The end...

Playlist
Various – My Best Albums of 2008 on Shuffleplay
Cheap Trick – The Very Best of
The National – Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers
The National – Alligator
MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
Freddie Hubbard – Greatest Solos (CD-R)
Lou Reed – Live in Spain (DVD)
Lou Reed – Live Take No Prisoners
Lou Reed – NYC Man
Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies

Just when I thought I’d finished with new acquisitions this year (after departing FOPP with a Lou Reed DVD and a Cheap trick compilation) I got home to find a package from Macclesfield Craig behind the door (or rather, on the settee, as Anne was in)...

It contained three more discs to add to the year’s haul, two by The National and “Oracular Spectacular” by MGMT (NME Album of the Year)...

Given that I only had a few hours to listen to these, it wouldn’t really be fair to insert them into my year end best of list (see separate entry) but, from what I’ve heard thus far, these are three cracking albums...

Cheers Craig!

On a sad note at the end of the year, I learned today of the death of legendary jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, of whose albums I own almost 20, not to mention the countless others by the likes of John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Oliver Nelson etc etc with whom he appeared as a ”side-man”...

The Bad Plus blog, “Do the Math”, led me to an article by trumpeter Randy Brecker on 12 of Hubbard’s greatest solos, of which I have seven in my collection – and so I spent some time this afternoon compiling a 60 odd minute disc of wonderful jazz as my own wee tribute to Freddie...



We were snug as bugs in the proverbial rug this afternoon as we watched Harry Hill in “Hooves” a DVD of his live show from a couple of years ago – and very funny it was too...

I tuned into the New Year edition of “Top of the Pops” in time to see an excellent performance by Girls Aloud of their number one “The Promise” followed by Coldplay singing “Life in Technicolor II” from their new EP...

Lovely...

Not so lovely were X Factor karaoke versions of “Run” and, the now sadly ubiquitous, “Hallelujah” – see here for my choice of best version...

In the evening, we reckoned we were going to keep things fairly low key with a visit to The Chinese Manor House around just fifteen minutes or so walk from Crispycat Towers...

However, after arriving at 8:30 and subsequently enjoying one of the best Chinese meals we’ve had, we bought another bottle of wine and revelled into the night with all the other clients of the establishment (and some of the staff)...

It seems we were the only two in attendance who didn’t know there was a disco thrown in and the restaurant was open till 1 am...



A top night and one of our best Hogmanays for a while – mainly because it was just so unexpected – we’d thought we’d be back home by around 11 or so...

In the event we arrived back, a wee bit worse for wear, around 1am and watched the end of “Jools Holland’s Hootanany” which, in our state seemed to be quite good...

A wee bit of Elton John followed then off to bed around 2 am listening to “Billion Dollar Babies” (as is my wont at New Year)...

So the end of 2008 has come and, looking around my favourite blogs this afternoon for the first time in about a week or so, I enjoyed everyone’s year end tales and general summing up – it’s ended up being a pretty dismal year in the big scheme of things though and, sadly, I feel 2009’s going to be even worse...

But on a lighter note, highlights for me of 2008 were our brilliant Canadian trip to celebrate our 25th Anniversary, the stay at Culcreuch Castle on the actual date and our trips to Germany and France in the summer...

June also saw a very enjoyable wedding for Anne’s brother Keith and his new wife Maureen – at which I was “official photographer”...

Also enjoyed the two gigs I managed to play this year, one as CBQ and one playing bass for James Jamieson at very short notice – hopefully I’ll be able to do more next year...

Good too that I’ve managed to make a start on the next CBQ album with a few songs now “in the can” but still a lot of work to do – ditto with the recommenced painting scenario with two half finished canvasses languishing in the attic at present...

Also on the music front, it was good to finally get Creek creaking forward again, albeit at the pace of a snail crawling in slow motion...

Despite our difficulty in coping with a child in the house (“Stop making so much noise and touching everything!!), I did enjoy the visit from our Godson Ansem and his dad Jorg in the Autumn...

Of course the party at Impossible Songs in the summer was another highlight...

And, finally, I’ll never forget the feelings I experienced watching Queen of the South venture twice to Hampden, especially the first game and their unbelievable 4-3 victory over Aberdeen..

And the first 12 minutes of the second half of the final, when it seemed they might just overcome Glasgow Rangers...

And so that’s it all over for another year – Happy New Year to everyone from me, Anne and Meg the Black Cat - I will of course be back tomorrow with more drivel...

Happy New Year!!



Highlight of the Day : An unexpectedly enjoyable New Year celebration...

Top 100 Albums of 2008

In 2008, I bought/acquired over 350 albums...

Here's my top 100...

Released in 2008 (20)
Asia – Phoenix
James – Hey Ma
Udo Lindenberg – Stark Wie Zwei
Sparks – Exotic Creatures of the Night
Coldplay – Viva La Vida
Uriah Heep – Wake the Sleeper
The Violet Archers – Sunshine at Night
Alice Cooper – Along Came a Spider
No-Man – Schoolyard Ghosts
Glasvegas - Glasvegas
Neal Morse – Lifeline
The Bad Plus –For All I Care
Girls Aloud – Out of Control
Justin Rutledge – Man Descending
Esbjorn Svensson Trio – Leucocyte
The Killers – Day and Age
Dido – Safe Trip Home
Sigur Ros – I Eyrum Vit Spilum Endalaust
David Byrne & Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Mogwai – The Hawk Is Howling

Recent Albums (20)
LCD Sound System – Sound of Silver
Sam Baker – Pretty World
Biffy Clyro - Puzzle
KD Lang – Hymns of the 49th Parallel
The Whitest Boy Alive – Dreams
Fripp & Eno – Beyond Even
Robert Fripp – At the End of Time
Neal Morse – Sola Scriptura
The Divine Comedy – Victory for the Common Muse
Secret Machines – Now Here is Nowhere
The National – Boxer
Sarah Harmer – You Were Here
City and Colour – Sometimes
Holy Fuck – LP
Pet Shop Boys – Disco 4
Dream Theater – Systematic Chaos
Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
Devics - Push the Heart
Ryan Adams – Cold Roses (2CD)
Mary Chapin Carpenter – Between Here and Gone

Reissues (10)
Jean-Michel Jarre – Oxygene
Wizzard – Wizzard Brew
Francoise Hardy – If You Listen
Young Marble Giants – Colossal Youth (3CD)
Roy Wood – Boulders
Skids – Scared to Dance
Hawkwind – Hall of the Mountain Grill
Tangerine Dream - Tangram
Fripp & Eno – No Pussyfooting
Fripp & Eno – Evening Star

