Musings on the byways of popular culture
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Given that @Lodestone of Wrongness has volunteered to produce a chart for best new albums of 2018, I will volunteer to run a poll on the best rereleases of 2018. I’ll limit submissions to five albums. I will similarly award points in descending order with your first choice scoring 5 down to 1 for the fifth.
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Right, here we go. You can list up to twenty albums ( any more than that will be ignored – and you really should get out more). First on your list will be awarded twenty points, next nineteen and so on. You have until midnight 31st December to submit your choices and only “new” records released in 2018 will be considered. Results will be announced in January assuming I can remember how to set up a spreadsheet.
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As a youngling. I cowered behind the sofa when the daleks first appeared.
If I was four years old today, I would be having some very scary dreams if I saw this video of the remarkable Seidä Pass. They look like rogue Wombles who are tired with clearing up litter in Wimbledon and have embraced the Dark Arts,
Badly overweight, Satanist sheep-like beings from the Tyrol get disturbingly overexcited on their xylophones! It is sinister, spooky and altogether rather wonderful.
If the Sheep of Satan are not in the Dr Who 2018 Xmas Special, they damn well ought to be.
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Watching them on Sky Arts at the moment recorded at Austin City Limits.
I can’t imagine too many here particularly like them and they’re definitely not cool, especially the geeky gawky gauche singer. But they do seem to enjoy being what they are, whatever that is, and don’t seem to care about “coolness,” whatever that is. Some good solid rock (ish) tunes and some weird almost tuneless pop ones. Not too keen on their styled look tbh but I find them…strange.
Shoot me down!
First date is Islington Assembly Hall, 4th May. A lovely venue (I saw The Bible there a few years ago).
If anyone fancies a meet-up, I’ll be easy to spot – I’m a middle-aged bloke with receding hair, podgy belly, specs, t-shirt and jeans.
A bunch of rugby-playing ex-squaddies singing? No, it isn’t the best Xmas record you’ll ever hear, but it is for a very good cause. My pal Andy is in there, somewhere.
https://woodenspoon.org.uk/2018/12/13/vets-rugby-squad-release-christmas-charity-single/
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Venue:
Echo Arena, Liverpool
Date: 12/12/2018
How do you review a Paul McCartney gig? What metric do you use? The size of the crowd? The length of the set list? There’s no precedent for how the most successful songwriter in history should be presenting himself at 76.
The pre-show “support” is simply a one-hour build up to the great man appearing on stage. The first part is a DJ who mixes stems and loops from McCartney’s 60 year recording career, where nothing lasts longer than 60 seconds before segueing into another song you know like the back of your hand. The DJ then leaves the stage as the screens come on and a slow scrolling vertical digital montage of McCartney’s life rolls down the screen, soundtracked by more McCartney songs. It’s hard to know how long it’s going to be – turns out it’s over 20 minutes. The montage starts with a boy at a window on Forthlin Road, gradually moves through the stages of life, before ending with the image of a CGI Hofner Bass rotating on top of skyscraper with surrounding fireworks. At this point the imagery is matched by a soundtrack of the orchestral crescendo » Continue Reading.
This year I don’t think there have been any 10/10 albums, as there have been in recent years, but there have been an awful lot of 9/10 and 8/10 ones. Way more than the 20 submitted for the poll. I know others have mentioned this too and a few have indicated that their lists could go on for longer, so here’s the place to put them. I’m hoping it will bring a few albums to the fore that are lesser known, or not well known enough to pop up on umpteen top 20s (unless, of course, someone has Ry Cooder at number 21), so I look forward to having a listen to them and finding a few gems that had passed me by. @sewer-robot, looking forward to seeing your next ten (no need to stop at 30!), particularly as you’re the only other person that seems to like KOD.
Nobody will thank me for writing out all 166 on my list, especially as some of them are rubbish (hello Neil Young), but I reckon there have been 68 albums of note (or 68 that I really like, put it that way), so here they are. I’ve put » Continue Reading.
