Sad to hear this. Robespierre’s Velvet Basement is an old favourite of mine. Will give it a spin later.

Splendid effort.

Not Marc Bolan!

In a word … yes*. This is now my go-to R & L Thompson fix. I have the albums themselves on vinyl these new-fangled CDs give quite a good sound. The ‘re-mastering’ seems to have given the sound a spring clean, to […]

Quality control is a shade better than old Neil’s…

Good luck on finding a copy of (guitar, vocal). However, with this latest collection, I think the only things not available elsewhere are the 2 short instrumentals (though I’m not 100% sure about the live […]

Contrarians that they are, they’ve omitted what I think is their best post-Song composition, Just Drive. Here it is for your enjoyment:

BUY HARD LUCK STORIES!

Apologies for shouting but this new collection is rather marvellous.

People over on yon Steve Hoffman forums are winding themselves up into apoplexy, as they do, because they’re […]

Song is an absolute gem – one of my all-time favourite albums. Really looking forward to this one – it’s been a hard slog for them – the pledge fiasco, illness. But they’ve got there. I find that, in itself, quite moving.

I know quite a few pacifists – quakers, mainly – and I’ve never heard them express anything but respect for combat veterans. Empathy for what those veterans have gone through is, after all, part of the reason that […]

You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
Here Comes the Sun

I suggest we reconvene after -*checks watch* – 30th October, to compare notes.

I’ve heard him be a *shade* more ambiguous. To amusing effect, of course – too good not to.

I often hear it said that “Don Felder wrote all the music”. I’m not sure that he did though. That very long Eagles documentary implies that he wrote the the opening riff and the rest came from the 2 sociopaths […]

I should add that Zavvi do a few of these lucky dips. I previously got 10 geeky t-shirts for £20 and something similar with graphic novels.

All good quality stuff. Some I was familiar with, some completely […]

Here’s an interesting example from The Mighty Tull.

Have a listen and see if you can guess which band supported them on a US tour a couple of years later…

Astonished re the Dexy’s one – the similarity had never occurred to me.

*Applause*

Flower of Scotland is, of course, The Worst Song Ever Written.

Michael Marra has some wise words on the subject of national anthems and his own marvellous suggestion. I commend it to the house: