The Killer's Direct Hits and Shot At The Night.

So, The Killers new single Shot At The Night has been premiered on the Zane Lowe radio show. I didn't get a chance to listen to the radio broadcast myself - but I've listened to the new song twice already. I personally really like it and expect it to be a slow burner. It's already in my head. It's produced by M83 and that's definitely apparent. It's synthy and much more in line with Hot Fuss than Battle Born, which is nice. It's good to see them embrace the synthesizers fully again. It's a good song, I can't see it becoming an all time favourite but it's a lot better than the worst tracks on Battle Born in my opinion. It's mid-tempo though so I hope the other new song on the greatest hits is more of an upbeat number. The greatest hits is entitled - rather cleverly I might add - Direct Hits and on Amazon it's scheduled for release on November 11th. I've read a report that it will be released as a standard edition and a deluxe edition with a bonus documentary DVD. That's in keeping with what Amazon are saying because they do have a version with a DVD on the site. The track-listing and details I've read yet haven't been confirmed on The Killers own Facebook page. I'll have a second, more concrete post once I read absolute official details of the greatest hits. Stay tuned!

On this Day: Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love released.

 On September 16th 1985 Kate Bush released what many (myself included) regard as her finest hour. Hounds of Love just transcends time completely - it's mystical pop crossed with art rock sound makes for a listening experience unlike any other.

The first time I heard the album I was bemused. I had never heard anything like it before and I couldn't comprehend it. The album had... something though. An aura, something that was entincing me back. One day I was listening to the album on a starry winter's night in the car. The song And Dream Of Sheep came on. It's a beautiful lullaby of a song. And as I gazed up at the sky, peppered with stars as I listened to it... it all came together. To this day, the album still remains a firm favourite of mine.

One thing I also find absolutely fascinating is how defiant the album is. Just a mere two days prior to the premiere of Running Up That Hill on BBC1's Wogan show NME published a Where Are They Now? article, one of the subjects of the piece being Kate. Just two days later, the Hounds Of Love era began. Running Up That Hill became one of her biggest hits, and Hounds Of Love her biggest seller. It's also arguably the pinnacle of her career in terms of critical acclaim too. The moral of the story? Never write a great talent off. And really, assume nothing in life. Little did the author of that NME article know that Kate Bush was in her studio, creating an album that would rightfully be seen as one of the all time greats. A personal and professional high indeed. Hounds Of Love really is her opus.

First impressions: The Naked & Famous - In Rolling Waves.

 Afternoon all. It's crazy to think it's been a week already since Sound System was released. I still can't believe I actually own it because time has flown by since it was announced. I watched the full contents of the DVD yesterday, I'll get working on drafting up a post about that sharpish. As for the Madonna MDNA Tour controversy, I've downloaded a copy of the EPIX broadcast. It's so I can compare and contrast the two copies. I saw a US official bluray screenshot yesterday and it looked horrendous. Far, far worse than me. The severity of the issues seems to vary copy from copy. Unacceptable. Anyway, I've got more first impressions from a new album I've heard for the first time:

I've just listened to another album I've been really looking forward too: In Rolling Waves by The Naked & Famous. I had liked their debut album, 2011's Passive Me, Aggressive You. Sadly In Rolling Waves didn't live up to my expectations. It just sort of rolled along (excuse the pun). At just under an hour in length, I felt there was no real standout moment. Nothing on the album impressed me as much as Punching On A Dream from their debut album did. The second half of the album did pick up slightly but. Even then though, it wasn't anything overly special. In fact, the only track I can say I really liked was A Stillness. Everything else made minimal impact on me. There wasn't much variety on the album either. It's listenable, but frankly I have no desire to ever listen to it again. I have to say it's one of the most underwhelming experiences I've had with an album in quite some time. Disappointing to say the least.

That's really it for now, but not for today. There's a retrospective post I want to make also, regarding an anniversary of an all time favourite album. Also we have The Killers announcement coming today so you can expect some sort of post on that too. See you soon!

The MDNA Tour Debacle

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Collection: Sound System has arrived!

Well, this is the moment I've been counting down to for what feels like an age. Pre-ordered June 20th, arrived September 14th. I can't actually believe it's here, it seems so surreal. At 12 discs, it's by far and away the biggest musical purchase I've ever made. And it is just beautiful. The packaging is amazing. Just as importantly however, the remastering sounds equally as impressive. I'm no audiophile but it sounds crystal clear, and I can hear things I never heard before. I haven't heard an album in full yet but me and my brother (whose equally as impressed) listened to random tracks from it earlier. I have to say I already love the extended version of Sean Flynn - given how much I love the original though that's not really a surprise. It's an utter treat to finally have an official copy of The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too as well. Terrific song. I never in my life thought I would ever see the Armagideon Times fanzines also. It was a stroke of genius to include them (as well as the new one). We haven't watched the DVD yet - that's going to be for tomorrow. I simply can't wait to see the unreleased material on that though. This was totally worth every penny, and I cannot wait to digest it over the coming days!

Clash updates

Afternoon all, it promises to be a very busy day here at my house. I'm sure you can see where this is going: Sound System has arrived! It's at the family business right now (it made for an easier delivery). It will remain there until 5pm, then it will be brought home. Well, both copies really because my brother copy arrived too. We're opening them together so there is going to be some fun in my house this evening. It goes without saying that pictures will be posted.

The other related Clash update is that (perhaps appropriately) I've started reading Marcus Gray's Route 19 Revisited: The Clash and London Calling. I'm about seventeen pages in and already the amount of meticulous research that has gone into this book is apparent. I'm still very much in the introductory stages of the book -at 500 + pages it's definitely not lacking in length. Already I feel slightly more well versed about the significance of train imagery in rock and roll songs. God knows how detailed it's going to get when I start reading about London Calling itself. Numerous reviews have started that the smallest minutiae of the songs are analyzed, explained etc. It's going to be a slow read, but one that will surely prove fascinating and thoroughly rewarding.

That's it for now, but definitely not for the day. It's just a little over two hours to go before I finally get Sound System. I simply cannot wait.

Collection #2: The Clash Hits Back arrives.

Also, the first of the two new Clash releases arrived today. I know, I know, this may be rather excessive. This is just a greatest hits and I already own all the tracks (before even ordering Sound System). One reason I ordered this is it contains a copy of the original setlist, handwritten by Joe Strummer, in the booklet. That may be shallow I'll concede. Also on a personal level - I won't get many chances to enjoy an upcoming Clash release. I better make the most of them when they do happen therefore. Besides, I'd be shocked if there was a bigger release than Sound System. Most importantly though it's handy for when I'm going somewhere and I just want one Clash CD. It's got the best track listing of all the greatest hits in my opinion, so this is still a CD I will get a lot of use out of, even if it offers nothing new in terms of musical content.

Collection: Madonna MDNA Tour arrives (although that may not be a good thing)

So after what feels like waiting a particularly long time, the new MDNA Tour bluray and CD arrived today! I must confess: I haven't actually watched it yet, nor listened to the CD. I deliberately avoided the EPIX Broadcast (bar a few clips) from a few months ago apart from the Paris Olympia show and the Superbowl, I haven't actually watched any live MDNA footage. I've heard rave reviews though for the MDNA tour, so my expectations are even higher than they usually are for a Madonna show. It's also going to be very interesting though because I've seen a lot of complaints about the quality of the bluray. In fact, Amazon UK have withdrawn it from sale, pending a review. I've read that Amazon Germany have acknowledged there is a fault with the bluray too. Truth be told - I'm not one for detecting such issues. Unless they are woefully bad. I mean I remember there being a lot of complains about the Celebration DVD set but - to my eyes at least - the picture was fine. With this though it's supposed to be awful. Of course, I've yet to watch any of it myself  (I'm going to watch a bit of it shortly before bed, but it won't be the full show). I'll be sure to post a follow-on post once I see the show and form my own opinions on the matter.

Reviewed: Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Peel Session version)

Love Will Tear Us Apart remains arguably the most well known song Joy Division ever recorded. It's immediately distinctive too, with its soaring synth line. However, whilst I do love the single version I've always preferred this Peel version slightly more. It's from the second (and final) session the group did for John Peel's radio show, recorded at the BBC Studios in London on November 26th 1979. It was one of three songs they performed, the others being 24 Hours, Colony and Sound Of Music. Both this session (and the first) are available on a number of CDs, most notably The Best Of Joy Division and the Heart and Soul box-set. The John Peel session is also significant because it was the first recording of the song! It was re-recorded twice but many fans do seem to prefer this original Peel sessions version, myself included. I personally prefer it because there's a frantic tone to this recording that the more polished single version lacks. I absolutely love that chiming, climatic guitar that comes in about halfway through. This version sounds raw and definitely like a predecessor to the single version. What's striking about it though is that considering this is the first recorded version, the song actually sounds really complete. The single version and this original recording aren't drastically different really - it's obvious they're the same song. Strip away those more polished elements that the rerecorded versions brought in though and it's a significant change indeed. The Peel version definitely sounds less of a pop song. It's more typically Joy Division. I've always felt that the single version sounded a bit unconventional for Joy Division. This Peel version would have fitted in on Closer I think, unlike the single version. For me - it's the definitive version of a classic song.

Collection: PSB Elysium era singles completed!

So, after waiting what feels like ages, the first of the parcels started arriving today! Well, I guess it's technically yesterday because it's early Friday morning here, but you know what I mean. These are the Winner, Memory Of The Future and Memory Of The Future Remixed singles by Pet Shop Boys. I've actually now got all the Elysium era CD singles, a first for me. I don't collect Pet Shop Boys singles (nor any singles of any artist for that matter) religiously. There's simply too many of them. I'll only buy the post Format singles for the new B-sides or older ones if there's a specific mix I really love. The latter doesn't happen often because I think a lot of Pet Shop Boys remixes aren't great. Anyway, I already had both Leaving singles and I needed to get my Pet Shop Boys single collection sorted out and up to date, so I ordered these. I don't mind not having Vocal because whilst I like the remixes on there, there's no B-sides. If Zoverstocks get a copy in I'll order it but I won't be too concerned if they don't. Although because of the new bonus tracks, I've placed a pre-order for the upcoming CD release of the Love Is A Bourgeois Construct single, due for release at the end of the month. I've placed an order for CD1 of Together, and some other singles too actually - they'll be here next week sometime. I'm delighted with these though because I actually loved the Elysium era  in terms of B-sides. I'd have to regard In His Imagination and The Way Through The Woods as two of my all time favourite Pet Shop Boys tracks in all honesty!

Cryptic Killers message and Sound System dispatches!

Good news everybody, Sound System was dispatched earlier today! It's expected to be here no later than Saturday. Relief all round, and the excitement can now start to truly build as I anticipate its arrival. To say me and my brother (who pre-ordered his own copy also) are eager to finally see and hear it is an understatement. There's still nothing in the post yet either, regarding my other items. I'm expecting that to change tomorrow. Of course - I'll post any arrivals here, although that won't be until tomorrow night because Thursday is my busy day. In any case, things are literally on the move so it's all good.

The Morse Code message.

Anyway, there's some very exciting news today if you are a Victim (a fan of The Killers). I'll admit I've not been following the latest news rigidly (shameful). However, a few weeks ago they teased us by saying a big announcement is coming this month. They've also said they wish to commemorate the upcoming tenth anniversary of their first London show (which is in late September). It seems like the two are linked. As they played London's Wembley stadium at the end of June, it would be fitting to release that Wembley show on DVD on this anniversary year wouldn't it? Earlier today their Facebook page posted a cryptic Morse code message that when translated reads as "The Killers shot at the night". It does lend credence to the theory that a Wembley DVD is imminent. However, the October issue of Vanity Fair magazine may have revealed what this announcement will be. In the Hot Tracks section of the magazine they have said that a greatest hits compilation, containing three new songs, is due for release in the autumn. It's highly likely that the already confirmed M83 collaboration will be one of those new songs. To be honest it's most likely the greatest hits. However, I think there may be some sort of special edition with the Wembley show DVD. In any case, expect news this coming Monday (a now deleted tweet mentioned September 16th). I'm intrigued to see what it is, to say the least!

Wonderful new song and wonderment.

Afternoon all, on what is day two of what should be a week of musical madness. So far - it's got off to a disappointing start. I'm due seven items this week, none of them have arrived so far, the postman has literally just came. Worse yet - I've got no official confirmation that Sound System has dispatched. Although there is a chance it may have been. You see, the app on iPhone/iPad etc says "Dispatching soon" but on any internet browser it says "Dispatching now". It's been saying that since Saturday. My account has been charged also, and that only tends to happen when an item has been dispatched. My brother is having the exact same issue with his copy too. I really don't know what is going on. I'm disappointed if there is a glitch in the system to be honest. If not, then it's a disgrace. There's no excuse for taking this long to dispatch something that was preordered nearly three months ago.

Limited edition 12" cover

However - there is a new song that has, quite frankly, bowled me over. Reflektor, from Arcade Fire's upcoming album. I only know a handful of songs by them. I like them so far, and they do a brilliant cover version of The Clash's Guns of Brixton to boot. I was hoping to get into them more with their upcoming album actually. That only looked even more likely after learning it would be produced by James Murphy (aka LCD Soundsystem). It definitely sounds at least somewhat like an LCD Soundsystem track, with it's little electronic flourishes. I absolutely love the percussion parts too. The track definitely bears the influence of Talking Heads too. And just to take things up another notch, they've got an exceptional talent on backing vocals (albeit briefly): David Bowie, no less. I love his brief vocals. On first listen I did really like the song but I felt it perhaps ran a minute or so too long, it's quite lengthy at almost eight listens. On repeated listens though that stance has firmly been diminished.It's got a really lovely groove to it, and the arrangement is very infectious. After learning that the album will be a double album too, I really can't wait to hear it now!

That's all for now, and probably for the day, unless something unexpected crops up. It's almost certain that something will arrive tomorrow, hopefully it will and I'll have an update on Sound System by then!

This coming week...

Evening all, no real post as such today because this week promises to be an utterly chaotic one with the slew of releases heading my way. I've got three Pet Shop Boys singles, Madonna's MDNA Tour Bluray/CD and of course The Clash Hits Back and Sound System. That's lots of first impressions posts I'll be making this week, and also arrival posts of course. Pet Shop Boys singles and Madonna MDNA items have already dispatched. I don't think the MDNA Tour Bluray/CD will arrive tomorrow. The Pet Shop Boys singles I ordered however I think may just. As for The Clash stuff, I'm expecting it will dispatch first thing tomorrow morning (at nearly 9PM here I can't see it happening tonight). I'm expecting that it will get here on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. I can't think of a bigger week than this upcoming one for my music collection - needless to say I simply cannot wait for it all to arrive. I've also got to try and track down a copy of the Depeche Mode Ultimate Music Guide too. I've got some posts floating around that I'm drafting too, hopefully I'll be able to publish one or two of them in the midst of it all too. See you all tomorrow for day one!

It's 26, actually.

On this day twenty-six years ago, Pet Shop Boys released their seminal second album, Actually. More polished and accomplished than the preceding Please, the album enjoyed great success. It has since become their third biggest seller worldwide. The singles enjoyed a lot of success too: three out of Pet Shop Boys four UK #1 singles came from the Actually era. Not to mention the unforgettable duet with Dusty Springfield on What Have I Done To Deserve This, itself a #2 smash. Actually stands up as one of the finest synth-pop you could hear. A varied one too, with the pomp of It's A Sin, the haunting Kings Cross, and the deceptive Shopping. Kings Cross is one of their finest achievements as songwriters in my opinion, and I've always felt Shopping (which is about privatization in Thatcher's Britain) was grossly underrated. As you can tell - I really love this album. It's steeped in nostalgia for me as a fan - it was one of the first albums of Pet Shop Boys I listened to. Perhaps shockingly though, it'd be in five or sixth (roughly) if I were to rank my favourite albums. Bare in mind - I'd still give it a 9/10 (or 10 on a good day). That's only because I played the album to death, it and Very were my original favourite Pet Shop Boys albums. Nevertheless, Actually is still a superb record. And who could forget that iconic cover art? Happy anniversary Actually!

First Impressions: Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady

I've a lot of bitty posts to make, mostly regarding first listen impressions of the slew of new albums that are coming out at the moment. I'm trying to listen to a new release a day at the moment to get up to speed. Yesterday's album was Janelle Monae's much awaited sophomore album, The Electric Lady. I've got to admit, this album was brilliant (with awesome album artwork to boot). Like her debut album - The ArchAndroid - it is a concept album. The Electric Lady serves as the fourth and fifth suits in her seven-part Metropolis series. To put it succinctly, it depicts the (fictional) story of Cindi Mayweather, who is a messianic android. In all seriousness, I don't really follow the storyline that well at all - her music is that enjoyable that I get lost in it, and the concepts just wash over me. It's a good thing, right? Anyway, I was apprehensive about The Electric Lady when I heard Q.U.E.E.N. I didn't like it much at all. I have to say that it has grown on me a lot, but it remains one of the weakest tracks on the album for me. The rest of the album is sublime, it sounding both fresh yet decidedly old-school simultaneously. At this stage, favourites are Dorothy Dandridge Eyes, Dance Apocalyptic and We Were Rock & Roll. The album even features Prince, who duets with Janelle on Givin' Em What They Love (another great track). Honestly, I was expecting the album to be good, but not this good. Quite frankly - one of the albums of the year!

Reviewed: Pet Shop Boys - Inside A Dream

Oh, how I love this. It's one of my three favourite Electric tracks; the others being Bolshy and Shouting In The Evening. It's a beautiful dream-scape of a song. It literally envelops you in its luxurious synths, every time I listen to it. Very relaxing, and it's the slowest song on the album. It starts off very ambient (with vauge trance flourishes)in style, before picking up tempo. It does become quite a snappy synth-pop track, but never a total all-out dance number like most of the other Electric songs. It's really no bad thing. I think this might be one of the most classic sounding Pet Shop Boys tracks on Electric really. My favorite aspect of the arrangement definitely is how it embodies the title of the song. The opening chords really do sound like you're in a dream. Even Neil Tennant's vocals have a decidedly hazy feel here, and his ethereal tone just complements the song perfectly. The lyrics to Inside A Dream are ambiguous though, to say the least. More than a little vague too. It's hard to pinpoint just precisely what the song is about really. Neil himself has even commented "I don't know what I was thinking of really" when he wrote the song. The lyrics reference "The Land of Dreams". When I heard that, my gut reaction was that the song is referencing the USA. I've a sneaking suspicion I wasn't the only person that thought the same either. Therefore there's a possibility that - at least subconsciously - the lyrics are about their three month stint in Los Angeles in early 2012. They lived there whilst creating Elysium, although many of the tracks on Electric spanned from those sessions too. Inside A Dream didn't come from those sessions though. It was shortly afterwards. Initial composition began in Berlin, with the track being subsequently completed in London. Of course, my theory on the lyrics could be wrong. Then again, considering even Neil Tennant didn't have anything in mind when writing them, perhaps not. It's certainly plausible that their experiences in LA are reflected subconsciously here. Regardless of the lyrics, I just love the atmosphere of this. Dreamy, tranquil. It's probably the most atmospheric track on Electric. It's divine really.

Reviewed: Pet Shop Boys - Love Is A Bourgeois Construct (Digital Single)

Today I've finally been able to listen to the first digital bundle for Love Is A Bourgeois Construct. A decidedly mixed bag really, here's my initial impressions:

Love Is A Bourgeois Construct (Nighttime Radio edit)
The first remix is the better of the two. Honestly, it's not that far removed from the original. It's just got more synthesizers. It's an inoffensive remix that keeps the essence of the original, something which can't be said for a lot of Pet Shop Boys remixes. Having said that, it does nothing to advance the song either. Not awful, but nothing special either. Stuart Price has done far better remixes than this to be honest.

Entschuldigung
The first of two new B-sides. It's not awful, but give Pet Shop Boys extremely high standards for B-sides... it's very ordinary. Musically, it's totally Electric in sound. It lacks the impact of say, Shouting In The Evening for me though. The lyrics also don't help, the few that there are. The song is simply an apology to German fans for not being able to speak German. To be honest, the whole song feels like a throwaway. It wouldn't sound out of place on Electric, but it wouldn't stand out on it at all. It's very much the definition of B-side really.

Get It Online
By far the best song out of this package. Get It Online wouldn't fit on Electric really. It's a little bit too retro in sound (it's very Kraftwerk actually). Also, it's far more relaxed and less punchy than the Electric tracks. Like Entschuldigung lyrics are minimal. What's not minimal in Get It Online though are prominent Pet Shop Boys vocals. I have to say I love Neil's vocal work here, and the rather unusual vocal line/effects. It makes for interesting listening. Even addictive listening - Also the subject matter - the dominance of Internet culture - gives it the sort of universal appeal that Entschuldigung perhaps lacks. Not the best Pet Shop Boys B-side by any means, but a worthy addition.

Love Is A Bourgeois Construct (The Penelopes Remix Radio Edit)
Remixes of Pet Shop Boys songs always leave me with some degree with trepidation. Given some of the horrendous remixes that have surfaced on past singles, can you blame me really? Thankfully, this mix wasn't the worst I've heard. Much like the Night-time mix though, it was very ordinary. I did like the last minute of the track though, were it takes a more interesting direction. In fact if the music there comprised more of the mix I'd have liked it a lot more. As it stands, it's listenable but forgettable.

It's an average EP all round really, and the only track I can see myself listening to on a frequent basis is Get It Online. Later on I'll listen to the second bundle, titled Love Is A Bourgeois Construct Remixed. I'm slightly apprehensive about that though because it's got low ratings on Discogs. I'll be back later in any case.

Purchase Ponders: Tears For Fears - The Hurting (30th Anniversary Edition)

Another reissue (along with Nirvana's In Utero) that I'm very much looking forward to this year is that of Tears For Fears debut, The Hurting. I love Tears For Fears, they're perhaps the most underrated group of the 80s for me. I don't have The Hurting at all though, just the deluxe edition of Songs From The Big Chair. A good thing really, seeing as this reissue is being released at the end of October. Anyway, the four disc edition of The Hurting looks very expansive. The first disc is the album remastered, then the second contains various single versions, extended versions and B-side tracks. Those two discs are being released as a two disc deluxe version. Then there's disc three on the deluxe, which comprises of radio sessions and live tracks. The DVD is the concert film In My Mind's Eye: Live At Hammersmith Odeon (filmed December 1983) which has only been available on VHS until now. All together, the four disc version is priced at £33 on Amazon UK currently. It's admittedly quite dear for a deluxe edition of one album. I'm weighing up what version to get. To be honest, I'll most likely get the four disc one. I've never heard/seen any of the live material, nor the B-sides though. In the next few days, I'm gonna watch In My Mind's Eye and the John Peel sessions (if I can find them), then I'll know for sure what to go for. Frankly though the concert performance would need to utterly stink to put me off however. I don't think that's very likely to happen. It's Tears For Fears after all, I have high expectations. Also - on a purely superficial level it looks beautiful. You can tell I love deluxe editions, can't you?

First impressions: Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks.

So, I've had a chance to listen to the first of my highly anticipated batch of September albums. Nine Inch Nails most recent offering, Hesitation Marks being the album in question. I don't know a huge deal of Nine Inch Nails material. The only other album of theirs I've heard in full is their debut, Pretty Hate Machine, which I really like. I love them when they're more melodic, but some of their material is simply too heavy for me. I guess you say I was greeting the news of their new album with a degree of hesitation (pun intended). They were worries that were quickly put to rest. After being blown away by Came Back Haunted, and later Copy Of A, I simply couldn't wait to hear the album in full. I have to say - I really liked it! To be honest, Copy Of A and Came Back Haunted do remain the stand-outs for me, but that's not to say the album tracks were poor. Honestly I would have been very surprised if the album had have sustained the quality of those two songs all the way through. To be honest, I doubt there's a more accessible Nine Inch Nails album. I guess that may make the album unpopular with more hard-nosed fans. For me though, it's good. It's more melodic than a barrage of harsh electronics, which is a-okay in my book. I liked every song, Find My Way is growing on me in particular. Everything and Satellites being other standouts. The only two I felt were borderline filler were In Two and While I'm Still Here. The irony being? They were the tracks on which Lindsey Buckingham (from Fleetwood Mac) played guitar. I have to admit - I'm surprised at that. I would have guessed he featured on Everything in all honesty. Oh well, brownie points for featuring Lindsey all the same; I do love Fleetwood Mac (and his guitar skills). I'm definitely going to purchase Hesitation Marks at some point, it's a very good album. I'm very much at the beginning stages of my investigation into Nine Inch Nails work, but Hesitation Marks leaves me very much looking forward to delving further into Trent Reznor's alternate world.

Collection: Two lovely unexpected Joe Strummer items.

Yesterday, my Amazon order arrived. My definite last one until next week when the Madonna MDNA Tour and The Clash new releases start arriving. This one actually comprises two (somewhat) rare Joe Strummer items. Last week I was originally planning to order some Clash items on a site I discovered called Punk Rock Shop. Although when I was on Amazon I discovered I could get A Permanent Record for much the same price. It's a limited edition book, so I could imagine in time it would become pretty rare. It was a book I had been after too. It's by Julien Yewdall and is a black and white photography book. He met Joe in 1974 and captured some beautiful shots of The 101ers and early photographs of The Clash. The vast majority are unseen. Worth every penny. Earthquake Weather was the really unexpected one. Along with The Future Is Unwritten soundtrack and the Let's Rock Again! DVD it had been a notable absentee from my collection. That was until my preferred Amazon seller - Zovestocks - finally got a copy of it in last week. I wasn't planning on ordering anything but I simply had to order it as soon as I saw it. In over six months of searching I've never seen a copy from a trusted seller on Amazon. I've never even seen a copy of it that falls below the £20 mark. Due to rarity (it sold poorly and has never been reissued) I figured I'd have to fork out £20 for it eventually. As it stands I actually paid substantially less because Zoversocks are very cheap. To be honest I never thought I would get the album because it's long out of print and copies of it are becoming increasingly rare. It's the same with the Bob Gruen photography book too. I'm rather bowled over that I've ended up with two of the potentially more tricky items to locate from my Clash/Joe Strummer want-list. Hopefully, I can have similar luck with the Bob Gruen book!

Reviewed: Foster The People - Machu Picchu (The Strokes Cover)

Definitely one of the best cover versions I've heard in a while! This is Foster The People taking on Machu Picchu, which is originally by The Strokes. You can find The Strokes' original version on their 2011 album Angles, where it serves as the opening track to the record. As for Foster The People's version - it's from BBC's Radio 1 Live Lounge 2012 compilation.  As for their reasons for covering the song, Mark Foster (rather humorously) offered this by means of an explanation: "The song title sounds like a Pokemon character". I'm not kidding, although he does have a point. More seriously though he did go on to say "It's a rock song we wanted to flip on its head." as well as wanting to give it more of a "psychedelic" feel. I have to agree with him there - Foster The People's version is more psychedelic, especially the last minute or so. The ending is rather different from the original actually. I don't really like the ending of The Strokes version to be honest. It's just too harsh when the song should have a more relaxed arrangement. Other than that though the two versions aren't too dissimilar from the other. It's a rather faithful re-working for the most part really. The original just sounds a fraction more hard hitting, particularly the guitars. As for my preferred version I definitely prefer Foster The People's take on it. It just sounds more natural. In fact, had I not been informed that it was a cover version, I'd have just assumed it was a Foster The People original. The song fits their style with effortless ease. Not only that but it sounds so organic. It's as if their version is the way it originally should have sounded. The vocals are also great too - I love Mark Foster's voice on record but live he's even better still. To be honest, the whole group sound even better live than they do in the studio (and I loved Torches). A fabulous effort indeed; now hurry up and announce the sophomore album!

New band of interest: Jaws

Birmingham's definitely having a good year music wise. There's definitely a burgeoning scene developing there. There's even a term for it now: B-town. I must say I find that title to be a total embarrassment. Just.... why?  It's not even accurate - Birmingham is a city, not a town for a start. Not only that but the term B-town doesn't even begin to describe the music these bands produce. Which is a lot better than the term B-town itself, thank goodness. Spearheading this wave of music are Peace and Swim Deep. Another group that hail from Birmingham who have particularly grabbed my attention though are Jaws. So earlier, I listened to their debut EP, titled Milkshake.

Released in April of this year, I've only discovered Jaws thanks to the issue of NME released two weeks ago. They were featured in an article about smaller bands worth checking out at the then upcoming 2013 Reading & Leeds Festival. I listened to their Milkshake EP in earnest. It's a compilation actually; comprising all A-sides and corresponding B-sides released by the band up until that point. They have released a subsequent single called Gold though. As for Milkshake, I have to say I really liked it and I'm excited for what the future holds for these guys. Their greatest strength lies in their versatility. Opening track Breeze rolls along at a brisk pace and is very jangly indie-pop in style not to mention uplifting. The second song, Donut however is much more distorted in sound and echoes the sounds of bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain. There's even echoes of shimmery synths on one or two tracks, like Surround You, for good measure. All throughout though elements of melancholy can be found though, mainly in the vocals. I actually found the vocal stylistically similar to New Order's Bernard Sumner. They both have that cold and detached, yet youthful sort of sound. There is a definite mix of styles on Milkshake though, and I wouldn't be surprised that the only way is up for this latest group from Birmingham.

First listens: Franz Ferdinand's latest offering and Joni Mitchell's debut.

Got a load of posts to do today so I'm starting early. I had been meaning to write this yesterday actually, but it totally slipped my mind. I've been having a lot of memory lapses lately actually - I put it down to being exceptionally tired. This increased physical activity is bound to be the root cause. Anyway, I listened to two albums yesterday, both new to me. They very much contrasted too, both in style and the time period they're from. Without further adieu, here they are.

Firstly, a just released album. Franz Ferdinand's fourth record, Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action. It was released August 26th here in the UK. I have to say, I found it a really pleasant listen. Very much in style with their previous records, but very enjoyable. Particular favorites being Love Illumination, Stand On The Horizon and Bullet. I liked every song though. At around thirty-five minutes in length it's also straight to the point and not weighed down by access padding. I'll be honest - the album isn't innovative nor a radical progression from their previous material. At the same time though they've honed their snappy, polished indie-pop expertly on this album. What it lacks in innovation, it more than makes up in enjoyable music. And I do place greater emphasis on the enjoyment factor of a record. There may not be an experimental track like Lucid Dreams here, but does it really matter?

