Lazy Thoughts From a Boomer

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Elvis & Joe in Audiobook: The Monkey's Raincoat

If The Naughties (2000-2009) were not that much fun, and had few positives for that span of time, there were at least two highlights for me during this period. The first, my discovery and appreciation of the audiobook format. And second, finding the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel series by Robert Crais. When television writer/producer Crais turned away from Hollywood in the 80's to do what he always wanted, be a novelist, he originated and began to write about a quirky, tough but tender, private detective with the unlikely name of Elvis Cole. And though it was developed as a standalone novel, its success and uniqueness in portraying the genre with the author's mix of humor and pathos meant a continuing tale in a line of novels (which very much included Cole's laconic and lethal partner, Joe Pike) for the author and his publishers. The audiobooks for the series began years later only after its success in print, and the audio publishers deployed a fair number of narrators for the line over the years. So, in appreciation of this month's release of the 13th book in the series, The First Rule, I decided to re-task a piece I wrote a couple of years back and turn it into a small series that will briefly discuss each novel and its subsequent audio versions (at least, those I've heard).

The Monkey's Raincoat

Robert Crais' first novel, The Monkey's Raincoat (published in 1987 and pictured above), was the first in the now long-running Elvis Cole / Joe Pike series (the author has stated very clearly that he considers them of the same series and universe, no matter how they are labeled by publishers). It introduced the L.A.-based private eye with the case of finding the husband and son of his new client, Ellen Lang. Most of the elements of how the early books were structured were set here. The story is told in the first person by our protagonist--like many detective stories are often told. And, though the hardcover and paperback came out in the late-80's/early-90's, the U.S. rights audiobook publisher, Brilliance Audio, Inc., didn't produce an audiobook of the author's first book until 2001.

Brilliance is the largest independent audio book publisher in the United States, founded in 1984. It's also important to note, the first five books in this series all started out as abridged versions, like they were rushed to do it. The first Monkey's Raincoat audio version featured the smooth voice of David Stuart as the reader. I personally liked listening to Stuart, and his youthful delivery works well for the wise-cracking, sensitive side of the character. However, that liquid voice doesn't exactly cut it for the harder, edgier aspects of Elvis, and certainly the vocal characterization of his partner Joe Pike didn't seem quite right (though some with the bad streets cast of Los Angeles were performed well). Judge for yourself with this audio sample of Mr. Stuart. The other aspect listeners should be aware of is although Crais initially outlined Pike's death in this book, he grew to love the guy (as did the author's fans) as he wrote the novel. So much so, he changed the ending, and with that, greatly impacted the series. Overall, this book and the abridged audiobook whetted the appetite for this very appealing character and cast.

Brilliance did not produce an unabridged The Monkey's Raincoat version until early in 2008. For that production, studio managers brought back the narrator who first did the fifth abridged audiobook in the series, Voodoo River, for this full edition, Patrick G. Lawlor. Lawlor is a solid audiobook reader (I've heard and enjoyed him in other books). However, his delivery and range in characterization is limited when compared to the other professional narrators who've were enlisted in this series. But, there's no way around it. Given the timbre and rasp of his voice, he's an awkward fit as the reader for this now beloved series cast. Here's his sample. See, I told you ;-). And now you know why he's my least favorite of all of them.

However, if we just stayed within the United States, that would be it. But, I'm nothing if not ~~a pain in the ass~~ persistent when it comes to audiobooks, and the series I most enjoy. As near as I could tell, the BBC/Chivers line of books in audio began distributing their production versions of this set in 2001, and only in the United Kingdom (they are obtainable from British resellers that ship internationally). Additionally, years before Brilliance rectified the abridgment of the first five audiobooks, Chivers produced nothing but unabridged versions for Elvis and Joe's audio fans from the start. The respected actor/audiobook narrator (and U.S. born) William Roberts, has read all in this series (with one exception) for the BBC/Chivers audiobook line in the U.K. As you'll will see, this makes him the one narrator who has read the most titles in the series, U.S. or U.K. He's also become my favorite because of his vocal and performance skill in the medium, and with these characters. Check out Mr. Roberts' voice work from this audiobook.

