Musings on the byways of popular culture
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Iron Maiden’s Run To The Hills – performed on an acoustic guitar with nylon strings, wearing a Cowboy Hat somewhere in the European countryside
Trivia: And furthering the Iron Maiden connection, Thomas Zwijsen (the bloke with the hat and guitar) collaborated with Blaze Bayley on his first album
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What does it sound like?:
Yo know those moments when a song pops up on the radio, and you think “I know this. Oh no I don’t, it’s definitely new. Oh hang on, I’m sure I’ve heard this.”
A case in point here is “Keep The Change” by Mattiel – coming across like a sort of lost Northern Soul stomper/60s Garage Rock mash-up sung by Nico (a curious mixture, but one that is apt), and the attendant album (‘Satis Factory’) is more than satisfactory (some albums bought on the strength of one track can lead to disappointment, not this one)
The parent album contains 12 tracks with echoes of recognition throughout all adding to the “Retro, yet of itself” sound. The music on this album, at some point, touches most of the varying styles of the rock genre. But this is no pastiche of the styles, merely a starting point of recognition that hooks the listener in (or it did me anyway). The 12 tracks each clock in around 3 minutes, meaning this is a fine way to spend half hour of life.
Opener “Til The Moment Of Death” is a sort of Velvet Underground meets Country affair, with » Continue Reading.
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It’s not even July, but the call for Fantasy Football is back. The virtual trophy seen here could be yours in 10 months time.
Season kick-off in 6 weeks, so plenty of time to sort out those bargain goalkeepers, premium defenders, wildcards and midfield differentials. (Observation: Harry Kane is priced at a very reasonable and tempting 11.0m – the same price as Aubameyang)
So … onward. Pick your best Team, and let battle commence.
Afterword Classic League – this League has auto-renewed, so if you were in it last year then there is no need to do anything. Code is: dhpz17
Afterword Head to Head League – Code is: fgnr26
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I think they’ve pretty much covered it. I’m off to spend the day listening to Girlschool
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/best-new-wave-of-british-heavy-metal-albums/
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Did he ever get that suit dry cleaned?
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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 …
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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?
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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?
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Slightly curmudgeonly, but always interesting, bass player and author jettisons his Joy Division artefacts. Some of the proceeds going to the Epilepsy Society
https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/joy-division/peter-hook-selling-joy-division-collection/
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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.
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Have we done a cheese pun thread before?
Camambert-by Light My Fire
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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.
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by jove – that is good.
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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
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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)
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Drummer wanted
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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
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This time “re-imagined” in a New Orleans stylee
“Sacrilege” or “Interesting”
I’m in the latter camp
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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
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New, and still sounding darn fine
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But will it happen? There were plans for a 40th Anniversary re-release that was kiboshed by those at The Apple Top Table. Hopefully it will see the light of day – a huge box set please of original film, (proposed) re-edit, and a stack of unused footage
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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
