My first LP also. The lovely football shaped gatefold sleeve was wafer thin card and my mum had to sellotape it up for me to hold it together after only a month in my possession.

Francis Lee and Brian Labone […]

My first LP was the 1970 England World Cup Squad, released on the back of Back Home. Nagged Dad for it till he relented. Fragile paper gatefold sleeve shaped like a football, eventually fell to pieces in my nine […]

People with no interest in cricket are best avoided, in my experience. It’s reasonable to take no notice of other sports, but cricket is right up there with music and sex.

Pretty good, but I’d go with:

Inbetweenies
Don’t Ask Me
Mischief
Dance Of The Screamers

It’s certainly a sweet little trinket but I feel it would belong better on the “One From The Heart” soundtrack.

Music From Big Pink:

Tears of Rage
The Weight
Chest Fever
I Shall Be Released

And You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.

But not Buckets of Rain., which is Bob in his moon, june, spoon mode.

Raindogs:

Hang Down Your Head
Raindogs
Gun Street Girl
Downtown Train

In the Neighbourhood instead of Johnsburg Illinois.

And Gin Soaked Boy instead of the admittedly very fine Soldier’s Things, to end the EP on a more upbeat note.

Blimey. No Dan yet.

Can’t Buy a Thrill:

Do it Again
Reelin’ in the Years
Fire in the Hole
Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)

Countdown to Ecstasy:

Bodhisattva
The Boston Rag
Show Biz Kids
My Old […]

I love a Fray Bentos tinned pie. A store cupboard staple for decades. The steak&kidney is pretty good, but the chicken is best.

mmm.. piping hot from it’s 20 minutes in the oven, the flaky crust having risen […]

Yup, that’s an enjoyable article and quite fair from an English angle.

Geoff Lemon does appear to have, how can I put this politely, a bit of a ‘thing’ for Jofra Archer. “He was lithe of limb and languid of […]

This.

Exactly my take on prog, although I think you are much too kind about Genesis, who I dislike passionately. Twee and uninspiring are about the best that can be said for them.

Initially my distaste was […]

Also contains Big Muddy, which is just great.

Here is a long time favourite of mine, from my favourite Springsteen album Nebraska. I’m particularly fond of downbeat, reflective, solo Bruce. This is up with the best of his father/son relationship […]

Huzzah for 2019. Only nine months old and still makes it to 54th.

Yes, me too but I can’t help feeling Archer feels obliged to do the snarly, staring down the batsman thing when it is probably isn’t in his nature. He seems like a nice quiet lad. When you can bowl consistently […]

Certainly an entertaining series, although neither side covered themselves in glory from a batting perspective. England’s bowling attack looks promising for the next few years, particularly bearing in mind that […]

That was very likely the last time Warner will play in England, and quite probably the last he’ll ever play against England at all. No-one other than Stuart Broad will miss him.

I would argue that “substantial” is 100+ but I suppose taking into account the way both sides have batted, we can’t complain too much.