Mercury

So... in 1993 (14 years ago, my god!), my good friend Doctor Rob lent me an album by American Music Club called Mercury. Mercury is plausibly the most depressing album ever written, its filled with tales of heartbreak and bitterness set to slightly off kilter pop tunes that scratch as much as sooth. Of course, being the 90's and being a little ball of blonde haired angst, I loved it. Its an acquired taste and many I've foisted it upon have returned it in confusion or disgust, not quite knowing what to make of it. I still think the lyrics are some of my favourites of all time and any album with a song named "What Godzilla Said to God When His Name Wasn't Found in the Book of Life" has got to be a winner.

So what the fuck has this got to do with anything? Well the cover of the album has always been one of my favourites and I was somewhat fascinated by it. At that young age, I didn't know what or where it was but I knew I had to see it someday. You can see it here. Well today, I achieved a dream of sorts. I'm not sure if I found that exact location but I visited a number of Wats around Ayutthaya with these kind of relics that I feel that some little part of my dream/life has been fulfilled. I have loved that cover, loved that music and today I have loved having walking amongst similar icons whose images have been such a strong part of my life.

Now that picture on the sleeve might be in Cambodia, it could be anywhere in South East Asia but let's not ruin the illusion for me. I took a gazillion photos and had an odd little smile on my face.

The thing about these Wats, their histories, their beauty and for most their eventual destruction at the hands of stupid men waging war or stealing, is just how sad it is to see figure after figure of headless buddha. I guess the album cover, which seemed oddly disassociated with the music, finally makes sense to me.

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On that, gazillions of photos have been taken and as promised I will attempt to put some up soonesque, next week probably. By the way, anyone waiting for the Recount Part 2 will be sorely disappointed (all none of you). When I wrote badly "Trust me, it get more interesting" I was being ironic but I'm not sure that humour comes across... or maybe its not funny to begin with.
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Off to Chiang Mai tomorrow on a ten hour train trip so I probably won't write for a while. Having an internet cafe two doors from my guest house here was a luxury but its all over. tear. Oh yeah, but that American Music Club album, the songwriter Mark Eitzel could use the money x.