The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

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Moonage Daydream – Bowie documentary

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How come I’d not heard of this before today? What with Dave’s and Stan’s excellent Bowie threads and everything? What do you people think I come here for if not informative information and sexual innuendos? I curse your collective lackadaisicality. Having said that, looks good this. Especially compared to the debacle that was Stardust. But I’m a bit perplexed by Peter Bradshaw’s review and, indeed, by Peter Bradshaw, in the light of one comment he makes. In his review of the documentary Bradshaw says: “His physical beauty in my view can be compared to Wilfred Thesiger”. Now I’ve looked up this Wilfred Thesiger character on my computer and I can’t see any trace of Bowie, nor, if I may be a little impertinent, of “physical beauty”. He looks more like WH Auden. Martin Landau perhaps. Eric Sykes, even. In the earlier photos he looks like one of them three playing Jesus.

Looking forward to seeing this, regardless.

Sixth sense – is it a thing?

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Anyone who’s had a dog or a cat knows that they can sometimes seem aware of things in an inexplicable way. Especially dogs. They often seem able to sense intentions, for example. But what about us humans and Lodestone? Do we have 6th sense in any form? Three times have particularly stuck in my mind when I’ve felt that I have.

The first was when I was about 18. I was playing darts with strangers in a pub for money and me and a friend were losing big. Our opponents came up with a challenge: if you can get a bullseye with one dart you win the money, but if you miss you have to give us double. Much to my friend’s dismay and our opponents’ delight I accepted, even though I wasn’t a regular player at all and not much cop really. But I accepted because I knew, like 100% just KNEW that my one throw was going to go in the bullseye. Not the tiniest shred of doubt in my mind. And it did. Much to everyone’s amazement. A football playing friend of mine once told me that players always know in their heart before they kick » Continue Reading.

Album cover facts that might be of some surprise to the less wordly

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Reading this article today I discovered two things that surprised me:

1. That isn’t Tom Waits on the cover of Rain Dogs.

– big, big gap in surprise level –

2. Serge Gainsbourg “gave up alcohol for 12 days to make himself beautiful” for the cover of Love On The Beat. Which I think explains Bingo Little.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2022/apr/19/wrappers-delight-the-best-album-cover-shoots-in-pictures

Oh Roger, honestly?

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Alina: “My family and friends are being murdered, seeing their homes destroyed, their future stolen” Roger: “I’m against all bad guys, me. Look at what the West gets up to. I was dead against it all, I was, me. Me, me, me. Got any doggie pics?”

Jews Don’t Count by David Baddiel

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Author:David Baddiel

A treatise about the extent to which antisemitism is “invisible” to the progressive left and excluded in its battle to combat racism.

Baddiel argues that antisemitism is generally seen by non-Jewish progressives as a sort of “second class racism”, and gives numerous examples of it being met with far less concern, protest or outrage than that provoked by other forms of discrimination. His interest here is not in exposing antisemitism, but rather in clarifying exactly what it is and analysing reactions to it, his main aim being to explain antisemitic discrimination from the victim’s perspective in order to highlight and eradicate a “blind spot” on the left. (He describes himself as progressive and left leaning and adds: “so I can’t really speak for the right, but it seems to me that people on the right are less bothered about a virtuous self-image.” Which made me chuckle.)

Previous discussions on the Afterword related to this issue have been a little contentious, so natch I was particularly interested to read this. And review it, no less. Especially as I would imagine I fall within the principal demographic that Baddiel hoped to reach: similar general politics and worldview to him, » Continue Reading.

Fleetwood Mac still bitchin’

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Interesting article in the LA Times with Lyndsey Buckingham, refueling the whole F Mac saga. Lyndsey explains how the band firing him has made him an even better person. So that’s nice. Stevie says he was never fired, it was her what quit, but the band wanted her more than Lyndsey. Lyndsey explains that she would say that, wouldn’t she, on account of her being lonely and childless and not as nimble on stage as him. Mick has declined to support Lyndsey on account of Mick being so crap when it comes to managing his finances. Christine secretly supported him, but couldn’t say anything having only just gone and bought herself a nice two-up two-down in Walthamstow or somewhere. John has said nothing of any relevance (for quite some time now). The band’s manager, Irving Azoff (sic), says Stevie’s right and honest and truthful, bless. Well he would say that, reckons Lyndsey, cos he’s only motivated by money, the greedy tightwad. Lyndsey sued the band asking for “lost wages, including the $12 million to $14 million he claimed he would have made in just two months on that 2018 tour” and accepted an out of court settlement. So that’s nice » Continue Reading.

