Miss Oeuf and I are chewing the evening cud, and happened to laugh our way through the lady drummer thread, until we alighted upon the Clout song from '78, 'Substitute'. The following conversation took place (edited for brevity):

Oeufman - 'Never heard of it. Who'd call a band Clout?'
Miss Oeuf - 'It's on Radio 2 all the time. That's the difference between you and I; you read about music, I listen to it. Radio is brilliant.'
O - 'Cheeky! 99% of radio is rubbish.'
MO - 'Ask the Word cognoscenti what they'd rather give up; CDs or the radio?'

Okay, I will...

P.S. MO says women are always right. Another thread, methinks...

According to the BBC story below, Leona Lewis is quoted as saying she's happy to have 'broken America'.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7316521.stm

Taking nothing away from her success, does one no.1 single constitute breaking the biggest music market in the world?

I would have said continued and recognised sales across several albums would be, but am interested in others thoughts? Is it enough now to have one hit and work the chat shows, then retire to relative anonymity?

I'm not saying that's what will happen, but...

This is a sad day;

http://www.nodepression.net/blogs/letter/

A great magazine featuring great articles and artists, written by people who cared. Sound familiar?

Couldn't agree more with the review of Lynne's new album. Havng followed her since 'I Am Shelby Lynne', her ability to produce great music in a variety of styles always impresses.

Almost too painful when, at 2.26, Lynne's voice cracks slightly.

This is the way all interpretations should be done; with grace, respect and a light touch. Fab.

Never mix politics and religion. Never mix vocalists with global economics. It's not just me, is it? Bono really has become a sanctimonious old fart?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7208990.stm

He may have the 'desire' to change things and that should be applauded, but let's face it, he's in a better position than the majority of us to do something about it instead of schmoozing bankers and politicians in Davos.

I'm calling you out, mate; how about you donate 1% of your net revenue in 2008 to a series of good causes, and evidence it?

If you do, I'll do the same. Until then, to take a leaf out of a recent documentary, shut up and sing.

I seem to remember being called a 'Greaser' at school, and my English teacher thought that prolonged access to my sixth-form self might turn the innocent first years into satanists because I listened to 'Rawk'. Not sure I was ever asked to leave public transport for my AC/DC patches. Anyone else suffered for their art/music?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7204543.stm

Random i-Poddage again tonight and Illegal Alien by Phil Collins (sorry, Genesis) arrives with its jaunty rhythm, sunshine melody and lyrics including the ones that follow;

Keep your suspicions
I've seen that look before
But I ain't done nothing wrong now
Is that such a surprise?
I've got a sister
Who'd be willing to oblige
She will do anything now
To help me get to the outside

Now, is that unnecessary, or have I succumbed to the dreaded PC monster?

Anyone else think of lyrics they've known for years that suddenly seem, well, a bit risque in today's social climate, but that you wouldn't previously have considered to be anything more than poor poetry?

Do we know yet who's found a Golden Ticket and who's been drowned in the river of chocolate?

This on top of the job losses...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7188898.stm

More news on what's going on at EMI;

http://www.emigroup.com/Press/2008/press3.htm

Bob Dylan: never liked him, can't understand the fuss, but worried that I quite fancy Cate Blanchett when she dresses as him. I was always a Laurel Canyon kind of guy, so I'll take Taylor, Mitchell, Young and the Mama's & Papa's any day of any week. Please, someone, before you all start dribbling with fury, can you explain to me what is so great about his music?

**waits to be hounded out of the Word club and his sexuality questioned**

Thanks to the worthies (Wordies? No. Maybe not.) at this magazine and the jolly nice people who contribute regularly to this blog, I have discovered two artists I wouldn't have gone out of my way to find, and hey, wouldn't you know it, there's room in the collection for more of the same.

The songs in question were Brenda Holloway's 'When I'm Gone' and Evie Sands 'I Can't Let Go' (Thanks again Colonel).

So, a request; if I like these (and I do, I do), can anyone suggest what the best follow-up purchases for these artists should be, and secondly, who else should I be listening to?

Before you ask, yes, I know where Amazon and HMV are, but I trust you more than them...

Ta muchly in advance.

Read the Word top 10 of 2007 with interest. Of those chosen, I only had Hawley's 'Lady's Bridge', though I heard and enjoyed the Arcade Fire and Laura Veirs albums.

