Well, dear readers, we finished the mix of the Guy Haines album. Of course, I still have to listen to the new stuff, as I may have things I want to futz with on those, but we did the fixes on the first batch, so that’s all done. Of course, I may hear the fixes and decide it was better the old way, but I doubt it. If I should feel that way, we’ve saved the originals. One song in particular was very difficult to get right, but, after two or three hours on it, we finally got it to where Vinnie and I were happy. All the vocals for the new batch comped very well indeed and I think Mr. Haines will be pleased and if he isn’t that will just have to be tough beans. Mr. Haines did have to come in and sing two count them two notes (in one song) because I knew he would not be happy with them no matter how I distracted the listener from the problems (I am a master at aural trickery and distracting the listener from hearing problems). So, he came in an nailed them in one take and now we’re both much happier. The date has been booked for Kerry Butler’s duet, so that is all set up. Mr. Haines’ portion of the duet is already mixed and in the track. Because of the length of the day, I didn’t get around to several things I needed to attend to, so I will be playing catch up or, at the very least, ketchup all day today. I was quite disappointed when I finally arrived back at the home environment to see how many people just did not post today, thereby leaving me with little too read – a shame, as that’s how I like to relax. Really, we must all pull our weight here at haineshisway.com. Of course, some of us have more weight to pull than others, because we have been eating like pigs. So, from now on, the new dictum here at haineshisway.com is “Pull Your Weight or be bitch-slapped from here to eternity and hell and back”. I’ve been very lax about the bitch-slapping, but I’m here to tell you it will be back in full force as of right now. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, we’ve got us a new dictum and if I were you (and I am) I should abide by the new dictum unless you want a one way ticket to Palookaville, the place from which no traveler ever returns. Pull your weight, tote that barge and lift that bale or, at the very least, lift that bail. I, for example, am pulling my weight right this very minute and it is ever so much fun and quite invigorating. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
Last night, I finished watching a motion picture on DVD entitled Billion Dollar Brain, the first feature motion picture directed by enfant terrible Mr. Ken Russell. It was the third and final entry in the series Harry Palmer films and, to my mind, it runs a close second to the marvelously marvelous The Ipcress File. It’s all very confusing and convoluted, but because Mr. Russell’s direction is so interesting (with his trademark visual style already in place – there are a couple of sequences halfway into the film that are as good as anything he ever did), and because Michael Caine is so watchable, and because this was the final film of Francoise Dorleac before her untimely and tragic death at age twenty-seven, one forgives it its faults and it’s all very entertaining and enjoyable. Miss Dorleac, who goes blonde for this film (she’s a brunette), looks very much like her sister, Catherine Deneuve. She’s breathtakingly beautiful in this film and it’s somewhat heartbreaking to watch her. The film also boasts an absolutely four star brilliant score by the horrifyingly underrated and great Richard Rodney Bennett. The DVD is region 2 from the UK – naturally, why should MGM/UA be bothered to put out interesting films in the US. The transfer is problematic but not a disaster. The color is mostly okay, it’s quite sharp, anamorphically enhanced for widescreen TVs at 2:35, but the transfer is riddled with artifacts (lots of shimmering). One wonders if the transfer people just put up the film and then go have lunch, or if there is anyone who’s awake in quality control. There is simply no excuse for that kind of shoddy work anymore. But, still, I’m glad to have it and I shall watch it again reasonably soon.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because some people have been very lax about pulling their weight and now is as good a time as any to start. After all, that is our new dictum, baby.
It’s ever so much fun having a new dictum. How many of you have had new dictums recently? One can never have enough dictums, if you ask me. Frankly, I’ve been without a dictum for quite some time and it is no fun at all. So, here’s to a dictum in every home.
I have many telephone calls to make today, I know I have at least three count them three packages to pick up (they arrived yesterday, but I finished mixing so late that I couldn’t get to the mail place before they closed), and I must absolutely write three or four pages of the play, so as not to fall behind on my writing the play schedule. I also have to get the new book manuscript to my final proofing person – I was supposed to do that yesterday, but had a senior moment and completely forgot to leave it on the front doorstep. I hate when that happens.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must write, I must catch up, I must listen to our new mixes and the old mixes with the fixes, I must pick up packages, and I must plan for my upcoming New York sojourn – I must book an airplane ticket and a hotel this very day. Today’s topic of discussion: Continuing along our book topics, which I have been finding most enjoyable – we’ve done scary and we’ve done funny. Here is a category with which I’d like to become more familiar with, so what are your favorite historical novels, I mean history of old, novels about events pre 1920 or so. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, because remember we’ve got a new dictum and a new dictum needs attention and care.