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@peacefrog – wow, lots of music for me to catch up on!

Apologies I haven’t been around to listen or ping-pong back, but its obvious we have a lot of overlapping tastes (though I’ll admit to never yet getting into the Grateful Dead, so will listen to those songs to get inspired!!).

Will try and listen soon and try and ‘reply’ with songs.

:¬)

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So, I enjoyed this one more than the previous episodes this series. Would have to watch again to see if its the writing, direction or casting/acting, but it was ok.

I can’t really add anything that anyone else has already said eg discomfort at lack of mindwipes when they were used before (though like most I think they’re problematic at best); Doctor seemingly threatening to kill the Queen; monster as (too)obvious reflection of human drama.

Maybe I just enjoyed (the actor playing) Tesla!

So, I can see there are bonkers theories swirling… all good!
I assume it won’t be that there’s a different ‘superior’ alien race that has created Time Lords and Daleks through genetic experimentation and gifted Time tech (and so Master can’t be a ‘master’).
But, maybe there is a bonkers link I’ve spotted and yes….

its musical!

;¬)

Basically, is Chibnall a Kraftwerk fan?

Spyfall – Computer World
(“Interpol and Deutsche Bank, FBI and Scotland Yard…
Business, Numbers, Money, People…
Computer World”)
Orphan 55 – Radioactivity
(“Chain reaction and mutation
Contaminated population
Stop radioactivity
Is in the air for you and me”)
Tesla – The Voice of Energy
(“I am a giant electrical generator
I supply you with light and power
And I enable you to receive speech
Music and image through the ether
I am your servant and lord at the same time”)

Just saying…

[I may have to listen to a lot more Kraftwerk to see if I can come up with any ‘lie’ based theme.]

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Hi @peacefrog – ah, Karen O. I like Yeah Yeah Yeahs but only have the first album (I think).
It reminded me (perhaps many things do!) of Mimi Goese when I saw her chanced upon this concert on TV ‘back-in-the-day’.
(memories of hearing one song and scrabbling around on the carpet looking for a VHS to tape it on! The rest of it was amazing too – Durutti Column and David Byrne)

As I say, it wasn’t fancy but… fascination

Oh, and btw you mention the Beastie Boys and Pink Floyd’s Leslie amps so I think you may have also been bingeing on this while you were looking for choons (the one you found was great btw).

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and this is for….

everyone

thank you

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@thane16 – that’s a great version of La Marsellesa – and you’re right about the female choir needing more voices! But I loved the male singers barging in to begin with… and being barged back out.

Its a great, stirring song. A real puff-your-chest-out-in-pride rabble rowser.

And in no surprise to anyone who’s ever seen me post a song, here’s something less…

… but with a killer bass to carry on @peacefrog ‘s earlier bass tracks (incl Jane’s Addiction as well as a soon-to-be-added-after-ripping-my-effing-cd-finally Femmes)!

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So, the opener Spyfall had a motorbike chase.

That is enough of an excuse for these two slightly different songs.

and this which is (surprise!) very tender.

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So Whisht, you haven’t commented on the episode.
[Whisht shakes his head]

Would you like to?
[Whisht looks uncomfortable with being asked about the episode]

Ok Whisht, its ok. Here’s a doll. Point to where the episode hurt you.

[Whisht points to the doll’s head]
Ah,
[Whisht points to the heart]
I see…
[Whisht points to the ears]
Hm, ok….
[Whisht points to the eyes]

Ok, OK. I get it. Nothing positive to add?
[Whisht looks pained]

Hm, no songs smart arse?
[Whisht looks down]

Hmmmm…. You didn’t add any songs for the opener either.
It was a two parter! There were revelations! And no songs??
[Whisht looks up – his eyes look bright for the first time]

You have a song for the opener?
[Whisht nods enthusiastically]

Will it add to the enjoyment and insights people had for it?
[Whisht looks down]

Oh ffs its just a random piece of music tied to a search on your iTunes again isn’t it?

[Whisht looks back at the doll. Orphan 55 still hurts]

Stop sucking your thumb Whisht….

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Hey @peacefrog – Thanks so much for posting so much music!

Always great to hear good choons – its a great Violent Femmes song and I do love the mixes on that Beastie Boys track and there’s even a Daniel Johnston cover!

@arbutus – wow – Not heard Lau before and that’s really piqued my interest!
I really enjoyed how its folkiness is welded to something very different to what I’m used to when I think of ‘Folk’.

All I have is a couple of tunes I found when searching for ‘words-related-to-an-episode’.
Though I think I’ve done the first one one before so methinks there was an episode with a “tranquility” link!

And we’re all about the independent women here!

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@pedant – my parents were economic migrants.
My dad caught the thick end of abuse.

Fuck off.

You called me an enabler of racism.

Fuck off.

I’ll listen to music and reply to that but fuck off.

