The iPod Generation - An Idiot or Bored?

I often write about things and certain individuals who ‘ruin’ music, my beef this time is iPods and people’s use of them

I remember when I was a kid (and no, it wasn’t when telly was in black and white) and I bought myself a Sony Walkman to play my cassettes on (stop laughing!!). I was fucking made up as I’d walk to school listening to Guns N Roses or Maiden made up with my brand new music player the size of a house brick and earphone that looked like giants yellow versions of Ernie & Bert’s nose off Sesame Street! The dog’s bollocks – it really was. It was a pity though that I had a rather dreadful mullet to go with the headphones! The less said about my eighties hairstyles the better!

But, what was great about the Sony Walkman was that you could only ‘Fast Forward’ and not rewind. Another genius factor about it was that once the tape had finished it automatically switched to play the other side! Brilliant

Now, I’m not here to give you a walk down memory lane in a music nostalgia moment, but compare the rather beautifully simplistic world of the Sony Walkman to the rather annoying and complicated world of the iPod. There is a massive gulf! And, like the Guitar Hero and X Factor that I have previously Blogged about = its damaging music

Why? Well I’ll tell ye

Does anybody remember the last time they bought a CD? I do. It was a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved listening to every song on it! And I do mean EVERY song on the album

The problem with iPods is that people will skip the little ‘gems’ you find on albums at say track 8 or track 6 as people are too obsessed with what single was brought out from the album they just bought! Some people play the same single off the album over and over again time after time and simply forget about listening to any other song on the album. Apart from being extremely ignorant to the artist(s), in question, I also see it as a terrible waste of money on behalf of the consumer by just buying the album on the strength of the ‘famous’ single in question!

I feel the music buying public no longer have an opinion of their own anymore when it comes to what music they like. It’s a bit like going into a pub that (is lucky enough) has a jukebox and playing the most popular song by a certain band instead of putting something no one has ever heard of before!

And while we’re on the subject of opinions, I think Rich Hall summed it perfect a few nights back when I watched one of this marvellous programmes about country music. He mentioned the film ‘Walk the Line’ about Johnny cash and the people who said “it’s done a hell of a lot of good publicity for the music of Johnny Cash”. Hall went onto to say “if you’ve never bothered to go and search out the music of Johnny Cash YOURSELF, it’s not much good seeking it out after hearing about it in a Hollywood Blockbuster film is it” – I think he was right on the money with that reply I reckon

So, do me a favour next time you turn your iPod on? Turn off the ‘shuffle’ button and listen to a whole album in its entirety and listen out for the not so famous songs as I’m sure the artist(s) put just as much an effort into writing and recording it as much as the famous hit it sits along side

And, of course pending you pay for your music in a proper legal way, it’ll be a terrible waste of money if you don’t

Mol

Is The La’s The Best Album Ever?

Don’t you just love it when you re-discover a band?

I think I’ve come to a point in my life when I have finally realised there is actually a better album than Exile on Main Street – that album is The La’s one and only debut album

Maybe it is just a strong sense of local identity, fierce passion for true scouse music or Mavers’ ‘obsession’ on having Sixties dust inside his guitar amp? Who knows, I know that this gem is full of absolute classics, and worth blogging about

Son of a Gun – god knows who this song is about, but I get the feeling Mavers is writing a semi-autobiography here. “He was born to live like a mercenary” – it has been well documented that Mavers wrote EVERYTHING with regards to La’s songs. “Better run, rabbit run” – is this a message to anyone willing to challenge his song writing authority? You bet you are!

I can’t Sleep – is this a reference to drugs? God knows. What I do know is that this song has one of the most brilliant intros in music. Think “Start Me Up” by The Stones. Mavers’ voice in the background at the start of this song is simply stunning!! And that includes the “la la la la la la la la la la” in the background during the intro. He sounds like he’s just had twenty Lambert & Butler followed by a bottle of Bells! The only thing that gets me about this song is the fake “boom” from the drums that have obviously been over-dubbed (no doubt from the producer and possibly the constantly frustrated record executives, not the La’s)

Timeless Melody – “a melody always finds me” – is this Mavers’ way of saying he can write a song with his eyes shut? You bet your fucking life it is. Brilliant songwriter and a true great lyricist

