Bolt from the blue...

Playlist
Siouxsie and the Banshees – The Scream
Elvis Costello - Get Happy
The Jam – Snap
Miles Davis – The Complete On the Corner Sessions
Jaymay – Autumn Fallin’
Tim Scott – Rarely fall
The New Odds – Cheerleader
Bob Marley – Legend
Various – Podcast from the Yellow Room VI

Track of the Day
The New Odds – Cloud Full of Rocks (3:45)


Up at the relatively late time, for a Saturday, of 8am...

Buggered about on the PC for a couple of hours – including burning the 5 disc box of Miles Davis’ “On the Corner”, in a vain attempt at creating space on the hard drives...

I was supposed to be meeting Dr Prog at 11 at the music library but I as suffering from a bit of a hangover so called him at 10:30 to advise I wouldn’t make it...

Turned out he was still at home too, so we pushed the meet back and I enjoyed a breakfast of orange juice, bagels and coffee with the exec producer...

Walked down to the bus and alighted at the West End, walking up past the weekly farmer’s Market below the castle...



After the library (the main man of which delighted Dr Prog by ordering a box set of Haydn’s Piano trios for his future collection) we made our way to Uncle T’s for a coffee and a roll and a chat...



Post refreshment, we arrived at Avalanche via richer Sounds and a Computer Peripherals shop, Dr Prog lighter of pocket due to 100 CD-Rs and a video cable and my having spent £1.99 on a headphone adapter...

I bought three CDs for £5 on the basis of their covers (suitably quirky/entertaining), the origins of the artists (NY, Texas and Vancouver), the instrumentation (and the price of course)...



A call from Anne advised she now had custody of nephew Oliver and I ought to make my way home so that we could entertain him...

My journey back was annoyingly delayed by Rugby Tubes (© CBQ 1991) making their way to the Scotland Italy match...

Finally met up with Anne and Ollie and we drove over to Fife to partake of some ten pin bowling...



An hour’s delay before we might get a lane led us to leave the alley and head to the Odeon where we paid a horrendous amount of money to gain entrance to the 3D version of “Bolt”...

The 3D glasses were free – although we paid £2 each extra for the 3Dness of the film...



What a great film and what work must’ve gone in to making it...

Certainly had me laughing and crying and I thoroughly enjoyed it....

Of course the number of children in the audience did make putting up with the non stop munching and slurping and going to the toilets a bit of an ordeal and, as we stood in the queue waiting to get in, I thanked the Great Architect I don’t have kids as I looked around at the faces of many of the adults, who’d probably been working hard all week and who now had to spend their Saturday in a constant state of consumption with their annoying offspring...

Oliver was the best behaved child in the place of course – what a delightful polite wee boy he is – Jane and Bobby have brought him up very well indeed...

We drove back to Edinburgh through the rain and returned Ollie to his parents, where we found Hearts had beaten close rivals for third place in the league, Dundee Utd, 1-0 in Dundee while Queens had drawn 1-1 with Clyde in Cumbernauld – four games unbeaten now but still only 7th in the league (but only 3 points off fourth)...

Back home and Anne created a very tasty lamb casserole as I listened to the new purchases, all three of which turned out be successful additions to the collection, CD Nos 5,310, 5,311 and 5,312 respectively...

We were disappointed to find “Moving Wallpaper” wasn’t on the video we’d recorded last night as STV decided for some reason not to show it...

Late doors, I decided to solve my Hard drive space problem by buying another one, this time with 1,000 Gigabytes...

“Match of the Day” ended an eventful Saturday...

Highlight of the Day : Bolt – unplanned but what a great film...

The taste of wine...

Playlist
Various – Compilation Jukebox on Shuffleplay

Track of the Day
Elvis Costello – Oliver’s Army (2:59)


Tonight Anne met me in town and we walked to Waverley Station (past “the tram”)...



...and took a train to Linlithgow where we met up with old friends Ken & Rose for a couple of drinks at the Four Marys, then off to a Deli called “Taste” for a wine tasting session, courtesy of my relationship with “The Man”....

We tasted six lovely wines before retiring to the restaurant through the back for a meal, with more wine (flowing probably too freely) and soon the entire entourage (Janine & Karl, Ken & Rose, Colin & Julie and a chap called Dave) was laughing and carousing as people do when they’ve probably drunk too much wine...

An excellent evening...

The Exec Producer was still on the ball despite the wine intake and ensured we made our way back to the station for the last train having said our farewells...

As luck would have it, a No 26 arrived at Haymarket just as we emerged and we were back home in no time...

When I awoke on Saturday morning, I had no idea how I got home...

Or why I took a picture of a hedge (not the first time mind you)...



Some might say that’s a sign of good night?

Cheers...

Highlight of the Day : Wine tasting...

Chance meetings...

