happy cny.

So this is Rufus Wainwright's latest album and it is the first I've listened to fully. I haven't listened to Want One and Want Two properly, so I had to give this a hearing before the concert. And I'm glad I did. It's pretty damn fantastic. His fabulously nasal voice merges perfectly with lush orchestral scoring and pretty damn good music making. "Do I disappoint You", the opening track, is powerful as it is soaring as it is sobering. Equally grand and robust is "Slideshow" where he debates a person's love, starting soft and introspective before demanding a change in pace from said person. The other songs are simply gorgeous as well. "Tulsa" and "Leaving for Paris No 2" are heartbreaking in their denial of the human spirit and "Between my Legs" is absolutely hilarious!

However. "Release the Stars" after the album's title is the clincher of the cd, ending it perfectly on a high note.

Fantastic! 4.5/5

I have had a lovely weekend, though illness plagued me for a tad.

Saturday. Oh my God, Saturday. Got through work and then went on down to Hamer Hall, where I caught Rufus Wainwright in concert. Yes, RUFUS WAINWRIGHT. One of my idols, with inventive lyrics, bombastic and beautiful music, and one of the best voices I've heard.



Sent shivers down my spine. And though I watched it by meself, I really really enjoyed myself. Now I can't get his music out of my head.

But wait, there's more.

Watched Enchanted later in the night with Connie and Rayne, and it was quite entertaining. The music bit was soooo campy!!

But wait, there's more.

Also caught Sweeney Todd and I loved it! Loved the Tim Burton magic that made this world so delightfully dark and really adored the music and lyrics in the film. Wondered why I never watched the play before.

I guess that's it. Hanging out with frens and there's the usual food etc. Am also gonna try something new though. A review of books read and music that I've listened to.

I'll start with the Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. The first book I read of Zusak was "The Messenger", which was one of the best books I've ever read. Instant A++++. And then I tried this one, which was in Angus's Top 100 range... and boy... it was an experience. While the start was a little hard to get into, the storytelling was top-notch and I could not put it down. Be prepared though, it is during the Holocaust and things in the Holocaust are seldom happy. Still, really loved the book. A+ for me.