Here are a few you tubes to celebrate the life of Kirsty , who dies 10 years ago today :
Kirsty sang and wrote songs that covered love in a down to earth way, used humour and did social commentary without being dull and worthy. She is much needed today .
Oh and how could I forget, the only Xmas song that is bearable to listen to :
Forty years ago today, Jimi Hendrix died of an overdoes in a Notting Hill Hotel . One of what is often called the 27 club , a great musician who died much too young .
For some strange reason, I got into a conversation last week about what songs I would like to be played at my funeral. Here are my five:
Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve ("It's a bittersweet symphony, this life. Try to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die" - perfect for the occasion.
Just who is the 5 o'clock hero? - The Jam ("I've seen enough tears to wash away this street, I've heard wedding bells chime and a funeral march, When as one life finishes another one starts ... Alright then love, so I'll be off now, It's back to the lunchbox and worker-management rows ...") This one made the playlist, just pipping Funeral Pyre, also by The Jam)
Waterloo Sunset - the Kinks ("Whenever I gaze on Waterloo sunset, I am in paradise")
The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More - The Walker Brothers (won't be a dry eye in the house during this one)
My World - Secret Affair (cheer up the funeral-goers with a life-affirming send-off)
I'm faintly embarrassed by the fact that all these are sung by blokes.
So, comments box is open for your funeral song plans. Choose what you like, but don't just list your favourite songs - broadly speaking, they should be themed on life, death or general epicness.
... a Facebook group called “Rage Against the Machine for Christmas No 1” quickly transformed itself into a major grassroots protest against the X-Factor attracting more than 980,000 followers. The campaign took on an increasingly anti-corporate and pro-social justice tone with followers encouraging each other to donate to the homeless charity Shelter which received £65,000 in public donations. Rage Against the Machine also lent their support to the campaign, promising to donate their royalties to Shelter and to play a thank you gig in the UK next year if the campaign was successful.
Today's news has been dominated by the fall of the Berlin Wall twenty years ago.
Of course, there is something repulsive about political leaders from around the world triumphally marking the occasion as though it proves the superiority of their blessed capitalist system. Superior perhaps in terms of longevity, but there is little to celebrate about capitalist poverty, inequality, exploitation and war.
But socialists should celebrate the fall of the Wall - albeit in our own celebrations, not alongside Angela Merkel et al. Those, such as Gorgeous George Galloway, who consider it some terrible tragedy, do socialism a great disservice by continuing to wrongly associate socialism with dictatorship and state repression.
Galloway et al might like to explain why the vast majority of people who tried to cross the Wall - a thousand of whom died in the process - were going from East to West.
Anyways, when I heard the news, I was DJing at Salford Tech (as was) Students' Union, and played this record, which deserves another airing now:
Well actually I don't really do guilt about pleasure.
Anyway, for one reason and another I haven't been blogging of late and this is a bit of a filler.
To cheer myself up I bought the new Madonna DVD of her videos. Back in the day I rather fancied Ms Ciccone, and although she can still shock, I find the faux English lady persona a bit of a turn off now.
So here are a few of my favourites. Oh and for those who want to gripe about what I should post about and why I aren't I writing about blah blah blah, well tough, move on by.
First off "Into the Groove" and a video from "Desperately Seeking Susan". I remember seeing the film with a group of lesbians at the Screen on the Green in Islington. In fact the cinema was mainly woman lusting after Madonna. I loved her look and admit my style then was adapted from it .
OK, next Like a Prayer. No surprises there that I'd choose that, Madonna offending people and looking pretty good while she does it .
Finally, the uncensored video of Justify my love . Madonna channelling a trashy Marilyn look , no bad thing in my book.
"Poor is the man whose pleasure depends on the permission of another." Indeed.
Pop Idol, X Factor, Britain's got Talent , they all seem to lead to blandness when they get hold of songs . First there was Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," now the Stone's Wild Horses with Susan Boyle giving it the Andrew Lloyd Webber treatment . Arghh woman, stick to bland songs sung by Elaine Page who you admire . Please , steer clear of the Stones .
I'm sure there will be lots of air time to the SuBo version, so to counter that in my little way , here is how it should be sung:
Apologies for light blogging of late. That's partly because 1) I'm very busy, 2) bloggers block and 3) its too damn hot ! I even don't like drinking alcohol when the its sunny, I prefer drinking in dark seedy places as opposed to on the beach, which makes me feel sick even with just one glass of JD let alone a half bottle:-)
Hopefully inspiration, and thunderstorms , will strike . In the meantime a musical interlude. A few weeks back I went to see Ornette Coleman at the Meltdown festival. This caused some debate over at Dave's blog and Mr Denham posted on the subject, twice .Now I like to listen to all sorts of music and am always up for discovering artists new to me. I have listened to bits of jazz over the years ( Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane amongst others). Being with Dave has meant hearing lots more ! In talking to him and Jim I have discovered there is basically two types of Jazz, Osler Jazz and Jimmy (Denham ) Jazz. Jim apparently is good time!
