BACK TO BASICS (Part 13)

It hit me the other day that I haven't ever posted all that much stuff by Fat Bob and the boys, who over the past three decades have produced as much decent material as just about any other band on the planet.

With so many singles and LPs released over the years, there will be stuff that hasn't dated all that well or will now be looked back on as a major mistake. In that regard, The Cure are no different to Elvis Costello. Here's something reasonably rare - its a 12" mix that goes back to 1990, and features a top-notch b-side as well as a different version of an earlier single:-

mp3 : The Cure - Never Enough (Big Mix)
mp3 : The Cure - Harold and Joe
mp3 : The Cure - Let's Go To Bed (Milk Mix)

Due home today from the short Italian trip. Thanks for stopping by in my absence. I'll now try and spend some time catching up on any e-mails as well as reading all the stuff that my favourite bloggers have been posting this past few days.

I'll try and get things back to normal over the course of the coming week.

Happy Listening

BACK TO BASICS (Part 12)

When we wake up this morning, Mrs V will think that her birthday trip is coming to an end as we'll be checking out of our Venice hotel.

What she doesn't know is that we will now be going by train to the city of Verona, where tonight, I have a couple of tickets for a performance of the opera Carmen in the very amphitheatre pictured above.

And you thought it was all indie-rock in here. Naaaah.....there's always room for a wee bit of culture. Both of the following are played by the Opera Orchestra of Paris, conducted by Georges Pretre, and date from 1964. Oh and the soprano on the second of them is some chick called Maria Callas:-

mp3 : Georges Bizet - Overture from Carmen
mp3 : Georges Bizet - Chanson Boheme from Carmen

Back to normal tomorrow (in as far as the music that is....)

Happy Listening.

BACK TO BASICS (Part 11)

No stranger to these pages, it's great to hear that Paul Haig is on the comeback trail.

He's been around for many years - firstly as the front man with Josef K and then in his own right when he was criminally overlooked as a bona-fide pop star in the 80s. He's worked with loads of other great musicians over the years - you can find out a great deal more over at this my space site.

I've pulled out a great 12" single that dates back to 1984. It came out on the Belgian label Les Disques Du Crepuscule, which was very closely connected to Factory Records. It's a fascinating story, brilliantly told at this place. This song was released around the same time as I celebrtated my 21st birthday, and I danced an awful lot to this song, and many other Paul Haig tunes, in my student years:-

mp3 : Paul Haig - Big Blue World
mp3 : Paul Haig - Ghost Rider
mp3 : Paul Haig - Endless Song

The b-side, Ghost Riders, is also a cracking tune, and features the great Malcolm Ross as guest guitarist...

Happy Listening

BACK TO BASICS (Part 10)

I know I'm being a bit of a sap.

But Mrs V does put up with an awful lot, and deserves this dedication. Even though she's no fan of Clare and the boys.....

mp3 : Altered Images - Happy Birthday (12" mix)
mp3 : Altered Images - So We Go Whispering

Surely it can't really be 28 years and more that this got us off our seats at the indie-discos....time don't half fly when you're having fun.

Oh I suppose I better post Mrs V's preferred version of this stonker of a song:-

mp3 : The Wedding Present - Happy Birthday

Recorded on 24 May 1988 and broadcast on the John Peel Show on 30 May 1988

Happy Listening.

BACK TO BASICS (Part 9)

At 6.15am this morning, we set off from Glasgow to London Stansted. At 11.35am we will catch a connecting flight to Venice, the secret location where I'm taking Mrs V's for her 50th birthday.

I fully intend to gorge myself on doses of culture, pasta and fine wine. I believe Mrs V may also drag me around some boutiques that sell handbags and shoes. I don't think I've ever mentioned those particular fetishes before....but she has almost as many of both as I have records....

This little gem dates back to 1990, and was a sort of unofficial indie-dance anthem for the World Cup held that year. It is also the only song in the cupboard that is dedicated to an Italian porn star.

All three mixes on this 30cm single are reproduced for your enjoyment:-

mp3 : Pop Will Eat Itself - Touched By The Hand of Cicciolina (Extra Time Mix)
mp3 : Pop Will Eat Itself - Touched By The Hand of Cicciolina
mp3 : Pop Will Eat Itself - The Incredi-Bull Mix

The third of these versions is named after Steve Bull, one of the greatest players ever to wear the jersey of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, and the local team of the Poppies.

Happy Listening

BACK TO BASICS (Part 8)

I'm off on my travels again this week - its Mrs V's 50th birthday in two days time, and I'm whisking her off somewhere secret. She knows we're going away (I had to make sure she could get the time off work), but the where will only be revealed later on.

As is becoming my habit when I'm away from home, I've delved into the vinyl cupboard to pull out some stuff which I think might of interest to some of you, and pre-recorded (so to speak) a number of posts.

I'm starting with something I've been meaning to post for a while - if only for one of the extra tracks.

It dates from late 1989 when Ian McCulloch took his leave of Echo & The Bunnymen. His solo stuff however, neither captured the imagination of the record buying public nor of long-term Bunnymen fans, and before too long, he was back in the bosom of the band.

mp3 : Ian McCulloch - Faith & Healing (The Carpenter's Son Mix)
mp3 : Ian McCulloch - Toad
mp3 : Ian McCulloch - Fear Of The Known

This single was a total flop - reaching only #96 in the UK charts. The following year, Mac's debut LP, Candleland, on which a different less dancey version of Faith & Healing appeared, was also largely ignored. But listening now, it's an LP that is not all that bad, in that it has aged pretty well. It maybe just wasn't what we were all expecting at the time. In any event, I love this particular single - it can still get be doing my Bunnymac dance in the bedroom. Its dead easy, don your overcoat, shake your shoulders.....and groooooooooooooooove.

Anyway, it's quite clear I think who I'm dedicating this posting to.

The hardest working blogger on the planet. And he's an awfully nice chap as well. And his wife is lovely too. Hope he likes the b-side......but I've a feeling he'll be a bit a bit underwhelemed.

