I read that there’s a new book coming out about the Four Hellraisers of the Apothecary — that would be Richard Harris, Richard Burton, Oliver Reed, and Peter O’Toole. They were wild men. Boozing, shagging, brawling, larking around, and still making movies with their massive talents.
Jesus, imagine a night out with that wild bunch? Imagine getting into a fist fight with one of the fuckers?
They all did crazy stunts. One I like is the one in which Reed is at a hotel and he empties out a pond of koi late at night and replaces them with carrots in the shape of the fish. Next morning, he goes down to breakfast, jumps in the pond, and starts devouring the carrot fish.
CURRENTLY READING
The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer. A first-hand account of a French-German soldier serving in the Gross Deutschland Division on the Eastern Front in WWII. It’s a gripping account and I’ve only just begun. It’s partly reading for pleasure as well as to get some background for a novel I have in mind.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO
Peeper by Polar Bear. Very slick Brit jazz band who merge elements of dance music, funk, free jazz, electronica, and drum and bass. I definitely want to get more of this band.
Alligator by the National. This band is fab, a perfect balance of dark and light and fast and slow.
A collection of Django Reinhardt. Django is the gypsy king of swanky jazz. And I love the movie Sweet and Lowdown, by Woody Allen, that was definitely made in homage to Django.
Northern Sulphuric Soul by Rae & Christian. Smooth sounds from a duo that make cutting-edge, down-tempo electronic and nu-soul music.
