To Arnsberg...

Playlist
Various – Compilations Jukebox
Johnny Griffin - Introducing Johnny Griffin
Jimmy Smith - Home Cookin'
Baby Face Willette - Face to Face
Dexter Gordon – Doin’ Allright
Dexter Gordon – Dexter Calling
Grant Green – Sunday Morning
Joe Henderson – Inner Urge
Donald Byrd – Fuego
Donald Byrd – Off to the Races
Andrew Hill – Change
Various – Holiday Hits Vol 20

Posted off our application for Queen of the South Cup Final tickets today – had to send off our semi-final tickets as proof of attendance so we can apply a day before the general public – but it won’t be till Monday so had to add extra cash to ensure delivery etc...

All very fraught but hopefully it’ll work out in the end...

The Royal Mail is a nightmare these days – my two Sparks CDs still haven’t arrived from another Edinburgh address after nearly three weeks...

Passed by FOPP on the way home and couldn’t resist another look at their £4 Blue Note offers – bought another five, so that’s 10 in the last three days...

Got home around 2:30 and spent my final two hours before the holiday uploading all ten to the “new” Classical & Jazz Jukebox...



Taxi to the airport and we checked in just after 5 pm, walking right to the front of the queue after having sat behind everyone as they stood waiting for the desk to open...



A good start to the trip...

Headed up to the newly revamped food hall and enjoyed Cornish Pasties for tea although the contents of mine burned my hand...



Through security and we decided we weren’t removing our shoes – walked right through and no-one batted an eye...



Enjoyed a cool half of Amstel each as we waited to be called...



As good as first onto the plane and an uneventful flight...



It was dark when we arrived at Dortmund...

The efficiency on show saw to it that we were driving off from the airport in our hire car within 30 minutes of landing...

A forty minute drive took us to our initial destination, Rumbeck, a village which is one part of the larger town of Arnsberg...

Straight to the bar and a couple of beers as a nightcap as we chatted to the lady owner of the hotel...

To bed at midnight with my new jazz acquisitions on the headphones...



Highlight of the Day : On holiday again

Dropping off the goods...

Playlist
Various - Compilations Jukebox
Rupert Holmes - Best of
King Crimson - Red
Creek - 2008

As Meg the Black cat's ex-Mum, Julia, is now based permanently in Dubai, tonight we were off round to Castle Brodski to leave Meg with Alan and Penny...

The reason? Anne and I are off on a jaunt to Germany tomorrow for a few days' holiday and for a Big Birthday Bash thrown by our friends (and parents of our Godson, Ansem)...

Jorg is 45 on Friday and Yvonne's 40th was in February this year...

Upon arrival at the castle, Meg immediately investigated every nook and cranny, even sticking her head up the chimney...

The adults enjoyed a coffee and a chat while Meg eventually made herself at home...



We listened to some Creek demos, to be worked up into an album this year some time, we hope, and Count Brodski also presented some tasty (and some not so tasty, step forward Mr Holmes) treats...

Around 10, we said goodbye to Meg, Alan and Penny and drove the five minute journey home...

I finished off the re-jigging of the Jukebox tracks between the machines before we watched the latest "Law & Order : Criminal Intent" ...

Took a while to get to sleep without the soothing presence at Crispycat Towers of Meg the Black Cat though...

Highlight of the Day : A visit to Brodski's

Sky blue sky...

Playlist
Various - 45 Recent Albums (Shuffleplay)
Johnny Griffin - Introducing Johnny Griffin
Jimmy Smith - Home Cookin'
Baby Face Willette - Face to Face
Rush - Snakes and Arrows Live

A lovely sunny day today - typical weather for the start of May...



To FOPP at lunchtime, where I bagged these five Blue note titles for just £4 each...



Also got the new double live CD by Rush for a mere £5 - the assistant advised that, yesterday, it had been £18...



Went to the gym again this evening then, back home, I spent most of the night transferring tracks between the three jukeboxes - a long and laborious task, made more bearable by the soundtrack of today's purchases...

highlight of the Day : New CDs - as if I really needed more...

A hundred and eleventy twelve...

Playlist
The Bad Plus – Pre-Prog (CD-R)
Christopher O’Riley – Live Downloads
David Bowie – Low
Kraftwerk – Edinburgh Playhouse 17/7/91
Sparks – Whisky A Go Go 1982
Various – Classical & Jazz Jukebox Shuffleplay

Up unfeasibly early again...

The first day of my fiftieth year on Planet Earth......

Finished off transferring my classical MP3s to the jazz jukebox, which shall henceforth be known as the “Classical & Jazz Jukebox”...

It will sit alongside the “Rock & Pop Jukebox” and the “Compilations Jukebox” – the latter remains to be filled with content from the other two...

This is how I waste my time...

Anne finally surfaced around 11 am and I opened my cards and present - series 4 and 5 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” – I was laughing out loud just reading the synopses...

I got this card from Meg the Black Cat...



..and Mr Bowie popped by...


Photo by Stuart Cobley www.stuartcobley.co.uk

Then it was out in the car, soundtracked by Dave’s “Low” album, an old copy of which he slipped into my hand as he left for Sunday lunch uptown with Brian Eno and Robert Fripp (it says here)...

Dropped by the pub from last night to collect Alan and Penny’s present, which I had inadvertently left behind due to excess intake of Mr Budvar’s fine liquid...

Then tried to get over to Leith Walk to partake of a very late (1pm) breakfast at Vittorio’s but the traffic was hellish and i am incredibly impatient, so we headed to Stockbridge to Patisserie Florintin – tasty...

Around 2, we drove up towards FOPP intending to have a look round and to possibly spend some of my ill-gotten birthday gains...

The journey included a special “hey it’s my birthday, I can drive through a red light while a police car sits opposite me waiting to turn right if I want” incident...

In 1983, I gained three penalty points for just such an infringement – this time I got away with it...

Couldn’t get parked at FOPP, so we just headed home and I listened to the two albums Count Brodski and Lady Penelope had provided last night – the mighty Kraftwerk peforming a gig Anne and I (and the Count) attended in the summer of 1991 – and the equally mighty Sparks...

Started work on my first new song since April 2007 – no lyrics just a few convoluted chord sequences thus far...

My mum called to wish me a Happy Birthday and then “big” sister Sheila popped by and we had a coffee and looked at some old photos from the 1980’s when Crispycat Towers was a very different place – and Crispy the Kitten was still very much alive - and my mum looked very much younger than she does now - this fate awaits us all...

Then to Anne’s mum’s for my birthday tea – I had asked for her speciality steak pie and had made a special request that baked beans be one of the side dishes – and she duly provided same and they are featured in the collage below...

Good times...

Back home we watched last night’s “Dr Who” – for the second day running, our attempt at recording it had failed due to rubbish technology – but we watched it on the PC using BBC’s I-Player for the first time...

Later, while Anne watched the last “Match of the Day 2” of the season "live", some work beckoned for me...

All in all though, a good birthday...

And many happy returns today too, to my musical cohorts, Mr Norman Lamont and Ms Iona Marshall...

Lights Out...

Highlight of the Day : Did I mention it was my birthday today?

Shredded...

