Book Review: John Lescroart's "The Motive"

Author: John Lescroart

Copyright: 2005

Pubisher Info: SIGNEL Novel. Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. New York. Previously published in a Dutton edition.

Mini Book Reviw: The canvas for this book is San Francisco. Having lived there from 1999-2004, I could picture the locations and absorb the atmosphere of this book quite well. In fact, my favorite restaurant, Zarzuela (located at the corner of Hyde and Union in Russian Hill) is even mentioned in this book. On the backdrop alone, I was intrigued and interested in the book. But, this novel offers more than just San Francisco.

Lescroart does a nice job of developing characters. Dismas Hardy (Diz), the shrewd defense attorney and his SFPD buddy Abe Glitzsky are "real", likeable and captivating.

Double murder is the crime, and Diz' first true love (Catherine Hanover) is the suspect. Catherine is arrested and is faced with a demanding trial that she isn't certain she will survive. As the case progresses, Diz isn't even sure that his old flame is innocent or guilty of killing her father-in-law (Paul Hanover) and his mysterious fiancee. Paul Hanover was a powerful San Franciscan who lived in one of the famous "Painted Lady" victorians on Alamo Square. After Paul and his much younger fiancee are murdered, the home is torched and many people, from arson experts to police to lawyers, are left searching for answers.

The end result is a sordid tail of greed, jealousy, betrayal, and every other ingredient that makes up a compelling "who done it" crime novel. I can't say that I loved the twist at the end, bit I respect Lescroart for not giving the readers a predictable (or remotely guessible) ending.

Book Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Book Review: J.M. Coetzee's "Disgrace"

Author: J.M. Coetzee

Copyright: 1999: First published in Great Britain by Martin Secker & Warburg 1999. First published in the United States of America by Viking Penguin. Published by Penguin Books 2000.

Other Coetzee works:

Waiting for the Barbarians

Life and Times of Michael K

ABBREVIATED BOOK REVIEW:

Coetzee has a way of writing that I find particularly appealing. He doesn't use extra words or fluff, rather he gets rights into the characters and the story. The end result is that someone like me, with a short attention span, can cruise through his book in a week. The major accomplishment by Coetzee is that his conciseness does not compromise his writing talent.

This book is set in 1990s South Africa. David Lurie is an accomplished college professor who is at a crossroads in his life. His skills have been marginalized at the university in Cape Town, he is twice-divorced, and he has a penchant for poor judgment. An ultimately bad decision to sleep with one of his students, driven by his sexually fueled "erotic" ways, burns him badly.

He is forced to leave the university in "disgrace" and decides on spending time with his daughter (Lucy) in rural South Africa, working on her farm, doing things he never imagined he would do.

After a horrific crime takes place at Lucy's house, he realizes what a sham his life has become. Although he frowns on Lucy's way of life in the dangerous outskirts of South Africa, perhaps it is in this "backwards place" that David will ultimately find a semblance of substance in himself.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

TSAR: Live at the Whisky a Go Go

TSAR
Live at the Whisky a Go Go
Sunset Blvd: West Hollywood, CA
March 22, 2006

When do you become a real band in LA? When you play the Whisky! Well, truth be told, TSAR was a real band long before last week's appearance at the Whisky. The Whisky has been the dream venue for thousands of musicians over the past 40 years. The Doors cut their teeth here in the 1960s, as have so many other legends since then.

Sometimes an opening act will come out and die a quick death. Other times, a supporting act can steal a show. Perhaps TSAR didn't steal the show from headliner Buckcherry, but they certainly played better music with more talent and energy.

I am still not certain who TSAR reminds me of which is really a credit to the four members who comprise TSAR. Every band is derivative in some shape or form. The members of this band admit to having a varied list of influences such as Kiss, Guns & Roses, The Monkees and the Sex Pistols, but they certainly aren't replicas of those bands. They are unique and they rock the house.

The band is lead by a true Rock frontman in the name of Jeff Whalen. Onstage presence and confidence are characteristics that seem to be innate within Jeff. He takes control of the crowd and doesn't let go of them until the last note is played.