Next up: Stalking the Angel

The Series:
The Monkey's Raincoat
Stalking the Angel
Lullaby Town
Free Fall
Voodoo River
Sunset Express
Indigo Slam
L.A. Requiem
The Last Detective
The Forgotten Man
The Watchman
Chasing Darkness
The First Rule

Friday, January 29, 2010

Friday's Forgotten Children

If you recall the old children's nursery rhyme, Monday's Child, you may or may not be aware that it's gone through some changes since it was written down in the 1800's (and likely, it's way older than that). Today's prevailing version of this verse is as follows:

Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace;
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go;
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for its living;
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

However did you know, initially, it was Friday's child that was full of woe in the rhyme? It was only later that Wednesday and Friday flip-flopped their day fortunes (the fate's of Thursday and Saturday were also exchanged, but that takes us away from where I wish to go with the post). If you were born on a Wednesday, you have to feel a bit ripped off by this (BTW, if you don't know what day of the week you were born on, you can find out here). Wikipedia reports that the original fortune telling (by day of birth) for Friday likely reflected old traditional superstitions associated with back luck pertaining to Friday the 13th. At least for me, that explains the reason for the title of one of the better original Star Trek series episodes. I wonder if my mother knew about this (its meaning, not the sci-fi TV show), or what she'd have felt about it, since both of her surviving children were born on Friday. As a kid, I recall her telling me that my father warned her in no uncertain terms, on Thursday the 12th, that she better NOT have his child the very next day. I like to think that my mother took that admonition as a dare. As one would have expected, things didn't quite work out with my dad's talking-to, now didn't it?. With 13 as my lucky number... and Friday being my favorite day of the week, I look at it as Mom winning that challenge.

I do prefer the current version of this poem with its loving and giving aspect for my fortune, though. With that in mind, I also get a kick from the themes that have come to be associated with the conventional last day of the work week within the blogosphere. One such distinction are the posts and series by various bloggers that promote Friday's Forgotten Books (Lesa's contributions and pattinase's series are prime example of this, and some of the best things I discovered last year). Some great books have come back to the forefront via this, so I look at the endeavor as heady and very good material for the mind. Literary works and the day named after the German word Freitag aren't the only thrust on the web, however. If reading is for the mind (warning: cliche alert!), music has to be that which touches one soul. Notwithstanding my poor attempt at grand meaning, music is well represented with the Old School Friday inter-tube thread (great examples can be found with Nordette and others). And variations on the theme can be found, if you look hard enough. So I thought for this day, the last Friday of January Twenty-Ten, I'd hope, in a small way, to resurrect one book, a film of course, and a couple more forgotten songs that have crept onto someone's known tech device (and lightened his pocket somewhat... shhh, don't tell my wife), with this post.

For some strange reason, the year 1970 has pulled at me recently, and my choices here will reflect that. For the book, I'll select James Dickey's first (and best known) novel, Deliverance. Though I read it only after seeing John Boorman's excellent film adaptation of the novel, it still managed to surprise and grip me with its poetic violence and power. Its tale of a outdoor weekend going down a doomed (and soon to be dammed) river, and how it goes harrowingly wrong for four city men in the wilderness, remains the stuff of adventure and nightmare. Although the film was beautifully and hauntingly lensed by cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond for the film, the author's descriptions and elegiac prose within his novel will linger, I think, in the reader's mind perhaps a bit longer than the pictures.

