Andrew Reviews

Album Review #4: Powderfinger – Odyssey Number Five

This will be an uncertain time for us, my love…

So opens Waiting for the Sun, the first track from Australian rock band Powderfinger’s fourth album, Odyssey Number Five, which is considered by the public and media alike as their best work and one of the greatest Australian albums of all time…

After three albums of experimentation (which included the brilliant and highly underrated Internationalist), Australian rock band Powderfinger finally found and perfected their sound on their fourth album, Odyssey Number Five (2000). The aim was to push their limits as songwriters and musicians and create a ‘panoramic’ and ‘cinematic’ work – a balance of harmony between sound, music and songwriting. The result is a masterpiece of Australian rock, and a portrait of Australian society and culture as it entered the new millennium condensed in only 45 minutes. Consequently it remains the band’s most commercially and critically successful album, reaching No.1 in Australia and being certified 8x Platinum, complemented by the incredibly popular tracks “My Happiness” and “These Days”.

The band in 2000 – guitarist Darren Middleton, drummer Jon Coghill, lead guitarist Ian Haug, lead vocalist Bernard Fanning, and bass guitarist John Collins.

From the thunderous and electrifying opening guitar chords of Waiting for the Sun to the acoustic guitar riff on closer Whatever Makes You Happy, Odyssey Number Five exemplifies a band at their creative and cohesive peak, willing to push their lyrical, thematic and orchestral skills to create a masterwork.

Opening track Waiting for the Sun immediately grabs the listener’s attention with its thunderous D minor guitar chord, complemented by singer Bernard Fanning’s vocals and a consistent backing drumbeat, highlighting the refined confidence of the band. This is followed by My Happiness, the band’s most commercially successful single, which details the loneliness and anxiety of being a touring musician, complemented by a ubiquitously popular central guitar riff. The rather underrated The Metre is a lament of the band trying to escape the hectic and stressful nature of media, meeting and touring, with its unique and haunting string arrangements. Like A Dog is perhaps the band’s most aggressive song, with its aggressive and loud guitar riffs highlighting the failures of the Howard Government in its poor treatment and relations with Indigenous Australians. Depressingly, little progress has been made by successive governments for them since then and today. The brief title track, which was originally a demo, acts as an intermission of sorts between the two halves of the album, showing a glimpse of Australian suburbia – ‘welcome to the new suburban fables…’

The second half begins with Up & Down & Back Again, which examines personal social alienation and loss of identity. The song builds from a single guitar riff to a thunderous crescendo blend of drums, guitar, percussion and vocals. This is complemented by a vociferous and complex melody that changes key, highlighting the struggles and pain within. My Kind of Scene, a rather mournful song about the monotony of work under capitalist culture, was written for the action film Mission: Impossible 2, and was released as a promotional single and on its soundtrack. These Days is the band’s most well known song, widely regarded today an Australian classic, and was written and featured in the film Two Hands. Arguably the crowning jewel of the album, the song’s opening organ drone gives way to a rousing chorus and an explosion of sound, exhibiting its melancholic and wistful tone about letting go. (It was also the final song the band performed at their final show in Brisbane, before disbanding in 2010). We Should Be Together Now has a rather surprisingly aggressive sound for what is a tender, simple love song, and is the best example of ‘hard rock’ on the album with its electrifying outro. Finally, Whatever Makes You Happy quietly and quickly closes the album with a gentle acoustic guitar and a backing organ, exploring themes of sadness, grief and uncertainty.

The one track that hasn’t been explored yet is the incredible Thrilloilogy. At over 6 minutes, this hidden gem is the best example of the bands ‘epic experimentation’, with thrilling results. Divided into three distinct sections, the song explores themes of unfulfilled and forgotten dreams and hopelessness, complemented by an extraordinary combination of instrumentation and sound production. The transition from a typical rock song with a verse/chorus, to a rocking jam session that builds to an almighty climax, to the slow melancholic piano keys and outro is simply breathtaking. The track also concludes the loose ‘oi’ trilogy that began on previous albums Double Allergic with Oipic, and on Internationalist’s Capriocity.