So to cut to the chase, here are some you tubes of jazz that Jim won't like . Next week , lucky girl that I am, have the opportunity to watch him in action, playing the drums. I'll report back !
First off John Coltrane with Alabama . This was written in reaction to the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church,by the Klu Klux clan, that resulted in the death of four girls.
After tormenting Mr D, here are some female jazz vocalists which I believe cross the Jim/Osler categories .
I have picked Billie Holiday singing Strange Fruit. Its one of the most powerful songs about racism, where she sings about the lynching of black people .Its one of those songs Im not sure saying I enjoy it is quite how I feel . The lyrics evoke feelings of anger at the suffering and racism.
OK, bit of a theme, here is Nina Simone singing Mississippi Goddam.Nina was part of the Civil Rights and this, like John Coltrane, was partly a response to the Church bombings.
Sorry, been far too busy striking for any blogging.
To keep up with the Tube strike, try clicking here.
And here is a wee clip dedicated to the loathsome Evening Standard and much of the rest of the media ...
It says here that the unions will never learn It says here that the economy is on the upturn And it says here we should be proud That we are free And our free press reflects our democracy Those braying voices on the right of the House Are echoed down the Street of Shame Where politics mix with bingo and tits In a money and numbers game Where they offer you a feature On stockings and suspenders Next to calls for stiffer penalties for sex offenders
It says here that this year's prince is born It says here do you ever wish That you were better informed And it says here that we can only stop the rot With a large dose of Law and Order And a touch of the short sharp shock
If this does not reflect your views you should understand That those who own the papers also own this land And they'd rather you believe In Coronation Street capers In the war of circulation, it sells newspapers Could it be an infringement Of the freedom of the press To print pictures of women in states of undress?
When you wake up to the fact That your paper is Tory Just remember, there are two sides to every story
Last weekend was the other 'arf's birthday, and among several obscure items I hunted down as prezzies was a video of The Beat's finest moments. So for those of you who loved them, have long forgotten them or are too young or uncultured to have heard of them, here is a Beat classic, 'Mirror in the Bathroom' ...
By the way, the reason this snippet calls them The English Beat is that the USA insisted, given the existence of a band over there also called The Beat ...
Review : "The Leisure Society" and "Shoreline" at the Komedia , Brighton
One of the things I love about Brighton is being in walking distance of good small live music venues. I'm not one for big stadiums, however much I like a band i’d rather give it a miss.
I like checking out new bands , sometimes they are crap and other times its a find. I do a bit of research , get recommendations or sometimes just take a chance on an interesting write up in the local listings rag.
Now I love loud rock music and at heart am an old punk, but I also like indie, pop, classical , opera and luckily given Dave and his old mans music pretty being much a staple at chez Osler, a bit of jazz and blues. Osler jazz , not Denham Jazz. There is a difference or so i’m told.
As well as being Stroppy I can be a bit soppy and like sad indie music with soaring violins . Yeah an old softy, but that doesn't mean listening to power ballads and what is meant to be ‘romantic’ girlie slush, yuck. Buy me one of those twee love songs CDs for a valentines and it will get chucked out the window. No, its the tragic, doomed, fucked up dysfunctionally sad songs about love I like ... and people as well.
So anyway, to cut to the chase , I thought i’d do posts on bands I see. Yeah Punchie, more lifestyle, look away now.
So last night I pootled down to a small basement venue to watch a line up of acts put on by a local record label and collective . It seems that there is quite an overlap between the membership of their bands and that was the case with the two on last night.
The first act was a woman with a lovely voice , but with songs that made Leonard Cohen seem chipper. Now I like old Leonard and depressing isn’t necessarily a no no, but her songs all sounded the same and a bit dirgey and not in a good Nico way. They drifted over me and then some of the lyrics penetrated and I had to stop the giggles as they were a bit cliched in a sort of sixth form way. I just remember something about holding hands under the water, or it may have been holding someone’s head under. Or was that wishful thinking on my part?
Next on were Shoreline , who describe themselves as alt new folkers. Now folk normally sends me running screaming away, but they were good. There were 8 on stage, instruments including a banjo, double bass, acoustic guitars, flute and violin . I like violins as i have already said , very haunting and sad. All sang, but the main vocalists were Beatrice Sanjust , James De Malplaquet and Jacob Richardson.
Listening to them I could imagine their music as a soundtrack for some quirky indie film, possibly set in the wilds of Alaska, with a doomed love story involving the local misfit kid who dies tragically after finding true love with someone also dying young of some incurable disease who has to look after her aged abusive father.
Musically I was reminded at times of Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and the quieter songs of the Magic Numbers.
Next on was The Leisure Society and there was quite an overlap from the last band, part of the collective ethos.Again a mix of instruments including the double bass, violin (goodie) cello, flute, mandolin, glockenspiel, and there were nine members . Beatrice joined in for some of the songs, but this time the focus seemed more on a lead singer in the time honoured floppy haired slightly geeky mould, Nick Hemming, who brought a stronger sound .
