The word of God

So after two years, I’ve finally made it through the entire run of PREACHER graphic novels! Penned by Garth Ennis and drawn by Steve Dillon, this series was completely different from anything I had read previously. Never before had I read a comic that compelled me to devour issue after issue till the book was finished. Comprising nine volumes in all, there were some that I got through in less than a day!

What first struck me about Preacher was its prominent use of foul language. It was course and colourful and rarely let up. There was also more violence and gore than you could shake a Texas Chainsaw murderer at. Having been brought up on a staple diet of Spiderman and X-men comics, reading Preacher made me feel like a youngster who’d just snuck into an 18s movie :P

The characters felt real and nuanced and garnered genuine concern from me over the course of their many wild adventures. The art wasn’t much to speak of, but was perfectly suited to the raw and gritty dialogue. The over-arching story (the search for god) kept me interested, mainly because I was curious to see how a subject so far-reaching could ever be resolved. The smaller in-between character-building stories were much more interesting though. The conclusion felt a bit underwhelming, but it was one HELL of a ride getting there! So what are you doing still reading this when you could be out there reading Preacher right now? GO! GET! :D

Basil Poledouris 1945 - 2006 RIP

Fans of film music the world over have mourned the passing of Basil Poledouris, who died of cancer on the 8th of November.

While not as instantly recognisable as the Horners or the Williams of the movie scoring world, Poledouris has composed some of the biggest, most lyrically beautiful music to ever grace the big screen.
His highlights included: Conan The Barbarian (an absolute classic), Robocop, Lonesome Dove, The Hunt For Red October, Free Willy, The Jungle Book, Starship Troopers (one of my personal favourites) and Les Misérables. Even though he became less prolific in recent years, his legacy will never be forgotten. R.I.P.

Flavour of the week - Ryan Phillippe

In celebration of his new-found single status :D (and if you squint real hard, doesn't he remind you a lil of James Dean in the fifth pic?)

The ballad of Britters and Fed-Ex

Sings: “Tis the season for the breakups, fa la la la la, la la la la”.

First Whitney and Bobby call it a day (FINALLY, after a turbulent 14 years), then Ryan and Reece decide to end their vows (after a modest, but still respectable 7 years). Now Britney and K-Fed, after a hefty two years of wedded bliss, are seeking a divorce due to that old nugget “irreconcilable differences” (now who saw THAT one coming?! :P)

I find that that particular excuse is used a little too much by celeb couples these days. You ever wonder what exactly those irreconcilable differences could be?

Does he constantly sleep on HER preferred side of the bed? Does Britney repeatedly take Kevins bike out for a ride without permission? Is she a cat person and hes a dog person? Does Kevin leave the toilet seat up on purpose and flat out refuses to change his wild ways? For once, I’d really like to know! :D

The artist formally known as Thicke (aka: TAFKAT)

THE EVOLUTION OF ROBIN THICKE ~ Robin Thicke

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this album was a long time coming.

Robin Thickes debut album “A Beautiful World”, released in 2003, is one of my absolute all-time favourite albums. As such, my expectations for his follow-up “The Evolution of Robin Thicke” were sky high.

Admittedly, I’m not the most patient of men, so to see the albums release date pushed back month after month was maddening. Almost a full year had passed from the time the first single was released, to when the album finally hit the shelves. Though apparently Robin, a notorious perfectionist, imposed almost all the delays himself. Songs were repeatedly added and dropped from the tentative track listing. Even some of the songs used for promotional purposes didn’t end up on the final disc.

The choice of singles prior to the albums release was unforgivable. The first was a monotonous Neptunes produced number, “Wanna Love U Girl”. The second was “Shooter”, a mangled remix of a track from his first album. The third was an uninspired remix of the bland first single (supposed formula for success: alter the beat and add more rappers). It wasn’t until the release of the (frankly brilliant) fourth single “Lost Without U” that I felt a glimmer of hope for the rest of the album.

Getting onto the album proper, it didn’t immediately grab me by the balls like his first one did. Very few of the tracks displayed the same kind of dynamic sound that made his debut so unique. But it became obvious early on in my listens that this release was going to be more of a slow burner. The first track on the album was an interesting choice. A duet with Faith Evans, she actually opened the track (and therefore the album), with Robin coming in as backing vocals after about 40 seconds. The rest of the disc is a mixture of mellow R&B cuts, piano-led ballads and a couple of interesting up-tempo numbers. The highlights of this album were the quiet lil ballads. Robins breathy, yet earnest vocals resonated with emotion and made the songs feel so intimate, like you were listening to something private and ever-so personal.

In the time honoured “Prince” tradition, he writes, produces and plays the instruments on almost every single track on the album. This is impressive in its own right, but at the same time exemplifies the kind of control freak he is. Taking a cue from the title, I think there has been a significant change in Robins output this time round. I don’t know if I’d go so far as to call it an “evolution”, but the sound here is considerably more mature, coherent and refined than it was in “A Beautiful World”. At any rate, this was a very personal album. Unlike the first album, none of the songs compel you to get up and dance, but quite a few will have you grinding the hips. That distinction is very telling. I found that this time round, I actually preferred the tracks that weren’t as heavily produced. I think it lends a more intimate feel to the songs, sounding as if they were recorded live, with a small accompanying band.

My main beef with the album would be its considerable length, clocking in at just over an hour and a quarter. A number of tracks could have been culled entirely to allow for a leaner listening experience. The only other fault with the album is that it panders to a hip-hop audience on a number of selected tracks. I think that flirting with this genre was a blatant attempt to come across as more credible artist. Sadly, those particular songs are terribly sub-par and totally indistinguishable from the plethora of other hip-hop songs currently heard on the airwaves.

After the dismal failure of his debut, I think Robin might have played things a little safe with this album, as its certainly more accessible than his first. But at the same time, it’s nowhere near as progressive or dynamic as I’d have hoped for. Still, if I were to disregard the handful of generic hip-hop songs, the album holds up very well. (Oh who am I kidding, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the album. Yes, the above review is a little harsh, but I just hold Robin to a slightly higher standard than most other artists. Its tough love people! But theres just no faulting his silky smooth voice :D)

Standout Tracks:

• Got 2 Be Down
• Complicated
• Lost Without U
• Everything I Cant Have
• Teach U A Lesson
• I Need Love
• Cocaine
• 2 The Sky
• Lonely World
• Angels

(Yes, that most of the album :P)

From Pleasantville to Splitsville

If you’ll allow me, I’m gonna take a break from my usual reviews and such and get all sentimental on your ass...

Last week it was announced that after seven years of wedded bliss, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe had decided to separate. Somehow this news flew totally under my radar for a few days, but when I did finally hear about it, I was completely taken aback. I know that its not exactly unheard of for Hollywood couples break up, but I always had this feeling that these two (knowing them as intimately as I do :P ) were matched for life. So it really did pain me to hear that Hollywood’s most perfect power couple had called it a day.

The pair met on the set of Cruel Intentions, where Ryan’s character was on a mission to woo the untouchable Reese. Perhaps he’s something of a method actor, cause a few months later the two were wed, and went on to have two children :D

I’m somewhat disappointed that the illusion of my fairytale couple has been shattered, but I still wish them both all the luck in the future!