Merry xmas

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{sigh}
I can’t edit the end of my post so just to make clear(er)(er) I wasn’t saying that Blue used “they” arguments (at least if she did, I wasn’t referring to it).

I disagree with her arguments about Brexit for a number of separate reasons.
I was trying to reply to her previous answer to me, but her comments were written in a way that I needed to read them a few times to be sure I understood where she was arguing from (that’s not a slight on her writing – definitely my ability to read and argue).
It also meant I had to think about my own reasoning and question my own assumptions and prejudices.

time passes.

If I don’t reply that doesn’t mean I agree.

Likewise if I don’t reply to something, that doesn’t mean “oh, I don’t mind you calling me an enabler of racism. No, that’s fine, you go right ahead. What me? no, why would I think ‘Fuck you’? Oh you just meant I was stupid? nah, that’s fine too”

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@pedant @thane16
Can I be clear(er)?

In my anecdote, when the person made the comments about the strain on local services and it being the fault of “the Poles and Lithuanians”, my family member and myself both made the point that the person’s belief needed to extend to… my family member, two other people in the conversation and others they’d mentioned who had also moved to the town.
It. Was. Challenged.

IN fact we discussed the nuances that indeed, in London at least, Polish immigrants had caused more-than-expected strain on A&E as it was common for them to go to A&E as a first-port-of-call for health. They were not used to using a GP for healthcare (I can’t now remember why, but may be to do with provison, access, cost, trust).
We actually had a nuanced conversation with the whole group. Some things people had heard/read were lies, some were true, some overblown. But within a few minutes we covered quite a lot off ground because we fusking listened to each other.

What we didn’t do was simply shout “RACIST!” as if its some sort of game of “how many did you spot today?”.
What we did was engage, listen, understand why they felt what they felt and challenged it in those terms. Did we change that person’s view? Maybe. A bit. It will need more people saying similar things to that person.

Do I always challenge racists? No. In fact over xmas I’m likely to hear a family member say something racist and in the interests of not causing a scene, every other person within earshot will go silent, swallow and move on.
Am I proud of that?
No.

If you’d like, if it happens this xmas I can post the incident here and you can shout “Racist!” together and then “Snap!” as that’s a fun family game people play at xmas.

Oh and by the way, I also disagree with @bluesqueakpip ‘s assertions with Brexit.
Because its not just “they’re all stupid. They’re all racists. They’re all principled.”
If you’re saying “they” then check yourself. At least that’s what I’d like to think I do, because as soon as you say “they” you’re on a slippery slope.

I’m not replying to much more of my own anecdote.

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Hi @pedant

Well, I realise that I’ve left an important part out.
I guess I tried to use the anecdotal info along with the general, as “they” are not a homogeneous bloc.
And yes, I mean “they” in every sense of Poles, Blacks, Muslims, ‘others’… Leavers.

The group I was talking with were lumping all the Poles and Lithuanians together as ‘them’, but they were uncomfortable with their own feelings. At least one was, who knew he was being xenophobic, but at the same time had the feelings, but knew it was wrong. I genuinely think he was trying to navigate his own feelings, worries and thoughts of ‘what should be done’.

Now he’s just one person (and the others were just 5-6 more) and all had varying shades of this.
It didn’t mean we didn’t argue with them that they needed to think of the individuals and ‘what should be done’ in those terms, how arguments were false/ lies/ not as simple as put forth.

None used weasel words. They used words like ‘them’ and seeing my/ my family member’s reaction (and maybe a reaction of others in the conversation) knew what they’d said and knew it was wrong.

Sadly, I don’t think its up to the people who have helped use nativism/ xenophobia/ racism to help further their goals. Unfortunately its up to the rest of us to convince everyone else that those things are stupid. Literally, bigotry is people being ‘dumb’, as-in not thinking.

Perhaps even more sadly, does it mean I wouldn’t want to punch Cummings/ Bannon if I ever saw them?
No – I probably would get to a level of anger I’ve rarely been to, where I’ve frozen, then shaken then roared in frustration/anger. Maybe I’d even do what I’ve never done and actually punched someone.
Would that achieve any positive results?
No.
Would I feel sorry for them if I finally in my life unleashed fury upon them?
No.
And I’m not proud of that.

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Hi @bluesqueakpip et al
As it was my anecdote, I think I do need to be explicit about what I mean (I’ve already failed in my writing once on this. I guess I’ll probably get it wrong twice but here goes!).

[Alonsy perhaps…]

Basically I have family living in Northampton and Yorkshire (also elsewhere).
I was speaking to the Northampton friends-of-family and it was they who mentioned the ‘Poles’ and the ‘Lithuanians’. They probably didn’t use the word ‘uncomfortable’ about themselves, but it was one that I thought described their feelings.
However. They didn’t worry about the new neighbours who were from London, Scotland, South East England, Yorkshire and elsewhere (who we know). Apparently there were quite a few people moving in from other parts of the Midlands.
They also didn’t talk about the families from Poznan, Katowice, Warsaw etc. Simply ‘Poles’ as if they were all the same.
That is the xenophobia (at least in my view) that I refer to. They are ‘other’ in not being native to Northampton, but lumped together (unlike the British migrants).