Playlist
Various – Hit Singles 1972
Brian Eno – Instrumental Box
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Soundingfall
Steely Dan – Showbiz Kids
Bob Marley – Legend

Track of the Day
Steely Dan – Reelin’ In the Years (4:37)


Up early and listening to the hits of 1972 again followed by Brian Eno’s textures of sound...

The day was soundtracked in the main by Steely Dan – a lot better than I’d ever imagined...

Anne was off in Fife tonight to watch the final of “Masterchef” with like-minded chums so, rather than going straight home, I decided to walk along to FOPP to see what they might have - and ended up filling a bag with stuff...

Two albums from Elvis Costello, the debut from Siouxsie and the Banshees, a two disc set of the best of The Jam and a three disc box of Bob Marley’s “Legend” greatest hits set which includes the original album, a collection of 12” mixes and a full length DVD...

Also bought a DVD of Abba videos for my mum to watch on her new player, along with the 2DVD set of “Born to Boogie”, the Ringo Starr directed T Rex concert movie and, for viewing some Sunday in the future, “La Vie en Rose”, the story of Edith Piaf...

As I waited at the counter to be served, I noticed someone behind me looking at me weirdly – it turned out to be our erstwhile neighbour, Des, from our old flat in Montgomery Street – amazing that he should still recognise me after 22 years...

We stood and had a good old chat about this that and the next thing – roof repairs, noisy neighbours etc, who’s still there, who isn’t, work, music etc etc – what a very nice man he is...

He’s been made redundant twice in the last three years and is currently “resting”, as an actor might say...

As the nice lady from FOPP announced the shop was closing, I noticed old chum George Coleman taking a DVD to the counter – he just happened to be in Edinburgh for the day as he’d been handing in his car for repairs...

George’s exhibition of his comic book art went well in January and I apologised I’d missed it as we chatted while making our way back along Rose St to the West End where we parted company promising to meet up soon for drinks, even if none of the other old crew might make it...

Back home and a raker of a headache kicked in – probably to do with the excesses from last night and the fact I’d got up at 4:30 this morning....

I listened to some Bob Marley while creating an MP3 of this track by Jacques Brel to send over to Sid Smith after his comment left here on my first podcast...



Before I knew it Anne was home and we settled down to watch “Question Time” but my not-feeling-great-weariness soon got the better of me and I sloped off to bed and was asleep within seconds...

Highlight of the Day : Meeting old friends by chance...

Pause, rewind, play...

Playlist
Various – Hit Singles of 1972
T Rex – The Slider

Track of the Day
T Rex – Metal Guru (2:29)


At lunchtime today, I headed out into the chaos that is Edinburgh’s city centre these days, with the ludicrous instigation of a tram – yes one tram – or one tram line – not a “tram system”, but one tram line - for which we are probably going to end up paying almost a billion pounds...

Anyway, don’t get me started on the trams – sorry, tram...

My soundtrack today was my 3CD-R set of hits from 1972 and Bread’s “Baby I’m A Want You” came on and I thought to myself “that’s actually rather good, why don’t I head along to FOPP and see if that 3CD Anthology of Bread is still there for £4”....

So off I went...

Of course it wasn’t there but my eyes were dazzled by their shiny new £3 offers...

I managed to reign in my enthusiasm for a huge multiple purchase and, instead, came a way with a 2CD set of the best of Steely Dan (of whom I had nothing prior to this – always been a bit too smooth for my liking but, at £3, it’s worth giving them a chance)...

My second purchase was an album I’ve kind of coveted since its release in July 1972,”The Slider” by T Rex...



Of course the two singles “Telegram Sam” and “Metal Guru” (my track of the day today) are the best tracks - and, to be honest, I suspect I already have every track on this 2CD edition already on a 4CD T Rex Box Set (and I already have an illegally downloaded version of the Slider album) but I just wanted to own the package so to speak...

Tasty...

In the evening, to an investment presentation and dinner with colleague Kris-with-a-k at the very posh Channings Hotel...

It seems we’re still going to hell in hand cart but there are glimmers of hope apparently, in that, with interest rates about to hit zero and yields from equities and commercial property probably around 4% and 6% respectively, it might make sense to borrow (if you can) and buy shares and commercial property for what one speaker described as “a free lunch”...

Now, as I enjoyed my free dinner – very tasty wild mushroom and leek risotto with a parmesan crisp, Aberdeen Angus Rib Eye Steak with caramelised onions, wild mushrooms, rosti potatoes and a béarnaise sauce, and some chocolate type desert – it struck me that cheap money and the investment of easily available credit in the period from 2003 to 2007 is exactly what got us into this mess in the first place...

Truly we are doomed to repeat our past mistakes (when I say “we”, I don’t include me by the way)...

Post fabby slap up and mucho vino, Kris and I made our way back up to the town centre over the Dean Bridge....





