25/25 - 2008

1. My mistakes were made for you - The Last Shadow Puppets
2. In the heat of the morning - The Last Shadow Puppets
3. Standing next to me - The Last Shadow Puppets
4. Have you made up your mind – Paul Weller
5. Shadowlands – Part-time Heroes
6. Stop, Fade, Blur - Part-time Heroes
7. Method (Don’t say goodbye) - Part-time Heroes
8. The Beach is Free – Billy Bragg
9. Sea Spray – Paul Weller
10. M for Me – Billy Bragg
11. All I wanna do (Is be with you) – Paul Weller
12. God Bless Texas – Paul Heaton
13. Kaounding Cissoko – Toumani Diabate
14. El Nabiyouna - Toumani Diabate
15. Where would you be – Yaw
16. Mr Love & Justice – Billy Bragg
17. Shoulder to sigh on – Little Man Tate
18. A good old fashioned town – Paul Heaton
19. Aurora – Arun Ghosh
20. Tommy Shooter – The Fall
21. Step Forward – James Finlay
22. Face on a wall – Little Man Tate
23. Heavenly Peach Banquet – Monkey
24. Mermaids and Slaves – Paul Heaton
25. The Rip – Portishead

These 25 tunes are pulled direct from my I-pod and constitute the 25 most played tracks released in 2008.

25/25 - Bought in 2008

1. Razor’s Edge – Defunkt
2. Kit whites I & II – The Gloworms
3. ‘Ouses, ‘ouses, ‘ouses – John Copper & Sheila Chandra
4. Stool Pigeon – Kid Creole & the Coconuts
5. House party at Boothy’s – Little Man Tate
6. Sounds like something dirty – A Certain Ratio
7. Can’t help thinking about me – David Bowie
8. Get off my track – Graham Day & the Gaolers
9. Village Green Preservation Society – Kate Rusby
10. European Lover – Little Man Tate
11. Abracadubra – Sir Horatio
12. Repercussions – A Certain Ratio
13. Sexy in Latin – Little Man Tate
14. Hard Times of Old England Retold – Billy Bragg, Eliza Carthy, Simon Emmerson
15. Forgive – Burial
16. Living in fear - Graham Day & the Gaolers
17. Videotape – Radiohead
18. F.T.B. – Robert Glasper
19. Theme de Yoyo – Art Ensemble of Chicago
20. Shooting Gallery – Albarn & Benediktsson
21. Morning Beer - Albarn & Benediktsson
22. Night Bus – Burial
23. Spooky – Dusty Springfield
24. Corcovado – Everything but the Girl
25. On the Pull - Graham Day & the Gaolers

These 25 tunes are pulled direct from my I-pod and constitute the 25 most played purchased tracks of the year.

25th December

Enjoy!

Pop Dreams & Sonic Wishes

Seeing as everyone is at it. I thought I’d chip in my own tuppence worth of pop dreams from 2008 and sonic wishes for 2009.

Before I go on to list the lucky winners in my very own festive 25/25 in a forthcoming post (25 songs released this year and 25 songs bought this year). I couldn’t let this opportunity go to decry my own listening habits this year!

I don’t seem to have broadened my musical horizons much at all this year! The only real departures were giving some head space to Radiohead (I know, I have been in denial for years), Fleet Foxes only very recently (but then they sound like stuff scattered across my hard drive anyway), Little Man Tate (ditto) and maybe a bit more prog than I would like (but that was due to my fellow DJ convincing himself that time was ripe for a Genesis revival – is it f*ck!). I didn’t bother with Bon Iver as my record collection hasn’t recovered from The Decemberists rapid fall from grace. Perhaps I should discover a bit more AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen or Leonard Cohen – perhaps not!

My standout artists this year are without doubt The Last Shadow Puppets, a combination of Scott Walker, John Barry, early Beatles and all round general cool 60’s sensibilities made them nailed on number 1 certainties. My other wonderful discovery has been the Part Time Heroes a brilliant reminder of how good British Jazz/ Soul/Beats/Funk can be – blown away by their track Shadowlands. Other good sounds abound, Toumani Diabate, Miriam and Amadou showing Mali leading the way. I’ll have to go back to Portishead as soon as summer has gone. Likewise Lambchop didn’t get the I-pod time I’d envisaged. The Weller album had three or four great tracks on it and is his best for years. Not enough dubstep, reggae or ska this year, must rectify that, although the Burial album was brutally good. Hopefully Shackleton will have a new album out in 2009 to rectify the situation.