YOU MIGHT BE FED UP HEARING THIS SONG...

.....but I'm not. And I never will get fed up.

However, the posting is for a reason.

A few weeks back, I got an this e-mail from Tricia :-

Hello JC

I was just thoroughly enjoying your recent posts...especially the Paul Quinn one. It is because of a Bourgie Bourgie Google search that I learned of all the' fantastickness' that is The Vinyl Villain blog. (and Contrast Podcast solidified my fan status)

Now is there any way you could let me in on what the first paragraph of the lyrics to "Breaking Point" is? Mondegreen is not among the traits that I admire, so I have been trying best to sing along as Mr.Quinn does, but I get lost and it drives me mad.

Now aside from the fact she said very nice things to me, I couldn't help but smile at the e-mail. For all that I love Breaking Point, I just have never been able to pin down what those opening lyrics are.

Myself and Tricia have now sent back and forth a few e-mails, and we think that between us we may have cracked it. But we both felt it would be worth asking the TVV Collective (and thanks to Davy H for that turn of phrase) for their thoughts.

And to help out, I'll post both the 12" single and demo versions (the latter is courtesy of Erik Andersson from over there in Sweden).

mp3 : Bourgie Bourgie - Breaking Point
mp3 : Bourgie Bourgie - Breaking Point (demo version)

Happy Listening and deciphering.

THAT PARIS PLAYLIST...IN FULL

As promised, here's the full rundown of all the songs included on the good comrade's soundtrack for his sojourn to Paris.

From FiL (Vancouver, Canada) and the blog Pogo A Go-Go:-

Stereo Total - Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Edith Nylon - Edith Nylon
The Ghost Is Dancing - To French Avenue

From Darren (Brooklyn, USA) and the blog Inveresk Street Ingrate:-

The Style Council - Down In the Seine

From Simon (London, UK) and the blog The Songs That People Sing:-

St Etienne - Paris Bar '89
St Etienne - Le Ballade De St Etienne

From Dave Coverley (Ann Arbor, USA):-

Moosy Flanagan - Savez-vous Danser Sans Souliers
Heavenly - Nous Ne Sommes Pas Des Anges

From Ctel (London, UK) and the blog Acid Ted
(ctel has suggested exactly where Colin should listen to these tunes):-

**CTEL HAS ALSO MADE A COUPLE OF HIS SUGGESTIONS AVAILABLE RIGHT HERE**

1. For the Flight over (as the plane circles Charles De Gaulle Airport):
Tygers of Pan Tang - Paris By Air

2. For partaking of the cafe society :
Thievery Corporation - Lebanese Blonde (French Version)

3. For Rue St Honore and the Elysee Palace:
Carla Bruni - Bang Bang

4. For glittering nights out at les discotheques:
Etienne de Crecy - Ecoutez...fumez

From Anglopunk (Winnipeg, Canada) and the blog Condemned To Rock'n'Roll:-

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - The South Of France
Patrick Wolf - Paris
ABBA - Waterloo (French Version)

From Drew Wingate (out there somewhere):-

Johnny Boy - You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve
British Sea Power allied with The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa - A Lovely Day Tomorrow

From Anonymous (out there somewhere):-

Adam & The Ants - Young Parisians
Lil Louis - French Kiss

From Ed (Edinburgh, Scotland) and the blog 17 Seconds:-

Blur - To the End
Edith Piaf - La Vie En Rose
Daft Punk - Da Funk

From Graham (Brisbane, Australia)

Maximo Park - Parisian Skies
Ladyhawke - Paris Is Burning
Peter Sarstedt - Where Do You Go To My Lovely?

From Tricia (out there somewhere) :-

Serge Gainsbourg - Sea, Sex and Sun
Starlet - When The Sun Falls On My Feet
Glenn Beck Progam - I Like The French
Flight Of The Conchords - Foux Da Fafa
The Style Council - Paris Match
Our Daughter's Wedding - Paris

From Agnes (somewhere in Australia) and the blog It All Started With Carbon Monoxide:-

Kevin Kline - La Mer
Louis Armstrong - La Vie En Rose
Soko - I'll Kill Her
Charlies Trenet -La Mer
Paulo Conte - Via Con Me
Charles Trenet - Verlaine
Tino Rossi - C’est Trop Beau
The Beautiful South - Les Yeux Ouverts (Dream A Little Dream Of Me)

From Jason Ruff (somewhere in France):-

Tom Lucy - Paris, France
Dimitri In Paris - Epilogue, Toujours l'Amore

From Paul Trotter (out there somewhere):-

Jackson C Frank - Blues Run The Game
Hayseed Dixie - Born To Die In France
Lloyd Cole - Si Tu Dois Partir
Bert Jansch - It Don't Bother Me

From Greer (California, USA) and the blog A Sweet Unrest:-

Phoenix - (You Can't Blame It On) Anybody
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - April In Paris
Jeff Buckley - Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin (live)

From Erik Andersson (somewhere in Sweden):-

Pet Shop Boys - Paris City Boy
Weakerthans - Our Retired Explorer (Dines With Michel Foucault in Paris, 1961)
Autour Du Lucie - Chanson Sans Issue (Ne Vois-Tu Pas)

From David Rees (out there somewhere):-

Ragtime Millionaires - Poor People Of Paris

From SC (Orlando, Florida) and brother of your humble scribe:-

Erasure - Oh L'amour

From a tart (from Big City, USA) and the blog I Correct Myself, I Mean All The Time:-

Joni Mitchell - Free Man In Paris

From Robin Treadwell (Brooklyn USA):-

Chantal Goya - La Pluie du Ciel
Julia Hammas Holter - Je Vivroie Liement
Serge Gainsbourg - Scenic Railway
Stilettos - Les Voleurs de Jouets

From someone who asked to remain anonymous:-

Elbow - One Day Like This
The Presidents of the United States of America - Bad Times

From Kathleen Foley (out on the road in Canada):-

DJ Cam - Summer in Paris (from her teenage daughter's collection!)
Darker My Love - What's A Man's Paris?
Joni Mitchell - Free Man In Paris
Ladyhawke - Paris Is Burning

From Tony Harte (out there somewhere):-

The Faces - Ooh La la

From Davy H (London, UK) and the blog The Ghost Of Electricity

Edith Piaf - Non Je Ne Regrette Nien

From Scott McLuckie (Scotland):-

The Pixies - Alec Eifell
Cadeau Du Marriage - Pourquoi Es Tu Devennue Si Raisonnable?

rom m g (out thee somewhere):-

Iron & Wine - Passing Afternoon

From Jonathan Lyons (out there somewhere):-

Air - Ce Matin La
Airplane Rider - Air Miami
Death Cab For Cutie - Passenger Seat
Pearl Jam - Given To Fly

And lastly, the full list of stuff that I threw in was:-

Black Box Recorder - French Rock 'n' Roll
Les Negresses Vertes - I Love Paris
Brian Molko/Asia Argenta - Je t'aime, moi non plus
Stereolab - French Disko
Editors - French Disko
Paris Motel - Mr Splitfoot
The Men They Couldn't Hang - The Green Fields of France (No Man's Land)
New French Girlfriend - The Auteurs
Cinerama - Health & Effiency (version francaise)
Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra - Paris Summer
St Vincent - Paris Is Burning
Kraftwerk - Tour De France

and the three I'm offering up to your good selves:-

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Crimes Of Paris
Paris Angels - All On You (Perfume)
Cinerama - Lollobrigida (version francaise)

Once again, thanks for helping out. I've no doubt the good comrade will say a few words of his own on his return.

Happy Listening.

PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS IS A HOBBY, NOT AN OCCUPATION

Before you read on, I need to make one thing straight…..this is not in any way intended to be a rant, a whinge or a moan. It’s just a response to a couple of things that have happened in recent days…

I think without exception, all of the folks whose blogs I enjoy reading the most are in a similar position to myself, in that their sites are written-up and looked after in among loads of other demands on their time, including work and family commitments.

I’m not sure exactly how many hours I spend hunched over the PC trying to think of new or different things to say, but suffice to say there are days and nights when I get some verbal stick from Mrs Villain for my inability to be part of the human race and do something other than ‘blog’. And by that I don’t just mean writing for TVV and reading what other people are saying on their own sites, but there’s a lot of time required to dig out vinyl/CDs and convert them into usable mp3s.

Then there’s the cost.

First of all there’s the acquisition of CDs and records. While I still buy a lot of new stuff, I’m spending more time in second-hand shops and on-line searching for songs from days of old that aren’t readily available and which I want to share with everyone. The amount I’ll spend will vary from month-to-month, but it’s rarely less than £50. But at least I get to own everything that I buy....

It’s not quite the same with the other regular expenditure associated with this blog, namely the hosting of the mp3 files. Now I know there are many different ways to host your files, with most of them being free of charge. But as just about all of these free sites involve annoying ‘pop-ups’ or adverts, not to mention time delays to reach the files, I prefer to use a server that is a little bit quicker and easier to access, albeit I then need to fork out for the privilege given the amount of bandwidth that is consumed. At the moment, fileden get US$40 a month from me…..but I am largely satisfied with the service (after a few teething problems) with it all – especially now that I’m in the habit of putting some of the larger files every month via sharebee, which doesn’t cost anything.

I also know I could get recoup a small amount of my costs by incorporating advertising on TVV, but that’s just something I want to avoid doing. I further know that I could also potentially save some money by accepting some offers from some record companies for free CDs in return for reviews, but given that I’ve now sort of carved out a niche with the my posts being about ‘old’ stuff, I always, without fail, politely decline any such offers. Aside from that, I don’t think I’m the best qualified to comment on how worthy or indifferent a particular CD with some sort of recommendation to others. The stuff written about in TVV by myself and ctel is always going to be about the songs and tunes we like…..and that we want other people to like as well.

By now you might be wondering what it is that has led me to go off on one like this.
I suppose it all stemmed from the way a couple of people have recently sent e-mails or left comments, here and elsewhere, expecting or in one case demanding the reinstatement of an mp3 that was not readily available.

For the most part, I’ll make mp3s available for anything between 5-7 days depending on how heavily the bandwith is being used as I need to ensure, as best as possible, that it never runs out completely. That way, I reckon most folk who are regular visitors to TVV will be able to download and listen to any song if they are interested. I also make it clear, over in the sidebar, that I do accept requests – sometime I’ll re post the songs on the site, but I’ve been known to send back e-mails with the mp3 file attached. And in 99.99% of the cases, the requests that come in are politely put, and while it might take a few days for me to respond, I’ll try and get back to everyone in due course.

But as I’ve hinted at above, some of the e-mails make my blood boil. I do try and give folk the benefit of the doubt – after all, the e-mail will inevitably be in English which may very well not be the author’s first language – but instinctively, I know when someone is just ‘gimme, gimme, gimme…..NOW!!’ And I know it’s just not at TVV it happens - I was browsing through other blogs the other day when I came across a dreadfully demanding comment that led me to suggest to the very polite blogger (hi there Ed of 17 Seconds) that they should have told them where to go....

So I suppose what I’m trying to say to the very small minority of those of you who aren’t so nice:-

mp3 : Frightened Rabbit – Be Less Rude

Oh well, the consolation of this chain of thought is it allows one of my favourite ever singles to be aired once again. Sorry if you only come in for the mp3s and are disappointed to find it’s a repeat..

But its Friday today, so let’s end the week on a happier note.

A big big thanks to everyone who sent in an mp3 and/or idea for songs for Colin’s trip to Paris.

He’s in the city right now, and I hope our collective efforts are making his weekend all the more enjoyable. I’m intending to give a full rundown of what is on his i-pod this coming Sunday.

And an especially big thanks to the Alan and Paul who were very quick off the mark with suggestions and thoughts on how I could get two tickets for either of the Leonard Cohen shows in Glasgow later this year. I’m delighted to say that I have the tickets on order – pretty good seats as well – and aside from making me very happy, its all going to be part of a special gift for Mrs V who celebrates her 50th birthday next week (I’ll say a bit more nearer the time).

