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Bookazine Book Review: Forget You Had a Daughter

by Lang Reid

Published by Vision Paperbacks, this book, “Forget You Had a Daughter” (ISBN 1-904132-15-4) is subtitled “Doing Time in the Bangkok Hilton” and was published this year. Written by Sandra Gregory, a British woman who was apprehended attempting to smuggle drugs out of Thailand, it purports to tell “the story of an ordeal that would have broken most people and came close to breaking her.”

In essence, this woman knowingly took the chance on smuggling heroin, was caught and received a 25-year sentence. The first four and a half years were spent in the Bangkok Lard Yao prison but then she was repatriated to the UK to serve the rest of her prison term there. Fortunately she was given a pardon by His Majesty the King of Thailand and was released three years later.

It was apparent that she was a headstrong girl, one who provoked her father so much that he punched her in the face! Enduring love. Ahem! She even admits to bringing hash through the UK Customs when she was 17, after spending some time in Amsterdam.

He early life in Bangkok is glossed over, but I cannot help but get the feeling that she was still a member of the drug fringe back-packing set. The lack of real friends, despite the length of time she lived in Bangkok, points to a fairly transient, non-committed lifestyle.

Her apprehension by Thai Customs was predictable and the rest of the book is her tales in jail; however, the descriptions of life in Thai and UK jails fails to hammer the true picture home - the narrative does not capture your imagination, or even morbid curiosity.

The review copy was supplied by Bookazine, 1st floor Royal Garden Plaza, next to Black Canyon and Boots and has an RRP of 595 baht. It is a far cry from the similar book “The Damage Done” written by another drug smuggler Warren Fellows, after his 12 years in the Bangkok prison. Fellows was able to critically self-examine during the time in jail, while Sandra Gregory descends more into maudlin introspection. It is half way through the book before she is convicted and goes to the Lard Yao jail, and we are given uninteresting facts such as sneaking out at night when she was 14 years of age. Although she claims not to be attempting to shed her responsibility for her own actions, I am not convinced that there was not an attempt at getting some sort of sympathy vote. The photographic illustrations are also in the main superfluous. What possessed her (or her publisher perhaps) to print a shot of her proud parents at her christening I do not know. Relevance to the book and its subject matter? Nil.

For me, this was a disappointing book. It did not, as the back cover claims “bring home the chilling reality that it could have happened to anyone, and will hopefully save many others from the same fate.” Warren Fellows admitted his guilt, Gregory is saying “poor little me.” Not one as a companion for “The Damage Done” on my bookshelf.

Movie Review: Goldmember

By Poppy

I watched the first Austin Powers movie by mistake and actually found myself laughing. This time round I find myself speaking “Thai” same, same! The jokes that were funny in the first movie, ok in the second are not funny at all in the third. Despite the addition of a villain and the inspired casting of Michael Caine as Austin Powers’ dad, the film feels watered down.

Dr. Evil and his accomplice Mini-Me escape from a maximum-security prison, and Austin Powers is called to action once more. The plot has Dr. Evil, bent as ever on world domination, this time using time travel to cause a meteor to crash into the earth, thus melting the ice caps and causing a global flood. His scheme to destroy the world requires the help of a Dutch baddie named Goldmember (Myers). I can’t quite figure out what sort of mind can conceive a Dutchman with glowing genitalia as a villain.

During the plot Dr. Evil kidnaps Nigel Powers, Austin’s beloved father and England’s most renowned spy.

As Austin chases the villains through time, he visits 1975 and joins forces with his old flame, Foxxy Cleopatra, a streetwise but stylish detective. Together Austin and Foxxy must find a way to save Nigel and stop Dr. Evil and Goldmember from their mischievous mayhem.

