The fourty-seventh comic: #417 Kampung Boy

Now to a somewhat sweeter story. Kampung Boy is the story of a boy growing up in a kampung, a village, in Malaysia. It covers his parents, his education (mostly religious, at least initially) and his friends. There's stories about his daily life, but also how the modern world enters this life, both by the machines mining for tin and traveling in cars. It's a story of life that doesn't exist much anymore and the story ends as the protagonist leaves the village, both because his parents sell their rubber plantation and because he goes to boarding school - as he leaves the kampung, he is no longer a kampung boy.

It's a small, simple story. There are no big threats or adventures, but they are parts of life, combined into a narrative. It's a fast, satisfying read that entertains and enlightens well.

The fourty-sixth comic: #169 The Marsupilami Robbers

Spirou (or Robbedoes as I know the character) is a comics character I've been aware of for ages, and the Marsupilami might have been going around me for even longer. I never was a big fan of the character, either in comics or TV series - too goody-good and not enough interesting stuff going on there. Fantasio (or Kwabbernoot) was more interesting as the sidekick, but others were more of a favourite.

Here, it doesn't quite land for me. I don't hate it, but not all of the gags landed and the timing felt off - the story seemed rushed by putting in a few too many things. The Marsipulami is a nice idea, but doesn't come off well here and I'm not quite sure why this story, in particular, would be chosen. It's fine, but doesn't feel that great.

The fourty-fifth comic: #498 The 110 Pills

We have to cover a couple of erotic comics during these adventures, which is somewhat awkward considering most of my comics reading is on the train. I bit the bullet for 110 Pills and was happy that the black and white lineart somewhat obfuscated what I'm reading to the casual observer. 110 Pills got explicit, with drawn nudity and sexual acts, as, in a way, suits the story. It revolves around a leader (I want to say a Chinese nobleman, but I'm not sure that's intended) with several concubines. To help his sexual prowess, he gets pills from a monk that help him out - 110 pills of Viagra, you could say. He is told to take them only once every full moon, but of course he doesn't stick to that and it leads to his end.

There are a bunch of gratuitious scenes, embracing the concept to show off, but the art is done quite well and the story and characterization is strong enough to take it beyond that. It's been a good read - while I wasn't trying to hide it from my fellow commuters.

The thirty-fifth classical recording: Aaron Copland - Rodeo

Looking at some sources, this is described as Broadway influenced - and indeed the ballet is abundant and loud in a way most aren't. It's, indeed, a play in the form of a ballet, and the two styles are an interesting mix - a traditional instrumentation with what feels like a more modern score (by the standards of the 1940s, of course. Can't go too far). There's also an old west influence, about a cowgirl trying to impress the cowboys. It's an unexpected mix, but it works - it's special and more than you might expect from a ballet at first.

The three hundred and fourty-fifth song: Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone - The Temptations

There are two parts to this song. Thanks to its lengthy musical introduction (two minutes in the single version we listened to, four in the full 12 minute version), the electronic soul music dominates, creating a tension in its music that has its source in the Theme from Shaft from a while ago. Then there are the vocals, subdued for a soul group, more grim than you normally get. It's angry, with a lot of accusations in its tone, something that appears to have been a consequence of the studio atmosphere. There's an edge to this that moves it beyond normal soul, adding an energy that benefits the song immensely.

The three hundred and fourty-sixth song: I’ll Take You There - The Staple Singers

In contrast, this feels like more jubilant soul, but in a way that feels more put together, It get repetitive quickly enough, but there's a rhythm in the early song that catches your attention. It's optimistic about the future, but man... it just keeps coming back to the same thing, and that really starts to grate after a while.

The three hundred and fourty-seventh song: Soul Makossa - Manu Dibangu

This song is described as one of the first disco songs. There is a core of funk in here, the soul roots are obvious, but the echo, the additional use of cymbals and electronic instruments and the saxophone breaks. It's danceable, it's not celebrating, but it's here to be music. Manu Dibangu has rumba influences, some jazz, and it breaks through the repetitiveness that funk falls into, playing with the existing bits, changing them and expanding on them. It's a welcome development that I'm actually looking forward to seeing develop further - not something I'd have expected to say about disco!

The three hundred and fourty-eighth song: Superstition - Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder must surely be one of the people who got funk out of its... funk. The repetitive nature of it again doesn't return here, maybe because he got Jeff Beck to record the guitar and mixing rock influences in to create a song that stands out and feels elevated. It's someone who, although appearing on the list for the first tiem, ends up at the top of his game and creates a song that's timeless in its own way. A clear sign for the road ahead.

The three hundred and fourty-ninth song: Elected - Alice Cooper

We're moving a step on in rock - even more hard rock, stepping away from psychodelia, and embracing an anarchic attitude that pushes away from the established norms and existing society. Making a big claim about his intentions, there's something cheeky and contrary about him wanting to become president. He's not getting there, he knows he doesn't want to, but it's still a challenge to authority that it feels a lot of people fall behind - or at least that's how the song wants you to think.

The three hundred and fiftieth song: Sam Stone - John Prine

Deep thinking folk is a thing, with (it seems) the new Bob Dylan being announced every few months. I'm not sure whether John Prine is there, but there's a heartfelt anger in the story of Sam Stone, a veteran abandoned after he returned home. It's an ongoing story, but this really drives it home. The metaphors are barely that, just as often being harsh and angry. "There's a hole in daddy's arm, where all the money goes" is bleak and clear. It doesn't need to say more than that - but the song continues to emphasize that point.