Playlist
The Bad Plus - Prog
The Bad Plus – Pre-Prog (CD-R)
Sparks – Introducing Sparks
David Reilly – Anthology 1977-2007
Lemon Juice Quartet – Republic
Devo – Q:Are We Not Men A:We Are Devo
Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Christopher O’Riley – Live Downloads

Up unfeasibly early on this, the last day of my 49th year on Earth...

Commenced the day by adding even more free MP3s to The Crispycat Music Library for downloading...

Here's the latest from "Ersatzreal", "Lights Out"...

Then spent some time compiling a pre-“Prog” (their latest album) best of by The Bad Plus for our German chum Jorg, whose birthday it will be on Friday...



Off to the gym for my fourth visit this week - soundtracked this morning by the just created Bad Plus compilation ...

Thought of a better way to decide drawn football matches...

Why not make shots on target count for something – this would penalise negative play (as demonstrated by Glasgow Rangers the other night) – so, plus points might be shots on target, hitting the woodwork, winning corners, overall possession etc while negatives would be Red Cards, Yellow Cards, fouls committed etc – the stats could be totted up while play is going on and, through out the game, you’d be able to see who’d take the spoils in the event of a draw...

Just a thought...

Back home and a Sparks album arrived from Russia...



The two I await from an Edinburgh dealer are nowhere to be seen a full two weeks on from purchase – contacted them and they say the discs were posted the day after I bought them and that their record for rubbish service from Royal Mail for an Edinburgh delivery is three weeks to an address ten minutes walk from their warehouse...

Should be here on Tuesday they say – we’ll see...

What happened to the good old days when your first class mail was delivered the next day around 8 am? Now it’s two or three days and the postman doesn’t arrive till midday...

Anyway, “Introducing Sparks” is not the best Sparks album in the world but it’s better than I remembered...

Anne went off uptown and left me to my own devices – I ought to have been working but, after listening to Sparks and doing the dishes, I mucked about on the computer, starting to compile a list of hit albums from the 80’s, following last week’s “work” on the 70’s...

Also pulled the 40 or so 70’s albums not on the Jukebox with a view to uploading...

Anne returned with sandwiches for an enjoyable late lunch...

No footie of significance for us today although Anne was hoping of course that results would go against her arch rivals Hibernian to keep them out of Europe next year...

Queen of the South have no games between last Saturday and the Cup final on 24 May – Rangers have around 8 games in that period, including the UEFA Cup final...

The Bad Plus’ blog led me to Christopher O’Riley’s, as he recently performed covers of a couple of their tunes – I ended up downloading around 100 minutes of music from his site – great stuff – he’s released a couple of discs of Radiohead covers, one of which I have, don’t know if it’s jazz, classical or easy listening – well definitely not the last – but it’s all (mostly) solo piano music and it’s very good...



Recommended...

Whilst doing this, I realised I need to re-jig the Jukeboxes and have decided to combine Classical and Jazz on one of the 30GB boxes, leaving the other 30GB free for compilations. The "Rock & Pop" 60GB box will now only have original studio albums on board...

This is how I waste my time...

In the evening we were off out to meet up with Count Brodski and Lady Penelope over at Haymarket...

A drink at Cuba Norte firstly then down the road a block to Chinese eaterie, Chop Chop...



The food was superb – we followed the menu’s guidelines of one large and two small dishes per person and everyone just ate from any dish as they arrived...

Particularly good were the shredded potato salad and the North Chinese Shredded Beef...

Two bottles of tasty Rioja accompanied the proceedings...

A good couple of hours later we made our way over the road to a wee bar called Carter’s (judging from the paintings adorning the walls, it was named after the Michael Caine film “Get Carter”)....

Much to Anne’s chagrin, there were some musicians plying their trade – the rest of us were fine with it, but you may recall Anne’s reaction to singer-songwriters in bars from when we were on Arran at New Year...



We stayed till closing time at 1 am and headed for the taxis, the majority of our party (ok me and Alan) a little the worse for wear...

Arrived home and realised I’d left Alan & Penny’s present to me, including some tasty Kraftwerk and Sparks music, behind in the bar...

After some frantic scrabbling around trying to find the phone number, we got through and were advised the staff had found the package and I can pick it up tomorrow...

A good day...

Highlight of the Day : Birthday Bash with Alan and Penny

Hurtling towards...

Playlist
UK – Best of UK (CD-R)
The Bad Plus – Motel
The Bad Plus - Prog

A walk along Princes St and up Cockburn St to the vegetarian Baked Potato shop for a tasty tea before meeting up with old colleagues Ken and Mike at Waverley Station, as tonight was to be a rare reunion of people who worked for Guardian Royal Exchange in St Andrew Square – I was there from 1981 till 1984...

Here's the building (on the right) in December 1981...



And here's the view from my desk in 1983 - no computers of course and the girl at the window is using a micro-fiche reader...



We went for a quick drink first at The Guildford Arms (a half of Strawberry beer Fruli for me) before heading down, coincidentally through St Andrew’s Square, to the basement of the Police Club in York Place...

It’s probably well over twenty years since I’d seen most of the people I recognised, which weren’t that many as, of course, there were people there who had joined post my adieu and who had subsequently returned to the outside world...

Nonetheless, it was good to catch up with a few old faces and expanded bellies...

There was a book of photos which included a worrying amount of dodgy 1980's hairdos from men as well as women...

One girl came up to me and said she often saw me walking along a certain street in the morning and always thought to herself “there goes David Douglas Howard Reilly” – she remembered me because I was one of the few people she’d ever met with four names – we always had to initial our work and so mine bore the sign DDHR...

I didn’t advise my third name is actually “Howat” after my maternal Grandmother...

Ken and Mike left around eleven and I left not long after, by which time almost everyone I’d known in the hall had also departed – we only had four drinks all night, so my earlier fears of possible hangovers tomorrow were unfounded...

Airport bus home and a walk up the hill...

A sad little night really....

Sad. Weird. Good...

But mostly sad that so many years have past in the blink of an eye...


Your correspondent 1982/83 aged 23/24

Highlight of the Day : Reunionising

27 years on...

Playlist
Harmonia - Deluxe
Depeche Mode – Violator
John Scofield – Up All Night
Various – Classic Progressive Rock Playlist (Shuffleplay)
David Reilly – Anthology 1977-2007 Vol 3 (1990-1993)

After a lovely tea from Anne of slow-cooked lamb with green beans and mashed potatoes, it was off to the gym again...

So boring but so good for me...

Fiorentina v Rangers was on the wee tellies in front of the machines of torture...

Back home it continued....

Rangers were dreadful – hardly a shot on goal, never mind on target but, true to form for their European campaign this year, they rode their luck against a far superior team...

...and got to a penalty shoot-out...

I said to Anne “Italians are crap at penalties” and so it turned out to be...

Elsewhere, St Petersburg beat Bayern Munchen 4-0...

Released this into the void yesterday - head over to the FREE Download Library for some tracks...



1st of May was once a great day, but not today...

Highlight of the Day : Discovering another good modern jazz disc...

Blue dress and heroes...

Playlist
Neal Morse - Sola Scriptura
Neal Morse -?
Neal Morse –One
Depeche Mode – Violator

Listening today comprised mainly the collected works of Neal Morse, following the purchase of his latest yesterday...

He is, of course, a rampant born-again Christian and his lyrics reflect this in no uncertain terms...

