAsMcJiPWjCBHg70961dBXVoqPiyFTTbiKiQ3g/s300/UGRup-PlatOOBE2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="300" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlg9L1AW7gg6XAX8hLrQJsCzIqvC4wh87eWUwxa_cKe_sQXiFBcWJ0M6a00zssyCpTMoy7HRk7CdFQtuYIRrPbOfbYUZawwC3JtHuR6YIZNDFIqqDMqDjcIzZGV6epDnz72X5pvVoeuAgSHXkd4hBHqAsMcJiPWjCBHg70961dBXVoqPiyFTTbiKiQ3g/s1600/UGRup-PlatOOBE2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Regular heavy doses of <b>UFORB </b>and <b>Live 93</b> also acted as industrial strength sonic soothers for all manner of mental ailments. The year ended on a definite high as <i>Rob</i> once more (ha!) returned to <i>'reconstructing <b>Cydonia</b>'</i> (as per his old blog <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2018/04/orbsessed-reconstructing-cydonia.html" target="_blank">here>></a></b>) - expect a 2023 postscript to that coming some (spring) time soon....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/4objShLTRRs" width="480"></iframe></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chocolate Hills - Joy To All (In Peas and Lava)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Good Doctor was fairly quiet in 2022 - tho side project <b>Chocolate Hills</b> did release a rather pretty Christmas track,<b> Joy To All</b> – cancelling the long Covid-delayed <b>Abolition of The Royal Familia</b> tour (at <b>Glasgow Barrowlands</b>, yes please!) in favour of administering a <i>UFORB</i> anniversary/nostalgia/cashgrab tour (at <b>Maryhill Community Hall</b>, no thanks!) evidently helping to pay the studio bills for <i>The Orb</i>'s just this minute announced <b><a href="https://orb.lnk.to/prismAS" target="_blank">Prism</a></b> album. Expect a 2023 verdict on that some time not so soon....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSF-5BniiidSTq2RV803QCBLUr9WNKAVO_gtCdntMU3L49kFUi-UlvLngu_WNsvAKpByc32e-EsbTZ-OOeY4xiOVkADFtkp-avHeBVKE_bPMh3pkyRzQUTh9CTrI7iv80Uz1XywNXwdcJ1EZkGVSQJPdHdB_t71Q1GMsauyPtvHQGZV-ZlSJIYIwOoQ/s450/UGRup-WOD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSF-5BniiidSTq2RV803QCBLUr9WNKAVO_gtCdntMU3L49kFUi-UlvLngu_WNsvAKpByc32e-EsbTZ-OOeY4xiOVkADFtkp-avHeBVKE_bPMh3pkyRzQUTh9CTrI7iv80Uz1XywNXwdcJ1EZkGVSQJPdHdB_t71Q1GMsauyPtvHQGZV-ZlSJIYIwOoQ/s320/UGRup-WOD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The War on Dugs - A Deeper Understanding</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other than that 2022 was <i>'the year of living safely'</i>, <i>Rob</i> delving into back catalogues or rediscovering overlooked or ignored albums. Much time was devoted to <b><a href="https://godspeedyoublackemperor.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">GY!BE</a></b>'s more recent and more rounded <i>'end times'</i> output of <b>Luciferian Towers</b> and <b>G_d's Pee at State's End</b> – there's just something inherently Scottish about their snaking riffs – as well as hitting the highway in the company of <b>The War on Drugs</b> slow drip emo-rock of 2017's <b>A Deeper Understanding</b>, or getting lost in the tumbling weed crawls of <b>Earth</b>'s 2005 album <b><a href="https://earthsl.bandcamp.com/album/hex-or-printing-in-the-infernal-method" target="_blank">Hex; or Printing In The Infernal Method</a></b> or simply finding himself flattened by the spiky sprawl of <b>Tonstartsbandht</b>'s 2014 live compilation <b><a href="https://tonstartssbandht.bandcamp.com/album/overseas" target="_blank">Overseas</a></b>....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJ_IsvSdtm8Sh1SvPrkHMs_u9eq2JySkvLB7_GEue6BYnWTnU2leK0OXgpDGkOv6dogDsdIEwGKQgMP4TIcYzvED6GqZn8Pta9xmJKOsj7LHM3b1xD5LmCGmemqXilLSQUA4CBrmEheNIsp9JKt8z_qULcnnGweTCc2VowT0vSXPghgWrrvZwjRCmew/s450/UGRup-23-RoseCity.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJ_IsvSdtm8Sh1SvPrkHMs_u9eq2JySkvLB7_GEue6BYnWTnU2leK0OXgpDGkOv6dogDsdIEwGKQgMP4TIcYzvED6GqZn8Pta9xmJKOsj7LHM3b1xD5LmCGmemqXilLSQUA4CBrmEheNIsp9JKt8z_qULcnnGweTCc2VowT0vSXPghgWrrvZwjRCmew/s320/UGRup-23-RoseCity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rose City Band - Earth Trip</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rose City Band</b> treated us to the mellow country vibes of their spacious <b><a href="https://rosecityband.bandcamp.com/album/earth-trip" target="_blank">Earth Trip</a></b> and <b>Slint</b> kicked down the post-rock doors with the spindly guitars of 1991's <b><a href="https://slint.bandcamp.com/album/spiderland-remastered" target="_blank">Spiderland</a></b> while <b>Canyon</b>'s long forgotten <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1V1mixeLtXUUUKeCMR6h8Q" target="_blank">Empty Rooms</a></b> from 2002 stewed away in a breathless gust of surging keyboard and guitar squalls and <b>Suede</b>'s 1994 album <b>Dog Man Star</b> (finally) impressed with its decadent sonics....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZF_7F-q9lWB1PGFUZzd3uLqcXa_UVbhPuWwW8wOmfmiZwDSm9c_bP-OApM-5aIhLbu4SXXL6olyC8Wk6tNzah_mn0ndFBAj_A2JUkZKVwe_vUfk3TfFolwNjqQMGGwMKOn59LbHKFY_eh5tO9yrLeonE1kqcl8UC0zKUXuVn35kbOCGYMrLtMplMpQ/s450/UGRup-21-Banefyre.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZF_7F-q9lWB1PGFUZzd3uLqcXa_UVbhPuWwW8wOmfmiZwDSm9c_bP-OApM-5aIhLbu4SXXL6olyC8Wk6tNzah_mn0ndFBAj_A2JUkZKVwe_vUfk3TfFolwNjqQMGGwMKOn59LbHKFY_eh5tO9yrLeonE1kqcl8UC0zKUXuVn35kbOCGYMrLtMplMpQ/s320/UGRup-21-Banefyre.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Crippled Black Phoenix - Banefyre (The Musical)</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then there was the welcome return of post-prog-heavy rockers <b>Crippled Black Phoenix</b> who took no prisoners with a double album dose of <b><a href="https://riseupandfight.bandcamp.com/album/banefyre-the-musical" target="_blank">Banefyre (The Musical)</a></b> and one-time indie also-rans (who actually went the distance!) <b>Thousand Yard Stare</b> with their aptly titled <b><a href="https://thousandyardstareuk.bandcamp.com/album/earthanasia-lp" target="_blank">Earthanasia</a></b> album as well as <b>Paul Draper</b>'s second solo effort the cannily cutting <b><a href="https://kscopemusic.bandcamp.com/album/cult-leader-tactics" target="_blank">Cult Leader Tactics</a></b>....</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/g-bOeq9nbTc" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dreadzone - Cave of Angels</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Or how about the sprightly techno grooves of 2016's <b><a href="https://prinsthomas.bandcamp.com/album/principe-del-norte" target="_blank">Principe Del Norte</a></b> by <b>Prins Thomas</b> or the tingling timelessness of <b>Dreadzone</b>'s (near-<i>Orb</i> equalling) <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7JCidY6IL2ddmIKQaglXr2" target="_blank">Second Light</a></b>, an absolute ambient dub delight from 1995....</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-f04VmfUBGBTZvl6qp8wfSJOfk1TDsLsocL7BR8fg5y7BlIgV6g0HNwirtuysRyXWETB34L-3TPluLutyegUg3-SQE4LlgwpowSwIv12aDYmcgFF-EkzJy88T1qf7IdKPZ38w0tvHvcIsXSdQHq6No4sywqw8sial7kI8ndquBZJz2g1_DPGhljXig/s450/UGRup-19-Reading92.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-f04VmfUBGBTZvl6qp8wfSJOfk1TDsLsocL7BR8fg5y7BlIgV6g0HNwirtuysRyXWETB34L-3TPluLutyegUg3-SQE4LlgwpowSwIv12aDYmcgFF-EkzJy88T1qf7IdKPZ38w0tvHvcIsXSdQHq6No4sywqw8sial7kI8ndquBZJz2g1_DPGhljXig/s320/UGRup-19-Reading92.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Charlatans - Live at Reading Festival 1992</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not only did <b>Tim Burgess</b> turn himself up to 11(x2) on his (anything but) <b><a href="https://timburgess.bandcamp.com/album/typical-music" target="_blank">Typical Music</a></b> double album, but <b>The Charlatans</b> continued to dig up their own retro treats in the form of <b>Live at Reading Festival 1992</b> – not quite the <i>'seminal'</i> set the press release claimed, more a written-off band using a towering <b>Hammond</b> sound to signal a statement of (future) intent. Fingers crossed for something a little more <b>Daytripper</b>-ish shaped this year, joint US tour with <b>RIDE</b> aside – <i>Rob</i>'ll have to make do with his home-made <b>Up To Our Hips</b> deluxe edition in the meantime. Serious enthusiasts might enjoy this brisk 2010 run-through of debut album <b><a href="https://archive.org/details/OlasKoolKitchenOnRadio23CharlatansLiveSetPrimavera2010" target="_blank">Some Friendly</a></b> from <b>Primavera</b>, a compact set with sparkling <i>Hammond</i> – this time courtesy of <b>Rob Collins</b> replacement <b>Tony Rogers</b> – and seriously thundering drums from the late <b>Jon Brookes</b>....</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8aCPEzYwiFhSDpRHaaKhGbf8Q2PE2ZJki0vcs8W6wi-zj3vRwGaw1zuIVgZr6aJALKYKjGEKHU-HWtsWp3RTBv7XmCA1ol0y9l1sh9VvEVycNJvSoJ71hSsOTCqL7u_21_oUo8_nDlWz_UTPyfas4fbBuvBzfhdjcn-RGcAzLKXyGiWDTFk4fcFeJg/s451/UGRup-24-Beauty.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8aCPEzYwiFhSDpRHaaKhGbf8Q2PE2ZJki0vcs8W6wi-zj3vRwGaw1zuIVgZr6aJALKYKjGEKHU-HWtsWp3RTBv7XmCA1ol0y9l1sh9VvEVycNJvSoJ71hSsOTCqL7u_21_oUo8_nDlWz_UTPyfas4fbBuvBzfhdjcn-RGcAzLKXyGiWDTFk4fcFeJg/s320/UGRup-24-Beauty.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Grateful Dead - American Beauty</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With retro <i>Rob</i> being fortunate enough to visit <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2022/11/you-seen-set-part-seven-reno-and-bonus.html" target="_blank">San Francisco</a></b> it was inevitable he'd fall for the transatlantic charms of <b>American Beauty</b>, generally considered to be the finest near-hour of the <b>Grateful Dead</b>'s studio albums. There were also plenty solo vintage albums to be revisited afresh - some deliciously <i>'bombed out'</i>, others less so - from the likes of <b>Alexander Skip Spence</b> (Oar), <b>David Crosby</b> (If I Could Only Remember My Name), <b>Tim Buckley</b> (Greetings From L.A.), <b>Lee Hazlewood</b> (Cowboy in Sweden), <b>John Phillips</b> (John, The Wolf King of L.A.), <b>Gene Clark</b> (White Light), <b>Gary Higgins</b> (Red Hash) and <b>Dennis Wilson</b> (Pacific Ocean Blue)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7ojrFHYk-l393FY1pO4NqymC0e2pB4Z9rNanssHiVIWYayBzl49Fq7P2TcYT9n04uMgLxzb8ZgKw8TUbmsnnTL3tlkFKFzgfr4Bx_e1QwYxLUsTgX2ChcumgoGKPaPDXgCltUi8cTo-cuD8WUWjaSyqkApoY1wMGZpkmMDNXeFAVWDNNl6SrdNj3Ew/s450/UGRup-26-WishHere.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7ojrFHYk-l393FY1pO4NqymC0e2pB4Z9rNanssHiVIWYayBzl49Fq7P2TcYT9n04uMgLxzb8ZgKw8TUbmsnnTL3tlkFKFzgfr4Bx_e1QwYxLUsTgX2ChcumgoGKPaPDXgCltUi8cTo-cuD8WUWjaSyqkApoY1wMGZpkmMDNXeFAVWDNNl6SrdNj3Ew/s320/UGRup-26-WishHere.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was also time to wallow in the generous middle-aged spread of <b>Pink Floyd</b>'s towering <b>Wish You Were Here</b> and to drift in the jazzy stretch of <b>John Martyn</b>'s effortlessly languid <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkDd2l84AJc" target="_blank">Cooltide</a></b> and to shamble along to the rambling twang of <b>Bob Dylan</b>'s dusty <b>Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid</b>....</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9tCzC6EG1oNwfb06_i_0Zn4Geg0AGj_Kx2WtJRVUVxrJpknLBOH7UuT1JmuwcPwb0hujrBp6r6Ongo-EGO7dxSJVUkJvSwALrXLXeFrWeEZNDUiU-NvIU9KOjAJt1XEHYqiO894fmeoZQviu7M_S6CLghIC2qYiyOd8kF-QZ82A55hue21p0Vd8oEQ/s450/UGRup-22-McCabe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9tCzC6EG1oNwfb06_i_0Zn4Geg0AGj_Kx2WtJRVUVxrJpknLBOH7UuT1JmuwcPwb0hujrBp6r6Ongo-EGO7dxSJVUkJvSwALrXLXeFrWeEZNDUiU-NvIU9KOjAJt1XEHYqiO894fmeoZQviu7M_S6CLghIC2qYiyOd8kF-QZ82A55hue21p0Vd8oEQ/s320/UGRup-22-McCabe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nick McCabe - Sankey Brook Lab Rat, N.O.S</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Over on <b>Bandcamp</b> <b>Braw</b> saw the return of two guitar legends (in<i> Agent Rob</i>'s work lunchtime) with ex-Verve six stringer <b><a href="https://nickmccabe1.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Nick McCabe</a></b> – some truly tasty <b>Urban Hymns</b>-era out-takes are to be found <b><a href="https://blonderazorblade.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-verve-urban-hymns-sessions.html" target="_blank">here>></a></b> - ploughing a subtle downtempo instrumental furrow for trip hop-esque guitar explorations that reward repeat listening as the endlessly clever textures and production skills shine through....</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIsBp4nywkw7iwevsP9P8fAJs_RO_vVQofv-ymWKJX-8Qpe02QtEPq7X0bhwuoIyT-O_tWFoBnhulFrCi8LELmkduBlYFVFZEktoibPcnGrxlGKB8FWBgjeYtH2M8FXOYYiDafj10nd_nMNRv0jFU5QV0YUMQi1lrJOTqFhLfS_ED9ly6nd4I5tNZZQ/s450/UGRup_03_EcstacyGold.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIsBp4nywkw7iwevsP9P8fAJs_RO_vVQofv-ymWKJX-8Qpe02QtEPq7X0bhwuoIyT-O_tWFoBnhulFrCi8LELmkduBlYFVFZEktoibPcnGrxlGKB8FWBgjeYtH2M8FXOYYiDafj10nd_nMNRv0jFU5QV0YUMQi1lrJOTqFhLfS_ED9ly6nd4I5tNZZQ/s320/UGRup_03_EcstacyGold.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Ecstacy of Gold - Volume one </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The same cannot easily be said for <b>Mark Lightcap</b>'s <a href="https://theecstasyofgold.bandcamp.com/releases" target="_blank"><b>The Ecstacy of Gold</b></a> project, a raw, jammy instrumental affair that seldom harks back to his more measured playing of Rob's beloved <b><a href="https://acetone1992.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Acetone</a></b>. Former sticksmith of the same group, <b>Steve Hadley</b> not only contributes to this release but also found the time to share his own instrumental grooves under the <b><a href="https://beepieces.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Bee Pieces</a></b> moniker....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfrPF21M7aUy2e9JEnW9OTx6DGk1FwV_ccq2tRE6XcOgNP_brQN_CMrcwLH8VFPa73aehmzmBTwzSmRsYEuYDCWKMgkYmVkUCDlysvDhrM_qnK2hIl-rSmxt2hDL3OPlPdliPSRgt7K_Vn4otrv-4Jl46q0b2StjBeWZPB0i9FGV7BCvSTpA1t-ErWA/s450/UGRup-OmagaMan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="450" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfrPF21M7aUy2e9JEnW9OTx6DGk1FwV_ccq2tRE6XcOgNP_brQN_CMrcwLH8VFPa73aehmzmBTwzSmRsYEuYDCWKMgkYmVkUCDlysvDhrM_qnK2hIl-rSmxt2hDL3OPlPdliPSRgt7K_Vn4otrv-4Jl46q0b2StjBeWZPB0i9FGV7BCvSTpA1t-ErWA/s320/UGRup-OmagaMan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In late February 2020 the frontman of <b>DIIV</b>'s support at their <b>Glasgow QMU</b> gig – unusual in itself as <i>Rob</i> couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a band with a singer who just <i>'fronted'</i> and nothing else – took to shouting, <i>“your country's sick!”</i> at one point and <i>Rob</i> recalls thinking <i>'yep, Covid-19 sick'</i>.... How right he was – within 4 weeks he was wandering <i>Glasgow City Centre</i> all alone, a (supposed) <i>'key working'</i> <b>Omega Man</b>, not a (sensible) soul to be seen, concerts and touring (and life) as we knew it having come to and abrupt (and for some, final) end....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Z1PqrrPklnZjp6jwi_bLjR-NK32E3VgLmmt7j5fiiRXx3VlTmvMmtEorPKaticaykqzQDBxiFkJH1M8lySSXcDjOISExF3HTonvtOdub9T34a_dZcACFt1FxJV2pZimGxFvRgTkbMS9FvsE8EuKutOF176s6H4NScG2lPf6A1W6bv7Kj9O0rxTYMqA/s563/UGRup-27-Mogwai.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Z1PqrrPklnZjp6jwi_bLjR-NK32E3VgLmmt7j5fiiRXx3VlTmvMmtEorPKaticaykqzQDBxiFkJH1M8lySSXcDjOISExF3HTonvtOdub9T34a_dZcACFt1FxJV2pZimGxFvRgTkbMS9FvsE8EuKutOF176s6H4NScG2lPf6A1W6bv7Kj9O0rxTYMqA/s320/UGRup-27-Mogwai.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then in July 2022 it was time to embrace nightlife once again, <i>Glasgow</i> now the sort of lawless zone that makes <b>Fury Road</b> look like <b>Sesame Street</b> to catch <b><a href="https://nadja.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Nadja</a></b> (sort of supported by himself as, er, <b><a href="https://aidanbaker.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Bismuth</a></b>) at <b>Audio</b>, a suitably primitive setting for bathing in vast, all encompassing washes of shimmering guitar effects. Then, come September, there was a triple rush of gigs, <b>Rose City Band</b> beefing up their sound – jazzy keyboards and pedal steel, mmm! - to space out <b>Broadcast</b>, while <b>Crippled Black Phoenix</b> decimated <b>Classic Grand</b> with their ever-ambitious/inventive post-metal dynamics before <b>GY!BE</b> raised the roof at <b>The Barrowlands</b>, propping it up with great slabs of sound, building and building to an almighty climax. By comparison <b>Mogwai</b>'s December show at the same, where they were capably supported by Brit-<i>DIIV</i>s <b><a href="https://bdrmm.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">bdrmm</a></b>, was a trifle underwhelming, the stripped back staging, wobbly sound and so-so setlist – <b>Ratts of the Capital</b> and<b> Mogwai Fear Satan</b> saved the night – making it impossible for them to go 'one louder' and match the Canadian's supreme spectacle....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5aJVjvSmUC2ghpsX8ufBztcs9RhuGE2B9OCGd-eYt1H_AtcwObhm3JH3IM1nHYBpQcNSsfh5oCY34_lplDDMDEha498dQquEBNNfEnrBoSlvrErp26YBnTSz_104HTRjo8W7HX0lvoJ3crifBdnpReGFQM4m1JfShdA9G251OIO2wdftSX72pnDBDQ/s659/UGRup-17-BornToRun.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5aJVjvSmUC2ghpsX8ufBztcs9RhuGE2B9OCGd-eYt1H_AtcwObhm3JH3IM1nHYBpQcNSsfh5oCY34_lplDDMDEha498dQquEBNNfEnrBoSlvrErp26YBnTSz_104HTRjo8W7HX0lvoJ3crifBdnpReGFQM4m1JfShdA9G251OIO2wdftSX72pnDBDQ/s320/UGRup-17-BornToRun.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fading seamlessly from music into books there's no doubt <b>Bruce Springsteen</b>'s <b>Born To Run</b> was the absolute<i> 'Boss'</i> of this year's clutch of (auto)biographies (which also included works by comedian <b>Mel Brooks</b> and musicians <b>Lol Tolhurst</b> and <b>Wilko Johnson</b>). Unlike most his memoir transcended his music – which admittedly <i>Rob</i> more admires as he's so far been unable to wholly steep himself in it – and becomes an engrossing account of what it means to be an (Italian) American, of what it means to have a calling, the struggle to create, the will to succeed and to finally find your voice (and to have it chime with so many millions of others the world over) and so much more besides....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxNmXq1dDpH-acxgykxhuuzOCliTqS7FXVvYR_RfNcREOElaBQdXCjcYnzv8h2W9n-dSkUM_lfUWOO6DJuf4Fd4TPg_4TcxslPxO5ZeRAZDrm33QRq5OzHZ4IOa3dYehirjmpYcFiRPvBe3lzX07ZQpNO4TXTMxh5vpGVO_YelpKY8yv-OXu8oedOfQ/s696/UGRup-28-Mondays.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxNmXq1dDpH-acxgykxhuuzOCliTqS7FXVvYR_RfNcREOElaBQdXCjcYnzv8h2W9n-dSkUM_lfUWOO6DJuf4Fd4TPg_4TcxslPxO5ZeRAZDrm33QRq5OzHZ4IOa3dYehirjmpYcFiRPvBe3lzX07ZQpNO4TXTMxh5vpGVO_YelpKY8yv-OXu8oedOfQ/s320/UGRup-28-Mondays.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Simon Spence</b> covered another (quite different type of) <b>E-street band</b> in his double double good <b>Happy Mondays</b> biography Excess All Areas. By separating out the music from the cartoonish drug hoover personas of <b>Shaun</b> and <b>Bez</b>, he shines a groovy light on the startling talents of the more unsung musical members of the band - rest in peace <b>Paul</b> <i>'Big Arm'</i> <b>Ryder</b> – while placing them right at the heart of '88's seismic second<i> 'Summer of Love'</i>. The sounds, the drugs, the clubs, the clobber – God might have created <b>Manchester</b>, but there's no doubt the <b>Mondays</b> were wholly responsible for <b>MADchester</b> - they were a mobile cultural big bang, totally twisting melons everywhere they went. It certainly proves that <b>The Stone Roses</b> themselves were mere <i>charlatans</i> trailing in their influential wake, their studied cool being just that, as evidenced by the shapeless and sluggish retro slop of their limp <b>Second Coming</b> – it's not half bad, but it's not half good either....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KlcC7pkuQ6-lRLmP9xggT5YdxqFWVXrhmzMxWdZ7ZUFMHqBPfcZVpmNrjiamKPpz6DudvBg6aA9Kxf-1z2c6PhrRKJrteeQt6I4BX0VyGlqriykG2mbZdxfPMh9sPjCSk2FwM0KcgfyLhIa_WfuUGVBC2b9tpCVF-lLWvVZecAcmUaxKIcim1MXp0w/s651/UGRup-34-ComeAs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KlcC7pkuQ6-lRLmP9xggT5YdxqFWVXrhmzMxWdZ7ZUFMHqBPfcZVpmNrjiamKPpz6DudvBg6aA9Kxf-1z2c6PhrRKJrteeQt6I4BX0VyGlqriykG2mbZdxfPMh9sPjCSk2FwM0KcgfyLhIa_WfuUGVBC2b9tpCVF-lLWvVZecAcmUaxKIcim1MXp0w/s320/UGRup-34-ComeAs.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Equally fascinating – thank you, <b><a href="https://chuckklostermanauthor.com" target="_blank">Chuck Klosterman</a></b> – was <b>Michael Azerrad</b>'s <b>Come As You Are: The (authorized) Story of Nirvana</b>, culled from hours of interviews with <b>Kurt</b> (and <b>Kris</b>.... and <b>Dave</b>) and released just before <b>In Utero</b> hit the shelves and <b>Kurt</b> hit the skids. If anything <b>Cobain</b> mostly trashes himself throughout – he doesn't honestly come across as a terribly nice guy – while exonerating (sorry, haters) <b>Courtney Love</b> at the same time. What cannot be denied is how savage the press were at the time, particularly in their portrayal of the happy couple, and how there's little doubt that was a massive contributing factor to <i>Kurt</i>'s eventual downfall*</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">*see <b>Amy Winehouse</b> and <b>Pete Doherty</b> for '00's details....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fG-HOlai6jzpBSK7QKxAgvaz8qunYQywNtjufKS5ThSu1aWoL83Gvlt3eUaVeACda0t_NX-arghlLbqAr1lT3ktIQNsNzOiNXEYdiCleVcnTRbG-spGaAEKDjPp44CZ-hMfAeiEvbSItthRTREfso_i2UG-4jljke81bhC9VCG6xlKrKDqpv_fP6HQ/s696/UGRup-Partridge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fG-HOlai6jzpBSK7QKxAgvaz8qunYQywNtjufKS5ThSu1aWoL83Gvlt3eUaVeACda0t_NX-arghlLbqAr1lT3ktIQNsNzOiNXEYdiCleVcnTRbG-spGaAEKDjPp44CZ-hMfAeiEvbSItthRTREfso_i2UG-4jljke81bhC9VCG6xlKrKDqpv_fP6HQ/s320/UGRup-Partridge.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That said, perhaps the best read of the year was <b>I, Partridge</b>, a pitch perfect piss-take of those mid-career C-list ghost-written cash grabs that truly belong remaindered on the shelves of <b>Poundland</b>s everywhere. Just think, <b>Chris Evans</b> and <b>Peter Andre</b> have written 2 ½ each while <b>Katie Price/Jordan</b> has already squeezed out 6 with a 7th on the way. Eff eff ess....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVISg2ypn6cn18aaBhpoHh9j8vuRz6BGmm6l-I62qfDfn-ux1BKcYCuHEfjxK_iCMil4o6yQChGE2XyJB_2f7yoM-tegaBqdDyURiBq02S-ZktRsZM7TwlpqQKbjt09CGB9hLC-a1CxM8wl1mdMRjCIAZuOE9tsczy4X2r9yaE5czuokT-tu543z-CQ/s660/UGRup-Dudley.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVISg2ypn6cn18aaBhpoHh9j8vuRz6BGmm6l-I62qfDfn-ux1BKcYCuHEfjxK_iCMil4o6yQChGE2XyJB_2f7yoM-tegaBqdDyURiBq02S-ZktRsZM7TwlpqQKbjt09CGB9hLC-a1CxM8wl1mdMRjCIAZuOE9tsczy4X2r9yaE5czuokT-tu543z-CQ/s320/UGRup-Dudley.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Rob</i>'s well documented <b>Dudley Moore</b> obsession reached its zenith/nadir in the aptly compact form of <b>Douglas Thompson</b>'s <b>Dudley Moore On The Couch</b>, a more salacious <i>'sex thimble'</i> account of his life and (many) loves in the form of a sort of biographical interview. Aside from a grab bag of insightful quotes and the jaw-dropping bevy of <b>Hollywood</b> beauties he bedded – <b>Jane Fonda</b>, <b>Faye Dunaway</b>, <b>Raquel Welch</b>, <b>Julie Christie</b>, <b>Bo Derek</b> – there's little to really recommend in it's tabloid leanings. Still, it packs some late emotional heft as <i>Dudley</i>'s fame wanes and his personal life truly begins to unwind, ending on a sudden sad note as <i>Moore</i> reflects on being fired from <b>The Mirror Has Two Faces</b> for forgetting his lines – he puts this down to chaos at home (as opposed to the off-the-next-page diagnosis that would curtail his talents and ultimately end his life). With an <i>'Intimate Portrait'</i>, an <i>'Authorised Biography'</i> and<i> 'An Audience With...'</i> yet to come it's likely that<i> 'Cuddly Dudley' </i>will feature again in 2023's round up....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPUGY51aFswcdoYS6rtg7DKnyf5csjBJ0FSi6U_Qct60jSzO6zecDsjVVAY50GXrjiZxgaeLTvo5RqWxIwYrms3Xw5E-FtVKBSh_djUEsX1XGyiqxPGzxub0DB-udzffaHio8bhmSMu9ZguyS2prmcSDbLVNzrf7IJg22k58J5kdTZwjt-PjIn7WE7A/s899/UGRup-18-John%20Byrne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPUGY51aFswcdoYS6rtg7DKnyf5csjBJ0FSi6U_Qct60jSzO6zecDsjVVAY50GXrjiZxgaeLTvo5RqWxIwYrms3Xw5E-FtVKBSh_djUEsX1XGyiqxPGzxub0DB-udzffaHio8bhmSMu9ZguyS2prmcSDbLVNzrf7IJg22k58J5kdTZwjt-PjIn7WE7A/s320/UGRup-18-John%20Byrne.jpg" width="160" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Speaking of <i>'an (oft repeated) audience with...'</i> <b>Billy Connolly</b>'s autobiography <b>Windswept & Interesting</b> breezed by in a typically singular and anarchic fashion. Whilst not nearly as concise as some of the other books listed here, its sheer <i>joie de vivre</i> and playfulness made it utterly irresistible, and the perfect companion piece to his wonderful <b><a href="https://gold.uktv.co.uk/shows/billy-connolly-does/" target="_blank">Billy Connolly Does...</a></b> television series. If anything its love of life and sheer warmth has prompted <i>Agent Rob</i> to try and look on the bright(er) side of life in 2023 and <i>#be more Billy!</i></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LRhTv_ZcZZRN_TFg8IJKqGNi7smfTEGfgMypgItiKmxOFhzMtgTK6JBJcgWdOANDOu2fK_nWPZzB9pWMDTCpsvwxgWyV4k23sKkOEZfyqWNhstatDVdP6d-MVDta6h9Xg2-rO4SRdrpxz7EYDTO3gRgfigrBbIGOTz6L8u7wlAdp4CSGxgSEpoulGQ/s696/UGRup_08_ChildrenTime.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LRhTv_ZcZZRN_TFg8IJKqGNi7smfTEGfgMypgItiKmxOFhzMtgTK6JBJcgWdOANDOu2fK_nWPZzB9pWMDTCpsvwxgWyV4k23sKkOEZfyqWNhstatDVdP6d-MVDta6h9Xg2-rO4SRdrpxz7EYDTO3gRgfigrBbIGOTz6L8u7wlAdp4CSGxgSEpoulGQ/s320/UGRup_08_ChildrenTime.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2022's stand out novel was <b>Adrian Tchaikovsky</b>'s <b>Children of Time</b>, a fantastic epic of enviable world-building and accessible high-concept science fiction, a book that easily fits the tag <i>'masterwork'</i> (surpassing many ingrained classics on the way). How can the sequel <b>Children of Ruin</b> – on 2023's must read list – possibly compare? Other books with an SF tinge included <b>The Strugatsky</b>'s curious <b>The Inhabited Island</b>, the despairing dystopia of <b>Children of Men</b> by <b>PD James</b>, the (almost) <b>PKD</b> strangeness of <b>China Mieville</b>'s <b>The City and The City</b>, the multiversal <b>Dark Matter</b> by <b>Blake Crouch</b>, the satisfying sequel of <b>Margaret Atwood</b>'s <b>The Testaments</b>, the thought provoking and surprisingly tender<b> The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break</b> by <b>Steven Sherrill</b>, the scope and splendour of <b>Neil Gaimen</b>'s ambitious <b>American Gods</b> and <b>Michael Moorcock</b>'s gargantuan <b>A Cornelius Calendar</b>, a beautifully written, but ultimately confounding omnibus – maybe some of his finest, most considered writing is therein, displaying an outstanding grasp of global politics and machinations – only for it to feel as if it fits (as it indeed does) into a much larger tale that lingers just out of reach....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3fEYHDpW_mLBiw55nFPGjvAVr5J_oppV8XvOgSHsMTpf-XA_7bAmHq1BlelPHf0OF927Cph1SOZvzllPIPQLje9TvEcxXhNqDk2UPY7-KIzugk2Vv4B2Qepb0yQxkGf4nC6SixSdY4JwuHa5O1kcL3d_rP1pugWPyRgQZG5Kj6F7qkjoKE-P24FsQw/s689/UGRup-14-TheHustler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3fEYHDpW_mLBiw55nFPGjvAVr5J_oppV8XvOgSHsMTpf-XA_7bAmHq1BlelPHf0OF927Cph1SOZvzllPIPQLje9TvEcxXhNqDk2UPY7-KIzugk2Vv4B2Qepb0yQxkGf4nC6SixSdY4JwuHa5O1kcL3d_rP1pugWPyRgQZG5Kj6F7qkjoKE-P24FsQw/s320/UGRup-14-TheHustler.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Delving into <i>'straight'</i> fiction brought its own rewards as, all bets off, <b>The Hustler</b> and its sequel <b>The Color of Money</b> provided a brilliant one-two punch – no apt pool based terminology springs to <i>Rob</i>'s mind, sorry – with the second book perhaps edging the original as we catch up with an ageing and somewhat aimless<i> 'fast' </i><b>Eddie Felson</b>, chasing that feeling of his youth. A real twin treat!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQk1Dt2B_kpJzU3HAhoNzRxLORC-HybACyfruQ2Fn2SbsHNoepSJiisqpsQeHIxnbuYwFVNhIJOvlFrTpnQlqQkiSkGnVpXstOHljlFCIxluzNp87gzglbgtUi8uPSRoiUgKeXGvxb5IxHV-Zvw4AcKIZoMvzchYg8heIUI5qLfF0Jb5Qu1UJ7DcQxg/s759/UGRup_07_TheStand.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQk1Dt2B_kpJzU3HAhoNzRxLORC-HybACyfruQ2Fn2SbsHNoepSJiisqpsQeHIxnbuYwFVNhIJOvlFrTpnQlqQkiSkGnVpXstOHljlFCIxluzNp87gzglbgtUi8uPSRoiUgKeXGvxb5IxHV-Zvw4AcKIZoMvzchYg8heIUI5qLfF0Jb5Qu1UJ7DcQxg/s320/UGRup_07_TheStand.JPG" width="190" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Rob</i> continued his<i> 'deep dive'</i> into the mighty ouevre of <b>Stephen King</b> in 2022, cherry-picking his way through books such as <b>The Stand</b> (uncut) – trimmed for good reason perhaps? - and the supernaturally claustrophobic scares offered up by <b>The Shining</b>, identifying with the very fatherly failings and fears that haunt <b>Jack Torrance</b> as well as marvelling at <i>King</i>'s confident and canny expansion of that universe for the sequel <b>Dr. Sleep</b>, a book that very slowly finds its feet before you're off and running (for your life)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtjEttIV6WOZUydFNoVKTP6ULrce66trjmEMQehDR-0k28M_PMEvfoGAM2CdrtgG6F7kQ5AmtYcTxG_VJkerbRUswRGMr3Tnow7jx_rVsulkNEDjFMbZ5TU7QNuzPkdSN3ArDewEoDAwlZbRvw75oldE5Ik1zN_kDZm0DxJMTSwLMvvS26zFbS6yXDg/s702/UGRup-Cornelius.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtjEttIV6WOZUydFNoVKTP6ULrce66trjmEMQehDR-0k28M_PMEvfoGAM2CdrtgG6F7kQ5AmtYcTxG_VJkerbRUswRGMr3Tnow7jx_rVsulkNEDjFMbZ5TU7QNuzPkdSN3ArDewEoDAwlZbRvw75oldE5Ik1zN_kDZm0DxJMTSwLMvvS26zFbS6yXDg/s320/UGRup-Cornelius.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No doubt that <i>Moorcock</i> nails the quote(s) of the year, with 2022's stand outs both from <b>The Entropy Tango</b>, <i>"His eyes, wasted by a thousand indulgences, moved like worms in his skull."</i> and secondly, <i>"The room was full of heavy metal. In one corner about 15 old hippies were wondering where it had all gone, while in the opposite corner 15 punks were wondering where it was all going."</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHhnn3rIxEc88_oTy2cU6a7nJbRdUQ3ZahP-KfR6UTox7wznxWljNIz_SjoNv27Ag0VTiWaPZc8YYj7QyXRB0XgvsuTeNaUFITBu-AqNaz6Kid9zXDwVOUHrKTTpB8SwbJYT0mtxN-nCr-cclvij_9GuDZOz9KS0Spf6NhO3Bzs_moeRC0JnZ2z4xqw/s880/UGRup-29-Bone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHhnn3rIxEc88_oTy2cU6a7nJbRdUQ3ZahP-KfR6UTox7wznxWljNIz_SjoNv27Ag0VTiWaPZc8YYj7QyXRB0XgvsuTeNaUFITBu-AqNaz6Kid9zXDwVOUHrKTTpB8SwbJYT0mtxN-nCr-cclvij_9GuDZOz9KS0Spf6NhO3Bzs_moeRC0JnZ2z4xqw/s320/UGRup-29-Bone.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Comics-wise the only tome on the range was a <b>Reno</b>-based run-through of <b>Jeff Smith</b>'s whopping <b><a href="https://www.boneville.com" target="_blank">Bone</a></b>, one of those very special works of singular comics vision (akin to <i>Rob</i>'s dearly beloved <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20Braw%20Blog%20-%20Eddie%20Campbell%27s%20Bacchus" target="_blank">Bacchus</a></b>) that is so well paced and so well told – it helps that <i>Smith</i> has a clean but expressive fine line that straddles both the realistic and the cartoonish and displays a mastery of shadows. Of course, ever the purist, <i>Rob</i> couldn't help but hanker after the original black and white artwork as opposed to <b>Scholastic</b>'s (understandably) color mass market volumes....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRSHWuMlRe84vv3XNP-EhCbUC7mj5EJ_OiO2nHuzs6YnUwwIm2XSZnGBOBjWOOoPd2cl1EXUsX04iHkz4oC1WnU6YRwYdXzHaSPdB0BAG4JNJ1857wpPMNrBdopC5tUbY5VCh1Qsi52_Dgbp78b1rKAwACgJFNIWMWgqamJ9uHkLOdCc3fBUqSlgxkw/s548/UGRup_05_AlanG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRSHWuMlRe84vv3XNP-EhCbUC7mj5EJ_OiO2nHuzs6YnUwwIm2XSZnGBOBjWOOoPd2cl1EXUsX04iHkz4oC1WnU6YRwYdXzHaSPdB0BAG4JNJ1857wpPMNrBdopC5tUbY5VCh1Qsi52_Dgbp78b1rKAwACgJFNIWMWgqamJ9uHkLOdCc3fBUqSlgxkw/s320/UGRup_05_AlanG.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sadly 2022 saw two true titans of the UK/world comics scene depart for the <i>'great convention in the sky'</i>. First was <b>Alan</b><i> 'Strontium Dog, Judge Anderson, Sam Slade, ACE Trucking Co., Judge Dredd, Batman, this-list-is-not-exhaustive'</i> <b>Grant</b>, writer and (just as notable) editor, a man whose contribution to the industry in both roles from the grassroots right up to the very top tip is near impossible to quantify. Speaking of, ahem, <i>'grass roots'</i>, it was thanks to <i>Alan</i> (via <b>Jamie Grant</b>'s <i>Glasgow</i>-based <b>Hope Street Studios</b>) that <i>Agent Rob</i> got his first foothold in the industry proper when he brought him into the <b>'Wasted Comic'</b> fold, trusting him to oversee the day-to-day running of the deviously dopey title. It wasn't the easiest of times, but <i>Alan</i>'s patience, sense, savvy, trust, generosity (and, y'know occasional very gracious <i>'forgive and forgetness'</i>) made for a memorable learning (often on!) the ropes publishing experience (that ultimately sparked the whole <i>Braw Books</i> endeavour)....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PGe_wJyxdnprE_P2Tqj82LNrNhfy5_cZROyzaFYs3Qcib_HAfKxSR6Qk5cL_Ht4xEZXmvp7RGcOkvxrW8zAWYt_yjBzudxKCVh9t1FZiLEN21PsAmKP19f1bl_q8HJkUJB2LQ1RVuOVs2YJS0r9fFuitBtTa3Q5dFjOKA_T3DUy3Jq3QAnh6a4dpWA/s547/UGRup-2000AD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PGe_wJyxdnprE_P2Tqj82LNrNhfy5_cZROyzaFYs3Qcib_HAfKxSR6Qk5cL_Ht4xEZXmvp7RGcOkvxrW8zAWYt_yjBzudxKCVh9t1FZiLEN21PsAmKP19f1bl_q8HJkUJB2LQ1RVuOVs2YJS0r9fFuitBtTa3Q5dFjOKA_T3DUy3Jq3QAnh6a4dpWA/s320/UGRup-2000AD.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Who alone would have thought that <i>Rob</i> would ever meet, let alone work alongside, the man who wrote the very first <b>2000AD</b> story he was to set eyes upon as a near-eleven-year-old-nipper? Yep, there it is kicking off <b>Prog 490</b>, <i>Strontium Dog</i>'s striking <a href="https://2000ad.wordpress.com/2018/02/18/strontium-dog-a-potted-history-part-3-alpha-sees-red-rock-a-hard-place-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes-sibling-rivalry-end-of-the-road/" target="_blank"><b>'Incident on Mayjer Minor'</b></a>. Thank you, <i>Alan</i>....</div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvnW5X-mNiIJx1Xp3KrLCct0eJR7nq1VX_hAAlcFNpaIoxMZspzouHNLCO0tdifVboEsSd5INsGZ8Y3E5kmHt0iXVGhPHGQYrJthKmsQb2D-twJ-WrSStCc_pXx9Vb938PMlHG3IQx01vHTK_QkqstlK_sfspYWnT_6pxI1lr0PWx7MIChQgL8ZFV-A/s649/UGRup_06_MarshalLaw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvnW5X-mNiIJx1Xp3KrLCct0eJR7nq1VX_hAAlcFNpaIoxMZspzouHNLCO0tdifVboEsSd5INsGZ8Y3E5kmHt0iXVGhPHGQYrJthKmsQb2D-twJ-WrSStCc_pXx9Vb938PMlHG3IQx01vHTK_QkqstlK_sfspYWnT_6pxI1lr0PWx7MIChQgL8ZFV-A/s320/UGRup_06_MarshalLaw.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Joining <i>Alan</i> at the great signing table in the sky was <b>Kevin O'Neill</b> who, with the possible exception of <b>Mike McMahon</b>, was <i>2000AD</i>'s most unique artist, his angry, biting style – surely at its absolute unhinged peak in <i>Braw</i> favourite <b><a href="https://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2018/02/marshal-law-fear-and-loathing.html" target="_blank">Marshal Law</a></b> – an affront to clean-living, God-fearing comic artists and readers the world over....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjDrg4WiQw8Zrck6h6l6aaT5dV5ely2Gqbde-UsO4dTEAmWp6lbomsFLRXWImuLpJSMPHyYYgylvY2GGDvU8MyTDFsZ6XZNo0JykGzdeld08vogFhqs1wtN5dGYm-j0oP8nPIN8l6E5l5zT8v3dbodZs01TsdqjOecpnS7M71vxeV5BW6M-dd4xi28A/s636/UGRup-33-JGM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjDrg4WiQw8Zrck6h6l6aaT5dV5ely2Gqbde-UsO4dTEAmWp6lbomsFLRXWImuLpJSMPHyYYgylvY2GGDvU8MyTDFsZ6XZNo0JykGzdeld08vogFhqs1wtN5dGYm-j0oP8nPIN8l6E5l5zT8v3dbodZs01TsdqjOecpnS7M71vxeV5BW6M-dd4xi28A/s320/UGRup-33-JGM.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Honestly, <b>judge</b> this book by its cover!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2022 finally saw some progress on all things <i>Braw Books</i>, er, given that the, um, <i>'all things' </i>are in fact the <i>'one thing'</i> <i>Rob</i>'s been blogging on about for the past 3-4 years, that being the <b>John Stark: Secret Agent</b> comic. Thankfully <b>Agent Johnny</b>'s recovered some of his former mojo, rising to the challenge of working on scripts, art and overall story arcs, meaning that everything is around 95% complete in some form or another. Super tales already 'in the (s)can include <b>Cross of Wax</b>, <b>Lockdown</b>, <b>Death March of the Missile Men</b>, <b>Bleeding Black</b> and <b>The Double Death of Agent X</b>, so you can see that <i>Rob</i>, <b>Adam J. Smith</b> and <i>John</i> are <i>'Brawficially' 'on it'</i>. Maybe 2023 will be our year....