Barcelona Wall by Nick Delany

This exhibition of work is from his personal collection of Urban Landscapes taking in cities such as New York, Budapest and Madrid. These are beautiful and arresting images, with a real sense of place. One more image to whet your appetite, below.

54th and Broadway by Nick Delany

The exhibition is at the Langham Gallery in Lamb’s Conduit street, recently featured in Monocle magazine as one of the best living community streets in the world. Nick’s work is clearly going to appreciate in value over the coming years, so here is your opportunity to invest while you can. Go, view and enjoy.

Details:

The exhibition runs from Monday 17th November till Saturday 13th December.

Opening hours 10-6 Monday to Friday, 10-4 Saturday.

The Langham Gallery is at 34 Lamb’s Conduit Street, London WC1 3LE

Tel: +44 (0)20 7242 0010

Email: info@langhamgallery.com

Website: www.langhamgallery.com

In Quantum of Solace, Bond wears Tom Ford, who is a great menswear designer, though American. Not having seen the movie yet, do any of our readers have a view on whether Tom Ford suits Bond?

The link to the Boateng article is here

Their tailored suit and jackets are ideal for younger men looking to move from unstructured street clothes to a more worldly cultured look, without losing their hip edge.   Their clothes are sharply cut, exciting to look at and inventive, both in the colour palette they use and the twists that they put on classic designs.  

Pose have some wonderful pieces in their first shop collection, including a mid-blue peaked lapel suit with a sheer-smooth finish (picture below).  They also have a truly elegant sports coat with patched elbows.  Now every menswear range is doing patched-elbow jackets at the moment, but the Pose jacket is very cool, being a crisp houndstooth check, with black patches.  The contrast is simple but very stylish.  

Above all else, it is the inventive use of colour that puts these guys ahead of similar brands.  Their shirts are in colour and fabric combinations that are different from most other brands. 

Pose have an interesting collection and you can also buy on-line from them.   I will write more about them at a later date.  In the meantime you can find them here

The fruit of the loins of four photographers in Copenhagen, S steps over conventional boundaries to gratify its (and our) libidos. This is the missing link between high fashion and sexy women. We have all seen those beautifully shot photos of sleek glossy women, shots that tease in the name of modeling clothes. Well, S Magazine does what we have always wanted, it gets those seductive women naked. This is high-style erotica.

Highlights in Issue 8:

Morten Laurson takes the sexy librarian fantasy and, quite simply, strips her. (Morten’s site is also worth a look. His job description is Fashion Photographer, but it’s pretty clear his obsession is hot girls - http://www.mortenlaursen.com/ )

Andrew Yee does a fashion shoot with a beautiful blue-eyed blonde that is more model than fashion. With a model who is defiant and submissive in equal measure, this is compelling hot-lust photography.

Lorenzo Bringheli poses a slim but sultry nude in some very recognizable locations around New York. Despite the fact that it is night and well-lit, there is a real about-to get-caught frisson about these photographs.

There is more, striking and sexy from, from very talented photographers.

The question used to be “is it pornography or is it erotica”. S Magazine asks is it Fashion or is it Erotica?

It is definitely Erotica.

You can find S Magazine here

I disagree with him with him on two things.  Firstly that Ian Fleming would have approved of the Daniel Craig Bond.  I do not think he would have, and I suspect that David Gritten knows this.  For Fleming, style was everything, and worldliness was better than athleticism in his book (literally).  Daniel Craig is a great Bond, but he is a downmarket Bond.  Just as Fleming thought that Sean Connery was too lower-class to play Bond, I suspect that he would have thought the same about Daniel Craig.

Secondly, when Casino Royale came out, there were a lot of journalists eager to rubbish Pierce Brosnan’s Bond and David Gritten does not consider Brosnan a good Bond.  However from a fan’s perspective Pierce Brosnan was a great Bond.  We were grateful that he rescued our hero from the unfortunate movies with Timothy Dalton as James Bond.  Brosnan had real class and looked as though he were duplicitious enough to work in an evil world.  There was also a cruelty about Brosnan that was pure Fleming, such as the moment when he shoots his lover and adversary Elektra King (Sophie Marceau, The World is Not Enough) without a moment’s hesitation.  Pure cynicism but real panache.

