Die Hard 4.0 : Live Free or Die Hard

Finished watching this and was about to post my thoughts on it when the line broke down.

This one just stretches the incredulity of action movies - knocking off a fire hydrant to knock out a helicopter, flying car stopped by two parallel cars from landing on the protagonists, ramming a car up a ramp into a helicopter, 18-wheeler outgunning a hover jetfighter. Sheesh!

Bruce Willis is also long in the tooth and the muscular sequences look like poor fabrication.

The premise is interesting, though, and reminds of the plot I have drawn up for my second novel about World War 3 being a cyber-war (if and when my current novel gets finished).

The young chap has the looks of Keanu Reeves and all his acting chops. Kevin Smith gets a speaking role (uncredited in the end credits) but it isn't funny. The villain is about as menacing as a boyband member. Stereotypical kung-fu role for the token Asian as well (Maggie Q, whatever became of her?).

In any event, this is a great fun waste of time, even if there's nary a brain cell wasted. Wish I had bought some popcorn.

The Eagles - On the Border

Mostly got this on sTeVe's (poster on message board I go to) recommendation. Pretty solid. I suppose the cocaine haven't really affected their brains yet. Bernie Leadon's guitar (and other stringed instruments) work is sterling. There is also not so much rock as country. Has the rather maudlin "The Best of My Love" (usually sung by middle-aged Chinese businessmen in karaokes) but I don't mind that song much, as it was one of the first few songs I learnt to play properly. Ace rec, sTeVe!

Cheap Trick - The Essential

Essentially a power-pop outfit that got sidelined into hair metal? I should say that the hair metal sounds terrible but it isn't really... There are nice harmonic touches to the songs, and Zander and Nielsen are quite adept songwriters. The best songs here are the simpler songs - "Surrender" (which I first heard as a remix on the "Small Soldiers" soundtrack) and "I Want You to Want me". Heck, I even like "The Flame", paltry hair metal power ballad that it is. Nice powerhouse instrumentation from all the guys involved. Top of the pops.

Maxwell - Embrya

A replacement for a fucked-up cassette. Upon first heaaring of the album last time, I garnered that this is a kinda Curtis Mayfield clone set to electronics thingie and I still think so. The velvety falsetto is so reminiscent of Mayfield, though the lack of wah-wah guitar is quite substantial even if some songs do display it. It's mostly slick R n'B with a view of the past. Though the song titles are quite misleading, sounding like a prog album, even with its own conccept to boot. I like this well enough and can be deemed a fan of the dreadlocked one (shorn these days).

2012

Another Roland Emmerich destroy the world thrill-a-thon?

Or celluloid worthy of the dumpster like Godzilla or 10,000 BC?

Actually, the first time a city gets destroyed (some Californian town), it was exciting. But keep repeating scenes of mindless destruction and there's a feeling of ennui.

And John Cusack is either some sort of superhero or had incredible luck to survive all those shit happenning around him.

Some of the scenes involving water also look quite fake and rushed.

And the ending is .... Going back to the way the Earth used to be millions of years ago......

Barely entertaining. And I'm glad I didn't shell out dough to see it (it was on my gf's tab).

Billy Cobham - Spectrum

Replacing a cassette. Really notable I guess for Tommy Bolin's fiery lickin'. Although it doesn't really hit the heights of the epic scope set by the Mahavishnu Orchestra, which it sounds like it takes from.

Culture - Two Sevens Clash

Quite hardhitting stark reggae. Also espouses the joy of an apocalyptic event (July 7 1977 - the two sevens clash), rather than panicking in fear about it. Interesting the the vocal harmonies in the closer, "I'm Not Ashamed", sound like Cat Stevens' Wild World.

Curtis Mayfield - Superfly OST

Rather unnecessary torrent as I have all the crucial tracks here -"Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Give Me Your Love" and "Superfly". The remainder tracks don't really stand out, being workmanlike wah wah funk exercises.

Gentle Giant - Gentle Giant/Acquiring the Taste/Octopus/In A Glass House/Free Hand

True to their name, gentle and whimsical prog. Nice wacky time signatures as The DOK (guy on the message board I post on) says, although I like their more novel songs - "Pantugruel's Nativity" (on "Acquiring the Taste") with its Gregorian chants and the neo-classical "The Advent of Panurge (on "Octopus"). Yep, really warming up to classic prog. Still don't think much of neo-prog, though, as some friend of mine is trying to get me into hearing The Porcupine Tree. I like Tool so far, but they are more metal anyway.

John Fahey - America

Nice fingerpicked bluesy country-ish tunes. Soothing and relaxing as heck. Although I'd wish there were more variations in the rhythm and tuning.

King Crimson - Discipline

Babble (message board) is rather divided about this album, but I love it. Belew's vocals seem to channel David Byrne on "Elephant Talk" and it is reminiscent of "Fear of Music"-era Talking Heads. On the rest of the songs, lotsa interesting noodling which are heavily layered and synth-based. I love this almost as much as ItCotCk.

Mr. Bungle - California

Yeessshhh! Too eclectic for me. File away! Might like in another five years' time or more.

The Human League - Reproduction

Their debut. Yay! The single version of "Being Boiled" is here - "Listen to the voice of Buddha, saying stop your sericulture". Contains the four-part "Dignity of Labour" EP, with its experimental synth noodling, sounds like a massive influence on Olivia Tremor Control's "Green Typewriters" on "Dusk at Cubist's Castle". Doesn't have anything as catchy as "I Don't Depend On You", though (early disco-ish single). Rather hit-and-miss cover of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" as well.

The Congos - The Heart of The Congos

Excellent reggae! Toppermost of the Poppermost Rastas. Love the submerged in water-type production by Scratch. Kinda reminiscent of what I like so much about Junior Murvin. Only downside is CD2, which have throwaway dub versions and extended remixes.

The Specials - The Specials

More 2-Tone ska. Oklar, I guess. Doesn't have the dense tapestries of The Special AKA's "In the Studio" although Terry Hall's vocals are great. "Nite Klub" is a total waste of time. A rather perfunctory cover of "Monkey Man" (Toots, not Stones) which is obvious as hell.

Van Der Graaf Generator - H to He Who Am the Only One/Godbluff/World Record

Rather similar in atmosphere to Gentle Giant. Although I have to say Peter Hamill has a really good range, sounding like Bowie in places on "H To He" and metallic on "World". I also have no problems with the rambling long songs (eg "Meurglys III" on "World") as the critics seem to have. Nice!