So I guess I was trying to allude to how people don’t think of themselves as xenophobic, but if you’re lumping groups of ‘others’ together who ‘weren’t born here’ then (in my view) that’s what you are.

I then mentioned how the spread of far right, populism, nativism, racism etc is on the rise.
If that conflated with “all Leavers are racist” then apologies, it wasn’t my intent.

My intent was to say that my knowledge is personal and limited! I’ve spoken with a few people in a particular town(s) and have read Guardian, BBC and right-wing dominated media (esp Telegraph headlines which are shocking), as well as pieces about rise in far right, populism, nativism etc. In my view, a lot of the ‘fuel’ for Leave narrative/ argument-for was xenophobic and keyed into xenophobia of large sections of society.

I totally agree that we need to understand why people wanted to Leave, because (in my view) its highly likely that ‘Leaving’ will solve the problems that they thought it would.
In order to do that we must be empathetic towards them as much as possible.

Perhaps that’s where my initial “they aren’t racist but… uncomfortable” was trying (very badly) to get at.
We need to understand people from their point of view, not demonise them. That does not mean we need to agree with them or give excuses for them. We must constantly challenge the assertions if they are xenophobic.
But we aren’t going to learn or move toward the world we want (where there is no xenophobia or racism) without understanding people’s fears and countering them and offering a better alternative.

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and something I know I’ve never posted as I only found it the other week(!) while looking for something else.

I need this album!

(not trying to bring the mood down again, but this is a lovely slice of soul)

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and other songs I’ve posted before, but are ones that are about feeling better (a feeling I need) and simply joyous.

That share a tuba.

Tuba??

Yeah, tuba.

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@blenkinsopthebrave
You are a wise man.
Music that makes us feel good.
A Morricone piece that always makes me smile is this, though its for the visuals too…

The juxtaposition of the sheer beauty of music and Claudia Cardinale to the place she’s landed in… I dunno. I just always liked that.

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@pedant – thanks again for the Dixie Chicks.
And thanks for the ever-prompt to check lyrics (I do mean this without any sarcasm or humour or whatever – I know text on a screen and my usual-tone might make it seem something other, but I do genuinely mean it).

I realise that the only thing I have close to the Dixie Chicks in sound terms is REM.
Or maybe B52s (though they’re more ’50’s but they do have a country twang at times… maybe.)

hmm.
Thanks again

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ah, @pedant my wording, my bad.

“They’re not racist but… they’re uncomfortable”

I can’t get back into my head and so can’t exactly remember what I was trying to get at.
Whatever I was doing I was being too clever by half.

Maybe I was trying to write a phrase with far too many things ‘between the lines’ (or ellipses).

So, while I don’t think that the
“country morphed practically overnight into a bunch of racist, far right, nationalist loons” (@bluesqueakpip being a tad hyperbolic for effect), I do think that some people, the people I spoke with in Northampton (and in Yorkshire) were xenophobic. They were definitely xenophobic toward the Poles and Lithusanians they mentioned coming into their towns.
And sadly, xenophobia and racism is back on the rise in England.
Its shameful.

Bigotry in the forms of xenophobia and racism were always under the surface. I’d hoped that being under the surface they would slowly die through a lack of use over the generations.
However that bigotry has been weaponised by the right wing and Tory party to maintain power. On the Left, there’s an admission they have a problem with antisemitism (probably linked to support of Palestinians).

The Brexit campaigns tapped into that bigotry.
It wasn’t the only thing being argued about (Blue mentions principled stances on political concerns).
However, it was the loudest and the most damaging. I don’t remember ever hearing much of a coherent argument for principled reasons to leave the EU (a lot of empty phrases and lies).
But there was a lot of xenophobia and racism.
The aftermath campaigns also tapped into the bigotry again as Blue mentions (blaming supporters for being bigots).

Anyway… all very sad. Far Right on the rise here too.

merry xmas etc etc

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Hi @lisa – here’s another source of info on Boris.
Here’s a least one site and journalist (Peter Oborne) trying to keep up with the lies he tells.
Also he’s not as smart as his posh tones would suggest, but is lazy (as has been recorded by tutors, fellow students and even in a documentary when he was Foreign Secretary).

One hope that I’m clutching onto, is based on the fact that Boris Johnson is massively opportunistic. He has always wanted to lead the country and now he is. But he has shown how he will stab people in the back (Gove during Referendum) and renege on promises (too many to list). The most egregious broken promise may be to the DUP. He voted against Teresa May’s negotiated agreement because it would leave a border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. He said no Tory leader would ever countenance such a betrayal. This ‘red line’ was one reason many doubted he could negotiate a different Withdrawal Agreement. It was only when the EU realised he was willing to break that red line that they opened up negotiations again thus creating a ‘border down the Irish Sea’.