Live Albums (5)
Sigur Ros – Heima (2CD)
Pet Shop Boys – Concrete (2CD)
Muse – HAARP (CD&DVD)
Rush – Snakes and Arrows Live (2CD)
King Crimson – Asbury Park 1974

Single Artist Compilations (10)
The Killers – Sawdust
Bob Dylan – Dylan (3CD)
Camel – Lunar Sea (2CD)
David Bowie – I Select
Mogwai – Government Commissions
Mercury Rev – Stillness Breathes (2CD)
Dream Theater – Greatest Hit (2CD)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – From the Beginning (5CD+DVD)
Shawn Colvin – Polaroids: Greatest Hits
Girls Aloud – The Sound of Girls Aloud

Various Artists Compilations (5)
Various Artists - Invictus Club Classics Vol 1
Various Artists - Invictus Club Classics Vol 2
Various Artists - Classic Trance Nation (3CD)
Various Artists - Velvet Goldmine OST
Various Artists - Canadian Blast

Jazz (20)
Jaco Pastorius – Word of Mouth
Acoustic Ladyland – Skinny Grin
John McLaughlin – Floating Point
Chad Wackerman – Legs Eleven
Terje Rypdal – Skywards
Kenny Werner – Lawn Chair Society
Metheny Mehldau – Quartet
Bobby Hutcherson – Happenings
Wayne Shorter – Speak No Evil
Kenny Burrell – Midnight Blue
Chick Corea – Now He Sings Now He Sobs
Grant Green – Sunday Morning
Joe Henderson – Inner Urge
Art Blakey – Mosaic
Jackie McLean – New Soil
Andrew Hill – Andrew!!!
The Bad Plus – Blunt Object Live in Tokyo
Miles Davis – Live in Europe
Miles Davis – Just Squeeze Me (10CD)
Wayne Shorter – Footprints: The Life and Music of (2CD)

Classical (10)
Cimarosa –Overtures
Faure – Complete Piano Music (4CD)
Heinichen – Dresden Concerti (2CD)
Hasse – Salve Regina
Vivaldi – Variations on la Folia
Locke – The Broken Consort
Couperin – Concerts Royeaux
J S Bach – Die Kunst der Fuge
Haydn – Complete Piano Sonatas (10CD)
Various Composers - Concerto Koln Box Set (6CD)

Covered...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Mary Chapin Carpenter – Between Here and Gone
Metallica – Death Magnetic
Mogwai – The Hawk Is Howling
Donovan – Fairytales and Colours
Various – The Tommy Boy Story Vol 1
Todd Rundgren – The Best of Todd Rundgren
Mathilde Santing - Discography

Home early again and spent much of the afternoon compiling my list of the best CDs I’ve acquired in 2008...

Listened also to the 2008 discs from Mogwai (they’re up there) and Metallica (erm, they’re not)...

Inspired by brother in law Keith’s recent conversion to the music of Todd Rundgren, I dug out my 2CD best of and gave it a spin – good – but I prefer his songs performed by the wonderful Dutch torch singer, Mathilde Santing...



Of course mentioning Mathilde sent me off to Youtube to watch some performances...

I discovered her first album (a 10” LP) on the same Amsterdam trip as the Man Parish album I mentioned yesterday – and have been collecting her recordings ever since...

Other than that a fairly low-key day as we head to the end of what has, on the whole, been an enjoyable year, during which my life hasn’t changed that much at all (indeed my life seems to have been on a fairly predictable even keel since I started this diary nearly four years ago)...

However, 2009 could well prove to be a traumatic year...

We’ll see...

Highlight of the Day : Busy doing nothing much...

Planet rock and trains...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Brian Eno & David Byrne – Everything That Happens...
Dido – Safe Trip Home
The Killers – Day and Age
Sigur Ros – I Eyrum Vir Spilum Endalaust
Donovan – Fairytales and Colours
Various – The Tommy Boy Story Vol 1

To FOPP at lunchtime and two discs for £5 purchased taking me to around 350 for the year (so far!!)...

A single disc compilation of Donovan’s first two albums for £2 and a 2CDset of 12” singles on the Tommy Boy label for £3 – bargain...

The latter brought back memories of our trip to Amsterdam around 1982 where I bought a superb album by Man Parish due to their use of Kraftwerk like rhythms which are much featured on this 2 disc set (although Man Parrish are not)....

Home early – not feeling great but ready to venture out again tonight for a few drinks and an Indian with Anne and chum Chris who had popped over from Fife...

We met in Tiles Bar in St Andrew Square which is housed in the same large room where Anne’s mum once worked for Prudential...

Then to Zest on the other side of the square where a very tasty meal was enjoyed before we headed to the Doric Bar over behind Waverley Station for a nightcap prior to Chris heading for his train home...

Speaking of which I gave him a book on trains for his Xmas with which, as a train freak, he was delighted...



Bus home and to bed...

Highlight of the Day : Indian...

Wrapped up...

Playlist
Wayne Shorter – Footprints : The Life and Music Of
Various- Trojan Dub Massive Chapter Two
Brian Eno – For All Mankind Soundtrack (CD-R)
The Killers – Day and Age
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Brian Eno & David Byrne – Everything That Happens...
Various Composers – Mannheim:The Golden Age

Up at 4:30 – couldn’t sleep due to the cold I have at present...

Seems I have this every year at Xmas...

Listened to the Wayne Shorter anthology I bought yesterday – superb music...

Glancing at the bookshelf, the book "Full Moon" caught my eye and I took it from its place and looked through these awe inspiring images taken during NASA’s moon landing missions of 1968-1972...



This in turn lead me to creep upstairs and get the DVD of Al Reinert’s 1989 documentary “For All Mankind” and I watched this (with the sound down) whilst continuing to enjoy the music of Mr Shorter...



The credits then led me to go to the PC and compile a mock up of the soundtrack featuring pieces taken from two Eno-centric albums, “Apollo – Atmospheres and Soundtracks” and “Music For Films III”...

By the time I’d finished this, Anne was emerging from the Land of Nod and we breakfasted before I started working again on the new CBQ tunes...

With her Exec Producer hat on, Anne told me to lose the high vocals on “My House Could Be Your Home” – which resulted in several hours mucking about with this track, ending with a very different version from the original...

I also worked again on “The Fire in the Clearing” – to little or no avail...

All too soon sister Pam and Mum arrived for an afternoon’s entertainment and a dinner prepared by Anne...

We watched Pam’s DVD of the Pixar film “Wall E” which was very good indeed – I enjoy these films and, in this case, particularly the lack of dialogue for much of the opening 40 minutes...



