The Afterword

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“I had decided that, if my parents really did leave me, then I wanted Brotherhood Of Man to adopt me.”

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I stumbled across a very amusing article by Pete Paphides (see comments below) this morning in which he explains with great candour his childhood fascination for the Brotherhood of Man

“Save Your Kisses For Me was my pre-pubescent Starman moment.”

Which begs the question: if your parents had left you, who would you have wanted to be adopted by?

My shortlist of possible adopters would have probably included the Grateful Dead, the Wombles. Captain Beefheart, Ursula Andress, July Andrews and the Von Trapp Family or Lady Penelope.

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The Church (the band)

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How on earth have I missed this band? For me, a massive Smiths, Bunnymen and Go-Betweens fan in the 80s, this is clearly a huge loss. I listened to Starfish today, and what a wonderful album it is. I’ve seen them mentioned on here a fair bit, so any recommendations or Church related stories to share? Where should I head next album-wise, as there seems a lot to investigate?

Everything Under The Sun – The Complete Guide to Pink Floyd

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Author:Mike Cormack

There are already an awful lot of books around on Pink Floyd so the question is I suppose, is there anything new to say or any information that hasn’t already been unearthed and endlessly dissected? Well, the answer is probably not, but a book like this can be useful in collating material from disparate sources and rounding it all up in one handy volume, and of course there’s always room for another opinion on the music itself. The book begins with a detailed look at each album, song by song. The author makes some interesting points although as someone who already knows a lot about the band (sound of own trumpet being blown!), I didn’t learn anything new, and I found the practice of capitalising every song title mentioned in an article quite irritating to be honest. The second section of the book is a detailed chronology day by day of what the band was doing in terms of live shows and record releases, right from its inception. It ends with the release of the Hey Hey Rise Up single in 2022, although oddly the release of The Endless River is missing. Running alongside this is a list » Continue Reading.

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The The

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Venue:

The Halls Wolverhampton

Date: 27/09/2024

You may notice there’s no The The in the photo. For his first tour in six years Matt Johnson spent his first minute onstage entreating the audience not to take any photos. It mostly worked, and despite checking my own desire for a souvenir snap I enjoyed not looking at the band through someone’s phone camera standing in front of me.

Next move was an object lesson in serving audience expectations around a storied back catalogue while also giving the new album its due. We got a set of two halves: the first half (‘the listening set’) being the entire new album played, the second half being the classics. Now why don’t more artists in a similar position do this. Artist gets everyone to listen to the new stuff without worrying that there won;t be enough time for This Is The Day or Infected.

Ensoulment sees Matt Johnson in a mellow, autumnal mood. Its twelve songs, immaculately played live, cover topics such as trump (Kissing The Ring of Potus), the death of his dad (Where Do we Go When We die) and online dating (Zen and the art of dating). Apart » Continue Reading.

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ATM: Is it too late to join a religion?

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Looks like the world’s about to end. I suddenly find my deep faith in atheism is shaken. Can anyone recommend a religion in need of converts, ideally one with a speedy absolution process and access to an afterlife which doesn’t require too much awed worship? No mansion of glory neccessary, no seat at the right hand of God, no handmaidens, I’m not that fussed about all that to be honest, but not coming back here as an ant either. A cockroach, maybe. Ideally somewhere that accepts pets and children please.

Nothing that requires trips to Mecca or Lourdes or getting doused in rivers, we don’t have time for that. Some light prayer requirement and generally being nice to people, not murdering or making false icons, that sort of thing.

Asking on behalf of a world.

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Truss At 10: How Not to be Prime Minister

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Author:Anthony Seldon

9 months after her role as Prime Minister came to abrupt end, Truss confronts Seldon at a Spectator summer party. “Why are you writing a book on me?” she askes forcefully. “I’m writing my own book, you know”. Truss promptly stomps off before a nonplussed Seldon could say anything beyond “I’m glad”.

Seldon has documented each PM’s reign in meticulous detail since Blair in 2004. Given that the average time PM’s have spent in office is 4 years 9 months the Truss premiership presented Seldon a challenge. Would there be a book? Maybe just a blog post or pamphlet? Undeterred by either Truss’s hostility or a tenure that failed to reach a half century of days he undertook 120 interviews, reviewed a variety of official documents, some which he admits were sourced “opaquely”. He claims 85% of the book came from in person interviews. Never one to be accused of brevity, the book is in fact it’s one of his most accessible works to date. Despite the recency of her time at No.10, there were a whole host of things I’d not read before, or forgotten.

Normally his books are chronological but with only a month and » Continue Reading.

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Wilco News

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For those of you in the UK they are playing the Albert Hall on June 22nd next year.

Presale starts 2 October @10am local time Presale code: HOTSUN General on sale starts 4 October @ 10am local

Also coming out in November is the Hot Sun/Cool shroud EP on physical formats.

I got a limited version on vinyl at Solid Sound festival in June, there was a competition to design the cover for the main physical release, it was won by a 3 yr old 🙂

https://wilcoworld.net/shows/

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Misty In Roots/Ruts DC Electric Ballroom October 6th

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This is one I’d love to go to, but sadly beyond my current spending limit, what with car and computer repairs coming along at the same time as needing a new freezer. Some here may not have heard about this and will want to go. I well remember seeing them on a double bill with The Passions many, many years ago at Acklam Hall, underneath The Westway near Ladbroke Grove. That was a very good night.