The second album was totally different. Totally the opposite end of the musical spectrum. It was Song To A Seagull, the 1968 debut by Joni Mitchell. Honestly, I have to thank Simon & Garfunkel for this. It's not that they've made me a folk fan but they definitely opened the genre up to me more. I decided to investigate Joni Mitchell simply because I've heard rave reviews about her. I thought the album was pretty good. It didn't knock me out, but I definitely want to keep investigating her work more. My favorite tracks were I Had A King, Night In The City and Song To A Seagull. I did prefer the first half to the second half. Also my interest did start to wane slightly towards the end, but the songs I liked I loved. Initially I was dubious about listening to a full length album primarily because of her voice. I thought it would potentially grate on me if I were to listen to a whole album. Thankfully I have to say her voice is growing on me the more I listen to her! I'm particularly interested to here her more jazz influenced material on Court & Spark. Not only that but - the synthesizer nut that I am - I'm looking forward to hear her electronic material on Dog Eat Dog. I think she could become a favorite in all honesty!

So that's me for now - I do have quite a few posts to come today though so this won't be the last you hear from me. See you later!

Collection: The New Issue of Uncut!

I got this two days and forgot to post it. I also forgot to include the CD it came with as well in the picture but it's not related to The Clash in any way. I do like Uncut, although I don't purchase it regularly. I did love their special issue devoted solely to The Clash though, so naturally I was excited to get this. It's a great  article - I particularly loved the section were Paul Simonon made some very insightful comments regarding their infamous trip to Belfast in 1977. I must say I echoed his sentiments wholeheartedly indeed. Better still - I've finally been able to get some locations for the pictures taken of them here. I'd only been able to identify a few taken in Royal Avenue prior to getting this magazine. It's not just The Clash that provided the only bit of interesting reading in the magazine though for me - there's also a lengthy interview with Mick Fleetwood (of Fleetwood Mac). I'm sure I'll find a new band worth investigating in their review section too, although I haven't read the reviews section really yet. Nevertheless it's a worthy addition to my ever-growing Clash collection!

Unforunate events and new Pet Shop Boys songs.

Afternoon all, it's been an unforunate two days. There was a bad car accident yesterday just opposite the family business. The driver of the vehicle was killed - he had an apparent heart attack at the wheel and lost control, crashing into pedestrians in the process. An awful event indeed. I can't even begin to imagine the pain his family and friends are going through right now. Simply heartbreaking. They're very much in my thoughts. Incidentally, today also marks the 10th anniversary of the death of my grandfather, whom I was very close to. It's also been announced today that the famed Northern Irish poet Seamus Heaney has passed away too. Very sad news - I studied his poem Mid Term Break as part of my GCSE English coursework. It was one of the favourite pieces of poetry I studied, and it moved me an awful lot. I just hope this marks the end of the unfortunate series of events here in Northern Ireland.

On a slightly lighter note, Pet Shop Boys have unveiled snippets of the two upcoming Love Is A Bourgeois Construct b-sides! The two digital bundles (including the B-sides) will be released on September 2nd. Both tracks are dance songs, very much continuing on with the overall sound of Electric. They're definitely more experimental in style though, I don't think they could have fitted on the album.To be honest, both songs share more similarities with each other than they do with Electric's songs I think. Anyway, here's a brief breakdown of my initial thoughts below.

Entschuldigung
Well, this most certainly has a pulsating arrangement. It's a very hard dance track. To be honest, I'm struggling to think of a harsher dance track in Pet Shop Boys history. It doesn't sound all that dissimilar to the legendary German group Kraftwerk. Very appropriate too, considering the title of the song is German for "sorry" and the lyrical content. The song is essentially Pet Shop Boys apologizing to German fans, because despite frequenting Germany often they are unable to speak German. As you could imagine, German phrases are abundant in Entschuldigung. There's not a hint of English to be found in the sample (nor Neil or Chris' voices either). I'm totally illiterate in German myself, so I can't offer anything in the way of a translation. At 5:02 in length though, it's the longer of the two B-sides.

Get It Online. 
Still a dance track, but less harsh sounding. Get It Online is very retro in sound actually - and in my opinion it sounds even more like a Kraftwerk song than Enshuldigung. Get It Online also contains a number of foreign phrases too, although again I can't translate any of them. English does feature this time though. Also, so does Chris - I'm fairly sure that's him singing "whatever I want, whatever I want, I can get it online" through a vocodder. At least if it's not, it sure as hell sounds an awful lot like him. Also it seems like my initial theories that the lyrics would discuss illegal downloading have been thwarted. You can hear samples of people saying "proceed to checkout!" which - coupled along with the line quoted earlier - seems to suggest it's more about the dominance of internet culture. How it's now an integral part of our daily lives, and let's be honest: what can't you do on the internet? It's also a rather short 3:36 in length. That may not be no bad thing though because it does sound like it contains minimal lyrics. I could see this being a Chris Lowe track actually - there's no hint of Neil Tennant in that sample at all.

So - that's my brief thoughts on both tracks. Very tenative I know, and subject to change.I like both songs so far, although my favourite would be Get It Online at this point. Both songs stylistically aren't that far removed from one another really. I don't know when the tracks were recording, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were recorded around the same time. Of course, we won't know that for sure just yet. In any case, I'm looking forward to hearing them in full!

Collection: Last Week's Amazon Order and a suprise one.

Afternoon all, I'm just back from my walk. My legs felt this one moreso - which I suppose is a good thing.

Anyway, after forgetting to do so a few times, I can finally share my Amazon order from last week now that it's all here. The first CD arrived on Wednesday which was obviously Joe Strummer's birthday. Naturally, I didn't want to make any posts that were unrelated to Joe on that day. Anyway, I got the 2CD version of Atomic: The Very Best of Blondie which comes with the bonus Atomix disc (a compilation disc of remixes). There's also Mirage which is only the third Fleetwood Mac album I have on CD, Ghost In The Machine which is my first Police studio album and Bleach (Special Edition) by Nirvana. I actually have all of Nirvana's studio albums now. I'll post a picture of my burgeoning Nirvana collection soon.  This should have been my last Amazon Order for around about six weeks, but something surprising happened last night. I've been searching for Earthquake Weather by Joe Strummer for around about six months. I can even remember traipsing around a record fair back in April trying to find it. It's very rare because it's been out of print for years. Why they've never reissued it, I do not know. Anyway, last night I searched again (I check for it on a semi regular basis). To my disbelief, my favorite Amazon Marketplace seller - Zoverstocks - had received one copy of it very recently. It goes without saying that I ordered it straight away. It's just too rare of a record to pass up. I search Zoverstocks for it pretty often and they've never had a copy of it in. It could have been months before they had it again; it could have even been never. Along with The Future Is Unwritten soundtrack and the Let's Rock Again! DVD, it was something I was missing. Those two are also very easy to purchase online anyway. Needless to say, I'm feeling pretty lucky right now!

Sound of The Week Returns (!) and album testing

Evening all. I've had a total non-day as I'm rather tired. I've been trying desperately to finally finish Six Feet Under - only two more episodes to go. After I finish it I think I'll start Mad Men. Anyway, it's crazy to think that this time next week September is upon us. This year has flew in at a scarily fast pace. September looks set to be an incredibly busy month for music too. I know I bleat on about Madonna's MDNA Tour and The Clash's Hits Back and Sound System releases, but that literally is just the tip of the iceberg. There's Arctic Monkeys, Janaelle Monae, MGMT, Chrvches, Nine Inch Nails to name but a few. Personally, I can't wait.

Anyway, the song I've been listening to a lot of recently - the past few weeks actually - is by Ladyhawke.  Perhaps surprisingly, I only know a select few tracks from Ladyhawke and I've never listened to either of her albums in full. Anyway - I actually discovered this song by pure chance. I've also been listening to Only Over You by Fleetwood Mac recently (from Mirage). One day I was listening to it on Youtube, and I read some of the comments. One of them said that Ladyhawke's song Morning Dreams basically ripped the song off. Naturally, I looked the song up to hear for myself. I have to say there's definite similarities between the two, mostly in the music. That coupled with the fact they have this very serene sort of atmosphere. I don't mind one iota though - I love both songs. I think it was an intentional homage too. When I researched more about Ladyhawke I discovered that she is a massive Fleetwood Mac fan. In fact, when she stated her five favourite albums of all time no fewer than three of those were Fleetwood Mac albums. I must say, I love her taste. I'll definitely need to hear her two albums soon I think.

