Four on the Floor - 2.

So, the cunning plan regarding music was only paused and not derailed, I had a brief digital sabbatical, but actually did have number two written, then the world moved on and I took a slight break, now while the blog could have been still relevant, I became a traitor to music and got an Apple account and shock horror an I Phone, then the madness really began. I was overdosing on classic albums and stuff that I had on vinyl back in the day that had gone missing in action, and one or two newer ones as well, I honestly thought that the wife was actually going to take the phone off me, I used it more in the first 48 hours than I had actually used it in the last 3 years. So, this music blog is just some of what I have been playing over the last fortnight, if you haven’t heard of them I won’t apologise but would recommend that you give them a listen!

 

Be Bop Deluxe – Drastic Plastic  8/10.

I bought this album for 99p from Woolworths after seeing them prepare for the tour on Blue Peter of all things, I fell in love with the band (as always a kiss of death when I love a band) and got a ticket to see them on what was to be their last tour, I loved the gig but I loved this album, now over the years I have gotten or heard all of their others and whilst I like them I don’t love them like I love this particular album, there is no rhyme or reason to this eclectic mix from the opener Electrical Language to the last song Islands of the dead. The album simply spoke to me, as I broadened my musical horizons, venturing off into potential new worlds and bright new vistas, now this is the digital remastered version and all bright and sparkly, there is a small issue it comes with an additional 61 tracks, demos, remixes and assorted bits and pieces, I haven’t played anything else I simply don’t want to go off down a rabbit hole, I will at some point however I am drowning in music and don’t wish to be (more) distracted than I already am!

Tonight – Drummer Man.   6/10.

I loved this single and bought the follow up “Money” I loved the B sides , slightly more mature than the A sides, which in reality were jumping on to the band wagon of “New Wave” They released a third single called “Wheels” which strangely isn’t actually on this compilation, my local record emporium couldn’t get a hold of it for love nor money and they disappeared  from sight, imagine my delight when I discovered the album after randomly typing in names from the past and was so happy when this popped up, it does sound as though it has been remixed (well maybe kind of tweaked) but the album was as good as any of the tracks fond on those two singles (all four on here) and imagine my surprise that they have more in common with early Who and the Ska Bands that were to arrive a few years after this, did I enjoy it? Yes I did! Will I play it again? Probably just the good tracks, but yes I will, the band are still going in various forms and if they came close enough I reckon I would go to see them!

The Skyhooks – Guilty until proven insane.   8/10.

Another of my 99p buys (well money was tight) I bought it after buying the single “women in uniform” in yellow vinyl for only 20P the single is long since gone and I still own the vinyl of the album, yes the single is the song Iron Maiden covered, probably after having a few too many beers, the album is polished and quite musical, again a band that were big in Australia but meant bugger all elsewhere, I more than likely will go hunting for their back catalogue, but for now I lie back and enjoy songs like Hotel Hell, Megalomania, B B Boogie and the lovely Why dontcha all get fucked! All classics but for me the selling point is a track called A point in the distance, where the solo just flows, and it really could just take you anywhere!

Ian Gillan Band Clear Air Turbulence.   8/10.

A real guilty secret, I hate the man himself as every time I have been in his presence, he has been a total dick! That and the rumours (allegedly) that he hasn’t always been honest with the royalties owed to other band members, I had a brilliant conversation with Bernie Torme in Newcastle Mayfair in which after the conversation he sound checked with Vengeance, a Gillan song just so he could vent his spleen, I didn’t stay for the gig but a good afternoon was had in the company of the affable Irishmen, this is the kind Jazz version, when the former Deep Purple vocalist came out screeching his nuts off and was still considered to be an excellent vocalist and not the travesty he has been since around 1987, this was released in 1977 and I remember my brother bringing it into the house and me smuggling it out of his room when he wasn’t in and me simply falling in love with 5 of the 6 tracks on it, it didn’t sell and although I saw a BBC concert on the TV, the audience didn’t have a clue, he did a couple of similar albums but this is the cream of the crop, there is also a stunning live album from Japan, before he decided he needed to go back to rock to earn a crust.

There are a huge amount of other artists that I have added my fave albums to the playlist including (too name but a few) TRB, Amanda Marshall, Zappacosta, Jellyfish, The Pork Dukes, 999, Nightranger, St Paradise, Silver Condor, The Rods,  Sammy Hagar, Streets (lead by Steve Walsh of Kansas not that shite that was released all English hip hop) SLF, Triumph, The Dickies, Ivor Biggun, Bernie Marsden, Cheap Trick, Pat Benatar (only the first two albums) Starz, and so many more, yes I am aware that there is a huge amount downloaded from 1978 through to 1983 (the sweet spot….oooooh I haven’t done any sweet albums) I have 64 Gigabytes on my phone and I believe that I have added 35 gigabytes already, it can only end in disaster (LOL).

And before anybody decides to let me know I have crap taste in music, I don’t care, there are some bands that are indeed shocking, that doesn’t mean to say that I cant like them , not everybody likes what everybody else likes, some of the crap ones are albums that I heard as a spotty teenager and I loved them, have they aged well? No some are decidedly pants, that doesn’t mean that I can't still love them, I can and I bloody well will!

So, there you have it the second musical one and thanks to Apple many more will rear their head as the year continues, I promise that there will be some newer material mixed in amongst them (allegedly) until the next time stay safe, keep spreading the disease and watch the sky for even more incoming, music is really infectious……………………Toodles!

Set the controls for the heart of the sun.

So the (digital) world went sideways ever so slightly, Farcebook lived up to its name in spectacular style, I was banished time and time again, it was saying I was posting images that broke their (Stalinist) views, I wasn’t but their computer was saying I was, I was then being told I was being hacked so I had to change my password (11 times and counting) to be honest it broke my addiction, I went off and had a life, I saw that there was daylight and butterflies and stuff!

Books and many music magazines came back to the fore, and I discovered this thing called a “TV” mainly for films and the odd documentary (and yes some of them were indeed odd) I re-joined  (ok just the wife)the family and it has been a wonderful time, I played some music (ok lots) and although I did (as per usual) start a few ideas including a four on the floor blog, I decided a break was needed, my writing had become stale(so I thought) and I sat back and concentrated on other things that some people say that you have too.

The youngest moved out to her first flat, the world kept turning and I kind  of went with the flow, now that’s not to say that it wasn’t without its issues (mainly medical) but we kind attempted to sort out our empty nest, cunning plans were afoot, and then again the world tilted, the Hurricane came to stay so things generally ground to a halt as we adapted to his curious foibles, nothing too bad just different, strange having a “child” in the house and I like it in a strange way, we do indeed clash from time to time, but I would do anything to help him, he just needs to recognise it!

Still, I went without contact with the digital world and if I am honest I really enjoyed it, I finally reclaimed my Farcebook account, simply so that people realise that I’m not the misery I have painted myself out to be (ok I am who am I trying to kid? Mainly myself) but I think the damage has been inflicted so its time to stick to twitter and potentially Instagram, although I simply post obscure things there, no change there then I hear you all shout, numbers have been good across the board, with 66 views yesterday alone, its never going to pay the bills, but some of you seem to still enjoy it! Go figure, I can’t, and I write this drivel LOL.

So here comes yet another (false) dawn as I again attempt to keep to a direct course to you the discerning readers, the intention is to do the same as I have already indicated, I will endeavour to do definitely two blogs a month with an occasional Q&A session thrown in for good measure, has anything really changed? Well other than a smashed tooth and an addiction to Kit Kats and a new hedge trimmer (I have gone for a battery operated one as i was sick of cutting the cable on my previous one) and a new bathroom being fitted as I type this, no I don’t suppose it has changed, the house is still upside down, but I’m here and I’m raring to go in a blog kind of way!

So, I have set the controls in a solid direction (yes the name game is in play and is soooooo easy) once more into the breach and all of that malarky, so watch the skies, keep spreading the disease, click, press like or whatever you lot do this kid is back in the game and until the next time………Toodles!