CHAMPION - Blu-ray review

 

One of the greatest boxing films of all time released by Eureka Entertainment now.

Made in 1949, directed by journeyman Mark Robson, Champion features an Oscar nominated performance (his first) by Kirk Douglas for his portrayal of Michael 'Midge' Kelly a boxer whose rise to the top makes him popular with fans, yet behind the scenes he is an egomaniac who will not let anything stand in his way - not even his best friend portrayed by Arthur Kennedy.

After winning a fight he was meant to throw and threatened by the mob, Midge is saved by the love of a woman and he ventures back into the ring one more time but face his fiercest opponent, himself.

Shot in gorgeous black and white photography by famed cinematographer Franz Planer; this film is one of those sporting films that is forgotten about all too easily but deserves re-discovery and thanks to the Blu-ray presentation here it surely will do.

Champion is up there with Raging Bull and Rocky for best boxing films in the long distinguished relationship between cinema and pugilism.

The new disc features an audio commentary by film scholar Jason A. Ney; collector's booklet by critic Richard Combs.

Champion is available via the Eureka Store

The Dark Hours - Michael Connelly

 

Brand new LA set crime thriller from master storyteller Michael Connelly

Michael Connelly is most famous for creating the indelible detective Harry Bosch, rendered in the Amazon production Bosch starring Titus Welliver. Bosch is a hard-bitten, hard-working policeman who knows what is right and wrong, while the forces that be conspire to restrict his brand of policing in these more politically correct times.

As Bosch has grown up and in the narrative of his books, retired from the police force to become a private detective, we now follow Renee Ballard, a female police officer who works the same beat as Bosch used to do and is also facing the same troubles Bosch used to notice - colleagues who do not work as hard, no empathy for victims and hands tied by paperwork.

This new tale starts on New Years Eve, Ballard has to work the beat as all police officers must do on a busy night of the year in Los Angeles. In a pique of revelry, angelinos shoot bullets into the air amidst this unusual tradition a bullet goes astray leading to a murder investigation. The bullet leads to the reopening of a cold case led by Bosch.

The predatory Midnight Men are on the prowl, a duo of sex predators who attack women on major holidays - single women in their own home attacked and victimised. Ballard takes these attacks personally and chooses to hunt them down. Connelly has always had a great eye for detail in police work, as Bosch says 'get off your ass and knock on some doors' and Ballard's detective work in noticing the streetlights in terms of giving the perpetrators extra darkness is a wonderfully painted narrative detail.

As ever, there is a crispness to the dialogue spoken with real world dialogue apparent amidst a global pandemic and the swiftness of the narrative as Ballard spins numerous plates in the air while combining with Bosch to great effect. 

This makes for a winning combination and this is another winner from the desk of Connelly, a master of the crime genre.

The Dark Hours is out now from Orion Publishing on all formats 

In Plain Sight - Neal Francis

 

Second album from Chicago based singer-songwriter Neal Francis from ATO Records out 5th November

Encompassing a changing of personal momentum and relocating back to his hometown after a break-up, Neal Francis' second album In Plain Sight is an honest collection of new songs about resilience and overcoming adversity soaking up influence of rock and soul into a dreamlike state that is both absorbing and gratifying.

Produced by Grammy winning producer, Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, MGMT), who has experience of working with off the wall production; Francis takes the basis for the second album his debut Changes which was a New Orleans RnB effort that drew comparisons with Allen Touissant. High praise indeed, yet the music of this album is more rockier drawing inspiration from the Chicago jazz and rock scenes and for this listener you cannot ignore the influence of early Elton John when he was in true trubadour honky cat days or that of Leon Russell; that joie de vivre of piano performance.

The opening track of the album 'Alameda Apartments' kicks off as more a statement of intent than anything else; full of untethered melodies, luminous grooves and lyrics that find the protagonist drifting from despair to craziness as it tells the story of moving into a haunted apartment following another break-up.

Lead single 'Can't Stop the Rain' is perhaps the standout track of the album, a real tour de force combining the power of unabashed piano with anthemic guitar riffs, written with a friend David Shaw who came up with the refrain and incorporates a message of hope despite the prospect of rain, "You can't stop the rain/It's always coming down/It's always going to fall/But you're not gonna drown"

The album was recorded by Francis and his band in a defunct church (St. Peter's UCC) setting and on tape, to help grab the power of live music performance and a band in sync; such as the guitar-heavy 'Prometheus' which features Francis on St. Peter's pipe organ in combat with an electric synth. 

