All The Best Freaks Are Here

A new Podcast has belatedly come to my attention, the Freak Zone on BBC Radio 6Music. It's not often I get to listen to DAB radio, as a) besides the cricket on 5liveExtra, there's not much there, b) Radio 7 is available on the 'net, c) Radio 6Music is usually full of babbling DJs playing the usual indie-kid stuff, and d) I forget it's there.

I was expecting great things of this 'cast, having occasionally caught the full show in the past, but I was disappointed by both the brevity and the content. The Bert Jansch 'Avocet' album was featured, but the three tracks were only played for about a minute each. The last 10 minutes of the 15 minute programme were filled with 'witty banter' between Maconie and someone else about Brazilian Bossa Nova. Tiresome.

Recent download from here and here and the Avocet album featured in today's playlist:

FreakZone: Brazilian Grooves and Bert Jansch,
Avocet - Bert Jansch, magnificent,
Were You Blind That Day? - Steely Dan, an early version of Third World Man from 'Gaucho',
The Bear - Steely Dan,
The Second Arrangement - Steely Dan,
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin, a recording of the recent O2 show,
Kingfisher - Bert Jansch,
Come And Get It - Badfinger,
California - Joni Mitchell,
The Priest - Joni Mitchell,
La Fuente Del Ritmo - Santana,
The Lovecrafter - Patti Smith,
Ghost Dance - Patti Smith.

T - 4; M - 3.5; D - 3

Progness Report

After a relaxing weekend spent with family, a return to the commute accompanied by lots of Prog Rock. I met a guy in the local Oxfam shop who was wearing a 'Budgie' t-shirt. Although I'm not a huge fan, I was attracted in the 80s by the Roger Dean covers, especially 'Squawk', and we had a chat. They're still going, and are currently touring Australia.

Onto Prog:

One More Try - Wigwam,
Burning Bridges - Family,
So Called Friend (B-Side) - Porcupine Tree,
What You`re Doing - Rush,
Fallen Dreams And Angels - Pendragon, from Acoustically Challenged,
So Far Away - David Gilmour,
Abandon Ship! - Van Der Graaf Generator,
Rock & Roll Stew - Traffic,
Punk Rock - Mogwai,
Working Man - Rush,
Funky Deux - Richard Wright,
Light Mass Prayers - Porcupine Tree.

Relatively painless journey in, as I try to complete a job application form I should have sorted out ages ago.

T - 4; M - 4; D - 3.5

Embracing the Spreading Haze

Well, the interview yesterday went well yesterday, as the storm clouds gather over my present company. Not long to go now.

Countermoon - Donald Fagen,
Joanna`s Theme - Herbie Hancock,
It's All But An Ark Lark - Cocteau Twins,
Elephants - National Health,
Drive - The Cars,
Working All Day - Gentle Giant,
No Not Now - Frank Zappa,
Orange Appled - Cocteau Twins,
Charlie Freak - Steely Dan,
Bicycle Riders - Vangelis, from a Blade Runner Private Release CD,
I Want To Be Alone - Decca single, 1965 - Vashti Bunyan, from Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind: Singles and Demos 1964-1967,
Gold For The Price Of Silver (Erot Collaboration) - Kings Of Convenience, from Versus,

T - 4; M - 4; D - 3.

HNY

And a Happy New Year to all...

My return to the commute was fairly unremarkable, although depressing all the same.

Over the festive period, I managed to catch up finally with all the 'All Day Breakfast Show' Podcasts from Danny Baker. From the last few 'casts, it looks as though the end came very quickly - the Thursday programme before the final weekend was very upbeat, with plenty of mentions of 'next week' and 'next year', with no hint of the gathering storm.

Dinosaur - King Crimson,
Dry Land (Live Hammersmith Odeon, London September 29, 1991) - Marillion,
The Maid On The Shore - John Renbourn,
Blackthorn Rose - Weather Report,
Maestro Mercy - Wigwam,
Amazing Grace - Yes,
Ring Out Solstice Bells - Jethro Tull,
Apocalypse (Detroit 1976) - Yes,
Summer (Chorus) (excerpt) - The Enid,
Be Kind To My Mistakes - Kate Bush,
Marijuana - Various Artists, from a Trojan Box Set,
Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood,
(Three Fingers of) Love - The Art Of Noise,
Sloop John B - The Beach Boys,
Drum Folk - Greenslade,
Bullet The Blue Sky - U2,
Animal - Def Leppard.