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzYP4sYReKDY8sWvgmkq8imqyLfovzpYo93e0HB9NVC5n1Cl6-tBjC6KRWadi06mdQ7GrgVCi63VXy9UJJQy0z2Ojrq-FnwKPy1pc0Bs9pMB9QxZgdhQblkxkp631YcduYnRwV8FNcySzKGp2CGlc4_dcqwDbWs3FHiXNf1hlMeBfT04lJG1CKqLa9g/s680/UGRup-31-Indy5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzYP4sYReKDY8sWvgmkq8imqyLfovzpYo93e0HB9NVC5n1Cl6-tBjC6KRWadi06mdQ7GrgVCi63VXy9UJJQy0z2Ojrq-FnwKPy1pc0Bs9pMB9QxZgdhQblkxkp631YcduYnRwV8FNcySzKGp2CGlc4_dcqwDbWs3FHiXNf1hlMeBfT04lJG1CKqLa9g/s320/UGRup-31-Indy5.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Hmm, is there a<b> Greggs</b> around here?"</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last but never ever least it's time to wrap things up by taking a look at the sights that tickled <i>Braw</i> a distinct shade of pink in 2022. There's always <b>New Glasgow City</b> making a big (green-ish) screen debut in the <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfVYgWYaHmE" target="_blank"><b>Indiana Jones 5</b></a></i> trailer (which, pure fan-fic shocker of a title and dodgy old man's face posted on a stunt double's body aside, kinda looks okay)....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyHgJ1ssST_mMmVj2T8CVHc9TCRqgNQPo9Xvr_sU9gC25EiOSwz-5ArI8ALF8bauNcUy6NkzqGpeO0qTorbHnlcX3iUfGE44il5ZZGzG6O8zENrGt_Or6XPwrgOgdfwidF--BgI7vAlobOevVLWlsICVQtpr2R-lL5Oz6MV7zK9F5yQk6RsSdOk3jHQ/s600/UGRup-30-Cobain.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="600" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyHgJ1ssST_mMmVj2T8CVHc9TCRqgNQPo9Xvr_sU9gC25EiOSwz-5ArI8ALF8bauNcUy6NkzqGpeO0qTorbHnlcX3iUfGE44il5ZZGzG6O8zENrGt_Or6XPwrgOgdfwidF--BgI7vAlobOevVLWlsICVQtpr2R-lL5Oz6MV7zK9F5yQk6RsSdOk3jHQ/s320/UGRup-30-Cobain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Or how about <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsP29d4GojM" target="_blank">Kurt Cobain</a></b> in a dress.... with a <b>Hitler</b> moustache.... mouthing along to hate mail in the <b>A Montage of Heck</b> documentary? Then again there were unexpectedly hearty chuckles to be found in the prison keys scene in <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXa3HQNdas0" target="_blank">Hot Shots II</a></b> as well as<b> Jack Lemmon</b> literally hacking it up in <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_5nHV8FJyI" target="_blank">The Odd couple</a></b>. Or if dancing's your thing then there were the wonderfully kooky opening titles to <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mrr3UNALww" target="_blank">Peacemaker</a></b> or perhaps the sheer disco delight of <b>John Travolta</b> far from murdering it on the dancefloor in <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT42ocqmI9s" target="_blank">Saturday Night Fever</a></b>. Maybe the sly gut punch of <b>Slim Pickins</b> pegging out to <b>Knocking on Heaven's Door</b> in<b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjR7_U2u3sM" target="_blank">Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid</a></b> does it for you....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/WB-ik-Bpl0c" width="480"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But it's fair to say that the one scene that got right under <i>Rob</i>'s decidedly pink skin, catching and holding his attention and making him sit up straight in the <i>'now'</i> is this pure moment of reflection perfection from <b>Masamune Shirow</b>'s <b>Ghost In The Shell</b> anime. Enjoy (if that's the right word)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuXTcY4FBwQzhDRkNX0qz39JAGUS3dIzkqHR_b-PRQ_yI4ohCnm6k-yyldseGkOSIZ7DPjyTsodJ-6RZIYPNCqqQ4vZpkrhB0AbhG3fRusbpb81C8zcmjY_lfYPdrFiiNmf9DE8_JzggHiLCvlbYGcv9v5rUEGnup4D71RmSt08niKX-MmZd-Nre9ng/s600/UGRup-32-Cobain.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuXTcY4FBwQzhDRkNX0qz39JAGUS3dIzkqHR_b-PRQ_yI4ohCnm6k-yyldseGkOSIZ7DPjyTsodJ-6RZIYPNCqqQ4vZpkrhB0AbhG3fRusbpb81C8zcmjY_lfYPdrFiiNmf9DE8_JzggHiLCvlbYGcv9v5rUEGnup4D71RmSt08niKX-MmZd-Nre9ng/s320/UGRup-32-Cobain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-18872890237351610432023-01-22T03:11:00.445-08:002023-04-05T10:03:13.500-07:00UndergRound Up of the Year, Part 1....<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRF-belyLrzdB0T_9jFTA40yN1_XH0UqdoZ0p5jqg5_5yo8wrb8bHLm5_Mj8lS3MXL6TF-eT1BZFY8KqBoU4HnUmn0R_xKiL8i9n-OudXUqmG8WHoxIqR0qMeuFgC3rmCqpxSRtZqgYiUhCiEvesS3XS5-YByiq7XtDSU9TT7sOLexY65R5vCyG0dErQ/s600/UGRup-29-Fawlty.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="600" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRF-belyLrzdB0T_9jFTA40yN1_XH0UqdoZ0p5jqg5_5yo8wrb8bHLm5_Mj8lS3MXL6TF-eT1BZFY8KqBoU4HnUmn0R_xKiL8i9n-OudXUqmG8WHoxIqR0qMeuFgC3rmCqpxSRtZqgYiUhCiEvesS3XS5-YByiq7XtDSU9TT7sOLexY65R5vCyG0dErQ/s320/UGRup-29-Fawlty.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Welcome no one and all to <b>Braw</b>'s <b>UndergRound Up</b> for the perpetually ground down of 2022, our (obviously) annual unpopular popular culture(?!) look at the past 12 months(-ish). Here we'll filter through <b>Agent Rob</b>'s means to (undeserved) escapism in the previous 52 weeks, of which about 2 were spent glimpsing the light at the end of the lengthy pandemic tunnel before <b>Russia</b>'s liberation/invasion - ask <b>Waters</b>/<b>Gilmour</b> - of <b>Ukraine</b> cruelly snuffed out humanity's last hope.... So if gorging on 24/7 news feeds of our increasingly burning world isn't quite your thing then it's time to face up to plenty of brackets (like, y'know, these kinda (brackets)) and get your fear on (for want of any better means of kicking things off)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJaQgEyg90f0SBMpkUp3dNkiT4S2KTDjeKczRZ4POVjz2YwzWTQG93kWZiaxdf2ZGWFVuVe_zb5mahINfZLRiIhoJYay0YnveGD2TAg4ID41-Byc9j2iAv44MUZ04R_ANLD2p5on3OhY65NDyUsUzNDa-PSsx6kVjFo_1aPq724szmGwdjHfVkR0big/s600/UGRup-26-DerekClive.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJaQgEyg90f0SBMpkUp3dNkiT4S2KTDjeKczRZ4POVjz2YwzWTQG93kWZiaxdf2ZGWFVuVe_zb5mahINfZLRiIhoJYay0YnveGD2TAg4ID41-Byc9j2iAv44MUZ04R_ANLD2p5on3OhY65NDyUsUzNDa-PSsx6kVjFo_1aPq724szmGwdjHfVkR0big/s320/UGRup-26-DerekClive.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Ere, Clive, is, eh, Agent Rob still a c-" "'e is, Derek, that is correct."</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In general it has to be said that in <i>UndergRounding Up</i> 2022 <i>Rob</i> realised it was pretty much a year of, er, cultural consolidation (with an unhealthy dose of copy/edit/paste chucked in for good measure). Sure, there were plenty of new films and records to be enjoyed, but they all had a tang of familiarity, if not a whiff of nostalgic sell-by, and it'd be fibbing to say otherwise before we begin....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOn0uxnUgQg5zCQRZORX7knFC5ZH5Y7EkvpEFl0jT4-kiw9yVuGXcUN4tBKjkDpLZjrNLzo3mNVfnKts5QYvOLDIsliVTpDtBaRMwZEDXWjarwxliwFcfMVEL_GCz6KEYdTjmCnLO1zFRzNhWg7mxAMhdZJQi614O_YWyhuKI0MQ-C-b1RY7egHgjqww/s666/UGRup-10-LoveThunder.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOn0uxnUgQg5zCQRZORX7knFC5ZH5Y7EkvpEFl0jT4-kiw9yVuGXcUN4tBKjkDpLZjrNLzo3mNVfnKts5QYvOLDIsliVTpDtBaRMwZEDXWjarwxliwFcfMVEL_GCz6KEYdTjmCnLO1zFRzNhWg7mxAMhdZJQi614O_YWyhuKI0MQ-C-b1RY7egHgjqww/s320/UGRup-10-LoveThunder.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Take for example <b>MARVEL</b>'s '<b><a href="https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Phase_Four" target="_blank">Phase Four</a></b>', where they did pretty much as per the previous paragraphs/<i>Phases</i> (although well past it's <b>Avengers: Endgame</b> prime), coasting along on their (too) established green screen train with <b>Thor; Love & Thunder</b> proving that lightning certainly doesn't strike in the same place twice, the titular character's (by now somewhat self-satisfied) mismatch of goofy and serious personas coupled with child death and cancer (sub)plots – if ever the <b>MCU</b> was going to take a bold leap into <b>DCU</b>-esque darkness then this seemed a <i>mighty</i> good opportunity – making for an uneven and ultimately somewhat underwhelming 4th entry in the franchise (within, er, a franchise?). <b>Shang Chi and The Legend of the 10 Rings</b> and <b>Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness</b> were along very similar entertaining if formulaic lines – admittedly there's nothing truly wrong with spending 2+ hours with any <i>MARVEL</i> film at all - while <b>Spider-Man: No Way Home</b> (which is like, y'know, the second <i>Spider-Man 3</i> of the third <i>Spider-Man</i> film franchise within a, ah, y'know....) relied heavily on a leaf torn out of <b>Doctor Who</b>'s (very well thumbed) book by bringing back previous incarnations of both hero and villain for what amounted to a super slick web-slinging nostalgia fest....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToN_knic-vqC7wRVk5un5UDPcDumkiaAykKtwCRfaBAdLr6_pXqS00AaCBGCXxTUcZPrHJwju2wLlvVv18UJV0359xPYnuH84YedYYoLA1d_C0g5Un36QgJaggscbSGuTZLL3nwcQ-RBftRbsGLAxr6Z2kOPXA4lV9tMSXKVX0J2em4WjuHcibahRQg/s625/UGRup-15-Joker.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToN_knic-vqC7wRVk5un5UDPcDumkiaAykKtwCRfaBAdLr6_pXqS00AaCBGCXxTUcZPrHJwju2wLlvVv18UJV0359xPYnuH84YedYYoLA1d_C0g5Un36QgJaggscbSGuTZLL3nwcQ-RBftRbsGLAxr6Z2kOPXA4lV9tMSXKVX0J2em4WjuHcibahRQg/s320/UGRup-15-Joker.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In contrast to all this visually wearying and interchangeable SFX it was nice to lower oneself to the gritty street level of <b>The Batman</b> from <i>Braw</i> fave <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0716257/" target="_blank">Matt Reeves</a></b> of <b>POTA</b> fame, sitting back and enjoying it's realistic and restrained Detective (Comics) approach, proving that like the books themselves, the <i>DCU</i> seems a far better fit for stories that simply do not adhere to any predetermined cinematic continuity. A shame then that they felt the need to shoehorn <b>Barry Keoghan</b>'s <b>The Joker</b> in at the very end (because between <b>Ledger</b>, <b>Leto</b> and <b>Phoenix</b> it's getting kinda crowded in that wing of <b>Arkham Asylum</b> of late). Speaking of (the non <i>'The'</i>) <b>Joker</b>, it too was an agreeably disagreeable deep slice of the darker <i>DCU</i> (really recommended only for people who haven't seen <b>Taxi Driver</b> and <b>The King of Comedy</b> and wondered what would happen if you mashed them together in a pot and washed them down with a few hits of <b>Fight Club</b>)....</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBpTJjfOXzMd2GZnWnMkW_kXv20-hp2NLXAFroVk8b3MLmnHgJDioNou8NlDoKPlRNPnj5oKkmQFOWeBf7EDbIyDcKEPWqulJPS_LV5ph3Bq5JaGC9jUr1Ayr_V6QI5WPqqqdl3Wd7Mj0hdkNxYzw2LF8jM7maHb-_6RTk_NWBWFdyuPsumhV1i7xvw/s600/UGRup_04_Cyrano.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBpTJjfOXzMd2GZnWnMkW_kXv20-hp2NLXAFroVk8b3MLmnHgJDioNou8NlDoKPlRNPnj5oKkmQFOWeBf7EDbIyDcKEPWqulJPS_LV5ph3Bq5JaGC9jUr1Ayr_V6QI5WPqqqdl3Wd7Mj0hdkNxYzw2LF8jM7maHb-_6RTk_NWBWFdyuPsumhV1i7xvw/s320/UGRup_04_Cyrano.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Agent Rob</i> (and <b>Miss Pennymoney</b>) also had the opportunity to see <b>Professor Xavier</b> in the flesh as local superhero himself <b>James McAvoy</b> rolled into <b>Glasgow</b> in <b>Jamie Lloyd</b>'s mesmerising take on <b><a href="https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/cyrano-de-bergerac-review" target="_blank">Cyrano de Bergerac</a></b>, a hip-hopping, beat-boxing, jaw-dropping theatrical tour de (X-)force. A good thing too, as it's unlikely he'll be back, <b><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-63807748" target="_blank">ahem</a></b>. Oh, dear, green place....</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid24RwTSXUyioUBqlbPly7ynYYzIqduoBOPAKrM5G1HOq126mSO7MF4FJQIRh7RIPQqlz054ag8Xq1sPCfCkn8MVHgPoWHUTaYcpbvy-w1u5tcbmkqKOTI4mAcFq6lPbhKN0m4DIa7CEdV2ciuDAT8V7zOYsantyNtoqKaehSAPAb0_ZUuxP1EkeLY9A/s678/UGRup_09_LordsChaos.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid24RwTSXUyioUBqlbPly7ynYYzIqduoBOPAKrM5G1HOq126mSO7MF4FJQIRh7RIPQqlz054ag8Xq1sPCfCkn8MVHgPoWHUTaYcpbvy-w1u5tcbmkqKOTI4mAcFq6lPbhKN0m4DIa7CEdV2ciuDAT8V7zOYsantyNtoqKaehSAPAb0_ZUuxP1EkeLY9A/s320/UGRup_09_LordsChaos.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's inevitable that <b><a href="https://www.channel4.com/collection/film4" target="_blank">Film4</a></b> takes home the Best Films <b>Brawscar</b>(tm) yet again this year by offering up an <b><a href="https://www.channel4.com" target="_blank">All-1-2-3-4</a></b> of daring and fully immersive world cinema – <b>Mandibles</b>, <b>The Tunnel</b>, <b>First Love</b>, <b>Servants</b>, <b>Videoman</b>, <b>The Warrior</b>, <b>Deliver Us From Evil</b>,<b> Sputnik</b> – that simply excelled itself with their (South) <b>Korean</b> season – <b>Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance</b>, <b>The Beast</b>,<b> Barking Dogs Never Bite</b>, <b>Memories of Murder</b>, <b>Beasts Clawing At Straws</b>, <b>The Swordsman</b> – and quality contemporary (mostly) American films, some famous, some not so - <b>Once Upon A Time In Hollywood</b>, <b>Knives Out</b>, <b>Mandy</b>, <b>Alita: Battle Angel</b>, <b>Vivarium</b>, <b>1985</b>, <b>Lucy In The Sky</b>, <b>Saint Frances</b>, <b>Lords of Chaos</b> – and the occasional irrepressible cult classic such as <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005139/" target="_blank">Mike Leigh</a></b>'s searing <b>Naked</b>....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuakDSSO8TgP2KzCuHFUSlct-HbnZW_rCPNkFNWskvZ6Kkzf_iAJ7RAJxlFk4g8XFVbJgvUTmcYI_V2-0kGODLWj-h6CZjc-__btIFGowgM-OL3X3dT-6Aakkwx1qLfQZ70c2__pXrvtrkUVC_9zOdJANXJr4-lRhf1NVHf43k8OH8neW5OShwgKVQ4Q/s600/UGRup_02_PerfectFriday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuakDSSO8TgP2KzCuHFUSlct-HbnZW_rCPNkFNWskvZ6Kkzf_iAJ7RAJxlFk4g8XFVbJgvUTmcYI_V2-0kGODLWj-h6CZjc-__btIFGowgM-OL3X3dT-6Aakkwx1qLfQZ70c2__pXrvtrkUVC_9zOdJANXJr4-lRhf1NVHf43k8OH8neW5OShwgKVQ4Q/s320/UGRup_02_PerfectFriday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Likewise <a href="https://talkingpicturestv.co.uk" target="_blank"><b>Talking Pictures TV</b></a> did it's stiff-upper lipped best to screen films from the classic to the cult/curio and the, well, frankly (watchable enough) crap – <b>The Incident</b>, <b>The Hustler</b>, <b>The Raven</b>, <b>The Trial</b>, <b>The Offence</b>, <b>The Bed Sitting Room</b>, <b>The Devil's Men</b>, <b>Perfect Friday</b>, <b>Bear Island</b>, <b>Gas-s-s</b>, <b>Morons From Outer Space</b>, <b>Futureworld</b>, <b>Shatter</b>, <b>Scream and Scream Again</b> - with <a href="https://www.tcmuk.tv" target="_blank"><b>TCM</b></a> and <b>Paramount Movies</b> showcasing the wilder west with <b>Wyatt Earp</b>, <b>Tombstone</b> and (the remarkable) <b>Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid</b> as well as the likes of <b>Promising Young Woman</b>, <b>The Running Ma</b>n, <b>Stardust</b>, <b>Das Boot</b>, <b>Conan The Barbarian</b>, <b>The Odd Couple</b>, <b>Paycheck</b>, <b>Raising Arizona</b>, <b>Hot Shots II</b> and <b>The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZVbam3N9jRgSCTlY5X0hy0CnYw0iZ8SSRy9MJnqPEepVZZN2kw43izIp3c_LozDWJFZWgQkNSGmlZ7iEU7rdUo6a1hnp9zWLt3Kx_rPm_mLZgRCrkAgUAAl2jPnviKhY3O5TMxjaYl_R3nZm1liAeDCom2DCf3JFNl-VXm4_CxDjC4zDDu7qHfLd3g/s768/UGRup-25-StakeLand.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="519" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZVbam3N9jRgSCTlY5X0hy0CnYw0iZ8SSRy9MJnqPEepVZZN2kw43izIp3c_LozDWJFZWgQkNSGmlZ7iEU7rdUo6a1hnp9zWLt3Kx_rPm_mLZgRCrkAgUAAl2jPnviKhY3O5TMxjaYl_R3nZm1liAeDCom2DCf3JFNl-VXm4_CxDjC4zDDu7qHfLd3g/s320/UGRup-25-StakeLand.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">An extra special mention must be given to <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1464580/" target="_blank">Stake Land</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5843670/" target="_blank">The Stakelander</a></b>, two quite remarkable low-budget films shown courtesy of <b>The Horror Channel</b> (now, er, rebranded as <b><a href="https://www.legend-tv.co.uk" target="_blank">Legend</a></b>), not remotely scary but wonderfully gloomy and atmospheric with a sleek, minimal soundtrack. <i>Fangers</i> crossed for a third entry. Well worth vampire hunting down....</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKS2hbVrB0AXKyvl7QVrjtWFcv0_BBa7NHk-KH1qH2IIOzO9v6eBJ1_EaISh3E84E3ZE_JivIZlBCnMpsycCEUMRCYBrbv9NiUaYrmQ5W_wzGgHw0UP5hQZuFSsYcowxorCRD6-zcMc4ELLXL31sffJkAal0SOpwYaeAuQUKjrSsm_B_uRtSNhdoEFsw/s703/UGRup-15_DarkFate.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKS2hbVrB0AXKyvl7QVrjtWFcv0_BBa7NHk-KH1qH2IIOzO9v6eBJ1_EaISh3E84E3ZE_JivIZlBCnMpsycCEUMRCYBrbv9NiUaYrmQ5W_wzGgHw0UP5hQZuFSsYcowxorCRD6-zcMc4ELLXL31sffJkAal0SOpwYaeAuQUKjrSsm_B_uRtSNhdoEFsw/s320/UGRup-15_DarkFate.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please, just don't come back ever again....</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From <i>Film4</i> et al to <i>'top of the film flops'</i> where <b>Terminator: Dark Fate</b> sat like a great fat undercooked Christmas turkey (itself carved from hopeless leftovers). It's as if a bunch of studio execs watched <b>Star Wars: The Force Awakens*</b> and decided that <i>Box Office Gold</i> simply involved getting the old (acting) gang back together to have them spout tired catchphrases while less charismatic screen photocopies toiled with a soft turd reboot of a plot. If anything it's even worse than the flat battery that was <b>Terminator Genityls</b>. Not that <b>Arnold Schwarzenegger</b>'s old 80's sparring partner <b>Sylvester Stallone</b> could do much better (aside from an oddly deft closing montage) as he bled every drop of (Last) Blood from <b>Rambo</b>'s cinematic corpse. And just to prove it ain't all about taking down easy targets there was <b>Martin Scorcese</b>'s <b>The Color of Money</b> (crappy brown!) and <b>Clint Eastwood</b>'s absolute dud <b>Absolute Power</b> going to show that even old masters have their off days. Huge props to <i>Clint</i> for <b>The Mule</b> tho.... <i>*Star Wars bashing will likely return next year.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGcIEWrG1-bVihQldgFF0CZYJk7fCt1iNAT4mRkxNaYI31o3NsZodndRO8zV7bnd-ouR7lrUdlAW77QYXzYj_KlpWX4uIeSO5m5jwFnJscvQWuRNEWN-gI7OYHgNlacc6onFgL7HBAuV5hM76G3Y5s_70DWNU3fT9HAeXLPlHTiPPD8zsAvqvBgjb9w/s600/UGRup-28-Furiosa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGcIEWrG1-bVihQldgFF0CZYJk7fCt1iNAT4mRkxNaYI31o3NsZodndRO8zV7bnd-ouR7lrUdlAW77QYXzYj_KlpWX4uIeSO5m5jwFnJscvQWuRNEWN-gI7OYHgNlacc6onFgL7HBAuV5hM76G3Y5s_70DWNU3fT9HAeXLPlHTiPPD8zsAvqvBgjb9w/s320/UGRup-28-Furiosa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">But fear not, for filming on (<b>Mad Max</b>) <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12037194/" target="_blank">Furiosa</a></b> has wrapped - that'll give all those <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OrS5Ym6vzU" target="_blank">'mediocre'</a> soft studio cash grabs a deserved (hard re)boot up the a$$. Roll on 2024....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0pFPUP1xYHCiITvVJ1qPppMb9B56rMwWUIc-Xzzoo_WT6DGrlFDJeWSYTw-Q-Siq_ati0pQKULiOFR7V3aMjeqR9vgNCEB6CsxsIa2Qr2XFetxxRHFMdnJ1m9HKVilAy0cL4nV8yFJ6tCm4oSbMwtkcH60HTbS7Tidzed0n_LIEILsqBL6yhiqsYRA/s600/UGRup_02_DrWho.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="600" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0pFPUP1xYHCiITvVJ1qPppMb9B56rMwWUIc-Xzzoo_WT6DGrlFDJeWSYTw-Q-Siq_ati0pQKULiOFR7V3aMjeqR9vgNCEB6CsxsIa2Qr2XFetxxRHFMdnJ1m9HKVilAy0cL4nV8yFJ6tCm4oSbMwtkcH60HTbS7Tidzed0n_LIEILsqBL6yhiqsYRA/s320/UGRup_02_DrWho.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In absolutely no contrast to any of the above – see, even writing about the pop culture formulas is just a formula in itself – <b>Jodie Whittaker</b>'s likeable enough <i>Doctor Who</i> bowed out in 2022 with 2 long specials and a final really long extra extended special special, <b>Chris Chibnall</b> evidently reacting to <b>Auntie Beeb</b>'s truncating the number of episodes by simply bumping the running times up (and up and up). As per the aforementioned leaf that <i>Spider-Man</i> ripped out/off, the good <i>Doctor</i> turned matters up to an unheard of 13 with a finale that jammed in as many surviving <i>Whos</i> and <i>'who's that?'</i> companions as you could shake a sonic screwdriver-shaped stick at. Geez, they even got <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0257920/" target="_blank">William Russell</a></b> in there – last seen taking a whizz at <b>Collectormania Glasgow</b> in 2014....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahXnS2ha6LMDGCGZCL_lJL6TY_pELsn_A4tZREJdHt5t2h3uvVxRDuSkhjbDXufWvz9rdfM3LWd9OyE9rofe3svGQf4RtVL-nwy46EnN9jgSqeEbALm3RTAYB7jiYKrT6V13bWTQNDc3G7l3W-bX38m2b895M493SnksDMhPra26CRakda9hNFqtBkA/s600/UGRup-30-Devils.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="600" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahXnS2ha6LMDGCGZCL_lJL6TY_pELsn_A4tZREJdHt5t2h3uvVxRDuSkhjbDXufWvz9rdfM3LWd9OyE9rofe3svGQf4RtVL-nwy46EnN9jgSqeEbALm3RTAYB7jiYKrT6V13bWTQNDc3G7l3W-bX38m2b895M493SnksDMhPra26CRakda9hNFqtBkA/s320/UGRup-30-Devils.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nice to sea you again....</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The episode also provided 2022's most puzzling scene, <i>Agent Rob</i> wondering if <b>Sacha Dahwan</b>'s manic (post-<i>Ledger Joker</i>) take on <b>The Master</b> as <b>Rasputin</b> singing, er, <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFpDr-9wwiw" target="_blank">Rasputin</a></i> was in fact the modern show's absolute zenith or ultimate nadir.... Either way he still had the tune in his head the next day while he still reeled from the chutzpah of regenerating the 13th doctor back into the 10th (but actually 14th) <i>Doctor</i>. If only they'd made more of the <b>Yaz</b>/<i>Doc </i>dying dynamic as matters drew to a close - there's no denying that could've been time for a real tearjerker. More mystifying still is why they didn't air the finale over 2 consecutive nights – there was an obvious cliffhanger post-sing-and-dance-along – and once again just like this who-review<b> #chop Nu-Who in two!</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIFwkWsA1fvfZDR5L-zTOx6K7t_xojspDTOFMBBiBIh6lNVliZ-fnKe96FpIA2CoYJE-mIpteUyh9KvvIHaT7TJj0QROsBECbai7dtkfarIXXA5EuPuonzqhcqS8uSo7oZF6eqvvUIpx2PaccULGM-D7b7vijxt8hJmr4OD-jOCsgSpPjmumS3DwTtQ/s600/UGrup-12-Blakes7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIFwkWsA1fvfZDR5L-zTOx6K7t_xojspDTOFMBBiBIh6lNVliZ-fnKe96FpIA2CoYJE-mIpteUyh9KvvIHaT7TJj0QROsBECbai7dtkfarIXXA5EuPuonzqhcqS8uSo7oZF6eqvvUIpx2PaccULGM-D7b7vijxt8hJmr4OD-jOCsgSpPjmumS3DwTtQ/s320/UGrup-12-Blakes7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"I'm sorry, but I'm holding <b>Blake's 7</b> back...."</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A good chunk of early 2022 was spent binging on <b>Blake's 7</b> (thankfully just completed before <b>Forces TV</b> vanished from our screens as suddenly as it arrived). It was incredible how the first 2 series seemed to run along the lines of world events, the mounting threat of the excellent <b>Star One</b> invasion arc creating genuine on (and off) screen tension. A shame then that it concluded with a damp squib and the following two seasons, now bereft of <b>Blake</b> and <b>Avon</b>'s bickering and replacing the actor of the villainous <b>Travis</b>, saw increasingly, er, diminishing returns. Still, episodes never seemed to drag over their running time and we did get to see the very <b><a href="https://blakes7.fandom.com/wiki/Ultraworld_(episode)" target="_blank">Ultraworld</a></b> that inspired <b>The Orb</b>'s momentous track, and there's no denying that <b>Paul Darrow</b>'s was the genuine star (making) turn, his <i>Avon</i> coldly quipping his way into the legion of <i>'the greatest sci-fi anti-heroes of all time'</i> – just don't ask <i>Rob</i> who else qualifies for said title....</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1nYGQ_olUpbF2TyeLk4fK8IoICkAU589gNmMoNWCXZBOWjcr0sdj5eo2INzDq6bhN79OA48B9QHKATyXzGb9mjs_WO5FAZi-zXRe39hrrciDwt1Y099mR25rJAP4h81B-7-4jSYMFpA_Na2aaI6uX8C_TJDaUEcfsVN_IUE_cafmcMwECWhCes5BrA/s600/UGRup-13-MadMen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="600" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1nYGQ_olUpbF2TyeLk4fK8IoICkAU589gNmMoNWCXZBOWjcr0sdj5eo2INzDq6bhN79OA48B9QHKATyXzGb9mjs_WO5FAZi-zXRe39hrrciDwt1Y099mR25rJAP4h81B-7-4jSYMFpA_Na2aaI6uX8C_TJDaUEcfsVN_IUE_cafmcMwECWhCes5BrA/s320/UGRup-13-MadMen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Televisually <b>MAD MEN</b> impressed pretty much across its full run (with only a handful of so-so episodes), the super sharp suited retro drama playing out deftly and realistically – viewing seasons near back to back didn't expose the sort of ridiculous character arcs/relationships and events that plague less grounded US dramas. So what if <b>John Hamm</b>'s puzzled <b>Don Draper</b> gurning wore a little thin over the years, but there was always <b>Peggy</b>, <b>Pete</b> and <b>Roger</b> on hand to keep the creative ideas flowing....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWxpTEwCkZ7etKD56JZ4k-zy3oVdFiJc38JL0N6GyVrP_xy0Fv_p2YOw-Cw3V-9ZJdX2TGw7zIv3qL9OtWR_7pMP_61cnSgW8z6o8RvM5aOai97DOqC28IRHJlVVvgecH6-I22pFhqQJ5cO6kgCsdlLLBrC7q8zxQbB123NX4hF80bFWtt5zKjkYXbg/s1440/UGRup-23-Atlanta.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWxpTEwCkZ7etKD56JZ4k-zy3oVdFiJc38JL0N6GyVrP_xy0Fv_p2YOw-Cw3V-9ZJdX2TGw7zIv3qL9OtWR_7pMP_61cnSgW8z6o8RvM5aOai97DOqC28IRHJlVVvgecH6-I22pFhqQJ5cO6kgCsdlLLBrC7q8zxQbB123NX4hF80bFWtt5zKjkYXbg/s320/UGRup-23-Atlanta.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Atlanta</b> served up a third season that expertly toyed with the formula, indeed they shredded the rule book to a cringing middle-aged white man degree, while <b>Peacemaker</b> showed that <b>James Gunn</b> is able to walk that very fine line of good and bad taste, er, assuming ultraviolence and jokes about mental health are your thing in the first place. <b>Bored to Death</b> (thanks <b><a href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/missingrecordsglasgow/" target="_blank">Missing</a></b>!) provided daft affable private dick laughs and <b>Star Trek: Prodigy</b> made a decent fist of warping the <b>Star Wars: Clone Wars</b> animation template....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx15xIZBgJLmujZIRxrRfoE8DdHs3Si6_Y-Ef3fpzlIL09KM1pDj1ewHQ_SeQiq9Bz30CBuyqyloMbqowMjXI6JK6lR9VDiyMy-kNWKkAcdZEvNAdytYHobajqDQv_wiksL4uJzxQsMfNZsQh-IflnzKZ5vOlOpVDbeN1aBlFp3K3sKZRsCyY6vdpl5g/s600/UGRup-11-Peacemaker.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx15xIZBgJLmujZIRxrRfoE8DdHs3Si6_Y-Ef3fpzlIL09KM1pDj1ewHQ_SeQiq9Bz30CBuyqyloMbqowMjXI6JK6lR9VDiyMy-kNWKkAcdZEvNAdytYHobajqDQv_wiksL4uJzxQsMfNZsQh-IflnzKZ5vOlOpVDbeN1aBlFp3K3sKZRsCyY6vdpl5g/s320/UGRup-11-Peacemaker.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Elsewhere the<b> BBC</b>'s <b>The Tourist</b> proved they could make slick adult decidedly un-<i>BBC</i> (in a good way) drama that, in spite of a wobbly ending, lived up to some of the(ir own) hype. The same could not be said for <b>Killing Eve</b>'s final season, the episodes as lifeless and joyless as <b>Jodie Comer</b>'s assassin's eyes. It didn't help that the show's whole <i>'jolly Russian killers'</i> approach arrived at the very moment that troops were lining up and up along the borders of <i>Ukraine</i>. Doh!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM1aZItI8CypQujF7Csf4suCjYfCu7hkIkdkaGpzAK1O5EX3-clSTyD4pGlYbDDpErzWNw-6l2N2e_x7BUUcRuO14z8h4SUa_VaxZxpJ6CoD0QG4HMjsPm7BIbSr1s3gqhd7cv-KmGVQU3FpO1U6yQMU6PoawxldqQxcxbhIVMzjYINwxiJQeZb0dPw/s521/UGRup-30-SappSteel.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM1aZItI8CypQujF7Csf4suCjYfCu7hkIkdkaGpzAK1O5EX3-clSTyD4pGlYbDDpErzWNw-6l2N2e_x7BUUcRuO14z8h4SUa_VaxZxpJ6CoD0QG4HMjsPm7BIbSr1s3gqhd7cv-KmGVQU3FpO1U6yQMU6PoawxldqQxcxbhIVMzjYINwxiJQeZb0dPw/s320/UGRup-30-SappSteel.jpeg" width="276" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Certainly <i>Agent Rob</i> never thought that <b><a href="https://www.itv.com" target="_blank">ITVX</a></b> would save Christmas, the <i>'rebooted'</i> app offering up (the <i>South Korean</i>) <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468492/" target="_blank">The Host</a></b> and 70's conspiracy thriller<b> Capricorn One</b> as well as a host of vintage television classics such as <b>The Prisoner</b>, <b>Space: 1999</b> and <b>Sapphire and Steel</b>, a 30 minute dose of the latter – helped no doubt by the utterly luminous <b>Joanna Lumley</b> – papering over Xmas scheduling that lacked any sort of fizz whatsoever (even the ever-reliable once-a-year bumper <b>Radio Times</b> has unfortunately ditched it's tried and tested festive format for a more streaming/less <i>Rob</i> friendly version)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucqZANy2q_AZjJluRyqwwiI-1mPbdjUcZUaBMRAE9_g3sG5yC1S32VSCTu0iEe188CcsoRf6YIki_vFdM8Xsf7dZvRjCmZQ4mHu4VPyT7homPgnKxgoOZoE5o9okWx31_jQmk7fMg9IVOHXYxzxJQnNwyMoAjGmQyBoQoiPVep_yH7TPtYCUdAhsIhw/s600/UGRup-29-Samsung.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="600" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucqZANy2q_AZjJluRyqwwiI-1mPbdjUcZUaBMRAE9_g3sG5yC1S32VSCTu0iEe188CcsoRf6YIki_vFdM8Xsf7dZvRjCmZQ4mHu4VPyT7homPgnKxgoOZoE5o9okWx31_jQmk7fMg9IVOHXYxzxJQnNwyMoAjGmQyBoQoiPVep_yH7TPtYCUdAhsIhw/s320/UGRup-29-Samsung.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And what a better way to sign off than with an near-copy of last year's <i>'end of part one'</i>, only this time <i>Rob</i>'s happy to announce that he reunited the remote – found languishing in <i>'deep storage'</i> – with its parent <b>Samsung VHS/DVD</b> player, by posting it on to <b><a href="https://www.videodyssey.com" target="_blank">VideOdyessy</a></b> in <b>Liverpool</b>. So hold that happy thought until <i>'part two'</i> (music, books and comics) arrives in 4 weeks time....</div></div><div><p></p></div></div></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/tMf-UapVFt8" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Orb - A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Centre of the Ultraworld </span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-48227961551097484012023-01-04T10:06:00.038-08:002023-01-11T08:48:18.965-08:00Eclectic Dreamzzz back from the bed....<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8n7w_vEPtGYr-txX0290zWUeYQpqkNpsm5kkLsbT54ABJ0OGZLL_GV81LKnvjqqJv5wtb5IqNHjhRGQtAApMYjghI6vagYyeFNRnyCQNPAgtm6BkMj8mXLQnrMJMNzJETToNdHQDAW_1sida0YJqrdzuOLScL6hxl3lANZEdAEQLBsC9U_WsC-QYkvg/s811/Dreamzzz_Mothman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8n7w_vEPtGYr-txX0290zWUeYQpqkNpsm5kkLsbT54ABJ0OGZLL_GV81LKnvjqqJv5wtb5IqNHjhRGQtAApMYjghI6vagYyeFNRnyCQNPAgtm6BkMj8mXLQnrMJMNzJETToNdHQDAW_1sida0YJqrdzuOLScL6hxl3lANZEdAEQLBsC9U_WsC-QYkvg/s320/Dreamzzz_Mothman.jpg" width="237" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Just a wee <b>Braw</b> reminder that our sister(?) blog <b><a href="http://eclecticdreamzzz.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Eclectic Dreamzzz</a></b>, charting <b>Agent Rob</b>'s many varied adventures beyond the <b>Dreamescape</b> has finally returned after a 2 year hiatus.... Feel free to check out the newest (bed)post here - <b><a href="https://eclecticdreamzzz.blogspot.com/2023/01/hwanzahh.html"><span style="color: #0000ee;">https://eclecticdreamzzz.blogspot.com/2023/01/hwanzahh.html</span></a></b> - and if tweeting on Twitter's more your thing, then please follow us here for updates - <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/eclecticdreamzz"><b>https://mobile.twitter.com/eclecticdreamzz</b></a> - and remember to set your alarms for every <b><a href="https://eclecticdreamzzz.blogspot.com/search/label/WedneZZZday" target="_blank">WedneZZZday</a> </b>going forward....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUx1tbcGYc_5-79CXhr_PT-UixnAAWgrRO-aDkPNRUg_orsMU98eNuuH2XFlCarWQt2u3U_PsRYgfyFKiCW4cfzw5cmAxIEQTOod0m29ZXRtPt2605lW7A1Crse7K7md1vh9dlh9AvmPNuaj7QtSIapYlnnB5JqJPW_gOQmhSPJLji7wlLfojqNZ3jw/s450/Dreamzzz_000STANDARD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUx1tbcGYc_5-79CXhr_PT-UixnAAWgrRO-aDkPNRUg_orsMU98eNuuH2XFlCarWQt2u3U_PsRYgfyFKiCW4cfzw5cmAxIEQTOod0m29ZXRtPt2605lW7A1Crse7K7md1vh9dlh9AvmPNuaj7QtSIapYlnnB5JqJPW_gOQmhSPJLji7wlLfojqNZ3jw/s320/Dreamzzz_000STANDARD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, here's a <b>Top 5</b> of sorts from previous dreamy excursions....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://eclecticdreamzzz.blogspot.com/2018/05/vranth.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vranth</a> - featuring <b>The Beckhams</b> and <b>John Byrne</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://eclecticdreamzzz.blogspot.com/2018/09/herunklig.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Herunklig</a> - featuring<b> Demi Moore</b>, <b>Joel Gion</b>, <b>Spike Milligan </b>and <b>Julia Davis</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://eclecticdreamzzz.blogspot.com/2018/04/pirglallap.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Pirglallap</a> - featuring <b>Madge from Neighbours</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><a href="https://eclecticdreamzzz.blogspot.com/2018/01/nannzarrith.html" target="_blank">Nannzarrith</a> - </b>featuring the girl from the <b>Post Office </b>(a long time ago)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><a href="https://eclecticdreamzzz.blogspot.com/2019/05/tansitle.html" target="_blank">Tansitle</a> </b>- featuring loads of old drawn recollections (from a very long time ago)....</div><p></p>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-1270024031513635382022-12-17T02:22:00.227-08:002023-04-05T09:28:00.145-07:00A Chronicle of Doom....<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqSdJGpz-sPZ8jZoSMFY-4SuEIYRZ5KPffZwuGHWQWc4o_AFVtkrtJGeMQP4hX4JALVCvL4Mn78FMdZbGoCOu9vflfbgEuWdb_hgsOTB-mmBLMmpEe1nAoyJBxdXDofN-m9UUn_lNCdE0txWf3mfKDE31TIt99yaEXGXsznb2r7BPtGJAYf38ZG8QdA/s612/BrawBlog-CoD-02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqSdJGpz-sPZ8jZoSMFY-4SuEIYRZ5KPffZwuGHWQWc4o_AFVtkrtJGeMQP4hX4JALVCvL4Mn78FMdZbGoCOu9vflfbgEuWdb_hgsOTB-mmBLMmpEe1nAoyJBxdXDofN-m9UUn_lNCdE0txWf3mfKDE31TIt99yaEXGXsznb2r7BPtGJAYf38ZG8QdA/s320/BrawBlog-CoD-02.jpg" width="235" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hi-Yah! Howzit gaun?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">With absolutely everything seemingly <i>'drawing to a close'</i> (without much actual comic drawin' to start with!) there's never been a better time to slip inside <b>Agent Johnny</b>'s house and quietly ignore the world goin' by. And how better to celebrate this long overdue <i>'View to a (non-alcoholic) Swill' </i>by kranking open the <b>Karmi</b> while <b>Bob Dylan</b> and chums noodle away in a pleasantly directionless fashion in the background....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPX53-goUuDTztR4idfiskfXDmnd9KLXOWPcuFxoVtSwf9C6krTIfI2nj9z1qSVcbZc7yE_9K1WaICBxL-cmJWLbZFI8Pmyz_B76q1vJKCqipfqW3_jISpOdLMbnLEaYRZvcxvAzauGf3tSu1cEyR7fck2SxYUL4MCVUKcBwne-1NLovE6OEnmWHsTOA/s654/BrawBlog-CoD-01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPX53-goUuDTztR4idfiskfXDmnd9KLXOWPcuFxoVtSwf9C6krTIfI2nj9z1qSVcbZc7yE_9K1WaICBxL-cmJWLbZFI8Pmyz_B76q1vJKCqipfqW3_jISpOdLMbnLEaYRZvcxvAzauGf3tSu1cEyR7fck2SxYUL4MCVUKcBwne-1NLovE6OEnmWHsTOA/s320/BrawBlog-CoD-01.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">See <b>Braw</b>'s previous blog....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As (un)usual proceedings kicked off with a discussion around recent issues of <b><a href="https://infinitymagazine.co.uk" target="_blank">Infinity Magazine</a></b> and <b><a href="http://spaceshipaway.org" target="_blank">Spaceship Away</a></b> before heading off in search of space, Johnny <i>'waxing lyrical'</i> about seeing <b>'The Floyd'</b> at Potter's Bar in '71, <b>Tangerine Dream</b> in Sheffield in '76 and, of course, <b>Grateful Dead</b> in Edinburgh in '81. Other topics of contented chuntering included the fillums <b>Atomic Blonde</b> and <b>Lords of Chaos</b> - both notable for their queasy violence - the <b><a href="https://diaboliquemagazine.com/heroic-bloodshed-when-hammer-met-shaw-brothers/" target="_blank">Hammer/Shaw Bros</a></b> collaborations <b>The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires </b>and <b>Shatter</b>, the leery <b>X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes</b>, 1967's <b>Quatermass and the Pit</b> followed (quite literally) by <b>Death Wish 4</b> and a mighty ye olde <a href="http://www.scottishcinemas.org.uk/scotland/lanark/index.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Lanark Regal </a>Cinema double-bill of <b>Enter The Dragon</b> followed by <b>Death Race 2000</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TxnsUE6n-JQQPMDtmUw9wpHLBIU4KlDaLzzKjckvTGr7sesOsSV4hiTEtDItLOavegSjeyNlaPgdSjOUck4jL_tu783v0c_cP0waKPYjgGwRZ7GrpFEYjN1chNgEYN9d2-oV8ecr9OI5_eyG0KNzH_RG6MxWar-IdK5aJBlmW89rekQC6WV-b50s1w/s657/BrawBlog-CoD-05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TxnsUE6n-JQQPMDtmUw9wpHLBIU4KlDaLzzKjckvTGr7sesOsSV4hiTEtDItLOavegSjeyNlaPgdSjOUck4jL_tu783v0c_cP0waKPYjgGwRZ7GrpFEYjN1chNgEYN9d2-oV8ecr9OI5_eyG0KNzH_RG6MxWar-IdK5aJBlmW89rekQC6WV-b50s1w/s320/BrawBlog-CoD-05.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Maybe <b>Braw</b>'s previous previous previous blog...?<b>*</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Next up our <b>Agents</b> got all misty-eyed for the days of proper seasonal programming, wondering if the cult likes of <b>Zabriskie Point</b> or <b>Zardoz</b> will ever grace (domestic free-to-air) television channels ever again, snow or no', before chat inevitably (re)turned to the possible release of the <b>John Stark</b> comic, anything to free it from its freezing over <i>'development hell'</i>. Any longer and it'll be an <b><a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AlanSmithee" target="_blank">Alan Smithee</a></b> production. Of course, unlike auld <b>Robert Zimmerman</b> there comes a time when there is no direction <i>but </i>home for <b>Agent Rob</b> and bottles are drained, plans are hatched and partings are said....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*Following a discussion on the origins of <b>Sinbad/Sindbad the Sailor</b>, it transpires the character appears in seven voyages/stories in the <b>Tales From The Thousand And One Nights</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Sounds: <b>Bob Dylan</b> - Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid: <b>Bernard Herrmann</b> - Taxi Driver OST: <b>Tangerine Dream</b> - I Dream of Star Trek (bootleg): <b>Rose City Band</b> - Dawn Patrol (track) and <b>Eric Burdon & The Animals</b> - Sky Pilot....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/GFsPZdkshJA" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bob Dylan - Main Title Theme (Billy)</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-24410291022421550122022-11-11T03:11:00.566-08:002022-11-16T09:54:42.055-08:00You Seen The Set, Part Seven: Reno (and Bonus Content!)....<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqmZFNnA7m686ISolnfoCqxaRQgHCD_AmrKisgFbXEkb0OfuT18ayWnqJMus-YhUdHxz4VrGsOhIcaVCszclDZonKh5qCNKpNJv3OI162ZEwKvLZKaWEumwIQ6Wgu72HeTrK3PetNv1f3E5kROZ_Th5pu7Bx75wSBa1Dwy5q_4gtQXNxt5cZQJeemDw/s600/adam-west-batman-burt-ward-robin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqmZFNnA7m686ISolnfoCqxaRQgHCD_AmrKisgFbXEkb0OfuT18ayWnqJMus-YhUdHxz4VrGsOhIcaVCszclDZonKh5qCNKpNJv3OI162ZEwKvLZKaWEumwIQ6Wgu72HeTrK3PetNv1f3E5kROZ_Th5pu7Bx75wSBa1Dwy5q_4gtQXNxt5cZQJeemDw/s320/adam-west-batman-burt-ward-robin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Dynamic Duo!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>"Holy Holidays, Batman!"</i> While a spirited springtime jaunt to <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2022/09/you-seen-set-part-six-san-francisco.html" target="_blank">San Francisco</a></b> was undeniably the main attraction of <b>Agent Rob</b>'s recent sojourn <b>Stateside</b>, there was no denying that <b>Reno</b> itself had a few sneaky surprises in store....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNnmBVQPu0zJV-if6Pek8TcJAfNxa6OQjJHiioO8N6v0FPrMkoohu7bj9O4qK-MsYdk5cvdo7TUCjy4gLRIVamCZZnBOmYf572VZS0x3HyXxUmc5l5dPVUJBT_nhg0DTRN8jvVVN5og_PQoIdqyuh6RnUo8iuqzihzV0HN6IEBDPp3T9GIoOBLO9Gag/s600/IMG_09200_RENO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNnmBVQPu0zJV-if6Pek8TcJAfNxa6OQjJHiioO8N6v0FPrMkoohu7bj9O4qK-MsYdk5cvdo7TUCjy4gLRIVamCZZnBOmYf572VZS0x3HyXxUmc5l5dPVUJBT_nhg0DTRN8jvVVN5og_PQoIdqyuh6RnUo8iuqzihzV0HN6IEBDPp3T9GIoOBLO9Gag/s320/IMG_09200_RENO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Reno</b>, er, <i>"The Biggest Little City In The World"</i>, um....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66DKXhWyLgsJn0Eeo0sWhnFx3capJg9kT-87YtETsS-SiKo44MPf0zZEez_wNbnDl2C4aK6iEefUgxvsdhk6iHjHoQOXQHGuj-m0VIqlUAgjhP5rDpCe_LT9fpI4MLOhv51uH7qeawH-68dgtiel6KPoPyiANUyaBFx67K_OrIXJqn8uqj3g8ujLXFg/s600/BBonus_04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="600" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66DKXhWyLgsJn0Eeo0sWhnFx3capJg9kT-87YtETsS-SiKo44MPf0zZEez_wNbnDl2C4aK6iEefUgxvsdhk6iHjHoQOXQHGuj-m0VIqlUAgjhP5rDpCe_LT9fpI4MLOhv51uH7qeawH-68dgtiel6KPoPyiANUyaBFx67K_OrIXJqn8uqj3g8ujLXFg/s320/BBonus_04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"And the skies always had little fluffy clouds...."</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6UcnFCAW-LdTXD19aRosh8GDXOZ0rJWjcH09qfSj3Wr9KjTjklMzWpKu-NRyGShsrDk6JFpTITQgpVv5GtyzJpZrgpQYBtli7TJ2aZ4aBc-Zxe_633uQXOXCRgFWD8Q0V43XBJ_GVYDJPB1URElo-CAjoH4TOK2eM9B64fohxwSvrpFPZssfSiSKeQ/s600/IMG_0015_Bats2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="600" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6UcnFCAW-LdTXD19aRosh8GDXOZ0rJWjcH09qfSj3Wr9KjTjklMzWpKu-NRyGShsrDk6JFpTITQgpVv5GtyzJpZrgpQYBtli7TJ2aZ4aBc-Zxe_633uQXOXCRgFWD8Q0V43XBJ_GVYDJPB1URElo-CAjoH4TOK2eM9B64fohxwSvrpFPZssfSiSKeQ/s320/IMG_0015_Bats2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na... Nah, really, honest!</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Surprise number one had to be the <b><a href="https://automuseum.org" target="_blank">National Automobile Museum</a></b> which, completely unbeknownst to <i>Rob</i> beforehand, houses a startling collection of authentic fillum and TV cars. Top of this (far from scrap) heap has to be an immaculate 1960s <b>Batmobile</b>. <i>"Holy Polish Job, Batman"</i>....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiuhN1MdWHSPwoLCtyRgLnr8JD5Fi9N9o7Ehg5YnD1FGv0G3ZAHNB7RtiZwi0y96tqMGdtS4Hnr6gCb2tFzQRsAXRnBw8whL9r8ukolNBDPZSMhYmZ8Kl3Mw0Vh1UannFF5gkWjGQk2xeGKB8nWutrh3JdnA5O3Y-0Om5fX_LzmNmU84zNzvYcF-9bIQ/s600/IMG_0009_bats1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiuhN1MdWHSPwoLCtyRgLnr8JD5Fi9N9o7Ehg5YnD1FGv0G3ZAHNB7RtiZwi0y96tqMGdtS4Hnr6gCb2tFzQRsAXRnBw8whL9r8ukolNBDPZSMhYmZ8Kl3Mw0Vh1UannFF5gkWjGQk2xeGKB8nWutrh3JdnA5O3Y-0Om5fX_LzmNmU84zNzvYcF-9bIQ/s320/IMG_0009_bats1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbo0yIBvTgubPKF2Z7JzTKGIsKUwI5Xohx_Me1KGkkxmYp_XUXbn2O-gn1ACPsEVpkIJyjqZ3zng0ZToNdT7x0An1TjZx1b7k1SYsF4sup4mr4NxiFSPxAvm9SiFHhj3nbUB68-WwRRkl26V7EHy5QalToLrK4cBgNh-rt6FSnaLsW9V4Dy-z4dTXGQ/s600/IMG_0015_Bats3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbo0yIBvTgubPKF2Z7JzTKGIsKUwI5Xohx_Me1KGkkxmYp_XUXbn2O-gn1ACPsEVpkIJyjqZ3zng0ZToNdT7x0An1TjZx1b7k1SYsF4sup4mr4NxiFSPxAvm9SiFHhj3nbUB68-WwRRkl26V7EHy5QalToLrK4cBgNh-rt6FSnaLsW9V4Dy-z4dTXGQ/s320/IMG_0015_Bats3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In addition to this the museum also has an equally primo 1960s <b>Jokermobile</b>, <b>Green Hornet</b>'s <b>'Black Beauty'</b> (as actually driven by some guy called <b>Bruce Lee</b>, no less), <b>Knight Rider</b>'s <b>K.I.T.T. </b>(for short, or <b>Knight Industries Two Thousand</b> for, er, long), 2005's <b>Herbie</b> <b>Volkswagen Beetle</b> and <b>Back To The Future</b>'s <b>DeLorean </b>time machine. <i>"Run for your life, Marty!"</i>....</div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx_IHLaQom7pYiOAIPbMDMAwKT5vM7ek1-FmbL8tUH-b2w5gvILAxeMnVg6F3BXLEaI-3hPF6a42-3ep9O2r8vpuvBjhNOXrGSKBP3MKGrI937pa5n3Eh3YkiN9RB8vPBBFPuzNsRvW0TBpKJ4VJihnIskM_LqmD3u6m6V3iTlRQCtUvKyOi9I8jQ1A/s600/IMG_0132_Jokermobile.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx_IHLaQom7pYiOAIPbMDMAwKT5vM7ek1-FmbL8tUH-b2w5gvILAxeMnVg6F3BXLEaI-3hPF6a42-3ep9O2r8vpuvBjhNOXrGSKBP3MKGrI937pa5n3Eh3YkiN9RB8vPBBFPuzNsRvW0TBpKJ4VJihnIskM_LqmD3u6m6V3iTlRQCtUvKyOi9I8jQ1A/s320/IMG_0132_Jokermobile.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The <b>Jokermobile</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeisM8-eyREr36fI4gUWxaw6dgCjHv5tnlPRjGDFPDbtpEpeOP0ioBJQ9QNLSbDxQoCJaMKF9Q19I3RC46Qot1p33VSqNxWncTEs10y3ePhyBWkBx_WiUjhAIMsomKEu3PNyS0a5e1DXWld6I1VfVZ_Vn1dNGqvrfwZAMOG0QjPp8_kKrP56LL7K9GUQ/s675/IMG_0117_Hornet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeisM8-eyREr36fI4gUWxaw6dgCjHv5tnlPRjGDFPDbtpEpeOP0ioBJQ9QNLSbDxQoCJaMKF9Q19I3RC46Qot1p33VSqNxWncTEs10y3ePhyBWkBx_WiUjhAIMsomKEu3PNyS0a5e1DXWld6I1VfVZ_Vn1dNGqvrfwZAMOG0QjPp8_kKrP56LL7K9GUQ/s320/IMG_0117_Hornet.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">'Black Beauty'</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQ0s-aBIRTckoEnqyWlg_7ezE28ZSWNd0MYG-H5tK9dwrLUQCOnx_7vXnh2QoNPG9pIQEFF9KWxeG1apprv5vMlbXIdguJm2uoPmdQG2eeOLO2wNmd-2fDEukFNjdpIBOJmNVQK7YM8GWirrmtdKplC8M-sf159WkqdNWBN_cIySUjgdeaelCIQ6a9g/s600/IMG_0057_kitt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQ0s-aBIRTckoEnqyWlg_7ezE28ZSWNd0MYG-H5tK9dwrLUQCOnx_7vXnh2QoNPG9pIQEFF9KWxeG1apprv5vMlbXIdguJm2uoPmdQG2eeOLO2wNmd-2fDEukFNjdpIBOJmNVQK7YM8GWirrmtdKplC8M-sf159WkqdNWBN_cIySUjgdeaelCIQ6a9g/s320/IMG_0057_kitt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">K.I.T.T.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiBthP4ZRiC06uPG__RGJuEY2l3Y7H8lBwGOcnQTORAdkJxxbu0xRQITohwpHs1wboXnNfumFIOqNPFw9yHo-Vq1KZN57b0EHCa8sGmAhM0wOZMbcrNHyqGhPSGGavmSZvSEUY2FWWKx4rTHp52HntKewa4EdbfVhAcKOvP_Z0_asLma2CkiduLVpcQ/s555/IMG_0109_herbie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiBthP4ZRiC06uPG__RGJuEY2l3Y7H8lBwGOcnQTORAdkJxxbu0xRQITohwpHs1wboXnNfumFIOqNPFw9yHo-Vq1KZN57b0EHCa8sGmAhM0wOZMbcrNHyqGhPSGGavmSZvSEUY2FWWKx4rTHp52HntKewa4EdbfVhAcKOvP_Z0_asLma2CkiduLVpcQ/s320/IMG_0109_herbie.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Herbie</b> (and here <i>Rob</i> goes bananas)....</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6S5ZT1nUwPrIybMXDBT0CpTH_8HmSYi7XRiNTfSdMZIYwkxRfsvi4JWWRJVpF39IpbaQZHqy3l3pa5l703XM1lSqvZvlKm6QH1AdiaZP49hhw3dBYtAqPQ8F4dRSMbSwmUmKb-bVTUSTFP65q8ntetarodSheY3_YKsZGAJDjTb2EV83PN6djs-F2ww/s600/IMG_0055_BTTF.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6S5ZT1nUwPrIybMXDBT0CpTH_8HmSYi7XRiNTfSdMZIYwkxRfsvi4JWWRJVpF39IpbaQZHqy3l3pa5l703XM1lSqvZvlKm6QH1AdiaZP49hhw3dBYtAqPQ8F4dRSMbSwmUmKb-bVTUSTFP65q8ntetarodSheY3_YKsZGAJDjTb2EV83PN6djs-F2ww/s320/IMG_0055_BTTF.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>DMC DeLorean</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZlq5xOC1aA4w8oJ4WKn6bUCgK3RDtiwFjkSsVbyJ_A2gOabcP2VV47jV12wOoTy6Qr_fYtyrMlF3v2zZqSL2UHAH3m2Oxm_Vvu-8ziX7f7mu6YAMY79kgG_11l8cJ3ZAXwi5hXuAxDjtMeSwG8t3fmavljbUHL2PQcd6vkrBwvdUwyPcKwCKKIYR4A/s600/BrawBlog_Bonanza.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZlq5xOC1aA4w8oJ4WKn6bUCgK3RDtiwFjkSsVbyJ_A2gOabcP2VV47jV12wOoTy6Qr_fYtyrMlF3v2zZqSL2UHAH3m2Oxm_Vvu-8ziX7f7mu6YAMY79kgG_11l8cJ3ZAXwi5hXuAxDjtMeSwG8t3fmavljbUHL2PQcd6vkrBwvdUwyPcKwCKKIYR4A/s320/BrawBlog_Bonanza.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">A quick drive over from <i>Reno</i> to <b><a href="https://visitinglaketahoe.com" target="_blank">Lake Tahoe</a></b> (which straddles the<b> California</b> and <b>Nevada</b> state border like a bow-legged hoss) and, <i>Hi-Yo Silver! </i>- wrong intellectual property, <i>Rob</i> knows! - it turns out you're in baked and boiling <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052451/" target="_blank">Bonanza</a></b> (ranch) TV country....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib680b3whzdvUaYlf_U_76eK391uBSS67Mygs5bHewLRRQUA5G8JAePgB8UhkK7A8w0QcMHkI9Q6p3smFvK6tM8102CCcUqdPmPG3I3cmqSoewdkBR2dsJPCbPIUwUTuoLU22O9qAGL_HpXdEUqtYMRvhl4SzaGzhyDgi47xouOIGsd2Jmwkos6CY5fA/s600/IMG_1057_Bonanza.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib680b3whzdvUaYlf_U_76eK391uBSS67Mygs5bHewLRRQUA5G8JAePgB8UhkK7A8w0QcMHkI9Q6p3smFvK6tM8102CCcUqdPmPG3I3cmqSoewdkBR2dsJPCbPIUwUTuoLU22O9qAGL_HpXdEUqtYMRvhl4SzaGzhyDgi47xouOIGsd2Jmwkos6CY5fA/s320/IMG_1057_Bonanza.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Obligatory photo of generic sun beaten boulders....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>BONUS TRACKS!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQFILdvOf48Sq_Pbe5EX2Ym7gzliZV0oSMwc4odN7S9jMmn6iEpfMRlDb_Ce-GKNvgezwEjmKkwlRVm4DtiHffZ4AKVutk7Bwc3Lh4qd8FPuW5DdKogB8RZlh1ZcQZa_AtEIstAfV1pokAPYok08QGgJEFcHNUVJTHnG4zWRjwINK47oZevUQQMlH1w/s558/BrawBlog_DeadHoose.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQFILdvOf48Sq_Pbe5EX2Ym7gzliZV0oSMwc4odN7S9jMmn6iEpfMRlDb_Ce-GKNvgezwEjmKkwlRVm4DtiHffZ4AKVutk7Bwc3Lh4qd8FPuW5DdKogB8RZlh1ZcQZa_AtEIstAfV1pokAPYok08QGgJEFcHNUVJTHnG4zWRjwINK47oZevUQQMlH1w/s320/BrawBlog_DeadHoose.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Grateful Dead</b> (and company)....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Rewinding just a little, a truly <b>Braw</b> trip to <b>SF</b> wouldn't be complete without hitting the 60s hippie trail and venturing far out, er, in the direction of the <a href="https://goldengatepark.com" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Golden Gate Park</a>, making sure to keep on truckin' through the <b><a href="https://www.sftravel.com/explore/neighborhoods/haight-ashbury" target="_blank">Haight-Ashbury</a></b> intersection and turning on, tuning in and dropping out at the <b><a href="https://www.dead.net/tags/710-ashbury" target="_blank">Grateful Dead</a></b>'s old communal residence, gawping at the colossal collection of vinyl and cds in <b><a href="https://www.amoeba.com/our-stores/store-photos/san-francisco/" target="_blank">Amoeba Music</a></b>, before finally swinging your sizeable pants by the <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fillmore_West" target="_blank">Fillmore West</a></b> concert venue...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYs8zPv6zWKWAAfbHFm3I9H_QzT7ZSpv0fcbt5NmkPiXqKUznV6Wn0uFLcYP6xJCD6-w4iI-b7TrYJQAAWxVFKzj1PhUNX78Y2luHALgWt7MNCT3lPJm0HJioVHujQrOhvVX5Edwmq6nmc7qg0kAAFb1YGY7Db2182Ym7pgQFBy8RuePv_JEHmlvxRvA/s600/IMG_0854_Dead.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYs8zPv6zWKWAAfbHFm3I9H_QzT7ZSpv0fcbt5NmkPiXqKUznV6Wn0uFLcYP6xJCD6-w4iI-b7TrYJQAAWxVFKzj1PhUNX78Y2luHALgWt7MNCT3lPJm0HJioVHujQrOhvVX5Edwmq6nmc7qg0kAAFb1YGY7Db2182Ym7pgQFBy8RuePv_JEHmlvxRvA/s320/IMG_0854_Dead.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>710 Ashbury Street</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZt7WjVG1fWklzBvNs0Ub1nmInUWSI89A_idb4tdbIwPDm7Ap6rZBzVnmlZSMqDuKG6cA3m4F_qz8nEycyXdglVqhaqThCY_WyKnhQsBBwnmtn7HejTWWsNHf9S15N-MFk0uRIz9y-6KNM0Ue9J7sZrqV2DwTuShxH7OSehpamuMf4BjSkB5Ksp7G_QA/s600/IMG_0851_haight.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="600" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZt7WjVG1fWklzBvNs0Ub1nmInUWSI89A_idb4tdbIwPDm7Ap6rZBzVnmlZSMqDuKG6cA3m4F_qz8nEycyXdglVqhaqThCY_WyKnhQsBBwnmtn7HejTWWsNHf9S15N-MFk0uRIz9y-6KNM0Ue9J7sZrqV2DwTuShxH7OSehpamuMf4BjSkB5Ksp7G_QA/s320/IMG_0851_haight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Haight-Ashbury</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It's (un)fair to say that <i>Haight-Ashbury</i> was something of a disappointment. No <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xic-CHInek" target="_blank">Dark Star</a></b> drifting from first floor windows to soundtrack this psychedelic pilgrimage, no great clouds of dope smoke obscuring reality, no real sense of urgent political purpose or idealistic <i>'movement'</i>, just <i>Agent Rob</i> wearing (metaphorical) rose-tinted glasses and enduring the stark reality - the whiffs of patchouli oil/incense while eyeing the (white) bums going about their (permanently closed for) business - wondering just what exactly he was expecting to find (himself?) 60 years post-zenith. To completely compound the cliche <i>Amoeba Music</i> didn't even have a copy of <a href="https://classicalbumsundays.com/the-story-of-the-grateful-dead-american-beauty/" target="_blank"><b>American Beauty</b></a> in stock.... <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcl76QDv4QdRTs2qEDysZPKEkRGLWkWUR-8XsA0NA6fE8I-Hn5i6yNCwvDJwrg74tGhGPt9pkRr3FDzPuYpGhMH4Qx2Xd4F4XAPiwCrQyKxx-1zH5QBzYlXlTCLv0YnAYV7ThvQHB1CgyMkSlS5dG-1wJbEGmrQJiL37MBzBT5QJ310XZbnC0okunzg/s450/CG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcl76QDv4QdRTs2qEDysZPKEkRGLWkWUR-8XsA0NA6fE8I-Hn5i6yNCwvDJwrg74tGhGPt9pkRr3FDzPuYpGhMH4Qx2Xd4F4XAPiwCrQyKxx-1zH5QBzYlXlTCLv0YnAYV7ThvQHB1CgyMkSlS5dG-1wJbEGmrQJiL37MBzBT5QJ310XZbnC0okunzg/s320/CG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Indeed the admittedly tasty <b><a href=" https://www.veganburg.com" target="_blank">VeganBurg</a></b> lunch there was to reveal that they are a <i><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/comments/943ntq/found_this_at_vegan_burg_in_san_francisco_ca/" target="_blank">'catering partner'</a></i> of ultimate mainstream music pop supremo <b>Taylor Swift </b>, making <b>Ben & Jerry</b>'s - who occupy the <i>'store'</i> bang on the intersection - very own <b><a href="https://www.benjerry.com/flavors/cherry-garcia-ice-cream" target="_blank">Cherry Garcia</a></b> ice cream simply melt into the counter-cultural flotsam....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHo3BdjD14nSX9IitURltXu-onGmpoaWI8nCZ6TOhpbh0N5-GL9MOC_DZo6zVSb9qkUelwShVEBKNf9lhmau5aeWYhMxyrFd0isSsntX05ic0H_qmPUJyGYRmQ9r9Dt_GNh77bbOXFcHd91VxGU5bEao24l20-uTItVLKeLvDwezFgLs8E1opyB-bsw/s600/IMG_0874_fillmore2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="600" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHo3BdjD14nSX9IitURltXu-onGmpoaWI8nCZ6TOhpbh0N5-GL9MOC_DZo6zVSb9qkUelwShVEBKNf9lhmau5aeWYhMxyrFd0isSsntX05ic0H_qmPUJyGYRmQ9r9Dt_GNh77bbOXFcHd91VxGU5bEao24l20-uTItVLKeLvDwezFgLs8E1opyB-bsw/s320/IMG_0874_fillmore2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Fillmore</b> (West)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TiL6iVfNMGr22jUkCR6MZyrsz0rSE0_PPPnUPNDFIONtFgwzJZKldbhvfPDef_QwWQ0Hsb3Xn9a4MDtvCdq7i3QatAy4pIlnZAq_NRIkdFOLO_cASCYpTWqbTSWQNu4Xi6QQb2lALDQ7_7AiKWZV9ON_6FHnXQ0TdThpwWy_gu5ATPWrVttTNUTN4A/s675/IMG_0874_fillmore1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TiL6iVfNMGr22jUkCR6MZyrsz0rSE0_PPPnUPNDFIONtFgwzJZKldbhvfPDef_QwWQ0Hsb3Xn9a4MDtvCdq7i3QatAy4pIlnZAq_NRIkdFOLO_cASCYpTWqbTSWQNu4Xi6QQb2lALDQ7_7AiKWZV9ON_6FHnXQ0TdThpwWy_gu5ATPWrVttTNUTN4A/s320/IMG_0874_fillmore1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8kAGT1fXU_EEb4e-EnrvF7SleVhJimARbXZd7hzkfEv3JU6FBXcPvsOCyrlEqKMbA1yYpn4bZAA824ltt-gvWowKyd1aUI_ZtP54NuVZDZtvz1hjzW52bNuAGpXtY20HpsyuA6SQXO6RyvA0iLqjMDz0qKIvLKCs4Q783fBfT1-MGzD_tRZVVuaz2g/s600/IMG_0874_fillmore3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="600" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8kAGT1fXU_EEb4e-EnrvF7SleVhJimARbXZd7hzkfEv3JU6FBXcPvsOCyrlEqKMbA1yYpn4bZAA824ltt-gvWowKyd1aUI_ZtP54NuVZDZtvz1hjzW52bNuAGpXtY20HpsyuA6SQXO6RyvA0iLqjMDz0qKIvLKCs4Q783fBfT1-MGzD_tRZVVuaz2g/s320/IMG_0874_fillmore3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"Uh, what's up, docs...?"</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhs4WvCMpM3e6bFu8vPZOjQgpojbW4hxgd0OLpGt0h5SOMTMysQzdtkU5qss25bgWh80J69pESXt_CE04JdUll2v83p0PIZYt_e8Cv4Ljzj3-xw11VHhM2QBGSPEcqdfkXqG3B2Z9vvDWmVvEyd72901zbiTyFe-L8tvmJEfvDHonJ7FWuhpvIPDz2Q/s600/IMG_0712_Amoeba.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhs4WvCMpM3e6bFu8vPZOjQgpojbW4hxgd0OLpGt0h5SOMTMysQzdtkU5qss25bgWh80J69pESXt_CE04JdUll2v83p0PIZYt_e8Cv4Ljzj3-xw11VHhM2QBGSPEcqdfkXqG3B2Z9vvDWmVvEyd72901zbiTyFe-L8tvmJEfvDHonJ7FWuhpvIPDz2Q/s320/IMG_0712_Amoeba.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Amoeba Music</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7BY5RbG5FWRMrGI7jF_JmzhxJ0AN_fQWeLo1z9vEd8tc8o7ltFUGhutnUe8V3SQR_eyvcqcMRLGAEq2IgYRQYNPR8zW6U-wFoUCanIKWDI0IZWfklf0PxSoQUa7TnfwEVouH9Zhe9IxMwnn1HogEBbJX7513oRZ0IZuu2DKo-j1Y-0stORD8fvdimA/s520/IMG_0876_Mondays.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7BY5RbG5FWRMrGI7jF_JmzhxJ0AN_fQWeLo1z9vEd8tc8o7ltFUGhutnUe8V3SQR_eyvcqcMRLGAEq2IgYRQYNPR8zW6U-wFoUCanIKWDI0IZWfklf0PxSoQUa7TnfwEVouH9Zhe9IxMwnn1HogEBbJX7513oRZ0IZuu2DKo-j1Y-0stORD8fvdimA/s320/IMG_0876_Mondays.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Madchester</b> in the (hotel lobby) area!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilt8_6T7ivLr3DOimC7lP-a3tqlvqtCacBZa2vAzqGu7bV1Ke0ua0ZaAI2NOxMi7AkkpKc5Ri0IhfbCHXrVx6tY9pErZ40SVogqF_SKhLqnUMnFsKNwv0a9ULQkN_7p72NTrJXJPUK6G4XE5r4NUy61xZaXrpihOjco6EiGF9iFbfWCg4OnOD_O4lurQ/s600/IMG_0847_FullerHouse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="600" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilt8_6T7ivLr3DOimC7lP-a3tqlvqtCacBZa2vAzqGu7bV1Ke0ua0ZaAI2NOxMi7AkkpKc5Ri0IhfbCHXrVx6tY9pErZ40SVogqF_SKhLqnUMnFsKNwv0a9ULQkN_7p72NTrJXJPUK6G4XE5r4NUy61xZaXrpihOjco6EiGF9iFbfWCg4OnOD_O4lurQ/s320/IMG_0847_FullerHouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The <b>"Painted Ladies"</b>, <b>Alamo Square</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">If you fancy a <i>'Full House'</i> of SF TV sights then you could always visit the <b><a href="https://www.sftravel.com/painted-ladies" target="_blank">"Painted Ladies"</a></b> as seen in the 80s-90s sitcom, er, <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092359/" target="_blank">Full House</a> </b>(as well as viewed in reality at <b><a href="https://sfrecpark.org/facilities/facility/details/Alamo-Square-323" target="_blank">Alamo Square</a></b>)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheorX0q0mm-mRr7do48ppqo0fyL2-wqDRpUL2HGzJjW_FUq756pKz3Op2OsY4nOZjio-K03o55mBOKyiqKyPPRpiPZjfhYGc4HGJfWMn5_QQkIlW-RmmCFvtGWih1qhMEnv9nprYZU5oSYsP3hcxWC2_spMzw4IlW1MvNCVnEIIs4QTRgpxks5jsmCxg/s600/IMG_0880_Hammett.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="600" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheorX0q0mm-mRr7do48ppqo0fyL2-wqDRpUL2HGzJjW_FUq756pKz3Op2OsY4nOZjio-K03o55mBOKyiqKyPPRpiPZjfhYGc4HGJfWMn5_QQkIlW-RmmCFvtGWih1qhMEnv9nprYZU5oSYsP3hcxWC2_spMzw4IlW1MvNCVnEIIs4QTRgpxks5jsmCxg/s320/IMG_0880_Hammett.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dashiell <i>"The Maltese Falcon"</i> Hammett....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSC_YUNY7MhefcrP91jby4A8oy_xyWeELD2ij1sdhiYIOyzOEZDSfDrvHKfmImQNUgQIs42lorI2TBGAHQJY836a9e4kggPwzd2QFAvcxozrrT9r_qt52PMW_WYz2paDc9KOE8J6h9-5RoqTKaU4zPTisjf6MAnftXbx4Y1H73bfpeFXIg-Ekiu_Gwg/s600/IMG_0907_Quentin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="600" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSC_YUNY7MhefcrP91jby4A8oy_xyWeELD2ij1sdhiYIOyzOEZDSfDrvHKfmImQNUgQIs42lorI2TBGAHQJY836a9e4kggPwzd2QFAvcxozrrT9r_qt52PMW_WYz2paDc9KOE8J6h9-5RoqTKaU4zPTisjf6MAnftXbx4Y1H73bfpeFXIg-Ekiu_Gwg/s320/IMG_0907_Quentin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">San <i>"Charles Manson"</i> Quentin....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Finally, driving over the <b>Golden Gate Bridge</b> and on through <b><a href="https://www.visitmarin.org" target="_blank">Marin County</a></b> and what can one spy from the speeding window of a car but <b><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/San-Quentin-State-Prison" target="_blank">San Quentin</a></b> (State Prison) which famously <i>'housed'</i> <b><a href="https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/famous-murders/charles-manson-and-the-manson-family/" target="_blank">Charles Manson</a></b> on one occasion and <i>'hosted'</i> <b><a href="https://www.johnnycash.com" target="_blank">Johnny Cash</a></b> on two.... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfhgpizjlUiv-pjwvJr8db6IqVlwKyGFKe3CfVX_TJBaEcbqIWGd4PAxtXUirUo2U62mxGIUVbYfjnSn3WDnrtl1Bw_Wd2fc09qK-RdLRQ0htejtBX3OD4RKGfBFUYsj57EkmlUyZUVRWXx9eKF3vH-6GG0iddSD-Rg5ogPSmjXs5-DTZAW_pIxPoPg/s534/IMG_0908_Lincoln.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfhgpizjlUiv-pjwvJr8db6IqVlwKyGFKe3CfVX_TJBaEcbqIWGd4PAxtXUirUo2U62mxGIUVbYfjnSn3WDnrtl1Bw_Wd2fc09qK-RdLRQ0htejtBX3OD4RKGfBFUYsj57EkmlUyZUVRWXx9eKF3vH-6GG0iddSD-Rg5ogPSmjXs5-DTZAW_pIxPoPg/s320/IMG_0908_Lincoln.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Peace (Over and) Out....</span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/1dKySPZPJPM" width="480"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues (Live at San Quentin State Prison, February 1969)</div></span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-41831732076093079682022-09-09T01:09:00.665-07:002022-10-03T13:23:11.728-07:00You Seen The Set, Part Six: San Francisco....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs782Weri-S3gcTPkNnsB3oqQPF7l_AC2PU823x4ib7KcM6KpNsb-LYjz9S1G6PJWkVLsVH2NGzikhCPYtYr2KbDzcmbpOLrq27gGWrlNOMrUXmnXBRd5ogzV8qmOzYM1cjTTJtWek-v45swXFL8APi7o_TKgMZXH3jOmt3DrWGVgZ5t9Znq5fmijP4g/s600/BrawBlog_Harry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="600" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs782Weri-S3gcTPkNnsB3oqQPF7l_AC2PU823x4ib7KcM6KpNsb-LYjz9S1G6PJWkVLsVH2NGzikhCPYtYr2KbDzcmbpOLrq27gGWrlNOMrUXmnXBRd5ogzV8qmOzYM1cjTTJtWek-v45swXFL8APi7o_TKgMZXH3jOmt3DrWGVgZ5t9Znq5fmijP4g/s320/BrawBlog_Harry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"...you've gotta ask yourself one question..."</span></i><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>"Do I feel lucky?"</i> Indeed <b>Agent Rob</b> certainly does, being one of the fortunate few who managed to <i>Escape From UK</i> earlier this year for a bit of glorious sightseeing <i>stateside</i>, managing to swipe a few days on the streets of <b>San Francisco</b>, pounding the very same sidewalks that <b>Harry Callahan</b> and <b>Frank Bullitt</b> called their own to bring you yet another <i>'Summer Blogbuster'</i> in the vein of <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2017/08/you-seen-set-part-two-jaws.html" target="_blank">JAWS</a></b>, <a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2021/11/you-seen-set-part-five-indiana-jones.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Indiana Jones</a> and, er, <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2015/11/wong-kar-wais-hong-chung-king-kong.html" target="_blank">Chungking Express</a></b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxONgSOLY_cYIv3UTVuzgpQbur10YJX4-X7levXQTclQAqwQ7nttln63FJVAr-Ax3Q2D2O0I_xYd9fKkXo-_LVEAvf5Dj9POqxM1-vn08vjzw7t-JGskPcov1msjK3CQ962tJtIiqQ-7sI8TnxWoAlCTY2YH-PIVqZ7iA8CxW63lpAJEI38o7e_22lQ/s600/IMG_0784_Greyhound.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxONgSOLY_cYIv3UTVuzgpQbur10YJX4-X7levXQTclQAqwQ7nttln63FJVAr-Ax3Q2D2O0I_xYd9fKkXo-_LVEAvf5Dj9POqxM1-vn08vjzw7t-JGskPcov1msjK3CQ962tJtIiqQ-7sI8TnxWoAlCTY2YH-PIVqZ7iA8CxW63lpAJEI38o7e_22lQ/s320/IMG_0784_Greyhound.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Greyhoundog day.... Yes please!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It seems only fair to start at the beginning with the bus trip from <b>Reno</b> HQ to <i>San Francisco</i> on a <a href="https://www.greyhound.com/en" target="_blank"><b>Greyhound</b></a> bus - I mean, c'mon, why the cliche not? - a journey that just so happened to mosey on through <b>Sacramento</b> and<b> Philip K Dick</b>'s old SF stomping ground of <b>Berkeley</b>, <b>California</b> then (over) <b>Oakland</b> (<b>Bay Bridge</b>) giving a first glorious glimpse of <b>Alcatraz Island</b> and the <b>Golden Gate Bridge</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf687v5uQWFwyLi0l5ra09DO07gnZZqclHVMLNa5DTUK3wWpB8GMYKc-qw2iqSQ7TQCD_S6JmEC7obG06Q7nh1NtjZks4JnzGRT9NK61o-nE9taanCB89G7yOP3NuRQfWfZDXxfU0V21gCoE4SWS2Fv7oNxZl5IGCaQNehT3skN0uItgGvs68moWXGkw/s574/IMG_0303_SFPD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf687v5uQWFwyLi0l5ra09DO07gnZZqclHVMLNa5DTUK3wWpB8GMYKc-qw2iqSQ7TQCD_S6JmEC7obG06Q7nh1NtjZks4JnzGRT9NK61o-nE9taanCB89G7yOP3NuRQfWfZDXxfU0V21gCoE4SWS2Fv7oNxZl5IGCaQNehT3skN0uItgGvs68moWXGkw/s320/IMG_0303_SFPD.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>"I am the law!"</b> (er, wrong character....)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Setting up camp in <b>Bush Street</b> (around about <a href="http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/" target="_blank"><b>Chinatown</b></a>) proved to be the perfect location to simply get out and wander about this <i>very</i> walkable city (and very tasty too, with <b>Chinese</b>, <b>Japanese</b> and <b>Vietnamese</b> <i>slap-ups</i> around the chops). But like <i>Harry</i> and <i>Frank</i> themselves this is gonna be a blog of few words - we all know a picture is worth a thousand and, in <b>Agent Rob</b>'s decidedly lower (quality) case, probably much much more than that - so without further ado let's hit those dirty roads....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66FOprnWt00Sw6vfJ8VrgpTPXLaf3wAN95E2pCfC3nH68jmKdSyfa7MBBkDj3pLD98kpSZx7CxhoV0PPxdK201y2_BFEu3Vv79v0yleR6gZ4jO6XCxXHKictCuEyPP_XnakB0w7daYvKLiSx_56VRKHf8AEPkTN0K0xY5QXZnfQMY55BvcZXE5fMuoQ/s600/IMG_0833_CityHall3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66FOprnWt00Sw6vfJ8VrgpTPXLaf3wAN95E2pCfC3nH68jmKdSyfa7MBBkDj3pLD98kpSZx7CxhoV0PPxdK201y2_BFEu3Vv79v0yleR6gZ4jO6XCxXHKictCuEyPP_XnakB0w7daYvKLiSx_56VRKHf8AEPkTN0K0xY5QXZnfQMY55BvcZXE5fMuoQ/s320/IMG_0833_CityHall3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>San Francisco City Hall</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">First up we have <b><a href="https://sf.gov/location/san-francisco-city-hall" target="_blank">San Francisco City Hall</a></b> (at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place) and the surrounding <b><a href="https://sfciviccenter.org/places/civic-center-plaza/" target="_blank">Civic Center Plaza</a></b>. Maybe best to avoid the decidedly dodgy <b>UN Plaza</b> / <b>Market Street</b> / <b>Tenderloin</b> area to the East, mind - at first <i>Rob</i> thought the nearby assembled throng was tourists before realising it's a key congregation site (for sore eyes) of the city's numerous homeless....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjMa5dEiGPpNT-gK5bsoAdTOAaNxJWS41cRRTEJBtRt7s8Nc0LTpJg6VJdNzq0wYcCnsHDATPEphcB4dKiVe1PlQbbpOggG5ECIOmop5W4HEST7WtGcsOnAqrRVY_z1rvIE2p6g2yeaASJHZLrXnjRIOl-foXgRHhPTenmWiK8iEJSemlcpFef4peRw/s600/DH_Bonus_03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjMa5dEiGPpNT-gK5bsoAdTOAaNxJWS41cRRTEJBtRt7s8Nc0LTpJg6VJdNzq0wYcCnsHDATPEphcB4dKiVe1PlQbbpOggG5ECIOmop5W4HEST7WtGcsOnAqrRVY_z1rvIE2p6g2yeaASJHZLrXnjRIOl-foXgRHhPTenmWiK8iEJSemlcpFef4peRw/s320/DH_Bonus_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Eh, that was then....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC6kBu7YU9ir-NgiuxrUehUUMrlcvnCtmEMwgqMRNq9gV4S4R99D8jRHUXVBYgkIfVl_exYh5Yg7AsttliVZIrzKfm7JL7wnzlMZpJ1Cz_AdQ_auK5QIEXfsbg8DooaxhZ_BfW9_k1Otic0pln64A_84JZzSIEU18SsShQ0hcXWu22mbvGteX7CnyRg/s600/BB_Bonus_04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC6kBu7YU9ir-NgiuxrUehUUMrlcvnCtmEMwgqMRNq9gV4S4R99D8jRHUXVBYgkIfVl_exYh5Yg7AsttliVZIrzKfm7JL7wnzlMZpJ1Cz_AdQ_auK5QIEXfsbg8DooaxhZ_BfW9_k1Otic0pln64A_84JZzSIEU18SsShQ0hcXWu22mbvGteX7CnyRg/s320/BB_Bonus_04.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">....like this is now....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5sUpToLPqPHUxRMi2ZdZdmIdObMxMQLXAtzJ_ppVsh1ZWglddiMbpG0snIePW6zeDdibcKlhe5b5uYYNCB0QNGxso7-UzLMn1omJzVhxTo-LvxzgSMFKibb9D3enkE4g01GUFh_cZUj1_Nq5hcXic6vQTKieWIbc6hFcZ2ZEypE_C8_8NLKMHZBQDw/s600/DH_Bonus_02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="600" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5sUpToLPqPHUxRMi2ZdZdmIdObMxMQLXAtzJ_ppVsh1ZWglddiMbpG0snIePW6zeDdibcKlhe5b5uYYNCB0QNGxso7-UzLMn1omJzVhxTo-LvxzgSMFKibb9D3enkE4g01GUFh_cZUj1_Nq5hcXic6vQTKieWIbc6hFcZ2ZEypE_C8_8NLKMHZBQDw/s320/DH_Bonus_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJQofh-U_PknqHTzyLb6hdA4VFgE138bU71nK9-44H3P7cZ3WKaOsLpcpRoOid8qTCnWa3E0CKZTXj5Bn4Jj3ohpFnJMjMR9-9eB1_KfsOSYtqRRaHhSk6yyBCI--ZYxW9_SwYyVe9k8u7I_gA6Y9gja0VK60ixv6XizRQ7szA-jSIRYjMmhHJpcmNw/s600/IMG_0833_CityHall2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJQofh-U_PknqHTzyLb6hdA4VFgE138bU71nK9-44H3P7cZ3WKaOsLpcpRoOid8qTCnWa3E0CKZTXj5Bn4Jj3ohpFnJMjMR9-9eB1_KfsOSYtqRRaHhSk6yyBCI--ZYxW9_SwYyVe9k8u7I_gA6Y9gja0VK60ixv6XizRQ7szA-jSIRYjMmhHJpcmNw/s320/IMG_0833_CityHall2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Sgrc03kD4QwT0xZeZCkPsLQbogfj_tsfHXz9J_Y1n5oWoofTuRRkyLbLJvCKpuDBR4mYncVWkna6E-2Ro9NQARxaDhkPXM93Wp94q2eevlM4jPri5Y1cNoBOFqm8Qo3HdBs4tfTyqYkefzwe6CK6QCC7XobJsliKJLHTweYcm6hHXjq5Kfr1AW3q-w/s600/DH_Bonus_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="600" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Sgrc03kD4QwT0xZeZCkPsLQbogfj_tsfHXz9J_Y1n5oWoofTuRRkyLbLJvCKpuDBR4mYncVWkna6E-2Ro9NQARxaDhkPXM93Wp94q2eevlM4jPri5Y1cNoBOFqm8Qo3HdBs4tfTyqYkefzwe6CK6QCC7XobJsliKJLHTweYcm6hHXjq5Kfr1AW3q-w/s320/DH_Bonus_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Civic Centre Plaza</span></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(1971 style)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwul20L4Wpj-BxGcM6n4fbzs86svrsjDYMnJbYsYkDFyolzRn1UhC5xFE9c7eoIFJ65JY-1khx-RnwHxw-CXW2JmEIIi13JXb_K7XZ0tV26VgY6H8O28Wc5wemw2wDjK5WxIWz2hB6bVd1cG7I6OvPEYMewZ3H2FmyU8I7ly63SAUGInSuQFkvxEi2Jg/s600/IMG_0833_CityHall5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwul20L4Wpj-BxGcM6n4fbzs86svrsjDYMnJbYsYkDFyolzRn1UhC5xFE9c7eoIFJ65JY-1khx-RnwHxw-CXW2JmEIIi13JXb_K7XZ0tV26VgY6H8O28Wc5wemw2wDjK5WxIWz2hB6bVd1cG7I6OvPEYMewZ3H2FmyU8I7ly63SAUGInSuQFkvxEi2Jg/s320/IMG_0833_CityHall5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Civic Centre Plaza</b> (minus water feature)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5NcqwqMUJfei7F6Pb8tmmpWCpiDRCChEh8OgBj9b3VNIzN2Qo19DSyhwuLnGQX2OwJXyzQIr58J-kLAsKYQZ69iVI9IuKjXspxyFhmfI5UCWre__aPhH9FvCwWjtnsMjFDc15BNNUS9XpkM8Pcq8C_YFEUHjwTUsX-tS3DxZ-KBefGQE7ZbgTvq0-A/s600/IMG_0921_Harry_Flag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5NcqwqMUJfei7F6Pb8tmmpWCpiDRCChEh8OgBj9b3VNIzN2Qo19DSyhwuLnGQX2OwJXyzQIr58J-kLAsKYQZ69iVI9IuKjXspxyFhmfI5UCWre__aPhH9FvCwWjtnsMjFDc15BNNUS9XpkM8Pcq8C_YFEUHjwTUsX-tS3DxZ-KBefGQE7ZbgTvq0-A/s320/IMG_0921_Harry_Flag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzai28zEJ_pR_KSroiv11fDbL2kcxNwB8JeYSqjAaAd9R4cfTxwaXgtQkUHzN3YmS8NoC_ieLtkGXxkDtnwh5RnQi673DOc96sfdrlwSl-HU1qhDB9LyuPjQbtI1_cnIwqmK4GKu38jCiJEm7A9ml4c4KdQozlhPVsqA-O8ce0xnvKhFh-l1o_AFdlw/s600/IMG_0843_Flag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzai28zEJ_pR_KSroiv11fDbL2kcxNwB8JeYSqjAaAd9R4cfTxwaXgtQkUHzN3YmS8NoC_ieLtkGXxkDtnwh5RnQi673DOc96sfdrlwSl-HU1qhDB9LyuPjQbtI1_cnIwqmK4GKu38jCiJEm7A9ml4c4KdQozlhPVsqA-O8ce0xnvKhFh-l1o_AFdlw/s320/IMG_0843_Flag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Still hangin' in a Sunshine State....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0z3y31o4shvfqtOSRrEwIFND3BgYHtU-q9iTEo5GGAPDaWWFpTfAguVGTlCwJlCfxXDfqRJNYi3TeWWpk5NMXZWBbWbKyXDnN-BaTWFkCsLXwHAK7abBh-fdOnFqRs8q0Z4xhLyAgtFTu_U9CCywU4Xc9Y80OQYJM6R1W0sOtOSPOWECL9uHTJfMVA/s675/IMG_0469_HarryChurch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0z3y31o4shvfqtOSRrEwIFND3BgYHtU-q9iTEo5GGAPDaWWFpTfAguVGTlCwJlCfxXDfqRJNYi3TeWWpk5NMXZWBbWbKyXDnN-BaTWFkCsLXwHAK7abBh-fdOnFqRs8q0Z4xhLyAgtFTu_U9CCywU4Xc9Y80OQYJM6R1W0sOtOSPOWECL9uHTJfMVA/s320/IMG_0469_HarryChurch.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Saints Peter and Paul Church</b></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dq1GLy4cv6SE9WH7AVr51pIq3SP9Ri4JQEldX4o8xKN30-fhv_gd8uf8Or223LW9p9ojYa0cxWfTcT0r1pds0KKJ6lUVe8tXUYQ9pvi9WQcEaJRms65i4p5t7Oe5aeikjQlDAWabClzFsyEsAABTJObvpOYETEYRfZyIuLRCB7uDl3vxbt1AzfWcMg/s600/DH_Bonus_05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dq1GLy4cv6SE9WH7AVr51pIq3SP9Ri4JQEldX4o8xKN30-fhv_gd8uf8Or223LW9p9ojYa0cxWfTcT0r1pds0KKJ6lUVe8tXUYQ9pvi9WQcEaJRms65i4p5t7Oe5aeikjQlDAWabClzFsyEsAABTJObvpOYETEYRfZyIuLRCB7uDl3vxbt1AzfWcMg/s320/DH_Bonus_05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next stop is <b><a href="https://salesiansspp.org" target="_blank">Saints Peter and Paul Church</a></b> (at 666 Filbert Street / Washington Square off Columbus Avenue) where that scallywag <b>Scorpio</b> took aim at a Catholic Priest....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JqhMHh8Fgm3H0Z2BFoqTKbRxwJPhTKa6d7PyVBj54_H3N8Ool9YXWkXieKZOvIvZ7DKEhFpXWk6W0dqTW0He5XQob588lahk4FJ3ss2YpdGGU4fnjfrx1MGp93CP7V-uklVkGSTK8qcuPuLYa5iOmLhWWmWCiTmk3dxgPqiGo8M66dTaLvlC1ejLGQ/s600/IMG_0892_Harrybank.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JqhMHh8Fgm3H0Z2BFoqTKbRxwJPhTKa6d7PyVBj54_H3N8Ool9YXWkXieKZOvIvZ7DKEhFpXWk6W0dqTW0He5XQob588lahk4FJ3ss2YpdGGU4fnjfrx1MGp93CP7V-uklVkGSTK8qcuPuLYa5iOmLhWWmWCiTmk3dxgPqiGo8M66dTaLvlC1ejLGQ/s320/IMG_0892_Harrybank.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bank of America Building</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41gudSHtfGlkZXJKhsWauLOx0i5lKynclgoiKwJs7TObHqLjjea-ncZb9Gl1MfiEvcazeG4EDxllgPuymJYSQV1eNu5MnpWQJOA8g4Fo8jvU0CrdktMRIzpbP93zvbF2YEIfqr8Z_h8p1NbbA_qg9JBNJVHdFOgn4Mzxyxk4FBCq3LOmM28WPdQxmig/s600/DH_Bonus_06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41gudSHtfGlkZXJKhsWauLOx0i5lKynclgoiKwJs7TObHqLjjea-ncZb9Gl1MfiEvcazeG4EDxllgPuymJYSQV1eNu5MnpWQJOA8g4Fo8jvU0CrdktMRIzpbP93zvbF2YEIfqr8Z_h8p1NbbA_qg9JBNJVHdFOgn4Mzxyxk4FBCq3LOmM28WPdQxmig/s320/DH_Bonus_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Our final stop is in fact <i>Harry</i>'s first, the <b><a href="https://www.som.com/projects/bank-of-america-world-headquarters/" target="_blank">Bank of America Building</a></b> (at 555 California Street) which he scales to get a better view of the swimming pool where Scorpio's first victim is bob bob bobbing along....