There are similarities between both bands, especially with very overlapping memberships, but The Leisure Society felt a slightly more finished band, a bit more depth and variety and a stronger sound. Again hints of Nick Cave, less so Leonard Cohen, but also Mercury Rev and The Divine Comedy. There was a bit of wistful 60s pop there as well, perhaps a little Beach Boys circa ‘Pet Sounds’.They describe themselves as alt pop folk. I prefer whistful indie sad songs as a label, if there has to be one.
Overall I liked both of them for when I'm in the mood for sad swooping violins and beautiful harmonies rather than in a loud arsey frame of mind. Yes, I can do quite contemplation sometimes.
If you like this sort of thing , check them out. The Leisure Society are playing a couple of gigs with variations on the other groups from the collective , including on in Stokey and another at Ronnie Scotts.
A you tube from another gig ( I didnt have a good enough view to film):
London Calling is one of my favourite albums and covers, so it was a bit remiss of me not to know some background such as who designed the sleeve or its history. That was rectified when I came across the obit in Saturday's Guardian of Ray Lowry:
During the years characterised by punk, post-punk and the economic depression of the early 1980s, the cartoons of Ray Lowry, who has died suddenly aged 64, were admired as much by readers of Punch, Private Eye and Mayfair as those of the New Musical Express, plus many alternative magazines and fanzines, for their anger and anarchic humour.
Ray's best-known image remains the sleeve he designed for the Clash's third album, London Calling. Alongside the photographer Pennie Smith, he accompanied the Clash on their north American tour in September 1979, later adapting one of Smith's rejected, out-of-focus shots of Paul Simonon angrily slamming his Fender bass into the stage at the Palladium in New York. To this he added bold pink and green lettering, paying a blatant tribute to Elvis Presley's eponymous first album cover. The link between the Clash and rock'n'roll's early energy was never more clearly expressed. It was no coincidence that Ray's enthusiasm for music had begun in the mid-1950s.
Probably only of interest to music anoraks like myself , but hey keeps me happy . If I ever won the lottery , after of course bankrolling the left and buying my own party that would keep alive the stroppy tendency, I'd have walls covered in rock photography and original film posters .
My son Joe and his dad have just set off to go to the 'Autism and Music' concert at the Savoy Theatre. It is being promoted by the Autism Research Centre, which is based at Cambridge University and headed up by Professor Simon Baron Cohen, who popped up on BBC News 24 to outline its purpose today.
Prof BC explained that most people hear about the difficulties associated with autism and Asperger's Syndrome, including social and communication problems, and obsessions. But the obsessions can also give rise to particular talents, which apparently cluster around music, art and maths. So the idea of the concert - and of an arts exhibition starting at the ICA tomorrow - is to show this more positive side of autistic spectrum disorders.
Good stuff. But I was also impressed by Baron Cohen's balance, as he made sure that he acknowledged also that life on the autistic spectrum can be hard. "Everyone with a diagnosis of autism and Asperger's suffers in some way: that's why they have a diagnosis", he said, but went seamlessly into an asserting that the condition can bring strengths and talents as well as obstacles.
Unlike illnesses, such as cancer, our approach to autism is not just about finding a cure, but about working out interventions that can help overcome the difficulties without diminishing the strengths.
A word of warning, though - don't expect everyone on the autistic spectrum to have some stunning talent. They are not all about to burst into scintillating music, produce a stunning piece of art or juggle numbers like Dustin Hoffman in Rainman. And if they don't, they are not letting the autistic side down. Neither are they in any more need of a cure than those who do - they are in need of a society that accepts their neurological difference and deals with it.
So here's hoping that Joe and John have a good time tonight - and that the music isn't too loud, as hypersensitivity to loud music is a trait of Joe's Asperger's. As is a love of music, an endless enthusiasm for producing works of art, and a confident ability with numbers.
Meanwhile, there is obviously a way to go in educating away prejudices about autism and Asperger's. This article on Times Online tries to explain some of the positive aspects of autism, but still manages to call it a disability, a disease and an affliction. Thanks, but no thanks.
As Lehman Brothers - "the bank that survived the Wall Street crash" - dramatically fails to survive the sub-prime criris, I give you ... a great song, a non-video and a set of lyrics.
I think we must have all gone mad Maybe right turned over They promise us the earth Instead we’ve got the great depression Now you’re free and easy with the base You blame your brothers and sisters And neurotics say "sod the rest" It’s the new dissention
Into the abyss By pushing forwards It’s always down It’s a desperate war You’re trying to blow yourselves up You don’t care who you stand... with the help about Hey hey - well that’s not the way
No sense or reason in your fussing and fighting And your violent obsession Who’s ever really left feeling fine After the great depression? No sense of purpose in the competition Keeping up with the Joneses You buy a house, You buy a car You buy a marriage and a bed of roses
Into the abyss By pushing forwards It’s always down It’s a desperate war You’re trying to blow yourselves up You don’t care who you stand ... with the help about