I think this shows that in the art or science of blogging, the happy times and occasions will always triumph over those that leave you a bit deflated...

mp3 : Josh Rouse - Wonderful
mp3 : Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Reasons To Be Cheerful (Part 3)

Happy Listening

NOT WHAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT...

......certainly from reading this lyric.

Woke up again today
Realised I hate myself
My face is a disease

I'm gonna need to find a happy medium
To make my future look good

My body is a temple
And my hands and mouth are science
Smoke till my mouth gets furry

Then smoke some ugly more
Let the juices flow
Being alive right now is sore

Everythings OK
I'm obviously unhappy
You can tell I'm losing it again

Paper on the piano
Credit in the red
I can't find my friends

Walk the market aisles
Looking for a girl
I asked out when i was 10

And I just don't fit in
Too unfit for the gym
My youth is dead

Woke up again today

But what a cracking, chirpy tune that you'll soon be whistling along to.

(Sorry for the brevity of the post....gotta race off to work early this morning)

mp3 : Malcolm Middleton - A Happy Medium

Happy Listening.

GREAT OPENING TRACKS ON LPs (Part 11)

To qualify for inclusion in this occasional series, the song in question had to be the lead-off track on Side 1 of the LP (or track 1 on the CD), and NOT have been released as a single.

My American readers may feel I'm cheating today as this was in fact given a US-only release as a single. I don't care.

It's my long held view that this is one of the finest tunes and lyrics that Morrissey has ever produced in his solo career that now stretches back some 20 years...

There's gonna be some trouble
A whole house will need re-building
And everyone I love in the house
Will recline on an analyst's couch quite soon
Your Father cracks a joke
And in the usual way
Empties the room

Tell all of my friends
I don't have too many
Just some rain-coated lovers' puny brothers

Dallow, Spicer, Pinkie, Cubitt
Rush to danger
Wind up nowhere
Patric Doonan - raised to wait
I'm tired again, I've tried again
And now my heart is full
Now my heart is full
And I just can't explain
So I won't even try to

Dallow, Spicer, Pinkie, Cubitt
Every jammy Stressford poet
Loafing oafs in all-night chemists
Loafing oafs in all-night chemists
Underact - express depression
Ah, but Bunnie I loved you
I was tired again I've tried again,
And now my heart is full
Now my heart is full
And I just can't explain
So I won't even try to

Could you pass by ?
Could you pass by ?
Will you pass by ?
Could you pass by ?
Could you pass by ?
Oh ... Now my heart is full
Now my heart is full
And I just can't explain
So ... slow ...

It's those three lines about friends...and not having that many that bring a lump to my throat just about every time I play this song. I know many people think a lot of Morrissey's lyrics are autobiographical - and that may well be true. But in my mind, this song belongs to the same protagonist who just a decade earlier was crying out that he was human and needed to be loved in How Soon Is Now?

Remember how that protagonist had the club where he liked to go, where he stood on his own, and he left on his own and he went home and he cried and he wanted to die? Well...I reckon one day he just plucked up the courage to go to the club and actually meet the someone who really loves him. The problem is, that 10 years later, that the love is dying......slowly and painfully. And our protagonist is left with just a bunch of memories and reference points.....

Or maybe I'm just talking bollocks???

mp3 : Morrissey - Now My Heart Is Full

Happy Listening

FROM UNDER THE COVERS (Part 32)

That there is a bloke who makes Mrs Villain go 'PHWOOOOOOARRRR'.

He is of course Peter Murphy, the lead singer in 80s gothboys Bauhaus, and to many people best known for this TV advert from 1982:-




Now I have some Bauhaus in the record and CD collection - if nothing else I'll always love the fact they recorded Bela Lugosi's Dead - the sort of song that goes on for so long that you have to ensure you end up dancing with someone you really fancied.

But courtesy of my dear friend Dirk over at Sexy Loser, I discovered that Mr Murphy is capable of doing a mighty fine cover version:-

mp3 : Peter Murphy - The Light Pours Out Of Me

What do you mean you haven't a clue what song he's covering?? You're just philistines....

mp3 : Magazine - The Light Pours Out Of Me

As first released on the 1978 LP, Real Life.

But seriously, every household should own some Magazine product.

Happy Listening

OUR FRIENDS ELECTRIC (Part 2)

So here I go again, drawing attention to some of the links listed on the right-hand side of this blog in the hope you'll pay them a visit every now and again - I'm sure you'll be entertained.

This time round, I'm going to highlight a few things which are not music blogs per se....indeed some of them don't feature any mp3s at all. But they are all wonderful in their own way.

(1a) Armagideon Time

Some of you will recognise that this blog takes its name from a song that is best known as a great b-side by The Clash. What many folk don't realise is that the Clash song is in fact a cover....

This blog is the work of Bitter Andrew who lives in the Boston area (that's Boston, Massachusetts and not Boston, Lincolnshire).

Armagideon Time, at first glance, might seem to be something that is obsessed with comics as there are loads of entries looking at comic-book culture going back over the decades. But.....look beyond the captions and the pictures and you will often come across some of the finest and cutting-edge writing there is anywhere out there in blog-land.

In just the past couple of weeks alone, there has been a wonderful and critical analysis of the Russia/Georgia spat, an analysis of how America changed after it dropped the atom bomb, musings on the continued development of his home city, as well as the most rounded tribute I've read to the late Isaac Hayes.

Oh and every now and again, you'll get an update on the feral cat colony that Andrew and his wife Maura look out for in the local neighbourhood....

Every post will get you thinking one way or another...many of them will have you laughing as well. And to top it all off, every post comes with appropriate tunes drawn from every musical genre imaginable, and from all the way through the past 40 years - many from acts/bands that most of us will be hearing from the first time. For instance, in the posting on the atom bomb, Andrew let us listen to Crass, Dr Strangelove & The Fallouts, The Cure, The Epoxies and Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup. (no, I haven't heard of all of them either.....)