The article is very good and is here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/10/20/bfbond120.xml

I still have his voice, on every Four Tops album I ever owned.  But the man is gone and I hope gone somewhere where he will be celebrated for his wonderful talent.   

Like almost all of Motown’s great stars, Levi Stubbs was born in Detroit.  He met Abdul “Duke” Fakir in high school and met the other two Tops at a house party.  They sang together under various names until Berry Gordy convinced them to join Tamla Motown and they became the Four Tops. 

The Four Tops were the sound of my early twenties, friends, clubs and dances, good clothes and Motown.  The minute the DJ played any Four Tops song, we were on the floor.  We had a friend called Bill, big guy, last on the floor, but up and dancing as soon as “I cant help myself (sugar pie honey bunch)” came on.    

We loved the Tops, their clothes (we all wanted those mohair suits, but were not so sure about the long high-point collar shirts), the snappy footwork and their infectious high-energy songs.  They were black guys and we were white but we had a common bond, we liked to dance and loved women passionately, if not wisely.  At least, that was how we saw it.  

We loved the songs, and looking back I loved them because of Levi’s vocals, the hard urgency of his voice.  Levi sang like a man who had something to lose, who knew he really loved that girl.  He sang with conviction and if his vocals were a bit rough-edged by Motown standards, they made up for that with real feeling.  If Marvin Gaye sounded sad, Levi Stubbs sounded bereft.

Grahame Parker, the English R and B/Rock singer famous in the Eighties once talked about dancing in soul clubs in London.  He went on to say that one of favourite songs was the Four Tops “Bernadette” which in his opinion “had a bit of spit and some grit in it, like a good soul record should”. 

When Soul went out of fashion, the Four Tops kept going.  In the seventies they had hits with unlikely (for Motown) material like “If I were a carpenter” and “MacArthur Park”.  I urge you to listen to “If I were a carpenter” it is one of the most soulful records ever made and Levi Stubbs vocals made it that way. 

I saw the Four Tops in 1981, in London, and after twenty years of touring they still had a soul and energy that lifted everyone up.  The audience ended the night on their feet and dancing.      

Even in the Eighties, when Soul and Disco were distant memories, the Tops had hits, including “When she was my girl” and “Loco in Acapulco”.  The first time I heard “When she was my girl” it all came flooding back, the huge vocal, the tightly-timed chorus, the slinky percussion.  All I needed was a dance-floor.  If you are a Four Tops fan, you know the feeling you get when you hear them, you feel eighteen years young and ready to dance all night. 

Only Abdul Fakir of the Four Tops is still alive.  Lawrence Payton and Obie Benson are dead.  But in their day they had more joy and energy than almost anybody else.  If you listen to their music I am sure you will agree.       

Thanks for the wonderful songs Levi.  May your journey be good.

I am annoyed because I keep seeing a type of article popping up in magazines.  The article is called “the top ten soul records” or ten top soul songs.  I read one in a Scandinavian magazine a couple of days ago and it was absolute nonsense. 

Yesterday I read a similar article by a man named Wayne Hemingway, in a magazine called Shortlist, which included artists such as Gil Scott-Heron and the Tom-Tom club who are definitely not soul, could not be Soul even if God called down from heaven and declared them to be such.  Nonsense. 

I was going to ignore it, but yesterday Levi Stubbs (lead vocalist of the Four Tops) died.  I wrote about it here and it made me think I ought to make my contribution to the discussion.  Soul is an important part of my life, made me smile, lifted me up during the tough times, got me some of my best dates.

So, as an original London Soul Boy, here are my top ten soul tracks.

It takes two:  Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston

Definitive dance music, from the frenzied violins at the start to the perfect old time soul call-and-response of Marvin and Kim.  If you had a good partner who could keep time this was the one to dance to.  Infectiously happy, it pulls you onto the dancefloor.

