It is hard to argue 1979 was the greatest year for the “single” Has any other year been the centre of such a musical Venn diagram. Punk, disco, new wave, pure pop, soft rock, reggae, ska, the beginning of the electronic revolution and the first rap and hip hop. I’ve never noticed before how influenced by Chic Nick Heyward was. “I Want Your Love” could be a missing “Pelican West” track. Jimmy Pursey makes me laugh, for good reasons. The Police were very good. Disco is the best music to walk to. I bounced around my post round to “Ring My Bell” and “Born To Be Alive”. I wondered if any casual observers could tell what I was listening to. I like to think of myself as “The Disco Postman”. The Beat were wonderful. The intro to “Cars” is THE best electronic intro ever. Radio 1 just could not fail in 1979. Imagine doing your playlist for millions of listeners. I really miss Top of The Pops. I may have to concede that 1979 was better than 1982, maybe….

Any more?

This wonderful piece of 80’s electronica came up on my postal walk today. It got me thinking it’s well over 30 years since it was released and it must be another 30 plus years before that when the Hiroshima bomb was dropped. I’ve checked and the dates are as follows:

Hiroshima 6th August 1945. Song released 26th September 1980

So it is actually over 38 years since the song was released and the song was released 35 years after the bomb was dropped.

Not sure what it means but I thought I would share. It’s a “Bloody Hell!” from me………

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5XJ2GiR6Bo

A bit of a giggle for a Friday. I give you The Cult “Big Neon Glitter”

https://youtu.be/s4UhnzXjkH4

On this mornings round my IPod decided it would play me “Tomorrow Started” by Talk Talk. It’s from their second album “It’s My Life”. Following the thread about the death of Mark Hollis it seems to be the considered opinion round here that anything they did before “Colour of Spring” is either not worth listening to or is like they were a different band. I believe that after hearing this you’ll agree it was a sign of things to come.

So I thought it might be interesting on a Saturday evening to find out if there are any other examples of bands or artists giving a hint in their formative years of unimagined excellence to follow. Over to you for any more signs of things to come

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQAOdpj7lm4

I’m know we’ve had this conversation before but since becoming a postman it’s become more relevant to me so I’m firing up the “how do you listen to your music?” chat once again. I’m out and about for 5 hours a day and it’s a great opportunity to listen to music and I’m also hoping to get into some podcasts (recommendations welcome). Currently I have Spotify premium on my phone but I don’t have endless data and not a huge amount of storage space so I haven’t found it very user friendly as I constantly lose internet connection with my BT Wi-Fi. Also their recommendations and lay out are frustrating. The endless choice however is a major plus. Today however I dug out my old iPod classic and just hit shuffle. 5 hours of varied listening with no loss of signal but I lose the ability of trying some new or new old without committing to it.

Being a postman is lovely, physically more challenging than I expected but getting out of the rat race to deliver letters and parcels in the fresh air means my music spending has to be carefully monitored. So it boils down to choice, » Continue Reading.

Was 40 years old this week. Was there ever a better 7″ single? I think not….. You?

https://youtu.be/t_IdUyXb-mw

I’ve been restocking my old vinyl. Nothing new there, it was never the biggest collection but it was mostly late 70’s early 80’s and there would be no surprises in there for anyone who knows me. I surprised myself today however when trying to remember what was there I realised that I never owned “Lexicon of Love”. I had all the singles but for some reason in my peak record buying year of 1982 it passed me by. I will put that right at some point. What album are you surprised you don’t own?

Phil Jupitus tweeted this morning about his first gig and asked his followers to do the same. Mine was Echo and The Bunnnymen at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford Upon Avon. Now the EATB Twitter page has tweeted a link to this interview about a new album of old songs re-imagined. Mac at his best. I’m off into the garden now for an hour of the second greatest band to come out of Liverpool….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=guLsIGCR_6M

http://www.xsnoize.com/interview-ian-mcculloch-we-write-great-songs-and-weve-written-some-of-the-greatest/

Yesterday I was listening to the Spotify playlist that KFD put together from the recent early 70’s pop thread. “Roxette” by Dr Feelgood leapt out at me and leads me to investigate “Pub Rock” further. I’m aware of Dr Feelgood, mainly from here and “Milk and Alcohol” that my brother owned. I’ve listened to Kilburn and The Highroads through my love of Ian Dury but that’s about it unless early The Jam counts as “Pub Rock”. So can those better versed in this genre than me help me put together a New Years Eve Pub Rock Playlist?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaybV46MA6E

How should I approach it? With wing backs for a start…

* Or more specifically that period between the end of The Beatles and the start of punk.

