Crazy, Mibbies Aye, Mibbies Naw!

I haven't mentioned the elections for the Scottish Parliament before as I haven't wanted to bore people to death and if you aren't from this part of the world it is totally irrelevant to you anyway but I am going to mention it briefly just to say that for the first time since I was able to vote, I am going to vote for a different party, a party I never thought I would ever vote for in a million years and the thing is I don't feel sad or troubled in any way I actually feel quite liberated as I no longer have to try and justify things like the war in Iraq, my party cosying up to Mr Murdoch, try to hide my total disgust in the hypocrite that is Dr John Reid or seethe that Trident is still based in my neighbourhood. My grandfather and my uncle Jimmy will probably be spinning in their graves as I type this, both being Red Clydesiders but times have changed and the colour of the flag is no longer red.

The first three lines of this song kind of sum up how I am feeling at the moment. However, no matter how crazy I finally end up I will never be seen reciting the words to that racist, dirge that is Flower Of Scotland.

Alice Russell - Crazy

Lest We Forget

If you are anything like me, you already know who you are going to vote for, so my trying to influence your vote is pointless.

All I will say is, remember what the 80's were like and if you're not old enough ask someone who was around then.  17%  interest rates, over 3 million unemployed, little investment in state education or the NHS and if you were one of those unemployed, what was the advice you were given "get on your bike".

If you are lucky enough to be in the 3 percent who will benefit from Cameron's main tax pledge, to cut inheritance tax, then by all means vote for the Bullingdon boys, if not please think about it,  as for all the talk of Blair being Thatcher's heir, he was just the young pretender, Dave is the real deal.

I would like my boys to grow up as part of a tolerant, fair and just society, where everybody is valued no matter where they come from class, or country and from previous experience that is not under a Conservative government.

The name gives the game away for a start does it not?

Fine Young Cannibals - Blue

* for all of you who just come for the music, my apologies, normal service will resume on Friday with a belter of a very recent dance track.

Choice, What Choice?

This week,  depending on which colour of rosette you favour, may be something you have been waiting for since 1997 or may fill you with dread as you can hear that shrill, heartless voice of the so called Iron Lady in your head and have visions of striking miners and city boys with red braces climbing into Porches.

I have never felt more despair at an election in my life than I do now. My allegiance as most will have been able to work out by now is with the Labour Party but I have no enthusiasm for them this time  and when in discussion with others as why we should vote Labour my argument, to me let alone any one else is half hearted as I know soon enough someone will mention Iraq and I will have no come back, no retort as it is unjustifiable whatever way you look at it or whatever excuse you use as the reason for embarking on the folly.

This attitude is so different from the one which I had back in 1987, when I had just turned eighteen. I campaigned with vigour for the party on the doorsteps, leafleting in the streets and having a running disagreement of the merits of the 'Vote Labour' poster in my window with my parents, who have never been ones to espouse their beliefs to the masses, let alone the neighbours.

Even although I knew in my heart that Labour didn't have a hope in hell of gaining power, my cause was right, the Party was just and fair and open to all and above all democratic and accountable to its  membership. All of this made the eventual defeat a little sweeter and easier to take as I knew that our time would come and we would be proven right and a fairer society would prevail ( yes I was once that naive).

Twenty three years later, I know that I will vote Labour, for an MP, who to be fair to him is not a bad constituency MP. But I will place my cross with a heavy heart, as no matter the outcome I think that we will be rolling the clock back to the early 80's and hell mend you if you don't fall into Cameron's "hard working families" ideal.

Is it just that we get more cynical with age and lose all of that vigour and enthusiasm that we once had? I'm not so sure, as back in the late 80s I remember lots of people older than me who were still up for it, still idealistic and enjoying the campaigning. I think that there has been a change in people due to the disappointment that they have endured and also the anger over Iraq, MPs expenses etc.

As I said above I will vote Labour on Thursday as the alternative I think will be too dreadful to contemplate not exactly a ringing endorsement for the party which I once had such high hopes that is.

I'm not sure how it will be possible to re-engage people in Politics. Certainly nothing I have seen over the last three weeks has made me more enthusiastic about the next parliament, especially not Nick Clegg and his I'm different from the other two, it is easy to say popular things when you have absolutely no chance of being able to implement them.

Electoral reform as we have up here in the Scottish Parliament may be the way ahead but first you will have to get the buy in from Labour and the Tories and as they say, turkeys don't vote for Christmas.

Aztec Camera - The Red Flag

Possibly the finest anti-Thatcher song ever.

If there is one thing I hate with all my being it is Margaret Thatcher and I make no apologies for this, the sight of her can induce apoplexy in me and when I here her voice I feel physically sick. I read recently an article which said that the left should by now have gotten over their irrational hatred of the Iron Lady ( a term which I was once told had been mistranslated from the Russian and the actual quote was "frigid bitch", oh how I wish that to be true) and embrace the reforms that she had introduced, after all their leadership have. Bollocks!

The reason for the rant is that on the way home from an excellent lunch yesterday the Fine Young Cannibals popped into my head. They were responsible for, in my opinion, the finest anti-Thatcher song, Blue. The song is neither ranty nor preachy, it has a rather catchy chorus, is extremely soulful and is quite upbeat until you listen to the lyrics.

The version posted is the original album version, the track was remixed by someone for the single version and in my opinion they made a pig's ear of it, replacing the real emotion of the original with stale electronic beats, extra horn flourishes and a new vocal track.

This track also reminds me of my time as a student in Aberdeen long ago. A girl I knew then would substitute "Drew" for blue in the chorus and with hindsight she was probably right.

Fine Young Cannibals - Blue

And as an extra treat, the second best anti-Thatcher song.

The Beat - Stand Down Margaret.

Soulcialism For The Masses

As another week of meetings, talk of EPS & End of Year results and other such corporate bullshit looms, how about a bit of angry yet soulful mid 80's idealism to put it all into perspective. Well at least we're not living in the decade of "greed is good", no condescending tone from that witch and her moralising, money grabbing cronies. Things have got so much better, we now have all of the tories worst attributes rolled into one odious figure, that hero of the left Lord Mandelson.

Back to the music, the Redskins were one of the most underrated bands to come out of the Thatcher years. Their mix of 60's soul, punk and pop made being preached at by Chris Dean a pleasure (those horns). Though I didn't agree with all that Chris Dean said including his scathing criticism of both Neil Kinnock and Billy Bragg, he did speak a lot of sense and to an absolutely cracking soundtrack

The band released one album Neither Washington Nor Moscow, a Peel Session 12" and 8 singles before splitting due to Chris Dean's increasing commitment to the Socialist Workers Party. In Neither Washington Nor Moscow they left an album that was of its time but after listening to it at the weekend hasn't dated badly and is actually very prescient.


The Redskins - The Power Is Yours

The Redskins - Keep On Keeping On