For the album’s 20th anniversary the band reissued and remastered the album in 2020 as a deluxe 2LP/CD edition with an extra disc including 10 songs, containing several B-sides, acoustic versions and covers, some of which have never been previously released before. Highlights include an acoustic string version of Up & Down & Back Again, the catchy and groovy Fuzzy Wolf, and a cover of The Psychedelic Furs’ hit single Love My Way.

Taken together, the 11 tracks on Odyssey Number Five create an album brimming with confidence and filled with brilliant instrumentation, lyrics, and sound. The album’s core themes in dealing with everyday life resonates and captivates its audience, making us feel emotions of sadness, melancholy, rage, loneliness, love and hope. As the band’s most iconic, most accessible and arguably best record, Odyssey Number Five was an incredible success for Powderfinger in Australia and abroad, winning the ARIA Album of the Year and Best Rock Album awards in 2001. In 2011, triple J listeners voted Odyssey Number Five number 1 in the Hottest 100 Australian Albums Of All Time. Over 20 years since its original release, it remains one of Australia’s great albums, and one that continues to attract new and old audiences.

Favourite song: Thrilloilogy

Rating: 9/10

Odyssey Number Five – 2000

Andrew’s Highlights #8

March – May 2022

Film:

Chimes at Midnight (Orson Welles, 1965)

Henry V (Laurence Olivier, 1944)

Henry V (Kenneth Branagh, 1989)

The Northman (Robert Eggers, 2022)

The Soul (Wei-Hao Cheng, 2021)

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Tom Gormican, 2022)

TV:

Eurovision Song Contest 2022

The Grand Tour Season 3 (Amazon Prime Video, 2019)

The Hollow Crown 👑 (BBC, 2012)

Music:

Back in Black (AC/DC, 1980)

High as Hope (Florence + the Machine, 2018)

The Tipping Point (Tears for Fears, 2022)

Whispering Jack (John Farnham, 1986)

Literature:

Battles of the English Civil War

Austin Woolrych (Batsford, 1961)

Henry IV, Part 2

William Shakespeare, ed. René Weis (Oxford University Press, 1997)

Andrew’s Highlights #7

January – February 2022

Film:

Batman (Tim Burton, 1989)

Batman Returns (Tim Burton, 1992)

The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan, 2012)

The LEGO Batman Movie (Chris McKay, 2017)

The Bourne Supremacy (Paul Greengrass, 2004)

The Bourne Ultimatum (Paul Greengrass, 2007)

Fast & Furious 9 (Justin Lin, 2021)

The Foreigner (Martin Campbell, 2017)

From Russia with Love (Terence Young, 1963)

The Grandmaster (Wong Kar-Wai, 2013)

The King’s Man (Matthew Vaughn, 2021)

Spiderman: No Way Home (Jon Watts, 2021)

TV:

Deutschland 89 (Amazon Prime Video, 2020)

Doctor Who Season 21 (BBC, 1984)

The Grand Tour Season 2 (Amazon Prime Video, 2017-18)

Music:

Bella Donna (Stevie Nicks, 1981)

Concert for George (Various Artists, 2003)

Fever (Kylie Minogue, 2001)

Fix Yourself, Not the World (The Wombats, 2022)

Odyssey Number Five (Powderfinger, 2000)

Punisher (Phoebe Bridgers, 2020)

Sancho (The Whitlams, 2022)

The King’s Man (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Matthew Margeson & Dominic Lewis, 2021)

Literature:

Children of England: The Heirs of King Henry VIII 1547 – 1558

Alison Weir (Jonathan Cape, 1996)

Doctor Who – Fear of the Dark

Trevor Baxendale (BBC Books, 2003)

Tea and Scotch with Bradman

Roland Perry (ABC Books, 2019)

The Man with the Golden Typewriter: Ian Fleming’s James Bond Letters

Fergus Fleming (ed.) (Bloomsbury, 2015)

You Only Live Twice

Ian Fleming (Jonathan Cape, 1964)