So this might strike you as being a bit strange – an atheist enjoying music about Jesus – but the music really is very good indeed and, as I opined here not long ago, some of the best music ever written, was created in the name of religion – so I suppose it’s not all bad...

Also on the playlist was Depeche Mode’s “Violator”, burnt for me by my colleague Caroline - it contains one of her all time favourite tracks, “Blue Dress”...



Very enjoyable...

When she first mentioned the album, I thought I already had it but, on checking, I found I didn’t – so she decided to fill this particular Mode shaped gap in the collection...

Much of the evening was spent in front of the telly – the first of the new series of “Heroes” (on tape), the increasingly desperate “Desperate Housewives” and the very funny “Big Bang Theory”...

An uneventful day...

Highlight of the Day : New “Heroes” – even though it was pretty rubbish really

Evening star II...

Playlist
Various – 5 Minute Pieces - Jazz (Shuffleplay)
Neal Morse – Sola Scriptura

A comment on the blog the other day pointed out that the picture of Brian Eno I used a couple of weeks ago to illustrate the arrival of the latest Fripp & Eno recordings at Crispycat Towers was by the late Peter Schmidt...

I knew this but had not mentioned it – there’s a link there now to an excellent site dedicated to the late artist and his work...

Schmidt was involved in the cover artwork of Brian Eno’s “Taking Tiger Mountain” and “Before and After Science” albums and also painted the picture which graces the front cover of Fripp & Eno’s “Evening Star”, one of my all time favourite paintings...



The guy who maintains the Peter Schmidt site (and who actually owns the painting I used a few weeks ago) is apparently off to Eno’s house this summer to photograph items from Eno’s own collection of Schmidt’s works, which includes this painting, which has apparently hung in Eno’s home for nearly 35 years...

It was painted in autumn 1973 on La Gomera, the smallest of the Canary Islands....

In the "Letters" section on the Schmidt website, at the very bottom of the "Miscellaneous" section, is the last note the artist wrote, describing his hopes in re experiencing the moment it was painted on his forthcoming trip. He died a few days after arriving there....

La Gomera means “small firebrand” – so perhaps the Eno track “Over Fire Island” from “Another Green World” is a reference to this...

Elsewhere today, I visited FOPP but made no purchase – it’s only a matter of time until I go mental and walk out clutching a bag of £3 CDs which I’ll transfer to the jukebox without even listening to...

I am mad...

Back home an order from Amazon arrived – presents for our friends in Germany, Jorg and Yvonne, who celebrate their 45th and 40th birthdays respectively next weekend...

Of course whilst shopping there, I couldn’t resist adding the latest album by ex-Spocks Beard frontman and purveyor of excellent nu-prog, Mr Neal Morse...

I listened to it as I pounded the machines at the gym tonight...

I failed to move up to double the number of sets I’ve been doing because, quite frankly, some of the individuals at the gym were just too smelly for me to bear...

On telly, “CSI “ and last Saturday’s "Dr Who", featuring the Sontaran’s which I resemble but hopefully not for much longer...

Highlight of the Day : Learning more ablout Peter Schmidt

Mail your dad...

Playlist
Various – 5 Minute Pieces (Shuffleplay)

I’ve been logging on to the Queen of the South website and the fans message board each morning to see when tickets will be going on sale for the cup final...

I came across this story printed recently in a Canadian Newspaper – the part where the author sent an e-mail to his dead father brought a wee tear to my eye...

Not much action today...

Spent some time checking which of the 200 odd hit albums of the 70’s I have, weren’t already on the Jukebox – I made a list for future reference...

This one’s on there already of course...



My cold is lingering, but not too badly, while Anne was struck by some kind of lurgi which knocked her for six, forcing a cancellation of her weekly keep fit excursion..

Still no sign of my Sparks CDs....

Highlight of the Day : Queens story

Chording...

Playlist
Various – Hit Albums from 1970 (Shuffleplay)
Various Composers – Dresden Classics
Various – Hit Albums from 1971 (Shuffleplay)
David Bowie – Best of Spiders from Mars 1971-1973 (CD-R)
Zbigniew Preisner/Teresa Salgueiro – Silence, Night and Dreams

Up early again as, once again, despite a late night, I just couldn’t get back to sleep after waking for the first time...

So a couple of hours of internetting and stupid compiling before heading to the gym at 10am....

Next week I’ll be upping the number of “sets” I do...

Back home for breakfast then more time wasted on the computer while Anne watched the Old Firm derby – a second triumph in 11 days for Celtic against their oldest rivals....

Worked out the chords for David Bowie’s “Drive-in Saturday” – for no particular reason – and I’m sure I could’ve Googled them anyway...

Then to Jane and Bobby’s for wee Ollie’s birthday party – top cooking from Jane comprising a steak chilli and a pork and chorizo dish – both taken from Delia Smith’s new “How to Cheat at Cooking” (or some such) book...



More computing before “Match of the Day 2” during which I fell asleep...

A cold is taking hold...

Highlight of the Day : Jane’s cooking

Topographic...

Playlist
Various – 1973 Hit Singles Playlist
Hasse – Salve Regina
Various Composers – Dresden Classics
FionaApple – Extraordinary Machine
Various – Hit Albums from 1970 (Shuffleplay)

Couldn’t sleep so up around 5:15, leaving me pretty tired after last night’s drinking and late turn in...

I compiled a 3CD set of hit singles from around each of Anne’s best friend Lynn’s birthdays, and created a cover – a wee present from me as we were off out tonight to celebrate her birthday, which was yesterday...

Then, after recently creating lists of hit singles I liked from 1972 and 1973, I moved on to 1974 and 1975 and then thought looking at hit albums would be interesting...

So I researched hit albums from 1970-1979 – all of the above research was taken from the great chart archive site http://www.everyhit.com/...

In these days of homogenised crap, it’s amazing to see the music that used to hit the charts – granted there was always rubbish like Nana Maskouri, Peters and Lee and Frank Sinatra (yes I’d rate all three around the same on a worthiness scale) and all those various artists LPs but just look at some of the albums that made it into the top forty in the seventies:-

Soft Machine - Third
Hawkwind - In Search Of Space
Isaac Hayes - Black Moses
Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick
Argent - All Together Now
Focus - Focus 3
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds Of Fire
Lou Reed - Berlin
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery
Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans
Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets
Roy Harper - Valentine

Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black
Steve Hillage - Fish Rising
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Steve Howe - Beginnings
Chris Squire - Fish Out Of Water
Joni Mitchell - The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Rainbow Rising
Jon Anderson - Olias Of Sunhillow
David Bowie - Low
Rush - Farewell To Kings
Magazine - Secondhand Daylight

OK some of them may not have aged that well and these aren’t exactly the most accessible albums in the world but, once upon a time, they represented the kind of music which was being bought by enough people to make the charts – some of these even made the number one spot...

And now what do we have? Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse and Adele?!!?

Anyway – arranged to meet up with Dr Prog at the Music Library this morning – I’d suggested we might go to Dunfermline Athletic to see Dr Prog’s team against the mighty Queen of the South – but he couldn’t make it – turned out he didn’t make the library either but I turned up anyway....

Headed home with no new music but some nice Polish bread and Danish salami for lunch – expecting my Sparks CDs to have arrived but again, nothing. Although they’re coming from e-bay, the seller is based here in Edinburgh, so it’s very annoying to say the least to be a week on with no discs...