I saw 'Number 23' the other day, the Jim Carrey film. Mark Kermode's reviews (including his end of year review) made it sound like some preposterous sub-Da Vinci Code thing, but I found it an interesting and entertaining story of psychosis and paranoia. Okay, some bits were downright silly, but I think it made a lot of sense, in the context of the central character's delusions.

T - 4; M - 4; D - 3

Gentle Blues

Two days and counting...

No blog yesterday, as I was at my son's nursery nativity thing. Splendid fun.

Walkin' Blues - Robert Johnson,
Story of a Man a Woman, Pt. 1: She Thought I Was Stanley Clarke - Stanley Clarke,
Emergency 72 - Turin Brakes,
Höga Berg Och DJupa Dalar (High Mountains And Low Valleys) - Ranarim,
The Easy Blues (Jelly Roll Blues/Gentle Blues) - John Martyn,
Beyond The Seventh Galaxy - Return To Forever,
Babylon Sisters - Steely Dan,
Highway Song - James Taylor,
Never Any Good - Leonard Cohen,
Hallucinations - Tim Buckley,
Hazey Jane I - Nick Drake,
Cucumber Slumber - Weather Report,
Poor Boy - Nick Drake.

T - 3; M -4; D -3

Plague

Friday again, and nothing to do. I did listen to the Count Arthur Strong episode (No.3) from earlier this week, which wasn't quite up to the majesty of previous episodes, but still passed the time nicely.

Recent acquisitions:

Rag And Bone - The White Stripes,
Can Of Ghost - Loop Guru,
Highways 2 - Tyrannosaurus Rex,
New Paths To Helicon Pt I - Mogwai,
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson, in celebration of its 25th anniversary, or something,
Red Light Ahead - Conspiracy,
Sploosh! (Youth & Simon's Hydrophonic Decimation) - Ozric Tentacles,
Pteranodon (Hallucinogen mix) - Ozric Tentacles,
Hope - Bjork,
The Fifth Plague - Laurie Anderson,
Holiday - Scorpions.

T - 3; M -3.5; D - 2

It Makes You Suffer And It Makes You Cry

But, unfortunately, it's not, as Mr Hogarth, suggests, all worthwhile,

After a couple of days off, a return to the daily commute:

06 - LOVE - 12/11/92 Lee & Herring, from the FistOfFun archive,
Surprise, Surprise - Caravan,
Way To Blue - Nick Drake. A demo, with piano which is even more fragile and ethereal than the final version,
Hotel Hobbies - Marillion,
Septembre: Heat Beat - Brian Eno, sounding a lot like Boards of Canada,
Hard As Love (Demo Version) - Marillion,
Beach Theme - Tangerine Dream,
Tunnel Of Love - Dire Straits,
Band On The Run - Paul McCartney & Wings,
Arthur - Rick Wakeman,
Eleanor Rigby Reggae MashUp - The Beatles. Danny Baker first played this on Monday's BBC London show, and I've found it on YouTube here and ripped it with my new HiQ software. Excellent - forget the short-lived 'Ladies' Bras' debacle, this is worth pushing.

T - 4; M - 4; D - 3

Built-In Obsolescence

For the first time in ages, I saw someone using a CD Walkman on the Tube this morning. It looked so odd, with its bulk and spinning silver disc.

I've got a good feeling about today. Friday, mainly, but also because the Management are 'working from home'.

Recent album purchases - Neil Young's Chrome Dreams II, which is largely excellent, although it does drift more into Country occasionally:

Beautiful Bluebird,
Boxcar,
Ordinary People (fantastic)
Shining Light
The Believer
Spirit Road
Dirty Old Man
Ever After

Then another recent download, one track from the new Eagles, mainly because it (the track, not the album) has got good reviews: Long Road Out Of Eden

T - 4; M - 4; D - 4

And We Run and We Scream With the Dilated Stare

Well, a better commute today. I think I was too enraged at the thought of having to return yesterday.

I listened to the recent Baker & Kelly Podcasts on the walk to the Tube station. The first one is good, but spoilt by Mr Kelly being too quiet, and the braying idiot in the background who seemed to think that everything being said was absolutely hilarious! I don't know who this is, but I suspect it's the Wippit chief - he turned up on the ADBS 'casts, too. Enough, please.

Sound Of The City - Tom McRae
Out of This World - Marillion
Song Of The Magician - Tim Buckley
Within You Without You - The Beatles
World Turning - Fleetwood Mac
Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys
Sorrow - Pink Floyd
Wonderful Wino - Frank Zappa

T - 4; M - 4; D - 3

Change Changing Places

Well, I'm back.

While I've been away, the Danny Baker 'All Day Breakfast Show in Color' has been and gone. Very strange. I think Wippit isn't helping at all - it's awful. I've been listening to a load of old Baker & Kelly R5/Talk/Virgin shows, too. The unfolding tales of Joanne are excellent.

Sad to hear of Joe Zawinul's death. Weather Report are a favourite band of mine, although mostly for the expert bass playing of Mr Pastorius, I must admit.

I could barely face the morning commute today. God how I hope my job application comes through.

Love And Affection - Def Leppard
In the Flat Field - Bauhaus
Spindrift - Rush
Marathon -Rush
Eleventh Earl Of Mar - Genesis
Spiral Galaxy 28948 - Hawkwind
Got A Suitcase, Got Regrets - Tom McRae
The Planetist - Wigwam
Fine Lines - John Martyn
Song Slowly Song - Tim Buckley
Let Down - Radiohead

I've been listening to a lot of my folk/jazz/blues stuff while I've been off, as that was most palatable to the other occupants of the house. The recently-purchased 'King of Cards' by Tom McCrae went down very well, too. Doesn't quite match 'Just Like Blood', but very good.

T -3.5; M - 4; D - 2.

An Old Day Now

Only 2 days before my holiday starts. I'm still waiting for the job offer, but it may take a while. In the meantime, a laid-back start to the day:

Floating Seeds - Ozric Tentacles

Man With An Open Heart - King Crimson

Toxygene (Toxic Genes Mix) - The Orb

Don't Hurt Yourself (Single Edit) - Marillion

Rain And Snow - Pentangle

Catch The Wind - Donovan

The Modern Boys - Suede

Pilgrims Frogress - Greenslade

With A Gun - Steely Dan

A New Day Yesterday - Jethro Tull

Astral Traveller - Yes; The DVD from the Chris Squire 'Fish out of Water' re-issue is good fun. The video is basically a live/mimed performance of a couple of the songs. It's spoilt by the poor lighting, though and lack of focus on the main man.

T - 4; M - 4; D -3

Here Comes Fussyboots Now

As another week stretches before us like a great shoe with its lights on ((C) Danny Baker), I have an interview later in the week. In the words of Paul Chisnell of Haze 'a jolly important job with lots of jolly money'...

First, as it's Monday morning, a return to 1997 for some Baker & Kelly Up-front Radio shows. Very poor sound quality - like having perpetual tinnitus - but very funny. Check out the Iranian National Anthem as Children's TV Theme.

The 'Ladies' Bras' download is available for download for today, but I don't have time at present to figure out Wippit's odd ordering system.

Some 'folk and blues and jazz' from my Auto-Playlist:

Simple Twist Of Fate - Bob Dylan
Phoenix - Judee Sill
Hallucinating Light - Roy Harper
Ups And Down - Steeleye Span
Kiss - Judee Sill
Two Against Nature - Steely Dan
Ghost Of A Shark - Tom McRae
Harry`s House, Centerpiece - Joni Mitchell

The Independent has gone mental again. Some idiot reactionary fundamentalist reckons he's right and everyone else is wrong and The Indy reports it verbatim. Isn't this treason? Still, it's got a good crossword.

T - 4; M - 3.5, but wasn't really concentrating; D - 3.5

Como-tose

Update on the Splendid 'Ladies' Bras' song. It's not Perry Como, as Mr Baker suggested in the last Podcast, but actually from a CD from the Dirty Fan Mail boys at Trunk Records. And only £4.99, too.

After yesterday's unpleasantness,

I'm The Slime - Frank Zappa
Dirty Love - Frank Zappa
50-50 - Frank Zappa
Zomby Woof - Frank Zappa
Dinah-Moe-Hum - Frank Zappa
Ladies' Bras - a MP3 edit job of the Danny Baker ADBS Podcast
Dirty Dog - ZZ Top
Masque 5 - ProjeKct Three. Keep an eye out here, as DGM occasionally releases free 'tickles' of new releases,
A New Day Yesterday - Jethro Tull
Shaping The Pelm - Ozric Tentacles
Passion Play Extract (Paris, 1976) - Jethro Tull
Black Blade - Blue Oyster Cult
Phases of the Three Moons - Andreas Vollenweider
Intermediate Jesus - Porcupine Tree
Dog Breath - Frank Zappa
Be All Right / Chance Of A Lifetime - Caravan

T - 4; M - 4; D - 3; Potterwatch - the usual smattering of semi-literate 25-45 year old women.