The Man with the Golden Gun

Ian Fleming (Jonathan Cape, 1965)

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Silver Chair (1953)
The Horse and His Boy (1954)
The Magician’s Nephew (1955)
The Last Battle (1956)

C. S. Lewis

Sport:

The Ashes (Australia wins series 4-0 against England)

The Women’s Ashes (Australia wins series 12-4 against England)

Bangladesh cricket tour of New Zealand (Series tied 1-1)

India cricket tour of South Africa (South Africa wins series 2-1)

FFA Cup (Champions: Melbourne Victory)

Book Review #6: The Chronicles of Narnia

Some brief (and informal) thoughts on the classic children’s series which I finished recently. Whilst I read the series in publication order, this review will be arranged in chronological order as this is the way the books are now published.

A map of Narnia, illustrated by Pauline Baynes

The Magician’s Nephew (1955)

A prequel to the Narnia series, this story details the creation of Narnia by Aslan the lion. There is a real sense of wonder and scope with the transition from Victorian London to the creation of Narnia. The locations and scenery are also beautifully depicted with some gorgeous imagery throughout. Lewis’ creation of ‘the wood between the worlds’ is genius writing, and I wish we could explore this place more. Jadis, the White Witch, is a formidable and hilarious antagonist with some fantastic lines. Overall an excellent story with a clever and touching ending that ties in well with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Rating: 9/10

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)

The original classic and arguably still the best in the series. As with The Magician’s Nephew, there is a real sense of wonder as the Narnian world is explored by the Pevensie children. Jadis is a dangerous, beautiful and cruel antagonist with more witty and savage dialogue from Lewis. The first appearance of Aslan is magnificent and the climactic battle and coronation is depicted vividly and brilliantly.

Rating: 10/10

The Horse and His Boy (1954)

A very different story to the rest of the series, The Horse and His Boy takes place during final years of King Peter’s reign in Narnia, and explores the land of Calormen to the south. The premise and its unique Middle Eastern vibe initially sound interesting but unfortunately as the chapters progress the story and its characters become rather boring and unengaging. There is also a problematic hint of racism in the way the Calormites are depicted and the way that Christianity triumphs over others in the final battle. Nonetheless the desert scenes are vividly depicted and the pacing of the novel is excellent.

Rating: 5/10

Prince Caspian (1951)

A disappointing and inferior sequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Too much of the story is given to Prince Caspian’s origins and background, whilst the trek and journey across Narnia is excruciatingly slow and boring. There is a strong influence from Hamlet with Caspian’s revenge against his uncle Miraz but this unfortunately is a poor adaptation/homage of Shakespeare’s great play. There are some interesting supporting characters as well but their presences are brief and their backgrounds aren’t explored much in detail.

Rating: 4/10

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)

A highlight of the Narnia series, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader depicts the story of King Caspian sailing into the Great Eastern Ocean to find seven lost lords of Narnia. The story overall is excellent with a brilliant beginning, and lots of action, adventure and wonder as the crew explore the various islands, all with unique attributes. The last several chapters and ending are also wonderfully written by Lewis. Eustace Scrubb also has an interesting story arc, turning from an annoying child into a more mature and courageous adolescent. Reepicheep the Mouse is a highlight of the novel as well.

Rating: 7/10

The Silver Chair (1953)

In contract to the adventures in the rest of the series, The Silver Chair has a rather cold, grim and darker tone than usual. This is complemented by the cold, harsh and tough landscape of the Ettinsmoor and the Northern lands of the Giants. Puddleglum, the marsh-wiggle, is an outstanding character with some excellent and funny dialogue, and is arguably the best character in the Narnia series. The Underland is a fantastic dark landscape and is depicted brilliantly. Sadly the Queen of the Underland is a poor antagonist when compared to the White Witch of previous novels. Jill Poole and Eustace Scrubb, the children, also get more character development than in previous novels.

