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It’s the long-awaited Afterword Album Of The Year poll

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It’s that time of the year again folks. The rules remain unchanged – post your top 20 albums of newly-released material, preferably in the format: number, artist name, album name (e.g. 1. The Beatles – Revolver) and then just let Salwarpe’s magic spreadsheet do the rest.

The closing time and date for submissions is 11.59 on December 31st, with results posted early in January. If you do’t have twenty choices, just give as many as you can. Points are awarded 20 for number 1, down to 1 for number 20.

Good luck, and season’s greetings to one and all.

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Songs that just floor you

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One of the great joys of listening to music is that every now and then, a song comes along that just absolutely knocks you for six.

Going through the lists 2024 poll, I noted the album “Wheels Within Wheels” from the Norwegian group Meer in the @niallb entry. An album I had not come across, but given Niall’s impeccable taste, something that was worth investigating. It’s a superb album and one that probably would have made my list had I heard it earlier, but there is one track on it – “Today Tonight Tomorrow” – that just really hit the spot. Can’t explain why, it’s just “one of those” that I just immediately fall in love with,.

Anyway – video for a live acoustic version of the song in the comments and thanks @niallb for the recommendation.

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Red Box Anthology 1980-1990

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Red Box, they were an odd outfit. No real image unlike the spanners and vest motif of Go West but with poppy earworms that were a cross between nursery rhymes and world music. Why would anyone buy a box set. I came into this from that place. I affectionately remember For America and Lean On Me (Everybody else say I) along with the TOTP Friday night Twitter Massive. Simon Toulson Clarke and …. er the other fella “checks liner notes” Julian Clarke. So what do you get?

From our wallet emptying friends at Cherry Red, the box contains 4 CD`s. First up is the debut, The Circle and the Square. More hooks than Paul Whitehouses tackle box, along with the aforementioned singles, you may also recognise Chenko and Saskatchewan which seemed to have lots of airplay back in the day. Little pop gems abound and feet will be tapped.

Next is the follow up, Motive. A different beast altogether though the opening track, Train is another ” should have been a hit” . The rest of the album is a more melancholic, reflective listen not unlike mid period A-ha . In fact Toulson Clarkes voice is not dissimilar to » Continue Reading.

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Simple Minds: Everything Is Possible

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This might be worth a watch. Overseas AWers PM me for ‘help’.

“The inspirational story of how a group of working class kids growing up in post-industrial Glasgow dared to dream. Those kids became Simple Minds, the most iconic and influential Scottish band in history.

Hidden hand events – including the punk explosion, the emergence of MTV and the impact of Live Aid – appeared out of nowhere to propel Simple Minds, not only into its existence and on to global success, but also to reboot the band.

At the very heart of Simple Minds dwells the ongoing friendship between Jim Kerr and his songwriting partner Charlie Burchill. The pair met in the shadow of a brand new Glasgow council tower block in 1967 and subsequently forged a relationship that changed both their lives in a way that neither of them could ever have imagined.

Everything Is Possible is a music-inspired human interest story imbued with social history, politics and activism. It features previously unseen family and band archive along with iconic footage from Live Aid and the Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute, and is set to Simple Minds’ cinematic songbook of hits and rarities, including I Travel, » Continue Reading.

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A Certain Ratio – Now and Laughter

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Well, this is a surprise… ACR recycle the chords from their 1989 nearly hit The Big E as a festive tune dedicated to support workers.

“Dedicated to workers at the NHS, homeless charities, mental health crisis centres, care homes and all the people who give up their time to help the sick and homeless in our towns and cities.

Consider donating or helping in other ways: https://mhp.org.uk/how-to-help/ Direct link to donate: https://mustardtree.org.uk/donate/donate-money/

Film by Marta Ruly/NEOMR Media

Now and Laughter is taken from A Certain Ratio’s new EP Christmasville UK. The EP Includes remixes from the bands last album: It All Comes Down To This”

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Marillion – This Strange Engine – deluxe edition

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What does it sound like?:

This album, originally released back in 1997, was the band’s ninth and their first after parting company with EMI. It’s now reissued in the same book format as previous efforts, with 4 cds plus a bluray and an informative 52 page book. The first cd has a new mix of the album, while the next two discs are devoted to a previously unreleased live show from Grand Rapids recorded in 1997. Disc four has a generous and comprehensive selection of B sides and bonus tracks, which are a welcome addition to any collection and it’s useful to have them all collected together in one place at last. The bluray, audio wise, along with the usual high resolution and surround mixes, has a further 25 tracks of jam sessions and early versions of the songs that ultimately appeared on the finished album. As with all these things, they are not something I would play on a regular basis but nevertheless it’s nice to know they’re there and to be able to trace the development of the songs over time. Finally the video element of the bluray encompasses an 85 minute documentary on the making of » Continue Reading.

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The Surfin’ Sounds Of Manchester

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Just arrived at the Harem Lounge – a new album from those Surf fanatics from Japan, The Routes. After their last album (when they covered Kraftwerk songs in their style) they have now dedicated their latest platter, »Surfin’ Pleasures«, to the depressing sounds of Manchester, Joy Division and early New Order.

I know most of you will have finalised their Album Of The Year lists – but this is bopping’ good fun.

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How YOU doin’?

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It is a tradition on the Afterword (started I think by the wonderful Hannah many aeons ago) to have a check-in thread for the massive to weigh their wellbeing, share their sorrows and joys, to settle in on the comfy sofa by the fire and oof out a bit.

