Welcome back my friends to the thread that never ends. I hope you all had fun with the festivities, and that if any of you are taking on Dry January or Veganuary that you enjoy the challenge and the different perspective from the process.
So, please help yourself to a handful from the tin of Quality Street and tell us all what you have been reading, watching and listening to.
dkhbrit says
I’m finally going to give a shout out to ‘Travels By Narrowboat’. Been watching the latest season on YouTube over the last couple of weeks. Basic premise – it’s all done by a chap called Kevin Shelley who decided 5 years ago to sell everything and buy a canal barge and live/cruise on it. That’s it. We’ve become totally hooked. Nothing much happens but it’s absorbing and serene and Kevin seems like a decent all round bloke. First 6 seasons are only on Prime but I think 7 and 8 are on YouTube exclusively.
We’ve been watching a lot of festive telly the last few weeks so have a bit to catch up on. For whatever reason we watched the 1st episode of The Masked Singer last night. Good grief it’s toe curling at times but we’ll be watching the rest of them now. It’s really a very good format.
I’m still into the Alastair Campbell diaries. I only read for a few minutes each night before sleeping so it takes a while to get through them. Currently in mid 2002. Blair thinking about life after being PM and Gordon Brown waiting (impatiently) in the wings. The whole Iraq thing about to happen.
Cookieboy says
I went to Japan, I made my bookings the day after they announced the resumption of travel there. More than once I thought I may have been a bit hasty as it was more difficult than it needed to be.
Clearing customs took over two hours due to the copious and utterly baffling covid procedures. I honestly had no idea what I was doing or why, “Line up, sit down, follow me, sit down, line up, follow me, sit down, line up.” According to their Government to facilitate entry you need to have proof of three covid injections which I had and carried in my hand the entire time I was at the airport and no one even looked at it. I honestly have no idea what was going on and neither did any of the other passengers.
If we had a thread recommending travel experiences for our fellow afterworders I would say go record hunting in Tokyo. You’ll shop like it’s 1999, it’s as though streaming never happened. The stores are fantastic and I scooted around all the ones I knew of, just the major ones such as Disc Union, HMV and Tower Records. At times the shops were packed so business is still good.
Another highlight was shopping in a second hand chain store called “Hard Off” The name alone made me want to buy something. Inside their “Junk” room I snared a 32GB ipod for $30 Aust (about 15 GBP) When I took it to the counter the fella said two words to me, “Too old” which I took to be an explanation as to why it was in the junk room rather than a reference to the person buying it. The first thing I did when I got home was load up on itunes the dozens of cds I purchased on the trip (1402 songs) and I have been playing it ever since when I am out and about and it works perfectly.
Unlike the other ipod I got from a different Hard Off junk room $10 aud. The fella this time said two things to me, “Battery no good” followed swiftly by, “No refunds.” No matter how long I put it on charge it turns off immediately when disconnected so it really is junk.
Tokyo was the last place I went to pre-covid and while I was there in 2019 I was travelling around and saw half a dozen bullet trains lined up side by side in a yard and they looked astonishing. The technology is almost as old as I am and they still seem to be from the future. After the briefest of glances I thought, “I am going to go on one of those one day.” I was finally able to fulfil that promise to myself.
I went from Tokyo to Osaka. It took two and a half hours to go 500 k’s. In case you’re wondering it was nothing like the Brad Pitt movie.
No one asked me for a ticket the entire time we were onboard. A few times the conductor walked through the carriage with his eyes glued to an ipad, I presume that told him what seats were meant to be occupied. When he reached the door he turned and bowed to us. A younger bloke did it once and he gave us the barest of nods. He was the one I identified with, just like me he wasn’t rebellious enough to refuse to do something but was rebellious enough to deliberately do a half-arsed job with minimum effort.
My adventures continued until the very end. On the plane home I sat next to a very sweet, very old Chinese woman who spoke English with a very soft voice and a very thick accent. We were on Thai Air and the stewardess could not understand a word she said so I spent the whole trip translating between them, opening bottles, retrieving meal trays, returning meal trays. Pulling out TV’s, putting TV’s back. When we landed she was telling me what an angel I was when we stood up to disembark. I reached into the overhead locker for her carry-on bag and handed it to her. She was thanking me for that when I grabbed my bag from the overhead. As it was loaded with cds it weighed a ton and slipped from my hand and I dropped it onto her skull.
Foxnose says
I want to know what happened next 😉
Chrisf says
We went to Osaka / Kyoto in November and it was a breeze getting through customs. On arrival at Osaka airport we had to fill in an online form on our phones (and the staff were very very helpful on what to do) which generated a QR code which was subsequently checked along with our vaccination certificates (again on the phone) further down the line. It probably only took an extra 10-15 mins to normal passage. Maybe it was just that Osaka was much quieter than Narita.
The only issue was the queue for security when flying back – which looked more like a staffing issue. We were advised to go through immediately after check in.
deramdaze says
Let me get this right.
Japan have record shops, very successful record shops, that sell loads of music on a format which the vast majority of people can play on devices at home… CD?
Who knew?
paulwright says
Listening to: the Spotify list of last year’s albums – I think I’ll make one as I go along this year. Finally migrating away from Itunes? Not really because I’m listening to the 5 free SAULT albums. 4 down and they are really very good. As are the free Ryan Adams albums. My daughter give me a Spotify playlist as part of Christmas, which is interesting. Of course there are lots of best selling artists on there that I have never heard of. Son gave me a turntable, so some old favourites are going to be dug up.
Read: I’ve still got the birthday books to finish, and now Disnaeland and Soccer and the State have been added to the pile. So of course, I have been reading Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips Reckless and Lawless graphic novels that I got cheap on Humble Bundle. Really good noir. Makes me want to buy the rest.
Watched: wife and I inhaled Slow Horses (she is now off and running with the audio books). Modern Smiley. Also saw Avatar 2, which has been described as a Maoist insurrection story. IF you want to watch it, go 3D and the biggest possible screen. I am sure a good hour could have been cut out, but it doesnt actually drag. Bet it looks pants on a phone screen.
dai says
Friday already? Must have slept through Thursday.
Basically going to see lots of movies, saw my favourite film of all time in the cinema, The Apartment just before Christmas with my daughter seeing it for first time, a memorable occasion. Also took in The Fabelmans and Empire of Light, both flawed movies with sensational lead female performances (Michelle Williams and Olivia Colman). Also enjoyed Glass Onion on the one day it was shown here in movie theatres, another non perfect movie but entertaining. Best of the lot was The Banshees of Inisherin, best ensemble acting I have seen in many years.
