it's gonna take some time, but I'll get there...

Phew. It's certainly nice to be back home after a week away in France, somewhere down near the banks of the river Loire.

I'll do a proper post at some point, but in the meantime here are a few thoughts / observations from the last seven days:

-> New St. Pancras looks great, but service at the champagne bar (Europe's longest, apparently) is very slow. (I also harbour suspicions that it was their roast beef sandwich that gave me the tummy bug that has followed me around for much of the last week. Grr.)
-> nice uniforms on the staff though, even if they do look like the coldest people on earth
-> Eurostar is a great way to travel and far less hassle than flying
-> (not very insightful this) Paris is a beautiful city
-> (nor this one) The French sure do know how to cook. Our restaurant ("L'AOC") is superb
-> not impressed by the Impressionists at the Musee d'Orsay
-> ....but very taken with a huge sculpture of a polar bear
-> the countryside between Paris and the Loire is flat and almost entirely featureless
-> ....but their train service is fantastic. East Midland trains this is not.
-> oysters may look like snot, but they taste great
-> cellared wine is sometimes absolutely delicious, but sometimes it's a bit too much. Perhaps my palate has been ruined by £3.99 bottles from the Coop?
-> Seasonal beer from a trappist monastery? Now we're talking
-> C's mum is an ace cook...
-> ...but Xmas dinner is done by C's dad and is superb
-> Christmas pudding made from brioche is very rich but also surprisingly light
-> I really need some exercise
-> The banks of the Loire are a great place for a run
-> or four....
-> I don't know what this says about the relative fitness of people in Orleans and people in Nottingham, but I see more people out running on the Loire on Christmas day than I ever do down by the Trent
-> The French have a strange fetish for small dolls of Father Christmas that they hang outside their houses. They're all a bit Stephen King, to be honest....
-> "Das Boot" by Lothar-Gunther Bucheim is a gripping and claustrophobic novel. I really must watch the film sometime
-> "Time for Bed" by David Baddiel is still quite funny, 10 years after I first read it
-> ....but neither can hold a candle to "Moon Palace" by Paul Auster
-> family are great, but I think I'd rather spend Christmas with my friends
-> She's in excellent hands, I know, but I miss my cat
-> Doctor Who is really awful. The Xmas special this year is (in my opinion) derivative rubbish. The Emperor isn't wearing any clothes. It's only 70 minutes long and it still feels like they're spinning it out
-> Flash's new album is actually really good. Properly good. Seriously. Give it a listen.
-> proper headphones are brilliant. What a great prezzie
-> I like getting presents, but I genuinely prefer giving them than receiving them
-> I don't expect gratitude either - it's just nice to pick something out for someone and then see them (hopefully) get a kick out of receiving it.
-> ...that said, there are some ungrateful sods out there, family included.... especially family
-> French radio is weird - every second song has to be French, and they seem stuck in a musical timewarp where all that cod-rock guitar from the 80s is still cool
-> They're also obsessed with James Blunt
-> although, to be fair, Telephone are quite good
-> I must have needed to catch up on my sleep. I'm getting about 12 hours a night
-> It's cold
-> Open wood fires in massive grates are very, very soothing
-> ...so is vin chaud
-> cutting a wedge of goat's cheese across the middle to take all of the cheese and leave everyone else the rind is rude, selfish and ignorant. Don't think I didn't notice
-> I really shouldn't have watched the news. Very depressing - I'm not sure why Fiona Bruce is smirking at the news of Bhutto's assassination, for starters
-> time to go home. The trains in France are painless, but there are no direct trains from London to Nottingham, so we return via Grantham. Sigh.
-> Sleeping in your own bed is ace

I could go on.

But I won't.

---

If I get time, I'm going to try and put the Earworms of the Year up on Friday this week. Thanks for all the nominations so far.... but it's not too late to cast your votes. Details are here, and emails to the address in my profile please.

---

If I don't see you before, Happy New Year to one and all. Let's hope 2008 is a good one, eh?

War is over if you want it.

you've got to laugh into the dark....

No Earworms this week.... Just a request: I'm compiling the 3rd Annual Earworms of the Year list, and I need your help...........

I want you to rummage around your internal jukebox and I want you to email me your top 5 earworms for 2007. Chuck in a few comments on each, if you like. You know you want to.

Full details are here.

Votes to the email address in my profile please.

I'll be putting the list up at the end of the month.

All welcome.

Roll of honour.

2005 Coldplay - "Speed of Sound"

2006 Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"

---

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I'm declaring this blog closed for a few days. After a bit of mulled wine with some friends and a trip to the pub for some seasonal beer, I'll be packing my bag for a week in France with C's parents. C tells me that we don't have to spend all week with her mum and dad, but as her mum is an excellent cook and wants to feed me up, and as her dad keeps a wine cellar and sees me as an excuse to get the good stuff up..... I think I'll survive.

I think we've got time to have a look at Europe's longest champagne bar before we catch our Eurostar too....

Mmmm.

Happy Christmas all.

---

Still looking to download some more xmas songs? Go check out Joe the Troll's Trolling the Underground (courtesy of Cody Bones... thanks Cody!)

mo money, mo problems...

I had some post from my old school today. As usual, they wanted some money. I loathe my old school. I found aspects of it distasteful when I was there, but over the years I have come to despise pretty much everything that it stands for.... mostly because I believe that it is a vast waste of money and churns out a disproportionately high number of arseholes with an overly high regard for themselves*

One of the things that constantly amazes me is how much the people who attended this school have been utterly unable to move on with their lives and constantly hark back to their schooldays as the best days of their lives. Personally, I've not looked back since the day I left, but there are many people who can't face forwards: there are numerous old boy societies, there are special Lodges so you can be a freemason only with people who attended the school, there are reunions, old boy sports fixtures... and, of course, there are people who cannot think beyond sending their own children to the school in the way that their parents sent them, and their parents before them.

The school is becoming quite skilled at milking this, of course.

The post I received today was a newsletter for the charitable foundation that supports the school. It's a nice, glossy newspaper style affair and it's filled with inspirational stories of what the school has meant to various current pupils. They're looking for donations too, only not just any kind of donation. The first clue is on the enclosed form. You know how most forms like this have a number of boxes you can tick to indicate how much you want to give? £5, £10, £20, £50 or other. Well, here the boxes are £100, £250, £500, £1,000, £5,000, £10,000 and other.

Also included are helpful instructions about how you can donate land, buildings, shares or securities. There's a special team to help you to decide how to leave a legacy to the school in your will. You can plant a tree at the school: £1000 for a tree near the heart of the school, £500 for a spot a little further out. For a bargain £250 you can name a seat in the theatre. You can even donate by using everyclick.com, where every search sends money to the school.

