It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

No,  not the T word!

It is a well known fact that I despise Trance, it is the worst form of dance music and for a long time was also for some reason that I cannot comprehend the most popular. I couldn't get away from the pish. It turned me into an even more anti-social git than I had already evolved  into by the mid-nineties as at the weekends when the inevitable cry of "all back to mine" was uttered I usually declined as a couple of hours drinking lukewarm beer listening to people talking bollocks to the sound of the latest mix cd by Nick Warren, John Digweed et all was about as appealing as going to a Tory Party conference.

Having said all that, today's track is a very good example of the form which for some reason I actually quite like. There are possibly a dozen songs in this genre that don't fill me with the desire to hurl projectile vomit across the room and this is probably in the top five.

Nightmare is the output of Venetian producer Alberto Bertapelle and released on the Strike Force label in Italy in 1996, it was then picked up by ZYX where it came to the attention of a wider audience. Those eerie strings and claustrophobic feel of thee track seemed to appeal to a lot of clubbers and the track went global. And the inevitable happened, the following year it was bastardised by the likes of Judge Jules and Tall Paul,  turned into the worst kind of shitty trance possible and released in the UK on Positiva. The version posted is the "Sinister Strings" version which appeared on the ZYX release.

Have a good weekend people.

Brainbug - Nightmare (Sinister Strings)

Come Back Bird

Here is a bit of a bluesy stomper of a garage band sound recorded in  Abiline,  Texas and released on the UMI label in 1965. Sadly my copy is a reissue from a few years ago.

The Chevelle V - Come Back Bird

The Spirit of The Velvets is Strong With This Pair

Following on from yesterday's VU post here is a rather good cover of a classic Velvets tune. Not sure what it is about Mosshart and Hince but it doesn't matter what song they are performing but they manage to envelope them all with an underlying feeling of malevolence and the threat of imminent violence. Perfect  for keeping alive the spirit of the Velvet Underground.

The Kills - Pale Blue Eyes

The Booker T

Here's the Velvet Underground being as funky as in this wig out tribute to the great piano/organ player. The Booker T started out as a live jam that the band would play when Lou Reed was ill. It later evolved into the instrumental track to the story of the hapless Waldo Jeffers on The Gift included on the second album White Light White Heat. The version included here was recorded live at The Gymnasium in NYC in April 1967. It is included on the bootleg,  Psychedelic Sounds From The Gymnasium but only the cd version and also came out as a bootleg 7".

The Velvet Underground - The Booker T

I'm The One To Do It

Jackie Wilson's version is probably the better known of this song. However I think that Laverne Baker's version of the Billy Butler penned track from 1969 which like Wilson's was released on the Brunswick label can more than hold it's own.

Laverne Baker - I'm The One To Do It 

Mellow Sunday

Another track from last year's brilliant Jon Hopkins album. Seriously,  if you don't own this already you need to have a word with yourself and then sort yourself out.

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

It's been a long time since last pay day and still a week to go. Just as well that no "must have" records have been released so far this year.

Today's dance track comes from a much overlooked and underrated trio in my opinion. Fluke started making music in the late 80's influenced as so many electronic groups at the time by the evolving dance scene in the UK. They have produced many memorable 12" singles enlisting the talents of a diverse group of remixers from The Dust Brothers to Fila Brazilia. Today's track comes from 1995 and is a great example of a throbbing piece of progressive house that just keeps building.

Have a good weekend people.

Fluke - Bullet (Percussion Cap)

FFS Drew, Get A Grip!

Last night my TV viewing habits reached a new low. Up until then I had managed to body swerve the dubious delights of that Berry woman and the guy with the extremely shifty looking eyes. To my horror I found myself watching the I'm A Celebrity, Sport's Person Watch Me Bake A Cake and hoping that Michael Ball's Big Daddy cake was going to be a success which it kind of was but I'm not sure that I would have wanted to eat it, it looked a bit dense as did all the sponges really. I like mine to be light and moist.

Not sure that Jamelia has a new career as a baker either but she can sing. Is it really ten years since this was released!

Jamelia - Thank You 

More

Why wasn't this a hit?

Oh, that's right they tried to pockle the charts, got found out and the single was withdrawn! Pity really as it is a cracking pop song.

The High - More

Silver Train

Silver Train is the first song on the posthumously released album, Drop Out by East Village. The band was formed in the mid 80s by brothers Martin and Paul Kelly, the former went on to found Heavenly Recordings with Jeff Barrett and the latter to form the band Birdie. After a handful of single releases the band split on stage in 1991 at which time they had finished recording their debut with financing from Bob Stanley and Jeff Barrett who got the album mixed and eventually released on Heavenly in 1993. It was subsequently re-released last year.

