Edward's November 2021 Mix

 

 

 

 

Insomnia seems to be the order of the day this month. I’ve been sacrificing sleep with the long work hours and then transporting two cats to the veterinarian in less than two weeks. I don’t know why the appointments always have to be early morning. But hey, just like the cast members used to say on the set of The X-Files, “Sleep is for wimps!” I really am looking forward to the Christmas break. I’m sort of feeling the Christmas spirit this year, funny how some years I do, and some years it’s just not there. I find it odd that most of my Christmas shopping now is done over the Internet. My shopping days at crowded malls, fake Santas, creeping out of crowded parking spots, may be a thing of the past. I can’t lie, I like it.  

 

Mafia: The Definitive Edition on PC: I played the original way back in 2002. The game captures the early 1930s and condones it into a nice little piece of city real estate called Lost Heaven. It’s nowhere near open world like Rockstar’s epic Grand Theft Auto games, but it has a neat way of making you think there is more to explore than really meets the eye, due to its snazzy visuals. You start out as a taxi driver, who unwittingly becomes a getaway driver for members of a mob family which then leads you to become a part of the Salieri crime family. It’s a classic rag to riches story, completely revamped in this 2020 remastered version. You control the game’s protagonist Tommy Angelo through his tasks and decisions. I’m about halfway through the game (it’s not terribly long) and the highpoint so far has been a car race at a county fair in which I flex my bad guy mafia skills by “handicapping” my opponent by doing an adjustment to his car pre-race. The snow white bleachers and the hanging pendants moving in the breeze, the women’s colorful dresses and parasols under the lemony sunshine make this one of the prettiest games I’ve played this year. The creators unabashedly admit they took elements from the movie, Goodfellas and The Godfather trilogy in the creation of this game. They deserve a pat on the back for their efforts.

Blade Runner on 4K Blu Ray: I’ve owned this movie in just about every iteration imaginable. I picked it up on VHS when it first came out, and I’ve since owned numerous DVD versions, not to mention specialty Blu Ray editions. I read a review about this one not so long ago in which the reviewer went on about how grandiose the opening scene was in 4K. I have to concur. When I watched Harrison Ford in the Jetson’s like hovercar gliding through the night skies of LA, surrounded by neon ads adorning the skyscrapers, I got goosebumps. And then I ended up watching the whole movie. This was an excellent 4K transfer. I’ve seen the movie probably ten times now, and I’m sure I’ll watch this edition more times to come.

Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard: Centering on the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, this book is part of a series created by famous TV talking face, Bill O’Reilly. Reading much like a thriller, this account goes into the back story of John Wilkes Booth and his murderous co-conspirators. I didn’t realize Booth was such a staunch supporter of state secession and slavery. He wanted to do away with Lincoln and Grant and install a whole Southern form of government. Being a charismatic young actor, his career beginning to take off, he paired up with another young thespian named Lucy Hale. Together, where ever they went heads turned. Booth was faced with a choice: either continue his career with a beautiful young wife, or kill Lincoln. I would have chosen the lady, but of course as history shows, we all know the outcome.  

Elton John Madman Across the Water on 180-gram vinyl: Though coming out in 1971, I don’t have memories of this album until years later when I was in Radioman A school in the Navy. I was lying in my rack one night listening to my Sony Walkman and the song, “Tiny Dancer” played from a local San Diego radio station. The song haunted me ever after. Picking up this album was a delight. “Tiny Dancer” is great, and “Levon” is good. The rest of the album is not bad at all. Much like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road this was Elton John and Bernie Taupin at their A game.

Rainbow Six Siege on PC: I played this extensively back in 2017. I remember playing the single player tutorial missions so much that my eyes got bloodshot. When it got to the point to where I was playing with a wadded paper towel against one eye, it was time to stop playing. Well, here it is a few years later and I’m back at it. There have been some changes, not necessarily good changes. Ubisoft elected to put a trans character in the game. I understand inclusion, yes, I get it, but I play games to escape the judgements and pontifications of my Facebook friends. (Not all of them, mind you, but some.) All of this being said, the game still has some great mechanics, and the stealth preparedness and execution which doesn’t rely on fast twitch reflexes make this a game even I can be good at with my old man twitch responses.

Undaunted Normandy by Osprey games: I was in an almost local Game Preserve looking for an add on to my board game, Memoir ’44 but the proprietor informed me the cupboard was bare. He did have something similar, however. It was a card deck management game called Undaunted Normandy. The game consists of tiles with plots of land (shrubs, buildings, roads, etc.) depicted on them. The tiles are arranged in accordance to a scenario, and then you place military units on the tiles. Each unit is represented by a card you are dealt at the beginning of the game. Card draws dictate how/when you move your units and fight with them. It’s a two player game, but is playable as a solo game. It’s dangerously addictive. Each card portrays a soldier complete with his name, it’s a gimmick that really makes you care about the soldiers because they seem like real people. If you are a fan of simply type war games, especially those occurring in World War II, I strongly suggest you pick this one up.

