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‘The British Mod subculture of the mid-1960s was musically centred on blues and later soul music, performed by artists that were not available in small London clubs around which the scene was based. As a result a number of mod bands emerged to fill this gap. These included The Small Faces, The Creation, The Action and most successfully The Who. Because of the very different circumstances from which they came, and in which they played, the rhythm and blues these bands produced was very different in tone from that of African American artists, often with more emphasis on guitars and sometimes with greater energy. Most of these bands rapidly moved on from recording and performing American standards to writing and recording their own music, often leaving their blues roots behind.
‘The blues boom overlapped, both chronologically and in terms of personnel, with the earlier, wider rhythm and blues phase, which had begun to peter out in the mid-1960s leaving a nucleus of instrumentalists with a wide knowledge of blues forms and techniques, which they would carry into the pursuit of more purist blues interests. John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers were well known in the London Jazz and emerging R&B; circuits, but the Bluesbreakers began to gain some national and international attention, particularly after the release of the Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton album (1966), considered one of the seminal British blues recordings. This album became something of a classic combination for British blues (and later rock) guitarists, and also made clear the primacy of the guitar, seen as a distinctive characteristic of the sub-genre.
‘Peter Green started what is called “second great epoch of British blues”, as he replaced Clapton in the Bluesbreakers after his departure to form Cream. In 1967, after one record with the Bluesbreakers, Green, with the Bluesbreaker’s rhythm section Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, formed Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood Mac are often considered to have produced some of the finest work in the sub-genre, with inventive interpretations of Chicago Blues. They were also the most commercially successful group, with their eponymous début album reaching the UK top 5 in early 1968.
‘The next wave of bands, formed from about 1967, like Cream, Fleetwood Mac, Ten Years After and Free, pursued a different route, retaining blues standards in their repertoire and producing original material that often shied away from obvious pop influences, placing an emphasis on individual virtuosity. The result has been characterised as blues-rock and arguably marked the beginnings of a separation of pop and rock music that was to be a feature of the record industry for several decades. Some artists, like Alexis Korner and Mayall, continued to play a “pure” form of the blues, but largely outside of mainstream notice.
‘A rapid decline began at the end of 1960s. Surviving bands and musicians tended to move into other expanding areas of rock music. Some, like Jethro Tull moved away from 12-bar structures and harmonicas into complex, classical-influenced progressive rock. Some played a loud version of blues rock, that became the foundation for hard rock and heavy metal. Led Zeppelin, formed by former Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page, on their first two albums, both released in 1969, fused heavy blues and amplified rock to create what has been seen as a watershed in the development of hard rock and nascent heavy metal. Later recordings would mix in elements of folk and mysticism, which would also be a major influence on heavy metal music.’ — collaged
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John Mayall & the Blues Breakers
‘John Mayall is often referred to as the “Father of the British blues.” His well-known band is still called John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. They started out in the late 1950s in England, using Chicago style blues as a st
arting basis for their sound, which has evolved from album to album. Many members of the Bluesbreakers have gone on to great fame and fortune with other bands and as solo acts, including Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Mick Taylor. The studio album recorded with Clapton, entitled John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, was recorded in 1966, and is widely considered to be one of the great classic blues albums on either side of the stormy Atlantic.’ — collaged
‘Stormy Monday’ (live, ’65)
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Cream
‘Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup whose sound was characterised by a hybrid of blues rock, hard rock and psychedelic rock, combining the psychedelia-themed lyrics, Eric Clapton’s blues guitar playing, Jack Bruce’s voice and prominent bass playing and Ginger Baker’s jazz-influenced drumming. The group’s third album, Wheels of Fire, was the world’s first platinum-selling double album. Cream’s music included songs based on traditional blues, modern blues, as well as more eccentric songs. Cream made a significant impact upon the popular music of the time, and, along with Jimi Hendrix, popularised the use of the wah-wah pedal.’ — collaged
‘N.S.U.’ (’66)
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The Jeff Beck Group
‘The Jeff Beck Group was an English rock band formed in London in January 1967 by former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck. The other members included included the then very young vocalist Rod Stewart, rhythm guitarist Ronnie Wood, with bass players and drummers changing regularly. Their innovative approach to heavy sounding blues and R&B; was a major influence on popular music. Their first album Truth is regarded as a seminal work of heavy metal because of its use of blues toward a hard rock approach. This was confirmed in 2010 by Rhapsody, which called the album one of the all-time best “proto-metal” records. After a second and heavier album, Beck-Ola, Beck broke up the band in 1969 on the eve of the Woodstock Music Festival, altthough they had been scheduled to play there. This is something that Beck now regrets.’ — collaged
‘Beck’s Bolero’ (’66)
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The Yardbirds
‘The Yardbirds are mostly known to the casual rock fan as the starting point for three of the greatest British rock guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, but they were truly one of the great rock bands; one whose contributions went far beyond the scope of their half dozen or so mid-’60s hits (“For Your Love,” “Heart Full of Soul,” “Shapes of Things,” “I’m a Man,” “Over Under Sideways Down,” “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago”). Not content to limit themselves to the blues covers they concentrated upon initially, they quickly branched out into moody, increasingly experimental blues/pop/rock. Their innovations redefined the role of the guitar in rock music, breaking immense ground in the use of feedback, distortion, and amplification with finesse and breathtaking virtuosity.’ — collaged