The old but good stuff has included Art Ensemble of Chicago, especially Theme do Yoyo, Cinematic Orchestra with Fontella Bass featuring in both. The Clash haven’t been far away and I still love The Good, The Bad & The Queen. Plenty of Samba, of course, including Roberto Menescal and Marcus Valle. The Kinks and Small Faces had a good run out in August and September was mainly Scott Walker. I even finished off the year dropping the occasional Scritti Politti track into the slipstream, of a regular working day.

So, what of next year. What will the strategy be? Immerse myself in Neil Young in January? Give Hip-Hop a few overs in February? I think all will become clear on holiday. I’ll limit myself for a couple of weeks to only playing stuff I have never heard before on my I-pod and see what way the mood takes me after that. The only album I’m aware of waiting for is the new one from The Rifles (due Jan). I’m hoping that these artists deliver the goods in 2009.

The Last Shadow Puppets – Album 2 (Recorded in Abbey Road with R.Hawley as guest guitar)
Scritti Politti – a hip-hop covers album
The Specials – new material with JD back at the helm
Blur – bright and bouncy English guitar pop please!
Traffic – Weller joins Winwood
Arctic Monkeys – Album 3 (as long as it features Diamonds are Forever)
A Certain Ratio – Sextet 2 or a remix of Too Each
David Bowie – Reuniting with Brian Eno for a new Low
Gang of Four – to team up with Sugababes,
Massive Attack – to get back in the studio

Someone brand new!!

+ Finally Coldplay, Keene & Oasis to be banned from producing any more music, ever!

All praise to The Yes Men

1.2 million copies of the New York Times. Who printed it? WHo supplied the newsprint? How good is this!



http://goofball.nytimes-se.com/2009/07/04/court-indicts-bush-on-high-treason-charge/

Derby Day, Husky RSL & a thousand dollars!

I have cracked it. This betting lark is simple. All you do is take the family down to the Huskisson RSL, amble into the TAB, put $10 to win and $5 e/w on Preemincence.

You then setlle down with a blonde (bottle thereof) and realise that due to your own ignorance you have actually put your money on some rank outsider called "Rebel Raider", three minutes later you are cheering the "Reb" as he has now affectionately become to an astonishingly clear victory.

You then go into the TAB and collect $1000 and walk off into the sunset a very happy man!

That Ladies and Gentlemen is how to bet!

The death of music?

Now, I'm not sure what the overriding factor in this is, it could be any one of the following:

* I live in Australia now
* The changes in the music industry mean that bands come and go too quickly
* All the musicians I like are over the hill
* The remainder of them are dead
* I am far too old and should be 'discovering' classical music

But I am genuinely of the opinion that the current crop of music and musicians are not up to the mark.

However, the following artists/tunes do officially still make the world a more wonderful place to explore.

Scritti Politti - Robin Hood
Aretha Franklin - Chain of fools
Burial - Untrue
Marcos Valle - Summer Samba
Antonio Carlos Jobim - Waters of March
Dexy's - There there my dear
Traffic - Feelin' Alright
The Clash - Complete Control
The Last shadow puppets - My mistakes were made for you

The Global Credit Crunch

Having studiously avoided almost anything to do with banking I suddenly feel somewhat out of my depth coming to a view on the current situation. Although an underlying sense of 'the smug bastards deserve everything they get' does sprinkle itself across my senses on a fairly regular basis.

Anyway, seeing as I have nothing to say on the subject. Why not go to this link and read someone summing up their position quite well. www.wherediditallgoright.com/BLOG/2008/09/global-financial-crisis-laymans-view.html

We won't be druv - (Part 4)

The mighty Sussex have only gone and done it again! Murray Goodwin hit a six off the last ball as Sussex secured the Pro40 Division One title after a two-wicket win over Nottinghamshire. The Zimbabwean's unbeaten 87 from 64 balls ensured Sussex edged past the hosts' 226-7 in a nail-biting finale at Trent Bridge.

