bobfrombob
Ottawa Public Library
bobfrombob's Completed Shelf
Filter your results by...
Format
The Nearest Faraway PlaceThe Nearest Faraway Place, BookBrian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience
by White, TimothyBook - 1994Book, 1994
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Jan 06, 2012
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Jan 06, 2012
Comment:
This book clearly did not have the same impact on me as it did for some reviewers here. I liked it ok. I didn't find the shifting time-frames disconcerting but I did have some trouble remembering all the characters and their histories. I didn't really relate to any of the characters and I did not find it moving. I'm not in the music industry so maybe I'm naive but I found some of the characters to be a little sterotypical and one dimensional. All that said, I have no trouble recommending it as a good read but don't want to over-sell and disappoint you.This book clearly did not have the same impact on me as it did for some reviewers here. I liked it ok. I didn't find the shifting time-frames disconcerting but I did have some trouble remembering all the characters and their histories. I didn't…
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Jan 06, 2012
Comment:
An quick and easy read - Bidini intersperses stories of his own recreational hockey team with stories related from former NHLers. Probably won't change your life but you probably will enjoy it.
Yoga, Mind & BodyYoga, Mind & Body, Book
Book - 2003Book, 2003
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Jan 06, 2012
Comment:
Did not like this at all. Found the instruction voice creepy - dreamy stuff. And the setting was out of Lawrence of Arabia.
Power Yoga for Every BodyPower Yoga for Every Body, Book
Book - 2003Book, 2003
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Nov 08, 2011
Comment:
Wasn't crazy about this. In some cases, the different levels were similar. The instruction wasn't that good. The menus were not all that user friendly. And I found the voice a little creepy.
Planting DandelionsPlanting Dandelions, BookField Notes From A Semi-domesticated Life
by Pittman, KyranBook - 2011Book, 2011
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Nov 08, 2011
Comment:
I read a review somewhere that made me very interested in this book. It didn't turn out to be what I expected but I still enjoyed it. I have no idea where I saw the review but it was more domestic and less humourous than I expected.
Sex at DawnSex at Dawn, BookThe Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality
by Ryan, ChristopherBook - 2010Book, 2010
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Aug 01, 2011
Comment:
This is obviously a well-researched scienfific book. However, I don't normally read scientific books and probably would have enjoyed it a lot more as an essay without as much of the "science". The premise is incredibly interesting. I found it long but fascinating and worht the time.This is obviously a well-researched scienfific book. However, I don't normally read scientific books and probably would have enjoyed it a lot more as an essay without as much of the "science". The premise is incredibly interesting. I found it…
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Aug 01, 2011
Comment:
I liked this well enough but felt I really missed something - there are 100s of Islamic references and none of them meant anything to me.
I Slept With Joey RamoneI Slept With Joey Ramone, BookA Family Memoir
by Leigh, MickeyBook - 2009Book, 2009
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Jul 06, 2011
Comment:
Wherein it is revealed that Joey Ramone had a number of mental health issues (most importantly obsessive compulsive disorder) and Johnny Ramone was a huge asshole. I knew they didn’t get along too well but it turns out that they didn’t speak for the last 5 or 10 years the band was together. This book tells the sad story of how little commercial success the band achieved, despite the fact that they were hugely influential. Author (and Joey’s brother) Mickey Leigh comes across as a bit of a self-serving whiner.
I think you would want to be a Ramones fan, or at least a serious music fan, before picking this up. I can’t imagine it has much interest for the “average” person. I enjoyed it.Wherein it is revealed that Joey Ramone had a number of mental health issues (most importantly obsessive compulsive disorder) and Johnny Ramone was a huge asshole. I knew they didn’t get along too well but it turns out that they didn’t speak for…
The Big LebowskiThe Big Lebowski, DVDLe Grand Lebowski
DVD - 2005DVD, 2005
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Jul 05, 2011
Comment:
This may be a cult film or a movie for teenage boys but whatever - I enjoyed it. More a series of wacky vignettes than a cohesive story but dark, funny, weird and totally enjoyable.
