I too went to one of those parties on the weekend (hits of the 80s, Norah Jones, something world muzacky) and made my excuses quite quickly from sheer annoyance. I wonder if it was the same party? Naa, probably hundreds of them Australia every saturday night. I don’t know why they bother buying cds when the radio is playing exactly the same mix.

Houses win no books are even more disturbing.

For instance: at one point, I actually purchased a Cafe del Mar album. It had one song on it I really wanted, and the rest was that boring as hell ambient music (circa 1999) that makes me feel like vomiting. We downloaded it by mistake and now we’re wondering how to un-load it.

Mr.Kate also has Guns ‘n’ Roses, purchased a few short weeks ago. Aggagh. He is unperturbed by my horror at this.

And I patted you on the head Mark, not the back (careful not to disturb the tin tin spike.) If you’re going to be an insufferable music poseur, best to be as patronising as possible to pull it off.

Album duly purchased, Irant. Will have a listen tomorrow.

Brownie - as a City of Quartz fan, you should read some of his more recent stuff. Also, this is another good book on LA urban history and displaced communities.

I’m pretty passionate about music but I’m not sure Amanda would like my taste–though we share a love of Johnny Cash, I would think, and possibly an admiration of Ryan Adams and Lucinda Williams. Neko Case also?

But anyway, I like my alterna-rock and pop, mostly. And I’ll have to have a listen to this album, thanks Irant, it sounds wonderful.

I readily admit that I have a musical elitist snob mode. I have often gone through friends CDs explaining why they should not have certain CDs in their collection. Then I am forever banned going through their collection again.

I actually went through a Pink Floyd/Eagles period in my first year at Uni. Have not listened to either since then.

For rock and soul covers, check out The Detroit Cobras. They only do covers yet sound quite original.

A special place in my hell is reserved for those who own a copy of Barnsey’s “Soul” Album. Jesus wept.

Amanda, I think there needs to be a music makeover show. The hosts go into some unsuspecting peron’s home, totally trash their CD collection, humilate then for their taste and then replace it with cool approved grooves.

You may be interested in Mike Davis’ great book on LA, City of Quartz in this connection.

The arichtect I’ve seen most mentioned in connection with Chavez Ravine was on Richard Neutra. He was to design the original project that never was built.

I should buy this album. I have heard a few songs — those that are *cough*publically available*cough* and I love them. I find ry quite hard to get a grip on, onee every album he seems to have a new perona or style, I really need to sit down and deliberately take stock.

I was at a party tonight, the hosts had about two dozen CDs and the best one among them was Buena Vista Social Club which is just a bit tres, tres cool for me. It was one of those pathetic CD “collections”, you know the type, which had one from each genre represented on FM breakfast radio. One Dr Dre, one Norah Jones, one Cafe del Mar, one Abba best of, one Ministry of Sound , one pseudo funky world muzak thing. Meticulously compiled to be played in the background and never actually listened to. Anyhoo, I should go to bed and stop insulting my hosts!