Needle of Ambulance Death Blues

Friday 3 September 2004

On Stereo: Fear of Music - Talking Heads.

Have been listening to a Neil Young interview on KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic. He talks about JJ Cale, Bert Jansch and Van Morrison. Young's Ambulance Blues is played directly before Jansch's remarkably similar Needle of Death. Young doesn't hide the fact that he virtually reproduced the song.

Ben came over at around 2000hrs. He told me about this one-night-stand he'd had on Thursday. A classic Ben story. Neither of us were in the mood to go out and so we went to Cinephilia. The guy who runs it is hilarious. Someone had just left the plastic filing contraptions lying on the top. He ran over, unable to hold his shock and disappointment, 'Oh my god!' he squealed. We got Manhattan Murder Mystery out. Not one of Woody Allen's better films. Again, great to see NYC but Diane Ketaon looked awful with these waistband things on everything she was wearing. Some funny moments and great soundtrack - lots of Errol Garner. Then me and Ben had a look for some NYC deals. Cheapest for a week was at the Best Western near Times Square - £420 inc flight. Excited as hell. Checked out the Kenny Kramer tour, this restarount called 21 that Woody Allen mentions in the above film as well the Hotel Carlyle who charge $500 a night for a standard room and $5000 for the top suite. What a city - can't wait.

Finshed reading both the American Splendor Anthology and Motherless Brooklyn. As usual after a good book you feel despondent. I loved them both.