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tbdvw_9zSPp1Pbz7i9wc6M1ZgH_T09Jf5dRwV9j0ytkQ_CzoIPErD5LafBXjRSLDNn9A8DF6Pt2WVEMNyTJQR4kwjx_TMW_7Cv0gtsAv-BOfulpLL0J6cRYu6lnDnC_7-XQfXOy4SgI9cT2XvA1-PEBO3l8O4C-wDTqtDBBpXJqH2qIRKK4OhHNAvg/s600/DH_Bonus_07.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tbdvw_9zSPp1Pbz7i9wc6M1ZgH_T09Jf5dRwV9j0ytkQ_CzoIPErD5LafBXjRSLDNn9A8DF6Pt2WVEMNyTJQR4kwjx_TMW_7Cv0gtsAv-BOfulpLL0J6cRYu6lnDnC_7-XQfXOy4SgI9cT2XvA1-PEBO3l8O4C-wDTqtDBBpXJqH2qIRKK4OhHNAvg/s320/DH_Bonus_07.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mt. Davidson Memorial Cross</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Those with more time on their feet may wish to visit the <b><a href="https://www.mountdavidsoncross.org" target="_blank">Mt. Davidson Memorial Cross</a></b> (at 2-280 Dalewood Way / Myra Way) to complete their stroll around the most easily spotted <b>Dirty Harry</b> landmarks....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3wA3gHKIfWsZ_Q8dVbA6VmJrgc12YftJkcfULTnOqkcDQGAofqyKTSdUOerY-vADLqilLB9QNwT6rUZTPztCVkJe4rQfsXYbfAv0mvfA1LHofUpmChMm9ZwQybB6npjDaS2nJwlfGXqdtzdDc2dtM3rZU7hOf1c0whR2nCIM58TfRoCug9quNGMF9Q/s600/Braw_Bullitt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3wA3gHKIfWsZ_Q8dVbA6VmJrgc12YftJkcfULTnOqkcDQGAofqyKTSdUOerY-vADLqilLB9QNwT6rUZTPztCVkJe4rQfsXYbfAv0mvfA1LHofUpmChMm9ZwQybB6npjDaS2nJwlfGXqdtzdDc2dtM3rZU7hOf1c0whR2nCIM58TfRoCug9quNGMF9Q/s320/Braw_Bullitt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"You couldnae tell us the way to San Jose, mate?"</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">With so much attention lavished on old <i>Harry</i> it was inevitable that young <i>Frank</i>'s locations would inevitably suffer (from a lack of proper pre-research and later inability to match up photos to actual street names). Still, a completely comprehensive guide is <a href="http://movie-locations.com/movies/b/Bullitt.php" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a> and there's no doubt <i>Rob</i> got the gist of the famous car chase, making sure to race around <b>Mason Street</b>, <b>Taylor Street</b>, <b>Chestnut Street</b> - the sign of which definitely appears in <b>The Enforcer</b>, <i>Detective Callahan</i>'s third outing, - <b>Filbert Street</b> and <b>Columbus Avenue</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Q7oKq0shg3xQ23GrMlkrDMqDHpYQZ3y9iUMGPIMt3jXijR7IVzHWT1BuvdY4WxCJiIwWn84c1iaOiCiYQr27Iqjf8THkpvgOmCbutSlAL2zV0igOy7cikNYB8n4cjNpShqfizrvbTadmeXNOmvD-dnV1cb1QMrmt3NfC2tTgGTWVAEk7YAARp5ZY7g/s623/BBonus_03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Q7oKq0shg3xQ23GrMlkrDMqDHpYQZ3y9iUMGPIMt3jXijR7IVzHWT1BuvdY4WxCJiIwWn84c1iaOiCiYQr27Iqjf8THkpvgOmCbutSlAL2zV0igOy7cikNYB8n4cjNpShqfizrvbTadmeXNOmvD-dnV1cb1QMrmt3NfC2tTgGTWVAEk7YAARp5ZY7g/s320/BBonus_03.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Grace Cathedral Episcopal Church, 1051 Taylor Street</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNVGCZIxRj7bfY5r4JqwOj5rBUpeBcuvKPIvNZkESzeGS_k97mKVTIhpNJNM2zc2bGGkfYiG3E8iTOv50n5-Gw7klDmxOaBHFjwLRKdQy6dm3s_srrU0Zn19mONnn6mpmzipVsQF4-stlXEppk1PX96XJPgHH7PGLm6RoAt_kKM1drV8XZPvg0QwR1g/s600/BB_Bonus_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNVGCZIxRj7bfY5r4JqwOj5rBUpeBcuvKPIvNZkESzeGS_k97mKVTIhpNJNM2zc2bGGkfYiG3E8iTOv50n5-Gw7klDmxOaBHFjwLRKdQy6dm3s_srrU0Zn19mONnn6mpmzipVsQF4-stlXEppk1PX96XJPgHH7PGLm6RoAt_kKM1drV8XZPvg0QwR1g/s320/BB_Bonus_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That'll definitely be, er, <b>Chestnut Street</b>, um, at <b>Columbus Avenue</b><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJpSJnO95pf4HRVqiBFdRNMwEn9NEzwaC0VaW9ZKYxqs70-hM5taWk7AwVUfayG2yBauO5U6wWwGXeUyUmKvrYziRvm6pDWUxYGvgy-X_lU3hYksAy38zJMqP2W8aoaQfEwNixrmuZMjZ_Lq_4gwix-Us-glKpx8KtA2MEk0efusv_knoHu04vrGvoQ/s600/BBonus_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="600" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJpSJnO95pf4HRVqiBFdRNMwEn9NEzwaC0VaW9ZKYxqs70-hM5taWk7AwVUfayG2yBauO5U6wWwGXeUyUmKvrYziRvm6pDWUxYGvgy-X_lU3hYksAy38zJMqP2W8aoaQfEwNixrmuZMjZ_Lq_4gwix-Us-glKpx8KtA2MEk0efusv_knoHu04vrGvoQ/s320/BBonus_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <b>Chestnut Street</b>, again at <b>Columbus Avenue </b>(and <b>Taylor Street</b>)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAnl75k-tGoG6T7DY9FuR_Xef4QLMcgKeBWvoCbq6F9bAy4zNsnx3paIemE8Q3mqXxG9qCyR1rDZig4flwjDZxF9HIqDrKcakG6XxHXVIwW308RqXvipBlnyWPVcEirb5HrUJ-aYQqRRFuMsQOURBfEA3PUPgeDAdB5Mu4mTaChM5948kpZ9hvoezNA/s600/IMG_0935_Bullitt_Chase.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAnl75k-tGoG6T7DY9FuR_Xef4QLMcgKeBWvoCbq6F9bAy4zNsnx3paIemE8Q3mqXxG9qCyR1rDZig4flwjDZxF9HIqDrKcakG6XxHXVIwW308RqXvipBlnyWPVcEirb5HrUJ-aYQqRRFuMsQOURBfEA3PUPgeDAdB5Mu4mTaChM5948kpZ9hvoezNA/s320/IMG_0935_Bullitt_Chase.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlclX2epaY39lk9Y7xx6tBXX0mmCpUhioPe7h0uDeXgeqZqA20VT-5FnZ70fz80g5yIwC2OyTJEMbICHdOgQJHiRQ6KivI3BGjyFqNIOWBNG1HAafnY-P3K50dsX2-glmqrVeJx9h3JRm6KV4uPS8Ey7NW4XS5h0y2OiaMcKzg1fcujmZZmOoJvp41XA/s664/IMG_0822_Ct4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlclX2epaY39lk9Y7xx6tBXX0mmCpUhioPe7h0uDeXgeqZqA20VT-5FnZ70fz80g5yIwC2OyTJEMbICHdOgQJHiRQ6KivI3BGjyFqNIOWBNG1HAafnY-P3K50dsX2-glmqrVeJx9h3JRm6KV4uPS8Ey7NW4XS5h0y2OiaMcKzg1fcujmZZmOoJvp41XA/s320/IMG_0822_Ct4.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULlII8Lxip3MFXKwryh61czoaFQBiuH9L37yWxjx-DMLB7srB0WINwufHa1Oj4FVe-_qVQsNQNuMsYp40p2DrquGM7ep3-3MZIJWg1mQRki240-RrKvSTJvSRMKgIVP3eC0mX5y-MLC4b0_TvuRSik04mNEpwZ-j2l0Noen-edX8QiE4SJobRV2w9cw/s600/IMG_0935_Bullitt_Chase2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULlII8Lxip3MFXKwryh61czoaFQBiuH9L37yWxjx-DMLB7srB0WINwufHa1Oj4FVe-_qVQsNQNuMsYp40p2DrquGM7ep3-3MZIJWg1mQRki240-RrKvSTJvSRMKgIVP3eC0mX5y-MLC4b0_TvuRSik04mNEpwZ-j2l0Noen-edX8QiE4SJobRV2w9cw/s320/IMG_0935_Bullitt_Chase2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WTvIj-aarqmrxEu4p_A6ACH2xHed_gFOEPbLJv52kOrLcHFBEh00JX5WSHk9mrBnWqTfNmf3c5RiKUj4S0ytIxjz5WG6VyIpjIfy2EtD6A5Qz49xshtpXAJv_Brh0JFFiVM6Jb3jnRixSH6nWZmqOlg4NJpF-FM50cfQ4NngHVIL09sDMcGasTS68Q/s600/IMG_0788_Ct1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WTvIj-aarqmrxEu4p_A6ACH2xHed_gFOEPbLJv52kOrLcHFBEh00JX5WSHk9mrBnWqTfNmf3c5RiKUj4S0ytIxjz5WG6VyIpjIfy2EtD6A5Qz49xshtpXAJv_Brh0JFFiVM6Jb3jnRixSH6nWZmqOlg4NJpF-FM50cfQ4NngHVIL09sDMcGasTS68Q/s320/IMG_0788_Ct1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Filbert Street </b><span> (towards </span><b>Colt Tower</b><span>)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDY60Jh3lu3-Td1lDH4ry0swm3EswxEDUgE-llJ7IlgVj_cRsgUmlfnD5uvNYbia2df3mrZSxI70jfnjqDDuIBo9RMT0dA6wTqpaz9xyvk7SOev3mvtkGwLBtO5mzG_mOL9K16lZ4Oh3ZyeKbUlxpY6uaHHalft5bICBs75NTuVkAXaqRHtDlDP98P4w/s600/IMG_0935_Bullitt_Chase3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDY60Jh3lu3-Td1lDH4ry0swm3EswxEDUgE-llJ7IlgVj_cRsgUmlfnD5uvNYbia2df3mrZSxI70jfnjqDDuIBo9RMT0dA6wTqpaz9xyvk7SOev3mvtkGwLBtO5mzG_mOL9K16lZ4Oh3ZyeKbUlxpY6uaHHalft5bICBs75NTuVkAXaqRHtDlDP98P4w/s320/IMG_0935_Bullitt_Chase3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span><b>Filbert Street </b></span><span> (towards </span><b>Colt Tower</b><span>) <b>1968</b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM652-UDbaca-ekkz9SOmSI7-3O87GKP1UtFNCpJz8nTBqBY1PNvKmyxUrRcOuJ0OUdtbtW2xIvEbtTwB4nTITNE5VS7reA4hSZU4hIzO-H88sw3UsWQin3tASWhXpyJkj_Yjpys4mExe0bUEovRzhQyffZYv53E_vaMaX2nxE3LG5NPOUmBy6od8GqA/s600/IMG_0822_Ct5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM652-UDbaca-ekkz9SOmSI7-3O87GKP1UtFNCpJz8nTBqBY1PNvKmyxUrRcOuJ0OUdtbtW2xIvEbtTwB4nTITNE5VS7reA4hSZU4hIzO-H88sw3UsWQin3tASWhXpyJkj_Yjpys4mExe0bUEovRzhQyffZYv53E_vaMaX2nxE3LG5NPOUmBy6od8GqA/s320/IMG_0822_Ct5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Taylor Street</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCCmhdWTq88Bv5PNEQl37TVaSpdYUAKc8jUf2XnoDouKU0vnyclKK0eSAatLX1Li_jRXWFOu9Z-sO6nZ3DqzaKASP0mZHyOKCVPkEFQy5fdxogkpi-AA9tIaWTuTxjIyRVIRtcwOAGSdBqasaDFkxcEQ52cfZojOqGgbcq_F-EFwe6jBOdLMktYzscg/s600/IMG_0935_Bullitt_Fairfax.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCCmhdWTq88Bv5PNEQl37TVaSpdYUAKc8jUf2XnoDouKU0vnyclKK0eSAatLX1Li_jRXWFOu9Z-sO6nZ3DqzaKASP0mZHyOKCVPkEFQy5fdxogkpi-AA9tIaWTuTxjIyRVIRtcwOAGSdBqasaDFkxcEQ52cfZojOqGgbcq_F-EFwe6jBOdLMktYzscg/s320/IMG_0935_Bullitt_Fairfax.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel, 1 Nob Hill, 1968</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvshs7W25pI0WG-6guUUmR9HStATElMH5RnklEBj6WQfo2VEUebxGtmQF-XAU_3Q04YId3PfNwOYTXC-kXhTptoCV7VXyANht0Oe3EUf-ke4udLhrIkbx4Me-L5fZL1dHXnpnWujgeEmyXh5S7qbsglA00mL-StOLyd8zb-QHlIxKNwsDbwyKpSoQZZQ/s675/BBonus_05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvshs7W25pI0WG-6guUUmR9HStATElMH5RnklEBj6WQfo2VEUebxGtmQF-XAU_3Q04YId3PfNwOYTXC-kXhTptoCV7VXyANht0Oe3EUf-ke4udLhrIkbx4Me-L5fZL1dHXnpnWujgeEmyXh5S7qbsglA00mL-StOLyd8zb-QHlIxKNwsDbwyKpSoQZZQ/s320/BBonus_05.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Top of the Mark</b> (<i>Hopkins Hotel</i>)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQIP24cPAqtLyzBcK0Vd9EasjJFk171Bo2V65xDE5xL_WXXKU-0-V1snYXESfKn112v9YQhtJlPhX7HMHQjXBiHQ9Y7YL-les0-8EMtFRkmWFODJ_Z4kZn3a5TB4ZO1k0trjgUs24Uosg5Df2wNgSe0AQzGNk-YHhV5J5g1Ha5RVV8lTjn05JOvkJSQ/s600/BB_Bonus_03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQIP24cPAqtLyzBcK0Vd9EasjJFk171Bo2V65xDE5xL_WXXKU-0-V1snYXESfKn112v9YQhtJlPhX7HMHQjXBiHQ9Y7YL-les0-8EMtFRkmWFODJ_Z4kZn3a5TB4ZO1k0trjgUs24Uosg5Df2wNgSe0AQzGNk-YHhV5J5g1Ha5RVV8lTjn05JOvkJSQ/s320/BB_Bonus_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Taylor Street</b>, er, again....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69qdAoQZ6o9uEbxANuRpnuWT8EMFaUlB0r8RSb7s90oGq2iX7xN9kdQPABQewABQG6TE_nnds2K_GBDDC16HYm4UjGjq_UHJdNmuhqtP4GbSRriydjGqKk2S3juRnr49DS9B4XSG4P2kfo8Ix0GVScjxQrfu71Dw0bu60QGlbaZf9KKc5Cyky82-h6g/s600/IMG_0935_Bullitt_Tram.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69qdAoQZ6o9uEbxANuRpnuWT8EMFaUlB0r8RSb7s90oGq2iX7xN9kdQPABQewABQG6TE_nnds2K_GBDDC16HYm4UjGjq_UHJdNmuhqtP4GbSRriydjGqKk2S3juRnr49DS9B4XSG4P2kfo8Ix0GVScjxQrfu71Dw0bu60QGlbaZf9KKc5Cyky82-h6g/s320/IMG_0935_Bullitt_Tram.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mason Street</span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;">?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQSrrC6wJ6ae2XSPv2IVDEsZrtbOKcsQGWGCe53eTpiCQUp8DAMYcb92FJm9poW_Zhvvl7Fm8xEYCqku1y6N0KaSACTj1LoBTNM2xJHmiF6GY8Av-hmr5FPJ6ugb0IhufeSDs_lgf3heXwfLsRkgWn4ez34LgjZnEH2LkHFNLVtrl551HAYT852zOHQ/s657/BBonus_02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQSrrC6wJ6ae2XSPv2IVDEsZrtbOKcsQGWGCe53eTpiCQUp8DAMYcb92FJm9poW_Zhvvl7Fm8xEYCqku1y6N0KaSACTj1LoBTNM2xJHmiF6GY8Av-hmr5FPJ6ugb0IhufeSDs_lgf3heXwfLsRkgWn4ez34LgjZnEH2LkHFNLVtrl551HAYT852zOHQ/s320/BBonus_02.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Mason Street</b>?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9PN8boUs_keh4mB6tEFOSiJypqHf5dFthQl-KOXfhVgUxAQfSylm0OrG8Hyjc0XM2zKRG7JjUrCUj0soqaWrfu-sVAfA2CCt03XnPzsL1vymY_QI1MuEHP6D0ykBVwJMy7G1JQmD740wtxNQQ_hpS_5m6uaP5njmzPl4muGxeZCiIfAniEt3BIlP-g/s600/BB_Bonus_05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9PN8boUs_keh4mB6tEFOSiJypqHf5dFthQl-KOXfhVgUxAQfSylm0OrG8Hyjc0XM2zKRG7JjUrCUj0soqaWrfu-sVAfA2CCt03XnPzsL1vymY_QI1MuEHP6D0ykBVwJMy7G1JQmD740wtxNQQ_hpS_5m6uaP5njmzPl4muGxeZCiIfAniEt3BIlP-g/s320/BB_Bonus_05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Taylor Street</b>, er, again again....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauaO8FliUNx--U7HvII789fYeMwQH3Rb8LX_sGWkX-OvxVYg8b4z4NBaoPVNcDYze2igP8_CgEZY75Fi9yg3xeUyyuTuWiFfuZUeIWdMirqrebsK4sykXjVfpr-oFAg3kDNf00lbCs098C874e5gWxc-vvL23MBcNIu6_T8nJTJdzwieqkOzPnN9aww/s675/IMG_0822_Ct6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauaO8FliUNx--U7HvII789fYeMwQH3Rb8LX_sGWkX-OvxVYg8b4z4NBaoPVNcDYze2igP8_CgEZY75Fi9yg3xeUyyuTuWiFfuZUeIWdMirqrebsK4sykXjVfpr-oFAg3kDNf00lbCs098C874e5gWxc-vvL23MBcNIu6_T8nJTJdzwieqkOzPnN9aww/s320/IMG_0822_Ct6.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, the <b>Clint</b> connections just keep on coming, with <b><a href="https://www.nps.gov/alca/index.htm" target="_blank">Alcatraz Island</a></b> having pride(?) of place to your right in <b>San Francisco Bay</b>. (Those with suitably stern stomachs might fancy a trip <i>doon the watter </i>for a <a href="https://www.alcatrazislandtickets.com" target="_blank">visit</a>.) Then again, over to your left is the <a href="https://www.goldengate.org" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Golden Gate Bridge</a>, guest star of far too many films to mention (so <i>Rob</i>'ll settle for recent firm film fave <b><a href="https://planetoftheapes.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_on_the_Golden_Gate_Bridge" target="_blank">Rise of the Planet of the Apes</a></b>)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjmfKUg-TbvB3kznjuwLfxpgDDTeqL0m9awSHkWrV58KcRALmY0wQkN_w_00Z659mM5WZ-258FcynXPgCTruPI6hYc3GgEQoLdhcXFnQ1XvrRED1IdtfP_3ZCe_OopYLuCn1v9Ir1E0wwvMEzVculJW3dlqtao4qREhO0LJRz_B7fEeeYUaYRuWD44Q/s577/Braw_Alcatraz.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjmfKUg-TbvB3kznjuwLfxpgDDTeqL0m9awSHkWrV58KcRALmY0wQkN_w_00Z659mM5WZ-258FcynXPgCTruPI6hYc3GgEQoLdhcXFnQ1XvrRED1IdtfP_3ZCe_OopYLuCn1v9Ir1E0wwvMEzVculJW3dlqtao4qREhO0LJRz_B7fEeeYUaYRuWD44Q/s320/Braw_Alcatraz.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IPM9IuSbQU33JHdZoLhRWB5HJjEgVDQU2uViD5SOAnwLyTXHGvqAUXLowAgS_0AClljZnsoLpqn_2u3VP374JK-MHrqxzoSzo7XrLrc_bS2C-_LV1m7QVWM4VhdDaBFX2pRva-pmSXSVM1i7LMuyBNJAy3ntQ2l99CLtjW9ZE1SreTjs49sDhD_eCQ/s600/IMG_0404_alcatraz.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IPM9IuSbQU33JHdZoLhRWB5HJjEgVDQU2uViD5SOAnwLyTXHGvqAUXLowAgS_0AClljZnsoLpqn_2u3VP374JK-MHrqxzoSzo7XrLrc_bS2C-_LV1m7QVWM4VhdDaBFX2pRva-pmSXSVM1i7LMuyBNJAy3ntQ2l99CLtjW9ZE1SreTjs49sDhD_eCQ/s320/IMG_0404_alcatraz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Alcatraz</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGLu0IeGS3OmfLBM2k2OSqI76t_uscG2qy48brfPznhf06v3lHxAIV0l-n1CqOGmA7893sYFqX4xdAnXx5OkC0KAamBZfrUIYxarcWxxnD3Lex1pRUAnaeU3mGIimPr9EUAT2LmYuh-dkPlfJNimMBQCci6VpNfGuDgmI92pk1qC74OOrivXrYQSiIA/s600/DH_Bonus_04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="600" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGLu0IeGS3OmfLBM2k2OSqI76t_uscG2qy48brfPznhf06v3lHxAIV0l-n1CqOGmA7893sYFqX4xdAnXx5OkC0KAamBZfrUIYxarcWxxnD3Lex1pRUAnaeU3mGIimPr9EUAT2LmYuh-dkPlfJNimMBQCci6VpNfGuDgmI92pk1qC74OOrivXrYQSiIA/s320/DH_Bonus_04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Murky Harry</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlVLj-NGyARDzzmMLSTo4pcmkvLrFJQUgnxf_4TzI9bXd-RFmRuFWcPCpuGHp0pBwebWtqq8LiY-b-PXzMYjqZQdHrTFCEPgZkay1LT4Juo2bEMAehdNCSpd6rMlkzPNUrGVAocKCe9rqOPE2bZ5-E2ql8pJAXj3stPS94QMAq2W92qEfZcK5m2EBBA/s600/IMG_08500_GG1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlVLj-NGyARDzzmMLSTo4pcmkvLrFJQUgnxf_4TzI9bXd-RFmRuFWcPCpuGHp0pBwebWtqq8LiY-b-PXzMYjqZQdHrTFCEPgZkay1LT4Juo2bEMAehdNCSpd6rMlkzPNUrGVAocKCe9rqOPE2bZ5-E2ql8pJAXj3stPS94QMAq2W92qEfZcK5m2EBBA/s320/IMG_08500_GG1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Golden Gate Bridge</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0oKYVxaeu_eZv_qvSWIJcHjQHTFQbZEVHNjs5jT5l8PLehfhcrtf3D2jBNPUMQKd2mIzmiocI4_P9jaf08oWGgxw69_gNoyPaDixauFx2lqbPDfF6tUvHlF5QUjHDJM8jB0o_JAK74XtlKYM51ZEJGD8ypkMIO7zPlMIUZQNwfeXL-sHKooV6wN4oA/s900/Braw_Rise.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="900" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0oKYVxaeu_eZv_qvSWIJcHjQHTFQbZEVHNjs5jT5l8PLehfhcrtf3D2jBNPUMQKd2mIzmiocI4_P9jaf08oWGgxw69_gNoyPaDixauFx2lqbPDfF6tUvHlF5QUjHDJM8jB0o_JAK74XtlKYM51ZEJGD8ypkMIO7zPlMIUZQNwfeXL-sHKooV6wN4oA/s320/Braw_Rise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Unfinished monkey business....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwkaU5xM5O83pzuGyqMBXl9fCQJJkqDhCbtGl0-NjM7yhtrajfuVmiraGmAuizF4bg-NXjDWJXpwKEkzpRWMZyVaKXhsLO_QBK_ydg3_e2Bf2vwhZ7qdecKfnm5XQNjbP8cptZ8QsDJcI3HYoFF4zqispmqMGoMYDziHmCxFYwI5fnfIInbOwzLt4Kw/s675/IMG_08500_GG2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwkaU5xM5O83pzuGyqMBXl9fCQJJkqDhCbtGl0-NjM7yhtrajfuVmiraGmAuizF4bg-NXjDWJXpwKEkzpRWMZyVaKXhsLO_QBK_ydg3_e2Bf2vwhZ7qdecKfnm5XQNjbP8cptZ8QsDJcI3HYoFF4zqispmqMGoMYDziHmCxFYwI5fnfIInbOwzLt4Kw/s320/IMG_08500_GG2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Woah! It's "<b>The Big One</b>"!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Well, here's hoping this blog made your day, as there we have it (for now, as there'll no doubt be some subtle tweaks in the coming weeks) until the planned/under wraps sequel arrives on the small screen worldwide early <b>November</b>. So what are you waiting for, bookmark your tickets now....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdM_YTebL2QoCtqh__NEZa5w4AdCwmynJbt3wuYhPEDbmkkWPAAZwGZwk2SqAPPLJNYcGEdw3-W-qhHu1jQVFiW4ILSx7Aks3pHp49T9-nV1B7hZekbOvgXSDiV_2gqIyEhg6nQypChbiNDc2u6VIWuLWnjQceJSS0PEZsZ4f4T3YTaSvzrG7GhTtGgw/s600/IMG_0541_firearms.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="600" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdM_YTebL2QoCtqh__NEZa5w4AdCwmynJbt3wuYhPEDbmkkWPAAZwGZwk2SqAPPLJNYcGEdw3-W-qhHu1jQVFiW4ILSx7Aks3pHp49T9-nV1B7hZekbOvgXSDiV_2gqIyEhg6nQypChbiNDc2u6VIWuLWnjQceJSS0PEZsZ4f4T3YTaSvzrG7GhTtGgw/s320/IMG_0541_firearms.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ooh, <b>Braw Books</b> gets political....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/QmMjY6tXaEo" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Grateful Dead</b> - <b>Ripple</b> (Official Music Video)</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-31325564770126485522022-07-22T10:22:00.182-07:002022-07-22T10:22:00.181-07:00A Chronicle of Doom....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUu9D5YJoAJqW9ErheWtjd3Yh4lUpaxO1lkmcu6A8cZU9SHgPkYnEHvfdKzh19yG7YGKeNL-em5tqOLRxxjV-zlaBNjH1cqEAEdAv8lhUMfYrXZ6HWJkyC2Fezr7FwJtzPmK3NAW579Vp8NlDb2lBGKRiEB7muW2wAgv4pQXa3Qa7XCnR_UUzD_PC61A/s600/COD_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUu9D5YJoAJqW9ErheWtjd3Yh4lUpaxO1lkmcu6A8cZU9SHgPkYnEHvfdKzh19yG7YGKeNL-em5tqOLRxxjV-zlaBNjH1cqEAEdAv8lhUMfYrXZ6HWJkyC2Fezr7FwJtzPmK3NAW579Vp8NlDb2lBGKRiEB7muW2wAgv4pQXa3Qa7XCnR_UUzD_PC61A/s320/COD_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's nowhere near 365 daze since <b>Agent Rob</b> last slipped inside <b>Agent Johnny</b>'s hoose, but with the world de- and revolving at an astonishing rate it sure felt like it! Still, with a nifty new table for <i>'ze comic drawing'</i> installed<b> John Stark</b> page production has taken a sudden (and somewhat heartwarming) spike....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3FVGeU8Rrk5HLQM62XN34-jhZqlAFmyXgXBTZLBzi4MS9SPARIt_k1ILI3mMFGUjrC-9YUS-d815p598uhKMGiXs0EURbMX1tBlma59bSWh_HfYC5waWhgUZwSjP4ECqrtJIbsV0dpU-X8Zrd6aTdC-BUbHoWENvfOchyKy8bM-0WFvEc81AIpoM0Q/s581/COD_02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3FVGeU8Rrk5HLQM62XN34-jhZqlAFmyXgXBTZLBzi4MS9SPARIt_k1ILI3mMFGUjrC-9YUS-d815p598uhKMGiXs0EURbMX1tBlma59bSWh_HfYC5waWhgUZwSjP4ECqrtJIbsV0dpU-X8Zrd6aTdC-BUbHoWENvfOchyKy8bM-0WFvEc81AIpoM0Q/s320/COD_02.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Not that that was enough to stop feet being duly propped up in front of the <i>'one-eyed-god'</i> <i>'fer to watch'</i> <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055294/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">The Phantom Planet</a>, vintage<b> </b>creaks and all (whether that wiz the aged fillum or indeed our nakt agents) while supping on a welcome bottle of <b><a href="https://alcoholfreedrinks.co.uk/product/karmi-classic-00/" target="_blank">0,0% Karmi</a>,</b> admitting the days of wild <i>'View to a Swills'</i> are long since gone and quietly chuntering about <b>San Francisco</b> - all will be blogsplained! - (the origins of) <b>Sinbad The Sailor</b>, <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070723/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Soylent Green</a></b>, <b>MARVEL</b> movies, <b><a href="https://infinitymagazine.co.uk" target="_blank">Infinity Magazine</a>, The Shape of Things to Come </b>(<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atwfWEKz00U" target="_blank">film</a>) by <b>H. G. Wells</b> and <b>Michael Moorcock</b>'s <b>Jerry Cornelius</b> series of books....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6GvUpIimciTN1zHzi-42j5sZUKDKLiJxEPXcM4SbNoS8Wdy0YGPzXK5CgFRjQXkdKObdLRq6y8XNQQC0faNn2PPdxFYiCMVa-MDiGM4-AjBI_aY46nYcLrHFMq3t7aVu2B8ZRJ5qyrnmaNdMrxjMOlKoVlBtxzyyqdCgkOAiwUTOTX7EZzHgrgDyvA/s593/COD_03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6GvUpIimciTN1zHzi-42j5sZUKDKLiJxEPXcM4SbNoS8Wdy0YGPzXK5CgFRjQXkdKObdLRq6y8XNQQC0faNn2PPdxFYiCMVa-MDiGM4-AjBI_aY46nYcLrHFMq3t7aVu2B8ZRJ5qyrnmaNdMrxjMOlKoVlBtxzyyqdCgkOAiwUTOTX7EZzHgrgDyvA/s320/COD_03.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Calvin Who?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, there was further cause for a <i>'swillebration'</i> given that the (most esteemed, authoritative, trusted and respected) <b><a href="https://www.tcj.com/reviews/the-collected-john-g-miller-1980-1989-and-2000-2011/" target="_blank">Comics Journal</a></b> gave <i>Agent Johnny</i>'s astounding <b><a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/john-miller/the-collected-john-g-miller-1980-1989/paperback/product-1gggn8mj.html?q=&page=1&pageSize=4" target="_blank">1980</a></b>'s and <b><a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/john-miller/the-collected-john-g-miller-1980-1989/paperback/product-1gggn8mj.html?q=&page=1&pageSize=4" target="_blank">2000</a></b>'s collections the critical once over, concluding with (as <i>Agent Rob</i> has always known) <i>"You can call that what you want, but I call it genius...." </i>Praise be indeed! And that was that, <i>Agent Rob</i> brought back to earth with a bang, returning to <b>Glasgog</b> on a train jammed with <b>Calvin Harris</b> and <b>Mrs Brown's Boys</b> fans en route and en masse to their respective respites from the ravages of reality....</div><div><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/8VAc7R3h06k" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Grateful Dead - Here Comes Sunshine</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-45248819265532345842022-04-01T06:22:00.000-07:002022-04-01T06:22:00.222-07:00A Chronicle of Doom....<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcthcVO-5AD48Vp7l42Cxn_E6fPa-D_psI31dHzyFVtJekO0QBthqBo6mYeF16wQ5DYvSSlcztD3uknrypa8nOExZdtdD9Y-xxosTyIi_Q5vM_wT-UVsG66L0ElLgzciNGqjnSHxeSYs4H4yk7FpLjMDyWAfTAl_ooVtS8pcYZ2nwIV-8tqCcwg0Nmg/s612/BB_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcthcVO-5AD48Vp7l42Cxn_E6fPa-D_psI31dHzyFVtJekO0QBthqBo6mYeF16wQ5DYvSSlcztD3uknrypa8nOExZdtdD9Y-xxosTyIi_Q5vM_wT-UVsG66L0ElLgzciNGqjnSHxeSYs4H4yk7FpLjMDyWAfTAl_ooVtS8pcYZ2nwIV-8tqCcwg0Nmg/s320/BB_01.jpg" width="235" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>'Living in Harmony'</i> (Not likely....)</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As we all stumble on into April, fools with but little spring in our steps, then what better time to retire from reality and slip inside <b>Agent Johnny</b>'s house for a few hours of gentle chuntering while propped before the <i>'one-eyed-god'</i> as it beams (courtesy of the <b><a href="https://www.horrorchannel.co.uk" target="_blank">Horror Channel</a></b>) bountiful binges of <b>The Prisoner</b> into our bleary and beleaguered minds....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioznIcyFR32ga2_SC_FPoj8bSDquY0frNTIPUWVK0XuSxYoaJQlwqNCBlMpW2RPTni41aVM6je5r5CAVjqIh_OxTacDBCe8rGe9uZw1yeTXSxLUD1WgcLwmdd-wYZIm6pkgdiMivc8tJ82uu8N3M7yeQJ2sW5KMg7ZIrc8y7Qp1yz6TCPd2jRjTIp13A/s594/BB_02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioznIcyFR32ga2_SC_FPoj8bSDquY0frNTIPUWVK0XuSxYoaJQlwqNCBlMpW2RPTni41aVM6je5r5CAVjqIh_OxTacDBCe8rGe9uZw1yeTXSxLUD1WgcLwmdd-wYZIm6pkgdiMivc8tJ82uu8N3M7yeQJ2sW5KMg7ZIrc8y7Qp1yz6TCPd2jRjTIp13A/s320/BB_02.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><div style="font-size: small; text-align: center;">Na na na na na na nah thanks, I'm good....</div><div style="font-size: small; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As <b>Patrick McGoohan</b> gleefully glared his way through episode after episode - the man surely has the most <b>Jack 'King' Kirby</b> face made flesh of all time - random topics of conversation included <b>Blakes 7</b>, <b>The Batman</b> (or, indeed,<i> 'The Batmeh'</i>), <a href="https://infinitymagazine.co.uk" target="_blank"><b>Infinity Magazine</b></a> and, wait for it!, a new comic script for <b>Agent Rob</b> <i>'fer to draw'....</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0BPT_TEnuXo7GHhZkklG3svV4eVUGxcHcxV-wnDoWdCd0NdINm3EFvP8DSKL5hJCRKsafKaqiP9uQUI_UG6XDG1Dz9UfQBgNWX0DFWdv8cnhi5iRtUtOeBaFcnNY4anXc3BfCMBvfpQP-7zQrE6RQVHE7cmBLeJ6_5fZUsaxIVNjuE4DpkWwYyCNog/s695/BB_03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0BPT_TEnuXo7GHhZkklG3svV4eVUGxcHcxV-wnDoWdCd0NdINm3EFvP8DSKL5hJCRKsafKaqiP9uQUI_UG6XDG1Dz9UfQBgNWX0DFWdv8cnhi5iRtUtOeBaFcnNY4anXc3BfCMBvfpQP-7zQrE6RQVHE7cmBLeJ6_5fZUsaxIVNjuE4DpkWwYyCNog/s320/BB_03.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">....lies what indeed....</span><br /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Soon enough it was time for <i>Rob</i> to dearly depart and head for the train to carry him beyond this horizon, and so leave <i>'Our Man in Slateford' </i>to his solitary overheated television and his plentiful undercooked ideas....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sights: <b>The Prisoner</b>....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/MEB3fSvkM2w" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MEB3fSvkM2w/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Prisoner - opening titles</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-90187050782974582612022-02-22T06:22:00.571-08:002022-02-22T06:22:00.217-08:00UndergRound Up of the Year, Part 2....<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjboQQc_AnHpjejziQzTvE_YYTI-FwbTm4SXSMMruG55lhG-t8MES7fSpIL8jQVFGGIB1h5wbfo-xruBcjgcA6_Y-D7z1W1YAioDUoQN3bRwy_eN-1ehTk14crxQRDKKddKDjMqX57QdefkiLFPnSLK--gVx5aeDMPygQbwptkjdaJsxyulbr3ieKa4zQ=s599" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjboQQc_AnHpjejziQzTvE_YYTI-FwbTm4SXSMMruG55lhG-t8MES7fSpIL8jQVFGGIB1h5wbfo-xruBcjgcA6_Y-D7z1W1YAioDUoQN3bRwy_eN-1ehTk14crxQRDKKddKDjMqX57QdefkiLFPnSLK--gVx5aeDMPygQbwptkjdaJsxyulbr3ieKa4zQ=s320" width="240" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Agent Rob!? Whatta f**king c**t!"</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Welcome back for a second helping of the (<b>Braw</b>) best of 2021, effectively the Boxing Day to Part 1's Christmas.... Hmm, though that really just makes it sound like any old reheated leftovers which, much like Xmas telly, is merely the first week reshuffled around and repeated ad infinitum to pad out week two. Without getting too nostalgic for (Radio and TV) times gone by, isn't it strange how we live in a era when there's infinitely more channels and somehow less choice as opposed to when there were far less (only 4!) channels but seemingly more viewing choice over the <i>'restive festive'</i>. It truly is smaller on the outside....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_gPnFo6pmAkRz-n0s6vZXyxdIcur6lFrq5D90j70pE_Wa27WGNaFONf6JXvd4x3mdLFHzEQ-vyEf1iy4M9PS2qtiJoiSaHeiM2zzYkjyabwy2yhxrDEV6Lc8eE362Vh1owqpaO8k8V3SRLB5UKZ9UIHVZyHC2HbPbhZzhpfvo_uagpdqISXgAc9uX0A=s450" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_gPnFo6pmAkRz-n0s6vZXyxdIcur6lFrq5D90j70pE_Wa27WGNaFONf6JXvd4x3mdLFHzEQ-vyEf1iy4M9PS2qtiJoiSaHeiM2zzYkjyabwy2yhxrDEV6Lc8eE362Vh1owqpaO8k8V3SRLB5UKZ9UIHVZyHC2HbPbhZzhpfvo_uagpdqISXgAc9uX0A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">100 Mountains - Summit Up</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the year's top albums was in fact collated/compiled by <b>Rob</b> himself, who knuckled down and put his idle hands to work sifting through <i>“ex-brains behind The Orb”</i> (his words) <b>Kris</b> <i>“don't call me Thrash!”</i> <b>Weston</b>'s substantial online <i>“graveyard”</i> (his words again) of semi-aborted works in perpetual progress. The end result was <b>100 Mountains – Summit Up</b>, a sprawling, absorbing and oddly affecting (and somewhat chilly and unsettled) ambient trip. Currently AWOL there is a glimmer of hope <i>Kris</i>'ll return (momentarily) to the interfray as <b><a href="https://100mountains.uk" target="_blank">this</a></b> encouraging holding picture attests....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/jnTt8xIxBs4" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jnTt8xIxBs4/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">FFWD▸▸ (The Orb & Robert Fripp) - Orbert FFWD Demo 1993</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As if that wasn't enough <i>Rob</i> was lucky enough to unearth a rare live run through of <b>The Orb</b>'s masterful (never released and eventually morphed into <b>FFWD</b>) track <b>Hidden In Heaven</b>, a truly towering 27:27 of similarly emotive ambience (perhaps slightly overloaded with <b>DRAP</b>'s samples du jour, although they do help conjure some sort of timeless nostalgic charm) that still has the power to drop jaws nearly 30 years later. The past has never sounded so futuristic. If you fancy some of that in a more stripped back symphonic style then you need look no further than the equally impressive <b>Orbert</b> (as leaked by the above <i>Mr. Weston</i> himself), the glacial demo that was eventually (to its detriment) chipped into several pieces for what became the <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=z1_SKazu6Xo" target="_blank">FFWD</a></i> album....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjC2lHx5Kku8TkENgaa7qECAHtYLGz3EAWmFG47Y3ksifjmC-hHKh_0KewFa9KKsrwPL5veq6GZxMonLsnr_nR0gSx1Q6XezKCjcmqxNLvVj7vc973mIAKx2020AIufyLOv2NX953dqUiCgjCpwt9wMsUq6vDsPnBG5gtdGaak_79QMkluix2FTB2mDg=s450" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjC2lHx5Kku8TkENgaa7qECAHtYLGz3EAWmFG47Y3ksifjmC-hHKh_0KewFa9KKsrwPL5veq6GZxMonLsnr_nR0gSx1Q6XezKCjcmqxNLvVj7vc973mIAKx2020AIufyLOv2NX953dqUiCgjCpwt9wMsUq6vDsPnBG5gtdGaak_79QMkluix2FTB2mDg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Dr. LXP</b> kept busy too, teaming up with sometime <b>Ultraworld</b> adventurer <b><a href="http://afponline.eu" target="_blank">Andy Falconer</a></b> to release <b>Sedibus – The Heavens</b>, thus helping to keep <i>The Orb</i> <i>“brand”</i> (Kris again!) cash cowing on into the twenty twenties....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg65j2NpvxRJsLmju-ORezFy2A9P0mwXBRlq5oKwISk7rcThOizyU8nS4jiE-uSlACoG-Z3wY3s3-jSKpqahYLjBM1tTmHIZrpeAFYRK8NRneJ0jXypEeyttidb3ldGm8X6eK-tHnu_rZaGPVjpiAgv9nK8FXR4YdaibhH2_3GHC2KKSL3iCd7Fnhsqog=s450" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg65j2NpvxRJsLmju-ORezFy2A9P0mwXBRlq5oKwISk7rcThOizyU8nS4jiE-uSlACoG-Z3wY3s3-jSKpqahYLjBM1tTmHIZrpeAFYRK8NRneJ0jXypEeyttidb3ldGm8X6eK-tHnu_rZaGPVjpiAgv9nK8FXR4YdaibhH2_3GHC2KKSL3iCd7Fnhsqog=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Following on from all that unhealthy orbsessing there really was nothing more cheer-worthy – tinnitus inducing in volume surely? - than <b>Mogwai</b> scoring their first ever #1 album and SAY award with their mighty <b><a href="https://mogwai.bandcamp.com/album/as-the-love-continues" target="_blank">As The Love Continues</a></b>. And in their 25th(!) year together to boot....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA96xjPB_NU1j21dvRLzH1Hb-lKeZIofqFsD5pLnIBkQ67A0xdYhRfufliB8XJUUVztsXaugZQ80l1OHogMkXAlr9pCI44DCZ-HOJsK2OHNSJZT9H739OppJmBIMmzZPUNArj-IFQtGV-2ubo6LCNG3uc-mHHjdp6Aa-RJGkxNl8iHxc2zGj8tFDGWDQ=s450" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA96xjPB_NU1j21dvRLzH1Hb-lKeZIofqFsD5pLnIBkQ67A0xdYhRfufliB8XJUUVztsXaugZQ80l1OHogMkXAlr9pCI44DCZ-HOJsK2OHNSJZT9H739OppJmBIMmzZPUNArj-IFQtGV-2ubo6LCNG3uc-mHHjdp6Aa-RJGkxNl8iHxc2zGj8tFDGWDQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">'D'you think the end of the world is comin'?' (YES!)</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">….although it was really fellow post-rock titans <b><a href="https://godspeedyoublackemperor.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Godspeed You! Black Emperor</a></b> who truly stole <i>Rob</i>'s thunder with their perpetual <i>“end times”</i> (circa 1997 to right NOW!) soundtrack....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCqQ6f6rEixLsTxi6sBJC6IamBSl2wNLcpQImGJzgZTzg4qtr_eAq1JrZP6A7Zx7pyx3wysGyIG1znqCxNMgse_M_Lq_Fwpbfwt6dYbOYI3UaBBcEKlBQJccO_a5G9TL7ujAJVK-BmSFNvQ46HMdrq_H_dDvN0HKQYen7WMZzEHFutK_YY3E_4gYDjsg=s450" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCqQ6f6rEixLsTxi6sBJC6IamBSl2wNLcpQImGJzgZTzg4qtr_eAq1JrZP6A7Zx7pyx3wysGyIG1znqCxNMgse_M_Lq_Fwpbfwt6dYbOYI3UaBBcEKlBQJccO_a5G9TL7ujAJVK-BmSFNvQ46HMdrq_H_dDvN0HKQYen7WMZzEHFutK_YY3E_4gYDjsg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Time surrounds me like an ocean</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>My memories like waves</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Is life just dying in slow motion</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Or getting stronger everyday?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Elsewhere <b>The War on Drugs</b> followed their rousing <b>Live Drugs</b> album with the excellent <b><a href="https://www.thewarondrugs.net/music/i-dont-live-here-anymore" target="_blank">I Don't Live Here Any More</a></b>, again up to their usual epic-grower standards (and maybe their finest long player yet), while <b>American Music Club</b> cast their woozy magic, <b>FIEND</b> (AKA former Fannie and Young Teamster <b>Brendan O'Hare</b>) impressed with the post-everything ambition of his <b><a href="https://glassminiature.bandcamp.com/album/fiendbox-caledonian-trilogy" target="_blank">Caledonian Trilogy</a></b>, <b><a href="https://weathertalk.bandcamp.com/music" target="_blank">Weathertalk</a></b> and <b><a href="vhttps://landing.bandcamp.com/music" target="_blank">Landing</a></b> hit <b><a href="https://bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a></b> heights, <b>Lift To Experience</b> stunned with their ten commanding <b>The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads</b>, <b>Pieter Nooten</b> and <b>Michael Brook</b> got all sleek and seductive with <b>Sleeps With The Fishes</b>, <b>The Bug Vs Earth</b> dragged us across their vast <b><a href="https://thebugmusic.bandcamp.com/album/concrete-desert" target="_blank">Concrete Desert</a></b>, <b>Mugstar</b> practiced a beguiling form of post-space rock on the marvellous <a href="https://mugstar.bandcamp.com/album/magnetic-seasons" target="_blank"><b>Magnetic Seasons</b></a>, <b>The Charlatans</b> got all pensive on their uneven '92 downer missive <b>Between 10th and 11th</b> and (finally) <b>Tonstarrtbandht</b> transformed from troublesome noiseniks into shimmering alt-indie troubadours on the rather pretty <b><a href="https://tonstartssbandht.bandcamp.com/album/petunia" target="_blank">Petunia</a></b>, all these albums turning musical itches into gently sweet spots....</div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/EPDqH9lv-Q0" width="480"></iframe></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tonstartssbandht - What Has Happened (Official Video)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCqOCI8Mww5kqQF5JUEUYBU14lPQ5VeoYRToAqJuYg4OkFUCCTHcCTzaG83XZsJPFgJ0vJvnW_Zj7cPOVcjps662c7aNLR48v9vrGNJQuJlR0n-b8IcPmanM_UfgBDgIx09BBFLCZ_b4Cj_w55ulTiaxgBg41EYhvUzZn2Z0-9Ta0Gv8QO7pxVIqq8Pg=s450" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCqOCI8Mww5kqQF5JUEUYBU14lPQ5VeoYRToAqJuYg4OkFUCCTHcCTzaG83XZsJPFgJ0vJvnW_Zj7cPOVcjps662c7aNLR48v9vrGNJQuJlR0n-b8IcPmanM_UfgBDgIx09BBFLCZ_b4Cj_w55ulTiaxgBg41EYhvUzZn2Z0-9Ta0Gv8QO7pxVIqq8Pg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">To counter this (mostly) <i>'miserable but uplifting'</i> sonic self-indulgence a plethora of <b>Polish</b> popsters saved the <i>'dzien'</i> with <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3fbXGeiyXPgLurytGKv3eA" target="_blank">Patrick The Pan</a></b>, <b><a href="https://oxforddrama.bandcamp.com/album/whats-the-deal-with-time" target="_blank">Oxford Drama</a></b>, <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/769i1Wrg2WpuDwvqkXqWpI" target="_blank">Muchy</a></b> and <a href="https://bluszczmusic.bandcamp.com/album/junior" target="_blank"><b>Bluszcz</b></a> dishing out the good vibes and serving up quality albums, while slightly more challenging, though no less tasty, sounds came to the table courtesy of <b><a href="https://trupatrupa.