Jeff's bandmates complement him quite well. Jeff can play his Fender Strat quite well, but the real six-string virtuoso in the band is the lead guitarist Daniel Kern.

Then you have Derrick Forget on bass. Forget is all out rock and roll. Derrick joined TSAR last year and has quickly made a name for himself on the Sunset Strip. Recently endorsed by Schecter Guitars, he plays the bass with unyielding determination, tremendous dexterity, while also delivering strong backing vocals. Another recent addition to TSAR is drummer Chuck Byler, a powerful back-beat for the band.

Back to the concert. TSAR ripped through their half-hour set with fueled versions of "Band, Girls, Money", "Love Explosion" and other numbers that seemed to set a mood that Buckcherry was lucky enough to inherit when they later took the stage.

Hopefully TSAR will be coming to a city near you. If they do, don't miss them. A great live performerance is hard to find, but that is exactly what this band delivers to its audience.

For more information on TSAR, go to:
http://www.tsar.net/
http://www.myspace.com/tsar

The Who: Face Dances: 25 Years Later

The Who: Face Dances

Released: 1981, Warner Brothers

Producer: Bill Szymczyk

I can't believe it has been 25 years since The Who released Face Dances and almost 25 years since their last studio album It's Hard. Neither of them were great albums. I think it is safe to say that Townshend's best work from that period ended up on two solo albums called Empty Glass and All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes. Both of these Townshend solo albums are beyond strong, they are exqusitely brilliant.

The task at hand here is to write a quick review of Face Dances. I am turning 35 in April, and I was merely 10 years old when this album was released back in 1981. Who can forget "You Better You Bet"? I loved that song then, and the studio version still resonates today. I never thought The Who played it very well live (seems to miss the Daltrey "razor line" in concert). "Another Tricky Day" was another popular cut from this effort. To this day, it is a powerful piece and is best played at high volume. But what about the rest of the album?

As I listened to the album again (note: I threw away the cassette and reviewed the CD!), it became clear that this album does have some nice moments. "Don't Let Go The Coat", "Cache Cache" and "Daily Records" are all decent enough Townshend songs. Not classics at all, but certainly viable.

I do think that Townshend does have a couple of hidden gems on Face Dances. "How Can You Do it Alone?" and particularly "Did You Steal My Money" are creative and interesting numbers. I would love to hear Townshend's inspiration for the ladder song's lyrics. Maybe there is a good story behind it?

The late great John Entwistle delivered two songs to this album in "You" and "The Quiet One." Entwistle always said more by saying less.

So, where does Face Dances rank in Who history? To me, it was the beginning of the Kenney Jones era and the end of the "creative" Who. That said, a mediocre Who is 100x better than any other band. We (the arrogant, demanding Who fans) have been promised a new Who album for many years, and I truly have no eagerness for it. If it comes it comes, but the Who's creative force from 1964-1978 has its secure place it Rock n' Roll history. Townshend and Daltrey are still amazing live. Most Who fans are fine with hearing "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Riley" for the millionth time. As for me, I would like to hear more of the hidden gems in concert, but I don't want to get too greedy.

In summary, dust off Face Dances and give it another listen. Memories of the early 80s might just flood back for you. If you are looking for Townshend's best compositions, leave this album in the CD rack. Your choice.

Review rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

The Producers: Movie Review

Cast:
Nathan Lane: Max Bialystock
Matthew Broderick: Leo Bloom
Uma Thurman: Ulla
Will Ferrell: Franz Liebkind
Gary Beach: Roger De Bris



Director: Susan Stroman

Screenplay: Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan

Lyrics and Music: Mel Brooks

Studio: Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures

Date Seen: Dec 30, 2005 (Oveido, FL)

Mini Review: What happens when a "past his prime" Broadway producer hooks up with a disgruntled pencil pusher? Madness...fun madness! A hapless, neurotic accountant named Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick) convinces Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane), the "producer" of many Broadway misses, that he could make more money with a Broadway flop than with a hit. Bialystock knows all about short runs and closing nights and is quite confident that he and Bloom can produce the ultimate Broadway dud. Their strategy is to find the worst script, the most horrid director, and a group of incompetent actors so that they can intentionally sabotage their new show called "Springtime for Hitler". The result is a comedy of errors, miscalculations and surprises for Leo and Max. The film is full of clever music and well-timed physical comedy. In addition to the tremendous acting from Broderick and Lane, the rest of the cast delivers, particularly Will Ferrell and Gary Beach.

