Saturday 17 July 2010

on the CalMac ferry in the sun
The valiant crew here have just managed to get 10 extra vehicles onto the ship, to cheers and general approval. It's a bit of a squeeze because the fleet are a ship down, and the timetable is slightly altered as a result. As The Ileach pointed out today, CalMac's online booking system can't cope with such a delicate situation and is showing all Islay sailings as unavailable, which is not exactly helping the island economy at what passes for high tourist season.

I'll have to get out of the Islay habit of raising an index finger (at least) in greeting to all motorists on the road. It's polite to acknowledge your fellow human beings even when encased in a motor vehicle: in Alexander-speak it helps you direct your attention to the means-whereby rather than end-gaining, and perhaps it has good road safety outcomes too. Imagine if waving a hello to the drivers of all oncoming traffic was a legal requirement: come to think of it, it's not really practical in the city, is it?

Some listening has caught my attention over the last few days, including Van Dyke Parks's first two albums. Song Cycle I knew already but hadn't heard for a while, and Discover America was new to me. Hearing either of them is like stumbling across an alternative universe. You feel that they need your full attention, but also that they may not necessarily always repay you with anything enlightening. The other thing to catch my ear was Matemaatikon Lentonäytös by Pekka Pohjola, where what could have been a rather turgid and unpolished piece of prog is transformed by the late Pierre Moerlen's inspired drumming and a typically searing Mike Oldfield guitar part (it's not even a 'solo'). I bought that record in Italy in 1984!