In the flesh...

Playlist
Robert Fripp – Orchestral Soundscapes
Robert Fripp & King Crimson – At The End of Time
Robert Fripp – Starlight Evensong
Herman Van Veen – Youtube
Fehlfarben – Youtube
Laura Pausini – Singles
Melanie – The Best of Melanie
Blue Oyster Cult – Tyranny and Mutation
The Byrds – Play the Songs of Bob Dylan
Miles Davis – Decoy
Rory Gallagher – Big Guns : The Very Best of
Jefferson Airplane – The Best of
Gentle Giant – Out of the Woods : BBC Sessions
Cherubini – String Quartets

Not much sleep last night – the inevitable Xmas/New Year cold is kicking in...

Listening to Robert Fripp and more King Crimson early on – downloads from the DGM website...

On Youtube I enjoyed videos by Herman Van Veen and Fehlfarben, buoyed by news of a new album from the latter in February...

Almost booked transport and accomodation in Manchester in July for a Laurie Anderson/Lou Reed performance - until I realised it took place last July...

A precarious walk down the road in the ice and snow, having foolishly opted to wear my “normal” (i.e. slippy and slidy) boots...

I was proclaimed an idiot by my much better booted up companion...



Uptown I made my way to FOPP with cash in my wallet – a present from my mum...

Discs were duly purchased – Blue Oyster Cult, The Byrds, Miles Davis, Rory Gallagher, Gentle Giant, Jefferson Airplane, The Mars Volta, Melanie, The Psychedelic Furs and, upstairs, a wee DVD of ELP...

In total, the outlay was around half of that which would have been necessary on Amazon...

At the time of writing I am, thus far, not too impressed with The Byrds, Rory Gallagher, Jefferson Airplane or Melanie – I can, however, declare the Gentle Giant disc to be superb...

Meeting up again with Anne, we climbed the steps to the Royal Mile and, after several unsuccessful attempts to find a café with enough empty seats, finally took refuge from the biting cold in the Edinburgh Larder on Blackfrairs Street...

Fellow blogger and King Crimson biographer & webmeister Mr Sid Smith was in town for the day with his lovely wife Debbie and so we’d arranged to meet up...



We’d never met before, though we have corresponded and, of course, we kind of know each other through the "medium of blog" but it was great to finally meet in the flesh...



Soup was eaten, tea and coffee were drunk and chins were indeed wagged with topics ranging from the ideal size for a home with two people living in it to our love or otherwise (step up the Exec Producer) for the music of the Beatles...

Sid took a couple of pics of me and Anne - this one's snaffled from his blog here...



We walked up the Royal Mile, down Cockburn St, across Waverley Bridge and Princes St for Sid to visit FOPP – one of the reasons he and Debbie were in town...

On the way Sid and I chatted about the new King Crimson remix/remasters (he worked on them and contributed sleeve notes) and about the ongoing work on the entire catalogue – some very interesting insights...

At FOPP we said our farewells and left with promises to meet up again...

A quick nip into HMV on the way for the bus resulted in two nice 3CD sets entering the collection – Violin Sonatas by Tartini and String Quartets by Cherubini, both on the very economical and suitably named “Brilliant” label – tasty...

It was dark by the time we got home...



...and I somehow managed to capture my freezing breath in this picture...



The evening was spent listening to and ripping the new purchases and experiencing a certain degree of buyer’s regret in relation to some of them...

Whilst listening, I spent some time checking which CDs acquired in 2009 are yet to be ripped into the jukeboxes, with a view to rectifying matters over the next few days...

Highlight of the Day : Finally meeting Sid and Debbie...

Always forever, now...

Playlist
David Sylvian – Camphor
King Crimson – Red
David Sylvian – Manafon
Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels
Leona Lewis – Echo
Great Lake Swimmers – The Legion Sessions
Royal Wood – A Good Enough Day
Great Lake Swimmers – Great Lake Swimmers
Wintersleep – Welcome to the Night Sky
King Crimson - Lizard
King Crimson – Improvs 1973-74 (2xCD-R)
Here We Go Magic - Here We Go Magic
Porcupine Tree – The Incident
Laura Pausini – Singles

Nothing much happened today...

