Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Reality has a lot of gems [(but to which reality am I referring?) and Chiklis/Influence 1]

I owe you.


So I’m not entirely sure what to think.  Mayte Garcia’s memoir The Most Beautiful: My Life With Prince now has a release date and cover.  It is a real tangible thing and the reaction of its very existence has been controversial with many speculating as to her motivations and whether this would have been allowed a release were Prince still alive.  Mayte has since promised that the book will not be some tabloidesque tell-all but rather a loving and truthful tribute of sorts to her time with Prince and that relationship.  I guess there is no way to know for sure until the book comes out.  It is very easy for these types of things to become exploitative and certainly there was a strong element of tragedy in their relationship.  But it is the audience who will determine its relative success or failure. Though I will she has always seemed very genuine to me (though my opinion is worthless).  I will say that some of Prince’s best and most gorgeous songs were written about Mayte and that entire era from 1991’s Diamonds and Pearls and the following amazing albums like Love Symbol, Come, The Gold Experience and Emancipation is probably my favorite Prince era ever.  He seemed to have a renewed energy and explosive amount of creativity much like his classic run of 80’s albums (though it is probably true that those 90’s works were not quite as groundbreaking or influential as the 80’s stuff).  The Child of the Sun album Mayte herself recorded (all songs written by Prince) is also a fave of mine from that era so I’m basically saying this part of Prince’s life is a strong point of interest for yours falsely.  I say that I’m not entirely sure what to think but I know for certain I will purchase this book on the day of release and probably gobble it all up that same week (figuratively as well as literally).  So wait for my feedback next year!  Also, I do like the title and cover.    

Speaking of books, I recently finished Revival by Stephen King and found it to be a most excellent, highly entertaining all around great read.  I am a huge fan of King’s post-accident work and it is probably my favorite King era.  This one in particular had a highly satisfying and horrifying Lovecraftian conclusion and I felt good that I was not able to really predict at all where it was heading until a page or two before it got there!  I’m of several minds as to what I shall read next.  Part of me has a strong desire for more King and I just purchased the paperback of Mr. Mercedes.  Though as this is the first part of a recently completed trilogy (the third book released mere months ago) I’m not sure if that is the best route to go.  I’ve also got George Clinton’s memoir Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard On You? ready to go and some other book whose name and author I can’t recall though it sounded interesting.  Or I could go for The Goldfinch and catch up on all that literary water cooler talk I missed out on for being so ignorantly late to the rich and wonderful Donna Tartt party!  Time to break out some chance cubes to help render my decision!  Maybe I’ll just read a book on ancient Chinese history and then gouge out my own eyeballs!



It was just the other fateful day when my Michael Chiklis’s album Influence arrived in the email, via 2-day delivery from Amazon.  The case itself is digipak as opposed to a hard plastic case.  I think Digipaks are quite attractive but I would ultimately prefer a plastic case as they are less susceptible to wear and tear.  I set aside the outer layer of plastic wrap that I may add it my collection and perhaps wrap it tight around my face later on.  Then I removed the booklet and smelled it and then I smelled the CD.  They were both pleasant in an olfactory sense.  The cover art is intriguing with Chiklis’s image residing high above a partially visible earth and his name and album title centered in between.  In some ways it is not so dissimilar to the cover of Prince’s 2007 album Planet Earth (an album I’ve always found wholly enjoyable, featuring an all-time classic in Chelsea Rodgers).  It is not difficult to discern what is being portrayed here: Chiklis is positing an eclectic musical taste and approach for his album, suggesting that INFLUENCEs from all over the world in some ways contributed to this release’s varied sound (I recall a recent interview where he named dropped albums like Security by Peter Gabriel and Hounds of Love by Kate Bush as among his favorites so, at least according to yours falsely, the man has good taste). Interesting to note that itunes refers to it as the Michael Chiklis Band yet the CD case itself only notes Michael Chiklis.  I am going to listen to this album.  Once.  A dozen times.  A baker’s dozen.  A thousand times.  However many it takes.  I am going to give it a fair shake as the kid’s say and judge it as album and do my best to separate it from the man’s celebrity.  Already I can feel it’s pull over me taking hold. 

he thought he saw her walking into the library.  His pulse quickened, he felt blood rushing to his face.  this is all so trite.  she looked just like her, same smile, fair skin and red lipstick, dark eyes.  The dress even looked like something she would wear, so colorful, perennially spring even during winter.  it reminded him of the first time he saw her in a dress. 

one day, he will cut this connection.  but when there is the slightest favor shown...she is going to be living with him forever.  


I watched The Neon Demon last night while drinking cheap white wine and then cheap whiskey on the rocks (the rocks were made from standard hard tap water; I don’t buy into all that talk about purifiers and filters and softeners.  Horseshit says I!).  What an interesting director Nicolas Winding Refn is.  From the trailers and plot description I originally thought the movie would be like Dario Argento’s 1977 classic Suspiria but I was wrong as fuck!  It actually reminded me a bit more a great French-Belgian flick from 2009 called Amer and directed by Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani but I’m not quite sure why.  What the hell do I know though?!  Anyway, good movie.  great score too!  real beefy.  

The flare jean is making a comeback. 


I frequently wonder where you are.  All the days of my life.  

No comments:

Post a Comment

wolf pig elk

  That’s right! It’s your old pal Jimmy Adjudication!   AKA Johnny Impotency! Here I sit, in my Fortress of Ineptitude, pecking out purple p...