Snakes and Arrows

... tell me the good news first...

My new Rush CD 'Snakes and Arrows' came this morning. A bit of a surprise, as CD-WOW has not had a good recent record of delivering on time (see Marillion and Porcupine Tree - the latter has still not arrived).

Got a nasty throat infection, which makes me sound like Barry White, so I'm at home resting and sorting out job applications...

The Rush CD is excellent on first listen. Much better production than 'Vapor Trails', and it hangs together well. The inclusion of the two instrumentals, and the prominence of the acoustic guitar on a couple of tracks break thing up a little. I've heard some reviews comparing it to 'Hemispheres', but I can't see it. What I hear is confident musicians doing their own thing, returning to the themes of isolation in modern life (The Way the Wind Blows is particularly effective) but with an optimisitic slant (We Hold On).

I think I'll be coming back this repeatedly. 8 out of 10 for me

Another Day On Earth

The classical concert at the Cadogan Hall last tonight was fantastic. Good to get out and hear live classical music again, after a long child-induced break.

More 'Not Classical or Spoken' to get the most Tube-friendly selection:

Sealion II - Jethro Tull, from the interesting (but probably not essential) Nightcap compilation,
Serenade - Emiliana Torrini, first heard on Mark Radcliffe's show. I can't listen much to the new Radcliffe/Maconie, but what I have heard has been a bit disappointing - too much uneasy chat and limited playlist,
Manhattan Project - Rush, from the synth-led Power Windows album. I'm looking forward to the new Rush CD,
Bone Bomb - Brian Eno. Superb,
Ricordati di Me - Antonello Venditti, from my wife's collection,
Sy Borg - Frank Zappa. Just fabulous,
Pataphysical Introduction PtI - Soft Machine,
Noi - Nomadi, more Italian mid-70s rock,
Mustat Kengot (Black Shoes) - Varttina. I fell in love with and in Finland, and this is a great reminder of the spirit of Finnish folk/pop,
With Every Light - The Smashing Pumpkins,
L'Isola di Niente - PFM,
A Small Cigar - Jethro Tull,
Melt! - Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Blue Light - David Gilmour,
Imagining - GTR, the Hackett/Howe 'project',
Synesthesia (Extended Version) - Porcupine Tree - still no sign of my CD-WOW CD,
There Is A Mountain - Donovan,
Who's Grown Up Now - John Martyn,
Dangerous Curves (live) - King Crimson, a great (free) download track.

T - 3.5; M - 4.5; D - 2

Toe The Line - Part Two

My 'Not Classical or Spoken' filter produced this excellent playlist:

Things I Miss The Most - Steely Dan,
Son of Mr Green Genes - Frank Zappa. Just marvellous,
We'll Let You Know - King Crimson,
Firth of Fifth - Genesis, probably the best thing they've ever done...
Pulstar - Vangelis,
Crazy Face - Van Morrison,
We Sing Hallelujah - Richard & Linda Thompson,
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - Led Zeppelin,
Summerday Sands - Jethro Tull, famously called 'Jethro Toe' on their first single...
Laughter and Forgetting - David Sylvian,
Mr Big - Free,
Spring - Song of Innocence - Alan White with Jon Anderson (among others),
Sally Can't Dance - Lou Reed,
Behind the Lines (live) - Genesis,
Flathead - The Fratellis.

T - 3.5; M - 4.5; D - 4

Toe The Line - Part One

With the advent of Summer, pretty girls wearing less and less... I did notice, though, some pretty gruesome distortion of feet into inappropriate sandals. God only knows what happens when they take them off - perhaps they all fall over.

Many good things today, although not on the job front: Danny Baker's Podcast Number, last night's 'Where's the Skill in That?' was great (and now previous programmes are available to download), and a great playlist of 'Not Classical or Spoken'. I'm not against Classical (in fact I'm going to a classical concert tonight), but just find it difficult to listen to on the Tube.

On the downside, CD-WOW continue to screw up my CD orders. First Marillion 'Somewhere Else', now Porcupine Tree 'Fear of a Blank Planet'. I don't think I'll order anything else here, even though they are cheap. Next purchases lined up are Rush's new one, then Tom McRae and probably Panda Bear.

Hold On To What Is Yours

A brief respite in Italy, which was just great.

