Plutonic Rainbows

Barry Hines, creator of Kes, dies at 76

March 20, 2016

The BBC are reporting that the author of this well-known book has died. A Kestrel for a Knave - about a young working-class boy named Billy who finds and trains a kestrel, was published in 1968 and filmed the following year.

This book had a big impact on me as a teenager. What I admired the most was how the gritty life of 1960s Britain was portrayed. I also remember the really bleak ending. The author resisted the urge to give the story some kind of emotional compensation. As in life, sometimes there are no silver-linings.

Sunday Finds

March 20, 2016

Found a few more first pressings today. These will be the last ones that I can get before I leave due to postal times.

  • Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Best Of (32XD-397)
  • George Benson - Give Me The Night (38XP-2)
  • Phillip Bailey - Chinese Wall (25DP-5219)
  • Eighth Wonder - Fearless (25.8P-5021)
  • ZZ Top - Eliminator (32XD-133)
  • Wham - Make It Big (25.8P-5182)
  • Chicago - Chicago 16 (38XP-36)
  • Chicago - Chicago 17 (38XP-81)

I also bought the new Underworld album with the strange title of Barbara Barbara, We face a shining future. There are a few reviews floating around and it seems to have been pretty well received.

In addition, I ordered Discovery & The Killing Fields from Amazon Japan.

I've been thinking of moving all my general photos to Photos on OSX rather than worrying about Lightroom, Adobe's photo manager seems too cumbersome for my (rather modest) needs.

More Madonna

March 19, 2016

I recently found some more Japanese first pressings.

  • Paul McCartney - Give My Regards To Broadstreet (CP32-5458)
  • Toto - Dune Original Soundtrack (P33P 50011)
  • Madonna - True Blue (32XD-449)
  • Madonna - Like A Virgin (32XD-102)
  • Madonna - Self Titled (32XD-318)
  • Van Halen - 5150 (32XD-435)
  • Tears For Fears - Shout (32PD-37)

I also bought the new Clark album The Last Panthers from Warp Records.

I'm looking for photographs of vintage supermodel Gail Elliott but there don't seem to be that many out there.

Migrant Graveyard

March 19, 2016

A distrubing piece from the BBC today.

This year alone, more than 360 migrants have died attempting to cross the sea between Turkey and Greece. Last year was the deadliest on record for people drowning in the Mediterranean. Some of the bodies get washed ashore in Turkey, and many are never identified.

In the last six months, more than 100 bodies have been laid to rest in a cemetery in Izmir.

Friday

March 18, 2016

Second one down. Only one more visit and I am done.

A very nice bottle of vintage Chanel Egoiste Platinum arrived today. A sealed 100 ml bottle. Very happy.

Had a twitter message from the supermodel Josie Borain. She was one of the most iconic faces of the 1980s. I've been trying to find her book and without much luck I decided to reach out to her.