Monaco Music for Pleasure on CD: If you’ll notice, New Order disappeared in the mid 90s. but they appeared in disguise through the band Monaco, a side project of New Order bassist Peter Hook and guitarist David Potts, himself, a carryover from another New Order side project. The album sounded oddly identical to anything New Order would have put out there at this point in time. Despite selling half a million copies, the album did spawn a hit, “What Do You Want From Me?” I don’t recollect what compelled me to buy this album some years back, but I’ve been putting it on repeat as of late and one can’t help but notice how much it sounds like New Order.

The Witcher Season One on Netflix: Being the second season is about to make its debut in December, I decided to rewatch the first season. It’s odd how, despite it not being all that long ago I watched this the first time, it seems better this time around. I’ve recently picked up the novel, The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski. This is the first book in The Witcher series, and pretty much what the Netflix’s first season episodes are based upon. The tone of the film is dark and brutal. There’s a certain grayness to the presentation that evokes cold weather and gloom. I’ve mentioned before I thought Henry Cavill was mis-cast. He seemed to be too young in my opinion. In the first episode I knew I was wrong. Cavill is perfectly cast in the role of Geralt of Rivia. The show is adult in nature and graphically intense. I’ve not seen such authentic medieval battle scenes done so well (to the point, I’m glad I didn’t live back then and participate in such battles!)

Ultimate General: The Civil War on Steam: I’ve had to restart this game three times now because of its degree of difficulty. I’m playing the Northern side, starting with an embarrassment of riches and numerous highly effective military officers. Yet, right before the Battle of Gettysburg I get overrun by the Southern armies. I suppose it’s what I get for being such a wastrel after mopping up in so many victories. So, like I said, I’ve restarted this fabulous recreation of America’s bloodiest war. The game itself is beautiful, resembling a lavish board game come to life. Unfortunately, there is no multiplay, a garishly obvious omission, but the single player campaign stands on its own.

Edward's October 2021 Mix

 

 

 

Another month of all-encompassing work to the point that home is only a place I seem to visit anymore. I felt a toll taken with the physicality enough I scheduled a doctor appointment. Not surprisingly, my doctor tilted his face and narrowed his gaze, straight at me. He told me my medication is attributing to my anemic condition, but then he summed it up like this: “Well, think about it, your heart is a pump and yours is faulty.” I admire my doc. He always tells it like it is. I put a new Gretsch Streamliner Lefty in my shopping cart (online) but removed it last minute. Nosiree! I didn’t let a bout of caprice hoodwink me. I can’t, not when there’s a Roland JC-120 to be picked up first!  Steam had a decent Halloween sale this month, but don’t forget to check out HumbleBundle and Fanatical for the best deals, folks. Game on!  

 

Steel Division: Normandy ‘44 on PC: This has to be the most difficult real time strategy game I’ve ever played. Short, but oh so dastardly hard! Consisting of three campaigns: American, German and British, each one raises the bar in difficulty. Each campaign is a mere four missions. I initially thought, oh, this will be a breeze. Red eyed, caffeined out, and ready to throw my PC out of the window sometime later, I’ve decided I’ve met my match. Still, I’ll stay the course. My buddies who’ve played and beaten the mission tell me I’ll get it eventually. I just don’t want to be in a nursing home when I do. The game is gorgeous though, satellite topography was used in the making of the landscape, and you can zoom in to Company of Heroes level views. The game would be much more enjoyable, however, if it was just slightly more . . . doable. 

 

Warrior on Blu Ray: Not unlike a Rocky movie or any other favored sports underdog movie, this one ranks right up there as one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. But this one has a catch. What do you do if there are two underdogs competing against each other, and you find both of them compelling?  I almost picked this up on 4K Blu Ray. I’m glad I didn’t. The whole film is shot authentically with no Hollywood glitter which makes it seem like it’s happening in your own suburban neighborhood. It certainly wasn’t an epic feature designed to take advantage of the extra expense of 4K production. The Blu Ray was an excellent transfer, however. And the authenticity carries over to the shooting itself, in which Tom Hardy broke a toe and a finger and numerous ribs. 

