The one hundred and fifty-sixth TV show: #540 Midsomer Murders
There's the idea that we enjoy scary stories at Christmas because it makes us feel more comfortable being cozy and safe at home. It seems like the same applies to murder mysteries - we enjoy them when they're in these idyllic places where a murder is a big deal, finding all the secrets under the veneer of pleasantness. The series trades on this, always having some secrets hidden under the idea of staying proper and having the calm of their life disrupted.
Aside from that, our lead chief inspector Barnaby is savvy enough to realize what's up, wisely deciding not to actually move to the countryside at one point, with his personal life providing a nice and gentle, less dysfunctional contrast (expect for his attachment to the job). They're all well built mysteries, not jumping in with a murder and not going too gritty even if it goes dark. Add to that that, as with so many British shows, this can be a case of spot the actor, using the same stable so many other shows do, and you can see some actors enjoying getting the chance to play the violent murderer when they'd normally play nice old ladies.
The show does have its issues, with homophobia featuring a bit too heavily in the early murders and the series being too white for too long - perhaps representing some of these areas, but feeding into the xenophobia rooted in these areas rather than challenging it as the show does with this village lifestyle. It's not something that really impacts your day-to-day enjoyment of the series, but it's something you start to notice when you pay attention to it.
The two hundred and sixtieth album: #260 The Eagles - Eagles
There's something quite relaxing about the standard, country-inspired rock of the Eagles. There are no tricks, no attempts to sound fancy or go weird. There is just a good, solid rock sound that brings a nice bit of energy. While there are benefits to the glam rock experiments, this proves why you don't necessarily need that and can just rely on some good, basic sounds executed to perfection. Even Earlybird's early 'extravagant' bird sounds are there for the introduction before fading into a solid country rock song. It's all the album needs, and it feels like that really pays off.
The one hundred and third classical recording: #939 Elliott Carter - Concerto for Orchestra
It's easy to dismiss this piece as a mess, a cacophony of sounds that assaults you - and to be fair, we've had some modern pieces that feel like that. That's not the case for this concerto though. While there is a lot going on at once here, with some sounds that can seem to bite each other, there is a structure in here that means that while the work doesn't always harmonize, it all leads to a complete piece that works together, bringing a clear intention to the piece. The moments when they do come together and align are even more brilliant for that reason, as the sound becomes that much more powerful following the build up. It's an intense piece to listen to, consuming your attention more than other pieces, but it's worth finding the beauty in there.
The ninety-fourth comic: #869 We3
There's something fully uncomfortable about reading We3. This story, about three animals turned into cyborgs to function as half-robotic weapons, starts off with orders for their destruction. Only barely understanding what's going on, they escape and roam the countryside as they try to defend themselves against those trying to capture and kill them. There's a lot of action in here, but the comic's focus is its sadness, with pets who were trying to please their owners being chased and not understanding. The fact that you can see them deteriorate as they do so, while they miss the medicine needed to keep them alive with their implants, emphasizes that further and they keep looking worse. It's an upsetting and brutal story, which builds a lot of pathos for creatures who can barely communicate even with what you see - recognisable and moving, with a dark art style to match.
The two hundred and fifty-ninth album: #259 David Ackles - American Gothic
I hadn't heard of David Ackles before, despite him being a celebrated songwriter in the community. The folk rock-inspired Americana album has some of the feeling of a Bob Dylan album, mixed in with some music hall elements where I can imagine him on the stage, a piano playing next to him. In that sense, it's a lot more optimistic and happy than folk can feel. Add to that Ackles' ability to tell a story in a song, with Midnight Carousel as much a story as a song, and it feels like an album that comes together in every sense, its focus on feelings and what it's trying to saying rather than a sound working incredibly well here.
The two hundred and fifty-eighth album: #258 T-Rex - The Slider
I'm not sure where to stand with The Slider. The first track, Metal Guru. fits the bill as a hard rock track that hits that feeling of being slightly inaccessible and taking a bit of work to get. Then there are tracks that just don't make an impression, including title track the Slider, while Spaceball Ricochet, which is more like a ballad, feels like it doesn't quite fit in with everything else. The album has some glam rock elements and plays with hard rock, but it feels like a mixed bag with some tracks hitting - like Metal Guru and Ballrooms of Mars respectively showing the hard rock and glam rock of the album - and others feeling a bit too toothless to fit the feel they were going for.
