Happy Birthday Bruce!

My love of Bruce Springsteen is the closest thing I have to faith in my life and the great man is 60 today. There will inevitably be further posts here about Bruce and I'm always keen to welcome others onto the path of righteousness. For those who have already heard the good news here is an early version of one of the all time greatest ever singles. Hallelujah!

Happy Birthday Bruce!

Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run (Alternate Version)

Contrast Podcast - Random Week

The inspiration behind this blog comes from the wonderful Contrast Podcast, and all the amazing blogs that the regular contributors offer the world. I adore the CP because it offers some stuff I know and love, stuff that's new and loads of stuff that leads me elsewhere. I shall be recommending Mr CP, Tim Young, for some kind of honour when I next meet Her Majesty. This week was random week and you will be able to hear my offering if you download episode 182. However, I thought I'd post from one of the three CDs that didn't make it. Not 'Dance Craze Fever' or Randy Newman's 'Lonely At the Top', but instead 2 tracks from The Avalanches.

When it first appeared the album Since I Left You was a critics' smasheroonie and it does still sound good today - 8 YEARS LATER!!! Doesn't time fly. We still wait for the follow up, although there have been various releases on the internet, often via their site here. There was a great version of Wham's 'A Ray of Sunshine' a while back that I may post another time. I think the album was made up entirely of samples, and vaguely recall that there exists an original version containing samples they couldn't get clearance for - perhaps another lost/mythical album that will appear one day. I suspect that loads of people have this album but haven't played it for a while. Here's a refresher.......

Since I Left You - The Avalanches

Frontier Psychiatrist - The Avalanches

My New New Favourite Band

Like everyone else in blogland I keep finding new bands I suddenly love (until everyone else loves them and they win a Brit and they are no longer cool) and a few months ago I came across a track that rocked my world. Not enough bands wear their love of ABBA ,(and ELO, Donna Summer and The Glitter Band) on their sleeves, but this lot seem to have it tattooed across their foreheads like a big pop lighthouse (apologies for that - it's Sunday night). It seems that Music Go Music are on the cusp of beoming very familiar so it won't be hard to find out a lot more on other parts of the interweb. The album Expressions is out soon so all the cool people already have their promo copies. I shall be content with saving my pennies until it 'hits the racks'.

Look out for more of my new favourite bands...............For now, here are two lovely tracks to share with you all.

Music Go Music - Light of Love

Music Go Music - Warm In The Shadows

FINALLY FRIDAY

The end of another working week, bottle of red calling, Series 5 of The Wire ready to roll and Derren Brown later tonight. Time to spend a few minutes sharing something with the world. Many moons ago The Boomtown Rats released their great single 'I Don't Like Mondays', Being young I only had enough money that Saturday to buy one single...or to buy a Mother's Day present! I am still ashamed to say that Mum was disappointed the next morning but it was a really good record. Anyway, a few months later I was able to buy my first ever LP and it was the Rats'. Not Tonic For The Troops, but the underrated and often overlooked follow up the fine art of surfacing (note lack of capital letters). Reissued not long ago it still sounds terrific. Yeah, we all know the Rats were never quite convincing as punks, and not quite hip enough to be really cool new-wavers but as a power pop, occasional Springsteen wannabes type band they did ok. And 'I Don't Like Mondays' was their second classic number one single. A few years ago I met a guy who used to drive bands on their tours around Europe. He told me he had travelled with dozens of rock stars but the best bloke he ever took was Bob Geldof who, it transpired, was one of the few who treated the driver with respect and used to come for a chat as they rolled back the miles.

So a couple of tracks for your listening pleasure, the second of which has one of my favourite guitar solos. Have a great weekend everyone!

The Boomtown Rats - Diamond Smiles
The Boomtown Rats - Having My Picture Taken

First mp3 post

As this is my first mp3 post it is still a bit of a test. But what better way to test than with a track the whole world should hear. Taken from the wonderful The Ugly People Vs The Beautiful People, this track has beautiful guitars, layers of harmony and a melody to soothe and entrance.

Proven to work on sleepless children, this is dedicated to new parents everywhere.

The Czars - Lullaby 6000

It took a while but.....

Right.....2 years later and I've finally.....I think....worked it out. maybe this blog might work after all!

update

stil no idea how to get mp3s on here but will persevere