Kelly's Heroes is an absolutely wonderful oddity of a film. How many World War II movies do you know that are also a crime caper? I dare say there are not many of them. This one is Clint Eastwood's second go around (and war picture) with director Brian G. Hutton (the fine and fun Where Eagle Dare being the first). The movie is pure entertainment (as is WED), with a dash of old hippie cool running through it because of Donald Sutherland's surfer mellow-like performance. Besides the hijinks plotting that's central to its story, the other unconventional facet that makes this film so engaging is how the film begins. It audaciously drops the audience right into the middle of a night time German armored convoy while our hero (Eastwood, of course, as Kelly) attempts to drive his jeep (along with his captive, kidnapped German colonel) out from among them. And all of this as the movie's theme song plays (and as the credits roll by). It is the curious but fitting, Burning Bridges, sung by the Mike Curb Congregation along with music by the famed Lalo Schifrin. As well, one could count it as one of the forgotten songs (it's on my iPod due to this movie). This brazen and totally unexpected beginning to a movie is one reason I (and my Monday teen) love to watch it:

Finally, although 1970 was the year many significant groups broke up (Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Dave Clark Five and others), a lot of great music was still being released (happily, disco had yet to arrive). Among them, were this pair of forgotten tunes. The first one might quality as a one-hit wonder in the U.S., but Indiana Wants Me proved to be a big best seller that year, and it was Motown Record's first crossover hit performed by a white artist (R. Dean Taylor). The second, Turn Back The Hands of Time, showcased Tyrone Davis' outstanding voice and the heartfelt delivery that he was known for by fans (unfortunately, he left this world far too soon, for many of us). Anyway, I hope you enjoy... and happy Friday.

Tyrone Davis - Turn Back The Hands
by DwightFrye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Mann's Night of "Fates Intertwined"

Since it was announced this month that Michael Mann's 2004 film, Collateral, was coming out in Blu-ray Disc on March 30th, I thought that I'd resurrect (and update) an old review of it I wrote 5 years ago. It also seemed nice timing since the events in the film occur over one January night in L.A. BTW, I happen to really hate Paramount's bad Photoshop re-do for the BD's cover art (see below after the break). What were they thinking!.

When a master of any particular genre returns to it, it's usually to the satisfaction of the fans of that maestro or the genre. Thankfully, such is the case here with the 2004 film, Collateral. With director Michael Mann returning to Los Angeles with another crime thriller, using a fine script by writer Stuart Beattie, it's the fans of both the director and the genre who reap the benefits. As well, Mann-aficionados will appreciate him coming back to this familiar tuft without attempting what is now the movie studios' brain dead pastime: re-making successful original work. Luckily, this is not a regurgitation of his great 1995 ensemble saga, Heat. Collateral brings a more intimate, confrontational drama to bare, played out across the nocturnal expanse of ethnically diverse L.A. Whereas Heat had two groups, the criminals and the police, directly facing off. Here, law enforcement is on the sidelines... always a step behind and waiting to pick up the pieces of this two man conflict. And when one sharp street detective starts putting the puzzle together, the director unleashes one surprising masterstroke scene that quickly tells the audience he's not going to repeat himself.

The rest of this post has been updated and moved over to my current blog, found here.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Creative Writing

Last Friday, I was doubly honored by a fine pair bloggers for the exact same award: Lesa Holstine and Kaye Barley. I can assure you that things don't get much better than that, and I'm pretty humbled by it all. [wife: "You're kidding, right?"] Plus, the fact that I'm among the select few getting an inaugural Creative Writer Blogger Award, at that, makes it special threefold in my eyes. My thanks to the both of you, ladies. Here are the rules for this prize:

Thank the person who gave this to you. [√]
Copy the logo and place it on your blog. [√]
Link to the person who nominated you. [√]
Tell us up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth. [:O]
Allow your readers to guess which one or more are true.
Nominate seven "Creative Writers" who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.
Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

First, here's my list of worthy bloggers (and some of them appreciate the greatness of L.A. Requiem, too) that I wish to pass this fine award on to:

Now, let's mention a few things about myself:

I once competed in the L.A. City high school gymnastic championship
I almost ran over actor Kurt Russell's toes with a wheelchair
I'm related to a former L.A. City councilman
I married one of a set of triplets
I read a script that was eventually produced as a independent film
I once chauffeured singer Tina Turner to an awards show
I once met author Tom Clancy when he autographed my copy of The Hunt for Red October

Tina Turner via last.fm

Time to find the
lie
er... the truth, my friends.