‘I’m a Man’ (live, ’67)
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Eric Burdon & the Animals
‘One of the most important bands originating from England’s Blues and R&B; scene during the early ’60s, the Animals were second only to the Rolling Stones in influence among R&B;/Blues-based bands in the first wave of the British Invasion. Known for their gritty, raw, bluesy sound and hard-voiced frontman Eric Burdon, as exemplified by their signature songs “House of the Rising Sun” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”, the band underwent numerous personnel changes, while influencing the later heavy metal music with the riffs of their rock songs such as “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” and “It’s My Life”. They emerged as an exponent of psychedelic music before dissolving at the end of the decade.’ — collaged
‘When I Was Young’ (live, ’67)
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Ten Years After
‘Ten Years After is a British blues-rock quartet consisting of Alvin Lee, guitar and vocals; Chick Churchill, keyboards; Leo Lyons, bass; and Ric Lee, drums. The group was formed in 1967 in England. Their first album was not a success, but their second, the live Undead (1968) containing “I’m Going Home,” a six-minute blues workout by the fleet-fingered Alvin, hit the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Stonedhenge (1969) hit the U.K. Top Ten in early 1969. Ten Years After’s U.S. breakthrough came as a result of their appearance at Woodstock, at which they played a nine-minute version of “I’m Going Home.” Alvin wasn’t the most superb, technically gifted musician in the world. But he never stood on stage with a cold grin on his face, churning out his lightning-speed guitar fills out of pure self-indulgency and a burning desire to fill the top spot in any of the innumerable ‘best guitar players’ chart. Ten Years After split up in 1974.’ — collaged
‘Good Morning Little School Girl’ (live, ’68)
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Led Zeppelin
‘Led Zeppelin created the blueprint for heavy metal, but much of the Brit rock band’s hard-hitting sound was based on American blues. Their first two albums, with their heavy, guitar-driven blues rock sound, led to Led Zeppelin being regularly cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal and hard rock, even though the band’s individualistic style drew from varied sources and transcends any single music genre. Subsequent albums saw greater musical experimentation and were accompanied by record-breaking tours, which, like the group’s previous tours, earned them a reputation for excess. In the later 1970s the band’s output and touring schedule were limited by the personal difficulties and circumstances of the members. Led Zeppelin disbanded following drummer John Bonham’s sudden death in 1980.’ — collaged
‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’ (live, ’68)
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Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac
‘The roots of Fleetwood Mac lie in John Mayall’s legendary British blues outfit, the Bluesbreakers. Bassist John McVie was one of the charter members of the Bluesbreakers, joining the group in 1963. In 1966 Peter Green replaced Eric Clapton, and a year later drummer Mick Fleetwood joined. Inspired by the success of Cream, the Yardbirds, and Jimi Hendrix, the trio decided to break away from Mayall in 1967. Their first album Fleetwood Mac was an enormous hit in the U.K., spending over a year in the Top Ten. Fleetwood Mac released English Rose and Then Play On during 1969, which both indicated that the band was expanding its music, moving away from its blues purist roots. That year, Green’s “Man of the World” and “Oh Well” were number two hits. Though his music was providing the backbone of the group, Peter Green was growing increasingly disturbed due to his large ingestion of hallucinogenic drugs. After announcing that he was planning to give all of his earnings away, Green suddenly left the band in the spring of 1970.’ — collaged
‘Oh Well’ (live, ’69)
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Free
‘Most remarkable about the birth of Free was the young age of the band members who first came together to rehearse and play on 19 April 1968. Bass player Andy Fraser was 15 years old, lead guitarist Paul Kossoff was 17, and both lead singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke were 18. By the early 1970s, Free was one of the biggest-selling British blues-rock groups; by the time the band dissolved in 1973, they had sold more than 20 million albums around the world and had played more than 700 arena and festival concerts. “All Right Now,” remains a rock staple, and had been entered into ASCAP’s “One Million” airplay singles club. In April 1971, due to differences between singer Paul Rodgers and bassist Andy Fraser, the drug problems of guitarist Paul Kossoff, and inconsistent record sales, the band broke up.’ — collaged
‘All Right Now’ (live, ’69)
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Jethro Tull
‘Jethro Tull was a unique phenomenon in popular music history. Their mix of hard rock; folk melodies; blues licks; and surreal, impossibly dense lyrics defied easy analysis, but that didn’t dissuade fans from giving them 11 gold and five platinum albums. Tull had its roots in the British blues boom of the late ’60s. At the time, a lot of blues enthusiasts didn’t accept wind instruments at all, especially the flute, as seminal to the sound they were looking for, and as a group struggling for success and recognition, Jethro Tull was just a little too strange in that regard. Guitarist Abrahams was a hardcore blues enthusiast who idolized British blues godfather Alexis Korner, but the audience for British blues by itself couldn’t elevate Jethro Tull any higher than being a top club act. Singer Ian Anderson’s antics on-stage, jumping around in a ragged overcoat and standing on one leg while playing the flute, and his use of folk sources as well as blues and jazz, gave the band the potential to grab a bigger audience and some much-needed press attention.’ — collaged
‘Nothing is Easy’ (live, ’69)
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Taste