Also, in the midst of trying to redecorate my room and get fitter I also finally listened to an album that I've been meaning to do for ages. It was End Of The Century, which is the fifth album by The Ramones. I was underwhelmed by Road To Ruin on the whole. Mainly because I felt it was very... predictable. That they needed fresh ideas by that point. Thankfully, there were fresh ideas in End Of The Century but I did still feel it was pretty mixed in terms of quality. I loved songs like Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio? and Danny Says. Songs that were completely different and simply could never have featured on a prior record. It was the songs were they tried their more traditional sound were it fell flat though. Songs like I'm Affected were attempts to sound like Ramones of old and thanks to the production, it just fell flat. The heavy handed production did spoil it a lot for me. A shame really, because there were some good ideas, and when the album worked for me it was brilliant. It's just a shame that it was so inconsistent.

So that's it for this week. An unusual one really, what with Joe Strummer's birthday and what have you. This coming week will be quiet for me musically as I attempt to get healthier, get caught up with reading and the like. Although on Friday I'm going to order from an online site that I've never used before. It's called Punk Rock Shop and there's no prizes for guessing what band I'm looking to purchase merchandise from. I was delighted to discover that they had the ultimate Clash T-shirt design I was after (previous searches for the design were a fail). Anyway, I cannot wait to get a few bits and pieces from it. As you could guess, when they arrive I'll be sure to post a picture. See you soon!

Finally finished Passion Is A Fashion.

So at long last - and boy it took a while - I finished this book! A quick backtrack through the blog says that I started this on the 9th July. Oh dear me. I took far too long to read it. I should have had this finished somewhere between two weeks to a month ago, but I went through a phase of finding it very difficult to read. Sometimes I get that, and it can last up to a month. Not good. I'm a fast reader, so it's almost like I burn myself out or something. I didn't even think that was possible! Worse still, my reading halted just as Mick Jones got sacked from the group. It wasn't even like I had that much to read. Anyway - don't take that as a comment against this book itself. I absolutely loved it. It's very funny, informative yet easy to read (yes, in spite of my odd reading habits). It was my first actual Clash biography, so there was plenty of new information to digest. Too much for one read actually, I'll definitely need to re-read this. My next book will be going back to Heavier Than Heaven, which is a biography on Kurt Cobain, and finishing that. I'm up to the start of 1994 in that, so obviously I'm nearly finished it too. The reason I didn't finish? Yep, you guessed it, reader's block (as I'll refer to it from now on). I know I got another book by The Clash on Friday there, but I won't start that for a bit. I want to finish Heavier Than Heaven then look at getting stuck into some novels because I could do with a break from just reading various music biographies over and over. After all, you've got to mix things up, right?

Town Trip Part II: Upstairs, Downstairs

So, after picking The Killers shirt and briefly flirting with the idea of getting a Velvet Underground one (which I didn't in the end) it was time to see what records to buy. This was when my plans sort of went out the window. I wanted to get Pretty Hate Machine by Nine Inch Nails. Did they have it? Not at all - in fact they had no Nine Inch Nails records whatsoever. Great.. Hm, what to buy? I checked the DVD section for Simon & Garfunkel's Central Park show - no luck. So I just went with the CD version of the concert. Decided to look for Fleetwood Mac's The Dance live album. Gone (although stupidly enough, they had put it by the till. I only found it once I had paid). What a stupid display move that was. Then I remembered I had spied Route 19 Revisited, which was a book about the making of London Calling. Was it in still in the display where I found it? Nope! So, back downstairs I went to the book section. Found it, along with two other Clash books. Joe Strummer & The Legend of The Clash and The Clash Talking to were the titles. I've been considering purchasing the latter, but I've never seen the former in town before though I knew of it. Stupidly I forgot to look inside Joe Strummer &The Legend of The Clash although it has good reviews. As for The Clash talking it was a stupidly dear price - £12 if I remember - for a rather short book that is just a compilation of quotes. I want it, but £12 just seemed excessive, I can get it online much cheaper. Anyway, back upstairs and I still wanted more records. Then I remembered I had liked Vampire Weekend's new album. They didn't have that either. Honestly I think they were in the midst of doing a display revamp or something. Then I remembered Disclosure's debut. Surprisingly I found the deluxe edition of that for a decent price, so I snapped it up. Then I spotted The Essential Paul Simon. I have Songwriter ripped to my hard-drive because I bought it for my Dad for Father's Day, but this collection had a lot of songs on it absent from Songwriter. I only have Graceland & The Rhythm of The Saints on CD myself. By this point, I had about enough money left for two postcards, and to my surprise they had a new Clash one in. Ironically, the first Clash item I ever got was a postcard from HMV. The only other one that caught my interest was the Nevermind cover. After that - I just wanted to get out. HMV can be very draining. I do love what I got (I always do), even if it was a slightly unexpected batch though!

Town yesterday Part I: Shirt Alert.

As I mentioned yesterday, I was in town shopping. I know I said I would post this late last night, but I did have an impromptu post to make. Also I decided to get stuck back into my reading. Anyway, town yesterday had mixed fortunes actually. I went into a shop called Fresh Garbage to see their band T-shirts. They haven't had a Clash shirt the two times I've been in before, but this time they did. It was of the cover of The Clash. It looked really nice. Alias, I had a budget to work with and I couldn't buy it. Next time Clare, next time. Anyway when I got to HMV my plan was roughly this: get a Killers shirt and a Clash shirt, and work with whatever money I had left. They had The Killers shirt in my size (as you can tell) but The Clash London Calling T-shirt was obviously proving a very popular choice. They only had two left - both XL. I'm trying to loose weight at the moment, and my Killers shirt size is L, and even then it's going to be a bit baggy. The Clash one would have just looked ridiculous. I'm carrying a bit of extra weight at the moment, but not that much. Anyway it's no big deal. I mean London Calling is such a common shirt design and I do want something a bit different - much the same way as I didn't want an Unknown Pleasures shirt  of Joy Division's straight away. I'll most likely get both at some stage though. The Killers shirt is actually rather sizable history for me - it's my first T-shirt of the band. Yes, after nine long years. I'm going out tonight and I'm going to wear it for the first time. I need to loose some weight and get my hair done but once that happens, you might even see a picture of me in it....

The Mystery Video

Evening all - I wasn't planning on making another post tonight. I've got to get stuck back into my reading because I am desperately behind. Anyway, something cropped up in the last forty-five minutes or so which I felt warranted a brief post. Friday night is music night on BBC4, and this week it was a series of programmes on world music. Specifically the program I'm referring to was an A-Z of world music. My Dad was watching it, whilst I was busy on the computer - I can't say it's my preferred music style really. Anyway, what happened next took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting to know any artist that would be featured here, except for perhaps a brief piece on Paul Simon/Ladysmith Black Mambazo (the latter were featured actually). Imagine my surprise though when my Dad simply said "Clare!" and I looked up. Lo and behold - there was one Joe Strummer, with Johnny Depp too. I know - apologies for the amount of Joe Strummer posts on here lately but it was his birthday after all. Besides: I had no idea this incident would happen. It was a brief clip in between the main segments of the show. Johnny did most of the talking, and he was refering to the act that was the next letter in the show. Essentially, it was a brief introductory segment if you will. Joe said nothing actually except making a passing comment in response to something Johnny Depp said. It lasted roughly a minute. Sadly the clip took me and Dad by surprise and we totally missed who the act was. It was definitely late 90s/early 00s (My money is on late 90s), and it seems to be taken from some sort of interview. It looked like they were backstage at a festival actually. Sadly they didn't specify the clip's origins, and a video/Youtube search online has proved utterly hopeless. I've never seen this footage before in my life. I'm sorry for this post being so vague, but that's honestly all I have to go on. I'll search more tomorrow and if I find anything, I'll be sure to post it here as I assume this is rare footage.

Flashback: Deal Sealed.

Okay - the absolute final post in these birthday celebrations. I promise. Last week, I discussed what made me re investigate The Clash. This is the natural sequel. So - this is it folks. The moment where I realized I was a fan. Which is probably why it's a special Clash performance for me - not to mention one of my all time favourite individual performances. This was the moment it all made sense. Light-bulbs turning on, a door opening... whatever slight cliche you wish to use. You could say it was my calling. Sorry, just had to make that joke. This is Know Your Rights from the 1983 US Festival. Admittedly the complete performance isn't a patch on their Topper Headon era shows, but this is a gem I think. As I knew nothing about live Clash performances at this stage I wasn't any the wiser as to what performances were them at their best. Anyway, from the first time I watched this I was mesmerized really. The lyrics of the song are brilliant and definitely play their part, but watching The Clash perform it is something else. Joe Strummer as a front-man was quite simply, hypnotic. And this is coming from someone who seldom gets mesmerized merely watching someone. For Joe though it's an exception. It's his passion, his drive. It's so raw and kinetic that I found it simply intoxicating. My eyes were locked to the screen. His performance, even his physical look..... I just knew watching this for the first time I had found someone very special. In that moment - I had never seen anything like it before in my life, nor have I since. Morever, I got it. I suddenly understood why Joe Strummer was a massive inspiration to millions, and why The Clash mattered so much to so many people. Without knowing anything about Joe's personality, I just knew we had a gem in this man and his loss was a sore one. And through discovering more about his personality, those views have merely been validated. Now, I can simply articulate what makes me drawn to him that little bit better. Although frankly there were always been something about it I'll never be able to rationalize I think. I had been wanting some inspiration for a while, prior to discovering The Clash. When I saw this performance, I just knew Joe Strummer was the one. Ten months later, I still feel the same way.

Love Is A Bourgeois Construct tracklisting announced!

Afternoon all - I'm just back from a spot of record hunting. It was a very strange day actually, with somewhat mixed results. It happens sometimes though. I also got some new CDs in the post so later on, you can expect a double whammy of such posts.

Anyway, in a rather important bit of news for Pet Shop Boys fans, the track listing for the Love Is A Bourgeois Construct single packages has been unveiled! It was previously announced that two new B-sides - called Entschuldigung! and Get It Online - would be included. A relief indeed considering Vocal didn't have any original tracks as B-sides. The remixes for the single are done byDave Aude, Little Boots, The Penelopes and Claptones. The only one I've heard of from that quadrant is Little Boots. I really like her though - Nocturnes is one of the best albums of this year in my opinion. So if that remix lives up to expectations it could become a personal favorite. You can read the full list of remixes on the official Pet Shop Boys website. I rather liked the Vocal remixes actually, so I'll be interested to see what I make of these. Altogether, there's seven remixes and two b-sides. They'll be released in two digital bundles, the first containing four tracks, the second containing five on September 2nd. The CD release is coming September 30th. It'll include all nine tracks. The CD single isn't eligible for chart (due to running time limits), but the digital bundles are. That's probably why the CD single is coming a few weeks later. They've also said that a vinyl release will come at a later date, but there's no indication just when that will be. In any case, I can't wait to hear these B-sides after Electric proved to be a terrific album. The only downside for me? The graphic used on the site. I really hope that's not the official cover and it's just a placeholder image. If that's official it's surely the laziest Pet Shop Boys cover I've ever seen. Time will tell though. 

So, that's it for now. The beauty of these walks means my writers block is shifting, you'll most likely hear from me later on. See you then!

Normal Service Resumed

Afternoon all. Normal service can now resume after the celebrations of Joe Strummer's 61st birthday yesterday. As one final note regarding Joe, I have to say I was bitterly disappointed that none of the channels - at least those that I have - seemed to mark his birthday. Very underwhelming indeed, especially as Channel 4 aired a documentary about 1D fans earlier in the week. It just makes you wonder, doesn't it? I know I've been quiet recently (apart from yesterday). Good news - that seems to be changing! I've had horrific writers block as of late. However, I've started regular exercise and somehow, that seems to be clearing my mind.

Anyway - the actual purpose of this post is a rather insignificant thing I'd like to share with you. I actually got this last Monday, but actually writing the post slipped my mind. I've been a scatterbrain lately, more so than usual. I never share music magazines I buy, only in exceptional cases. I regularly buy two: NME and Classic Pop. They compliment each other, I think. Anyhow, when I went to get my copy of the latest issue I was shocked to discover it came with four pictures! In excellent quality too. In the picture, you can see Adam Ant and Eurythmics. The other two were actually Pet Shop Boys and Debbie Harry. The reason you can't see those is because they're already up on my poster wall! It's the first proper picture I have of Pet Shop Boys on it (I do have one of just Neil Tennant), and although it's not the first Debbie Harry poster in my possession, it's the first to go up on display. You see, I do keep all the posters I get free with the NME, thus I've ended up with a couple of Debbie Harry posters (and one of Blondie). I may put Eurythmics up, but not sure. I do like them, but I am strict about posters I put up. I have to really love an artist to put them on display. Posters, t-shirts etc are bold statements I feel. As for Adam Ant though, I have to say I really don't like his music. So there's no chance he is going on my wall.

 My poster walls are getting extensively redesigned at the moment actually - with the help of my dad. I'm simply too small to put most of them up and let's just say, my handiwork is scrappy, to say the least. They also never stay up when I do it. Never the less, I'll be sure to take a picture of my walls when they're complete. That should hopefully be within a week or so. At the moment though the blogging cogs seem to be ticking in my head again, so hopefully regular blogging will resume from this moment on. Stay tuned!

Strummer At His Best

This will probably be the last post I make as part of today's celebrations. In a not unrelated note, I'm actually listening to London Calling as I write this. Gosh, I love that album. Anyway. Much like my previous picture post, I could have picked any amount of favourite videos. Actually, I was only going to pick one of these videos. Could I decide which though for the life of me? Like hell I could. In the end, I decided to go for both. They're at two very different points of his career, but both equally sum up why I love him so much.

Firstly is a clip familiar to all those who have watched The Future Is Unwritten. If you haven't, I highly recommend it. It's a great documentary.This little gem is perhaps the highlight for me. In the video, a journalist asks a perhaps probing question about Topper Headon's reason for vomiting. What comes next is truly classic. Joe launches into a passionate defense of Topper with a few expletives thrown in for good measure. The first time I seen this I absolutely cried with laughter, his reaction is just fervent. It's interesting to note though how quickly things change. Only a few years after this Topper would be sacked from The Clash. His sacking would be something that Joe would come to bitterly regret though.

The next video is equally awesome, but tinged with sadness. It's a much later video, from Global a Go Go era Mescaleros. It too features in a documentary, this time Let's Rock Again, which was made by Don Letts. It's not as known as The Future Is Unwritten, but it's equally as recommended. This time Joe walks around Atlantic City, handing out flyers for the evening's performance. It's as down to earth as a celebrity could hope to be, in fact he even hand makes the flyers himself. You have to love that. What's sad about it though is the reaction of the general public. Bar one or two, they have no idea who is approaching them asking them would they be interested in that night's show. The idea of that is totally alien to me. If Joe Strummer had ever approached me like that.... well I'm not quite sure what would have happened next. Tears, and hugs I think. All on my behalf of course. And lots of shaking. Most likely a loss of speech too - believe me when I say I'm rarely speechless. It's sad to think that someone who was the front-man for an internationally successful band has to resort to these measures. Although to be honest, I get the feeling Joe would have relished having to adopt such a grass-roots approach.

