Comments on: Chavez Ravine

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 05:33:45 +0000

This album is “Brilliant” (and I rarely say that about anything. I just drove from Houston to Miami and literally listened to “Chavez Ravine” the entire way. It’s a sad story beautifully told.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 02 Aug 2005 05:19:46 +0000

Very nice record – listening now.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 11:23:15 +0000

Yes, Chinatown’s brilliant, Brownie. Watched Two Jakes on video the other night – very disappointing!

By: Brownie

Brownie — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 10:15:36 +0000

Thanks Mark, for the link to the LA book. I only see the Raymond Chandler noir LA. and of course ChinaTown (SC: Robert Towne) is THE movie. The R.Altman Long Goodbye comes in a good second.

By: Ampersand Duck

Ampersand Duck — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 02:57:54 +0000

One of the best things about Ry Cooder is his ability to shift silkily through different types of music and still produce the goods. Thanks for the review.

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.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 02:10:22 +0000

That’s true, Amanda.

Houses win no books are even more disturbing.

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 01:01:48 +0000

Re: taste. We spent most of the weekend downloading tracks to Mr.Kate’s new iPod and, dear god, we’ve got some dreck in our CD collection.

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.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 19:20:05 +0000

It’s not about taste per se. I just get creeped out by houses with only a dozen cds of popular stuff which you know they just bought for parties. Also houses with only half a dozen books disturb in the same way. As Penn and Teller say, everybody got a gris gris. This is mine.

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.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 12:57:03 +0000

I think Amanda has previously patted me on the back for liking Neko Case, Kate!

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.

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 12:02:18 +0000

Ah, music makeovers. I know a few candidates…

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.