Goodwin and Mohammad Sami (32) shared a stand of 99 for the eighth wicket, blasting 57 off the final five overs. It rendered Samit Patel's all-round effort of 78 and 3-36 fruitless - which was a shame!

The win was made all the more emotional for the visitors when the magnificent Chris Adams announced his retirement as their captain immediately after the match. Sussex's success was the fifth trophy Adams, who steps down at the end of the season, has helped the county win during his 11-year tenure at Hove.

"It's been a fantastic journey and it was really important for me that we won this particular trophy for the development of the club," said Adams. "That's the third different competition I've won while I've been captain here and it's a great time to bow out with that under my belt."

The two sides went into the game knowing the victors would be crowned as champions and the England all-rounder's excellent performance with both bat and ball looked to have led Nottinghamshire to the victory that would have led them, not Sussex, to the title. He struck five fours and two sixes in his 83-ball knock, with good support from Ashwell Prince (33) and Chris Read (31) - Eastbourne stalwart James Kirtley Sussex's leading wicket-taker with 3-39.

That left Sussex needing 5.66 runs per over to overhaul the target and snatch victory, and they got off to a stuttering start when big hitters Matt Prior and Luke Wright were dismissed with less than 33 on the board. However, that brought Goodwin to the crease and the batsman timed his innings to perfection, despite wickets falling all around him.

Graeme Swann and Patel bowled beautifully in tandem to seemingly swing the balance Notts' way, the former taking 3-33 off his eight overs. But Goodwin found the perfect partner at the perfect time in Sami, who betrayed his reputation as a part-time batsman with an excellent 25-ball effort that provided Murray with exactly the support he needed to see Sussex to a fabulous victory.

Needing 15 off the final over and, eventually, three to tie the match - and secure the title - off the last ball, Goodwin stepped back and hammered a half-volley over the long-on boundary for a maximum - sparking wild scenes of delight from the travelling support. Cue delirious versions of good old Sussex by the sea!

Adams intends to play as a batsman only next season with Mike Yardy set to captain Sussex.
"I felt the wind of change was blowing about six or seven weeks ago and I know it's the right time to step down.

"There are a lot of good young players coming through the system now. Mike Yardy is his own man who will bring a lot to the side and to the development of the cricket club."

Grizzly will be greatly missed as skipper but hopefully he will bat on for another season or so. Although from Yards' point of view he might fancy having the dressing room to himself but we shall see. Whatever happens Chris Adams is the most successful captain of Sussex CCC ever and that is good enough for me!

Ain't that grand!

Mosman Barbarians 5 v 2 Wakehurst Tigers

On the pitch at the start, on the pitch at the end. Victory secured!

Pre-match nerves (3)

90 minutes before kick off, just getting ready to leave the house, like I have so many hundreds of times. Nurofen popped, Voltarin applied, boots polished and ready to go!

C'mon!

Pre-match nerves (2)

My fitness levels are on the rise, I'm at about 90% now (although my right achilles is still about only 15%). From now through to kick off I will be taking copious prescription drugs, having yet more physio and strapping up the few remaining bits of my body that are currently uncovered.

Pre-match nerves (1)

The Grand Final has been put back a week because of the torrential rain, it has given me an extra 6 days to let my calf recover and has opened a can of selection worms for the coach. On the one hand I'll be gutted to be on the bench, on the other it means I might be able to survive until the final whistle.

Quiet nights of quiet stars, quiet chords from their guitars.

50 Years of Bossa Nova at The Opera House

Just got back from a wonderful concert at the opera house, where I saw Vinicius Cantuaria, Marcos Valle, Wanda de Sah, Roberto Menescal and João Donato deliver a beautifully gentle set of Bossa Nova. In Brasil, to do something with "bossa" is to do it with particular charm and natural flair, as in an innate ability. That is exactly how it was this evening. From Roberto Menescal’s “Bye Bye Brasil” to Marcos Valle’s “Summer Samba” every gentle note pushed back the tide and let the sun shine through.

All of which goes to prove a world without Bossa Nova isn't a world at all.