Decided not to go to Dunfermline on my own and so, as Anne left for Tynecastle (Hearts 1 Inverness 0) I watched on the BBC Videoprinter, as Dunfermline thrashed Queens 4-0, with all the goals coming in the second half...

Still that’s them finished fourth in the league, equalling their best position in recent years and gaining one more point than their previous best...

A month till the Cup final – hopefully they’ll arrange a couple of friendlies to keep their fitness up...

In the evening off to All Bar One in George St to meet up with Lynn and Ross, Lynn’s two sisters, Joan and Sheila, Sheila’s partner Tim, Ross’s brother Stuart and his wife, also called Lynn (possibly with an “E” though)...

After a couple of drinks we walked down to Muang Thai for a very enjoyable and tasty meal – I partook of a grated carrot salad to start with which was covered in chilli seeds and nearly blew my head off – mmm...

This was followed by a very hot duck-based dish, accompanied by some yummy noodles and a couple of bottles of Singha Beer, which was required to douse the flames...

I passed on dessert despite the tempting items available...

Then to a bar in Thistle St where I enjoyed talking to Lynn’s sisters about their tastes in music...

Sheila is 54 and remembers the late 60’s music scene well, while Joan is in her early 40’s and was once a blue–haired punk rocker...

An excellent, entertaining night, rounded off by a taxi trip home from Haymarket to Crispycat Towers and into bed around 2 am...

Very tired...

Highlight of the Day : Thai food and 70’s Albums

Herring...

Playlist
Various – 1973 Hit Singles Playlist
Hasse – Salve Regina

Soundtracked by the hits of 1973, it was back to HMV again today and I bought two discs of 18th Century music...

The first is of Johann Adolf Hasse, who was absolutely Top of the Pops in the period between Bach and Mozart and a "pivotal figure" in the development of opera seria and 18th-century music (it says here)...

The second is a collection of music played in Dresden during those days and also features Hasse along with Heinichen, Vivaldi, Fasch, Zelenka, WF Bach and Jacobi while throwing in a couple of pieces by Heinrich Schutzfrom the 17th Century, just for good measure...

This music is just soooooo good - so tuneful and uplifting - not like all that modern nonsense...

In the evening we were off to a comedy show with stand up of this parish, Mr Jim Park but, as we weren’t meeting till 7, Anne and I went for a couple of drinks beforehand with colleagues Kris and Caroline...

Jim had reserved our tickets and arrived at The Stand just as we were collecting and paying for them....

A very tasty chilli (acquired with the aid of Jim's "comedian discount") got a very entertaining evening off to a good start...

The compere, Susan Calman was right on the button and soon had the sold out room in the palms of her hands...

The opening act, Irishman Keith Farnan was very funny indeed – of course the Irish accent always gives a comedian a head start in winning over the crowd...

Jim’s mate and Yorkshireman of the night, Gordon Alexander made good use of a few props, including some flash cards and Lidl’s Valentine’s Day leaflet advertising condoms at 22p each....

Neil MacFarlane I’d seen before and, whilst he had some good lines, perhaps the company he was in this evening put him under too close scrutiny...

Jim, in his capacity as our only chum who is a stand up comedian, was able to give us his insights re each act...

The headliner was the man we'd come to see - Richard Herring, one of our favourites – if we only catch one show in the Edinburgh Fringe it’ll be Mr Herring’s...

The majority of his all too short 20 minute set was from his 2007 show “Fuck Me I’m 40” but I still found it hilarious and, after the show and considerably too much to drink, I strode up to the man, shook his hand and told him so...

Here's his post from today - which doesn't actually mention tonight's show or the fact that a drunken, overweight, bald musician shook his hand after the show and told him it had been "excellent"...

We left Jim at the club and headed home on an Airport Bus followed by a walk in the cold to Crispycat Towers...

For today’s pic, I thought I’d put one up of Jim – in researching this I found some pics of us in our group Capital Models back in 1980. Jim's the exuberant looking drummer bottom left and you can also see a very fresh faced Mr James Jamieson playing bass...



A good night...

To bed with Mr Hasse in my ears...

Highlight of the Day : Richard Herring

Tardis...

Playlist
The Bad Plus - Discography
Esbjorn Svensson Trio - Discography
Happy Apple - Discography
Medeski Martin & Wood - Discography
Ethan Iverson Trio - Discography
Brad Mehldau Trio - Discography
Reid Anderson – Discography
Various – 1973 Hit Singles Playlist

Still resisting the offers at FOPP...

Today, I went instead to HMV...

FOPP is owned by HMV but has different management, their task being to try and maintain the previous differentials – thus there are often baffling price differences between the two for exactly the same products...

Didn’t buy anything - expecting as I was a couple of Sparks CDs to have been delivered once I got home...

To no avail though....

Anne was off out bowling tonight with Chris and Ferret – she’s catching the bug again perhaps?

Certainly her scores are already on the rise...

Thereafter she watched the Rangers Fiorentina game with the boys (a Hibs fan and a Celtic fan no less - while Annie is, of course a fervent Jambo)...

And so I was left to my own devices at Crispycat Towers...

After preparing (and eating) a tasty tea of chorizo, onions, chillies, peppers and cherry tomatoes (with a dash of red wine), I squandered the rest of the evening compiling a list of over 70 good hit singles from 1973...



Whilst researching pics from 1973, I found this site which traces the history of UK Rock Festivals - worth a look...

Upon Anne's return, we watched tonight's “My Name is Earl” – the one where everyone uses their imagination – Darnell’s song for the crabs was superb...

Highlight of the Day : Back to 1973...

On the wrong side of the road...

Playlist
David Reilly – Anthology Vols 1-10 (Shuffleplay)
Various – Hit Singles of 1972
The Bad Plus - Prog

To FOPP at lunchtime – nothing purchased but all the £3 CDs I forewent in Glasgow recently, have now started to turn up here...

Back to the gym tonight, the pain in my arm having subsided enough to resume the weights exercises...

Enjoyable in a strange way but also quite boring...

Back home Anne was slow cooking some lamb and, after the last remnants of the excellent home made soup, it emerged around 9pm and was very tasty indeed, served with mash and broccoli...

On TV, “Coronation St”, “Reaper” (some new, interesting twists introduced), “Desperate Housewives” and another excellent “Big Bang Theory”...

On e-bay Germany I found an album by Neue Deutsche Welle stalwarts Geisterfahrer and it will hopefully arrive shortly along with the three Sparks albums ordered on Sunday...

Lights out with The Bad Plus...

Highlight of the Day : Anne’s cooking

Mother...

Playlist
David Reilly – Anthology Vols 1-10 (Shuffleplay)
James - Hey Ma

A tasty tea tonight of home made soup followed by trout with zingy salad...

Then out to visit my mum, the journey appropriately soundtracked by James’ new album, “Hey Ma”...



My mum was in good spirits and the usual tales were told of people I used to know...

We watched the end of the Liverpool v Chelsea Euro Semi Final – an own goal from the Reds in the fifth minute of injury time meant it ended in a 1-1 draw giving Chelski the upper hand for the second leg...

I would point out that neither of these teams is a “champion” yet they are playing in the so-called “Champions’ League” – the power of money...

