Yesterday my mate and I were speculating upon the dangers of following the advice of various song titles. We felt that some may need to be retitled to reflect our more danger conscious times.
For example:
'I drove all night (but I stopped at the services for a quick nap)'
'I'm gonna run to you (having first cleared the floor of trip hazards)'
'She came in through the bathroom window (after placing a stepladder on a flat surface)'
'Carry that weight (providing it is not in excess of 10kg)'

I'm thinking there could be others...

It is my opinion that there is too much opinion around. There is a surfeit of views – have your say, text in, blog this, blog that… The unfettered possibilities of the digital age have rendered us all victims of textual diarrhea: we can’t shut up, we won’t shut up. Now I’m all for new media and the democratization / levelling of the playing field which it potentially brings – I have a platform to say this, don’t I? But really – it’s all too much. We now live in a howling wind-tunnel of I, me, mine – my voice must be heard! Why? Why must your voice, or my voice, or anyone else’s voice be heard? The louder everybody shouts, the less clearly we hear anyone at all. It becomes a meaningless contest, where all opinion is ignored in favour of coming back with a witty riposte.

This website is fun. I have had fun reading the contributions, and making my own voice heard – and at times it seemed like the most important thing in the world to make my own point, but it wasn’t – it was no more or less important than the voice of anyone else here – or anyone else in the world (connected or not). So I’m making a new year’s resolution – I’m going to shut up, stop adding to the babbling stream of 1s and 0s that clog our broadband routes and servers, and read more books (made of paper), watch more films, lose touch with the modern culture which seems to so vex us all. If it impinges on my day, no problem – good luck to all the wannabe and actual popstars, actors, svengalis, politicos, bloggers, journalists, and whoever. I want to live in the real world, my world, not their world.

So I wish you well Massive, and please don’t take this wrong – I’m not criticizing you, I understand why you like this place, contribute and hang-out here. I salute you, wish you a merry Christmas, and happy and safe new year / decade. I’d like to say thanks to Fraser Lewry for doing what he does so well hereabouts, and to all the others who have made my time here so pleasant. I have literally run out of things to say. It is time to call a halt.

I have just returned from bearing live witness to BB's Remarkable Guide To The Orchestra. An outstandingly funny show consisting of such highlights as: The Dr.Who Theme Reimagined as smooth Belgian jazz (Je Suis Dr. Qui?), pastiches of Chris De Burgh 'Beautiful Ladies In Danger' & Bryan Adams 'Hats Off to the Zebras', live telescopic carbon-fibre alpine horn, the Insect-Nation rock-opera, amusing histories and expositions of various orchestral instruments, jokes about Michael Jackson, and much, much more. I was also delighted to be in the presence of the great Anne Dudley (arranging / conducting) whose work I have admired since The Art of Noise. The music was brilliant, the jokes were funny, Bill was a warm and genial host... It was a bit like a slightly surreal music lesson, with the funniest, most talented teacher imaginable. Hats in the off position - not only to the zebras - Bill Bailey is one of a priceless kind.

Are there any members of special forces, the police, intelligence experts or general know it alls (surely not here!) who can explain to me what the flop was going on with the plot of Spooks last night? Holes bigger than one of those really holey cheeses from Europeland.

Now, I like Spooks, let me say that from the outset. And that is my problem to deal with, but...

1) Why did the Baader Meinhof wannabees not post a guard / lookout before disappearing into the panic room?

2) How did Lucas stroll into the palacial gaff of a Russian billionaire without meeting a single lock, alarm or semi-automatic toting man-mountain?

3) Finally, and most importantly, why wasn't Jo - who had been sent, armed, to investigate a security breach - wearing a Kevlar vest? She deserved a better death scene.

Haven't they seen 24?

I have just been auditing my CDs - all in order, but some obvious gaps - with the help of a web search I have made a list of missing items & am now facing the fact that I will have to buy them again, as the "people" I lent them to are no longer in touch...

*Insert sweary*

Anyhow, these are the albums that were so good I won't ever see my original copies again. These are the records I miss -

Boo Hewerdine "Baptist Hospital," "Thanksgiving," "A Live One"
Kate Rusby "Underneath The Stars"
Ron Sexsmith "Whereabouts"
Teddy Thompson "Separate Ways"

Any of the Massive got examples of friends (or former friends) who have run off with your best stuff?
(I'm never letting another album leave my house, btw...)