 You can buy it in the Uk here or the US here

This old heart of mine: The Isley Brothers

Right from the strange recorded-in-a-baked -bean-tin intro through to the drums being thrashed like a kicked dustbin, this is great dancefloor material.  The lyrics race to get you into the blistering chorus, getting you ready to unleash your best moves.  Fast and furious, sweaty and passionate, a soul dancer favourite.

  You can buy it in the UK here and the US here   

Who’s making love:  Johnny Taylor

To give the full title “Who’s making love to your old lady while you are out making love.”  A thumping, bubbly bass line on top of a simple four-beat drumsound.  On top of this goes Johnny Taylor’s sharp, streetwise lyrics.  It just makes you want to dance and with a beat this simple, you can.

 You can buy it in the UK here and the US here     

I’m a road-runner baby: Junior Walker and the all-stars

Great getting-going song.  That wailing saxophone, drum sound like an aluminium wall being beaten by the Incredible Hulk and the tinny ping of the guitars all building up to the chorus.   The loose rambunctious sound of Junior Walker came straight out of the back-country soul clubs of Alabama and Indiana.  Junior Wallker somehow ended up on Motown, but he was really a wild man from the backroads. 

You can loosen up on the floor with this song, with its fat, syncopated rhythm section knocking out a hard beat, with the added genius of that brittle tambourine sound that Motown threw into so many choruses.   

 You can buy it in the UK here and the US here    

Get up (Sex Machine)

Everyone knows this one but leaving it out is talking about religion without mentioning God.  The beat is everything.  Real men danced to this, with a soul strut and lots of hip rolls.   To sweat to.

 You can buy it in the UK here and the US here    

I can’t stand the rain: Ann Peebles.

There has to be slow one, and this slow one was filled with lust and melancholy. Ann Peebles voice moves from her natural deep vibrato to a high-pitched wail on the chorus, while the relentless backbeat helps you to keep a slow sexy rhythm.  Filled with loss and rich, bitter, sexy regret.  When Ann Peebles sings “do you remember?  How sweet it used to be?” you know she was not talking about having coffee together.  It smoulders, just don’t dance to it with your ex.

 You can buy it in the UK here and the US here       

Hold on, I’m coming: Sam and Dave

Well, there was Motown and there was Stax, Sam and Dave were on the Stax label.  We considered Stax to be the real deal, authentic black dance music untouched by commercialism.  But we were fooling ourselves, we were dance whores, we would dance to anything that was soul. 

The power and heartfelt emotion of Gospel singing mixed with down and dirty lyrics made this a great dance track.  From the magisterial horn sound to the thudding beat anyone can dance to this and look like they are in time.

 You can buy it in the UK here and the US here      

I‘ll take you there: The Staples Singers

This was the Staples urgent, gritty and slightly ambiguous shouter.  The 4/4 backbeat was perfect for a soulful strut, with all the hip rolls you could get in.  This was the one you showed off to, the one you tried to impress your partner with.  When Mavis Staples sang “I’ll take you there” I think she meant Jesus but when we mouthed it to our dance partners it was definitely a promise of sex.     

 You can buy it in the UK here and the US here   

It’s better to have (and don’t need): Don Covay

This is hi-energy dance music, with its politically incorrect lyrics and a fast, raw sound.  Don Covay sings of sex, over a cascade of high-hat cymbals and some of the best R+B piano that ever got on record, a powerful bass holding it all together.  This was made in 1974 when Soul was almost dead, but Don Covay reached back pre-motown and put a raw soul sound on this fast n furious song.  For those of us who love to dance. And Don Covay is an unrecognised genius.   

 You can buy it in the UK here and the US here     

Let’s get it on: Marvin Gaye

Always end on a slow song.  A true love song, from the opening wah-wah guitar to Marvin’s passionate sexy lyrics.  The sound, lyrical saxophones, tumbling drum breaks and the anguished croon still sound fresh today.  It works because Marvin had such timing and discipline that his vocals never obscure the insistent beat.  This is the one song where you find your best girl and dance out the promise of what you are going to do for her later……

 You can buy it in the UK here and the US here      

What it is about

My brother was a DJ and he was playing a track one time.  As it ended a guy came up to him and said angrily “Why did you not play the New Orleans mix, with the extended fadeout?”.  My brother turned to me, shrugged, smiled and said “Everyone loves a trainspotter”.  This is my problem with articles that talk about finding obscure, hand-pressed discs from collector’s stores in Vancouver.  Soul music is dancing, not stamp collecting.   