‘During the latter half of the 1960s, during the peak of the British blues-rock craze, Ireland’s Taste, featuring Rory Gallagher, impressed crowds wherever they played. Featuring Gallagher’s extraordinary fretwork and dynamic showmanship, the band toured with superstars like Yes and Blind Faith, and even performed at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. Yet Taste never caught a break, and although influential and popular in England and Ireland, they never broke through to a U.S. audience. Taste released two studio albums: the self-titled Taste in 1969 and On The Boards in 1970. The critically-acclaimed On The Boards entered the Top 20 in England and featured a mix of guitar-driven blues, traditional boogie-rock, and even a pair of acoustic ballads, all showcasing Gallagher’s flaming fretwork and bottleneck slide guitar skills.’ — collaged
‘Blister on the Moon’ (live, ’69)
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Jimi Hendrix Experience
‘Under speaking name of this institution, connected with the outstanding American singer and guitarist Jimi Hendix, it is possible to guess about all most. Certainly, Jimi Hendrix Blues Club is, first of all, a blues-club, and unique club in St.-Petersburg where it is possible to hear the real American blues in excellent execution. This small cozy place is on the left coast of Neva, in the center Northern capital – on the Foundry prospectus, being one of city trunk mains. Laid in parallel Neva, the highway begins from street Fuchika (at once behind the Foundry bridge) and leaves on Rastrelli’s area. Jimi Hendix is the elite club devoted to the most elite music of all times and the people. On a scene here every day leave well-known and not so blues musicians, and to find here a free little table in the evenings – very much and very uneasy. Except a magnificent live blues, visitors have possibility to look at video with legendary Jimi Hendix and Eric Clapton’s the most known performances.’ — hendrix-club.ru
‘Red House’ (live, ’69)
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Blodwyn Pig
‘Blodwyn Pig were a British blues–rock group founded by guitarist–vocalist–songwriter Mick Abrahams, after he left Jethro Tull in 1968 due to a falling-out with Tull leader Ian Anderson. Blodwyn Pig recorded two albums, Ahead Rings Out in 1969 and Getting To This in 1970. Both reached the Top Ten of the UK Albums Chart and charted in the United States; Ahead Rings Out displayed a jazzier turn on the heavy blues–rock that formed the band’s core rooted in the British 1960s rhythm and blues scene from which sprang groups like The Yardbirds, Free and eventually Led Zeppelin. Saxophonist–singer Lancaster (who often played two horns at once, like his idol Rahsaan Roland Kirk) was at least as prominent in the mix as Abrahams; some critics thought this contrast bumped the band toward a freer, more experimental sound on the second album.’ — collaged
‘See My Way’ (live, ’69)
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Groundhogs
‘The Groundhogs fronted by Tony McPhee on Guitar and Vocals were a top Progressive Blues Rock Group. Emerging in the early sixties as a blues band, noted for backing visiting American Blues Artists such as John Lee Hooker. The band evolved in the latter part of the sixties into a heavy rock group scoring a hit with their fourth and possibly most popular album Split. Through the seventies the band continued to record and play live as a trio with changing band members, towards the end of the seventies recording as a four piece with addition of a second guitar. The band disbanded in the late seventies.’ — collaged
‘Cherry Red’ (’70)
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Rumplestiltskin
‘A uniquely talented British heavy blues rock band, Rumplestiltskin was the brainchild of American producer Shel Talmy. It was his idea to form a ‘supergroup’ that might rival the highly successful outfits that dominated the early Seventies, such as Status Quo and Led Zeppelin. Instead of picking young, untried rockers, Talmy brought together highly experienced professional session men. due to contractual reasons the band used rather strange names which might have been pseudonyms. Although their two albums weren’t hits, it was nevertheless a serious project.’ — collaged
‘Mr. Joe’ (’70)
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May Blitz
‘May Blitz was one of the first four bands signed by eminent progressive blues and heavy rock label, Vertigo, along with future legends Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, and the largely forgotten Juicy Lucy, whose less fortunate fate they would unfortunately share, in the end. Although usually attributed to former Jeff Beck Group drummer Tony Newman (who had played on the all-time classic Beck-Ola), May Blitz was in fact first envisioned in early 1969 by relative unknown James Black (lead vocals and guitar), who along with eventual bassist Reid Hudson was a Canadian, recently relocated to the U.K. in search of fame and fortune. Released in mid-1970, that self-produced platter showcased an interesting selection of proggy acid blues rock jams, infused with proto-metal guitar histrionics, but wasn’t distinctive enough, overall, to separate May Blitz from the hordes of competitors mining similar terrain.’ — collaged
‘Smokin’ the Day Away’ (’70)
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Stray
‘Stray formed in 1966. The group’s brand of melodic, hook-laden, blues-inflected hard rock proved to be a popular draw on the local club scene during the early 1970s. However the band did not have commercial success with its record releases. At one stage Charlie Kray, (brother of the Kray twins Ronnie and Reggie), was their manager. Gadd left the band in 1975 due to artistic differences and was replaced on vocals by Pete Dyer. The original Stray finally dissolved in 1977, although Bromham later continued to play in various resurrected versions of the project well into the 2000s. There are two Iron Maiden connections to Stray. “All in Your Mind” from Stray’s 1970 debut album was covered by Iron Maiden, and Maiden bassist Steve Harris’s daughter Lauren has covered “Come On Over”.’ — collaged
‘Suicide’ (’71)
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Humble Pie
‘When Humble Pie was formed in 1969, the act immediately garnered attention as one of the first “supergroups,” as its leading members, Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton, had already attained stardom in other rock bands. Marriott had played guitar and sang with the Small Faces, a successful rock act that had achieved a string of hits around the world, and Frampton had played guitar with the Herd, a pop-rock group that was popular in England. Dissatisfied with the direction their respective bands were taking, Marriott and Frampton decided to form Humble Pie as a rock band with a blues-oriented sound. The band was an immediate hit with critics and started to build solid sales when Frampton left the band in 1970. The group disbanded in 1974.’ — collaged
‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’ (live, ’71)
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Chicken Shack
‘This British blues-rock group is remembered mostly for their keyboard player, Christine Perfect, who would join Fleetwood Mac after marrying John McVie and changing her last name. Although they were one of the more pedestrian acts of the British blues boom, Chicken Shack was quite popular for a time in the late ’60s, placing two albums in the British Top 20. The frontperson of Chicken was not Perfect/McVie, but guitarist Stan Webb, who would excite British audiences by entering the crowds at performances, courtesy of his 100-meter-long guitar lead. They were signed to Mike Vernon’s Blue Horizon label, a British blues pillar that had its biggest success with early Fleetwood Mac.’ — collaged
‘Poor Boy’ (’71)
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Savoy Brown
‘Part of the late-’60s blues-rock movement, Britain’s Savoy Brown never achieved as much success in their homeland as they did in America, where they promoted their albums with nonstop touring. The band was formed and led by guitarist Kim Simmonds, whose dominating personality has led to myriad personnel changes. The band’s 1967 debut album, Shake Down, was a collection of blues covers. Seeking a different approach, Simmonds dissolved the group and brought in guitarist Dave Peverett, bassist Rivers Jobe, drummer Roger Earl, and singer Chris Youlden, who gave them a distinctive frontman with his vocal abilities, bowler hat, and monocle. With perhaps its strongest lineup, Savoy Brown quickly made a name for itself. However, Youlden left the band in 1970 following Raw Sienna, and shortly thereafter, Peverett, Earl, and new bassist Tony Stevens departed to form Foghat, continuing the pattern of consistent membership turnover. Simmonds collec
ted yet another lineup and began a hectic tour of America, showcasing the group’s now-refined bluesy boogie rock style, which dominated the rest of their albums.’ — collaged
‘Hellbound Train’ (live, ’72)
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Incredible Hog
‘Like so many early 70s bands, the three-piece London-based group Incredible Hog were a by product of the 60s British Blues Boom. In an attempt to mix melodic pop with heavy rock and intelligent, meaningful lyrics, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Ken Gordon and bassist Jim Holmes, who’d actually been at school together and played in the band Speed Auction, formed Incredible Hog in early 1972. When the band’s only album Volume 1 was released in mid-73, it received a lot of critical acclaim, but was too ahead of its time to generate acceptance from the general public. Nonetheless, the band toured the UK to promote the album and even started recording a follow-up, before a mixture of record company apathy and lack of commercial success led to the band folding late in 1973.’ — Alex Gitlin
‘Burnout’ (’73)
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*
p.s. Hey. ** Misanthrope, I didn’t go to my high school graduation, but I think the guy who started Taco Bell, and who lived in my city (Arcadia), did the speech-giving honors. When I was hunting for slave profiles yesterday, I saw my first fake Harry Styles or rather some hopeful slave wannabe who I guess thought no one would recognize the famous guy in his fake picture, and I surely wouldn’t have thought twice if it wasn’t for you. Take a bow. Oh, who knows where Magnotta will end up. The right lawyer can do anything these days. ** Bitter69uk, Hey, man! Nice to see you! Excellent new stuff on your blog, as ever. Condolences about Lobotomy Room, and congrats to your baby giving pals. I know, It’s really shocking that they tore down those clubs and that no young club kid/entrepreneur grabbed them before that happened. Mind boggling. Thanks for the link. I watched that video. Le Macabre looks like it was sweet: spooky, kid-like but savvy, and austere almost. I hope you’re doing good. What’s up? ** Paradigm, Hey, Scott! I’m really glad you were okay with my reposting and illustrating of your Tsiolkas Day. I thought it was interesting how it was made before ‘The Slap’, which seems to have been a big hit for him, at least in some countries, although not in the US, I don’t think. I actually wondered if that book had shifted your thoughts on him or not, and it’s great to see your update. In fact, I think I’ll forefront it here so people can add it to their experience. Everyone, Paradigm, who made the lovely, revived post the other day about the writer Christos Tsiolkas, has added an addendum that brings us up to the present on Tsiolkas’ work, and here it is: ‘In 2008 Tsiolkas released his most critically acclaimed novel to date, The Slap (shortlisted Miles Franklin, winner Commonwealth Writers Prize, Longlisted Manbooker.) * The novel focuses on the ramifications of a young child being slapped by an adult at a family bbq. Taking the slap as the instigation the novel shows the disintegration of these network of friends as they deal with the eschewing drama. Infidelity, drug use, paedophila all are brought up as the suburban dream starts to crumble. * In so doing the novel is a shift of sorts for Tsiolkas. The big ideas of Dead Europe have been replaced by a look at the darkness of the suburban life around us. The focus has shifted from a search for personal and political identity into a more rounded look at the suburban lives the majority of Australians live. The way in which events become dramas onto which to project ideas onto. * The novel also is a shift in that for the first time Tsioklas has written as a female character. He does this for 4 of the 8 chapters that make up the book (each chapter being told by one of the main characters of the novel.) Showcasing further the rounding out of the focus on suburbia. * In 2011 the Slap was screened as an eight part mini-series on abc TV in Australia. Bringing these questions to a wider audience. Who knows where Tsiolkas will turn next but its fair to say a lot of people will be watching and waiting in that direction.’ Thanks a lot for that, man. Yeah, that area of Paris, Clichy/Montmartre, was a hotbed of gothic clubs and theaters at that time. There was yet another hell/death themed nightclub nearby whose name I forget, and the Grand Guignol theater was right there too albeit on its last legs. Fine day to you. I hope your camping trip was a blast. ** David Ehrenstein, Hey, D. I tell you what: if Christophe comes up with a part that includes a love scene with Gregoire LePrince-Ringuet and comes begging, I’ll suggest you for the role. Happy to share the wealth. Yeah, Marine Le Pen has lost her shit over that Madonna Nazi symbol thing. She’s sending NF spies to her Paris concert, and she says if Madonna does that again, there’ll be … I don’t know, war of some sort. Really nice interview with Jason Schwartzman. Thanks a lot for sending it my way! ** Cobaltfram, Hi, man. With Pinget, my favorite of his, and one of my all-time favorite novels in general, is ‘Fable’. He’s great and really overlooked, especially in the US. He was the gay Nouveau Roman author, although his work only kind of sneaks around gay stuff once in a while, but in a really interesting way. You’re a tough guy to even think of making it halfway through ‘The Corrections’. Well, murder mysteries can certainly be art and great, so it seems like that’s a genre where you could do the cake and eating it too number. My novel is inching along right now. I hit a snag the other day, but I think I might have figured out a way to work my way through it while I was falling asleep last night. We’ll see. I know, back when I was writing a lot of nonfiction, I hated tearing myself away from my novels to do that work, although it usually ending up helping in some weird way — the fresh air, maybe even few new tricks I got taught by trying to fill in the journalistic blanks but weirdly. ** Alex Shaw, Hey! Yeah, some people are definitely making a connection between Magnotta and my work. My Facebook wall and inbox are full of people telling me so. It’s interesting, although I really hope that it doesn’t turn out he likes my books and that liking becomes a media issue. That would be nightmare, but he doesn’t like an experimental fiction reader to me. Ha ha, that cabaret as Rimbaud’s Studio 54, that’s awesome. Nice one. Yeah, the cabaret and he just missed each other unfortunately. Dude, just so you know, you can complain here anytime you want. No problemo. That’s wonderful about the great, growing relationship with your girlfriend. Very nice to hear that, for sure. What are you listening to or reading or seeing that’s particularly interesting? Coincidentally, about two weeks ago I went back to experience that terrific Venetian Snares Day you did for the blog ages back. I’m good, been good, working on my stuff and enjoying Paris and all that. Yeah, I’m doing fine. Great day to you, pal. ** Steevee, Hey. It goes in cycles then, and it does sound like it’s generated by your chemistry. I know very little about antidepressant meds, but are there ones that are intended specifically for short term usage to just get someone over a hump? Ones that you can stop taking without much or any withdrawal symptoms? I
t always seems like people stopping and coming off meds have such an awful time. Anyway, how are you feeling today? ** Bernard Welt, Hey, B. Very happy to have accidentally helped out. Thanks for saying that about the resonances, and, yeah, it’s true. Hence, a lot of things, I guess. The spooky house as art form obsession. Certain video games spaces. Etc. Hm, there must be at least one great novel set in hell, but I’m blanking. A French one, certainly. Hunh. Everyone, does anyone reading this know of a really good novel set in hell? Bernard Welt would be very interested to hear, and so would I actually. Thanks a lot! ** Robert-nyc, Hi, Robert. When I see Brad again, I will ask him what became of that unpublished second novel. Good question. I would certainly imagine that some indie press would be into publishing it, if he’s cool with going that route. No, I’m going to be projected onstage in Christophe’s new play. So, I’ll be in his work but not in a movie. He wants to make a film of one of my novels one of these days, and, as you can imagine, I’m crossing my fingers into a painful lump hoping that happens. Great day to you, my friend. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben. My kind of place too. I walked by that Monoprix a bunch of times for no good reason before I knew what it had replaced. Never shopped there though. Some kind of weird pull and push effect. Congrats on the freeing up of your airspace! ** 5STRINGS, Hey. I came into art through contemporary stuff. I remember a high school field trip to the LA art museum where I saw this piece by Baldessari called ‘Wrong’, and I went, oh shit, art, wow! Never had the slightest interest in the old stuff until I was able to see it as contemporary art’s grandpas. I still walk about ten times faster through the Louvre than I do through the Pompidou. Short story, yes! Good one. Mine’ll either be a novel or a weird long fragment that gapes at the end, so hopefully it’ll be the former. Rock & Rigamarole. ** Kyler, The post-nap sparkly smeared state is so nice. I wish I could take naps. I’m too jumpy. Enjoy what’s left of the full moon if there’s anything left. ** Heliotrope, M! Buddy birthday boy! I saw that The Clean were playing in LA, and I thought, I betcha anything the Markster’s gonna be there, and I was right again. Did the right things win the California election? I don’t know what’s what. Hey, there’s old Danny up there again today, how’s about that. Love to you, man! ** Sypha, I’m glad your morbidity isn’t hampering ‘Confusion’s’ butterfly-like transformation. And awesome about the Louis Wain piece for YnY! I’m exited to read that! Sounds like you’ve turned morbidity into your kingdom to me. ** Alan, Hey. Oh, cool, you found the artist. How did you do that? It seems like there would be some kind of app by now where you could upload a photo whereupon it would search and find locations where the photo is lodged. Maybe there is one? Oh, man, I don’t have any kind of guess at the answer to that question. I’m terrible on my toes. I would be the worst ever game show contestant. Okay, wait, … no, I can’t think of an even remotely witty answer for that, damn. Tell me. ** Jax, Hey. Okey-doke, I will check for possible Dentist School websites. Yury can help if the French is too complex. Hm, I see about the werewolf novel. Being a ‘think on the bright side’ type, I’m going to take her at her word and hope. Peyton Placey, Scottish Elmore Leonard, stoner Greek chorus, hm, … that could just work, Jack. I got a distinct whiff of freshness from the weird mental image that combo made. I say gun the engine. Marinas are kind of big in California too. So is growing cannabis, big surprise, ha ha. So that novel could easily get on the California best seller list, if there is such a thing, which I guess there must be. Gun it! Yeah, the supposed cannibal got himself snagged. He sure looks grumpy in his arrest photo. Like actual grumpiness, not his usual eye-batting grumpy face. ** I think that’s all. I’ve got a wayback machine-style gig for you today full of the famous and the not so. I think it’s kind of hot. Do you? See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
Bernard Welt : Novel set in Hell : Iain M. Banks' Surface Detail.
