Jackie Leven CD inside the magazine.
Just listened to it.
Bloody Hell, its good.

Thanks for that - I'd never of known what I was missing.

Right, I'm off to listen to it again.

In my position as "The bloke in the office who knows a bit about music", I was to day approached by a colleague who told me that whilst clearing his loft out at the weekend he find a stack of his old vinyl. "If I give you a list", he asked, "could you tell me how much its worth".
"OK" said I, but don't go expecting a fortune. We're really talking extra pocket money at a Car Boot Sale, than a feature spot on The Antiques Roadshow.

He didn't believe me.
Protests included:
"I've got the original Band Aid single" - so have I mate, and 3 million others (in fact, I think I've got 6 copies (for some reason?))
"Theres a couple of Beatles albums" - from the description they sound like 'Rock n Roll Music' Volumes 1 & 2 on Music For Pleasure
"What about 'Thriller', its an original copy so must be worth something, what with Michael Jackson dying and his doctor being convicted"

Every half-hour or so he'd come past offering a new "surefire money-spinner" (final offering was an original pressing (his words not mine) of 'Bat Out Of Hell').

I remained composed and politely said: "Bring me the list tomorrow, and I'll have a look".

I'm expecting the usual Charity Shop staples of Paul Young - No Parlez and The Cars - Heartbeat City.
Who knows might even uncover a diamond in the rough.

Bugs me though - just because records are old, why are people convinced that it must be worth a mint?

New Album 'Sonik Kicks' to be released on March 26th 2012.

Sample track 'Around The Lake' available at:
www.paulweller.com

(Also on YouTube)

Played a CD compilation from a couple of years ago earlier.
When making these compilations I generally try to sequence them in some sort of logical order (remember the advise on "how to make the perfect mix tape" in High Fidelity), but other times it just track a load of tracks onto a disc in any order.

This CD was one of th latter type, but a section of the track listing (in retrospect) had a strange storyline to it:

Ozzy Osbourne - You Said It All
Alvin Stardust - Jealous Mind
Beatles - Help
New York Dolls - Looking For A Kiss
Noisettes - Never Forget You
Tears For Fears - Mad World
Manic Street Preachers - From Despair To Where
Jam - Great Depression
Oceanic - Insanity
Dubstar - Not So Manic Now

There's a story there (possibly even a full blown concept album?)

To illustrate the random nature of the CD, these tracks are immediately preceded and followed by:
(pre) Sky - Toccata
(post) Tribe Of Toffs - John Kettley (is A Weatherman)

On the thread http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/atm-the-harp-in-rock,
I posted about the Harp playing twins doing Stairway To Heaven.
It was on the Word site recently, but couldn't remember where.

donttellhimpike posted it originally, and replyed accordingly.
My reply (despite having read it through twice) suggested that it was I, and not donttellhimpike that found the original.

Well, be careful what you write because having re-read it I can see the mis-understanding.
I've now edited the post to say what I meant to in the first palce, and offer my apologies.

Sorry

I've been requested/challenged by a work colleague with a real life version of the 'Let Me Explain' thread.

The question was: "Whats Half Man Half Biscuit all about then?"

My solution: a 15, 20 or so track compilation of 'The World Of HMHB'
(The real solution would be the response: "Buy all the albums, you won't be disappointed").

Problem for me is I only own 'Back In The DHSS' and 'CSI:Ambleside'.
So the track listing at the moment is:
Trumpton Riots
All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
1966 And All That
Evening Of Swing Has Been Cancelled
National Shite Day

What else SHOULD be included?

Of course, I should be following my own advice and buying the rest of the catalogue. It is happening, just slowly (very much funding dependent)

In case you're interested, a new Big Country single is out now.
Mike Peters provides vocalisations, Bruce Watsons son (Jamie) added as third guitar.
The sounds all there: Bagpipy-like guitars, solid bass & drums, passionate vocals etc (insert Big Country cliches here)

Ignoring the time factor (which in an alternate reality may be irrelevant anyway), what if actors, comedians, TV Presenters etc were musicians instead.