Caught a No 26 back to Crispycat Towers and promptly fell asleep listening to Mr Bolan and chums on my new Creative Headphones which had arrived from Amazon and which I can declare to be “splendid”...

Highlight of the Day : New headphones...

Overload...

Playlist
Marillion – Happiness is the Road
Various – Cloudland Blue Podcast no 3
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall Early Demos

Track of the Day
Cloudland Blue Quartet
My Last Trip (Edward Spark Remix) (3:43)


Cloudland Blue Podcast No 3 (38:17)

Featuring music by:-
Django Bates; Carla Bruni; The Church; The Cure; Miles Davis; Claude Debussy; The Monkees; Duke Pearson; Mathilde Santing; Virelai; Antonio Vivaldi; The Yardbirds

The new Marillion album soundtracked a bright cold day...





On first listen there aren’t really many tunes present and it seems rambling and unfocussed at present but I’m sure, with perseverance, I’ll find the quality which is surely there...

Edward Spark e-mailed me a remix of the latest track to be “completed” for the new CBQ LP and I’ve posted it up as “track of the day” along with a third podcast in three days, this time keeping things shorter but still featuring twelve tracks and a wee bit of pointless chat...

I do like pretending to be a DJ – possibly the easiest job in the world?

I’ll wind down now I think and maybe do one a week...

On telly, “Oz and James” entertained pre podcast production...

Highlight of the Day : Third podcast completed...

Onwards and upwards...

Playlist
Rod Levitt Orchestra – The Dynamic Sound Patterns Of
Allan Holdsworth - Atavachron
Brad Mehldau – The Art of the trio Vol 1
Donald Byrd – Royal flush
Craig Armstrong – Film Works 1995-2005
Various – Cloudland Blue Podcast 2

Cloudland Blue Podcast No 2 (70:41)

Featuring music by:-
Johann Sebastian Bach; Coldplay; Larry Coryell; Depeche Mode; Bob Dylan; Brian Eno; Kiss; John McLaughlin; Giacomo Rossini; Carl Phillipe Telemann; The Violet Archers; Weather Report

Jazz on the jukebox today, the first album inspired by Ethan Everson’s praise over on the Bad Plus blog....

Visits to HMV and Waterstones produced nothing today – which was just as well as, upon arrival back at Crispycat Towers, the nice people at Amazon had delivered CDs by Craig Armstrong and Marillion and a DVD of “The English Patient”...



Enjoyed the Craig Armstrong disc before, with Anne out with Lynn keeping fit, I recorded the links for the second podcast and, since it’s finished, I thought I might as well post it up...

Too much chat has upped the time – I’ll be more succinct with the next one keeping to an hour...

Have also upped the quality to 96kbps so it’ll take longer to download than No 1...

Enjoyed the first episode of “Law & Order : UK” – if the accents and settings had been changed it would’ve been the New York version...

Good stuff and I will be a regular tuner inner me thinks...

A reasonable day...

Highlight of the Day : Second podcast completed...

New era perhaps, we'll see....

Playlist
Various – This Is Reggae Music 1960-1975
Beethoven – Piano Sonatas
Conglomorate – Precisely the Opposite
Kate Bush – Anthology
Webern – String Trio
Various - Cloudland Blue Podcast 1
Various - Cloudland Blue Podcast 2

Cloudland Blue Podcast No 1 (61:19)

Featuring music by:-
Bela Bartok; David Bowie; Jacques Brel; Dream Theater; Johann David Heinichen; Andrew Hill; Allan Holdsworth; Edward Spark; John Surman; Martin Tielli; U2; Giuseppe Verdi

(You can listen here or download the podcast to your own PC by clicking on the icon immediately to the right of the end time indicator - I've tested it out and it took around 10 minutes - but I don't exactly have the fastest of connections...)

Up at 5:30 and to Tesco to pick up some food for Meg the Black Cat and some soup for lunch...

Back home, bollocksed around on the net while listening to more reggae (it’s wearing thin now after three days), some Beethoven and some jazz-fusion from Network, or rather Conglomerate – researched the Network releases to see which CDs were originally released under which band names...

Breakfast at home then rearranged (again) the classical box sets before playing through a couple of songs...

Had to buy a new pair of headphones for my jukeboxes as the Koss Plugs I have have gone to the dogs with too little sound going to my right ear...

Looked into loop websites for inspiration and spent a good couple of hours mucking about with those...

To no avail...

Realised the weekend was fast slipping away from me so decided to put together the podcast I’ve been thinking about doing for a while...

....which was fun to put together though my links could probably be better and I could probably give a bit more info about the music I’m playing...

Then off to Anne’s mum’s for the fortnightly family tea – no one’s birthday today but a splendid strawberry pavlova type thing was on hand for desert...



Ollie and Kitty are becoming obsessed with Keith and Maureen’s mobile phones and the games they provide...



