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September 18, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Rewriting School Field Trips
It was about 30 years ago. School field trip. We were on a bus. The way school field trips usually started. Well, they started with a sense of relief that it wasn’t a regular day of school. You walked in a little lighter that day. The bus would take you to a farm – the […]Archive
September 12, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Reading In Stolen Moments
To have time to read is, I swear, the ultimate luxury. But at the same time, it’s nourishment for the soul. And I consider it a necessity. To be brain-fried to a level where you cannot sit with one book for FOMO regarding all of the other books you’ve bought or have on loan might […]Archive
September 10, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Books That Blew My Mind # 8: “The Executioner’s Song” by Norman Mailer
The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer I loved Norman Mailer before I read him – because of his book, The Fight, and specifically his appearances in the great documentary, When We Were Kings. Of course I would go on to read The Fight – and it really is a work of genius, one of the […]Archive
September 8, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of Brushes
I have never been great at playing with brushes – but I’m working on it. I’ve loved the sound of them, just not the sound I make with them. Under lockdown, with two drummers in the house, we have turned more to brushes – for the sanity of our household and out of respect for […]Archive
September 4, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
TVNZ Rebooting The Apprentice Was A Truly Horrifying Thing
TVNZ rebooting The Apprentice was a truly horrifying thing. Actually, no, that’s too dramatic. It’s just downright embarrassing is all. They’ve tried to brush away the fact that it brings Donald Trump back to mind – saying comparisons are inevitable; well of course they are it is the very platform that made latter-day Trump a […]Archive
September 2, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Movies of My Life # 24: Uncut Gems
When I first watched Uncut Gems it stayed with me. That first viewing stays with me still. But I’ve recently watched it a few more times. And I’ve bought the soundtrack on vinyl. And I’ve realised this modern classic is a big part of my life. I think about it often. It might be going […]Archive
September 1, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Belated Half-Time Report: Some of the Albums I’ve Loathed This Year
These Albums (Reviewed by me in 2021) Stink! Sammy Hagar & The Circle: Lockdown 2020 Sammy Hagar and his band The Circle – which features Jason Bonham (son of John) on drums and fellow ex-Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony on bass – were part of the problem rather than the solution. Their turgid covers plodded […]Archive
September 1, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
The TV Show Is On A Loop For You To Find Your Placeholder Friends
I was walking home, a routine podcast-stroll, listening to Marc Maron – one of my forever go-to podcasts; it’s a habit. And he’s talking to A.O. Scott – the film critic. So I was leaning in on this one. Because I loved A.O. Scott’s book – which is the book that Marc is now reading, […]Archive
August 21, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of Loving Crap Albums: The First 50 in the Series
I am always looking for a new blog series here over at Off The Tracks. I’ve counted down my record collection, I’ve celebrated Authors I Admire and The Movies of My Life and many other things – great guitarists and the best drummers and many of these series’ carry on – though some have to […]Archive
August 16, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Amy Winehouse in The 27 Club: Ten Years On
Ten years ago, Amy Winehouse lost her fight. Addiction won. She joined The 27 Club. If she was shown more love, taken better care of, if the pressures weren’t the same, you could even say if she was stronger – that might, after all, be someone’s read on it – she could still be with […]Archive
August 11, 2021 by Simon Sweetman