The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

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Forgotten gems

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We had a lovely break on Islay last week, and as part of the holiday preparation I assembled as many as I could find of the annual “Year In Review” playlists, which let me listen again to various tunes which in their own ways marked the year in question.

One of the songs which stood out was by Joe Henry – Richard Pryor Addresses A Tearful Nation, which features Ornette Coleman. Ornette famously rejects sideman gigs, but took this one on.

There were a number of others, which I will chip on over time.

Do you have any long-lost gems you would like to share ?

Greatest Opening Couplets

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This gem popped in to my head today : Zodiac Mindwarp, from “Prime Mover” – “Well I love TV and I love T-Rex, I can see through your skirt I got X-Ray specs”.

In early 1985, we played at Gossips, in Soho – the next night we played Dingwalls supporting David Johansen, and then on to France. In the gents in Gossips, Mr Mindwarp was right beside me. He had just had it pierced, and was ALL OVER THE PLACE – I was reminded of the great Billy Connolly line in similar circumstances – “I handed him a card, and said ‘This man will help you’. He asked ‘Is he a specialist?’ and I said ‘No, he’s a clarinet player, he’ll teach you how to hold it’”.

Nonetheless, a cracking single, with a great opening couplet.

What’s your favourite opening couplet in a song?

Blogger Takeover C

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With all kinds of cricketing malarkey going on, it is splendidly daft that we celebrate the Century edition here of the perennial favourite.

“Raises bat, waves all round*

So, please, come in, help yourself to the fancy sandwiches with the crusts cut off, a glass of Pimms, or a lemonade, and tell us all – what have you been listening to, watching, reading, or otherwise using to divert yourself from the humdrum world ?

Blogger Takeover XCV

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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.

Blogger Takeover XCII

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As we reach the first Friday of a new month, I invite you all to come in out the rain, put your wet umbrellas over there, hang your coats and hats up and come and sit by the fire – help yourself to a refreshment – and tell us all, please, what have you been listening to, watching, reading, or otherwise distracting yourself from the real world with ?

Blogger Takeover XCI

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FIrst of all, I need to confirm that we have fired our numerologist for making a shambles of the count, and damaging the integrity of our SuperBowl based tracking system. Nonetheless, we welcome everyone, please gather round the brazier on the picket line, toast some marshmallows, help yourself to some mulled wine, and please tell us – what have you been reading / watching / listening to / using to avoid the massive shitstorm that is all around us ?

Blogger Takeover LXXXIX

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BOOM! Timing of a mongoose!! It’s pinch, punch first of the month AND it’s time for us all to gather round the BBQ table – vegetarian options on the faraway grill, away from the meat, and everything else on this one. Grab a plate, grab some sides, help yourselves to a wee refreshment, and please tell us – what have you been watching , reading , listening to, or otherwise using to divert yourselves from all the current mayhem?

Blogger Takeover LXXXVII

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As the rain cascades down, and we wonder if we have skipped straight from a brief spring to Autumn, we find ourselves on the first Friday of the month. So, please, come in to the cabin, hang your wet coats over there, help yourself to a warming cup, sit down by the fire and tell us all what you have been listening to, watching, reading, or otherwise using as a coping mechanism in these troubled times

Blogger Takeover LXXXVI

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Pinch! Punch! First of the month! Here at Casa Malo we have blues skies today, and snow yesterday, which was an unpleasant surprise after basking in the warmth of the sun earlier in the week.

Still, here we all are, and I need to know (I need to know) – what have you all been listening to, reading, watching or generally diverting yourselves with over the last month ?

Blogger Takeover LXXXIV

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It is a wild and windy first Friday of a new month (weather in GLA, clock running a few hours ahead) So please gather round and share with us – what have you been listening to, watching, reading, getting up to in general?

And as we seem to be moving out of all the restrictions, at least here in the UK – is there anything coming up we should know about?

Chris Hillman’s autobiography

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Chris Hillman – he was THERE. The Byrds, The Burritos – and it looks like he has a dry sense of humour through it all.

From the interview :

Somehow, during the chaos of the train tour, Gram and I managed to find time to write another semi-gospel song called “The Train Song.” I already mentioned Gram’s knack for pulling off whatever hijinks he could think of, but he did it again when he cooked up the idea of hiring R&B pioneers Larry Williams and Johnny “Guitar” Watson to produce that record as the Burritos’ next single. Larry was best known for his songs “Dizzy, Miss Lizzy” and “Boney Maroni” (with the memorable line, “skinny as a stick of macaroni”), while Johnny was known for his signature song “Gangster of Love.” It was an idea only Parsons could come up with.

When the day arrived, we were all standing in the parking lot of A&M’s studios when a gleaming red Cadillac convertible pulled up with Larry Williams behind the wheel and Johnny “Guitar” Watson riding shotgun. They looked like a couple of characters straight from Central Casting. Larry had his initials emblazoned across his jumpsuit, which of course » Continue Reading.