Nephew Craig’s hair doesn’t get any better...



Brothers-in-law Keith and Bobby tried out some pilates moves in the hallway



Kitty waved goodbye to us all like a cheeky wee monkey as she left....



Back home and listened through to the podcast before deciding whether to post it up – created it at 64kbps which is possibly too low but I was trying to reduce the time required should anyone choose to download it...

And so there it is at the top of the post – please do take a listen...

Started work on issue two – the Jukeboxes have come up with the next twelve tracks using their random play mode and I’ve spent some time researching what to say about them...

A reasonably enjoyable pastime...

Highlight of the Day : first podcast completed...

Shifting for no real reason...

Playlist
Various - Trojan 70s Box Set
Various - Trojan Jamaica Box Set
Various - Trojan Slack Reggae Box Set
Various - Trojan Club Reggae Box Set
Various - Trojan Roots Reggae Box Set
Beethoven – Piano Sonatas
Dall’Abaco - Concerti
The Move - Shazam
Groon – Refusal to Comply

Track of the Day
Beethoven - Appassionata - Andante Con Moto (6:43)


Mild and bright today...



Spent most of the morning ripping to and listening to the 19 reggae CDs bought yesterday...

That, and organising the 50 or so classical box sets I have – whilst listening to Beethoven’s Appassionata piano sonata, a piece which was an inspiration behind the film we watched on Monday, “The Lives of Others” and some delightful concertos by Evaristo Felice Dall’Abaco...

In the afternoon, accompanied the Exec Producer to Tynecastle to watch Hearts throw away two points in a 1-1 draw with St Mirren – the latter equalising in injury time after the JTs had failed to press home their advantage to any real effect during the previous 90 minutes...



I liked this building on our way there...



My late father-in-law was a lifelong Jambo supporter and has his name on the board which lists 500 people who helped the club out through difficult times – he is right below George Foulkes MP...



Meanwhile, at Palmerston, Queen of the South held league leaders St Johnstone to a draw for the third time this season. After QoS being 2-0 up and 3-2 up, the saints equalised with 3 minutes to go...

In the evening of a rather subdued Saturday, “TV Burp”, “Not Going Out”, “QI” and “Match of the Day” entertained as did a tasty curry from the Bombay Feast, complete with exploding home cooked rice...

Highlight of the Day : Queens not losing...

To cast or not to cast...

Playlist
Andrew Hill – Compulsion
John Surman – Glancing Backwards
Allan Holdsworth – Against the Clock
Girls Aloud – The Sound of Girls Aloud
Various – This is Reggae Music 1960-1975
Pet Shop Boys – Performance

Track of the Day
Desmond Dekker and the Aces – 007 Shanty Town (2:33)


Nice trees this morning on my walk down the road...



To FOPP at lunchtime today for the first time this week and could not resist their offer of Trojan 3CD Boxes for just three pounds each, snapping up five and taking my total of these wee gems owned to nineteen...

Track of the day is Desmond Dekker’s “007 Shanty Town” which, according to the Trojan Box Sets website, appears on a goodly number of the compilations and so I thought would be reasonably representative...

Also partook of FOPP’s £5 offer on the Trojan 4CD box set of “This is Reggae Music : The Golden Era 1960-1975” – which includes the Dekker track...

19 discs for £20 – not bad value methinks...

Now I am thinking of starting a Reggae Club....

Another thing I’ve been swithering about recently is a podcast venture for Cloudland Blue, inspired by Mr Sid Smith...

When I first started buying records around 1971/72 and over the next few years, I used to make up my own charts and, with the use of my dad’s wee portable cassette recorder, I would record my own “radio shows”, introducing the records I was playing and talking about them in between...

Probably no bad thing that none of these tapes exists, but there’s no real difference between what I was doing then and making a podcast now – although obviously it’s all a bit more high tech these days and there would of course be the very slim chance now that someone other than me might actually hear it...

So, if someone else might hear it, I’d probably need to bone up a bit on what I was playing, so as not to sound like a daftie in between the tracks...

And, unlike the old days, where I would just chat into a strategically positioned microphone whilst digging out the records and playing them, I suppose these days I’d collate beforehand, all the tracks I was going to play, put them into some programme on the PC, record all my links separately and perhaps put some background music behind my dulcet tones to avoid the dreaded “dead air”, then splice everything together...

Then I’d have to convert the file to MP3 and upload it to my online server then post it up, either here or, perhaps, on a new “Podcasts” blog...

I’ve always wanted to be a DJ and, it would seem, now I can be (and so can anyone else I suppose, given the technology) but, hmmm, a lot of work, considering only a couple of people might listen (judging by the plays so far of all the “tracks of the day” I’ve posted this month) but, like this diary, it might be an interesting historical document (for no one else other than me of course) were I to go back and listen at some point in the future...

And it would provide a chance for readers to hear the music I’m listening to – but why would they – they have their own collections presumably, for which they may well have paid good money and want to enjoy – but then what’s the point of music radio then?

So, I have twelve tracks ready to podcast, should I find the time – my methodology for choosing what to play? Well, I’m leaving that to chance – 3 tracks each from the Rock & Pop, Jazz, Classical and Compilation Jukeboxes respectively, chosen completely at random by each machine’s shuffleplay facility...

Anyhoo – this evening I returned home carrying my FOPP booty and Anne was already home and preparing a giant lasagne with salad and garlic bread and our good chum Chris-with-a-C was also at Crispycat Towers, enjoying Girls Aloud’s greatest hits CD...



An excellent evening ensued with some top reggae tunes from 1960-1968 soundtracking much drinking and carousing prior to a superb meal....



Of course, Meg the Black Cat joined in as usual...



Then we enjoyed the ribald humour of Mr Frankie Boyle on the DVD purchased at Xmas....

We ended the evening with some Pet Shop Boys, as Chris set off into the night to travel back to the kingdom of Fife and the chef took a well earned snooze...



A good day...

Highlight of the Day : FOPP bargains, Anne’s cooking, good company, Frankie Boyle, PSB...

Thirty one years...

Playlist
Network – Corroded Path
Network – Refusal to Comply
Network – Precisely the Opposite
UK – Best of (CD-R)
Heinichen - Dresden Concerti

Track of the Day
UK – Thirty Years (8:08)


Another day, another dollar – we all give up our time for money...

Don’t we?

Started the day ripping the new Network discs to the jazz jukebox...

Discovered they are mostly re-releases of recordings featuring drummer Steve Clarke which were originally released under different band names such as Groon and Conflagration – so they are a mixed bunch...

And so Network, on Shuffleplay, soundtracked the day...

Home to an empty (but for Meg the Black Cat) house – I'd forgotten Anne was off to get provisions for a meal here tomorrow night when we will entertain Chris-with-a-Ch...

Thereafter she had visited her mum to obtain the OAP season ticket I will use on Saturday to watch Hearts play my old home town team, St Mirren...

I must pretend to be old and decrepit when I go through the turnstile...

I will not have to pretend too much unfortunately...

In the evening, finished ripping the discs, watched “Masterchef” (against my better judgement) followed by “My Name is Earl” and “The Big Bang Theory” before penning this whilst listening to the top sounds of UK...

Track of the day is the sublime “Thirty Years“, from their first album, now almost 31 years old...

Didn’t play any of these (with their dusty top bits)...







Back downstairs to end the night with “Question Time” - watching whilst listening to Heinichen on the cans, man...

All in all, a pretty pathetic attempt at a day...

Highlight of the Day : Rocking out to UK...

The cat who got the cream...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Alice Cooper – Along Came a Spider
Coldplay – Viva La Vida
Asia - Phoenix
The Violet Archers – Sunshine at Night
Uriah Heep – Wake the Sleeper
Udo Lindenberg – Stark wie Zwei
The Bad Plus – For All We Know
Neal Morse - Lifeline
The Killers – Day and Age
Edgar Froese – Stuntman
It Bites – The Tall Ships
Craig Armstrong – The Space Between Us
Network - Precisely the Opposite

Track of the Day
The Violet Archers – Listening (5:26)


Weird...

It seems my new album is nearly ready....

As I was saying to Lindsay Sugden last night, just some minor tweaking to do before releasing it into the void...

It’s been quite quick comparatively speaking – the last two albums took around two years each from start to finish and this has been around six months...

Of course it may not be nearly ready - that's just what I'm thinking today...

Got word today that the seller of the five missing jazz-fusion CDs I’ve been waiting on for over two weeks via e-bay is re-sending them, this time recorded delivery (as I was typing this, a neighbour brought the package to our door - he'd signed for the recorded delivery - excellent news)...

Helped Anne in the kitchen tonight as we enjoyed a nice rosé wine whilst cooking salmon fillets on a bed of chorizo, onion, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms...

Recently, Meg the Black Cat has started doing what Crispy the Cat used to do – eat/drink human food – she waits patiently for me to finish my cereal in the morning then “asks” for the remaining milk...



I know that that’ll strike some readers as being a bit horrible, deeming it as they will a trifle unhygienic to have a cat lick a dish used by a human but, frankly, if washing the dish doesn’t get rid of anything untoward then we’ve been fooling ourselves regarding cleanliness for ages...

Anyway, today was the last day of this practice as, after I’d left the house, she promptly sicked up all the milk in various locations around the house...

Ended the day by buying some stuff from Amazon – the new Marillion 2CD set, a collection of Craig Armstrong’s film music and a DVD of one of my all time favourite fims, “The English Patient”...

Finally, please do take a wee listen to today’s featured track – it’s ex-Rheostatic Tim Veseley’s new band, with one of my favourite new songs of 2008...

