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Content by Spider Monkey
Reviewer Rank: 47
Helpful Votes:
6780
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Reviews Written by
Spider Monkey (UK)
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Conditions, 22 Nov 2009
I came to the music of The Temper Trap, as I'm sure many others have, off the back of `Sweet Disposition' and it has quickly become one of my favourite albums of the year. In fact it is never out of my stereo at the moment. From the opening track `Love Lost' you know you are in for a real treat and this album doesn't let you down at all. This band have their own unique sound and the singer has very distinctive and original vocals, but if you enjoy bands like Death Cab For Cutie then I recommend this album and think it will be right up your street. `Sweet Disposition' is a very strong track and the way it builds with the underlying jangly guitar really adds to it's impact and power. But more subtle tracks like `Soldier On' have real nuance and show the breadth of this bands talents. I also love the chorus of `Science of Fear` which keeps driving the song forward and makes you want to sing along with it full belt. The last track `Drum Song' is instrumental and whilst raw, is a great way to end this album. I could quite easily wax lyrical about this album but suffice it to say that it is original, has excellent song writing and would well benefit you to take a listen. It is one of those life enhancing albums and I can't recommend it enough.
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Insomnia
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by Stephen King
Edition: Paperback |
| Price: £5.99 |
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| Availability: In stock |
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Insomnia, 21 Nov 2009
`Insomnia' is an excellent book from King when he was at his writing peak. It has his usual gripping writing style and engaging plotline that keeps you devouring the pages. Following Ralph, who keeps on waking up earlier and earlier (with startling consequences), this book explores the ideas of fate and death and what starts off as a simple story, soon becomes something more complex and sinister. This is one of those books that quickly becomes a `page turner' and you are soon racing through page after page to uncover the next development in the story. The plot unfolds excellently, keeping enough tension throughout to make you fully enjoy the pay off at the end; when King was on form he was the master of this. The story is original and excellently executed and whilst this is pulp fiction at it's best, it will also keep you fully engrossed for the duration. Well worth checking out if you are a fan of his previous books.
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The Power of Love, 20 Nov 2009
I have been on real eighties cheesy music kick lately and after recently buying a boxset of pop hits I had to move on to some power ballads. `The Power of Love' despite the terrible name seemed to have the best mix of songs, on three discs and at a reasonable price. Of course you get `Total Eclipse of the Heart' (Bonnie Tyler) and `I Want to Know What Love is' (Foreigner), plus songs by Boston, Journey, Mr Mister, Survivor, Europe, BOC and all of those other excellent staples of power rock, but you also get some more modern stuff from the likes of Anastacia and although I'm not too keen on the more modern stuff here, at least it ensures the selection is varied. This is great to put on in the car and, like the pop collection I bought, you can't help but sing along with full gusto and with a sloppy grin plastered all over your face. There will always be some songs you are not keen on on any compilation disc set like this, depending on your personal taste, but for a good collection of power ballads over the past few decades then this is the place to go and makes for a great 3 disc album. Good value for money and cheesy in that good way!
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101 Eighties Hits, 19 Nov 2009
First of all it has to be said that `101 Hits of the Eighties' is outstanding value for money. You get 101 tracks, across 5 discs at what is usually a very low price, not too bad at all. Considering the songs and artists included you soon realise how good this pack is, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Erasure, The Waterboys, Yazoo, Queen, Huey Lewis and the News, Madness, Blondie, David Bowie...the list goes on and on. Some compilations I've bought in the past have included lots of tracks that aren't that well known and from minor labels, but this selection includes all the songs you remember from the era and from major labels as well. There is something about 80's music that has a feel good factor about it and when I played this at work recently all my colleagues kept saying `I LOVE this song', or `wow, I used to play this all the time' or things like that. You can't beat this type of music for that nostalgic hit. For me the first disc is the best with some great songs on it and it is the disc I play the most, but hidden away on the other discs are some other real gems. Whilst you may not like every single track on these discs, it is a sure bet you will enjoy the vast majority. This is great to put on at a party and everyone will be singing along in no time and if you want that quick pick-me-up then put this on and see how quick it lifts your spirits. All in all if you are looking for an eighties compilation then check this out and put in on a very short short-list, highly recommended.
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Laputa-Castle in the Sky, 18 Nov 2009
According to the blurb on the back of the case `Laputa Castle in the Sky' was the first feature film from studio Ghibli and it has all the Ghibli hallmarks we have come to expect and love. There is the lush, beautifully rendered animation, excellent ecological themed storylines and haunting soundtracks. Following Pazu and Sheeta this film is an epic tale of their search for the legendary floating castle city Laputa and the pirates and government agents who are trying to find it before they do. Unforgettable adventures soon unfold. This has plenty of unusual flying machines that Miyazaki is fascinated by and has his style of direction and animation stamped all over it. All positive aspects of this film. The extras are a little sparse but when the film is as good as it is these are superfluous anyway! If you like other Ghibli films it is a sure bet you will enjoy this and whilst there may be better films to try before this one (Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away to name two) this should definitely be added to your Ghibli collection at some point. Another excellent animation and a delightful way to spend a couple of hours.