Back home “Law & Order : Criminal Intent” rounded off the day...

Highlight of the Day : Good food

Spikey...

Playlist
Sparks - Discography
Girls Aloud – Mixed Up
Michael Rother - Chronicles
Muse - HAARP

To the doctor’s surgery twice this morning – the first for the results of my cholesterol test taken last week and the treadmill ECG I had at the hospital in February – the second to have my ears syringed...

Cholesterol is down but still not as low as it ought to be – another test in July and then the possibility of lifelong medication – the ECG proved I didn’t have a heart attack in January which is good news...

So far I’ve lost over half a stone but I still have another four to go...

In between the two visits, we had breakfast at a little Italian place then I popped into Woolworth’s and bought an exclusive to Woolies Girls Aloud mix CD...

Then Anne went to Tesco to shop and I went to PC World to investigate a possible new printer, coming away instead with a new keyboard and some details re some possible future purposes...

Back home I logged on to find a comment on this blog in the form of a link to guitarist Robert Fripp’s diary. On his 1 April entry, he mentions the inclusion here of a signed copy of “Evening Star” by Fripp & Eno. He notes that although one of the signatures says “Robert Fripp”, it certainly isn't the writing of any Robert Fripp he knows...

He provided his readers with a link to here causing a welcome spike in visitors over the weekend...



So thanks for that Bob...

Don’t know why the other three spikes occurred...

Home made lentil soup for lunch – Anne’s best...

A day off for me today re the doctor this morning so we took the opportunity this afternoon to pop along to the cinema to see “21”, a film based on the true story of a student at MIT who ended up losing two fortunes counting cards in Las Vegas...

Quite enjoyable...

Of course the losses were a Hollywood contrivance - in reality the student made over $1 million...

Back home and Anne made a lovely tea of cod with a copy of Penny’s zingy salad from Saturday night – tasty!

Spent some time today finalising a big order for CDs received at the weekend and I also added some more free downloads to the Crispycat Library...

Forgot to mention that I bought three Sparks albums on e-bay yesterday which are missing from my collection – two more to get plus the new one out next month – and I’ll have all 21...

Highlight of the day : Fripp reading Cloudland Blue...

Europa...

Playlist
Sparks – Discography
Sparks – Twenty (CD-R)

Unsurprisingly after last night’s late finish, we were up late today...

My shoulder was pretty sore so I decided against a quick return to the gym...

Brunch at home then listening to Sparks and compiling a CD of one track from each of their twenty albums to date...



Spent some time working out the chords and lyrics for around a dozen or so songs from the first two volumes of my anthology...

Then we watched Rangers v St Johnstone in the second cup semi-final, the winners of which will meet Queen of the South in the final next month...

Rangers were poor and, indeed, it was 0-0 at full time..

St Johnstone scored three minutes into extra time but Rangers pulled back with a deserved penalty and really ought to have had another before time was up...

And so a penalty shoot out ensued. St Johnstone saved one penalty but Rangers saved two, sending Queens into the UEFA Cup next year – amazing!!

If Rangers play as badly in the final and QoS play as well as they did against Aberdeen in the semi, who knows, the Doonhamers might just win the cup...

To Anne’s mum’s for tea then home for “My Name is Earl” and “CSI : New York” on tape followed by “Match of the Day 2”...

Highlight of the Day : Queens into Europe

Sparky...

Playlist
Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane - Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane
Roedelius – Sebstportrait Vol 1 (LP)
Roedelius – Works 1968-2005
Various – Now That’s What I Call a Good Album Jan 2005
Uriah Heep – Wonderworld
Muse – Black Holes and Revelations
David Reilly – Anthology 1977-2007 Vol 3 (1990-1993)
Creek – 1.0.0
Sparks – Number One in Heaven

Up around 9 and off out to the Gym for my first solo session of this new regime – went well as far as I can tell, in that I was knackered after it – which is a good thing I understand...

Breakfasted at home then headed out solo again, taking two large bags of no longer needed clothes to the PDSA Charity Shop on the Royal Mile before parking below Arthur’s Seat and walking down to the town centre and Avalanche where I ended up buying the new Muse CD/DVD box set of their live performances last summer at Wembley Stadium...



Back home at 2pm to allow Anne to head off to Tynecastle where Hearts came from behind to beat my home town team, St Mirren, 3-2...

Meanwhile the mighty Queen of the South followed last week’s triumph over Aberdeen and their midweek defeat of Partick Thistle with another win, 1-0 at home to Dundee – looks like they could be finishing 4th which I’d never have imagined a few weeks into the season when they were regularly placed in the relegation zone...

Played along with my guitar to a few old songs on the third volume of my anthology, due for release at the end of this month...

Tonight’s “Dr Who” – the one with the Ood – was followed by the Muse DVD while we waited a pick up from Count Brodski...

Off round to his flat where Penny had prepared an excellent meal of red mullet with potatoes and an excellent zingy mango, avocado, tiger prawn, spring onion, chilli and coriander salad...

Copious amounts of red wine were consumed by your correspondent while the good count drank non-alcoholic beer all night having had a bit of a session last night apparently...

We stayed up till 3 am listening to Sparks amongst others – the Count and Countess are off to London next month to see one of the 21 concerts this brilliant band is playing there – wish I was going too but their trip clashes with the Cup Final...

And so we were driven back home in the Brodskimobile after a very entertaining evening...

Highlight of the day : A trip to Castle Brodski

Lucky...

Playlist
Alan Morse – Four O’Clock and Hysteria
Depeche Mode - Ultra
Roxy Music – The Thrill of it All
Teresa Salgueiro/Septeto de Joao Cristal – Voce e Eu

Anne was over in Fife tonight for a works leaving do – Singstar Dawn was leaving the fold – in fact left last week but the party was tonight...

So I turned down all offers so as to be available for taxi duty...

Spent the evening pottering around the house and ended up watching the end of the Batman film I started watching a couple of months ago and then disc one of the double DVD of Roxy Music I received at Christmas...

Very enjoyable indeed...

The call finally came and I left for Dunfermline around 11:30...

Whilst driving around Dunfermline trying to find the nitespot where everything was “going down, man” I got caught by the police going the wrong way along a one way street, having already gone through at least three No Entry signs apparently....



Nine penalty points and a £300 fine they advised – rather an expensive lift home for the Executive Producer...

However, I played the tourist card, advising I was over from Edinburgh and hadn’t ever driven around Dunfermline before and I was looking for the club (whose name escaped me) where my wife was partying the night away and that must have been why I hadn't realised I'd been driving the wrong way along several one-way streets...

The gullible police very kindly let me off and sent me on my way with a warning to go and park and walk into the town centre – judging by the carnage which was taking place as the pubs closed up for the night, I suspect they already had their hands more than full with drunken punters...

A lucky escape...

Finally found my way to the venue and met up with the drunken rabble just as they were being ejected into the night...

Took Chris-with-a-Ch home to Dalgety Bay and then Debbie (the wonderful cook) to the far side of Edinburgh....

Back home around 1:15 or so....

Phew...

Highlight of the Day : Being let off with a driving offence...

Old...

Playlist
Neu! - Neu! 75
Bob Dylan - Modern Times
Black Mountain - In the Future

Popped along to the football tonight, as it was the last night of long time player Dom, who's off to London in a week or so for a new life...

