The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

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Humdrum Express

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In pre-Internet days, if you heard a new song on the radio you has to wait for the back announcement and then scour the local record shops in the hope of finding a copy. If non were to be found, you placed a special order from the Big Book, took your receipt and waited a fortnight for it to be delivered to the store. Now, you can hear a song on the radio, wait for the back announcement, get home, fire up the computer and place your order direct with the artist.

Or in this case – hear a song on the radio, wait for the back announcement, forget to do anything about it, hear it again 6 months later, get home, fire up the computer and place your order direct with the artist.

Well, I like it …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQbYL9GkzqI

Never Did Better Than Their Debut

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We always have to have an inverse to any thread. This one follows the “Best Album Was Their Last” This thread is not asking what are the greatest debut albums, but does ask who never managed to hit the same heights again?

The Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Welcome To The Pleasure Dome Guns & Roses – Appetite For Destruction Montrose – Montrose New York Dolls – New York Dolls Wire – Pink Flag Yazoo – Upstairs At Erics

Others?

What was so great about The La’s?

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Their breakthrough single “There She Goes” is a mastery of jangle – very difficult to dislike, no matter how many times you hear it. But is their sole album really that great.

I know it didn’t have the easiest of births due to Lee Mavers constant striving for perfection, and it is indeed a fine album – but is it really one of the “Greatest Ever Debut Albums”? (c) NME and many other music papers at the time, and even more so nearly 30 years since it’s release

Do my ears need syringing again?

The Specials – Encore

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What does it sound like?:

From their first single (on their own label) in 1979 to their (slightly messy, but politically infused) break-up of the original line-up, The Specials packed a lot into their original 3 year incarnation (before splintering to Fun Boy Three and the Dammers-helmed Special AKA). A short period of time between the mashed-up ska-punk of “Gangsters” and the downbeat commentary of “Ghost Town”. They also managed two albums, and both are deemed (and rightly so) as classic of the time.

And now 40 years later, they’re back (in somewhat reduced original membership form). But … this aint no nostalgic re-tread, they have actually got something to say (even if it a very similar conversation to 40 years ago)

More laid-back than ‘The Specials’ and ‘More Specials’, but echoes of their past filter through everything. It may not have the energy of the debut – indeed it’s more in the late period Ghost Town vein. Songs with a message delivered carefully and concisely so you get the point, but still find your self bouncing and/or nodding to the infectious beat behind. The upbeat punky-ska party can be found on the accompanying Live disk where you’ll find » Continue Reading.

Stiff Little Fingers – Inflammable Material

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What does it sound like?:

40 Years old today (3rd February)

In 1978, two bands from Northern Ireland produced their first singles and sent them to John Peel in the hope of getting Radio airplay. One of them (The Undertones – Teenage Kicks) got played twice in a row and has passed into legend as John Peel’s favourite track of all time. The other (Stiff Little Fingers – Suspect Device) was played every night for a week and Rough Trade (the only place in London to stock the single) was constantly running short of stock. Demand was so great, Geoff Travis approached the band so his label could re-release it and satisfy his customers. A 50/50 Split Profit Deal was agreed with a handshake – no Contracts, no Lawyers, no future markets exploitation clause, just a straightforward Manufacturing and Distribution deal. Both had the desire to keep the arrangement simple – Stiff Little Fingers had already been disappointed by Island Records 6 months earlier (a tale told in the song “Rough Trade”, which is not about the label that released their records but about the label that signed them and then dropped them within a week, and signed The » Continue Reading.

Food and Drink

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What we need is an elongated, lame joke, Food and Drink punfest

Sushi and The Banshees Stiff Little Fish Fingers Dexys Midnight Runner Beans The Eat-alls Frankie Goes To Bollinger

Animals – House Of The Rising Bun Wings – Red Rosé Speedway

I know who you mean … or do I?

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Todd Rundgren / Ted Nugent – similar(ish) names, completely different people. Not in my brain – it takes about 15 minutes to decipher

I say one name and see someone elses face. Same with a bloke I used to work with – actual name was George, but I spent 2 years calling him Bill because I was convinced that was his name. He gave up correcting me after a few weeks.

Is it an age thing or just me?

(please don’t tell me I’m the only one who gets a bit confused sometimes)

The Last King Of Pop

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Paul Heaton has gone and released a Best Of/Greatest Hits/Career Retrospective thingy from The Housemartins to a re-recording (with Jacqui Abbott) of A Little Time, and abrand new track (is it possible to release a Best Of these days without including a new track?). The new one, 7″ Singles, has a whiff of The Specials about it, and is one of those “spot the artist references” toons.

My one criticism – it doesn’t include his cover of The Heppelbaums track This Old Skin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A0Td_G-j7E

National Album Day – An Afterword Experience

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First album bought: Iron Maiden – Number Of The Beast Last Album Bought: Matt Berry – Television Themes Desert Island Album: The Who – Quadrophenia Last Album Listened To: Thin Lizzy – Live & Dangerous 2018 recommendation: Wreckless Eric – Construction Time And Demolition

Who’s next?

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When one of our beloved, not so beloved, or known but not too bothered about, musician types passes away, the Media go to the same few people for comment. But there will come a time when Paul Gambaccini and Bob Harris, and latterly David Hepworh and/or Mark Ellen, will be too old and infirm to comment. The dulcet tones of John Peel are no longer available, and whilst you can’t deny his enthusiasm, Danny Baker rarely makes a successful jump from radio to TV or print

Mark Radcliffe, Stuart Maconie and Lauren Laverne appear to be gradually making inroads into becoming the go to mouthpiece.