Quite simply.....I think Armagideon Time is joint 1st in the best all-round blog I've the pleasure of visiting on a regular basis. Why not find out for yourselves??. And when you do, I'd insist that you go read the old posts from weeks and months back and you'll soon see how talented a writer and how astute a commentator Bitter Andrew really is....

mp3 : The Clash - Armagideon Time
mp3 : Elvis Costello - Leave My Kitten Alone

(1aa) Sunset Over Slawit

Another thoroughly entertaining, informative and enlightening read, this comes from the fingertips of Rol Hirst who lives in Slawit, which is a village in Yorkshire, not that far from Huddersfield if my memory serves me correctly. And it shares joint 1st position with Armagideon Time as best all-round blog...

Right now, Rol is in the middle of a project which is breath-taking in its ambition. It's entitled 'My Life In Music' in which he highlights his favourite album from a particular year, beginning in 1972 (the year of his birth). As he says:-

"I've tried to be honest while putting this list together - rather than just cool. You can be the judge of whether or not I've succeeded..."

Some of us might be appalled at the early choices - its dominated by Bruce Springsteen and there's space for Meat Loaf and Queen. But then as the 80s take shape, its The Smiths, Billy Bragg and Elvis Costello & The Attractions who begin to dominate things. Every single choice is argued for in an entertaining and enlightening way - as the man says, you might not agree with him - but I promise you'll enjoy reading the way he makes the case.

But its not just the current writings that make Rol and Sunset Over Slawit such essential reading here at Villain Towers. In a way that is similar to Armagideon Time, this is a blog where you never know from day to day what you're going to encounter. You'll get book reviews, film reviews (Rol is both an avid reader and movie buff), philosophical questions, imaginary conversations and comics (Rol produces his own comic and you can buy a copy direct from him). Oh and you'll soon find your way over to another site that Rol is involved in....one where his writing talents come to the fore.

I have to own up and admit that until yesterday, I haven't made too many visits to Slawit in recent weeks. Its not that I don't want to - its just that work and all sorts of things in life have meant I haven't had the required time to do so. But I went to Slawit for over 3 hours during the course of the weekend - and in a way it was like making a visit to a wonderful and favourite record or book store where time flies by...

I've now subscribed to Slawit meaning I'll get an e-mail every day which should, in theory, make it easier to keep up with things. In theory. Oh and I also at long last, ordered a copy of Rol's comic....

mp3 : The Teardrop Explodes - Poppies In The Field

(3) A Sweet Unrest

A relatively new kid on the blog, I first became aware of Greer and A Sweet Unrest when she left behind some nice comments at TVV a few months back. When other bloggers leave comments, it can be a simple task to find out where their own site lies...so I tracked down where Greer hung out.

I discovered that A Sweet Unrest was a poetry blog. Now that would normally be enough to turn me off as I never quite got the hang of that particular art when I was younger. But I soon realised that this was a user-friendly blog of the highest order. Sure there were poems, or extracts of poems, but unfailingly, they appeared along with an interpretation and explanation from Greer herself. Things made a lot more sense that way....

And while Greer is another who doesn't by habit post any mp3s herself, its real easy to see she has fine taste in music with her weekly contributions to the Contrast Podcast. In particular, she is one of the world's biggest Roddy Frame fans, so this one is for her:-

mp3 : Aztec Camera - Salvation

This originally appeared as a track on the 10" version of the single The Crying Scene. It features a backing vocal by an uncredited female singer. Roddy was asked this question by a fan over at the wonderful Killermont Street site, and in reply he said:-

"She was the assistant or intern as you Americans would have it. She seemed pretty shocked. She was a lovely french girl whose name escapes me... isn't that dreadful! I think her singing was perfect."

In other words, it was someone who was asked on a whim and whose name has been forgotten. Which is a real shame given how wonderful her performance was on the song.

So that's another 3 cyberfriends described in a bit more detail. But in all honesty, all of the blogs and sites over on the sidebar are worth some of your time. And in due course - although it may take a while - I'll highlight what it is I particularly love about all of them.

Happy Reading (and listening).

PS : Re Songs for Colin's trip to Paris.

The deadline has had to be brought forward to this evening as I've arranged to meet him tomorrow afternoon to hand over a stacked i-pod.....

Thanks to all of you who sent tunes over the weekend....I'll give the full-run down in due course.

JC : Monday 18 August : 9am (BST)

GIG REVIEW : LEONARD COHEN - LUCCA, 27 JULY 2008

Well, if I had been there myself, you would have heard all about it by now.

I recently met up with my good mate Michael who was just back from his annual holiday in the Tuscan town of Barga. The nearest place of note to Barga is the walled city of Lucca, where every year a series of concerts are held in the spectacular main square in late July. When Michael told me that he had managed to get great seats for the Leonard Cohen gig that had taken place on 27 July and that it had turned out to be a memorable night, I just had to ask him to pen a quick review. So here it is:-

It’s a warm Tuscan evening and I’m in Puccini’s home town to see another master at work. It’s the last night of Lucca’s summer festival and I'm sitting in Piazza Napoleone with Lynne, my ‘chief collaborator’, sotto le stelle. To my right is Marie Louise de Bourbon but she doesn’t say a word all night.

At 9.30pm, a lean, clean seventy three year old bounces on to stage to join his band and for the next 3 hours we are honoured to witness a masterful, magical performance which leaves his audience with smiles, tears and lasting emotions of love, friendship and integrity. And above all, some joy in our hearts.

Against the huge stage, he looks physically slight but the voice is strong and deep. During the course of the evening he will reveal the secret of the universe and introduce his band several times. He is clearly proud of his body of work and the musicians he has assembled to perform his catalogue of songs. From his ‘Keeper of Time’, the ‘Master of Breathe’ to the ‘divine’ Webb sisters and the sensational Sharon Robinson, every musician is given space to shine. When they come together, it is simply sublime.

The Man himself is humble and the songs are delivered with a stylish, witty elegance. Off course we get the classics – Susanne, Bird on the Wire, No Way To Say Goodbye, Last Waltz, and Manhattan. He plays guitar on a few and after the interval he plays a little keyboard and no-one is alarmed.