The surreal and odd nature of living and performing in a church infuses the album with this religious and spiritual context; you do not have to have faith to get the power of this album as the piano Francis plays is able to connect many a listener but the piano is Francis' tool for redemption and ultimately transformation for a person who has overcome addiction problems and is now happily sober in 2021.

The album is a pleasing and rocking joy to finish this most tumultuous of years, through it all we shall always have rock and roll.

In Plain Sight is out from ATO Records on 5th November 

Neal Francis is on tour in the UK headlining O2 Academy Islington on January 23rd 2022

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Agent in Berlin - Alex Gerlis

 

New spy thriller by Alex Gerlis from Canelo out 4th November

Alex Gerlis is a writer of spy thrillers, following in the great heritage of British spy authors such as John Le Carre and Frederick Forsyth, he bases his tales in the past in and around the second world war primarily, looking back at the past and finding tales to create historical fiction with a huge dose of influence by accurate depictions of figures who were in and around the actual turning of history.

His most recent book, Agent in Berlin, is set around the spymaster ring set up by British intelligence in the German capital as a reaction to the worrying trend of fascism and Nazism rising in profile from 1933 with the abhorrent attack on the Jewish people. Gerlis tells the story of spymaster, Barnaby Allen who recruits a network of allies from all sides to forge a bond against the Third Reich as they begin to gain power. He recruits a German homosexual, an American journalist and the wife of a Nazi commander amongst others, despite constant danger the ring discover plans for a new German fighter plane better than the illustrious Spitfires and Hurricanes.

The tension wracked up by the author in his numerous scenes are so well handled; depicting a time of terror and worry in a prominent city that slowly becomes more and more like a prison, the colour evaporating from the buildings and its inhabitants as Germany go on a course of cleansing of those they believe to be inferior to the supposed superior Aryan race.

The key character or agent Allen endorses is that of a spy in the Japanese embassy, who finds intelligence that Japan in an alliance with Germany are to attack the United States and bring them into the war. The action runs from 1933 when the seed is sown and up to early 1942 after Pearl Harbor has taken place with USA now making it a second world war.

There is a lot of pleasure to be taken from the reading of this novel, from Gerlis' well researched on life in Berlin to the touching points of the 1936 Berlin Olympics when in the character of Jack Miller he has a conduit of a fish out of water but also a spectator at something truly ground-breaking such as Jesse Owens' miraculous achievements under the hateful eyes of Der Fuhrer. 

The character, Miller also side bars into football commentary travelling around to see Schalke and Hamburg those heralded footballing hotbeds of Germany during the war and it allows Gerlis - a life-long Grimsby Town supporter - to use his love of football as a plot device, which for this reader was greeted with great relish. Some of the games mentioned are factually correct in the Bundesliga as well as the Olympic ties

In conclusion, this is my second Gerlis read. I read Prince of Spies last year and while that was a continuing story in a series. This stand alone novel is full of tension and drama, handling the arcs of all characters expertly with an end result bringing a neat resolution to proceedings.

Agent In Berlin is released from Canelo on Thursday 4th November 

Under the Glass - Anna Vincent

New album from Anna Vincent via Ultimate Blends released 29th October 

This sumptuous new release is from much heralded singer-songwriter Anna Vincent; the album is a late taste of summer full of sweeping harmonies and melodic production that whisks you along on a fever dream of a getaway trip.

Flush with Laurel Canyon influences ranging from Crosby, Stills and Nash to the incomparable Joni Mitchell; Vincent's soft vocal delivery makes her sound from some faraway place when she originally heralds from New Cross, South London.

Having made music for twenty years including work with two groups - My Tiger My Timing and Heavy Heart - she is slowly beginning to understand the passing of time and in her own words, 'the limitations that entails'

Embracing such weakness if you want to call it that is a running theme throughout Under The Glass an album that was recorded during lockdown with her boyfriend Max Bloom (formerly of band, Yuck). Tracks in regard to this vulnerability range from 'Thin Skin' which shows defiance to the more tender 'Love You Twice'; this is such an emotional record of indelible resonance in common with her name sake Anna Burch

Vincent grew up in South London and was raised on guitar records ranging from The Beatles to Iggy Pop, and she gravitated towards the guitar after learning piano and clarinet, teaching herself at the age of 14. When Covid hit in early 2019, Vincent overcame the fear of the new by sorting through old lyrics or 'loose poetry' that was written when falling in love with Max. 