I mentioned ‘hope’! My hope is that he’ll blow in the media wind and we’ll end up without too damaging a withdrawal from the EU or Trade deal.
I mentioned I was clutching, but I don’t believe that Boris particularly believes anything enough to ‘die in a ditch’ over something.
Of course, the same thing could lead to us crashing out in a very damaging way.

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@pedant – argh, I missed the Housemartins! You may be interested (or not!) to know that you and this forum has meant that whenever I listen to anything posted (especially by you) I tend to open up another tab for the lyrics!
And @thane16 – I also missed your Joy Division. I really need to listen to more Joy Division. I wasn’t in to them at the time, but there’s no excuse not listening now.

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ooh – lots of great music here!!

@pedant
The Cocker is… amazing. I think that’s the word I’m left with.
How many do I need to buy/ download??!?
Also the Dixie Chicks – I’ll admit I’m not a fan but always good to need to listen to music I don’t think I’ll like. I need to confront my prejudices far more often and I cannot fault the sentiment in the song!

@thane16 – That Hammer music is wonderful! Its exactly what I have in mind when I think of ‘horror’!! It also somehow conjures up some fantasy-eastern-Europe of castles and mountains and…. things that go bump in the night.

@blenkinsopthebrave – it was great hearing this straight after the Hammer music. A real change and obviously its very Glass!
Its kinda romantic (though not Romantic) and doom-laden in a reserved way, but with some fluttering hope.. or is it passionate love.. or just a victim?!?

Both of these made me go back and listen to The Thing. I’d not realised it was a Morricone composition! But I think Carpenter probably had a heavy hand on it – if nothing else the motif of the synth-throb. This is a bit long and as its not Morricone’s ‘best evah’ people can feel free to pass! But if you’re somewhere cold wanting to listen to cold, or somewhere hot wanting to chill, this will leave you… freezing.

In terms of Dracula-related songs…. well, this is a bit silly.

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Hi @lisa – I’m typing while needing to do something else so massive apologies if thsi is rushed.
Will write better tomorrow.

Blue post definintely needs attention too!

But just wanted to say from my standpoint – you can dip in and out of here just like everyone else does. No hierarchy. If someone joins tomorrow I’ll read their post just as closely as someone who was here from the beginning.

I think you need to get sources of info other than your friend. It sounds like you’re getting a single source and just so you know, I know a few people in DoH and none of them think Brexit is ‘good’ for NHS (in and of itself). That’s not to ssay I know everyone, nor that they know more than your sister, just that there are valid other views.

gottta go as my typos I can see lots of red and its annoying me(!) but I really gotta go.
But also Johnson is an incredibly dangerous poilitician. I won’t suggest equivalences with Trumop but Johnson lies because he enjoys the attention and sees no problem with lying.
This is incredibly dangerous. Especially for a politician.

sorry for rushing reply

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ah – I’m late to the ‘party’ on this post General Election discussion in the pub (which is exactly the right place for it).

There’s a lot of things said and not sure I have either the knowledge or wisdom to ‘respond’ or even give my thoughts on it all.
However I also recognise that many here aren’t in the UK and are getting their insight from their ‘overseas’ (to me!) media. Maybe that’s a more balanced view than we get in the UK(!) but for what its worth, here’s my take (at least today).

there’s a TL;DR at the end.

I guess with all things lets start with…

[Deep Breath]

@bluesqueakpip is ‘right’ in my view, in that there is a feeling that Leavers are mostly xenophobic, gullible, not-educated-enough and that the Referendum was fraudulent in some way (eg campaigns given too much money; dodgy tactics in Social media; illegal use of personal data).
So its understandable that Blue would feel “hold on – I’m none of those things, don’t lump me in with them.”
How many Leavers are xenophobic as opposed to philosophically against the EU ‘project’ and a return to a perception of a greater ‘fairness’ outside of the EU, I can’t know. Perhaps I have less faith in people than Blue does (in fact I’m pretty sure that’s the case).
Blue is also right in that Remainers have looked to several legal means to reverse the Referendum.
That also is seen as ‘not fair’ by Leavers and duplicitous. It needs to be said though, that when the Referendum was being counted, Farage believed he’d lost and said he’d fight the Referendum’s outcome.
That tune quickly changed when he realised he’d won.