Plans to go uptown were scuppered by snow and other precipitation...

Just sat around listening to music with the sound down on the TV...

In the evening, discovered Matthew Collings' 1998 series “This is Modern Art” on Youtube and enjoyed the first two episodes...

The first on Picasso, Pollock, Warhol and Hirst...



The second on shocking art...



One more to watch...

Absolutely whacked but somehow managed to stay up till 12:30 am watching "Match of the Day 2" followed by two episodes of "I'm Alan Partridge" - very funny indeed...

OK, Lights out...



Highlight of the Day : This is Modern Art...

Not dawn...

Playlist
King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King
Various – Zunior Monthly Samplers
Wintersleep – Welcome to the Night Sky
Various – Rheostatics Secret Sessions
Various – Zunior V4:24 December ’09 Sampler
Pet Shop Boys – Christmas
Neal Morse – Cover to Cover
Various – Stax 50th Anniversary
Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels
Eels – Hombre Lobo
King Crimson – Cadence and Cascade

Watched Dr Who again – this time without my red wine and fatigue induced blackouts...

Very good indeed – looking forward to next week’s conclusion...

Continued to sample the new King Crimson albums – the remastering is exceptional...

I'm listening to this as I type...



Of course, when you buy a new version of an album you already own, you do tend to listen to it more carefully and, perhaps precisely for that reason, you hear things not previously heard...

In these cases though, there is a palpable difference in the LPs...

I am loving them...

An e-mail reminded me of the annual Boxing Day half price sale at www.zunior.com and I logged in and partook of six albums – three by Great Lake Swimmers, a Rheostatics tribute compilation, an album by platinum-sellers-in-Canada, Wintersleep and a new discovery, Royal Wood...

This last was noted whilst trawling through the twenty or so free 10 track samplers I have received on a monthly basis since signing up to the mailing list...

Total outlay? Around £15...

A further free album landed in the inbox from Zunior, a festive compilation, and this soundtracked the arrival of Mum and Sister Pam for a Boxing Day feast, prior to their heading into town for the annual Panto...

Meg the Black Cat sang along...





Presents were exchanged...



The Exec Producer had once again excelled herself on the culinary arts front, while your correspondent had been sitting around downloading new Canadian music...

A very tasty lasagne hit the spot...





...followed by a tart lemon tort....

Pet Shop Boys’ Christmas EP also entertained, along with selections from the 54 album MP3 DVD prepared for Pam...

All too soon, our visitors were off into the night and the remainder of the day was spent watching TV...

A very long and looked-like-it-was-written-and–directed-by-someone-on-drugs “Pirates of the Caribbean – Edge of the World”, was followed by “Match of the Day”...

Whilst watching the latter I perused the new Eels album and a Great Lake Swimmers disc recently borrowed from the library...

Another happy day...

Highlight of the Day : A visit from the family...

White christmas...

Playlist
King Crimson - Lizard
Various - Xmas EP
Pet Shop Boys - Christmas
King Crimson - Lizard 40th Anniversary Remaster
King Crimson - Red 40th Anniversary Remaster
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King 40th Anniv Remaster
King Crimson - Cadence and Cascade (3xCD-R)



Yaroo - Xmas Day!!

Up at 5:30 because I am a big kid...

Compiled two last minute CDs for Anne, highlighting her probable favourite tracks from 2008 and 2009...

Outside it looked like this around 6:10 am...



Gone 9 am, presents were finally opened to the soundtrack of the best Xmas EP in the World Ever - featuring Wizzard, Slade, Greg Lake and John lennon (and, erm, Gary Glitter)...

Chocolate money was scoffed post breakfast and presents were listened to...

The "new" version of King Crimson's "Lizard" (one of my all time faves) is a revelation to behold...

Around 2 it was out into the snow...



...and up to the bus stop for the hourly service round to Jane and Bobby's...



Crispycat Hill looked gorgeous today...



At Jane and Bobby's, I was given a tour of presents by niece Kitty, while Oliver was ensconced his his new love - yes, Pokemon has been replaced by Football Cards - got, not got, doubler etc etc...

