get out of bed and turn to dust
Strangely I found that a 1000 kronor had been paid into my account on Friday. It turned out to be money that Försäkringskassan (Swedish social services) owed me. I'd forgotten about it, it being about several months late.
Still, it meant that I finaly had enough money to buy the Kate Bush album, which had been tormenting me from record shop windows and various reviews.
My initial expectations were simple, they kinda have to be when one of your heroes turns up with a double album after twelve years. I figured, it won't be as good as The Hounds of Love or The Dreaming but it will hopefully be better than The Sensual World and The Red Shoes (not, I should hasten to add, that I dislike either of those albums. I like them a lot. It's just that she can do better.
I was correct on both points. At least that's what I surmised on my first listening, or first half listening, it's a long album and I have oh so much work to do.
I guess I was a bit bothered at first by the fact that it sounds so, well, kinda, dated. So increadibly un "hip". Maybe not bothered but perhaps concious of the fact. To be honest though I was kinda in the middle of thinking this whilst listening to "Sunset" It was definately a beautiful song but part of me, a stupid irritating voice hiding at the back of my head kept on whispering, "Ah but it sounds so very MOR over forties bar jazz" but then suddenly as it felt the song was about to end it soared into a kinda wild flamenco replete with handclaps and kate bush wailing. My better side managed to take hold and I realised it was oh so fucking wonderfull.
Suddenly the whole thing clicked. I listened to it again and I realised I'd been an idiot it was brilliant. Really really undeniably beautiful and wild and imaginative and intelligent.
I still think that the second CD is by far the better but considering there are no bad songs on the first cd and at least three that are fantastic it seems a little churlish to mention it.
I still hold that it's not better than HOL or The Dreaming (to be honest though very little is) however best album of the year, it most definately is and it's been a good year.
So, that was a good beginning to the weekend and the rest turned out quite nicely as well. Lola, Polly and I decamped to Västerås on Friday in order to meet Andreas. I must admit to a little trepidation due to it being close to two hours on the buss and Polly being famously fidgety but she slept through the whole thing. We gave her free reign once we arrived, largely due to Andreas living in a bed sit making any attempt to put her to bed a joke. She was lovely, lots of energy humour and love she rand around, she talked incessantly with Andreas parakeet and danced. She finaly fell asleep quarter past midnight. There was no real calming down period she just came over to the sofa, climbed up and fell asleep in our collective lap.
It was great to see Andreas again, we see each other so intermittantly and I do miss him terribly sometimes. In a country full of quietly psychotic people he is so wonderfully well balanced.
We watched a horror film as is tradition, I forget the name of it, it was a fairly forgettable chinease horror film. The only noteworthy aspect of the film (though it is very noteworthy) is that it had Leslie Cheung in the main role. He was as always great but what makes it really interesting is that it climaxes with his character haunted by the hideous ghosts of his past decideing to throw himself off the top off a very high building. A more terrifying scene than intended because not long after having made the film the actor did just that.
Saturday back in Stockholm, Linn was working on the lighting for an Egyptian dance performance at Fylkiningen. So I got free tickets, I went with Robert, Linn's boyfriend (and coincidentaly Lola's ex), I don't know him that well, he's still good friends with Lola but I've not really had much contact, he was nice and it was a pleasent evening. The performance was good, at least it was really goos when it was purely egyptian but the whole thing was supposed to be hinging on a merging of egyptian and Swedish traditional dance styles, supposedly communicating something about the cultures in the clash and harmonies between the two. Myself I found this bit's wawkward and contrived but Robert liked them so maybe I just don't know enough about Swedish dance to truly appreciate it.
And yesterday was father's day. Lola was lovely and took care of everything so I could have a relaxing day. made a really nice breakfast, took care of Polly, so I could just do the fun stuff, the playing etc etc.
And Polly was as she had been all weekend rather loving toward me. Might not sound like much but of late she's been really clingy towards her mum. Generally disdaining all attention I giver her. It's been driving me up the wall and I'd actually started to get pretty depressed about it. But the weekend was a ray on sunshine in all that. Once again I was a fun dad. pretty cool.
