Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good

A couple of years' back I threatened to inflict my musical taste on you as I gradually worked my way through my vinyl collection giving the discs a clean with a new gadget I'd treated myself to.

Well, this isn't an indication that I've got up to 'W' (yes, my vinyl collection IS in alphabetical order... how else would one find anything?) but, as I was listening to Mark Knopfler's 'Skydiver' on the way into work this morning, the lyrics reminded me a little of Joe Walsh's 'Life's Been Good'.

I was only 11 when this came out and I heard it on the radio in the hairdresser's one Saturday morning, but didn't know who it was by or what it was called - although the line 'I go to parties sometimes until four, it's hard to leave when you can't find the door...' stayed with me (as an aspiration?). Well, it was another 20 years before I found out what it was and finally bought the LP it came from 'But, seriously folks...'.

As well as the brilliant guitar work, it's a brilliant evocation of the 1970s rock star lifestyle and when he says 'Lucky I'm sane after all I've been through', I'm amazed that any of them are actually alive after what they did during that decade - if the documentaries we watch on BBC4 of a Friday night are to be believed.

Anyway, enjoy, and I may inflict some more of the Eagles' solo efforts on you in time to come, I think I've got Don Henley's 'Boys of summer' on single somewhere and I may have Glenn Frey's 'The Heat is on' on a compilation LP. Sadly, I can't put any Eagles up here because I've only ever had them on CD so it breaks my self-imposed vinyl rule - but still, one of the best bands on the planet, discuss... Ooo, no, I'm wrong, I've just remembered that I've got 'Take it Easy' on a compilation LP too, you lucky people. For a band that epitomised the 1970s, the solo releases of Henley and Frey seemed to do the same for the 1980s - just try listening to the 'The Heat is on' without conjuring up an image of bronzed men in pastel shirts topped off by white Matinique jackets with the sleeves pushed back to the elbow. In fact didn't Frey actually appear in an episode of Miami Vice?

Friday Fun 21

Have I ever mentioned that I don't like lieder? I think I was over-exposed to ‘Vilja’ as a child and someone standing up to sing with a piano accompaniment now has me leaping for the off button before they've got the first note out (OK, Kit and the Widow excepted). I was genuinely heartbroken when Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau died as I knew it would launch a year-long lieder-fest on Radio 3. But, whether sung in English or German, they're still dire Victorian parlour songs.

I'm a placid soul (no giggling at the back!) and there are few things that have me leaping for the radio with a mallet, but the sentence that begins, "...and now on Radio 3 it's Private Passi..." rarely manages to make it to a full stop and similarly with the Navy Lark on Radio 4 Extra and the Swingle Singers anywhere.

However, with the growth of nostalgia my other bête noir occasionally pops up and brings with it a spasm of radio-smashing rage verging almost on the murderous. Yes, it is the existential horror that was the theme tune to Sing Something Simple. And I'm not alone, a whole generation of adults around my age confess to being deeply scarred by the experience of being forced to listen to it as a child - there's probably a support group out there somewhere. One blogger said, "...the most depressing radio show was, undoubtably, “Sing Something Simple“, which used to come on…Radio 2: if you’ve never heard it, consider yourself lucky. It involved a choir singing depressing songs...accompanied by Jack Emblow’s accordion. Someone said: “hearing ‘Sing Something Simple’ was the first time I realised that – one day – I would die”." Another reviewer said, "Christ it was depressing - but in a comforting way. Like shingles, or Crohn's disease."

Anyway, I won't subject you to any of those, instead you have Fascinating Aida's take on lieder but it's much funnier than the real thing.

Friday Fun 11

A celebration of tea, what could be better?

Friday Fun 7

A colleague sent me this 'cos she said it reminded her of Jon! She's only met him once, so the impression he made must have been startling!

We can see where she's coming from, but this blog cannot condone the wearing of facial hair.

There are loads more on YouTube by the Gentleman Rhymer, the country's leading exponent of 'Chap-Hop', including him doing 'All Hail the Chap' at the Lass o'Gowrie*, Manchester (ah, brings back memories) - enjoy...



Oh, and, don't forget that it's the 4th Chap Olympiad this weekend. We won't be there 'cos we're hosting Mr Oscar, but it should be great fun.

* The book I'm reading at the moment, Andrew Davies' The Gangs of Manchester, gives this description of the Lass in the 1870s, "'No pen could describe' the fearful state of the hovels of Deansgate, where the Hop Pole Inn...was frequented by 'the very lowest dregs of society'...The district between Oxford Road and London Road was little better...One man was seen entering the Lass o'Gowrie on Charles Street 'with nothing on but his shirt and shoes'. The observers noted that 'A fearful state of demoralization exists about this house'".

Friday Fun 6

Whenever life gets you down, Mrs. Brown,
And things seem hard or tough,
And people are stupid, obnoxious or daft,
And you feel that you've had quite enough,

Just remember...



And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space,
'Cos there's bugger all down here on Earth!

Friday Fun 5

My sister-in-law Claire is back from a successful charity trek in China for Diabetes UK. She's exceeded her fund-raising target, but you can still donate if you haven't already. Just click on the donate link on the left.

Anyway, on to the video. Not as good as Jake Thackery's version, but Mr Carrot does a fine job.

Friday Fun 4

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...

Worse things happen at sea you know...

Friday Fun 3

I thought all nuns left the seat up...

Friday Fun 2

Strangely enough, remembering "Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle" did not help me when I was in the exam at the end of my OU philosophy course.

American beer, it's like making love in a canoe*...



* That's a bit rich coming from the "Aussies"

Friday fun

After dealing with a doctor's receptionist who was particularly stupid (doctor's receptionists will be first up against the wall when the revolution comes, I promise you), I need something amusing.

This should get the weekend off to a good start. Ignore the video and just listen to comic genius Jake Thackery at his best.

This song...is dirty...