Freedom Song – “I am the captain of the love you gave” – absolute no idea what Mavers is harping on about here. Power’s backing vocals are superb though on this track. Cast were always gonna be in fine company from here on in

There She Goes has quite possibly got one of the most recognisable intros in the history of music that is right up there with Whole Lotta Love, Satisfaction and Paranoid. The lyrics are very debatable with regards whether the song is about heroin or a young lady. “She calls my name, pulls my train” I personally think it has sexual content although many music ‘expert’ may well disagree

Doledrum is typical scouse humour about living a pretty shit post-Thatcher society ‘up north’ and brilliantly summed up in Mavers’ lyrics “oh no, don’t go down to Doledrum”. I personally think he’s issuing a message to all people who are willing to travel to Huyton. In other words – stay away! Utterly wonderful stuff!!

On Feelin’ Mavers sings “Woke up with a feelin’” – is Mavers talking about the possibility of having a good day or has he simply got an erection? Either way, this is a wonderful song with a massive Beatles influence and brilliant guitar work. Feel good factor of ten here i reckon

Way Out is another song with similar feelings to ‘Doledrum’ “a need a way outta this” “give it all ye got now” – desperate lyrics that yet again portrays a man who is either in a loveless relationship with a woman or needs a “way out” of that town he lives in that he doesn’t really like?

IOU = definite drug reference here. “On the street the knowledge, you must eat your porridge” – what is the porridge her? Is it drugs? It’s certainly not Quaker’s finest! “There’s no harm in greasing your neighbour’s palm” – yet another reference to local identity and also paying for your ‘gear’. One of the the best lines in the entire album

Every time I hear Failure I think of a mate of mine from years ago. He and his brother had just been nicked for stealing a few days before Christmas. On Christmas day they were both banished to the back room to eat their Christmas dinner (put the 2 potheads in the back room for sake of embarrassment). “So you open the door with that look on your face with, with your hands in your pockets with your family to face” – you just KNOW Mavers was busted by his parents when he was a kid don’t ye? Everyone – you can feel your childhood guilt can’t ye as I’m sure we all remember the first time we we’re collared smoking weed by ye ma’ can’t ye?

Looking Glass is without doubt one of the finest love songs ever written. I’m sure Mavers wouldn’t agree with this statement, but if you really listen to the song and its lyrics, it is utterly stunning “I’ve seen everybody, everybody’s seen me”. But Mavers goes off on a tangent with regards the 2^nd verse “oh tell me where I’m going, tear the pages open, turn the world around” – you could say he’s become a lost soul from the rather cock-sure worldly man from the start of the album. Almost an epitaph and a rather fitting ending to a great song and a great album

Sixties dust? Nah, more like late 80’s and early 90’s brilliance!!!!

Mol

Album & Song of the Year

What a very odd year

2010 seen The first coalition government since the first world war, rioting in the streets by students who missed out on Jeremy Kyle for the first time in years and of course the year I proposed to my missus (its a wonder what Rohipnol can do these days isn’t it?)

Anyways, I thought I’d give my opinion on what I see as album and single of the year for 2010. Here goes

Album of the year

My choice for album of the year has to go to the debut album by Them Crooked Vultures

TCV brought back to music the ‘Super Group’. Sadly missing from music since, er, Audioslave! Messer’s Grohl, Jones and Homme jumped onto the scene with the ferocity of a sex starved panther with a bottle of rush shoved up his snout. I believe songs such as “Elephants”, "Scumbag Blues" and "No One Loves Me & Neither Do” optimised the true essence of pure hard rock

In all honesty I don’t think the album has that many really stunning songs, but what really does stand out is the reason behind their decision to record this superb album. John Paul Jones is old enough to be Homme & Grohl’s dad, yet he has stamped his style all over this album and ‘took the reigns’ to show these two fine musicians a thing or two about song writing.

Guitar wise, Homme is simply stunning. He has not bothered changing his own style and started where he left off with (my personal favourite band) Queens of the Stone Age.

As for the drummer (Groh) there’s not really much you can say about a fella who has John Bonham’s Led Zep 4 Sign tattooed onto his arm. As they would say in The Lisbon’s Bog - WHAT a skin pounder

Not really heard anything about TCR following up this brilliant album, but I really do hope they do. Well done chaps

Single of the year

Without a shadow of doubt it has to go to a rather stunning new rock band called Foxy Shazam with their debut sing ‘Oh Lord’.