See if I can keep up seeing at least one movie a week in the cinema thing for a while
Gary says
I watched Good Luck to You, Leo Grande. Emma Thompson plays a 60ish-year-old woman who has only ever had perfunctory sex with her husband, now deceased. She nervously decides to explore hanky-panky a bit while she still can and so hires a young male escort. Thompson gives a brave performance (full frontal nudity, no flattering make up) executed perfectly. Course it’s all about the worthy message that older women should feel free in their sexuality and at peace with the natural beauty of their bodies. All well and good and to be applauded, but it’s Thompson’s performance and the script’s humour that make it worthwhile seeing.
dai says
Necrophilia? Wow, that’s bold 😉
seanioio says
I always find it tough to get through much in December & 2022 was no exception…
Read
I needed to get through 3 books in December to hit my 2022 target of 52 & due to being busy it was a close call. I did the last 10 pages of my 3rd book at 11p.m. on the 31st! Luckily it was a quiet night in so I could do so.
First up was My Bass & Other Animals by Guy Pratt which I loved. This may get me kicked off the site, but I am not a fan of Pink Floyd, but I have been loving the Rockonteurs podcast with Gary Kemp so really enjoyed it. Next was About A Son by David Whitehouse which is a book about the real life murder of a young man & the impact on the family. It is based on diaries kept by his Dad & was a really difficult, but important read.
Last up, which seemed to take an age was The People’s Game by Gary Neville. I read a few football books last month & decided to give this a go. I know he seems to rub people up the wrong way, but I found this to be a thoughtful piece & a great take on the state of the game & what needs to be done to fix it.
Heard
In preparation for them winning the coveted album of the year 2022 on this fine site, I have been on a strict diet of Half Man Half Biscuit. This latest album is really something & as mentioned elsewhere, the track Slipping The Escort is breath takingly good.
Here is my own personal best of if anyone wants an introduction:
Seen
On the gig front I got to see Nation of Language @ Gorilla, Manchester & Rod Stewart @ Manchester Arena in December. NoL were good, but not as good as when we saw them at Yes earlier this year. Big New Order vibes from them & well worth checking out if that is your thing.
After seeing a lot of the biggies (Dylan, Macca, Cohen, Bruce, Stones, Stevie etc.), I’ve always felt that Rod needed adding. I didn’t have the highest of expectations but I thought he was excellent. Superb setlist & his voice (after 3 songs to warm up) was better than most, particularly on his cover of I’d Rather Go Blind.
From a film/TV point, I took the children to see the new musical version of Matilda which they (& I) loved. Great songs & they have done a brilliant job of it. The soundtrack has been on repeat in December & as someone who would not class myself as a musical fan, I have been joining in with the singing!
The Bear on Disney+ got a lot of love in the end of year polls so this was watched over Christmas. I enjoyed it, but I saw a review of it that called it ‘Mad Men in a Kitchen’ It was definitely not that good, but it was watchable.
Christmas specials of Detectorists & Two Doors Down were both excellent. The performance of Elaine C Smith in the latter was excellent & had me sobbing.
Here’s to a great 2023 to everyone. I can’t wait to see what comes up in the monthly recommendations
Junglejim says
I concur on the HMHB front, that is a tremendous album- another favourite track for me being ‘Awkward Sean’ which is peppered with fabulous lines & is up there with anything they’ve done.
I couldn’t help but be chuffed by the absolute proof that they still ‘keep it real’ because the T shirt (of ‘The Volteral Years’) I bought at my last gig of theirs was sold to me by a chap featured on said T Shirt – he was helping out for a few mins whilst another fellow ran an errand.
Nick L says
Damn, I forgot to put the HMHB album in my post below but yep, it’s great.
Milkybarnick says
We all went to see the film version of Matilda yesterday. It’s superb. There must’ve been some dust blown into the cinema during “When I Grow Up” though…
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Ah, we thought it was a bit formulaic. Maybe we gotten too old?
Nick L says
Seen
Christmas specials of Motherland and The Detectorists…always preferred the latter although the former has its moments too. Both very enjoyable without hitting some of their previous heights.
Mayflies, adapted from Andrew O’Hagan’s book, was a tough watch at times, but well acted and with a terrific early eighties soundtrack. Look it up on Spotify. I enjoyed the book a lot more but this was still excellent. I thought this had some of the best portrayals of youth in the early eighties that I’ve seen on TV or film as it has long been a bugbear that media just sees this period as being only new romantic/Duran/Culture Club etc. It bloody well wasn’t…
Heard
David Callahan “English Primitive II” which is a stark, wintry indie-folk offering from The Wolfhounds frontman. Great, almost state of the nation type stuff which seemed great for the cold time of year, even though it definitely isn’t a Xmas album.
The Guy Hamper Trio “All The Poisons In The Mind” a collaboration between Medway men Billy Childish and James Taylor (he of the Hammond organ and the Quartet, not the Laurel Canyon type.) This is almost an imaginary soundtrack to the type of sixties film involving cool young things jumping in and out of sports cars and zipping around Soho and Piccadilly. Raw and great.
In a very different vein, Autoleisureland’s “Infiniti Drive” is an album by ex Kane Gang personnel David Brewis and Paul Woods. I’ve only just found out about this in the last few days and as I will always have time for Kane Gang alumni efforts it’s an enjoyable and perhaps unsurprisingly very eighties sounding collaboration. I imagine The Afterword’s eighties fans (quite a few of us) might find lots to enjoy here.
Read
Finished “The BBC, A People’s History” by David Hendy. Started off in real depth, very good on the origins and history of the early days but I felt it became a little rushed towards the end. Still enjoyed it though.
Ted Kessler’s “My Old Man-Tales of Our Fathers” is a collection of mostly well known folks recollections about their Dads. Touching, infuriating and baffling in equal measure, this was a very thought provoking book that inevitably made you think about your relationship with your own Dad.
Tiggerlion says
My typing fingers are tired but I have to drop in to say I saw the first episode of the new ‘season’ of Happy Valley. Fucking brilliant!!!
Tiggerlion says
Another great episode. Best line: “you don’t draw a cock and balls like that.” The story didn’t move on a great deal but I’m happy to luxuriate in the company of these characters for an hour, even if they do nothing.
Roll on next week.
Rigid Digit says
Enjoying it too. That line delivered with just the right level of exasperation.
seanioio says
haha, yes that was brilliant last night. Superbly delivered line & had me in stitches.
