Sinister: [NBSC] big-eyed beasties, books, and country. and a trip down sin ister memory lane

[Hopkins, Tim]

Claire wrote:

	>Tarsiers:  saucer-eyed, insect-eating midget monkey.

For any interested listees, I can confirm that Tarsiers would run lemurs very close in a battle
of the cutest.  
Look: http://homepages.iol.ie/~spice/images/tarsier.htm

Although what form a battle of cuteness would take, I'm not sure. I would like to see it though.

Debbie wrote:

	> Also, can anyone recommend any good music biogs? I'm hooked on them at the
	> moment for some reason and am currently reading one on the wonderful Patti
	> Smith but am nearly finished and would like to know what else is good.
	> Thanks!

Although I absolutely adore Brian Wilson's 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', which is the ultimate in
unreliable autobiographies, most of the music books I like tend to concentrate on a style.
Barney Hoskyns' recently reprinted 'Say It One Time For The Brokenhearted: The Country Side Of
Southern Soul' was the start of a musical passion for me which hasn't died. 
The Rough Guide To Reggae, which Pebble Miller At One has been on about lately is also a great
handbook and a cool read. 
Jon Savage's book on Punk Rock, 'England's Dreaming', is also fantastic, although not as
fantastic as my number one favourite book on music ever, Parsons and Burchill's 'The Boy Looked
At Johnny. For the most part untrue, and for the rest ill-advised, it's bile-filled and 500 mph
and hateful and nasty and utterly P!O!P!. Savage tells you how it was, Tony and Julie give an
idea of how it *felt*.
I have to say that I think Clinton Heylin is a bit of a twerp, and a dull archivist.
Adam, the author of the fine 'Heroes And Villains' Beach Boys biog. is one Steven Gaines, by the
way.

The Duke wrote
	>i too remember that record, and remember thinking when i first heard it
	>that it was, basically, The Chesterfields.

I remember drunkenly asking someone whether they were the bass player of the Chesterf!elds once,
when he plainly looked nothing like him. Odd.

The Duke also wrote:

	>The cover CD is good though, and makes me want to hear more of quite a few of the
	>newer groups.

Funnily enough, I'm listening to that right now. You are right, some of it is fine, although I
have to say that the Flying Burrito Brothers track does a good impression of pissing all over
the others from a great height. My objection to the who 'new country' thing is that it seems to
be yet another attempt to sell us more or less insipid, more or less corporate folk rock (of the
kind so beloved by the bosses of major record labels) under a new name, to try and make it sound
exciting. That's what I think anyway. I adore country music, but not much of this stuff passes
muster.
Of course it's not the artists' fault that they've been lumped into a pigeonhole. I just hate
the pigeonholing. On the other hand, it is the artists fault if they make boring music. Which
some of these folks seem to.

The duke(it must be school holidays or something), also wrote:

	>well there's a hefty chunk in my upcoming book (plug plug - but no pics,
	>sorry) 'Young And Foolish'  

You neglected to tell us when your upcoming book, Young And Foolish, will be published. And who
by, and for how much it will be on sale at good booksellers near us. ;-)

Oh, and a little tip for the new listies who I just *know* are all on their way to 
http://www.majordomo.net/sinister/
in order to brush up on the bits of the list FAQ (particularly points 11 and 12) that they
didn't understand the first time, why not do yourselves a favour. Go to the 'search' page, and
search on the words 'song snake'. You'll need to search all months, but only titles and authors.
Read Mr. Leonard's message. You won't regret it. I promise. If you have some time to spend, look
up the word 'lemur' too. And tell me whether Tarsiers are cuter, or not.

Duke, would it make you feel any better if I told you they weren't bagpipes?

Thought not

This old town's filled with sin,

Tim   
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