I usually leave the likes of reviewing music to my Balding Bison friend Neil in Manchester, but in this instance, I simply have to speak about them

Remember 2003 when The Darkness first came on the scene and everyone couldn’t make their minds up to decide if they were a joke band or serious? I get the same feeling with Foxy Shazam.

Tight trousers, hard rocking guitar, massive choruses and extremely high-pitched vocals are gladly in abundance on this song. Its one of them songs that gives you a tingle down your spine when you hear it, bit of a cliché, but so, in a likeable kind of way, is this song

In my opinion it has everything (including a brass section at the beginning that explodes into joyous rock splendour)

As for the chorus, I absolutely love the lyrics

“And there is always a wrong to your right/and there is always a war somewhere to fight” – brave lyrics from a band originating from North America. Political message? Maybe, but in the true spirit of rock music - Who fucking gives a shit!

So, there you have it. I know most of you have, but if you’ve not heard any of the above, give them a listen

All the best

Abby Titmus and a Happy New Rear

Mol

Keith’s Dead Flowers

I’ve just been reading a rather hilarious (and bizarre) article about Keith Richard, an orchid, and a library! Hard to believe, I know, but I just had to tell you all about it in a blog

Anyway, the other day Keith Richard was in New York promoting his autobiography (appropriately named ‘life’) and was speaking to students in a library

After his speech he was allowed to sit ‘back stage’ in the owner’s office while waiting for whatever rock stars do after speaking to the congregation of a library and, as most internationally famous rock stars do, lit up a ciggie in there to pass the time and the boredom of what can only sound like a rather dull setting to spend your time in

Now, Keith being Keith, decided to open a window (as he’s certainly may now know the law after several brushes with it in the past), in order to let his smoke out

But, that is where the good Keith finishes and the bad one come to the fray as what did he does with his ciggie stub? That’s right; he stubs it out in the water tray of a rather rare and delicate orchid that was resting on the owner’s desk... And there it lay in rest ... forever

The owner = not happy

Keith’s reaction = the usually gravelly voice followed by the odd “babe” and of course a healthy donation towards the running (and survival) of the library

Pity you couldn’t say the same thing about the plant.

Then again, maybe Keith is still holding a grudge against plant life after he fell out that tree a few years back!

Dead Flowers, anyone?

Let’s hope he doesn’t forget to put roses on its grave

Mol

The Golden God with the Touch of Class

Sorry it’s been a while chaps. I’ve been too busy emptying the contents of my stomach (and arse) at the sight of Take Splatt and Simon Cowell and his X Factor bastards shoved into my face twenty four seven! You just can’t escape it sometime can you?

Ayways, there’s a saying banded about quite a lot lately when it comes to people of a ‘certain age’ – “too old to cut the mustard, but I can still lick the jar”

Maybe it’s down to new antidiscrimination laws to do with ageism, but there’s also a saying that’s a bit better known – “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”

This is certainly not the case with Robert Plant

Now i know many of you avid readers will know that a few years ago i had a bit of a dig at good old Percy, i would like to take it all back

In case you didn’t know, Planty is enjoying resurgence in his long and glittering career with the rather aptly titled Band of Joy and before that with Alison Krauss and his award winning Raising Sand album

But, there’s one thing that has always been present in Bob’s career that has sadly been missing from many others of his age bracket and of course (without sounding like an arld bastard) today’s youth – class!

I get the feeling these days that fame is, well, cheap! Anyone can be famous. Just look at the talentless twats who grace X Factor and the likes of Big Brother (those two biffs Jedwood and that fucking mong who ‘had’ tourettes syndrome)! People who would sells their Nan’s teeth in exchange for fame and fortune in other words.

This is not the case with people like Planty

Apart from a rather brief excursion during the eighties when he banded about his ‘Big Log’ (oo er missus), I can’t really remember Planty doing anything cringe worthy enough to say “that was fucking shit”. That was his one ‘Tin Machine’ moment)

Even the Led Zeppelin reunion gig at the O2 a few years back was pretty much against his will as he knew ages ago that Zeppelin dies when his best mate Bonham died. But, he never once slagged it off. He got on with it and soldiered on in the name of (true) show business as a favour to Elmert OOOOOO (the fella who signed Zeppelin to Atlantic)

So, good on ye Planty, you’ll always be a true (talented) legend in mine, and many other people’s eyes

Keep up the good work (and the blonde locks)

Mol

Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Subo

John Lennon would be turning in his grave!

