Like revruth [fellow blogger] I discovered BBC Radio 7 this weekend. Whilst flicking through Saturdays newspaper I spotted a 3 hour tribute to John Peel on 7. But why oh why just limit this tribute on a much loved and lost presenter to a digital audience? Is it just because the masses do not have a 3 hour attention span? I do hope it finds it's way onto a general BBC channel so that his many fans can hear it.
I thought it was going to be bitty and filled in with huge chunks of music, but I do it a major diservice. It was excellent with many rare recordings including pieces from his early Perfumed Garden shows.
It started with Peel sharing his musical influences and boy did I identify with so many of them. A wonderful 3 hours, well done BBC 7!

We miss you.

ipod
therefore
ilisten

CD: GRACE - Really didn't know what to expect when I settled down to listen to this album as I had bought it on the strength of his recording of Cohen's HALLELUJAH which appeared on an Acoutsic CD.
Needless to say the album was vastly different to this one track.
On the first track his beautiful, beautiful voice just echoes into the track, very eerily. His voice has a sweet tone enhanced by it's quick tremble vibrato. It stretches itself over the lyrics in a very restless way.
I loved his version of LILAC WINE basically because it's the one track, along with Hallelujah, where you can really hear his voice.
In SO REAL a guitar manages to sound like a chain saw!

I don't really know how to react to the album other than it sounds like a nervous breakdown with brief moments of sanity particularly when his voice is at it's most operatic on CORPUS CHRISTI CAROL [how brave to put this part way through the track listing].

It's a curious, much older sounding album than 1994 and it has me totally hooked. I have read a little nore about the album on the web this afternoon and am intrigued by it all, not sure if I like it yet - I am going to give it a few more listens - but it is different and in this day of manufactured songs and sheep like copying, it matters just how different a 'sound' is.

Well I feel too young to hold on
And I'm much too old to break free and run
Too deaf, dumb, and blind to see the damage I've done
LOVER, YOU SHOULD'VE COME OVER

Bought some new music yesterday as a result of taking my 2 godsons, who are over from Canada, on a gift finding spree. Comic Books for one and CD's for the other so got that sorted.
Though they say there is very little price difference between UK and Canadian CD's, there is more choice which is good to hear. Maybe in some small way we are still the music leaders?
I bought OOH LA LAby Goldfrapp, IN BETWEEN DREAMS Jack Johnson and then I spied Rufus Wainwrights POSES for 4.99 so had-to-have-that.
My girlfreind is sweet, she carries around my 'want' list of music and if I have been nice to her, she will ocassionaly buy me something off the list [no-one else except her can have the magic list, that's her deal] and yesterday whilst we browsed Virgin she saw Scott Walkers FIVE PIECES and so she got it for me! Spoilt was I!!
So some of these will get loaded onto the ipod for our week in Portugal and my thoughts duly recorded on this blog.
To anyone reading this, have a good week, get into the sunshine as often as you can and I hope you treat your ears to some musical moments at some point through this Bank Holiday week lead up.

Did anyone listen to Radio 1's: SAMPLED: HOW POP ATE ITSELF last Saturday? I thought it was a really good show with a positive message about sampling which I am all for as it re-creates classic songs and brings info about these songs and other artists to a new audience. Plus if done well, it rocks!
Would like to hear what others think about sampling and what your fave sampled bits are. Mine being really very obvious as I am a huge John Barry fan so Robbie Williams MILLENIUM is my number one.

Well my weekend was a little frustrating, wanted to get on with the podding as I only have 3 weeks left till my holiday so wanted to get a load of stuff on there to take with me. Didn't happen. This was due to me installing and learning how to use my Sony Mini Disc Player/Recorder with my PC with Net MD.
My trusty IT helper Lexy sussed it in a short while and I can now record straight from my PC, stuff I have recorded and mixed etc., to my portable Mini Disc player in seconds. Sony Net MD is very cool plus it's an alternative to 'getting stuff out of my PC' on CD only.
I have a cool set up now in my studio and hundreds of music tracks to sort, file and convert. So why was I frustrated? Because now I truly have all the kit I need and no time to use it!
Guess it's time to start buying those Lottery Tickets again.

I have discovered a new way to loose weight. Buy yourself an ipod! I have done more walking now that I have my magic, white machine. I update my chosen podcasts and off I go and the pounds are falling off, how neat is that?
Only one thing - I know that the ipod is an American invention and I know that they created podcasts but where are all the UK podcasts? Come on, why are we dragging our heals?
I found a website www.ukpodcasts.info and it's the most unispiring list. In the 'hobbies' list it has one on poker and one on knitting!
If anyone knows any decent UK podcasts [except for Kermodes 5Live film reviews and the weekly DVD Review] for gods sake let me know.
Welcome to my 2 new friends [funny how one of them has the same surname as me], hope my blog keeps you interested.
THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY

In the office again today so my music source is really limited. In fact, it's only R2 on an old radio and nothing more but as I type they are playing SUPERSTITION by Mr Wonder. It has lifted me which is what I needed.

