Howdy HoBo watchers. Well it’s now Autumn, my favourite time of year. The leaves are falling from the trees the nights are drawing in and I can get started on my lovely Autumn wine. I think Autumn is the most beautiful time of year and you can enhance that beauty by reading books and listening to music. Or you might think "bollocks to all the lovely leaves and sunsets" lock yourself in your house, and watch films and play videogames. Either way we have ideas for you.
Decade The best of Neil Young
If you don’t have any Neil Young already and you’re interested in hearing him then this is what you need. From gentle acoustic ballads to full on guitar driven wig outs, this double album is essential for anyone with their own ears. Any of you out there who’ve seen the movie Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas will already have heard the song ‘Expecting to fly’ near the end when Jonny Depp is sitting in that chair reminiscing. Well that song and others just as good are on this album. Look just buy it for Neil’s sake.
HoBo Says "Neil Young looks like me!"
UK
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Perfume by Patrick Susskind
Perfume is subtitled ‘the story of a murderer’. But this ain’t no murder she wrote boolshit. Perfume is set in Paris of the eighteenth century and follows the life of Jean Baptiste Grenouille. A child born with no scent of his own, but with the best sense of smell in the world. He can memorise a scent and call upon it at any time. And by his teens he has murdered a girl who’s scent was so beautiful he had to have it for himself (not sure why he had to kill her, he could have asked her out first). His ambition is to be the greatest perfumer in all the world, and does he achieve it? Well you’ll have to read it won’t you. Or listen to it on audiocassette as read by Sean Barrett like I did. Hey I don’t have time to read!
HoBo Says " Did you know that the Nirvana song ‘Scentless Apprentice’ was inspired by this book?"
UK
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3.Arnold Newman Photographs
Arnold Newman has been a portrait photographer since the late 1930’s. This book is rammed with great pictures of people like Marilyn Monroe, Woody Allen, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Georgia o’ Keeffe and other amazing people. He captures many of them in their own environment, Woody on his couch pen in hand, mid way through writing, Picasso stands in his house/ studio surrounded by pieces of his work. Even if you aren’t in to photography then get this book and put it on your coffee table. It will make you look cultured and impress guests.
HoBo Says " I don’t have a coffee table".
UK
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4.Bullitt Soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin
‘Not many freaky cops around like Bullitt’ proclaims the poster. Well I’m not sure why he’s freaky, maybe he’s in to S&M or something, I don’t know. I digress. This is a great soundtrack and one you should own. If you saw the Ford Puma ad’s shown on English t.v about a year ago then you have heard the main theme. Yes you remember, the one where Steve Mc Queen has a Ford Puma in his garage next to his Ford Mustang. Like he’d use a Puma if he had a Mustang. Maybe that’s what’s freaky about him. An ideal soundtrack for your car whatever it may be.
HoBo Says "Great Soundtrack, great poster, average film".
UK
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5.The Graduate
This is the film which thrust its star Dustin Hoffman in to the movie stratosphere, never to return. Hoffman plays the character of Benjamin Braddock, an excellent student who graduates with honours. He has achieved everything his overbearing parents wanted. The perfect son, and they hold a graduation party to show him off to everyone else. But the only person at the party who isn’t overexcited about Ben’s achievements is Ben. He isn’t as sure what he wants to do with his life as his parents are and isn’t in a hurry to work it out. The Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack is par excellence and all acting performances are remarkable. If you are pressured by your parents then watch this. Probably best not to have an affair with your girlfriend’s mum though.
HoBo Says "I like the zoo bit best"
UK
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6.Annie Hall Woody Allen
Annie Hall is one of Woodys best films in which he plays a stand up comic who falls in love with a budding songstress (Diane Keaton), who was making combats and a vest look cool twenty years before All Saints. It’s a romantic comedy (obviously) that really does get under your skin and stands up well to repeat viewing. It touches you in a way that ‘You’ve got mail’ never could, (because it’s shit!). Then Unknown Jeff Goldblum and Sigourney Weaver have cameos.
Woody didn’t bother to show up to collect his Oscars for this film. It was a Monday night, and on Mondays Woody plays Jazz. And not even 4 Oscars will pry him away from that.
HoBo Says "What happened to his Oscars?"
UK
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7. Eel’s Daisies Of The Galaxy
The galaxy theatre is the galaxy in question. That’s where frontman E will pick some daisies for you, you lucky people. I think that Mark E Everett is one of the best songwriters alive today. He takes the tragic events of his life and makes them in to songs , some dark some pretty but always good songs. This is the third Eels album and is probably going to be sorely underrated.
HoBo Says "How can you not like Mr E’s beautiful blues?"
UK
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8. Vib Ribbon Playstation
Vib Ribbon is a hark back to the days of simple graphics and good gameplay, something I have been yearning for, as many new games lack gameplay but look stunning. You play Vibri, a line drawn bunny who hops skips and jumps along the Vib Ribbon. The pattern of the ribbon is determined by whatever music c.d. you put in the Playstation. A music c.d. comes supplied, but much better to put your own in. The difficulty varies depending on the music being played. Try playing Foo Fighters for best results.
Order 'Vib Ribbon' from amazon
9. On The Hour
This satirical news series was broadcast on Radio One in 1991. It is hosted by Chris (Brasseye) Morris and legendary chat show host Alan Partridge made his debut appearance here as a sports presenter. Hear ‘Wayne Carr in the afternoon’ give his theory on endangered animals (I think that they’re not endangered at all, they’re just hiding) .Visit Rosie May’s ‘Greendesk’ for all matters ecological and witness the shear incompetence of Peter O’ Hanrahahanrahan’s live news reports. Like it says on the box "Man is only 90% water but On The Hour is 100% news.
HoBo Says " The best BBC radio comedy I’ve ever heard"
Orders 'On The Hour' from amazon
10.Rubber Soul The Beatles
‘The album cover that sold a million suede jackets’ is not how this album is referred to, but it probably did. I know I bought one in an attempt to look as cool as they did on the cover. Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, The Word, Think For Yourself and one of the best Beatles songs, In My Life are all on here, along with What Goes on, which is a crap Ringo one, but we’ll ignore that.
Possibly the Beatles finest hour.
HoBo Says " I was conceived to this album "
UK
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Right, now go for a lovely walk in the park and stop using your P.C.