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Watch Caseback Opening Tool, 17 Nov 2009
Known in the trade as a Jaxa tool, this is fine to use if you know what you are doing, but in the wrong hands it can do untold damage to a watch. As someone who works in the industry I know this by seeing some watches come into my shop where customers have trashed them using this tool! The problem with this tool is that the watch needs to be clamped firmly in a solid base and you need to use the tool completely level and you have to apply firm downward force, otherwise you will slip and damage the case back. Also, you may be able to replace the battery cheaper than with a watchmaker but they have had years of training to test for circuit and movement faults during the battery change and also clean the watch, replace various gaskets and recheck water resistance. If you use your bare fingers to put in the new battery you will drain off so much power it is hardly worth doing the battery change and oils in your skin will corrode the metal parts inside and draw oil out of the jewel holes, thereby increasing the need for future expensive service work. This tool comes with four different fittings to fit many case backs, but you will only use one or two sets regularly and although it is easy to adjust, it also becomes stiff very quickly and you will need to regularly oil and maintain the tool. One of these I had completely fell apart after only a few months use! Most watchmakers don't use this tool as they know how impractical it is and they use a more expensive, but stable, watch opening tool. But then they do it professionally and need the correct equipment! For home changing on inexpensive watches that aren`t worth taking anywhere professional, and using the other right tools, this will do the job. Just makes sure you also purchase finger cots to cover your fingers, or buy plastic tweezers; and if you go anywhere near water (evening washing hands!) then go to a qualified watchmaker, it will save you money in the long run!
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It's Bad For Ya, 16 Nov 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
`It's Bad For Ya' is George Carlin's last recorded comedy concert before his death and from the word go you get his usual uncompromising, irreverent brand of humour. Walking around his living room set he shares with us his thoughts on a variety of topics and although he comes across as angry and cynical, he was also very intelligent and pertinent. Carlin's style is very reminiscent of Bill Hicks, and he even uses some of the same phrases at times, and if you like one it is a good bet you will enjoy the other. This concert covers topics like old age, death, religion, child worship/Overprotected children, stupid boring people, docile public, patriotism, civic customs and rights. Pretty much what we have come to expect from Carlin over the years. There is strong language throughout and you need to not be easily offended to enjoy his style of comedy, but to be honest most comedians are more offensive and abusive these days than Carlin ever was; it's just the more conservative elements in society don't like him opening peoples eyes to the hypocrisy and lies of those in authority. That is the message this DVD leaves you with, to always question everything, and that is a great bit of advice whatever your thoughts on life. A funny show and well worth watching.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Invasion, Blu-Ray, 3 Nov 2009
`Invasion' is a modern take on `Invasion of the Body Snatchers' and sadly for me ended up being a huge disappointment. This is all the more so because I was on the edge of my seat and filled with the right amounts of tension the whole way through, only to be left aghast at the weak and `cop-out' ending that fizzled out without any impact. Following Nicole Kidman (who acts remarkably well in this film) and her family as they deal with the impact of an alien invasion that leaves the populations as hosts to the alien parasites, this film has excellent apocalyptic themes. You are nervous whenever she encounters an afflicted person and flinch every time she nearly gets infected and this never lets up for the duration. The story is well written and you are gripped the whole way through and then the end arrives and you are left angry and disappointed wondering what happened. At 90 minutes this isn't that long and they could have easily added an extra 15 minutes to tie things up more neatly. The effects are pretty good, everyone acts well and the direction is good as well. Overall this would get 4/5 stars for the first 80 minutes and then 1/2 for the last 10 minutes. Such a shame, but worth a look never the less.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Greatest Radio Hits, 2 Nov 2009
`Greatest Radio Hits' is a great collection of songs from Bruce Hornsby's career and if you are new to his music, a good place to start. This album starts with the obligatory 'The Way It Is' and it still surprises me just how powerful this song sounds, I don't know anyone who doesn't like this song and when a song is called timeless you could easily be talking about this. It sounds as good now as when it was first released. This then leads onto other top songs like `Mandolin Rain', `The Valley Road' and `Jacobs Ladder', so no shortage of good songs here. It has to be said that some of the tracks sound a little dated and the occasional saxophone lends a certain cheesiness to the music, but overall they stand up remarkably well. The booklet is great, with plenty of info, which makes a real change compared to the lack lustre packaging from albums released today. All in all if you only know Bruce from `The Way It Is' you will be surprised at the other gems on offer here and if you are looking for a great greatest hits collection then this is a good place to start your search.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
Olympus X-42, 1 Nov 2009
This `Olympus X-42' is a small attractive camera and incredible value for money. To find 12 mega pixels, 16 face recognition, 5X zoom and a 2.7 screen is impressive stuff, but when you factor in the low price it ends up being nothing short of outstanding. This takes AA batteries and whilst this makes it slightly thicker than other cameras with internal rechargeable batteries, I find it fits better in the hand this way; companies can make things so small they aren't practical anymore and this camera is just right in my opinion. There is a `quick start' guide in the box, as well as a more comprehensive manual on an enclosed CD-ROM, but to be honest this is so self explanatory and easy to navigate around that it is very quick to get up and running. The manual is good to fully utilise the features this camera offers, but if you want to just point and click then this is great for that as well. There is also some software included so you can transfer and manipulate photos on you computer more easily and whilst basic, is a pretty good bit of kit. I'd recommend you buy an external memory card to go with this and there is also an adaptor in the box for micro sd cards. You don't get a case included in the price and it is well worth investing in one of these, but this is a minor niggle and not unusual these days. The camera body seems a little lightweight, being plastic, but it ensure the camera isn't too heavy and I have carried this around all day with no real problems. All in all this is an excellent entry level digital camera and much better value than many other cameras out there in a similar price range. It is well worth considering.
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![Laputa - Castle In The Sky [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515RN1TYAYL._SL110_.jpg)
![George Carlin It's Bad For Ya [DVD] [2008]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51UIc4jBBgL._SL110_.jpg)
![The Invasion [Blu-ray] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wdCxmw2AL._SL110_.jpg)
