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Also the cinema was packed on a Tuesday night nearly a month after the film was released! There are often about half a dozen people at a showing at our local cinema.

As a firm non-fan of Queen and an equally firm non-fan of biopics in general, Bohemian Rhapsody would never work for me. Isn’t there an Elton John one as well, now or about to be released?

Ruth wrote: "I think you just have to accept that it's a fictionalised version and the way they chose to tell it, beginning and ending the film at Live Aid, makes a nice rounded story. I've seen posts where people are complaining about the timeline i.e. he wasn't diagnosed with HIV until a couple of years after Live Aid, but it's not a documentary and I think it was ultimately made as a feelgood film which left you singing Queen songs for days afterwards."

I'm sure that's right Ruth. You either accept it on its own terms or choose to ignore it. No point going and then complaining that it's not realistic. Film making by its very nature is artifice.

Then again if I was a hardcore fan I might feel differently.

Ruth wrote: "Also the cinema was packed on a Tuesday night nearly a month after the film was released! There are often about half a dozen people at a showing at our local cinema."

Yes. It's certainly popular enough.

Mark wrote: "As a firm non-fan of Queen and an equally firm non-fan of biopics in general, Bohemian Rhapsody would never work for me."

Yeah, I think we can agree you're not part of the Bo Rap demographic Mark.

There's a few music biopics I've enjoyed. Seem to recall the Johnny Cash one was pretty good, and I liked Dennis Quaid doing his best Jerry Lee impersonation. He seemed to get to the core of Jerry's contradictions and convincingly banged the keys with every part of his body.

Mark wrote: " Isn’t there an Elton John one as well, now or about to be released?"

Indeed. I've seen ads on Instagram. It's called Rocket Man.

I'm just hoping Bowie never gets the biopic treatment. I might have to go and see that one and then get all cross and angry about the same sort of stuff that the hardcore Queen fans are complaining about.

Is it too early to post my best-of for 2018? In no particular order, then...

NEW RELEASES

Message Personnel by Françoise Hardy

H.O.L.L.A.N.D. by Pete Williams

Negative Capability by Marianne Faithfull

The Fall and Rise of Edgar Bourchier and the Horrors of War by Mick Harvey & Christopher Richard Barker


REISSUES

Memento Mori (Anthology 1978 - 2018) by Barry Adamson

Three Six Nine! by Shirley Ellis

The Trojan Records Boxed Set by Various Artists

I Do Like To Be B-Side the A-Side by Madness*



* Thanks, Nige!

I usually cross the street at the mention of Bohemian Rhapsody or Queen.

Here is gooood article on 1968.
Ìý


This extract from the article exemplifies the creative courage of the late 1960s.

Ìý [“Sympathy for the Devilâ€� had originally been written with the line, “I shouted out, ‘Who killed Kennedy?â€�/ when after all, it was you and me,â€� a lazily edgy reference to the assassination of JFK five years prior. In the middle of recording the song in June of 1968, news arrived that Robert Kennedy had been assassinated in California. A lot of bands would have removed the line, lest it come off as opportunistic shockmongering; Jagger opted to make it plural. That one enormously problematic line edit turned “I shouted out, ‘Who killed the Kennedys?â€� â€� into one of the most arresting lyrics Jagger ever sang, its capacious ambiguity suddenly infinitely more evocative. (“Compromise solution,â€� indeed.)]

Ìý Beggars Banquet V The White Album. There's only one way to definitively resolve that argument. Guitar solos at twenty paces. Sympathy For The Devil versus While My Guitar Gently Weeps? Sympathy has the devil of a guitar solo. The solo in Harrison's song is by Eric Clapton, guesting on that one song on the Beatles album.

Ìý Since reading this article I've been playing Beggars Banquet a lot, it has always been an old favourite. 'Dear Doctor', 'Parachute Woman' 'Factory Girl', 'Salt Of The Earth' particularly this time around. 'Street Fighting Man' is accepted as one of the iconic rock 'n roll songs. It is actually a carefully composed song.
The White Album has plenty of great songs, but it seems to me like a lot of songs thrown together on an album, with a filler track tagged on the end, the boring Revolution 9 taking up valuable space, better given over to more Harrison songs.

