The fourty-fifth song: They Can't Take That Away From Me - Fred Astaire

Moving further into movie songs, our initial worry was that we picked up the instrumental version - it certainly gives the movie time to set up the song itself. The song feels less swingy than later covers, but the sentiment is still there - the book calls it callback to a more romantic era, and it feels that way. It's sweet without being over the top, which is certainly what suits the mood.

The fourty-sixth song: Dust My Broom - Elmore James

Back to blues, this is agood song in the genre. It sounds good, seems to have decent lyrics going, and certainly feels like the innovation happening at the time... it's also not a song that I can say more notable things about, other than that this might have had our first electric guitar.

The fourty-seventh song: Foi Deus - Amalia Rodrigues

Something quite different, moving to a more operatic style in this Portugese fado (folk-like) song. It's not as melancholic as you'd expect, some happiness - or at least optimism - showing through in the music.

The fourty-eighth song: Le Gorille - Georges Brassens

I realise I'm missing out on the meaning of the song as my French is too rusty to keep up, but the mocking tone of the song (originally aimed at World War II war camp guards, but now at authority figures in general) shines through. It's with a wink, anarchic, and even the single guitar with voice, not quite level or trained, adds to the effect, sounding like everything is sung off the cuff.

The fourty-ninth song: Singin' in the Rain - Gene Kelly

Probably one of the most famous songs we'll be covering so far, the song is probably better than the movie the recording comes from (it had featured elsewhere before). There's joy in it, fun and entertainment, and some of the sections are pretty well known by now. Some of the bridges - clearly intended for dance sequences we can't see - feel a bit unnecessary to be included here, but that's more a consequence of this being from a movie's soundtrack. 

The fiftieth song: Just Walkin' in the Rain - The Prisonaires

Not sure whether these two songs were placed together in the list on purpose. They certainly sound different, this being a slow ballad (sung by a group of Tennessee prisoners, hence the name). It's quiet and slow, but sounds very good together. 

The fifty-first song: Please Love Me - B. B. King

Another electric guitar comes in on this R&B song, the oddness here being that the music is approaching rock music sounds, while the vocals stick with something closer to a blues style. It looks good, but sounds odd to my modern ears.

The fifty-second song: Crying in the Chapel - The Orioles

This gospel song feels like it draws out the tears early on. It pulls on the lyrics, coming out slowly with acoustic support from the other singers. Bells and bass come in later, but the real strength comes from these singers, creating a melodic sound that doesn't really get you down, but tug at a certain string while still keeping something good in there.

The first TV Show: #421 The Simpsons

The first show to be watched is one that I'm mostly going in for because I've been watching it a lot for a while (as well as getting a lot of the lore through The Simpsons: Tapped Out mobile game). As a long running show (not the longest running cartoon - thanks Japan, a shame we won't get to see your animated work) it really has gone through its own ups and downs. Aside from having started on the most recent seasons (keeping up to date) my current watching has gotten me into season 7.

This is still the high point of the series - where that ends is debatable, but I know it's coming up - but I'd argue that even the lower points (of which I've sampled a few while writing up) are still good, just not as good. One of the genius parts of the early shows are how they link together several different plotlines into one in a way that makes sense, while keeping them all enjoyable. This allows them to mix the ridiculous with the grounded in an episode - keeping them separate until needed.

At the same time, the show has good concept episodes, whether it's one of the several story episodes (which allows for smaller stories to develop, set in weirder environments) like the celebrated Treehouse of Horrors series, or a look at the family's future.

One of the biggest advantages The Simpsons has, in part because as an animated series it's easy to introduce more, is its extended cast. There's are loads of additional recognisable characters that get used when needed, allowing the titular family to be sidelines as story requires (without having to worry about the actors not appearing). Just as often, minor one gag characters return and become more fully fleshed-out characters.

It's been good. You could wonder whether it's time the show ends, but until then there are a lot of good episodes to watch even now.

The third comic: #527 Watchmen

One of Alan Moore's major works, this is one of the comics I had read before. I'm not sure I quite appreciate how revolutionary it was, with retired or down on their luck superheroes, set up more realistically, seeming to be something we see more often. The commentary is clear in the work, not believing in the unambigiously good superhero, but the exploration of the different attitudes 'after the work ended' is as interesting. Not everyone is a good person anymore, and just as often the small bits are ignored in favour of the greater good. An amazing thing to have read.

The second comic: #837 The Walking Dead

Been a while, huh? With Peter now catching up, I can properly start this project. I reached minimum required length today, so can 'officially' sign off on the Walking Dead, even if (as a continuing series) there's loads more to read.

There are some of the same issues here as in Bleach, where complications get added to the story because it has to keep going. It doesn't feel as forced here, though, most developments come naturally and don't feel as unexpected - there's no sudden power up needed. Instead, the story takes time to explore aspects, sometimes in a gruesome manner.

A worthwhile read in any case, psychologically as much as anything else.

Coming Up: 1001 TV Shows

That makes it close to the full set

The fourth book: #4 Romance of the Three Kingdoms

So that's that book done. I'm still a bit torn on it. The book is good enough, but it's partially a history book - where it's dry - and part storytelling, which doesn't always fit in quite as well with the general tone. Especially some of the supernatural occurences weren't as suitable, although there are also some other fables that could be true but feel a bit too true. The political view point - celebrating that of the winning army - also shines through, with several characters who have to be villains although they also feel to be admired.

