The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

Menu

The Freewheelin’ Mitch Benn

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 13 Comments

Fans of Bob Dylan and music in general might like this show from earlier today on Radio 4, where musician/satirist Mitch Benn spends half an hour discussing Bob’s effect on songwriting, singing and being a Rock Star. It’s very funny, entertaining, and edumakational – what more do you want? Next week he does a similar thing for Bowie called Mitch Benn and the Fat Pink Duke.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b066w57q

Self-imposed musical overload

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 48 Comments

At yesterday’s boot sale I bought around ten LPs, a similar number to last week’s one, and I dare say the one the week before. Also at the weekend the AW’s lovely Carolina furnished me with 3 wonderful CDRs of new music (Kacy Musgraves, The Innocent Mission, C Duncan – thanks C!). I’ve been playing the brand new Frank Turner LP to death today and the deluxe Autorip of it since Friday. And there’s probably a ton of other stuff from the last couple of weeks that I can’t think of right now. All this, and I’m really supposed to be listening to Dylan’s Real Live album for the next bit of a blog thing. It’s not like I’m short of tunes. So, I ask myself, why the heck did I just 2 hours ago order the 2CD remastered Sticky Fingers? Are you all similarly afflicted?* If no more, how old were you before this madness tailed off?

*not you Locust, we know about you 🙂

Fab songs from artists that went to sh*t in the 80s.

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 144 Comments

Bamber’s thread on artists losing it made me think of all the greats of the 1960s and 70s who turned to shit in the 80s, mainly due to running out of songs and/or try and failing to adapt to new technologies and fashions. From Elton to Clapton, Rodders to poor old Bob, the list is huge, but there must be a few gems in their output from this decade. But what are they?

My pick is from Diana Ross’ patchy 1985 album Eaten Alive, wot I got at a car boot yesterday. It’s actually not that bad thanks to Bee Gees Inc., but far and away the best is the UK chart-topping Chain Reaction, which surprisingly tanked in the US, and unsurprisingly went to no. 1 in the Gibb brothers’ homeland.

What’s yours?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaYHRx9-v2M

HP Saucecraft’s “I Love Pussy – Songs About Cats” Thread

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 147 Comments

In a private email, HP Saucy confessed to me that although he has a great fondness for dogs (particularly as an accompaniment to noodles), what he’d really like to see is a thread of songs with a tenuous connection to felines. Bless. He’s a bit shy about expressing his deep love of pussy (and indeed his love of deep…sniiiip….(that’s enough! Ed.), and asked me to kick things off instead. Please do join in, everyone, and make the old boy happy.

Here’s David.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWX_MFNOL_Y

New 2048 tile game: the Bob Dylan Album Covers Edition

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 30 Comments

I got too good at the Beatles tile game (hastened by the sinking of the old site) so I’ve made a new version using Dylan album covers. I had to choose just 11 images, so it goes up to 1970. I know it’s something several of us here like to play in a spare few minutes (paging @tiggerlion ), so I hope you enjoy it. First one to get to the end can brag here.

http://community.usvsth3m.com/2048/bob-dylan-album-covers-edition/

Album merchandise inserts

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 6 Comments

Today on Twitter someone shared one of their vinyl bargains with me (Hounds Of Love, £2, fab). It came with a leaflet advertising merchandise available by mail order, including a Hounds Of Love t-shirt, sweatshirt and ‘art prints’ which were really just photos of Kate in a variety of super poses. This reminded me of a spiffing insert in a Bee Gees LP I bought earlier this year, plus a merch leaflet in my old copy of S’Express’ debut album from 1989.

As you might be able to see, the 14 year old me hopefully filled in the order form for an S’Express hoodie, but never got the funds together to actually get it. God knows why I selected x-large; I was 7 stone at that age (*sighs*) and although baggy was in, it would have been tent-like. Anyway, what merchandise leaflets, or indeed other interesting inserts reside in your record collections? And did you ever actually buy anything?

Spotify player not working?

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 8 Comments

I don’t seem to able to embed a Spotify player to a blog post anymore. When I right-click on an album or playlist I get the options to copy a link or a URI, but no code for a widget. Is this a new thing or is something wrong? Ta xx

Empire

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 5 Comments

Holy heck, Gladys Knight just popped up in Ep. 3 of Empire! Has anyone seen this corking series on E4 yet? It’s like the hip-hop Nashville.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLSVU2kf098

Paul Heaton tunes

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 60 Comments

It’s Housemartin/Beautiful South-er Paul Heaton’s birthday today. He’s a man who knows his way around a melody. I was listening to The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death last night; as I’ve mentioned before it was the first album I bought that wasn’t a Now! compilation ( I must have been 12 or 13 and used good old Record Tokens). Anyway, aside from the fab lyrics and bouncy playing, it’s a record of wall-to-wall TUNES. What’s your favourite Heaton-penned song?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qd1cozcCK8

BobBox price drop alert (paging Rigid Digit)

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 21 Comments

I’ve been keeping an eye on the fluctuating price of the Dylan Complete Album Collection, and it’s dropped on a certain popular website from £143.32 on Monday to a much more favourable £101.57. If you’ve been humming and haa-ing over it, or just need cheering up after last night’s debacle, you might want to grab it before it shoots up again. I’m looking at you in particualr @rigid-digit !

Rock equations

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 55 Comments

Based on the rather wibbly equation below (sorry, I’m new to Paint), whose music might I be listening to at the moment? Also, please feel free to come up with your own stupid Rock Equations.

Classic Rock Mag – Vinyl Issue

Profile photo of minibreakfast by 11 Comments

Some of you might like to know that the newest (May, no.209) issue of Classic Rock magazine is a ‘vinyl special’, with page after page of yummy goodness such as side-long songs, fancy-schmancy packaging, doubles and triples, cover art, classic opening/closing tracks, picture discs, modern classics, turntables, bootlegs etc. etc. and even a charity shop challenge. It’s a bit ‘listy’, but perfect for an, erm, listless bank holiday weekend. Plus there are articles on Vinegar Joe, The Pretty Things and some geezer called Peter Hammill and all the usual reviews, etc. (I don’t work for Classic Rock, just thought some here might like to get it while it’s still out). Mwah xxx