To encourage you further to dust off your wallet, there are lists of people who have made donations (together with the years they attended the school and the house they were in). The "Shorto Society" is a list of people who have included the school in their wills; the "James Society" is for those who have donated more than £10,000; the "Percival Society" is for those people who have given more than £50,000.

Unbelievable.

They really want your money. It's not cheap to run an institution like this, you know.

Last time I checked, the fees for this school are £27, 500 for an academic year as a boarder.... which of course does not include any money that you will have to lay out of uniforms, books and stuff like that.

They own substantial amounts of property in central London.

They don't pay tax either: the School is a registered charity.

It's a joke.

They're not getting a fucking penny out of me. They've caused enough damage already. They've had their pound of flesh from my family and I reckon that they've got enough money.

---

* yes, this probably does include me. In the interests of balance, I should also add that almost all of my very best friends date from my school days. I like to think that they're not typical public schoolboys either. Like me, they might well have been emotionally scarred by the experience though.

from now on, our troubles will be out of sight..

I really enjoy this time of year.

I know that it's not everybody's cup of tea, but I like it. There's just something in the air that makes people seem warmer and more full of generosity towards their fellow man.

Whether it's down to all the parties, the present giving, a bit of time off work, or because we're all particularly looking forward to watching the Doctor Who Christmas Special with our families, I don't know.... probably a combination of all those things and more. What I do know is that people just seem a little nice towards one another at the moment as we all anticipate the shared festival that's just around the corner.

I like that. It certainly makes a nice change, anyway.

I was out in town last night having a very pleasant meal with some dear friends, and in the cold of a dark December night, it seemed to me that everyone seemed full of cheer... some more full than others, it's true.... but it was nice.

Of course, not everyone is having a great time and there's still plenty enough pain and hurt in the world to go around. With that in mind, I've got a Christmas present for you all: in the name of everyone who reads this blog, I have donated £50 to Shelter, the homeless charity.



I hope that's alright with everyone.

Merry Christmas.

I've built my dreams around you....

Not surprisingly, given the time of the year, people have been busy downloading festive songs for their iPods. One of the consequences of allowing downloads to count towards the official singles charts is that there are currently 8 'classic' Christmas hits sitting in the UK Top 40.... Wham!, Mariah Carey, Shakin' Stevens, Andy Williams, Slade, Wizzard, Band Aid and -- of course -- The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl.

Since it was released in 1987, "Fairytale of New York" has gradually established itself as almost everyone's favourite Christmas song. I think it's been dulled by repetition, but there's no denying that it's a fantastic record, and that the trading of insults between Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl is a welcome antidote to most of the saccharine rubbish being peddled at this time of the year.

Most of us have probably absorbed the lyrics to this song subliminally over the last twenty years, so perhaps it's not all that surprising that there was an uproar when the BBC decided in their wisdom to only allow an edited version to be played on Radio One... the new version having the words "faggot" and "slut" dubbed out.

After a day fielding flak, the BBC backed down, with Controller Andy Parfitt saying:

"Radio 1 does not play homophobic lyrics or condone bullying of any kind. It is not always easy to get this right, mindful of our responsibility to our young audience. The unedited version will be played from now on. While we would never condone prejudice of any kind, we know our audiences are smart enough to distinguish between maliciousness and creative freedom. In the context of this song, I do not feel that there is any negative intent behind the use of the words, hence the reversal of the decision."

Quite right. Why would such a festive classic only be deemed offensive now. It's political correctness gone mad, I tell you.

Oh, but hang on. Just because it's a much loved song, does that make language like that acceptable? I can't help but think that Peter Tatchell might well have a point when he said:

"The word faggot is being sung as an insult, alongside scumbag and maggot. In this abusive context it is unacceptable"

I think he's right - in the context of the song, the word is clearly being used in a perjorative sense alongside other unflattering words. Substitute "faggot" for a -- say -- racially charged word and tell me that the song would be alright, because I'm not sure that it would be.

It's a bit of a storm in a teacup, I suppose, and it would be daft to bleep the song now, but language is powerful and sometimes we forget that.*

Or perhaps they were talking about meatballs.

Or bundles of firewood.

Either way, all the publicity has certainly not harmed the song's chances of topping its previous highest chart position of number#2 in 1987... when I looked last night, it was sat proudly on top of the iTunes chart for the week.

Speaking of Xmas songs.... head over to Del's place and download some other classics now.

[* interestingly, on the totally unnecessary Ronan Keating cover of "Fairytale of New York", the offending line is changed to "You're cheap & you're haggard", although apparently the word "slut" was fine. O Tempora, O Mores and all that....]

in my mind my dreams are real...

>>>>> ST's ALPHABETICON - O <<<<<

Previously in the Alphabeticon: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, singles, N

OK. Another thin looking letter this week, so this shouldn't take long.... You know the drill, right? The alphabeticon is a deeply anal list, I know, but it does not represent the long and the short of my record collection. This is only a spin through one particular set of shelves that sit in my study, gathering dust. I have other records in all sorts of places, and some records that aren't records at all and never have been that sit on my hard drive. This is a partial list; a look into my musical world through a glass darkly.

Well, I like doing it anyway.

328. Oasis – Definitely Maybe
329. Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
330. Oasis – Be Here Now

I imagine that almost every man about my age in this country owns these three albums. Like everyone else, I was blown away by Oasis when they first appeared on the scene. They've never been big or clever, but they have always been really, really good at doing the basics well. They weren't much to look at, but they gave great interviews, the Gallagher brothers just oozed cool and Liam was (and to some extent remains) one of the greatest vocalists in rock. Yeah, the lyrics are uniformly dreadful, but somehow Liam's sneer lifts this workaday band into something really special. They had some songs too: Live Forever, Rock and Roll Star, Cigarettes and Alcohol, Shakermaker, Some Might Say, Whatever, Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger.... they were brilliant, and it seemed as though everyone in the country couldn't wait for their next album. When it came out, "Be Here Now" broke all sales records. I think it took me about two plays to realise that the Emperor wasn't wearing any clothes. It was awful... "All Around the World" is typical: a sub-Beatles dirge that is at least four minutes too long. The golden run of songwriting form that had sustained Noel this far had suddenly run dry in a blizzard of cocaine, celebrity wives and hangers on. The magic was gone and they've never got it back since... a fact that has not stopped them remaining one of the biggest draws as a live act in the country. I've seen them a couple of times: once at Knebworth, at the apogee of their fame and popularity, when I thought they were pretty good. I saw them again, against my better judgement at Glastonbury in about 2004 and they were awful. Their profile remains amazingly high, but for me they've been finished as a band for at least a decade.

331. Roy Orbison – All Time Greatest Hits

A friend of mine once told me a story: apparently she had a boyfriend who wanted to make their first time together really special. He cooked her a lovely meal and served her some delicious wine. As the special moment approached, he began to strip off and handed her a rose whilst singing "You Got It" by Roy Orbison. Sadly, this beautiful romantic scene was rather ruined when my friend was unable to stop laughing as this poor man exposed his body and his soul to her. Performance anxiety inevitably followed....... and since she told me that story, I've never quite been able to listen to Roy Orbison in the same way again.