The ninety-third comic: #630 The K Chronicles
The K Chronicles take the form of a weekly, Sunday-style comic - not unlike Life In Hell. Written by an African-American artist, it covers a number of racial themes, current affairs and political humour included, which gives it quite a different viewpoint from what you'd often get in these, and it's a welcome one. It's obviously not one I've experienced, but there are bits that seem familiar and it manages to hit the right button, while maintaining the humour. Add to that the cases where the cartoon covers slice of life stuff, recognisable but coming out quite unique, and this became an accessible, as well as entertaining read that still has a large chunk of its archives online to read - even covering recent events when it feels it needs to be covered.
The one hundred and second classical recording: #124 Giuseppe Tartini - Violin Sonata in G Minor, "The Devil's Trill"
Said to have come to him in a dream, The Devil's Trill was apparently a bad copy of a song he had the devil play to him in a dream. While probably just as much a good story as it is him talking about his dreams, the work has a certain charm that I don't entirely associate with work from the 1700s, it being a speedy and seemingly technically difficult piece in places that relies as much on tension and haste as it does on the slower movements that fill the room. There is something especially impressive about the piece when it starts to dance like that, taking you more on a journey to a conclusion that's still as amazing to listen to.
The one hundred and fifty-fifth TV Show: #681 Lost
I'm sorry Lost, you never really found me.
There was a lot of hype around Lost and it's been on our backlog for over a decade to watch it. Watching it now, though, we never really got into it. In part it's because we knew the conclusion - spoiled by its comparison to a different TV show ending - making a lot of what happens meaningless, but I often feel it's about the journey more than it's about the outcome. The journey, however, never really appealed.
The show's split between flashbacks, focusing on a character per episode, and life on the island, often focusing more on what happens to that character and how they fit into what happens on the island. The flashbacks are mixed - not all of the characters are as interesting and as much as it's a delight to see Charlie do his thing, main lead Jack is a bland American hero type that didn't gain much over the first season.
The island loses out further. It feels like a lot of what they can and can't do and do or don't have available is plot based rather than survival based, which would have made for an interesting angle they never really get into. The interplay doesn't work well, the antagonism feels a bit forced, and the whole thing seems set up to drive the group into two camps rather than something more natural. I mean, the fact that the 'leaders' are the characters I care the least about put a damper on that anyway, with Jack and Kate not really working as interesting protagonists.
And the mysteries? Barely there, and when they are there's not enough to look at. You want to get answers to some of the small mysteries, so they can lead to bigger ones, but instead it doesn't give you anything. Knowing where it all ends up, and how because of that it's all meaningless, means that it just doesn't get that interesting.
That's not to say there aren't good bits - there are a bunch of good characters and an episode like Numbers works incredibly well, but there are so many scenes and episodes in between that feel perfunctory, spinning its wheels for some time, that the series doesn't connect. Ten years ago, I might have liked it. It might have been a good watch at the time. These days, however, it doesn't offer enough.
The two hundred and fifty-seventh album: #257 Stephen Stills - Manassas
Usually I try to find a hook when listening to these albums - a song or two that draw me in and define the album, or something special that stands out. The problem with Manassas is that I struggle to find anything like that. It's competent country/blues rock, the bluegrass is fine, it has some feeling put into it, but there's nothing that stands out. I couldn't tell you a song that I really enjoyed or something that made me sit up and pay attention. It's not that I can't tell the difference, we're certainly moving between several different songs, but it's hard to mention anything that actually makes an impact. The one that's closest is probably the final, fourth side, Rock and Roll is Here To Stay, which swings a lot more... but even then this doesn't have the impact other rock albums have for me.
The two hundred and fifty-sixth album: #256 Stevie Wonder - Talking Book
Talking Book is mostly a poppy soul album, flirting with rock in places and shifting a bit, but mostly sounding like a soul album that's polished itself to reduce the repetition that tends to get to me and feeling like a normal pop album, with the familiar topics of love and life without going that deep. Stevie Wonder brings several influences to the album, some funk, some rock and drifts between upbeat pop numbers, ballads and funk in an album that cheers you up and makes you feel better.