We’re all getting on a bit, even those who kid themselves they are not. Energy isn’t always what it was.

In spite of recent gripes and grievances, we’re a friendly bunch when we confide in each other – (manly hug for Dai here, mute button on the phone for VV, secret Santa presents between Jaygee and Si…)

Let yourselves in, take a mug of something warming and let us all know how life has been for you in 2024.

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Pink Floyd live 1974

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13 concerts from the band’s 1974 summer shows in France and winter shows in the UK have been made available to stream from the usual places. Usual set list was early versions of Shine On, Raving and Drooling (Sheep) and Gotta Be Crazy (Dogs) plus DSOTM in full with Echoes as the encore. Sound quality is somewhat variable.

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Top 10 Gigs of the Year

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Not a poll, list your top 10 of the year or however many you may want to list

This was the best year for gigs I have had in maybe 20 years. Really some of the greatest shows I have ever seen.

1. Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON 2. Wilco – Solid Sound Festival, North Adams, MA (night 2) 3. Bruce Springsteen and the E St Band – Canadian Tire Centre, Kanata, ON 4. Rolling Stones – Browns Stadium, Cleveland OH 5. Wilco – Solid Sound festival, North Adams MA (night 1) 6. PJ Harvey – Centre Bell, Laval, QC 7. Squeeze – Massey Hall, Toronto ON 8. Jeff Lynne’s ELO – Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON 9. Graham Nash – NAC, Ottawa, ON 10. Cat Power – Bluesfest, Ottawa, ON

PJ Harvey probably should be higher but the competition is tremendous

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Best TV of 2024 – what’s your POV?

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Follow on to the “Best TV from the first Half of 2024” thread from earlier in the year so have done my best – probably not always successfully – to minimize duplication.

As in previous years, there’s no poll (feel free to start a dedicated TV vote if you wish) – just a overview of what I – and hopefully you – thought was worthwhile watching.

BEST OF THE BEST

An excellent year for TV in general and for Netflix which began the year on a high with the Aussie series BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE, a captivating twist on dysfunctional family dramas. With RIPLEY and BABY REINDEER continuing to keep the standard high, the streamer ended the year with the one-two punch of a couple of very more-ish thrillers, THE MADNESS and BLACK DOVES.

ITV also had a pretty good year starting off with MR BATES AND THE POST OFFICE and climaxing with Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland, Line of Duty) as the off-kilter female protagonist of UNTIL I KILL YOU.

With the channel having emerged more or less unscathed from its attempted euthanasing by Mad Nad, C4 delivered more than its fair share of bangers, too. Chief » Continue Reading.

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ATM: itunes replacement on a Windows 11 PC

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Similar problems to @geedubyapee but not quite the same. I was happy using Itunes (I know – I’m an amateur). Then Apple decided to do me over – crash Itunes saying it needed updating, but would not let me (because Windows 11) and made me update to 3 new apps (music, Tv, sync). which are rubbish.

The music app is set up for Apple Music streaming, which I dont want to do – I want to play my extensive library of downloaded MP3s and FLACs. I liked being able to have playcounts, and a list of files not a mosaic, so I could sort by bit rate/play count/ etc. etc. This new impossibly slow app deliberately pushes you towards streaming. I just dont want to.

Does anyone on the massive have recommendations for a piece of software that would let me do what I could do on Itunes (and ideally retrieve my carefully curated playlists)?

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Primevals / Stewart Lee

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I’M THE MAN-WULF Stewart Lee has commissioned Glasgow’s garage punk veterans The Primevals to write a suitably haunting song for his new touring stand-up show Stewart Lee Vs The Man-Wulf, which opened in London this week.

The music is available RIGHT NOW on Bandcamp, and will be available on 7″ single early in 2025

https://primevals.bandcamp.com/album/im-the-man-wulf-ep

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Laura Nyro – Hear My Song: The Collection 1966-1995

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What does it sound like?:

Three years ago, when Madfish issued American Dreamer, an 8 LP box of her first seven studio albums plus an extra platter of bonus material, Laura Nyro fans cried, “What about CD?” Now, Madfish have gone all in with this gargantuan 19 CD limited edition box set: 10 remastered original studio albums, each with their own disc, 6 live albums including 2 previously unreleased live concerts, Laura’s original demo tape from 1966 and a bonus disc of rarities including mono versions, alternative takes and live tracks, plus a 90-page coffee-table book with liner notes by Vivien Goldman and a foreword from mega-fan Elton John. They won’t be crying now, except maybe over the expense.

Laura Nyro began her career as a quiet, introspective teenager with prodigious talent, recording her first album at 19 years old. Her songs seem to be wrung from her very being, burning with an intensity that belies her years. They stand out for her unconventional use of meter and rhythm, and dramatic emotional range. Her lyrics are routinely referred to as “poetic” because they are both beautiful and elusive. If you allow her to, she will scorch your soul and » Continue Reading.

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Football – I have questions

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They’re beginning to build up. I still don’t know why a SHOT is now a HIT or a SAVE is now a STOP. Or why someone suddenly decided ‘assist’ should be a substitute for the perfectly adequate ‘made a goal’. One too many syllables perhaps?

I have a new one. Why has somebody decided that Manchester City footballers should wear shorts designed to look as though their braces are hanging round their arse? This is the sort of urgent question Baddiel and Skinner might once have answered. Failing them…