It’s the one show that me & my partner both count down too. Last night I was folding some washing at 8:59 (it’s a full blown rock & roll lifestyle I lead!) & usually we would pause the TV & get it finished. Last night it was left half done as the idea of being delayed by even a few minutes is too much to bear. It’s not often i am like this about TV but Happy Valley is something special. Siobhan Finnerhan & Sarah Lancashire together are wonderful.
There was just one bit in the first series that nearly spoilt it for me though. It’s charm is that despite everything it is somehow believable & pretty much flawless. However, in the first series they drive into Hebden Bridge & just park up. As a regular visitor I know that this is pretty much impossible, parking in HB is a mare!… (I am joking that this nearly spoiled it of course) 🙂
salwarpe says
Quite a small H(eptonsta)ll to die on…
Rigid Digit says
An idle thought – the actor who plays Faisal the pharmacist. A shoo in if they ever make a Rishi Sunak biopic
Baron Harkonnen says
Why is he a Twat? 🤣🥸😂
Bingo Little says
Seen:
Trips to the cinema for It’s A Wonderful Life (majestic), Die Hard (also majestic), Home Alone 1 and 2 (seminal), To Live and Die In LA (had never seen it before, very good), Violent Night (tremendous fun, saw us into the Xmas break nicely, although I noted, per the recent trailer mis-selling thread, that at no point did David Harbour utter the words “season’s beatings”, as had been promised).
Didn’t catch an awful lot of festive TV for one reason or another. Motherland Xmas special was pretty good, but with the growing suspicion that they’re running out of steam and aren’t really sure what to do with a couple of the characters (see: the hat storyline – wut?).
Did manage to watch a few classic movies on the box (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, ET, Ghostbusters) – all well known and loved, so couldn’t go far wrong.
Watched Mayflies without having read the book. It was nakedly emotionally manipulative, but I couldn’t really get past the thought that “Tully” was Lenny from This Life all grown up, or the sense that if you actually knew a human being who acted like this all the time, he would be exhausting and tiresome. Also that well worn sensation of being told “we were the nerds, the misunderstood outsiders”, by a group of people who look suspiciously like the cool kids: at that age I would have killed for a gang of leather jacket wearing free thinkers to quote movies with and with whom to vanish off to exotic gigs.
Started Bad Sisters. Very good so far.
Heard:
Loads and loads of Christmas music. The new Skrillex (Rumble), which is ace. The three Fred Again albums while doing a load of running. A bunch of end of year best of playlists composed by mates – love that whole ritual.
Read:
Dying of Politeness – Geena Davis
Big fan of La Davis’ 80s/90s heyday. She brought a weird presence to movies that somehow combined intense feminine glamour, something of the masculine and a sense that she was probably a bit of an odd fish. The autobiog rather confirms the latter (in her own view, at least). Ultimately, it’s like a lot of these books in that it’s fairly self-serving, but there are fun anecdotes around dating Jeff Goldblum, making some well-loved movies (The Fly, A League Of Their Own), a few that didn’t work out (Cutthroat Island – although I still dig it), and wangling her way onto the US Olympic archery team.
Heartburn – Nora Ephron
No idea why I’d taken so long to get round to this, as I’ve read several of Ephron’s other books. It’s great – full of pith and insight, but all worn very lightly indeed, as ever. Will probably go back to it at some stage.
Things I Don’t Want To Know – Deborah Levy
Enjoyed it, but unfortunately found myself reading it during the most hectic bit of the run in to Xmas, so it washed over me a little. Might have to go back and re-read as I’ve enjoyed her other stuff but this one didn’t really leave a mark.
Lucid – Lucy Holden
Interesting autobiog by a millennial journalist. Odd combination of that hideous tendency of columnists to attempt to take their own anecdotal experience and blow it out to social trend, and then some very close to the bone stuff about various legitimately hideous stuff she’s lived through. Ultimately, it’s a relatively familiar story: bright eyed young thing moves to the big city, is drawn to the fast life, enjoys it all in terribly glamorous fashion before hitting various bumps in the road (some far more awful than others) and gaining wisdom of a sort. I would recommend it though: I think Holden writes well and the last third is gripping and very honest indeed.
Dice Men – Ian Livingstone
An account of the career of one of the founders of two institutions close to my nerdy heart: Games Workshop and the Fighting Fantasy books. Pretty light going, but lots of happy memories, photos of early Games Workshop offerings and various hairy men doing hairy man things. Great nostalgia trip.
The Story of Russia – Orlando Figes
Thought this was really excellent. I’ve read a couple of other histories of Russia, but this one was pleasingly concise and filtered it all through the lens of understanding contemporary Putinism. The chapters on the Mongol invasion/the Golden Horde are particularly good – always such an interesting subject, and I liked the way Figes traces certain aspects of the Russian national psyche back to those events. In a similar vein, I also got through half of Frank Dikotter’s “The Cultural Revolution”, which lacks some of the elan of the Figes, but is interesting nonetheless.
On A Sunbeam – Tilly Walden
Utterly fabulous graphic novel. Crews of female astronauts traversing (beautifully sketched) interstellar journeys in ships that look like giant space whales. High school angst. Teenage love. Arguments about pronouns. Bloody revenge. Deep yearning. It has the lot, it’s gorgeous to look at and it’s a great example of what comics does well as a form: one individual’s singular vision, brilliantly realised. Would recommend.
AOB:
Quite a lot of karaoke (Macy Gray’s “I Try” the big winner there), not all of it initiated by me. Early stages of training for a really stupid athletic event I agreed to do with someone at a wedding and which is outside my usual wheelhouse. Many festive parties, and that now familiar sense of being utterly exhausted and in need of a long lie down by Boxing Day. Lots of lying down with books and food in the run up to New Year’s Eve, which was spent at a neighbour’s house until the wee small hours. Recharged and ready to go again in January.
robert says
Tillie Walden is an absolute genius. You are so right, Bingo. Thanks for giving her a mention.
Bingo Little says
🙌🙌🙌
Rigid Digit says
Heard:
* After much listening in December, I would now place Marillion – An Hour Before It’s Dark In My Top 10 if I were to do it now…………..
Never really impressed by Steve Hogarth-era, but this one is something a bit good.
* Helen Love – This Is My World. Punky-Bubblegum-Pop from South Wales. Amusing and moving in equal measure
* The Specials, leading to a week of wall-to-wall 2Tone and Ska
* Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous (see Review in Nights In)
Read:
* History of Top Of The Pops – second-hand copy wioth several pictures of Saville, Lee Travis, and Rolf Harris.
The text is heavy on the interviews with Jimmy Saville, and his words close the book too.
Doubt it’s available anymore.
* Shirt Tales – The Lost World Of Football Kits
* Panini Football Stickers – A Celebration
* Started on Bono – Surrender. Slow going so far, I’m sure it will pick up
Seen:
* I watched Strike, and then realised I hadn’t actually seen any of the others (hello iPlayer)
* The Bay (on ITVx)
* Richard Branson documentary on SkyDocs (4 parts)
paulwright says
I watched and enjoyed the latest Strike too, but thought the ending was rushed and it helped to have read the book.
thecheshirecat says
After the cultural hyperactivity of November, December was mostly carols, though I too am prompted to trawl back through others’ Best of 2022 recommendations.
Brucefield says
I still lurk on here. No-one ever seemed interested on my postings here, which is probably fair, so I stopped, but having been to a gig for the first time since pre-pandemic I thought that I’d report that.
I went to a gig. A mate dragged me out because he had a spare ticket to The Cure in Glasgow, so after 30 months of isolating (and we still got Covid in September – thanks, Morrisons delivery guy), and very good it was too. If you were the other guy on the floor of the Hydro wearing a mask – HI! It was absolutely great: I’d seen them a few times over the years, but Dave was doing a bucket list gig, so it was a pleasant surprise for him. I still think that it’s wonderful how Robert Smith seems to hate the idea of touring but LOVES playing live.
In December, we also went to see Dad (88) in the Lake District, and Mother-in-law (83) in the Outer Hebrides, and amusingly seem to have dodged a recurrence of Covid in spite of the buses, trains, airports and planes.
Still enjoying listening to Radio Paradise https://radioparadise.com/home pretty much full time, which is responsible for me buying lots of cheap CDs.
Baron Harkonnen says
A very interesting post @Brucefield!💥🥸💥
Colin H says
Yes – keep the faith, Brucemeister!
Blue Boy says
Don’t take any lack of responses to mean people aren’t interested. Well, that’s what I keep telling myself anyway.
Nick L says
I don’t get that many responses to much that I post these days but I still enjoy doing my occasional contributions. To paraphrase many eighties and nineties indie also rans in the NME, I write for myself and if anyone else likes it, it’s a bonus… 😉
Moose the Mooche says
Yeah, but there’s always been a dance element to your posts 😉
Nick L says
Well you never know Moose, one day there might be!
Jaygee says
You got COVID from the Morrison’s delivery guy?
Serves you right from buying Your CDs from dodgy Vans*
*hope it wasn’t too serious
Moose the Mooche says
….and they have the nerve to say he didn’t sign those albums! What more proof do you need?
SteveT says
Strange you can pinpoint getting Covid to one person on one day.
I consider myself lucky to have mingled extensively since the end of lockdown on a regular basis in concert halls, cinemas, on planes in restaurants and even in Morrisons and have managed to escape the dreaded Rona. Long may that continue to be that the case.
Never seen the Cure live but they are a band I would live to see.
Cheers
Steve
Lodestone of Wrongness says
If you’re still being careful re Covid (for whatever reason) and not socialising much it is quite easy to determine where you caught it. Ten days after our fifth jab we went to the village hall for the Christmas Fair. Lots of people, very stuffy, no air circulation. Two days later, bang. For us both it was worse than your flu for three days then feeling weak and low for another ten days. Mask-wearing down here is restricted to the very vulnerable and whilst there is no way anybody would accept another lockdown, catching Covid is still a bugger
Diddley Farquar says
Yes that’s true but if you have to work in an office and get out and about for various other reasons then almost inevitably you catch it and there’s not much you can do about it beyond vaccines since restrictions are not so effective with current variants. Practically everyone I know has had it. We got it last summer after a trip to the UK. You may as well accept it will get you in order to get on with life. You can’t really stop it. Mostly those who have had it that I know of had something not much worse than a cold. Certainly not as bad as any flu I’ve had in the past.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Not saying anything much different to you except that the people in this particular corner of France who caught Covid recently( most admittedly well into retirement age) have had a worse than flu experience. By the sound of it, SteveT has either had Covid and not noticed it or is one of the lucky souls who have built-in immunity. I can only assume if we hadn’t had all our jabs things would have been a lot worse. To sum up, we have to accept Covid is here to stay but Life Most Go On. Be careful out there everyone.
fentonsteve says
And some of us – the half-a-million or so with a suppressed immune system – just have to have a booster jab and keep out of everyone else’s way for their own good because a Covid infection will be very much “worse than a cold”. We have to look after ourselves because no other f***er gives a toss about us.
On behalf of me and the other 499,999 like me, please wear a mask indoors.
Moose the Mooche says
Stop harshing everyone’s mellow and get out there and catch a fatal disease, you big wuss.
Razor Boy says
The FPO (Fun Prevention Officer) works in a major hospice and all around her , staff wise, patient wise, have succumbed to the dreaded ‘Rona. I have been to gigs, watched the (Top of the Prem ) Glorious Gunners, shopped all over the shop and both of us have dodged the bullet. How, why , I have no idea as all around us have had it.
I hope it continues that we remain golden, cos at this point I am thinking I’m a gonner (as well as Gooner) if I get it.
Gatz says
Watched loads of television (how is that The World’s Strongest Man is unmissable during twixtmas when it would be unendurable at any other time of year?), went to the cinema to see Elf and The Muppets’ Christmas Carol, and saw many, many festive comedy specials (I took a much less charitable view of the deeply disappointing Detectorists than many).
I bought the latest volume in Shaun Bythells bookshop diaries The Reminders of the Day in the sales and as usual was glad to spend an hour or so each day in the company of a grumpy Scottish second hand bookshop owner and his minutiae. I was slightly surprised to realise from references to the Brexit referendum that the newest volume is only up to 2016.
For a short budget trip to Krakow I looked out my old e-reader to save luggage weight, and on discovering that it wouldn’t sync with my computer any more decided to plunge into Ulysses because it was already on there. Well I never. I know for certain that I’m only getting a fraction of the depth of the book and missing out on the Homeric references, but I never realised that it is so alive and readable. I’ve never read a book which describes so stunningly accurately the sheer sensation of being and thinking as you go about your day. I read about a quarter of it on the trip and will return to it on the flight to Prague next week.
Went to Krakow. It’s lovely.
hubert rawlinson says
Interesting month!
Birthday month so took a trip to Amsterdam which meant I missed a Plainsong gig (Iain Matthews and Andy Roberts) as I couldn’t change the date. Bugger.
Wanted to enjoy a medieval Christmas with the York Waits but had to go to London so saw Hank Wangford at the Half Moon Putney instead. Back home for a local band’s (Birds and Beasts) last gig in their present format.