332. Beth Orton –Trailer Park

She took a while to grow on me, but I love this record and I love her voice.

"Running down the central reservation
In last night's red dress
And I can still smell you on my fingers
And taste you on my breath"

That's such a dirty, sexy lyric.

333. The Orb – U.F.Orb

I'm not a massive fan to be honest, but once in a while this album hits the spot. Turn it on and drift away. I know it isn't on this album, but there was a time at my University that "Little Fluffy Clouds" was the most vital song ever recorded. I wasn't sure about that then, and I'm less sure now. Still, perhaps I should give this another go.

334. Okkervil River – The Stage Names

Mike put the song "Our Life Is Not A Movie or a Maybe" onto my shuffleathon disc, and I loved it so much that I had to go out and buy the album. It's good too.

Missing somewhere in iTunes: Outkast, The Ocean Blue, Ocean Colour Scene (!), Offspring, Ohio Players, OK Go, One World Orchestra, The Only Ones, Orbital....

so... speaking of shuffleathons.....

Shuffleathon 2007 Update

Here's the thing: we've now got a few people without CDs who have been patiently hanging on for a while: Sarah, Martin, Graham, Spins, Wombat, E, JamieS. That's not fair. If you guys haven't got your CDs by the start of January, I'll send you each a CD myself. On the other hand, if you have received your CD, can you let me know and get on with reviewing it?

I'm also waiting for reviews from Hen, Monogodo, LB, Ben, Dragon, JoeInVegas and Mike TD. Any chance of you guys getting those done? I know you're probably busy, but someone did sweat over making that CD for you, and I'm sure they're dying to know what you thought of it....

Can we get this finished yet?

Pretty please?

Shuffler	Posted	Received
1. Tina	yes	review
2. Sarah	yes
3. Cody Bones	yes	review
4. Mark	yes	review
5. Michael	yes	review
6. Hen	yes	yes
7. Cat	yes	review
8. bedshaped	yes	review
9. Pynchon	yes	review
10. J	yes	review
11. The Great Grape Ape	yes	review
12. Ian	yes	review
13. Martin
14. Monogodo	yes	yes
15. Threelight	yes	review
16. Paul	yes	review
17. Charlie	yes	review
18. LB	yes	review
19. Katyola	yes	review
20. Lisa	yes	review
21. Graham	yes?
22. Del	yes	review
23. Spins	yes
24. Ben	yes	review
25. Dragon	yes	yes
26. Adem	yes	review
27. Mike	yes	review
28. JoeInVegas	yes	yes
29. Wombat	yes
30. Max Bob	yes	review
31. Stevious	yes	review
32. Asta	yes	review
33. Alan	yes	review
34. Russ L	yes	review
35. E.	yes
36. Mike T-D	yes	yes
37. JamieS	yes
38. Briskate	yes	review
38. Me	yes	review

From an original idea by lovely YokoSpungeon....

Oh, and Earworms of the Year 2007 votes please....

Oh my God, I can't believe it....

I spent a couple of days last week working in our big Milton Keynes branch, lending an extra pair of hands to help shovel more Christmas tat out onto the shelves. To be honest, I was quite glad to escape the politics of the office to do something completely different and to have the chance to interact with some real customers. There's something very soothing about making sure that the shelves are well stocked and nicely presented, and I'm convinced that there is zen to be found in shelf stacking.... in fact, it would be a great job if the bloody customers didn't keep ruining it by moving stuff about. Tsk.

Anyway. The reason I chose the Milton Keynes store is that it is fairly close to where my mum and dad live. We're not spending Christmas with them this year, so it was an opportunity to spend a couple of evenings with them before we bugger off to France at the end of this week. C. and I usually eat our dinner in the living room in front of the telly or in the kitchen, so it was really nice to have a couple of proper sit-down dinners at the dining room table with my parents. Of course, this also meant that instead of making sure we were up to date with the episodes of "Californication" we have got sitting on the Sky+ box, I was obliged to engage them both in honest-to-goodness conversation.

For real.

As is often the case with my parents these days, the conversation soon took a turn towards God. I'm a heathen, of course, so they really should know better, but their new house is pretty much in the hulking great big shadow of the church of St. Winnicent the Magnificent (or whatever) and they just can't seem to help themselves. My mum is only really interested in the community of the church, and busies herself with things like the church cleaning rota and baking cakes, but my dad has always had bible-thumping tendencies and has had his passion well and truly reawoken by the arrival of a new vicar a couple of years ago.

"Father" Gary is an Anglican vicar, but he likes to call himself "High Anglican", which - as far as I can tell - essentially means that he's Catholic in all but name, but likes to hold out the forlorn hope that he might one day get a girlfriend..... he believes in confession, he likes to abase himself in front of the cross at Easter, and he abhors the idea of women priests.... that kind of thing. Long before I actually met him, I heard an enormous amount about him from my parents who seemed to think that we would have a lot in common and would get on like a house on fire. Imagine my surprise, then, that when I finally met the elusive "Father" Gary, he turned out to be a horrible little sneery weasel of a man. I resigned myself to having to talk to him only to see him duck meeting me... something (I'm delighted to report) that he has continued to do ever since.

So. There I was at the dinner table enjoying a rather tasty roast chicken and a glass of white from the excellent local wine shop, when dad decided he would engage me in a conversation about the church in general, and "Father" Gary in particular. I was tired from a long day in store, but I had also had just enough wine that I was feeling mischievous enough to probe exactly what "High Anglicanism" is. My dad launched into some rambling explanation or other, but I decided to cut to the chase:

"Where do they stand on the whole transubstantiation and consubstantation debate then?". I studied Medieval history, so although I'm not in the least bit religious, I do have an enduring fascination with the history of the church. I find it amazing that schisms have started and wars have been fought over such nonsensical questions as to whether or not the host used at communion is LITERALLY transformed into the body and the blood of Christ, or if it only SYMBOLICALLY represents it. Quite why anyone would waste any energy over that, I don't know, but I do know that it is at the nub of the differences between Anglicanism and Catholicism.

"Ah, I'm pleased you asked me that", replied my dad.
"Really?"
"Yes, because under the articles of faith for the Anglican church, it's actually forbidden to believe that the the host actually becomes the body and blood of Christ"
"mmmm. So where does this leave "Father" Gary?"
"Well, I asked him this question, and he simply tapped the side of his nose and said, 'Well, let's put it this way: if I spilt some of the wine onto the floor, I'd have to burn the carpet'".
"What?"
"Yes"

(apparently, Gary also marvelled at how the methodist church in the village could use an actual loaf of bread in the communion service instead of those little discs. Imagine the crumbs! You can't be leaving the actual body of Christ for the mice, can you? Heavens! The corpse of our Lord is only to be enjoyed by true believers!)