Good live session and interview here.
Monday's show.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/marc_riley/

The man is a legend.

Dear Massive...

I am gearing up for a short acoustic guitar set at my local open mic night (Wednesday 4th Nov...) (Be afraid, be very afraid...) My brain is going round in circles as to what to play... It can't be too knuckle crunching chord-wise as I only have a few days to 'rehearse' (i.e. sit in my kitchen aimlessly strumming and staring at my laptop...)

Any thoughts... what would you want to hear a man in his late 30s, with a barely adequate voice and guitar technique, murdering as you enjoyed a mid-week pint?

All contributions carefully considered... sing along potential is good - it saves me from doing all the work.

I know they get a lot of stick, but as a callow 14 year old I always liked GK best.
He was the songwriter - once I'd worked out what meant, I wanted to be one too!

Back in the early summer I was thrilled to see the artist formerly known as Tyger & his Lark Rise Band at the English Heritage Festival Of History.
A truly warm and witty gig, with songs from the stage play and readings from the book. (Oh, and a bit of country dancing too...)
I draw your attention to their fine record which can be Spotified, here:

The Lark Rise Band – Lark Rise Revisited: http://open.spotify.com/user/doublevisionary/playlist/5q9AmI2X3lKak1ofpr...

Prince – Peach: http://open.spotify.com/track/6pEjJfpxyHwLcvcWMqVyyd

I was rocking to the hits / b-sides in the car the other day... I'd almost forgotten this one - immense fun & very well executed, I'd say.

Any other faves from the the diminutive genius?

(Did try to post a video... but I think his 'people' must have had words with youtube...)

Some of us Massive types have been collaborating on tunes.

If you want to join in, go here: http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/calling-all-home-recording-members...

If you need the password to upload original music to my iDisk (for collaborative purposes) contact me via the site.

Otherwise this is a flavour of what we have been doing:
Andys Wonk Face by spookydirt

Resurfacing by Adman

Now this is lovely...

Noah And The Whale – Our Window

http://open.spotify.com/track/508iI2IZb6gjxGEGcJQJUn

Haven't worked my through the whole album yet, 'cos I keep listening to this one again.

...and I'm callous and I'm cruel to everyone, but you...

(Would have posted a You Tube link, but there only appears to be er, less orchestrated, live versions...)

I heard this lyrically savage dirge as part of the Beatles weekend on Radio 2. Not Lennon's finest hour. I know they patched it up, but I think it still has the power to shock. Was there any excuse?

So Sgt. Pepper took you by surprise
You better see right through that mother's eyes
Those freaks was right when they said you was dead
The one mistake you made was in your head

How do you sleep?
How do you sleep at night?

You live with straights who tell you, you was king
Jump when your momma tell you anything
The only thing you done was yesterday
And since you've gone you're just another day

How do you sleep?
How do you sleep at night?

How do you sleep?
How do you sleep at night?

A pretty face may last a year or two
But pretty soon they'll see what you can do
The sound you make is muzak to my ears
You must have learned something in all those years

How do you sleep?
How do you sleep at night?

Now that Andy Bell in seeking gainful employment what do the Massive say to the prospect of a Ride reunion?

I always had a soft spot for the My Bloody Valentine-Lite. The drummer was a friend of a friend and parked his kit in my mate's front room for a time. A couple of them went to the same scruffy college as me in Oxfordshire & I studied with a guy who roadied for them. So, connections... I also reviewed the '92 tour for my uni mag. My first and last foray into music journalism.

So - I genuinely liked them, highly derivative of course, but some good tunes, wispy harmonies, great use of the fx pedals. Any other ex-Thames Valley Shoegazers out there?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8219482.stm

According to the Big British Castle news website:
"The shadow home secretary, Chris Grayling, has compared parts of the UK to The Wire, a US television show which portrays inner city drugs and violence."

Whether Chris Grayling has really watched or understood The Wire or not, he had better hope this reference doesn't come back and bite him in the ass once he takes office.

It's not just about the drugs Chris!