Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Friday Fever

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  • Russell Brown,

    Fuck. I thought I'd grab The Big Payback via the IPad Kindle app -- but for the first time, Amazon couldn't deliver an e-book to New Zealand. Previously, the iPad app has been a handy little back door to the US Kindle store. How irritating.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Simon Grigg,

    The story of that record

    Great story. More, more!

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Fuck. I thought I'd grab The Big Payback via the IPad Kindle app

    That's odd - I bought it on kindle for Mac. No issues. Maybe Thailand is ok, or maybe they've just closed a hole. God, I hope not.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg, in reply to Sacha,

    Great story. More, more!

    Buy the book! You won't regret it. The first half in particular is some of the most intriguing rock'n'roll biz journalism I've ever read.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    That’s odd – I bought it on kindle for Mac.
    No issues.

    once upon a time...
    you could've just
    loaned him your copy...
    :- )


    hmmm...
    ...what to do with the
    empty shelf space in
    the library, now that
    everything is digitised?
    - a vinyl solution...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    loaned him your copy...

    Geography may have precluded that.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    So Russell, I gather from a certain TV commentator on bFM this morning that you also found Gary Numan a bit, umm, something. (There are no secrets).

    The second half was more like Tackhead vs Trent Reznor than what I expected. They were all great musicians, and he is sure a showman, but it just confused me, to be honest. 'Are Friends Eclectic' was pretty special, but the lack of familiarity made me feel there was a boat somewhere that I'd missed. Maybe this one.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Ali Ikram's brief interview with Numan (2 min clip) was interesting, mentioned his Aspieness.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Sacha,

    was interesting

    Yes. Wish I'd seen that beforehand, although I would still have been a little out of my comfort zone.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks, in reply to Julian Melville,

    Great video, Julian.

    Have I linked to this one already? Oldie but goodie. (Not strictly a one take, but seems like it for most of the duration.)

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to recordari,

    The second half was more like Tackhead vs Trent Reznor than what I expected. They were all great musicians, and he is sure a showman, but it just confused me, to be honest. 'Are Friends Eclectic' was pretty special, but the lack of familiarity made me feel there was a boat somewhere that I'd missed.

    The Pleasure Principle part was, I realised, basically Brit-rock with synthesisers. They didn't seem to reinvent or explore the originals, but it was okay.

    The second part started well with my favourite Numan song, 'Down in the Park', but I didn't dig the NIN-style stuff and left before the end. I did feel that playing LCD Soundsystem's 'Losing My Edge' over the PA just before the band came on set the bar kinda high.

    I felt a bit guilty that I was there as the +1 of a friend who did some work for the show, while most of the people around us were mad-keen Numanoids (some of them quite a bit older than me). I'm not sure what they made of some of his newer stuff.

    I think the way Numan used synthesisers, and the sounds he made, endure and are justifiably sampled the hell out of. But: yeah, nah, as a live act.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Slightly OT – is anyone else intrigued by how
    “yes no but”
    is morphing into
    “yeah nah but”?

    ETA- or "But - yeah, nah"...

    Does anyone know whether this rather strange morph of English is occurring elsewhere?

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    I think the way Numan used synthesisers, and the sounds he made, endure

    Indeed, but since it's still the tail end of NZMM I'd lean more to these guys when it came to that particular sub-genre.

    Unfortunately, like so much of its era, absolutely unavailable anywhere.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Simon Grigg,

    I'd lean more to these guys when it came to that particular sub-genre.

    +1

    A re-release would do pretty well I reckon.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Simon Grigg,

    Indeed, but since it's still the tail end of NZMM I'd lean more to these guys when it came to that particular sub-genre.

    And a whole lot more to it than just Mi-Sex too. Still, can't resist...

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    And a whole lot more to it than just Mi-Sex too. Still, can't resist...

    I remember these guys when they were a god-awful prog band called Father Time and then, later, Fragments of Time. Horrible, horrible noise complete with wind and smoke machines on stage.

    Walked out of the Windsor during a show.

    Then they found the first Ultravox album.

    There used to be a big tag on a Sydney wall: 'Steve Gilpin used to sing Eagles songs on TV variety shows - that's street credibility for you'

    He did too, but you have to hand to them, they leapt on the bandwagon with some success.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    . . . but you have to hand to them, they leapt on the bandwagon with some success.

    They toured hard in provincial NZ, which couldn't get enough of 'em, followed by regional Australia and Ozrock stardom. A curious career path, though perhaps not so unusual for those times. A bit like those space probes that gather velocity by looping around the far side of the sun before plunging into the cosmic depths.

    Best comment I recall about Gary Numan's 1980-or-thereabouts Auckland show: "How many different meals can you get out of a packet of Weetbix?"

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to 3410,

    This has been the highlight of my week - thank you!

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Simon Grigg,

    Unfortunately, like so much of its era, absolutely unavailable anywhere.

    Yes, except, I just scored Another Day on 7" with Head Over Wheels off Trademe for $10. Collector in Christchurch seems to be having a sale.

    <smugpost>

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

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