Well, dear readers, once again it is unfashionably late and I must write these here notes in a hurry. The reason for the lateness is simple: The And the World Goes Round mixes, in show order, showed up in Dropbox, I downloaded them into iTunes and was just going to play the opening track but I just kept going – not everything, but at least a sampling of everything. We still have another couple of hours of work to do – the reverb isn’t consistent occasionally and it has to be, there are a couple of mixes that still need smoothing out, a few vocals to bring up in the mix – just nitpicky stuff, but it really does sound quite good and the performances are just wonderful. And, of course, it’s complete, so that’s fun. I’m just a perfectionist and I want it the best it can be – but you all knew that.
Yesterday was, I believe, Tuesday. I got a little over eight hours of blessed sleep, had a few telephonic conversations, answered e-mails and then went to eat. I had a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich and no fries or onion rings, then I picked up one package, after which I came home. I did some writing, had a few more telephonic calls, got some packaging to proof and that can now go in for approval – if we get this and the other we’d already sent, then we’ll announce both on Monday, which would be good. After all that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching The Spider, the Danish miniseries from 2000. I quite enjoyed it, although the ultimate villain of the piece, which is supposed to, I suppose, be a surprise, was evident to me in episode one – in fact, if anyone doesn’t guess who The Spider is by episode two they should have their thriller card revoked. But that doesn’t matter – it’s a very well done story about Denmark in the post World War II years – corruption, violence, bad police, romance, and intrigue, all centering around our hero, a twenty-two year old journalist, who is idealistic and obnoxious in equal measures. The one thing that I cannot be enthusiastic about is the DVD transfer – this company, who releases a lot of the Swedish and Danish things in the US, is completely inept – this transfer is filled with horrible artifacts, has jerky motion, and looks interlaced. Shameful.
I then made two of my low-cal no-fat hot dogs and had those for my evening snack along with two apples and some cherries. Then I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Under the Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson. The film was both loved and hated by critics, and if you were to go by the “reviews” at the imdb you’d think it was the worst film ever made – one one-star review after another, all written by little teens (if adults are writing that ineptly, we’re really in trouble) who saw it because of Miss Johansson but didn’t feel it was as good as Captain America. Right. Now, I have to admit I wasn’t looking forward to it, it did sound like one of those arty little things but you know what – while I would never call a film like this enjoyable, I was kind of mesmerized by its slow pace, its plotless form, and its style. I’ve seen “pulse-pounding” thrillers that haven’t held my interest as much as Under the Skin. There’s just something hypnotic about the whole thing – it’s not going to be for everyone, and there is a bit of, shall we say, irritating male nudity – not irritating because it’s male nudity, but the type, which I think belongs in porn but not films like this. But that’s a minor part of the film. I can’t say I recommend it, but if you like out of the ordinary films, you might want to give this a try. Transfer is lovely.
After that, I went out and did a two-and-a-half mile jog. Then I did some more work on the computer, and then listened to the And the World Goes Round stuff.
Today, I shall have a visit from a local CD dealer, then I have some errands and whatnot to do, some liner notes to work on, and then in the evening I shall mosey on over to see Jason Graae in An Evening of Self Indulgence.
Tomorrow I’m lunching with Miss Kay Cole, and then I have stuff to do on Friday, maybe a show to see, and the weekend is loose at this point.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a visitor, jog, hopefully pick up some packages, write, and see Jason Graae. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you dear readers get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall not be unfashionably late.