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No, it’s not that Rees Mogg arse-wipe, and neither is it George Hunter (if only), it’s that monobrowed Manc charlatan who has somehow stretched a thin song-writing ability – just enough to produce the odd half decent Beatles pastiche – into a platform that allows him to spout arrant self-aggrandisement pretending to be self-effacing yet so loaded with hyperbole he even has the arrogance to name drop people like David Bowie.
Is it possible to get a subscription to Mojo that omits any mention of the fool, and are there artists for whom you wish the same sort of editing were possible too?
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Roy Wood’s gear nicked. Thankfully also recovered.
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My elderly Acoustic Research AR EB101 turntable needs a new stylus. It was quite an expensive deck in its day (about £400 in the late 80s) and the last time it had a replacement was years ago when I had the motor replaced. since then, it’s been in and out of storage and I’ve neglected the stylus. Your recommendations please along with any tips for fitting and setting the weight. Instructions are long gone I’m afraid. Thanks, you lovely people.
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The tree is always up around my place, though the baubles and angel are seasonal. The tree is practically through the ceiling these days. So I’ve showed you mine now you us yours.
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The long-awaited definite biography of the mighty Dr. Strangely Strange has finally been announced. Expect tales from the sixties Dublin music scene, about Gary Moore waiting for a babysitter, and lots of pictures of phono fiddles, weird trousers, and orphanages.
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I still like going to concerts, I am still buying lots of stuff (mostly reissues) but I probably listen to most of it once or twice and then file it away. I look at people listing 40 or 50 favourite albums of the year and wonder how they do it.
I seem to work up to 11 hours a day, and then when I get home I am more likely to make some food and slump in front of the TV than put a record on. Weekends I concentrate on spending time with my daughter and watch a fair amount of sport.
In the car I am more likely to listen to podcasts or talk radio than music where as people like @Tiggerlion seem to be reviewing multi disc box sets on a weekly basis while also hearing lots of new stuff. Where do they find the time?
This has been going on for years off and on so unlikely to be a temporary thing. Can anybody help me with this problem? Am I a lost cause?
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Free classic album “Fire and Water” 180gm vinyl, half speed remastered at Abbey Road. Purchased for £13 at Fopp Records today. Bargain !
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A new referendum and a Lib Den government is the only way forward!
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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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What does it sound like?:
Paul Kelly carries the burden of being regarded as a national treasure in Australia. Why is that? Well, his songs are empathetic, everyman stories of love, the land, culture, politics and history. When I First Met Your Ma is a lovely song telling a child how he met their mother. Bradman is a paean to the great batsman. Leaps and Bounds references a Melbourne landmark the silo on Punt Rd looking over to another landmark the MCG where a great ritual is performed – Aussie Rules football. From Little Things Big Things Grow is a jaunty tale of the beginnings of a struggle for land by aboriginals in Central Australia against the cattle ranching Vestey empire from Britain. How To Make Gravy has a convict ringing his family on a sweltering Christmas Day. He asks of the family and who is going to make the gravy in his absence. It is such an Australian story – the roast persisted with on a hot summer’s day and the ritual of the gravy. On top of that it is a great singalong song. The last three can rightfully be regarded as anthems down here. A greatest hits » Continue Reading.
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After the death of Pete Shelley I was having a look at an old video compilation that had been put up on YouTube of Buzzcocks singles plus a few TOTP performances.
The documentary featured Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle being interviewed separately. At the beginning of the section for Harmony In My Head after a few fairly standard sentences Steve Diggle suddenly lurches headlong into Spinal Tap territory by declaring that Shelley lyrics were like a soap opera, but his were influenced more by James Joyce’s Ulysses.
