As it’s Friday, time for a handy natter abiut your favourite funny films. At Twang Towers we have (well, Jr and I) decided the top five are:

Animal House

Blazing Saddles

Airplane

Spinal Tap

The Blues Brothers.

Opinion hasn’t settled on a ranking but I think it’s between House and Saddles with House possibly edging it.

Yours?

I’ve just finished a delicious bottle of Scala – The Orcadian which Mrs. T gave me for my birthday which was about perfect – single malt with a touch of peat but didn’t leave residue on your tongue, its only problem was you always want a drop more. Anyway, I can’t have one as it’s all gone now. So, recommendations please. Quite interested in some of the new interesting ones if anyone has experience? I had a nice bottle of Welsh single malt my (Welsh) mum bought me. Norfolk whisky? But what’s your favourite tipple?

My mum is approaching being bed ridden so I want to get her a small TV for the bedroom – 22″ maybe. Also there’s no antenna in there but she has good WiFi. Any advice on models, solutions? I haven’t tried to run, say, Freeview over wi-fi. Is it even possible? Smart TV etc?

I do like a glossy TV series, especially politics, intrigue, lots of idealistic people doing clever things and against the odds coming out on top. Loved Designated Survivor, Madam Secretary and of course Borgen. But I never saw The West Wing. I’m sure I’d love it but is it too old now? I mean, I’m re-watching the Sopranos again but that’s the greatest show ever. Is it too late to watch The West Wing?

I love a bass singer. All that power. Here’s a great example by Jimmy Ricks. When he sings … “one fist of iron, the other of steel if the right don’t get you then the left one will”

,,,you’re glad he’s not talking to you. And those notes at the end!

Any others?

Any other headlines you want to see?

Just realised “Sir Henry at Rawlinson End” is on Spotify. Cheers me up enormously.

A friend of mine posted the following on F*book. Interesting idea.

I just realised a thing. Is there some kind of law that says that the 4th studio album a band makes will be their best work? (For ‘best’, read ‘my personal favourite‘!) I give you the following evidence: Queen – Night at the Opera Bowie – Hunky Dory Dire Straits – Love over Gold Led Zeppelin – IV Yes – Fragile Marillion – Clutching at Straws (although actually I think Misplaced Childhood is even better, so it breaks down here) Exception to the rule would be Pink Floyd, where I think their best work is albums 8 and 9.

What do we think?

I can’t think of many bands where the singer was successfully replaced. Sabbath? No. Even though Ronnie James Dio is a great singer, just, no. Genesis? Hmm. Tougher – Phil did a good job but it wasn’t the same. AC/DC – well producing one of the most successful albums of all time with Brian tends to make a strong case but really, Bon was the man, wasn’t he? In answer to my own question I think there’s only one case I can think of where it worked. Gillen to Coverdale. IG was great but DC was even better (yes, different, but I go to the DC albums most).

Are there any other examples where the lead singer was successfully replaced?

I need a decent laptop for around the house use, Zoom etc. Anyone know a reliable source for a second hand one?

The boy, age 16 and bang on cue, expresses an interest in becoming veggie. Actually I suspect this will be slightly selective – the Papa John’s Meat Feast is hard to give up. But I’m not opposed to a bit of veggie though I know almost no simple, quick recipes. Ideas welcome! Spicy flavours especially appreciated, and I do enjoy my pulses.

I’m off for two weeks hols in rural France on Thursday. Please recommend one album each for me to download from Spotify. You must know my thing by now. Tip – currently loving Bonnie Young Horsemen.

The lovely Folk By The Oak festival one day festival is, of course, cancelled along with everything else but is running as a free event on Sunday evening with voluntary contributions to a charity for financially challenged musicians. Some great names playing including Jim Moray, Mary Chain Carpenter, Kris Drever and Sir Richard Thompson. I went to the real thing with absent friend Phil Pirrip a few years ago so I’ll be at the Speckled Hen bar at 7.30, pewter tankard in hand. See you there.

https://www.folkbytheoak.com/about/familynestfest/

This is rather lovely which came out a few months ago. RT just released a lockdown album too which I bought, again on Bandcamp, though haven’t sampled yet.

https://allisonmoorer.bandcamp.com/releases

I’ve had it with the extenders. Where do I start with a meshed WiFi setup?

Interesting blog from No Depression making the case that 1973 was the greatest year for roots music in terms of crossover, future major artists appearing and even some commercial success. Something of a niche topic and tumbleweed might fit the landscape but some here will find it interesting….

https://www.nodepression.com/through-the-lens-was-1973-the-greatest-year-for-roots-music/?mc_cid=db87ceaf9a&mc_eid=7b765fa53a

We do this every year and I see no reason not to now. Post something your Dad liked. Mine was more of a Sinatra/Ella/big band guy but he did like a bit of Santana, especially this one.

HFD Dad I miss you every day.

On to more important topics, I woke up this morning not knowing hedgehogs have or need houses. I have now discovered three of my friends have them of varying degrees of sophistication from converted wooden crates through to built from plan bespoke. They all have boho funky backwoods chic. @robc could be meditating in the corner if he was hedgehog size. So now I have to build one. I feel like my garden is a Brexit voting unfriendly environment to visiting hogs. Tomorrow I will ransack the handy bits of wood collection and anodised nail tin and get building. In fairness I did save a hog who had fallen in the abandoned water feature and saved him whilst making it hog safe, but clearly I need to do more.

As you were.

One of the little joys of the past few grim months have been the videos by Toyah and hubby Robert Fripp where they dance, sing and muck about in their kitchen and garden. Here’s a particularly quirky one.

Jimmy Cobb, the pulse of “Kind of Blue” has gone to the great bandstand in the sky. The consummate cool jazz drummer, here he plays with the Miles quartet without Miles who was having a break so you get Trane fronting Paul Chambers, Wynton Kelly and Jimmy. And a fine sound they make. RIP maestro.

Steven Wilson and NoMan sidekick Tim Bowness are doing a podcast called The Album Years where they take a year and talk about the interesting releases in it. The first is the year of the devil, 1980, and the second 1973. It’s really good and as they say in the intro to the first one, it’s aimed at music nerds who really don’t need another podcast about Sgt. Pepper (half the AW move to the next thread). Anyway, this is a public service announcement.