No CD-WOW Porcupine Tree CD waiting for me, though. It came out on Monday but CD-WOW seem to import it from Hong Kong. New Rush and Tom McRae albums next.

Back to the Northern Line, with two thirds of my focus being on getting a new job...

New purchases, either download or CD:

Hold On - Yes, 9012Live,
Eddie Are You Kidding? - Frank Zappa,
Toy Boat - Yoko Ono/Antony and the Johnsons,
TNK - 801
Rainy Night House - Joni Mitchell,
The Unknown - Conspiracy, probably the best from a poor album,
The Next Life - Suede,
Summer Ride - Brian Eno, from the Curiosities Vol2 album,
Footsteps - Eno/Cale,
Gone at Last - Paul Simon,
Everybody Knows - Leonard Cohen,
Ritz - Cockney Rebel,
Baby's on Fire - 801,
Closing Time - Leonard Cohen,
Track 2 - Vangelis., from 'Sexpower',
Little Black Rocks in the Sun - Add N to (X), first heard on 'Mixing It' many years ago,
Sleeping Pills - Suede.

Looking forward to the new 'Where's the Skill In That?' tonight, if I can stay awake...

T - 4; M - 4; D - 3

All My Friends

Friday, and a long weekend in Italy to look forward to.

My wife managed to corrupt my 250 Gb external disk during transfer of music from my 80 Gb drive, by turning the PC off mid-way, so I had to spend an hour last night reformatting and re-loading overnight.

The train on the platform had broken doors, so was 'removed from service'. This meant a 15 minute wait before the next one turned up.

My posting of a link to the Marillion Forum resulted in many more 'hits' as usual - almost up to 100. One person suggested I give the SR solo in Marillion's 'The Other Half' another go, so I did. It's pleasant, as most of SR's solos are, but it's simple, repetitive and doesn't make my heart leap as say 'Easter' or 'This Strange Engine' do (among many others). Sorry, but I don't get it... it's nice, but not special.

More recent stuff:

Alien Afternoon - Genesis,
Calling All Stations - Genesis. I didn't expect to like this album, but I think I do (though see below),
Congo - Genesis. Not good, perhaps better as an instrumental rather than with these ridiculous lyrics,
No Such Thing - Marillion, still my second or third favourite from 'Somewhere Else',
Hug Air A' Bhonaid Mhoir - Julie Fowlis, from a Mark Radcliffe Session last week. There are a bunch of accents to go with some of those letters, but I can't find them on my keyboard,
She's Not Dead - Suede,
All My Friends - LCD Soundsystem,
Soon - Yes,
Everybody Knows - Leonard Cohen,
Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell. There's a new 'Tribute To...' CD out on Monday. From the 'Where's the Skill In That' airtime, it sounds like a good one (although the Independent review is tepid). On the back of a more recent WtSiT playlist, I might also invest in the new Papa Bear as well,
Intervention - The Arcade Fire,
Turn It On Again (live) - Genesis,
Master of the Universe - Hawkwind,
Create and Melt - Dali's Car. I can't believe I've found a copy of this album in digital form. I still give my LP the occasional spin,
Judgement of the Moon and Stars - Joni Mitchell,
then Marching Into A Bottle, Giddy and Everybody, from the solo Alan White album 'Ramshackled'. I must have passed up buying this LP a dozen times over the years, but it's suprisingly different from his 'Yes' stuff - quite funky, althought the singing's a bit dodgy.

Waiting for the new Porcupine Tree album 'Fear of a Blank Planet'. I hope CD-WOW don't screw this one up, too. There'll be a BBC Radio 6Music session next weekend, which I'll try and record somehow. I haven't heard any of the forthcoming album, and I was forced to miss the recent in-store show in Camden Town 'Fopp', but I expect somthing along the lines of 'In Absentia' and 'Deadwing'. The days of 'The Sky Moves Sideways' and even 'Lightbulb Sun' are gone. Not entirely a good thing, IMO, but I think I see what they're doing.

T - 3; M - 4; D - 3. Train too full for comfort...

Kiss My Yarbles

Just finished Burgess' 'A Clockwork Orange', from the 'Independent' Banned Books series. I was surprised how short it was. Compare it to today's lumpen works, which must be seen to give value for money at 300 pages plus...

Great book, although the language takes some getting used to. I actually picked most of it up before I realised there was a glossary in the back. The ultraviolence depicted is shocking, particularly the encounter in the record shop with the two girls, but the narrative is great and the cycle of anarchy and redemption under the gaze of a Big Brother-type system is just about credible, and becoming more so, I fear.