Presents were exchanged - amongst them several jars of home made sauces from Anne's mum, future beautiful hyacynths and an IQ test ( I will only reveal the results if they are good!) from Maureen and Keith and an enticing jar of "Daddy's Cheeky Chili Chutney" and some very tasty home made sweets from Jane, Bobby and the kids...

Our tastily wrapped miniatures and chocolates, along with the home compiled and burned best of the year CDs were received with glee...

Bobby was particularly chuffed....



As ever, Xmas Dinner was superb - a selection of seafoods to start, lovely roast beef with accompanying lovingly prepared and garnished veg for the main, followed by home made trifle with the option of Xmas Pud and cream...



Red wine for Mr CBQ, whilst trying to maintain some measure of decorum...

Half way through the meal, Kitty took a head-first dive down the stairs - high heels and high Xmas spirits to blame apparently - luckily, no harm done, other than a couple of cuts and, no doubt, some Boxing Day bruises...

Soon enough, she was suitably recovered to re-enact the accident for the cameras...



Post meal, coffees, teas and more red wine and gin were accompanied by small children outplaying adults on the, seemingly these days, ubiquitous Wii Machine...

The Exec Producer soon got the hang of the ten pin bowling, having once been West Lothian Ladies Champion...



You can't beat the real thing though...

Another bus home through the ice and snow....



Your correspondent was soon to be found snoring on the settee during an abortive attempt at watching the Dr Who special...

Lights out...

Highlight of the day : It was Xmas Day...

I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing...

Playlist
The Beatles - Beatles For Sale
Pet Shop Boys - Pop Art
Klaus Schulze - Mirage
Tangerine Dream - Exit

Another cold and snowy day - White Christmas now fully expected...

Up early and breakfast with Sister Pam and the Exec Producer while Meg the Black cat surveyed matters from the coffee table...



Pam and I walked down to the bus throught the snow...



Some interesting frozen plants along the way...



To the offices of The Man for the morning shift only today, with wine flowing from 11 am...

An hour later it was a fond farewell to my colleagues (although Kris-with-a-K does seem to be giving me a rather rude send off)....


(l-r : Tracey, Michelle, Kris, Caroline, Gillian, Stacey)

Back home through the snow after having failed miserably with any semblance of last minute Xmas shopping...



The Exec Producer soon joined me for an evening in front of a cosy fire, where we enjoyed a very tasty dinner of roast lamb, potatoes and asparaghus, accompanied by an excellent bottle of Barolo, a gift from chum Spike...



On TV, we were entertained by "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", "Over the Hedge", The Pet Shop Boys' "Pop Art" video collection...



..."A Christmas Carol" (the best version with "Sir" Patrick Stewart as Scrooge) and, finally, "It's a Wonderful Life" of course...

Off to bed feeling somewhat Christmassy...

Highlight of the Day : Being cosy...

Fast, slow...

Playlist
Alice Cooper - Real and Imagined Singles 1964-2009
Jose Luis Bieito - Reflections

Still very snowy - in fact, even more snowy than before...

We built a snowman today...



Meanwhile, Sister Pam was due to fly up from Luton this morning but her flight was cancelled and she was offered a coach trip instead - ETA midnight...

She left her home at 8:45 am...

And so we prepared the spare room and awaited her call...

Out of the blue, an excellent CD arrived from Spain from guitarist Jose Luis Bieito - instigated, I suspect, by old music colleague from the early 80's, Mr Nicky Hind...

The disc is of some quite beautiful guitar music, including three by Nicky, three by Steve Reich and two by George Winston...

Ta very much...

Tasty...

The last in the series of "Spooks" was also enjoyed as we waited on Pam's call - the series went by in a flash and it seems yet another main character has bitten the proverbial dust...

Elsewhere, Russell Howard entertained...

Pam's call finally came around midnight and we drove through freezing fog at minus 8.5 degrees to the airport to pick her up, bring her home and give her a bed for the night...

An enjoyable day for me, less so for Pam...

Onwards and upwards...

Highlight of the Day : Spooks yet again...

Dry cleaning...

Playlist
Various - Singles of 1972

It remained very snowy today...