I was now confused.

"So where does "Father" Gary stand on the Pope then?" Another key difference between the religions this one: Catholics believe that the Pope is the emissary of God and that what he says has an equal standing in the eyes of the church to that of the Gospels. Anglicans, presumably having paid rather closer attention to some of the clowns who have held the role, tend to believe that this is nonsense.

"Oh, Gary doesn't like the Pope. He doesn't believe that the Pope is the special emissary of God or any of that stuff"
"Right."

I paused to deliver my killer blow.

".... but wasn't the whole issue of transubstantiation created as a result of a papal edict anyway? I don't believe that Jesus left any specific instructions about the actual presence of his body at communion in the gospels did he? It's all the interpretation of the Catholic Church."

Aha!

My dad refused to allow this (or my long history of heathenism) to dent his enthusiasm though. "I've got a book I think you'd really enjoy". He jumps up from the dinner table and returns 30 seconds later, handing me a book. I glance at the cover: "The Meaning of Jesus". I put it down on the table.

"I'm never going to read this book Dad"
He picks it up from the table and gives it back to me.
"It's a discourse between two Oxbridge academics. One is a liberal Anglican, the other is much more traditional. They're actually really good friends, but it's amazing how opposed their positions on different things sometimes are!"
I glance at the cover and then put the book back down on the table. "But I'm never going to read it. Life is far too short. There are plenty of literary masterpieces already that are well ahead of this on my reading list."
"I think you'd enjoy it. It's really good!"
"I'm sure it's a real page-turner, but I'm still never going to read it"

.....and so on.

As you can imagine, conversations round the dinner table at home are a right barrel of laughs. Now I think of it, this might be the reason that C. and I are going to spend Christmas with her parents in France this year.....

feel the need in me....

“Ohrwurm” - a german word that literally translates into English as “earworm”, and refers to a song or tune that becomes lodged in one’s head.

I know that everything around here seems to be lists and music and stuff, but I'm afraid that it's now the time of year where I need you to start casting your votes for the Earworm of the Year 2007.

It's usually a pretty diverse affair: last year there were something like 471 songs nominated with a total of around 300 different artists (at least 10 of whom don't even exist - thanks to the much-missed Lizzy).

The format is going to be the same as last year, and again I'm going to need your help.

I will exhaustively compile all of the songs that have appeared in the weekly Earworm slot that appears here every Friday -- both the ones that I have done, and the ones that any Guest Editors have done. Scoring will be on a sliding scale of 5 points for a number one choice all the way down to half a point for a number ten. Not every list is numbered though, in which case it's 3 points for everything.

Doing that will keep me busy over Christmas and will fulfill all my more nerdish tendencies.

Whilst I'm doing that though, I need you to email in your votes for your 5 Earworms of the Year. This shouldn't necessarily be the songs that you have liked the most over the last twelve months though: I'm interested in the songs that you simply haven't been able to shake off throughout the year. It would be nice if you could include a short comment about each one, as I like to include a selection when I do the run down at the end of the year.

Need some help?

Here's 2007 in British Music with a list of all the number one singles and albums and award winners and so on. That should get you started. You can also probably have a look at all the lists of the year that will be appearing in every newspaper and magazine and blog between now and the end of December.....or you could just write down the theme tune to the Antiques Roadshow and be done with it.

So..... I'm away for a few days now, so you've got a bit of time to get your thinking caps on and to start emailing me your 5 choices (with comments!) to the email address in my profile.

Votes are welcome from everyone. Earworms aren't a closed club around here.

What's that? Another list? One that involves spreadsheets and stuff? As well as the ongoing Alphabeticon and all that? Good grief, I'm so anal sometimes it hurts.

Wait... that sounds wrong.

Roll of honour.

2005 Coldplay - "Speed of Sound"

2006 Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"

I'll be nagging you about this from now until the end of the year, so you might as well just give in now and email me your votes. It'll be a whole lot simpler for everyone.

give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld...

>>>>> ST's ALPHABETICON - N <<<<<

Previously in the Alphabeticon: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, singles

This isn't my whole record collection, okay? It's just a bit of it. I remembered the other day that I have a load of Aerosmith singles that I must have stashed away somewhere.... "Janey's Got A Gun", "Dude Looks Like A Lady" and the like... I definitely have them somewhere, but quite where they are, I have no idea. Still, those are my self-imposed rules. I'm not trying to look cool or anything. This is just an honest list of the CDs that I have stacked up on one set of shelves in one room in my house.

Anyway. On we go.

This won't take long.

Seriously.

323. New Order - (the best)

I didn't even know that I had this. Thanks to a very generous friend, I think I own every note ever recorded by New Order, live or otherwise.... which I suppose renders this album rather redundant. Still. Here it is. I'm not a massive fan, I have to say, but I really adore "Republic" and I think that "Regret" is a fantastic record. The rest? Well, it's not exactly Joy Division, is it? (John Barnes rap excepted).

324. Nirvana - Nevermind
325. Nirvana - In Utero
326. Nirvana - Unplugged in New York
327. Nirvana - Nirvana

I turned down the chance to see Nirvana live..... well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, and when that Reading festival turned out to be muddy, I felt a bit smug. It was the one where Cobain was wheeled onto the stage in a wheelchair. It was a great gig. An epic gig. Oh well. I quite like Nirvana. I know that people say that they were the greatest band of their generation and that they changed everything.... well, I don't know about that... but I quite like them. Is that damning with faint praise? Possibly. I remember the first time I heard "smells like teenspirit" on the radio; it was a time when I hated almost every record that was in the charts and was into a lot of fairly ropey heavy metal. I heard this and it just made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It sounded brilliant the first time I heard it, and it still sounds fresh today. I subsequently saw them on "The Word", a show where Cobain introduced the song by saying that "Courtney Love is the best fuck in the world". Well, I don't know about that either, but I do know that they sounded amazing. I'm not sure that they are everything that people say they are, but they were clearly a really excellent band. Who could ask for more than that? A good band then. Have you ever seen the "Classic Album" programme where Butch Vig and the like talk us through the recording of "Nevermind"? Fascinating. Cobain's guitar was always out of tune, apparently. Is it really better to brun out than to fade away though? Really? I don't think so.

Missing in iTunes: Nas (feat. Kelis), The New Pornographers, Nightmares on Wax, Nine Black Alps, Nine Inch Nails, No Doubt, Noah and the Whale, Nouvelle Vague....

Next week: "O". I warn you now... this isn't terribly fruitful territory either. It includes "Be Here Now", for starters....

Shuffleathon 2007 Update

Do I have to come over there?