I must confess that I bought the album on a whim on the strength of the cover.

East Village - Silver Train

Soul Self Satisfaction

Here is another belter of a track, I really need to use another word to describe these records. Out of Chicago and released in 1967 as a demo only which became a crowd pleaser at the Torch. This song has everything, a distinctive intro, lyrics about loss and heartache and a tempo aimed directly at the dancefloor.

Not a bad way to start a Monday.

Earl Jackson - Soul Self Satisfaction

Leo Is Also Five

Leo is five today. About nine months ago he told me that he wanted to be called Sandy and for a couple of minutes I was perplexed as to where that had come from.  We didn't know anybody called Sandy and nobody from "Fire Sam" or Star Wars went by that moniker. It was Max who eventually shed light on who Sandy was " that guy in the shorts, who shouts and swears at everybody in the Wild Geese, that's who he is talking about dad". It all fell into place.

Why was a four year old allowed to watch a film about mercenaries in Africa I hear you cry. I can only hold up my hands and admit to bad parenting. We had it on DVD, one of those free things from some paper that my dad had bought,  Max had watched and brought home and which Leo had taken a shine to. So much so that one evening I heard him singing the theme song while playing with action men. I further encouraged this by seeking out the single on ebay and purchasing it for him. So along with "Too Much Apple Pie", The Flight Of The Wild Geese is one of  his favourite records.

And for the record,  he also loves Where Eagles Dare, I blame his grandpa, or "my Andy" as Leo refers to him. This caused much searching for my Geoff Love And His Orchestra's Big War Movie Themes album I bought from a charity shop a long time ago, thinking that it would be a laugh to drop The Dam Busters theme half way through the night in the pub,

Happy Birthday son.

Joan Armatrading - The Flight Of The Wild Geese

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

How about a bit of Siberian Techno remixed in Minesota,  which is probably just as cold if not colder than Siberia at the moment?

Nina Kraviz is a singer, producer and DJ from Russia's frozen north who runs the Friday night at Moscow's Propaganda club. She has produced tunes for quite a few labels including those run by Greg Wilson and Ellen Allien.

Today's track sees her employ the talents of the Minneapolis residing techno producer DVS1 who takes the track Best Friend and takes it to a whole other level. The track was first aired on Kraviz essential mix in 2012 and finally got a vinyl release in the summer of last year. Quality stuff.

Have a good weekend people.

Nina Kraviz - Best Friend (DVS1 Forever Mix)

Back To The Soul

Here is an absolute belter of a soul tune that was recently re-released on 7" vinyl. and which originally came out on the Jewel label in the mid 60s I think.

Jimmy "Preacher" Ellis - I'm Gonna Do It By Myself

Who Would Have Thought It

That 1700 posts ago this pish would still be going five years later? Certainly not me. And for those who wish it hadn't, sorry.

The Postmarks - 5 Years

The Pale Fountains - From Across The Kitchen Table (12" mix)

Rest Easy Renee

For L and her Mum

Mellow Sunday

Here is a lovely piece of groundbreaking music which first appeared in 1983 on the Into Battle With The Art Of Noise 12" and was later appropriated by the E generation as as post club come down favourite.

The Art Of Noise - Moments In Love

It's Friday . . . Let's Just Sit Back And Relax.

I have been listening to a lot of the KLF recently not sure why but the White Room and Chill Out have been on rotation on the turntable, last night it was the turn of the Orb and Loving You and the full version of The Blue Room. My head is not in the right place at the moment for dancing.

"Sunlight on a winter's day" that would be nice, it has rained here constantly for the last fortnight!

Have a good weekend people.

The KLF - No More Tears

The Impression That I Get

Not got much to say.  This came on shuffle earlier and I had forgotten just how good it was. Just the sort of thing to blow away the cobwebs while dancing round the kitchen like an edjit.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Impression That I Get

Ne'er Day

I hope that you are all suitably hungover.

I'm off to my mother's for lentil soup and steak pie.

Here's a bit of Dick Gaughan singing the words of Hamish Henderson. I first heard this song about thirty years ago at the first Lanark CND social I attended. For those of you interested you can find the lyrics and English translation here. This is also for my mother in law, who although from Carlisle loved Scottish music. Rest easy Renee

Dick Gaughan - The Freedom Come-All-Ye

2013 - Thank Fuck That's Over!

