Unless Julian's in, it's not the real thing in my view.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/the-beatles/9182864/The-Beatles...

Here's a little story which other guitar nerds out there might appreciate.

I went to see k d lang at the end of last year. The concert was good, but not outstanding.

However, I was engrossed for the duration of the show because of the guitar one of her band was playing. It was the most beautiful instrument I'd seen...a Strat, but a Strat unlike any I'd seen before. I couldn't take my eyes off it.

I spent weeks trying to find out what model it was. I searched dozens of Fender dedicated websites, but to no avail. I mentioned my quest to my guitar teacher. He couldn't throw any light on the matter, but had the bright idea to contact the guitarist to get the answer.

Assuming I could get in contact, I wasn't convinced I'd get a response....don't professional musicians have better things to do?

A little light googling revealed the guitarist's website, which included an email address.

I fired off a short note to him (it's Josh Grange, btw), explaining that I had an itch about that guitar which needed scratching.

I really didn't expect a reply.

But nine (yes, nine) minutes later, this plops into my inbox:

Hi
it's a Fender Strat Ultra...1989 model.
great guitar...! ebony neck....
here's a picture and a wikipedia link.
glad you enjoyed the show!
all the best,
joshua

I was delighted by this. The quick response and the effort to embellish the bare bones of information with a picture and a wiki link was lovely.

Obsessions can connect people like nothing else.

(POSTSCRIPT: I decided I had to buy an Ultra. But they're quite hard to come by. The only one I could find in the right colour was in a second hand guitar shop in Bangkok. Don't try looking for it now, as it's not there any more. It's here in my living room.)

I've just got back from seeing elbow. It was a great show....I don't really know any of the band's music, but unfamiliarity was no barrier to enjoyment.

And there was one song - The River - which was just so sublime and lovely that tears started forming in my eyes. I didn't actually weep, but the music was connecting on a much deeper level than normal to the point where the tear ducts were being given a little nudge.

I can't work out why I reacted in that way....it's a beautiful song that was being performed with heartfelt emotion. But that wouldn't normally be enough to make the tears well up.

It has happened to me once before, though....at a k d lang concert, when she sang 'Hallelujah'.

Music has the power to do weird and wonderful things to you....but does anyone else get a bit teary at live performances? Or am I being a big wuss?

Here's a thing....to promote the upcoming 'Thick as a Brick Part 2', Ian Anderson has interviewed himself.

It's nicely odd.

And he really gets into it....talking to the space where he was sitting when he asked the questions, having a bit of a joke with himself, and generally observing all the conventions of a normal interview.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend sitting through the whole thing unless you're a fan (there's about 40 minutes of it spread over 4 parts!), but some choice highlights:

6'30 - he extols the virtues of a Fray Bentos pie..."Always a winner!"

8'05 - he berates himself for asking a question he's already answered.

11'10 - he shifts between chairs as both versions of himself sign off from part one of the interview.

I'm excited by this. From the Tull website:

Thick As A Brick sequel
to be released April 2nd

TAAB2 - Whatever Happened To Gerald Bostock? - is a full length Progressive Rock "concept" album worthy of its predecessor. Boy to man and beyond, it looks at what might have befallen the child poet Gerald Bostock in later life. Or, perhaps, any of us. To be released in two formats: the simple jewel case CD with 8-page booklet and the Special Edition with CD, audio-visual DVD and 16-page booklet. The DVD contains 5.1 surround mixes, 24-bit stereo mix, videos covering the making of the album, interviews with the musicians and the lyric reading where ian Anderson reads the lyrics in various settings. Also on the DVD are the pages of StCleve.com, the online update of the St Cleve Chronicle, fabled newspaper of the original album, and the multilingual lyric translations in Italian, German, Spanish, Czech, Polish and Russian.
The 2012 tours feature the performance of Thick As A Brick One AND Two in most of the concerts.

Gerald Bostock has suddenly appeared on Facebook. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gerald-Bostock/305718789470676)

There's an intriguing countdown timer on the Tull website.

Anyone know what's in the pipeline? TAAB 2?

Ian Anderson's going to be touring next year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Thick as a Brick. The concerts will include a complete performance of the entire album for the first time since 1972.

