Spinning..

Playlist
The Beatles – Love
Sparks – Hello Young Lovers
Pet Shop Boys – Fundamental
Various – Albums of the year jukebox playlist
Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies (LP)
Fripp & Eno – (No Pussyfooting) (LP)
Various – The Milano Jukebox 2006
Robert Fripp – God Save the Queen/ Under Heavy Manners (LP)
Models –Local and/or General (LP)
Yes – 9012Live – the solos (LP)
Young Marble Giants – Colossal Youth (LP)
Various 7” Singles....
Various – The Sunday Times Music Collection

Hurrah – slept right through till 5:45 tonight without getting up – although it seemed I spent the entire night dreaming about Girls Aloud...

Updated the red book of CDs I’ve bought since 1985 – 312 in 2006 so far (this is the first year since 1984 that I’ve not received at least one CD as a Christmas gift) and, ably assisted by the presence of Meg the Black Cat, I compiled my list of top fives for 2006 whilst listening to The Beatles’ “Love”...

And so here they are (Best in each category in bold type)...

New Albums
Sparks - Hello Young Lovers
Pet Shop Boys - Fundamental
The Flower Kings - Paradox Hotel
Grandaddy - Just Like the Fambly Cat
Spock's Beard - Spock's Beard

Recent Albums
Wetton/Downes - Icon
Marillion - Marbles
Neal Morse - ?
Eels - Blinking Lights and other Revelations
Nine Horses - Snow Borne Sorrow

Re-Issues
Television - Marquee Moon
Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes
Gentle Giant - Free Hand
Gentle Giant - The Power and the Glory
This Mortal Coil - It'll End in Tears

Live Albums
Robert Fripp - Orchestral Soundscapes
ProjeKct One - Jazz Café Suite
Alice Cooper - Live at Montreux 2005
Dream Theater – Score
Rheostatics - Barrymore’s Ottowa 23/05/96

Jazz
Andrew Hill - Dance With Death
The Bad Plus - Suspicious Activity
Reid Anderson - The Vastness of Space
Brad Mehldau Trio - House on Hill
John McLaughlin - Industrial Zen

Classical
Lindsay String Quartet - Art of the Lindsays
Albinoni - Complete Oboe Concertos
Haydn - Complete String Quartets
Vivaldi - Complete Cello Concertos
Mozart - Complete Works

Collections/Anthologies
Lou Reed - NYC Man
Fountains of Wayne - Out of State Plates
Peter Gabriel – Hit/Miss
Grand Funk Railroad - 30 Years of Funk 1969-99
The Beatles – Love

Various Artist Compilations
Various - Time Machine : A Vertigo Retrospective
Various – Nuggets
Various - Trojan Dub Rarities
Various - Super 70's Rock
Various - The Best Prog Rock Album in the World...Ever

Tomorrow I’ll compile my list of the best 150 albums I’ve acquired this year...

Around 7:45, to the PC to update the blog – adding pics to Tuesday’s entry – Blogger’s quirks re pic posting are becoming annoying...

Put together playlist w/ above albums – those that are on the Jukebox anyway...

Watched an episode of “Torchwood” from a couple of weeks back. An especially good episode and, although I had reservations about this show at first, these have now all but disappeared and I am a confirmed fan...

Finally tidied away the Xmas presents and I set up the turntable and spun a few discs for the first time in a few years...



They sounded good – just like CDs except for the crackles...



Despite getting some sleep last night, I continued to be plagued by the Lurgi and, if anything, Anne was worse – however she had an optician’s appointment so we drove into town and I dropped her off, took the car to be washed and returned to pick her up at the Real Foods store where she’d purchased a few spices for the big home-made curry she’s making for us on New Year’s Eve (we will be staying in)...

Back home and we were both feeling grim but my mood was lifted when Anne gave me a FOPP token as a late Xmas present seeing as how no-one had bought me any CDs this year - she is lovely....

I watched “Back to the Future pt II” then played a few more records and Anne prepared for the confirmed visit tonight of sister Pam and mum...

I must say we were not great company – often having coughing fits in unison – but Anne’s culinary delights (a very tasty home made lasagne followed by vanilla ice cream and kiwi fruits) made up for that...

After a few games of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” mum made her way back home leaving Pam for me to take to the airport tomorrow morning...

We watched football highlights including Hearts’ win over Hibs on Boxing Day and then all turned in for the night...

A day of coughing and spinning...

Highlight of the Day : Anne’s home made lasagne