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Randomiser!

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Blame el hombre malo! I was reading his contribution in Blogger Takeover CXXXIII and noted the joy when random play throws up something interesting, unexpected – and inspires you to connect it to something else, taking your listening down a different route. I sometimes have the random play set when I’m out for a walk and it often takes me by surprise (although in theory I shouldn’t be, since I loaded the music onto the player!).

So here’s a Randomiser thread, like we used to do…

You remember how it works – post the first five random selections that your chosen device picks for you (no cheating, of course – it’s an honour thing!). Gimme five minutes and I’ll put mine in the comments.

Hit the button – and let the chips fall where they may…

Michael Tilson Thomas RIP

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Obituary

Died at age 81 from an aggressive glioblastoma. American born, a composer as well as a conductor – and something of a polymath.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/apr/23/michael-tilson-thomas-conductor-composer-dies

Quick Quiz – not NME-related in any way…

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I was reading a music mag from last year (these days, I let them mature in a pile then come back to them later) when I found a feature on a particular band. Of course, I spotted an interesting turn of phrase from the present day journalist, along with an old quote from a band member – back from when they started getting coverage.

Can you work out which band was featured?

‘(Band name) are not rock in the rock-solid sense – they are liquid, gaseous, evanescent. Nor are they rock in the blood and thunder, guts and passion sense.

“The sound literally isn’t all there. It’s the opposite of rock ‘n’ roll,” said (Band Member). “There’s no guts, just the remnants, the outline. The sound is an after-effect.”’

Nothing new under the sun…

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Earlier this week, I was sitting in a coffee shop reading a book. I found a paragraph which nagged at me a bit, since it seemed to hint at what was happening in the world today. I’ve copied it below.

“Since then, new tyrannies and new wars have shaken Europe, and we find ourselves the uneasy heirs of the first romantics, still committed to their ideal of refashioning the world, though more soberly in view of bitter experience. Their central problem – the discrepancy between human aspiration and human weakness – is still ours, manifest in Europe’s powerlessness to fulfil boundless potentialities for progress, owing to the diversion of human energy into preparations for a possible war of annihilation.”

So here’s the quiz question: can you suggest in which decade this sentiment was expressed – out of, say, the last 150 years? No googling, mind! It’s an honour thing…

NME review – a tiny quiz

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Since it’s a wet weekend, here’s the latest in a series of tiny quizzes.

Here’s an extract from a review in the NME. No clues: no year, no journalist name… Which album do you think is being reviewed?

“The music here is like latter-period Brahms, with a luscious velvetiness and an erotic warmth about the melody that makes it almost too sweet and rich a fare”

ATM: Mojo, March 2026

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Hello, playmates. This is a small query – but it’s in my head now so I might as well ask. Many (if not most) of you will have purchased Mojo’s latest issue, with The Small Faces on the cover – not least for the free CD. When one removes the CD, a list of further content is revealed – including Curved Air. Can anyone tell me which page in the mag has any reference to Curved Air? I’m beginning to think that I’m suffering from some weird word blindness – or alternatively that I’m hallucinating when I look at the cover. Thank you for your indulgence.

A quick question for fans of The Who

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Have you seen the advert for the Who Are You set? It states “THE FINAL STUDIO ALBUM TO FEATURE KEITH MOON THE MOST ROCK AND ROLL OF ROCK AND ROLL DRUMMERS”.

Now I’m not an expert (I manage quite nicely with just four Who albums) – but is this statement correct? Was Moonie a “rock and roll” drummer at all, never mind “the most rock and roll of rock and roll drummers”? I remain to be convinced. But am I wrong? Was he all about the “rock and roll”?

Christoph von Dohnányi RIP

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Obituary

Rather startled to learn that he was 95! If you prefer an intellectual approach rather than a “heart on sleeve” style, then Christoph von Dohnányi may have been the conductor for you. In terms of Mahler/Bruckner, he was probably the “anti-Bernstein”. Probably best known these days for recordings with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Philharmonia – not exactly a Szell clone, but with some of the same traits for precision and balance. This also made him a fine conductor of the Second Viennese School and more modern recordings.

If you only listen to one CD – then make it the Concertos for Orchestra by Bartók and Lutoslawski with the Cleveland Orchestra – a mighty fine example of what he did best.

A Blast from the Past – a Randomiser thread!!