I hadn't thought of Beggars Banquet as being a comeback album. And also, chart number ones aren't necessarily an accurate indication of the best music of the times.

Thanks Greg - that article sounds great. I'll read it later.


Mark - best of 2018? Coming soon. I heartily concur with your selections. All have hit the mark with me too.

Amazing what The Rolling Stones accomplished in just twelve days, between 30 November and 11 December, 1968.

Yes indeed - quite something.


I love Beggars Banquet

Best of 2018? Here ya go....


Favourite albums of 2018

Confidence Man - Confident Music for Confident People
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs
Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance
Go-Kart Mozart - Mozart's Mini-Mart

Favourite gigs of 2018

Idles at The Concorde
John Cooper Clarke at The Dome

Best of the rest - books, TV, films, festivals etc

Better Call Saul (TV)
End of the Road 2018 (Festival)
World Cup 2018 (Football)
Rose Tremain - Restoration (Book)
Irvine Welsh - Dead Men’s Trousers (Book)

Thanks Mark, for the Stones 1968 article. I'll be looking for the Beggars Banquet anniversary reissue.

Greg wrote: "Thanks Mark, for the Stones 1968 article. I'll be looking for the Beggars Banquet anniversary reissue."

I wasn’t convinced, at a glance, that the Beggars Banquet anniversary reissue was worth chasing down... as far as I can tell, there's no real bonus material like outtakes, alternate takes, etcet., like there was on the Exile anniversary reissue.

In general, it seems extremely underwhelming. After buying the complete 1960s In Mono boxed set a year or two ago, I think I’m done re-buying Stones albums. Or, as the case may be in a few instances, re-re-re-re-buying Stones albums.

Nigeyb wrote: "Best of 2018? Here ya go...."

Once again, Nigel, you’ve made me feel square and out of touch!

Although, I’ll very much second your rating JC Clarke as one of the year’s best gigs, and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing him here again in March.

JCC was on fine form. I could listen to him all night. A natural wit and very charismatic.

Mark wrote: "Once again, Nigel, you’ve made me feel square and out of touch!"

To be quite honest I think you're better off that way. I cannot help myself and obsessively investigate new music when, truth be told, I'd probably be happier playing the old favourites of which there are many.

By the by, I notice Jim Jones is playing a very small venue near me in February. I should snap up a ticket before they're all gone. That man certainly knows how to put on a show.

If you go, I’ll very much look forward to your review, as I’ve not seen Jim’s new band. Hopefully they’ll make it stateside after the new album comes out in March, but the odds do seem stacked against that happening.

Well, this should appeal to a whopping two people here [two, that is, including myself]...



At a glance, it sure seems to be the boxed set that approximately two of us have been waiting for -- three discs of compiled and curated Junkshop Glam, in all its two-bob glory. Pre-orders are going now, line forms behind me.

That looks amazing Mark. Bravo Sir. What a way to start 2019. A more fulsome reply over on the Glam Rock thread...

/topic/show/...

The new album from [The Beat, featuring] Ranking Roger is now out, and it’s absolutely killer...




This, however...

Thanks Mark - that last one he did was magnificent. I shall investigate this very day and hopefully procure a copy

A stroke?! No-ooo. Two tumours, and lung cancer. Poor bastard.


There's no justice

Yep, sad and shocking news indeed, and he's certainly got a rough road ahead of him. In the short span of that video, I went from feeling gutted to feeling hugely inspired by his positive outlook and attitude. He's always been one of the good guys.

The exact phrase that came into my head too, one of the good guys. Let's hope the positivity results in a healthy outcome.

By the by, have you ever seen cats in a large cage before? I wonder why he does that?

Nope, but I’ve always been a Dog Person, myself, and am allergic to cats. Maybe the cats tend to fight? Maybe someone in his home is allergic? Maybe his cats don't like visitors, so he cages them when people are over? Or maybe I have absolutely no idea at all.

Me neither - have no idea AND not a cat person


All plausible suggestions though

Let’s hope somebody posts that very reasonable question in the comments section.