Was a bit astounded by this, but then searching a bit further found this classic interview from earlier this year where as well as repeating the Joyce association he also manages to drop in references to Shakespeare, Kafka, Plato, Basil Bernstein’s Code Theory and Stockhausen:
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/whats-on/music/music-interview-buzzcocks-hopefully-we-ve-influenced-people-for-the-good-1-9167570
Sample verse from ‘Why She’s A Girl From The Chain Store:
Why she’s a girl from the chainstore Why she’s a girl from the chainstore Her name was written on her coat Her life was a miserable anecdote
Always a great entertainer, Eric Bibb has delivered a lyric on his Global Griot LP that has, er, back of beermat, erm, written all over it. I give you Wherza Money At?
Lyrics available at EricBibb dot com.
[i}Wherza money? Wherza money at? Wherza money? Wherza money at? Where’s that money from all that oil?[/i]
I’d guess that both the enterprise and its shareholders that take the commercial and financial risks in exploration will get the first wodge with a residue distributed to the roughnecks who released the oil from the earth or sea. The jurisdiction that grants oil rights to the company gets a substantial tranche in fees and the jurisdiction’s revenue service will have scored bigly on levies, indirect and direct taxation. The countries who import the oil get their taste as well – worry not – as every revenue service simply adores taxing the bejayzus out of Texas tea. The evidence is there with every delivery of kerosene and filling station price list. That, Eric, is ‘wherza money at’: a little goes to the makers and the rest goes to the takers. Thus was it ever. Lobby your political representatives if you feel the proceeds from state-sponsored » Continue Reading.
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It can be exhausting round here sometimes. B-sides, demos, remasters and early years. So much stuff, so little time. So occasionally, very occasionally, I’m happy to Listen Like A Civilian. Isley Brothers? Early years, motown era. I’m sure it’s all great but right now I’m perfectly content with a bog standard Epic Greatest Hits covering the seventies era of Summer Breeze, Harvest for the World and a surprisingly good going-disco track called, er it’s A Disco Night. No real desire to find those deep cuts or anything else really. Same (shockingly) with Dr Feelgood. Happy with the UA Singles. So, lay it on the line. What Greatest Hits/singles comp is the only album you own by an artist.
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Just discovered that the Kindle edition of Dave Hill’s Slade memoir, “So Here It Is” is one of the current 99p Kindle bargains at the Big River. Some of these offers are for one day only, so probably best bag it quickly, if interested.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/So-Here-Wolverhampton-Rocked-World-ebook/dp/B074MBTQWN/
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teenage music tribes. They are gradually dying out. As i pass the hundreds of kids going in to junior’s 6th form, you may see one lad tryin’ to grow a chin in a metal / emo shirt, but no goths, hippies, mods, white rastas, or even hip-hop types, and this is a large Midlands city. This used to be a big bit of youth. identify these past music genres by the look:
long hair and lab coat grey shirt with top button done up, short hair. adidas bag and baggies 30s suit, book of Orwell ma1 jacket and crew cut ratty long hair, combat trousers, knackered DMs, patchouli, mullet
plenty more – please add.
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Paddy McAloon was on Radio 4 this morning, discussing I Trawl The Megahertz.
It’s available to listen back, and includes a brief snippet of a new song. Remasters to come in September 2019.
I knew he had detached retinas, but didn’t know he also has meniere’s disease – my father-in-law has that (but has never been in Prefab Sprout).
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On the track “Teardrops” from his new album “The Prophet Speaks”, Van Morrison sings “If I had $10 million, I would give her every dime….. just to hear her call my name out one more time”
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Van is worth $90 million. Does that mean that there are nine ladies out there who are about to become very rich just by giving him a call ? Maybe it’s to fund this that he’s put out so many albums lately.
https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/rock-stars/van-morrison-net-worth/
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Apologies if this has already been posted, but there’s a new Specials track appeared this week on YouTube. Not brilliant, but not bad IMHO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=91&v=UNeM3w5SVOs
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I’ll be honest, most of you are going to hate this, but I was grinning like a loon throughout.
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/04/673291531/wu-tang-clan-tiny-desk-concert
