Advantages: A great introduction to Stevie Wonder packed with classics Disadvantages: Not as good as owning all the albums for the true Stevie fan
[Also reviewed on Epinions and Dooyoo]
At The Close Of A Century is a 4 cd compilation of 70 selected StevieWonder tracks spanning his career from 1963 up to 1996, with a 92 page accompanying booklet. StevieWonder is a soul legend and musical genius (who has won over 20 Grammy Awards) if by some remote chance you are not aware. He has been and continues to be an inspiration for many artists and many of his songs have been covered by others.
The 4 cds are in chronological order and start off with "Fingertips Pts 1 & 2", a recording of a live performance of him aged just 12, singing, playing bongos and also harmonica. The drummer happened to be a certain Marvin Gaye. This track is one of many highlights for me personally - it seems to capture the essence of soul. A young, unrefined Stevie delivers a sweet performance ...
Advantages: Nice dark winters ale Disadvantages: Good for winter. Not a summer session beer
never quite get round to visiting each year.
Anyway back to the beer. First off it certainly passes the Christmas test in the naming and packaging. Previously called "Cracker Black" it was renamed this year simply to "MerryChristmas". Maybe a copout of a name but that's a tick for me. The label on the beer shows a Christmas pudding with cream on it topped by a bit of holly. Have a closer look though and the puddings the world with each country a splash of cream on it. Snow is falling onto it or again is that cream? So the name and bottle couldnt get much more Christmasy - so far so good. The bottle itself is 500ml and I bought a couple of bottles from different places, one at £1.95 and the other at £1.99.
So onto the tasting. The beer poured with a slight head. This soon disappeared but the beer was still lively enough and a quick twirl ...
Advantages: An interesting take on St. Nick, fairly funny and wonderfully animated Disadvantages: Not as enjoyable as 'The Snowman', could be seen as a bit too strange
(Please note: This is a film - or TV - only review. Thanks!)
Father Christmas, whether people like to admit it or not, is an integral part of the holidays; he may cause controversy for those who think that the true meaning of Christmas has strayed far, far away from the birth of Jesus but for many, the mere mention of Santa Claus brings back fond memories from their childhood.
It's difficult to escape the fat guy in red that clambers down your chimney every Christmas Eve as he is everywhere leading up to the day itself. Ok, perhaps only in picture form, with his face plastered across countless posters and various decorations. But, being such a big part of Christmas to many people, it makes sense for there to be countless movies involving the man himself, whether he is a central character or someone who randomly pops up on screen ...
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