Went down with the lurgy for the second time over Christmas so that was a wipeout.
Not much else.
mikethep says
@hubert-rawlinson How’s Hank holding up?
hubert rawlinson says
@mikethep Not bad for 83, (not quite the oldest artist I’ve seen but we’ll on the way). He had that cold so was a bit croaky but was on top form, Ernest Tubb’s I’m Trimming my Christmas Tree with Teardrops and finishing with Slim Gaillard ‘s Chicken Rythym (an excellent song when you want people to leave.
Mike_H says
Last time I saw Hank it was at the Half Moon before the lockdown. He’d not long before had a hip replacement (or something quite similar) and was not very mobile. Struggling a bit getting on and off stage. Still did a really good show.
If it was the full Lost Cowboys band you saw then there’d be BJ Cole on pedal steel and either Martin Belmont or Andy Roberts (as Brad Breath) on guitar plus Anna (Spanner) Robinson on vocals/guitar and Kevin Foster on bass/vocals.
Not the oldest person I’ve seen onstage. That honour goes to Marshall Allen of the Sun Ra Arkestra. 93 years of age when I saw them. I think he’s 98 now. He’s still performing.
mikethep says
He’s dodged a few bullets over the past year or two, so it’s good to know he’s still doing what he does best.
hubert rawlinson says
It was the Lost Cowboys though Anna was ill. Martin Belmont was looking frail.
Mickey Rooney was 87 when I saw him.
Moose the Mooche says
Respectfully, hasn’t Hank Wangford always been 83?
PS Alexis Korner played Chicken Rhythm and said it was “an early punk rock record”🤭
Timbar says
I’ve got a lot of time for Hank Wangford – though I’ve never seen him live.
Back in 87, when his “a-z of c&w” was on channel 4, I saw him in Portobello Road with a random bunch of people around him, enthusing about country music.
Blue Boy says
Seen
Revisited a few old movies including the magnificent The Apartment, which is just astonishingly good. And made a first visit of the year to an actual cinema to see Corsage which was beautiful and quietly enjoyable.
Heard
Lots of favourite Christmas records – Tracey Thorn, Low, Bella Hardy, Annie Lennox, Louis Armstrong et al. And still playing the best of 2022 – if I was to review my list I reckon Courtney Marie Andrews would move higher; I think I underestimated the quality of the songs.
Read
Finally finished the McCartney two volume book which I got for Christmas last year, and which I’d been dipping into at regular intervals, taking the time to listen properly to the songs. Not many deep insights, but it’s an engaging read, beaitiful to look at, and, of course, the music is peerless. It means I can now move seamlessly on to this years present, the Bob Dylan book.
dai says
See above. I saw The Apartment too but in a cinema. Wonderful! I also got the Dylan book for Christmas and I also need to read the McCartney lyrics one, had it for a year
Moose the Mooche says
Spoiler alert: Picasso doesn’t make it
Blue Boy says
How great to see it in the cinema! It’s such a beautifully designed film – almost every shot begs to be freeze framed.
dai says
And a perfect script
Colin H says
READING: Currently reading the latest Christopher Fowler Bryant & May mystery ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’ – a page-turner, perhaps his best yet (though it’s all completely mad). Before that, the latest of the great Jim Eldridge’s WW2 London hotel mysteries was a winner. Looking forward to reading two of the rarest Freeman Wills Crofts (‘master of the humdrum mystery’) books, recently reprinted by HarperCollins in their ongoing FWC series but essentially unavailable since the 1950s – and very pricy second-hand.
LISTENING: Anthony Toner’s new (double) album ‘The Book of Absolution’ is a masterpiece – I’ve reviewed it elsewhere on the AW. I’ve caught up very recently with two releases from 2020 that I’d missed: enigmatic veteran Lancashire folk personality Andrew Cronshaw’s sublime, atmospheric instrumental album ‘Zithers’; and Yorkshire lass Katie Spencer’s short but exquisite mini-album ‘Live at Acoustic Roots’ – 18 minutes of magic, beautifully recorded, perfect selection of five songs – a fiver from her Bandcamp, for heaven’s sake! Andrew Cronshaw’s Bandcamp page will similarly allow one to hear his calming sounds.
WATCHING: ‘Detectorists’ special (not bad), ‘Doc Martin’ special (very good), ‘Stonehouse’ (entertaining, almost poignant, did well in giving a flavour of a lost world – the 70s in Britain), ‘The Canterville Ghost’ (surprisingly good), ‘Riptide’ (despite an aversion to things set in Australia, increasingly gripping – yet to see episode 4 – though it’s hard to get past Jo Joyner NOT being the face-pulling funny woman from ‘Shakespeare & Hathaway’). Also, series 2 of ‘Hope Street’ – a totally daft, somewhat cringey yet warm and, for me, compelling ‘light police drama’ set in a fictional seaside town in N Ireland – which happens to be Donaghadee, not far from me. I often meet friends at ‘The Commodore’ (the pub in the series, which is a real place with a different name). The film-makers get extraordinary value out of incessant drone shots of that lighthouse! I’ve also watched 3 episodes on iPlayer of a 1980s drama that I didn’t see at the time but seems to be regarded as a classic – ‘Tutti Frutti’. To me, it’s a lot of people shouting at each other in seedy living rooms with bad dialogue. Emma Thompson a Robbie Coltrane seem to get away with it by force of personality, or having star quality – but really, it’s a pile of old kak. Not sure if I’ll bother seeing it through.
AOB: Exciting time at the moment – I’m near to completing the audio and packaging for a Legends of Tomorrow (my sporadic NI supergroup ‘studio band’) 25-year 1CD anthology, ‘The Weather at World’s End: 1997-2022’, due for release in March and focused on the pop/rock end of the canon (no instrumentals, no acoustic numbers). I’ve had a couple of photo sessions to gather many featured vocalists / key people together from the 90s to the present and was very honoured that so many went out of their way to attend – a great spirit, reconnecting with old friends! I’m thrilled with two new tracks – including a new version of ‘All We Need is Love’, which Rigid Digit very kindly picked as his fave track of last year in its existing version, and another song featuring Katie Spencer, for which the great Marry Waterson has created a semi-animated video (debuting in March). Two 1997 tracks are being dynamically remixed with new parts, including one to which Miadhachlughain, the 21-year-old musically talented daughter of the original singer Tíona, will be adding harmonies – which feels like a ‘wow’ moment. 🙂 Only today I was in the studio with my long-term Legends collaborator Cormac O’Kane, recreating a piano part for a 25+ year old track that was inexplicably absent from the multi-track. It feels like having familiar paintings taken from one’s wall and painstakingly restored.