The David Cassidy talk recently got me thinking about this. I was 5 in 1970 but music was around me through my older siblings and the radio. Aged 11 in 1976 and I was ready for the next 10 years that formed my whole musical future. The 5 or 6 years in between seem like a wasteland of only a few memories. My own record collection from those times, for what it was, was made up of The Wombles, The Rubettes, Racey and a bit of Abba. I remember owning “Can’t Smile Without You” by Barry Manilow, a well intentioned Christmas gift from an Aunt and that’s about it. So what am I missing from the era that filled the gap between them and that?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofDCsRhT57o

Following the “Abba Wars” (copyright @disappointmentbob ) on the (Un)Fashionable thread I’ve been on an Abba binge. I decided today that “Super Trouper” is possibly better than “SOS” and “The Day Before You Came” or at least as good.

The video is awful but maybe there’s a clue on the eyes of Anni-frid. I’ve never really “listened” to it before because it just sounds like one of those pop songs Abba released that went to Number 1 (their last in the UK) all over the world and just gets lost among the greatest hits. Now I have listened to it, Jesus it’s sad. Coming at the end their golden era it’s a plea for it all to stop hidden behind another hook filled Benny classic pop tune. I don’t have the skill to deconstruct it properly but this section will do for me.

“Facing twenty thousand of your friends How can anyone be so lonely? Part of a success that never ends Still, I’m thinking about you only (Still, I’m thinking about you only) There are moments when I think I’m going crazy (Think I’m going crazy) But it’s gonna be alright (You’ll soon be changing » Continue Reading.

Everything about this video screams naff but in my warped view of the world it is one of the coolest things I’ve seen, whatever that means. Have I got this one wrong too?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g0dNzzQcXA

I heard this on the radio yesterday and the phrase “Pure Synth” popped into my head from nowhere. It has been my earworm ever since and to these ears is a joyous 5 minutes of pop music. I think there are no other instruments used than synthesisers, I’m no expert and of course Alison Moyets voice. So can we have a chat about pure synth? Good thing? Bad thing? Best and worst examples? 80’s, non 80’s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D3udbawA1Q

I would always answer “The Monkees”. Similarly if asked Blur or Oasis? I would answer “Pulp”. I realised this morning I would also answer The Specials or Madness? with “The Beat”.Any others?

It was a large brightly lit stage. Above three red X’s hung menacingly like guillotines, we were revolutionaries defying the accepted order of things. We started slowly, eyebrows were raised, scorn was offered but we carried one as one of the red X’s screeched its disapproval. I’ve never met any of my cohorts but Twang and Bob were there, their chosen weapons screaming out their notes challenging, empowering. Bri was in control of his own rhythm in a haze of carefully considered brushstrokes keeping us all together with Rob C in perfect deep harmony. I was at the front delivering a pitch perfect accompaniment, notes soaring and flying from where previously there was only a flat, nasal, monotone. The crowd at first unsure, felt the wave of soulful, musical perfection washing over them and began to get to their feet. As we came to our climax. “Aaaaaah summer, summer breeze makes me feel fi-ine” Twangs guitar screaming out with the rest of us in absolute one-ness I awoke with a startle as David Walliams dressed as Marie Antoinette screeched “it’s a yes from me”. It could never happen could it?

» Continue Reading.

As I was walking the dog this morning I saw rabbits scurrying into the brambles as she got a little to close for their comfort. It’s a scene I’ve seen many times this summer but for some reason today it put me in mind of the Brer Rabbit stories that I enjoyed as a child. In one of those strange coincidences a complete set of Secret Seven books was a raffle prize when we visited the Windsor Battersea Dogs Home open day today, I didn’t win it. Anyway I thought it might be a nice idea for a Saturday evening for us to share our favourite Enid Blyton memories from Noddy to Mr Pinkwhistle and everything in between

I’ve had Spotify for a while but never really used it. My Cliff renaissance attempt led @Bartleby to ask for a Spotify playlist of the listenable Cliff from among the rest. So I put this list together, I hope you enjoy it and it’s snappy title. It was easy to do and very user friendly. Slow on the uptake as usual it has just dawned on me what a great tool Spotify is for listening to new music without any outlay. Added to this my new smartphone which is also my first smartphone has Spotify as standard so I can listen on the go. Late to the party as always can I ask you all to share your favourite Spotify playlists and I will have all the new, old and new old that I need? Thank you

I’ve really enjoyed “75 at 75” but as with some of the comments on that particular “Nights In” it is necessary to listen to it with your finger hovering over the next track button on whatever device you are listening on. It strikes me that no one matches Cliff on the lack of quality control side of things. For every “Day I Met Marie” there are many more “Visions”. He has had a couple of imperial periods which if had been left alone and not allowed to be sullied by the undoubted fetid dross that can be found among his output Cliffs star would be much higher. He was the British rock and roll king, “Move It” is an obvious choice but there are many other gems there because he was with The Shadows for Gods sake, of course it was good. His films were ok and produced more obvious selections “Summer Holiday” and “The Young Ones” and still more too numerous to mention. The was enough real gold from the late 50’s and into the 60’s for him to have walked away and not done Eurovision. If his 70’s to 80’s career had been better handled his stock would » Continue Reading.