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Toppermost

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I hope this is ok to share here. A couple of months ago via Twitter I was asked if I would like to contribute a piece for this website on The Associates. The premise is that you choose 10 “Toppermost” songs from your favourite artist and write an article to accompany these choices. I had the bulk of it already done from bits I’d done here. I’ve subsequently also rehashed the Thompson Twins thing I wrote here and am currently doing one on Tears For Fears which is great fun. The chap who runs it is a retired publisher who wanted something to do to fill his time you can find him on Twitter @AgeingRaver His site currently has 954 posts from 126 contributors a really wide range of artists top tens. Anyway I thought some of you might like to read some of the pieces from Roy Orbison, to Hot Chip and Neil Young. Nothing there on Fray Bentos Pies, Jaffa Cakes or Boris Johnson….

https://www.toppermost.co.uk/

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  3. Excellent piece, Dave; enjoyable read about the Associates who I know more from a distance.
    Surprised you haven’t done one on Del Ross, um, Amitri, unless that is one of my fabled scrolling malfunctions.

  4. Nice site. I went sraight to “S” for Sylvian and was pleased to find a good read over me brekky. Especially pleased as the writer is, like me, a fan of Sylvian’s later albums Blemish and Manafon. “The songs on Blemish dispel with the common fallacy that Sylvian’s work progressed from emotional to intellectual. In reality, as his music became more intellectual it also exposed more raw emotions.” Good point, well expressed.

  6. At random, I chose the piece on Dionne Warwick which turned out to be by David Lewis who is Australia’s leading jazz mandolinist.

    Told from a very personal perspective, it is a real treat.

    I’m hooked and am now keen to dip into a few more. I fear this could be dangerously addictive.

    This site is a great complement to the AW. Here we meander vigorously and discover the most wondrous of stuff…. The Poppermostians stick to the point a little more.

    • That’s how I see it KFD. It’s a very specific and quite rigid theme to follow rather than the pub chat feel of The Afterword. I certainly feel this isn’t the place for me to write 2000 words on my Top Ten Tears for Fears songs but absolutely the place to write about my relationship with Del Amitri. There’s room for both I hope

  9. I have written a piece on Dean Owens that is up there and I have submitted a Top 10 for Blue Rodeo which should be appearing there in the next few days.
    Thanks for for pointing me towards it Dave.

  10. A really affectionate piece of writing @dave-amitri – I loved the way you gathered in stories from others to help paint the picture of someone who is not only very talented but also by all accounts a thoroughly nice bloke.

    The early jazz influence begins to make sense with HC100. I have sat watching high school jazz for a few years now due to three children displaying a musical ability that must come from their mother’s side of the family. Every now and then you see a precocious talent perform a self-penned number – and the name of the piece is usually something dull like “Hot Sauce” . I can see the appeal in coming up with “Pelican West” or “Lemon Fire Brigade”.

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