Other exciting stuff currently is that I believe the 33CD/2DVD Horslips box set ‘More Than You Can Chew’, which I had the honour of curating, will finally be available/posted out to purchasers/band etc in two weeks. In similar territory, I’m approving mastered audio for a terrific 8CD ‘Lindisfarne at the BBC’ this week (out ASAP on Repertoire) and getting close to finalising content for an epic ‘Martin Carthy at the BBC’ 20CD set (ahead of mastering, package creation etc.), hopefully to be released later this year on Madfish – it really does feel like an honour to be a part of these projects.
hubert rawlinson says
The Bryant and May books are excellent just finished the London Bridge one for the second time.
You do need to see the end of Tutti Frutti if only for the Inverbervie Ceilidh Quintet.
fitterstoke says
Each to their own, Colin – and of course all reaction to art is subjective.
But you’re wrong, Wrong, WRONG about Tutti Frutti. Clockerty and Miss Toner are worth the entry fee on their own. Maybe it helps to be from Glasgow…
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Tutti Frutti is indeed a classic. Some of it is obviously outdated but still mostly retains its magnificence.
Arthur Cowslip says
Another vote for Tutti Frutti! And the ‘follow up’ Your Cheatin’ Heart is also great!
Baron Harkonnen says
Anthony Toner’s album is indeed very good and after it’s Tiggs recommended 6 listens, I’m on my 3rd I reckon it will be a masterpiece!
Colin H says
Brilliant!
Colin H says
Andrew Cronshaw has just this minute put one of three promo videos for his ‘Zithers’ album on YouTube – delightfully, it is a tune not even on the album, though representative of it. 🙂
Arthur Cowslip says
A blur of a month, with Christmas prep and then explosion and subsequent wind-down. It gets more laborious every year, I feel.
Watched The Wonder and Banshees of Inisherin. Both excellent, and along with Elvis are my top three films of the year.
TV: Detectorists Christmas special was great, I decided after three (!) watches. Inside Number 9 was also brilliant and back to their usual high form.
Radio: There is a new dramatisation of Susan Cooper’s classic spooky childrens’ Christmas tale of pagan magic, The Dark is Rising, which should still be on BBC Sounds. It’s a very classy and rich sounding production, with Toby Jones in a supporting role, and mixed in some kind of magical ‘3D immersive audio’ which fair leaps out of your headphones. Highly recommended. The only drawback I think was that in order to demonstrate the immersive sound properly, they appear to have chosen to have a constant ‘bed’ of sinister music bubbling under the entire thing. I’ve noticed a real trend for this in radio and TV recently and it’s unnecessary and off-putting.
Locust says
Read:
December is too busy for me to get much done when it comes to reading, I only got through a very slim (but good) book by Annie Ernaux (Simple Passion), and a re-reading of some of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories on the e-reader (and DNF-ing Apicius, which was foreword after foreword after foreword, and then short recipes shouted at me in capital letters followed by footnote after footnote after footnote explaining the details of the recipes – but all through the much explaining in the forewords and the footnotes they threw plenty of latin quotes at the reader without ever translating them…and although I know some latin, all of it got tiresome).
Then spent some enjoyable hours going through my reading stats for the year (110 books read/36 of them rereadings, mainly thanks to this year’s special project) and making my Best of 2022 Top 25 list.
Heard:
Christmas music non stop at work, and yes; at home too – but of the lesser known variety.
Tried to get some jazz in before the year was over, when I realised that I’d skipped that genre completely all year long, but neither the posthumous album from Esbjörn Svensson (Home.S.) or the new to me re-released classic (apparently) by Bugge Wesseltoft (New Conception Of Jazz) gripped me enough to get more than one spin each. I guess I just wasn’t in the mood for jazz in 2022! Will try again later.
Oh, and Les Big Byrd has a new album out called Eternal Light Brigade which I looked forward to, having loved their previous stuff, but I did not find this one interesting or enjoyable at all, just slightly dull IMO. No tunes.
Other than those, I mostly spent my time skimming through the albums I bought this year to be able to decide my list for the AW poll.
Seen:
Well, I had five days off for Christmas and two days off for New Years, so plenty of time to watch film and TV…but I can’t remember what I watched, so I doubt it was anything very good. I remember turning quite a few things off after twentyfive minutes or so, getting bored. Or after five minutes, failing to get in the mood for settling down in front of the screen.
But I did have a wonderful Christmas, seeing my family most days – in sharp contrast to last year, when I managed to catch a bad cold that quickly turned into bronchitis (but unable at the time to rule out covid) so spent around two weeks on my own, only seeing my sister (from a distance) when she delivered food and medicin to me…I really enjoyed being able to celebrate properly this year!
And I finally got to rest, after a very stressful and busy autumn and early winter, which was exactly what I needed. January’s paycheck will be grim, but I don’t care.
The tree will come down on Saturday, which is early for me, but I need the space (the top of my large sewing table) cleared so I can start making my gift for my sister’s 70th birthday.
As always, I’m feeling positive and hopeful about 2023…but I felt that way just before covid exploded as well, so don’t trust my gut for that prediction!
Colin H says
You are an inspiration, Locust! 🙂
Locust says
@Colin-H, I assume that you’re talking about my reading – I’m certainly not much of an inspiration regarding much else! 😀
My special reading project in 2022 should be right up your street, as you enjoy reading classic crime novels IIRC. I read the entire oevre from the Swedish crime writer Maria Lang: she wrote one a year from 1949 until 1990, when death finally prevented her from writing a 44th one. Many of her final novels are shockingly bad, but in an entertaining way! And most of the others are very good or in some cases brilliant, despite a quite silly choice of main crime solver.
After reading them again – and some for the first time – and annotating etc with the end goal of writing an essay or treatise on her production (for my own amusement only, of course), I added much respect for her skill to my previous affection for her quirks. It was a very interesting project, and I’m still tinkering with writing that essay.
Colin H says
As I say – an inspiration! Though I ‘cannot compute’ all these not-for-publishing projects you do. If I write something, I feel it *has* to see the light of day somewhere.
Locust says
Yes, but that would spoil my plan to become posthumously famous… 😀
Moose the Mooche says
@locust “Many of her final novels are shockingly bad” – Mrs M has been proceeding through the Agatha Christies and would say the same about the Miss Marple Hitmaker. She recently read Passenger to Frankfurt, which she absolutely despised – and she has a very high tolerance threshold for rubbish (….er, there is not a joke here about her marriage, I think you will find)
Gary says
You refer to your wife as “Mrs M”. Not, as one might expect, “Mrs MtM” or “Mrs TM”?