Shortly afterwards, dinner was served and we tucked into salmon en croute with roast potatoes, sprouts in a sesame seed dressing and garden peas, followed by a choice of chocolate or syrup sponge pudding with tasty custard...



After dinner, we played a couple of rounds of an interactive pub quiz DVD game in both of which Anne triumphed – no doubt partly due to mum having no idea how to work the DVD remote control despite precise instructions from Pam...

And then they were away, with Pam set to return to England on Tuesday evening...

Good to see her again...

By this time I was feeling lousy with the cold and fell asleep on the settee before waking up and crawling off to bed shortly afterwards...

Highlight of the Day : Space, Wall E and salmon...

Out into the cold...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Leonard Cohen – Various Positions
David Byrne & Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Mary Chapin Carpenter – Between Here and Gone
Renaissance – Renaissance
Renaissance – Illusion

Up early once again and, eventually, off uptown on my own leaving Anne to watch the Old Firm derby...

Very cold...

In the HMV sale, I bought “The Sound of Girls Aloud” for £3 as I didn’t already own the track “I Think We’re Alone Now”...

Along to FOPP where, as ever, I wandered round with a pile of stuff in my hand...

Eventually though, I bought just three CDs, “Footprints”, a compilation of music by Wayne Shorter, “Between Here and Gone” by Mary Chapin Carpenter and a 2CD set of the first two albums by the band “Renaissance...

Returned two DVDs to the library not realising they are only on loan for a week and, therefore, incurring a fine...

This time, I borrowed the new discs by Metallica and Mogwai...

Off to Blackwells books to exchange a present for Anne then to Avalanche for a wee look but nothing grabbed the attention...

Still cold but a clear sky...

Bought a wee present from this shop for chum Chris who we’re off out with on Monday night for an Indian...

Ventured down onto Princes St and had a look in a couple more shops but nothing purchased...

Princes St Gardens were deserted...

...while the other side of the street was packed with shoppers..

Back home and Celtic had just beaten Rangers...

Listened to Mary Chapin Carpenter whilst enjoying a late lunch – excellent album to which I will hopefully return...

Hearts lost to Aberdeen and Queens’ dismal period continued with a 1-0 home defeat to Dundee...

Spent a couple of hours working on vocals for new track “We Drove” but ended up exiting the song without bothering to save any of the new recordings...

In the evening, listened to Renaissance – on the whole disappointing – certainly doesn’t live up to the hype on the sleeve notes and yet another CD I’ll probably never listen to again...

Watched “The IT Crowd”, “Have I Got News For You” and “A Question of Sport” before falling asleep...

To bed feeling ill...

Highlight of the Day : Shopping uptown...

Just having fun...

Playlist
Dido – Safe Trip Home
Sigur Ros – I Eyrum Vir Spilum Endalaust
The Killers – Day and Age
Brian Eno – Biography Soundtrack (CD-R)
Nico – The Aura Anthology
Leonard Cohen – Various Positions
Shawn Colvin – Polaroids
Iggy Pop – New Values
Iggy Pop – Soldier
Iggy Pop – Party
Various – Tighten Up Vols 1 &23
Various- Trojan Dub Massive Chapter Two
Various – Is It Rolling Bob? Dub Versions
David Byrne & Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

Up at 5:30 feeling gruesome...

Downstairs and took the opportunity of this “quiet time” to listen to Xmas acquisitions whilst reading the opening chapters of the Brian Eno biography, “On Some Faraway Beach”...

Upstairs and created a compilation soundtrack for the book, the tracklisting being the chapter titles...

“Wallace and Gromit” entertained before we headed for the bus terminus to travel to Jane and Bobby’s...



An excellent afternoon/evening ensued, pervaded by an unbridled sense of fun – I handed out presents I’d bought for all and sundry, CDs, DVDs and books and watched as Ollie and Kitty opened more presents...

The champagne flowed, as did the wine, as we played chocolate trivial pursuit – if you answered just one of the three questions correctly, you got to eat the chocolate question card....

Dinner was the highlight, with partridge and turkey on offer preceded by a starter of various fish dishes including anchovies, salmon mouse, salmon itself, trout etc...

A large home made trifle, home made roulade and (not for me) cheeseboard rounded matters off...

During the post meal game, I managed to reduce poor wee Ollie to tears – the object was to describe three people and have the assembled throng guess their identities, the third person being someone kids might know...

Now, if I was to say that the individual in question’s catch phrase was “Can we build it? Yes we can?”, and you were seven years old, would you say (a) Bob the Builder or (b) Barack Obama in order to try and ensure your uncle won the game?

Kitty was soon bawling her lungs out too when I told nephew Craig (22) that she (4) preferred her school friend Lennon (5) to him...

Oh dear, evil Uncle David...

The evening continued with an entertaining game of "Blankety Blank" and ended in a rather inebriated and somewhat extended game of Sing Star, with the Exec Producer winning every bout she was involved in, excelling with Pet Shop Boys as usual...

Your correspondent was also “reasonable” at “Smoke on the Water”...

Bus home and off to bed, tired but happy...

Highlight of the Day : Food, fun and games...

Rosy cheeks light the way...

Playlist
King Crimson – Asbury Park 1974
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Various – Best Xmas EP in the World...Ever
Haydn – Complete Piano Sonatas
Shawn Colvin – Polaroids
David Byrne & Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Various – Singles Oct 08
Various – Happy Songs
Various – The Best Disco Album in the World...Ever
Dido – Safe Trip Home

Up at 5:50 and listening to more King Crimson – this time the concert from Asbury Park in 1974...

Unfortunately, as seems often to be the case, I have been struck by the Xmas Lurgi...

No matter, I soldiered on to the PC and worked on an idea for “My House Could Be Your Home”, involving the deletion of a verse, the moving of another and some mucking about with guitar sounds...

We’ll see...

Anne eventually woke around 9am and it was time for the present opening...

I suddenly realised I’d forgotten to wrap and put out three of Anne’s presents and, while Slade blasted out in the living room I dashed upstairs to rectify my oversight...

There were some exciting surprises amongst our gifts, along with items which had been included in our letters to the North Pole...



In the afternoon, after “The Two Ronnies” and the compiling of a Xmas 90 Album MP3 DVD for sister Pam, we were off out to Loanhead for dinner...



It was good to see our nephews Andrew and Alastair again – their chat is very entertaining indeed – Andrew is a DJ and Alastair a plumber – unfortunately sister Sheila was ill in bed with the flu and couldn’t attend, while her husband (also) Andrew, was working...

Pam did a splendid job preparing the main course while my mum chipped in with her signature prawn cocktail as a starter...