Inglourious BasterdsInglourious Basterds, DVDLe Commando Des Bâtards
DVD - 2009DVD, 2009
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Jul 05, 2011
Comment:
OK, that was a little violent. If you love anything Tarantino, you will undoubtedly love this too. I found some of the writing good, and enjoyed some "humourous" bits, but thought it was overall too long and a little bit too "let's out Nazi the Nazis".OK, that was a little violent. If you love anything Tarantino, you will undoubtedly love this too. I found some of the writing good, and enjoyed some "humourous" bits, but thought it was overall too long and a little bit too "let's out Nazi the…
RushRush, BookBeyond the Lighted Stage
Book - 2010Book, 2010
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Jun 06, 2011
Comment:
So I grew up on Rush and then decided they weren't all that cool so I sorta abandoned them but then I saw this DVD and all the cool people that didn't abandon Rush and now I feel kinda guilty about that.
But enough about me. Great film. Lots of early and mid-period footage. Liked it a lot. (That said, I do agree with Bewlay that the "dinner" footage is not flattering and adds nothing to the film)So I grew up on Rush and then decided they weren't all that cool so I sorta abandoned them but then I saw this DVD and all the cool people that didn't abandon Rush and now I feel kinda guilty about that.
But enough about me. Great film. Lots…
Lawrence of ArabiaLawrence of Arabia, Book
Book - 2002Book, 2002
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Feb 25, 2011
Comment:
In response to the comment below, the music to open and close the first and second half of the movie play for about 5 minutes over a black screen. But the version I got from Ottawa library definitely included the second half.
Great picture.
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Feb 16, 2011
Comment:
Evans certainly has a major ego. Some interesting bits. Lots of gossip and triva and inside stories but I didn't think it really held together - a bunch of stories. Liked it, didn't love it.
Bumping Into GeniusesBumping Into Geniuses, BookMy Life Inside the Rock and Roll Business
by Goldberg, DannyBook - 2008Book, 2008
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Feb 16, 2011
Comment:
He spent time with Led Zeppelin and Kiss and Bruce Springsteen and Kurt Cobain and Warren Zevon and this is what he comes up with? Big disappointment.
Fubar, the MovieFubar, the Movie, Book
Book - 2003Book, 2003
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Dec 23, 2010
Comment:
Curve ball! I don't want to give away the story but this isn't just simply Trailer Park Boys with metal heads. I knew the overall theme of this but wasn't aware of the story line so it was quite a surprise.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' NestThe Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, Book
by Larsson, StiegBook - 2015Book, 2015
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Dec 23, 2010
Comment:
I really enjoyed all three of the Larsson "the girl who..." books. This one doesn't have as much "action" as the others but is nevertheless quite interesting.
Recommend them all - read 'em in order.
The White StripesThe White Stripes, BookUnder Great White Northern Lights
Book - 2009Book, 2009
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Dec 06, 2010
Comment:
If you are looking for them to reveal stuff about their private lives, too bad. But if you want to see footage of their time in Canada, especially Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit, it is a great document. Having been in all those places, and having seen them when they were in Yellowknife, I quite enoyed this film. Plus they get huge points from me just for doing a full Canadian tour.If you are looking for them to reveal stuff about their private lives, too bad. But if you want to see footage of their time in Canada, especially Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit, it is a great document. Having been in all those places, and…
The Girl Who Played With FireThe Girl Who Played With Fire, Book
by Larsson, StiegBook - 2015Book, 2015
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Dec 01, 2010
Comment:
Found I enjoyed this more than the first one (dragon tatoo). I found the "action" or suspense started earlier and was more sustained. I found the first one a little plodding at the beginning.