Thanks to everybody who has stopped by during the past year and if you feel strongly about any of the guff posted feel free to comment, as the people in positions of power say feedback is always appreciated.

I know that a few of us have had some things to contend with over the past twelve months some more trivial than others and I will not be the only one glad to see the back of 2013.

All the very best to all of you and we can but hope 2014 turns out to be if not a vintage year,  well at least better than the one finishing.

Why Sturdy Girl? Why not, it was either that or some tossers in tartan and I know which one I prefer.

Jimi Hendrix - Little Drummer Boy/Silent Night/Auld Lang Syne

Coincidence? Most Probably

If someone had told me a couple of years ago that a track nearly half a century old by a septuagenarian jazz vocalist would be used to advertise baby milk, I would not have believed them. But then again I never ever thought that I would hear Frank Wilson selling chicken or Al Wilson being used to endorse pish masquerading as wine.

So what do I know?

Only this, that Nancy Wilson (is there something about that surname that lends itself to advertising?) has a wonderful voice and also that (You Don't Know) How Glad I Am is a great song. If you were to press me extremely hard I might even admit that the advert in which the song is utilised to great effect makes me smile but don't tell anyone that is just between us.

Nancy Wilson - (You Don't Know) How Glad I Am

Mellow Sunday

Not usually into this kind of thing, normally it would make my teeth ache with the tweeness but I really like this.

A Box Set Too Far? Well . . , Not Really

A couple of months ago I posted that the Jesus and Mary Chain Box Set was one too far and I couldn't justify the price. Well I eventually thought of a way round that little obstacle, I could justify half of it and if Santa weighed in for the other half we would be sorted. The fat man in the red and white suit duly agreed and now I am the proud owner of # 237/1500.

The album of b sides and rarities compiled from fans votes had one glaring omission for me, the 12" version of Sidewalking which I was sure would be a stick on.

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Sidewalking (extended)

Merry Christmas

I hope you all have as good a time as you can possibly have and get all that you have wished for.

Our Christmas is going to be a bit of a struggle this year but we will try to make the best of it we can.

The Housemartins - Caravan Of Love

Saving The Best For Last.

I know that this will get short shrift with Mr McAllister over at Plain or Pan but I am right by a baw hair, granted.

This is the best Christmas song ever.

Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Mellow (Christmas) Sunday

Tim Minchin - White Wine In The Sun

I appear to have something in my eye!

Ten Albums I've Particularly Enjoyed This Year

Just over half of the album's songs are good the rest are either filler, rubbish or both. Quite a few of the tracks were previously released but it's the Fall and the good songs are better than the best that most bands have to offer. Still won't go back and see them though.

More utterly bonkers but equally brilliant dub excursions from the partnership made in Zion. With titles like Fussball and Don't Rush I how can you go wrong. If The Upsetter's pronouncements and vocals become too much you can always lose yourself in the instrumental versions. Sometimes I really wish I still smoked!

A mash up of blues, prog, krautrock, techno and possible most other forms of contemporary music apart from pop. The first track Golden Arrow sets out the albums stall. The only thing that wastes it for me is the vocals, too post Roger Waters Floyd for my liking. A dub version of this album would be brilliant.

The sounds of summer. Lovely indie pop from the brother of Cults member Madeline Follin. The sort of thing to listen when the sun is shinning with a bottle of Vina Sol. It was slated by Pitchfork which is a bonus.

Weatherall's latest project and absolutely blinding. He has left the rockabilly influences behind and heads back to dancefloor with big fat dubby basslines and more than a hint of the influence of German bands from the 70s. The remix album is an essential companion piece with mixes from the likes of Justin Robertson and Ivan Smagghe.

 

The Frabbit's fourth album was a welcome return to form for me as I found their third offering hard to like, it had it's moments but I never did warm to it. Pedestrian verse on the other hand had me smiling from the off. There are so many good tracks,State Hospital is up there with Backwards Walk and Heads Roll Off. They were also absolutely brilliant live a couple of months ago. 

This is actually a repress, originally released in 2011. But I first heard of them earlier this year. Weegie space rock. A double album contain just 5 track one of which takes up sides c&d. Not the kind of album to put on unless you have time to sit and listen to it in it's entirety.

With absolutely no fanfare Keiron Hebden released his seventh album under the guise of Four Tet. With 11  in just over 40 mins there is no time for meandering drawn out tunes, all killer no filler. If lead track Kool FM felt like Hebden was covering ground that others had before and made you wonder what he was doing in the context of the album it makes perfect sense. I'm not sure that anybody else could you familiar beats and sounds and make them sound as fresh and exciting as this.