Not all of it is set in Hell, and it's a pretty special Hell, but it's about Hell, and the battle for it, and what it is, and what purposes it serves, an it's a fucking insane book. It's got a lot more going for than it seems at first, like most of Banks' sci-fi, a word i'm almost tempted to put in inverted commas but wont because that'd somehow imply it's a derogatory or not-noble term, and i don't think it is.
(it's the last one in Banks' Culture sci-fi series, so there might be a little bit of catching up to do if you're gonna read it if you haven't read any other, but it's pretty straightforward.)
Dennis… dang, now i have an irresistible urge to go listen to the JSBX!
Hey DC,
I really liked today — it's so strange the transformation Fleetwood Mac went through; when did Stevie show up? They play Rihannon at work all the time, and I even kind of like the song, but the Peter Green band and that band sound almost completely different.
I stopped The Corrections at page 17. I couldn't handle it. I think all authors are probably in love with their own voice, maybe just a little bit (otherwise they probably wouldn't have the desire to impose their books on other people, or think they have anything to say), but Franzen just…ugh. It's so bad. It just feels like he's been told over and over that he's a great writer, and just so talented, and it doesn't feel like his work has even been *glanced at* by an editor, and I just rolled my eyes for 17 pp and quit. Bad metaphors, lazy writing, aspirations to be Tolstoy or something when he's really not. You could maybe cut half that book's word count and have something worth everyone's time, but as it stands, it's just bullshit, and does not in any way give him the right to be a cultural taste-arbitrator that he likes to fashion himself. If, as Bret Easton Ellis likes to insist, "The Corrections" is the best novel of his (y'alls?) generation, then if that's the best you all can do, you were even worse off than we thought. And it's not even its length: I read only a sample of Infinite Jest, and it sounded awesome. My thing is, after having read your books, and short books like Banville's "The Sea" and RG's "Repetition," I just think you can accomplish just as much, if not more, in a small space, or, at least, if you're going to write 600 pages, you need to have a fucking great voice. I read all of The Brothers Karamazov and really dug it, because by the end I was able to see how much Dostoevsky had planned, but he snared me in the beginning with his weird blend of wisdom and melodrama. So yeah, it sort of pisses me off that Franzen is held in the position he's in. Is he liked in France? I hope not. I would think they see through him.
That's for the Pinget recommendation. Sypha sent me a huge box of books that I'm going to pick up at the post office today, which I know has at least two Robbe-Grillet I'm curious about, and some other great stuff, so that's exciting. I started reading, dun dun dun, The 120 Days of Sodom last night, and I'm actually into it so far. Now that I'm a bit more acquainted, maybe, with what de Sade is going for, I find it sort of weirdly seductive, which also gives it this spooky quality. I'm curious to see how it goes for 500 pages. I know you recommended skipping or skimming segments, so I'll keep that in mind.
It's cool you get little epiphanies or possible solutions in the drifting to sleep phase. William Gibson naps every day he's working; he says that dreams don't consciously decide his works, but the gray states between waking and sleeping are pivotal for him, sometimes.
I'm going to try to finish the money series over the next few days. Today is day 7 of 7 without a break, and two days off starting tomorrow, with the house to myself to boot, so if I don't sleep the days away, I'll get somewhere.
Hope all is well, til tomorrow,
J
Today is a petit madelaine the siz of a Monty Pythion foot. I haven't though about Bloodwyn Pig in eons!
Toss "The Corrections" and read "The Recognitions" instead!(It's the book that Franzen RIPPED OFF!)
I haven't experienced any withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants, but I've generally tapered off for several weeks when I've quit them. Also, in the past few years, when I've taken them, I've only used them for 3 months at most, so maybe that's not long enough to become dependent. Anyway, I'm feeling much better now and no longer feel like I need to go back on them.
cobaltyfarm, if you enjoyed Dostovesky then you definitely should read Infinite Jest. DFW has written about how he considers Dostovesky to be one of the best novelists.
dennis, camping was great. got to see two oceans meeting. went in a cave that had a suspended table of stalactites and stalagmites. tasted some wine. watched waves crashing. came back with clothes smelling of campfires.
re: tsiolkas. i think it has changed my perspective a little. i think the novel has some of his core themes- still predominately about immigrant families, graphic sex and drugs- but is flattened out a little to much the society its describing. i think it also has merits in terms of it's place in australian culture and therefore.
have you read it? what do you think?
i dare say the books not as big in the states because its a little harder to crack into the american market for australian authors. the publishing industry here- unlike the film which tends to the states- looks back to England and therefore can enter into the European market easy then it can to the states.
the novel in australia begun with the english and therefore to be successful as an australian writer is to be successful back there.
this day reminds me about how incestous bands and music scenes are. members moving and forming bands with members from another. it makes sense but still interesting to think about.
hope the inching novel is advancing more.
off to study before an exam tomorrow. my minds full of approaches to teaching maths.