For me, the stand outs are more recent, less familiar – Anthem, Democracy, Boogie Street and A Thousand Kisses Deep.

After, several encores and before bouncing off for the last time, he finishes with Closing Time and thanks us for keeping his music alive and hopes we don’t catch a summer cold.

As for the secret of the universe, get along to the remaining gigs in his now extended tour and you will find out!

I've managed to find a clip on You Tube to give you an idea of the accuracy of Michael's words:-



Now....Michael has mentioned the extended tour - one that is coming to Glasgow on 5th and 6th November 2008. Two nights that sold out before I even knew they were happening (stupidity and laziness on my part in not opening e-mails....).

So dear readers. I know I often ask a lot of you...and this time I suspect its just too much. But........should any of you know anyone who has 2 tickets for either of the Glasgow nights that they find they cannot use for one reason or another, then I would be delighted to be given an opportunity to buy the tickets from them. I won't mention it again.

mp3 : Leonard Cohen - So Long, Marianne
mp3 : James - So Long, Marianne

Happy Listening

AN UPDATE ON SONGS FOR COLIN

Once again, a big thank you to everyone who has contributed thus far to the plea for tunes to accompany Comrade Colin's forthcoming trip to Paris.

The response has been quite incredible, and I thought it would be worth sharing things with you.

ALL SONGS NOW LISTED HERE......

Oh and here's another I'm throwing in:-
mp3 : Brian Molko and Asia Argento - Je t'aime, mais non plus

You've got until Wednesday if you want to be part of the fun.

Happy Listening.

NEVER AGAIN WHEN I HAVE TO WORK THE NEXT DAY

JC is unwell.

mp3 : The June Brides - Sick, Tired & Drunk

Happy Listening (but please, don't play it too loudly. Thank You)

SHUFFLIN' AROUND

I’m sure I once read somewhere that some folk out there think that their i-pods can read their minds. The evidence for this seems to be that some song or other that they were thinking of suddenly comes on while their machine is on random shuffle.

Now I’m sure if you’ve got a small number of songs on your i-pod, say something in the region of between 50 and 100, then there’s a real possibility that this could happen. After all, there’s many a horse-race that is won by a 50-1 or 100-1 shot. But surely it should never happen if you’ve got almost 13,000 songs stored on your machine??

Well……

Just the day before yesterday, I was sitting on the train listening to my i-pod on the way to work. The fact I was doing so was only because Mrs Villain was running late and wasn’t with me (not that we sit down on the train and hold animated conversations first thing in the morning – its just out of politeness that I don’t put on my headphones and stare vacantly out of the window). On came the 49th song in sequence since the last time I used the shuffle songs function:-

mp3 : The Skids – Scared To Dance

And as I listened, a couple of thoughts ran through my mind. One of them, provoked by the guitar-playing of the late Stuart Adamson, was just how close new wave/post-punk could sometimes be to the mainstream rock of the late 70s. I’ve long been a big fan of The Skids, and can still enjoy their records almost 30 years on, and I think much of this is down to the fact they were far from one-dimensional, with many of their songs having more depth, both lyrically and musically, than those of many of their peers. And on a song such as Scared To Dance, it becomes obvious that if Stuart hadn’t been part of The Skids and later on Big Country, his talent and playing was such that he would most certainly have carved a niche for himself in some sort of rock band.

The other thought was to do with the lyrics penned by Richard Jobson. I wondered to myself just what it is about singers from Scotland telling the world about their inability to strut their funky stuff on the dance floor….and in particular I was thinking about this track:-

mp3 : Arab Strap – Don’t Ask Me To Dance

You guessed it. The 50th song in sequence on the i-pod turned out to be the one I was thinking of…..

Now the odds on this happening must be something in the region of 12,950 -1. And there’s not many horses sent off at that price…….

So, I’m making a plea to any of you who are exceptionally good with numbers to put my mind at rest and tell me that the probability of that particular Arab Strap song following that particular song by The Skids wasn’t all that bad. If you don’t, I’ll be starting to worry myself that man and machine are beginning to merge into some sort of horrible hybrid.

Happy Listening.

PS : I willed the next song to be something from Magazine, PiL or Siousxie & The Banshees as that could well have completed the holy trinity of Scottish post-punk axe-men comprising Stuart Adamson, Malcolm Middleton and John McGeogh. But I have to report it was in fact an Arctic Monkeys songs that came on…

PPS : Many many thanks to all of you who have responded so magnificently to the request for tunes for Colin's weekend in Paris. The e-mails have come in from all over the world with some fantastic suggestions and attachments. There's still time to submit a song if you haven't yet done so...if you don't know what I'm talking about, then read here.

FROM UNFER THE COVERS (Part 31)

Good old ctelblog has provided us with a superb and extremely rare cover version by One Dove of the song Jolene.

And seeing that at least one reader got very excited by the notion of Dolly Parton cover versions, here's the same song as interpreted by Strawberry Switchblade back in 1985:-

mp3 : Strawberry Switchblade - Jolene

This female duo from Glasgow are thought of as a one-hit wonder thanks to the poptastic Since Yesterday went Top 5 in October 1984. Sadly, the follow-up single and LP didn't do very much, and so they turned to the cover version to see if their fortunes could be revived.

They weren't, and Strawberry Switchblade broke up just months after the release of Jolene.

Happy Listening

BUDDY, CAN YOU SPARE A TUNE?

OK...so I had a great couple of hours chatting with Comrade Colin last night. He's in very fine fettle, albeit a bit busy just now with work and life.

The lucky boy is off to Paris for a short break in a couple of weeks time. He's traveling light - just a couple of changes of clothes, a paperback or two and his trusty camera. But.....I'd like to add to his baggage.

I've a small i-pod - the sort that holds something like 200-300 songs at most, and I want to fill it with appropriate tunes for Colin to listen to all over that weekend. Something that can become his soundtrack to the weekend. And I'm looking for all of you to help out.