All too soon though the boys had to set off, Andrew to work and Alastair to his girlfriend’s house for another Xmas dinner...

The remaining quartet settled down to watch the Dr Who special which was opined to be much better than last year’s Kylie Minogue related travesty...

We had agreed to pick up and take home Anne’s mum from her brother Keith’s Xmas do and so, with my cold starting to take an annoying hold, we set off around 8:30pm and headed over to Leith to the house of Keith’s neighbour, the professor...

The hosts prepared me a Lemsip while Anne partook of a tasty wee port and some excellent chat was enjoyed, before we headed home, dropping off Anne’s mum on the way...

We watched the “Blackadder” documentary and then I headed to bed with Dido – on the headphones that is...

A good end to my 50th Xmas Day on the planet...

Highlight of the Day : It was Christmas Day!!

Tears of a clown...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Alice Cooper – Along Came a Spider
King Crimson – Plumpton Festival 1969
Electric Light Orchestra – The Night the Lights Went on in Long Beach
King Crimson – Mainz 1974

I always love to shop on Xmas Eve and so to FOPP first thing for some last minute presents but I was undecided and, instead ended up buying 5 CDs for myself – their sale stuff was out already...

Back in the afternoon and mission accomplished re the final presents but my basket also filled up with more stuff for my own collection...

Back home and some frantic present wrapping took place whilst enjoying live discs by King Crimson and the Electric Light Orchestra...

Upon Anne’s return we settled down for some comforting Xmas Eve TV comprising, in the main, comedy – firstly some programmes saved up for the last couple of days – “Outnumbered”, “Mock the Week” and “Lead Balloon” – followed by a DVD of the Muppets Xmas Movie – a loose remake of “It’s a Wonderful Life”...

A lovely dinner followed as we teamed up in the kitchen whilst quaffing champagne, to cook a couple of steaks with some tasty trimmings...



Post dinner, our final viewing of the night was the original “It’s a Wonderful Life” – much unmanly weeping from your correspondent – never fails...

Then the presents were set out for tomorrow and it was off to bed accompanied by some further King Crimson...

Highlight of the Day : Cooking with Anne and generally being Christmassy...

Pomp and circumstance...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Kamelot – Epica
Masterplan – Masterplan
Vanden Plas – Far Off Grace
Royal Hunt – The Mission
Ayreon – Universal Migrator
Symphony X – Twilight in Olympus
Vanden Plas – The God Thing
Hardline – Double Eclipse
Seventh Key – The Raging Fire
Stratovarious – 14 Diamonds

Into town mega early this morning to purchase what will hopefully be the last Xmas present of 2008...

Lunch with sister Pam today – very enjoyable and good to catch up...

Will see her again on Thursday at mum’s for Xmas, at which Pam is preparing the dinner...

Prog rock, and general Dream Theater nut, chum Big Wilhelm, today presented me with CD-Rs of no less than 10 prog metal albums and this soundtracked much of my evening while Anne was off out with chum Lynn...

Particularly impressive were works by Ayreon and Symphony X...

I also spent some considerable time re–recording some of the vocal lines on the new song “We Drove” changing some of the first draft lyrics ever so slightly...



Late on took the call to act as Mr Taxi the taxi man from taxi town...

Highlight of the Day : Free CDs from Big Wilhelm...

Soundingfall...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Various – Mr Quartet’s Best of 2008
Tangerine Dream – White Eagle
UNKLE – End Titles
Beethoven – String Quartet Opus 132

Some tweaking required but these seven new songs are sounding a wee bit like a new CBQ album, initial provisional title, “Soundingfall”...



Further Xmas celebrations today left me feeling “fine” as I came home around seven to join the Exec Producer for an evening of TV – “Coronation St” (x2), “Harry Hill’s TV Burp”, “Holby City” and “QI” before heading to bed at an unprecedented 11:22 pm with one of Mr Beethoven’s delightful late string quartets (the one I’ve used to fill a gap in new piece “We Drove”) on the cans...

Highlight of the Day : New CBQ music...

As we drove, we could see the fire in the clearing...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - New Songs
Various – Mr Quartet’s Best of 2008
Emerson Lake and Palmer – Brain Salad Surgery
Emerson Lake and Palmer – Works Vol 2
After Crying – 21st Century Schizoid Man
Yes - Live November 2008
UK - Cleveland September 1978

Up at 7 and out to Tesco for some final Xmas shopping – one more thing to buy...

Back home to find Anne watching the final of “Strictly Come Dancing” – Tom won apparently but shouldn’t have – I pointed out that most of the viewers are female and Tom is rather handsome...

Continued to work on the two new songs for most of the day, refining the lyrics, adding new vocals and moving around guitar lines etc etc...

With no way of adding any keyboards to the pieces (without much mucking about in the attic), I instead used some of a Beethoven string quartet in the instrumental section of “We Drove” which works rather well...

Also did some remixing on “The Sound of the Fall” pts 1 & 2...

By 5pm, with the new stuff now sounding roughly the way I want, I have 36 minutes of new CBQ stuff all told, over seven pieces...

By 6pm the two new songs and the slightly remixed versions of the two parts of “The Sound of the Fall” were uploaded to the 2009 demos folder in the Crispycat Library for free download - taking the total number of tracks available to beyond 500..

Not sure if it’s a good thing to put stuff up which is less than 24 hours old but I suppose not many people will ever hear it anyway...



The picture is cropped from one taken by Stuart Cobley at Craig Sutherland’s exactly two years ago tonight...

I just hope Craig and Stuart aren’t too upset that I’ve used Creek backing tracks to help with the creation – they are songs though and I imagine the upcoming Creek pieces, whilst having the self-same rhythm beds, should be very different indeed from what I’ve done this weekend...

The rest of the evening was taken up with listening back to this stuff, listening to other stuff, downloading stuff, watching the telly and enjoying a nice curry...

And from tomorrow, we can officially say “the nights are fair drawing out”...

Highlight of the Day : Musicking again...

Calamityness...

Playlist
Lucy Kaplansky – Best of
Various – Mr Quartet’s Best of 2008
David Sylvian – Live in Japan 2004
Cloudland Blue Quartet - New Songs

I was up at 6:30 and worked on finalising the last Crispycat Newsletter of 2008 before heading to the podiatrist for 8:45...

Back home to breakfast and I had intended to go uptown at some point today but decided against...

Finished the missive and sent it out around midday then went to work on copying Alan’s David Sylvian DVD and the Eric Dolphy and Miles Davis boxes borrowed last week from the library for eventual listening...

