If you can’t access the link I’ll post some highlights in comments

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/74419d78-4117-11ee-9be5-c37fa3a5fe8b?shareToken=e303f89bfa6a1b3233fba3838420aa58

What you think?

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/mercury-prize-fred-again-shortlist-winner-b2383001.html

I know most (97.57%?) of you lot listen to lots and lots of music. Bri tells me “Music no longer plays an important part in my life” – I wouldn’t go as far as that but I can definitely proclaim despite being retired with lots and lots of free time, I play less music compared to any period in the past fifty (sixty?) years. Lana del Ray is the only “new” music that excites me, apart from that it’s whatever takes my fancy. A bit of Ella Fitzgerald or Bob Marley or A Tribe Called Quest. Some days that means I listen to no music at all. No music at all. Anybody else similarly afflicted? Maybe we can do Therapy together?

https://youtu.be/hy6qkrWHcdI

Bri is currently “obsessed” with Reaction Videos. Anybody else similarly deranged?

Me? Cry?

I really didn’t know what to make of the “TV Show” but the clips from the fast approaching album are indeed most excellent

Confetti falls from every window

It’s hell out there

https://thequietus.com/articles/32853-quietus-subscriber-discount

The man’s a genius!

You lot, apart from Kai’s rotund pop , ignored Sam & Holly ….And Now For Something Completely Differentt – wash out your ears and listen…

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/23/1151374272/ab-soul-tiny-desk-concert?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20230225&utm_term=802&jwsource=cl

We don’t make any fuss here at the back of the pub. A small group happily playing Wordle, exchanging witty repartee like “Oops, that’s a Junior” and “Hard luck, Paul”. Then along comes Gary who sits down at the table and starts playing some nonsense called Wordiplay. Even more alarmingly some of our gang join him! The Wordle Committee can’t help but feel that our harmless quizzes are starting to clutter up the noticeboard and whilst we always welcome new members (standard vetting practices apply) we do appreciate that most of the AfterWord has little or no interest in our jolly pastimes. Howsabout alongside Nights In/Out etc you Mods set up a portal called “Quizzes” or perhaps “Men Of A Certain Age Who Play With Themselves”?

Add your daytme drinking loves below

Is there a finer Songsmith? Stand aside Dylan, Simon, HMHB. He the man.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/05/randy-newmans-20-greatest-songs-ranked

Happy New Year to One and All. “I miss you”. Signed The Man on The Island.

Gary has asked me to remind everyone who hasn’t voted in the Album of 22 Poll that the closing date is midnight 31st December. Without giving anything away, it can be revealed it’s currently a very tight race at the top of the leaderboard where three runners are neck and neck in pursuit of the coveted(??) trophy. Suffice to say, one person’s 20 votes could make all the difference! (It should also be noted that if another 8 people each gave Josh Rouse 20 points he would nearly, but not quite, be in the lead). So, once you’ve recovered from your bacchanalian excesses don’t forget to Vote, Vote, Vote!!!!

Poor old Junior’s arthritic fingers can’t cope anymore with all the scrolling down so here’s a Brand New Wordle Thread!

.. but bless his heart, apart from releasing an album every other month, you can now have this for free. His version of Swift’s 1989 was top notch and he has oft quoted Nebraska as a continuing inspiration (and, to be fair, there’s usually at least one track of each his albums that could have been lifted from the original). Bless him.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/ryan-adams-bruce-springsteen-nebraska

Tis that time of year when the AfterWord Hive starts to buzz with thoughts of which gnarled OAP is going to win “AW Album of 22” poll. I shall be spending December entombed in Château Wrongness whilst my knee new doth protest loudly and no doubt painfully. I am therefore more than happy to take up the reins of stewardship once more but also equally happy if some other mug fancies having a go. Let me know in the coming week or so and all being well voting opens 1st December. In the meantime here’s something to remind us all of the sheer joy and beauty of Pop, Pop Music.

Have you heard?

Tis a new day, a new Wordle thread. Oh, joy!

First we had the infamous “Is it Red or is it Brown?” fiasco. Now you lot seem to have messed around with the Track Function. I can’t be the only one (?) who uses Track as primary navigation – a great feature. This morning I hit Track and the only the newest comment appears. When I hit Older Comments it takes me back to the top of the thread (which for the Wordle thread is roughly 4368 posts ago.). If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?

Just finished watching the Baz’ film. The two leads are both fantastic, can’t imagine that one of them won’t get an Oscar. Not enough early Elvis for my liking but talking of such things:

I think he’s still the biggest selling solo artist of all time (just ahead of Ed Sheeran?) and at one time the Hall of Fame would have had him alongside The Beatles and Dylan in the ”Rock n Roll Gods” section.

I know 47 billion people (I’ll check that figure later) still troop into Graceland each year and no doubt the film will help boost his sales for a while but, as far as I can tell, most young people I know (Hello, Maël!) rarely, if ever, mention him. An Afterword Search reveals the last Elvis thread on here was Junior’s in 2016. I never much liked Elvis mainly because my elder brother adored him and then, of course, the Vegas Years. Saying that, I always thought he would be one of those artists whose reputation would never dim. I’m not after what you lot think of Elvis per se but whether or not you think I’m Wrong in thinking that in, say, twenty years » Continue Reading.

My friend, Amer Corbin, says Hi and then says: “This young woman has banished the idea in my mind that the fairer sex can’t do what men do with skill and authenticity. I’m not talking about songwriting ability or poetry. I’m talking about graft. This girl has got it in spades. Much like girls playing soccer it’s a thing that has to be worn down. At first its cute then it’s threatening. I’m not threatened anymore by the fact that this girl could run rings around me as a drummer. I’m enlightened by it. The gold is that she’s fu****g brilliant.”

As ever, Amer is, well, Amer.

It’s fab!