The album shows Vincent to be a good listener and her tastes range from CSN to Simon and Garfunkel to the more up to date Wilco and Elliott Smith. This Americana feel comes through on album opener 'Naxos' which imagines a sun kissed road trip along the Pacific Highway and coupled with the halycon tinge of recent single 'Nothing Wrong' this wonderful marriage of piano and guitar, reminiscent of Australian group Still Corners and Angus and Julia Stone to a keen listener.

The album overall is a real joy and deserves more listens to garner the full appreciation of the work involved and the maturity of what is on display - the full gamut of human emotion is on display here from love and loss to hope and panic.

Under the Glass is out now from Ultimate Blends.

Anna Vincent is having an album launch at The Waiting Room on Monday 1st November. Purchase tickets here

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Marion Todd Interview

On the day of publication, of her fifth book in the DI Clare Mackay series from Canelo. I was afforded the opportunity to interview the prolific author Marion Todd to talk about the gestation of her lead protagonist and her growth as one of the best authors to appear on the scene in recent years and just what is it like to write during a pandemic

• How did Clare Mackay come into your life? – ‘See Them Run’ was my first published novel but it wasn’t the first book I had written. A year earlier I wrote a novel set in St Andrews in which a murder took place. The focus was very much on the relationship between the killer and the victim. When I’d finished it I realised I’d learned a lot during the writing process and that it had flaws which might be too great to fix. But what it had given me was a feel for the setting and a ready-made cast of police characters I could use in the future, including my protagonist, Detective Inspector Clare Mackay. So I set about writing another novel and that became ‘See Them Run.’ I had chosen a female detective because I’m female and it felt easier to try and get inside her head than a man’s.

 

• What got you into writing? – In common with most writers, I’ve written since my schooldays. I have a 6-chapter mystery story I wrote when I was nine and I just carried on from there, writing children’s stories, short articles for my local newspaper, short stories for magazines etc. I love the idea of creating worlds and characters that haven’t previously existed

 

• Why base the action in your hometown of St. Andrews? – Actually I grew up in Dundee, eleven miles from St Andrews, although I moved closer to St Andrews when I married. I also lived in the town for a year and my children went to school there so I know it very well. It’s steeped in history with its ancient buildings and university. But it also has an eclectic mix of people, the population swelled each year by thousands of students and tourists from all over the world. It has a ruined castle, two beaches and is surrounded by rich countryside – it’s a gorgeous place to live. The only downside is it’s quite small (fewer than 17,000 people) so, six books in, I’m having to branch out of the town to avoid repetition.

 

• How have you coped during the pandemic, while releasing three new books? – I was one of the lucky ones. I found it easy to write during lockdown. I love company but I’m also good at being solitary. So I swapped the time I would have spent socialising for writing. I did miss seeing friends and family so much but, workwise, I was quite productive. I felt so sorry for those with young children, though, trying to home-school, work from home and stay sane – it wasn’t easy for lots of folk.

 

• Do you feel DI Mackay is a fair representation of current policing in Scotland? – Yes and no (hedging my bets, here!) She is careful, and mindful of regulations, rights and ultimately the law. She knows that evidence obtained without authority can be disallowed and even weaken the prosecution’s case. So she tries to stick to the rules. But, in terms of how she runs an investigation, the reality is quite different. St Andrews doesn’t even have its own Inspector, and murder investigations would be run by a Major Investigations Team which could include officers from across Scotland (we have a unified force). So I give Clare power and authority which wouldn’t exist in all these cases. But it’s fiction so I feel entitled to take some liberties. I have had positive feedback from serving officers which is the highest praise I could ask for.

 

• What is your opinion on current guidance for women to safely walk the streets at night? Do you feel safe yourself or is that not the problem? – That’s a difficult and complex question. Feelings run very high at the moment and a response is needed but it has to be considered, with input from all concerned, rather than a knee-jerk reaction. As a parent with children of both genders I’m concerned for them when they’re out and about. I want every single person to be safe but the reality is there are people out there who seek to harm others. In an ideal world we would spot these behaviours at an early age and intervene but I don’t feel qualified to say how that could be managed. I was married for many years to a police officer and, as a result, I became highly risk-averse so I am watchful when out at night, very aware of who is around me. I’ll go the long way round rather than down a poorly-lit street. I wish it wasn’t so but I do what’s necessary to feel safe.

