I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: KISS-Hotter Than Hell (1974).

Kiss’s second album came out just 7 months after their debut (which explains why it is less than half an hour long).

In my mind the album sounds different because it is somehow Japanese (I mean the cover is something of an indicator).  But it’s not Asian in any way.  Although, the album definitely sounds different than the debut and it’s clearly a recording style choice.

But this is one of the beloved early Kiss albums and I love every track, even the really crazy ones (“Goin’ Blind” is about a 93 year-old man lusting after a 16 year-old girl(!)).

The album starts with the crazily poppy “Got to Choose” complete with whoo hoo hoos in the chorus.  It’s followed by the blistering “Parasite” a fantastic fast riff with some cool vocal tricks at the end of each verse.  “Goin’ Blind” also features some cool slow riffs that are quite distinctive.  The title track & “Let Me Go, Rock n’ Roll” are pretty well known, and “Let Me Go” was played for many years live.

The second side is a bit more odd and seems to showcase Peter a lot more.  “All the Way” is a poppy Gene track and I’m not entirely sure what it’s all about (surprisingly not that “all the way” since “one of these days you’ll push me all the way”).  “Watchin’ You” is a great, dark song which has a really cool cowbell-fueled midsection, and gives Peter a great workout on drums.  “Mainline” is Peter’s poppy vocal track (like really poppy), while “Comin’ Home” is a Paul-sung song about (sort of like “100,000 Years”) returning home to his beloved.  “Strange Ways” is Peter’s other contribution.  This one is dark and really quite cool, with an awesomely wild, freaky guitar solo from Ace.

It’s something of an overlooked record, which is a shame as there’s some good stuff on it.

[READ: December 21, 2009] The Color of Earth

This is my first manhwa comic and I adore it.  Manhwa is (if I may be offensively simplistic) basically Korean manga (at least it is often marketed that way).  However, there are many many differences in style and tone.  And, if this manhwa is in any way representative of them all, (and of course it isn’t, but we can simplify) they are gorgeous!

Sarah received this trilogy of books by Kim Dong Hwa (The Color of Earth, The Color of Water, The Color of Heaven) and after reading this first one, I’m really excited about the rest.

The story is very simple: it follows the growth and development of Ehwa from age 7 to age 15 as she matures in a Korean village several generations ago.  The setting is extremely rural, and there are almost no amenities to be seen.  Ehwa’s father died when she was very young, so she lives with her mother in their tiny house.

Her mother owns an inn, and she must tolerate the crude comments and innuendos of her drunken customers.  Unfortunately for Ehwa, she learns a lot about the world from what she hears there.  She also gets an education from the village boys, who are foolish and impetus as little boys are (asking her why she doesn’t have a penis, and, later, to show them her persimmon seed).

She also watches as her mother falls for a traveler.  He comes through the village from time to time and is welcomed by her mother.  Eventually, Ehwa learns to leave the house to give them some privacy.  And through all this, Ehwa is never judgmental or disdainful of her mother.  She appreciates her mother’s needs and is as helpful a daughter as she can be.

And that is one of the most delightful things about this story.  Here we have a mother and daughter, living together, growing up together and learning from each other.  There is incredible tenderness, and, although often metaphorical, a wonderful frankness about maturation and sexuality.

Over the course of the story Ehwa learns falsehoods about sexuality.  She then falls for several unattainable boys.  By the end of the book, she gets her first period, and becomes a more self-assured woman.

The artwork is absolutely beautiful. The lines are delicate and subtle. The backgrounds are intricate and realistic.  Scenes of gardens are practically alive on the page (and all in black and white too).  I could go on an on.  And when there are no backgrounds, the people are amazingly expressive.  You can see subtle changes of expression on their faces, you can even tell people’s emotions from behind.

I was totally blown away by the beauty of this book.

Although I have to say in the beginning, I was a little put off by the two men in the inn.  They are almost caricatured goofy Korean drawings.  But (from my limited exposure to Asian works) it seems like people who are inherently mockable are drawn (or made up in movies) to be outrageously loony looking. And, since he clearly CAN draw men, it is a stylistic choice.

And the story is delightfully engaging.  As I noted, there’s not much to it, but Ehwa is such a sweet child, full of innocence and curiosity that you can’t help but want to read more about her.  And I am delighted that we have volumes 2 and 3 in the series as well, because I can’t wait to see what happens to her as she gets older.

This book is another fantastic book from First Second Press.  They are rapidly becoming my favorite publisher of graphic novels.