Friday, January 22, 2010

A Friday of Forgotten Movies, Books, and Music

As the southland looks forward to a rain-free weekend after the deluge of this week, that dry hope does lift the spirit when all you've seen since last Sunday is dark clouds and inundated roads. I know we here will not get much sympathy because our weather is relatively mild compared to most parts of the country during winter. Heck, even the sunny and tropical city of Miami, Florida turned frigid last week when the temperature went down into the high 20's (degrees you can only find around here in our local mountains). Nope, we're not even close to that cold. Just wet.

Of course when we turn soggy, things tend to get exciting, locally. Our drivers routinely forget how to drive in this weather (no kidding... many have the penchant to actually speed up in a downpour). I remember long ago, one of our local radio DJ's was quoted as saying 'that it rains psychedelic drugs' in our basin due to our proclivity for horrible driving in wet weather. Approximately 300 rain-related accidents were reported Wednesday... and 500 more only a day later. Plus, try driving through flooded streets like those in the low lying sections of L.A. County that will flood when the precipitation turns heavy (Carson and Long Beach are notorious for this). You'll know pretty quickly how water tight your car really is. And all of that doesn't include the sliding ground, that has a tendency to move anyway (earthquakes), when the mudslides start happening in our hills. This is especially true for the areas left bare when they suffered major brush-fires this past summer (our other annual event). Many areas are still under mandatory evacuations.

So, I look for a little cheer on this Friday. And, I find it in the sky that is trying to peek a little blue (now and then), and in the blogosphere.

Book blogger Jen alerted me this morning that our favorite Robert Crais novel, the great L.A. Requiem, was gathering attention once more. Author Ken Bruen cited it in his novel, The Dramatist (along with the Jolie Blonde Bounce by James Lee Burke). Additionally, author David White did the same with a Friday Forgotten Book post of his today:

And then came Crais. For a while I didn't notice anything different about him. He had the same thing... a witty PI, a crazy sidekick, some good characters. And then came REQUIEM.

Crais blew the whole genre up.

I don't say that lightly.

He blew it up.

If you haven't read the book, it is well worth your time. You can read as a standalone, but I (along with book blogger Corey and the nerdy one, Elyse) believe it is savored better once you have the first seven in the Cole - Pike series under your belt. The payoff is that much more sweeter when the reader crosses that boundary with a familiarity of Elvis and Joe to that point (and the maturity of Crais as an author).

Movie blogger J.D. gave out some well deserved kudos to some of the great film bloggers from that community with yesterday's My Favorite Posts/Blogs from 2009. From Midnight Run to Point Blank, Nightbreed to White Hunter, Black Heart, and from Che to Birth, there are some great (and forgotten) films reviewed and examined by a select group. All are listed here by an equally gracious and talented blogger who makes a habit of doing worthy film appraisals himself. I'm still working my way through the cited posts, but they are all worth the read (maybe even by that one guy who touched on an 80's film about a high school football game).

Author Tom Schreck put out one fun post this morning with his FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR: Greatest Album Cover EVER! The fact that he named my all-time favorite album cover surely had nothing to do with it ;-).

Christian highlighted Ridley Scott's forgotten film gem, Legend, with his Friday Song post with a music video by Roxy Music maestro Bryan Ferry. Some of the film's background is discussed and makes the trip over there well worth it.

Lastly, in keeping with this post's theme of forgotten, here are a couple of musical gems from the 70's that recently made it into my iPod library. These long overlooked tunes seem fitting for this week with their beautiful and moving laments (especially since it's started raining, again).