Rating: 7/10

The Last Battle (1956)

The final novel of the Narnia series is a disappointing and confusing mess. A false Aslan is set up in Narnia which eventually leads to its destruction. The Christian allegory here with the allusions to Noah’s Ark, Jesus and heaven is overwhelming and ruins the novel overall. Racism and sexism are also present, with the Calormenes again depicted as barbarian ‘darkies’. What is truly grating however is Lewis’ callous treatment of Susan, who is now banned from Narnia simply because she has other interests and wishes to explore her sexuality. This is a depressing and violent book with one-dimensional characters and a story that is unengaging and disappointing. The ending, with its overtly religious tones, is a confusing and chaotic mess.

Rating: 2/10

My personal ranking for the series:

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
The Magician’s Nephew
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Last Battle

https://www.narnia.com/

Book Review #5: The Man with the Golden Gun

Mister, there’s something quite extra about the smell of death.
Care to try it?

The Man with the Golden Gun is the twelfth and final James Bond novel by Ian Fleming, and was originally published posthumously in 1965.

Missing and presumed dead after his last mission in Japan, Bond returns to Britain, brainwashed by the K.G.B. to assassinate his superior, M. To prove his value and worth to the Secret Service, he is instructed to find and kill his deadliest opponent yet: ‘Pistols’ Scaramanga – The Man with the Golden Gun…

Dustjacket and cover of the UK first edition, first published by Jonathan Cape in 1965.

Incomplete and unfinished are perhaps the best words to describe Fleming’s final Bond novel, The Man with the Golden Gun. By this stage ill health had begun to affect him and his writing process, resulting in a decrease in his writing rate. Consequently only a first draft of the novel was completed in March 1964, and Fleming was unfortunately unable to rework and complete a second draft of it before his death in August 1964.

Consequently, The Man with the Golden Gun is a shorter novel that lacks much of the detail, suspense, mystery and drama that is typical of previous Bond novels. As the novel was basically half-finished, it would seem somewhat churlish to criticise its flaws.

Note – mild spoilers follow.

The novel itself actually isn’t bad per se, but feels more like a very ordinary (and somewhat boring) read. The opening, where Bond returns to London after his last mission to Japan, is actually excellent. Bond’s brainwashing by the K.G.B to assassinate his superior M in his office is a brilliant storyline, and the chapters in London are intriguing as Fleming describes the work and operations of the Secret Service. It is a brilliant twist to the typical Bond novel openings and gives the novel a major action kick.

The rest of the novel takes place in Jamaica, and is unfortunately not very interesting, especially as Jamaica as a location was previously explored in Dr No. There is a distinct lack of suspense and action here which is replaced by meetings and dialogue, and the novel subsequently drags with boring characters and events. Bond’s first meeting with Scaramanga is a disappointment – and Scaramanga hiring Bond as a henchman on the spot is unexpected and coincidental. The subsequent chapters at Scaramanga’s hotel, where he meets his business partners to conduct some mafioso operations of drug smuggling, prostitution, money laundering and destabilising the local sugar industry, feels stale and has a strong ‘been there, done that’ vibe. The climactic finale however, with Bond and Scaramanga’s duel in the swampland, is brilliantly executed and written with vivid imagery.

Due to the novel’s brevity, unfortunately most of the characters (if not all) are thinly written and are not very interesting or compelling. Bond himself is dull, with little character development after the cataclysmic events of You Only Live Twice. Scaramanga, the main antagonist and assassin, never really comes off as a truly dangerous or formidable adversary for Bond and seems like more of a criminal, henchman or thug, rather than a mastermind. Mary Goodnight, Bond’s former secretary who appears in Jamaica, is another boring and underdeveloped character compared to previous Bond girls, and her flirtations with him are… rather camp. It is fantastic to see Bond’s C.I.A. friend Felix Leiter again posing as a hotel manager, but sadly the novel doesn’t give him much to do. Finally, Scaramanga’s business associates are all one-dimensional characters and are a disappointment compared to the gangsters in Goldfinger or the SMERSH operatives in From Russia, with Love.

The Man with the Golden Gun is a sad and disappointing end to Ian Fleming’s James Bond series. Due to its brevity and incompleteness, it lacks the trademark traits of action, suspense and mystery of previous Bond novels, and is sadly a boring and stale read.