I know that many of you, if indeed not most of you, will be familiar with Colin's work and the many fine tunes and bands he has drawn our attention to over the years. I want it to be payback time...

So......I'm asking you all to donate a tune (or two or three) for inclusion on the i-pod. I'd like you to send me over an e-mail (the address can be found on the right hand side of the blog), with your song(s) for Colin attached. I'll then save them in a file before transferring them onto the i-pod which I'll hand over to the great man a couple of days before he leaves.

Are you game?

I'll start things off with these rather obvious offerings:-

mp3 : Black Box Recorder - French Rock'n'Roll
mp3 : Les Negresses Vertes - I Love Paris

I know you can all show a lot more imagination that I have.

Merci.

ONE DOVE

A couple of days ago JC posted a single from lost Scottish dance legends One Dove. Whilst rummaging through the attic I came across another single "Why Don't You Take Me". So I thought you might like to hear one of the B-sides. It is a dubbed up version of Dolly Parton's "Jolene". And it is really rather good.

JC's post is here.

One Dove - Jolene YSL

Buy One Dove's album here.

WE'RE GOING DOWN THE PUB

The past few days have been awfully tiring, thanks in the main to a bundle of family related things that have been great fun, including a wedding in which I was in the same room for the first time in something like 8 years as as my two brothers (they both live overseas) and my parents. That and yesterday being a stressful work-related day.

But tonight, I'm scheduled to meet Comrade Colin. As ever, we'll try and put the world to rights over a few beers. And if it is true about what they say happens when folk are talking about you when you're not there, well a few of you lot will find your ears burning this evening.

This is a song, as well as a cover version, that I now always associate with him:-

mp3 : Sterolab - French Disko
mp3 : Editors - French Disko

And talking about fine cover versions by Editors, I'd like to bring this to your attention:-

mp3 : Editors - Bonny

Yup, a great cover of a great song by Prefab Sprout. And I only learned about it on a fantastic new blog that is devoted to all things by Paddy McAloon and his cohorts. I will soon get round to updating the blog to put a link into the sidebar, but for the meantime, I urge you to get over and spend some time at the wonderful Tin Can Pot.

Oh and thanks to Darren from Inveresk Street Ingrate for tipping me off about Tin Can Pot.

Happy Listening

GOING FOR GOLD

It seems most of the world has its eyes firmly focused on an event centred around Beijing.

I love my sport - I'm totally addicted to watching all sorts of drama unfold before my eyes, particularly in football (world version and American versions alike), golf, cricket, baseball, basketball, ice hockey - hell I'll even watch darts for a laugh.

But the whole Olympics thing leaves me utterly unmoved. I think its all to do with the fact that so many media commentators, TV and print alike, get far too jingoistic with their " and he/she/they are going to win for (insert name of country here)". Oh, that and the 'lets all laugh at the competitor from the third world/under-developed nation' who is so bad at what they do, but 'he/she/they will remember this for the rest of their lives.'

Bah humbug.

If you want amazing sport of the highest quality, then this is what you should have watched.

mp3 : The Auteurs - Chinese Bakery
mp3 : Popup - Chinese Burns
mp3 : Johnny Thunder & The Heartbreakers - Chinese Rocks
mp3 : Japan - Visions of China
mp3 : China Drum - Wuthering Heights*

* yup, a cover of the Kate Bush song. It's rather appalling....

Happy Listening

SUNDAY MORNING, COMING DOWN

My good friend, and occasional TVV contributors, ctel, has been singularly unimpressed with some of the songs that have found their way here in recent times. But I'm hopeful that today's offering will be more to his liking as I think it is one that wouldn't look out of place on his amazingly informative and educational Acid Ted blog.

One Dove were a Scottish act founded in 1991, and comprised the vocal talents of Dot Allison, and the musical brains of Jim McKinven and Ian Carmichael (the former had been part of Altered Images in the early 80s).

They were around for no more than 3 years, during which time four singles and one LP were recorded. Their sound was a mixture of pop, dub, ambiance and rock. While I have a few things in the collection that I've downloaded as mp3s (oops....I'm not supposed to do that sort of thing am I?), I've only one CD single in the collection and it dates from 1993. Its a track that reminds me an awful lot of parts of Scremadelica by Primal Scream, but in a sense that's hardly a surprise given that Andrew Weatherall was heavily involved with the band at this point in time.

There's four mixes available on the CD, and all of them are well worth a listen.

The one common feature is Dot's wonderful dual-delivery which to me sound like the pop sound of Bananarama backed by a manic Kate Bush. The radio mix is the most accessible, coming in at just over four-and-a-half minutes, and it was remixed by Stephen Hague who worked with many a successful chart act in the 80s and 90s. But I particularly like the 10 minutes plus of the guitar paradise mix which shows just how close the relationship between rock and dance can be - when in the right hands.

I imagine though, that a purist such as ctel will tell us that in dance terms, it's the meet the professionals dub that is the standout.

mp3 : One Dove - White Love (Radio Mix)
mp3 : One Dove - White Love (Lonesome Demo)
mp3 : One Dove - White Love (Weatherall's Guitar Paradise Mix)
mp3 : One Dove - White Love (Weatherall's Meet The Professionals Dub)

Happy Listening.

* turns out ctel did like it!!! And he's even gone as far to do his own posting on One Dove, and letting us hear their very rare debut single...click here.

FORGOTTEN BRITPOP CLASSICS (Parts 3,4,5 & 6)

Back in the mid 90s, it seems that every A&R man in the country was hell-bent on finding the next Blur or Oasis, and just about every guitar-orientated band was offered some sort of record deal. There are dozens of bands from the Britpop-era who, having shone very brightly at first with the inevitable two-page colour spread in the NME and/or Melody Maker and/or Select and/or Vox, would crack the Top 20 with a half-decent single.

Some bands – the likes of Ash, Stereophonics and Supergrass spring to mind - would go on to enjoy reasonable careers over the course of a few years. Most bands however, soon faded back into obscurity, usually because they never had the talent or material to progress beyond the initial burst.

