Jeroen's Micro Blog

The one hundred and twenty-sixth book: #95 Lost Illusions - Honore De Balzac

It's rare I get this frustrated with one of the protagonists of a book, but Lost Illusions was frustrating to read - even if it stayed compelling enough to keep going. Between the two protagonists, David - printer and inventory - is too trustful, getting swindled and taken advantage of by several people. It's the more compelling story, helped by real details that set the tone a lot better. The most painful abuse of his good nature is that of his friend Lucien, an unsuccessful poet who we see move between patrons. Seeing the starry-eyed belief that he can make it without any real effort put in is tricky enough, but the middle part of the book that focuses on him feels vacuous enough. When he makes things worse for David, we see him run away (eventually making up for it in a slightly odd sequel hook), but it's only once he's gone that the story can resolve for David and work. It's a troubling book to read, but I think I got enough out of it in the end to keep going. Just be ready.

The one hundred and twenty-seventh book: #1022 The Purloined Letter - Edgar Allen Poe

As one of the two short stories by Poe I'll be covering in the next few days, this holds interest as what it presages. Our unnamed narrator is the companion of a brilliant detective, making leaps of logic that solve the case and make sense to a point. It's a short version of the Sherlock Holmes narrative and an interesting early version of the detective mysteries that works well, taking its time with some humour as well. It's a story that does what it wants to do well, and you can see how well the formula later stories build on work.

The one hundred and twenty-eighth book: #96 The Pit and the Pendulum - Edgar Allen Poe

The other short story is more unique, an exercise in writing style and creating an oppressive atmosphere. The story of a man tortured by the inquisition, with several death traps in his cell, is short, as unclear about its surroundings as the narrator is in the cell, and the more optimistic ending that I suppose happens feels unnecessary in context, but is such a footnote that it barely matters. The setting of the scene, the tone, it all just works brilliantly to arrive at its endings.

The six hundred and twenty eighth album: #628 k.d. lang - Shadowland

The country stylings of k.d. lang are uncomplicated, often feeling quite classically arranged while her strong voice adds a gentleness to the tracks. They're emotional and feel true, which makes for a great country album - the type of country and blues I feel drawn to.

The nine hundred and nineteenth song: Like I Love You - Justin Timberlake

It's odd to think that Justin Timberlake wasn't the musical giant he is now. This is his debut solo single and it feels like it sets the tone with a grown-up R&B sound that feels like a classic straight away. It's focused and takes its influences without copying anything - modern enough, but with a feeling that calls back to earlier times too. It's a strong song, with Timberlake's vocals really pushing it further to the top.

The nine hundred and twentieth song: You Know You’re Right - Nirvana

A long term posthumous release with a history that's interesting in itself, Nirvana's grunge is out of time for the era, but works in a way that's rotated back with a darkness that appeals again. It's Nirvana as you'd expect it, at their best vocally, and it still has a raw appeal.

The nine hundred and twenty-first song: All the Things She Said - T.A.T.U.

There's two sides to discuss about this song. The lyrics, meaning and controversy are clear, a lesbian song from an area of the world where even now that's not accepted. It makes it feel like the biggest thing in the world, the panic and confusion becoming clear in the music. It's a strong performance, produced to be engaging, worming its way into your brain with the panic the song brings. It's a a strong showing that is still as impactful.

The nine hundred and twenty-second song: Untitled - Interpol

We go back to some lower energy again with a track that brings that downbeat, post-punk vibe that feels laden with depression and sadness rather than anger. The vocals are that down, but even the oppressive guitars contribute to that darker sound. It sets a mood - and seems to have been intended as a concert opener - and sells that well.

The nine hundred and twenty-third song: Slob - Weezer

There's a lot in this track that appeals to me. The indie rock sound, with its accusing town, works well and the admonishments work in a context here. It feels short while strong with everything it does with the music. It's just been really enjoyable.

The nine hundred and twenty-fourth song: Strange and Beautiful (I’ll Put a Spell on You) - Aqualung

After all the singer songwriters I've covered from earlier years, I feel like this is the era where they really work for me more than anything. This is a sensitive, simple ballad, built up just enough to work while not overdoing it. It's still a bit more than a man and a guitar, but instead it feels perfectly balanced in everything it does, which also feels like it feeds into the themes of the song. It's a real highlight of this session.

The nine hundred and twenty-fifth song: Quelqu’un m’a dit - Carla Bruni

It's lovely to hear a modern chanson as well. We're far enough in time that the tempo of it feels more modern and upbeat, but the classic feeling is there, the subdued delivery and sweet sound. Bruni's voice helps by being a lot sweeter and engaging, and rather than having to belt her lyrics, she keeps them small throughout the track, which helps create the intimate feelings that elevate the song.

The nine hundred and twenty-sixth song: Heartbeats - The Knife

We're ending with something electronic, another welcome change in sounds. The electronic beat is varied enough that we've clearly moved away from pure dance music when we talk about electronic, but the highlight really comes in when the vocals start, a stark, Bjork-like sound that adds a distinctive sound that manages to take focus from the rest of the song almost by how relatively sparse it is. It's not something you expect, but it works so well here.