Anvil!Anvil!, BookThe Story of Anvil
Book - 2009Book, 2009
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Nov 30, 2010
Comment:
Not a fan of Anvil. Not a fan of metal really. But I really enjoyed this. I thought at the beginning it was parody or satire. But in fact, it’s a bittersweet but loving portrait of a couple of guys who are getting older and older and still waiting for their big break, or their next break. Slogging away at life and slogging away at day jobs. Incredibly passionate about their music and probably a little niave. Made me want to go out and buy their CD, just to support them (that impulse has passed).Not a fan of Anvil. Not a fan of metal really. But I really enjoyed this. I thought at the beginning it was parody or satire. But in fact, it’s a bittersweet but loving portrait of a couple of guys who are getting older and older and still…
Mental TrapsMental Traps, BookA Field Guide to the Stupid Mistakes That Can Ruin your Life
by Kukla, AndreBook - 2006Book, 2006
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Nov 17, 2010
Comment:
This is not a heavy book but I couldn't get through it. It felt like an essay that had been stretched into a book. Ideas and concepts that felt like they could be dealt with in a paragraph or two were given a chapter.
So this might be useful or helpful for you, but not for me.This is not a heavy book but I couldn't get through it. It felt like an essay that had been stretched into a book. Ideas and concepts that felt like they could be dealt with in a paragraph or two were given a chapter.
So this might be useful…
Complicated ShadowsComplicated Shadows, BookThe Life and Music of Elvis Costello
by Thomson, GraemeBook - 2004Book, 2004
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Oct 19, 2010
Comment:
What is reallly amazing about this book is just that it tells the story of the scope and breadth of what Elvis Costello has done as an recording artist. I’m not aware of anyone else ever who has such a varied body of work in terms of musical styles.
I find the author of this book to be pretty objective about Costello’s music, both recorded and live. It’s mostly about the music, and his personal life usually just enters into the story when it has a bearing on the music. And the book is objective when it comes to his life overall. No sugar-coating.
I enjoyed this a lot but if you are not a Costello fan to at least some degree, you might find this a bit much.What is reallly amazing about this book is just that it tells the story of the scope and breadth of what Elvis Costello has done as an recording artist. I’m not aware of anyone else ever who has such a varied body of work in terms of musical…
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Oct 12, 2010
Comment:
I enjoyed this. Because of the insights it provides into Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons and their relationship and how things operate around the E Street Band.
This got pretty bad reviews when it came out. Which I can understand. If you aren’t a pretty serious fan of Bruce and/or Clarence, there’s probably not much here for you. It is written by Clarence and Don Reo, who appears to be semi-famous, but most famous for being friends with Clarence. They more or less alternate chapters, with some of them fictional and some of them non-fictional. So Clarence writes about what it’s like being Clarence and then Reo writes about what it’s like being with Clarence and then they both write about what it should be like or could be like or how they dream about what it’s like.
So I liked it quite a bit but in my opinion, for fairly serious fans only.I enjoyed this. Because of the insights it provides into Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons and their relationship and how things operate around the E Street Band.
This got pretty bad reviews when it came out. Which I can understand. If…
CaddyshackCaddyshack, Book
Book - 2000Book, 2000
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Oct 12, 2010
Comment:
You know I hear people talking about this all the time. So I thought I should finally see it. And you know what? It’s crap. Some moments that made me chuckle. And I always love Bill Murray. But the story is brutal dumb. And it’s not well written and the acting is not great. So I really have no idea why it has attained this cult-like status. Yech.You know I hear people talking about this all the time. So I thought I should finally see it. And you know what? It’s crap. Some moments that made me chuckle. And I always love Bill Murray. But the story is brutal dumb. And it’s not well…
bobfrombob's rating:
Added Sep 09, 2010
Comment:
This book rings so so accurate and true. A great look at the Toronto punk scene in the late 70s. A fictional story but one using real bands, places, streets, etc. If anybody wants to know what the punks were rebelling against, it’s the life that the people in this book were leading. Some pretty bleak stuff.
A short read and totally worth it if you are interested in an insight into young people leading dead-end lives. Grab a copy if you can.This book rings so so accurate and true. A great look at the Toronto punk scene in the late 70s. A fictional story but one using real bands, places, streets, etc. If anybody wants to know what the punks were rebelling against, it’s the life that…
Comment: