Fail to prepare...

Playlist
Various - Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
John Wetton - Discography 1982-2011
Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea
Brain Eno - Panic of Looking

Recently I have been working on a non-music related project which comes to a head tomorrow...

I will be glad when it is over and I can get back to this...



Meanwhile, a new Cloudland Blue Mobile is in the offing...

Much stress...

Kind of...

One final day of work, then keeping this up to date...

Pam's legal stuff also progressing...

If you get a chance, check out "Emerald and Stone" by Brian Eno...

Lovely...

Highlight of the Day : Feeling like I'm finally prepared...

Overvalued...

Playlist
Weather Report - Forecast : Tomorrow
Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea
Brian Eno - Drums Between the Bells
Brian Eno - Drums Between the Bells (Instrumental Disc)

Top notch sounds today from Weather Report...



Their box set starts with pre WR tracks from Miles, Shorter and Cannonball Adderley...

The track by the last, featuring Zawinul, led me in search of the album from which it comes...

It's no longer available...

Someone has it on Amazon marketplace for £10,000...

It's not that good...

Anyway, I ended up in Fopp and bought Eno's "Small Craft on a Milk Sea" which I already have as a download but now the physical's a fiver, why not?

I have a collection to maintain...

Of course this meant that, other than another excellent installment of "Silk", Mr Eno soundtracked my evening...

Meanwhile, the pie was a little under the weather and under the chair...



...while Anne did some masterly painting of wood...



Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Weather Report and Eno...

I thought it was a type of frozen juice carton...

Playlist
Various - Top 20 Albums

To the Western first thing and finally returned my crutches...

Nice weather...



In the evening, following much work, spent the early evening watching the Queen's Jubilee Concert...

Apparently I missed Gary Barlow and Cheryl (just Cheryl, not Cole or Tweedy) murdering Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now"...

I also missed the far too ubiquitous Will.i.am and Jessie J...

Sadly, I did catch Robbie Williams and also Tom Jones...

Kylie was not bad, Elton was ok, Stevie Wonder was excellent with Superstition, dreadful with Happy Birthday, Paul McCartney's fireworks during Live and Let Die were good - he'll be 70 in a few days.  Sadly, it starting to show - still enjoyed him the best though...

Anyway, there you go, you can find them all on Youtube no doubt...

Highlight of the Day : The weather?

Do not beat the beast...

Playlist

Terje Rypdal – Vossabrygg
David Bowie – O Superman
Sombre Reptiles – Poppies
Love Parade – Half the Civilised World
UK – Live in Philadelphia 1979
Kraftwerk – Exceller 8
Eddie Jobson – Theme of Secrets
UK – 2012 Setlist
Asia – Phoenix
John Wetton – Discography 1982-2011

Working early doors...

Found David Bowie covering Laurie Anderson purely by chance when I googled "Difficult Listening Hour" - I am thinking of a possible podcast series...

This led me to my own version from 1986...

Writing up yesterday led me to me and Brodski in 1984...

Anyway, in the afternoon, over to sister Sheila's for Sunday lunch, as the Queen's Jubilee washout played out on the screen round the corner...

Mum, brother in law Andrew, nephew Andy and fiance Tori were in attendance as were Andy's son Kerr and Tori's mum and dad, Jane and Gordon...

Post nosh, Kerr wanted to play and dug out Frustration...



The Exec Producer was triumphant...



Tori was runner up...



even Kerr beat his great uncle...



Then, a football match in the garden...

Cassie the Dog stole the ball and would not give it back...





We were reduced to playing with a squeaking duck toy...

The boy was triumphant again...

So, I showed him wat happens to children who defeat the beast at games...



Back home to our own wee beastie...



...who was a little tired...



More work in the evening...

Highlight of the Day : Meal at Sheila's and playing with the boy...

28 years on...

Playlist
Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare
And So I Watch You from Afar - Gangs
Bidiniband - In the Rock Hall
Brian Eno - Drums Between the Bells (Instrumental Disc)
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
David Guetta - Nothing But the Beat
Deus - Keep You Close
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys
Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Field Music - Plumb
Fountains of Wayne - Sky Full of Holes
Ich + Ich - Gute Reise
King Crimson - Red
Lady Antebellum - Own the Night
Levin Torn White - Levin Torn White
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Paul Buchanan - Mid Air
Peter Gabriel - New Blood
Portico Quartet - Portico Quartet
Young the Giant - Young the Giant
UK - Night After Night 2012 Setlist
Bryan Adams - Bare Bones
Terje Rypdal - Vossabrygg
Tomasz Stanko - Leosia
Steve Hackett - The Unauthorised Biography
Vangelis - Spiral
Genesis - Platinum Collection (3CD)
Haydn - Symphonies 27, 88, 100
Haydn - Symphonies 26, 44, 45
Subsignal - Touchstones

Up early and some relaxation time today - kind of...