Anne was off to Tynecastle for Hearts v Dundee Utd (a disappointing 0-0 draw) while Queens’ woes continued with yet another defeat – one point from their last seven games...

I took an age to overcome some problems with the studio set up as I went to work on the new Creek stuff...

I added a few guitar lines to one backing track and it quickly turned into a new CBQ song – “We Drove” – so I put that to one side and went to work on track two – adding guitar lines to this funky piece – only to find it turning into yet another new CBQ track “The Fire in the Clearing”...

I need to get my synths out of the loft to work on Creek properly...

In the evening we picked up sister Pam from the airport and took her to my mum’s where she’s staying over Xmas – and indeed will be preparing our Xmas dinner on Thursday...



Pam introduced yet another new word into the English language while talking about her recent mishaps including the tale of the accidental acquisition of a black eye and the tale of falling down a flight of stairs...

Calamityness...

Back home for some “Match of the Day” which found me snoring on the settee – and so to bed...

Highlight of the day : Musicking...

Gotta get me some action...

Playlist
Various – Rock & Pop Jukebox on Shuffleplay
Various – Mr Quartet’s Best of 2008
Various – Impossible Songs’ Best of 2008
David Sylvian – Live in Japan 2004
MC5 – Back in the USA
The Monkees – Works

Out at lunchtime today with chums Kenny, Carol and Wendy and I had a bit too much wine than I ought to have had and I’d forgotten I was supposed to go and pick up Alan & Penny to bring them round to ours tonight...

Luckily, Anne, who’d spent all day cooking and cleaning, also now took over the one task I was supposed to carry out...

I compiled a two disc set of the best of 2008 to soundtrack the evening along with the disc recently received from Impossible Songs...

The evening went well, starting off with champagne and then moving on to wine, gin and beer etc etc – while Anne’s excellent fayre was enjoyed by all – her lovely home made lasagne...

Much setting of the world to rights was done along with watching a dodgy Krautrock DVD Alan had brought round...

here's Alan and Penny portrayed in cartoon form - for no particular reason other than I was able to...



We continued with David Sylvian, on audio only, followed by the MC5 and we found a new catch phrase “gotta get goin’, gotta get me some action”...

Around one, Alan’s cold was getting the better of him and so off they went in a taxi...

A good night...

Highlight of the Day : A visit from the count and countess of Brodski...

The longest time...

Playlist
Various - 1972 Hit Singles
Various - Compilations Jukebox on Shuffleplay
Ryan Adams and the cardinals - Cold Roses
Esbjörn Svensson Trio - Leucocyte

Ooof - fiftieth birthday today of my schoolchum Rory MacRae - even although I seldom see him these days, I have known him since we were around 9 or 10 years old and so, other than my immediate family, he must be the person with whom I have had contact for the longest time in my life...

He'll probably never read this but a big Happy Birthday goes out to my old mucker and erstwhile "headers in the back garden" partner...

Up early after listening to hit singles from 1972 on the compilations jukebox...

Tried to burn a 1973 CD set but failed due to not being able to find the folder where I'd put all these tracks...

Switched to shuffleplay on the compilations jukebox and heard quite a few tracks I'd either not heard before or which I hadn't heard in a very long time...

Which is always nice...

This particular jukebox only holds "rock & pop" now, jazz and classical compilations having been transferred to the jazz and classical jukeboxes respectively...

Ah, the complicated world of MP3 listening...

To FOPP at lunchtime to spend the token from Chris re his mum's cassettes and I firstly chose a double disc from Ryan Adams, "Cold Roses"...

You may not believe this but I have never heard his music before today - I was inspired by mention of him whilst researching Justin Rutledge, the young Canadian singer we saw last week supporting Lucy Kaplansky...



Ryan's not as good as Justin but I'm liking what I'm hearing thus far...

Also purchased the last album by the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, released following the trio's leader's very untimely death back in June...



It is the sound of Modern Jazz and I like it a lot...

To round off the spree, I picked up the three volumes of Paul Williams' critique of Bob Dylan as Performing Artist for just £2 (instead of £10) each...



An excellent dinner tonight from the Exec Producer - simple but effective - Sea Bass with a twist of lime on a bed of colcannon mash with baby carrots on the side...

Later, as I was writing this, my system went haywire and I seemed to have lost my external hard-drive - which was very worrying indeed...

After a reboot and a careful check of all connections, back it all came...

Phew...

Continued to enjoy Mr Adams and the Swedish Trio whilst starting to compile my "liked" albums of 2008...

Then, relieved that the system was intact, I went downstairs to enjoy some TV, "Lead Balloon" and Girls Aloud on the "Christmas Project"...

Highlight of the Day : Shopping...

Take that...

Playlist
Bob Dylan - Dylan
Lucy Kaplansky - Best of (2CD-R)
Frank Zappa - Shut Up'n'Play Yer Guitar
Robert Fripp - Frippertronics 1/1/80 (DGM Downloads)

Bob Dylan on the cans today - an artist I always hated - until I actually started to listen to his music...



Five lovely bottles of wine brought home but none drunk so far...

Out to fives at 7pm and the sides were much more even than last week...

Once again I was on The Dark Side, today with Nigel, Mick, Colin and Blair and we played well, riding our luck at times but came away winners by a margin of three goals (9-6 or 8-5 I think) with your correspondent firing in another hat-trick...

The first broke a long deadlock to put us 1-0 up, the second was rather controversial not in that it was a deftly met first timer but that it was a connection with a long kick out from our keeper, which some deemed to be in contravention of the "no high kick outs from the goalie" rule...

In the end it stood, as we argued that the kick from Mick the goalie wasn't from a "deadball" situation, rather it was a clearance in the normal run of play...

My third was well finished too but involved an element of luck as a high clearance from their team connected with one of the over hanging basketball baskets and flew into the air before dropping in front of me - I despatched it without allowing it to hit the ground...

In goal and in defence I took several "sore ones" and have possible bruises on my back, legs and other places...

Really enjoyed it tonight though...

Last game until 2009...

Back home and "Big Bang Theory" was its usual excellent self, another very funny double bill...

As Anne settled down to watch "Desperate Housewives" (which I've given up on now), I retired upstairs to wrap her Xmas presents...

While crawling around on my knees putting the tape deck back in its place post the transfer of Chris's cassettes, I spied a 3Cd set by Mr Frank Zappa under "Z" and so enjoyed some cracking fretwork from the too-soon-dead maestro as I struggled with paper, scissors and sellotape...



It continues as I write this...

Tasty...

Highlight of the Day : Definitely the fives...

Pies, potatoes, pickles'n'peas II...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Ersatzreal Deluxe
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Deeperdown
Cloudland Blue Quartet – 1997-2007 on Shuffleplay
Creek – 2009
Shawn Colvin – Holiday Songs and Lullabies
Shawn Colvin - Various Albums on Shuffleplay

A couple more presents secured today for Anne - though, truth be told, they would probably be better labelled on Xmas morning as being to the both of us from Santa...

A surprise on my return home as chum Chris has rewarded my work on his mum's and sister's tapes re transferring them to CD with a token for my favourite music emporium...

Thanks Chris!!

This evening Stuart Cobley and Craig Sutherland, one half of the quartet Creek popped by to start work on our proposed new album – the fourth member, Count Brodski, was indisposed...

We pulled up four of the pieces which have been created over the last couple of years by Craig and, subsequently, tweaked by me into their current form, and Stuart recorded some lines to be added to the musical melange...



In the past we have worked almost completely improvisationally – in the early days Craig would create a beat, then the rest of us would play along for a bit till we had something reasonably interesting going, then we’d stop, press record on the recorder and start again...

This time however, we are recording small snippets of music which compliment the backing track and these will be cut, spliced, manipulated and pasted around the tracks in question to create something, hopefully, good...

It’s two years almost to the day since we first discussed doing another album and over a year since the four of us were in the same room together – and we still didn’t manage that tonight...

But it was a promising start and an enjoyable evening which ended up with us watching defeated X-Factor contestants on Youtube along with Pet Shop Boys, Killers, Girls Aloud and Katy Perry...

After the boys headed off, I listened to a new CD from e-bay, Shawn Colvin’s beautiful Xmas disc “Holiday Songs and Lullabies”...

Nice...

Highlight of the Day : Creeking...

Top rocking...

Playlist
Happy Apple – Body Popping Moon Walking Top Rocking
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Ersatzreal Deluxe
Emerson Lake and Palmer – From the Beginning
Various - Impossible Songs' Best of 2008

Started the day accompanied as yesterday ended – by the sounds of the excellent Happy Apple’s “Body Popping Moon Walking Top Rocking” which was my album of the month back in August 2007...



Worked on the overdue transfer of the ELP box set to the compilations jukebox but didn’t get it finished before I had to leave so, instead, I listened to the new “old” version of “Ersatzreal” on my way into town...

Much better methinks...

In the evening, Anne was at keep fit and I continued with the ELP transfer whilst trying to decide on my best music of 2008, before a tasty tea of salmon and mash with cabbage and some sprouts with a sprinkle of lime juice...

Of course I was inspired to compile a best of 2008 by the arrival of a Xmas card from Impossible Songs containing a CD of music which they have liked this last 12 months (including I think a couple of their own offerings in disguise) which made its way immediately to the compilations jukebox...

Lovely coffee accompanied “Coronation Street” before I retired once more to listen to a “major works” best of early ELP comprising “Take a Pebble”, “Tarkus”, “The Endless Enigma”, “Karn Evil 9” and Emerson’s “Piano Concerto” whilst updating this for the weekend’s entries...

These new re-mastered versions of the classic ELP oeuvre I am liking big time...

Watched the highlights of Celtic v Hearts from Saturday before Impossible Songs' compilation filled my lugs as I drifted off into the night...

Highlight of the Day : Classic Prog...

10 minutes before the worm...

Playlist
Various – Jazz Jukebox on Shuffleplay
Justin Rutledge – Man Descending
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Ersatzreal Deluxe
Lucy Kaplansky – Best of
Happy Apple – Please Refrain From Fronting

Up early and worked on the proposed December Crispycat newsletter pre breakfast – deciding to restore my last album “Ersatzreal” to its intended double album twenty track status with original running order...

Which of course directly contradicts the opinion of the Exec Producer...

Checked up on performances in 2008 – a paltry four and, of those, only one was a full set...

By way of retribution, I proceeded to play through a few songs before we headed to my mum’s, where I had a shot of her Stena Stairlift and then fell asleep after our cold chicken roll and a snowball lunch....

Back into town and we stopped off at the Agenda Hotel in Corstorphine to present nephew Craig with a present in honour of his having gained a degree in journalism...

Then to Anne’s mum’s for the fortnightly family tea, where brother-in-law Bobby advised he now liked prog rock – although he wondered how I was able to listen to a song which was longer than 10 minutes...



Bob advised he’d also found Jesus – I think (hope) he was joking – they’d been to church to see their daughter Kitty in some kind of Xmas performance...

I entertained the kids with strange voices (you had to be there)...

Back home again and I finished the transfer of Chris’s mum and sister’s cassettes to CD before “Match of the Day 2” rounded off the weekend...

Happy Apple soundtracked my sojourn to the Land of Nod...

Highlight of the Day : Rebuilding my last album...

Hawaii five oh...

Playlist
Various – Rock & Pop Jukebox on Shuffleplay
Various – Keith Apter’s 51 Albums
Emerson, Lake and Palmer – From the Beginning

The Temptations - Papa Was a Rolling Stone

As last Saturday (and despite a slight headache cured by more painkillers), I created a further MP3 of this morning’s random shuffleplay playlist...

Haven’t got round to posting it up yet though...

Sent a link to the current Gerhard Richter Exhibition in Edinburgh to fellow blogger and King Crimson expert Mr Sid Smith – along with an MP3 of my track “Richter” named after the German artist...

Then, off uptown, ostensibly for Xmas shopping but I found myself at the music Library where I borrowed DVDs of Bryan Ferry performing his “Dylanesque” album live in the studio along with a film on Glenn Gould, “Hereafter”...

Box sets by Miles Davis, “The Complete On The Corner Sessions” and Eric Dolphy, the nine disc “Complete Prestige Recordings” were also hired for a couple of weeks...

Then on to some shopping for presents for Anne...

After procuring some sandwiches I made my way home to find Anne getting psyched up for Celtic v Hearts...

The Tattie Pickers of Boghead equalised late doors to pull off a draw and Hearts remain unbeaten for six games now...

Unlike the not so mighty Queen of the South who went down at home to Dr Prog’s beloved Dunfermline Athletic by two goals to one, their second coming in the last minute, after the subsequent scorer had flattened our keeper and tapped into the net – keeper stretchered off, and another three points lost...

Just one point from the last eighteen...

Aaaargh!

Anne had her Xmas party uptown tonight and I burned a one song per year 3CD set to go along with Mr Apter’s MP3 DVD for his birthday bash tonight...



It continued to pour with rain as it had done all day and I was on possible bringing Anne home from town duty – so I drove to Keith’s to find good old muso chums George and Paul already in attendance...