The forces of oppression

Who guards the guards? Who Polices the Police?

Fans of The Pop Group might well be familiar with the above. The paranoic rantings of Mark Stewart or a stark reminder to us all? Given the gung-ho revenue generation tactics of the local police it might be a question worth investigating a little further.

So far, the police have managed to sting me for in excess of $2500 over the last 18 months. There is little or no recourse to these roadside muggings. And when questioned the common response is "Who's the judge going to believe?"

Of course my quibbling fades into insignifigance when put up against other peoples circumstances but I can't help but feel that something is ever so slightly rotten in the state of ...

Peter Kenyon

Just not good enough!

Things I miss about England

Of course I miss a lot about England, I'm sure that it's quite normal in fact to miss your home of 40 odd years. So, I thought I'd jot down the occasional 'miss' as and when it came to me. So, why not pop over to this other little link of mine.

http://thethingsimissaboutengland.blogspot.com/

Jeremy Clarkson

I am a man of peace. I long for the day when no-one is killed, maimed, hurt or bullied. I dream of being able to go through twenty four hours without scenes of carnage, torture and oppression, whether it be by a state or individual.

But in the name of whoever it is that thought up this whole bizarre whirl we live in, will someone please, please make the most pompous twat to ever stalk the soil of England (and heaven knows there are thousands of them) shut the f.u.c.k up!

Farewell to Mushtaq

Mushtaq took almost 600 wickets in his six years with Sussex. Pakistan and Sussex leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed has retired from county cricket because of an ongoing knee injury.

Mushtaq has spent the last six years with Sussex, helping them to three County Championships, the C&G Trophy and the Totesport Division Two title. The 38-year-old, the leading wicket taker in the County Championship for the past five years, said: "This is a very hard decision for me to make.

"My love, my feelings and my heart will always be with Sussex."

During his county career, Mushtaq took 598 wickets, bowling more than 26,000 overs, but feels time and injuries have now caught up with him.
"I feel that I could possibly play one more year but, out of respect, I would only do that if I felt 100%.
"I am going to miss playing for the club greatly. I am truly honoured to have spent six wonderful years here."

He added: "There are not enough words to express my gratitude to the club, but I would like to specially thank Peter Moores, Mark Robinson, Chris Adams, all my team-mates, all the fans and everyone who is part of this magnificent family for all the opportunities and memories that they have provided me with. "If I have hurt anyone in my time, I never meant it and would like to apologise, as there is no shame in apologising to my family."

Sussex captain Chris Adams added: “Mushtaq’s legacy at the club is that he leaves us statistically, romantically and emotionally the best player to ever pull on a Sussex shirt."In view of the impact he's made, it's difficult to think of another cricketer who has achieved or done more for one county. "His legacy extends beyond the playing arena, as I'm sure all that have been graced by his presence will agree. He is simply a great man."

Silence is golden

No more bleating adverts, tugging at the weakened heartstrings. No more excruciating embarrassment as the gold medallist receives a poxy little Panasonic digital video recorder. No more one-eyed coverage of the one-eyed games.

In the mad rush for glory and medals, the bigger (less palatable picture) has been ignored. China's civil rights record has been swept underneath the Olympic carpet and the plight of the people of Tibet has been forgotten. The ham-fisted urgings of Apple inc. to get all the athletes to wear their i-pods as a symbol of solidarity at the closing ceremony almost beggared belief! There have been no protests from the athletes, no resistance from the media pack and with the bizarrely honourable exception of Prince Charles (who stayed away in protest) no political challenge to the Chinese position at all.

Yes, the Olympics have been a treat (they always are) and yes the Chinese have 'opened up' a little to the prying eyes of the west and I'm not sure that that is completely a good thing anyway. But now that the final fanfare has been played, the final anthem been sung and the final medals have been won. It is time for a little silent reflection for those whose battle for a peaceful victory still rages on.

The Eton Rifles

Paul Weller - Enmore Theatre, Sydney - Day 3

Well, just when you thought it couldn't get better. It does. Surfing on a tidal wave of affection from the fantastic Sydney audience, Paul Weller delivered a rich and varied set, taking in his whole career and crucially seemed to be having a wail of a time doing it. Despite some technical hitches that lead to Nigel the guitar tech copping an earful, Weller and his band of two Steve's and two Andy's sailed through the proceedings looking and sounding like a unit that is really coming together.