Oh yeah it's Stuart Staples birthday to day. I found that out quite randomly just now. Happy birthday to him.
Still, it meant that I finaly had enough money to buy the Kate Bush album, which had been tormenting me from record shop windows and various reviews.
My initial expectations were simple, they kinda have to be when one of your heroes turns up with a double album after twelve years. I figured, it won't be as good as The Hounds of Love or The Dreaming but it will hopefully be better than The Sensual World and The Red Shoes (not, I should hasten to add, that I dislike either of those albums. I like them a lot. It's just that she can do better.
I was correct on both points. At least that's what I surmised on my first listening, or first half listening, it's a long album and I have oh so much work to do.
I guess I was a bit bothered at first by the fact that it sounds so, well, kinda, dated. So increadibly un "hip". Maybe not bothered but perhaps concious of the fact. To be honest though I was kinda in the middle of thinking this whilst listening to "Sunset" It was definately a beautiful song but part of me, a stupid irritating voice hiding at the back of my head kept on whispering, "Ah but it sounds so very MOR over forties bar jazz" but then suddenly as it felt the song was about to end it soared into a kinda wild flamenco replete with handclaps and kate bush wailing. My better side managed to take hold and I realised it was oh so fucking wonderfull.
Suddenly the whole thing clicked. I listened to it again and I realised I'd been an idiot it was brilliant. Really really undeniably beautiful and wild and imaginative and intelligent.
I still think that the second CD is by far the better but considering there are no bad songs on the first cd and at least three that are fantastic it seems a little churlish to mention it.
I still hold that it's not better than HOL or The Dreaming (to be honest though very little is) however best album of the year, it most definately is and it's been a good year.
So, that was a good beginning to the weekend and the rest turned out quite nicely as well. Lola, Polly and I decamped to Västerås on Friday in order to meet Andreas. I must admit to a little trepidation due to it being close to two hours on the buss and Polly being famously fidgety but she slept through the whole thing. We gave her free reign once we arrived, largely due to Andreas living in a bed sit making any attempt to put her to bed a joke. She was lovely, lots of energy humour and love she rand around, she talked incessantly with Andreas parakeet and danced. She finaly fell asleep quarter past midnight. There was no real calming down period she just came over to the sofa, climbed up and fell asleep in our collective lap.
It was great to see Andreas again, we see each other so intermittantly and I do miss him terribly sometimes. In a country full of quietly psychotic people he is so wonderfully well balanced.
We watched a horror film as is tradition, I forget the name of it, it was a fairly forgettable chinease horror film. The only noteworthy aspect of the film (though it is very noteworthy) is that it had Leslie Cheung in the main role. He was as always great but what makes it really interesting is that it climaxes with his character haunted by the hideous ghosts of his past decideing to throw himself off the top off a very high building. A more terrifying scene than intended because not long after having made the film the actor did just that.
Saturday back in Stockholm, Linn was working on the lighting for an Egyptian dance performance at Fylkiningen. So I got free tickets, I went with Robert, Linn's boyfriend (and coincidentaly Lola's ex), I don't know him that well, he's still good friends with Lola but I've not really had much contact, he was nice and it was a pleasent evening. The performance was good, at least it was really goos when it was purely egyptian but the whole thing was supposed to be hinging on a merging of egyptian and Swedish traditional dance styles, supposedly communicating something about the cultures in the clash and harmonies between the two. Myself I found this bit's wawkward and contrived but Robert liked them so maybe I just don't know enough about Swedish dance to truly appreciate it.
And yesterday was father's day. Lola was lovely and took care of everything so I could have a relaxing day. made a really nice breakfast, took care of Polly, so I could just do the fun stuff, the playing etc etc.
And Polly was as she had been all weekend rather loving toward me. Might not sound like much but of late she's been really clingy towards her mum. Generally disdaining all attention I giver her. It's been driving me up the wall and I'd actually started to get pretty depressed about it. But the weekend was a ray on sunshine in all that. Once again I was a fun dad. pretty cool.
Oh yeah it's Stuart Staples birthday to day. I found that out quite randomly just now. Happy birthday to him.