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Trupa Trupa</a></b>. If you ever fancy a quick overview of the top of the Polish alt-pops then listen no further than the annual <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/5xoXMR6Y8PORwObvyND9ZE" target="_blank">Meskie Granie</a> festival/event....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjq9by7xNlAx_CRnYanTYCI8AsQJ39ECA3rDZEl00DCjrgPHdf4yIA9BW-QqsW1rLaehPYgjU164GAbIVz5KifIIfFQFzXYpzFl-Io880fq_2ESvj2pNJLDq1yBLfvpeRsIlvNs6_-Ny-U_BsoZbBc4qs2IKHeT5i0CLVy7VGMWd7bqgHgCwF8rRT0Vg=s450" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjq9by7xNlAx_CRnYanTYCI8AsQJ39ECA3rDZEl00DCjrgPHdf4yIA9BW-QqsW1rLaehPYgjU164GAbIVz5KifIIfFQFzXYpzFl-Io880fq_2ESvj2pNJLDq1yBLfvpeRsIlvNs6_-Ny-U_BsoZbBc4qs2IKHeT5i0CLVy7VGMWd7bqgHgCwF8rRT0Vg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A shame then to say goodbye to musician voyager <b><a href="https://www.thewire.co.uk/in-writing/essays/end-times-and-rapture-remembering-richardh-kirk" target="_blank">Richard H Kirk</a></b> in 2021. Known to many as a member of seminal <b>Sheffield</b> electro industrialists <b><a href="https://mute.com/artists/cabaret-voltaire" target="_blank">Cabaret Voltaire</a></b>, but really beloved to <i>Agent Rob</i> for his duo of 90's ambi-electronic-cum-techno albums on <b><a href="https://warp.net/artists/91322-richard-h-kirk/info" target="_blank">WARP Records</a></b>....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/1bD9404rX4g" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Richard H. Kirk - Oneski</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpGQnVGzC0ozf4nMjBlGRfxggRgu0bFFd55BS8Ap4AljIiTnyVS8kuE9E9_Ame_ddfLc_1CrJTIyWr0NKWiAFuBKP6sT8wv3iVKaUIszC0yhWA1QvSBjyeIpHxio2HMRNzGXPSXrL1VcJseeVyaJY8_uHNCfO2nM0n7kswRRmvVHFj45q_GCSJfMKWfw=s697" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpGQnVGzC0ozf4nMjBlGRfxggRgu0bFFd55BS8Ap4AljIiTnyVS8kuE9E9_Ame_ddfLc_1CrJTIyWr0NKWiAFuBKP6sT8wv3iVKaUIszC0yhWA1QvSBjyeIpHxio2HMRNzGXPSXrL1VcJseeVyaJY8_uHNCfO2nM0n7kswRRmvVHFj45q_GCSJfMKWfw=s320" width="207" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There's no doubt that <b>John Williams</b> (author of the sleeper classic <b>Stoner</b>) scored an absolute bullseye with his book <b>Buffalo Crossing</b> in 2021, making it <i>Rob</i>'s book of the year by a wide open country mile. Think green young <b>Boston</b> academic ups sticks for the wild west where he funds a grizzled hunting party (with a <b>Miller</b> at the head, no less) in their search for a once-glimpsed plain awash with dozy buffalo, in an immersive and atmospheric <b>Moby Dick</b>-cum-<b>JAWS</b> tale of man versus (human and mother) nature. Absorbing stuff....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieUb_YUFGim6-M4xHCYJpFFhlvkiMkPKmk9ffjasX9-ZGJSu_OSXVnMKe62b4bno7yMv6oEzkI45prIMiUv57IdwDUjYNdRB0aHoYYxE8iab55CI9SpIgek39cRm0yQt0wwW1VfnW-w66pbrz6HzDkIulwuDUerfth4U94TF7XtWgJ6ruMLo3pin9YIA=s673" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieUb_YUFGim6-M4xHCYJpFFhlvkiMkPKmk9ffjasX9-ZGJSu_OSXVnMKe62b4bno7yMv6oEzkI45prIMiUv57IdwDUjYNdRB0aHoYYxE8iab55CI9SpIgek39cRm0yQt0wwW1VfnW-w66pbrz6HzDkIulwuDUerfth4U94TF7XtWgJ6ruMLo3pin9YIA=s320" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Indeed <b>Masterwork</b> science fiction took something of a back seat in 2021's rocket, with <b>Cryptozoic!</b>, <b>Cities In Flight</b> and <b>More Than Human</b> all really failing to launch, with only the old school stiff upper Brit sci-fi of <b>The Andromeda Anthology</b> and the proto<b>1984</b>-isms of <b>WE</b> reaching orbit. However, the slightly more up to date sci-futures of <b>Richard Morgan</b>'s (just alright) <b>Altered Carbon</b>, <b>David Mitchell</b>'s stylistic, structural and imaginative triumph that is <b>Cloud Atlas</b>, and the triple-whammy of <b>Tade Thompson</b>'s vastly rewarding <b>Rosewater</b> trilogy were proof indeed that there's still life (but not as we know it!) in the shaggy old sf dog tale yet....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhl7jOYqZxEI8XuREHsL3h-NwI3NfX1-fqskRUhYynTS6KfZkkW6jJ-JJk8at3dEORygKnrt6Zt7ddYPWWrS_MpB8U89EXXHbZ0rWwsz7uOyZCrU98d0yDN4Ca6J5gQj-mnfnAKz8mUiCkLK5Bm2TnUqg3XLi_bNjgnZeQ1-dd7UNGLF7jrfNpIDwnB4w=s719" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhl7jOYqZxEI8XuREHsL3h-NwI3NfX1-fqskRUhYynTS6KfZkkW6jJ-JJk8at3dEORygKnrt6Zt7ddYPWWrS_MpB8U89EXXHbZ0rWwsz7uOyZCrU98d0yDN4Ca6J5gQj-mnfnAKz8mUiCkLK5Bm2TnUqg3XLi_bNjgnZeQ1-dd7UNGLF7jrfNpIDwnB4w=s320" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In its stead <i>Rob</i> enjoyed the likes of <b>William Boyd</b>'s slow-burn <b>Trio</b>, <b>Cormac McCarthy</b>'s burnt world of <b>The Road</b>, <b>Margaret Atwood</b>'s bra burning <b>The Handmaid's Tale</b>, the world really is burning woe of <b>Jeff VanderMeer</b>'s <b>Hummingbird Salamander</b> and <b>David Morell</b>'s fiery <b>First Blood</b>, an excellent companion piece to the film and a truly bruising book in its own right.... the same could be said for the soap burn of <b>Chuck Palahniuk</b>'s still fearsome <b>Fight Club</b> too!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjbTpI7zbfqtId_RhyNUw8zKY3Ve0ZQvxNr7qAjq_0tjPEQg__kRcQyCfahZsn8TTrHY0DDPFvvoISjNshq6pEzH49jZ0cXitQjPFsh4n-KIyvJ15AhiKkgnWwe-nXm6WqER5Jes3VJZkOqyvCib-E_tTG_TerzL1Db3L8EzgHqw8yk48AnwV4uezM0w=s682" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjbTpI7zbfqtId_RhyNUw8zKY3Ve0ZQvxNr7qAjq_0tjPEQg__kRcQyCfahZsn8TTrHY0DDPFvvoISjNshq6pEzH49jZ0cXitQjPFsh4n-KIyvJ15AhiKkgnWwe-nXm6WqER5Jes3VJZkOqyvCib-E_tTG_TerzL1Db3L8EzgHqw8yk48AnwV4uezM0w=s320" width="211" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As well as this there was time to absorb a decent clutch of music and film (auto)biographys from the likes of <b>Tim </b><i>'One Two Another'</i><b> Burgess</b>, <b>John </b><i>'So Anyway...'</i><b> Cleese</b>, <b>Will </b><i>'Playing the Bass with Three Left Hands'</i><b> Carruthers</b>, <b>Martin </b><i>'Facing The Other Way: The Story of 4AD'</i><b> Aston</b> and <b>Peter </b><i>'Easy Riders, Raging Bulls'</i><b> Biskind</b>, a vicious, searing book, proof that, film geeks like <b>Spielberg</b> and <b>Lucas</b> aside, every feted male US actor/director of the 70's was a colossal <b>#metoo</b> consumed by an insatiable and quite repulsive appetite for sex and drugs....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyOCbAdf14RP8LH2Kxk0gdVZdPEnO6BwXzWBiqfB6sC0vhMgWhYb79hREONo_otF0a0XAijzZJNYPcq64N1ECyhf6Bt4XrgAdW-OrViUeeabFb4-V2-TzaCD1XhNNCpWSmPbQxMvR7OYSrmasczhp89mxloBTuKs47Xl5cATsrdUlaOKwGshkDPLHveg=s739" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyOCbAdf14RP8LH2Kxk0gdVZdPEnO6BwXzWBiqfB6sC0vhMgWhYb79hREONo_otF0a0XAijzZJNYPcq64N1ECyhf6Bt4XrgAdW-OrViUeeabFb4-V2-TzaCD1XhNNCpWSmPbQxMvR7OYSrmasczhp89mxloBTuKs47Xl5cATsrdUlaOKwGshkDPLHveg=s320" width="195" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As the nights grew long and dark, the wind chillier then what better time to to take a first step into the vast (nether)world of horror supremo <b>Stephen King</b>, <i>Agent Rob</i> subjecting himself to the jaw (and temperature) dropping '<b>Salem's Lot</b>, a huge(ly) impressive novel in both scope and vision. It's not just the (pulling) power of the excellent writing, so much as the vivid scenes of terror piling up (much like the unfortunate vampiric victims) in the mind.... Yep, suddenly that gloomy lane on the walk to work doesn't look quite so inviting, shortcut or no, nor does staring into dark spaces or out dark windows less something should peer back from the blackness. Hell, even the hike in energy prices couldn't stop <i>Rob</i> from keeping <b>Braw Towers</b> lit up like a Christmas tree just, y'know, in case. Next stop the <b>Overlook Hotel</b>....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And here's <i>Rob</i>'s written quote of the year, culled from the leery <i>Humminbird Salamander</i>,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"A few years later, businesses hawking wares would have changed. The old ones washed away by the shock of realization: the physical laws of the universe didn't give a f*ck about them. Wouldn't protect them just because they existed and sold things."</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">How pertinent is <i>that</i> post COP-26/everything?!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNOA7HqkAotwaHefJYVw9C8R01Py3RyAAnjgDG3z8CapZ57ezxg3CxP3h4jaTgb4rJ2Eti6ABUA9jI0xCZ_rmKPuri0BpioQ8mMj3vstRv2KBviiJRq6Z3sBFXVUY6eBVRkkOIaQ5IqV4f-IykCDXcSVWcYqady2qhlp9WtTXzsHstnEukGiWgKH1IHg=s672" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNOA7HqkAotwaHefJYVw9C8R01Py3RyAAnjgDG3z8CapZ57ezxg3CxP3h4jaTgb4rJ2Eti6ABUA9jI0xCZ_rmKPuri0BpioQ8mMj3vstRv2KBviiJRq6Z3sBFXVUY6eBVRkkOIaQ5IqV4f-IykCDXcSVWcYqady2qhlp9WtTXzsHstnEukGiWgKH1IHg=s320" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Doomsday Clock - flat as a pancake!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was the comic everyone was tocking about simply because it ticked them off.... Yep, it could only be <b>DC Comics</b>' <b>Doomsday Clock</b> - or <i>'DC'</i> for short, ho, er, hum, and about as clever as it gets – which certainly succeeds as an exceptional(ly drawn) exercise in mangling two lucrative IPs together for purely commercial purposes. As a satisfying comic, however, it lurked not only in the towering shadow of its timeless predecessor but also in that cast by <b>HBO</b>'s television series sequel, making for an uneven and, as the superheroes/properties piled up and up, uninvolving read....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(It's really the sort of project that <i>DC</i> should have handed to someone fearless like <b>Grant Morrison</b> – his own <b><a href="https://dorkforty.wordpress.com/2017/10/18/pax-americana-the-watchmen-sequel-done-right/" target="_blank">Pax Americana</a> </b>was as good a response/rebuke to the original <b>Watchmen</b> as any – who would at the very least have done his damnedest to outdo <b>Alan 'The Original Writer' Moore</b> at every twist and turn (of the page) rather than kowtowing to the paymasters and farting out focus group approved fluff....)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgvMSICtUfEtH5y8k1qHqGrs2qMRPPhok9Mcz69SfU0OFXCFpaMdfc96jgbJq5ZC5-13c05EzMYAooClhSz80EiummWs5Gsf5UYcZ0gc7G2--Uh1SHuIfoDqvxhy2tO1xCa9WNodmXyTcGhCiWLwjhdKgo7Y7NA7pc0eMO8x6aQ9wbZnzj0y-Ll-tG3Q=s655" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgvMSICtUfEtH5y8k1qHqGrs2qMRPPhok9Mcz69SfU0OFXCFpaMdfc96jgbJq5ZC5-13c05EzMYAooClhSz80EiummWs5Gsf5UYcZ0gc7G2--Uh1SHuIfoDqvxhy2tO1xCa9WNodmXyTcGhCiWLwjhdKgo7Y7NA7pc0eMO8x6aQ9wbZnzj0y-Ll-tG3Q=s320" width="220" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Aside from sinking this titanic undertaking there was still precious time to be found to enjoy scribble and scratch master <b>Paul Pope</b>'s <b>100%</b> and <b>Heavy Liquid</b> trades, while <b>Neil Gaiman</b>'s <b>Eternals</b> and the <b>Attack On Titan</b> manga stirred little interest <i>Rob</i>-side....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjc_hoCQzslL2nceJRhS7P8ZnCoolpdrQPP9pZVepOhm4GW6goIhXxEr5YhrZGnn9l1OFSklj5VXEBHlMmoJU-IRMF_LF7c0oC8h-uQQxL-jrFyNyAt3DbJ4W-LZGTbnlceOTzumz7xqjEp8gDDwtxmqJxh36qZc75Fknw9qJUSCdn84CrIsmkBXmi0YQ=s635" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjc_hoCQzslL2nceJRhS7P8ZnCoolpdrQPP9pZVepOhm4GW6goIhXxEr5YhrZGnn9l1OFSklj5VXEBHlMmoJU-IRMF_LF7c0oC8h-uQQxL-jrFyNyAt3DbJ4W-LZGTbnlceOTzumz7xqjEp8gDDwtxmqJxh36qZc75Fknw9qJUSCdn84CrIsmkBXmi0YQ=s320" width="227" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Pole</b>-side, on the other hand, there was a treat in the spiky shape of the third omnibus (of five) of underground/overground comic strip <b><a href="https://ksiegarniainternetowa.co.uk/en/jez_jerzy_dziela_zebrane_tom_3-9788366128705" target="_blank">Jez Jerzy</a></b>, collecting books (Toms) #7, #8 and #0 of everyone's favourite rebellious hedgehog (though this leaves only Tom #9 to pad out the remaining two volumes)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0lH7t0M26gUtDl3irbTHa8qnJJHW0RZKHpDz2Lom6HEXjln52ZfR00gGwXlWWoidv6Uao9sTxhxSxPphuRc5rc6qpzTBvz9ci6AsaqkK41rPS4gmnqRhVshbGQkuc0_rcTIw1NU-GWDgF5DqlvwiEfZG6cyfl7-EZzfS4wzEVVTviV5LKCyEW0Zonww=s813" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0lH7t0M26gUtDl3irbTHa8qnJJHW0RZKHpDz2Lom6HEXjln52ZfR00gGwXlWWoidv6Uao9sTxhxSxPphuRc5rc6qpzTBvz9ci6AsaqkK41rPS4gmnqRhVshbGQkuc0_rcTIw1NU-GWDgF5DqlvwiEfZG6cyfl7-EZzfS4wzEVVTviV5LKCyEW0Zonww=s320" width="177" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And just for the heck of it here's a few lovely <i>Polish</i> sub-underground illustrations courtesy of <b><a href="http://www.artnet.com/artists/edward-lutczyn/" target="_blank">Edward Lutczyn</a></b> (from <b>Wanda Chotomska</b>'s 1985 book of children's rhymes, <b>Remanent</b>)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCKMNmYNIbedQe3yBv2clsrRCy4GagB-RcetRIjMh3GEqYJlr-2vWhDJukGaL52HiTQHXa4vtdu6jXepo045n1_kMkZfKwJcmFen5aa_LCcpiFTi3dV8MsvfZeotATq7RXYsk3WW-IcF7eR6SXUInf9dDZIbyCI4_WCkb9gM1dnIDmc9HMjNLZj6a1NA=s600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="600" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCKMNmYNIbedQe3yBv2clsrRCy4GagB-RcetRIjMh3GEqYJlr-2vWhDJukGaL52HiTQHXa4vtdu6jXepo045n1_kMkZfKwJcmFen5aa_LCcpiFTi3dV8MsvfZeotATq7RXYsk3WW-IcF7eR6SXUInf9dDZIbyCI4_WCkb9gM1dnIDmc9HMjNLZj6a1NA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjelMwYHVcJXqHZNL_ckjUA1_c6PQV9rlLwqgDwURdROf7K_MHusz2nVqkFf6FoOM-fTXFvT552xmR40EoNELm35pRvoO2Kj7E-Ts9gVXMmRN5e-mBB6BR4nw1Bz7BOhrGm3Yy14ojFdcvxl6hHXCbuTS3QFMK7BAUrvs6Ouo4OvCw2_oM51ilsAHyk-w=s603" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjelMwYHVcJXqHZNL_ckjUA1_c6PQV9rlLwqgDwURdROf7K_MHusz2nVqkFf6FoOM-fTXFvT552xmR40EoNELm35pRvoO2Kj7E-Ts9gVXMmRN5e-mBB6BR4nw1Bz7BOhrGm3Yy14ojFdcvxl6hHXCbuTS3QFMK7BAUrvs6Ouo4OvCw2_oM51ilsAHyk-w=s320" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt7nrzo-hQkTWRrwIobCedqbdYLmW9SU1Z9Bme8bpbjBYUkJz63VY_RsL7ZMTMlgCC8fu61eEmcqFCYdytIVQXbreMGLcjHJm7vAKESePub0rzeSOiOnjXmoe_mcWREY1ITdCtc_-3YRhxnxSzs1Q_0bQErrkDLe4zR2TJoQCVhiwEU7QF_rVgns0ARQ=s600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="600" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt7nrzo-hQkTWRrwIobCedqbdYLmW9SU1Z9Bme8bpbjBYUkJz63VY_RsL7ZMTMlgCC8fu61eEmcqFCYdytIVQXbreMGLcjHJm7vAKESePub0rzeSOiOnjXmoe_mcWREY1ITdCtc_-3YRhxnxSzs1Q_0bQErrkDLe4zR2TJoQCVhiwEU7QF_rVgns0ARQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5_2aC51rJYu67KXmG0_gOkYcCXiemDcz4y_JXNDubmdvbpQpxBq0Z_wyaGkIsTWORx4x4tEJ1y0pO9uDSLWvkXi26E8QwPPQzw3iZSUga8eXul7iJTDGgKl4HE_z1L2waS-Bp_pv4MeXn2a2SbUqWDPjijShRrVrFknvfcG6jkTxoy6GIizVSXTn_Dg=s629" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5_2aC51rJYu67KXmG0_gOkYcCXiemDcz4y_JXNDubmdvbpQpxBq0Z_wyaGkIsTWORx4x4tEJ1y0pO9uDSLWvkXi26E8QwPPQzw3iZSUga8eXul7iJTDGgKl4HE_z1L2waS-Bp_pv4MeXn2a2SbUqWDPjijShRrVrFknvfcG6jkTxoy6GIizVSXTn_Dg=s320" width="229" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgY7HGsYd9I37fF3hjgCYXH8VX822gapfOFiazyXdXpWrZa-7UWn_8MqKQhF7Z02OOXH8IJHMgtMpwx1AOIIs5wC1oyH4DLbmw4HwIP-nf-rXeHF2FtZ1UIYw37WLRVnA9IAIEMt0sUJFfK5FEinXVxHVyWQzUpDGFOzEuhnQoETi2Vi7uKsr2XNEDQ-w=s2262" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="2262" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgY7HGsYd9I37fF3hjgCYXH8VX822gapfOFiazyXdXpWrZa-7UWn_8MqKQhF7Z02OOXH8IJHMgtMpwx1AOIIs5wC1oyH4DLbmw4HwIP-nf-rXeHF2FtZ1UIYw37WLRVnA9IAIEMt0sUJFfK5FEinXVxHVyWQzUpDGFOzEuhnQoETi2Vi7uKsr2XNEDQ-w=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All of which brings us neatly round (up) to this....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqCfTUq4coY5PBkyg_kwXgkrb0F_NixAsMscLwhDgVcmSAk_oLKT1Os10l9NqtgYtfTP28lwdbT8Auvg9cOaQEUSLAqWc0ZS2q_2C72JVEr4gWnzOLKWUTSYeSbgAia7C41HTbJrfFdASCwPgxjY3xhIPCNRBRtCnvBJFuLrUY7V7loRUtFRUfomEvCQ=s636" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqCfTUq4coY5PBkyg_kwXgkrb0F_NixAsMscLwhDgVcmSAk_oLKT1Os10l9NqtgYtfTP28lwdbT8Auvg9cOaQEUSLAqWc0ZS2q_2C72JVEr4gWnzOLKWUTSYeSbgAia7C41HTbJrfFdASCwPgxjY3xhIPCNRBRtCnvBJFuLrUY7V7loRUtFRUfomEvCQ=s320" width="226" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If, looking forward, 2022 is going to be remembered for anything – as, let's (try to) face it, it's proving completely and utterly forgettable already! - then what could be better than <b><a href="http://davealexandercomicart.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Dave Alexander</a></b>'s wonderful <b><a href="https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/dave-alexander/macbam-brothers/paperback/product-1gggzdvr.html" target="_blank">MacBam Brothers</a></b> collection turning 10 years old! (Indeed, this here blog will be 10 years old in a matter of days – good on us!) Why not grab a copy now before <b>LULU</b> put their (and our) prices up early March (or simply sit back and enjoy our<b> FREE</b> <b>Braw Books Sampler</b> PDF available to download <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/trd5f5k8bsv6vvn/COMPLETE_BrawSampler_Feb2017.pdf?dl=0" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">>>here</a>....)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-HhgSriO8InzXeNCqae-IC6syMjwXOzX3IbfRtFXY2ei4yAbdPjnEv1-ZgrLvwt0AoLTk363D2QkDZFvxKAvg93P_PQ9R4CHOLnP4TUDdv80uQ7OufboUcmwicO_rWz-xjTaxfjdFKfNVqag9z17vfyBoS0wPy8quTjOwj9c_zXa7loiDYoDRYECqbw=s745" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-HhgSriO8InzXeNCqae-IC6syMjwXOzX3IbfRtFXY2ei4yAbdPjnEv1-ZgrLvwt0AoLTk363D2QkDZFvxKAvg93P_PQ9R4CHOLnP4TUDdv80uQ7OufboUcmwicO_rWz-xjTaxfjdFKfNVqag9z17vfyBoS0wPy8quTjOwj9c_zXa7loiDYoDRYECqbw=s320" width="193" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With <i>Braw Towers</i> all but silent in 2021 - no single scratch of pen on paper, no squeaky squirl(?) of the scanner, no fortunate flash of inspiration (just the pitter patter of tiny feet) - you'd be forgiven for thinking it's all over (which it is in a sense, given this blog is a testament to what <i>Agent Rob</i> was doing when he <i>should</i> have been drawing, this hollow man increasingly haunted by comics that might have been....). However, as he prepares to embark on his 68th revolution about the sun there's (suddenly) no shortage of ideas from <b>Agent Johnny</b> which has helped to (re)fuel the creative/publishing fire<b> </b>to some extent. So maybe 2022 will be the year that <i>Braw</i> finally gets it (ie, a new comic) together....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI0BzmtSqKsYoFspz2vxEPW-_ud7Z9cYm99LMnGl6ADejW1Ou4Vo1CqC77mAhSzj6Ycy6ZbKFe5ttZZuldfCD-pC7hiyIhSWFXFunm5YtUNKkYm5XsLbl9_G0k7GU258z3f23uZz44PghAbwAulxAqnJnN5De4_x70as3xW5LhVBcG1-dH0AyvYGQUMw=s900" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="900" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI0BzmtSqKsYoFspz2vxEPW-_ud7Z9cYm99LMnGl6ADejW1Ou4Vo1CqC77mAhSzj6Ycy6ZbKFe5ttZZuldfCD-pC7hiyIhSWFXFunm5YtUNKkYm5XsLbl9_G0k7GU258z3f23uZz44PghAbwAulxAqnJnN5De4_x70as3xW5LhVBcG1-dH0AyvYGQUMw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Old Bill boldly goes....</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As ever it's time to wrap up this gift of a blog that just keeps on giving with <i>Agent Rob</i>'s pick of the year. Naturally there's a flag to be waved for <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2021/11/you-seen-set-part-five-indiana-jones.html" target="_blank">Indiana Jones</a></b> in <b>Glasgow</b> city centre, a huge shout for '<b><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/william-shatner-reacts-to-a-real-space-trip-as-only-he-can" target="_blank">Shatner</a></b> in space', and no doubt that not only anything small and <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYQbGEQKV6U" target="_blank">Dudley Moore</a></b>-shaped was in the running, but also a few choice cuts courtesy of <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwulc3WZQsc" target="_blank">Derek</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtTZ3lQ8bo4" target="_blank">Clive</a></b>. <i>The Charlatans</i> also hit a home run with their nostalgic yet somehow optimistic video for their recently unearthed/belated 30th anniversary year track <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D-6vg9qlLk" target="_blank">C'mon C'mon</a></b> (as well as errant original guitarist <b>Jon Baker</b> music-making a return as <b><a href="https://soundcloud.com/central-audio-thrill" target="_blank">Central-Audio-Thrill</a></b>). But first past the post (or should that be <i>'Pole'</i>?) had to be the glorious video for <b>Mrozu</b>'s <b>Zlota</b>, which was all of these things and more, the five minute holiday we all truly yearned for in 2021 (and a cracking toe-tapper of a tune to boot)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/mr4_R3qrKEc" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mrozu - Zloto (Official Music Video)</span></div></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-4159938814149080332022-01-11T05:11:00.530-08:002022-03-04T09:53:52.133-08:00UndergRound Up of the Year, Part 1.... <p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggZ2ZdN-jHxleT-3n2gIeGJKsLMh8vI6yxTaIOeVnNRAopY05QLHmDWgQIuKlfsgB1O4UpfjWvyXO9RFk-y9NIvYNL9zhjfF88TwuvxN7csK8o_mfsITUFCe-j2UQsaiOOcUIVEJwiL84ocNvktSvblOR-AeX0IVmpjEOsUxEFM9TsMZ9I_s-dYTzDPw=s600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggZ2ZdN-jHxleT-3n2gIeGJKsLMh8vI6yxTaIOeVnNRAopY05QLHmDWgQIuKlfsgB1O4UpfjWvyXO9RFk-y9NIvYNL9zhjfF88TwuvxN7csK8o_mfsITUFCe-j2UQsaiOOcUIVEJwiL84ocNvktSvblOR-AeX0IVmpjEOsUxEFM9TsMZ9I_s-dYTzDPw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Agent Rob</b>, the man who (really, truly, madly) fell to earth....</span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Covid 19</b> + <b>COP26</b> = <b>FLOP21</b>, the year that sucked from end to end, a gruelling, endless, featureless grind, 12 months of tedious <i>'long collarbone'</i>, a bone-breaking, rib-cracking, lung-puncturing, physio-requiring 365 days that saw <b>Agent Rob</b> tumble into middle age with a resounding bang! Still, one can only overcome, and as per years gone by you can expect (mostly) glowing reviews peppered with the occasional brisk/bitter dismissal of huge creative endeavours – here's looking at you, <b>The Blandalorian</b>! - that are obviously infinitely better than anything a failed <i>Agent</i> could ever hope to achieve. (But, y'know, that's the internet for you, so half-decent writing and sub-par punning it is - you get what you don't pay for.) So read on to see what provided last year's escapism (from what exactly, our laughably comfortable<b> Western</b> lives, pandemic or no, or our guilt, our shame in knowing that our entire lifetime is a vast cultural, climate and consumer disaster?). Anyway, that's more than enough off-putting <i>'blah blah blah'</i> from <i>Rob</i>, so on with the show....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghu_MU98Qz0-7oequiegk6qDaUIw64u6ZZShvHWNyNlQiDVJWa8c4gRP7TDc_x4_knZ29XEhyzgYBpuIFaXXLo_aqbQwnemhnCv0HUFu0YgESypxpG9kEh-snyRg6X2YAW5BHu0vT8U3B1M-yfpzP-jG7z1PofQajUXK5LYbzhYPuS6-KOIXPuvESH2g=s499" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghu_MU98Qz0-7oequiegk6qDaUIw64u6ZZShvHWNyNlQiDVJWa8c4gRP7TDc_x4_knZ29XEhyzgYBpuIFaXXLo_aqbQwnemhnCv0HUFu0YgESypxpG9kEh-snyRg6X2YAW5BHu0vT8U3B1M-yfpzP-jG7z1PofQajUXK5LYbzhYPuS6-KOIXPuvESH2g=s320" width="289" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dud 'n' Pete....</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Firstly the last thing <i>Agent Rob</i> expected in mid-2021 was to get pulled into the comedy orbit of not only <b>Peter Cook</b> but also <b>Dudley Moore</b> (with whom <i>Rob</i> was admittedly quite suddenly smitten, this club-footed, working class <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/0e2YEW4i3YLoyNnMy0NT53" target="_blank">piano prodigy</a>) all courtesy of a chance charity purchase of <b>William Cook</b>'s thoroughly engrossing and highly recommended <b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Leg-Too-William-Cook/dp/0099559927" target="_blank">One Leg Too Few</a></b>. This prompted a swift delve into their somewhat sprawling back catalogue, given much of their highly influential 60's TV output (audio aside) is lost/destroyed and much of what followed, bearing in mind the duo had no <b>Pythonesque</b> budding business acumen to call upon, scattered to the four (sheets to the) winds. Still, there's plenty enough floating around to delight, from <i>Moore</i>'s solo venture <b>30 is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia</b> to <b>The Wrong Box</b>, to <i>Cook</i>'s solo venture <b>The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer</b>, to the mighty <b>Bedazzled</b> (of course!), to <i>Cook</i> looking every inch the proto <b>Gallagher</b>/<b>Ashcroft</b> rock star in the deliciously vulgar <b>The Adventures of Barry McKenzie</b>, to the howling and beleaguered <b>The Hound of the Baskervilles</b>, to the (drunken) debauchery of <b>Derek and Clive</b>, <i>Agent Rob</i> really only drawing the line north of <b>Arthur</b> and <b>Get The Horn</b>. Well, what are you waiting for, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZEEgIti8sM" target="_blank">jump</a></b> right in....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeyoXCar8hOYD7NEbJWTJ6GvTtACCJS58-dh2nhUlnpCFzB94WrOY6VgfBtNxldeerFXhgNEzOmUYYSdaL_5Uj6CA4oKpf3wn3wzMsgUWvxTba9KRaQuXwBW2aNMxyJLdMkxgCD7RaPlRiLYQIff5UGMdFE8cVX99RPEDQpmAd2S1Hu3mFS8zvu9TcvA=s675" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeyoXCar8hOYD7NEbJWTJ6GvTtACCJS58-dh2nhUlnpCFzB94WrOY6VgfBtNxldeerFXhgNEzOmUYYSdaL_5Uj6CA4oKpf3wn3wzMsgUWvxTba9KRaQuXwBW2aNMxyJLdMkxgCD7RaPlRiLYQIff5UGMdFE8cVX99RPEDQpmAd2S1Hu3mFS8zvu9TcvA=s320" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dune know whattah mean, yeah, yeah....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The only big screen (ad)venture <i>Rob</i> undertook (late) this year was to go forth and see the new <b>Dune</b>, a self-consciously epic and FX laden tale full of dusty visuals and precious little story of interest, the cast of dull characters sleepwalking through the dry plot with no one really doing any acting (except for <b>Jason Momoa</b>.... who, to be honest, really just plays himself). If it wasn't for an exceptional amount of obligatory <i>'bangy noises'</i> around the mid-point there's no doubt <i>Rob</i>'d have left the desert for good and gone off to visit the sandman instead....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6qH0MkuW1Mb-Ks30aPG-RznDpztbAuJNIom9VqSZn8_l5NU6ug1bNZYjbCIh0F0qVZV_5MT5qzR7dUp2iFNUgaP91uJTMUxSEFMJceWKOe2qirwsKCcchq4ONJ2UuLNrWeV4dJxtuqvkaFxLMkyl9LR4R4wCK-Nylg7aM9SAuVJeOKAxmP-N8Vw2B_w=s615" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6qH0MkuW1Mb-Ks30aPG-RznDpztbAuJNIom9VqSZn8_l5NU6ug1bNZYjbCIh0F0qVZV_5MT5qzR7dUp2iFNUgaP91uJTMUxSEFMJceWKOe2qirwsKCcchq4ONJ2UuLNrWeV4dJxtuqvkaFxLMkyl9LR4R4wCK-Nylg7aM9SAuVJeOKAxmP-N8Vw2B_w=s320" width="234" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There's no doubt that <a href="https://www.channel4.com/collection/film4" target="_blank"><b>Film Four</b></a> takes the acting gong yet again this year, (still) serving up a tremendous all round <b>All 4 </b>variety of striking and immersive world cinema – <b>Blade of the Immortal</b>, <b>Savage</b>, <b>Woman at War</b>, <b>Fire Will Come</b>, <b>Border</b>, <b>Why Don't You Just Die!</b> – and (perhaps) lesser-known contemporary indie (often <b>American</b>) gems hiding in the left-field - <b>My Friend Dahmer</b>, <b>American Woman</b>, <b>American Animals</b>, <b>Come To Daddy</b>, <b>The Old Man and The Gun</b>, <b>A Bigger Splash</b>, <b>Youth</b>, <b>Snowpiercer</b>, <b>Anthropoid</b> – as well as the usual treat of seldom and oft-seen older-ish joys – <b>Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai</b>, <b>Master and Commander</b>, <b>How To Get Ahead In Advertising</b> (AKA <i>Withnail 2</i>), <b>The Riddle of the Sands</b>, <b>When Eight Bells Toll</b>, <b>Track of the Cat</b>, <b>The Ladykillers</b>, <b>The Straight Story</b>, <b>Fantastic Voyage</b>, <b>Escape From New York</b>, <b>Pi</b> – and those irrepressible cult classics such as <b>Wim Wenders</b>' absorbing cinematic trio of <b>The American Friend</b>, <b>Wings of Desire </b>and <b>Paris, Texas</b>....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiN9EQkR_Wja9ZSoT_DDTaLM5RFjG9FhG19wljunyhJqFyFSKeBtvPbOTMBBGdU8B2e0UcJx-kn--7D0tvTmPLnh7j8-ezpQ4UvS7ix97I7ksJWwHQxXNr2UQ-ilSpsPwsOebjTfIZFLgTtJLjcmMhCVLomms6Wz6FaBkg6ztinx9lozidSpTgGeyPgLA=s681" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiN9EQkR_Wja9ZSoT_DDTaLM5RFjG9FhG19wljunyhJqFyFSKeBtvPbOTMBBGdU8B2e0UcJx-kn--7D0tvTmPLnh7j8-ezpQ4UvS7ix97I7ksJWwHQxXNr2UQ-ilSpsPwsOebjTfIZFLgTtJLjcmMhCVLomms6Wz6FaBkg6ztinx9lozidSpTgGeyPgLA=s320" width="211" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><a href="https://talkingpicturestv.co.uk" target="_blank">Talking Pictures TV</a></b> also managed to unearth plenty of vintage rarities and oddities - <b>Villain</b>, <b>Tom Jones</b>, <b>The Dead of Night</b>, <b>To The Devil a Daughter</b>, <b>The Night of The Demon</b>, <b>The Assassination Bureau</b>, <b>Black Sunday</b>, <b>The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner</b>, <b>Personal Services</b>, <b>Foul Play</b> (<i>Dudley Moore</i> debuts!), <b>Brighton Rock</b>, <b>The Quiller Memorandum</b>, <b>Bank Holiday</b>,<b> This Sporting Life</b>,<b> Vampire Circus</b>, <b>The Earth Dies Screaming</b> and (of course!) <b>The Man Who Fell To Earth</b> – while <b><a href="https://www.tcmuk.tv" target="_blank">TCM</a></b> offered up the likes of <b>The Thing</b>, <b>Performance</b>, <b>Point Blank</b>, <b>Rosemary's Baby</b>, <b>Play Misty For Me</b>, <b>Shampoo</b>, <b>Frankenstein</b>, <b>The King of Comedy</b>, <b>No Country For Old Men</b>, <b>The Big Sleep</b>, <b>Dirty Harry</b> and<b><a href="https://www.itv.com/hub/itv4" target="_blank"> ITV4</a></b> stuck to its six guns, blasting out a regular (and reliable) dose of manly action every evening, ie. pretty much anything on celluloid <b>Clint Eastwood</b>'s squinted near as well as <b>Copland</b>, <b>Death Wish</b>, <b>The Nice Guys, Airplane! </b>and <b>The Fugitive</b>....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBGmMbXFl2ZMcX0uYYlJGu4u6hFt2DHgBOTE5XBtr3SOyN2J00RBufMtA_hX6kLDfT3gUo8b-eGMujd7P3oKL9ltOfz56bJSB2o01duqQUj62Vkd1CCsIF2TDxg3cBAoSFXqJKQsgTOMthVipoZTujiUtVmAgel7OMll8RQZR41C_28tqizKRY2lg8ZQ=s600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="600" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBGmMbXFl2ZMcX0uYYlJGu4u6hFt2DHgBOTE5XBtr3SOyN2J00RBufMtA_hX6kLDfT3gUo8b-eGMujd7P3oKL9ltOfz56bJSB2o01duqQUj62Vkd1CCsIF2TDxg3cBAoSFXqJKQsgTOMthVipoZTujiUtVmAgel7OMll8RQZR41C_28tqizKRY2lg8ZQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Jodie Whittaker</b>'s <b>Doctor Who</b> returned for (who honestly gives a) <b>FLUX</b>, which found the entire <i>yawniverse</i> under threat from some galactic mess that, given world leaders were (supposedly) discussing the very fate of the ground we walk on (most of the time!) at <i>COP26</i>, was off to a shaky enough start. Things improved over the course – expect to see <b>Vinder</b>, <b>Bel</b> and <b>Karvanista</b> spinning off via <b><a href="https://www.bigfinish.com/hubs/v/doctor-who" target="_blank">Big Finish</a></b> very soon – once <b>Chris Chibnall</b> slowed the story down following a brain-busting opening episode and began (trying his best) to tie all the disparate story threads together.... only to climax with another head-scratching final episode that struggled to get the <b>Timelord</b> back on track. Still, all credit to him for trying to think outside the (blue) box (and serving up a decent NYE special with <b>Eve of the Daleks</b>). Here's to <b>Braw</b> favourite <b><a href="https://twitter.com/junesarpong" target="_blank">June Sarpong</a></b> hopefully picking up the sonic screwdriver for the show's 60th anniversary in 2023....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVFZHTsTwhviD-n5FCnGWNdM5YY0n-L9u5rgmocJD3d6NY3A2ipU5UMIk-szm3qtfVhCEzQhu2y6VKIRTHjw7VJ20izkf15M9w-5zg9AP3W4Xj_MMmyb8SE3ExZSDwgPkpcdxbYFdorG3gCXvnMNG-SXq438A-1GW7FDXG_Vg09Op0kKP7uDmpkocdgA=s600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="600" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVFZHTsTwhviD-n5FCnGWNdM5YY0n-L9u5rgmocJD3d6NY3A2ipU5UMIk-szm3qtfVhCEzQhu2y6VKIRTHjw7VJ20izkf15M9w-5zg9AP3W4Xj_MMmyb8SE3ExZSDwgPkpcdxbYFdorG3gCXvnMNG-SXq438A-1GW7FDXG_Vg09Op0kKP7uDmpkocdgA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Here's <b>Looking Glass</b> at you, kid....</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well <i>'Swash me Solomons!'</i> if there wasn't a digital pandemic of reality television streaming from our screens in 2021 (with much more to come!), from (overly) familiar panel shows – even the horrible, hateful <b>Never Mind The Buzzcocks</b> was dredged up! - to makeovers, to bakeovers, to walkovers.... from celebrity castles to insanity islands and unreal housewives to the glut of formula homespun hobby competitions+tiresome comedian du jour (though at least no one's had a go at actual comic book comics yet!)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thankfully there was an antidote, of which there's no denying that <b>HBO</b>'s (<i>Whathefu-didIjust?!</i>) <b>Watchmen</b> was <i>Rob</i>'s telly event of the year, a take-no-prisoners plot tease tour-de-force that made the <b>DC</b> comic sequel look (well, <i>read</i>) like a children's book by comparison. More on that next time....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyGu9aQDuHbAmdK2IvY9dgTFR8Z039kJUmRtJnUmlXxUw4EacLHiyDBXlGd4VC1VDMAOr9OHn46dHN_PF3Wjcj02eFzYhWshcZ9053BNDwN2gqgcSThZxnrQXFJxPrJv-0minFLYdBZtpanskklpHPklzdgm0-8lxRYH9zF3SCbfTYhUZgwekKmNaZJw=s450" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyGu9aQDuHbAmdK2IvY9dgTFR8Z039kJUmRtJnUmlXxUw4EacLHiyDBXlGd4VC1VDMAOr9OHn46dHN_PF3Wjcj02eFzYhWshcZ9053BNDwN2gqgcSThZxnrQXFJxPrJv-0minFLYdBZtpanskklpHPklzdgm0-8lxRYH9zF3SCbfTYhUZgwekKmNaZJw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Brooke-Taylor, Cleese, MacDonald, Chapman and Feldman</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There were other televisual treats in the shape of the sinking ships of <b>The Terror</b>, the stately stiff upper drama of <b>The Night Manager</b> (from another <i>Braw</i> fave <b>Suzanna Bier</b>) the '<i>equal not a prequel'</i> laughs of <b>At Last The 1948 Show</b> and the sharp-suited writing of <b>MAD MEN</b> (thanks,<b> MISSING</b>!)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A shame as it is then to sharpen the stakes, but by contrast the third series of <b>What We Do In The Shadows</b> completely missed the mark, descending into mirthless and cacophonous shouting matches nearly every episode, thereby (grave) robbing it of much of its humour and charm. With a fourth series in development <i>Rob</i> has to admit it's more likely better the sun came up on this undead delight. Who's to say if the similarly themed and agreeably quirky <b>Wellington Paranormal</b> will suffer the same lifeless fate.... And the less said about <b>Fargo</b>'s forgettable fourth season (from painfully slow burn to complete and utter fizzle) the better....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBBVZrglxIN31dc1-Zp20zCBuGkb5vr_QHN-1OHs1Zt_0F-y73sekw-j3M8elhCDuIUIRMWrjNH52aBlX-AOtFOUbAlui3Fj9WoBAcNz2D3depw2veNvwmMQ8wNBURlfch1CxDlhlvD6ILaXPkXtc6cXKetmGjezTZLixO99PrzQSPjMLD7yqqJFtgKQ=s600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="600" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBBVZrglxIN31dc1-Zp20zCBuGkb5vr_QHN-1OHs1Zt_0F-y73sekw-j3M8elhCDuIUIRMWrjNH52aBlX-AOtFOUbAlui3Fj9WoBAcNz2D3depw2veNvwmMQ8wNBURlfch1CxDlhlvD6ILaXPkXtc6cXKetmGjezTZLixO99PrzQSPjMLD7yqqJFtgKQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Book of Boba Fett. Bedtime viewing.... Yawn....</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Di$ney</b> continued to give the (vocal) majority of <b>Star Wars</b> fans exactly what they wanted with the second series of <b>The Mandalorian</b>, making use of no new creative juices whatsoever - <b>Baby Yoda</b> was eventually saddled with the clunky and dull name of <b>Grogu</b> - deriving all their big buzz and excitement from simply digging up and teasing well-established/worn characters while plopping them into the same old familiar environments (and thus once more hiding the absolute paucity of fresh ideas on show). Of course, fans are slave-one-ishly looking backward to new seasons of <b>The Book of Boba Fett</b>, '(bl)<b>Andor</b>, <b>Asoka</b> and <b>Obi Wank Enobi</b>, where - would you believe it?! - he'll likely take on <b>Darth Vader</b> once again in what will be a dream come true for people with absolutely no imagination universe-wide....