Shuffler	Posted	Received
1. Tina	yes	review
2. Sarah	yes
3. Cody Bones	yes	review
4. Mark	yes	review
5. Michael	yes	review
6. Hen	yes	yes
7. Cat	yes	review
8. bedshaped	yes	review
9. Pynchon	yes	review
10. J	yes	review
11. The Great Grape Ape	yes	review
12. Ian	yes	review
13. Martin
14. Monogodo	yes	yes
15. Threelight	yes	review
16. Paul	yes	review
17. Charlie	yes	review
18. LB	yes	yes
19. Katyola	yes	review
20. Lisa	yes	review
21. Graham	yes?
22. Del	yes	review
23. Spins	yes
24. Ben	yes	yes
25. Dragon	yes	yes
26. Adem	yes	review
27. Mike	yes	review
28. JoeInVegas	yes	yes
29. Wombat	yes
30. Max Bob	yes	review
31. Stevious	yes	review
32. Asta	yes	review
33. Alan	yes	review
34. Russ L	yes	review
35. E.	yes
36. Mike T-D	yes	yes
37. JamieS	yes
38. Briskate	yes	review
38. Me	yes	review

From an original concept stolen from the lovely YokoSpungeon....

Can we get this finished soon? Please?

pa rum pum pum pum.....

I love Christmas songs.

Well, I love some Christmas songs - like everyone else I'm pretty bored of that album of songs that has remained unchanged for about the last twenty years, at least. You know...... Slade, Wizzard, Lennon, Shakin' Stevens, Jonah Lewie, Paul McCartney.... that one. That same album is currently playing in nine out of ten shops on the British high street. When I worked at HMV, we waited until Christmas Eve before we put that album on, and we were all so sick of it that we had it off again by lunchtime and were back on the godawful dance compilations. They're not all bad songs, but they are terribly, terribly overexposed - so much so that the magic has worn off.

There are other Christmas songs that you don't hear quite so often; songs that make you feel all warm and fuzzy and ready for the festive period. Some of them even make me crave an eggnog, and I don't even really know what eggnog is. They're that good.

With this in mind, I"ve got an early Christmas present for you: it's an xmas album for you to download. I'm pretty new at these things, and I'm not 100% sure it will work, but hopefully, if you click here, you'll be able to download a zip file containing 22 songs.

I like them anyway. For reasons of me not being arrested by random record company googling, you can find the full tracklist here. (I nearly put Band Aid 20 on it, but I resisted the urge... you'll have to put up with the Darkness though).

For many of these songs, I'm heavily indebted to a collection made available a couple of years ago on Sweeping the Nation, so thanks to them for that. The rest are probably either on an old XFM compilation from a while back, or things I've picked up here and there along the way. It's good for the next 7 days or 100 downloads, whichever comes first, so get it whilst it's fresh and let me know what you think.

I just hope it works.

My favourite ever Christmas song is either track one or track five here. What's your favourite?

(oh, and all music is made available here for non-commercial use only, right? If you like something, promise me you'll go out and buy it, okay? Good).

can I change your mind....?

Remember the Housewives?

You know... they supported The Young Knives in the Rescue Rooms a little while ago? I arrived just in time to see them playing two songs, and had this to say:

"...I only catch the last couple of songs by the Housewives, but it's more than enough. They're a funny looking bunch, for sure, but their guitarist also plays the worst guitar solo I have ever heard in my life - it's so rubbish (probably deliberately so) that I reckon that I would have half a chance of nailing it, and I don't play the guitar. The bassist also sports a haircut that looks a little like an unraveled brushover, which is a touch unfortunate."

It's a bit dismissive, I suppose, and it provoked a mildy hurt comment from the band's bassist, Nick:

"Ah, you didn't like the 'wives... Never mind, you've at least prompted me to get a long-overdue haircut!"

He took the criticism in good part, I thought.

I just got this email from them:

"Ahoy Swiss Toni,

Just thought I'd let you know we're back up in Nottingham to play Audio Montage tomorrow. You should come and see us properly. I've had a haircut and Laurie's practiced his soloing, so you may even enjoy a song or two.

We're on at 9.30pm at the Maze, hopefully we'll see you there...

Cheers, Nick Housewife

--
The Housewives
[mobile phone number here]
http://www.myspace.com/hellohousewives

I think that's really sweet. They've included a mobile phone number and everything! Win over the haters, one at a time!

I'm not sure I can make it to the gig, but I am now determined that I will go and see this band again and give them a fair crack of the whip. Good luck to them, I say..... I now have a definite soft spot for them, and I haven't even been to see them again yet. To be honest, even if they're hopeless, I think I'll still be rooting for them. We British love a good underdog, eh?

Bless.

to be there...

Kings of Leon @ Nottingham Arena, 7th December 2007

I suppose that I've always thought of the Kings of Leon as a proper band: they're not terribly complicated and they play pretty straight-down-the-line, uncomplicated rock and roll. Their stage show largely reflects this: there are a couple of screens, a few giant mirror balls... and the band. What you see is what you get. You'd think that their audience would reflect this; that the crowd would be full of blokes here to appreciate an honest to goodness rock and roll show. And yet.... and yet..... right from the first moment we walk into the concourse around the arena, it's clear that this is a band that attracts the ladies. Not just any ladies either, certainly not the kind of ladies you might see at an Iron Maiden gig. No, these are ladies who have clearly made a bit of an effort: they've put their heels on and a bit of makeup. They are wearing outfits, for heaven's sake. Am I at the right gig? I turn to my companions -- C and Sarah -- to ask them what they think is going on, and I'm quickly pointed in the right direction. Apparently, the Kings of Leon are four good looking young chaps. As if that wasn't enough, they are a band that have something of a reputation for hard-living. They might be the sons (and a nephew) of a former Pentecostal preacher from the Deep South, but these boys are babe magnets. Me, I think I'd be put off by Caleb's talk about having a "Pistol of fire", but perhaps I'm the only one. Anyway, I think I prefer the drummer.

The gig... focus on the gig.....

I'm not a big fan of hanging around in arenas, so I reckon we timed our arrival just about perfectly: an announcement came onto the tannoy literally as we walked through the doors informing us that the band would be onstage in the five minutes time ... plenty of time to get down onto the arena floor and to find a bit of space not too far from the front and not too close to the back. Out of the range of those cretins who insist on tossing half-full beer glasses across the arena, anyway (did the girls think about getting a beer shower when they put their gladrags on, eh? I'm not sure that they did.)