We hogged the kitchen most of the night and were entertained by some very spectacular surprise fireworks in the next door neighbours’ garden...



We were joined by “The Hawk” who used to look like I used to look...

In fact Paul and George told me that, before they even met me, they’d seen me on the bus to genesis at Knebworth in 1978 and said to each other “that guy looks like the hawk’s double”...

Not any more though...


l-r George, Paul, The Hawk

At midnight, Keith’s huge cake was presented...


Then George and I made our way to the living room and cut a rug to "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" by The Temptations...



At 1:30 pm I left Keith's wife, Angie and the boys dancing round the living room to the sounds of Motown...



...and made my way home having spent a very enjoyable few hours reminiscing about “the old days”...

Top stuff...

Highlight of the Day : Meeting up again with Keith, Paul and George (and the Hawk)...

The art of parties...

Playlist
Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Emerson, Lake and Palmer – Tarkus
Emerson, Lake and Palmer – Trilogy
Emerson, Lake and Palmer – Brain Salad Surgery

Some more Xmas shopping at lunchtime but nothing procured other than a lovely bottle of port for chum Raymondo who very often brings me home (even though I have a valid bus pass)...

An exceptional present made its way onto our bookshelves via the Secret Santa at the abode of The Man...



Much better than the usual talking/chocolate breasts...

Coincidentally Raymondo brought me home this afternoon and I spent some time in the gathering gloom on a 51 album MP3 DVD for old drumming cohort Mr Keith Apter, whose 50th birthday party I shall be attending tomorrow night...

Anne was off out for drinks with chum Chris for a couple of hours as I prepped myself for this evening’s big The Man Xmas Party at the Marriott Hotel at Maybury on the outskirts of town...

An excellent night was had by all – good food, good company, much boogie-ing on down on the dancefloor by your correspondent along with drinking and, indeed, carousing...

Left around 1:30am and walked the mile and a half back to Crispycat Towers in the pouring rain...

Due to dilly-dallying to spash in puddles in a drunken and childlike fashion, it took me just over an hour to make it home but the journey was expertly soundtracked by the sounds of Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s first four albums on shuffleplay...



A good day...

Highlight of the Day : Party time...

Propelled by inertia...

Playlist
Various – Rock & Pop Jukebox on Shuffleplay
Lucy Kaplansky – Live at Beachland Ballroom 10/2/06
Justin Rutledge – Man Descending
ELP - From the Beginning (Box Set)

More attempted Xmas shopping today – and further success on two fronts with some elusiveness remaining...

The lure of FOPP continued too and I partook of a 6 disc (5CD + DVD) box of Emerson, Lake and Palmer along with two DVDs, “The Lives of Others” and “The Muppets’ Christmas Movie” – the latter may well be a highlight of Xmas Eve along with the obligatory “It’s a Wonderful Life”...

Met with Anne around 5:30 and we drove over to the Pleasance for tonight’s Lucy Kaplansky gig...

First, a tasty dinner at Kismot, our first visit....

While the food was an age in arriving, it was worth the wait...

Then to the gig which was in the same small room as last December – almost a year ago to the day...

Once again we were right at the front but, tonight, annoyance from other audients was limited to just one episode of a lady at the next table humming along to a slow and sombre 12 bar blues based song from support, Justin Rutledge...



Mr R was excellent – all his songs were slow (an inspiring scenario for me) and most were beautiful – so much so that, post his probably too short performance, I made my way to the table at the door and bought his latest album, “Man Descending” – he signed it and I wittered some tongue-tied fanboy nonsense about having been in Canada earlier this year but not Toronto (for where he hails)...

Lucy Kapalansky opened her set with a fine cover of Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe” because, she explained, when she first started, the reason she did was because she loved playing great songs...

Over her six albums, there are certainly some great songs of her own...

As last year, she was suffering from a heavy cold and relied on throat sweets to help her through, while amended keys and melodies added a certain exclusivity to the superb (as ever) performance...

She had no set list as such and often played a song off pat which had been suggested by a member of the audience...

She also covered Robert Burns’ “Loch Lomond” for good measure..

A most enjoyable evening and I dug out a live recording from our Car CD Stash to accompany the journey home...

I listened to the Justin Rutledge disc and it’s even better than expected – I noted from the credits that Rheostatics’ Tim Vesely had a hand in some of the recording...

The title comes from a in line from Guy Vanderhaeghe's book of short stories which bears the same name, "A man descending is propelled by inertia; the only initiative left him is whether or not he decides to enjoy the passing scene."

Apt...

After “Question Time” and “This Week”, which included some straight talking from the founder of “The Big Issue” re trying to remove the dependency culture in the UK (all of which I agreed with), it was off to bed accompanied by a 1972 concert by Mssrs Palmer, Lake and Emerson...

Tasty...

Highlight of the Day : A new discovery...

Slow but silky, kind of...

Playlist
Lucy Kaplansky – The Tide
Lucy Kaplansky – Flesh and Bone
Lucy Kaplansky – Ten Year Night
Lucy kaplansky – Every Single Day
Lucy Kaplansky – The Red Thread
Lucy Kaplansky – Over the Hills

A Lucy Kaplansky day today in view of her concert tomorrow night...



Lunch at the Indian, Zest, off St Andrew Square – very tasty...

Word from sister Pam that my mum is fine after her gall bladder op yesterday and will be discharged tomorrow night...

Returned to fives arriving a couple of minutes late and playing in the “darks” who, on measurements of both fitness and skill, were vastly outnumbered by the superior “lights”...

Darks went one up just as I entered play but we were quickly four down and the closest we got to the lights was two behind...

Your correspondent managed three goals and the most outrageous denial of a hand ball seen for a while – even the other darks were shouting “handball ref”...

As usual, I had a few sessions in goal and let in a couple of howlers – my reliance on the ball bouncing off me as I impersonate a cowering old lady didn’t seem to work tonight...

Great to be back though after ten weeks off and I’ve put my name down for next week even though now, three and a half hours after the game, I am having difficulty in climbing/descending the stairs or just walking in general...

TV highlights were the double bill of “Big Bang Theory” and an unbelievably bad documentary on Cheryl Cole of Girls Aloud...

Two more of Chris’s mum’s tapes committed to the hard drive – now some judicious editing and burning to CD beckons...

Highlight of the Day : Slotting a couple away...

Quartet indeed...

Playlist
Various – Rock & Pop Jukebox on Shuffleplay
Shawn Colvin – Steady On
Shawn Colvin – A Few Small Repairs
Various – Jazz Jukebox on Shuffleplay

Wiped the jazz jukebox and reloaded it with all the reconstituted MP3s, now encoded so that different versions of the same track (or indeed the same track but from a different album) will be accepted...