Windsor Davies Group
Rik Mayall's Bluesbreakers
George Cole & The Commotions
Mr T & The MGs
Huey Edwards & The News
Nick Ross & The Supremes
Ben Fogle Five
Bruce Forsyth & The Range
Frankie Spencer & The Four Seasons
Ian Beale & The Blockheads
Alan Partridge Project

Lead singer of The Specials - Stuart Hall
Lead Singer of Transvision Vamp - Sid James
Lead Singer of Iron Maiden - David Dickinson
Lead Singer of Muse - David Bellamy

Roll up, roll up for another season of Fantasy Football
http://fantasy.premierleague.com/

2011/12 Leagues Created

WORD Massive Classic: 61368-23574

WORD Massive Head to Head: 61368-23587

Starlite - available for download 07 August
http://soundcloud.com/islandrecordsuk/paul-weller-starlite

Paul Weller: "Here's a brand new track called 'Starlite' in time for the Summer. It's not from the forthcoming album, it's just for NOW! It's part Balearic beat, poetry and psychedelic music. I hope you like it."

Imperial measurements can no longer be used.

All imperial measurements must now be expressed as the metric equivalent.

The following must now be re-titled

Manic Street Preachers - 4st 7lbs => 28.6 kilograms
Tyrannosaurus Rex - One Inch Rock => 25.4mm Rock
Splodgenessabounds - 2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please => 1.136 litres of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please
Proclaimers - 500 Miles => 804.7 kilometres
Free - Tons Of Sobs => 1,016 kg of Sobs
De La Soul - 3 Feet High & Rising => 0.914 metres High & Rising

Thousand Yard Stare => 914.4 Metre Stare
Gallon Drunk => 4.54 litre Drunk

One Foot in The Grave => Approximately 30cm in the Grave
The Green Mile => The Green 1.6km
44 Inch Chest => 111.7cm Chest
The Whole Nine Yards => The Whole 8.33 metres

Gregory Peck => Gregory 9.09 litres
Garry Bushell => Garry 36.4 litres

Had a very nice Vindaloo t'other day.

Reminded me of this (as Indian Takeaways always do)

New issue has plonked on the doormat (well in the postbox outside to prevent mental dog from eating it).
First flick through I spied 'Best & Worst Royals'
I locate the page and begin to check out the suggestions.

Missing from The Worst - no mention of Paul Brayson. One of the worst players in recent years to wear the shirt of Reading FC. And I really expected to see Terry Bullivant on the list of "not very good"

Missing from The Best - Robin Friday, Steve Death, Kerry Dixon, Trevor Senior and Shaka Hislop. Not even Martin Hicks made the list.

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

Been shopping at a local hypermarket (rhymes with Besco).
It was around lunchtime, so purchased some sandwiches.
Quite fancied the Egg & Tomato sarnie, plus it was reduced in price (not that I'm tight or anything)

Here's the insignificant day making bit:
Egg Sandwiches, made the proper way with Salad Cream, none of this fancy foreign Mayonnaise stuff.

Insignificant, unimportant, completely trivial, but Egg & Salad Cream Sandwiches are enough to make me smile, think that the world is not just a bad place, and sometimes Tesco is worthwhile visiting.

Things I thought whilst watching the above doco on iPlayer last night:

- Scott Gorham now looks like a retired US politician (Golf seems to be doing him good)
- Brian Downey appears to be happy in anonymity (I didn't recognise him)
- Brian Robertson looks absolutely wasted
- A lot of people have a huge amount of respect for Phil Lynott
- Thin Lizzy were an effin brilliant band

Jailbreak (on vinyl) was the first thing I played this morning. Every track a winner.

I'm just off to invest in the newly available Deluxe Editions
(Cynically, this may have been the point of the timing of the programme - Johhny The Fox, Jailbreak & Live and Dangerous are released tommorrow)