Antony And The Johnsons

Have a great weekend.

Friday, Time For Lou Reed-Families

Yesterday I rattled on about dodgy chavs and their offspring. Today it's time for Lou Reed to put real emotion into a song about the pressure on kids in middle class families. He had a rough childhood being a bit of a rebel when he was expected to be nicely conformist. I reckon this song is autobiographical, as is Kill Your Sons, which is also much darker.

For my money The Bells is one one of Lou's finest albums, and Families one of the strongest tracks on it. Well worth a listen:

Dying on the Vine-John Cale

I had to drive my beloved to work this morning and listened to John Cale's CD The Island Years in my old van. That got me thinking of some of his more modern stuff and I found this on YouTube when I got home. Hope you enjoy it:

Epitaph

Every now and then, when the EU is centre stage usually, the sight of foreign politicians behaving like prats lulls us into a false sense of ignorance towards our own politicians. In other words, we forget about them.

Then up pops the Labour Party tosser-in-chief, Miliband Jr, talking crap about immigration. So you cocked up immigration when the rest of us knew what was what eh? You think admitting it means we'll forgive you do you? Well we won't you little prat. Especially when, thanks to the EU, we know your platitudes about controlling it in future are clearly lies, along the lines of Cameron's promise of an EU referendum actually.

The following is a classic in my humble opinion that is so very, very relevant today in so many ways. Especially with lyrics such as:

The fate of all mankind I see
Is in the hands of fools.

How true.

Friday, Time For Leonard Cohen

Words used to describe Leonard Cohen:

Poet
Musician
Singer
Genius

I think this clip from his 2008 tour shows why the word cool just about sums up the chap:

Marlene Dietrich-Lili Marleen, English and German

Some time ago I lost my Marlene Dietrich CD and really must buy a replacement. This song, first in English live in Paris secondly in German, needs no introduction, the lady herself does that.

It's Friday, Time For Steel Pulse

It's Friday, Morrissey Time!

There must have been more bullshit written about Morrissey than about any other singer in the world. One semi-literate blogger has even claimed that Morrissey has people searched on their way into concerts and any meat found is confiscated. I assume he meant ham butties and not human flesh! The truth is that the food stalls at a Morrissey festival appearance recently stopped selling meat when he was on stage, it was a tribute to his vegetarianism.

So, as it's Friday here's a bit of classic Morrissey, sans bullshit:

It's Friday!

Here's something from The Fall, originally sung in the '60s by The Other Half:

Pete Reidy-I Can't Turn The Pages

I only met Pete briefly when we were working on a popular TV series in Manchester, it was more a quick hello, Pete was on his way home as I'd arrived to do my bit. I knew he was a musician so looked him up on t'internet and loved what I found. So here's one for you, have a great weekend:

And In Other News............

England are thrashing India in the cricket.

For Lib Dems Everywhere-Boys Don't Cry (Unless They're Lib Dems)

Some time ago I had a pop at the Lib Dems and a couple of their mardy boys got all upset and whinged at me. So I posted Boys Don't Cry by The Cure. Sadly Blogger went down and it disappeared, never to be seen again. A few days ago somebody asked me about the Gradwells and that particular post, so I thought, as it's Friday, I'd treat you to a great song.

To Lib Dems everywhere, I give you Boys Don't Cry (Unless They're Lib Dems) :

Steel Pulse

I've always enjoyed reggae since I first heard Bob Marley in the seventies. On a grey, damp day like today reggae always seems to brighten up the mood if not the weather. Here's Steel Pulse:

Paloma Faith Sings Nick Cave's 'Into My Arms'

Apart from a bunch of Trots using the student demos to go on the rampage and smash up London, it's been a pretty boring week. So the antidote is a Friday Funday featuring the fantastic combination of Paloma Faith and Nick Cave. Funny, but I don't remember 'students' going on the rampage when the Labour Party screwed the system in the first place. Oh well, here we go:
 

Trains, Planes, Automobiles and White Vans-Divine Comedy

I'm off to London next weekend for the Libertarian Party AGM. I've checked out trains and buses but they either take too long or are far too expensive. So it looks like my trusty old white van will be my chosen mode of transport and a night or two sleeping in my sister's spare room in North London. I say couple of nights as the AGM will probably involve several pints of beer rendering me unable to drive until the Sunday. Good reason to then have a decent chicken madras too.

Whenever I consider public transport the wonderful National Express by the Divine Comedy runs through my mind. We did actualy know somebody a few years back who was a hostess on the National Express buses, and her arse really was as wide as a small country. Belgium I always thought, Julie thought more Luxembourg, either way it was a Benelux country.

Ladies and gentlemen, before I leave to spend a few hours in the Rover's Return in Manchester, I give you, the Divine Comedy and National Express:



Well it is Friday, and I thought I'd reintroduce Friday Funday. All work and no play.........

Gammer and His Familiars

There used to be a great old Victorian pub in Openshaw, Manchester called the Gransmoor. It is now no more, another victim of exorbitant taxes, the smoking ban and cheap supermarket booze. But in the late 70s, like so many pubs in Manchester and elsewhere, the place was a venue for local bands. It was here, around 1977, slightly underage, I discovered Gammer, later incarnated as Gammer and His Familiars. I last saw him at the Band on the Wall in about 1980.

Here he is in 1982:

Paloma Faith

Ceca Raznatovic

Time for the return of Friday Funday with my new favourite female singer:



I do like a bit of Eastern influence!

Friday Funday

The genius that is David Byrne. This is my idea of heaven: "Everyone is trying to get to the bar. The name of the bar, the bar is called heaven. The band in heaven they play my favorite song." Bliss:



Classic Roxy:




A perfect day with the sun in your eyes:

Friday Funday

I thought the 70s were pretty good actually:



Wonder when we'll have another civil war? The politicians seem to want to piss us off enough to kick it off tomorrow.