When I Was Young

On Sunday when I was lying on the bed feeling sorry for myself and shaking like a battery hen due to self induced alcoholic poisoning from the previous evening,  you would think that I would know better by now I really wanted to watch Flashback with Dennis Hopper and Kiefer Sutherland. I don't know why this film came into my mind, it probably had something to do with the discussion the previous evening on the merits of Big Audio Dynamite.

To try and take my mind off the axe which was obviously still embedded in my skull as there could be no other reason for the excruciating pain coming from that area of my body, I started thinking of other films I had seen with Kiefer Sutherland in but the only one that I could come up with was 1969, a really crap film from the late 80s which had only one redeeming feature, in that it introduced me to this song.

 I had never really listened to the Animals before. I had heard the likes of We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood and the obligatory House Of The Rising Sun, the last of these being the reason why I never investigated further as I really don't like it all that much. However when I found out that When I Was Young was by them, I went out and invested in one of those cheap cd compilations, which really wasn't that cheap in 1989 but I did like for the most part the stuff on the album, especially the gruff vocals of Eric Burdon.

Anyway, I didn't get out of bed to put on the Animals or anything as the slightest movement resulted in me seeing stars and feeling as if my head was about to explode but it did give me an idea of what song I was going to post today.

The Animals - When I Was Young

Never Too Late

M went back to school on Monday, it has been a quick 6 and a half weeks. He got up a little less quickly than he has over the past few weeks and was a bit hesitant about getting the uniform on and getting out of the door, more so than my memory of last year and in complete contrast to the year before, his first when he was practically shoving us out of the door.

I have been trying to remember what it felt like going back to school after the holidays and apart from the first day at high school I have absolutely no memories of the first day at school, which troubles me as it either means that I have early onset Alzheimer's or it was so traumatic that I have blotted these experiences from my memory.

It could be that it really wasn't that big a deal which is a distinct possibility as my mother being a teacher most probably didn't hype it up that much as it meant back to the grindstone for her as well, or as she would say "back to pit boots and purridge".

Anyway,  thinking of school brought to mind the excellent lyric from the song posted about hearing music in a school bell that I thought was worthy of your attention.

Michael Franti used to front the Beatnigs who I saw support Billy Bragg a long time ago in the Glasgow Pavillion.  Then he formed the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and since 1994 has been with his band Michael Franti and Spearhead. The track comes from a session he recorded for KEXP and can be found on the rather good first volume of Live At KEXP.

Michael Franti -Never Too Late

Our Lips Are Sealed

Swiss Adam posted The Fun Boy Three last night and as soon as I saw the post this song popped into my mind not the superior Fun Boy Three version but this rather anaemic version by the Go-Go's.

The song was written by Terry Hall and Jane Wiedlin and is the first track on the Go-Go's album, The Beauty And The Beat. In 2000 Rolling Stone put this in their top 100 Greatest Pop Songs Ever, the song is good but not that good, I could probably list a hundred Motown and Stax songs which are superior to this (no offence Terry), which just reinforces my view that Rolling Stone was always shit.

I had a mate at school, whose dad ordered Rolling Stone from John Menzies (we're talking the mid 80's) and remember reading it and thinking, this is pish, then again the guy mentioned did have albums by Melanie and the Grateful Dead and on their annual  two week vacation  to Florida would tape Radio M.O.R or whatever the fuck it was called   and B would make me sit and listen to it upon his return which was always a joy and just reinforced my love of Billy Bragg and Roddy Frame, but I digress.

The Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed 

and when we're on the subject of go-go girls

Frightened Rabbit - Go-Go Girls

Nothing to Say Really

I hate the first week back after the holidays, I've only been back two days and already I am thinking about the September weekend.

On holiday I got the chance to read a few books due to the unbearable heat and the temperature being in the 24 -29 degree range during the night.

I'm not going to review any of the books, that's not my thing but I will tell you of one which really disappointed me.