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoqXaN3DkiHx1ZXtbqGMFKRXv2JvZ1nBd-T81mFS3h0wAj4-WXVH0mSRvpoicNyyPtb_Ekd9ibpIVvdXwJ9KEcjyCkUMrjU-MoonodokMDZkRAB2FLZzA6ebrDvXBLWeXQv2QPNanNmkiq3E2CxSA5v2tb3HgLOoT3Azy4nCYumBDmPf8n73gqcK_Bnw=s450" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoqXaN3DkiHx1ZXtbqGMFKRXv2JvZ1nBd-T81mFS3h0wAj4-WXVH0mSRvpoicNyyPtb_Ekd9ibpIVvdXwJ9KEcjyCkUMrjU-MoonodokMDZkRAB2FLZzA6ebrDvXBLWeXQv2QPNanNmkiq3E2CxSA5v2tb3HgLOoT3Azy4nCYumBDmPf8n73gqcK_Bnw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With Glasgow's <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/missingrecordsglasgow/" target="_blank">MISSING Records</a></b> but a stone's throw from <i>Rob</i>'s (UnderGroundhog) day job there was plenty of <i>'physical'</i> media on offer over the course of the year('s worth of careful browsing). Whether that's some lovely/laughably affordable <b>Kris Kristofferson</b>, <b>Monty Python</b> or <b>Pete 'n' Dud</b> vinyl or the gold to be mined in their 3 DVDS for £1 section....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvDmBYtnSZy61491WLfYAhGmUWqI-o_9ku1OkokldWwPhipmHIIyHJfTT1TMmZQwO8HPKrTueTpkGwc83-ZsELDe_Jp1F3JTXX88GhoDtWJX11WRNb116P27BUzMV2hHYXfhlsXjzy1zCD5vmXBHhyB7GnjcFIuHzD43G7W647E4qIQ22SCd8-s0Y4bQ=s605" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvDmBYtnSZy61491WLfYAhGmUWqI-o_9ku1OkokldWwPhipmHIIyHJfTT1TMmZQwO8HPKrTueTpkGwc83-ZsELDe_Jp1F3JTXX88GhoDtWJX11WRNb116P27BUzMV2hHYXfhlsXjzy1zCD5vmXBHhyB7GnjcFIuHzD43G7W647E4qIQ22SCd8-s0Y4bQ=s320" width="238" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">....which managed an exceptionally healthy yield of the wonderful one-two world cinema punch of <b>Manon Des Sources</b> and <b>Jean De Florette</b>, <b>The Edukators</b>, <b>Arthur</b>, <b>The Getaway</b>, <b>Derek and Clive Get The Horn</b>, <b>Last Days</b>, <b>Made In Britain</b> and <b>MAD MEN</b> amongst others, all looking spanking on Sony's highly recommended/affordable one-two home cinema punch Blu-Ray/DVD <a href="https://www.richersounds.com/sony-bdps3700.html" target="_blank"><b>BDPS</b></a> range....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5jrYj775Qpgmb0aU-gHRlt2UDS3aL_xPdwvwATh7JpHZfDF5Aj_0S0YmsbaiB0cjCiVqT3v0taLCcWJTuZGcq71n2KoGGQG4F5mT7kk33jh9-mbR2yeRPlhnnwIqwD0XxxjWACp0bB-o0JeR2Sqe7GFhEmhP-OWBnc1k0d2yPtYsjPxEILtCUDWts_w=s666" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5jrYj775Qpgmb0aU-gHRlt2UDS3aL_xPdwvwATh7JpHZfDF5Aj_0S0YmsbaiB0cjCiVqT3v0taLCcWJTuZGcq71n2KoGGQG4F5mT7kk33jh9-mbR2yeRPlhnnwIqwD0XxxjWACp0bB-o0JeR2Sqe7GFhEmhP-OWBnc1k0d2yPtYsjPxEILtCUDWts_w=s320" width="216" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.fopp.com/stores/glasgow-union-st/" target="_blank"><b>FOPP</b></a> in <b>Union Street</b> was also open (some of the time) and able to cater for more recent DVD nourishment, including the near-perfect <b>Parasite</b>, the Jerry-baiting <b>Jo Jo Rabbit</b>, the fine <b>The Farewell</b> and the delightfully boozy and poignant <b>Another Round</b> (which, truth be told, wasn't nearly as good as the <b>Mads Mikkelsen</b> starring <b>Riders of Justice</b>, a hardy revenge tale that had a clear enough head to walk a fine, steady line between silly and serious, making it the actual hard act to swallow as far as <i>Rob</i>'s concerned)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj26kLaXjbCAjwYwV4wH2XyM_H5fmK_npp8qwxBZpGxOPn42N7vSHNByy26X4svH5arWE_Zlx1mUpw7Mv1_nd2Sbq41usOnVhw2VYeWtAFc3QKShMXe5jI39tpw8NpkHvSdfwfx2N5cDkG-YPLyKhfYQw7fqqNjqd64QHKupIgnDaw230AKY0tr603sUw=s600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="600" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj26kLaXjbCAjwYwV4wH2XyM_H5fmK_npp8qwxBZpGxOPn42N7vSHNByy26X4svH5arWE_Zlx1mUpw7Mv1_nd2Sbq41usOnVhw2VYeWtAFc3QKShMXe5jI39tpw8NpkHvSdfwfx2N5cDkG-YPLyKhfYQw7fqqNjqd64QHKupIgnDaw230AKY0tr603sUw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And, seeing as everybody likes a happy ending (other than the happy fact that this blog is ending!) then take heart that <i>Rob</i>'s vintage <b>VHS/DVD</b> combo, earmarked for the dump alongside countless redundant cables, chargers and BT hubs, was duly packed up and shipped to <a href="https://www.videodyssey.com" target="_blank"><b>VideOdyssey</b></a> in <b>Liverpool</b> after a workmate spotted <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-58249498" target="_blank"><b>this</b></a> story. There, try and keep that happy thought in your head until Part 2, where we'll delve into music, books and comics....</div><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/-PNHqXERjpY" width="480"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Derek and Clive - Squatter and the Ant</span></p>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-89742905379874841432021-11-22T09:55:00.191-08:002022-08-28T13:16:47.777-07:00You Seen The Set, Part Five: Indiana Jones.... Five!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcq9RjCZFkV-RxWIxczslf0PXmm6cLGYbF3VzJ0zedvVya5zind5TtNYAbJmQ-kYg9aRoks9z_CH-SGPIsjJdt5mRo5uoBEo6Lbo9vccm7KG0KiLmX6l0rPja8z_aH5XIn1Hu2g1o2F1LTgrtvi-B1-y1EQiP1WthMDbInWBaVjxauuJoiNEdSwYDG0g=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcq9RjCZFkV-RxWIxczslf0PXmm6cLGYbF3VzJ0zedvVya5zind5TtNYAbJmQ-kYg9aRoks9z_CH-SGPIsjJdt5mRo5uoBEo6Lbo9vccm7KG0KiLmX6l0rPja8z_aH5XIn1Hu2g1o2F1LTgrtvi-B1-y1EQiP1WthMDbInWBaVjxauuJoiNEdSwYDG0g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now the nights are really drawin' in (without any actual 'comic drawin' goin' on at <b>Braw Towers</b>) it's time to turn back the clocks, a little more than an hour, to July, to a happier time (ie. before the unsustainable infrastructure of Western society began its inevitable, slow collapse) to set the scene, er, for another instalment of <i>'you seen the set'</i>, following on from <b>Agent Rob</b>'s successful stints for <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2017/08/you-seen-set-part-two-jaws.html" target="_blank">JAWS</a></b>, <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2017/08/you-seen-set-part-three-cheers.html" target="_blank">Cheers</a></b>, ahm, <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2017/08/you-seen-set-part-four-marshalls-house.html" target="_blank">John Squire</a></b> and, uhm, the cultra-obscure sitcom <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2017/08/you-seen-set-part-one-naeturvaktin.html" target="_blank">Naeturvaktin</a></b>. Of course, the main difference here is that this turn around the set actually came to see <i>Rob</i>....</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-sD_6nIIo9_xm4yJ1l2iHAO6d3oIH1XFHwzkz2bE7iasFck9LBDL9ZVh4W_JVo98HyFKRLGaaa7ubF9batZJDlYqXsbOlN3jVYXLrCRMsCdrn3J3bAQqd4v0hioRCVlepg8c9W07A3lohbi0nzkgkZs1uN2HzPXMwlUOHttpfNTbjXBphGNT8S4XhpA=s800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-sD_6nIIo9_xm4yJ1l2iHAO6d3oIH1XFHwzkz2bE7iasFck9LBDL9ZVh4W_JVo98HyFKRLGaaa7ubF9batZJDlYqXsbOlN3jVYXLrCRMsCdrn3J3bAQqd4v0hioRCVlepg8c9W07A3lohbi0nzkgkZs1uN2HzPXMwlUOHttpfNTbjXBphGNT8S4XhpA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7CDKSOmKjrgqJzGx-6f3AfPEHrbaOaC1v0SV8MseSNp4KJX-mvKLJZknXzU2oFZ2YuUiPz8AsGrDc0XkrIEarZTrPqQj55bWPQfeVU7Pc7IFjtHXKg_WryUJBDIHrRtnsceQXGXtqULzVo6TYfeJhZEamP1wHx03WTwTe8qdwF0ZRR8JvpzqJ0OajoQ=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7CDKSOmKjrgqJzGx-6f3AfPEHrbaOaC1v0SV8MseSNp4KJX-mvKLJZknXzU2oFZ2YuUiPz8AsGrDc0XkrIEarZTrPqQj55bWPQfeVU7Pc7IFjtHXKg_WryUJBDIHrRtnsceQXGXtqULzVo6TYfeJhZEamP1wHx03WTwTe8qdwF0ZRR8JvpzqJ0OajoQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtBqS5426-OU3K_nR4aODh-8jxKUeLVP3gpicLDn4-pXfnJ0Xr5TLOPdmDVhMSf4Ew_ZPx-_W7alW5Bfo_G_Nv388GdI-dpHMaIKvbeuScPeoOMg8oC50-oW-OShhTE9SCm_Ker8HUFnKb7xNY_gok7tgpLTORKi43hqH6naLJMS8fyFNyOl0px0Kgog=s800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtBqS5426-OU3K_nR4aODh-8jxKUeLVP3gpicLDn4-pXfnJ0Xr5TLOPdmDVhMSf4Ew_ZPx-_W7alW5Bfo_G_Nv388GdI-dpHMaIKvbeuScPeoOMg8oC50-oW-OShhTE9SCm_Ker8HUFnKb7xNY_gok7tgpLTORKi43hqH6naLJMS8fyFNyOl0px0Kgog=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2QTiQETsXEiiC1yJ1yHXLbw5p4yIM5lH4vUk5do2QDxzmnlLe2KhSwBKadpYjWgDYcmDyT9YKsRJWaOE1dzJyTd9HYnMz--ycEKopgoYbfbvnDGef3o3w5MwLNJp5DvhS27WZ6RCV5Jcuirccw2bUoy1FprK0c2JJEsJ9sKuCb-VPugeaR854eu4P7g=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2QTiQETsXEiiC1yJ1yHXLbw5p4yIM5lH4vUk5do2QDxzmnlLe2KhSwBKadpYjWgDYcmDyT9YKsRJWaOE1dzJyTd9HYnMz--ycEKopgoYbfbvnDGef3o3w5MwLNJp5DvhS27WZ6RCV5Jcuirccw2bUoy1FprK0c2JJEsJ9sKuCb-VPugeaR854eu4P7g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yep, imagine the surprise/delight when he emerged from <b>Glasgow Queen Street Station</b> low-level, blinking into the early morning sunlight of the 7th of July to find that none other than New York City had taken up residence in <i>Glasgow</i> for the purposes of filming for <b>Indiana Jones 5</b> (which, y'know, he hopes will echo director <b>James Mangold</b>'s <i>'Logan'</i> and simply be called <i>'Indiana Jones'</i>)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjk6S_hhP21-OtpesnQXJVLPQaUAysBEAR_u9CxU6Fi4m3HOFQbxKmOkjc8eMaZ5VfSMKS8EdrwrgSaHgl-pthnIV73YmVAwebDRMKp_oRm9RNOl04kjLtunEqLqkf8-1NfWYBxDoHM2nqsG-tkyGYQkdq21B8496lV6GW9lFkPj0GYkSA-deCCY2V5Aw=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjk6S_hhP21-OtpesnQXJVLPQaUAysBEAR_u9CxU6Fi4m3HOFQbxKmOkjc8eMaZ5VfSMKS8EdrwrgSaHgl-pthnIV73YmVAwebDRMKp_oRm9RNOl04kjLtunEqLqkf8-1NfWYBxDoHM2nqsG-tkyGYQkdq21B8496lV6GW9lFkPj0GYkSA-deCCY2V5Aw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiC0DjkNc14vsFo-w2-zWsOhE5e1OVw9CD_IHfkoxO27QzTh-lkouTPYLqsRnGTLnobDGcO7kF35KG9xGjbyG_m5qIj3Eub9exWiMSHNElNJRZvx2zqKZKQrkg0y3DWkLsA9P0QfnNU7r4FDhhxXxUOl0eiWYUw8mb4BnfnPuTzMlexvr90DTPAd1ibGw=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiC0DjkNc14vsFo-w2-zWsOhE5e1OVw9CD_IHfkoxO27QzTh-lkouTPYLqsRnGTLnobDGcO7kF35KG9xGjbyG_m5qIj3Eub9exWiMSHNElNJRZvx2zqKZKQrkg0y3DWkLsA9P0QfnNU7r4FDhhxXxUOl0eiWYUw8mb4BnfnPuTzMlexvr90DTPAd1ibGw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhalxGkAwLLjmjisbGAVKf2TKPhNw9ycFHdaaV2DFmin3yrIWvPXU92PA3igsVjrW-bMwmPPC73vuT9GC-lFMQ_noboL_ryBkAXazc8R12YybVJWi_jV1vNNkpsfEagWBS47nkLI5w0KJtO47Qt8oug1unR9gW2_p4ZQ2hFIb5nDde9ZO7LG06yFLJWgw=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhalxGkAwLLjmjisbGAVKf2TKPhNw9ycFHdaaV2DFmin3yrIWvPXU92PA3igsVjrW-bMwmPPC73vuT9GC-lFMQ_noboL_ryBkAXazc8R12YybVJWi_jV1vNNkpsfEagWBS47nkLI5w0KJtO47Qt8oug1unR9gW2_p4ZQ2hFIb5nDde9ZO7LG06yFLJWgw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglkDoxarNfm3kHIlIMkZbyQAWIwH3xfyOaqqe6kLw-LrFfC_cg5g4ZLmKSpdOSzTaJsMapaOM8y1InymVXvXjNfwIGMrvqdCwORwSZKV6oDw6MBYjr-_70PzGWLgF26FC0zTiYaa7R6mqJ5gHZhrev9Jb3_mLw3wL63XOmijDWhNJznBe7nEI3LhR_zQ=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglkDoxarNfm3kHIlIMkZbyQAWIwH3xfyOaqqe6kLw-LrFfC_cg5g4ZLmKSpdOSzTaJsMapaOM8y1InymVXvXjNfwIGMrvqdCwORwSZKV6oDw6MBYjr-_70PzGWLgF26FC0zTiYaa7R6mqJ5gHZhrev9Jb3_mLw3wL63XOmijDWhNJznBe7nEI3LhR_zQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was obvious that <b>Di$ney</b> would attempt to wring every last buck out the franchise and evidently wouldn't let it lie without digging up <i>Indy</i>, or, indeed <b>Harrison Ford</b>, for a fifth crack of the whip. With <b>The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull</b> but a bad memory for most – tho <i>Rob</i> quite likes it actually, it apes the one-two structure of <b>The Last Crusade</b> nicely, <b>Steven Spielberg</b>'s steady hand/cam providing a visual consistency as it flips (and flops?) from <i>Indy</i> and dad to <i>Indy</i> and son for a satisfying enough conclusion. Starts with a nuclear explosion and ends with a nuclear family as <i>Rob</i> always says.... A shame then that the script really needed an extra draft or two while a duff CGI stretch through the jungle is a near turn off. Still, haters can take heart as there's no doubt that this fourth entry in the franchise will be knowingly referenced and retconned (as per <b>The Last Jedi</b>) to satisfy the ever-vocal meatheads who lurk online.... (Still, it could be far worse given there were rumours of a <b>Chris Pratt</b> reboot!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVBcfcqXAnEDjeV-dwPmZSgKCQUDU3wMspt7jY_I28jsvYJSwhd0_aE_dpKL0FlUlx1-pBtQH1rH_98YxY8OR1OxwmWUxlcNs55mcE3gWJRMFp4K0geptpC6SEIk4Mi1cexFseA09sHzJqWqA7hBdHr3Whko-H8Xj8KTRysTBH0hSnXcR_QtFgz0O49g=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVBcfcqXAnEDjeV-dwPmZSgKCQUDU3wMspt7jY_I28jsvYJSwhd0_aE_dpKL0FlUlx1-pBtQH1rH_98YxY8OR1OxwmWUxlcNs55mcE3gWJRMFp4K0geptpC6SEIk4Mi1cexFseA09sHzJqWqA7hBdHr3Whko-H8Xj8KTRysTBH0hSnXcR_QtFgz0O49g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzsYuTQRyIdc0m9Q3R1WObNTsiw7ao_XFPresAGkrcXzYDIqOpqwbADSmbvDBz8H_zoaE7J8tdgek0LxbRIoC33XS8IpbIDq-CCCPCZeD38SyE60C5zRo-RmPurBL1T0lZ9EJadJYqOkJxGjCvFZnYWn44ITnLdwrGW-GEGRHOO5ILhZnncUA_uShv_g=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzsYuTQRyIdc0m9Q3R1WObNTsiw7ao_XFPresAGkrcXzYDIqOpqwbADSmbvDBz8H_zoaE7J8tdgek0LxbRIoC33XS8IpbIDq-CCCPCZeD38SyE60C5zRo-RmPurBL1T0lZ9EJadJYqOkJxGjCvFZnYWn44ITnLdwrGW-GEGRHOO5ILhZnncUA_uShv_g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnYm32qcH4THkUTF5tsc2PuG3VcyoHlJjeNRnTjaN1TjvRyJ1nhMMWsfqF8I4K6PV2X0j0sBBe37ctR9llbeYaAwWQuAVLsgBkyg8C34lS1p5ZlEnigzn9784BwlBxGH624RK3uuBevtlFWOyhmfSvvAYf35xaes9cOmYmW66Wk9rLk_h1LOpqXhZAiw=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnYm32qcH4THkUTF5tsc2PuG3VcyoHlJjeNRnTjaN1TjvRyJ1nhMMWsfqF8I4K6PV2X0j0sBBe37ctR9llbeYaAwWQuAVLsgBkyg8C34lS1p5ZlEnigzn9784BwlBxGH624RK3uuBevtlFWOyhmfSvvAYf35xaes9cOmYmW66Wk9rLk_h1LOpqXhZAiw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhf4fQJKCEu8nf9mrLpIgfkV9XDTD2sfw-DLlcauu0Tk-8VndbFEGqL0Slw27SCc_N_GVAjiVzybCa7uZNutHftOx_w4A1NugesiG_6MbyxHdq5qcVrzkteIwbaqs4DU-1S4KxTUJbVFMFlwwIfPy8dwPZP1n3sGwZ85MEPc6-25VuxisNUpQ_5R_xSgg=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1000" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhf4fQJKCEu8nf9mrLpIgfkV9XDTD2sfw-DLlcauu0Tk-8VndbFEGqL0Slw27SCc_N_GVAjiVzybCa7uZNutHftOx_w4A1NugesiG_6MbyxHdq5qcVrzkteIwbaqs4DU-1S4KxTUJbVFMFlwwIfPy8dwPZP1n3sGwZ85MEPc6-25VuxisNUpQ_5R_xSgg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Seeing double....</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here be spoilers? Not really, but you can perhaps join the dots – much like the motion capture ones stuck on <i>Ford</i>'s face when filming in <b><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-57402055" target="_blank">Yorkshire</a></b>, presumably allowing for a bit of <i>'young school'</i> <b>Nazi</b> bashing to flesh out the plot – to get some idea of what's going on. Not that events in <i>Glasgow</i> revealed much, merely a chase involving <i>Ford</i>('s stunt double) on a horse and (an in person) <b>Boyd Holbrook</b> on a motorbike during a parade welcoming returning astronauts....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN3L8qCymGi9Q0UTdEqQVCT-9TvNLYReQkBm3MwGwTzsw9weScifmr7BN4LHtIs6qKmj-n6XY7RPgsMuXZNtgzmREQHyZFXBHWCCfhg55t6hGloMh9wHlGINGZ-u10TSpyNtdHOoyLqHiivrFMETkYCmMHq-Eoo3LbZnFA3IFtRhm4IrXZfvh03U4HYA=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN3L8qCymGi9Q0UTdEqQVCT-9TvNLYReQkBm3MwGwTzsw9weScifmr7BN4LHtIs6qKmj-n6XY7RPgsMuXZNtgzmREQHyZFXBHWCCfhg55t6hGloMh9wHlGINGZ-u10TSpyNtdHOoyLqHiivrFMETkYCmMHq-Eoo3LbZnFA3IFtRhm4IrXZfvh03U4HYA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiIgi1CfCPnxEarF9M9HUchiDzEPMO3bSF--oET8fXl3KgcUY5QXMDLEy3vM9XFA88y1DEqHTIwIbS0X90OLix0RhXpNlCwoFi1rbYj8YXcpnjLsj5-f630ssw2TattpBcTrVCGvH7KWI4LVLVswbnGFH9kM15RGfZmsm1KPHcImbIFG2fav6LOcFdLg=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiIgi1CfCPnxEarF9M9HUchiDzEPMO3bSF--oET8fXl3KgcUY5QXMDLEy3vM9XFA88y1DEqHTIwIbS0X90OLix0RhXpNlCwoFi1rbYj8YXcpnjLsj5-f630ssw2TattpBcTrVCGvH7KWI4LVLVswbnGFH9kM15RGfZmsm1KPHcImbIFG2fav6LOcFdLg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbJnu3WYUSYyjXHObEAndKuWebLgi1UzxrZuuPYcXVKtQ75JjyB87b5d73j5Bfh0sc6VRDJBnxEfg5m-urI7th-y1JnayV7dohmVo3BcDENPD25YIQMQyfqKaOAexPkJREb8RFWVctf4GBjrqCveW823IeHXd4t9xmDyRLqaXWnMtzaNTXy-rxzcjC0A=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbJnu3WYUSYyjXHObEAndKuWebLgi1UzxrZuuPYcXVKtQ75JjyB87b5d73j5Bfh0sc6VRDJBnxEfg5m-urI7th-y1JnayV7dohmVo3BcDENPD25YIQMQyfqKaOAexPkJREb8RFWVctf4GBjrqCveW823IeHXd4t9xmDyRLqaXWnMtzaNTXy-rxzcjC0A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6ZbNJlKj-5E1TFpQV-92fsGKf9jEuZDu0oOv_seClvjAM1uQtshBNpMNiHu4ElfAZYcDfRNTotwBXb7BqW5OsICuV_5_LOZOru3Srr08ntdEDMLS4T8hjs4bpAfnUMpafz01RFAAqxU02_MhZMLVEqvNkTKjgsM17pNdsdCvkxIaOs0wQCmwb23r1hg=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6ZbNJlKj-5E1TFpQV-92fsGKf9jEuZDu0oOv_seClvjAM1uQtshBNpMNiHu4ElfAZYcDfRNTotwBXb7BqW5OsICuV_5_LOZOru3Srr08ntdEDMLS4T8hjs4bpAfnUMpafz01RFAAqxU02_MhZMLVEqvNkTKjgsM17pNdsdCvkxIaOs0wQCmwb23r1hg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile <b>Phoebe Waller-Bridge</b> – surely <b>not</b> playing <i>Indy</i>'s daughter?! - got up to some antics on another <b>NYC</b> street....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJVFmfVZ_kgbQHaNLueQprM4CIAUIH3GfNRNW1hZ-0nc-BLbqBMDschl5PVP4sdzBV5Kt-3rvySRLmuVW6B3j_nj_pQRXQsh-GCz8vbd6xSxziRcjBhGbvG7SWEdmqBAi2X6dZN-VzcWG7BCb1pg7ThfmgUtx1SUveT45yb-y5kPa_Oy5qz1vNJbH7Tg=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJVFmfVZ_kgbQHaNLueQprM4CIAUIH3GfNRNW1hZ-0nc-BLbqBMDschl5PVP4sdzBV5Kt-3rvySRLmuVW6B3j_nj_pQRXQsh-GCz8vbd6xSxziRcjBhGbvG7SWEdmqBAi2X6dZN-VzcWG7BCb1pg7ThfmgUtx1SUveT45yb-y5kPa_Oy5qz1vNJbH7Tg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAMJvirFIxW_co63dkfpv3DovAholrjwX9PJXx2asZ22NxVk3cggyAddr6emMj24G2az3A3nkpFgrpKkAXB0Wr3srg5QNTRpFY2NqiFQl6grAOLl2IRmgp2GAJoVpZuTnn9idjgJDwKSIb10xRgKosGAGC_r4bmMAx0qWtf8b_uB8N9Ethe5HHsb9S6w=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAMJvirFIxW_co63dkfpv3DovAholrjwX9PJXx2asZ22NxVk3cggyAddr6emMj24G2az3A3nkpFgrpKkAXB0Wr3srg5QNTRpFY2NqiFQl6grAOLl2IRmgp2GAJoVpZuTnn9idjgJDwKSIb10xRgKosGAGC_r4bmMAx0qWtf8b_uB8N9Ethe5HHsb9S6w=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDK8pqmHfX6Al_5kZvj_8EV-yPbpOC46cB3qY0aeeyaIBFYzXLb5EUOgk3Jc5Z6UKJjKJHhwpj223TT4VNVCp8aUC4faksFv-Fcyia8hMGsmo9UssqE-54jl-A2uQ3YpwmcPEwEhoI85Oc_erk_mW4VUgrrNyETMOF8o-BByP_nB6u_yzx2l9bEFSUIw=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDK8pqmHfX6Al_5kZvj_8EV-yPbpOC46cB3qY0aeeyaIBFYzXLb5EUOgk3Jc5Z6UKJjKJHhwpj223TT4VNVCp8aUC4faksFv-Fcyia8hMGsmo9UssqE-54jl-A2uQ3YpwmcPEwEhoI85Oc_erk_mW4VUgrrNyETMOF8o-BByP_nB6u_yzx2l9bEFSUIw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnxv-nGFDRU6ffwtblwdMM3ffvCX7Gg3_-BKZrK40FJf14sZVQvcdauZnmCLuLJNhmwJSDu-QdLm55FX0Lir0baTXDNuuUg9QzgiLpgtsqORO9717WI-vgzLPMaulGCXkCi0BmXqWxXbzyV_HAqejLNE2YEXQkqf-zxPOlj95w2hdCGtoVT28foPr12w=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnxv-nGFDRU6ffwtblwdMM3ffvCX7Gg3_-BKZrK40FJf14sZVQvcdauZnmCLuLJNhmwJSDu-QdLm55FX0Lir0baTXDNuuUg9QzgiLpgtsqORO9717WI-vgzLPMaulGCXkCi0BmXqWxXbzyV_HAqejLNE2YEXQkqf-zxPOlj95w2hdCGtoVT28foPr12w=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The former scenes were shot principally on <b>St. Vincent Street</b>, with several adjoining roads similarly decked out (and closed for 3-ish weeks) for authenticity (and vehicle/lighting, etc storage purposes). The latter, <i>Waller-Bridge,</i> scenes were shot in the <b><a href="https://www.glasgowhistory.com/trongate.html" target="_blank">Trongate</a></b> area of the city over the course of a week, with <b>Parnie Street</b> and surroundings closed for a more modest, but still impressive, transformation....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjJkUTqNF3Ci9m3wzjAiVUyJFDMc6W4dgNgUdgF54-XGUiIrsBOV5wFFuhMaAJ_MNQSyHGIMPAYdQ2Bex14NfzfqbrteRAG5m2O-07Ve6k-ubdEVyTVEiVWcbu_yyRC0xLAXTVj7Pdd_J_cFvuZUgqnXnmX0JeM9OwtS5fYgwoDVTpIZX3SWB-OozQcg=s800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjJkUTqNF3Ci9m3wzjAiVUyJFDMc6W4dgNgUdgF54-XGUiIrsBOV5wFFuhMaAJ_MNQSyHGIMPAYdQ2Bex14NfzfqbrteRAG5m2O-07Ve6k-ubdEVyTVEiVWcbu_yyRC0xLAXTVj7Pdd_J_cFvuZUgqnXnmX0JeM9OwtS5fYgwoDVTpIZX3SWB-OozQcg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In-joke #1, The Cantina</span> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEga8VkT5R79TjCBqgwcBgDiQ967CC9oqdO3eBvVl5QOmy9mUZ33zLP1qj-C0F4oA8hF7dPgSIPsth6wko_nM9DagzFhfALZNJT3Pnn3c1wzDYszf2zsTLNMj7lzMyinUNUaVjskHnoOcr2h8gfFR7obB3t045Fgqy53rf8DoxbWHBGCXazvaNEvfYogHA=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEga8VkT5R79TjCBqgwcBgDiQ967CC9oqdO3eBvVl5QOmy9mUZ33zLP1qj-C0F4oA8hF7dPgSIPsth6wko_nM9DagzFhfALZNJT3Pnn3c1wzDYszf2zsTLNMj7lzMyinUNUaVjskHnoOcr2h8gfFR7obB3t045Fgqy53rf8DoxbWHBGCXazvaNEvfYogHA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In-joke #2, Ford's Liquors</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQSuCVizYmGvIa10OTBOucy2lTmfY9yrsXnoOxLWiSAVGjymohHs1d-vF3l_VYdG7CI45C8G_5NgI8FnOBx1cDGBTKkzjXPGy6qpDZh-q88kmHF2BkvDRS3fJmY3CmxNKDtc7E7h0g4DpW31kP8nhg74hyR3Fu-xHeo0GQFQjv06bwmXOOOloC3B53PA=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQSuCVizYmGvIa10OTBOucy2lTmfY9yrsXnoOxLWiSAVGjymohHs1d-vF3l_VYdG7CI45C8G_5NgI8FnOBx1cDGBTKkzjXPGy6qpDZh-q88kmHF2BkvDRS3fJmY3CmxNKDtc7E7h0g4DpW31kP8nhg74hyR3Fu-xHeo0GQFQjv06bwmXOOOloC3B53PA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Agent Rob</b> jumps for joy!</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivyZVz0GZSnolmN9p3Nt4d-rjVOblU36j3wc8Eb20Dc_t_88Rz2vaQqKh3chuBAyAnxej76xd30_ncyJP69342mKsdsrPqdNGP6lvpvQh0fZWlxaW2tiizBz7O2LIh_pvBu9coqglOVcYWLRI0Ut3kW5hJ-Q6xw_6VmlZH-jRdJwrpwC8q2z7S0lHDwQ=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivyZVz0GZSnolmN9p3Nt4d-rjVOblU36j3wc8Eb20Dc_t_88Rz2vaQqKh3chuBAyAnxej76xd30_ncyJP69342mKsdsrPqdNGP6lvpvQh0fZWlxaW2tiizBz7O2LIh_pvBu9coqglOVcYWLRI0Ut3kW5hJ-Q6xw_6VmlZH-jRdJwrpwC8q2z7S0lHDwQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">No relation to R. Miller Est. 1975</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALF9gIQIwdr96Te0LYAXVCq_pRSRaZUy5yXvS3cWUUf1v4KWykuCQXMqz3ARxsE8VCv8R4jPfdl_OtiNXP0OL25axMGHVPCyQMZ3oBi_vr81lB50-JiUIvcUarrAU9s1wfDgz0k7DTrcHywAO2Lx-sqxHCOR0RsmVDYOnZ4dQ8HqsK3oAKp0OFR6YZA/s559/Braw_Indy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALF9gIQIwdr96Te0LYAXVCq_pRSRaZUy5yXvS3cWUUf1v4KWykuCQXMqz3ARxsE8VCv8R4jPfdl_OtiNXP0OL25axMGHVPCyQMZ3oBi_vr81lB50-JiUIvcUarrAU9s1wfDgz0k7DTrcHywAO2Lx-sqxHCOR0RsmVDYOnZ4dQ8HqsK3oAKp0OFR6YZA/s320/Braw_Indy.jpg" width="258" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Authentic Indy Ticker Tape (and genuine Glasgow grime)....</span><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately star <b>Harrison Ford</b> didn't make the trip north of the border for filming as he was recovering from an injury to his shoulder he picked up rehearsing a fight scene – hopefully in those flashbacks as, well, at 78 years of age (going on 80 if the film's mooted release in 2023 is true) it's fairly obvious that <i>Indy</i> should be swapping his action-packed days for pipe and slippers....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7njNKwfboHrLBJXXBWmmvQLIlcmuS2XC-_pcXdXxQZW9n51HXNORsLM7nCq7SJu7bzU2DiarGhRhq8DJgy5dgXF8XR7jqzFFut6trPg77ZmKYH9f_i3FPXKzJLzCMZiy4XLD_RiHy3Et4A6sd6EvtdTe7EUvztTuDTRecQyrbdz4uaxY9riKSMBFd2Q=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7njNKwfboHrLBJXXBWmmvQLIlcmuS2XC-_pcXdXxQZW9n51HXNORsLM7nCq7SJu7bzU2DiarGhRhq8DJgy5dgXF8XR7jqzFFut6trPg77ZmKYH9f_i3FPXKzJLzCMZiy4XLD_RiHy3Et4A6sd6EvtdTe7EUvztTuDTRecQyrbdz4uaxY9riKSMBFd2Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAT0DcTHtZOS0v-1ZMvfT4XPQs2YBgYOlNkN1TFpzpmLbz8cfvPy7Pt7bPftvkpX1VY3oBm2YoPmeV3bOKir_gxE2iZ34EQDQywKNuR3fzc9SC0Mu18lhVP0qyM9MuPMrLQQvPl0qaR4aA5VioUtALR9Qn-BjHp89d2SlELEjAXBOZ40yt2OvmlYCNqQ=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAT0DcTHtZOS0v-1ZMvfT4XPQs2YBgYOlNkN1TFpzpmLbz8cfvPy7Pt7bPftvkpX1VY3oBm2YoPmeV3bOKir_gxE2iZ34EQDQywKNuR3fzc9SC0Mu18lhVP0qyM9MuPMrLQQvPl0qaR4aA5VioUtALR9Qn-BjHp89d2SlELEjAXBOZ40yt2OvmlYCNqQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No sooner had <i>Indy</i> gone and packed up his troubles (and his numerous flags) than <b>Batman</b> decided to muscle in on the action, entertaining the crowds by taking his <b>Batbike</b> for an endless spin around <b><a href="https://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/george-square-p1976921" target="_blank">George Square</a></b>, three <b>Gotham Police</b> cars in perpetual hot pursuit....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQSRfgD6NzcX0-b3smZo8xYkA4DYswu9hlKFSvbbNjBuAKo-m0JQPZfLdY73uvlpL7Pa4mO__pM9y0eNCOe3J4EoGD28hWgr6VafmQOfI04CunQLM3l7Ry_E7QQNQvYDMgAkIGllRvwUJtBi5nBXgHmGOxCI-bUIdwTn6pCnP6tIzg0RKFC04J3ppXAQ=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQSRfgD6NzcX0-b3smZo8xYkA4DYswu9hlKFSvbbNjBuAKo-m0JQPZfLdY73uvlpL7Pa4mO__pM9y0eNCOe3J4EoGD28hWgr6VafmQOfI04CunQLM3l7Ry_E7QQNQvYDMgAkIGllRvwUJtBi5nBXgHmGOxCI-bUIdwTn6pCnP6tIzg0RKFC04J3ppXAQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnTYJxYNzIGpXSw5nd7bw48DTJiOYrEJzoeBY_N9f4g5TwriCdK0sV1L4sL-wsp04DV3rhqUWVfqvgQDIJE47gAZO84DsMzFcSdbRgEzLtm6qQfYjEtfrukhW-WWOBO5bElMWAy-AkoJCvv5aw0z9Lr7xiktWYdGDduCNHOgoZij7XN9jYQLYGmUbClA=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnTYJxYNzIGpXSw5nd7bw48DTJiOYrEJzoeBY_N9f4g5TwriCdK0sV1L4sL-wsp04DV3rhqUWVfqvgQDIJE47gAZO84DsMzFcSdbRgEzLtm6qQfYjEtfrukhW-WWOBO5bElMWAy-AkoJCvv5aw0z9Lr7xiktWYdGDduCNHOgoZij7XN9jYQLYGmUbClA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Absolutely no spoilers this time of course, given it's a <b>DC</b> "<b>Entertainment</b>" (in the absolute loosest sense of the word) film - <i>'Why so serious?!'</i> and deadly dull! - and therefore it's pretty much spoiled already, oho ho ho....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/DanNhL_Poh8" width="480"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">INDIANA JONES | Official Franchise Trailer | Paramount Movies</div></span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-6497800160586536602021-10-25T05:09:00.001-07:002021-10-25T05:09:00.226-07:00Telemachus - The Kingdom Has Come<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3MPpJ2rowbnmhx3638pnCsTQucsEYXJWgWbrsRvxeM1HB6rhRJKEVguan4RxxM2h279KwHMAam5StgukSr4mMk0qaexp6L-mTj_9fQTHrqq4dcXuk8d4Fa3RekYf0vOoh8Nb5znZp06w9TSSwWHGE0FkTDve17T_1uIu0SRrTytscV8CnSWDaW1qbrg=s450" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3MPpJ2rowbnmhx3638pnCsTQucsEYXJWgWbrsRvxeM1HB6rhRJKEVguan4RxxM2h279KwHMAam5StgukSr4mMk0qaexp6L-mTj_9fQTHrqq4dcXuk8d4Fa3RekYf0vOoh8Nb5znZp06w9TSSwWHGE0FkTDve17T_1uIu0SRrTytscV8CnSWDaW1qbrg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3ItWf0NE1RmpG5Z5Y8ApWr" target="_blank"><b>Stream>> 20 09 2021</b></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/q85y1atdygo" width="480"></iframe></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://wearetelemachus.bandcamp.com/album/the-kingdom-has-come" target="_blank"><b>Bandcamp>></b></a></div></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-72741049230013693152021-10-09T03:11:00.129-07:002021-10-09T03:11:00.270-07:00A Chronicle of Doom....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiNBjJfxG0lUxgodMcsTorwN8bqembsE_xTJC__rSGZ95ZHfYoFnGPd5MRM4tMTMfBGC7Diz3-QEqMo7Ym4creiV_PS3iyIBc-FWOqX9V0b-vmNUxcvDA3aKQQPb1jITp9tnXhhPlhJFp/s590/BrawBlog_Tarantula.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiNBjJfxG0lUxgodMcsTorwN8bqembsE_xTJC__rSGZ95ZHfYoFnGPd5MRM4tMTMfBGC7Diz3-QEqMo7Ym4creiV_PS3iyIBc-FWOqX9V0b-vmNUxcvDA3aKQQPb1jITp9tnXhhPlhJFp/s320/BrawBlog_Tarantula.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">At last the 1986 show! There's nothing like taking a trip across the dimensions to the (<b>Agent Johnny</b>) <i>'Millerverse'</i>, stepping outside of time and space as we know it, slipping into <i>'the comfort zone'</i> to chunter contentedly while sipping a beer - the days of reckless swilling long since gone! - one eye on the 'one-eyed god' and another on the doomsday clock (the third on some slick and suited business-type indulging in the smart death of those twin terrors <b>Facebook</b> and <b>Instagram </b>for the duration of the journey).... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JonwvashoGy3RdiwnplRb5RCpEY7Rx_XackMLIUhjdiohBstOpbLik_g9v7tQGwdhRr3qFXyL20bxu7ZBFsM5KzRW73GgqJZh0KL4U34spmYWqK17ozLR64FowSHWGRr9UJqOzQ1-h05/s667/BrawBlog_PhantomEmpire.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JonwvashoGy3RdiwnplRb5RCpEY7Rx_XackMLIUhjdiohBstOpbLik_g9v7tQGwdhRr3qFXyL20bxu7ZBFsM5KzRW73GgqJZh0KL4U34spmYWqK17ozLR64FowSHWGRr9UJqOzQ1-h05/s320/BrawBlog_PhantomEmpire.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And that's exactly how it was several <i>'Saturndays' </i>ago in September, <b>Agent Rob</b> braving public transport to make the trip through to see (a hugely galvanised and not in the least bit rusty) <b>John G. Miller</b> at <b>Ice Station Lima</b>, a pleasantly plateaud(?) afternoon of television and music, the volume pitch perfect for conversations about <b>Bob Dylan</b>, <b>Infinity Magazine</b>, <b>The Time Tunnel</b>, (talking on the telephone to) <b>The Lines</b> and - would you believe it! - the notion of perhaps consolidating and collating countless 'comics-in-progress' in order to (finally) shape up a new <b><a href="https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/evilweecomics" target="_blank">Braw Book</a></b> (or two.... or three....). Who can tell if time will indeed tell....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPgjwvRFtboeVkFFLCeDGyuvvUvPjKWpFXhyaKMpT6usdLdkX3YgKzW7Xt1Nb-umYPy8cw_yNkWksWOX6vlBiRgp42TprqbXvr7NuM0hY98yo3YsQee5REWcDS9UWlKs5G0e_kNmVik0X/s638/BrawBlog_Infinity39.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPgjwvRFtboeVkFFLCeDGyuvvUvPjKWpFXhyaKMpT6usdLdkX3YgKzW7Xt1Nb-umYPy8cw_yNkWksWOX6vlBiRgp42TprqbXvr7NuM0hY98yo3YsQee5REWcDS9UWlKs5G0e_kNmVik0X/s320/BrawBlog_Infinity39.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://infinitymagazine.co.uk">https://infinitymagazine.co.uk</a></span></div><div><br /></div>Sights: The Phantom Empire, Dick Tracy<div><br /><div>Sounds: Bob Dylan - Live 1966: Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship - Blows Against The Empire: The Lines - Nerve Pylon</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/207LbtNr3CI" width="480"></iframe></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship - Mau Mau (Amerikon)</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-3187082818794622762021-06-05T07:03:00.198-07:002021-06-05T07:03:00.227-07:00A Chronicle of Doom....<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKa6ksQo93iBNZgaQtBorAfSes_ZxAAMYJaVpKS3sBhW8jbKSNbntVup_81W9IdnRLoX-JLtUOadgBuriY2fsJj8cJWRGhR0-UH-Nc_0CLdBswQXbXZIdaBiQJYG1BguaFjBGAY5QUPRx/s600/BrawBlog_Andromeda.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKa6ksQo93iBNZgaQtBorAfSes_ZxAAMYJaVpKS3sBhW8jbKSNbntVup_81W9IdnRLoX-JLtUOadgBuriY2fsJj8cJWRGhR0-UH-Nc_0CLdBswQXbXZIdaBiQJYG1BguaFjBGAY5QUPRx/s320/BrawBlog_Andromeda.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">J for Julie Christie shining like a star....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">A for <b>Andromeda</b>. A also, of course, for <b>Agents Rob</b> and <b>Johnny</b>. B for <b>Ballard Heights</b> to I for <b>Ice Station Zebra</b>. C for (A)<b> Chronicle of Doom</b>. L for loooooooong overdue - can it honestly be <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2019/07/a-chronicle-of-doom.html" target="_blank">two years</a></b>?! - and (finally, thankfully!) S for <b>Scockrail</b> (who did everything in their power to cancel and delay the necessary trains needed to make this vital visit eventually happen)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOryWBsuvYnoI8-ieENWXhBLlZv-kplWTZEtG5dqJJxrviIh-0ENHhIVKgybslNNzUufG-pjWLSX-yml6PRB6YsjyQuyQiJcgxsvfENA8iNf9Tirm7g51gP3CrsGBqtVTbB4cmeRZExFey/s745/BrawBlog_Infinity.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOryWBsuvYnoI8-ieENWXhBLlZv-kplWTZEtG5dqJJxrviIh-0ENHhIVKgybslNNzUufG-pjWLSX-yml6PRB6YsjyQuyQiJcgxsvfENA8iNf9Tirm7g51gP3CrsGBqtVTbB4cmeRZExFey/s320/BrawBlog_Infinity.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://infinitymagazine.co.uk">https://infinitymagazine.co.uk</a></span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">They say that abstinence makes the heart grow fonder and it wasn't very long before <i>Rob</i> banished his mounting <i>'intrepidation'</i> - <i>Agent Johnny</i> might be even more painfully slo-mo than ever before, but was on sparkling form having definitely landed sunnyside up in <b>Slateford</b> <i>'after the flood'</i> - and was duly dispatched to the local <b>Postie Office</b> <i>'fer to buy'</i> some swill to help the <i>'dafternoon' </i>drift by that little bit more smoothly, our two <b>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. </b>chuntering (al)most contentedly, feeling like days of old.... as opposed to these (quite suddenly just) feeling old days....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The <i>'ungoing'</i> <b>John Stark: Secret Agent</b> comic was discussed at length, <i>Rob</i> offering <i>'fer to draw'</i> any script that <i>Johnny</i> cared <i>'fer to think up'</i>, given that, at 67(!), the copious <i>'aches and pains'</i> - cue much grumbling about both being (un)fairly <i>'f*kt in' </i>- are putting (un)paid to any comic drawin', but, y'know, there's nothing wrong with (dis)gracefully retirin' into the sunset....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1tOEXeeZDPd7nxkFQ0k4pY5D86wPXedoJh8rBU4z5ge5ug649huPx9iUCqdXMRku1zv9XzTRfOWDcVp3s9KxrHM-WolNkALfxQm8VbCnCq9zXnL9ADOi7VrxnikcUNLE3CgDRa1XQor_/s600/BrawBlog_LookingGlass.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1tOEXeeZDPd7nxkFQ0k4pY5D86wPXedoJh8rBU4z5ge5ug649huPx9iUCqdXMRku1zv9XzTRfOWDcVp3s9KxrHM-WolNkALfxQm8VbCnCq9zXnL9ADOi7VrxnikcUNLE3CgDRa1XQor_/s320/BrawBlog_LookingGlass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>HBO</i>'s (somewhat inspired) <b>Looking Glass</b> character</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Topics of conversation included everything from the <b>A for Andromeda</b> tv show and <b>Anthology</b> book (pictured above above above), <b>Philip K. Dick</b>, <b>Infinity Magazine</b> (pictured above above), <b>Vampire Circus</b> and everything <b>Watchmen</b>-shaped, with <b>Doomsday Clock</b>, <b>Before Watchmen</b> and the <b>HBO</b> series (pictured above) bringing us full circle and face to face. Round that off, the seconds ticking away, with <i>Johnny</i> reminiscing about seeing <b>Pink Floyd</b> in '71(!) and <b>Grateful Dead</b> in '81 and you have a mighty fine encounter, one worth writing up<i> 'fer to blog'</i>. Here's hoping there's another of these swell swilled dreamy daze soon.... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Sounds: Two From The Vault by <b>Grateful Dead</b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/d_nVi98Oyfs" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Grateful Dead - Death Don't Have No Mercy</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-42201139477102391772021-05-01T06:22:00.700-07:002021-05-01T06:22:00.233-07:00UndergRound Up of the Year, Part 2....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1R7uwZUSmWOjIYm1VAR0bfN6mdATfpOI7rtvWld5AKIQaBv0BRNBsqE8YATlC3B0c2OjY-qedZ5hLiQl6BV0Ado2Tf5wH1tHUdPbrle2O7itzitEr6_A9H4LzgWq48K8aDlW2Py2HStK/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Mummy_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1R7uwZUSmWOjIYm1VAR0bfN6mdATfpOI7rtvWld5AKIQaBv0BRNBsqE8YATlC3B0c2OjY-qedZ5hLiQl6BV0Ado2Tf5wH1tHUdPbrle2O7itzitEr6_A9H4LzgWq48K8aDlW2Py2HStK/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Mummy_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Mummy returns! <b>Agent Rob</b> back from the undead!</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Welcome back (no) one and all for Part 2 of <b>Braw</b>'s <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"><b>UndergRound Up of the Year</b></a>, <b>Agent Rob</b>'s much delayed (ultimately should-very-unwell-have-been-cancelled mis-) guide to 2020. <i>“An equal not a sequel”</i>, as <b>Braw</b> favourite <b>John Cleese</b> said of (the then absolutely critically mauled to pieces) <b>Fierce Creatures</b>. (Indeed, here's hoping <i>Mr Cleese</i> spent his lockdown working on the second part of his autobiography with that same ethic in mind, as opposed to wasting his twilight talents gleefully twatting the endless hordes of <b><a href="https://twitter.com/JohnCleese" target="_blank">Twitter</a></b> trolls to one side....) Will it again be a tale of two brackets? With films hitting home box office while television mostly struck out, let's see how music, books and comics fare (fair?) as it's <i>'seconds out'</i> for (underg)round two(-oh-two-oh)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2K5GnAQzPQ1O1tnQy2491ny27e2unkIYYH7_db2chi9GavA6MiknU32hCyyLjPcOUm0wIRuAN9nhV-tAMhyTrDqsk7TiQ38uFM3DCsM6ua7MjDBdKTA6o0igk7NRnj72J4dbv6prHqzt/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Orb_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2K5GnAQzPQ1O1tnQy2491ny27e2unkIYYH7_db2chi9GavA6MiknU32hCyyLjPcOUm0wIRuAN9nhV-tAMhyTrDqsk7TiQ38uFM3DCsM6ua7MjDBdKTA6o0igk7NRnj72J4dbv6prHqzt/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Orb_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The Orb</b> this week.... are just the medicine, man....