I'm sure it's been said many times on here before, but what a fantastic album 'Christmas' by Low is. I bought it a few years ago on a whim from Fopp (usual knock-down price) in the middle of summer. Cut to the following December and I dug it out and put it on - loved it straight away. Tracklisting below: -

1. Just Like Christmas
2. Long Way Around The Sea
3. Little Drummer Boy
4. If You Were Born Today
5. Blue Christmas
6. Silent Night
7. Taking Down The Tree
8. One Special Gift

I think the thing about it is that it captures that mix of emotions that Christmas can throw up. Lovely. Anyone else want to say anything nice / share some thoughts about this album???

Just watching Roy Orbison doc on BBC 4. Fantastic. Can we have a feature on him in The Word??

Has anyone seen my CD of Astral Weeks...

...I have the case...

...but no cd...

...does anyone find that their other half has a tendancy to not put CD's back in their right cases (or at all). It drives me mad...

Who's the king of matching music to films? Tarantino? Nah... It can only be Michael Mann: -

Discuss.

Be honest now. Does anyone watch & enjoy X Factor - purely as complete entertainment? (In a similar way to Strictly Come Dancing???)

I have a dusty DVD of 'The Last Waltz' on the shelf and have never managed to get through the whole thing (I always lose the will when Joni Mitchell comes on stage). However could gladly sit through weeks of Cowell, Walsh, Cole & Minogue.

Hoping that I'm not setting myself up for a mountain of abuse.

Gulp.

This is what You Tube was made for. Had a sudden flashback to seeing this video years ago. What was he thinking??? - Bearing in mind he was in his mid 40's at the time.

Hard to pick out the worst bit - open mouth to camera at top of stairs, incessant dancing, the audience (looking like they had 3 minutes to come up with a routine from the top of their heads...)

(Starts about 20 secs in)

Help Word readers!!! First baby on the way...any suggestions for suitable music for the little one that won't send the rest of us mad?

Ok readers, what are the most annoying things that happen when you buy a 'best of...' album? Here are my top 5, but I'm sure there's plenty more where this lot came from: -

1). Free bonus tracks (er... like thanks).
2). Uneccessary remixes.
3). Missing favourite singles off for no reason.
4). Tracks placed out of chronology.
5). Live versions

I have a copy of U2's 1990 - 2000 that does most of the above. Are there any more that Word readers can come up with???

What should the rules be about bands trading on their name when most of the original members have left. See below: This isn't really the Happy Mondays is it? (Made more confusing by playing a Black Grape song): -

Now be warned grim footage ahead - don't think anyone would consider this shambles The Stone Roses would they?

But then some bands (The Fall, Primal Scream) seem to keep going with an ever-changing line-up and no one cares... so what are the rules? Is there a cut-off that is allowed before a band have to change their name (The New Oasis anyone???)