The three hundred and fifty-first song: Willin’ - Little Feat

In a way a throwback, this rock song draws more on country, a ballad that feels like a truckers' song, something they would play along the way as they move. It's slow, it's not too complex, but it works as a song to drive down the road to.

The three hundred and fifty-second song: It’s a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl - Faust

While elsewhere, rock leaves behind the weirdness of psychedelic rock, it looks like German rock doubled down on it, something that's on full display here. The rhythm of this song is meticulous, hammering and repetitive, interrupted by repetitive lyrics and slight variations until a wind blows in partway through. It feels obvious to draw a line from here to the likes of Kraftwerk, an electronic sound that doesn't sound traditional. There's organization, but it gets disrupted and chaos comes in. Still at well picked places, but it's weird how, in a way, it's neither organized nor disorganized, floating at a weird point in between.

The three hundred and fifty-third song: Sail Away - Randy Newman

This set of songs is filled with surprises and this, a pitch to slaves from American slave traders, becomes a lot darker when you get its meeting. It's messed up when you realise and pay attention, with some cutting lyrics, and while it may not seem to have much immediate relevance, its message still is biting and pointed and an interesting comment on modern propaganda. Worth the shock of a gentle song like this being taken over by this message.

The fourty-fourth comic: #967 Attack on Titan

One of the big manga of the moment, Attack on Titan desolate world is worrying on its own. A world roamed by giant (but somewhat mindless) humanoids called titans have driven humanity to live in a corner of the world - little more than a large city and its surrounding fields. At the start, they've had a form of peace for the past century - they're on guard, but the titans have been unable to get to them. As the usual start to a series like this, it all changes one day. They break through one of the walls and it's a disaster for humanity. They rally by giving up a large part of their territory and the comic is about the fight back.

That comes with its twists, as we find out more about what the titans are and where they came from, a story I'm still figuring out as I read this. It's draw with an interesting detail, the humans looking fairly standard for manga but with exquisite, horrid detail put in the titans. They look human, sure, but there's something unsettling about them - from their genderless nudity to visible muscle and probably most disconcerting, the giant grins on their faces. It's over the top and bizarre and it's amazing in setting the tone and atmosphere of the entire work. I want to know more about what's going on now (and have enough of a break now to do some more reading)

The ninety-fifth album: #95 Young Rascals - Groovin'

Am I used to too much? This album feels quite light, with the happy go lucky sound of something like early Beach Boys, gentle rock, R&B influenced but quite light and fun. And I guess it works, but it's just not standing out as special, more just fairly generic. There are some interesting experiments (although the stereo switching between audio channels were more making me feel queasy). It's early Beatles... at a time where we had Sgt Pepper, Revolver and the others

The ninety-fourth album: #94 The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday

Today's stop on this tour of sixties rock drops us off with folk/country rock, the Byrds including some psychedelia in their music but staying true to those roots. C.T.A.-102 is a revelation in that sense - having a standard folk riff that involves weird sound effects and an alien invading the song about a minute and a half in. I'm not quite sure what happens, but it shows that there is more to this album than might seem at first.

It nicely interrupts the easy listening songs. They're nicely put together, easy to listen to, a bit sentimental but suitable for the album. Then songs like that heighten the stakes, showing they're aware of what's out there and not avoiding it.

The ninety-third album: #93 The Doors - The Doors

It's been a bit of a bad couple of weeks and some rock goes down like a treat - some hard guitars, loud vocals and aggression. The organs are still out there, reminding us we're in the psychedelic sixities (doing the songs list messes with my perception of time here). It's also haunting at times, to sink away into, and that mood really gets invoked as I listen.

Still, it's not quite as hard as the bands the Doors would inspire. Light My Fire feels really slow - apparently an issue with the album recording, which is slowed down from the original recording, but also in how it's put together.

The eightieth TV show: #109 Thunderbirds

I was a fan of Thunderbirds growing up. My father watched it when he was young and the excitement was carried over - probably helped by the mechanical wonders seen (some of which are now, and only now, becoming reality) and the exciting stories they told. The franchise is a kid friendly action show, the Thunderbirds machines from the title used to rescue people who end up in different emergencies (and some other stories). This is done using Supermarionation, advanced marionettes that look impressive. They are not realistic - having oversized heads to focus your attention on where the action is - and it's amazing how much they portray with three different static expressions (done by swapping heads), moving mouths and subtle movements. The wires show - literally - and the tricks don't always work, but a lot of the time it's amazing how much moving eyes and eyelids can tell.

The series moves at a pace that still works today - apparently, short shots were needed because the lack of movement got boring on longer shots - and makes it still fun to watch. It helps that they pay a lot of attention to details - signs work at the small scale, they make deliberate choices on when to use real life substitutes (mostly when a hand double is needed). I got lucky enough to get a studio visit to Thunderbirds 1965 after they finished filming the most recent three episodes (based on audio plays, but matching the episodes seen in this series) and seeing the amount of work and care that goes into it makes it more understandable. It's high pressure, so stuff goes wrong, but while you see the wires on screen, you really can't see them in real life. They are also gorgeous models, even if they look like they're difficult to deal with.

Watching it again, the show is a lot of fun to watch. It's still convincing and the crafsmanship of the creators shows throughout. It avoids interpersonal drama, although there are personal touches in there, but in a way the focus helps the show. The recent part-CGI remake goes for a more modern plot, with more life lessons for kids and all that, but it doesn't work. This show needs the rough edges, the scuffed models showing these vehicles are used in real life, and characters that do make it each time, but are realistic and flawed in subtler ways than the lesson of the day plot requires.