Post the "bringing home the bacon necessity", I made my way back to yesterday's pub and collected my forgotten prize, before purchasing a few last minute presents for the Exec Producer...

Much of the evening was spent wrapping said presents, along with all the others previously purchased...

Late on, a documentary on the late Clement Freud provided me with one of the best jokes I've heard in years...

I won't relate it here but, if you meet me, ask me to tell you - I'm rubbish at jokes but this one really can't fail...

Highlight of the Day : The drunk man joke...

90% proof...

Playlist
Alice Cooper - Real and Imaginary Singles 1964-2009

Soundtracked by the Coop, another "lost" day in the run up to Xmas...

Out from lunchtime at the expense of rather a large financial institution based here in Edinburgh...

Whilst still compos mentis, I managed to win the Pop Quiz with 18/20 (I didn't know Madonna has Marilyn Monroe's face tatooed on her arse or that Spandau Ballet got their name from some graffitti in Berlin)...

Accordingly, I won this bottle of 20 year old Single Malt Whisky...



Of course I don't actually like whisky but it's the principal that counts and so it sits now in the kitchen at Crispycat Towers awaiting suitable visitors (erm, only after having returned to the pub "tomorrow" to retrieve said bottle, after having forgotten to take it home)...

Because, yes indeed, far too much red wine did for me and I returned home empty handed and, frankly, a drunken mess at around 7pm, at which point I, apparently (as I don't recall), immediately took to my bed...

I awoke around 10 thinking it was a bit dark for the morning...

A sleepless night ensued...

Idiot...

Not long to go now though...

Highlight of the Day : Thrashing the competition...

Jam...

Playlist
Various - Xmas CDs for the In-Laws

Post the final of "Strictly Come Dancing" and "Merlin" on tape from last night, spent much of the day looking at the computer as I finalised Xmas CDs for Jane, Bobby, Keith and Maureen...



In the evening though, TV entertained again, with the highlight being a trip by Oz Clarke and Hugh Dennis in search of traditional British Xmas drinks which had me in stiches as Oz basically just got drunk all the time while concocting ever more unpalatable liquids for Hugh and him to try...

Ah yes, that's entertainment...

Highlight of the Day : Drunks on TV...

Lizard in a blizzard...

Playlist
Tangerine Dream - Tangram
Herman Van Veen - Souvenir
Herman Van Veen - Zwei Tausand Eins
Various – Home Made Xmas CDs for the In-Laws

Up late – not feeling great...

Compiling Xmas CDs for Jane, Bobby, Keith and Maureen to prove to them I do actually buy some worthwhile CDs...

Sixteen tracks each, hopefully reflecting their own musical tastes...



Having broken the back of that particular project, it was uptown to meet with Dr Prog at the music library...

But, first, some attempted present shopping – I was all over the place looking for a particular item for the Exec Producer but to no avail...

Enjoyed the views though...



The Xmas entertainment is in full swing in the gardens...







To the library and Dr Prog soon appeared – then to a nearby café for a blether about recent gigs, future possible gigs and trips and recent ongoing Xmas shenanigans...

We walked through the now bitterly cold conditions to the Grassmarket and on back through the gardens to Princes St for more attempted shopping...

We visited the new Urban Outfitters store, now occupying the old Virgin “Megastore” – some interesting items, none of which were partaken of by your correspondent...

I left the good doctor there and, upon emerging, was hit by a snowstorm – fought my way back to the car and took a rather convoluted route home to try and avoid the slow moving traffic...



Home to the warmth and the rest of the day was taken up with surfing, compiling and, in the evening, the watching of “No Country for Old Men” on DVD...

My verdict was "not bad" but, to be honest, I can't see what all the fuss was about - a fairly pointless story that petered out into nothing and left me feeling like I'd wasted a couple of hours watching it...

I awaited the call from the Exec Producer to pick her up from an Xmas party in Dunfermline...

By 1 am we were back home, the Exec Producer having not apparently had that great a time, a contributing factor having been an hour long set by an Elvis Presley impersonator...

Not to worry...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Compiling, and hanging with the doc...

Falling and falling...