Next book will be Ian Rankin - I've read a couple of the Rebus novels, but would like to start from No.1 in the series to get the full effect.

Northtube doubleplusungood

Shambolic Tube this morning, with huge gaps between trains. Getting on at the end of line has huge advantages, not least guaranteeing a seat...

Chance to listen to lots of recent purchases:

I Could - Conspiracy. I still don't get Chris Squire's penchant for this MOR/AOR stuff,
Sounds of Silver - LCD Soudsystems. I still haven't decided whether this is really good; the voice/lyrics are putting me off,
The Actor - Moody Blues. Summery psychedelia,
To The Unknown Man - Vangelis. Finally, a full version (from Spiral) of this; the CD compilations I have feature a truncated version, which, after years of listening to the LP, seem odd,
Us v Them - LCD Soundsystem. See above,
Say - Jon Anderson,
Black Mirror - The Arcade Fire. This album is definitely growing on me...
Banquet - Joni Mitchell. It's always soothing to hear her voice, particularly in a pack train,
Yin and Yang - Vangelis,
07 - Vangelis, from an early work 'Sexpower',
Little Black Rocks in the Sun - Add N to (X),
Follow You, Follow Me (live) - Genesis,
Children of the Sun - Hawkwind. Mellow, man,
Calling all Stations - Genesis. On this track, the singer sounds a lot like Peter Gabriel. The album's not great, but it's okay,
So Young - Suede,
Soon - Yes; the coda to 'The Gates of Delerium'. The calm after the storm,
Doubleplusgood - Eurythmics, from '1984'. Splendid stuff. I read the book again a year or two ago, and it's still shocking.
Meet Me On The Corner - Lindisfarne.

T - 2.5, M - 4, D - 3

Just Look at the Size of my Disk

I've just about sorted out my new LaCie external hard disk - 250 Gb, yummy - and am transferring all my music from my (full) 80 Gb drive. The 80 Gb will be used for photos, as I've just bought a Sony K800i with a 3.2 Mp camera. Should keep me going for a year or two...

Surely I can't fork out for a 80 Gb iPod? Mine's 'only' 60 Gb, but I've finding it increasingly difficult to decide what to remove to make way for recent acquisitions. Maybe I'll wait for the 120 Gb, which surely must be in the pipeline.

Disenfranchised

A bit fed up this morning... No real job opportunities coming up, and I'm feeling the pressure to get something before the end of Summer.

Also, I'm fed up with BBC Radio, especially in the evening, when I do the vast majority of my listening.

Mon-Thu - was Mark Radcliffe, now a random selection of bland jazz and documentaries. The Radcliffe/Maconie show is now at the wrong time; plus, it's too wordy, and difficult to listen to on 'Listen Again'. Too much of the same old playlist indie kid stuff. The Andy Kershaw show is much too late on a Monday.
Fri - Mixing It. Replaced by 'Jazz Library' or somesuch, although moved to Resonance FM at a late time (although repeated on Sunday evening),
Sat - I used to listen to Bob Harris' rock show, but it's been pushed back to make room for the 'funny' Russell Brand. Inane,
Sun - Andy Kershaw gone, to be replaced by random, uninspiring classical stuff.

Thank god for Danny Baker on BBC London and podcast. It's all have left, especially as they (BBC London) destroyed the breakfast show...


Anyway, music: I bought the new 'Cherry Ghost' single, but wasn't massively impressed by the 'B-side' tracks - the stuff he played on Janice Long was much better.

More recent acquisitions, mostly downloads:

The Arrangement - Joni Mitchell,
Joe the Lion - David Bowie,
Room 101 - Eurythmics,
Somewhere Else - Marillion,
Fading Lights - Genesis, from a live album,
Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystems,
1/2 a World Away - Conspiracy. Chris Squire is one of the finest bass players in rock, but has produced too much of this AOR-based stuff, both with Yes and solo. What a waste of talent...
For Free - Joni Mitchell,
The Unknown - Conspiracy,
Dance of Raynart - Jon Anderson, from the excellent 'Olias of Sunhillow', although it's showing its age now,
To The Runner, Solid Space, Meeting - all from the same JA album.

T - 4; M - 3.5; D - 4