1. If I reply to a comment, it appears as a reply to the OP rather than the comment I was replying to (eg see my comment on DFB’s comment about the Bonzo’s/Rutles in IanP’s “Who you going to see” post. Can we fix this? Otherwise my comment doesn’t necessarily make sense.

2. I saved a New Blog Post as a draft, because I couldn’t work out how to post a photo. (Still can’t). But then when I went to “Post a Blog”, I kept getting my previous, saved one. Can this be sorted? Does this make sense?

BTW I of course appreciate the great work all the admin folks are doing. PLEASE can we donate something?

Peter Gabriel tried with Cameras. I say we swamp the whole fucking arena with Electric Guitars. Who’s with me?

A post that has lots of words I start to panic.

Not yet 48 hours old, The Afterword has cost me over 100 Quids so far! aaaargghhh!

Never did get the chance to enthuse about this Box Set as the pub burned down before I managed to compose anything.

Brought to you be the compilers of the excellent Scared To Get Happy: A Story Of Indie-Pop ’80-’89 Set, this 4 CD set celebrates an often overlooked period of music, often unfairly referred to as “The Jam and some other bands. Oh, and Quadrophenia too”. All the big names are here: Secret Affair, The Chords, Purple Hearts, Squire, Merton Parkas The Jam do not appear (only in the guise of The Jolt performing the Weller song “See Saw” – and (perversely, possibly) that is a good thing. It gives lesser known bands a chance to shine. Bands which (in my opinion (which may not count for much!) that should’ve been massive like The Truth or The Prisoners (a retrospective statement, as I only discovered them 3 or so years ago) to worthy contenders, maybe not so vividly remembered names like The Combine, Untamed Youth, Beggar and The Vandells. The mid-80s Mod Revival-Revival is also represented in the shape of The Moment, Makin’ Time and the Gents.

Makes you want to buy some » Continue Reading.

While we were away, ELO (or ‘Jeff Lynne’s ELO’) played at this year’s Grammy Awards show. For some reason the Grammys love their mashup collaborations so for Mr Blue Sky Jeff was joined by tiny guitar botherer Ed Sheeran. Note Sir Paul McCartney providing awkward comedy gold at 1:04, as well as gratuitous footage of Taylor Swift doing what Taylor Swift does at award shows, i.e. dancing conspicuously in the front row.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvyHFsRtgsE

A billion-word piece on the making of ‘Physical Graffiti’, which as we all know is the greatest piece of living art ever created by anyone ever. The usual sycophantic bollocks, which purports also to look at the ‘craziness’ surrounding its making. Strangely enough there is no mention of JP’s 14 yo FPO.

If this works, here’s a screen grab of last week’s Midsomer Murders*. It’s from a folk gig in Lower Crosby village hall, a venue with an audience capacity of about 50. Just out of shot are a pair of 18″ subs, below the stacked pair of Marshall 4×12 cabs pictured. And that’s per side, on a stage about 15 feet wide. Don’t these TV people know anything?

* My wife watches it. And I was on sedatives following a surgical procedure. Otherwise I’d have left the room, obviously.

I’ve been watching this with the GLW as it’s broadcast on Thursday one week, and recording it to watch on Saturday on the alternate week as I work every second Thursday night. Last Thursday I struggled to give it my attention. It seemed so promising in the trailers. Gambon, Ecclestone, Grabol, chilly Scandi setting-all good, yes? Err, no. Grabol is wooden acting in English, Gambon’s obviously in it for the cheque, and Ecclestone’s only sort of in it. Most of the other male characters hard to tell apart (all beardy and dressed alike), and slow doesn’t begin to describe the storyline. I’ll give it one more chance on Saturday but if it doesn’t pick up, well it’s adios. Anyone else got a view?

Because it’s Friday. Thanks to Jonny Trunk for this song. My hero.

www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-releases/crate-diggers-jonny-trunk/