The ads for mail order albums were invaluable for me, a reluctant resident of a far-flung colony (my gratitude to Cob Records was expressed in an earlier thread). There was also the T-shirt I bought, with the […]

Daevid Allen-era Gong. Allen is no longer with us and the revamped version of Gong still plays (there is a UK tour in November), but for some time now there has been talk of a 30-CD boxset covering the early […]

It is intriguing. If the Epstein files contain information hugely damaging or embarrassing for Trump (which, it is assumed, is the reason why he is reluctant to open them), then why did the Democrats not reveal […]

An interesting thought. A big difference between Nixon and Trump is that Trump seems to be immune from all normal threats to his presidency. As he famously boasted, he could shoot someone in cold blood and would […]

Two great games, regardless of today’s result – with records being broken left, right and centre. We even have a first from Brendon McCullum, who has admitted to the BBC that England perhaps made a mistake by […]

Yes, just. I didn’t find ‘Pawn Hearts: The Full Story’ an absolutely gripping read, and it’s fairly short, but I picked up interesting facts here and there (about Robert Fripp’s involvement and the backgro […]

Pavlov’s Dog, a great but sadly neglected band.

Pawn Hearts is my desert island disc; I think it’s amazing both musically and lyrically. So the reprint of Paolo Carnelli’s book was a must buy (I missed it when first published). Some parts were interesting but […]

Miles Davis’s electric period from 1969 to 1976. A single artist and a short time span in his musical trajectory, but there are more than 50 albums available that cover this period and these are some of the b […]

Psychedelic soul Cosmic Truth (Undisputed Truth) Sky’s The Limit (The Temptations) Funkadelic (Funkadelic) There’s A Riot Going On (Sly and the Family Stone) The Time Has Come (Chambers Bro […]

‘Progressive’ British jazz (from 1966 to about 1975) Extrapolation (John McLaughlin) You Are Here … I Am There (Keith Tippett) Child Song (Henry Lowther) Integration (Amancio D’Silva) Song For Someone […]

Are alternative lists allowed? Hope so. My alternative for Appalachian Bluegrass would be: Red Fragile Angel’s Egg Third (Soft Machine) Tago Mago Godbluff The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage Meddle […]

Here’s a belter from Anneline Kriel, released in 1981. She was a South African actress, model and beauty queen who became Miss World in 1974. In 1980 she married Sol Kerzner, an entertainment and casino magnate r […]

I usually use music to fire me up and get me started, but for quieter periods there is Judee Sill (particularly Crayon Angels off her first album) and Karen Dalton’s In My Own Time.

Three worth mentioning are: Henry Cow’s ‘Cow Box Redux’, comprising 17 CDs plus three comprehensive booklets. Admittedly it won’t set any party alight, but all the known recordings of Henry Cow can be found t […]

I watch it on catch-up religiously. It often disappoints but occasionally there is a great act. Like this one from St Vincent in the last series. Great fall at the end.

Jerry Goodman on violin went on to play with the Mahavishu Orchestra

I’m not so sure about When the Levee Breaks being at No. 2. It has an awesome riff and is beautifully recorded, but there is not much to the song beyond that – and it goes on for seven minutes. Immigrant Son […]

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day (except for the occasional catch-up with the England-Zimbabwe game. Oops, another wicket’s just fallen)

He did that routine 275 times, in every episode of Cheers. That was a great TV show, particularly the run with Shelley Long. I remember catching by sheer chance the very first episode way back in 1983 and […]