I Want To Live - Gavin Friday

Picked up a cheap compilation of Irish related tracks on CD (okay, so all CDs are cheap at the moment but I think this one was 10p) and the first one was this goth tinged blast from the past from Gavin Friday (which I'm pretty sure I have on vinyl somewhere). Staggered to discover that it's now 30 years old...and even more staggered to think that I'm 30 years older. 

Unnecessary Drama - Belle and Sebastian

Channelling their inner The The the...the new track from Belle and Sebastian's amongst the best things they've ever done, which is quite some achievement. I can't believe that anyone reading this - hello to you both - isn't already familiar with B&S's back catalogue but just in case here's a trio of classic cuts: 

Hey Joe (Relax) - Lynks

 Another banger from the mysterious Lynks, I reckon it's Jacob Rees-Mogg in disguise. 

There's No Stopping Us - Ollie and Jerry

One of the picks of the weekend's CD haul was a double album of the soundtracks to Breakin' 1 and 2. I might be guilty of wearing the old rose coloured spectacles here but weren't the 80s sooooooooooooo much more fun than nowadays? Answers on a ZX Spectrum 16K. 

The Birth Of Cool Britannia

Watched the 'Rock Family Trees - The Birth of Cool Britannia' last night (available on iPlayer right here), an enjoyable romp through arguably the UK's last great musical movement. Sadly it seems as though we're supposed to be ashamed of anything remotely to do with Great Britain these days and one or two of the contributors seemed a little too keen to distance themselves from 'Britpop', even though some of its best tunes were actually less than flattering about dear old Blighty. Oh well, if you don't like it here you can always toddle off somewhere else. Anyway here's a trio of early 'Britpop' classics, all of which I was remarkably lucky to see played live before each of the respective bands made it big. 

Oh go on then, lets have one more from Blur's underrated Modern Life Is Rubbish album...a title that seems to get more appropriate with each passing day: 

Blue Train - John Coltrane

Despite being a member of Ronnie Scott's in Birmingham in my early 20s it's taken almost 30 years before I started buying jazz cds by the bucketload, like this classic by John Coltrane...mine for £1 last Saturday. Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice. 

Ping Pong - Stereolab

When's a pop song more than just a pop song? When it's one of the sharpest summaries of the economic and political system that you're ever likely to hear. If the lyrics have ever passed you by (and they passed me by for years) cop a load of this:

It's alright 'cause the historical pattern has shown
How the economical cycle tends to revolve
In a round of decades, three stages stand out in a loop
A slump and war, then peel back to square one and back for more

Bigger slump and bigger wars and a smaller recovery
Huger slump and greater wars and a shallower recovery

You see the recovery always comes 'round again
There's nothing to worry for things will look after themselves
It's alright, recovery always comes 'round again
There's nothing to worry if things can only get better

There's only millions that lose their jobs and homes and sometimes accents
There's only millions that die in the bloody wars, it's alright

It's only their lives and the lives of their next of kin that they are losing
It's only their lives and the lives of their next of kin that they are losing

It's alright 'cause the historical pattern has shown
How the economical cycle tends to revolve
In a round of decades, three stages stand out in a loop
A slump and war, then peel back to square one and back for more

Bigger slump and bigger wars and a smaller recovery
Huger slump and greater wars and a shallower recovery

Don't worry, be happy, things will get better naturally
Don't worry, shut up, sit down, go with it and be happy

Bloody genius. 

Purple Zone - Soft Cell/Pet Shop Boys

This snuck out a couple of weeks ago and has already racked up almost half a million views on You Tube (I think it was briefly number one in the i-Tunes chart too). Cleverly fusing the DNA of both bands it appears to be a song dedicated to old age which, now I'm edging towards 52 (how did that happen?), certainly strikes a chord with me. Ahem. 

Amazing to think that it's 40 years (!) since I first became a Soft Cell fan. How fresh does this track still sound eh? I wonder what Cindy Ecstasy's up to these days? 

It Sure Is Groovy - Marlena Shaw

A suitably groovy cut from a remastered Marlena Shaw double CD I picked up in Bristol a couple of weeks back for 25p. The discs are a little scratched and the booklet's missing so I'd normally leave it on the shelf but 25p!!?...you can't even get a Mars Bar for that price these days...and Mars Bars aren't anywhere near as groovy. 

Slice of Heaven - Dave Dobbyn

Heard this on Chris Hawkins' 6 Music show earlier today (courtesy of Sports Team). Never heard it before. What a great slice of uplifting 80s pop eh? And we could all do with some uplifting 80s pop right now. Enjoy!