TamTam Books News Monday, October 14, 2002: TamTam Books List of October Swoons 1) Tom Recchion ‘Chaotica’ (Birdman Records) A perfect soundtrack for my daydreaming moods. Sinister, dark, romantic, and mysterious. A perfect cocktail of exotica, lush passages, cha-cha rhythms and faint voices that went away. When one plays this CD, time stops. 2) Agnés Varda ‘Cléo From 5 to 7 (Criterion DVD) France The ultimate 60’s ‘Paris’ movie with ye-ye singers, cancer, Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina, a goofy appearance from music great Michel Legrand (who also did the marvelous score) and the astonishing Corinne Marchand as Cléo. A fantastic film about a pop singer and her Paris. 3) Joris-Karl Huysmans ‘Against Nature’ (A rebours) (Oxford University Press) I’ve been told that this is a very strange book. But no, it is not. I totally identify with the main character the hypersensitive and aesthete Des Esseintes. The world for sure is a rotten place, so why not try to improve your situation with beautiful fabrics, a jeweled encrusted tortoise, fine books with respect to Latin and Decadent literature, rare flowers and out of the ordinary perfumes. The book is also interesting in that it gives critiques on literature and art of its day (1884) within the narrative of the novel. Oscar Wilde was wild about it, so why not everyone else. It’s Perfect. 4) Rolling Stones "Between the Buttons" UK (ABKCO) Any album that has a song titled ‘My Obsession’ is ok with me. This is the classic Stones that I think most people forgot about. Great tunes, exotic arrangements, experimental in places (Please Go Home) and not afraid to rock when it has to and be gentle when it is appropriate. It also expresses a certain ‘the end of an era’ sadness that I am sure was not meant in its original masterplan. 5) Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe, Alexander Faem and Friends ‘"Tribute to Alain Delon and Jean-Pierre Melville" (Euro-Visions) Like a cat noticing a wounded bird on the ground, how could I resist any CD that is a tribute to Delon and Melville? The only names I recognize here are April March (I love her) and Bertrand Burgalat. The others are a total mystery to me. I don’t know Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe, Alexander Faem, nor Helena Noguerra, Jacno or Ariel Wizman. But I want to take them all out for a drink to thank them for making a tribute album to Melville and Delon. Frankly they could have made two albums – one for Delon and one for Melville. But that is me just being picky. Not meaning to use an overuse word –but this is cool. Strong ‘French’ melodies and the song ‘’Parisville’ is ….sexy. Well it’s April March after all. 6) Yasuzo Masumura "Manji" (Fantoma DVD) Japan A story about an obsession to end all obsessions stories. This is based on a novel by Junichiro Tanizaki and "Manji" is simply magnificent. It is a delicate puzzle where all the pieces (the four main characters) fit or if they don’t fit – what happens? The story is about an Osaka wife Sonoko who has a fixation on a fellow student Mitsuko and how it affects their surroundings. There is the husband of Sonoko and then there is the boyfriend of Mitsuko…but things get twisted and it turns and turns to the exciting end! Masumura is a great director, and the actress Ayako Wakao who portrays Mitsuko is super hot! Tosh // 10:13 AM ______________________ Comments: Post a Comment
TamTam Books List of October Swoons 1) Tom Recchion ‘Chaotica’ (Birdman Records) A perfect soundtrack for my daydreaming moods. Sinister, dark, romantic, and mysterious. A perfect cocktail of exotica, lush passages, cha-cha rhythms and faint voices that went away. When one plays this CD, time stops. 2) Agnés Varda ‘Cléo From 5 to 7 (Criterion DVD) France The ultimate 60’s ‘Paris’ movie with ye-ye singers, cancer, Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina, a goofy appearance from music great Michel Legrand (who also did the marvelous score) and the astonishing Corinne Marchand as Cléo. A fantastic film about a pop singer and her Paris. 3) Joris-Karl Huysmans ‘Against Nature’ (A rebours) (Oxford University Press) I’ve been told that this is a very strange book. But no, it is not. I totally identify with the main character the hypersensitive and aesthete Des Esseintes. The world for sure is a rotten place, so why not try to improve your situation with beautiful fabrics, a jeweled encrusted tortoise, fine books with respect to Latin and Decadent literature, rare flowers and out of the ordinary perfumes. The book is also interesting in that it gives critiques on literature and art of its day (1884) within the narrative of the novel. Oscar Wilde was wild about it, so why not everyone else. It’s Perfect. 4) Rolling Stones "Between the Buttons" UK (ABKCO) Any album that has a song titled ‘My Obsession’ is ok with me. This is the classic Stones that I think most people forgot about. Great tunes, exotic arrangements, experimental in places (Please Go Home) and not afraid to rock when it has to and be gentle when it is appropriate. It also expresses a certain ‘the end of an era’ sadness that I am sure was not meant in its original masterplan. 5) Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe, Alexander Faem and Friends ‘"Tribute to Alain Delon and Jean-Pierre Melville" (Euro-Visions) Like a cat noticing a wounded bird on the ground, how could I resist any CD that is a tribute to Delon and Melville? The only names I recognize here are April March (I love her) and Bertrand Burgalat. The others are a total mystery to me. I don’t know Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe, Alexander Faem, nor Helena Noguerra, Jacno or Ariel Wizman. But I want to take them all out for a drink to thank them for making a tribute album to Melville and Delon. Frankly they could have made two albums – one for Delon and one for Melville. But that is me just being picky. Not meaning to use an overuse word –but this is cool. Strong ‘French’ melodies and the song ‘’Parisville’ is ….sexy. Well it’s April March after all. 6) Yasuzo Masumura "Manji" (Fantoma DVD) Japan A story about an obsession to end all obsessions stories. This is based on a novel by Junichiro Tanizaki and "Manji" is simply magnificent. It is a delicate puzzle where all the pieces (the four main characters) fit or if they don’t fit – what happens? The story is about an Osaka wife Sonoko who has a fixation on a fellow student Mitsuko and how it affects their surroundings. There is the husband of Sonoko and then there is the boyfriend of Mitsuko…but things get twisted and it turns and turns to the exciting end! Masumura is a great director, and the actress Ayako Wakao who portrays Mitsuko is super hot! Tosh // 10:13 AM
