To say "it occurred to me today" is an out and out lie. The thought actually came from the Senior Detective In Charge Of Me Forgetting Things I Had Posted at Zodiac Lung And Really Should Have Cross Referenced From A Previous Post (that would be Eleanor then...).

So - it should have occurred to me that earlier this year, I prophecised that poetry would somehow drag its carcass kicking and screaming into the mainstream and that this is exactly what happened when I mentioned a few days ago that Stephen King was publishing that very same thing in Playboy this month. I think I need to make this purchase. (Incidentally, this will be the first time I have ever bought Playboy - although I did once buy a copy of Playgirl back in 1989/1990 because it had a great cover feature/interview with David Lee Roth).

I like poetry but in that arena more than any other, it takes a certain level of talent to make it work. A short story written badly is just a badly written short story but a bad poem has the tendency to be equivalent of a fat bloke wearing speedos at the pool. They tend to scream and shout about how wrong they are. I hope King has done a good job on it. More big-ass writers should get involved in poetry and then maybe, one day, it will become a joy to read again rather than something you think you should enjoy simply because it is poetry.

I think it's also coming up to that time of year when I know that any given moment, I'm going to be asked for my top ten albums of the year. It's going to be hard this year - I can't think of ten albums worth a damn this year let alone the best but it's always quite a cool exercise to spend an evening on. Number one is easy - Kiss' Sonic Boom has wiped the floor this year, Madina Lake will be in there somewhere too - possibly at number two which will make them happy. I can't remember if Chinese Democracy came out this year or last. 2009 has been kind of weird to say the least. Anyway, that will appear over at shakenstir.co.uk

Talking of albums, I came by the latest Bon Jovi album last week.

Yet again, I was expecting something more from one of the biggest bands in the world. Maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised that I didn't get it because that's what I was hoping for over the course of the last three studio albums and didn't get either.

I hate to say this - but having seen them live over 20 times, feel I am more than qualified to do so - Bon Jovi have become a one trick pony. Production values aside (which are sky high), The Circle is simply dull. More songs about keeping the faith, living your own way and sticking it to the man... I'm starting to wish Tommy would pull a gun on Gina's mom so there was something else for JBJ to write about.

Jon has gotten himself to that East Coast mentality that Stephen King ran into a few years back. Being self referrential is fine until you start referring to actually being self referrential. A more apt title for this album is surely not available - it's a dreadful thing to say, but it took being hit by a car for King to realise this is what was happening...

The Circle will sell millions and the faithful will not hear a bad word said against the saviour. Sadly, I've reached the point where I'm starting to question my faith.

Anyway, later this month - not that there's much of it left - I'll be taking a look at the best books of 2009 which is going to be really difficult. In the absence of the Big Guns (shame on all of you) it's going to a royal mash-up of titles...

Bring it on.