The Kings of Leon are a really, really good band. They've now done three excellent albums, each one slightly different sounding, and each one a progression from the last. This means that they now have plenty of good material to work with. They might not be great showmen in the sense that they don't make a spectacle of themselves for the benefit of the crowd, but they certainly know how to play. As usual, Caleb spends every moment between songs fiddling with the tuning of his guitar, searching for the perfect pitch, but it all sounds good to me. The focus of the set is naturally on their most recent album, "Because of the Times"... but it's a good album, and the skuzzier sound works really well live: "My Party" in particular sounds absolutely fabulous... but "Fans", "On Call", "Knocked Up", "Camaro" and the rest all sound good. The new material is well mixed with older stuff from "Youth & Young Manhood" and "Aha Shake Heartbreak". Obvious highlights included "Holy Roller Novocaine", "Molly's Chambers", "King of the Rodeo", "Milk", "Four Kicks" and a rapturously received version of "The Bucket". It's a good set.... perhaps a bit short at about 75 minutes, but it's certainly good.

One thought though, why do people spend the best part of £30 on a ticket for a gig and then spend the whole night chatting through the songs? We had a pair of girls standing behind us who did nothing but talk all the way through.... increasing their volume when the band rather inconsiderately played a loud one. Some of the time they were almost shouting at each other. I know it's very British of me to have not said anything to them, but I find it amazing that they couldn't think of somewhere better to have a chat that a dark, noisy and crowded arena during a gig by a rock band... still, takes all sorts I suppose.

And don't get me started on those people who insist on taking flash photographs of themselves all night. Or the ones who wave their phones and cameras in the air on record. Or the beer chuckers. Or the pissed up dancers standing on your feet. Or the fat, sweaty blokes taking their tops off. Or the bloke who keeps dropping stinky farts.....

It was a really good gig through.

Seriously.

Verdict - 8 / 10.... and Ladies, I think he was wearing those skin tight trousers especially for you.....

they say that music soothes the savage beast...

>>>>> ST's ALPHABETICON - the singles <<<<<

Previously in the Alphabeticon: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M

We've reached the halfway point, and Lisa has inspired me to do something a bit different this week...

I haven't bought a CD single in years, and certainly not since I started using iTunes a few years back. Back in the day, I used to buy singles for all sorts of reasons: because I couldn't wait for the album, because I loved the b-sides, because I loved the song but would never buy the album, because it had sunk into my head and wouldn't let go.... all sorts of reasons. Oh, and as some of the songs on the list below prove, some I simply have no explanation for at all.

I'm not sure this is a definitive list, but it'll do.

Here we go.

> Bryan Adams – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You

What a start. It is here simply because I made the mistake of saying - in public - after this had been number one for about 10 weeks, that I would buy it only when it wasn't at the top of the charts any more. Little did I know how hard it would be to find two months later after it had been deleted. Why did I bother? I don't know really. I think because it was hard to find. I actually don't mind this record. I don't seek it out or anything, but it never really upset me or anything.

> Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal

I really like this re-working. It's a song that works quite well when rocked up, and I was hardly likely to buy the album.

> All Saints – Black Coffee

Never that big a fan of the band (particularly not once they had done that godawful version of "Under the Bridge"), but I adore this single. This is proper pop music. Brilliant.

> Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules – Mad World

What a great Christmas number one this was - sad, downbeat and melancholy. All records should sound like this at this time of the year. You know - to make the parties go with a swing.

> Ash – Girl From Mars
> Ash – A Life Less Ordinary
> Ash – Kung Fu
> Ash - Angel Interceptor

Good singles band. I actually had some of these before the album "1977" came out, I think. "A Life Less Ordinary" is my favourite Ash song - it's loose and a bit sloppy, but the chorus is a killer.

> The Auteurs – Lenny Valentino

I think this was the first thing I saw by the Auteurs after I had fallen in love with their first album. It was their new single, and it clearly hadn't been selling as I picked it up for the bargain price of £2.99 or something ridiculous like that. It was cheap at the time. I remember some singles going for £4.99. Madness.

> The Beatles – Free As A Bird

Haunting, but essentially rubbish and a total waste of time. How could I not pop to the shops to buy a new single by the Beatles though? It is a bit like Lennon phoned this one in from beyond the grave though. Spooky.

> Beautiful South – Perfect 10

This belongs to C, actually. Good song, mind.

> Lou Bega – Mambo No.5

Because it was an earworm and because I quite liked it. I believe I owned this *before* Channel 4 used it as the theme music for their cricket coverage, incidentally.

> Bloodhound Gang – The Bad Touch

Stupid and dumb, but another earworm by a band whose album I wouldn't touch with a bargepole. I think I made a resolution at some point or other that if I liked a song, I should just buy the single and be done with it. Since the advent of iTunes and the like, that has become a lot cheaper and a lot easier.

> Blur – Music Is My Radar
> Blur - Tender

I own quite a lot of Blur stuff, but "Music is My Radar" was single only and I still don't own the album with "Tender" on it. Good band though. I bet I could pick up that album now for less than I paid for the single. Damon Albarn, eh? Prat turned genius.

> David Bowie – Hello Spaceboy

It's not exactly "Starman", but Neil Tennant makes this quite interesting. Not that I've listened to it in years, to be honest. This was part of the Thin White Duke's short-lived jungle phase, I think. Not quite up there with his "Berlin" period, to be honest...

> The Cardigans – Carnival
> The Cardigans – My Favourite Game

I don't own any Cardigans albums, but I love both of these songs. "My Favourite Game" in particular is a brilliant single - it's not dated at all, and she's got such a great voice.

> Catatonia – Mulder & Scully

Cerys has the best welsh accent on record, I reckon. Sexy sounding. Good song too. Marc Bannerman though? For real?

> Eric Clapton – Bad Love
> Eric Clapton – Tears In Heaven

I went through a Clapton phase when I was about 14. I even saw him performing at the Albert Hall, and I think it's safe to say that I've never seen quite so many sweaters at a gig before. Hmm.

> Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You

It was annoyingly ubiquitous at the time, but it remains a fantastic record.

> Cornershop – Brimful of Asha

Not sure why I have this really, as I don't much like the original version of the song and I'm bored of the Norman Cook remix. Ho hum.

> The Cranberries – Linger

This song reminds me so much of being in my student house in Leamington in about 1994. It's a beautiful song, and at the time I first heard it, it was totally untainted by the memory of "Zombie". Ethereal. That's what it is. Ethereal.

> Crazy Town - Butterfly

What can I say? It's the Red Hot Chili Pepper sample that planted this song in my head, not the puerile lyrics.

> Sheryl Crowe – Hard to Make a Stand

Another one of C's, I think. I do like Sheryl Crowe though. Handsome woman too.

> Dandy Warhols – Bohemian Like You

Overused in adverts and the like, but a good song nonetheless. As a band though, they just look wrong to me.

> The Darkness – Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)

For a comedy band, and for a record with comedy bells and a comedy title, this is a surprisingly melancholy record. There's some introspection to be found even in this most unlikely of places.

> David Devant & His Spirit Wife – This Is For Real

I think I was given this in the Warwick Student Union. I don't know what it sounds like.