Rating: 4/10

Since this is the final novel of Ian Fleming’s James Bond series, I thought I would list my Top 5 Bond novels:

From Russia, with Love
Moonraker
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Thunderball
Dr No

Also here are my Top 5 Bond films:

Casino Royale
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
GoldenEye
Licence to Kill
Dr No

Album Review #3: George Harrison – All Things Must Pass

All things pass

A sunrise does not last all morning

All things pass

A cloudburst does not last all day
Lao Tzu

Upon the breakup of the Beatles in 1970, George Harrison began working towards developing an album from the enormous number of rejected and unused songs he had written for the band. The result was All Things Must Pass, one of the first triple albums ever released, and widely regarded as one of the best Beatles solo albums.

George Harrison: All Things Must Pass Album Review | Pitchfork

Fifty years on from an album’s release is a long time. Many aspects of life and society from 1970 would seem alien and strange to us today. Yet some things from that time endure. One of them is All Things Must Pass, George Harrison’s seminal post-Beatles album, which was recently remixed for its 50th anniversary edition release in 2021.

A brief explanation of the album will perhaps be beneficial. For the album Harrison recruited dozens of musicians to contribute, with notable names including Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voorman, Billy Preston, and Bobby Whitlock. Beatles collaborator Phil Spector was also invited by Harrison to co-produce the album using his famous Wall of Sound production. Released in November 1970, the original vinyl contained two LPs of songs, and a third disc of jams named Apple Jam. This was complemented by a poster showing Harrison standing in an iron-framed window in his home.

For the album’s re-release in 2021 several different formats were made available, but the most common includes the 5 CD / 8 LP Super Deluxe Edition, which contains 42 previously unreleased demos, and a 3 CD / 5 LP Deluxe Edition. The 3 CD Deluxe Edition contains the album on 2 discs and an extra disc of Session Outtakes and Jams along with the original poster, and a 20-page booklet. This review will be covering the 3 CD Deluxe Edition.

The 3 CD Deluxe Edition, released in 2021.

Listening to the album for the first time in 2021, the album remains strikingly raw, powerful and fresh, over 50 years since its original release. The album itself is gorgeous to listen to, with Harrison covering themes of philosophy, religion, faith, love and death across its 106 minute runtime.

The production, orchestration and instrumentation is outstanding throughout. Opening track I’d Have You Anytime eases the listener into the album with a sublime lead guitar part from Eric Clapton. Harrison pioneers the use of slide guitar on My Sweet Lord and Isn’t It A Pity (Version 1) with remarkable effects, creating gorgeous sounding melodies. Spector’s Wall of Sound production is particularly evident on Wah-Wah, with its dense guitars and horns complementing the lyrics of Harrison’s frustration with the Beatles. This is also present on Let It Down, where its aggressive and thundering orchestral opening and choruses are complemented by relaxed and calmer verses for a thrilling listen. In contrast, Harrison also explores country and folk rock on tracks such as If Not For You, Behind That Locked Door, and Run of the Mill, which all have a slower tempo and quieter sound.

Philosophy and spirituality are prominent themes on the second disc. Beware of Darkness warns against corruptive influences in life with its vivid imagery and haunting melodies. All Things Must Pass explores the passage of time and the nature of human life and existence, with its influence from Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching radiating its sunny and relaxed tone. Art of Dying explores death and reincarnation with an electrifying guitar opening, and is an outstanding orchestral rock song with an urgent and rapid tempo. Elsewhere, Harrison further explores folk tunes on Apple Scruffs and Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll). The Bob Dylan influence is strong on Apple Scruffs, with its solo acoustic guitar and harmonica paying tribute to some very dedicated Beatles fans. Let It Roll is an interesting journey through the house and grounds of Friar Park, a mansion that Harrison bought in 1970, with its relaxing acoustic guitar, piano and vocals. Finally, album closer Hear Me Lord explores religion and faith by creating a gospel-rock music style using Harrison’s prayer-like vocals and lyrics, backing piano keys, guitar melodies and choral backing vocals. The result is a powerful and exhilarating experience for the listener.