But given that they had a charismatic frontman, a guitarist who many reckoned was as talented as any of his generation, and the support and backing of the likes of Radiohead, Morrissey and Johnny Marr, it is hard to fathom why Marion never had any meaningful career.

Again, it was Jacques the Kipper who brought this lot to my attention via the inclusion of their debut single Violent Men on a compilation tape. It interested me enough to catch them live at King Tut’s in Glasgow not long after – I’m sure it would have been the autumn of 1994. Now I know it’s easy to get all nostalgic about these sorts of things and creep into hyperbole….but the fact remains that the first Marion gig I got along to was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen at King Tut’s.

I remember coming away convinced I’d seen the 90s equivalent of The Smiths, largely on the back of the way singer Jaime Harding and guitarist Phil Cunningham had captivated the audience with astonishing and intense performances, with a set that consisted of songs that fell into two distinct camps - instant pop classics that would sound great on the radio or instant bedsit classics that would soundtrack many a students’ life.

But it just didn’t happen. A succession of singles released throughout 1995 made next to no impression. To their credit, the band never gave up and just kept on with tour after tour after tour in an effort to gain a bigger fan base. The hard work did eventually pay off, with a couple of Top 30 hits coming around in early 1996.

The debut album ended up selling reasonably well, and fans/admirers sat back and waited for the new material to emerge.

And waited, And waited. And waited.

The expectations around the new songs were especially high, as it had bee revealed that Johnny Marr was recording with Marion, but it took until March 1998 before the first fruits of these labours appeared. By now the Britpop train had hit the buffers. The bands that had survived had been those who kept on releasing new singles and LPs at regular intervals thus staying in the public spotlight. And besides, this fella called Marr was now seen as nowt special being very much as the day before yesterday’s men….

The March 1998 single wasn’t a hit. Relationships between the band and label, which were never great to begin with, hit an all-time low with the decision to hold back the second LP. So Marion were back on the road with nothing to promote and with no natural audience. By early 1999 it was all over….

I reckon they are truly the great lost band of the Britpop era. Phil Cunningham has since shown how highly talented (and regarded) he is when he was asked to join New Order at the beginning of this decade.

Jaime Harding? Well, he was long a dedicated apostle of the clichéd lifestyle of a rock’n’roll star. After the band disbanded, he continued to make music with friends, then bummed around Eastern Europe for a few years, before coming home to made-up with Phil and reform Marion at the beginning of 2006.

The story however doesn’t have a happy ending. The effects of years of drugs misuse eventually caught up with Jaime, and in August 2006, he fell seriously ill with a blood condition that required him to have life-saving open-heart surgery – at the age of 31. I think it’s fair to say that his rock’n’roll days are behind him...

Am I the only one who remembers these great singles with affection?

mp3 : Marion – Violent Men
mp3 : Marion – Sleep
mp3 : Marion – Toys For Boys
mp3 : Marion – Miyako Hideaway

Happy Listening

FROM UNDER THE COVERS (Part 30)

The bio of Violent Femmes in the on-line edition of the magazine Rolling Stone says:-

"..too bad the Violent Femmes' tuneless take on Culture Club's "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" actually makes you pine for Boy George"

It's such sentences that remind me irony isn't always a strongpoint of Americans.

At the risk of stating the obvious.....IT'S MEANT TO BE A TUNELESS TAKE DUMBASS.

Personally, I never did care much for the music of Culture Club. That’s one of the reasons I have a great deal of fun listening to a wonderfully bitter, twisted, and yes tuneless, cover version:-

The original took the world by storm. It was #1 or #2 in twelve different charts around the world selling who knows how many millions of copies. But that doesn't make it a good song.

It's trite, it's inspid and, well boring is the word that springs to mind. It's also wholly unrealistic.

The protagonist is heartbroken because a love affair has come to an end. And he's willing just to let it slip away and take all the agony, pain and heartbreak imaginable without wishing any ill on the other person. The lyrics are sickly, syrupy and unreal:-

You’ve been talking but believe me
If its true you do not know
This boy loves without a reason
I’m prepared to let you go

If its love you want from me
Then take it away
Everything is not what you see
It’s over today

Do you really want to hurt me?
Do you really want to make me cry?
Do you really want to hurt me?
Do you really want to make me cry?


Gordon Gano on the other hand, with just a few little word changes here and there, ends up turning into a quite shocking tale of someone revelling in the hurt, pain and misery of a break-up:-

I've been talking but believe me
I know that its true now that there no more
I'm in love and loves the reason
I'm not prepared to let you let me go

So if it's love you want
Then take all of me
It's this love I want
I can finally see

Do I really want to hurt you?
Do I really want to make you cry?
Yes, I suppose I want to hurt you
You told the truth but it was still a lie

Methinks the man from Rolling Stone didn't actually listen to this re-interpretation before making his ill-advised comments.

C'mon.....whose take on the song is closer to reality?????:-

mp3 : Violent Femmes - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?

Happy Listening

GREAT OPENING TRACKS ON LPs (Part 10)

When I posted the first of this occasional series, Comrade Colin left behind a comment.

And he was right. But then again, he usually is.

For this is one of the greatest-ever opening tracks to an LP.

mp3 : Joy Division – Disorder

All those in agreement...... say aye.

Happy Listening.

I've been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand
Could these sensations make me feel the pleasures of a normal man?
These sensations barely interest me for another day
I've got the spirit, lose the feeling, take the shock away.

It's getting faster, moving faster now, its getting out of hand
On the tenth floor, down the back stairs, its a no mans land
Lights are flashing, cars are crashing, getting frequent now
Ive got the spirit, lose the feeling, let it out somehow.

What means to you, what means to me, and we will meet again
I'm watching you, I'm watching her, I'll take no pity from you friends
Who is right, who can tell, and who gives a damn right now
Until the spirit new sensation takes hold, then you know
Until the spirit new sensation takes hold, then you know
Until the spirit new sensation takes hold, then you know.

I've got the spirit, but lose the feeling
I've got the spirit, but lose the feeling
Feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling.