http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2011/nov/20/observer-profile-kate-...

Call me old-fashioned but how long does it take to check facts before writing a profile?

(See comments for various corrections)

Why doesn't The Observer update the profile online to correct the errors?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/video/2011/sep/15/bill-bailey-gary-numan...

Toot Toot!

Maybe its time for a Word podcast health warning.

It's about six weeks today since I spent two nights in hospital after an emergency eye op for a retinal tear in my right eye.

I still can't see properly and, to honest, I blame Mark Ellen.

Let me explain why

In early July while on holiday in North Yorkshire, I listened to the podcast about Desert Island Discs.

Mark told the story about Roy Plomley's worries about Bridget Bardot's reply to his question about what luxury she'd bring on her island. Did she say Happiness in her French accent? Or was she really saying A Penis.

When I told this story to my wife on holiday at dinner she laughed so much she headbutted me which according to the doctors could have been the start of my eye problems. Due to family medical history and my shortsightedness this might have happened anyway but this not so happy accident meant it happened this year and not in five or ten years time.

The message seems to be - go straight to the doctor or the opticians if you see odd floaters in one eye and not maybe the other.

And be careful when recounting tales from the Word podcast.

One last thing - if you ever get down it seems Mr Tweedy can always cheer you up. This is a very funny video despite the noise of the audience!

Saw this mentioned in The Guardian. It premiered at SXSW 2011

Sounds like a Word friendly type of film.

As it says on the site, SOUND IT OUT is a distinctive, observational, documentary portrait of the very last surviving vinyl record shop in Teesside.

Starring: Tom, Kelly, David, Daniel, 50,000 records and the good people of Teesside

More here

http://www.jeaniefinlay.com/wordpress/?p=559

It was hard to describe really.

He tried to sing Blame it on the Sun.

Jool Holland's eyebrows gave the game away.

On Friday I'd expect to see another take...

'
This site made me smile on a wet and windy 'summer' night. Thanks Very Short List people.

It takes well-known songs and does some computer jiggery-pokery that makes them swing

Don't know how they do it - but it's interesting. The site can take a bit of time to load.But it's worth the wait.

http://musicmachinery.com/2010/05/21/the-swinger/

Great Irish music!

Ever had a track creep on you over a period of weeks and months until one day the penny drops - and you need to check your iPod to see just who the band is?

Here's three tracks that ambushed me.

The acts can be really well known or obscure.

They are the kind of tracks you didn't realise were on your Ipod - maybe they came from free CDs from such magazines as The Word or Paste.

The point is the time they took to ambush you - and reveal their quality. Anyone else have examples?

It's one of those thank you for the internet moments.

And not only does Paddy McAloon have new (old) stuff out right now.

So does Jimmy Webb with the Webb Brothers. The new album is called Cottonwood Farm and contains another version of The Highwayman - also fantastic!

Just signed up for 12 editions of The Word to Ireland for 48 sterling.

I know the downside might be the time it takes to get to me - and the fact that I still have to make up a postcode when I made the payment ( The Republic does not have postcodes)

But, even if I don't qualify for the free CD, this seems good value. At current conversion rates, I am working this out at around 4.45 euro an issue. Much cheaper than the six or seven euros I can pay here.

I've enjoyed music for more than 40 years. But I don't play an instrument.

So I have just realised my appreciation of superb playing might be faulty. (I think Mark Ellen's forensic pinpointing of singers who can't actually sing got me thinking this way.)

Here's a case in point. Trevor Horn playing bass live with The Art of Noise.

It looks - and sounds - impressive to me.

But is it?

Any bass players out there to give me an opinion?

I know Paul Morley can be an acquired taste.

But even his sternest critic could not deny his passion for music.

He's fronting a new documentary series on BBC Radio 2, which started tonight, about the history of modern recorded sound which is just fantastic.

As the Beeb put it

Drawing on new interviews with leading record men from the past six decades, Paul Morley shows how record labels emerged in the late 19th century and developed across the next 130 years.

Here's the link from iplayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j6lgn/From_Edison_to_iTunes_Epis...

What is it about supermarket markdowns of CDs that some items of 'product' always seem to be there?

I was in Sainsburys today and was not surprised to see these sale items:

Elton John/FleetwoodMac/Pet Shop Boys/Santana greatest hits

Hope and Fears by Keane - they must have really over-produced copies of this CD as copy after copy can be flicked through.

Back to Black by Amy Winehouse - how many versions did this come in?

Various strange 'collections' - usually dodgy packages of poor quality live jazz recordings or Motown greats such as Marvin Gaye. Usually one or two good tracks and a lot of filler.

Glasvegas - maybe didn't take off quite as planned

And of course loads of Chillout/Acoustic/Love compilations.

Mind you, I was take aback to see grammy awardwinning Raising Sand by Plant and Krauss down to a mere six pounds - did the Led Zep fans shun it? (The undoubted bargain was The Who Live at Leeds for three pounds.)

Anyone else know of other supermarket sales regulars?