By the way, somebody recently strongly recommended a book by the chap interviewing Roger in that clip, so I’ve ordered a copy of
Walls Come Tumbling Down: Rock Against Racism, 2 Tone, Red Wedge by Daniel Rachel. At a glance, it looks very interesting. I’m not clued-up at all when it comes to Red Wedge, but the RAR and 2Tone sections are bound to be worthwhile reads.

I've heard good things about that book Mark though have not read it. I might even have a copy on my Kindle (yep, I know, you're not a fan of digital books and I hang my head in shame).

I’ll definitely file a report after reading it.

Mark wrote: "The new album from [The Beat, featuring] Ranking Roger is now out, and it’s absolutely killer..."

I fully concur Mark

I've played it a few times and it's a winner

Do you know why he and Dave Wakeling don't work together anymore?

This album inspired me to listen to Dave's Beat album that came out last Summer. I don't think it's as good as the last two Roger helmed albums but it's still pretty good, and the thought of them collaborating together again would be mouthwatering. Guess they fell out for some reason or another. Shame. Perhaps Roger's illness might inspire a rapprochement?

Really glad to hear that you’ve been digging the new album. I think he locked onto a winning formula with Bounce, because that album was superb, and Public Confidential is just as good. Great songs, great performances, great production -- there just ain’t much more you could ask for, really.

As for why he and Wakeling no longer work together, I don’t know. I’m guessing it might be as simple as the fact the Roger lives in Birmingham, while Wakeling has been living stateside for years. In that video, Roger seemed to hint at reunion gigs next year, marking the band's 40th anniversary... or maybe I misinterpreted that in a brief moment of wishful thinking?

The only time I ever did a bunk from school was back in 1983, when I was a teenager, and The Beat were gigging in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. I had just come off an extensive bit of surgery to re-build my knee [a particularly nasty guitar accident - don’t ask!] and wasn’t exactly the picture of peak mobility.

The day of their gig, me and a friend sat outside the venue, just hoping for a chance to pay quick respects to a band that we liked a lot, as they made their way into soundcheck. Not only did we meet them on their way into the soundcheck, but Roger took us into the soundcheck, hung about shopping and eating with us for a few hours afterwards, smuggled us into the gig that evening [we didn’t have tickets because, at that young age, we had no money], made us comfortable backstage and chatted with us while the support band was on [REM] and, because my leg was in a full cast and I was on crutches, they put a chair on stage for me to safely sit on for the entire gig, right behind the keyboards.

That’s my Ranking Roger story. I’ve never forgotten his huge kindness.

That's an incredible story Mark. Wow. What a day. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better.... etc etc

New Peter Perrett album out on 7 June 2019 called 'Humanworld'.


The great man will also be doing a show down the road from me in May 2019. Hurrah!

First track on the album, I Want Your Dreams, is up on YouTube....



...and I think it's flipping marvellous

More about the album....

In other news Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind were splendid last Friday night

Yep, I’ve already placed my pre-order for the Peter Perrett album, and am very much looking forward to it... especially looking forward to finding out whether he’s actually had the bold brass neck to write a new song titled 48 Crash, or actually had the bold brass neck to cover Suzi’s!

Really glad to hear that the Righteous Mind didn't let you down. The new album’s quite good, I think... better, at any rate, than their first one.

Meanwhile, such sad news about Ranking Roger...

Mark wrote: "Meanwhile, such sad news about Ranking Roger..."

I hadn't heard until reading your comment

Yes, v sad indeed

Nigeyb wrote: "New Peter Perrett album out on 7 June 2019 called 'Humanworld'."


Another tune up on YouTube....


Peter Perrett � Once Is Enough

A mere two and a half minutes but, in pop, as we know, less is so often more

Another good'un, and no question. That’s two, so far, that auger very well for the new album.

Heavenly Day, superb new track off the forthcoming Peter Perrett album.

Oooh - thanks Mark. Will check it out later.

Strictly audio, but an absolutely perfect effort which augers very, very well for the album. You won’t be disappointed.

Oh yes. Really great.

I love how it builds throughout. Fortunately, it won’t be long now before the album’s out.

For anyone that likes a good podcast I can heartily recommend...


