My Manic Street Preachers and rock and roll epiphany..

Although, I missed their concert in Singapore on April(due to my work commitment), I will be always be a long time die-hard fan for a Welsh iconic rock and roll band, Manic Street Preachers.
I first bought their sixth 2001's album "Know Your Enemy" and since than there's no argument this are the band that among my top 11 bands that I always considered very arty, rebel and against the mainstream sound alongside Radiohead, The Stone Roses, Joy Division, New Order, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Interpol, Mogwai, The Velvet Underground and Nico and Rage Against The Machine..

Well, last Saturday I went to my "favourite" place to hang out - Rock Corner at The Garden, MidValley City,KL..as I flip through the CDs rack by rack, I saw a lot of good stuffs from many legendary bands and singer like Queen, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Nirvana and the best part is I've been told by the sales assistant that since the demise of Micheal Jackson on early Friday moring, many his die-hard fans are flocking to the store to buy the MJ's rarities, singles, box-set collection and albums.

Then,I asked the shop assistant about Manic Street Preachers's new albums entitled "Journal For Plague Lovers", he showed me the copy and without further ado..I pay and listen it inside my car..

The album is actually the ninth studio album for the band and all the lyrics on the album was written by the band's former member, Richey James Edwards who mysteriously dissappear in 1995 on the eve of their USA Tour(the same case like Ian Curtis from Joy Division who hanged himself in the eve of 1980 USA Tour).

As I listen it, I realised that this are the rock and roll epiphany that the band has been "manufactured" since their first album "Generation Terrorist". However, as I flipped through the lyrics inside the album, I found out that many of the songs had brought up topics like Topics include The Grande Odalisque by Ingres, Marlon Brando, Giant Haystacks, celebrity, consumerism and dysmorphia.

And all of this topics has connection with Richey's affection with art and rock and roll. To be honest, I am fascinated with this album and for those who bought this album might hard for them to "digest" the meaning of songs that been played in this album.

With the combination sound of Sex Pistols, Guns N' Roses and The Clash, and the injection of angst-ridden voice of James Dean Bradfield, fast pace guitar plucking by Nicky Wire and drummer, Sean Moore, the album will surely hardly to be missed by their fans.

The trio's James Dean Bradfield(vox/guitar), Nicky Wire(bass/additional vox) and Sean Moore(drums/percussion) has became cult figure throughout English channel since 1986 and have cemented their place as one of the greatest rock and roll band on earth.

At the back of the album's sleeve there a quotation from an Irish playwright,George Bernard Shaw who said : -
"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable but more useful than a life spent nothing"

Track listing

1. "Peeled Apples" (3:33)
2. "Jackie Collins Existential Question Time" (2:24)
3. "Me and Stephen Hawking" (2:46)
4. "This Joke Sport Severed" (3:04)
5. "Journal for Plague Lovers" (3:45)
6. "She Bathed Herself in a Bath of Bleach" (2:18)
7. "Facing Page: Top Left" (2:40)
8. "Marlon J.D." (2:50)
9. "Doors Closing Slowly" (2:52)
10. "All Is Vanity" (3:35)
11. "Pretension/Repulsion" (2:05)
12. "Virginia State Epileptic Colony" (3:25)
13. "William's Last Words" (4:15) / "Bag Lady" (Hidden Track) (3:05)

Cheers

MACC absurd jokes..very "funny"...

Assalamualaikum and hi there,

When I read Malay Mail newspaper yesterday, and it stated that my colleague reporter Mr Nevash Nair's laptop and cellphone were confiscated by these "jokers" from MACC or Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission( yeah, rite they are anti-corruption!!) I was so shocked and didn't expect that those three not-so-happy "jokers" that I met when I was grabbing a copy of NST newspaper at the Malay Mail door were actually MACC fellas.

I seriously did not know what the heck those "jokers" doing in our territory and what do I know is that the "jokers" were actually had something "unfinished business" with Mr Nevash Nair.

So I didn't even wanted to bother about it and continued finishing my crime story and later that day only I learn that Mr Nevash Nair has been taken to Selangor MACC office in Shah Alam.

