LIFE SOMETIMES IMITATES ART YOU KNOW

I've never been stopped and surveyed on my favourite ever movie scene. If I was, there's every chance I'd go for something from 'High Fidelity'

You know the one…when Rob (played by John Cusick) and Barry (played by Jack Black) have a bet based on how many customers in the store will buy ‘Dry The Rain’ by The Beta Band when it gets played in the shop.

Well..........earlier today I was in Fopp in Glasgow city centre, idly passing away a spare 30 minutes. I was enjoying the sounds coming out of the speakers, but hadn’t a clue who it was. I was determined not to fall into the trap of asking the bloke behind the counter – I’m terrified I’m going to be a victim of some spectacular piss-take by someone who is lucky enough to have a job in a good record shop.

As it is, Fopp is one of those stores that displays what is being played at any point in time – so I didn’t have to ask. And it turned out, much to my surprise, to be the debut record of Albert Hammond Jr that was released just today. And I bought it. And I don’t care if me doing so resulted in Fopp’s equivalent of Rob winning his bet from Fopp’s equivalent of Barry.

Why was I surprised? For one, it sounds nothing like The Strokes. For two, Albert has a voice that can hold a tune (I don’t think he supplies backing vocals when his band play live). For three, it is consistently very good – unlike his band’s last two offerings. And for four - there's whistling on one of the songs!

I’ve now played the album right the way through a couple of times at home, and it is every bit as enjoyable as it was in the shop a few hours ago.

Hard to Live In The City - Albert Hammond Jr *

*song no longer available to download

Buy 'Yours To Keep' by Albert Hammond Jr here

Albert’s old man - who unsurprisingly is Albert Hammond Snr – is a famous musician and singer/songwriter in his own right (but you all probably knew that already). However, he even pre-dates an old codger like me, and I can’t post any of his tunes for your enjoyment.

But I can offer this from 1986 - Albert Hammond Bootleg - Half Man Half Biscuit *

*song no longer available to download

Buy 'Back In The D.H.S.S/The Trumpton Riots EP' by Half Man Half Biscuit here

Oh and for the hell of it - Dry The Rain - The Beta Band*

*song no longer available to download

Buy 'The Three EPs' by The Beta Band here