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...