Similar for Music documentaries – the same voices are being heard. OK, Nigel Planer has done a few, but you feel he’s reading the script rather than imparting his own passion for the subject. And a lot of documentaries now are built as films and use archive footage to tell the story (with text blocks inserted to explain the context) – so there is less need for the narrator.

So … Gambo, Whispering Bob, Heppo and Tony Blair’s bass player can no longer be bothered to comment. Radcliffe and Maconie withdraw labour due to be » Continue Reading.

My old Hometown it looks the same …

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as it ever did. My old Hometown is my current Hometown, and has always been (I have never lived more than 6 miles from the Hospital I was born in)

Familiarity breeds contempt, and it is easy for us to regard our surroundings with suspicion and annoyance that it has done very little to feed the world of popular culture. Reading (for that is my home) was famous for Beer, Bulbs and Biscuits – none of these industries remain in the town. But we have got Microsoft, Oracle, Pepsi and offices for ING Direct, PwC, KPMG, Deloitte and Ernst & Young[6] and KPMG.

Reading’s contribution to popular culture: Oscar Wilde was in Prison here (so was Stacey Keech (briefly) Chris Tarrant Mike Oldfield was born here and stayed until his early teens Kate Winslett made her first stage performances in a youth Theatre Group And we also gave the world Ricky Gervais (who loved Reading so much, that when he filmed Cemetry Junction it was done in Loughbrough)

Beyond Mike Oldfield, musically we have given you: Bennett The Hoosiers Chapterhouse Slowdive Vincent Crane (plus the Crazy World Of Arthur Brown was formed here when Brown met Crane whilst at Reading » Continue Reading.

Career Killing Actions

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The Ordinary Boys debut album (Over The Counter Culture) of 2004 was a fine, fine collection of late-Britpop meets The Jam meets The Smiths with a wallop of Two Tone chucked in for good measure. 12 songs and well worth 40 minutes of your time. The second album, Brassbound, is competent but not as great as the first – it does contain some great moments (the single Boys Will Be Boys for example) but doesn’t have “it”.

Granted, The Ordinary Boys weren’t the biggest band around at the time, or (if I’m honest) ever in danger of filling the O2, but I’m guessing they had a loyal fanbase and could pay the bills.

And then came the career killing actions of lead singer Sam Preston: 1. Going into Celebrity Big Brother in 2006 2. Marrying the fake-Celebrity who eventually won the competition 3. Walking off Never Mind The Buzzcocks in a huff probably now his most famous act. In defence, Simon Amstell was acting a bit “smug-bully-tw*t” which caused him to walk rather than fight back

He can’t be the only bod who has been given duff advice or knackered their career with one or more daft actions

Afterword Fantasy Football League

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The World Cup still has a couple of days to go, but there is no rest for the Footy fan as the Premier League Season kicks off in less than a month. So, it’s time to get Fantasy Footballing again. The Afterword “Classic” League has been renewed (code: 190408-38669) The Afterword Head To Head League has been created (code: 190408 – 77605)

To Salah or Not To Salah – that is the question?

View post on imgur.com

https://fantasy.premierleague.com/

The Tarantino Soundtrack That Never Was

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I have never knowingly gone to the CD collection and said: “I think I will listen to The Shadows today”,

But now I have, I am pleasantly surprised / reminded how fine those early hits sound. The later years when they became a be-suited cabaret band with guitars was all professionally done, just doesn’t sound as exciting.

One or two of those early tracks would not sound out of place in a Quentin Tarantino movie probably involving underground criminal been wronged by a dyslexic drug dealer who has mis-sold the Gangleader bloke a consignment of Heron.

Picture the sign – 2 dark suited gangster types wander through the New York subways looking a bit mean with this playing in the background.

The Shadows – The Savage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmqGmqSUiw8

The Arctic Monkeys – A Listeners Malaise

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The Arctic Monkeys debut album was a thing of genuine excitement. Once I got past the super-hype surrounding it, it was a pure blast of indie-rock excitement. Dour and grotty in it’s story-telling, yet full of energy. Favourite Worst Nightmare added to the story, and whilst it was (probably) a better album, couldn’t surpass the debut. Humbug came along, changed things about, had it’s moments, but just didn’t have “it”. Suck It And See has probably not been listened to since it was released (maybe I completely missed something?) And then came AM – the energy, urgency and interest was back.

I haven’t bought the new one (Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino) yet, but fear I may be buying just out of catalogue completion/loyalty. Not massively impressed with what I’ve heard so far (maybe it’s not for me?). So the question is: Am I missing something in Arcticmonkeyland, and should I get the new one?

Joy Division Pronounciation

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Not relevant to the post, but …

When I first read the name Joy Division in Smash Hits, I thought she was a MOR singer of the Elaine Paige, Barbara Dickson variety, and fully expected to see her pop up on The Two Ronnies or Tom O’Connor’s Big Nigh Out.

Anyway, back to the point …

The title of Joy Division’s second album is: Closer (as in nearer) or Closer (as in the last act, about to end) ?

I’ve always gone for the former, but in idle moment the correct pronunciation is now bothering me (There are more important things to concern ones brain with, I’m sure, but this is now bugging me)

I’m still bothered by the change of pronunciation of the Milky Bar manufacturer from Nes-alls to Nes-lay