Still, an interesting insight into the history of the time, and how Chinese politics worked.

The fourth book: #4 Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Not quite done yet, but a day or two away. I did want to make a brief observation about symbols. You probably know as well as I do about Chinese characters being pictographs, representing words, and how they are often made of combinations of symbols (such as 'forest' being three trees). This comes through in the stories - several times, written words or sentences are said to make little sense, until one of the smarter characters (including relative villain Cao Cao) points out that the actual meaning is that of the symbols making up the word. For example, 'horn' contains the symbol for knife, which is later interpreted to mean more. Interesting to see this used in context.

The thirty-second song: White Christmas - Bing Crosby

This is, of course, a famous song. I feel all later renditions are a bit faster, but the sentimentality really works with this version. It sets up Christmas as a more formal experience than we hear in more contemporary songs, but it suits the mood of the year and gets you in a slightly different version of that mood. Overdone, at times, perhaps, but this feels like a more of a classic Christmas song than most of the ones that followed.

The thirty-third song: Good Rockin' Tonight - Roy Brown

And back to the jazz from before. Rock hasn't quite hit yet, but the sound is there in the trumpets and this originally being performed before a boogie woogie pianist makes sense. We certainly are getting towards more danceable, swinging music and this really feels like a step for contemporary music evolution.

The thirty-fourth song: Nature Boy - The Nat King Cole Trio

This is a fairy tale, a story told in song. Lovely vocals, it's the instruments that draw you in and take you on a journey. Different from Route 66, this feels slower and sweeter. Really an enchanting song and, almost, experience.

The thirty-fifth song: Saturday Night Fish Fry - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five

That title sounds bizarre, doesn't it? Another New Orleans swinging song leading up to rock, you wouldn't expect this type of music when the lyrics are about a police raid on a party. A lot of it is about people having a good time at a party that probably would have this style of music (and indeed that's part of the lyrics - them playing at it), but the music slowly switches to it.

The thirty-sixth song: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams

It's odd, isn't it? Black music of the era was swinging and upbeat, while white music is melancholic, sad and sentimental. It seems to have been autobiographical, a sad feeling considering Hank Williams was in his twenties at the time. This is pure country - probably the first song like it that we've heard.

The thirty-seventh song: Autumn Leaves - Jo Stafford

Apparently a jazz standard, this version isn't even a notable recording according to Wikipedia, but it works really well here. A sad love song, you can see how this would ahve been a hit with servicemen, reminding them of their girl at home. The emotions are simple and naked, a feeling of longing being clear in the song.

The thirty-eighth song: Summertime - Sarah Vaughn

Here's another song that feels at odds with itself. It sounds like it should be an upbeat, happy song, but with Sarah Vaughn's song, it becomes sadder, almost threatening. It's good, very impressive, but sounds different than it feels it should. Perhaps that's my influence from later renditions of the song, or other songs that used part of its lyrics. Wonderfully well performed though, that's good about it.

The thirty-ninth song: Goodnight, Irene - The Weavers

Listening to this song, the original themes - suicide because the singer misses Irene, possibly as a threat - shine through in the music and implicit references. Here they obviously become more tame, making it seeter and more appropriately folksy. 

The fourtieth song: Mambo No. 5 - Perez Prado

It's mostly instrumental (other than some grunts and heys). This is odd in part because we're used to Lou Bega's rework, which adds full lyrics, but the wordless version works well here. There's some anticipation in what's going to come, but mostly it just swings along. This is clearly the better version.

The fourty-first song: Rocket 88 - Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats

Listed here as possibly the first rock 'n' roll record, this instruments in the song - less focus on horns, more on guitars - certainly lean towards it. An ode to a car, that matters little, as you can just enjoying following along to the song.

The fourty-second song: Cry - Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads

Another crooner appears. Apparently fans were in tears at concerts, listening to this. It doesn't work as well for me - yeah, it sounds sad, but it somehow doesn't get through to me as much as it apparently should. A bit unfortunate, as it feels like there's more to it than that in here.

The fourty-third song: How High the Moon - Les Paul and Mary Ford

Apparently the inventor of several musical techniques, aswell as being known for his guitars, Les Paul's guitar play on this song is as important as the vocals from Mary Ford. They work well together, the vocals almost adding a nice backdrop and some variation to the faster guitar play. It's pretty simple, but fun and upbeat enough.

The fourthy-fourth song: London Is the Place for Me - Lord Kitchener

A happy song that doesn't entirely feel like it's describing London, there's a lot of happiness and good feeling in the calypso-based music that feels like a great celebration (although certainly more orchestrated than the earlier calypso songs we had). Great fun as a song.

The fourth book: #4 Romance of the Three Kingdoms

50% in (thanks to my wedding and honeymoon breaking the flow), this remains a historical text with fictional additions - unless supernatural beams of light are now a thing. An interesting read though, if a bit dry in places - lists that are barely more than "X beat Y".

The fourth book: #4 Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Started this. Very much a history book with stories, it feels like it's jumping from event to event while trying to make them more dramatic. A tough read, but a bit easier to follow than the Tale of Genji - there are still a lot of characters, but they are easier to keep track of and have stronger, consistent (but perhaps slightly more flat) personalities