Dougie

Shady Lane Pavement · Brighten the Corners · Song · 1997

open.spotify.com/track/0JZAGU... "I'm an island of such great complexity" lyrics of the day

Silent All these Years by Tori Amos. A musical and lyrical masterpiece. The lyrics paint such a full picture

YouTube video by Not Just Bikes The Best-Designed Town in the Netherlands (and therefore, the world)

Not just bikes youtu.be/r-TuGAHR78w?... and @evanedinger.bsky.social youtu.be/Dmf6aEx09Oo?... two great videos recording similar themes: if you can cycle somewhere, it's better.

As stupid as it sounds, I think this encapsulates the feeling of bleakness & mundanity, of a funeral, with accuracy. "Everything's getting older"

Let’s hear it for football’s invincibles … who finished lower than second | The Knowledge Plus: hat-tricks against the same opponent for different teams, more yo-yo teams and the transfer window’s origin * Mail us any of your questions and answers “Juventus are unbeaten in Serie A yet have been bobbing around fourth and fifth all…

Let’s hear it for football’s invincibles … who finished lower than second | The Knowledge

Thank you @pieandbovril.com I really appreciate you posting here.

Spot on. Brilliantly articulated.

One aside... Lots of religious references in the lyrics. Not sure if Paul Buchanan had a spiritual epiphany while writing this album?

The second half of the album, is more in common with older Blue Nile, but with more experimentation. Family Life is maybe reminiscent of the style of Paul Buchanan's Mid Air album.
God Bless You Kid has an interesting musical backdrop. Probably what you would expected, 7 years after Hats

It starts with "Happiness", which has a gospel choir, then the Trashcan Sinatras sounding "Tomorrow morning". At that point I was thinking this is very different, but it might work? However, the next three songs do nothing for me. Even after a few listens. They just feel like over polished pop/soul.

So "Peace at Last" was a "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore" moment. Took me by shock at first, so I thought, u works take my time in giving a reaction.
The first half of the album, is acoustic guitar driven. Really different from Hats. Though it was 7 years since that album and 12 since the first

Downtown Lights is easily the most famous track on the album. Along with the other 2 singles from the album, Headlights on The Parade & Saturday Night, these are the highpoints. However there really aren't any low points.....
Album 3 tomorrow

Hats from 1989. Another album with only 7 tracks. They had been going for ten years at this point and had managed two 7 track albums.
I think this is a lovely flowing album. My personal favourite song is the first track, Over The Hillside....

The highpoint is obviously Tinseltown in the Rain. You can understand why Stay was the first single, but Tinseltown is the obvious classic. Other highpoints in the 7 tracks.. Heatwave and the title track.

First album... A Walk Across The Rooftops. From 1984. It has some of the experimental synth feel, that was around at the time. However it is recognisably Blue Nile. I wasn't aware of the first single from the album, Stay. It's maybe their poppiest song. Really good.....

Going to listen to all The Blue Nile's albums today. I am only really familiar with Hats, in depth. Of course I also know and love Tinseltown in the Rain, from the first album. So let's start...

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... masterful storytelling by @jonronson.bsky.social