The Afterword

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Which OAP is going to win this year???

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It’s time for The AfterWord to select its Album Of The Year!

I will spend the next month collating shedloads and bucketfuls of entries into a spreadsheet the size of Antarctica (which even in these Climate Change days is pretty damn big, let me tell you).

92.37% of the nominations will bear names only three people have ever heard of but in the end, and is our way, a motley collection of old blokes and at least two, maybe even three, young (?) women will hand over the trophy to whichever white, ancient rocker has summoned up enough creative energy to release something “new and exciting” this year.

Go on , I dare you all to prove me Wrong!

Usual Rules apply: Albums released in 2021 Re-releases, remasterings etc are not allowed (polled separately, if Dai can be arsed?) Previously undiscovered , unreleased and unheard masterpieces which have never seen the light of day before Jan 1st 2021 are allowed Taylor Swift’s “Red” is definitely allowed You can list as many records as you like but only 20 will actually count. 20 points to your first choice, all the way down to 1 for your last You don’t have to » Continue Reading.

Bow down, ye mortals!

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I simply cannot believe how good Taylor’s re-recording of “Red” is. I wasn’t totally convinced with “Fearless” but here she takes an already blistering album and makes it even better. Genius, genius,. Also including a full ten minute long unexpurgated version of “All Too Well” – venom, regret, poetry. And then this ..Saturday Night Live. Bow down and worship.

Hey AfterWord Hive!

by 16 Comments

I think you’ll find I had Sam Fender’s debut album in 2018 as one of my Records of the Year. You lot seem to have been very quiet about him since then. Played the new album twice today and, let’s forget Tigger and his boring old man rules, it’s a belter! Am I right or, far more possibly, am I Wrong ?

Your biggest disappointment

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An interesting article by one of our old “chums” (?) got me remembering. You buy a record cos you love the band/artist. You are beside yourself with excitement. The needle drops onto the shiny new vinyl and thirty five minutes later you cry “What is this shit?”. Of course the record isn’t really shit, it’s just, you know, ok. But it’s by one of your favourite bands and it’s just ok. You play it several, indeed many more, times but the magic has gone, the love affair is over. For me it was Abbey Road. What’s yours? ps I’m not really looking to debate the worth of Abbey Road (many on here apparently adore it) but instead seeking for your own moment when the shark jumped.

First Love/Last Love

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Idea pinched from today’s Sunday Times but hey ho…

First record you really, really loved Last record you really, really loved

My first was Ray Charles “Lucky Old Sun”. Fourteen years old was I with no idea whatsoever who Ray Charles was. Head over heels I fell and bounced off to Bruce Miller’s with my birthday money.

ATM – Leakproof Headphones

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Rarely go to my “Sound Room” these days – it’s a long walk over to the East Wing and once I’m there I usually have forgotten what I was going to listen to. So most of the time it’s Sonos in the living area for me and my music. I, however, share the living area with my dearest. Sometimes there are cries of “You know I hate Bruce Springsteen!” or “That’s eleven times you have played Been Around today!” or even worse “Play Fleetwood Mac!”. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of headphones but when needs must I put on my rather expensive Sennheisers and move into the farthest corner of the room. “I can still hear your stupid music, you know, must you play it so loud?” Well yes, I must play it loud – what’s the point of headphones if you can’t play it loud?

So you lot, I need recommendations for headphones that don’t leak sound. I’m not too keen on sound cancelling and realise I need closed rather than open headphones.

Not to worried about cost – thanks to some pandemic or other we don’t seem to be spending much right now.

Cheers

But a few hours to go

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…before The 2020 Album Of The year closes. Without giving anything away the race for the Number 2 spot is down to a couple of votes. Far be it for me to try and influence any late voter but A G**l C***e” E**y needs you NOW!!

Let’s show those Quietus people what a proper list looks like!

by 429 Comments

It’s 1st December 2020 and time for our Album of the Year Poll. Cue trumpets or cue disinterest, whatever. Let’s find out who is going to fill the coveted No4 spot behind Bob, Bruce and Taylor. Same rules as ever – a maximum of twenty new albums released this year (no re-mastered lost masterpieces, no live concerts from back in the day). All albums over the twenty cut-off figure will be discarded. First on your list gets twenty points, next nineteen and so on. If you choose to post in ascending order instead then I’ll simply scoff at your silliness and stick to my rules ie first on list is your No 1. If you struggle to name twenty albums (like what I will, IMHO there have been some belting albums released this year but they are pretty thin on the ground) then just list as many or as few as you like, Only thing I ask is Artist Name first followed by Album Title. “Cressida Rising – Heartbreak Hotel” means nothing to me. Voting closes midnight 31st December – as we ain’t goin’ nowhere this Christmas there is every chance I will have ample time to double and triple » Continue Reading.