The poster included in the album, taken by Tom Wilkes in Harrison’s home.

As for the Apple Jams, these are mainly filler tracks that audiences probably won’t listen to more than once. It’s Jonny’s Birthday, written by George for John Lennon’s 30th birthday, is however a wonderfully entertaining and weird listen. Thanks for the Pepperoni is arguably the best jam with its entertaining guitar solos and would also be an excellent driving song.

The Session Outtakes and Jams on disc 3 are also an intriguing and entertaining listen into the production and recording process of the album. Affably titled the ‘party disc’ by Dhani Harrison, this consists of alternative takes and recording of album tracks, as well as some bonus non-album tracks. The opening track, Isn’t It A Pity (Take 14), is a hilarious introduction. Notable highlights also include a 9 minute recording of Hear Me Lord (Take 5), an acoustic orchestral version of Get Back sung by George, and a slower acoustic version of Isn’t It A Pity (Take 27), which is a delight. The non-album tracks include Wedding Bells (Are Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine), which appeared on Gene Vincent’s debut album Bluejean Bop in 1956, and Woman Don’t You Cry For Me, which later became the opening track on George’s seventh album Thirty Three 1/3 in 1976.

All Things Must Pass is an outstanding album by a musician pushing their creative talents to the limit as a songwriter, producer, vocalist, and arranger. The instrumentation, sound, lyrics and production is excellent. George Harrison had a unique gift in combining rock, religion and rhythms to create fantastic and remarkable songs. The 2020 remix is also brilliant, with far greater clarity for instrumentation and vocals than ever before. Over fifty years later this masterwork is still as powerful, ambitious, and enthralling as it was back in 1970.

Rating: 10/10.

‘All Things Must Pass’ 50th Anniversary Releases

Official Trailer from 2021.

Book Review #4: You Only Live Twice

You only live twice:
Once when you are born
And once when you look death in the face.
after Bashō, Japanese poet, 1643-94

You Only Live Twice is the eleventh James Bond novel by Ian Fleming, and was originally published in 1964. It is the third and final book in the Blofeld / SPECTRE trilogy, which began with Thunderball and was continued in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Following the murder of his wife Tracy at the hands of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, James Bond is a shattered and broken man whose is drinking and gambling heavily. Given one last chance at redemption, his superior M sends him to Japan on a semi-diplomatic mission. There he is given the impossible task to kill Dr Guntram Shatterhand, a scientist who operates a “Garden of Death” in the Japanese countryside…

You Only Live Twice (novel) - Wikipedia — Cover of the UK first edition, published by Jonathan Cape in 1964.

In many ways You Only Live Twice is perhaps the most unique, strangest and most unusual of the Bond novels written by author Ian Fleming. The end of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, where Bond’s wife Tracy is murdered, sets the tone and mood for the aftermath and events that occur in this novel. This is a grim and slower novel that dispenses with much of the action, humour and gadgetry that is typical in the Bond novels and films. Fleming substitutes this by introducing themes of philosophy, religion, rebirth and death. Also explored is the post-WWII decline of the British Empire and its diplomatic relations with the United States and Japan. (This likely mirrors Fleming’s own declining health and the breakdown of his own marriage). Bond’s journey and experiences in Japan complement this as he is placed in a strange, foreign world where he must conform with its culture and values, and follow bushidō, the conduct of the samurai, in order to carry out his mission.

The novel is divided into two parts. The first explores Bond’s introduction to Japanese society and culture, whilst the second explores Bond’s mission to the Garden of Death to kill Dr Shatterhand.

Unfortunately, the first part is rather disappointing and slow. The opening is excellent with Bond trying to recover and put his life back in order in order to carry out his mission from M. However, once he arrives in Japan things slow down as Fleming explores Japanese politics, history, culture and society for the audience through Dikko Henderson, an Australian intelligence officer, and Tiger Tanaka, the head of the Japanese Secret Service. This part reads more like a travelogue than an action thriller and is where the where the novel shows its age. It may have been an entertaining read in the 1960s when Japan was still a hidden exotic land for most Westerners, but today it comes off as stale and uninteresting. This section could easily have been reduced with more focus and insight on Dr Shatterhand, the Garden of Death, and Bond doing some detective work, but alas it drags and can become tedious reading.

