I'm listening to the new long player by Newcastle based singer/songwriter/band Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny, 'Yours Truly Cellophane Nose'*

Whilst there's nothing wrong with it, there's not a lot right with it. It's got music on it, it's well produced, the band sound good - but there's a whole lot of something missing. It's clever, and maybe that's the problem, it sounds to me as if she's trying too hard.

It puts me in mind of turns like Patrick Wolf and Lightspeed Champion - press darlings with a strong image and great PR, but without any heart and soul. Much like the current series from Noel Fielding, no matter how much smoke and mirrors you throw up, how much turd polishing there is going on, you can't disguise the fact that there's a great big hole where the heart should be.

*that title alone is a portent of doom, it's fucking awful.

Last week I invited you to take part in a survey. Many of you did.
The results are in the comments page. Thankyou.

Please take part in my survey. It's Sunday afternoon, there's nothing much else to do: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SG3ZJ5D
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Please remove if this breaks the rules.

OK, so I've been to Cuba. I found this on a street off the main square. Just imagine who would have walked through those doors....

This year I ran a classic album night at my local independent the Tbneside Cinema.

All played on vinyl, it proved to be a huge success. But, and here's always a but...
The last week of the season came with a dark cloud hovering above it's head.

The Record Player prides its self in bringing a relaxed atmosphere, a place to take time out from the day, a place to listen.

Sadly when we spun Abbey Road played a scuffle broke out during Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

Further investigation revealed the scuffle wasn't over the merits of the song. It was members of the audience attempting to suppress a triangle player. He'd brought the triangle along to 'enhance the vibe'. I gave the audience a stiff talking to.

Afterwards, some came along to aplogise. They admitted to bringing along the following - a stylophone to Dark Side of the Moon, a comb and paper to The Stone Roses, marimbas to Ziggy Stardust and harp to Bon Iver.

I feel guilty for not noticing. I'd thought these new sounds were coming out from the uncompressed beauty of vinyl.

Turns out it was some kids fannying on with instruments they'd brought along.

I never thought I would have to say this, it saddens me that I should have to. From here on in - NO MORE INSTRUMENTS.

Daddyclarkes posting on my earlier posting reminded me of two songs I wouldn't normally give house room to, if it wasn't for my daughter. One is Wise Men by James Blunt, the other Asereje by Las Ketchup.

The memories of her and those songs are so strongly entwined, I get something in my eye everytime I hear them, especially Las Ketchup, I love it.

Any one else got kiddie pop confessions?

This is in no way a blatant plug for a blog. I set myself a task of writing a little piece each day about some favourite Christmas tunes. Here's the first 11.

No 11 - Jingle Bell Rock - The Ventures
No 10 - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Joseph Spence
No 9 - Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
No 8 - 2000 Miles - The Pretenders
No 7 - Silent Night - Sir Richard Hawley
No 6 - Santa Claus Is Ska-ing To Town - The Granville Williams Orchestra
No 5 - Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto - James Brown
No 4 - So Much Wine - The Handsome Family
No 3 - Purple Snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
No 2 - River - Joni Mitchell
No 1 - White Christmas - The Patti Smith Group.

If this contravenes self publicity conventions please remove.

I've been running a classic album night at the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle over the last eleven weeks. The albums included were voted for via my blog, and the take up has been most excellent.

Here's the chart placings measured by ticket sales. The top two sold out and we had to squeeze more folk in to avoid disappointment.

After every album ended people applauded the vinyl. It's been marvellous.

1. Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars
2. Led Zep 4
3. Dark Side of the Moon
4. The Hounds of Love
5. Pet Sounds
6. For Emma, Forever Ago
7. Seldom Seen Kid
8. Abbey Road
9. Queen 2
10. Quadrophenia
11. The Stone Roses

Sitting, as is my want, compiling a top ten albums of 2011, I'm struck by how little that has been released this year has really gripped me.

I can't really come up with more than five that I can imagine playing this time next year. I'll not list them. So what have I missed? I love finding new music, hearing tomorrows sounds today, but so far, I'm very unwhelmed. Mediocre is the word that springs to mnd. Uness of course, you know better....

I'm playing Pet Sounds at my weekly Record Player event tomorrow night. I have both mono and stereo versions. Which do I go for?

It's almost five years since the release of Love, The Beatles soundtrack to the Cirque du Soliel show. I came across the album at the weekend for four quid, so I took a punt. I remember there being excited pourings over by musos and journalists the world over, with it getting generally good reviews.

So, looking back, is it a vital addition to the Beatles canon or is it a great big folly? For my money the Mr.Kite/I Want You/Helter Skelter and Within Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows mash ups work really well - but the rest?
It's all a it Jive Bunny for my liking.

Thoughts?

...buy Gracious Tide, Take Me Home, the new long player by Lanterns on the Lake. It's very special.
http://www.lanternsonthelake.com/

I run a classic album night at the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle. This week it was Ziggy Stardust.

I was casting around looking for interesting stuff about the album and happened upon Woody Woodmansey's Website. There was a contact page, so I took a punt and sent him a message asking if I could have a quick chat about the days of Ziggy. I heard nothing back, then on Wednesday a reply: 'that sounds like a laugh, go on then'.

Half an hour later I've recorded a 15 minute chat with Woody, full of great details about the pre-Ziggy days, how Mick Ronson took to off the station when the first set of Ziggy clothes were unvieled, how Bowies vocal on Black Country Rock sent both Woody and Mick back home to Hull - all because he sounded like Marc Bolan, and they didn't like Bolan.

The stories were great and he was a real gent. That's all.

Whilst idling I realised that I can do the six degrees of separation thing with David Bowie, but in four.

David Bowie had Trevor Bolder as a Spider from Mars.
Trevor Bolders dad Harry had a record shop in Hull called Bolders Record bar.
I bought some records from Trevor bolders dad.

Close? I'm almost a blood relative.

Beat that?

All this week Mitch Winehouse has been plastered over the tabloids. Yesterday he and his wife appeared on This Morning, blubbing their story. Today 'heartbroken fiance Reg opens his heart' to Gordon Smart in The Sun. I just don't get it. It is catharsis, grave robbing,
limelight hogging or the lure of another payday?

I know they're launching a rehab centre in her name, but really, isn't it all just a little disrespectful?