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3 from the awkward squad. Angular, arty, sardonic, contrary, intelligent.


I once saw them very early on the bill one year at Reading (after the Family Cat and before the Buzzcocks). Most of the crowd only knew (and only shouted for) this song. They played 20 seconds of it as an encore, then fucked off.


Leeds collaborative to rival Manc Mark E Smith's dictatorship.


Top tune, shit name. Obviously.

Well jagged and sharp around the edges, Magazine a little calmer. I saw Magazine at Plug, Sheffield, 15 years or so ago,(not the best venue to see a band) It was ram packed. Mostly my age (forties at the time). Many folk with teenagers in tow, passing it on to the next generation, good concert though.
I have never seen Wire, I like mostly earlier stuff. I am not up on the Mekons at all. They were John Peel’s favourite band in the late 70’s and always on his show.

3 before bedtime tonight - A good thrashing.

Jekyll - The futureheads – One from the Sunderlander’s latest Album (not heard in entirety yet) but it has on it this supercharged speedy attack. It starts with the typical Futurehead’s sound- good! but shifted up a gear – very good!. Then it heads off-road – splendid! Just manages to dodge a tree or two – Phew!, before tear-arsing up the shale path and away again…Magnifico!

Ice Hockey hair - Super Fury animals – A blissful crash, splash, rocky pop song. Great creativity, heading in all directions but the chorus brings it back on track. A lovely chorus it is too.

Swarm - Young knives – I have only heard this song a couple of times on the radio, unable to track it down on Internet. It is released in September on the new album ‘Barbarians’. It’s a heavy thrashing from the many styled Young Knives. Looking forward to another listen and the new album. ‘’Sheep tick’’ is bloody good too.

Nighty night

3 before bed tonight. Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang.

A bank Holiday Bond special, with great theme songs that are always fitting to the mood of the story.

1 - Diamonds are forever - Shirley Bassey /John Barry. A timeless classic. The opening lines secrete seduction. Clandestine and murderous.

2 - You only live twice – Nancy Sinatra / John Barry. I like the way the Strings start you at the heights and take you down, deeper and deeper, to the bottom, then gradually reprise to the surface. With Nancy’s stable vocals, it just needs a touch of Lee Hazlewood’s psychedelic tones.

3 - Nobody does it better (The Spy Who Loved me) – Carly Simon / Marvin Hamlisch. A different variation on a theme. The opening Piano manages an unmistakable’ click’ in the brain – ah a Bond film, One of the few power ballads with a bit of cred. Female vocals suit Bond films. Imagine a bloke singing the spy who loved me! (Hmm... Maybe so these days?) Nobody does it better than Carly, or maybe just... for my ears only.

Nighty night.

3 before bedtime tonight.

Tulsa Queen – Emmylou Harris. A slight vocal lift directs it away from the normal Country twang. Pedal steel guitar- such a harsh name for a sweet soft instrument, lightly sketching it’s way in the background adding a lower layer of softness to accompany Emmylou’s voice.

One more cup of coffee – Bob Dylan & Emmylou Harris. The Violin makes this song (and album) Scrawling its way through the song. With Dylan’s ‘easternised’ vocal lift (He could still sing then) And Emmylou’s stable range, adds some oomph! underlining the song’s title in bold. …Outlaws and Gypsy Caravans … but just as my imagination lets loose, it all ends and a bit too quick! (While others on the Desire album last too long?).
Just an observation, but there does seem to be something oddly similar between ‘Desire’ and ’Rough and rowdy ways’ Not able to put a pin in it though.

Andromeda - Weyes Blood – She speaks wisely for her young years when interviewed. I have listened to a good few songs on a regular basis, but they seem to have faded from memory now, except this one, which has a certain ‘Carpenter interplanetary’ feel about It, or a non-Country Emmylou Harris.

Nighty night.

3 punk covers of punk songs and a mug of Horlicks...

Motorhead cover 'God Save The Queen' by the Sex Pistols:


Dutch hardcore band cover 'Real Enemy' by The Business - a brilliant anti-fascist song:


Steve Ignorant covering 'Tube Disasters' by Flux Of Pink Indians:

You go me there, not seen any of those before.

3 before bedtime tonight. 3 of a kind –


Mathilde - Jaques Brel. Belgian master of Chanson. He kicked the sh*t out of a song, emotional, highly expressive, explosive performance, extremely entertaining whatever he sings. (see You Tube) Inspired many others. For example -


The old man’s back again – Scott Walker. Maybe it should have been Jackie, the most famous Brel song on these shores, or some other Brel cover, but I prefer ‘The old man’s back’ The pact’s fist of Communism’s past, crushing the Czech’s ‘’unbearable lightness of being’’.


My Death – David Bowie. Both Brel and Walker inspired Bowie. His sudden matured vocal style influenced by Scott Walker’s and of course hairstyle and suits by Brel?! And they both smoked 60 a day! (Although Brel said, he did not want to meet with a pede – Gay Man, after Bowie’s attempt to meet) Bowie continually covered ‘Amsterdam’ and later ‘my death’ and made many references to Brel in his lyrics and sometimes just straight lifted them. I am of the thinking, that Bowie learned how to craft a song by covering Amsterdam. He liked the way it spanned a scenario, narrated a story and built to a finale - Memory of a free festival, Sweet thing, Station to Station for example.

Nighty night

ArloFlynn wrote: ↑Thu Sep 17, 2020 5:41 pm





My Death – David Bowie. Both Brel and Walker inspired Bowie. His sudden matured vocal style influenced by Scott Walker’s and of course hairstyle and suits by Brel?! And they both smoked 60 a day! (Although Brel said, he did not want to meet with a pede – Gay Man, after Bowie’s attempt to meet) Bowie continually covered ‘Amsterdam’ and later ‘my death’ and made many references to Brel in his lyrics and sometimes just straight lifted them. I am of the thinking, that Bowie learned how to craft a song by covering Amsterdam. He liked the way it spanned a scenario, narrated a story and built to a finale - Memory of a free festival, Sweet thing, Station to Station for example.

Nighty night

I love Bowie's Brel covers. My Death fitted in well with the Ziggy Stardust theme, although it was not included in the studeo albums.

I'm also a fan of Brel's songs. I wish I could understand them in the language in which they were written. I found this version of The Port Of Amsterdam some time ago, and I still have no idea who the singer is, but if you can ignore the ignorant rabble talking in the background, it's a damn fine version I think.