New purchases.

A post I was in the midst of writing last night. Alias - I had a bit of a headache so I decided to turn the laptop off early. I did another Amazon order and they've all arrived now! I've actually done a second seperate order too, they should arrive sometime next week. Anyhow, back to this one. From left to right I got Electronic - Electronic (2013 remastered edition); The 101ers - Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited and David Bowie - Outside. I've got a few new albums that I need to get, but a special edition of Electronic's self titled debut (one of my favourite ever albums) was the most essential for me. I had really wanted Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited for a while because I do love the 101ers songs that I have heard. As for Outside, it's actually one of my favorite David Bowie albums that I've heard so far. Not least because it boasts one of my favourite Bowie songs: A Small Plot of Land.`Looking forward to finally listening to a physical copy of these!

Sound of the week: Songs

Evening all and it's hard to believe that (yet again) it's the end of another week. Especially scary that we're now over halfway through 2013... what on earth. Anyhow, this week I've actually got two sounds of the week, so let's get cracking.

First of, we've got Keys To Your Heart by The 101ers. They're a group more than familiar to Clash fans - it was Joe Strummer's group before The Clash, back when he was known as Woody Mellor. This is the second version (and my favourite) of Keys To Your Heart. I love this song - and The 101ers - in general. They were a great pub rock outfit and probably could have gone on to big things... then a group called The Clash happened. Funny how things like that can occur in life. I'd have to regard Keys To Your Heart as the first great Strummer composition (even though he wasn't known as Strummer when he wrote it). I'd definitely recommend The 101ers if you have any inkling of an interest in The Clash. Especially so if you like pub rock style music. It's fascinating to hear how Joe always sang the way he did - it wasn't a singing style put on for the punk scene. I don't have Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited, although listening to this moreso this week has made me keen to get it. I think it's encouraged me to purchase it this week really!

The second track is Simon & Garfunkel (can you tell I'm loving them?). Again it's not something I heard for the first time this week, but it's a song that's particularly grown on me this week. It's from Bookends, I was listening to the album a few days ago because I purchased a boxset with all their albums and truthfully I think Bookends is now my second favorite Simon & Garfunkel record. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme is first and I've denoted Bridge Over Troubled Water to third place (for now). Anyhow - what I love about Old Friends is the gorgeous and serene atmosphere it has. Reflective and oh so peaceful. The lyrics make me really think about growing older too even though I'm still a rather young 19. I can't help but think of a certain friend when I hear this song who's also fond of Simon & Garfunkel. My longest friend actually - we've been best friends for 15 years. Since the age of four. It really does make me wonder what we will be like when he hit seventy (as the song describes) and how we'll have changed. By that point we'll have been friends for 66 (!) years. Scary thoughts really, but a gorgeous song.

Pictures of interest: Joe Strummer (101er's days)

An utter non post I I know, but I just really loved this picture of Joe Strummer which is from prior to finding fame as lead singer of The Clash. Before being one of the forerunners of punk rock Joe was in a pub rock group called the 101'ers. I don't know the exact date this was taken but it was sometime between 1974-1976 (as they were the years the group was active). I'll admit they're not the style of the music I usually listen to (they mostly played covers of old rock songs such as Route 66, Johnny Be Goode and that sort of thing) but they were actually a good band. I absolutely love the live version of Maybelline that was released on 2005's Elgin Avenue Breakdown (Revisited) though. Anyhow, just thought I would share this!