It was announced this week that Susan Boyle has chalked up number one albums in the UK and across the pond with our dear cousins in the U S and A. it!

A superb achievement I’m sure we all agree

Before we go any further, I’d just like to mention a rather funny quip my brother came out with yesterday: “imagine if Susan Boyle’s first name was Les” ... think about

Anyhow, what really do annoy me about this whole affair are two main deciding factors. 1. Susan Boyle does not write he own songs to be honest, she probably struggles to write her own fucking name). 2. The story and coverage about this whole thing in the press

Ridiculous words and phrases such as “better than The Beatles” and “breaking the record held by The Beatles” are really starting to fucking annoy me!

The Beatles were, and many say still are, probably the most influential band of all time that inspired thousands of artists not just in the sixties, but in the five decades that passed their heyday! They have also influenced a sub culture not just associated with pop music, but with film, literature and fashion.

They have also single-handedly boosted the fortunes and image of a city that was almost flung into the dark ages by a certain iron lady and her gang of millionaire cronies in the Tory party many decades ago

So, compare these achievements to a woman who resembles some rag-arsed Bricky who works on a building site and has done more for facial hair than Brian Blessed!

Here is a woman who swims with the likes of Simon Cowell and the other tax-dodging bean-counters whose real allegiance lies with a certain shit talent show that is plastered across our screens morning, noon and fucking night twenty four fucking seven!!!

To me, to compare anyone, whether that is Susan Boyle or any other talentless twat who doesn’t write their own music, to The Beatles is nothing short of utter blasphemy!!!

It really is a sad country we live in!! The quicker Subo (and her army of adoring fans in the press) fucks off into the arms of the celebrity loving Americans the better!

Mol

There Aint No Place Like The U S and A

Now, everyone knows my levels of distain and anger when it comes to all things American with regards the level of influence they sometimes have over our culture, sport and of course: food!

But I did notice one thing the other day when it comes to their ‘style’ of writing songs and it was this: they really are obsessed with their own country!

Now, I’m sure most of you know our cousins across the pond do possess a rather large chunk of land and that many of them (about 90-odd %) don’t own a passport (that’s usually down to that fact that they don’t know the rest of the world exists), but, this is what I noticed the other day: they love writing songs and naming bands about places in their country.

Self gratifying I’m sure you’d agree?

Here are a few rather eye-watering examples:

Bands:

Boston

LA Guns

New York Dolls

The Miami Sound Machine (that was Gloria Rest-her-fanny’s band by the way)

MC5 (Motor City 5) – named after Detroit

Buffalo Springfield

Chicago

Songs:

Route 66

If you’re going to San Francisco

New York New York

New York City Cops

California Girls

California Dreaming

Pacific Ocean Blue

Born in the USA

Sweet Home Alabama

Hotel California

Now I don’t mean to sound disrespectful to these rather cherished national places on the old U S and A here, but don’t you think they can sometimes be rather too sentimental about these places of heritage? Bruce Springsteen wrote about the USA all his fucking life and he’s still boring the tits off us to this day! Republican sentimentality you might say? Who knows

Now, compare this to the English and our rather plucky stiff upper lips, cups of tea and fish and chips. You don’t really hear of us singing so affectionately about such cities as Norwich, Sunderland or Watford. You don’t hear us constantly banging on about such world famous land marks as Battersea Power Station, The Angel of the North or Page Moss Chippy in the same way our friends across the Atlantic do now do you?

Now, you make think I’m being silly here (and yes, I am), but I’m pretty much at a loss as to why people would want to have such a partisan opinion about their own country that they suddenly feel the need to burst into song or name a band after it as, in my humble opinion, music should be about something that’s stirs your emotion and inspires you and your personal feelings

Maybe a bridge, a monument or indeed a city does do that for most Americans.

Sadly it doesn’t for me

I’ll stick to writing songs about paranoia, lost love and death if you don’t mind

As for Page Moss Chippy: they do make great onion gravy

Hardly worth a song though

Mol