</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There's no doubt that music saved <b>Agent Rob</b>'s (underGroundhog) day these past12/13 months. Thanks in part to <b>Dr Alex Paterson</b> – didya know it's actually <b>Duncan Alexander Robert Paterson</b>? - and co(horts) there was plentiful prescriptions on offer, be it the time to take a long bath in the loopy 90's ambient throwback of <b>Chocolate Hills</b>' rather wonderful <b><a href="https://paintedword.tmstor.es/product/44697" target="_blank"><i>'Pail of Air'</i></a></b> (why not an actual <b>Orb</b>?) album or a moment to drift off into (inner) space thanks to <b>The Orb</b>'s surprisingly timely <b><i><a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/abolition-of-the-royal-familia" target="_blank">'Abolition of The Royal Familia</a>'</i></b>, an album that cannily tapped into the lockdown vibe* while very much following the (free)formula of 2018's <b><a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/no-sounds-are-out-of-bounds" target="_blank"><i>'NSOOB'</i></a></b> only bigger and better, eschewing the latter's rather flabby and shapeless midsection for something agreeably phat and dubby around the middle, languid and agreeably unhurried, cushioned by much tasty and tinkly ambient noodling.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">*....and not only was there that slice of prescient action, but the <i>Royal Familia</i> <b><a href="https://theorb.bandcamp.com/album/abolition-of-the-royal-familia-guillotine-mixes" target="_blank"><i>'Guillotine Remixes'</i></a></b> album somehow managed to drop on the very day that the <b>Duke of Edinburgh</b> passed away. Uncanny....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/FkGKpEL0w3g" width="480"></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duende India Collective - Escapology (Epically Orb Mix)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As if that wasn't enough, <i>Agent Rob</i> also booked a trip on <b>Auntie Aubrey</b>'s third set of <i>The Orb</i> remix <b><a href="https://liquidsounddesignuk.bandcamp.com/album/auntie-aubreys-excursions-beyond-the-call-of-duty-pt-3-the-orb-remix-project" target="_blank"><i>'Excursions Beyond the Call of Duty'</i></a></b> at the very end of the year, wallowing in a (surprisingly) solid selection of knob, er, twiddling and, um, tweaking. That's<i> 'ambientertainment' </i>for yer....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWW3Fl2jH7DlcCaa3n025AKeu92Ib-Fabu7UdP-YbWN5OuRAeFCwfQmelQnXnaaHVoxmJYBbEjNlIoVafuEJ-LAaJfzIH4KUn0m7tJ_DbjSf-_sk4OSfF-WNxn7ZfrWWHOeoLfTazhUhP/s600/BrawBlog_UG08_WarDrugs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWW3Fl2jH7DlcCaa3n025AKeu92Ib-Fabu7UdP-YbWN5OuRAeFCwfQmelQnXnaaHVoxmJYBbEjNlIoVafuEJ-LAaJfzIH4KUn0m7tJ_DbjSf-_sk4OSfF-WNxn7ZfrWWHOeoLfTazhUhP/s320/BrawBlog_UG08_WarDrugs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"And we stare straight into nothing, but we call it all the same"</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There's no denying that being cooped up at home or office in 2020 inspired <i>Rob</i> to hit the (mental) road, roaring off into the brainset(?) to the sounds of <b><a href="https://thewarondrugs.bandcamp.com/music" target="_blank">The War On Drugs</a></b> and their particular brand of widescreen cosmic US radio rock.... and to a lesser extent there was fellow acolyte <b><a href="https://kurtvile.bandcamp.com/music" target="_blank">Kurt Vile</a></b>'s slightly patchier, slacker take on the genre with <b><a href="https://macdemarco.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Mac De Marco</a></b>'s wholly slacker take bringing up the rear view. While <i>Rob</i> finally got around to (<i>WODrugs</i> influencer)<b> Bruce Springsteen</b>'s raw and pointed <i>'Nebraska'</i>, it was the granddaddy of them all <b>Bob Dylan</b> who graced us with his simple, shimmering (and ultimately transcendent) <i>'Murder Most Foul'</i> from his <i>'Rough and Rowdy Ways'</i> album....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPl3PKaThDxH9V-Gri6qY5kLsKOQty8uqsZ4ZZ3EkokI6C5gkuIT3sOjc4L_6fW-u8idgmKAHcubfoghjE3NxrRSiuou0HEpBogSFw42ziQGZz0n317KxvGywyfIGC8nqA5dDPF6BYTljg/s450/BrawBlog_URP_TYS_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPl3PKaThDxH9V-Gri6qY5kLsKOQty8uqsZ4ZZ3EkokI6C5gkuIT3sOjc4L_6fW-u8idgmKAHcubfoghjE3NxrRSiuou0HEpBogSFw42ziQGZz0n317KxvGywyfIGC8nqA5dDPF6BYTljg/s320/BrawBlog_URP_TYS_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">27 years.... Quite an eye opener....</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Elsewhere <b>Thousand Yard Stare</b> delivered their first album in 27 years, the spiky <b><i><a href="https://thousandyardstareuk.bandcamp.com/album/the-panglossian-momentum-lp" target="_blank">'Panglossium Momentum'</a></i></b>, while <b>Cornershop</b> took a little less time to produce more of their spritely, wry and slyly political agit-pop on <b><i><a href="https://thousandyardstareuk.bandcamp.com/album/the-panglossian-momentum-lp" target="_blank">'England is A Garden'</a></i></b>. Team <b>Crippled Black Phoenix</b> motoriked on too, releasing the accomplished – that's really <i>Rob</i>'s way of saying he's still not quite worked out if he really likes it yet - <b><i><a href="https://crippledblackphoenixsom.bandcamp.com/album/elleng-st" target="_blank">'Ellengaest'</a></i></b>, while <b>Capitol K</b> served up more of his worldly homegrown organic techno on the tasty <b><i><a href="https://capitolk.bandcamp.com/album/birdtrapper" target="_blank">'Birdtrapper'</a></i></b> and an unexpected winter salvation came in the shape of <b>Wu-Tang Clan</b>'s chilly, first post-<b>Ol' Dirty</b> release, <b><i><a href="https://wutangswe.bandcamp.com/album/8-diagrams" target="_blank">'8 Diagrams'</a></i></b>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tskDY7vyyCn0gjCAsJF88LXqmvNjWys3hHaHSZpJHsK5ai1Entb_cRXXIq2tNrHrZaYJDGEwWq8fjlyEZF6eSE9dHQEeCG-feVTnAvS-Gn0aLWKm0_GHDyRzixeM6F_0-R8GVo0Hb3H6/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Acetone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tskDY7vyyCn0gjCAsJF88LXqmvNjWys3hHaHSZpJHsK5ai1Entb_cRXXIq2tNrHrZaYJDGEwWq8fjlyEZF6eSE9dHQEeCG-feVTnAvS-Gn0aLWKm0_GHDyRzixeM6F_0-R8GVo0Hb3H6/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Acetone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Bang! Ace shot through the bleeding heart....</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The most momentous, er, moment in the musical calendar was without a doubt the 19th of August 2020, the day that <i>Agent Rob</i>, after a two and half year break (having had his heart broken by <b>Sam Sweet</b>'s <b><i><a href="https://www.allnight-menu.com/shop/hadley-lee-lightcap" target="_blank">'Hadley Lee Lightcap'</a></i></b> book, a vivid, lyrical account of simply scraping by as a member of the band <b>Acetone*</b>) finally plucked up the courage to again delve into their warm, wistful and pretty much perfectly formed body of recorded work.... all the, ahem, <i>'hits'</i>, as it were.... And here's a fairly freaky full circle of sorts given that, unbeknownst to <i>Rob</i> until he took to researching(!?)/typing this article, <b><a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/acetone-1992-2001/" target="_blank">Pitchfork</a></b> wrote in their review of the (highly recommended) <b><a href="https://acetone1992.bandcamp.com/album/1992-2001" target="_blank">'Acetone 1992-2001'</a></b> compilation, <i>“But if Acetone are not a name that gets dropped with any regularity these days, a survey of the contemporary indie-rock landscape reveals a number of artists striving for a similar zen state. From the slow-dissolve soundscapes of the <b>War on Drugs</b> to the window-gazing ruminations of <b>Kurt Vile</b> to the lysergic twang of <b>Mac DeMarco</b>, there’s a healthy appetite today for patient, clock-stopping music that, if only for a moment, can pull us out of a world where 24/7 news tickers and obsessive-compulsive feed-refreshing set the pace of modern life.”</i> Now howzabout that? Uncanny again....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">*if only
one person discovers the wonders of applying a daily dose of <i>Acetone</i>
to their life then this entire blog will have been worth it....</p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkOR-ZyQu1KaxQ4IIY_z4zcWSbZNBOO4rCCPOLrlEY1u3j5mQOg831RKQ-LMA4otHz76TCXDl_pp3BH1vknq6aZdC9XCLtZUM5zUgXJ9q0vTVC0s9AH8TBz8jZ8tu3dB_mXF9KfcUKFO2/s450/BrawBlog_URP_Fordell_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkOR-ZyQu1KaxQ4IIY_z4zcWSbZNBOO4rCCPOLrlEY1u3j5mQOg831RKQ-LMA4otHz76TCXDl_pp3BH1vknq6aZdC9XCLtZUM5zUgXJ9q0vTVC0s9AH8TBz8jZ8tu3dB_mXF9KfcUKFO2/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Fordell_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The old roads best travelled....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">With <b><a href="https://boobsofdoom.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Boobs of Doom</a></b> taking something of a hiatus in 2020 – only four albums, c'mon! - following on from 2019's dozen doses album extravaganza, it was over to fellow Scot <b><a href="https://boobsofdoom.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Fordell Research Unit</a></b> to up the release ante on <b><a href="https://bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a></b>. Pick of his bunch (so far) has to be <b><a href="https://fordellresearchunit.bandcamp.com/album/old-roads" target="_blank"><i>'Old Roads'</i></a></b>, with track 1, the epic sweep and swoosh of <i>'Funeral Rites For Mahler'</i> getting the earth moving under <i>Agent Rob</i>'s feet every time. (His tumbling CCTV soundtrack <b><a href="https://invisiblecityrecords.bandcamp.com/album/etches-of-pain" target="_blank"><i>'Etches of Pain'</i></a></b> album on <b><a href="https://invisiblecityrecords.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Invisible City Records</a></b> comes highly recommended too....)</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFqbkVjzkMo_lbWsQSF8xuQlj31jkh8Rye3RIbi2x-VcS1rDGyPfZwelRYT73I0Rz4ygzAJksRIQ8PIzV-QBaQL9Z-wZfs08kmhw9jq172znlhEWU3blhC3afRYJgQkC6tAIZtqRmcPam/s502/BrawBlog_URP_Hawkwind_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFqbkVjzkMo_lbWsQSF8xuQlj31jkh8Rye3RIbi2x-VcS1rDGyPfZwelRYT73I0Rz4ygzAJksRIQ8PIzV-QBaQL9Z-wZfs08kmhw9jq172znlhEWU3blhC3afRYJgQkC6tAIZtqRmcPam/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Hawkwind_WEB.jpg" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We've actually made it quite far this time around without mentioning Poland (until now!) but here's a fascinating (vinyl) cut salvaged (along with several colourful others) from the 'Archives of the Eastern Bloc'. What you're looking at is actually a record.... and not only that, it is in fact a <b>Hawkwind</b> record…. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfniG-AdSC4" target="_blank"><b>Silver Machine</b> <b>AKA Srebrna Maszyna</b></a>.... (and, deemed top billing, there's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK3ZP6frAMc">Popcorn AKA Prazona Kukurydza</a> by, er, <b>Hot Buter</b>)....<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9oLzSIr1L3H0uUTJvlet0ODgfFTttg7nZvMuxgsHF-7GvCwwvQaVuKbhRb0AnBRAvyRn8Mrtnuw5ZJ3QdHsJfGgEKSR18OhwSdC1ZPXu34epF7OjP9chvgxUKHQMBUZv_0gl4t6fH1Uo/s600/BrawBlog_URP_DIIV_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9oLzSIr1L3H0uUTJvlet0ODgfFTttg7nZvMuxgsHF-7GvCwwvQaVuKbhRb0AnBRAvyRn8Mrtnuw5ZJ3QdHsJfGgEKSR18OhwSdC1ZPXu34epF7OjP9chvgxUKHQMBUZv_0gl4t6fH1Uo/s320/BrawBlog_URP_DIIV_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Not a bunch of DIIVs....</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">How do you make gig of the year in 2020? Easy.... you are <i>Agent Rob</i>'s ONLY gig of the year. Lucky for <b>DIIV</b> they were just ahead of the Covid curve – Rob recalls thinking of the growing pandemic and raising a wry eyebrow when the support band's singer announced, <i>“your country is sick!”</i> Luckier still the band've cleaned up their act considerably since their last visit to <b>Glasgow</b>, a performance that was as wan and as hollow as frontman <b>Zachary Cole Smith</b>'s smack sharpened cheekbones. (That it was at the frankly dire <b>SWG3</b> venue didn't help matters much either as every band struggles against the dud acoustics, muddy sound and lack of any discernible atmosphere.) Placing saucer-eyed Gollum-cum-guitarist <b>Andrew Bailey</b> centre stage – he never missed a note/beat, mind! - the band powered through deep cuts from their<b><i><a href="https://diiv.bandcamp.com/album/deceiver" target="_blank"> 'Deceiver'</a></i></b> album (with older tracks from their previous lp <i><b><a href="https://diiv.bandcamp.com/album/is-the-is-are" target="_blank">'Is the Is Are'</a></b></i> sounding sparse and half-formed by comparison), delivering a genuine (finally) coming of age performance. Here's hoping they spent 2020's lockdown wisely and have only been cooking up new tunes....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLGNmCcd_UJGji9G_sIjQ0WngmwIZJlUQl2E1fGiEBnrs8YCRePnC89wb4bxcjc5J2HYciwb4F2CJTxKT7zk-I1CGWrLPBpIsdulmzWaRrP7wodaq8emxUV6pF_bYIleZZ8qd3EvN4oEn/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Events_WEB.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLGNmCcd_UJGji9G_sIjQ0WngmwIZJlUQl2E1fGiEBnrs8YCRePnC89wb4bxcjc5J2HYciwb4F2CJTxKT7zk-I1CGWrLPBpIsdulmzWaRrP7wodaq8emxUV6pF_bYIleZZ8qd3EvN4oEn/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Events_WEB.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLGNmCcd_UJGji9G_sIjQ0WngmwIZJlUQl2E1fGiEBnrs8YCRePnC89wb4bxcjc5J2HYciwb4F2CJTxKT7zk-I1CGWrLPBpIsdulmzWaRrP7wodaq8emxUV6pF_bYIleZZ8qd3EvN4oEn/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Events_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Don't be a mug and support live music....</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, with gigging strictly off the menu, totally down the pan and quite frankly up the spout the whole (live) music industry has been thrown into crisis (by way of the wolves). If anyone reading this has not done so then please consider heading over to make purchases/donations at <b><a href="https://www.wemakeeventsstore.com" target="_blank">#wemakeevents</a></b> – some nice mugs and tote bags to be had, perfect for <i>Rob</i>'s middle-aging demographic – or <b><a href="https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-our-venues" target="_blank">Save Our Venues</a></b>, where you might pick up a nice t-shirt you can wear without embarrassment (while you, er, half-heartedly mow the somewhat neglected, mostly moss ridden lawn)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTpdY_ZRzDhrEK42ZOKUe-GYjjdEd_CsTqe8FO0nVy1vwvVPF65RK4BwugnmHsOtROIL2v-ssxbHkASGA2icjuffCLLK8sBjjnpfc35czZAV_5F-nI9VaHqaspHzd9H1QCCV82pibmL5M/s451/BrawBlog_URP_Collins2_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTpdY_ZRzDhrEK42ZOKUe-GYjjdEd_CsTqe8FO0nVy1vwvVPF65RK4BwugnmHsOtROIL2v-ssxbHkASGA2icjuffCLLK8sBjjnpfc35czZAV_5F-nI9VaHqaspHzd9H1QCCV82pibmL5M/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Collins2_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">"Yes he did, he does, he really did like it." (pic. <b><a href="http://www.tomsheehan.co.uk" target="_blank">Tom Sheehan</a></b>)</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As we seamlessly segue from music to books singer <b>Tim Burgess</b> cropped up with his autobiography, shedding more light on the decidedly dark death of <b>The Charlatan</b>'s keyboardist <b>Rob</b> <i>'The (90s) Hammond King'</i> <b>Collins</b>, – 25 years ago this June! - with some additional bleakness to round out the grim details courtesy(?!) of the <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luK6HzYvhI4&list=PLD2Rrs3kRynu46LHtQQxXn4_aLqw-juFk" target="_blank">Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm</a></b> documentary....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpCojPotUkPLktXGAYhRiATlmr-p2GyXUqXIgXyOZ-XcvVK52HjUkcitkPNf7_hs0490IXoziRkJ0dD1soXyhlMpx8UfHn0JVEl5iJxP5FF9-ebykSGExshHpyc_zxZhUD6h16DhEgZ2G/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Rosesl_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpCojPotUkPLktXGAYhRiATlmr-p2GyXUqXIgXyOZ-XcvVK52HjUkcitkPNf7_hs0490IXoziRkJ0dD1soXyhlMpx8UfHn0JVEl5iJxP5FF9-ebykSGExshHpyc_zxZhUD6h16DhEgZ2G/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Rosesl_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Second Crumbling.... <b>Ian Brown</b>ed off with <b>Reni</b> circa '95....</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile <b>Simon Spence</b> did his best to get under the prickly skin of those perpetual enigmas <b>The Stone Roses</b> in his War & Peace biography. If anything it got <i>Agent Rob</i> back listening to their startling debut - such a considered, spacious sound and genuinely unmatched song dynamics – as well as hopping online to unearth the <b><a href="https://archive.org/details/Schroeder01BreakingIntoHeaven" target="_blank"><i>'Schroeder Mixes'</i></a></b> of <b>'<i>Second Coming'</i></b>, seemingly 90% finished before <b>John Squire</b>'s coke habit buried the songs under two years of over and over and overdubbed guitars. The updated edition even covers their initially well-intentioned but ultimately well-flogged – official iPhone covers, really?! - 2014 reunion....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/gOHn6KurHE0" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Leaf it out, Ian!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, in contrast to <b>Tim Burgess</b> embracing the lockdown online via his <b><a href="https://timstwitterlisteningparty.com" target="_blank">Twitter Listening Parties</a></b> – still not enough to tempt <i>Rob</i> onto that life-vacuum however – and releasing his <b><i><a href="https://timburgess.bandcamp.com/album/i-love-the-new-sky" target="_blank">'I Love The New Sky'</a></i></b>, a charming album of quirky alt-pop, fellow <b>Mancunian</b> singer <b>Ian Brown</b> planted his feet firmly in the disbeliever camp with his <i>'plandemic'</i> protest song <b><i>'Little Seed Big Tree'</i></b>, diverting enough in the swaggering spring sunshine of 2020, but harder to say it was rooted in any sort of reality come the year's decidedly sticky end....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0jN10BdcgqbquOYDWo9yhgWdhTJZeP1JMXMBtDCsDFnN74BOm18Z0odFr0On4XsUDLxICNjtE7zQPgzWeF5cUiWGz0XGaFX4QB9uJ5sEXU3jtP2KP66f9WCw3AeG1RAjT4-SxKzdpVPl/s731/BrawBlog_UG06_Nightwings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0jN10BdcgqbquOYDWo9yhgWdhTJZeP1JMXMBtDCsDFnN74BOm18Z0odFr0On4XsUDLxICNjtE7zQPgzWeF5cUiWGz0XGaFX4QB9uJ5sEXU3jtP2KP66f9WCw3AeG1RAjT4-SxKzdpVPl/s320/BrawBlog_UG06_Nightwings.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">If <i>Rob</i> was pushed and shoved to pick a book of the year it'd have to be <b>Robert Silverberg</b>'s <b>Nightwings</b>, a short, well realised and wholly immersive Science Fiction (with a decent dash of the fantastical) novel. Of course, <b>H. G. Wells</b> couldn't fail with his excellent <b>The Invisible Man</b> (surely ripe material for the best <b>Studio Ghibli</b> animation never made), as elsewhere <b>Emily St. John Mandell</b> took us on a pre-pandemic ride with her <b>Station Eleven</b> (thus sparing us <i>Agent Rob</i>'s <b><a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/various-artists/unearthly-science-fiction/paperback/product-23489539.html" target="_blank">Unearthly Science Fiction</a></b> outtake about the <i>'last Mars bar man'</i>....), the <b>Strugatsky</b> brothers entranced with the sprawling, immersive <b>The Doomed City</b> while <b>JG Ballard</b> predicted the rise of <b>English</b> nationalism, foretelling the build up to <b>Brexit</b>, his canny fingers on the quickening pulse for what was his final novel, <b>Kingdom Come</b>....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JPDut_6hjypNsUVRBgA0Fk3SyQOVA3HhmIUGwXt2pxG4GtCAiDyuDOvjQ50viC-yxVe_tqukRwsT4TR8pFWMSEfMffS_JtHpgMQM_gTG2AVLBh6jY6Wq5hpvmPac22Kum0DDDfUrbr9n/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Baker.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JPDut_6hjypNsUVRBgA0Fk3SyQOVA3HhmIUGwXt2pxG4GtCAiDyuDOvjQ50viC-yxVe_tqukRwsT4TR8pFWMSEfMffS_JtHpgMQM_gTG2AVLBh6jY6Wq5hpvmPac22Kum0DDDfUrbr9n/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Baker.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Any excuse....</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Lawrence Durrell</b>'s <b>TUNC</b>, with it's 70's setting but dense 50's literature stylings often suffocating the telling, still impressed with it's strange SF-esque plot, while <b>Tom Baker</b> tackled his <b>Fourth Doctor</b> (<b>Who</b>) in the enjoyable (salvaged from a never made film of) <b>Scratchman</b>. It's inevitable that the towering <b>1984</b> by <b>George Orwell</b> should rear it's ugly, impassive head – <b>Big Brother</b> really is watching you – prompting <i>Agent Rob</i>'s inevitable retreat into the comforting primordial stew of <b>Ballard</b>'s <b>The Drowned World</b> - with such an affecting, poetic conclusion - before finishing right back where he started with a third book by (his favourite author of 'straight fiction') <b>William Boyd</b>, the epic <b>The New Confessions</b>, a beginning fitting for the end....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And <i>Rob</i>'s favourite sentence of the year is from <b>Michael Moorcock</b>'s bracing boy's own adventure omnibus <b>A Nomad of the Time Streams</b>, taken from book two, <b>The Steel Tsar</b>, <i>“His smile was a soft, deceiving thing lying upon the pitted surface of his head like a red slug.”....</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxmNL5XtRMrPfqf4gSEbnVwmkeSGiKpn53436PUvD-42ZEgUTA5pezJ4PQefWAC-hU8aWb1GfvbP2_GxO8kwPzwPSykpz0H5A9YShPCAwCNunQMn9boOf6Wy-qpJM2diScvwzf1_7TEkn/s720/BrawBlog_URP_Space01_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxmNL5XtRMrPfqf4gSEbnVwmkeSGiKpn53436PUvD-42ZEgUTA5pezJ4PQefWAC-hU8aWb1GfvbP2_GxO8kwPzwPSykpz0H5A9YShPCAwCNunQMn9boOf6Wy-qpJM2diScvwzf1_7TEkn/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Space01_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The most curious book (discovery) of the year has to be a copy of <b>Space-Travel Stories</b>, a 1969 <b>Moscow</b> publication <i>'for the 9th form of the secondary school'</i>, Compiled by <b>L. Fomin</b> and designed and (nicely) illustrated by <b>B. Trofimov</b>. All the (translated) stories therein are adapted and it features <b>Asimov</b>'s <b>Little Lost Robot</b> and <b>John Wyndham</b>'s <b>Meteor</b> among lesser/completely unknown others....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSW4X8QT8lDQtUONSDfL6fhJqDskL9lAs0uIvZQGKsMYjHIhNXS_MDvIwvt17IlKe9BcoFXod4S6N5s7NfMX-SvOgrkmrgd2e86-AceR7_8O2qT5KVmlsBzfMMb-KSKlgjGDvbaJA3V5jY/s720/BrawBlog_URP_Space04_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSW4X8QT8lDQtUONSDfL6fhJqDskL9lAs0uIvZQGKsMYjHIhNXS_MDvIwvt17IlKe9BcoFXod4S6N5s7NfMX-SvOgrkmrgd2e86-AceR7_8O2qT5KVmlsBzfMMb-KSKlgjGDvbaJA3V5jY/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Space04_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCeVDPI4GKagLpCBbyXQgZ3H7QJJGmH6cBvLHU983W8l84RgsdsT_C5a5qLDwerWSjVFITm7qUf-4xFfBIulMHA2t6mPUP2GInYTsuif9TsqGIA9pk-w37SctjqDUDdgQPPsAnTGFFW3b/s720/BrawBlog_URP_Space03_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCeVDPI4GKagLpCBbyXQgZ3H7QJJGmH6cBvLHU983W8l84RgsdsT_C5a5qLDwerWSjVFITm7qUf-4xFfBIulMHA2t6mPUP2GInYTsuif9TsqGIA9pk-w37SctjqDUDdgQPPsAnTGFFW3b/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Space03_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJ3YulBlykxc9NhEDI4TNQNgbWv_18-qv8B3whxqnbxxjiOFe2Bp85ON4qo8HyrY_ZO7YrctQ6zWDUoGnQ4y_2tQE-HRuFGk04WB5imJWVcUcO3otJifi6RaKoGloKlqED92RgWhlt1Fy/s720/BrawBlog_URP_Space05_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJ3YulBlykxc9NhEDI4TNQNgbWv_18-qv8B3whxqnbxxjiOFe2Bp85ON4qo8HyrY_ZO7YrctQ6zWDUoGnQ4y_2tQE-HRuFGk04WB5imJWVcUcO3otJifi6RaKoGloKlqED92RgWhlt1Fy/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Space05_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjq_dEisehZOTQyIhmEX02mFRSqhEG_0gZnUEEoqcMJkkG-ZsBju_gTcRIwpkuuOc4CFVb1Mc1rZI-Axlbgqi389hAz0VBVp52c4lIolU6FmBYcyWzKdtGy0Pfnx1ICHPob9shRjXBvVns/s720/BrawBlog_URP_Space02_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjq_dEisehZOTQyIhmEX02mFRSqhEG_0gZnUEEoqcMJkkG-ZsBju_gTcRIwpkuuOc4CFVb1Mc1rZI-Axlbgqi389hAz0VBVp52c4lIolU6FmBYcyWzKdtGy0Pfnx1ICHPob9shRjXBvVns/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Space02_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nothing like holding a book in your hands and knowing it's quite likely the only copy in existence anywhere. Bonus points surely have to be awarded to this completely obscure <b>Russian</b> publication for allowing the word <i>'bisexual'</i> to slip undetected into the <i>'vocabulary'</i> at the back....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJri-AOfXjTPqANlYtNiDjr8pKocejD836w1tibrnbFiq7P-APB9lbp2x5kiP1FvxLPh3dPXs-EAH954Ih0BMJxMtSQBkU_bjgHR4j80TTqxyg5XUBb7A6ZRaDopKwCuRh0lVp150cku9b/s830/BrawBlog_URP_MM_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJri-AOfXjTPqANlYtNiDjr8pKocejD836w1tibrnbFiq7P-APB9lbp2x5kiP1FvxLPh3dPXs-EAH954Ih0BMJxMtSQBkU_bjgHR4j80TTqxyg5XUBb7A6ZRaDopKwCuRh0lVp150cku9b/s320/BrawBlog_URP_MM_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With <b>From Hell</b> (in color) finally wrapped up for good this year <b>Agent Rob</b> turned his attention to <b>Alan 'The Original Writer' Moore</b>'s early 80's work on <b>Miracle/Marvelman</b>, fighting his way through the initial stodge of the wordy <b>Warrior</b> tales into the truly creative enlightenment, but no less boggy let's be honest, of the <b>Olympus/Eclipse</b> era. Still no word from <i>'The House Of Mouse/Ideas'</i> on <b>Neil Gaiman</b> and <b>Mark Buckingham</b> concluding their proposed 90's stint on the book tho....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6RoRw9ykSLbOH1SX4bEb9Gt1PF7rPo6vpJG1U2-ZBxiV9icj8A451Y6uluEFioLn1EMCH1sgne7gB1EpwYdlY56C8JjwH3oMNMTrzGWXiMvHSVRPRVGaqwFDGUDqVeR5y7PfEmU67Es1/s624/BrawBlog_URP_KungFu_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6RoRw9ykSLbOH1SX4bEb9Gt1PF7rPo6vpJG1U2-ZBxiV9icj8A451Y6uluEFioLn1EMCH1sgne7gB1EpwYdlY56C8JjwH3oMNMTrzGWXiMvHSVRPRVGaqwFDGUDqVeR5y7PfEmU67Es1/s320/BrawBlog_URP_KungFu_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With a little cash to splash (just in time before the crash) <b>Agent Rob</b> said <i>'Hiya!'</i> to his local comic shop and duly order a copy/doorstop of this wonderful, evocative 1970's comic-cum-magazine as previously spied bending the shelves at <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-chronicle-of-doom.html" target="_blank">Ice Station Zebra</a></b>. Needless to say, with it's wonderful comic strips and fascinating articles it was a fung kung smash hit (on the wallet)....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHZCRHUONtqbxpe7j8NnWVrO4i8pT78fPyLm0fI3m6cE7UP9Bm6yjHFeZDbt3LeXPcvgdRV2C2YXubpWbcOr0v_SIjGSHp9YUIbTIvI4w3VECyog01YF0tN9NFeSaF4In79RB-4sVG5YR/s633/BrawBlog_URP_Jez_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHZCRHUONtqbxpe7j8NnWVrO4i8pT78fPyLm0fI3m6cE7UP9Bm6yjHFeZDbt3LeXPcvgdRV2C2YXubpWbcOr0v_SIjGSHp9YUIbTIvI4w3VECyog01YF0tN9NFeSaF4In79RB-4sVG5YR/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Jez_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Aha, and we're back on <b>Polish</b> soil again, <i>Agent Rob</i> swiping his dictionary to make a start at the collected tales of the lewd and crude <b><a href="https://ksiegarniainternetowa.co.uk/en/jez_jerzy_dziela_zebrane_tom_1-9788366128002" target="_blank">Jez Jerzy</a></b>, the <b>Poles</b> very own underground/overground comic strip sensation – it did make the leap into film in an agreeably vulgar 2010 adaptation....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWr1VASqIFptbe3ErNq2j3tirefZ_nIhCZxOHv6ElM6ixjrJ9epgz-vcRqSlqr9XJNU22IAgWI_NjD5oMADyeYrNYvc0VcXOjA9CWKsX9RREzf9L30lhe8S2keJq1F0oQh55hpCIPMpZd/s900/BrawBlog_URP_Knorr_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWr1VASqIFptbe3ErNq2j3tirefZ_nIhCZxOHv6ElM6ixjrJ9epgz-vcRqSlqr9XJNU22IAgWI_NjD5oMADyeYrNYvc0VcXOjA9CWKsX9RREzf9L30lhe8S2keJq1F0oQh55hpCIPMpZd/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Knorr_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another drawing discovery was the stunning work of <b>German</b> <b><a href="https://www.livemaster.com/topic/2589211-15-illustrations-you-want-to-get-lost-in-by-peter-knorr" target="_blank">Peter Knorr</a></b>, illustrator of several eye-popping children's books, wholly immersive affairs with gentle narratives, invitingly quaint environments and recurring characters inhabiting each warm and wonderfully-realised scene – highly recommended purchases (as the tiny online galleries do not do the sheer attention to detail justice)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MTz63lEe53h1VJWntH7stuQhmOfW1B9mwJUlDLFK3c2YTPe-YXzWTk-LxXsGM6QB5Y4wloi2cbZWQd9SDjtqS47VdLMl-JmnOf4pWzU59ySXKOKmPagPy5u_2siFULnDg6DovnWuI-1z/s615/BrawBlog_URP_Maya01_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MTz63lEe53h1VJWntH7stuQhmOfW1B9mwJUlDLFK3c2YTPe-YXzWTk-LxXsGM6QB5Y4wloi2cbZWQd9SDjtqS47VdLMl-JmnOf4pWzU59ySXKOKmPagPy5u_2siFULnDg6DovnWuI-1z/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Maya01_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If all that wasn't enough to break your continental fast how about some lovely chunky and stylish illustrations (courtesy of <b>Jan Baranowicz</b>) from <b>Waldemar Bonsels</b> <i><b>'Pszczolka Maja I jej przydogy'</b></i> (otherwise known as <b><i>'Maja the Bee'</i></b>), an 1981 <b>Katowice</b> – <i>Poland</i> again!! - children's book that caused quite a buzz when <i>Agent Rob</i> unearthed it in the Eastern (housing) Bloc <i>'Archives of Doom'</i>....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0d2W0sfXgbjUF9ajJs2U2gDt8SjPxrpvc49zNFZw1TeXmuq5A2I987MSR2BzU0bLhNyRDA20B_SMnRqB7cgepGZ3Y7Lgow669wINstPkNjCHOwCdL-YANRncZKQRF6_FBeVhxS3o_gs8/s465/BrawBlog_URP_Maya03_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0d2W0sfXgbjUF9ajJs2U2gDt8SjPxrpvc49zNFZw1TeXmuq5A2I987MSR2BzU0bLhNyRDA20B_SMnRqB7cgepGZ3Y7Lgow669wINstPkNjCHOwCdL-YANRncZKQRF6_FBeVhxS3o_gs8/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Maya03_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1BfKuPWioyvsZJDjnirBhx6jTA96moLhhJhMuCc5lyw1qg5baoBn6xYoEJsKWOOkuBbYrOHc7PeMcejE0M7M8jI1dk_TJkQyHva9kEehmsWEV1Zp4k2mFG9Dcw-vjUmVbhLl-KZXzM1-/s680/BrawBlog_URP_Maya02_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1BfKuPWioyvsZJDjnirBhx6jTA96moLhhJhMuCc5lyw1qg5baoBn6xYoEJsKWOOkuBbYrOHc7PeMcejE0M7M8jI1dk_TJkQyHva9kEehmsWEV1Zp4k2mFG9Dcw-vjUmVbhLl-KZXzM1-/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Maya02_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWug1yfJustd3kIyqBDEZZJ3BRakX1KKhScObEyhPyb7lFMR8qvwttPPuYl9H0DWu4_D2ASzDPPE4E_jVzjq9pSfm9mRLeMbhY90boHeNf2muS0SyfsaQgyYcgZ4l_Aha2kTMOAZECAVF/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Maya05_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWug1yfJustd3kIyqBDEZZJ3BRakX1KKhScObEyhPyb7lFMR8qvwttPPuYl9H0DWu4_D2ASzDPPE4E_jVzjq9pSfm9mRLeMbhY90boHeNf2muS0SyfsaQgyYcgZ4l_Aha2kTMOAZECAVF/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Maya05_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHS4Nt42TEtTdPvosAbWq6KnH5C37VAGkhPTur5PFFsWbDy8BtUgm8k-5X0KgEBF_i2PXFGpsRRRgREnfdBNAPAMttFJ5gCRPAm8a6M7PxDt6eGM8ki_8mdzaNsldUA8FFmg1-l4qUmkn/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Tytus_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHS4Nt42TEtTdPvosAbWq6KnH5C37VAGkhPTur5PFFsWbDy8BtUgm8k-5X0KgEBF_i2PXFGpsRRRgREnfdBNAPAMttFJ5gCRPAm8a6M7PxDt6eGM8ki_8mdzaNsldUA8FFmg1-l4qUmkn/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Tytus_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tytus, Romek i A'tomek and creator....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>Polish</i>
comics had a sad loss this year (January 2021) with the passing (at
the ripe old age of 97, mind) of <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henryk_Chmielewski_(comics)" target="_blank">Henryk Chmielewski</a></b>, the
creator/writer/illustrator of <b><i>'Tytus, Romek I A'tomek'</i></b>, a strip that
ran for over 40 years across countless books and publications,
seeping into the national consciousness in all that time (<i>Tytus</i> gracing <b><a href="https://mediamarkt.pl/tytus-proponuje" target="_blank">MediaMarkt</a></b>'s promotions only last year). Although
not the slickest of comic strips – the art has a somewhat clunky, innocent charm, eandearingly simple – there's no denying that this <i>Jadek</i>
(grandfather) of <i>Polish</i> comics acheived an incredible artistic lifetime's,