Tasty...

Highlight of the Day : Dancing around the kitchen with Anne to the Killers...

Home made...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Edgar Froese – Epsilon in Malaysian Pale
Edgar Froese - Aqua
Edgar Froese - Ages
Edgar Froese - Stuntman

Track of the Day
Edgar Froese – A Dali-esque Sleep Fuse (8:33)


Out tonight for the first in the third era of songwriters’ club, Out of the Bedroom as it moved to The Tron (formerly the Yellow Carvel)...

Managed to secure a slot but there were so many people wanting to play the slots were reduced to two songs each – which was actually better than three considering some of the people playing...

The venue is undoubtedly better than The Cannon’s Gait where the club has been housed for the last three years and isn’t quite as smelly as The Waverley where it was held for around three to four years prior to that – but it’s still quite smelly...

This room is not so smelly and, truth be told, I probably prefer playing here – it’s certainly a lot less nerve-wracking...



I spent the early part of the evening in the company of one Colin Milne, a former architect who, at 78, is the same age as my mum...

He first got into music in Germany in the late 40s whilst doing National Service and played a song written last month on his home made, nylon string guitar – amazing stuff...

I wonder if I’ll still be doing this when I’m 78 – or indeed if I’ll live to 78...

The room was packed and highlights for me were the performances of Lindsay Sugden and OOTB founder, Jim Igoe and the last guy on, “Gerry” who, with his entourage, had sat up the back all night chatting loudly and having a laugh and paying no attention whatsoever to anyone else’s performances...

For my own part, as I’d come along with no guitar and no lyrics/music to help me out, I played probably the only two songs I know by heart at present, “This Is All There Is pt 1” (the first song I ever played at OOTB back in 2003) and “I Re-Arranged the House” (the first song I wrote specifically to play at OOTB , again back in early 2003)....

Home around midnight after an enjoyable evening...

Meg the Black Cat welcomed me with some expert knee-sitting...



To bed, with the sounds of Herr Edgar Froese in my lugs...

Highlight of the Day : Playing a couple of songs to a receptive audience...

Scaredy cat...

Playlist
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – Timeless Flight
Girls Aloud – Out of Control
Various – The Best of British
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Genesis – Wind and Wuthering

Track of the Day
Elton John – Rocket Man (4:42)


Up early as, today, I was to have an MRI scan at 9:10 am on my right shoulder which, despite successful surgery towards the end of 2007, is still causing me problems...

A quick breakfast then we set off to the Royal Infirmary soundtracked by Girls Aloud’s latest album...

We arrived in plenty of time and they took me early...



The pre-scan questions were all about whether I had any metal implants anywhere in my body or if I’d ever worked with metal or had an accident which might have left metal in my eyes – all very reassuring...

I strode manfully to the room and was introduced to the huge machine – there was a thumping rhythm in the room that sounded like a trance track – the nurse said it was the machine...

She had me lie down on the bed and positioned me for the scan and proceeded to have the bed slide inside the machine..

At which point I completely panicked...

I hadn’t realised I was so claustrophobic – she had to bring me back out pronto and advised I’d turned white as a sheet – I was shaking too...

What an idiot...

She asked if I wanted to go ahead or if I wanted to decline the scan – apparently I wouldn’t have been the first person to have done so...

But I thought about all the people who must have come here and gone through this because they were very ill indeed – and here was me with a sore shoulder..

So, after a suitable pause, I was prepared again and in I went, this time keeping my eyes shut and thinking nice thoughts...

Good music on the headphones:-

Fleetwood Mac – Albatross
David Bowie – Life on Mars?
Clifford T Ward – Home Thoughts from Abroad (I was amazed I was able to put a title and artist to that one)
Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade of Pale
Elton John – Rocket Man
The Kinks -Waterloo Sunset

The scanner was super-noisy, clicking and droning and I could feel my eyes being affected by matters at various points – around six scans of varying lengths during the time it took to listen to these songs...

On emerging, I asked to see the cover of the CD they'd been playing, to see if I was right about the third track – and was thankful the scans hadn’t lasted long enough for Spandau Ballet’s “Gold” to pollute my ears...

We had planned on lunching out this way but, for once, the NHS’ efficiency left us ahead of schedule, so it was back over to Tesco for the shopping – where I bought these lovely apples...



Then, after a suitable relaxation period, out and down to Cramond for lunch...



Tasty haggis for me and haddock and chips for Anne...



Back home a couple of hours later to find Meg the Black cat in a new place...



We settled down to watch “The Lives of Others”, regarding the watcher and the watched in East Germany in 1984...

Another superb film to add to the list of those viewed thus far this year...

Whilst driving to and from Cramond, the Exec Producer had the chance to listen to the new song and made some enlightening suggestions – a few hours post the film were spent adding around twenty seconds of guitar to the track, replacing improvised vocalisations, and then treating said guitar and working on further mixes...