> Divine Comedy – Everybody Knows (Except You)

I don't remember buying this. I do own some Divine Comedy albums, but I'm not sure that this counts amongst his finest work.

> Eagle Eye Cherry – Save Tonight

C bought this, but it's a bit of a guilty pleasure for me too.

> Electric Six – Danger! High Voltage

Oh come on! It's a brilliant record. "Gay Bar" is nearly as good, but by then I had the album... of which I listen to approximately two tracks. Ah well.

> The Electric Soft Parade – Silent to the Dark II

I used to play this all the time on University Radio Warwick... but then again, I also introduced "Dead Skin Mask" by Slayer by saying "Here's a song for all you lovers out there", so what would I know?

> Elvis vs JXL – A Little Less Conversation

Hm.

> Faith No More – I’m Easy

I like Faith No More, and this was a great moment of a great gig they played at the NEC when I was a student. It's such a good song.... and for a metal band, this is quite a straight cover.

> The Fall – The Chisellers

Um. They're hardly a singles band, are they? I own two things by the Fall: this single and "Middle Class Revolt". Not really the classics of their oeuvre.

> Hurricane #1 – Step Into My World
> Hurricane #1 – Only The Strongest Will Survive

One of this lot is now in Oasis, isn't he? I thought these were both great songs, but I don't think anyone else in the world agreed. Except - weirdly - the bloke who chose the music to advertise The Sun newspaper.

> Natalie Imbruglia - Torn

It's a classic, but no one liked her when she was at school apparently. She was funny looking.

> Inspiral Carpets – I Want You (featuring Mark E. Smith)

I love, love, love this song. The Inspirals are great fun at the best of times, but Smith makes this.

> Jamiroquai – Deeper Underground

Just to be clear, this is NOTHING to do with me.

> Matthew Jay – Become Yourself

This is the guy who died, I think. I was given this single after I saw him supporting someone or other at Rock City. It might be really good. I wouldn't know.

> Andreas Johnson - Glorious

Now this is a tune. I know nothing about the guy, or if he did anything else, but this song is ace. It soars.

> Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – I Love Rock & Roll

A gift. But what a gift!

> Billy Joel – River of Dreams

Seriously, I like this record.

> Tom Jones (featuring Tori Amos) – I Wanna Get Back With You

Jesus. I don't know what this sounds like. I hope someone gave it to me and I didn't hand any money over for this.... but knowing me, I may have bought this. Oops.

> Keane – Somewhere Only We Know

At around about the time I bought this, everyone thought Keane were brilliant. A lot of them have changed their minds, but this is still an awesome song.

> Kylie – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head

An almost perfect single?

> Lemonheads – Mrs Robinson

Good cover of a brilliant song.

> Lush - Ladykillers

I adore this song. I have no idea where I first heard it, but I love it. Many years later, I picked up a Lush compliation. Hmm. Still, this is a wonderful record.

> Madonna - Erotica

A gift from an old housemate of mine at University who maintained -- as long ago as 1992, and when everyone else thought she was finished -- that Madonna was a cultural icon. I think it's fair to say that he's been proved right, although it must have felt a long way away when he stood in that queue full of dirty old men to buy "Sex".

> Manic Street Preachers – If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
> Manic Street Preachers – She Is Suffering
> Manic Street Preachers – Theme from M*A*S*H
> Manic Street Preachers – A Design For Life
> Manic Street Preachers – The Masses Against the Classes

Great band. Not reknowned for their singles, but they've had some really big hits in their time, including a number one. Still going strong too. Their version of the theme from M*A*S*H is aces, and of course now seems deeply ironic.

> Marion - Sleep

This is the only thing by Marion that I own... but I think this is the best single that I have. Bar none.

> Ricky Martin – Livin’ La Vida Loca

Earworm! Earworm! Earworm!

Reiki Martin is here?

> McAlmont & Butler - Yes

Pop perfection.

> The Mike Flowers Pops – Wonderwall

Shit.

> Morrissey – The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
> Morrissey – Now My Heart Is Full
> Morrissey – Boxers
> Morrissey - Sunny
> Morrissey & Siouxsie - Interlude

Only the first listed here was a purchase when I couldn't wait for the album, the rest were either a gift ("Now My Heart is Full", with "Moonriver" as a b-side) or are single only. "Interlude" is a beautiful song. Really gorgeous, and one of the best things he's done.

> New Order – True Faith’94

I don't remember buying or listening to this one. Hmm.

> Nickelback – How You Remind Me

Dirge.

> Oasis – D’You Know What I Mean?
> Oasis – Wonderwall
> Oasis – Don’t Look Back In Anger
> Oasis – Whatever
> Oasis – Some Might Say

Oasis might be creatively washed up now, but back in the day, their singles were absolutely chock full of classics and well worth buying. They should have saved some of these up and made a few better albums.

> Ocean Colour Scene – The Riverboat Song

Rubbish, of course, but what a memorable riff.

> Outkast – Hey Ya!

Another perfect single. How many people who bought this then bought the album and wondered what the hell they had done.....?

> Pearl Jam - Merkinball

This must belong to C. I don't even know what this sounds like.

> Pet Shop Boys – I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind of Thing

Another one dating back to my second year at University.... my housemate Roger was a big fan, as I recall, and some of that must have rubbed off. Good song. Silly hats on the cover too - always a bonus.

> Primal Scream – Rocks
> Primal Scream – Kowalski

"Rocks" was a gift, and I hate it, but "Kowalski" is a totally different kettle of fish and is brilliant. They played "Rocks" twice when I saw them play at the Reading Festival.... always the sign of creative bankruptcy is you ask me.... and yes, I'm looking at you too, U2.

> Propellerheads / David Arnold – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Over 9 minutes long and it never drags once.

> Pulp – Sorted for Es & Whizz
> Pulp – The Sisters EP

But no "Common People" for some reason.

> REM – The Great Beyond

Superb song, and until they stuck it on a greatest hits, this was only available on single. No brainer, as far as I was concerned.

> The Rembrandts – I’ll Be There For You

Oh go on, you used to like this too.

> Rialto - Untouchable

I had to really hunt for this.. for years... and eventually found it when I worked in HMV. It was 99p too. Result!

> The Seahorses – Love Me and Leave Me

Interesting band and not actually all that bad - certainly better than some of the shite Ian Brown has peddled onto an unsuspecting world. I think this was a gift, but it's a decent song nonetheless. Wasn't the video set in space or something?

> Shaggy – It Wasn’t Me

I think I gave this to C. Shaggy's a legend.

> Space – Female of the Species
> Space with Cerys of Catatonia – The Ballad of Tom Jones

Interesting band Space. Successful, I suppose, but always slightly awkward and their records always tell the strangest tales. I used to play "Female of the Species" on University Radio as a double-header with "Deadlier than the Male" by the Walker Brothers (do you see what I did there), and "Tom Jones" is also major earworm territory.