It’s an information world out there and the temptation is to make everything information.  That is not what Soul music is.  Find a club.  Dance. Be a Man.  Be Sexy.  Sweat.  Enjoy.

Still to come:

When Soul became Disco

Style and the boys: White Soul 

As regular readers will know, I recently blogged about English benchmade shoes.  It was big piece of work and I tried to define the top English shoemakers selling hand-finished ready-to-wear shoes.  One of the brands I wrote about was Barkers, one of the older English companies.

So I was pleased when I spotted this sign in Leonard Jay’s window as I was passing.  By the looks of things Leonard Jay mostly sells bargain-price suits.  However Barkers at this price are not to be missed. 

I took a minute to browse the shop and they also had some (only a few) Chester Barrie suits at £395.00.  Like the Barkers, this is a great price for a Chester Barrie suit. 

There is something very satisfying about getting style at knock-down prices.  Being clued-up and the thrill of the hunt may account for it.

Details

Leonard Jay,

120-121 Newgate Street,

London,

EC1A 7AE

Tel:                   44 (0) 20 7796 4880

Website:           http://www.leonardjay.co.uk/

Chinese medicine provides a comprehensive theory and practice, through herbal medicine and acupuncture, to treat many illnesses including specifically male related diseases.  In my Swansea practice I have treated men for many different health problems.

(In this article, Chinese medicine refers to traditional Chinese herbs and acupuncture)     

The treatment of specific men’s diseases in Chinese medicine is known as andrology - this refers to specialised knowledge that describes the physiology of men, as well as the prevention, pathology and treatment of men’s diseases.

Modern Chinese andrology has its roots in ancient literature.  It did not truly emerge in China as a recognisable clinical speciality, with its own professional and systematic literature, until about 30 years ago.  Since its establishment, however, it has continued to develop.  Today there are a number of specialists and researchers of Chinese language sources on andrology.

Andrology as a specialist discipline is usually practised by modern Chinese doctors who practise integrated Chinese-Western medicine, seeking to blend the best of both medicines while striving to maintain the conceptual integrity of each.

The conceptual seeds of andrology in Chinese medicine sprouted over 2000 years ago and many of its ancient root theories still inform the daily clinical practice of modern Chinese andrologists. The principles that are used in practice today in both the East and West have been refined and distilled through use, trial and error, extensive research and development handed down and recorded from generation to generation.

It is interesting to note that the publication of texts on Chinese gynaecology and obstetrics (female reproductive health) in the English language has been happening for many years now.  Yet, apart from one out of print book on urology and male sexual dysfunction, there has not been until now a single English language book on male disorders and men’s health.  This is probably due to the fact that men are more reluctant patients and therefore practitioners have less opportunity to become experts on men’s diseases.

 Men and Treatment

In my practice, very often it is wives or partners that initiate men coming for treatment. Once here, they often commit to a longer-term course of treatment.  However it is arguably true that a general reluctance to talk about and address health issues exists among men.  The possible reasons for this reluctance provoke an interesting discussion and probably in themselves merit a specific paper.

Recently research has been proven showing the effectiveness of Chinese medicine in the treatment of female infertility and in supporting IVF.  This has led to an influx of both woman and men into our practice for infertility treatment. (perhaps

Having practised Chinese medicine for 20 years I have treated a lot of men for a variety of diseases including high blood pressure, neurological diseases such as Parkinsons, MS and MND, asthma, stress, IBS, anxiety insomnia, skin diseases, digestive disorders, prostate problems (benign and malignant) and erectile dysfunction.  I have found Chinese medicine offers practical and effective help for all these problems.

The increasing availability of texts on Chinese andrology in the English language coupled with an increase in men coming for treatment opens up an exiting new area in men’s health.  This is excellent news since the above disorders are extremely common.  Benign prostatic hyperplasia, for example, will give rise to distressing symptoms in half of men in their fifties and up to ninety percent in their eighties. Also, male sub-fertility can be a factor in half of all couple infertility.  In the USA MDs are advised to ask all men over the age of 25 about their erectile health, since erectile dysfunction is often the first, and for a while the only, sign of cardiovascular and other major diseases.