er, achievement.... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcg_a9hFRS00Qex2-S7BUSXtIy1ORFCFT7JPb_eItnGBdqBsEBNhEEYiQrmW1zukcyqQUfsJa4iyedGX8H6pS0BkMOH0bLXPsQuTvdRiTuLYwGhQ858Xq_0MlJnPFQoy9GzsUCPkDUfmDu/s900/BrawBlog_URP_Obits.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcg_a9hFRS00Qex2-S7BUSXtIy1ORFCFT7JPb_eItnGBdqBsEBNhEEYiQrmW1zukcyqQUfsJa4iyedGX8H6pS0BkMOH0bLXPsQuTvdRiTuLYwGhQ858Xq_0MlJnPFQoy9GzsUCPkDUfmDu/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Obits.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And so 2020 proved to be a year that pulled no punches - obviously sincere <i>Braw</i> sympathies to those of you reading who have been affected by Covid-19 - and the pop-culture punches suckered more than most given we lost a plethora of icons, among them a <b>James Bond</b>, (<b>THE</b> <i>James Bond</i>!) two (UK) <b>Avengers</b> (and some time iconic <b>Bond Girls</b>), a <b>Python</b>, a <b>Goodie</b>, <b>Emperor Ming</b> (<b>THE</b> <i>Merciless</i>), a (US) <b>Avenger</b>, a <b>Supervillain</b> (<b>THE</b> <b>Supervillain</b>) and (clocking in/out at 104!) <b>Spartacus</b> himself....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraNPf4wYBacDYXpD7JnrZqyCbwx5VnwbJwGibLzTFZ001lSBvl8tQA6xG6N1tlGgs-1E8FrNN9sIVxHz9DLfCnPIwTcB7OpnFr8uJ95KgpWJ6efQk67e9_vxHbNr3fRbvZfsERLmARdaw/s460/BrawBlog_URP_BrawBooks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraNPf4wYBacDYXpD7JnrZqyCbwx5VnwbJwGibLzTFZ001lSBvl8tQA6xG6N1tlGgs-1E8FrNN9sIVxHz9DLfCnPIwTcB7OpnFr8uJ95KgpWJ6efQk67e9_vxHbNr3fRbvZfsERLmARdaw/s320/BrawBlog_URP_BrawBooks.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Maybe 2021 will be the year that <b>Braw Books</b> finally gets back to doing what we do best – although you'd be forgiven for thinking that's <b>NOT</b> publishing the finest (and funniest) underground comics (collections) in <b>Scotland</b> (and, let's be honest, elsewhere)....</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFZC8V4i33Sx5nxyw4B1UiChhOp99EKP3F7OjGeBT5xxFuX3rthxetokXVr3Lp0Tjda140KkrSZIUWjNernI56w-wVzj2giucBBzkrBKc4gA26YzRcgoAYgxJyyj8OAeDVyJo5cVnHrgQ/s450/BrawBlog_URP_Lockdown_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFZC8V4i33Sx5nxyw4B1UiChhOp99EKP3F7OjGeBT5xxFuX3rthxetokXVr3Lp0Tjda140KkrSZIUWjNernI56w-wVzj2giucBBzkrBKc4gA26YzRcgoAYgxJyyj8OAeDVyJo5cVnHrgQ/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Lockdown_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Plans are still afoot for the long awaited/delayed/drawn out <b>John Stark: Secret Agent</b> comic – <b>Agent Johnny</b> even predicted the pandemic with his canny <i><b>'Lockdown'</b></i> story (title) on his 2018 cover (although the script itself, later drawn by a drunken <i>Agent Rob</i> in <i>Poland(!)</i>, didn't appear until the summer of 2020 when <i>John</i>, er, actually remembered creating it, um....). Beyond that (which is just about beyond us!) who knows.... Hopefully we'll (soon) see some blogs delving into the existing range of <a href="https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/evilweecomics" target="_blank"><i>Braw Books</i></a> as well as the return of regulars such as <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20Braw%20Blog%20-%20Sketch%20Sunday" target="_blank">Sketch Sunday</a></b>, <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20Braw%20Blog%20-%20Philip%20K.%20Dick" target="_blank">Philip K. Dick</a></b> and <b><a href="http://brawbooks.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20Braw%20Blog%20-%20From%20The%20Vault" target="_blank">From The Vault</a></b> (and the associated drift of <b><a href="https://eclecticdreamzzz.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Eclectic Dreamzzz</a></b>). We did provide a handy users guid to the revamped <b><a href="http://buckfastlane.blogspot.com/2021/04/bfl-175-navigating-life-in-buckfast-lane.html" target="_blank">Life In The Buckfast Lane</a></b> tho....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the meantime – and it is particularly mean, this relentless forward charge to oblivion – there's always an occasion to download our fantastic and free <i>Braw Books</i> PDF sampler <b><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/trd5f5k8bsv6vvn/COMPLETE_BrawSampler_Feb2017.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">here>></a></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Congratulations! You have reached the end of 2020 (and, indeed, already made it 1/3 of the way through 2021)! All that remains to say is to <i>'keep well' </i>(in preference to the wholly misguided <i>'stay safe' </i>nonsense that peppered the pandemic promos here in the UK) and we'll see you after a short summer break (following on from <i>Agent Rob</i>'s completely unwarranted winter one....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">And last, but never least, our <i>Braw</i> pick of the year? Well, this 1963 film certainly gave this weary old <b>RIDE</b> fan a bit of an unexpected surprise....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/at3HUnfXONE" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/at3HUnfXONE/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Billy Liar - Twisterella</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-24556651141062083362021-04-01T05:11:00.609-07:002021-04-07T06:27:07.018-07:00UndergRound Up of the Year, Part 1....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoG7Sx7tjDWgEy2VwSAXmjLyEz4GhTEFE9eRmM3f0eXGrmOcrITI-4576h8wmcmFVxXxwosQODdfg715O6Cxc_ZSre8ETDDDBK1AyYgoZAdgb4xEIhxixzM3tcvFrxM1ZBTkfHeR9ONSs2/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Mummy_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoG7Sx7tjDWgEy2VwSAXmjLyEz4GhTEFE9eRmM3f0eXGrmOcrITI-4576h8wmcmFVxXxwosQODdfg715O6Cxc_ZSre8ETDDDBK1AyYgoZAdgb4xEIhxixzM3tcvFrxM1ZBTkfHeR9ONSs2/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Mummy_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I want my Mummy! Agent Rob takes a break after his, er, break....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Exactly what kind of gormless <i>'April fool'</i> would present his <b>UndergRound Up of the Year</b> about three months too late, dropping his exhaustive (and exhausted) grab bag blog of the year gone by as late as spring of all things? But, as per good ol' <b><a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/02/the-true-story-of-justice-league-snyder-cut" target="_blank">Zack Snyder</a></b>, so much of this here (under)groundwork had already been done that it seemed a shame not to press on and assemble at least something for your reading, er, pleasure. Of course, with <b>Agent Rob</b>'s 2021 starting (and pretty much ending shortly thereafter) on a slippery slope it all now seems rather pointless in the grand scheme of things, but, well, y'know, the only way is forward (likely by means of two very cautious steps backward)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVNXwx7-2DstRktbsdwfb7Sw2vxcW6Yd_4434c9wtDmgi4hogZBWsh6zl62Q7-XiR78dtMDzo666_zmuxvwlLEjXjYH-tboOSfn8aHQGcAffMWKqLHDY3OLpp8GrIYBhvgMX9EooJGDvY/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Quad_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVNXwx7-2DstRktbsdwfb7Sw2vxcW6Yd_4434c9wtDmgi4hogZBWsh6zl62Q7-XiR78dtMDzo666_zmuxvwlLEjXjYH-tboOSfn8aHQGcAffMWKqLHDY3OLpp8GrIYBhvgMX9EooJGDvY/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Quad_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Agent Rob</b> commutes (just before masks were obligatory)</span></div><p></p><div><div style="text-align: justify;">In spite of the head going over the heels it was 'key working' all the way in 2020 for <b>Agent Rob</b>, kept busy in his (<b>Jimmy</b> from <b>Quadrophenia</b>) mail and admin job while much of the world ground to a grim halt, barely leaving the station. Not that that was enough to derail his multiple trains of thought, so all aboard (a-bored?) if you please for a suitably socially distanced sojourn through 2020. Bad grammar, shocking puns, worse reviews and delays are expected....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hCho2g9y7E_km5UjS5pLgTKSNr1S2w4jRIQUrTbYLDgGPQRLUrWCCPuuG4eyhk8__AcFutKHPVG9bsB-zVLX_d4l-1v1vqotIe5JF6-ayC0HA2vuvAvA1gGGZJviZScf75tmngvASxS4/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Trojka_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hCho2g9y7E_km5UjS5pLgTKSNr1S2w4jRIQUrTbYLDgGPQRLUrWCCPuuG4eyhk8__AcFutKHPVG9bsB-zVLX_d4l-1v1vqotIe5JF6-ayC0HA2vuvAvA1gGGZJviZScf75tmngvASxS4/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Trojka_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Zapraszamy do reklamy...."</span></div><p></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In keeping with the past two years round ups let's kick things off again by turning the dial on the 'wireless' up to 11 and hopping across the pond to <b>Poland</b> – something of an emerging theme in 2020, so <b>Brexiteers</b> may wish to tune out now – to enjoy <b><a href="https://www.polskieradio.pl/9,Trojka" target="_blank">Radio Trojka</a></b>. However, as many fond memories as <i>Agent Rob</i> has of time spent in the company of this fine radio station – think an eclectic mix of high end <b>Radio</b>s <b>2</b> and <b>4</b> crossed with <b>6Music</b> and <b>Late Junction</b> (but thankfully without any grating presenters given it's all mostly <i>'lost in translation'</i>) - it has been systematically dismantled from without in the last few years as the <i>Polish</i> government tightens its grip on the media machine, squeezing out freedom of speech/expression in favour of those who'll happily tip-toe along the ever-tightening party line. It all came to a head in May last year when <b>Kazik</b>, the <b>Kult</b> singer, had his song <i>'Your Pain is Better than Mine'</i> <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52721152" target="_blank"><b>censored</b></a>, a move which then sparked a spate of resignations, removals and artist boycotts. Ergo, the (far from blind) mice left the rats to the steadily sinking ship and promptly set up not one, but eventually two new (online) radio stations from their steadily filling lifeboats. <a href="https://nowyswiat.online" target="_blank"><b>Radio Nowy Swiat</b></a> was first off the patreon mark, followed not long after by <a href="https://www.radio357.pl " target="_blank"><b>Radio 357</b></a>, thereby ensuring there's still plenty alternative choice for the discerning online listener....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/o9LzNtpjhV0" width="480"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">KAZIK - Twój ból jest lepszy niż mój [OFFICIAL VIDEO]</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Both <b>Oxford Drama</b> and <b>Patrick The Pan</b> had their first <b>Braw</b> listens while vacationing to <i>Trojka</i> (as well as the liked likes of <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCa04-RzoLM" target="_blank">Scianka</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGprgxbqXoQ" target="_blank">Brodka</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOgYWmi-Gco" target="_blank">Organek</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfSGMnl_9NE" target="_blank">Daria Zawialow</a></b> and the ubiquitous, all-conquering <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iB2C8D5ezE " target="_blank">Dawid Podsiadwo</a></b>) where one could happily hear them rubbing shoulders with familiar faces like <b>Deerhunter</b>, <b>The Charlatans</b>, <b>The Orb</b> – <i>'A Huge ever Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Centre of the Ultraworld'</i> played in full, thank you! - and (on one memorable occasion) <b>F*ck Buttons</b> (whereby the entire room was pretty appalled with the exception of a rather fired up <i>Rob</i> – <i>"masakra!"</i>)....</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMTxmqeZMevCNzysApKU3_Tz1Thj8gQ5oRjBDghYNhMNU5346dNtHyMioOjphGu2yH6w7B7GkHNqPPEUUc3V0sSvdeehU-G8LY0jXw9LkU2qDB_vD0VYDQIzX7CTO94AVCNoqmZZalG2D/s900/BrawBlog_URP_Doctors_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMTxmqeZMevCNzysApKU3_Tz1Thj8gQ5oRjBDghYNhMNU5346dNtHyMioOjphGu2yH6w7B7GkHNqPPEUUc3V0sSvdeehU-G8LY0jXw9LkU2qDB_vD0VYDQIzX7CTO94AVCNoqmZZalG2D/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Doctors_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Doctors Smith, Whittaker and Paterson (we'll get to him later)....</div></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, last year it was all about the doctors, <i>Rob</i> being in just the right mood for <b>Jodie Whittaker</b>'s second season as the trusty <b>Timelord</b>, enjoying its increased sure-footedness and chucklesome humour, something of a slight return to the show's more <i>'teatime'</i> roots (in spite of it endlessly preaching without the accompanying power). There was also a nice turn from <b>Sacha Dhawan</b> as the <b>Master</b>, losing his longtime controlled cool in favour of a more modern, jittery (and appealing) post-<b>Joker</b>-esque regeneration. (And not only that but we had a future black female <i>Doctor</i>! ....not <b>Braw</b> favourite <b>June Sarpong</b> unfortunately!) Naturally all this plot dripping came gloriously unstuck right at the end, collapsing under the weight of shoe-horning yet another post-modern idea into the (already bulging) mythos as – surprise, surprise! – writer/producer <b>Chris Chibnall</b> couldn't resist dumping another turd down the show's already well blocked canon with <i>Jodie</i>'s <i>Doctor</i>, who's barely found her own character feet, now questioning <i>"who"</i> she actually is and-YAWN!</div><p></p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVZyn3TF7H-1ny1DIPfBKwEcTt5yQ0asFGLmuUjnUScI5iiOXx5f0dg8BuZs0SYfBuO5_Ek_xQ75IDHUVae98iTRnQEHPtCSX17o1Tz1om_Qb0U_vFd9iQYOeHyvJf71CJXs77LJa0pcp/s683/BrawBlog_URP_LexDoc_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVZyn3TF7H-1ny1DIPfBKwEcTt5yQ0asFGLmuUjnUScI5iiOXx5f0dg8BuZs0SYfBuO5_Ek_xQ75IDHUVae98iTRnQEHPtCSX17o1Tz1om_Qb0U_vFd9iQYOeHyvJf71CJXs77LJa0pcp/s320/BrawBlog_URP_LexDoc_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Art by Braw buddy <b>Lex</b>! Any excuse....</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Having wrapped that and given there was precious little else on the <i>'Whorizon'</i> there was nothing for it but to return to the (overlooked by <i>Rob</i> himself) <b>Matt Smith</b> era and work his way towards the 50th anniversary which, praise be!, didn't disappoint, <i>Smith</i> and <b>David Tennant</b>'s jokey interplay coupled with the ever-reliable grizzle of the mighty <b>John Hurt</b> making for a hugely satisfying birthday conclusion. <i>Smith</i>'s run certainly had it's moments – <i>'The Rebel Flesh'</i> / <i>'The Almost People'</i> 2 parter even harked back to the classic era's cliffhanger incarnation* - but for Rob the epic arcs, seemingly designed with nothing more in mind than generating endless fan theory <b>Youtube</b> videos and setting said forums alight (see new <b>Star Wars</b> for similar details) were less so, muddying episodes here and there and just taking up far too much time (before the inevitable, clever-but-okay-ish reveal). Still, proof that absence makes the two hearts fonder....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">*It's amazing given that the newer shows always flag about 30 minutes in – they're obviously tailored to ease into American/overseas programming schedules, bumping up to an hour with the inclusion of adverts – that no one has thought of chopping them into 2 parts, bringing back the cliffhanger ending proper and having the show on for 20 weeks or so instead of 10-ish. <b>#chop Who in two!</b></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2w2ups1gKIVioXZ5JOo5set-pNUZxCc_KnxeSZTtVBUvKGZXRjNT9jRTNqGxSvUUZJP1t6BYR6z7xJm9H_JwwrciE0UbrF85_A2wvSaVGNhWgMnuXAKRRSE_EQ3DLvvK0SaOVK13xRup/s600/BrawBlog_URP_POTA_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2w2ups1gKIVioXZ5JOo5set-pNUZxCc_KnxeSZTtVBUvKGZXRjNT9jRTNqGxSvUUZJP1t6BYR6z7xJm9H_JwwrciE0UbrF85_A2wvSaVGNhWgMnuXAKRRSE_EQ3DLvvK0SaOVK13xRup/s320/BrawBlog_URP_POTA_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Agent Rob</b> quite agog at those oh-so-special effects!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;">With the big screen having no option but to completely shut up shop and settle for the biggish screen it was left to the concluding part of the recent POTA trilogy to provide last year's top blockbuster thrills. Whilst not quite besting the previous instalment in the story stakes, <b>War For The Planet of the Apes</b> more than made up for it with the amazing (VIP) CGI effects – quite frankly the best you'll see anywhere - the king of the swingers indeed!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0vfGkNGy6isUCoUCIhd6et7Y2FwZZCg6JITRt6hdYZhp9Hri8AohP0V10KUO6GNOsteiOraeEKAaTlN6LxpxP7pBP_NDPJ2HdiU3Ntvam7UW-qujlildPrZrl_SJJi7E3hbuhGmSbu1T/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Solo_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0vfGkNGy6isUCoUCIhd6et7Y2FwZZCg6JITRt6hdYZhp9Hri8AohP0V10KUO6GNOsteiOraeEKAaTlN6LxpxP7pBP_NDPJ2HdiU3Ntvam7UW-qujlildPrZrl_SJJi7E3hbuhGmSbu1T/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Solo_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"I've got a bad feeling about this...."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If ever a film was so desperate, so relentlessly eager to please it had to be the risible <b>The Rise of Skywalker</b>, the absolute nadir of the new <b>Star Wars</b> trilogy. This sorry, stodgy, <i>Han</i>-fisted attempt to tie up the messy, misguided threads of the previous two films (while effectively ret-conning much of the preceding <b>The Last Jedi</b>) is really the ultimate in slick, unimaginative blockbusters - conclusive proof that movies made by committee, steered by 'target markets' and focus groups, with no clear direction or story aren't really anything worthwhile at all. A film so obvious (and actually so pointless) that you're left bemused and angry at having wasted your time with it. Not even <b>Iain McDairmid</b> rocking it as <b>Emperor Palpatine</b> (or a stupid clone of him or whatever) can rescue this steaming pile of <b>Bantha Poodoo</b>, a whiffy mish mash of (presumably) <b>The Force Awakens</b> reheated leftovers and whatever ideas hadn't yet been plundered from the <b>Empire</b> and <b>ROTJ</b> cash cow by the previous two films....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwBoU4E7KCFer4EU1L1TUPne4Wek3VyBPH6ld2bCrLHQt5-TpPrjxYvNF6GMcliyL-ugILiZL9QSs0VmQzy7tZ1O3uT_UVD4pXgNpGf1-IZ5HwThLe_OXhSCDLDdV3Vcs89dDqBNWzMsp/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Brother_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwBoU4E7KCFer4EU1L1TUPne4Wek3VyBPH6ld2bCrLHQt5-TpPrjxYvNF6GMcliyL-ugILiZL9QSs0VmQzy7tZ1O3uT_UVD4pXgNpGf1-IZ5HwThLe_OXhSCDLDdV3Vcs89dDqBNWzMsp/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Brother_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(And just to prove it's not only <i>Star Wars</i> that gets it horribly wrong, <i>Rob</i> has to admit that rewatching <b>Takeshi Kitano</b>'s <b>Brother</b>, his (failed) attempt to reach an American audience, was almost as dispiriting an experience, marred by hammy acting, clunky violence and a general sense of otherwise simply not translating in terms of style and substance....)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl415s3U-2GJhp2KbyAQMvrqCPY_SmM218EYMW0Cc7JfX-Ngi-ULOS5sGpinGJIazLvcc0lb-Uw73t1QQrsnspdNsRqoQNZMXbpbedbCVepXLC0wButj_vEc_hK2bUVVfo3Aib8ZmCsajA/s608/BrawBlog_URP_Irishman_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl415s3U-2GJhp2KbyAQMvrqCPY_SmM218EYMW0Cc7JfX-Ngi-ULOS5sGpinGJIazLvcc0lb-Uw73t1QQrsnspdNsRqoQNZMXbpbedbCVepXLC0wButj_vEc_hK2bUVVfo3Aib8ZmCsajA/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Irishman_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Funny that after slamming <b>MARVEL</b> blockbusters <b>Martin Scorcese</b> then proceeded to release the much trumpeted <b>The Irishman</b>, a film an hour longer than <b>Avengers: Endgame</b> (and that feels like it's twice as long again!). To be frank (<b>Sheeran</b>), aside from the oddities of <b>Joe Pesci</b>'s head floating on a younger man's body, <b>Al Pacino</b>'s magical hair or <b>Robert De Niro</b> squinting through his <b>Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn</b> face – presumably in search of his vanished neck – there was little to recommend this legendary gang's last hurrah. He paints houses... and you'll know what it feels like to sit and watch it dry, likely needing to be digitally de-aged yourself after the epic slog....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpXepbSGKNpSwmtLuxVKsKhoL3q4J6GgwSGf0Px7SyzxTwTNj6VPFDr9IfJYPeKBPujMOElj4PhqqjIG9YpO0pqt7w034Me5Dj2zO4ece2Q4_Pm1FaSXUEWEdc-CezLQazZQhMtIq6X0j/s630/BrawBlog_URP_Elephant_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpXepbSGKNpSwmtLuxVKsKhoL3q4J6GgwSGf0Px7SyzxTwTNj6VPFDr9IfJYPeKBPujMOElj4PhqqjIG9YpO0pqt7w034Me5Dj2zO4ece2Q4_Pm1FaSXUEWEdc-CezLQazZQhMtIq6X0j/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Elephant_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While 2019 was the year of <b><a href="https://talkingpicturestv.co.uk" target="_blank">Talking Pictures TV</a></b> it was <b><a href="https://www.channel4.com" target="_blank">Film/All4</a></b> that snagged the best pictures gong in 2020 with a huge range of diverse and satisfying world/cult/oddity films, from the unforgettable, epic, almost alien, yet humane <b>An Elephant Sitting Still</b> to the emotional and (politically) enlightening <b>A Taxi Driver</b>, via other entrancing gems such as the doe-eyed melancholia of <b>Happy As Lazarro</b>, the raucous slapstick of <b>Men & Chicken</b>, the punishing obsession of <b>Suntan</b>, the twisted humour of <b>I Am Not A Witch</b>, the moody mysticism of <b>Embrace of the Serpent</b>, the plot twists and turns of <b>The Handmaiden</b>, <b>Bruno Ganz</b> tearing it up as <b>Adolf Hitler</b> in <b>Downfall</b>, the bleak power of <b>A Touch of Sin</b> and chilly (<i>Polish</i> <b>Oscar</b> contender) <b>Cold War </b>- films that shone a (welcome) bright, rich light on other countries and cultures....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-zu5wdJgpxJrdTIgFERlKFpbNMOU0HssvYd6cGHFPlaDOIPtpIYwAiNDZ7Z9Dx6LMGTdRKBTAQoZukLyQqjPkDBckKwWiRYalw-IT1D-ZpQEO2gCDevhcvGNIAoHVgEC43lKMWJmtIuW/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Rasputin_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-zu5wdJgpxJrdTIgFERlKFpbNMOU0HssvYd6cGHFPlaDOIPtpIYwAiNDZ7Z9Dx6LMGTdRKBTAQoZukLyQqjPkDBckKwWiRYalw-IT1D-ZpQEO2gCDevhcvGNIAoHVgEC43lKMWJmtIuW/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Rasputin_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Careful, Peter.... There are acids in here...."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nonetheless <i>Talking Pictures</i> still had a few Brit-obscurios to offer, screening the likes of <b>The Medusa Touch</b>, <b>Gumshoe</b>, <b>Billy Liar</b> and <b>Rasputin:The Mad Monk</b>, featuring a wonderful, mesmeric turn from (the late Sir) <b>Christopher Lee</b>....</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-5lF9Uq6s5MT8bi1oBR5GggJb7X7boZNBApG-YOhcqvuiOuD7v2tGtIhBgr8-q5pM88Gtzxip4-e7msnvfFCpDgFNWBxMBTjP0eZ7TEOE7-A4eliwQkGwYuEeQJh0L6YFVlYMOEXTKA6/s600/BrawBlog_URP_HiroshiAbe_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-5lF9Uq6s5MT8bi1oBR5GggJb7X7boZNBApG-YOhcqvuiOuD7v2tGtIhBgr8-q5pM88Gtzxip4-e7msnvfFCpDgFNWBxMBTjP0eZ7TEOE7-A4eliwQkGwYuEeQJh0L6YFVlYMOEXTKA6/s320/BrawBlog_URP_HiroshiAbe_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Hiroshi Abe</b> commutes (just before masks were obligatory)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bonus points have to go to the pleasingly gentle <b>After The Storm</b>'s <b>Hiroshi Abe</b> for having that classic anime hangdog expression in the flesh....</div></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1YzVyt58jdQBzXncWWs7LG9YC5pyzUDtkNEgtT409Uaghgy_LaoFgB9Y96_AHt589sTMn_MLdu42dtTg7S4sT-Yjm8W7qqsc5qbroPr4rAMo1GJuj8sRGIxIKsinPP5JtqaI5XC4THYw/s600/BrawBlog_URP_SixFeet_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1YzVyt58jdQBzXncWWs7LG9YC5pyzUDtkNEgtT409Uaghgy_LaoFgB9Y96_AHt589sTMn_MLdu42dtTg7S4sT-Yjm8W7qqsc5qbroPr4rAMo1GJuj8sRGIxIKsinPP5JtqaI5XC4THYw/s320/BrawBlog_URP_SixFeet_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Why so (deadly) serious....?"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You'd be forgiven for thinking that with so much movie action, that the (not actually any) smaller screen of television would be left for dead and buried. Not so, as <i>Agent Rob</i> still had time to unearth and dust to dust down the tombstone-alike series boxset of <b>HBO</b>'s wonderful <b>Six Feet Under</b>, the dramedy concerning the dysfunctional <b>Fisher</b> family and their barely functioning funeral parlour. There's older brother <b>Nate</b> toiling with his fidelity, middle child <b>David</b> tormented by his homosexuality, and daughter <b>Claire</b> wrestling with her identity while they all, mother <b>Ruth</b> included, grapple with their sense of self and belonging after the father's death. Over the corpse of 5 ever-darkening series it generally stayed true to its course with believable (and believably flawed) characters, remaining insightful and pertinent and, dare <i>Rob</i> type it!, <i>'life-affirming'</i>. Perhaps daughter <b>Claire</b>'s artistic arc was the closest to the show's beating heart for <i>Rob</i> as he watched her transform from doe-eyed arts scene devotee to dead-eyed farts seen disenchantee(?) - it certainly struck a (painful and fairly bitter) chord. That said, a Series 3 episode did as good a job of any of evoking that (often misguided, usually drunken, yet) invigorating sense of creative wonder and possibility that can grip like-minded individuals and inspire them to reach for greater heights.... until they wake up hung over and depressed in the unforgiving low of the following afternoon....</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So how d'you follow a show (primarily) about death? Maybe with all 7 series of the comedy vs. dramedy of <b>Showtime</b>'s <b>Nurse Jackie</b>, the lovable-ish drug addicted ER mainstay who'll stop at nothing and no one to feed her habit. No doubt it's a fine, ahem, line to pitch your show around an anti-heroine and try to keep the audience on side for all that time. (Though there's no doubt in Rob's mind that the open-ended series finale should be it – he couldn't help himself but loathe <i>Jackie</i> by the climax and absolutely hoped she got exactly what was coming to her....)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTMsM-3r3Gm-6qfhN69m2v17amCJpKx4tlutfI_j7e7PxWYuwx6afKKK_YhClC7EIJXdHiaBmMaWcF4nPtNy_D6TQMwrYtAiUTslymZcGUURNRtrRqAB1Dud302KuvKolhx98FrRHWkYJ/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Shadows_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTMsM-3r3Gm-6qfhN69m2v17amCJpKx4tlutfI_j7e7PxWYuwx6afKKK_YhClC7EIJXdHiaBmMaWcF4nPtNy_D6TQMwrYtAiUTslymZcGUURNRtrRqAB1Dud302KuvKolhx98FrRHWkYJ/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Shadows_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From
funeral parlour to ER to the undead of <b>What We Do In The Shadows</b>....
that's 2020 for you in a knutshell.... Still, this show dug up a wonderful second
series of satisfying vamp-antics that kept <i>Agent Rob</i> chuckling till
well after sunrise. How rare that a spin-off should easily surpass
the original (film). Here's hoping there's plenty more (after)life in this
old dog yet....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlSS71SdGZ6hr2VrFvjetkboYCSJvlI4xIGAigaQiGUFY-1c0Sm8slkcDCjx5U8tvqJ6BZOJ8m910ELcYqiee17o-J-rmYWsAA_SnvaI5PmiGfZyUNNXjM90uH9bMrEo8EaWJAhz8BmwS/s563/BrawBlog_URP_Dracula_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlSS71SdGZ6hr2VrFvjetkboYCSJvlI4xIGAigaQiGUFY-1c0Sm8slkcDCjx5U8tvqJ6BZOJ8m910ELcYqiee17o-J-rmYWsAA_SnvaI5PmiGfZyUNNXjM90uH9bMrEo8EaWJAhz8BmwS/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Dracula_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Claes Bang? Fangs.... but no fangs....</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, for all their bombast, the <b>BBC</b> spent most of 2020 flopping around (and doubtless spending millions of pounds in doing so). First (belly) up was the much-heralded and (a bit too) stylish adaptation of <b>Bram Stoker</b>'s <b>Dracula</b>. For all there were a few good scares it lacked bite, failing to match the unsettling chilly creepiness of <b>Herzog</b>'s <b>Nosferatu</b> nor equal the sheer <b>Technicolor</b> Gothic grandeur of <b>Hammer</b>, spending too much time trying to impress with it's witty one liners and (admittedly) clever-clever spinning of the plot plates, spotted as they were with the fingerprints of those past masters of the post-modern tweak, <b>Steven Moffat</b> and <b>Mark Gatiss</b>. By the final episode the comedy and horror was failing on both counts – three counts if you include <b>Claes Bang'</b>s puzzling Vegas entertainer-cum-chummy wideboy performance not helping matters much, rendering the bloodthirsty moments oddly toothless and wasting his proper (<i>'could have been a contender'</i>) Count credentials....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIttLYixy4PXLdHuqgPvGkSF-RRpwim8b0p-pK9HUeXoleNYZuSOHq6ahyphenhyphenrT-M3DmF4dIlPjP-eGJTCu1tgo1_tlKNMZNtCjjogSXlsbHtOITld0jfOdEyROai8sjlYFI-YTjUU6cdoFjW/s480/BrawBlog_URP_Ogilvy_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIttLYixy4PXLdHuqgPvGkSF-RRpwim8b0p-pK9HUeXoleNYZuSOHq6ahyphenhyphenrT-M3DmF4dIlPjP-eGJTCu1tgo1_tlKNMZNtCjjogSXlsbHtOITld0jfOdEyROai8sjlYFI-YTjUU6cdoFjW/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Ogilvy_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was more (unwarranted) post-modern tinkering to be found in the similarly stylish (but unnecessarily tweaked and needlessly) convoluted adaptation of <b>H. G. Wells</b>'s <b>War of The Worlds</b>. Given the quality of the source material it was a shame to see the attention to period detail and FX budget squandered on an (admittedly interesting-ish but) half-baked post-Mars invasion version of Earth, now reduced to an apocalyptic wasteland – tho it did mean more screentime for <b>Robert Carlyle</b>'s intriguing, <b>William Hartnell</b>-esque turn, as the mysteriously disfigured scientist <b>Ogilvy</b>. This expansion did set up a nice twist in the opening tale but from there on things began to flounder and lose all shape (though some nice instrumental music somewhat salvaged the finale)....</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6vJkXE65-jZQM9wKV_73Wruvyql8WoEQvI_CtJjUMSRcolqrtL6h7KUHQFjoRj1izwAWAm2r3e2-VzbcBOc7mbvlTZfu99SQdJCseoYkN7JcBS0bdEfDx37NcYH__wEDgxbKodGbCGP0/s600/BrawBlog_URP_Konstantin_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6vJkXE65-jZQM9wKV_73Wruvyql8WoEQvI_CtJjUMSRcolqrtL6h7KUHQFjoRj1izwAWAm2r3e2-VzbcBOc7mbvlTZfu99SQdJCseoYkN7JcBS0bdEfDx37NcYH__wEDgxbKodGbCGP0/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Konstantin_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">"See ya...."</div></span><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Is it genius or is it simply overcooked? Once again the <i>BBC</i> seem unable to not let a success go to their heads with this highly watchable, wonderfully performed but simply puzzling and confounding third series.... Not so much <b>Killing Eve</b> as a feeling of <i>'Treading Water'</i> unfortunately, with <b>Jodie Comer</b>'s captivating turn as <i>Eve</i> - there's something of <b>Peter Cook</b> in her blank, impassive stare - just about keeping things afloat....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Even more perplexing was the second series of <b>His Dark Materials</b>, the tv show that looks good enough to eat.... but tastes like cardboard, such is its complete lack of engagement – Scot <b>James Cosmo</b> managed one scene of decent dramatic heft in series 1 – to the point of being too dry to follow and swallow, everyone acting so deadly serious, so achingly sincere that the show has absolutely no warmth beyond the dazzling visuals. A dish (not at its) best served cold.... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By contrast in sticking too close to the book('s penchance for page after page of thorough stodge) the immaculately presented <b>The Name of The Rose</b> bogged itself down to the point of disinterest by too often indulging the book's convoluted historical setting. <i>Agent Rob</i>'ll happily stick with the <b>Cadfael</b>-lite (themselves pretty good books) film version with the late <b>Sean Connery</b>. No praise be, sorry....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhF4Vmxer7CwEWTDRA4NBUsjCu9XAOSUX7sncYX_H63vtlDDqj6lmdce5LJypCwXKBXWrFozIeyEBqLZd_QA5oZiVYovT8jM6VNC0FEPoO8cYmjDhNvRwCrbIegTYuzE9skQlBDq92tpkS/s482/BrawBlog_URP_KillingII_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhF4Vmxer7CwEWTDRA4NBUsjCu9XAOSUX7sncYX_H63vtlDDqj6lmdce5LJypCwXKBXWrFozIeyEBqLZd_QA5oZiVYovT8jM6VNC0FEPoO8cYmjDhNvRwCrbIegTYuzE9skQlBDq92tpkS/s320/BrawBlog_URP_KillingII_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">"I could really go a bar of chocolate right now...."</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Even ever-reliable <b>Nordic Noir</b> failed to raise temperatures this year as <b>Darkness: Those Who Kill</b> (a nordic-noir too far for sure!) delved too deep (even for <i>Rob</i>) with its grisly scenes of kidnap and teen torture, while <b>The Killing II</b> was simply disappointing, slopping all over the amateur shop - some of the best laughs of the year were watching poor portly <b>Nicolas Bro</b> shovel food into his gob at the most inopportune of moments....</div></div><div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWE5z5gXu9BASty8YhtWP9xSiITRyW41rUGmRc91mkk76E4bE3YyVK2iDlOuJM83N6IK-WLMcGCSIeh9qSNDTqxn5dOiEOrbU9BdniF3ZrXjCv-uuJgyF-cnAUfA9iokyGha-WAhjUc6qi/s450/BrawBlog_URP_Yoda_WEB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWE5z5gXu9BASty8YhtWP9xSiITRyW41rUGmRc91mkk76E4bE3YyVK2iDlOuJM83N6IK-WLMcGCSIeh9qSNDTqxn5dOiEOrbU9BdniF3ZrXjCv-uuJgyF-cnAUfA9iokyGha-WAhjUc6qi/s320/BrawBlog_URP_Yoda_WEB.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"I've got a bad feeling about this too...." </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Lone Wolf and Cub</b> + <b>The Man With No Name</b> + (not quite) <b>Boba Fett</b> + (not quite) <b>Yoda</b> + genre tropes + no imagination whatsoever = <b>The Mandalorian</b> AKA <b>The Biggest Disappointment of the Year</b> (and hot on the heels of <i>'The Flop of Skywalker'</i> too). Created (which in this case actually means appropriated from someone else's ideas altogether, plundering the OT, EU and CW for any cool stuff to distract from the middling stories) by <b>Jon Favreau</b> and hewn from the same grit and sh*t <i>Star Wars</i> universe that delivered the likable but limp <b>Rogue One</b>, the show sure looked a (hundred) million dollars (of FX). A shame then that the often clunky direction and tired (and tiresome) plots - the double cross, the Mexican standoff, the shootout, the siege, the one last job, the suppressed yawn, the predictable eye-roll - were even more worn out than <i>Agent Rob</i>'s work socks! A complete immunity to the charm of <b>Baby Yoda </b>certainly didn't help matters, proving that the best years of <i>Star Wars</i> really were a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">*About now Rob's assuming most readers will have given up on his (genuinely) ill-informed opinions ,but thankfully we've reached the end of this part as it is. (Plus, for all it took to read, can you imagine how much time he wasted putting all this together?!) How can he possibly favour wannabe <i>'woke'</i> '<i>BBPC'</i> krenk like <i>Doctor Who</i> over slick <i>SW</i> fan favourite <i>The Mandalorian</i>? Truth be told the (other) good <i>Doctor</i> wins simply by trying – writers like <i>Steven Moffat</i> and <i>Chris Chibnall</i> were/are out to better what's gone before, and truly believe they are. The case is comprehensively closed when you realise that absolutely anyone (with a bunch of old <i>Star Wars</i> toys to bash together) could write the predictable, fan pandering fluff that <i>Favreau</i>/<b>Disney</b> are currently churning out. I have spoken.</div><span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, we all know the opinion on opinions so hopefully that won't stop anyone from agreeing to disagreeing to joining us for Part 2 where we'll cover (in a far more favourable light) books, music and comics. Altogether now, <i>"Haw hooo! Hoo hee hahoo hahoo!"</i>....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/-byz3qwM5wI" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kult - Piloci (Official Audio)</span></div></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-16998727308714309482021-01-31T04:11:00.056-08:002021-02-25T06:58:39.383-08:00Sketch Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UNz9_be7atF-yOiRL69Yq5j-sE6aLNjYoIn7HbL4rZ0WOceT9dVHi_EOfQiOxRnZvqEHLrtja7HA7sittlc1a9iaNBwuv7O5ysO4jupLFa0J8R71W8tkwUHAfBMBOVXFl0Fbz4ebBeSi/s955/SS_2017_75.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UNz9_be7atF-yOiRL69Yq5j-sE6aLNjYoIn7HbL4rZ0WOceT9dVHi_EOfQiOxRnZvqEHLrtja7HA7sittlc1a9iaNBwuv7O5ysO4jupLFa0J8R71W8tkwUHAfBMBOVXFl0Fbz4ebBeSi/s320/SS_2017_75.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"All you know.... has just slipped away...."</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Indeed it has, leaving our resident <i>'production Brawbot'</i> <b>Rob</b> incapacitated (to say the least!)... As such all incoming and outgoing transmissions are currently on hold until such a time as he recovers - he's found his feet but he ain't too steady, Eddie....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Still, there's plenty here to be going on with and even more action at the (similarly unanticipated painful contact with the ground to a halt) <b><a href="https://eclecticdreamzzz.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Eclectic Dreamzzz</a></b> blog....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3eStrZBhFcMqbV4JniPvcAUck3YJyTzhKxXqK8H9NAXoN3C2PX5oAwkg3u_KPAz-DBLVKiizspqGdmp6BCQAMSAToxFQVWniVgGD6WA77PK3t6o9cgy5mNpPIVzngL-odvE33jR26s9n/s900/BrawBlog_Lulu1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3eStrZBhFcMqbV4JniPvcAUck3YJyTzhKxXqK8H9NAXoN3C2PX5oAwkg3u_KPAz-DBLVKiizspqGdmp6BCQAMSAToxFQVWniVgGD6WA77PK3t6o9cgy5mNpPIVzngL-odvE33jR26s9n/s320/BrawBlog_Lulu1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia3Nr6lsDz3d8thPwh_AmniXtHCqY5Jj6XaN1ipR3m3co4Sl9vOyXCh3zqDpTjKLJD98q5F8CAIdY-h07pkzlkAQZj1k1FaeLPQnPk1SuNUoxYs-X3RlnjjtIRoGhGcoGSA0-lQ5KPDkl/s900/BrawBlog_Lulu2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia3Nr6lsDz3d8thPwh_AmniXtHCqY5Jj6XaN1ipR3m3co4Sl9vOyXCh3zqDpTjKLJD98q5F8CAIdY-h07pkzlkAQZj1k1FaeLPQnPk1SuNUoxYs-X3RlnjjtIRoGhGcoGSA0-lQ5KPDkl/s320/BrawBlog_Lulu2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And only if it doesn't hurt when you laugh then why not consider parting with a nice bunch of grapes for one of <b>Braw Books</b> life-affirming tomes over at <a href="https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/evilweecomics" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/evilweecomics</a> (or at least have a trial run with our <b>FREE</b> sampler <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/trd5f5k8bsv6vvn/COMPLETE_BrawSampler_Feb2017.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">here>></a>)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmAZsYn37qDAGrJtO6GJDqQ7WyyASO82liZEyB2VOK8CIipCgYmlDXGdIEr8-QL-MwPnofSAtMVItx0vKJFpW-fVDUTXKEMTik-YOyfs2AfFogfVBIVhM6MBo8lh9nMk7-LqbnDKDfnFZ/s998/SS_2017_97.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmAZsYn37qDAGrJtO6GJDqQ7WyyASO82liZEyB2VOK8CIipCgYmlDXGdIEr8-QL-MwPnofSAtMVItx0vKJFpW-fVDUTXKEMTik-YOyfs2AfFogfVBIVhM6MBo8lh9nMk7-LqbnDKDfnFZ/s320/SS_2017_97.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>Agent Rob</b> will return.... in the (un)fashionably late <b>UndergRound Up of the Year</b> (2020)....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/Fo_CM6QvBNg" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Fo_CM6QvBNg/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Acetone - All You Know</span></div>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3466359678817461609.post-55535252340835773532021-01-24T04:11:00.000-08:002021-01-24T04:11:01.987-08:00Sketch Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82KhRiggP-hMwiVkxDgooC6pWlG1tgrzgCo8fnsrK0lQm3BWwaBc8h58fMiBQnPAPG8Om6JXVtDGHmcUiKic12nlWwgKK0tVqTcwcLih3X0xgtGM_8CyJMx8N1flI9Y7SGXC0VvBb5z6n/s635/SS_2017_74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82KhRiggP-hMwiVkxDgooC6pWlG1tgrzgCo8fnsrK0lQm3BWwaBc8h58fMiBQnPAPG8Om6JXVtDGHmcUiKic12nlWwgKK0tVqTcwcLih3X0xgtGM_8CyJMx8N1flI9Y7SGXC0VvBb5z6n/s320/SS_2017_74.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aeub2XPAiCkb7SilxDmCBSotiPbim1FMnLSGUrepRP7AAoCxpqJ3zYQVluvy9emd4W_NwydWDZf911YWy1evWUvGS1GSsCdGbOzvH_Q03RZb522hb5O0marefG_PoSJGnbW9N5WKOhmg/s1022/SS_2017_72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aeub2XPAiCkb7SilxDmCBSotiPbim1FMnLSGUrepRP7AAoCxpqJ3zYQVluvy9emd4W_NwydWDZf911YWy1evWUvGS1GSsCdGbOzvH_Q03RZb522hb5O0marefG_PoSJGnbW9N5WKOhmg/s320/SS_2017_72.jpg" /></a></div><p></p>noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16958392405874755331noreply@blogger.com0