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A Brown View on Life 9 – Music

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:14:48 +0000

I’m sitting listening to Armin van Buuren’s Unforgiveable from an album called Cream Future Trance. I love my Trance Dance music and, as I approach my fiftieth birthday, it seems that I am somewhat of a sad old man that won’t let go of his youth. At least that is what I’m told on a regular basis.
I’ve never been one to reach a period in my life and stop listening to new music. I don’t see the point. Sure I still listen to music from years ago – put it this way I’m going to see Status Quo, OMD and the Psychedelic Furs in the next few months – so I’m hardly rejecting my younger days. But, if I have a personal hobby horse (and I have many), I despair of people who not only reject, but actively avoid new music. You know the type. The Beatles fan who still thinks Dave Lee Travis is on Radio 1. The ABBA freak who thinks T in the Park is a picnic for old ladies in Rouken Glen. The people who perceive downloading as a fancy word for getting the trunk out of the loft.
iTunes has been a revelation to me. To others it is a product available from Boots to help them breathe easier. These are the same people that find music genres a mystery. Emo stars in Sesame Street – doesn’t he? Ambient is the temperature for a good bottle of red wine? Garage Rock is a collection of minerals from the trip to Ayr beach.
OK I can see why some people don’t move on. Why should you? You like what you like – right? But think of it this way. What if, back then, Mick and Keith had taken the same tack.
‘You now what, Keith? I like listening to the easy swing of Mr Glen Miller. Let us not form a pop group as I am happy with his clarinet and saxophone led tunes’
‘I agree. Mick. And, for me, the dulcet tones of Jim Reeves will satisfy me until I breathe my last.’
Your Rolling Stones fan wouldn’t be so much stoned as stoneless
iTunes just dowloaded its 10 billionth track. Not all of them are new but maybe, just maybe, there was the odd good one amongst the newer stuff. And maybe, just maybe, it might lead to a whole new world of music that you never knew existed.
I have a suggestion. If you know someone that lives in a musical time warp ask them to walk into HMV, go up to the assistant and say the following:
‘I am a fan of (insert your favourite band(s) name(s) here) and I am looking for similar music from new bands.’
No big risk there. No need to invest in the latest Chilled, Retro Boogie, Hip Hop, Rock fusion – just ask them to pop on the CD they suggest and listen. You can do the same thing from your armchair with iTunes – type in your favourite album and then simply click on the section that says ‘Listeners Also Bought.’ I just entered ABBA Gold and seemingly I would like Lilly Allen, Duffy, Black Eyed Peas, Mika, and Coldplay. And, if you are interested, Armin van Burren brought up OceanLab, Above & Beyond and John O’Callaghan – I have no idea who they are but my Visa card is already burning a hole through my laptop.
Go on try it – what is the worst that could happen?
Gordon Brown lives and runs his business in Clarkston. He is a published author with his second novel – ’59 Minutes’ coming out in August. If you want a bit more info why not visit www.gordonjbrown.com.

New Novel Update

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 05:52:35 +0000

We are creeping ever nearer the launch of ‘59 Minutes.’ Best bet, at the moment, is mid August. I’ll get the cover up on the site as soon as possible.

A Brown View on Life

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:34:24 +0000

This is my latest article for my local magazine – MY G76 – see www.myg76.com. For more articles click on Writing and then on A Brown View on Life.

A Brown View on Life 8.

Holidays.

My fifteen year old son has just put the last full stop on his fourth year exams. He tripped through the front door with a smile on his face and the look of someone who is just discovering what the phrase ‘de-mob happy’ really means.
I watched his demeanor and memories flooded back. It has been a while since I sat exams and I’ve forgotten what it feels like to hand in that final paper, and walk down a road that now seems to be more akin to a bouncy castle.
It has been much longer since I handed in a paper and knew that summer now beckoned. All seven weeks of it. Or, as I remember it from my school days, all seven years of it. The endless days stretching before me like so many dominos in a row – just waiting to be toppled in glorious slow motion.
What did I do with all that time? What would I do with it now?
I suspect that today I’d treat the school holidays a little differently. When I was young I would be up and out of the door before the birds had moved to full song. Today I’d probably lie in bed and sigh deeply. Back then I would play from dawn to dusk – stopping only to take on food and juice. Nowadays I’d drift from the bedroom to the telly, drink tea and contemplate the fact that the lawn needs done. As a kid I’d treat every day as an adventure. Now I’d treat every day as an excuse to treat tomorrow as an adventure. Off course tomorrow would never come.
But some things would be the same. I’d lose track of time. My thought processes would shrink to the point that my IQ score would be in single figures. Tasks would remain undone, beds unmade, hair uncut – goofing off the norm and I would revert to my youth at speed.
How can I be so sure? Well I have proof. Each year my friends and I partake of a lad’s weekend and, each year, I sprout acne, talk nonsense and act like a spoilt teenager – and that’s before the car has even left my driveway.
Wonderful.
Off course there is the downside to this. At some point, and it always seems too soon, it will be time to re-enter reality. A tight stomach, churning gut, gloomy head and a desire to find a way to extend the holiday ad infinitum. First day back at school/first day back at work – not much difference and then the countdown begins to the next break.
So would I really like to return to school holidays?
What do you think?

Ok so I lied!

admin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:56:42 +0000

I thought I was at the end of the edit process and then things went a little south. The new book decided it didn’t like the way I was treating it and after another read through it made it clear that it wanted me to work on it a bit more.
It’s like having a new baby. you just think you have got the darn think to sleep and then it wakes up, demanding attention.
So I pulled out the bottle, filled it with some milk, heated it and pushed it into the mouth of the ever hungry wane.
It drank it up and asked for more. So I gave it more and after a few more read throughs it is now sleeping with its uncle (in another world – the publisher).
I’m not sure if it will sleep through but i’ve put it to bed and hopefully it will gently slide towards the printer – but i’m not betting on it.

New Book

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:23:57 +0000

Final edit done. Now with publisher. Cover agreed. Launch date to be agreed. time for a cup of tea.

Crime Festival

admin — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:13:02 +0000

I’m off for a sunny weekend of crime and, well more crime, at the Harrogate Crime Festival at the end of July. Hopefully I’ll have a copy of the new book to take with me as we are at final edit. I must dig out the cover and put it on the site.

New Brown View on Life

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:27:44 +0000

Click on Writing and a Brown View on Life for another episode from the Brown side of life.

What is going on?

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:56:45 +0000

Silence is golden or ignorance is bliss or … anyway I’ve ben remiss with the blog. The new novel is at final edit and will soon be heading for the printers – by soon I mean sometime in the next few months. We have a cover design we are happy with and a cracking strap-line – more soon. I need to change the sample chapters on the site as they are now out of date and I’ll do this soon.

59 Minutes – update

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:26:33 +0000

All being well my second novel – ‘59 Minutes’ will be published in late autumn. More info soon.