Blue also mentions how poorly the Remain campaign in 2016 was run – I’d completely agree. There was no ‘positive’ message and the tactic the Tories thought had won the Scottish Referendum ‘remain’ decision (“Project Fear”) would win the UK/EU Referendum. It didn’t.
Blue has said before how Remain MPs were deluded by a ‘bubble’ of info they were getting in metropolitan areas. They were not listening to non-metropolitan areas. This is especially true outside London which has always had many immigrants. But for places like Northampton, suddenly getting a new immigrant population did make (some) people anxious. Seeing ‘Polski’ shops and people speaking another language on the street, did make (some) people uncomfortable. Its anecdotal but I’ve spoken with them. They’re not racist, but… they’re uncomfortable.
This lack of understanding non-metropolitan working class areas and concerns is again being mentioned in terms of Labour’s defeat in this 2019 General Election. They weren’t listening to their core voters. They weren’t making a good argument for voting Labour. So Labour voters in core Labour constituencies (for generations) either voted Tory to Leave the EU, or stayed at home. As Tory votes only went up a ‘bit’ in these areas, it suggests many stayed at home – not willing to vote Labour yet not willing to vote Tory.

What I think needs adding into this though is that the UK has undergone a policy of ‘austerity’ under this Tory government for the last 9-10 years. Basically after the Global Financial crash there was a need to look at government spending.
However the opportunity was taken by the Tories to reduce financing across the social sector. Money was found to go to the Banks/ Bankers etc but not NHS, Social Care, Benefits etc. This was an ideological Austerity that has continued well beyond any ‘belt-tightening’ was ever needed.
When Brexit was being campaigned there was a conflation of arguments and ‘reality-on-the-ground’. As Blue mentioned ‘too many immigrants, not enough hospitals’. But immigration didn’t cause the lack of services, a lack of Govt investment did.
And indeed there were media vox-pops where I actually heard a pensioner say “its terrible around here; so many people sleeping on the streets. More than I’ve ever seen. Hopefully this Tory government can sort this out” not realising that they’re responsible.
Indeed this continued austerity was being conflated with the Tory Governernment’s inability to ‘get Brexit done’ and therefore be able to look at ‘other matters’. As austerity was ideological I personally doubt they would have decidied to turn the taps back on and indeed when campaigning, Johnson was only promising to get finances back to after austerity began (ie not enough to help the pain).

Also worth adding is that Brexit wasn’t ‘getting done’ due to Brexiteer MPs and advocates (eg Farage) disagreeing on what flavour of Brexit they wanted. They consisstently voted down various options and prevented Brexit. The lack of a majority for the Tory government and a Leader (Teresa May) who was ill-equipped to work with alliances, meant that everything stalled in Parliament. It wasn’t just Remainers preventing Brexit, it was often hard-line Brexiteers.

@lisa mentions Trade Deals.
Brexit will happen and trade deals will come. The flavour of Brexit Johnson can now deliver could be anything between no-deal/ crash out and a close, “level playing field” with EU and somewhere between. The extremes are now possible with his majority and they have implications for UK economy and any trade deals. But these will take time, the UK economy is stagnating and will have less after leaving the EU. The “sunny uplands” people are hoping for are years away.
From what I read of Blue’s posts, hers are ideological reasons for leaving the EU. I haven’t read in our media a believable analysis that says UK will be better off economically (at least in short term).
Fwiw my inclination is to stay in EU and influence its direction from within as we have done. We now have zero influence of a very influential group of countries (though by leaving we may have weakened it so that its dissolution is more likely in next 40 years).
By staying also sends a message of tolerance in mt view, but tolerance is not dependant on staying in EU.

Finally, a small mention to the Media.
The Print media has always been mainly right wing. Johnson as a ‘journalist’/writer has written for them.
They have been vociferously anti-Corbyn and pro-Johnson.
Their vociferousness has included lies about Corbyn (as well as uncomfortable truths) and ignoring Johnson’s racist remarks (that he often made in them).
The BBC has been accused of bias toward the Conservatives, but whether its Tory bias or bias toward the Government of the day is a possible debate. There will be a review no doubt.
Social media has played its part in bubbles, targeted messaging, and untrue stories spreading quickly before being fact-checked.
The media (esp. Social) is where “dead cats are thrown on the table” to distract from bad news for Johnson and Tories.

TL;DR

Possible reasons Labour lost the General Election and Tories won:

– Corbyn (perceived as: antisemitic; Marxist; holding an uncomfortable position(s) on Brexit; possibly hard to understand or warm to in interviews)
– Brexit (confused Labour message; not as simple as Tories’ relentless single message of “done by Jan”)
– Labour Manifesto (individual policies apparently attractive, but there were too many to be remembered and the message was unfocused and in total unbelievable to voters they’d deliver it)
– Not a party that listens to the working class (this could be Leave-related in that many Labour voters voted to Leave but Party not seen as respecting that; Labour seen as thwarting Brexit thus stopping the Govt acting on social issues/ investment).

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Hi all.

In UK the “exit polls” are in.

Grim news.

fuckety fuckety fuck.

“Misery is rushing down on me…”

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@thane16 – well yes I sat through that whole power-ballad from Bon Jovi.
Sounds like a live recording (or at least they’ve mixed in a crowd).
There – that’s to prove I really did listen all the way through.

And yes, that serves me right.

:¬~

So when I thought of “rambling” I obviously should have gone with this:

Crunchy garage band. Geeetarr solos. Swearing. A bloody racket.
What’s not to like?