So the four jukeboxes are now:-
Rock & Pop – Albums
Rock & Pop – Compilations
Jazz - Albums and Compilations
Classical – Albums and Compilations

Sorted...

Pork medallions on a bed of mash, apples and stir fried cabbage from the Exec Producers recipe book nourished us this evening...

Made some small bids on e-bay for a couple of not yet owned Shawn Colvin CDs...

Was advised I am included in the line up for tomorrow night’s five a side, my first game since receiving an ankle injury on 1 October but this inclusion after an absence of ten weeks (precisely the amount of time the doctor said my ankle would take to heal) means I’ll be unable to visit my mum in hospital...

She underwent successful keyhole surgery today to have her her gall bladder removed...

Ouch...

With Lucy Kaplansky in concert on Thursday, a big Xmas party night out on Friday and ex-Capital Models drummer Keith Apter’s 50th Birthday bash on Saturday, my options re seeing the-lady-who-brought-me-into-being over the next few days are limited...

Something will be sorted out I'm sure...

Highlight of the Day : Back in the squad...

Switchin'n'blowin'...

Playlist
The Bad Plus – Discography on Shuffleplay
Various – Rock & Pop Jukebox on Shuffleplay
Crosby Stills and Nash – Carry On
Metheny Mehldau – Quartet
Golden Earring – Moontan
Kenny Werner – Lawn Chair Society

A wee visit to HMV late doors resulted in two new titles entering the library – the best of CSN&Y etc etc, “Carry On”, the two disc version, plus the second outing from Metheny Mehldau, “Quartet”...

Back home, between transferring chum Chris’s mum’s twenty years old, and of extreme sentimental value, tapes from cassette to hard drive, prior to subsequently transferring them to CD, I listened to the new purchases and ripped them to the hard drive, along with the discs purchased on Saturday and last Thursday’s Shawn Colvin album, before putting them all onto the relevant jukeboxes...

More enjoyable listening on Rock & Pop Shuffleplay today and I see a few people have been downloading the 73 minute MP3 mix I uploaded on Saturday...

More communication re Creek, with Count Brodski now on board and ready to contribute – just some dates to set...

A lovely tea of steak and onions with tasty cabbage and pommes frites...

...ok then, chips...

I insisted on onions – they are my favourite...

Watched a bit of Spurs beating West Ham away 2-0...

Spent some time leafing through my Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD re Metheny and Mehldau and felt a new listening project coming on involving up to the minute (or certainly “made in the last decade”) jazz releases...



It’ll come to nothing...

Highlight of the Day : Anne’s cooking

Shunting...

Playlist
Various – Rock & Pop Jukebox on Shuffleplay
Haydn – A Haydn Celebration 1809-2009
David Reilly – Anthology
Coldplay – Prospekts March
Kenny Werner – Lawn Chair Society

Up at ten and, again, no headache after last night – possibly due to the judicious taking of two large cocodomol tablets around 7:30 am...

Did all the dishes then settled into the task of the day – sorting out the jazz jukebox – which involves shunting around thousands of MP3s from jukebox to hard-drive to other jukeboxes, back to the hard drive and eventually, hopefully, to their final destination...

Lunch around 1. Anne wasn’t up for anything and was suffering badly from last night’s “wine-tasting”...

I, on the other hand, was chipper...

Enjoyed last night’s “Merlin” on tape then back to the MP3 move around – then “Harry Hill’s TV Burp” and “Outnumbered” on tape then back to the MP3 move around then the last in the current series of “Spooks” on tape (brilliant as ever – why only 8 episodes this series?)...



...then back to the MP3 move around...

Ended the day still arsing about with the jazz jukebox trying to reload the correct drivers – a very frustrating day...

Highlight of the Day : Spooks of course...

Careful with that eyeball, Salvador...

Playlist
Various – Rock & Pop Jukebox on Shuffleplay
Kenny Werner – Lawn Chair Society
Coldplay – Prospekts March
Talking Heads – The Name of this Band is Talking Heads
Haydn – A Haydn Celebration 1809-2009
Girls Aloud – Out of Control
Various – Singles 2008 (MP3 CD)
Tangerine Dream - Tangram
JS Bach – Die Kunst der Fuge
Fripp & Eno – Evening Star

Up early and no headache after yesterday despite expectations...

Spent time creating an MP3 file of an hour and twenty minutes of the music presented to me by the jukebox on Shuffleplay, posting it up on the net for download, and writing about it here (see below)...

After breakfast, headed into town on the bus for some Xmas shopping for my mum and for Anne...



Once again, items procured but the list remains unsatisfied due to stock difficulties...

Also popped by FOPP and bought 3 CDs – back in the swing...

Inspired by Sid Smith’s “Three in a Row” feature on his blog the other day re Talking Heads, I bought the 2CD set “The Name of this Band is Talking Heads” which I used to have on vinyl...

This remaster has 15 more tracks than the old double LP...

Next year is the 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn and I picked up a 2CD set on Harmonia Mundi, celebrating his music...

Finally, I took the new Coldplay EP to the till – they do what they do very well indeed and, seemingly, quite effortlessly...



I know Coldplay are unpopular with many people but I think that’s possibly partly due to their very popularity – bottom line is, I like their music and I don’t care what people think – the involvement of Brian Eno in proceedings is an added bonus of course....

Along to the Fruitmarket Gallery where I took in their “Close Up” exhibition, which included a loop of the Dali/Bunuel film, “Un Chien Andalou” – on Anne and I’s first ever date, I took her to the Filmhouse to see this in a double bill with Bunuel’s “L’Age d’Or” – how romantic...



Up to Avalanche where I bought a disc for £1.99 of Kenny Werner, jazz pianist on Blue Note along with Dave Douglas on trumpet and Chris Potter on sax – top notch stuff and a good find indeed...



Walked on up by the university then back down along George IV Bridge and down to the station to get the bus back home having satisfied myself I’d done all I could to further the Xmas situation...



Back home, Anne was preparing for this evening’s visit from best chum Lynn and her partner Ross while I listened thru the new discs as the sun went down before 4pm...



Went to pick up Lynn and Ross at 7:30 and brought them back...

Home made bruschetta and lasagne with salad – Mmm, mmm...

A delightful evening of chat, laughs and topical discussion ensued, soundtracked by a diverse selection of music ranging from Girls Aloud to Fripp & Eno...



When they left Crispycat Towers it was almost 3 am and, between the four of us, we’d demolished seven bottles of red wine...



Perhaps a headache tomorrow?

Highlight of the Day : Out and about and visitors...