A good formal breakfast at the table - makes a difference..

Into town, dropping Anne off for some dancing, while I made my way to Patisserie Florentin to meet up with Dr Prog...

I was the man with the gigantic freckly head...



...while Doc Prog was the man making a point...



Post some coffee, cake and chat, we drove over to the Meadows Festival...

This was the stage...



In 1984, this was the stage...





The two musickants thereon, are none other than Count Brodski and your correspondent...

...performing as Love Parade...



Round the stalls with the doc and CDs were purchased...



Back home, they were ripped and listened to...



The John Wetton forum was dropped into, re any further info on UK - they will soon be in Japan...

In the evening, a tasty curry was enjoyed and a Swedish detective series was also enjoyed...

More listening, typing of this and then, bed...

A good day with zero work done really...

Highlight of the Day : Trawling around the Meadows with Dr Prog...

Texting funts...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight Proposed Extra Remix EP
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight Proposed Extra Alternate CD
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight Proposed Extra Acoustic CD
Various - Top Twenty Albums

It looks stormy...





...but it was another lovely day today, after two days of almost no-stop rain...

Experimented with the cutting down of the new album to just 8 songs for 34 minutes...

Didn't really work...

Lunch at Time for Thai with chums Neil W, Kris with a K, Spike, Gaz, KT and Bernardo along with, unpictured, Lodger, Baz, JY Johnny and Prog Rock Willie...



A small portion of Red Thai Beef Curry for your corrrespondent - tasty but not up to the standards of the Exec Producer's cuisine...

On the way home, at the bus stop, a number of drivers were seen texting...



Just what is so important for these funting idiots?

At home a delicious lamb casserole started an evening of, mainly, work and zero TV other than half of "The One Show" and a bit of "Corrie"...

Soundtracked by the new LP and optional extras...

Highlight of the Day : Lamb casserole...

The best medicine...

Playlist
Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare
And So I Watch You from Afar - Gangs
Bidiniband - In the Rock Hall
Brian Eno - Drums Between the Bells (Instrumental Disc)
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
David Guetta - Nothing But the Beat
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys
Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Field Music - Plumb
Fountains of Wayne - Sky Full of Holes
Ich + Ich - Gute Reise
Lady Antebellum - Own the Night
Levin Torn White - Levin Torn White
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Paul Buchanan - Mid Air
Peter Gabriel - New Blood
Portico Quartet - Portico Quartet
White Denim - D
Young the Giant - Young the Giant
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
Tangerine Dream - Rubycon
Tangerine Dream - Ricochet
Tangerine Dream - Stratosfear

Five months gone...



More rain...



Continuing to be entertained by the top 20...

And working to the sounds of T Dream...

Respite with comedy - "Big Bang", "The Bitch in Apt 23", "Two Broke Girls"...

Takes my mind off things...

Lights out...

Highlight of the day : Laughing...

Twenty good things...

Playlist
Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare
And So I Watch You from Afar - Gangs
Bidiniband - In the Rock Hall
Brian Eno - Drums Between the Bells (Instrumental Disc)
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
David Guetta - Nothing But the Beat
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys
Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Field Music - Plumb
Fountains of Wayne - Sky Full of Holes
Ich + Ich - Gute Reise
Lady Antebellum - Own the Night
Levin Torn White - Levin Torn White
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Paul Buchanan - Mid Air
Peter Gabriel - New Blood
Portico Quartet - Portico Quartet
White Denim  - D
Young the Giant - Young the Giant
Tangerine Dream - Box Set 1970-1980 (3CD-R Version)

Playlist today of my current top 20 albums plus the latest CBQ...

A day of work (with the evening of same soundtracked by T Dream)...

Meg the Black Cat was black...



A smidgen of TV lightened matters with the latest episode of "Silk"...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Good music in the cans on shuffleplay...

The adoption agency fails in its vetting...

Playlist
UK - Last Gig 1979
Meg doesn't like the rain...



Me neither...



In the evening, I ventured out with Anne and Lynn to the local Odeon cinema, where were three of around a dozen or so people in to see "Avengers Assemble"...