Chart Music

Each episode Al Needham picks a random episode of Top Of The Pops and a duo of fellow Melody Maker ex-journos (usually two of like Simon Price, Taylor Parkes, David Stubbs, Neil Kulkarni, and Sarah Bee) deconstruct it in loving detail.

It's by turns hilarious, incisive, scabrous, affectionate, passionate, and witty. Fundamentally they are knowledgeable and outspoken about the popular music of our youth.

Most of the TOTPs are from the 70s and 80s with the odd one from the 60s and 90s.

It's podcast gold. Available on iTunes, A-Cast and all the other places you can get podcasts from.

I'm currently midway through number #17 which is the 1973 Xmas Day special (December 25th 1973) and am thoroughly enjoying it - as always. I think it would be a good place to start if you are unsure whether the format is for you.

This is the YouTube playlist to accompany the episode which gives you an idea of how wide ranging the discussion can get....



A moderately special episode of the podcast which asks: so what did Tony Orlando do to get banged up for three years, then?

This episode, Pop-Crazed Youngsters, is a massively-flared, clompy-heeled, zebra-printed celebration of one of the greatest traditions of any British Christmas Day: the opportunity to force the rest of your extended family to sit through an end-of year episode of The Pops and revel in the torrent of tutting coming out of your Nana’s mouth as she works their way through the Quality Street. Fourteen chart-toppers from The Most Seventies Year Ever are trotted out, from a time when the Number One single was either astoundingly brilliant or absolute cat shit.

Your hosts � Tony Blackburn and Noel Edmonds � really get into the Christmas spirit by shoving tree branches up each other’s arses and donning massive Lenny Kravitz-style scarves of tinsel as wave after wave of alternate Glam nirvana and easy-listening rubbishness floods the screen. On the downside, Donny Osmond spends Christmas alone, David Cassidy has a big sulk around Kew Gardens and we discover that Santa is actually an obnoxious American child with big teeth, but Dave Hill mutates into a Chicken Angel! Roy Wood plays a vacuum cleaner! Steve Priest radges up the grandparents of Britain in a sexy Nazi Bismark rig-out as Andy Scott whips out his third leg! And some dog-flouncing-off action!

David Stubbs and Taylor Parkes join Al Needham for a gleeful ripping-down of the gaudy paper chains of 1973, veering off to discuss Jody Scheckter Racing, the infinite superiority of the Beano Book over the Dandy annual, grandparental fantasies about Roy Wood being made to peel potatoes, Opportunity Knocks winners who were massive racists, what breaks Donny Osmond’s heart, a flick through the Music Star Annual 1974, being sang at by an entire factory when you’ve had an over-long shit, and so much more, with swearing.....

BASHER!



Up thete with the best of the Word podcasts.

That is indeed a goodie David - and I've listened to every Word podcast ever ever ever

Mark wrote: "Yeah, funny old thing, this Octopus album. I can't really pinpoint how I know the cover artwork, but I'd definitely seen it more than a few times over the years, and it worked its way into my brain. The music was a really nice discovery for me... not the sort of thing that'll ever change my life, but an album that I'm enjoying more and more through repeated listens. "

Coincidentally I was grooving to The River (first track) this very day

Nigeyb wrote: "Coincidentally I was grooving to The River (first track) this very day ..."

Must dial that one up again at the weekend... been quite a while since I’ve given it a listen. The problem, though, is that after last night’s superb Adam Ant gig, I’m having a hard time listening to anything but Ant stuff at the moment!

Adam is a wonderful live experience

Omnomnomnomnom....

Woah


Surrender To The Rhythm: The London Pub Rock Scene Of The Seventies

Where do I sign?

£18 for that little lot is a bargain

I know about 20% of what's on that boxset - and if the other 80% comes close it will be a fine colletion

Sadly we have to wait until July 17, 2020

Thanks David oh bringer of sunshine

At my age, one can never be too careful, but I have abandoned caution to the rhythm and pre-ordered, gesturing manically in the direction of Covid-19. I suspect I have already about 60% of the contents on a feast of 45s, C90 cassettes and the maginificent Eggs Over Easy and Chilli Willi collections curated by Cherry Red in recent years, but the opportunity to have the very best of it all in one place for less than twenty quid delivered is not gonna be sniffed at.