Westside

Westside by W. M. Akers, 2019

Read in November 2020

This was a very strange novel. A crime mystery novel, historical fantasy, science fiction, dystopian, horror and the supernatural. It's all of the above set in New York City of the 1920's. The cover says A Tiny Mystery. Infinite Darkness. Yes, indeed it is.

So I read this very quickly. It was that kind of book. I usually read several books at a time but this one demanded my full attention. It was just so weird and with a very remarkable young female detective searching for a ladies white glove.

It was sort of a magical reimagining of Manhattan as a dangerous wasteland full of nonstop action, disappearances, strange unnatural deaths and lots of murder. An entertaining novel.

November Indian Summer

It's hard to believe that it is almost mid November. It's the 10th to be exact. On this day last year Buffalo had over eight inches of snow but this year over the past few days we've had near record temperatures and beautiful sunny days.

The really good weather actually began the day the presidential election was called for Biden over Trump. People in cities all over the country rushed outside on that warm Saturday afternoon and danced in the streets in spontaneous celebration parties. The gatherings continued into the night and the weather cooperated. It was awesome.

Sunday was another beautiful day and the celebrations in the streets and parks continued all day. For Becky and I Sunday was also a day to catch up on our garden work and prepare for the coming winter. We got a lot done. 

Yesterday, Monday, we decided to spend the afternoon down on the waterfront. It felt like summer. We had a wonderful time at Wilkeson Pointe walking around and then sitting in our chairs that we brought with us. Then we went down to the Outer Harbor and enjoyed more of that great warm weather. It was especially nice that because of the deep frost earlier in the month there were no bugs anywhere we went. 

Later we went over to RiverWorks and had a couple of beers and dinner on the outside patio overlooking the Buffalo River we a nice view of downtown. It was an amazing way to spend a November afternoon.

We got home at about 6pm but it felt like much later because of the time difference. It was very dark and really did seem like it was 10pm because that kind of day doing those things was usually something we did during the summer or early fall when the days were much longer.

Today was another wonderful warm day. It will probably be the last one until spring. The weather is expected to get more seasonal tomorrow and over the next few days before turning cold and rainy. So today I spent some time sitting in the backyard enjoying some more of this Indian Summer while writing in my notebook with music playing through my headphones. The sun started going down behind the surrounding buildings around 4:30. It was still warm and there were no bugs here either. I was very pleasant to sit there.

Later after dinner it was still warm outside and Becky and I went for an evening walk through the neighborhood. We were surprised at how many people had their Christmas decorations and lights up already. We could see Christmas trees in some of our neighbors windows. Maybe it's a pandemic thing.

Eric Clapton - Vinyl Spins

This first Eric Clapton solo album from 1970 was one of the few albums I first purchased on commercial cassette. I was in the Navy at the time and no access to a turntable and was soon to be going to sea where any turntable didn't work too well.

I bought this vinyl album in 1974 a few months after I got home from the Navy. 

I have always enjoyed Eric Clapton's music in the many bands he's been associated with over the years. In 1974 and 1975 I bought a couple of Clapton compilation albums. 

I saw him perform a couple of times but never with Cream although I had the chance. I did see him in 1970 but I'm not sure if it was with Delaney and Bonnie or Derek and the Dominos. There were a lot of people on the stage. I saw him again in 1974 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.

I have a lot of Clapton in my collection. I have a couple of his Yardbirds albums, all of his Cream albums, Blind Faith, Derek & The Dominos,  8 solo albums, 4 live albums that include a couple of box sets, three albums he collaborated with other people, and four compilation albums including the Crossroads Box Set.

The Biggest Loser

He is a one term impeached president that lost the popular vote twice. But of course the self-centered egomaniacal grifter conman cannot admit defeat. He can only make a charge of being cheated. 

I find it amusing that he and his republican minions accept the results of the senate and house races but not the presidential results even though they are often on the same ballots. 

No Surprises - a covers mix

 

I put this mix together from scratch during the week we were waiting for the results of the presidential election. Sometimes I needed to get away from the news and do something to keep me busy besides reading. Sitting at my laptop with headphones on listening to music and assembling together into a mix is my way of relaxing.

I had a large playlist of cover songs that hadn't made it on to the many previous cover mixes. I've always loved cover songs and consider covers to be the heart and soul of rock and roll. And jazz, blues and classical music too.

1	No Surprises	Easy Star All-Stars
2	Blister In The Sun	Nouvelle Vague
3	Some Velvet Morning	Primal Scream
4	Private Eyes	The Bird And The Bee
5	More, More, More	Bananarama
6	Take A Chance On Me	Erasure
7	You Keep Me Hangin' On	Kim Wilde
8	Don't You Want Me	Future Bible Heroes
9	Couldn't I Just Tell You	Game Theory
10	Dancing Barefoot	Simple Minds
11	Can't Find My Way Home	Electronic
12	All Day And All Of The Night	Flunk
13	Strange Days	Thievery Corporation
14	Our Lips Are Sealed	Fuxa
15	I Put a Spell on You	Fanfare Ciocarlia
16	Ride My See-Saw	Bongwater
17	War	Frankie Goes to Hollywood
18	Love Vigilantes - El-P Remix	Duncan Sheik
19	In The Year 2525	Visage
20	Everybody's Talkin'	Luna
21	Have You Ever Seen The Rain	Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
22	Rain	Todd Rundgren
23	I'm Happy Just To Dance With You	The Smithereens
24	Please Mister Postman	The Beatles
25	Where Have All The Good Times Gone	David Bowie
26	Baby, I Love You	The Ramones
27	Feeling Alright	Joe Cocker
28	Badge	Fanny
29	All I Really Want To Do	The Byrds
30	Little Black Egg	Tarnation
31	You Showed Me	The Lightning Seeds
32	Warning Sign	Local Natives
33	Love Will Tear Us Apart	Swans
34	Alone Again Or	Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs
35	Tracks Of My Tears	Billy Bragg
36	Black Coffee In Bed	Marti Jones
37	I'll Be Around	Hall & Oates
38	This Old Heart Of Mine	Rod Stewart
39	I Think We're Alone Now	Lene Lovich
40	Take Me To The River	Annie Lennox
41	Fly Like An Eagle / Come Together	Laura Love
42	Monkey Gone To Heaven	Elk City
43	Crazy	Shawn Colvin
44	It Ain't Me, Babe	Band Of Skulls
45	Go Now	Lulu
46	Reason To Believe	Marianne Faithfull
47	Up From The Skies	Rickie Lee Jones
48	Wall Of Death	Nanci Griffith
49	For Your Love	Fleetwood Mac
50	Evil Hearted You	Pixies
51	Shake Some Action	The Farm
52	Rock & Roll Part 2	Bongwater
53	Hot Love	Elf Power
54	Victoria	The Fall
55	Queen Bitch	Hotrats
56	96 Tears	The Stranglers
57	Black Dog	Dread Zeppelin
58	The Great Gig In The Sky	Easy Star All-Stars
59	I Want You (She's So Heavy)	Eddie Hazel
60	Little Wing	Derek & The Dominos
61	She's Not There	L'Avventura
62	She Said, She Said	The Feelies
63	Baby It's You	The Last Internationale
64	Johnny And Mary	Ellen Foley
65	It's Hard To be A Saint In The City	David Bowie
66	Honky Tonk Women	The Pogues
67	Long Cool Woman	Robert Gordon
68	Maggie's Farm	The Walkabouts
69	Paint It Black	Ali Campbell
70	Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad	Bettye LaVette
71	You've Really Got A Hold On Me	Laura Nyro & Labelle
72	I've Gotta Get a Message to You	Swamp Dogg
73	Walk On By	Isaac Hayes
74	I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)	Michael McDonald
75	No Woman No Cry	Garland Jeffreys
76	Yester-Me-Yester-You, Yesterday	John Holt
77	Let's Get It On	Ken Boothe
78	Where Did Our Love Go	Lamont Dozier
79	Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever	Dion
80	Many Rivers To Cross	Linda Ronstadt
81	Have a Little Faith in Me	Joe Cocker
82	Town Without Pity	Eddi Reader
83	A Fistful Of Dollars Theme	Petra Haden
84	Falling	Xiu Xiu
85	Ring Of Fire	Wall Of Voodoo
86	Wichita Lineman	Friends Of Dean Martinez
87	Every Grain of Sand	Giant Sand
88	Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood	Elvis Costello
89	Season Of The Witch	Luna
90	Chimes of Freedom	Eliza Gilkyson
91	No Expectations	The Dirtbombs
92	Everyday People	Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
93	Eight Miles High	Husker Du
94	Time Has Come	Lords of Altamont
95	Spill the Wine	Dream Syndicate
96	Let's Live For Today	The dB's
97	Andy Warhol	Dana Gillespie
98	Spirits In The Night	Ava Cherry and the Astronettes
99	On A Carousel	The Jigsaw Seen
100	Nights In White Satin	Midnight Movies
101	Big Yellow Taxi	Bob Dylan
102	Blue	Cat Power
103	Sunshine	Low
104	In My Life	Judy Collins
105	Expecting to Fly	Emily Haines
106	Hurt	Johnny Cash
107	He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother/You've Got A Friend	The Persuasions
108	(Just Like) Starting Over	The Flaming Lips
109	Solitary Man	Chris Isaak
110	Lay Lady Lay	The Byrds
111	Gentle On My Mind	Mark Eitzel
112	Dark End Of The Street	The Flying Burrito Brothers
113	Simple Twist Of Fate	Bryan Ferry
114	Up The Junction	Hotrats
115	Heaven	Eric Burdon
116	Angel Of The Morning	Pretenders
117	Major Tom	The Space Lady
118	Cars	The Leisure Society
119	Heart Of The Sunrise	Electric Würms
120	Wish You Were Here	Catherine Wheel
121	So. Central Rain	Grant Lee Phillips
122	Beware Of Darkness	Leon Russell & The Shelter People
123	Oh Well	Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon
124	1952 Vincent Black Lightning	The Mammals
125	The Only Living Boy in New York	The Farewell Drifters
126	These Days	10,000 Maniacs
127	Pale Blue Eyes	Joseph Arthur
128	You've Got To Hide Your Love Away	Eddie Vedder
129	While My Guitar Gently Weeps	Carlos Santana
130	Take Me to Church	Sarah Potenza
131	It's Too Late	Angie Stone
132	Me & Mr. Jones	Amy Winehouse
133	Isn't It A Pity	Bettye LaVette
134	Let's Stay Together	Aaron Neville & Chaka Khan
135	Love Is Strange	Everything But the Girl
136	You Can't Always Get What You Want	Hem
137	Downtown Train	Mary Chapin Carpenter
138	Everybody's Talkin'	Rubber Rodeo
139	She Comes In Colors	The Hooters
140	When I Was Young	The Ramones
141	Summer In The City	Isaac Hayes
142	God Only Knows	Ava Cherry and the Astronettes
143	White Rabbit	Patti Smith
144	Epistle To Dippy	The Telepathic Butterflies
145	All Tomorrow's Parties	Nick Cave