In response then, and from a slightly different angle, here's my ten favourite songs from the best albums I heard in 2007, in no particular order;

Same Old Drag: The Apples In Stereo, from New Magnetic Wonder
By Piccadilly Station I Sat Down & Wept: Tracey Thorn, from Out Of The Woods
Australia: The Shins, from Wincing The Night Away
Railroad Wings: Patty Griffin, from Children Running Through
Hollywood Bass Player: Josh Rouse, from Country Mouse, City House
The Hotel Majestic: Fountains of Wayne, from Traffic and Weather
Love That Boy: The Innocence Mission, from We Walked In Song
Walked Her Way Down: Crowded House, from Time On Earth
Walking Through You: Justin Currie, from What Is Love For
Ring The Bells For A Day: The Pearlfishers, from Up With The Larks

If I had to pick a favourite album or two, they would be Patty Griffin and Justin Currie. Griffin just gets better and better; 'Children...' is so strong yet so beautiful it's quite humbling. Justin Currie gets bad press but beneath the surface he's written some of the best wry and melodic contemporary love songs of the last fifteen years. 'What Is Love For' is melancholic but you just can't argue with the quality.

Hot on their heels would be Fountains of Wayne and Tracey Thorn; 'By Piccadilly Station...' is probably the best 2.27 I've heard this year.

The thing that strikes me about all these artists is their consistency, not just album after album but song after song. They've built careers despite being overlooked and always come up with the goods. Josh Rouse? The Pearlfishers? The Innocence Mission? Most are three of four albums in but you can still listen to the whole album through without feeling the need to skip to the single. I'm all for progress, but give me a body of work over a corpse any day.

Anyway, that's my 2007. Does it measure up?

You heard it here first;

1 January - Macca falls asleep holding his decree nisi from the legless chat-show queen, wakes with his best melody since Yesterday and writes what becomes in 2040 the most covered song in contemporary pop history, duly named 'Run to the Mills'.

2 February - Def Leppard's Joe Elliott teams up with Bob Mould for an industrial cover of 'Pour Some Sugar On Me'.

3 March - Festival season kicks off early to ensure every band can say they were on a bill somewhere. James Blunt, Belle & Sebastian, Damien Rice and Tom McCrae launch 'Fey-Aid' in Ludlow to raise money for bed-sit romantics who think acoustic guitars are actually vibrators.

4 April - Mick Jagger announces his retirement from attending fashion shows; 'Our label's a bit hard up, and as we've not toured recently, they asked if I could concentrate on the music.'

5 May - Ryan Adams releases an album every day of the month.

6 June - EMI announce a profits warning, i-Tunes reduces the price of a song to tuppence and Apple launches the i-Bod for babies. Microsoft announces it has sold its tenth Zune.

7 July - Prince starts a 42 night stint at the Borderline in support of his new album, 'CrazySexy4URFutureCum'

8 August - Pete Doherty is caught with half of Columbia up his nose and the other half in his back pocket. He is fined £5 for wasting police time and returns to work on his magnum opus 'A Speedball Gathers No Moss'

9 September - Keane's new album 'Our Mums Love Us' fails to dent the charts. Their mums take a page advert in the Sun to deny it. Chris Martin takes pity and hires them to play to his third child 'Kumquat' on Tuesday and Thursday evenings while he's busy writing lyrics for Coldplay's latest.

10 October - Depeche Mode release 'Nihilism' and promptly cease to exist.

11 November - U2 and REM release albums and Barack Obama is voted in as the USA's 44th president. No-one notices.

12 December - Amy Winehouse is released from prison a reformed character and writes a musical based on her career to date. 'Oh Beehive!' debuts on December 24th at the Hackney Playhouse to the usher and his dog, and is cancelled a week later due to lack of demand.

Random i-Poddage on commuter train this morning, and, as often happens, a strange coincidence; the first two tracks were also the first single, and first track from the first album, I ever purchased.

The reason I know this is because they still take pride of place in my (rather more eclectic than it may at first appear) collection. Would be interested to know what your first single and album purchases were, where they were from, why and have you still got them?

Mine;

Ace of Spades - Motorhead 7" vinyl single

The red cover with the card emblem. Purchased from Alan's market stall in Chelmsford, circa 1982? Always thought it strange that the previous owner had the same initials and surname as my mum (she's never admitted to it). Had to have it if only for '...and that's the way I like it baby, I don't wanna live forever!'

AC/DC - Back in Black vinyl album

Bought from the same second-hand emporium. A classic in any sense of the word, and perfect for maximum volume on the school bus to drown out the girls playing Wham on the back seat.