The six hundred and twenty-seventh album: #627 Dagmar Krause - Tank Battles

This album feels out of time. With a large number of shorter cabaret tracks and jazzy showtunes, musically it could belong to an earlier time - although I'd argue the recording quality is better. Dagmar Krause's theatrical performance sells it further. She performs it as in a musical, with some asides and feeling like there's more motion to it. Add to that her singing style - while she has a strong voice and the skill to sing 'normally', she often uses a slightly staccato style, clearly enunciating so you get every line while having these rest beats in between. It really pays homage to the words and makes her vocals stand out, but the way it still becomes incredibly musical means it never jars. It helps the impact, in a way that lifts the song.

The two hundred and thirtieth classical recording: #141 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony no. 36, "Linz"

The basics of a Mozart symphony are clear - usually quite big and imposing, going for some volume and, in the case of his 36th, without as much subtlety in its movements. This is for a brass-heavy orchestra and it plays through, with the strings adding their franticness to the bold sound. Even the slower, smaller minuet feels that in comparison, with a lot of depth of sound still happening inside it.

The two hundred and twenty-fifth TV show: #22 Dixon of Dock Green

There's something quite gentle about Dixon of Dock Green. There's some darker cases, but on the whole it doesn't feel violent or angry, instead sticking with quieter interpretations of life. The police mysteries and stories are there, but it's still a bit staid. It develops through the years, from what I've seen but I also know other shows start after this that build on this further. It fits its time, but it's not hard to see how it reached the point where it was ready to end.

The six hundred and twenty-sixth album: #626 Dinosaur Jr. - Bug

The indie rock of Bug is straight forward, not too complicated and quite nice and accessible. It's exactly what you expect - garage rock with simpler vocals, more a mood piece than full-on story, and nothing too complicated happening - but it's done in a way that works well, even when it veers towards shouty hard rock at the end.

The nine hundred and twelfth song: Tiempo de solea - Ojos de Brujo

We're starting 2002 with a Spanish dance song. One thing that stands out compared to the past is how much heavier it leans on the beat, creating a more modern, danceable song with scratching and electronics and fusing that with the traditional sound. It flows faster and quicker and feels more modern, in a way that still works really well.

The nine hundred and thirteenth song: Freak Like Me - Sugababes

While the core of the Sugababes are the specific harmonies they share, being ballad focused in the early output I remember, there's a notable bass sound included in this track that hits you quite hard. The vocals match well against it, not getting lost, but it feels like they could get more focus in this to really work.

The nine hundred and fourteenth song: Mundian to bach ke - Panjabi MC

The Indian track that underlies this song feels quite traditional - in fact, I believe I've heard it used several times as a stereotypical version of it. The bass line, when it kicks in, is incredibly effective in creating a dance song, with the sparseness of the track creating an additional switch that means the original sound keeps its focus more - as it should be.

The nine hundred and fifteenth song: A Little Less Conversation - Elvis Presley vs. JXL

In the era of remixes, you can see how much mileage there can be in older recordings when pushed to new heights. The original song is a decent effort, but the way the remix amps up the instruments, it makes the chorus more jubilant and really imparts the happy atmosphere of the original track. It shows off Elvis' vocal charisma while elevating it completely.

The nine hundred and sixteenth song: Gimme the Light - Sean Paul

There's something about modern reggae that's working better. I'm still not entirely in love with it, but this weed anthem lyrically matches the themes while also building on the sound to draw in more mainstream influences - a better beat and more experimentation with sounds that gives that broader appeal while still sounding like a reggae track.

The nine hundred and seventeenth song: I Believe in a Thing Called Love - The Darkness

While hard rock is not a modern genre, there is a poppy feel that makes this feel contemporary again, the excited, happy vocals creating a more positive feeling to the hard rock track. It feels performative, sure, but in a way that creates that good performance you want to go with it.

The nine hundred and eighteenth song: Ashes of American Flags - Wilco

On the opposite side of the rock spectrum, Ashes of American Flags is dark and depressed, a sound that would have come from the mood at the time, but that would be the band's sound and works today as well. It's a sad and contemplative song, one that works through the emotions it means to impart on you.

The six hundred and twenty-fifth album: #625 Metallica - ... And Justice For All

The dark worldview of Metallica is as appealing as it was when I discussed it before, and central strong track One really shows that element of it. Their dark sound remains evocative, which is part of that longer build up, and the longer tracks - only nine in a double album, two per side - help it develop that story most of the time. It really makes the album shine, engaging you rather than boring you.

The two hundred and twenty-ninth classical recording: #501 Johannes Brahms - Clarinet Sonatas

One of the wonderful things about the clarinet is the gentle, delicate sound that apparently had grasped Brahms around this time, and he's composed a wonderful wrapping that shows off the instrument incredibly well. This is a tender, sweet set of sonatas with plenty of life and I think it's given me a new favourite instrument to enjoy.

The one hundred and fourteenth comic: #411 Charley's War

I didn't connect with Charley's War. At first I was wondering whether this was because I was further removed from the war, but since this started over sixty years after the end of WWI, that doesn't seem to have been it. The war setting isn't one that appeals to me, the slightly comedic elements didn't connect and the whole thing felt quite boring to me. It ended up something I skipped quite quickly.