UnAmerican Activities

forgot to mention, there's a great Randy Newman download to be had through iTunes:
'A Few Words in Defense of Our Country', see him playing it on youtube here.

'the end of an empire is messy at best, and this empire's ending, just like all the rest...'

Give a philosophy student a glass of limeade

A quick round-up of the sounds of the hour here at Welch Acres. I've been poking around Selectadisc and Fopp this month, harvesting a mixed crop of records both old and new, ...let me tell you about them, friends:

It could be the fact that I have started a new job, or alternatively just general encroaching decrepitude, but I seem to be retiring to bed earlier and earlier these days - the plus side of which is taking a few cds with me to accompany a little late night reading. At the moment I am retiring with mid-period David Bowie - Station to Station and Low; and Kraftwerk - especially Trans Europe Express.

I'm not totally mired in the pre punk mid 1970's though, I have actually been buying a few new records too. Malcolm Middelton, who'll be at the Social this time next week, and the Gossip. Although I downloaded it ages ago, I did the decent thing and bought the Grinderman album, which despite a terrible sleeve is terrific stuff.

Malcolm M is not quite as good as the last LP, but still reliably miserable and self-pitying (sample song title - 'death love depression love death'). I haven't made me mind up yet about the Gossip, though any band fronted by a huge lesbian in a metallic blue catsuit has to be worth some kind of scrutiny, and the single 'Standing In The Way Of Control' was fantastic.

Since I started reading 'Fear Of Music' by Gary Mulholland I've also been digging out old stuff like Rattlesnakes by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Metal Box by PiL, and The Correct Use of Soap by Magazine. The book is very good, easily as good as the preceding 'This Is Uncool', and it's been a real inspiration to rediscover records which I thought would be gathering dust for a good few seasons to come.

BTW, good sounding new Richard Thompson tune on his website, from forthcoming LP out in May

I'm in with the In Crowd

Another last minute gig last night, in the company of Mr Hewitt as his plus one for Bryan Ferry at the Concert Hall. It was really very odd, the audience was largely made up of fifty-something groovers, with ladies being in the majority. Ferry has a new album out, of insipid Bob Dylan covers. Some sounded ok - Gates of Eden, Positively 4th Street, but most were unremarkable. He did do some great versions of his solo stuff though - Stick Together, etc, and his band were great. I had to look twice to recognise Chris Spedding on guitar, he is greyer and paunchier than in his Motorbikin' days..

So it was pretty bizarre to see the place erupt as they broke into Hard Rain's Gonna Fall, the cheesey 1972 piss-taking version. Almost everyone was on their feet - even me and Sean - all the way up to the second tier. I did feel something of an imposter, and I have always disliked that version of the song, but it was hard not to get carried along with it.

Tell you what though, I would have been a little cheesed off if I had paid the £45 ticket price...

'Only water passes my lips, only beer passes my throat'

so says Mr Mark E Smith, who rolled up to be interviewed on 6 Music this week, listen again if the fancy takes you here. I think he's probably mad. Mad, and pissed.

Out to a gig last night, the first since Bonnie Prince Billy I think, it was James Yorkston at the Social. Felt a bit sorry for him actually, as there were only 35 people there at the most, but it's not that long since he was last here, and Spiers and Boden were up the road so I guess that was a bit of competition.

What was especially exciting was that the famous Bob was there; Bob from 20 yrs back in the Jangle Club at the old Vic, and from most years at WOMAD, and many folk / roots gigs in Nottm. Not even sure if Bob is his real name, but it's always strangely reassuring to see that he's still going strong. Never spoken to the bloke, I think it would spoil the magic somehow...

A modicum of challenge and danger

I know shoving up random You Tube clips is rather a lazy way of running a blog, but this here clip of good ol' Uncle Bill Burroughs is just terrific...his voice is so splendid, that long drawling 'til the bare lies shiiiiine through..' is wonderful!

Notebooks out, plagiarists

apologies for the delay between posts, and the brevity of this rather paltry effort.

just to say that Mark E Smith of the mighty Fall gruppe, has a few words for you here