Moz is planning to retire.
Ray Bradbury R.I.P.
Wolf: Thanks! I have a feeling there are others kind of like this. Didn't some Canadian writer do a novel or series about the war between Heaven and Hell.
And that's reminding me: Anybody read "It Happened in Boston?"? (Question mark is part of title.) It must be from the '60s. Novel about a serial murderer whose aim is to complete a magical ritual that will allow him to supplant God.
It's interesting to note that in traditional Catholic theology, the problem in homosexuality is rooted in the aim to supplant the natural order and therefore God–which was the original theological rationale for stigmatizing it as such serious sin, along with witchcraft. But also along with usury–that is, charging interest, the basis of capitalism–and interestingly, pretending, outside the Church hierarchy, to speak for God, which in itself, regardless of the interpretation of scripture actually offered, is heresy. (Dante has a few things to say about that, speaking of Hell.) That is, on the same theological justification, Bill What's-his-fuck from The Most Holy Catholic League for the Suppression of Good Times, as well as all Protestant clergy, should be in the same boat as the gays. Or camp, I suppose.
And don't get me started on masturbation. (I mean that in more than one sense, obviously.)
Answer: Group sex
Yes, there is such an app. It’s a feature of Google image search and it is explained here. I could have used that to track down that artist, but instead I simply looked at the file name of the image you used and did an old-fashioned text-based image search for "man and rope."
Have you read this Frederick Barthelme essay? I liked it.
Nobuko is visiting this weekend. She wants to do some shopping, and then we’re going to see “Moonrise Kingdom,” and next day I think go to the Bronx Zoo.
"I hear a childhood Lullaby from the cage of the beasts". The graminia vaporizes into the air, the tension of their ligaments increases. The urgency for the conquest of that first orgasm, is everything. At the age of eleven he committed his first suicide attempt. Nobody loved both the fog and the siren in the form of that domesticated boy. No one. I therefore urge to drink my saliva and tenderness. No one. "(The Boys Who Murdered Love by David Estornell)."
I'm writing much Dennis, between anguish, laziness and gym. I'm just writing to tell you that I love you.
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Dennis, I made this map today of the haunted abbey where the events of the thing I'm working on right now are set. For some reason I wanted to share it with you.
This guy I know keeps bugging me to read Frederick Seidel, he even gave me this dictionary thick anthology of all his writing. What do you think?
So very sad to read your thoughts on Prometheus yesterday. I was one of those people hoping for a return to form.
I'm going to see Einstein on the Beach on Saturday! I'm very excited about this.
Be well my friend.
Hi Dennis
hope alls well? quick hi from norway,which is fun but expensive. but im getting some kronor at the end so not so bad, mostly stealing food from the hotel breakfast for lunch.
noting too exciting mostly tired, my girlfriend 1st artist's book arrived today so that was fun.
read do androids dream… in the airport last week.
as i said mostly tired : )
@wolf
the blues explosion loud now!!!!!!
IN preparation for possibly interviewing Craig Zobel for the VILLAGE VOICE, I saw his film COMPLIANCE earlier today. It's coming out in the U.S. in August. It reminded me of the Czech film A REPORT ON THE PARTY AND GUESTS filtered through recent European "artsploitation" films. Set at a fast food restaurant, it depicts a man purporting to be a cop calling and accusing one of the employees of theft, then asking her manager to perform an increasingly outrageous series of tasks. I haven't seen a better demonstration of the authoritarian mentality in recent American cinema. The film is well-made but pretty unpleasant, and several people walked out. At Sundance, a woman yelled "Rape is not entertainment!" at the Q&A;, which is odd because the rape in question is never shown onscreen. (Given what happens, the film is quite reticent about T&A.;) I hope the VOICE ultimately says yes to my pitch for an interview with the director.
Dennis, well, with the "Confusion" revision, I realize I'll never be 100% pleased with the book but I'm just trying to make it better. That is, fixing typos, cutting out scenes or minor characters that didn't add much to the book (in fact, I cut over 50 pages), writing a few new scenes in, but the main thrust of the plot is still the same. It's kind of weird because the book has kind of a manic, monkeys throwing paint at the wall vibe which makes me wonder if I had more energy back then, especially when you put it next to the more ponderous and decadent "Grimoire." I'm not trying to smooth out ALL of the rough edges because I think the messiness of the book is one of the things that endears me about it. I am cutting out some of the 1980's satire that was perhaps too obvious/on the nose, and toning down some of the violent or sexual bits (which seemed to calculated to shock and inauthentic to me, even back then). One thing I'm trying to do is play up the horror elements a little more: the original had a "Friday the 13th" slasher vibe anyway, but now I'm adding in references to other 80's horror novels from that time, everything from Stephen King's "It" to Clive Barker's "Hellraiser" to Ramsey Campbell. But the horror is more playful compared to "Grimoire," I think. Oh yes, and I recast Sypha Nadon: now Justin Bieber plays him instead of Jesse McCartney, and in keeping with the spirit of the times I've decided to make him a gay Republican, ha ha. But seeing as how most of the other good guys in the book are liberal, I thought balance was needed (though it's up for debate as to how much of a good guy Sypha really is anyway).