The second part, thankfully, is far more intriguing and entertaining as Bond disguises himself as a Japanese man and arrives on the remote Kuro Island to carry out his mission. Here Fleming does a superb job of depicting and illustrating The Garden of Death with all of its deadly plants, animals and horror. The drama and tension here is also excellent as Bond explores the garden and castle silently whilst trying to remain hidden and alive. Finally, the climactic battle between Bond and Shatterhand is also brilliantly written and depicted and is one hell of an ending for the novel and the SPECTRE trilogy.

Blofeld - You Only Live Twice — Dr Shatterhand and the Garden of Death

Note – SPOILERS follow from here.

Unfortunately, the overall plot for this story is a tad ridiculous and preposterous, compared to the more realistic Bond novels, such as Moonraker or Thunderball. Several explanations for events that occur in this novel seem based on coincidence and chance rather than a developed and realistic story. There are numerous plot holes in the novel that upon closer examination simply would not stand up, such as why Bond is asked to kill Dr Shatterhand instead of the authorities arresting him, or the fact that Shatterhand coincidentally just happens to be Ernst Stavro Blofeld in disguise. His motivations for moving to Japan to become a “Collector of Death” are also never explained clearly. Bond turning himself into a Japanese miner by shaving his eyebrows and darkening his skin is also hilariously ludicrous, and seems like a yellowface stereotype.

The characters in this novel overall are developed well. Bond’s colleagues in Japan Dikko Henderson, and Tiger Tanaka, are entertaining supporting characters and it is fantastic to read the witty dialogue when Bond argues with them over different customs and behaviours in Japan. (Most of this involves drinking lots of sake). Fleming based these characters on his own experiences in Japan, with Australian journalist Richard Hughes and journalist Taro Saito spending time with him in Tokyo to explore Japanese culture. In particular, Tiger acts as a wise mentor and teacher as he assists Bond to understand Japanese life, whilst also training him to become a ninja.

The Bond girl, Kissy Suzuki, is another brilliant and unique character, being brave, strong, tough and kind. Their relationship is beautifully developed, and their relaxing and carefree lives on Kuro Island is a highlight of the book. As for Blofeld’s character, this is sadly a disappointment. Here the SPECTRE No. 1 is a shadow of the evil, ruthless genius that was present in Thunderball and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and it simply isn’t plausible that he would just retire to Japan to live a quiet life as a scientist. Unlike the previous books, there isn’t enough development of his character, motivations and story here, with Bond’s encounter with him lasting only two short chapters.

You Only Live Twice is unfortunately not a great Bond novel. The plot has many holes, and the first part is slow and drags tediously. Nonetheless the philosophical themes of life, death and rebirth are intriguing, with characters and vivid surroundings that are overall well developed.

Rating: 5/10.

Observant Bond fans may note that the recent Bond film No Time to Die takes several plot elements from this novel. Further information about this can be found below:

No Time to Die Is the Best You Only Live Twice Adaptation

Andrew’s Best of 2021

The Year in Review

What a insane and crazy year it has been. Here are some personal favourites:

Best Album: Dreamers Are Waiting (Crowded House, 2021)

Best Album Reissue: All Things Must Pass: 50th Anniversary Edition (George Harrison, 1970)

Best Book (fiction): On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Ian Fleming, 1963)

Best Book (non fiction): Imperial Twilight – The Opium War and the End of China’s Last Golden Age (Stephen Platt, 2018)

Best Film (Australian): The Dry (Robert Connolly, 2020)

Best Film (20th century): Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean, 1962)

Best Film: Dune (Denis Villeneuve, 2021)

Best Game: Euro Truck Simulator 2 (SCS Software, 2012)

Best Podcast: The Party Room (Patricia Karvelas and Fran Kelly, ABC Radio)