Directed by Jay Roach

Cast:
Mike Myers ... Austin Danger Powers, Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard, Goldmember
Beyonce Knowles ... Foxy Cleopatra
Nichole Hiltz ... French Tutor
Michael York ... Basil Exposition
Michael Caine ... Captain Hendricks / Nigel Powers
Seth Green ... Scott Evil
Eddie Adams (III) ... Young Basil Exposition
Robert Wagner ... Number Two
Mindy Sterling ... Frau Farbissina
Verne Troyer ... Mini-Me, Mini-Austin
Tom Cruise ... Himself
Danny DeVito ... Himself|
Gwyneth Paltrow ... Herself
Quincy Jones ... Himself
Ozzy Osbourne ... Himself

Mott’s CD review: 

Slade - Slade Alive 

by Mott the Dog

***** 5 Stars Rating
Recorded in 1971 and released in 1972, this album caught the Rock ‘n’ Roll fun machine that was Slade on the crest of a very big wave, in metaphorical terms a veritable tidal wave. Upon release this album went straight to number one in the U.K. (very unusual for a live album; the only time this feat has been duplicated was by Motor Head’s “No Sleep Till Hammersmith”). At the same time Slade were also enjoying their first number one single “Coz I Luv You”, the first of eight self composed number ones for the band. They in total released 21 hit singles.

Many people dismiss Slade today as just another Glam Rock band. It must be said that they did relish their role in the dressing up brigade. Who can forget Dave Hill’s Cleopatra? They get up for their appearance on top of the pops for “Take Me Back One” (all Slade singles had deliberate spelling mistakes in them). Underneath the makeup they were one of the most talented, hard rockin’ live acts on the circuit.

Almost overnight in the U.K. they went from playing back street pubs to scenes of crowd frenzy not seen since the days of The Beatles, and sell out shows at all of the top arenas. They never meant a light in America, where they just didn’t get it.

Slade Alive catches the band in transition as the set is still full of cover songs, but played the way only Slade could. Opening up with Alvin Lee’s “I Hear You Calling” the guys are immediately into a groove and have the whole audience clapping their hands, stomping their feet, and cheering the band’s every move. Immediately the band’s distinctive style is thrust down your ears. Dave Hill’s on stage theatrics often distracted people from the fact that he is one of the finest rock guitarists to have ever trod the boards. Then of course there is Slade’s own ringmaster Mr. Noddy Holder, he of the calf length tartan trousers, mirrored top hat, gunslinger wit, and a voice that had to be sand papered down and then gargled with sulphuric acid to keep its razor sharp pitch and volume. The man didn’t need a microphone, you could hear him in the next country without one. Jimmy Lea and Don Powell were fine musicians in their own right. They knew what was needed in Slade and they produced it by the bucket load, a rock solid very heavy beat to which everybody could rock along too.

After another rocker “In Like A Shot From My Gun” you get John Sebastian’s dramatic ballad “My Darling Me Home Soon”. However, just when you think the boys may actually be taking themselves seriously, Noddy lets rip with the loudest belch ever put down on tape, reducing the audience to tears of laughter. (Although this does become a little tiresome on repeated listening as it does ruin a fine version of this classic song.) After the skinhead anthem “Know Who You Are” the final three songs are the biggest rave up possible to have in Rock ‘n’ Roll. “Keep On Rockin” is a pastiche of Chuck Berry; “Get Down and Get With It” you can almost hear the dance floor bounce up and down; nobody has ever torn through Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild” like Slade did, with feedback screaming out from both lead and bass guitar.

A truly great live rock album, which should be ranked up there with AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood You Got It” and U.F.O.’s “Strangers In The Night”.

America eventually caught onto Slade a decade later when “Quiet Riot” took two of their songs to the top of the U.S. charts in “Cum On Feel The Noise” and “Mama We’re All Crazee Now”, both of which were faithful covers of the originals.

If you like your Rock ‘n’ Roll hot and sweaty get yourself a copy of Slade Alive, it’s as exciting today as it was 30 years ago.

Musicians
Noddy Holder - Vocals & Guitar
Dave Hill - Lead Guitar & Vocals
Jimmy Lea - Bass Guitar & Vocals
Don Powell - Drums

Track Listing
1. Hear Me Calling
2. In Like A Shot From My Gun
3. Darling Be Home Soon
4. Know Who You Are
5. Keep On Rocking
6. Get Down With It
7. Born To Be Wild