Tonights stand outs were an acoustic 'Butterfly Collector', a great "Wide Blue Yonder' and of course 'Eton Rifles', well and truly snatched back from David 'Dave' Cameron.

If you get to be that good when you reach your half century, then roll on the big five-O!

What a nice day

Paul Weller - Enmore Theatre, Sydney - Day 2

Out of the Circle and into the drinking! Having moved down from the gods to hang out with the mods, tonight witnessed another quality performance by Woking's finest export since Tim Buzaglio.

'Peacock Suit', 'Changing Man', 'Out of the sinking' stood out alongside a vastly improved 'Seaspray', 'Porcelain Gods' and 'Wild Blue Yonder'. However, the stand out track tonight was an amphetamine swift version of the old Style Council classic 'Speak like a Child' complete with beautiful segue into the "over the country, lights are going out, in millions of homes and thousands of flats going out, going out..." fade out of 'When you're young' - sublime!

All topped off with another fearsome stab at 'Eton Rifles' & a joyous 'Town called Malice', bloody marvellous!

More pleae Vicar!

Hello hooray!

Paul Weller - Enmore Theatre, Sydney - Day 1

Touching down only 23 years since the last time. Mr Paul Weller hits the stage and piles straight into 'Blink and you'll miss it'. Looking tanned, happy and healthy, Weller and his band rip through old songs, new songs, covers and classics. A barnstorming 'Shout to the top' competes with 'That's Entertainment' and 'Have you made up my mind' as the tunes of the night. That is until the closer of the set, not heard since the last The Jam gig at the Brighton Conference in 1982 'The Eton Rifles' rips the roof off the Enmore and sends the 99% pom audience into a mad steaming frenzy.

The encore ticks the final boxes with a raucous 'Malice' to finish. A great night, bring on tomorrow!

UK Gold

And to think that it all started so brightly for the Aussies. Barely a hint of the dreaded Union Flag on the medal podium. But then everything changed, the world ever so slightly shifted off its axis and Team GB started winning. Not just a gallant bronze here and a plucky silver there. No, it was a blur of gold, the British medal cabinet loked like a mash up of the inside of an Aztec temple, Auric Goldfinger's most lurid dreams and the valuables bag at a charity match between the So Solid Crew and the premier league's finest.

Quite simply there has never been a better time to be in Australia, apart from 2003 RWC, 2005 The Ashes and 2007 RWC (1/4 finals).

Bliss, pure unadulterated gold smothered bliss!

Reasons to be cheerful part 1

New music coming down the wire from Lambchop and Tony Christie (Produced by Richard Hawley apparently, which will be nice...)

The Marmite Wars

I have a story to tell about Marmite.

Having been a lifelong fan of Britain's finest breakfast condiment. I was appalled to discover that Sanitarium (oweners of the Marmite Brand in Australia) were seeking to pass off their own version of the beloved partner of delightful hot buttered toast. Not only have they brazenly tried to coerce the mass ranks of the Australian populace to buy this sub-standard vegemite light, they have prevented the few local stockists who could see through their vale of petty greed from stocking yer actual Marmite.

I was preparing two potential courses of action before fate intervened:-

1) I was going to tell the family to pack up we were leaving and heading back to Albion.
2) I was going to start a 'dirty' campaign outside Sanitarium's, smearing the walls of their building with their own branded marmite.

Thankfully that was not necessary as I have discovered 'British-Mite'. It looks like marmite, tastes like marmite and when you peel off the poorly afixed label you realise, it is marmite! Those exceptionally resourceful people at Best of British are importing the 'Yeast Extract of the Gods' and sticking their own label on the jars to obscure the offending Marmite. Whilst not the perfect solution it does mean I can stay a bit longer down under!

So crisis averted, carnage prevented, in fact as the Editor of my favourite musical journal so succinctly puts it, "World saved".

Let's talk rugby

Touchdown - Christchurch New Zealand.

Right, let's talk rugby. The sound of silence echoes around the city. Now, I wonder why that could be.