Gutbrain Records

Sunday, 18 November 2007

I've just started to explore the Peanuts Memories Box. It contains 10 CDs, 1 DVD and 2 books. Ever since childhood, when I first saw The Peanuts in Godzilla movies, I've dreamed of having some of their records. I realized this dream when Alice and I went to Tokyo in 2004 and I bought the Peanuts Rare Collection CD.

Now I have this box set which contains every single they ever released, some previously unreleased music, songs from movies and live recordings. I'm listening to Disc 1 right now. One interesting song is 情熱の花. I think this would be pronounced "jonetsu no shi" and translated as "Death of Passion" or "Dying Passion". What's interesting about it is that it's kind of a mariachi interpretation of Beethoven's "Für Elise".

In other news, I can recommend three things to do in Jersey City. I went out there the other day to play with drummer Andy O'Neill. We had lunch at Taqueria Downtown, which has excellent tacos. They're prouder of what they don't have than of what they do have, though. You'll see what I mean if you go there.

(Now The Peanuts are singing something to the tune of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.)

From Manhattan you take the PATH to Grove Street if you want to go to Taqueria. Andy lives closer to the Journal Square stop, so that's where I caught the train home. And that's where I saw this:

That is the Loew's Jersey, a gorgeous movie palace from the 1920s that is now a not-for-profit community arts and entertainment center. This is one of the best ideas that I have ever heard. Every city should have a movie palace that's run as a not-for-profit community center. Click the link and take the virtual tour.

(Now The Peanuts are signing "Jingle Bells". There's quite a range of stuff in this collection.)

As cool as the photos on the website are, nothing can compare to being inside the place for real. They don't show movies very often but this weekend they just happened to be showing three Otto Preminger-directed films noirs with Foster Hirsch, the author of a new Preminger biography, in attendance to introduce and discuss each film.

Alice and I went and saw Laura and were thrilled by the splendor of the Loew's Jersey's interior. The screen may be the largest I've ever seen in a cinema. Here's a photo of Foster Hirsch standing in front of it:

That's Jersey City attraction number two. Number three is Morgan Seafood, a great Egyptian restaurant around the corner from the Loew's Jersey. I thought their hummus and fried calamari were only okay, but the rice with shrimp was really good, with an unusual blend of spices giving it a complex but mellow flavor. Their sliced eggplant with garlic and vinegar was surprisingly sweet and buttery.

Best of all, though, was the grilled porgy. Every since eating it, about 16 hours ago, my stomach has been radiating with contentment and I can still recall its wonderful taste, so perfect that I didn't even touch the slices of lime that came with it.

They're open from noon to midnight every day, the prices are really low and the service was very friendly. It felt kind of weird to go from Manhattan to New Jersey on a Saturday night, but it was worth it!