Sadly, it's not the full Tull lineup...but for those of a prog persuasion it might be worth a look. Especially as "this tour will feature a more theatrical production." God knows what that means, but any reappearance of a codpiece, a man in a rabbit suit or a telephone would make me swoon.

http://jethrotull.com/news/taabtour2012.html

Which version of Bon do you prefer?

Puffy shirted Bez type figure in bubblegum pop band The Valentines?

Or swanee whistle toting Catweazle frontman of folkie rockers Fraternity?

Or the hard rocking, hard living frontman of AC DC?

I'm now thoroughly hacked off with the magazine's subscription service - too many copies are slow to arrive, assuming they arrive at all.

And the response from the customer team is so slow that chasing copies is a pain in the proverbial.

So, the time has come to stop subscribing and try to get a refund for the 9 issues left on my subscription.

I'm expecting this to be a tedious and frustrating experience - so, if anyone else has done this, what's the best way to secure a quick refund?

Inspired by the Cliff Richard thread below, I went on a short youtube odyssey and landed on the track below.

Now, I love the Shads, but this has to be the dullest, most lightweight piece of music ever recorded by a major act, and left me thinking 'What was the point?' From their reaction, I think Hank and the boys might have been thinking along similar lines.

Can anyone find a duller piece of music than this?

(for extra punishment, stay tuned for the incredibly awkward bit of business with Freddie Starr at the end)

I'm officially very excited. For my next 3 gigs, I'm going to see:

Paul McCartney (at Hammersmith)
Iron Maiden (Singapore Indoor Stadium)
Joanna Newsom (Mosaic Festival, Singapore)

It's very rare that I really, really look forward to concerts any more...I'm always pleased to be going, but don't often experience a genuine thrill of anticipation.

But, for various reasons, all of these are making me a little giddy.

I've never seen Macca, and the chance to catch him in a smaller venue should make the experience all the more special.

I've also never seen Maiden. I'm not even a fan. But the experience of seeing one of the biggest metal bands of the last few decades that puts on a great live show should be a buzz.

Joanna Newsom - I am a fan. A big fan. I love her music. It's going to be great.

Anyone else got a gig coming up that they're truly, unequivocally excited about? And why are your buttons being pushed in that way?

Yesterday, I had to deliver a speech. It only needed to be a few minutes long, but it was quite technical so I wanted to write it all out beforehand rather than speak off the cuff.

The problem was I had no access to a computer/printer, so the only choice was to go down the 'traditional' route and use a pen and paper.

Goodness gracious! It was nearly impossible! What was once an instinctive process took an extraordinary amount of concentration and physical/mental effort!

Of course, the only handwriting I do regularly nowadays is signing the occasional document and scribbling something on a post-it note.

Are we reaching the point where all writing is done through a keyboard and handwriting dies a natural death?

As Sean Connery has just turned 80, I've been having a dip into his filmography.

Although he was in some stinkers in his time, he also made some great movies.

For me, his 2 best films are 'The Man Who Would Be King' and 'Robin and Marian'.

The latter has to be one of the most touching, bittersweet films ever, and Connery's great in it. His portrayal of an aging Robin Hood who wants to recapture past glories and rekindle his love affair with Marian is a delight.

And the climax when Marian makes the decision to seal their fate? Oh Lordy, I had to reach for the man-size Kleenexes.

What's your favourite Connery movie?

I'm not holding my breath on this, but has anyone heard of a band called Taggert (the name might have been spelled Taggett or some other similar variation)?

In the early 80s, I was in the habit of buying records in the bargain bin of my local record shop (Sparks in Wallington, since you ask) if the cover looked intriguing and I had a spare 50p.

Most of them were soon-to-be-forgotten shit, but the mighty Taggert hit the spot, and I still occasionally find myself singing one of their songs.

I've been trying to track down some information about them...but to no avail.

All I can remember is:

1. The album was just called Taggert.
2. They were a 4 piece - difficult to categorise, but think sub-Faces 4 minute rocky songs.
3. Side 1, Track 1 was called 'Lonely Night and Days'.
4. One of the songs had the lyric "Buster is a good egg, a fine chap, straight as a die, strong as lion."
5. One of the members (possibly the bassist, possibly called Tim) sported a Greg Allman-style long blong hair/beard combo.

Any info? There's a 50 pence postal order on offer!

....I'm excited.

http://www.amazon.com/Larry-Sanders-Show-Complete/dp/B003NHMYJW/ref=sr_1...

From a classic episode: