What does it sound like?: First up, let me say there's no bigger fan of Pink Floyd than me, but even I would have to concede that the period covered by this huge box set isn't … [Read More...]
Musings on the byways of popular culture
Nights In
The Hot Rats Sessions (Hot Rats deluxe) – Frank Zappa
What does it sound like?: "Hot Rats" is probably the most well-known and accessible album in Frank Zappa's oeuvre. Mostly instrumental, he keeps the snorks and annoying … [Read More...]
Be Bop Deluxe – Modern Music
What does it sound like?: The third in Cherry Red's ongoing remaster campaign of the Be Bop Deluxe back catalogue, Modern Music is the band's 4th studio album, first released in … [Read More...]
Dreams to fill the Vacuum: The Sound of Sheffield 1978-88
What does it sound like?: Does a city have a distinctive sound is the central question of this sort of compilation. In the case of Sheffield it’s not a city that produced bands … [Read More...]
Nights Out
Saving Grace with Suzi Dian and Robert Plant
Venue: The Pavilion, Exmouth Date: 09/12/2019 Apparently it went something like this…Exmouth Pavilion had a phone call to say that Robert Plant was looking to put together a … [Read More...]
A Certain Ratio
Venue: Rescue Rooms, Nottingham Date: 07/12/2019 Hopes were high for this. Even navigating my way into central Nottingham in the dark didn't put me off. The Rescue Rooms is round … [Read More...]
Billy Bragg: One Step Forwards, Two Steps Back
Venue: Islington Assembly Hall, London Date: 21/11/2019 'Some artists would be thrown by having an election during their tour - I am not one of those people' proclaims The Bard … [Read More...]
Strangelove – the Depeche Mode experience
Venue: The Tuning Fork, Auckland NZ Date: 26/11/2019 A letter from the future to my 16 year old self would contain some really good, well-meaning advice - but of course, I … [Read More...]
Features
Ask A Certain Ratio
fentonsteve on interviewing A Certain Ratio
I was offered the chance to interview A Certain Ratio when I go to see them play in Nottingham next weekend. Trouble is, I’m not going to get there early enough to conduct an afternoon interview, and I want to catch support band Sink Ya Teeth. So, after racking my brain for questions (which, it turns out, is really quite hard), and crowd-sourcing a few more from the likes of DocVolume, we did it by email.
I played the inquisitive nerdy uber-fan. Guitarist Martin Moscrop (in the hat) and drummer Donald Johnson (in the middle) provided the answers.
Going back right to the start, what was working with Martin Hannett like? Hooky’s and Stephen Morris book suggests he was hard work. Did he make Donald do each drum part separately? Did he try to freeze you out of the control room during mixing? Did someone at the studio really zero the desk and ruin his mix of To Each?
Martin: Everything that needs to has been said about Martin Hannett’s working practices. He liked to instil an element of confusion into the young musicians he was working with and create an atmosphere of tension » Continue Reading.
Films
Parasite
Year: 2019 Director: Bong Joon-Ho Well now. Is it a black comedy? Is it a thriller? Is it a modern parable? All of these, and none of these. If there is one criticism - and it's … [Read More...]
A Night In With The Irishman.
Year: 2019 Director: Martin Scorsese Am I the first to have found the necessary 3 plus hours to devour this prime piece of gorgonzola? Scorsese rounding up his dream team of de … [Read More...]
Spirits in the Forest – a Depeche Mode film by Anton Corbijn
Year: 2019 Director: Anton Corbijn This was a worldwide screening of the film in 750ish cinemas worldwide. This one was in central Auckland, New Zealand - the audience numbered … [Read More...]
Ad Astra
Year: 2019 Director: James Gray Brad Pitt’s interstellar epic has received mostly laudatory reviews, I’m more in two minds about it. Let’s start with the positive shall we, as in … [Read More...]
Reads
The Ballad of Jethro Tull
Author:Mark Blake Jethro Tull have set a high bar with their excellent ongoing program of cd reissues, but this super book has no problem in meeting that standard. Encased in what … [Read More...]
The Age of Anxiety
Author:Pete Townshend Around the time of The Who’s Endless Wire album, Pete Townshend mentioned on his blog that he was working on a project with the working title of Floss, which … [Read More...]
In The Court Of King Crimson – An Observation Over 50 Years
Author:Sid Smith Crimson fans will be familiar with Sid Smith from his excellent sleeve notes for the ongoing series of box sets and reissues of the band’s music. Some may even … [Read More...]
I’ll Be Your Mirror:The Collected Lyrics
Author:Lou Reed This time last year, I reviewed Kate Bush's book of selected lyrics, a slender volume. By contrast, this book of Lou Reed's work is a real doorstop of well over … [Read More...]
Games
Game help!
Platform:XBox, PC/Mac Age Rating:3+ Year of Release:2019 Review:I'm in need of a new game or two. This year I have played - 1 PUBG - I like it generally but I feel that I'm up … [Read More...]
Nier 2: Automata
Platform:Playstation Age Rating:16+ Year of Release:1949 Review:This batshit crazy Japanese manga-esque RPG explore-and-destroyer has been a game that’s broken through into the … [Read More...]
Noticeboard
Cool posters
This just popped up on Faceberk. I have no affiliation with them, but thought some here would like them. The cutaway diagram of the Vox AC 30 is great. Especially good with a … [Read More...]
Food bank Christmas donations
A kind person on Twitter @HollieAnneB is arranging gifts for those attending a Chrustmas lunch for those in need st her l8cal food bank So if you want to make someone Christmas a … [Read More...]
The Afterword “Spiral” discussion (episodes 9 and 12) – for the final time, a spoiler warning. Enough spoilers to ruin all the Camembert produced in France
Delayed, because I didn't see episodes 11 and 12 until Tuesday, here's the bumper four episode edition. It's quite long, so settle down with a decent glass of red and read on … [Read More...]
Tape Runs Out – Talking Through The Walls
15/11/2019 Since I recorded prog-folk seven-piece Tape Runs Out at the Mill over the Easter holidays they have signed to a local label (Kuang Grade Recordings) and recorded … [Read More...]
Kyle D Evans – Pop Song’s for Pedant’s
09/12/2019 "The one-man venn diagram intersection of maths, pop and comedy returns. In the follow-up to his award-winning debut BORN TO SUM (Best Stand-up, Swindon Fringe 2018) … [Read More...]
Re-Play Papworth – Prince and the Revolution
24/11/2019 Purple Rain, Parade and Sign o' the Times played from first pressing vinyl on a top-flight hi-fi in the Courtyard Café, Papworth Everard. Home-roasted coffee, … [Read More...]