It was freezing - I didn't play of course, just watched - and we all stood around drinking beer after the game and reminiscing...

I discovered Dom and I share the affliction of sore big toes due to them having been mashed at some point in the past - I reckoned mine was done in for the first time around 15 years ago - before anyone of the young whipper-snappers attending tonight had ever played a game in these fives which have been going now since the early eighties...

When I got home, I realised it was actually 1988 - I know this because I consulted the red book of CDs to see when I first bought Yes' "90125" on CD, as it was that same day of the first great toe-destruction...

Twenty years - what an old bugger I am...

Anne was out with Lynn tonight a-pizza-ing so I headed home and awaited the call whilst listening to Bob Dylan and Black Mountain having partaken of more Neu! during the day...

Old, old , old....



Highlight of the Day : Hanging with the football boys...

The dorf of the dussel...

Playlist
Jazz by...
Bernd Satzinger
Brad Mehldau Trio
Chris Lyons Trio
Christoph Merkl
Esbjorn Svensson Trio
Happy Apple
Kurt Rosenwinkel
Medeski Martin & Wood
Musicmusicmusic
Tye Bad Plus
The Crimson Jazz Trio
Plus...
Michael Rother - Chronicles
Neu! - Neu!
Neu! - Die Zweite Neu!
Neu! - Neu! 75
La Dusseldorf - La Dusseldorf
La Dusseldorf - Viva

Found out yesterday that Klaus Dinger died last week...

Without him no Kraftwerk (and hence no hip-hop), no Neu!, no Berlin period Bowie etc etc...

Here he is (far right) with his band La Dusseldorf in 1978 after his irrevocable split with Neu! co-director Michael Rother...



So tonight, ensured all his music I have was on the jukebox and listened to the man and his motorik drumming once more...

Elsewhere "The Big Bang Theory" cleansed the eyeballs after watching Celtic beat Rangers 2-1 with a goal in the 93rd minute - poetic justice of course as a certain goal for the 'Tic had earlier been expertly palmed away from the top corner by the Gers' full back - resulting in a red card and a penalty subsequently saved...

Another pointless day...

Highlight of the Day : Remembering La Dusseldorf and Neu!

Torture...

Playlist
Albinoni – Oboe Concertos
Zbigniew Preisner/Teresa Salgueiro – Silence, Night and Dreams
Teresa Salgueiro/Septeto de Joao Cristal – Voce e Eu
Various – Jukebox Shuffleplay

HMV and the stupidly named Zavvi (formerly Virgin) at lunchtime – no purchases...

The last of my awaited CDs arrived today – a disc (posted from Argentina) of jazzy samba type music by Teresa Salgueiro, singer of Madredeus, along with a famous Portuguese Septet I’ve never heard of...





Tasty...

Back to the gym tonight – introduced to the gruesome torture that are “abs exercises”...

At home a lovely Thai Chicken Curry from the fair hands of the Executive Producer – I listen to Teresa while Anne watches Gok Wan – which is of course an anagram for go...

Anyhoo – “CSI” is good and “Law & Order Criminal Intent” finishes off an uneventful day...

Highlight of the Day : Surprises on the Jukebox...

Winner...

Playlist
Asia - Phoenix
Wetton/Downes – Icon
Wetton/Downes – Icon II: Rubicon
Zbigniew Preisner/Teresa Salgueiro – Silence, Night and Dreams
Zbigniew Preisner – Requiem For My Friend

Back in the old routine today – soundtracked by John Wetton via Asia and Icon...

FOPP at lunchtime – nothing purchased...

At home, the fifth of the six CDs I was waiting on had arrived – a disc by Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner’s which features the singer from my favourite Portuguese group Madredeus...



Slow, beautiful music...

James Jamieson made an unlikely appearance tonight along with five of his neighbours on the Scottish TV quiz show, “Postcode Challenge” – Jamie’s team won...

Hurrah!

The show itself is rubbish though...

Watched a programme on addiction (no mention of CDs) then retired to the PC to listen to Preisner properly, while keeping this drivel up to date...

Highlight of the Day : Jamie on TV!!

Coming down to earth...

Playlist
James - Hey Ma
Asia - Phoenix
Status Quo - Gold
Battles - Mirrored
Black Mountain - In the Future
Bob Marley & The Wailers - 3CD Box Set
Wizzard - Wizzard Brew
Robert Fripp - At The End of Time : Churchscapes
Fripp & Eno - Beyond Even
Pet Shop Boys - Best of Further Listening

Up at 6:30 this morning and everything was still a little unreal – loads of coverage for the Queens after yesterday’s exploits...

Finished off loading the new purchases into the jukebox and set off for the gym for my 9 am appointment with “Dave”...



A programme is taking shape, to which I’ll be adhering for the next 10 weeks and perhaps beyond...

In the main it’s designed to strengthen my arm but there are a couple of cardio-vascular items which I need to add to help in my ongoing battle of the bulge...

On the way home, stopped off at the shop for a couple of rolls and some milk re breakfast...

Spent much of the day listening to the new music and reading about Queen of the South – surreal...

There’s a link on the club’s website to over 1,000 pictures taken on the day – if you’re eagle-eyed, you might just make me and Anne out in the one on the top left of this collage...



At 3:20 we set off for Dalgety Bay to Chris-with-a-ch’s house to watch Man Utd v Arsenal – and arrived just in time for the kick off, following a huge hold up on the Forth Road Bridge...

An entertaining match ended in Arsenal losing once again and, even though they’re third in one of the richest leagues in the world, their season has now been pronounced as being “over”...

It’s a funny old game...

In the meantime, Rangers despatched Partick Thislte 2-0 in the last Quarter Final - next Sunday they meet St Johnstone in the second semi-final at Hampden, the winner to play Queen of the South on 24 May...

If Rangers beat St Johnstone, Queen of the South will play in the Uefa Cup next season whatever happens in the final - if St Johnstone beat Rangers then one of the two First Division clubs will be in Europe...

It’s a funny old game...

We headed back over the bridge around 8 and picked up a curry from Bombay Feast, enjoying a programme on tigers while we ate...

A strange day...

Highlight of the Day : Still savouring yesterday’s triumph...

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!

Playlist
Wizzard – Wizzard Brew
Various – Party Bus Disc 3
Status Quo – Gold
Asia – Phoenix
James - Hey Ma
Bob Marley – Sun is Shining
Bob Marley – Lively Up Yorself
Bob Marley – Love Light Shining
Black Mountain – In the Future
Battles - Mirrored

Wow what a day!! (yes really)...

Didn’t sleep well last night – I hadn’t noticed being nervous about today’s Cup Semi-Final to be honest but, subconsciously, it must have been having an effect...

And, before I start, sorry if what follows seems slightly OTT – but there’s never been a day like this before in the history of my favourite team, Queen of the South, which, if you remember, I support because, as a small boy in the late 60’s, I liked their name*...

Up around 7:30 and, after a quick light breakfast of coffee and toast, I decided to leave my long johns off as they might interfere with my lucky pants – chosen expertly from at least six pairs taken from the drawer...

On the drive through to Glasgow we were entertained by one of the party bus discs I compiled for the trip to Loch Lomond last year...

We took our usual route and parked over at Byres Road in the West End around 9:10am...

