SOUNDTRACK: A HOUSE-Live in Concert (1998).
This is a strange live collection of songs. The first half are “band” efforts. And they are pretty good, although the backing vocals on some of the later songs seem a bit much.
The second half of the disc, however, is an acoustic set. I initially thought it was just Dave Couse, but there are clearly two guitars. This more intimate set is cool because it shows that their songs are solid even without the effects and silliness some of the originals had. I especially liked “Blind Faith” because he sort of teases the audience into singing with him.
This disc is certainly not essential A House listening (In fact, I can find virtually no record of its existence on line–Wikipedia and Zop list it but there’s precious little information about it). Hey, maybe it’s a collector’s item (that I bought used for $2 used). But since there’s no other live recordings of A House that I’m aware of, this will have to do.
[READ: June 26, 2010] Citrus County
I read this book several months ago, but with all of the big summer projects, I didn’t have a chance to say anything about it.
Citrus County is a dark book. Make no mistake. It is set in a world of adolescents, high school and crime. And even within those dark boundaries, this book is quite dark. And yet it is also kind of funny.
The story is also something of an indictment of Citrus County, Florida, a county I didn’t know existed, although sure why wouldn’t it. When Shelby Register moves there, she thinks that she’ll be in Disneyland, or at least by the beach, but what she finds herself in is a kind of backwater swampland. Just what ever teenaged girl wants. (more…)