Best Song: Coloratura (Coldplay, 2021)

Best Soundtrack: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Harry Gregson-Williams, 2005)

Best TV Series: Deutschland 83 (Sundance TV, 2015)

and some other honourable mentions:

Most Underrated Album: The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle (Missy Higgins, 2012)

Most Underrated Bond Film: Licence to Kill (John Glen, 1989)

Most Underrated Film: Kundun (Martin Scorsese, 1997)

Sporting Moment of the Year: Chelsea FC winning the UEFA Champions League, 2021

Andrew’s Highlights #6

December 2021

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Film:

The Dry (Robert Connolly, 2020)

Dune (Denis Villeneuve, 2021)

Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013)

The Tragedy of Macbeth (Joel Coen, 2021)

War Dogs (Todd Phillips, 2016)

TV:

Deutschland 86 (Sundance TV, 2018)

Doctor Who: The Evil of the Daleks (BBC, 2021)

Music:

All Things Must Pass (George Harrison, 1970) (2020 Mix)

Dune (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Hans Zimmer, 2021)

John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band (John Lennon, 1970)

Literature:

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership

James Comey (Macmillan, 2018)

Sport:

The Ashes (Australia leading the series 3-0 against England)

Film Review #5: The Tragedy of Macbeth

“Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble.”
Macbeth, William Shakespeare

The Tragedy of Macbeth — "Whence is that Knocking?" Teaser | Apple TV+ - YouTube

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a film adaptation of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Joel Coen. The film is currently available in cinemas and will be released on the streaming platform Apple TV+ from January 14, 2022.

As a fan of Shakespeare’s plays (particularly his histories), I was interested to check out this film, which had been receiving excellent reviews from critics and audiences alike since its release. I went into the film knowing little about Macbeth apart from a brief plot summary that I read online, having not ready the play before. Thus other reviewers who are better versed with the play may offer better reviews, but for what its worth this is my (brief) thoughts on the film.

The Tragedy of Macbeth Premieres at New York Film Festival - Variety

Firstly, wow. This is a beautiful and gorgeous looking film made by a production crew who clearly love cinema, and the art of filmmaking. The direction from Joel Coen is sublime with some fantastic portrait and facial shots of actors speaking their Shakespearean dialogue. The film is also shot in a traditional 4:3 aspect ratio to give it a more classic feel.

Shot in black and white, the production design and cinematography on this film is also excellent. The production design goes for large sets and backgrounds whilst having minimalistic and empty foregrounds, which makes things very interesting when there are props or objects in place. In other words, many rooms and halls are bare apart from a typical window, chair or table. The cinematography is also incredible with some excellent shots both indoors and outdoors during the day and night, with very effective use of lighting, shadows, fog and sound to create a hugely atmospheric film.

The acting in this film is also excellent. Denzel Washington gives an outstanding and captivating performance as Macbeth that grabs the viewers attention every time he is on screen. An Oscar nomination (and win) is looking likely. Frances McDormand also gives a somewhat disturbing performance, as Lady Macbeth slowly descends into madness and delirium as the events unfold. The rest of the cast is also excellent as the Scottish nobles but a particular highlight is Kathryn Hunter as the three witches – a terrifying, creepy demented performance that will stay with you long after the film has ended.

The main issue for most audiences going into the film will be the dialogue throughout the film, which details the story and plot. As this is a direct adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, his original lines from the text are adapted and used, which can make it difficult for general audiences to understand what is going on. A large portion of the film is also dedicated to dialogue and speech, rather than action or violence. Thus this is an intellectual film and your enjoyment (and understanding) will depend on your enjoyment and familiarity with Shakespeare’s works. For audiences without a background knowledge of the play, a general understanding of the plot and its characters will be beneficial. That being said, it is still possible to understand the plot and events of the film if you pay attention to the dialogue and performances on screen.

Also just as a note and disclaimer – this is a violent film with some pretty violent scenes.

The Tragedy of Macbeth is an excellent film and adaptation of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, and is highly recommended for the film, theatre, or Shakespeare fan.

Rating: 7/10