A quick visit to Fopp where I purchased a 3CD set of early Bob Marley for a frankly stupid £2 – how do they do it?

To the Underground, aka the Clockwork Orange, and return tickets were purchased...

We alighted at Buchanan Galleries and walked over to Wellington St in search of the original Sarti Café, which we duly found and within which we partook of some scrummy nosh for brunch – scrambled eggs and Italian sausage for Anne, Italian sausage and spicy Italian beans for your correspondent – all accompanied by some lovely Italian coffee...

Then a walk down to Central Station, joining the throng of Aberdeen and Queen of the South supporters, making their way to Hampden Park...

Again, return tickets were purchased – it costs less to Hampden and back than from Byres Rd to the town centre and back...

We walked to the ground amongst the ever increasing band of supporters from both teams, past the flag, horn and scarf vendors and were in our seats in plenty of time...

Queens started well and, unbelievably, took the lead mid way through the first half – only for Aberdeen to pull back before half time – still, if you’d asked me if I’d have been happy to see QoS level at half time, I’d have taken that....

The second half contained the most extraordinary 12 minutes of football I’ve ever seen....

Queens miraculously took the lead again just a few minutes into the half – Aberdeen equalised again five minutes later – within another three minutes I could not believe my eyes as Queen of the South went ahead for the third time – only for Aberdeen, three minutes after that to pull back again...

Just one minute on, Queens scored their fourth goal of the afternoon – 4-3 with 30 minutes still to go...

Aberdeen laid siege to the QoS goal, with the occasional breakaway from the Mighty Doonhamers, who certainly rode their luck with around 15 minutes to go, when the Dons hit the bar with a header which rebounded to the same player, who volleyed the ball – in utter slow motion for all wearing blue – onto the post and away...

Our nerves were shattered, as were the Queens players, as we approached the 90 minute mark – then we had to endure 4 minutes of injury time...

Then it was all over – I don’t mind admitting I had tears in my eyes as we danced around to the sound of Status Quo’s “Rockin’ All Over the World”, Queen’s (how apt) “Don’t Stop Me Now” and the track that summed it up, “Heroes” by David Bowie, while the Queens squad bopped up and down in front of their fans – over 10,000 – more than can actually fit into their home ground in Dumfries...

We received texts and phone calls from well wishers (and, as I discovered later, e-mails too)...

The old guy next to Anne had been waiting all his life for a day like this and he wasn’t alone, all around us were old boys dancing and waving their flags – supporters who have lived for 70 years and never seen their club achieve what was achieved by them today....

No fan of Rangers or Celtic could possibly understand what it means to fans of clubs like Queens to get to the Cup Final. Many of them may well scoff at anyone stupid enough to support a team which has very little chance of ever winning anything in their lifetime, while their own chosen favourites take winning silverware season in season out for granted...

But I’d rather have had this day than a million cup finals as an Old Firm fan....

Talk about Cloud Nine - I cannot remember being so high – as we emerged from the stadium, I was a speechless, grinning tube...

Still dazed, we walked to a nearby café for a sit down, a coffee and a chance to digest what had just happened while we let the massive queues for the trains back to town die down...

We walked (on air) to Crosshill station and were back in the centre by 3:30pm...

So what could I do to celebrate – why, buy a couple of CDs of course...

In the main branch of Fopp I wandered around with £3 greatest hits CDs by the likes of The Cars, The The, They Must Be Giants, Judy Collins, John Coltrane but ended up putting them all back and opted instead for the disc playing over the store’s sound system, Black Mountain’s “In the Future”, along with “Mirrored” by Battles which comes strongly recommended by the hip movers and shakers on the scene, man...

Then to HMV where I ended up buying a 2CD collection of Status Quo’s singles from 1968-1998 – including of course “Rockin’ All Over the World”

I met up with Anne again and we walked to our second Sarti restaurant of the day for a celebrationary evening meal – spaghetti with “mama’s” meatballs followed a delicious bean soup for me, while Anne opted for bruschetta followed by giant ravioli..

Tasty...

Then back to the Subway to Hillhead and picked up the car for the drive home – we forgot to hang a Queens flag out the window, but we did come to realise that Status Quo represent the acceptable face of “the blues” and probably provided a template for ZZ Top...

Back home and “Dr Who” awaited on the video – much better than last week’s shaky start – some brief listening time re all the new CDs, including Asia and James which had arrived in the mail after we’d left this morning..

Then “Pushing Daisies” – a promising, “bringing people back to life” US com-dram...

Finally – a couple of beers and the highlights and analysis of today’s game, lauded as one of the best semi-finals in recent history – all taped for posterity of course...

Ended the day ripping today’s purchases to the Jukebox for tomorrow’s early morning visit to the gym...

And what a day it was...

Highlight of the Day : Erm...

*The origins of the name Queen of the South

It was quoted in the Bible in both New Testament Books, Matthew and Luke as a referral to the Old Testament saga of Soloman and the Queen of Sheba (also known as the Queen of the South).

The passage reads: “The Queen of the South shall rise up in judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”

Thus the epithet, 'The only team in the Bible'.

The name was quoted in an election speech in 1857 by local writer and politician, David Dunbar, who, at that time, described the Royal Burgh of Dumfries as the 'Queen of the South'.

The first football side to use the title was Queen of the South Wanderers when founded in 1873 but they folded shortly thereafter and have no connection to the present club.

At a meeting in Dumfries Town Hall in March 1919, Queen of the South United was formed when several local teams amalgamated. By the time they had taken to the field in August of that year to play Nithsdale Wanderers at Palmerston Park the 'United' had mysteriously disappeared.

Queen of the South 4-3 Aberdeen
(BBC Report by Colin Moffat)

Queen of the South reached their first ever Scottish Cup final by winning a seven-goal thriller against Aberdeen.

Steve Tosh slammed home the opener for Queens, while a header from Andrew Considine levelled before half-time.

Paul Burns finished from close range only for Aberdeen's Barry Nicholson to follow suit, while Sean O'Connor fired the Doonhamers back in front.

Considine bagged his second header of the day but John Stewart responded by lashing in the winner on 60
minutes.

The First Division side will meet either the winner of next weekend's semi-final, with St Johnstone waiting to play the winner of the Partick Thistle v Rangers replay.

If Rangers were to progress, the Dumfries team would be assured of a place in next season's Uefa Cup.

And some of Europe's finest may be quaking in their boots after an amazing display from Gordon Chisholm's men at Hampden.

Queen of the South made a bright start and less than three minutes had passed when Soutar battered an attempted clearance against O'Connor, only for the ball to rebound behind for a goal kick.

It was no surprise when the Doonhamers claimed the lead on 22 minutes.

Soutar failed to punch clear Ryan McCann's deep free-kick into the and the ball broke to Andy Aitken, who slipped it back to Tosh.

The former Aberdeen midfielder carefully side-footed his shot from 16 yards high into the top corner.

Queens had the ball in the net again but Burns had strayed two yards offside before gathering Dobbie's pass.

Palmerston goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald was called on for the first time as he gathered a header from Lee Miller.

But the Scotland Under-21 international was soon picking the ball out of the net after Considine levelled matters on 36 minutes.

The Dons defender rose above Jim Thomson to guide a header inside the post after Scott Severin had nodded Nicholson's free-kick back into the six yard box.

