Sunday, September 06, 2026

Patch, Fresh

What fresh hell is this?
Mandatory updates now
Patch Tuesday again

Saturday, September 05, 2026

Orchids, Shoots

The detective hides
Amidst the hothouse orchids
Shoots and then he leaves

Guero by Beck

This list seems to have an inexplicable fascination with certain artists, Beck being one of them. After the rambling Odelay and the toe curling break up album Sea Change, I had no idea what to expect from this. I certainly wasn’t expecting something approaching a rap in hispanic accent or a song with a Nintendo bleep core intro or Christina Ricci pretending to be a sushi waitress.

This isn’t in my copy of the book so I have no idea why it was chosen. Apparently the title of track 2 “Qué Onda Guero” translates as Mexican slang for “What’s up whitey?” which is a perfectly fair question both for Beck and Robert Dimery.

Friday, September 04, 2026

Reckoning, Fern

By my reckoning
The fern was repotted, thus
The killer is … you!

Thursday, September 03, 2026

Splendid, Soil

Tilled and mulched with care
Evenly raked, furrows drawn
Ready for planting

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly

There are certain bands and albums in the sixties canon that have stood the test of time and others that have faded into relative obscurity. There’s quite a lot of this album that sounds familiar, but that’s because it’s very much a reflection of the time. There are organ riffs that you’d swear are from a Doors album and bits that made me think I was listening to Sunshine of your Love by Cream. If you want a 60s sounding bit of music for your cool indie film about gangsters or serial killers without paying for a big name artist, then you won’t go far wrong with this.

This is very much an album of two halves. The first half is generic late 60s hippie pop where everyone has flowers and beads in their hair, and all the girls are groovy. The second half is a rambling 17 minute acid rock epic, featuring a 3 minute drum solo (seriously, I checked my watch) that would give you enough time for a smoke and a cup of tea. The title of this track and the album comes from a drug addled attempt to say “In The Garden of Eden” which probably tells you everything you need to know about this record.

Wednesday, September 02, 2026

Clear Water, Beginning

In the beginning
The water was clear until
Privatisation