Realistically, this will probably be the last post I make on the blog tonight. I hope I've gone some ways to explaining adequately enough why I love this man so much. I've tried to encompass all eras, not just The Clash. Truth be told, I don't feel that four blog posts (and various posts on Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook etc) does him justice. I guess I feel I'll always be in debt to him, even though he's gone. Above all though, I feel truly blessed to have this man's wisdom in my life. I may never have been a fan whilst he was alive (I was simply too young), but I'm making up for lost time. As I said on Facebook, if I can be half the person he was, I'll be satisfied. So Joe, I hope you're someplace beautiful. Once again - happy birthday <3

Overlooked Gem: Joe Strummer - Sleepwalk

Now, for some music. There's plenty of indisputable Clash classics being posted today, and with great reason. They're terrific songs. The Clash were the collective results of four people though, and on Joe Strummer's birthday I wanted to do something a little different. I'm sharing a song with you that is more of a Joe Strummer solo effort. And what a beautiful song it is too! It's from 1989's much overlooked Earthquake Weather. I do really like that album, it's his only full length effort released in what was known as the wilderness years. It's long out of print, which is surprising. I hope that is rectified soon, especially as it contains hidden gems like Sleepwalk. For now though, it's a major release sadly absent from my own personal collection. Anyway, back to sleepwalk. Rather appropriately, it sounds like a lullaby. I can't quite work out if the song makes me happy, or slightly sad in a reflective way. Alias my thoughts on the song aren't really the purpose of this post. I'm sharing it more so to promote a very overlooked song in Joe Strummer's body of work. Also, can I say major kudos to the creator of the video that I've included in this post. They've done a beautiful chronological black and white overview of various clips from Joe's career. Most of the footage included in the video is amongst my all time favourite of him. It's just beautiful to watch. I'll be back later to continue the celebrations, stay tuned!

A visual reminder of the man that is Joe Strummer.

I've seen plenty of pictures of The Clash - and Joe - since becoming a fan. The on stage ones capture his supreme showmanship, of course. However, this beautiful picture captures the essence of the man. It was taken by renowned rock and roll photographer Bob Gruen. The location? New York, the city which Joe and The Clash shared a natural affinity with. In a freezing cold winter's night, a tightly wrapped up Joe Strummer hands over money to a homeless person. Bob Gruen himself once said "I never saw Joe pass a needy or homeless person without giving them something". I think that speaks real volumes about the man. He genuinely did love humanity, he wasn't just saying that for the hell of it. I just love everything about this picture, you know? Namely the contrast - that really warm act of kindness taking place in such cold and chilly surroundings. His love of humanity was deep and true, and it's something I strive to apply to my life more. Not only an incredibly gifted musician, but a downright beautiful human too. Long live Joe Strummer.

How Joe Strummer Taught Me To Know My Rights.

Heroes, it's not a word I use lightly whatsoever. In the case of Joe Strummer, I would have to say he's a hero, an inspiration to me without reservation. Today marks Joe Strummer's 61st birthday. I'm going to try and attempt to articulate how much this man means to me, and what this day means to me. I only can hope I do him proud.

So... how has Joe Strummer changed my life. I think it'd be easier to ask how has he not changed it. The funny thing is, I've only been a fan for ten months. Though in those ten months, he's come to mean so much to me. That's definitely thanks to rather difficult personal circumstances. Although boy, has Joe Strummer helped me through those. It's a very comforting thing, having this constant in a set of ever-changing circumstances. I guess I have this little vision of myself, armed with my trusty Clash records ready to charge head on and face whatever life has in store next. When I listen to interviews... there's something very soothing about that voice. I can't describe it, but it grounds me. Joe epitomized the spirit of never giving up. I guess I just love the idea that I can face whatever may be next, but knowing I've got someone to remind me to never give up little more than a press of a play button away.

Another way he's definitely helped me is my ongoing battle to accept myself. And to be proud to be an individual. Northern Ireland has damn near destroyed itself in the past because some people can't accept alternate view points here. I guess it's made me wary of having my own brain at all growing up. Yet thanks to Joe and The Clash, I'm realizing that fear isn't right. Slowly but surely, they're teaching me that thinking for myself is going to pay dividends. Better to think for oneself than be "controlled in the body, controlled in the mind", to paraphrase Complete Control. Or as I like to say, better be a creep than a sheep. Yes sir, I've got my own opinions and they matter. Fuck anyone that says otherwise. When you're 19 and feel lost, hearing someone say that your opinions still matter is practically life affirming. At least, it is for me. Wow, maybe I'm not lacking in self confidence as much as I thought... thanks for that Joe.

Although above all - Joe has taught me to
stand out by all means, just remember to do it with a keen sense of humanitity. Yes, stand up for my rights, what I believe in. Love what I love, and don't be ashamed. Although always do it with a sense of tolerance. Don't just abuse others with alternate view points. Not only is that deeply hypocritical, but it also never gets anyone anywhere. I see that all the time here in Northern Ireland. That's something I think all of us can take away from Joe. His ability to rebel, yet posses a love and faith for humanity is truly inspiring. For a young girl in Northern Ireland, such behavior teaches me more about how to be a good member of the human race than any text book has or shall ever will.

Taking chances, seeing the goodness in people, standing up for what's right even when it goes against norms. Not doubting myself. Having the guts to question people and hold them to account. Not putting up with crap. Never conform. To sum it up, that's what The Clash and Joe has taught me. I hope I'm not painting Joe Strummer as a saint. He was far from that. Though he was a good man, he made mistakes just like the rest of us but he never pretended otherwise. Nor did he act like a flashy rockstar. He was a humble man, who always remembered his roots, and never saw himself above others. The audience were his friends if anything. If you asked me to sum up why I admire him so much then I'd simply say two words: he cared. He cared about his music, he cared about his fans, and he cared about the world around him. I often think I'm useless, but the idea that a man of his calibre might just have seen something good in me is all the motivation I need to keep going. And above all else, until his last breath he always had something relevant to say. People like Joe are never irrelevant.

It's true, it makes that early death all the sadder. A year ago if I wrote this I would have been far more mournful. I get days were I miss him terribly. One reason being, I'll never see him perform in any shape. Nor will he ever know the impact he's had on me. Sometimes, I wish that I could have the chance just to say "thank you Joe. It'd be nice to wake up one day, and hear an announcement of new music. It'll never happen of course, but the beat must go on. I'd like to think Joe would feel the same. Rather than mourn what I can't do, strive to do what I can do to the best ability that I can. That's what Joe was about, wasn't it? What Joe stood for didn't die when he died, I must remember this. He left behind brilliant music, in all his various guises. He lives on in those  records everyday.

Today, I'm actually celebrating. His heart condition could have killed him at any age - we were incredibly lucky to have him for those fifty years. Celebrate those wonderful memories The Clash and Joe have gave and shall continue to give us. Celebrate that we've got the lyrics of a wonderful man to guide us through the good and the bad. Yes, fifty is too young but he lived a fuller life than most. In his brief existence, he changed the lives of millions for the better. And he'll continue to do that, lest we forget. I'm proof his message can continue to inspire, even in the wake of his death. See what I'm getting at? Joe will never die, may we celebrate!

Remember that today marks the birth of someone whose influence is pretty much incalculable. He's changed  the lives of millions. And the world is a sweeter place for his existance, even ten years on. 61 years ago today a legend was born. And I repeat, he will never die.  Just by being a fan, it ensures that. His legacy will carry on, and if he inspires you to do something for the greater good of mankind, then you're shaping his legacy right there. Really I think today should be about thinking about how the world - and we as fans - would be different if one certain little baby called John Mellor never came into being on this day in 1952. I know my life would be worse off if that little baby was never born. So thank God for Joe Strummer.

Joe - I love you. I miss you. But most importantly - I thank you. Happy birthday inspiration <3