Tony

The Undertones - 16 Live Humdingers (2024)

Bought at the gig in Shepherds Bush Empire. I was supporting the Frank & Walters and my interest in the Undertones was largely as historical artefact. That said, they were surprisingly fresh given their material is over 40 years old.

#nowspinning #vinyl

YouTube video by Choir! Choir! Choir! 650 Corkonians sing The Frank & Walters "After All"

Happy today!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4Iu...

Star Trek The Motion Picture (1979)

Not my favourite of the Star Trek films but, right from the main theme, Jerry Goldsmith’s music expresses the wonder and mystery that the script tried but failed to reach. It’s a rare case of the soundtrack being simply better than the film.

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it's 2024 where is the technology to add my vinyl and cd plays to spotify wrapped

Love the sarcastic note about her former label. Miaow!

John Lennon - Imagine (1971)

Always thought of McCartney as the commercial one so surprised me that Lennon did this two years before “Band on the Run”. The bitterness is still there on “How Do You Sleep?” but now it sits with timeless ballads like “Imagine” and “Jealous Guy”.

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That’s such a great explanation. Love your way with words.

Arlo Guthrie - Alice’s Restaurant (1967)

Hadn’t intended to do a Thanksgiving theme but somehow never noticed before that the title track is about Thanksgiving dinner (as well littering, bureaucracy, and the Vietnam draft.)

Warm witty songwriting, delivered with real charm.

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If an Irish writer of Stoppard's stature died today, our president (and probably our Taoiseach too) would've issued a statement by now.

Ancient history now but The Arcadia in Cork didn’t have an alcohol license so the Kampus gigs were open to everyone. U2, XTC, the Cure and the Specials were some of the big names who played there and local support acts gave us the likes of Microdisney. Would not have been the same without the kids.

It’s one of those albums I can just play on repeat. So glad i took a chance on it.

Tom Paxton - Ramblin’ Boy (1964)

The melodies are simple, the guitar is crisp, and the focus stays on his voice and its message that ordinary people can and should do better by one another. “The Last Thing on My Mind” is the quiet confession that masterfully anchors the album.

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The 100 Best Comedy Movies of All Time Variety's list of the 100 best comedy movies of all time includes 'Annie Hall,' 'Pretty Woman,' 'Waiting for Guffman' and 'Young Frankenstein.'

The movie listed at #1 is so incredibly misplaced that it calls into question the veracity of the entire list. It belongs on the list, yes, but SO MUCH further down. An absolute, credibility-wrecking flub. Boo, @variety.com! Boo!

variety.com/lists/best-c...

Thanks for the tip. Will keep an eye out for that.

Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music (2014)

The metamodern tag had me expecting country-tinged rock but this is real traditional outlaw - drawl, grit, and steel guitar - until you listen closely, and then you realise how subtly the boundaries are being pushed.

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Life Is Grand - Camper Van Beethoven (1988)

Had time to kill on my way to the Albert Hall so detoured to Music & Video Exchange in Notting Hill and picked this up.

Don’t know CvB but based on this three-minute blast of jangly guitars and sardonic humour, that may soon change.

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Bookends - Simon & Garfunkel (1968)

I hadn’t realised how short the album is. Nothing wasted, just 29 minutes of distilled melancholy and melody. Side 1 unfolds like a miniature film, each piece flowing into the next, while Side 2 is built around songs that have become iconic.

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Paul Simon (1972)

The sound of someone rediscovering music on his own terms, trying out new rhythms, genres and instruments.

I’m not entirely sold on the panpipes but, with hindsight, it’s easy to see that the same restless, melodic, curious striving is leading to Graceland.

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Firedove - Anna Lapwood (2025)

I’m a fan of Anna’s video clips on social media so when I saw she had an album out, thought I should buy it as a way of supporting her.

Recorded in Nidaros Cathedral, her recording of Hans Zimmer’s “Time” is monumental without being bombastic.

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#doctorwho

Heaven Sent is one of the best episodes of all time. Hell Bent has one moment that gets me every time. 😭

I could be staring at my hand locking my front door, and I still won’t feel 100% sure my front door was locked

XTC - Skylarking (1986)

Another English band with a song cycle bathed in a warm, pastoral glow: hazy strings, shimmering guitars, even literal birdsong. It’s widely regarded as XTC’s masterpiece, and the craft is undeniable, but I prefer the spikier edge of the earlier records.

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Cathy Davey - Live at Dublin Unitarian Church (2018)

What’s in a name? I expected a folk singer a la Sandy Denny.

To be sure, her singing has a light, airy quality but beneath that softness the melodies twist in unexpected directions, backed by quirky percussion and pop charm.

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Kaught at the Kampus (1980)

I was Sir Henry’s generation, so never went to the Arcadia, but the gigs were legendary.

Less a great live album than a cultural artefact that captures the genesis of three extraordinary front men: Cathal Couglan, Mick Lynch and Finbarr Donnelly.

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Freddie White - Live (1979)

I’ve seen Freddie live many times over 30 years, from Cork to Cronulla, and his covers introduced me to Randy Newman and John Hiatt. He has a unique ability to get to the heart of a song; so much so that I often prefer his version to the original.

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Was in Dublin for the rugby so went to Freebird Records and picked up three Irish albums that I have not been able to find anywhere in the UK (and XTC because I guess I’m an XTC fan now).

November 14th: A Partially Muscled Skeleton Stands by the Perimeter Fence and Screams for Thirty Seconds Before Vanishing

happy Partially Muscled Skeleton Stands by the Perimeter Fence and Screams for Thirty Seconds Before Vanishing day

Is this literally music played by Shoko Asahara?

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O. (2002)

The album unfolds in long, deliberate waves of music that build slowly, collapse and reform with a grim, hypnotic intensity. There are no vocals, just the cycle of tension and release, creating an atmosphere of mounting unease.

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