Jachtschepen

A couple of things to mention today: doing the rounds on the blogs in the last few days and I see there's been a lot of talk of (and love coming in for) Boz Scaggs. Something of a cornerstone on this blog in particular, Scaggs is a name that appears on one of my precious few bucket lists: artists I need/want to see live before it's too late. 

Two of Scaggs' biggest hits (on both sides of the Atlantic) Lido Shuffle and Lowdown are both from his 1976 yacht* rock classic long player Silk Degrees. Obviously back in the mid 70s no-one was aware that forty years later the YR tag would be affixed to an album that went 5x platinum in the States and silver in the UK. And both aforementioned bangers Scaggs co-wrote with his then keyboard player, David Paich. Paich would soon jump ship (yacht?) and form Toto (a quintessential YR outfit): he went on to pen Hold the Line, Africa and Rosanna - three bigger YR tunes you'd struggle to find.

But enough of Toto. Take a look at this beautifully deft version of Lowdown - unfortunately the YouTube algorithms are not allowing me to embed it.

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Today is the Number One Son's birthday. James is 35. Fuck me, where does the time go? (Answers on a postcard); which means it must be nine years since I wrote this - my memories of the momentous event that took place on 8th February 1990 - and Boz Scaggs' cameo appearance. James and his girlfriend are currently in Madrid, so I won't see him till next week. Happy Birthday, James! x 

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As my recovery continues apace the BlogCon committee are tentatively planning our latest sortie. It's looking like #BlogCon25 will convene in Bristol in early June. I'm in the throws of writing some mini profiles of BC25 attendees. This will take the form of a none too strenuous Q&A c/w a Swedey McSwedeface (a.k.a. a mug shot). If you fancy joining our merry little band please feel free to get in touch via the comments section below. 

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*Susie Dent Corner - as you know I love the derivation of words. Did you know that the word yacht comes from the Dutch word jacht meaning hunt? And jachtschepen was the name for narrow, light and very fast sailing boats that the Dutchmen deployed to itercept larger and slower fleet. Everyday's a school day. Just don't google Urban Dictionary for their take on the word. You're going to aren't you? 

Cast away our fears

Our good friend Alyson loves American West Coast grooves - Yacht Rock, if you will. She's put me on to so many great sounds from that (often overlooked) genre over the last few years that had hitherto passed me by; not least Seals & Crofts' We May Never Pass This Way Again. A song, I'm sure Alyson won't mind me telling you, she finds extremely moving (as do I). Alyson's not doing so great at the moment; but it will pass. She'll come back all fired up, stronger than ever. I know she will. Her mojo will rise again. This is for you, Alyson. 

Young Gun Silver Fox - Mojo Rising (from 2018's Record Store Day) 

Guilty as sin

Those songs you like but you hate yourself for liking. That. My head is full of 'em. And just when you think you can't possibly fit another Still the Same or Don't Stop Believing in, along comes a new arrival, a Johnny come lately, if you will. But unlike most other AOR/Yacht Rock guilty pleasures who generally announce their arrival by way of a Netflix or HBO soundtrack and thus showing you their credentials (Bob Seger and Journey did just that - and very successfully - in Ozark and The Sopranos respectively), this annoyingly catchy slice of soft rock seems to have attached itself like a barnacle to my latest predictive playlist without any of the above mentioned pleasantries. And yes, after it happened twice I 'hearted' it (or should that have been 'red-flagged'?) and so now it just drops in and out anytime it bloody well feels like it.

Eddie Money - Two Tickets to Paradise (1977)