Bruce Springsteen – Streets of Philadelphia

It's partly context sensitive (the film made me cry), but I find this song very moving.

St Etienne – I Was Born on Christmas Day

I seem to own a lot of Xmas records. Might come in handy for the Xmas compilation on planning on making in the next week or so. If I can work out how best to do it, I'll be sure to put it online... watch this space, I guess.

Suede – We Are the Pigs

Not their finest song, I agree, but it was the single that preceded "Dog Man Star", an album I was very much looking forward to, so I took the plunge.

> U2 – Sweetest Thing

Another of C's, I think. A pleasant enough song, but not one to cross the road for.

> Various Artists – Perfect Day

This is C's. I'm a Lou Reed fan.

> The Wannadies – You And Me Song

Good song. Terrible earworm.

> Wheatus – Teenage Dirtbag

Ah come on, he's singing about Iron Maiden! If this had been about my life as a teenager, I may well have wanted to go to the gig, but I very much doubt the girl would have asked me if I wanted to go. Pah!

> The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony

I subsequently bought the album, but this is one of those songs that I thought was so good that I just had to own it.

> Neil Young - Philadelphia

Even more moving than the Springsteen one. It's the way that Young sounds so vulnerable and his voice quavers as he sings. Beautiful.

--

So. There you go. Now you know. A great format, I think you'll agree. Who could possibly believe that a 79p download can be better than a £4.99 single with 2 tracks on it? Eh?

First song I downloaded: "Vertigo" by U2
Last song I downloaded: "Tick Tick Boom" by the Hives.

On to "N" next week..... I bet you can't wait.

--

Shuffleathon 2007 Update

How are we doing Kids? Anyone sitting on a review? Get posting!

Shuffler	Posted	Received
1. Tina	yes	review
2. Sarah	yes
3. Cody Bones	yes	review
4. Mark	yes	review
5. Michael	yes	review
6. Hen	yes	yes
7. Cat	yes	review
8. bedshaped	yes	review
9. Pynchon	yes	review
10. J	yes	review
11. The Great Grape Ape	yes	review
12. Ian	yes	review
13. Martin
14. Monogodo	yes	yes
15. Threelight	yes	review
16. Paul	yes	review
17. Charlie	yes	review
18. LB	yes	yes
19. Katyola	yes	review
20. Lisa	yes	review
21. Graham	yes?
22. Del	yes	review
23. Spins	yes
24. Ben	yes	yes
25. Dragon	yes	yes
26. Adem	yes	review
27. Mike	yes	review
28. JoeInVegas	yes	yes
29. Wombat	yes
30. Max Bob	yes	review
31. Stevious	yes	review
32. Asta	yes	review
33. Alan	yes	review
34. Russ L	yes	review
35. E.	yes
36. Mike T-D	yes	yes
37. JamieS	yes
38. Briskate	yes	review
38. Me	yes	review

From a concept stolen from the lovely YokoSpungeon....

I'm away tonight and at the Kings of Leon tomorrow night, so there might be no earworms. Back soon though...

a smash of glass and the rumble of boots....

From The Jam @ Nottingham Rock City, 4th December 2007.

Morrissey once referred to Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke, the two 'other' members of The Smiths, as "Bruce and Rick".... meaning that they were nothing more than hired hands and contributed little or nothing to the success of the band. He was referring, of course, to Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler of the Jam.

The Jam broke up in 1982 when I was eight years old and when Paul Weller decided that it would be more interesting to go and form the Style Council. Well, perhaps he was right, but it's the Jam that will go down as Weller's most vital contribution to British music. In fact, in my opinion Weller has become less and less relevant as time has gone on: he's stuck in some kind of absurd time warp where his stupid, feathered hair is cool, where his opinions are important and where dadrock is king. Well, Ocean Colour Scene and Noel Gallagher might believe that, but I certainly don't. In fact, I think a reformation of The Jam minus its most famous member is surely a really good thing, isn't it? Who wants that grumpy old bastard ruining our fun by mucking about with the songs to try and keep them alive? No thanks... I enjoyed the Bootleg Beatles at Glastonbury this year, and I went into this one hoping that we would get all of the hits played ferociously and with gusto by two of the original three band members.

Well.... they didn't play nothing but the hits, and I think I probably only recognised about 50% of the material in total, but actually this didn't lessen my enjoyment of the night at all. Rock City wasn't quite packed to the rafters, but it was an absolute pleasure to watch an audience of 40-somethings shouting out the words to every song and totally losing themselves in the music. It was also a joy to see a band so clearly enjoying themselves and the music they were playing. In fact, it was so good that I'm told that I spent the whole evening with a stupid grin on my face. Not something that's true of every gig I go to, that's for damn sure. Foxton and Buckler both look a bit older these days of course, but they both still sound pretty good. Foxton in particular still looks the part, strutting around the stage in his mod suit and white trainers with his bass slung low and performing scissors kicks as though he were still a teenager and not 52 years old. He's got one of the best live bass sounds that I can remember hearing - I actually went back to the records this morning to see if the sound was that distinctive on the albums and if I'd somehow managed to miss it completely by assuming that the Jam was all about Weller - and it really is that good there too. Go check it out: dig out your Jam records and listen to how big a part of the overall sound the bass (and Foxton's backing vocals) really are. It's not just about Buckler and Foxton though, and the band are beefed up by singer/guitarist Russell Hastings, who wisely doesn't attempt to imitate Weller too much and barks those famous lyrics out with some real bite. You pretty soon forget (or stop caring) that Weller isn't there. Second guitarist (and Adrian Chiles lookalike) Dave Moore is no slouch either, thrashing out the choppy solos or grinning away as he plays a keyboard. The band sound really, really good - certainly helped by the fact that the songs are generally of an extremely high standard and are no more than about three minutes long: there are no superflous solos here, and every song is sharp and too the point. When Led Zeppelin reform later this month, I imagine you'll be lucky if you get more than about five songs in a three hour set....

Most of the hits were here: In the City, The Modern World, News of the World, David Watts, Strange Town, The Eton Rifles, Going Underground, Pretty Green, A-Bomb in Wardour Street, That's Entertainment, Town Called Malice... and best of all, an absolutely killer version of Down In The Tube Station At Midnight. Even the stuff that I didn't know - but everyone else did - sounded pretty damn good to me. If I had to complain, I'd maybe say that I would have liked to hear some more familiar songs towards the front of the set rather than weighted towards the end, but of course, this simply meant that the finish was sensational...

I know it's a bit like going to see a superior tribute act that contains two-thirds of the original membership of the band, but this was a really, really enjoyable night. One thing stood out above everything else though, and that was the sheer quality of Paul Weller's lyrics: these are songs that have really stood the test of time and are stamped with the touch of genius.

Whatever happened?

A great night.

Verdict: 8 / 10