 

• Do you write every day? – when I’m in the middle of a novel I try to write every day to avoid losing track. But I don’t have a routine. I tend to be more productive in the evenings so I’ll often work from 8 pm to midnight (or beyond, if it’s going well). But I’ll happily take a break when I’m between books. For me, thinking time is as important as writing time so I’ll dig the garden, walk the dog, all the while muttering to myself about plots and characters. And then there are other things to do – talks to prepare, social networking, answering emails from readers etc – great excuses for putting off writing!

 

• Do you read, I see so many similarities between stable mates MJ Lee/Sheila Bugler and yourself – That’s a lovely compliment. Thank you! Sheila and Martin (Lee) are wonderful writers and I’m thrilled to be compared with them. I suppose the three of us being Canelo Crime authors means there are certain similarities in how our books are edited and marketed but I love that I can dip into their books and enjoy a thoroughly good read. I do try to read as many different crime authors as I can so I always have a book on the go. At the moment I have an advance copy of Jane Shemilt’s new book, ‘The Patient’ and it’s a thrilling read.

 

• What is in store for Mackay, will she be happy with DCI Gibson? – now there’s a question! At the moment they are rubbing along together but it’s always in my mind that I might throw some rocks in to upset things. I’m still playing about with how to end book 6 (published in July next year) – I might just upset things. Watch this space!

 

• Any tips for new writers starting out, you started later in life, so is it never too late? – I don’t think age is a factor. It’s time and head space that matter. To write well you need to find time when you’re not distracted by the rest of life – not easy for lots of folk. Writing is like exercising a muscle. The more you do the more naturally it comes. A novel is a big commitment though – months of work – so start with smaller things. Look for opportunities online. FutureLearn offer free courses. The Scottish Book Trust is a great source of ideas for writers in Scotland. Look at The BBC Writers Room online. Immerse yourself in the writing world and become a writer. Join a book group and, as well as reading, listen to what the others in the group are saying about the books. What they like/ dislike, what works/doesn’t work. Attend author talks and listen to what they say about their process. Above all, read. Read widely, particularly in the genre you’d like to write in. Good quality prose will seep into you almost by osmosis and it will help your own writing. Start now and good luck!

My thanks to Marion for her time in answering my questions.

Please download, buy and read the DI Clare Mackay available from all good retailers.

Next In Line is out from Canelo on 21st October 

Oscar and the Wolf - The Shimmer

New album from Belgian artist Oscar and the Wolf out on 22nd October

The alter ego of Max Colombie returns in a new work with his contemporary influences of electronica and soulful RnB delivery colliding with the heritage of European electro-pop and beats.

Hailing from Belgium, his debut album Entity (2014) went platinum in his homeland selling out arenas in the lowlands. 2017 saw the release of Infinity that went gold and has helped garner him a huge fanbase in Turkey and beyond into the Middle East - Israel, Egypt and Iran.

The new album 'The Shimmer' is a culmination of his sound and vision crystallizing into a record of transformation and lo-fi perfection with bold and rich production entwined as he becomes a more mature artist.

Lead single and album opener, 'James' sounds like a dream in its structure and to Colombie it came in a dream, 'the complete structure, with the chords and a beat, a vocal melody, even lyrics - is multi-faceted all on its own', and this dream-like quality to his work can be appreciated as not only coffee-shop chic but desirable magic music.

Going from lamenting love songs such as 'Ghost of You' to the instrumental 'PIC' you are never far from a track that can be relatable and holds universal appeal to any listener, even the summery 'Live Stream' about falling for a movie star has this sense of unrequited love and is a well told short story in the lyrics

This album is not merely a work of music, but an experience that can help the listener and performer become one as they gravitate towards each other to seek understanding in this confusing day and age.

Reminiscent of Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens, for Colombie this is revered company to be mentioned in the same breathe as but a work of this maturity and dynamism deserves such platitudes.

The Shimmer is out from [PIAS] Recordings on October 22nd

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.