View post on imgur.com

https://wegottickets.com/event/622305

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King Crimson – Sheltering Skies

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What does it sound like?:

After 1974’s Red album, there was a seven year hiatus in studio activity, before Robert Fripp eventually reconvened Crimson to produce the Discipline set in 1981 followed by Beat the following year. Only Fripp and Bruford remained of the Red line up, being supplemented by Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, and the music they produced had a very different sound, influenced in part by the energy of the new wave scene Fripp had witnessed whilst living in New York. The 1982 European dates were joint shows with Roxy Music (their set, taken from the same night as this recording, can be heard on their Heart Still Beating album). Crimson were already well honed and in top form after US shows, and the enthusiastic crowd lap up fierce renditions of pieces drawn mostly from the most recent two records, with just two older efforts, Red and Larks Tongues, being performed. Whether you like this album or not is very much determined by your feelings about this line up of the band, which certainly wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The music is angular and almost industrial in sound and certainly isn’t an easy listen, but the » Continue Reading.

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There and Back: Diaries 1999 – 2009

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Author:Michael Palin

This is the fourth instalment of extracts from Michael Palin’s diaries, eventually arriving a full ten yeas after the previous volume, Travelling To Work, and the dawning of the new millennium sees him at his most reflective and introspective so far. He continues of course with his travel adventures, producing four more TV series with accompanying books, but this is also a time of great change in his personal life with the last of his children flying the nest and him eventually becoming a grandfather for the first time. However, the decade also sees huge upheavals on the world stage, with the September 11 terrorist atrocity, the 7/7 bombings, and the global financial crash, all of which contribute to his general air of unease and self doubt, exacerbated by the death of his close friend George Harrison. Nonetheless, his unquenchable curiosity and thirst for adventure remains, leading him far and wide to places as diverse as The Sahara and The Himalayas, as his fame as a global TV traveller reaches its zenith. However, always in the background providing a solid unchanging base are his family and a close-knit circle of friends, ever present and supportive whenever confidence dips. » Continue Reading.

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October Wordle

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Those of you not following the close-season Wordle thread might not be aware of my current form. Birdie after birdie after birdie. To be honest, you might as well award me the October Trophy right now. For those of you foolish enough to still wish to compete I offer a condescending pat on the shoulder and a wholly insincere “Good luck”.

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Fairground Attraction

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Are back back back! You didn’t know? Maybe subsumed within the Oasis reformation news has been that Mark E Nevin and Eddi Reader have buried any ongoing hatchets, after 36 years, along with the other two members. This came about through the beseeching of their still active Japanese fan base. And no doubt a whole wedge of dosh to finance a tour over there. And, as they say, one thing led to another, and studio time was booked. A mix of new and some recycled Nevin solo songs, and Bobs your Mums brother. Its actually not at all bad, with the cream on the cake being the other two touring musicians from 1986-8 also getting to play, Graham Henderson, accordion, and Roger Beaujolais, mallets (aka vibraphone, glockenspiel etc) In fact, it’s quite a bit better than, IMHO, that First Of A Million Kisses, that made them huuuuuuge at the tail end of the 80s. And last night I went to see them, all six, and it was generally a good show. Playing perhaps every song from their 2 records, they went down very well with a very older couples at Waitrose audience. As someone who likes a fair bit of » Continue Reading.

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Aloe vera drinks – have they helped

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I have oesophagitis which seems to be getting worse.

There’s a range of thinks to do and not do – booze , chocolate, spices etc. But I am thinking about the waking up at night from the burning in the err oesophagus. It is 5 am and I’ve been awake since 2. Aloe vera ,I found soothing drinking previously and wonder whether anyone uses it regularly , say before bed to ease symptoms. Supplementary question – drink from juice v making drinks from powder – any opinions ?

I know this is a bit niche but this forum always surprises.

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60s Melodrama

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I heard “You don’t have to say you love me” the other day and was moved to do a playlist of great 60s melodrama so here it is. Please add your suggestions below. I discussed with @Feedback_file who immediately said “what’s the definition of melodrama”. Here’s Wikipedia:

A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a very strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or excessively sentimental, rather than action. Characters are often flat, and written to fulfil established character archetypes. Melodramas are typically set in the private sphere of the home, focusing on morality and family issues, love, and marriage, often with challenges from an outside source, such as a “temptress”, a scoundrel, or an aristocratic villain. A melodrama on stage, filmed, or on television is usually accompanied by dramatic and suggestive music that offers further cues to the audience of the dramatic beats being presented.

Interestingly there isn’t much soul music which I think qualifies because the emotions are too real. Melodrama is greatly exaggerated with a pinch of fromage. Also, whilst melodramatic songs are usually dramatic, » Continue Reading.

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The Cure return

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A mere 16 years after their last album – surely some kind of record in itself – the long awaited and much delayed Songs Of A Lost World will finally appear on 1st November I for one am very much looking forward to hearing it as the songs they premiered on last year’s tour were very good indeed…..

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Rick Wakeman. Yessonata

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What does it sound like?:

This limited edition vinyl release is a follow up to Wakeman’s Final One Man Solo Tour of North and South America from earlier this year. It is a piece he wrote for solo piano after performing The Yes Suite for orchestra and choir at his London Palladium concert in 2023.

This work contains more than 30 musical fragments of YES music that Rick was a part of, including the much maligned, (by him, let’s be fair,) Tales From Topographic Oceans.

Picking out your favourite elements is great fun but the piece soon becomes a whole entity, as you give it time and space. I found that putting it on in the background while I was writing was a lovely thing to do as it would suddenly catch me as the beginning of South Side of the Sky or Long Distance Runaround would emerge.

The aforementioned elements of TFTO work perfectly alongside parts of Close to the Edge and nothing grates or diverts.

The second piece is a piano adaptation of the main themes and melodies from Rick’s ‘The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table’. Again, this is » Continue Reading.