I've been a big fan of Iain Banks, ever since I read The Wasp Factory about 25 years ago and count Complicity and The Crow Road amongst my favourite novels. His latest offering Transition bored me, the idea behind the book, that of a multiverse, of humans who are able to flit between these worlds and change things is an interesting idea, however a lot of the threads are never tied up, maybe this is deliberate but it is a bit annoying. At the beginning the credit crunch and the terrorist attacks on America are mentioned and you get the idea that these events are going to be relevant to the story but they are never mentioned again.

But the most annoying aspect of the whole book is the gratuitous sex which adds absolutely nothing to the story. I am beginning to think that Banks is turning into a dirty old man who has decided to put all of his fantasies into print.

The book was engaging in parts and some of Banks' wit and story telling of old is still present, however as a whole it ranks as one of his lesser works, not as dull as Song Of Stone but nowhere near Espidair Street and the others mentioned above.

I also listened to a hell of a lot of music over the fortnight I was away and can't believe that I had forgotten all about the song posted as it is an absolute belter of a soul song. It comes from Vol 2 of Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures. If you have any interest in soul music at all, the four volumes in this series are worth their weight in gold.

Nat Phillips - I'm Sorry I Hurt You.

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

I've had a weird old week.

What with being down in London at a conference and wandering round the Dome for two days.

My hotel was at the opposite end of Westminster Bridge from the Houses of Parliament and on Tuesday evening I decided to take a stroll across the bridge and see what was happening on College Green before I attended, the mandatory Gala dinner. A couple of colleagues and I stayed there for about half an hour and headed back to the hotel to get ready for the festivities to come, as at that point nothing was happening. Later on I found out that another couple of friends , braver than I,  decided to be late for the dinner and found themselves outside Downing Street as Gorden Brown gave what was probably one of the most dignified resignation speeches I've ever heard, his mentor the great John Smith would have been proud.

The last time I was at the Palace of Westminster was when John Smith took me round as a wide eyed school boy, but that's a story for another day.

Anyway, over the last few days I've learned a few things.

Firstly, I now realise I work in an industry where more people, how shall I put it, lean to the right than the left.

Next, that Beardyman is one talented individual, not only is he probably the best beatboxer in the world but he also has a really good singing voice and is quite a talented comedian.

Also that being funny and being part of a great television comedy does not mean that you have  good taste in music and are any good at djing, as it was also my dubious pleasure to catch Mathew Horne djing with cdrs no less!

Another thing I found out is, how much I love the space we have up here in Scotland and how sorry I feel for anybody that has to endure the torture that is the London Underground on a daily basis. I only had to be on it for one stop from Greenwich to Canning Town at rush hour but that was enough. Those of you that can endure that each working day have my admiration and sympathy.

And finally, I was informed by someone during a discussion on NHS spending and mortality rates in Glasgow, that I and my fellow countrymen and women are genetically different. Take from that what you will but I'm sure that the well educated and influential individual was not being complimentary.

All of this has absolutely nothing to do with dancing but I thought that I would share it with you.

To lighten the mood here is Fatboy Slim, with a track from his first and in my opinion best album, Better Living Through Chemistry and yes, I have posted this before but it was only this or Rez that I felt like posting today.

Fatboy Slim - The Sound of Milwaukee

Bloody Snow

The weather up here is getting on my nerves now. I thought that by the time I would be going back to work all this white stuff would have disappeared. But it doesn't look as if it's going to thaw out any time this decade. I may be forced to dig the bloody car out of the drive tomorrow in time for Tuesday, however the fact that it hasn't even been turned over for a fortnight in these sub zero temperatures may provide other problems.

Still, I'm not going to think about it again until tomorrow. I think that a mug of hot Ribena is called for and just sit here for a while enjoying the silence. No more shaking of hands, wishing people I hardly know a happy New Year or making of idle chit chat to do. Absolute bliss.

After the silence, something a bit special. I've posted this before but for anybody who missed it and just because it has been running through my head for the last couple of days.

Orchestra JB - Come Alive