Moose the Mooche says
Tchuh! Her surname is, of course, Mooche. I would have thought the meanest intelligence could have worked that out.
Gary says
I asked him to, but he was too busy doing Wordle.
Moose the Mooche says
You rotten sod. It was all I could do to stop laughing at that after about twenty minutes
Locust says
Yes, but not too surprising – after churning out forty-odd crime novels anyone would probably find it difficult to come up with a decent murder plot again. I was actually more surprised at the occasional hidden jewel even at that late stage! Also; “so bad that it’s good” IS a thing, and quite an underrated pleasure. .. 🙂
Reading them all also revealed interesting things about the detective’s private life, that I hadn’t noticed when I read them earlier (one or two a year and out of order), with some unsolved mysteries and Easter eggs that I’m still puzzling over (two time problems and two disappearances that doesn’t get an explanation – reminding me of my still unanswered question: What happened to Watson’s wife?)
Colin H says
Sherlock scholars have written all sorts of clever stuff about how Watson had two or three wives… Lots of fun to be had in the ‘great game’ as they term it – coming up with stuff to explain anomalies in the Holmes canon.
Moose the Mooche says
What happened to King Lear’s wife? What happened to Lady Macbeth ‘s baby? What are you doing in my kitchen?
So many mysteries
davebigpicture says
Indeed
Chrisf says
I invariably skip posting on the monthly update as usually by the time I get around to it, I feel that the thread has been going for a while and no ones interested anymore… 🙂
This time it’s been a rather active month and I’m sat here preparing to fly back to Singapore this evening after a month being in the UK (with a slight diversion).
READ:
Finally got around to reading the Mick Herron “Slow Horses” book after really enjoying the Apple TV show and before I settle down to the second season. Last couple of chapters to finish off today before we fly. Have the Bob Mortimer novel ready to start on the plane. Other than that it’s been the usual bunch of magazines on Readly.
SEEN:
The Northern Lights – yes the real ones, not a play of the Philip Pullman novel. We had a side trip to Tromso in Norway during our UK trip and managed to see over a couple of nights. Spectacular and a bucket list item for my wife now checked off.
Whilst visiting family in my home town of Sheffield, went to “Standing At The Skys Edge” at the Crucible Theatre. A musical / play based on songs by Richard Hawley looking at the life of three different families in the same Park Hill Flats (infamous council flats overlooking the city centre) across three generations (1960s / 1980s / 2000s) with the three stories all being played together on the same simple set. Very clever production and a really enjoyable show (as we all know, the music is superb). I believe it is back in London later this year.
Another cultural highlight was a trip to the Royal Opera House to see the Nutcracker. Brilliant as always (and my aunt who actually does really understand and appreciate the fineries of the dancing said it was one of the best lead she has ever seen). There have been modern updates to the Nutcracker, but you can’t beat the Peter Wright “Classic” production at the ROH at Christmas. All together now… “everyones a fruit and nut cake…..”
Other than than its been the usual Christmas TV.
HEARD:
Not much new – still enjoying the Weyes Blood and Native Harrow albums. The Roger Waters Lockdown sessions is rather good and I have a new EP from Mono and a live album from Richard Hawley (yes him again) still to listen to.
AOB:
As mentioned above it’s been a month of travel and vacation. Arrived in the UK at the beginning of Dec and spent a few days in Edinburgh and then St Andrews to visit our older boy who is at Uni there. Then off to Tromso, Norway for a week to see the lights, the snow and enjoy the cold and dark weather. First time there and we loved it. Then back to the UK to spend Christmas in Cornwall with my sister before heading up to Sheffield and finally landing in Oxfordshire for a week before we head back tonight. Its been great.
Gatz says
We had tickets to The Nutcracker on Christmas Eve, about the best chance The Light ever has of getting me to the ballet. Alas that performance was cancelled because the rail strike meant the ROH couldn’t guarantee the staff and creatives could get home for Christmas after.
Gatz says
I should also have included Tosca at the ROH, which we did get to see. We’d seen the production before a few years ago, but it was still excellent.
Blue Boy says
Good to get a report of Standing At the Sky’s Edge – thought that sounded like a good ‘un.
Sewer Robot says
Read
The Humans by Matt Haig arrived at the top of my surprising gifts pile a while back and I was pleased to discover it was a breezy, comedic sci fi tale (really, after some of the material my mates expect me to plough through..) which seemed right up my street.
I enjoyed it enough to pick up another of his books, The Midnight Library. Alas, here I found a bit of second album syndrome – he hits a lot of the same beats to inevitably diminishing returns and without the humour what previously seemed softheartedness feels cloyingly sentimental and a little juvenile.
Needless to say, after Christmas, that “to read” pile is substantially higher.
Seen
Well, I didn’t feel it was right to dump on the mostly upbeat “films of the year” thread, but I’m hoping this is a safe space. Contrary to what seems to be a very widely held view, I thought The Banshees Of Inisherin was dreadful. I’m prepared to let slide what are essentially trivialities (Irish people from 100 years ago speaking in contemporary transatlantic psychobabble and repeatedly saying “anyways”; the brilliant weather on an island off the west coast of Ireland). I’m sure most films don’t stand up to scrutiny if you pick at the smaller details.
But three things really bothered me as someone who has enjoyed Martin McDonagh’s previous films: (1) I come for the witty dialogue – I thought much of the dialogue in this film was borderline idiotic, made all the more tragic by the fact that the actors delivering it were excellent.
(2) The premise and themes of this story had so much promise, especially in a cinema landscape of regurgitated ideas or crash bang whallop in the place of ideas. He is inclined to walk a tightrope and I remember several times during Three Billboards thinking he was about to lose it, but with this one, after being totally on board for the first part I found myself becoming more and more dismayed as it went on.
And the big one (3) there is such a thing as “labour of love” syndrome. A mighty fine reggae band with some excellent material on their c.v. does a bunch of fair to middling covers and KER-CHING! big success. Result? A complete rethink of their approach and forty years of lucrative blandness. I’m genuinely happy for the people who enjoyed this film but I do worry that the accolades being heaped upon it might nudge a talented film-maker in the wrong direction.
Like a few here, I was underwhelmed by a few of the Christmas specials I had been anticipating keenly. While I didn’t agree with the comments to that effect on a recent thread, I thought the Inside Number 9 special leant weight to the argument that they are running out of ideas. I did sit down to just watch the fabulous opening scene of A Matter Of Life And Death and ended up watching the whole bloomin’ thing again.