;¬)

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@cathannabel – I haven’t the words to truly say how sorry I am to hear about your brother.
Never feel daft or even guilty for going to places where you can find strength, space, peace and even laughter.
We’ll all be here for you and your family.

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@pedant – with the train video I had thought “hm, that’s niche, you’ve found a trainspotters’ video of regional trains…” then I watched and listened!

;¬)

Nice.

@thane16 syzygy – Midnight Oil – they’re a good reminder of how a musician realised that he could make more impact as a politician. Not sure if he did, but respect to him that he thought he could (its certainly not taking the easy option).

There has been industrial, Military Grade lying in this election.
Shameless, unequivocal, pointed-out-in-the-interview lying.

The Truth? Well, you can’t hide from the Truth cos the truth is all there is.
(though maybe I’m just being hopeful)

So we’re in the home stretch of our election in UK.
Polls have it somewhere between a Tory majority win and a Labour minority win. Tories and right-wing Press going with increasingly ‘populist’ messages (ie bigoted/ racist/ lock-’em-up/ scary Marxist Armageddon).
But even a PM who won’t acknowledge a photo of a 4 yr old boy with suspected pneumonia, lying on coats on a hospital floor due to lack of beds/funding, isn’t losing votes. Doesn’t help that the BBC political Editor amplified a lie that ‘something else had happened’ at an event designed to distract attention from this bad news-moment. And then a central News programme suggested that Labour aren’t interested in NHS as the Labour leader hasn’t been photo’d in an A&E recently (which btw screws up A&E’s on the day massively).

Me? Tired of all this.

And it won’t end on Friday (when we wake up to whatever happens).
The divisions are getting deeper and deeper.

We’re not looking at others and seeing ourselves.

sorry, rambling.

Talking of rambling…

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btw Be Bop Deluxe wasn’t a band I knew at the time, but one I’ve heard about since with other unrelated bands like Graham Parker or Doctor Feelgood… so thanks for that one pedant, kinda enjoyed it.

and really enjoyed the Gold Panda syzergy.
Here’s something perhaps in a similar vein but maybe again gentle rather than where my head is often going these days!

Maybe I’ll listen to it in the morning!

;¬)

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So, there’s a General Election in the UK and everyone here is suffering the bombardment of lies on a daily basis. I’m exasperated, exhausted, disgusted and disgruntled.
Every time I think to post a song my mood is one of posting something angry about lying.
The kindest I’ve found is this ditty with at least a silly lyric

I think I’ve been battered into a state of non-anger and I’m simply twitching whenever I turn on the news (which I go to every day). I want to stay engaged….

I haven’t found a song in my library for ‘the bastards can’t stop lying to us’ or ‘it was all their fault not ours even though we’re the ones in power’ nor ‘we won’t cover those stories as we’re scared that whoever’s in government will revoke our license/ hollow us out’.

So, gritting my teeth and trying not to be negative, I thought I’d post a couple of songs I found along the way.
I may have linked this before but its one I think of when someone says that ‘real life’ has gotten in the way of coming back to this forum/ posting here.
For me this forum is real life as much as when I met a friend earlier today.
Its as real as when a friend texted me to say the lives of his family had finally begun to take a turn for the better as his kid had at last been given a placement somewhere that could deal with his condition in a meaningful way. Though this had required the family and situation to hit breaking point.

Sigh.

So, a love song. A truly tender, beautiful love song.

I may yet do a post of invective-filled spleen and anger but tonight, just this.

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Well, today we learned that we’ve lost some wit from the World.
Jonathan Miller and Clive James.

I watched a couple of shows/ interviews between them and… well, things from the 80’s don’t always date well and I’m not sure the things I found reflect my memory of what it meant to a too-young-watcher to hear someone being clever and it being ok (and it also being ‘too-clever-by-half’).

So here’s something.

But this is something from half way through an interview with Jonathan Miller which may be timely, but the whole series is interesting.

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Happy Doctor Who Day everyone!!

Now one for all you pop-pickers out there – Its the hip thing daddy-o!

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hi all – apologies have been missing of late but catching up!

@pedant – quite a few clips and things you’ve posted recently have been really lovely! That Children in Need clip, Singing in the Rain etc. But also didn’t know this about Jona Lewie (I’m absolutely guilty of the inward-groan in December, every time I here the parps at the beginning…).

@thane16 – haven’t seen that Bowie clip before. I struggled with Bowie a bit at the time as that whole ‘white-Soul’ thing seemed hard to relate to. Like it was lost behind a sheen of glamour.
But maybe its his anecdotes of Lennon but he seems far more honest in this.
But I’ve a LOT of snobbishness I need to get over with my music!!

Recently I’ve been reading an old comic (yep – I do that!) which is centred around characters’ relationship to music and culture (Phonogram if anyone is interested. Not the ‘best comic evah’ though. That would be Saga, but I digress…)

So, while reading it I had to listen to 90’s music that I hadn’t listened to at the time to get in the mood.

