Masters, The - Walter Becker & Donald Fagen

Advantages: It's Donald Fagen
Disadvantages: The sound quality is pants!

...In between recording with Walter Becker the seminal albums “Aja” and “Gaucho” under the banner of Steely Dan, Donald Fagen recorded this masterpiece of audio art. The afore mentioned album called the “The Nightfly” runs at less than 40 minutes long and has 7 self-penned tracks and has 1 track written by the legendary song-writing partnership of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, their song “Ruby Baby” is clearly the most commercial sounding on the whole album, the collection was arranged by Donald Fagen and on production duties was the same producer as the man who had produced all the Steely Dan recordings Gary Katz. As the album opens up with the track ”I.G.Y.” (International Geophysical Year) the “electric piano” playing of Greg Phillinganes creates a retro sound... Read review

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Advantages: great place to eat
Disadvantages: slow service

...The Walter Arms is a local pub and restaurant just close to where I live. You can find it on Bearwood Road, between Barkham and Sindlesham on the outskirts of Wokingham. It has recently undergone a substantial refurbishment so when I visited recently I was interested to see if and how it had changed. It is now described as a pub and restaurant with a hint of the mediterranean! The pub used to have quite a cluttered old fashioned feel to it but that has all changed now. When you first go in you notice a light, airy modern feel although they have still retained a real fire which on a cold February night was very welcoming. The last time I visited was on a Friday night a couple of weeks ago with a group of girlfriends for a meal and a natter. As we were there a bit early we stood in the bar area and had a drink first but we could have gone... Read review

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Advantages: The milkshake was OK but I'm not sure if that should be considered advantageous
Disadvantages: Dirty surroundings, foul food, surly staff, food bears no resemblance to advertising photos

...Back in the mid 1970s, there was a buzz going around about the newest ?culinary? (for want of a more appropriate word) indulgence from the USA. The subject of this buzz was none other than our now institutional McDonalds, which was standing in line, all set to enthral, and replace the scampi & chips in a basket 1970s pub food culture. My dubious claim to fame regarding McDonalds was that my now late brother-in-law had installed the central heating system inside the newly built, shiny glass-fronted monolith with the huge yellow "M" outside, in the High Street of my then home town. The completion and opening of this new eating house was the first step down the path of architectural atrocity, culminating in the many ensuing eyesores that, over the decades, has turned the once rather elegant and tasteful High Street of my home town into... Read review

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