200 Not Out

Apparently yesterday was my 200th blog. Hurrah.

The weather descended on Lord's yesterday to thwart England's likely win in the First Test, yesterday, which was rather annoying.

Potterwatch revealed four 30-40 something women (always seems to be females), which is rather worrying.

More recent CDs and downloads, this time music I have on LP. I haven't heard these for ages, as personal LP time with my turntable is limited these days.

The Magician's Birthday - Uriah Heep
Between Blue And Me - Family
Sat D-Y Barfly - Family
Larf And Sing - Family
Spanish Tide - Family
Krautrock - Faust
The Sad Skinhead - Faust

T - 4; M - 4; D - 3; Potterwatch - 4

Sombre Mammals

After last night's extraordinary journey, a sombre, downcast commute. Everybody seemed really fed-up, probably due to the weather and the prospect of another Tuesday stretching before them like a great shoe with its lights on.

I had work to do today, so didn't spend much time wrapped in my 'Pod. When I did get round to some music, I went for my 'Eno etc.' playlist:

Die Bunge - Cluster/Eno,
Intenser - Eno/Schwalm,
Sombre Reptiles - Eno,
Like Pictures Pt1 - Eno/Schwalm,
Lyra - Fripp/Eno,
Rising Thermal - Hassell/Eno,
On Some Faraway Beach - Eno,
ZawinulLava - Eno.

I finished off the latest 'All Day Breakfast Show' as well, on the walk from Tube to work. Trying to grow a beard, indeed - wasn't that a Frank Zappa lyric?

And Nary a Word Was Spoken

The latest ADBS was very good. I'm finding that I can down-load it mid-afternoon and listen to it on the above-ground portions of my journey home and on the walk to the station in the morning. If you see a tall, blond, grinning fool on your commute, that's me...

The Northern Line was utterly chaotic this morning, although I seem to have been really lucky with my journey, as I just happened to change at the right place and time. There was a heart-stopping moment when the driver annouced 'this train is having a few problems, but we should be able to fix it'. I exchanged glances with a rather attractive woman across from me...

Instrumentals only today. I've excluded much of the jazz and classical stuff and focused on instrumental rock/pop:

Darshana (Remix) - Future Sound of London
Peaches En Regalia - Frank Zappa
Schooldays - Stanley Clarke
Midwestern Night Dreams - Pat Metheny
Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape - Porcupine Tree
Another Green World - Brian Eno
Where's My Thing - Rush
Nuages - King Crimson
Theme 1 - van der Graaf Generator
L'Auberge du Sanglier (Suite) - Caravan
Oxygene (Part IV) - Jean-Michel Jarre
Solemnity - The Mighty Strinth
Tempo Block - Raymond Scott

Oxygene brings back happy memories of a chaotic school trip to France back in 1983 or 84:

30 secondary school kids on a Geography field trip to Le Havre (via a 6 hour coach trip from Yorkshire and a 4 or 5 hour crossing (Newhaven-Dieppe) on a tiny ferry with nothing to do). The only thing to do on the coach was listen to a cassette that someone had brought along: 'Oxygene'. I'd never heard it before, and I don't think many others had, so we were all amazed and must have listened to it dozens of times during that week, as it was the only tape.

The trip itself was a fiasco: Nobody (including the teachers) seemed particularly bothered in Geography; we mainly spent our time on Le Havre beach, ostensibly sketching cliffs and interesting rock formations, but instead playing football and nipping off to the local supermarché to buy and consume some wine. We were eventually kicked out our hotel (after a stern lecture from one of the teachers about being poor ambassadors) because a couple of the 'hard' kids had been sick on a duvet and tried to wash it in a bidet. They broke the bidet.

The next phase was in Paris. More interminable coach rides and Oxygene, then vague sketches of Notre Dame from a boat on the Seine. Lots more drunkenness, including a very strange conversation in a bar about clouds with a drunk Frenchman. We were almost kicked out of the Parisian hotel for yelling across the central quadrangle to each other, despite having been told not to immediately on arrival.

We were basically young, 15-16 year-old innocent kids, given free rein in a land of abundantly-available alcohol. Nothing malicious, just chaotic.


I got to work this morning to discover that the thing I'd been running on my computer over-night hadn't completed because Windows had chosen to Upgrade and re-start itself. Still, if I have to re-run it that's something to do whilst waiting for the weekend to come round.

T - 2; M - 4; D - 4.5

These Days I Mainly Just Talk to Plants and Dogs

A grey start to the day, enlivened only by the latest Danny Baker Podcast. I find I can listen to half on my way home and the rest the following morning...

Rock, Prog and Rock/Pop threw up a strange concoction:

First Post - Jethro Tull,
Thalheim - David Sylvian,
The Higher Sun - Moom, from a Delerium Records Compilation I bought primarily for a version of Porcupine Tree's 'Voyage 34'. In many respectsd, I miss this phase of their music,
Where Did You Sleep Last Night - Nirvana,
Son Of Man - 10cc,
Human Being (Alternate) - Twelfth Night. The proggest prog, let down by poor production,
He Knows, You Know (7") - Marillion,
Domino (Live) - Genesis, which, at 11 minutes, got a bit tiresome, so I moved to some vdGG for light relief:

Meurglys III; Prog goes funk/reggae,
Refugees,
Sleepwalkers,

all played at the highest volume possible, so apologies to fellow drones...

T - 3; M - 3.5; D - 4

Panda Pops

The neck pain's subsiding, although sitting on a Tube train for 1 hour doesn't help...

The new Panda Bear CD came yesterday. A very promising start, with Beach Boy-type harmonies, although these get a bit irritating after a while. Musically, it's very interesting, and I think Good Girl/Carrots is my favourite.

I just wish some of the vocals weren't quite so ethereal and impenetrable. I think I know what he's trying to do, that is add a 'wall of sound' dimension and use the chorus as another instrument, but a bit of variation (see GG/C) would be better, IMO.

Still, it's a very good CD. Very interesting use of tape loops and ambient/environmental noise. Some bits reminded me of GYBE!'s early stuff, or even >gasp< Jean-Michel Jarre's 'Zoolook'.

The rest of the commute, which was basically the bits in the tunnel, was spent with a recent Fish album 'Field of Crows', which I found to be a lot better than most of his albums. I think 'Raingods With Zippos' and 'Vigil...' are his best stuff, although RwZ is still patchy. 'FoC' is very good.

A Rush of Blood

More rain, but only 2 more days to the weekend.

I had the words of 'Red Lenses' by Rush running through my head this morning, for no apparent reason, so opted for a Rush-tastic mix:

Red Lenses, from Grace Under Pressure
Second Nature - Hold Your Fire
Presto - Presto
Alien Shore - Counterparts
Madrigal - A Farewell to Kings
Someting for Nothing - 2112
Cinderella Man - A Farewell to Kings
Turn The Page - Hold Your Fire
Subdivisions - Signals
Hand Over Fist - Presto
Faithless - Snakes and Arrows
Entre Nous - Permanent Waves
Emotion Detector - Power Windows
Manhattan Project - Power Windows

Rush are a very interesting band, constantly re-inventing their sound: from blues to prog to new(ish)-wave to indie-lite to rock to metal and all points in-between. I can listen to almost all their music, unlike, say, Yes, where the 90s stuff was fairly awful.

WtSiT, Wotsit

Over last night's commute home and a bit of this morning, I caught up with the 2 May 07 broadcast of 'Where's the Skill In That?'. Another excellent show, with a great and varied choice of music.

1 Half Cousin: Charity/The Absentee (3.58 + 2.24),
2 Two Bands & A Legend : Who The Fuck (2.33),
3 Julie Feeney: Wind Out Of My Sails / Fictitious Richard (2.41 + 3.25),
4 James Gordon Anderson : Radio (7.11),
5 Erik Truffaz : Miss Kaba (5.45),
6 Jamie Woon: Wayfaring Stranger (3.42),
7 John Vanderslice remixed by Scott Salter: Dear Sara Shu - Immersion (4.30),
8 Goro Yamaguchi: A Bell Ringing In The Empty Sky (15.18).

Track 4 really was a case of'Where's the Skill in That?' as it featured radio interviews over very minimalist soundscapes. Track 7 was also very interesting.

Then, for a bit of light relief, my 'Blues, Folk & Jazz' filter:

The Nightfly - Donald Fagen,
Gaslighting Abbie - Steely Dan,
Twelve More Bars to Go - Wayne Shorter,
In Liverpool - Suzanne Vega,
Auctioneers - Boo Hewerdine,
Hey-Hee-Hi-Ho - Medeski, Martin & Wood,
Anniversary - Suzanne Vega,
Homesick - Kings of Convenience,
Good Morning Anya - Jaco Pastorius,
Shower The People - James Taylor,
Walk Between the Raindrops - Donald Fagen.

T - 3; M - 4; D - 4