Two episodes of “Coronation St” and the football highlights (a 40 min programme to show six games – with Celtic v Rangers, a nil-nil draw remember, taking up around 17 minutes – the Old firm-centric sports journalism in this country is pathetic) rounded off the day...

Track of the day from Elton John - made me think of what astronauts go through and helped put my scan experience into all too embarrassing perspective...

Highlight of the Day : The Lives of Others...

Trip ended...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
It Bites – The Tall Ships
Jimmy LaFave – Cimmaron Manifesto

Track of the Day
Jimmy LaFave – Lucky Man (5:50)


Home to bed just before 2am last night after picking up the Exec Producer and her friends and ferrying them to various parts of the city...

Gave me the opportunity to listen to the latest album mock up in the car though, so I’m not complaining...

As a consequence however, up late today at 8:15...

Anne slept on, as I spent four hours working on a new mix of yesterday’s new tune “My Last Trip”....



Went for provisions thereafter and we lunched as the Rangers v Celtic derby started – I ended up watching most of the first half – not a great game...

Retired back upstairs and spent another couple of hours, firstly creating a shorter edit of the track then re-recording my lead vocal and adding a few guitar lines and doing a third mix of the song – only to reject it...

Then I sang through all nine songs currently to be included on the LP - not bad...

Listened to It Bites' new album then watched two episodes of “Harry Hill’s TV Burp” – comedy genius – then headed out to pick up a Chinese takeaway before Anne watched “Dancing on Ice” and I set about creating the “final” mix (the fourth overall and third today) of “My Last Trip” – which I’ve now posted up in the side bar, replacing yesterday’s first take on matters...



Cleansed my palate with the melancholy of Jimmy LaFave – who takes the honour of “track of the day”....

Finished off with a Girls Aloud documentary...

Highlight of the Day : Finishing the new song...

When morning came...

Playlist
Purcell –Funeral Music for Queen Mary
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Nico – Drama in Exile
Preisner – 10 Easy Pieces For Piano
Jimmy LaFave – Cimarron Manifesto
Kalliwoda – String Quartets
Kagel/Schnittke – Piano Trios

Track of the Day
Nico – Heroes (6:07)


Today’s track of the day comes from Nico’s 1980’s album “Drama of Exile” which I repurchased on CD just before Xmas but only got round to listening to today...

Anne and I saw her at Edinburgh’s Nite Club on the accompanying tour and her band rocked (while she sat playing harmonium)...

Good times...

Up before seven and moved the work in progress for the new album over from here to the side-bar and wrote up yesterday’s escapades...

A nice breakfast then I was off into town to the music library where I met with Dr Prog – he was on a tight schedule as he was intending to travel to Cowdenbeath this afternoon for their game...

I handed back the Peter Gabriel CD from three weeks ago and borrowed four new discs...

A disc of Kagel and Schnittke Piano trios...

A disc of String Quartets by a Czech composer I’ve not heard of before, Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda, performed by the Talich Quartet...

A disc of piano music by Zbigniew Preisner (“10 Easy Pieces for Piano”)...

And, finally, a disc of alt-country by one Jimmy LaFave, of whom I’d also heard nothing previously but by whom I was enticed by his being on the same label as Lucy Kaplansky...

Dr Prog, amongst other items, borrowed the 29CD box set from Harmonia Mundi, a copy of which currently sits on my external hard drive, awaiting burning...



A coffee at Uncle T’s with Dr Prog and a bit of a natter – a quick visit to Richer Sounds – then the Doc was off in the Prog mobile...

For my own part, I bought 100 blank discs to keep my supplies up and some flowers and chocolate for Anne for Valentine’s Day...

Home in time to let her away to Tynecastle to watch Hearts beat Aberdeen 2-1 while Queen of the South won 4-0 at home to bottom of the table Airdrie in a real six-pointer...

Turned out the Cowdenbeath game was off – hope Dr Prog found out before travelling...

Spent the afternoon adding (or rather experimenting in trying to add) drums and keyboards to a couple of the tracks for the new LP...

Some further tweaking required before publishing...

In the evening Anne was off out with Lynn and her sisters for birthday celebration, leaving me to my own devices again...

This morning, Creek Maestro Craig Sutherland e-mailed through a new MP3 which he had put together specifically as a CBQ project – so I worked on that tonight and a ninth new song, “My Last Trip” emerged...

It’s up for listening/downloading over on the sidebar...

Worked out that today was my 22nd day of work since late September on this new album...

Now waiting on a call to perform my taxi duties...

Highlight of the Day : Queens winning 4-0 and musicking again...

Templar...

Playlist
Earthworks – All Heaven Broke loose
Chad Wackerman – Scream
Various Composers – Music For a Quiet Evening
Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke
Byrne/Eno – Everything That Happens
Ryan Adams – Cold Roses

Track of the Day
David Byrne/Brian Eno – Strange Overtones (4:16)


A lovely surprise today as Anne prepared a special early St Valentine’s day dinner (since she is out tomorrow night)...

Aided and abetted by the “Insolvency Crunch” and an offer from M&S re starter, main, side, desert and excellent bottle of wine for a very reasonable (and probably, for them, loss-making) price, we were able to enjoy some top notch cuisine...

With a romantic flower thrown in for good measure...



Scallops in a white wine sauce topped with a layer of light potato and parmesan...



Fillet steak in crushed peppers, with a touch of herb butter, accompanied by asparagus, broccoli and green beans topped with parmesan shavings, rounded off with french fries...



Belgian chocolate soufflé...



Tasty...

And of course a lovely bottle of red...

The rest of the evening spent lazily doing nothing whilst enjoying comedy on the TV...

Relaxing...

Oh, and Meg the Black Cat got in on the act too of course...



Highlight of the Day : Surprise Early Valentine’s Day Dinner...

PS Heads up to self - this used to be the post with my latest music enclosed - that's now been moved to the sidebar - so if I'm reading back at some point in the future and can't work out why some of the attached comments are what they are, that's why...

Paydown...

Playlist
Horse – God’s Home Movie
Godspeed You Black Emperor – Yanqui UXO
Nine Horses – Money for All
It Bites - The Tall Ships
Various – Reciprocess +/VS

Track of the Day
It Bites – Great Disasters (4:59)


A track from the new It Bites album today...

More snow this morning...



...as I set off very early to make it three economists in three days as I breakfasted with JPM’s “Global Strategist” and another fund manager...

Confirmation that the outlook in the foreseeable future is bleak as the developed world works its way through a lengthy period of deleveraging...

Ouch!!

I saw a poster the other day that declared “Capitalism Isn’t Working” – unfortunately Capitalism is working exactly as you might expect given its naturally occurring economic cycles have had an attempt at banishment made upon them by stupid politicians wanting to convince their ever more gullible electorates that “things can only get better” while all the time allowing ever expanding personal, corporate and governmental debt and pedalling the lie that your artificially high property value means you’re rich (when you’ve not actually produced anything of any value to deserve said riches)...

We’ve spent the future and now we’re paying the price...

Things are only going to get a hell of a lot worse before they get any better...

Home (late) this evening after two days out on the ran dan – to Anne’s Red Thai Chicken Curry and some relaxing TV in the shape of “My Name is Earl” – both fitted in nicely amongst the writing of three days’ worth of this drivel whilst listening to the new It Bites CD, the latest free stuff from The Wire and the latest Podcast by Sid Smith...

The months and years are flying past...

Highlight of the Day : Anne’s Red Thai Chicken Curry

Bleak...

Playlist
Fripp & Eno – Evening Star
Robert Fripp – At The End of Time
Icehouse – The Berlin Tapes
David Bowie – Pin Ups
It Bites – The Tall Ships
Francis Dunnery - Man

Track of the Day
David Bowie – See Emily Play (4:12)


Ah “See Emily Play” – I didn’t know what Bowie meant in his notes on the LP cover back in November 1973 when he referred to the original artists for this number as “Syd’s Pink Floyd”...

What it is to be young and not yet know your music history...

Icy today - and, just after taking this pic, I stepped off the pavement and almost went arse over elbow...



Both feet off the ground job but managed to land upright although I badly jarred my right knee – just as well I wasn’t playing fives tonight...

After yesterday’s dinner with an economist, today it was a round table with two fund managers and (very young and nervous) economist – much the same messages as yesterday...

The prospects for residential property look particularly bleak..

Peak to trough, if this downturn is the equivalent of the last one, we should see a 55% fall in values from their high point – so far we’re only down 20%...

Introduced a new way of listening (which will probably only last a few days till I get bored with it) – instead of shuffleplay, I just take the first random track chosen by the jukebox and listen to the whole LP...

In the evening the new It Bites CD had arrived from e-bay (all my jazz fusion Network CDs are, worryingly after almost two weeks, still awaited) and I listened to this on the way into town to meet with Dr Prog at The Queen’s Hall for a recital by Simon Smith of piano music by Karl-Heinz Stockhausen...

Let’s just say that there were no melodies present in the 90 minute performance which, at one point, featured Mr Smith playing this Steinway with his backside...



Very entertaining though – I love this (what was in its day) avant-garde music – must’ve been pretty otherworldly hearing it the late 50s or early 60s...

After an entertaining chat in the bar I took the Doc home and he popped into Prog Towers to fetch his Yes Box Set “The Word Is Live” to lend to me – in a kind of tit for tat move re my earlier lending to him of my ELP Box Set...

Highlight of the Day : Out with Dr Prog...