This is the signature track for one of the characters….

“enjoy”*

*other characters are snobbish about their music and hate this song!

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@thane16 – well done!
You’ve managed to succeed in spite of some of your teachers meant to help you succeed!!

Mind you, if you like sushi then do watch out as the wahhabi sauce is hotter than you think!!

:¬D

Hope you feel good in the suit and it passes muster with your date!

;¬)

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hm, maybe I’m being too subtle.

@missy – you are a person who if you were around very young people I know, I would try to not have you present.
If you were I’d have to have conversations with them about how wrong you were.
I wouldn’t call you stupid however, as that would be a way out of owning your opinions. And I would want the kids I know that they have to own their opinions/ actions.

And no, old-age is not a defence.
Old or young, values are important and I vehemently disagree with yours.

Just in case it wasn’t clear.

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oh @bluesqueakpip – you and your facts.

@missy is perfectly entitled to her opinion whether its offensive to many many people.
Even if it makes other people retch or cry or shout or want to punch something.
Missy has an opinion and facts are irrelevant and her ability to not realise how offensive she is is not a reason to try and explain (however gently) how offensive she and her opinion is.

Why can’t everyone stop trying to explain how offensive Missy is?
I mean, I’m sure Missy would be appalled if she knew how offensive the opinions (thoughts/beliefs not facts) she holds are.
I’m sure she minds quite a lot that the things she holds as opinions are actually wrong and offensive.

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BOO!!

So, songs for Halloween.
I know I’ve done songs for this before but due to the passing of my old laptop I don’t know what they were, so… I’ll try and pick something I didn’t link to before!

So that means no Monster Mash

She’s Got A New Spell by the wonderful Billy Bragg

But even if I have done this before, this one is for Pedant

(I was 10 !)

but ignoring all the other obvious ones (“its in the trees!”) instead I’ll leave you with this scary (not scary) choon

I should find the cartoon but actually focusing on the orchestra is no bad thing!!

happy haunting!

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so, yesterday was Bootsy Collins’ 68th birthday.

Was looking for something of his to paste and then found this.
Its not what I was looking for (ie something from James Brown era, or Rubber Band or something slick and produced etc etc).

No, this is a tutorial-type thing from BBC’s Rock School.
The one.

“You can do anythang you want baby”

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ok, this is going to mean nothing to anyone here.
So why am I sharing?
well… I’ve no one else to share it with.

It randomly popped into my head tonight and gave me warm and bittersweet memories.

We were in Uni, 19 or 20yrs old. We were Design students told to make a video.
A mate knew this song and we said “yay” lets do that!
Luckily that video was scrubbed by our lecturers as soon as they saw it (if they bothered even watching – they scrubbed everyone’s – video in late 90’s wasn’t cheap to buy).

But the vague memories live on.
Yep, I was Jesus (was it cos I was the only one with a suit? the only one who wasn’t as nuts as the others?)
We pranced through Leeds and made fools of ourselves.
And somehow…. with a few other friends we supported King Missile when they played the Duchess of York.

So, I’m reminiscing. No, its not my birthday.
This is for Graham (grey) and Joe (and Joe) and others who made me literally cry with laughter.

(to be honest I’m not that big a fan of King Missile… particular song and time and place)

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Unfortunately I bust my last laptop (boo) so have lost my textpad of comments/ songs I’ve already posted over the years(!)

So… I know I’ve seen this before but it was one that came up randomly(?) just now and I thought I’d post as I want to get over my own biases.

I don’t want to like show-offs. I don’t want to be easily gulled. And he is showing off and speeding up when the audience grows etc.

But, but…. sometimes its enough to just forget about my own hangups and say y’know what, I’m glad I’m tapping my feet, others are smiling and a young girl is going ohmigodwotisthisIthinkthisischangingstuffermmcan’tfigureitoutletmegetaphoneandjoinin

and sod it, Jerry Lewis, Little Richard etc etc showed off enormously!

So have at it man (and this is I think in St Pancras in London where noone stops for anything as we’re all far too cool/busy)

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hey @omega1972 – thanks for sharing!

I really liked the overall structure of that piece – it built well.
I think though I may like your piece Octopus even more (will need to listen to both a couple of times!)

;¬)

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ooh @thane16 – that’s jazz alright but a little bit more than I can take!
But I do love testing myself nonetheless!!

This is a song I found a few weeks back and meant to post but I managed to break my laptop (duh!) and didn’t.
So, posting from another thing (tablet-with-a-keyboard).

This is an incredibly beautiful song about Love and perhaps at least reminds those who have found love to pause and think and be thankful for what life can bring.

Someone remind me to put this up at christmas.

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@winston – really sorry to hear about your bereavements.

I don’t have the right words, but I can only imagine that losing both meant that neither could help with the grieving of the other. Which is what loved ones (whether human or not) give us.