Alan's stall also did great cassette bootlegs; I remember being able to purchase a gig about a week after it occurred, or being able to ask him if his tape recorder was going to be at the Hammy Odeon in a week's time. Good old days.

Love YouTube. Check these shirts out.

Gotta say, Deceptive Bends was my favourite album, if for nothing else it had I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor on it.

Art for Art's Sake, or just really good?

Also, I can't help thinking Mr. Hepworth may have moonlighted as Mr. Gouldman in the days he wasn't being paid by the word (no pun intended)...

An update to this post... 07 01 08; Hmmm, and Morrissey makes 3. Hope he's looking over his shoulder and checking his post... Go on Word, surprise me - how about someone, dare I say it, 'new'?

A quick non-scientific survey of the 59 covers of Word/The Word to date reveals;

Approx. 12% of the artists were dead at the time of the honour.

Approx. 19% were members of either defunct bands or had gone on to solo careers of varying success.

50% of Pink Floyd, The Clash and the Smiths have been represented.

Only a handful are on the cheap side of their 30's and/or represent 'going concern' artists, those I would consider to be in the first phase of their careers; Amy Winehouse, The Killers, White Stripes, KT Tunstall, Dido and Pete Doherty, Franz Ferdinand etc.

Springsteen takes the crown with 3 covers.

Dylan, Morrissey, Waits, Cohen, Cave, Mitchell and Weller have had 2.

A very particular demographic then? It's not one of those sportsman's bets is it, to see if you can guess which major musical icon will shuffle off their mortal coil in the next 12 months?

Any ideas for 2008?

Separate subject - Weller; post-Jam prat? Discuss.

Er, bit bored, despite the enervating discussions taking place, so thought I'd stick my neck out and wait to have it broken; does anyone theme their playlists?

Further, does anyone deliberately set out to make it hard for themselves to theme a playlist? I've thrown up some interesting combinations using 'search' on my i-Tunes library, but would love to hear if a) anyone has any ideas for really different lists and b) that, having done so, the blogsters don't think I've got too much time on my hands...

Here's one that took 5 minutes;

Red's Song - The Jayhawks (Tomorrow the Green Grass)
Orange Juice Blues - The Band (Music from the Big Pink)
Yellow Crombie - Bathers (Pandemonium)
Green - Alex Lloyd (Watching Angels Mend)
Blues For Andre - Chris Whitley (Hotel Vast Horizon)
Indigo Boy - Esthero (Breath from Another)
Violet Eyes - Sandra McCracken (Gypsy Flat Road)

Said I was bored.

Work finished for another week; check.
Musical itch waiting to be scratched; check.

Yes, I'm aware the majority of them are created/named to allow us to distinguish between one set of artists and another.
Yes, I know it used to assist those who established the 'charts'.
Yes, it provides store assistants with untold excuses to re-arrange their shelves.

But...

Why?

Why do we feel it necessary to apply labels to music?
Does it satiate some desperate inner need - are we all suffering from undiagnosed mass-OCD?
Is it cultural?
Wouldn't it be easier for the same store assistants to file in one , big A-Z? Isn't that what most of us do... (yes, I know, unfair question; oh go on then, tell me how you do it, but remember, Hornby beat you to publishing his 'categorised by relationship' idea...)

I was in Brussels (the home of bureaucracy) on Monday and popped into an independent record (sorry, CD)store, where the proprietor had done just that - one big filthy mass of music, your original Abba to Zappa. Wonderful.

It just occurred to me that the eclectic nature of music doesn't deserve artificial barriers, especially in the age of the randomizer, and that I'd have an even wider palette to choose from if I hadn't spent the majority of my teenage years eschewing 'other' genre's because they weren't 'cool'. What have I missed?

Probably just me, right?

Itch scratched.

Looking through the wonder that is The Word blog, specifically an entry alluding to the latest Eagles album, made me wonder if anyone out there has the brass balls to admit to their worst music purchase?

Has to be your choice, bought for you and no other, with no ulterior motive and, as can be seen from below, you are fully within your rights to establish how you made it up to yourself afterwards. I'll start, shall I?

1986. Era of the perfumed poodle and RAWK! Yes, I bought Europe's 'The Final Countdown'.

In this era of useless info, I found the following (fascinating?) entry in Wiki;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Final_Countdown_(song)

No excuse.

Nothing.

It is one of only 2 albums in my entire purchasing career that I have ever got rid of.

Am I allowed to stay?