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Remember when the Randomiser was a thing? It’s been at least three years since we had one of these threads – is this because letting the machine select is no longer cool, hip and groovy? I dunno – but if anyone’s up for it?

You remember how it works – post the first five random selections that your chosen device picks for you (no cheating, of course – it’s an honour thing!). Gimme five minutes and I’ll put mine in the comments.

Hit the button – and let the chips fall where they may…

Simon House RIP

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Obituary

Hawkwind fans (and, indeed, fans of High Tide, Bowie and Japan) will be sorry to hear of the recent death of Simon House – violin and keyboard player extraordinaire.

Tiny Quiz – Father’s Day Edition

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Nothing to do with the NME this time…

Which album is this? And who is the famous reviewer?

“(X’s) fretless and flanged bass scribbles through (…) like a crayon across the face of the Mona Lisa. It wobbles like a weeble on a see-saw. It staggers like a drunk in a bouncy kebab shop. It writhes like an inflatable wraith outside a secondhand car dealer.”

Tiny Quiz – yes, it’s an NME review!!

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As before, here’s an extract from a review in the NME. No clues: no year, no journalist name… Which album do you think is being reviewed? You can guess the band – but you can’t win unless you also get the album correct…

“With the rhythm section asleep, the music unadventurous and the overall mood devoid of any real lightness or spontaneity, the task of turning (album title) back from the brink is inevitably down to the lyrics and the singing thereof. Only very rarely do either impress.”

Tiny Quiz – A quick one…

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As before, here’s an extract from a review in the NME. No clues: no year, no journalist name… Which album do you think is being reviewed? I expect this to be a quick and easy one – if someone hasn’t got it right by afternoon tea, I’ll eat ma bunnet!

“…all quite without consequence – idiot blues, folk and the sweating labours of a rock music taken by an agonising bowel disorder. It isn’t ABBA who are the most pernicious influence to have blighted popular music – it may still, alas, be this terrible group.”

Yet Another Tiny Quiz…Bank Holiday stylee

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As before, here’s an extract from a review in the NME. Starts off sounding quite complimentary – but by the end of the sentence, it’s become a bit double-edged!

No clues: no year, no journalist name… Which album do you think is being reviewed?

“It seems (…) has learned to pierce the centre of a tune’s target with one shot, rather than dropping a cobalt bomb on it and annihilating everything for miles around”

MM review – yes, it’s a Tiny Quiz for Easter!!!

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With due deference to Wheaty, his quiz is hard Hard HARD – and he’s not giving us the answers until Monday!

So here’s a Tiny Quiz which will be much easier – I’m sure it will be all wrapped up by tomorrow – or maybe even this evening!

To confound those who believe that I pick on the NME all the time, this is a review quote from the Melody Maker. No journalist name, no year – can you tell which album is being reviewed?

“(…) are distinguished by having one of the most boring lead guitarists ever to inflict his presence on a group. The group are also distinguished by having one of the most boring keyboard players ever to inflict his presence on a group. For proof, listen to (…), the extended track on this album, which contains remarkably tedious solos by all concerned…”

Tiny Quiz

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As before, here’s an extract from a review in the NME. No clues: no year, no journalist name… Which album do you think is being reviewed?

“It’s all technically tight and ship-shape, as you’d expect, and will no doubt be a source of some excitement for those who get into a lather over light-fingered fretboard work and similar musicianly virtues. It’s also incredibly dull and pointless, like a film that sacrifices plot and characterisation for flashy special effects and stunts.”

Van der Graaf Generator – World Record

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What does it sound like?:

Well, what do you get? Two CDs and a BluRay in a clamshell box, with a decent booklet. One CD is a remaster of the original stereo mix; the second is a new stereo remix by Stephen W Tayler, who did the remixes in the recent big Charisma Years box set. The BluRay has the content of the two CDs plus a 5.1 surround mix and the video promo for “Wondering”. For review, I was supplied with mp3 files for the two CDs plus a proof of the booklet – but nothing relating to the BluRay and obviously nothing physical, so the review relates to the mp3s. The A4 page of notes from Cherry Red/Esoteric mentions vinyl in passing, but gives no further details.

What does it sound like? I’ve been listening to this album for nearly 50 years, having bought the LP on release in October 1976. The remaster sounds fine and much as you’d expect – a bit cleaner, a bit sharper round the edges, but broadly what I’m used to hearing and nothing to scare the horses.

The remix, though…it’s a little bit odd (yes, well may you laugh) but fascinating! » Continue Reading.