I won’t post any music specifically, as anything I do would be cack-handed (see my most recent response to depression!).
The song I’m about to post I was meaning to post about two weeks ago but I managed to break my laptop.
But it is at least about Love.

take care and glad you’re here.

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So Ginger Baker passed away a few days ago.
I’m not a massive Cream fan nor heard his work with Mayall etc.

However I thought I’d post a couple of live versions here.

I was going to put Rollin’ and Tumblin’ but I really dislike Bruce’s singing.
So its going to be Crossroads.
On listening, Baker is quite precise to begin with then when the guitar solo kicks in, he supports it with then really drives everyone along.

Now this may test people’s patience so a warning – this includes a 10 minute drum solo from Baker.
Normally that’s too much, but this post is in his memory.
Its precise, pounding and there’s only one of him.
Which may be the an epitaph in itself.

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@thane16 – completely agree that “You Really Got Me” isn’t ahead of its time (also that its tight and not flabby!).
Its simply still massively influential.
Its kinda now-centric (not sure what the right word is!) of people today to think of it as ahead of its time as if now is when that sound is relevant! ;¬)

And really enjoyed Lynn Anderson – not sure I’d heard her version before. If I did I probably mis-labelled it in my head as Dolly or someone. Thanks for both of these as I really enjoyed them!

Happy Belated Birthday Pedant!

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I hereby decide that I myself will not be offended by the juvenile stupidity of this song.
Instead, I decide that I will continue to enjoy the stupidity of this song until I realise that I shouldn’t.

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People choose what they are offended by.

@missy – if you choose to be offended by people referring to themselves as Ms or actress etc then absolutely that’s your choice.

If others choose to be offended by those things as they recognise them as demeaning women as being less than men and gay people as being less than straight people, then that’s their choice too.

We all get to choose and the ability to choose is a wonderful thing.

I hope that my choices as what to get offended by reflect on my values – ie I get offended by racism, sexism, homophobia and general stupidity. Unfortunately I also get offended by other things that don’t reflect well on me, but I’m hopefully working on those and will get over them (one day… but I must try harder as it reflects poorly on the type of person I want to be).

I wish I was better but hopefully I’ll get better by working on my choices.

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Hi @blenkinsopthebrave – thanks for the jeannie lewis songs.
I’ll admit I’d not heard these nor in fact of her (sorry!).
Her vocal delivery is really clear and even noticing that makes me realise that most of the people I listen to aren’t!

{blumminmummblerrrsss}

Though the song ‘Gary’ made me think of a certain band, but… although a the track I’m thinking of is a ‘fun’ song (actually debatable) I’ll not post it yet as might seem I’m taking the proverbial and I truly don’t want to do that.

Generally/genuinely I don’t but also I really do think there are songs from our individual pasts that are sacrosanct.

Its irrelevant if they are good or even if we still like them. They have passed into the fog of fondness and I will never want to harm mine or anyone else’s songs in that fog-bank.

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thanks @pedant I hadn’t realised its World Suicide Day.

A massive issue and one that I won’t make light of (if anything I post has lyrics or tone that somehow jars with anyone its not intentional at all – blame my cack-handedness or tin ear).

y’know, I remember the Inspirals but (you guessed it) I didn’t listen to the lyrics.
(when they played Leeds Uni I was outside walking back to my digs and all I could hear was the bass – but by god it was loud and deep!).

A memory I treasure though this may sound odd or overly personal, but I was walking along Theobald’s Lane in London and I saw some graffiti down a side street.
Maybe I was just more receptive than usual.
It was odd graffiti – almost retro, like it was from the 60’s.
It was a single statement painted by brush in white capital letters about 50cm high.
Not rushed but not perfect.
And it said

“NEVER EVER EVER GIVE UP”

I don’t know why, but that extra “ever” stayed with me.
It was a desperate plea but an honest one.

I guess these songs are my songs for hope, two of which I’ve done before so just links this time (though the songs really are wonderful and for my mind deserve the time to listen).

Obviously Don’t Give Up.
And the poignant but honest Do You Realise?
As well as (again obviously) Everybody Hurts – this time I’ll embed it as I do think this has a simple message.

Perhaps so many links devalue each of these songs and its not meant to.
More like a prescription and dosage – each of these has individually or in combination allowed me time to feel at different points. And maybe for me they have to be that obvious lyrically to cut through (as I usually just listen to sound).

But a song that made me possibly remember/ realise how much our friends and loved ones do things for us that even they probably don’t realise how generous and loving and supportive they are, is this.

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@blenkinsopthebrave – ah, interesting…
Maybe its memory but it could be as the sound is now through different amps and speakers and possibly even slightly sped up videos.

However, I also believe that pulse may affect this too!

;¬)

And yes, Bananarama were ridiculous in many ways (many of them the right ways!).

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but yeah…. basslines when its locked in with rhythm guitar and vocal

good times

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