Folk Roots – New Routes: Shirley Collins and Davy Graham. I’ve written about my on-off relationship with Folk Music before and how I liked it, then didn’t, then did again. The last “did again” phase has been ongoing for maybe fourteen or fifteen years, which isn’t quite as long as the preceding “off” phase, which…
The Ultimate Battle of The Titans – David Bowie vs. Peter Noone. Sort of, but not really.
As is often the case, I didn’t actually mean to write about what I ended up writing about. I meant to write about Baroque ‘n’ Roll again, but instead I ended up getting bogged down about Peter Noone out of Herman’s Hermits, David Bowie, Nietzsche, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and Sandie Shaw. I feel that I ought…
This Be The Curse. Or, We (Don’t) Mean It, Maaaan.
First things first: I’ve realised that my waffling has been getting worse, not better. When I first pressed what WordPress laughingly call the “publish” button, it was about 12,000 words long. About “normal” for me these days. And I got sick of reading it. As it was about my big deal, I thought I’d have a…
Pus In Cahoots. Or, Dominic Cummings’s Career as The Back End of A Pantomime Horse.
“Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.“ Otto Von Bismarck. “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.“ Sun Tzu. “The minimax: choose a strategy that minimises the possible maximum loss.” John Von Neumann on Game Theory. “Never interrupt…
Crabs & Dogs. First They Came For The Socialists… Or, How Labour Lost The Election. Brexit, Corbynism and Political (In)Correctness.
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— …
The Phenomenon of Donovan: Part 2 – Psychedelic Flower Child. Or, Gentle As Anything.
“I opened the door to the psychedelic revolution.” Donovan. In 1965, Donovan had exploded onto the music scene, and not just in Britain either. Catch The Wind, his debut single reached number 4 in Britain and number 23 on the Billboard charts in America. He was 18 years old. His first two albums and the…
The Phenomenon of Donovan: Part 1 – Introduction and Acoustic Troubadour.
“Bob Dylan is the poor man’s Donovan.” John Peel. “I’ll never forget hearing Donovan say “wanker” backstage at the Albert Hall about somebody. I mean, I was absolutely…I almost dropped to my knees…it was like being punched in the face. A terrible, upsetting shock.” John Peel. “If I can wend my way through the flowers…
Les Années Psychédélique – Part 2: La Responsable – Jacques Dutronc. Or, Vive Le Morrissey’s French, Spiritual Forefather. The Bastard.
First things first: I am enormously, feather-spittingly, cripplingly jealous of Jacques Dutronc. Second, my suspicion is that, despite Morrissey’s stated admiration for the work of Hattie Jacques, it’s this Jacques who he really had something in common with, at least in terms of this – absolutely cracking single. To draw a rough analogy in terms…
Les Années Psychédélique – Part 1: La Drogue – Messieurs Richard De Bordeaux & Daniel Beretta.
Those Frenchies, eh? When they’re not surrendering to invading forces and eating cheese, they’re sitting in cafes on the left bank of the Seine mumbling about existential torment. And when they’re not doing those things, they’re waggling their frilly knickered bottoms about here and there or being all cultured about the highbrow arts whilst sticking…
Reasons To Be Cheerless Parts 1, 2 & 3. Or, It’s The Hope That Kills You: Why Britpop Dated So Badly.
“The man who is a pessimist before 48 knows too much; if he is an optimist after it he knows too little.”—Mark Twain. “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?” Johnny Rotten, announcing the break up of The Sex Pistols. My name’s Middlerabbit, I’m 48 and I’m a pessimist. Not because Mark Twain told me…
