Week #07 - Turning Forty ¦ A Walk Across the Rooftops

Turning Forty is the follow up to Mike Gayle's Turning Thirty. It is fine by Gayle's standards. It all worked out in the end.

Mike Gayle has always fascinated me. Not so much what he writes as his fiction is very basic as to not stand out from anything. Gayle writes G rated fiction, no sex, no swear words, no graphic violence nothing.

What I find fascinating about him is that he is one of the leading black writers in Britain yet not one issue that effects black people in England is ever mentioned in his work (and I have read all of his fiction books). It may be that Mr Gayle has never experienced anything untoward in England but surely someone within his network of friends, family has. Why would someone with Gayle's exposure not want to tackle issue that are still so prevalent in the UK.

Mike Gayle writes almost exclusively about relationships, between men and women, yet no sex (some kissing) and no swear words. I don't think any group of adults go through there relationships (especially breakups which are everywhere in his books) without the odd curse word. Or like most adults with lots and lots of them.

Mike Gayle is fascinating his fiction not so but it is nice and easy to read and occasionally something insightful is said and even less occasionally something funny.

2.5/5

In 2012 The Blue Nile released a Deluxe edition of the seminal debut album A Walk Across The Rooftops. I only managed to get a copy of it in the last week.

There is not much I can write about the first seven tracks (the original album release) that hasn't been written already. Suffice to say it is one of the best album of the 80's, one of the most outstanding debut of all time and it still holds its own among any of the more recent great albums.

There are a few songs I hadn't heard of I Love This Life, St. Catherine's Day, The Second Act and Regret which compliment the original music very well and the mixes of Heatwave, Tinseltown in the Rain and Stay are wonderful (they didn't do any damage to the originals - thank god).

The album is still one of my favourites and these new songs and updated mixes make it even better. I cannot give it more than 5 so I will give it:

5/5