Farmageddon: A Shaun The Sheep Movie was an absolute hoot.
Heard
Having discovered a pile of radio dramatisations of Philip Marlowe stories from the forties on YouTube, I’ve been trying to enjoy them at bedtime, but I keep falling asleep!
The Afterword’s albums of the year are always worth a lucky dip and this week I have been mostly listening to the sweet traditional soul of Dancing Dimensions by Americans Ural Thomas and The Pain and the contemporary hip bob of The City Needs A Hero by Londoner Murkage Dave.
Amazingly, neither was voted for before the 29th of December and each was chosen by just one Afterworder.
Cheers chums!
Baron Harkonnen says
I read The Humans a while back and enjoyed it, I may give it a 2nd reading.
el hombre malo says
Heard – I have been making the effort to sit on the sofa and listen to LPs, as opposed to my usual habit of sitting at the PC, skimming news sites and doing a crossword while an LP is on. So I have really enjoyed repeated listenings to Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou (
interesting article on her ), Ornette Coleman’s The Shape Of Jazz To Come, and lots of Little Walter and Little Milton.
Read – I have been reading more, recently. Philip Norman’s Hendrix bio was a disappointment – it is a journalistic telling of the Hendrix story – detailed at the level of who said what, where, when, but with no real overview of his roots, or his influence. It also lacks any real analysis of his music, and of the man himself. I always know a music book has hit the spot when it makes me want to reach for the LPs or CDs and listen to them again – much as I love Hendrix, this book did not achieve that. As I read it, it made me sad and angry that Hendrix had nobody to look after him – his management were solely focussed on trying to squeeze as much money as possible out of him and the Experience. (That’s not Philip Norman’s fault, of course).
I enjoyed Tim Spector’s The Diet Myth – lots of detailed info, and a focus on looking after the gut!
And re-reading Sherlock Holmes – a tradition for the season.
Seen – traditional family re-watch of The Muppets Christmas Carol was as moving as ever. I enjoyed the Only Connect specials, and also the stylised daftness of Glass Onion.
retropath2 says
Funny old month, starting, as it did, with a fortnight off work to heal from the 4 stab wounds inflicted to get me gallbag out. Surprisingly plain sailing, and went back to work just in time for a delayed allergic rash to the superglue used to repair me, with a nasty itchy rash. Then picked up a bug, just in time to spoil much of Xmas, duly sharing it with the wife. We gainfully struggled up to a week in the Holme Valley, throwing in the towel and coming home after a mere 24 hours. Bugger.
But that did mean I got to the Ferocious Dog New Year bash, at Holmfirth Picturedrome, a grand if faded lady amongst venues. On my Tod, mind, Mrs Path still worse than I. Gradely night out, if reminding me how conventional and middle class I am, as the ageing rabble of crusty punks who follow the band showed me to be. I was two stone too light, too fond of my hair, much too un-inked/pierced and far too sober, thus somewhat conspicuous. Great band but recommend you prepare appropriately for the convoy cabaret.
Listening in December, as ever, is around scouring the AW votes for those I had missed myself. Hence it becomes an expensive month, adding to the pile awaiting attention in my third place.
Telly meant the Xmas specials: Motherland (terrific), Fishing with M&W (lovely) and Detectorists (underwhelming). Best film by far, as stated, was Inishree, whatever any nay saying mealy mouth might be saying above(!?;-) Slow Horses finished in a riot of nonsense and I delight that two further series are already planned.
It might be nice to get to cinema one of these days; probably it was 2019 I last went. Be nice if the long term plans to open one in Lich eventually came to fruition.
The summer festivals seem to have got off the mark promptly, in showing off line-ups. However I can’t say I reckon much to many of the line-ups, especially amongst the nominally folkie ones: unless you like the Divine Comedy, Toyah & Robert or the Proclaimers, that is.Toying with Hebcelt or Orkney so far, even if going 5000 miles(estimate) to the former has the wretched aforementioned twins headlining. Black Deer looks good and Wilco at Moseley would seem churlish to miss.
thecheshirecat says
Looking forward to Peat and Diesel at Sidmouth, on your recommendation.
Gatz says
Heave you heard the Live at the Barrowlands album? They sound like an absolute riot live.
Baron Harkonnen says
‘tis a good album that P&D live effort.
I would have loved to see Ferocious Dog Retro but my feckin’ tinnitus stops me attending such gigs.
retropath2 says
Blimey, a few traditionalists may turn in their graves as Peatlemania hits the esplanade……
SteveT says
Funny old month December. Virtually no new releases to speak of so I end up beefing up my back catalogue. Helped by a new record shop opening in Lichfield which is rather splendid and a really nice owner who seems to know what he is doing. Aside from the very reasonable footfall he has taken over 150 orders for back catalogue stuff in his first month.
Heard:
The complete vinyl series of War, a box set of the Meters. A couple of reggae sets that @Duc01 recommended – Studio One Music Lab and the Revivers both of which are excellent. I also got a 3 disc set of Heart of the Congos which has Lee Scratch Perry as its producer. I even bought a King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard album because I was intrigued No idea if it is representative because they release an album almost every month it seems. Not gonna go down the road of being a completist that’s for sure.
Read:.
How to stop time by Matt Haig – love his writing and this book was a joy as I am a sucker for time travel stuff.
Dave Alvin – New Highway – a collection of poems, essays, anecdotes. Really lovely – he writes as well as he plays guitar. His eulogy to Nanci Griffith made me cry.
Seen:
Gone fishing Christmas special was the only TV watched over Xmas – it was good but didn’t match the poignancy of the previous one.
Started binge watching Happy Valley and I am hooked . Sarah Lsncashire is outstanding and she has come a long way since Racquel.
@Retropath2 mentions Moseley and Wilco and Squeeze are a good start but the Proclaimers have really irritated the shit out of me because they were shockingly bad at the Symphony Hall.
And by the way Retro there is a perfectly good cinema at Barton under Needwood – two screens decent clientele and a good bar/restaurant attached. We are there Sunday night.
Locust says
No idea if it is representative because they release an album almost every month it seems. Not gonna go down the road of being a completist that’s for sure.
I would say they have three or four styles, and at the same time they always have their KG&TWL style that is unmistakeable. I used to be a completist, until they became crazy productive…it’s good to be able to wish, hope and long for a new album by a favourite artist, rather than get tired of having to buy album after album that sound similar and have fewer and fewer truly great tracks, IMO.
Razor Boy says
See Ryan Adams