 

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson: Yes, this makes month number three I’m still covered up in this book. See what working all of the time does? It’s the great robber of time! But with that said, the miniscule peeks I get into this book are still a fascinating read. I’ve come to the part where the Lusitania has actually been torpedoed. The story is such a stark contrast to what happened to Titanic. The sea is calm, we’re talking pancake flat. The green hills of Ireland can clearly be seen less than twenty miles away, and the captain comes out on deck and proclaims, “Don’t worry folks, the ship is not going to sink.” Erik Larson conveys all of this with an admirable clarity. He is a great teller of tales, especially historical ones. 

 

Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road on 180-gram vinyl: I have my beautiful daughters to thank for this one. “Funeral for a Friend” reigns as one of my favorite intros of all time. Hearing it so full bodied on my Fluance turntable with its Ortofon Red diamond stylus, this was the Elton John/Bernie Taupin synergy at its best. This album was arguably the crown point of John’s 1970s recording career. I’ve written it before, but this album was the soundtrack to the summer of my 12^thyear. Hearing any of the hits, the titular, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” or “Candle in the Wind” is an instant time travel device for me. And then there’s the artwork. Man oh man! This is reason enough to get caught up in vinyl all over again.  

 

 

Silent Hunter 4 on PC: Perhaps it’s my current infatuation with World of Warships or maybe it’s because I’m reading Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania. I’m not sure why, but I installed Ubisoft’s venerable WWII submarine simulation, Silent Hunter 4 because I wanted to rack up some tonnage of my own. Steeped in authenticity, the game even has a toggle to turn wave undulation off for those susceptible to seasickness. As for me, having spent time in the same waters depicted in this game, I think they nailed it. This was the sea I came to love and hate during my own stint in the US Navy. The game captures all of the mad dashery associated with an aggroe’d enemy destroyer coming down on you in full force, and it captures the guilt plagued joy of watching a behemoth battleship sink due to your expertly launched torpedoes, complete with seeing terrified sailors in the water, lifeboats picking them up, and not to mention the lives lost going down with the ship. War is hell.    

 

Rush Hemispheres on 192kHz/24-bit FLAC: I didn’t jump aboard the Rush train until 1980 when Permanent Waves came out. I actually didn’t know of this album or its songs until I listened to Exit . . . Stage Left the live album that came out a year or so after Permanent Waves. I thought the live album was a good rendition of the songs. These studio versions are better. “La Villa Strangiato” is my favorite Rush instrumental and always will be. When I can play the acoustic opening without fault, I’ll know I’m an accomplished guitarist. And this is why I’m so in love with Alex Lifeson’s chops. The boy can play like nobody’s business. And then there’s “The Trees.” Fans have tried for years to interpret a far deeper meaning of this song for the masses, and it’s always funny to hear Neil Peart (who penned the song) in interviews chuckle and admit it’s just a silly song that has no hidden message. In high resolution FLAC the album has more dynamic range than a CD and I can hear a difference. It’s a worthy pick up for any Rush fan, but of course all of the Rush fans already have it. 

 

The Man Who Knew too Much on DVD: This was the Alfred Hitchcock movie that almost wasn’t. It seems that Hitchcock, under contract, owed one more movie to Paramount, so he decided to take the easier route of remaking one of his earlier films. Casting Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day proved to be a success. Interestingly, during shooting, Day became overly concerned because Hitchcock spent so much time on setting up shots, and getting the lighting correct that Day felt he was disappointed in her performance on camera. It irked her so much she finally confronted him about it. “Miss Day, my dear, if I’d been concerned about your performance then I’d have to direct YOU!” Ha! Typical Hitchcock. Released in 1956 in glorious technicolor, the film checks all of the boxes Alfred Hitchcock is known for: interesting and exotic locales, likeable characters, villains with characteristic flaws (who always get their just due) and a great soundtrack (this one by Bernard Hermann, who also gets centerstage for a part of the film.)  

 

The Terminator on Blu Ray: It had been years and the last time I watched this was on DVD. I decided to revisit it on Blu Ray. I remember when this movie released, I saw it at a downtown San Diego theater when I was in the Navy. Looking back, it earmarked that part of my youth. Despite the vibrant transfer to Blu Ray, the movie is showing its wrinkles, but I can’t deny it launched one of my favorite movie franchises. Watching it again, I didn’t realize how sad the movie is. Witnessing Kyle Reese’s haunted loneliness requited by his relationship with Sarah Connor, and his depiction of the horrible world he left is heart wrenching at best. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in an interview, stated from the moment he read the script and began working on the film he knew it was going to be much more than standard sci-fi fare, more than a simple B movie. He knew it was destined for greatness. James Cameron admitted the same, the movie was going to be special and he knew it before it released. He said every year after The Terminator in which there were no plans for a Terminator 2 the demand for such a movie grew exponentially. And of course, we all know how big Terminator 2 became.