Men’s diseases that Chinese medicine can help with:

Prostatitis

Benign prostatic hyperplasia

Prostate cancer

Erectile dysfunction

Premature ejaculation

Priapism (persistent abnormal and painful erections)

Hematospermia (presence of blood in the ejaculate)

Male infertility

Andropause

The theory of Chinese medicine is expansionist and inclusive and recognises connections and networks within the body called meridians or channels.  With Acupuncture the main intervention is with very fine needles into points on these channels.  Point selection, frequency of treatment and prognosis all depend on the nature of the problem and how long it has been there as well as the overall health and constitution of the patient and how the patient lives.  Stress, diet and lifestyle etc. all play a part.

The actual disease, be it prostatitis or low sperm motility, will define to some extent the treatment received (the points used or the herbs prescribed).  However the overall health and medical history of the patient is taken into account as it is impossible to separate the disease from the person.  Conversely, it is inadvisable to only treat constitutionally and ignore the disease and this is where the new material from China makes an important contribution.  Diseases are categorised (as above) and treatment strategies are outlined; this provides a valuable framework (based on clinical experience) for treating men’s diseases.

In order to illustrate how Chinese medicine can help with the above problems, I will explore two areas in more detail; Male Infertility and Andropause (male Menopause).

Male Infertility                              

Because many cases of male infertility stem from unknown causes and therefore mainstream medical treatment is often unsuccessful, many researchers are looking to alternative and complementary medicine for new ideas about causation and for new treatments.

In Chinese andrology, male infertility is suspected when a couple have been having unprotected intercourse for two or more years and there is no known female factor at play.

In Chinese medicine there are several physiological factors that must come together to allow a man to be fertile. In other words, to the practitioner there may be something in terms of Chinese medicine that is contributing to infertility, which is not being detected in Western medicine.  This then opens up another avenue for treatment.

A typical course of treatment would involve an initial consultation followed by weekly sessions of Acupuncture and Chinese herbs.  The goal of treatment would be to improve the strength and flow of vital energy (Qi) within the body and particularly the reproductive system. Certain herbs and acupuncture points are specifically effective for this.

The effectiveness of the treatment is gauged by how the patient feels after and in between treatments, changes in the pulse and tongue (specific to Chinese medicine) and also from biomedical tests such as sperm motility and sperm count.

Because Chinese medicine addresses symptoms within the context of the person and their life, advice is given on lifestyle and diet etc. where necessary.  The advice, where given specifically, dovetails with the Chinese medicine diagnosis.  For example, for some people dairy products are contraindicated because of their tendency to increase the production of mucus in the body.  Therefore where someone already has too much mucus in their system, Chinese medicine will focus on resolving this and the advice will be to support the treatment by reducing the intake or finding an alternative to dairy products.

Treatment works best when patient and practitioner work together rather than as a passive receiving of treatment.  This approach has always been at the heart of Chinese medicine.

As an example, as well as herbs and acupuncture the following is recommended:

Diet:  Eat a balanced, light and clear diet. This should consist of fresh vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains, small amounts of lean meats and seafood.  Avoid eating excessive amounts of fats, sweets and spicy -hot foods. A light diet encourages the flow of Qi and blood in the reproductive system.

Avoid exposing the testes to excessive heat. Normal spermatogenesis requires a slightly cooler temperature than one’s core temperature; natural selection has guaranteed that the testes hang in the scrotum in which the temperature is half a degree lower. Therefore it is advisable for men with infertility to avoid exposing the testes to excessive heat such as hot baths and sitting in the Jacuzzi and also to treat any febrile disease promptly and completely.

Talk: The old saying that it’s good to talk is also true in Chinese medicine; withholding and pent up frustration are both part of a stagnant Qi pattern and talking helps to free the flow of vital energy in the whole body.  This is particularly important when a couple is trying to conceive.  From my experience this is a very stressful time for both people, and couples counselling can be very helpful.