Playlist

Various – The Very Best of Euphoric Breakdown Summer 2008

The Human League – The Best of The Human League

Depeche Mode –Violator

ABC – The Look of Love: The Best of ABC

Impossible Songs – Wabi Sabi Go

Up early...

Snow...

Out shopping for presents for my grand nephew – he is almost five – he will receive some toy cars and a toy car transporter to transport them – these presents were carefully chosen with reference to my own memories of being almost five...

Watched some more dreadful daytime TV...

To sister-in-law Jane’s to drop off some presents...

Still snowy...

To Mum’s, again to drop off more presents – she was in good spirits, despite having recently fallen over in a friend’s garden, after having delivered a Xmas card...

She was unable to get back up but, luckily, her friend was at home and heard mum's cries for help and, with the help of a kindly neighbour, my old mum was returned to her feet...

She might well have been sitting there still if her chum hadn't been at home – no lasting damage though...

Back home and an Indian was ordered and arrived soon thereafter...

Watched telly all night, including the last in the current series of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”...

I have caught a rotten cold – off to bed, sniffling...

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

Let it snow...

Playlist
Editors – An End Has a Start
Elbow – Discography
Tangerine Dream - Encore
Biffy Clyro – Singles 2001-2005
Editors – In This Light and On This Evening
Pet Shop Boys – Best of
Depeche Mode – 1984-2009

Up early - day off today - huzzah - and tomorrow - double huzzah...

Getting up early is always better at the weekend or on a day off...

And what was the reason for this non "working" scenario? Why, the Pet Shop Boys of course...

Prior to 2pm and the arrival of Fife based chum Chris-with-a-Ch, I spent some time watching rubbish daytime TV and then compiling a 19 track "Best of" of said band - and this soundtracked our journey to Glasgow which, due to snow and an accident (not involving us thankfully), took twice the normal time...

We parked around 3:45 and took the train into the centre where Chris and Anne enjoyed some drinks at Bar Ten while I had a look around the CD shops, partaking of some D Mode, H League, ABC and banging trance tunes...

It was freezing as I made my way to the bar for the meet and a quick Weissbier - then we were off to Chopstix for pre-gig sustenance...



...before heading back to the SECC where we met Creeker Craig, who had taken 3 hours to make it to the venue...

And so we were a quartet...



We were near the front of the queue as the doors opened and accordingly were able to get to the front of the stage for the two and a half hour wait til PSB were due on...

Opening act was Unicorn Kid, a 17 year old from Leith who danced around a lot to the sound of his Apple Mac while wearing a lion hat and trying to convince us he was actually playing anything live...

Despite his shouts of "let me see your hands in the air" being met with hands remaining firmly by our sides, his music was pretty good, in a trancey, dancey way...

Next up was Bad Luitenant - you may not have heard of them but it was Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris from New Order plus two guitarists (one doubling on keys) and a bassist who had Peter Hook's lines off to a tee...

And so, to all intents and purposes, it was New Order - a cracking set ensued, highlights of which were a very lengthy "Everything's Gone Green" and a rocking tight rendition of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart"...

An unexpected bonus...

But of course they could not top Messrs Tennant and Lowe and their very energetic quartet of dancers...

It was, essentially, the same show Chris and I saw in Manchester in June - in fact while we waited there for PSB to take the stage, Craig texted me to advise this gig tonight had just been announced and to ask if we wanted tickets - and so here we were...

Of course I didn't think it was as good as Alice Cooper but the Exec Producer pronounced it "awesome" and the best gig she'd ever attended...

High praise indeed...



We enjoyed a couple of bonuses during the encore, in the form of the first ever live rendition of their new single, a cover of Madness "My Girl", along with the PSB Xmas Song, "It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas"...

Brilliant night - we were just a couple of feet from the stage with all these people behind us...



...and, for a change, no-one was annoying me...

Post gig, we made our way back through the cigarette smoke infested walkway to the cars and sped back to Edinburgh...

The Exec Producer and I took a detour to Fife through the snow and ice to drop Chris off, before returning to Meg the Black Cat...

Another good day...

Here's a precis...



Highlight of the Day : PSB and "New Order"...