This is how long I was stuck on the M25 yesterday, I listened to James Blunt's BACK TO BEDLAM CD whilst on a small stretch of the M25 yesterday due to an accident.
I read earlier in the day in WORD magazine that David Baddiel had recently listened to it and said; 'I really like it at the moment, but I'm sure I'll tire of it'
Unfortunately I tired of it half way through, his voice, though very soulful and quite extraordinary, is a difficult voice to listen to and I don't like it, too high pitched for me. He also seems to have the ability to write suberb lyrics but then heavily relies on repeating them several times during the course of a song. In fact worse than this is that he repeats a line several times in a vain attempt to use it as a bridge or chorus. And I don't mind swear words in music, in most cases it greatly enhances things but here, the use of the F word in one it's most haunting tracks, YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL, is just misplaced.
And how interesting that the critics have used his stint fighting in Kosovo as a backdrop for their quotes as shown on the CD's cover:-
'James Blunt makes love, not war', The Guardian and 'March to the record stores in battalions', The Evening Standard. Yuk!
The CD's artwork has a 70's look about it and indeed Blunts face on the cover has a kind of Jim Morrison look about it. Curious artwork.
I did see him on the Jooles Holland show singing GOODBYE MY LOVE which is a perfect song to lost love.
The ulitmate track for me and slightly saved the album was NO BRAVERY, a song from his heart, powerful and a song for today.
I am obviously in the minority with this album as it's zoomed to the top of both the single and album charts. Sorry but it really needs a couple of 'lighten up' tracks.

No fave tracks to list I'm afraid, but the most irritating is Track 6, OUT OF MY MIND.

Well although I set the whole day aside, due to the mundane tasks of life including a hair trim [and a lazy lunch with my sister], I didn't get to do any Podding until 4.30pm.
The Audacity programme's icon I recently downloaded, was shouting to me from my desktop so I just had to have a play around and I am impressed with it and still can't get over the fact it's free!
Increased my itune library by a mere 35 tracks. This was my studio floor which really does not give a full picture of the scale of my musical journey:-

Got some classic stuff on there today like Aretha's I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER and Warwick's WALK ON BY.
Got some great tracks on from a free MOJO CD. If you're into music you should really get MOJO mag each month. It's the only mag which covers, and covers it seriously, all kind of music genres and each month you get a free CD, most of which are very good. One of their recent is SOUTHERN SOUL and there is some superb tracks like THE GRUNT by the JB's and GET UP AND GET DOWN by The Dramatics.

Read in the paper today that over-30's are buying the most music! Well of course they are as they can remember when songs had good lyrics plus song that were written with some heart, integrity and some design on longevity. I love chart music but these days everything sounds the same [I know that makes me sound middle aged, but I am and it's true!].
Back to the podding and hopefully I'll get to do some tomorrow.
Current ipod song totals: 388 [oh and decided to upload the whole of Wainwrights sublime album Want One - see a couple of blogs ago].

I am lucky because I get to work at home but today I am in the office and it's hell to be so confined. I even have music at work, a small radio but I get such a bad signal that I can only listen to Radio 2
Lunchtimes are OK though, I go for a work round the block with my ipod and listen to podcasts, my saviour.
I have come to the realisation that I can trash a complete day [though I don't actually think it's trashing but others would say otherwise] on the computer. There are podcasts to download, new music to check out, this blog to keep alive, and THEN you start clicking on links and off you go .......
I downloaded a great bit of free kit yesterday, an audio editor software called AUDACAITY www.audacity.sourceforge.net
I can now mix tracks. It's very easy to use.

So much to learn and do and enjoy ....

Tomorrow I plan to spend the whole day uploading tracks from my CD collection to my ipod, can't think of anything better [less of course I am doing it whilst eating a large bag of White Maltesers].

Will let you know how I get on and what I discover I've got!

Found time to really sit and listen to Wainwright's WANT ONE album last night. There is just something about his voice which grabs me instantly and holds me, let alone the superb lyrics and somewhat lavish arrangements.
Starts with the fantastic OH WHAT A WORLD, the beginning is celestial and you are not quite sure what you're in for, then this big, flat tuba comes in and takes you to circus land. And tell me, is that Bolero he has pinched in the background? That line 'Oh, what a world my parents gave me', dual edged as we all recognise that line and also because of who his parents are.
It never falters, each track a dream and a delight. From the wonderful strangeness of VIBRATE, the weird banjo at the end of 14th STREET to the haunting DINNER AT EIGHT.
My faves: Oh What A World and Beautiful Child.
He has a fab website: www.rufuswainwright.co.uk and I have just got tickets to his December Concert @ Birmingham Symphony.

Thank god for Rufus, an artist with no boundaries!

"...around the planets of my face"
Pretty Things
Track 5

Though not new to the internet, I have not long been on broadband and when working at home very rarely now listen to my stand alone radio. I have discovered music on the net. Thank god the net and podcasting seems to be the last frontier of people playing what they like instead of what they are told. Very few commercials, no news and on some stations no presenters!
One of my biggest collections is soundtrack music and I can recommend www.live365.com as a great place to start choosing your soundtrack station, try imagine.ave radio. It plays actual soundtrack cues and not just a pop song that was dropped into a film and then appears on the soundtrack album!

I have always been 'sideliner' fan of Chris Rea and over the last 2 years I have really gotten into Blues. It's easy to put Blues in the Jazz scheme of things; 'don't understand it, won't listen to it'. The reality is that Blues is easier than anything to understand and to'get'.

Having been ill over the last week or so my partner bought me the latest Rea double CD DANCING DOWN THE STONY ROAD and it is a gem and the final confirmation that I must listen to more Blues.

The first track EASY RIDER really get's you there and the whole CD keeps you there. His voice is like a 'soft Tom Waits', and though bluesy, has a lot of soul. His guitar playing on this album is phenomenal as is his artwork of guitars included in the inlay sheet.

Wha's even cooler is the the fact that he lists what guitars were used on the CD:
Fender Thin Line
Fender Tornado
Stratocasters

The Sunday Times reviewed it as; 'raw and honest' and 'the best record Rea has ever made', I agree.

Are you looking out
For what's missing inside
You can scream and shout
But you can never ever hide
'Ride On' Track 1 CD 2