Well these two could probably give Four Tet a run for his money. I cannot put a fag paper between these two albums. Both are incredible collections of music that stand up as separate tracks but as complete albums as well. Probably the Hopkins album is slightly more successful at this as it was designed to be listened to as the soundtrack of a night out from getting ready  through clubbing to the post club chill out. However the last three tracks on the Avery album are an immaculate piece of sequencing which sound just about perfect.

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

It's the weekend when the amateur drinkers take over the pubs and make life unbearable for the regulars with their lack of pub etiquette and their stupid . I used to hate this weekend when I frequented pubs on a regular basis and even more so when I had to serve these people. The ones who either can't remember their rounds when they come to the bar or even more annoying think that you are unable of remember or pour more than one at a time. If I had a quid for every time I heard "cheer up it's Christmas" I would have been able to get extremely drunk for the duration of the festering period.

So if you are going out over the weekend remember two things. the person serving you is not an inept fuckwit, unless you are in a Wetherspoons where they probably are and also if you intend to stay in the same pub buy the bar person a drink when you order your first round that way you will always get served quickly on your return.

I was trying to find a reasonably festive dance track but I don't seem to have one, so here is a good bit of uplifting house from back in 1993.

Have a good weekend people and steer clear of the amateur drinkers!

Staxx - Joy

Scale It Back

It isn't much of a step back from the soundscapes of Burial to those of Josh Davis.

A couple of years ago DJ Shadow released an album which I sat on for a while. Didn't sit down and listen to it for quite a while. I had been slightly disappointed by his previous album, The Outsider, which had it's moments but overall it didn't really do that much for me. The Less You Know, The Better is a bit similar for me it didn't really hold my attention and it took me quite a few attempts to get through to the end and it hasn't been played very much since.

This track Scale It Back is the best track on it for me and what a great track it is to even though it sounds a bit like a Prince pastiche.  I absolutely love the vocals from Yukimi Nagano the singer with Swedish electronic band Little Dragon. The track was released as a single but not as a 7" much to my displeasure.

DJ Shadow feat. Little Dragon - Scale It Back

Rival Dealer

I haven't been able to stop playing this ep since it arrived last Friday, too late to make the Tracks Of My Year post but I reckon this might even have knocked Doc Daneeka down to third or even fourth place as all three tracks, if you can call the two longer ones tracks, are absolutely essential. You really should own this vinyl or cd.

To paraphrase John Peel,  Burial always different always the same.

Proper House Music

My laptop appears to still be fucked and so this post will be brief in order that I complete it before it goes all blue on me again and starts dumping!!

In the Tracks of My Year post I mentioned that more than one or two great dance tuneds released this year harked back to a bygone age when house music was , well house music. Today's track is one of those tunes.

You are going to have to make do with a YouTube post as I haven't ripped this one yet, thought I had but obviously not.

The piano, that repeated vocal sample, the beats, pure old school house. Lovely stuff.

Christmas In Vietnam

Today's tune is the one that you should have gotten last Monday but on account of me having to use L's laptop which wouldn't entertain the ripping device had to wait until my laptop returned from HP which has now happened but which may just be temporary as I have already had two BSODs yesterday!

Anyway the tune was released on the Jewel label in 1965 and as far as I can acertain is the only thing that Johnny and Jon released. The song is actually the b-side the other being Why Did You Leave Me.

Johnny and John - Christmas in Vietnam

Mellow Sunday

A two birds with one stone kind of thing.

Okkervil River -  Listening To Otis Redding At Home During Christmas

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

Been a busy week. I have had to get the stupid o'clock flights two days running and yesterday was the day of the year that I hate in relation to work more than any. Performance Review time.

"Tell me Drew, how do you think you have done this year?"

"You tell me, after all you are the manager and that's what you get paid for" is what I always want to say

but

"Fine, I suppose" is my usual reply.

To which the response is

"Can you elaborate"

And so, me justifying my existence begins . . .

Back to the music. I loved the stuff that came out on the Skint label, it was music that didn't take itself too seriously but was still good music. The best know artist on the label is Fatboy Slim and Skint became synonymous with the Big Beat genre during the late 90s. The most successful release on the label so far was Lazy by X-Press 2 which reached number 2 in the UK.

Label boss, Damien Harris also produced music under the guise of the Midfield General.  Reach Out was released in 2000  and failed spectacularly to set the heather on fire. It's a good tune though

Have a good weekend people.

