Picking the moment...

Current mood: BUY BUY BUY!!!
Category: BUY BUY BUY!!! Music

Well shit...

You know sometimes you get this feeling that you'd better not listen to an LP or read a book or see an art show - because if you do you're gonna destroy the myth and the beauty genius of the act who's produced it.....?!!?

Yes boss, you get the feeling you're gonna see the act for what they are - another flawed person who isn't GOD, who can produce self parodying shit art as well as blinding genius art...

It's the HUMAN moment...

When the HOLY facade falls.


Such a time is usually 3 or 4 or 17 books, LPs or shows into someones career.

YOU LOVE THE ACT!!!

They have moved, influenced or inspired you in ways you could never imagine and genius were possible. Everything they do is flawless. Every word they talk is poetry and everything they wear is STYLE FUCKING STYLE!!!!

THEY ARE EXCEPTIONAL!!!


But then the new LP or book or show comes out, and believing they can't do any wrong, you grab it ASAP and dive into it as if it's a beautiful and very deep pool...

..

.

But it's crap - or perhaps not even crap, so much as nothing like as good or essential as what you've heard or read or seen before - and from believing them to be the saviour, you find them to be flawed.....


I've had this happen many times..

On some occasions, I've not even thought it was coming, and other times I've feared it an ignored it, bought the new work and then PLUNGED DOWN.....

..

.


I had this with Spiritualizeds 4th LP and with Bjorks Vespertine..

For me, both were the self parody - the illustrated critique. The works that fitted the criticisms the naysayers have always had and said...


Spiritualized LP, Let It Come Down lacks the essential, cutting edge beautiful production - and is instead and endless blissed self indulgent bad choirboy drone god warblings that have been ascribed to Pierce by his critics...

Meanwhile, Vespertine is Bjork being the ice cold wierd Pixie the dullards have always accused her of camping up....

Homogenic and Post and Debut are all superb LPs - but Vespertine is the parody - the 'I'M AN ICE QUEEN PIXIE IN THE GLACIER' record...

Since then I've kept both acts at arms reach...


Well, I was fearing that Bill Drummonds new book 17 was to be my Drummond credibility crash..

Yes boss, I can't quite pinpoint why I thought this might be the case - but I was pretty instinctively sure....


It had nothing to do with my spending 25 hours been driven around the M25 with Gimpo (Drummond and Cuty's sometime aider and abbetter) earlier on this year...

Or with some apparently perhaps reliable news I heard that suggested The K Foundation never did burn the million £.

It was more a vague gut instinct that Drummond might be running out of steam, combined with a distrust of the brilliance or brilliance of his choir project that is The 17.


It was also perhaps due to his current sidekick being a man called John Hirst.


When I was at Art School in Norwich, John Hirst was seeing a classmate of mine.

Then, I knew him to be the boyfriend of Nel and I didn't even see much of her, so I never really met him or was introduced to him. I did however see him from afar a few times, and I adjudged that I had nothing much to say to him or no mutual interests....

Essentially, he didn't strike me as being up to much any which way - and so I largely ignored him.


But then, Nel split with John Hirst and started seeing my housemate Gavin.


Well, John Hirst was still about Norwich and the reports were that he hadn't taken the split well - but that aside I heard or thought no more about him....


After moving away from Norwich, I lived in Prague, then set up shop in a caravan in Suffolk, before moving here to Fish Island, London without (as far as I am aware) ever thinking about John Hirst once.

A year in London, I then sold my caravan to Nel for £4500 and shortly after then, she split up with Gavin.

A few years later, a good friend and creative partner of mine had a wierd evening.

Unlike me, Tommy Nadir had got on with Hirst, and had the odd drink with him since having left college...

One night, he met Hirst for just such a drink and Hirst brought along a friend he wanted to introduce him to - the friend was Bill Drummond..


Now, I'd heard something about John Hirst having had something to do with Bill Drummond before - but Gavin was pretty sure he was biggin a chance encounter up into something it wasn't - that Hirst really had nothing much to do him at all..

But, it turns out he does - so much so that he's all over this new book 17, playing the role of Bill Drummonds new Jimi Cauty...

Which is wierd...


Anyway, having finally got this book 17, after holding off for a few months in fear it might destroy my Drummond myth - I'm very pleased to report this book is a blinder!!!

Yes boss, I'm drinking this book up like an all time classic, and I reckon it could be one of - if not his best book yet!!!

So, GO GET IT!!!!

Currently reading : 17 By Bill Drummond