Oh man, there's some great tracks in today's post today Dennis! Thanks for giving me some new listening leads to follow up on. Particularly taken with The Groundhogs, very MC5 which is always a good thing.
Cool timing; over the past year I've recently developed something of a latent fascination with 70s rock. I put it down to so many of my childhood memories involving long car journeys and my dad always used to play stuff like Steely Dan, ELP, America and of course Pink Floyd while driving.
If you have the inclination and the time I really recommend a show every week on BBC radio 2 called 'Johnnie Walker's Sounds of the 70s'. I tune in every Sunday, its like my church.
I have this feeling I read somewhere that Cream was a big influence on Hendrix but I can't remember where. Maybe I imagined that?
Sypha: Before I forget, I'm very excited to hear that you're revising 'Confusion'. I really enjoyed the original and I look forward to reading it again.
Oh yeah, I hadn't considered that press connections between your writing and the Magnotta case could prove to be harmful, Dennis. I hope it doesn't go that way!
I wonder how New Order are handling the story? Personally, when I hear 'True Faith' now it just doesn't sound "right" anymore. The lyrics used to be a string of meaningless words that sort of scanned. But after having watched that fucked-up video of the killing the words read like an eerie death-poem. *Shudder*
Anyway, that's enough from me for one night folks. Ciao!
@ paradigm, our local contemporary art spot the DCA has a forthcoming show lined up called Infinite Jest. Not quite sure what the DFW connection is, but it does have some good artists in it. Here's a link. Never got round to reading the novel myself, but maybe I should go ahead and tackle the thing.
Is it shameful to admit that I prefer the later incarnation of Fleetwood Mac (Stevie Nicks etc) to the earlier line-up?
Latest FaBlog: Even Cowgirls Get Teh Ghey
Alex Shaw, really? Wow, thanks, I can only think of a small number of people who read the original "Confusion." Seriously, I doubt it even sold 40 copies in the 5 or so years it was available. I like your user picture, btw.
Emily Louise Church, I prefer the Stevie Nicks era as well.
Enjoyed the hell cabaret yesterday, of course. And thanks for the realisms day; I really liked some of the realists (none of whom I've come across), especially Zavros, Lemmerz, Keever. I think you already know I'm a big Ron Mueck fan. I'm usually a bit ambivalent about this kind of work. I really admire the technique in some of it, but I'm sure I'm being unfair when I consider some of it somewhat of an easy way out to connect with the audience. But I love the stuff that have a disorienting twist to it.
School's out, but I've been swamped with administrivia, argh. I think it should wind down soon, so I can focus on my *real* projects. Just finished Stephen Beachy's Distortion; very nice. It came out in 2000, so it's a bit eerie to come across all the vague mentions of planes blowing up and proto-apocalyptic scenarios, pre-9/11.
Bill
Hey. I had to look up Baldessari. I think of the WV postcard equivalent LOL! It kind of reminds me of this, Shangri-La-Dee-Da Very cool! I took art in middle school, I remember it being mostly water-colors and getting dirtied by acrylics and pastels. Our high school art department was very poor, it was like Braque still-life hell. Our art teacher did take us to the Warhol and Carnegie museums in Pittsburg. The high school library had a few old large non-glossy art books. The one I remember was The Flemish Masters. That with a couple T.S. Elliot books really hooked up a fine arts concept. Mark Harden's Artchive is a very excellent way to learn about art. I guess what got me interested in contemporary was Burroughs' Ports of Entry, a book on Damien Hirst, and a book of Charles Gatewood's photography. Yeah, its weird, a lot of contemporary stuff just seems half-assed and bullshit to me LOL. Dude, I can fly through the fucking Louvre. The second time I went to the Pompidou, I got it. Fucking love that shit man. LOL every time I write the story changes, so I've set part I. Just woke up, time to write. Can you believe I don't know but like half of these bands? Never could play the blues without it sounding like Stevie Ray or Zeppelin or Floyd. Been thinking about taking up the flute LOL!
Dennis – Hi, how are you?
I'll knock for sure. I'm in Canada now but'll be back in Paris in five or six days…
Dennis, Man, sorry, but I meant that Magnotta stuff about rehab over prison as a total joke. Tone gets so lost on the net.
Weird that your work and his case are popping into people's heads. Because I just read in the NYT that he had a copy of TMS in his back pocket when arrested. And all this after he stopped by Fales to see your papers before heading to Europe. I'm kidding!
But you know, hmm, the only bad thing about him being associated somehow with your work -such as his liking it or whatever- is that he seems such a tool. Otherwise, your books would probably start selling like crazy.
Then again, there's the other side to that, now that I think about it. Shit, let's hope no publication of any sort -except maybe a Fablog ;D- makes some connection.
Wow, they're already using my boy's photo, eh? Hmm. I actually just found the cutest pic ever of him yesterday. And no, it wasn't the nude that leaked out during his X-Factor days.
I barely remember my high school or college graduation. I just remember being really hot at both of them and wanting to get the fuck out of there. At the first, I was in great shape, as tennis season had just ended. At the latter, I was probably the fattest I've ever been. And I was sweating like a pig at both of them.
Great post. Wasn't aware of McVie starting off in Chicken Shack. I'm gonna be in your neck of the woods this weekend, if you're around at all? Hope things are good with you.