There, he had to produced a tape recording of Kapar MP, YB S.Manikavasagam that claimed to have been told about the "missing" files. Then he had to handed over his laptop to these 'jokers" for "facilitating the investigation" ( I think these "jokers" don't have any laptop so that they dream about having a new laptop for "free").

Great, in my opinion do they really allowed to do that? and won't they should produce a warrant before confiscating people's property? and one more thing they had lodged a police report but it they are the "police" who conducting their own investigation.

Oi, c'mon lar MACC "jokers", where's your integrity & dignity? I browsed to your website and it stated there "PESALAH RASUAH AKAN DIHUKUM & RASUAH ADALAH JENAYAH" but it seems like those who gave y'all information about the corruption are the one that y'all goin' to handcuff them..Hahahahaha

KEEP RISIN'

Cheers

Everything Must Go,Tony!

Thursday, June 18, 2009..two days after I celebrating my first year stint with Malay Mail..that date also marked the last service for our editor-in-chief Tony Francis or TF.

His position has been replaced by the king of blogger and former Malay Mail executive editor, Ahirudin Atan or Rocky Bru.

About a year, I was with TF reign and I am proud with that and that's why in my opinion he is the modern minimalist reformist who reformed back the Malay Mail to be the most fearful newspaper in Klang Valley with the Malay Mail probe and scoop.(hmm, no wonder these days The Star also followed our direction with the establishment of their Star probe).

These easy-going bloke had a joy and despair moment during his time with Malay Mail and he is proud and delightful with that. R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Cheers

A YEAR AGO & Happy Belated Anniversary..

Assalamualaikum and hi there,

June 16, 2008 at exactly 9am..I was so nervous to start that day as I walking through the door at Balai Berita, NSTP Jalan Riong, Bangsar.

I will remember that day as the first day of my life being journalist for Malay Mail (although at that time, Malay Mail was "ditched" and "dumped" by it's "mother", NSTP).

During that day, OC at that time Mr Umakanthan assigned me to PJ Magistrate Court to cover any court cases that have human interest element and at that time I had to figure out how to define human interest as all the hearing at the court are about illegal VCD peddlars.
(only God knows how blur I am at that time!!I really don't have any knowledge about Court reporting)

So I waited there from morning until the court session is over(it really boring!!) and I talked to the defence lawyer and the prosecution attorney about the case that they handling and I managed to get both of the information.(although,I was first nervous and don't know what to do! and almost runaway from the session)

Then when I came back to the office, the desk said the courts session is just my learning session and what I wrote about the session never came out and that's was my first debut about journalism in Malay Mail.(You gotta Do-It-Youself(DIY)) so that you can really be a tough journalist here.
-------------------------------------------------

June 16, 2009..which is six days ago..marked my first anniversary with Malay Mail and we are also have move out from the sacred Balai Berita to our new office at Dataran 3 Dua,Jalan 19/1,PJ..
I also now is a crime reporter for Malay Mail crime desk...many bittersweet experiences I had gain and face with this newspaper although sometimes I really hate it & get piss.. but the bottomline is..NEWS MUST GO ON & IT WILL NEVER END..

HAPPY BELATED 1st ANNIVERSARY..
Cheers!

EYEZART is back..& here we go..

Assalamualaikum and hi there,
Well, I guess this time I had to make a comeback in this blog world for good after about a year EYEZART in hiatus.
As y'all know, Malay Mail now has been changing it's "captain". Tony Francis is out and the blogger king "Rocky Bru" or Ahiruddin Atan is back as editor.
and during his first meeting with reporters and editors(which I'm not there as I was on leave for a week)..he has given us two "major" assignments..
1) Buy a pair of jeans (which I already had)
2) Start a blog
-This is the difficult part to complete it, but later I remember that I had this blog that the last time I was update it about year ago which is after my convocation days and since then, it was nothing..(for me to write, although there a lot of thing keep playing in my mind)
So from now on, this is my blog and..here we go,again...

AIZAT SHARIF
Crime Journalist,
Malay Mail