I finally figured out why I like this song very much. The male and female voices of the song are in perfect harmony. It is as if two close friends are jamming. The voices alternate very smoothly, sometimes midline. When one voice joins the chorus for the other, they flow together beautifully. Neither voice dominates. The accompaniments stay in the background for the most part and let the voices take the centre stage. Its probably the most balanced duet I have heard so far. If you like slow songs, you just might like this one.
Showing posts with label my view. Show all posts
Showing posts with label my view. Show all posts
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Dune: As I read
These are my impressions on Frank Herbert's Dune as I read.
2 Apr 2011
I have reached as far as Paul's first visit to the Spice mining areas. So far the writing has been crisp. The writer gave away the identity of the traitor where others would have milked it for a surprise. It is as if he is telling "This is trivial. I have bigger things lined up further down". The descriptions of Arrakis are short and just as much required for the scene. All the characters brought on "screen" are important. There is no filling pages with bit parts and description of palace architecture like Robert Jordan. I can feel the weight on Duke Leto's shoulders. So many things in the air and an impending attack. I want to know how Paul fits into the local prophecies. Back to reading then.
4 Apr 2011
I have finished book 1. The betrayal is done. I am still trying to digest the last couple of chapters. It feels like heavy reading when I did not expect it to. The interaction of Thufir Hawat with the Fremen was very interesting and puzzling. I am still trying to figure out the Fremen side of the conversation. Paul's interaction with his mother is too cold for my taste. The mother-son bond seems to be non-existent for Paul. Perhaps this is a part of the journey to become the saviour.
8 Apr 2011
I have finished reading the whole book. I am left with mixed feelings. The most important part of the book is the planet Arrakis. The trickle of information about the planet, its people and its ecosystem kept my interest up when reading the book. The plot was fairly standard. A wronged prince finds followers in unexpected places and regains his inheritance. If set outside Arrakis, the plot would be unremarkable. The pace of the book which I appreciated in the beginning felt hurried by the end. On first impressions, it appeared as if Paul and his mother Jessica are the only two characters that are well developed. After thinking it through, Baron Harkonnen, The Emperor ,Feyd Rautha and the off-worlders are also well developed. Their motivations are clear. It is only the Fremen characters that are dwarfed in comparison to Paul and Jessica. The way Paul gains acceptance as the saviour among Fremen is covered in too few pages. The political games in book 1 were interesting. In summary, Did I like the book? Yes. Would I read it again? No. Would I recommend it some one? May be.
2 Apr 2011
I have reached as far as Paul's first visit to the Spice mining areas. So far the writing has been crisp. The writer gave away the identity of the traitor where others would have milked it for a surprise. It is as if he is telling "This is trivial. I have bigger things lined up further down". The descriptions of Arrakis are short and just as much required for the scene. All the characters brought on "screen" are important. There is no filling pages with bit parts and description of palace architecture like Robert Jordan. I can feel the weight on Duke Leto's shoulders. So many things in the air and an impending attack. I want to know how Paul fits into the local prophecies. Back to reading then.
4 Apr 2011
I have finished book 1. The betrayal is done. I am still trying to digest the last couple of chapters. It feels like heavy reading when I did not expect it to. The interaction of Thufir Hawat with the Fremen was very interesting and puzzling. I am still trying to figure out the Fremen side of the conversation. Paul's interaction with his mother is too cold for my taste. The mother-son bond seems to be non-existent for Paul. Perhaps this is a part of the journey to become the saviour.
8 Apr 2011
I have finished reading the whole book. I am left with mixed feelings. The most important part of the book is the planet Arrakis. The trickle of information about the planet, its people and its ecosystem kept my interest up when reading the book. The plot was fairly standard. A wronged prince finds followers in unexpected places and regains his inheritance. If set outside Arrakis, the plot would be unremarkable. The pace of the book which I appreciated in the beginning felt hurried by the end. On first impressions, it appeared as if Paul and his mother Jessica are the only two characters that are well developed. After thinking it through, Baron Harkonnen, The Emperor ,Feyd Rautha and the off-worlders are also well developed. Their motivations are clear. It is only the Fremen characters that are dwarfed in comparison to Paul and Jessica. The way Paul gains acceptance as the saviour among Fremen is covered in too few pages. The political games in book 1 were interesting. In summary, Did I like the book? Yes. Would I read it again? No. Would I recommend it some one? May be.
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder
I stumbled across Starship Troopers: Marauder on TV. I did not have great expectations for the movie but it surprised me. There is the high ranking fleet commander marooned on a hostile planet with a skeleton crew. The fleet command is ignoring the crew's rescue calls and the bugs on the planet are inexplicably following them at a safe distance. The aide of the fleet commander puts together a covert rescue mission while the bugs start picking on the survivors on the planet. Will the rescue team reach the survivors in time? Why is fleet command ignoring the rescue calls? It made for an interesting viewing though it ticked the check boxes for all the cliches.
It turns out I started watching the movie from halfway. The first half laid out all the plot points and killed all the suspense. This is one movie that can benefit from a better screen play. If you happen to have no alternative to this movie, skip the first thirty minutes. You will feel much better
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