The Producers has had an incredible resurgence over the last few years. Mel Brooks introduced The Producers to the big screen in 1968 with Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom and Zero Mostel as Max Bialystock. We all know what an immense hit The Producers has been on Broadway. Lane and Broderick were aptly cast in this movie remake since they were the ones who took Manhattan by storm in 2001 by starring in these same roles on Broadway.

Score: 4 stars out of 5

30th Anniversary of The Who By Numbers

The Who By Numbers

Before we enter 2006, let's both honor (or "honour" with a "u" as spelled in the UK) and celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Who By Numbers. (released in October, 1975). Is it The Who's best album? Not at all. Is it a very good album and a "hidden treasure"? I think so.

Facts:

Band: The Who (Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon).

Session Musician: Nicky Hopkins on Piano

Producer: Glyn Johns

Release Dates:

UK: October 18, 1975 (Polydor Records)

USA: October 25, 1975 (MCA Records)

Album Cover Illustration: John Entwistle

Side 1: Slip Kid, However Much I Booze, Squeeze Box, Dreaming from the Waist, Imagine a Man

Side 2: Success Story, They Are All in Love, Blue Red and Grey, How Many Friends, In a Hand or a Face

Mini Review: Cynical, introspective, bitter, depressing, lyrical. All of these adjectives work for this album. But sometimes "downer" songs can be great as well. This album seems to be largely forgotten by everyone in the Who's circle (fans, radio stations and, yes, the band). Most songs were never touched live. There are some real Townshend gems here. How Many Friends delivers tear-jerking lyrics and a powerful Daltrey vocal. Imagine a Man is a priceless ballad. Daltrey played this amazing song in 1994 during his "Daltrey Sings Townshend" tour. Slip Kid has the power you would expect out of a Who rocker. The big "pop hit" from the album was Squeeze Box. Not a favorite of mine or most of us awful "hard core" Who fans who think we own the band (the fans that Pete seems to love and hate). Dreaming from the Waist got a lot of live play from the band in the mid to late 70s, but I don't think it is a song that has aged too well.

In the Attic: As we all know, Pete is a frequent "player" in his girlfriend's web show "In the Attic". Simply put, Rachel Fuller's show is amazing. I was surprised and most appreciative when Pete played my blog request of Blue Red and Grey on this show (and in the In the Attic "Basement Jam" as well).

1996 Reissue (Remastered and Remixed): There was a remastered and remixed edition of this album released in 1996 with 3 live tracks added as a bonus. I didn't purchase it because I was turned off with Behind Blue Eyes being a bonus track on this reissue. To me, it seemed like a cheap and easy way to sell a CD. The strategy seemed to be "stick one of the most known Who songs from Who's Next on this reissue, and it will sell more of this less popular album." Even though this live version of "Behind Blue Eyes" was from the Who by Numbers tour, I don't think it needed to be on this reissue at all. It is so hard for me to be objective about anything related to The Who because I am such a huge fan, but this is my feeling (take it or leave it). That said, or written in this case, the album (original or reissue) is terrific and should be in every Who fan's CD collection.

Bottom Line: As Pete Townshend announced yesterday (on Dec 24), there will be a Who tour in 2006. I can't wait to seem them again. I never get sick of seeing any configuration of this band live, and I have never been disappointed in the countless times I have seen The Who. I hope they dig into some of The Who by Numbers catalog and play a couple of these great songs on the 2006 tour.

Album Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Uncle Matt, Will and Dad (Adam) 

Little Will: Not So Little Anymore

Here (above) is a picture of my two older brothers (Matt on left, Adam on right). Adam is the proud father of my nephew William (we call him "Will" or "Wills"). Subjectively, he is the cutest kid in the entire world. Objectively, he is still the cutest kid in the entire world.