'What Matters Most' Suzi Quatro 'In The Spotlight ... - Beige Magazine

THREE LEGENDARY LADIES
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Barbara Streisand
‘What Matters Most’
60’s megastar Barbra Streisand returns with this diverse
range of classics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Who? Exactly.
But you know their work. They wrote ‘Nice’n’Easy’ for Sinatra;
‘The Windmills of Your Mind’, ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers’,
‘The Way We Were’, and ‘Papa Can You Hear Me’ (Yentl) – all of
which are included here. Ever the perfectionist, Streisand gives
a perfectly perfect performance over perfect orchestrations
and arrangements of perfectly written music. The trouble
is, perfection can be boring. Yes Barbra, BORING! There are
no surprises here and I found myself wondering why this
multimillionaire diva took time out from getting her nails done
to present her loyal fans with this dreary offering? Dollied up in
a jewel box with a 24-page colour booklet, this is for hardcore
fans and old ladies only.
Suzi Quatro
‘In The Spotlight’
70’s rock chick Suzi Quatro is at least having fun and showing
she can still shake her thing with her new (mainly) covers album.
She does a cool reworking of Goldfrapp’s ‘Strict Machine’, and
rocks out on Rhianna’s ‘Breaking Dishes’ (Barbra, can you hear
me?). Elvis Presley tribute ‘Singing With Angels’ features James
Burton, the King’s original guitarist, and backing vocalists the
Jordanaires. There are four new Mike Chapman compositions
(are you hearing this Barbra?), which although quite MOR
still have pizzazz when given the Quatro treatment. She still
looks pretty much the same and hasn’t gone down the same
cosmetic reconstruction route as Streisand. She looks like she
did on Happy Days, and can still strut it in a wet look catsuit.
In the spotlight is where this little lady belongs.
Grace Jones
‘Hurricane Dub’
80’s icon Grace Jones hasn’t done a Kate Bush and re-recorded
former glories; she has simply sat back and allowed her last
album to be given the dub remix treatment. And why not?
Always a pleasure were dub mixes on Grace Jones 12” singles
and cassette albums (showing my age). Some were demented
(‘Private Life’), and others insane (‘My Jamaican Guy’), lush
with freaky tripped-out sounds they were like aural simulations
of being really heavily stoned. Hurricane Dub explores and
explodes the darker edges of the album, and in some cases
echoes other of Grace Jones earlier tracks. Buy it for the picture
on the cover. Jean Paul Goude is back, manipulating his most
famous muse into an objet d’art in a Phillip (not-him-again)
Treacy chapeau. ‘Corporate Cannibal’ is still one of her scariest
tracks. Genius.
Big Ben
Law and Disorder
Written by Tim Brady/Melanie Willems
If Armistead Maupin and Jackie Collins
had Katie Price surrogate a child for
them, and that child wrote a book then
‘BIG BEN law and disorder’ would be
that book. Mild mannered, kind natured,
uber-fi t and exceptionally hung Ben
Barlettano transfers from New York to
the London offi ce of SKB. He arrives
to a welcoming party at his corporate
apartment and before he’s unpacked he
fi nds himself launched into a world of
jealous rivalries, corporate corruption
and sex. Set against the backdrop of
Elephant and Castle, and the clubs and
saunas of Vauxhall, the residents and
staff of ‘Castle Lofts’ with their own
secrets and agendas turn Ben’s world
and sexuality upside down. Through
naive curiosity, good will, bad choices
and ridiculous situations Ben manages
to make friends and build a life amongst
the equally naive, good, bad and
ridiculous residents of his new home.
Tim Brady and Melanie Williams fi ll the
book with enough witty/bitchy oneliners
comical situations and intrigue to
keep you amused. ‘Big Ben’ is gloriously
trashy, as deep as the page it’s written
on and as far- fetched as disbelief can
be fl ung. As much as I wanted to be high
brow and disapproving of this novel,
I couldn’t help hoping for a sequel.
£10.00
www.melandtimbooks.com
ON THE SHELF
Cox Cookies & Cake
Written by Eric Lanlard and Patrick Cox
Soho used to be the underbelly of
London. Neon lights and dark doorways;
dangerous and exciting with temptation
and seduction lurking around every
corner. Then it became the trendy glassfronted
restaurants and over fi lled bars
of today, but in September last year a
little of that lost magic returned with a
designer twist in the form of a boutique
bakery, ‘Cox Cookies & Cake’ with the
neon lights, leather clad baristas and
the most tantalising and titillating
(literally) cakes and cookies. The genius
of famous shoe designer Patrick Cox and
master patissier Eric Lanlard combine
to create a range of the sexiest, most
mouth watering cupcakes you could ever
desire. Within a year CCC has become
a must-go destination, and now they
have given us a book! 75 recipes to
recreate in a sumptuous cushiony hard
back with high end fashion/ food porn
photography that would add glamour
to any kitchen book shelf. The recipes
themselves vary from the coma inducing
sugar rush ‘Triple Chocolate’ to the fat
free and delicate ‘Jasmine and Violet’,
with detailed decoration guides you’ll be
styling your cupcake couture in no time.
£16.99
www.coxcookiesandcake.com
beige 65
Sometimes
a life of love, loss
and erasure
Written by Paul Hickey
“Happiness truly is the best facelift”
This riveting, shocking and moving biog
by Paul Hickey, long time partner and
manager of Erasure’s Andy Bell is packed
with sex drugs and rock ’n’ roll.
Growing up in ‘50s California we hear a
candid account of Paul’s adolescent
sexual forays with his peers, abuse by
an older man - and a drunken father.
Going through college and coming to
terms withhis sexuality, Paul got into
drugs: pot, speed, LSD; even injecting
cocaine into his veins. He lived through
the fl ower power years, dealing drugs on
the California coast. Then it happened:
love at fi rst sight with a bleached blond
ingénue, Andy Bell. Success enabled
them to embark on a spree of drugs,
travel, and plastic surgery. Everything
came crashing to a halt in 2000 when
Paul suffered a series of strokes and
heart attacks leaving him in a coma.
This part of the book is gripping, and
you really feel you are with Paul living
through the whole traumatic hell. Left
with permanent brain damage, the road
to recovery made Paul a changed man.
Reassessing his life and values, Paul
battles his way back to health and a new
clean-living lifestyle, fi nding a love and
respect for life that is inspiring.“I have
new addictions: chocolate and ice cream.”
£12.99
www.lulu.com