Noel and Bruce

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For those who haven’t come across it, this Noel Gallagher interview might interest. I thought the meeting Springsteen bit was the most interesting. “How about that Stone Roses album?”

I’m guessing he means the first one.

Murder in Rome

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Did anyone else follow the trial of Finnegan Lee Elder and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth? A fascinating case, I thought. Almost like a James Ellroy novel or a Quentin Tarantino screenplay.

For those who didn’t follow the case, Elder (then 19) and Natale-Hjorth (then 18) are school friends from a wealthy suburb of San Francisco who met up while they were both holidaying in Rome, Elder on his own and Natale-Hjorth with relatives. On the night of 25 July 2019 at around 2pm they went to looking to buy some cocaine. They asked a guy with a bike, Sergio Brugiatelli, and he took them to a dealer in a nearby piazza. As they were walking away they checked out the cocaine only to find it was aspirin, but just then some police showed up and everyone ran. As the lads were running they grabbed the rucksack Brugiatelli had left on a bench. Inside the rucksack was Brugiatelli’s phone which Brugiatelli called, using a friend’s phone, once the lads were back in their hotel. They told him they wanted their money back and some coke in return for the rucksack. They arranged an exchange in a nearby street, but when they got » Continue Reading.

The best song not on the best album conundrum

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You want to recommend an artist/band to someone not au fait with their oeuvre (excuse my French). So you recommend their best album, their masterpiece. But, darn it, their best song is not on that album! Whatchagonnado?

Happens to me with Tom Petty. I know some bonkers fools on here don’t accept that Damn The Torpedoes is his best album, but they’re wrong and the Classic Albums telly series clearly proves that. A perfect, flawless, brilliant album. But, darn it, my favourite Petty song is ‘A Woman in Love’ off of Hard Promises.

Marianne Faithfull’s another. Broken English is clearly her best album, as it’s the best album by any British female artist ever in the history of everything, but, darn it, ‘Truth, Bitter Truth’, off of Dangerous Acquaintances, is my favourite Faithfull song.

Any other examples of the best song not being on the best album (darn it)?

10 songs from my travels

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In today’s The Guardian novelist and Pink Floyd lyricist Polly Samson talks about music that reminds her of her various travels. (I love that she chose Bill Withers’ Lovely Day as a reminder of my home turf, Puglia.) Have we done a similar thing here? Who cares. Here’s mine, below, although I can’t come up with 10. Anyone else care to share?

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/apr/29/polly-samsons-playlist-10-songs-from-my-travels-david-gilmour-greece?fbclid=IwAR1AxjtGMcwBCdW3tlDVowGBwGfT7yQI1CmLhJhNj2QFebLEvDUeb1rA4wg

Exorcism: the facts

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It strikes me that exorcism is all too rarely discussed on the Afterword and I wonder if this is due to a lack of knowledge, particularly among those Afterworders who have never been possessed by Satan. (I have read occasional comments here along the lines of “Jethro Tull are shite” and “the best-fitting jeans I’ve ever had are from ASDA”, but quite frankly such comments have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the topic of exorcism and aren’t really worth mentioning in this context.) Exorcism is a complicated subject and who better to explain the ins and outs of it than a proper exorcist? So here’s Father Vincent (“Vince”) Lampert M.Div., pastor of ‘St. Peter’ and ‘St. Michael the Archangel’ Catholic Churches in Brookville Indiana and designated exorcist of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis. I think he’s something of a celebrity exorcist to the stars and on this YouTube interview he does a great job of separating fact from fiction and debunking a few common myths. The interview is from last October so, given the frequency and speed with which the Catholic Church likes to implement change, not all of the info will be up-to-date. Nonetheless, some of his » Continue Reading.

Two guitar challenges

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Back in October YouTube guitar teacher Paul Davids challenged 10 guitarists to improvise a solo over a backing track he provided. Most comments on the video reckon the last ‘competitor’, one Chris Buck, came up with the best solo and I am agree.

For Rickie Lee Jones fans

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I’ve been watching this video of RLJ playing some songs in her living room. It’s nice to see her play the old songs on just an acoustic guitar. She’s singing as beautifully as ever, looking as cool as ever, and has some nice stories to tell. A wonderful way to pass an hour.

Jon Anderson interview

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I’m not exactly a fan of Yes (I like a few songs, but don’t really know much of their music) but I really enjoyed this interview with Jon Anderson. What a lovely chap. Might interest others.