Confident and Excited

I don't want you to think I've gone all maudlin on you after Monday's double post In fact, I am feeling quite up. I am getting more confident. I am commenting on other people's blogs.

I am also pathetically excited that The Vinyl Villain has added me to his list of Blogs.That Blog was one of the reasons I started blogging myself and he does find some great music which is really good for music obsessed people like myself. Not many of you are checking this site out but then again I haven't really done any promotion. I am still finding my way, not sure what I am trying to achieve. Some days it's an online diary, others a simple music blog.

For those of you who are interested, my wife and I are on speaking terms and friends again. Which is good as my parents arrive from Norfolk tomorrow for the weekend. I love my parents but don't see them much as they live 200 plus miles away from Newcastle. They are as dull as ditch water but seem quite content in their little bubble of old age and life by the seaside in Hunstanton.

As a youngster we went to Sunny Hunny a couple of times. I think my Dad especially liked it because it was only a couple of hours drive from Ware. I never particularly enjoyed our holidays there - I preferred Wales and the Isle of Wight and I definitely I never thought they'd move there after my younger sister left home to get married. But they did and they have been there longer now than they lived in Ware. Life - it really is funny.

I've mentioned Bill Nelson before and how he was(as part of Be Bop Deluxe) my first musical obsession.I remember going into school on a Monday morning to tell my friends of this great new band I had heard, I would have been 13 or 14 I even wrote some of the lyrics out for them to marvel at.But it was his guitar wizardry that really caught my attention and that of my friend Steve who wasn't a bad guitarist himself.
I checked his website earlier today www.billnelson.com and found he had written a new diary entry- only his second this year.This and the fact my parent's are coming up to visit made me think of his music again.
This song was probably the first one I heard by Be Bop on Alan Freeman's Saturday afternoon show on Radio 1. I remember seeing the posters for the album in record shop (remember them!) windows whilst on holiday on the Isle of Wight.Very early to mid 70's prog rock, man



Axe Victim - Be Bop Deluxe

Its a funny old thing, life

As I get older I seem to increasingly reflect on my life. That was part of the reason for me starting to write this Blog I wanted to reflect on my life and loves (the title of the Blog gives a clue as to what they may be). Part of me yearns for the carefree optimism and selfishness of youth, maybe because I see my 18 year old son being well just young and self absorbed (OK may be he is not that bad, but you get my general picture). He is young and full of ideals and dreams, he is never going to work for some corporation or a suntanned boss. Anyway here I am 48 years old two teenage children a wife asleep in bed as usual (some things never change) working in a job that I have been doing for years.I have many things to be happy about and grateful for but I feel... nothing much really.

Running. Running will keep me sane. It has done for the last 12 years. I have rarely felt the same elation and sense of achievement and worth as when I finish a race.

Love Will Tear Us Apart

Another argument with the wife yesterday, we "are not friends" apparently. A restless night , couldn't sleep so consequently I am tired today. I didn't feel too good over the weekend (Swine Flu?) but feel a bit better today.

Anyway this song seem quite appropriate for today. It s a live recording from March 1980. A very good version too.

Love Will Tear Us Apart- Joy Division March 1980 ULU

I saw Joy Division on this tour albeit in Manchester not London where this comes from. That was a great night. I'd been at The Apollo with a new mate at Uni, Dennis from Liverpool, to see Iggy Pop and The Psychedelic Furs- who had really caught my attention- so I had already had a great night. We had heard that Joy Division were in the audience at The Apollo and so we took a chance on legging it over to The Osbourne Club on Oldham Road to see if we could catch them. We did and caught the end of A Certain Ratio. A truly great night. Dennis where are you now, mate?

I can't honestly say I thought that this song would be revered as a classic when I heard it played live, I thought Transmission was better. It stunned me when it came out as single several months later and I caught all the words. With Ian Curtis's death still current the despair and the desperation of the lyrics made , and continue to make, a real impact on me. On the other hand I played it to a good friend that summer and his comment was "nice tune but that bloke can't sing". Notwithstanding that it must be in most people- of- a- certain- age's top 10 of best ever songs.

Random Song Post

Hi, Nothing much to say. It's Sunday, all the kids are back at home. It's Summer and the weather is not bad although I could do with a bit less rain, thank you very much.

Sunderland Air Show is on, so there are lots of stargnge aircraft flying overhead- Military helicopters and old fashioned Bi planes and just now the Police Helicopter is hovering overhead- although I don't think that has much to do with the airshow!!

I always loved this song by Amen Corner. Random fact No.1: I once lived just by Amen Corner in Tooting. I didn't think much of it.
Random fact No. 2. Andy Fairweather Low was in Amen Corner.

Half As Nice- Amen Corner

Tyneside Cinema

My wife is A big Harry Potter fan. Me I can take it or leave it. We went out last night to see the latest Potter epic at the Tyneside Cinema. My wife wanted to be in the Classic Circle where you can - according to the website- ..(relax)in the comfort of our original 1930s art deco gem The Classic, kitted out with leather sofas.
Well this is a bit of an exaggeration as the decor is barely art deco- what's left of it- the sofas could easily be plastic and I am definitely not convinced it was worth £9.80 a ticket. Nevertheless it was a rare night out for us on our own and this buys me some credit with the wife after her weekend moan. Here is the Cinema's website. If you are in Newcastle and fancy a a foreign language or off the wall type film, the Tyneside Cinema is for you.It's better than popcorn, hot dog stinking chain cinemas at least, if no cheaper.

We went out for a meal first on the Quayside at Big Mussel, one of my favourite places to eat as I love mussels. Food was good as always.I had 1kg pot with amatriciana sauce and a pint of Amstel. The wife had the 1kg classic mussels and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.We both shared some olives and a basket of bread as a starter. Cost £26.05. Not bad really.

The film is over long but quite gripping and really aimed at young adults rather than children.

We got our son to drive into town and pick us up after. Funny!!

Hope and Social again, another free track that is available from their website . Again I really rate this band and you should check them out here

Oh My Darling- Hope and Social