Chisholm's team were dealt another blow three minutes from the interval when top-scorer Stephen Dobbie limped off to be replaced by another ex-Aberdeen player, Stewart.

However, match-winner Stewart played a key role in Queens' second goal just four minutes into the second half.

Burns gathered a pass from Stewart at the back post and, with the goal at his mercy, sent an awkward shot against Severin, but the midfielder got another opportunity and managed to slam the loose ball home.

MacDonald made a fingertip save to deny Chris Maguire and Burns squandered a golden chance when he sent a shot over the top from eight yards as the game raged from end to end.

Parity was restored when Nicholson was on had to finish after MacDonald had done well to keep out Miller's header from a Maguire cross.

Fans of the Dons barely had time to celebrate before they were behind again.

Considine misjudged a long upfield punt and O'Connor did well to slip the ball past Diamond before slotting a neat shot beyond Soutar from 18 yards.

This time the supporters from Dumfries had their joy cut short with Considine making up for his blunder with a second goal.

Nicholson's cross from the right was helped on by Miller and the young defender found himself alone at the back post with the easiest of tasks to head home.

A breathtaking sequence of five goals inside 11 minutes was complete when Queens scored an almost identical goal to the one they had just lost, Stewart picking up a header from Thomson and powering a shot past Soutar.

The Dons swarmed forward for the remainder of the game and Zander Diamond was incredibly unlucky to hit the bar with a header then the post with a shot from the rebound.

Queen of the South: MacDonald, McCann (Paton 90), Thomson, Aitken, Harris, Burns, Tosh, MacFarlane, McQuilken, O'Connor, Dobbie (Stewart 42). Subs Not Used: Grindlay, O'Neill, Gilmour.
Booked: McCann.
Goals: Tosh 22, Burns 49, O'Connor 56, Stewart 60.

Aberdeen: Soutar, Maybury (Young 80), Diamond, Considine, McNamara (Mackie 62), Nicholson, Severin, Foster, Aluko, Maguire, Miller. Subs Not Used: Langfield, Duff, Touzani.
Goals: Considine 36, Nicholson 53, Considine 59.
Att: 24,008

Ref: K Clark

Pants a flaming...

Playlist
Various – 100 Best Baroque
Various – 100 Best Mozart
Philip Glass – Notes on a Scandal OST
Wizzard – Wizzard Brew
Telemann – Tafelmusik
Xenakis – Chamber Music

Wow what a day!! (not really)...

To HMV at lunchtime and paid £8 for Wizzard Brew by Wizzard – which I already have – I also have all of the bonus tracks bar two – so £4 per song...



It's on Amazon for a fiver...

Great album though, whatever the price and the extra singles' "A"s and "B"s make it all the more worthwhile...

In the evening two episodes of Corrie, an old “Law & Order” on tape and Ade Edmondson’s “Teenage Kicks” entertained...

Ripped more classical music and added all 1,300 hours of music on my hard drive (15,740 tracks) to the library on my Windows Media Player...

Stayed up till 1:30am embedding my own wee playlist into the blog - take a listen to some of my favourite artists...

Wow what a day!! (not really)...

Highlight of the Day : Wizzard “B” sides on CD at last

Back from the brink...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Ersatzreal
Various - April Hits 1983-2008

To the gym tonight, where I was put through my paces and assessed...

Quite enjoyable really, if somewhat painful...

Cross trainer to warm up, then a selection of large machines with weights, upon which exercises were performed to strengthen my arm...

Back home, Rangers progressed to the semi final of the Uefa Cup and we watched the excellent series finale of "Torchwood", taped last Friday...

Finalised a 2CD compilation of hits over the last 25 years for my colleague Margaret's step-sister's Silver Wedding next week...

Stayed up to watch the highlights of the Bayern Munich game - back from the brink for the Germans against "unknown" Spanish side Getafe...

Scanned in some old pics of me and Mr Brodie posing as Love Parade in 1984 - eat your heart out PSB...



Highlight of the Day : Light at the end of the tunnel perhaps...

Apropos nothing...

Playlist
Various - Jazz Jukebox on Shuffleplay
Robert Fripp - At The End of Time
Stamitz - Symphonies Vol 1

Lunch today with chum Spike at Time For Thai - he was the architect of my footballing loss a few weeks ago after which my team had to take his team out for lunch - today he treated me...

In the evening did nothing except upload some classical CDs to the jukebox and watch TV - "The Big Bang Theory" and "Desperate Housewives" being the highlights...

Picture apropos nothing really...



Offered a gig at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year - swithering...

Highlight of the Day : Lunch with Spike

Beyond even...

Playlist
Steve Reich – Music For 18 Musicians
Fripp & Eno – Beyond Even
Robert Fripp – At The End of Time: Churchscapes

Went to FOPP again today – looked around – bought nothing – I have six CDs winging their way to me at present so no real need for any more (as if that’s ever been an excuse for me not to buy more unnecessary music) – two Madredeus related releases coming from the USA, Asia and James coming from Amazon and two, also from the USA which, upon my arrival home, I discovered had arrived...

New music from Messrs Fripp and Eno...




Pic of Eno by Peter Schmidt - check out www.PeterSchmidtWeb.com

I tried to quickly rip them to the jukebox, before heading to the gym for the start of a ten week stint – only to find that the software from Last FM is slowing down the speed of ripping to a snail’s pace...

So I switched that off (after spending 20 minutes trying to work out what might be wrong), uploaded the two CDs to the trusty box and set off to the gym...

...only to return 15 minutes later having discovered I needed to make an appointment for an assessment since it’s a referral from my physiotherapist – so back on Thursday night I will go...

Last night I found a very positive review of my performance at Secret CDs in March by one of the music reviewers on the local Edinburgh Evening News, my old chum Mr Martin Lennon...

Unfortunately the review wasn’t actually in the Evening News but on his blog which may well have a smaller readership...

Anyway, here it is in all its glory:-

“I hadn't seen Mr Quartet play live for decades.

That's horrible - not only because he's bloody good and I should have made the effort long before now, cos I've clearly missed some great gigs, but also because - how dare so many years go by without permission?

The evening was about getting local bands with CD's up on stage and also selling some of their wares.

Mr Q has a great many wares to sell - probably more than anyone else in Edinburgh and possibly more than most people anywhere with the exception of maybe Bob Dylan.

Prolific is not the word and, bucking statistics, the songs are fucking solid too.

If I were to review him in my not-so-secret identity, he'd be hard pushed to get below 4 stars.

He played most or all of a new album, together with James Jamieson - yet another long lost figure from my past - on guitar. Magic.”

Thanks Marty!!

So, I listened to Fripp & Eno and Mr Fripp as we cooked dinner and watched Liverpool dump Arsenal out of the so-called Champions’ League – correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t recall either of these teams being League Champions last year...

Good game and sad to see the Gunners out – I’ve had a soft spot for them since 1971 when everyone in my class at school was supporting Liverpool against them in the FA Cup Final and I, of course, had to take a contrarian stance...

Then it was tonight’s “CSI” on tape followed by another excellent “Law & Order : Criminal Intent” and off to bed listening again to the sounds of my idols Mr Fripp and Mr Eno...

Highlight of the Day : New Fripp & Eno records