An enjoyable piece of hokum with splendid special effects and with Iron Man stealing the show - although the best line went to Thor on being questioned about his brother Loki's propensity for killing large numbers of innocent people...

"He's adopted"...

On getting into the car, my wallet inside my pocket got caught on the steering wheel and proceeded to rip my trousers right up the seam...



Oh how we laughted...

A good night out...

Highlight of the Day : Pointless nonsense on the big screen...

Damned...

Playlist
UK - Night After Night 2012 Setlist
UK - Night After Night
Asia - Pheonix
Asia - Omega

The trees at the end of the road in the morning...



Another sunny day...

Much of it spent working whilst listening to UK...

Meanwhile...

Dr Prog is securing tickets for Asia...

Count Brodski is securing tickets for Sparks...

I have secured tickets for The Bad Plus...

Late on, a good documentary about the "dambusters" squadron and their raid on three German dams - two of which the Exec Producer and I have visited and, indeed, walked along the top of...

Half the squadron, over fifty men, for the most part in their early twenties, were killed...

But  - it turned the tide...

The work the Nazis had to do to restore them took men from the Atlantic defences - which, in turn, eased the success of D Day...

Stick that on your Facebook kids...

Highlight of the Day : UK...

Over...

Playlist
Little Girls - Concepts
You Say Party! We Say Die - Xxxx
The Revolutionaries - Green Bay Dub
The Revolutionaries - Outlaw Dub
The Low Anthem - Smart Flesh
Deus - Pocket Revolution
Deus - In A Bar Under the Sea
Deus - Worst Case Scenario
UK - Night After Night
King Tubby - Father of Dub
Various - The Spirit of Radio
Various - Balance 013 : SOS

No more Cloudland Blue Quartet Track of the Day for now...

I've posted up almost 150 tracks since 1 January, giving you the whole of...

"Callingstill"
"Doveloveshawk"
"Ampersand"
"Anotherhappyday"
"Deeperdown"
"Erstazreal"
"Soundingfall"
"Splinterheart"

...ten discs in all - my song-based work from 1997 through to 2010...

I could now start posting up the soundscape/instrumental albums - but that's for another time...

Now you can look forward to the release this summer of the new album "Starlightnight"...

It is finished but I am working on it...

If you see what I mean...

This afternoon to my mum's where we were joined by sister Sheila and took a huge weight off her shoulders...

The ability to do this stemmed from our sister Pam leaving us now almost six months ago...

It does not get any easier to take that...

To Anne's mum's for tea with the family...

How do you watch television with children?

I guess you record it and watch it once they're sleeping...

They're lovely but having my own would encroach too much on what I want to do - once you have children, your life is over...

When I say that to people who have kids, they usually retort, "no no, your life is just beginning"...

Maybe they're right but I'm sticking to my guns...

Which isn't to say I don't appreciate my mum and dad's sacrifices to have me, Sheila and Pam...

Another sunny day - the trees at the end of the road, at the end of the day...



Highlight of the Day : Removing a weight...

The tall man coincidence...

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Never or Now" from "Splinterheart" (2010)


Playlist
Little Girls - Concepts
You Say Party! We Say Die - Xxxx
The Revolutionaries - Green Bay Dub
The Revolutionaries - Outlaw Dub
The Low Anthem - Smart Flesh
Deus - Pocket Revolution
Deus - In A Bar Under the Sea
Deus - Worst Case Scenario
UK - Night After Night
King Tubby - Father of Dub
Various - The Spirit of Radio
Various - Balance 013 : SOS

Much of the morning spent listening and ripping...

In the aftermnoon, out to Cramond in the hot, hot sun....









 



Lovely coffee and scones at a new cafe...







The two ladies sitting outside turned out to be my mum's old neighbour Janette and her auntie...

A natter was undertaken - mostly about the loss of sister Pam - although Janette also told the story of how, as a teenager in the mid fifties, the tall man by whose passing of her house every morning she used to time her departure for work was, in fact, Anne's dad...



As we left, the tide was coming back in...



Back home and a stroll around the building site nearby...





Trees appear to have been saved...







In the evening, started watching Eurovision but gave up to watch a new Swedish detective two parter on BBC4...

Watched the voting for Eurovision though, with Sweden overcoming the politically motivated point awarding by winning with a genuinely popular song - though it didn't do it for me...

As ever the original version is better than the performance was on the night...



To bed...

Highlight of the day : A new cafe at Cramond...