Book Buzz:-->"Blaze" by Richard Bachman (SK) (2007)

"She cast her spell all over me...
and had this poor boy screaming...
Is it real...or fantasy?"
Billy Thorpe

NO SPOILERS:
The wordmeister ...Stephen King has always delivered us pretty good stories. And over the length of his career...(with the exception of a couple of clunkers)...his books weigh heavily on the "good stuff" side.

Let's be upfront from the get-go..."Blaze" is Good King. The story grabs you from the beginning...and you will not want to put it down.

This gritty crime tale revolves around Blaze (aka Clayton Blaisdell, Jr.). Blaze is big and strong...sweet, actually...but very simple-minded. He's hooked up with this friend, George...who together...work different towns pulling small-potato crimes that are obviously lame. However Blaze looks up to George like he's Al Capone.

In a series of well-told flashbacks...we learn how life was for Blaze growing up and we find ourselves sympathetic to the big hoss. And even though Blaze is walking on the wrong side of the law...we hope he at least breaks even...without causing too much damage to himself...or others he may encounter.

It is in these flashbacks that King brings to light the social damage many children encounter when faced with parental and adult violence. Becoming fenced in a circle of which there is no gate for escape.

Character development has always been King's bread-and-butter. First, make the reader understand them...and then throw different circumstances in their direction to help carry the story along. King has that formula clicking on all cylinders in this gem.

Richard Bachman...as is widely known...was the pseudonym Stephen King used while writing stories in the late 1960's and early `70's. And, except for a little present day doctoring, "Blaze" was written in 1973.

And it is important to remember that King was still virtually a nobody...typing in small quarters without the enticement of movie offers dangling in his face. This was virgin Stephen King. And it is good stuff!

For a bonus track...at the conclusion of "Blaze"...is a short story called "Memory" which Stephen King uses as a springboard for his next novel, "Duma Key". Can't wait.

MoSkeet

Billy Thorpe's..."Children Of The Sun" had one of those killer title tracks...with the rest of the songs almost as deadly. Spacey sounds with trippy vocals. Good stuff.

Billy Thorpe:-->"Goddess Of The Night" (Children Of The Sun) (1979) (Must Own)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview:-- Joan Staley (Actress - Classic Movies & Television)

Image
  "Elvis,  do you really want me to slap you?"  ~ Joan Staley ~     So my friends and I were talking about first crushes. First tv and movie crushes.  For me, it was easy.  It was Alma. (Joan Staley)   I broke into the double-digit age of 10 in 1993.  That was the summer I discovered my favorite Don Knotts movie while flipping thru cable one Saturday morning... "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." Everyone has seen it.  It was a funny haunted house story similar to an episode on Andy G. with a cast of familiar characters, trippy organ music, and the prettiest girl I had ever seen...Alma. She was beautiful alright.  I was love-stung so bad, I swear I could smell flowers coming out of the TV set.  And best of all, she was nice.  She didn't like the smart alec, the wise guy, or the show-off.  Alma was digging Luther (Don Knotts) and that just made her that much prettier.  And from then on... But unfortunately, time and puberty wouldn't let her wait
Read more

Interview:--> Terry Kirkman (The Association)

Image
"...Not only learned to think, but to care.  Not only learned to think, but to dare." ~ The Association ~  With one of the most bad-ass songs about the herb that no one was quite sure about, yet everyone understood...to the anti-war homage that was both beautiful and pointed... The Association . From gentle psych pop spinneries that tease the mind...to the lush vocal and instrumental arrangements that melt the heart... The Association. The Association were all of these and none of these. Lead by co-founder Terry Kirkman, it was never an "either/or" about the music.  No pigeonhole here.  It was simply "all" about the music.  And having at least 3 of the most radio-played songs in history...I'd say The Association were on to something. TERRY KIRKMAN INTERVIEW  01/26/2015 Casey Chambers:  In the summer of '67, The Association had the opportunity to perform at the iconic Monterey Pop Festival.  How cool was that? Terry Kirkma
Read more

Interview -- Henry Lee Summer (Singer/Songwriter)

Image
"I just always have played music.  For better   or worse, I banked my whole life on it." ~ Henry Lee Summer ~     It's strange how music lets you travel through time as if there truly was no time.  I played the shit out of this album growing up.  Nothing deep or complicated.  Nothing outta bounds.  Nothing to get hung about.  It's deceptively simple.  But here's the thing... Henry Lee Summer  is serving aces all over this heartland square. This is the 35th anniversary of Henry Lee Summer's self-titled album and this one falls under that sweet spot between raucous and chill.  It's a large cup of iced coffee with a nice soulful blend.  Not usually my type of go-to and yet this album easily fills a void I didn't know I had.  Let this spin be your own private Idaho.  " Check it out, Leroy!"   Henry Lee Summer... Go get you some. Henry Lee Summer Interview -- August 2023 Henry Lee Summer Casey Chambers:  Well, this is the 35th anniversary of you
Read more