After a hiatus of three weeks due to away matches, cup ties and called off games normal service will resume this week as I will be watching Airdrie getting gubbed by East Fife. East Fife, oh how we have fallen!

Midfield General feat. Linda Lewis - Reach Out (Full mix)

I Don't Believe It!

A few years ago I was sitting dosing on the couch around the middle of December when I was suddenly brought back to full consciousness by the sounds emanating from the television.

That's the Raveonettes I exclaimed with more than a hint of disbelief in my voice as I heard the finest Christmas tune of the past twenty years soundtracking an advert for a bloody garden centre! I was rather upset. Even now as I play the song I can see that bloody advert.

The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song

G-L-O-R-I-A

There have been numerous versions of the Van Morrison penned track but for me only three of them make the grade, the original, of course and the versions by Shadow of The Night and Patti Smith.

At the moment my favourite version is Patti Smith's rendition included on her 1975 debut Horses and produced by John Cale.

Patti Smith - Gloria

Fucking Bawbags!

Apparently you aren't allowed to mention D A's name in full, he must not need the publicity. Those complete tossers at the DMCA have taken down the Tracks Of My Year post due to a complaint for the track that I had at number 4 in my chart. I will re-up the post with the offended artist removed from the list. Such a pity as his album was going to be number two in my albums of the year post but now it to will not appear.

. . . and it continues just had a copyright infringement email from Box.net for the Fall tune. It never rains but it pours!

I Suppose It's Time

The Christmas tree went up yesterday in our house. My only contribution,  as always was to make sure that it was plumb and put the fairy (angel) on top. L does the rest so well it would be churlish of me to get in her way. I was banished to the dining room where I spent the afternoon drinking tea and listening to various Roddy Frame and Aztec Camera albums. As I have said before The North Star is a criminally,  much overlooked album,  it has a very redemptive feel to it which suited yesterday's ambiance.

That was a rather long winded preamble to me stating that it is probably time to start posting some festive related tunes. I am not against Christmas songs per se, it is just that you can't seem to get away from them from about September onwards these days and most of them,  lets face it are complete shite,  written with the main intention being  that they become hits and the writers can live off of the royalties for the rest of their days, absolutely fuck all to do with writing good songs. The only thing worse than the completely crap exploitative Christmas songs are the "ironically" covered ones that tend to be recorded by guys with too much facial hair in jeans way too tight to be healthy trying to appeal to the too cool for Christmas indie types that secretly love the festivities as much as the rest of us.

I used to have complete disdain for all Christmas records with the exception of The Phil Spector Christmas album but over the years I have mellowed slightly and enjoy enough of these kind of songs to fill a cd, maybe two at a push but don't panic  I will be posting sparingly,  as we would not want to over do the festive cheer would we.

Here is the first of my choices, a bit of Yuletide realism.  An absolute belter from the Jewel label released in 1965.

Johnny and John - Christmas in Vietnam

Well that was what I was going to post but this fucking laptop won't recognise the ripping device so here is an equally as good bit of Christmas realism from Frightened Rabbit. I have included both the choral version (my favourite) and the one with Scott's vocals, well it is the season for giving after all.

Frightened Rabbit - It's Christmas So We'll Stop

Frightened Rabbit - It's Christmas So We'll Stop (Choir version)

Mellow Sunday

This is just beautiful

Bonnie Prince Billy - After I Made Love To You

The Tracks Of My Year

Right, it's that time of the year again, below are the tracks that I have played and enjoyed the most this year. After compiling the list I was not in the least surprised that more than half of the tracks and eight out of the top ten were dance tunes, there have been so many strong ones this year from the boundary pushing Koreless to the out and out retro groove of T-Kut it has been a rather brilliant twelve months.

I make no apologies for the inclusion of Robin Thicke as I think that it is a great song, the video is a bit choice and Thicke is a bit of a prick but you can't have everything.

The number one tune was nearly not top of my list due to Matthew Toad not putting it on his RSD 12" and making me buy some superb Barney's beer in order to obtain the download, which was a hardship but the tune is just too good and it would have been churlish to demote it just on format fetishism. But I do still live in hope that it will be released on vinyl at some point and have even gone to the extent of trying to demand it of the band via their Twitter account.

There are a couple of tracks which had they been released earlier would have made the list, Hold On Love by Erol Alkan and the new Burial single to be released next week. The former because I haven't played it quite enough yet and the Burial one I haven't actually heard but it's Burial so it's unlikely to be shit.

Interesting fact (or maybe not) - The xx are the only band who have appeared in this list every year in the four years that it has been compiled

1. Le Thug - Swam
2. Doc Daneeka - Walk On In 
3. Jon Hopkins - Immunity
4. Blank as a complaint from the fuckwits at the DMCA pulled the post for the mere mention of the artist and track. There was no download link.
5. Dauwd - Heat Division
6. Koreless - Sun
7. The Amazing Snakeheads - Testifying Time
8. SCB - Dissipate
9. The xx - Chained (Jon Talabot and Pional remix)
10. Pillowtalk Soul Edits - The Real Thing
11. Gregory Porter - Hey Laura
12. The Fall - Loadstones
13. Four Tet - Kool FM
14. Best Coast - Fear Of My Identity
15. Casual Sex - Stroh 80
16. Unkown Artist - Lost My Shoes On Acid
17. Sade - Give It Up (Vin Sol and Matrixxman edit)
18. Jagwar Ma - Come With Me (Weatherall mix)
19. Frightend Rabbit - Backyard Skulls
20. Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines
21. T Kut - Let Me Take U (Track'N remix)
22. Improper Trax - The Heat
23. British Sea Power - Machineries Of Joy
24. Jagwar Ma - Come With Me (7" mix)
25. Pixies - Indie Cindy
26. Le Thug - Sense In Scotland
27. Jay Patrick Ahern, Morgan Packard - Time Stops (feat. Alala One)
28. Darkside - Golden Arrow
29. Camera Obscura - Do It Again
30. Battlebox II - 3D On Jupiter
31. Gesaffelstein - Pursuit
32. John Newman - Love Me Again
33. Haim - Falling (Duke Dumont mix)
34. Airborne Toxic Event - The Fifth Day
35. Billy Bragg - Handyman Blues
36. Primal Scream - Invisible City (Daniel Avery Drone City mix)
37. The Cosmic Dead - The Black Rabbit
38. Warpaint - Love Is To die
39. Alden Tyrell & Gerd - Luv Thang
40. Big Deal - Swapping Spit

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

What a difference a week makes this time last week I was feeling very smug having installed a new hard drive on my laptop all by myself. Alas it seems that a fucked hard drive was only part of the problem and after a week of further BSODs  the machine is winging it's way to HP as I type with a return date of no earlier than the 17th!

I have to admit that not having my personal laptop in my office has done wonders for my productivity as those who follow me on Twitter will attest to.

Anyway, back to the music. I think a bit of bass heavy, dubby progressive house is the order of the day and who better to deliver it than Leftfield. I think that the duo's first album has stood the test of time extremely well.

Have a good weekend people.

Leftfield - Space Shanty

Thirty Years Ago, Really

One of the best debut albums ever was released thirty years ago this year and tonight I am going to hear it live in it's entirety for the first time in my life and I cannae wait. I have been looking forward to this ever since it was first announced and my excitement was ramped up a little further after my first trip to the Glasgow Concert Hall last week as the acoustics are very good.

Those of you who don't follow Pete Paphides on Twitter might have missed this brilliant piece on the travails of a fourteen year old Aztec Camera fan. Like Pete I wanted a suede jacket with fringes but had to make do with an Italian army jacket. I still remember Oblivious on Top Of The Pops and  buying High Land Hard Rain from John Menzies as soon after as I had saved up enough money and ever since then the songs of The Boy Wonder have soundtracked a lot of the highs and a few of the lows of my life.

I am particularly looking forward to hearing Back On Board live. 

Aztec Camera - Back On Board 

Roddy Frame - Down The Dip (Paisley Abbey)

Super Soakers

I think that Baghdad Batteries is a bit of an underrated Orb album. It is not one that is often mentioned when people discuss Dr Alex's output. It also has a bit of a misleading subtitle, "Orbsessions Vol 3" as unlike the first two in the series this is all new material and intended as an album and not as a collection of sessions coupled together. It is still unmistakably the Orb but with little of the quirkiness and samples of previous excursions. It is probably the album that I play most by them these days.

The Orb - Super Soakers

Happy

This made me smile today

Give Me Just A Little More Time

Another piece of popular soul which reached number three in the UK charts in 1972. Some of you may know it from Kylie's version from 1991 which made it one place higher in the charts.

Chairmen of The Board - Give Me Just A Little More Time

Mellow Sunday

How about a bit of KC doing Sinead doing Prince?

Lovely!

King Creosote - Nothing Compares To You