In our clinic we have had good results with increased sperm motility and volume after a course of treatment with herbs and acupuncture when accompanied by diet and lifestyle changes.

Andropause

This is an extremely interesting area of men’s health.  Most men experience a change around about midlife (45-50).  In very general terms there is a slowing down in metabolism - a lessening of physical energy, flexibility, recovery time from illness and in reflexes.  It can for some men also be a vulnerable time when the way they have identified themselves in the first part of their lives starts to change.  The ambition, vigour and high libido, all part of the yang energy of youth, begin to fade.  This is sometimes referred to as a ‘midlife crisis’. 

If the goal is to recapture the vitality of youth then that may not be possible.  If it is to find a satisfying way of being with oneself that incorporates the physiological and emotional changes that are happening, this may be possible.  It is interesting that many poets and artists do some of their most creative work in the second part of their lives.  In Chinese Medicine this stage of life is recognised as the start of wisdom.

In Chinese as well as Western medicine there is a physiological basis for these changes and therefore a link between a physiological change and experience.  Chinese medicine can directly support this change through treatment of the channel system which is a way of supporting and influencing the physiology.

In one of the major passages of the Su Wen (written 2000 years ago) it states “In the fortieth year, kidney yin energy is naturally depleted by half, being depleted by living. In the fiftieth year, the body becomes heavy, and the ears and eyes are no longer sharp. In the sixtieth year, there is yin wilt, Qi (energy) is greatly depleted, there is emptiness below and fullness above.”  From this passage we can see that at forty years old, yin is depleted by half simply as a result of the normal ageing process.

There is also an awareness of the progressive weakening of men’s bodies as they age; this perspective is very useful as it orientates treatment towards specific areas of the meridian and channel system.  As an example, I have noticed in my own practice that many men have lower back and knee problems over the age of forty-five.  Treatment is therefore often focussed on these two areas but also upon the kidney meridian as the underlying declining meridian.   This would be different to treating someone in their twenties with a back problem, where declining kidney energy is not necessarily an issue.

The kidney meridian, as well as being associated physiologically with the lower back, is also associated with willpower and ambition.  In mid life the will gives way to wisdom, so treating the kidneys during this phase of life can help this transition.

In a younger man at a different phase of his life, treatment on the kidneys can strengthen and firm the will and channel it into ambition.  It is therefore within the scope of Chinese medicine to provide a context and a treatment protocol to assist the so-called ‘midlife crisis’.

In mid life I do not see the changes as a failure of the body that needs to be corrected, rather as an evolutionary process with its gifts as well as its losses.  This perspective has important implications in the treatment of men and supports a move away from the predominantly negative stereotypes and clichés associated with ageing.

There is, however, a caveat to the above point that is worth mentioning; Andropause as a Western disease category refers to a collection of endocrinal somatic and psychic changes experienced by men in middle age and beyond.  Mostly it is accepted that these are the normal signs of ageing.  However in some people there are abnormally low levels of testosterone (hypergonadism, testicular failure), in these cases ART androgen replacement therapy is usually given.

Treating men has always been part of Chinese medicine.  Treating specific men’s diseases has until recently been background.  A growing interest in alternative health and fertility, together with more research and translation of Chinese source material has prompted more men to seek help from practitioners such as myself.  I hope I have shown that Chinese medicine offers a highly specialised and effective treatment for many men’s diseases.

Texts referenced:

Principles of Chinese Medical Andrology

Bob Damone

Blue Poppy Press, 2008

(Chinese medicine refers to traditional Chinese herbs and acupuncture)

Biography

Tim Davis practises acupuncture and Chinese herbs in Mumbles, West Glamorgan, South Wales, and has been qualified since 1988.  He has also been in an ongoing men’s group at Spectrum, a centre for humanistic psychology in London, for the last 15 years.

Tim Davies 

For more information visit http://www.acuherbsouthwales.com/ or email info@acuherbsouthwales.com

It lists the 100 things (they say) a man should be able to do. 

I enjoyed counting up how many of these I knew (and could actually do).     

Test yourself.