Choose Life - PF Project

So, Trainspotting turns 30 eh? Good grief. I can remember watching it at the cinema and being mightily inspired by the 'choose life' speech, but still ended up working in an office for another 13 years or so. Oh well. Probably a slightly wiser choice than ending up on drugs in Edinburgh though...

Tap Turns On The Water - C.C.S

Another recent CD purchase, this time C.C.S's A's, B's and Rarities, a surprisingly ace compilation from a massively underrated rock/blues/jazz/soul band fronted by Alexis Korner. Almost as good is this brilliantly literal dance routine from Pan's People from Top Of The Pops, which used another C.C.S track (their cover of Led Zepp's Whole Lotta Love) for its theme tune back in the 70s. 

Lithium - Polyphonic Spree

Picked up the special edition of Polyphonic Spree's The Fragile Army CD at the weekend and was reminded of the awesomeness of their cover of Nirvana's Lithium...possibly one of the few times that a cover version's genuinely better than the original. 

Sultana - Titanic

Another recent random CD purchase. Never heard of Titanic (the band) before but apparently this slice of Afrobeat-ish grooviness hit the dizzy heights of number 5 back in 1971. As I was only a year and a half old by then I guess I can be forgiven for not recognising it... 

That's What I Think - Cyndi Lauper

Co-written by Allee Willis (who amongst other tracks penned the Friends theme tune) this song failed to make the Top 30 back in 1993 and the album it came from, Hat Full of Stars didn't even reach the Top 40. Good grief. I'm guessing the Great British record buying public were too busy sending Mr Blobby to the Christmas number one...

White Rabbit - George Benson

Picked up another eclectic selection of CDs over the weekend, including the ace George Benson Anthology box set which has this delicious cover of the Jefferson Airplane classic on it. Jazz-tastic!

The Ballad of Tom Jones - Space

If you're looking for a non slushy Valentine's Day track look no further than Space's classic The Ballad of Tom Jones, featuring Cerys Matthews from Catatonia. Like most of Space's output it's ever so slightly bonkers...just listen to the lyrics.  

No Threat - The Tragically Hip

Pretty much unheard of over here in the UK, The Tragically Hip might just well be one of Canada's best kept musical secrets. Think a rockier REM and you'll be on the right lines. If this floats your boat you've got 30+ years worth of tracks to get stuck into. Sadly lead Hipster Gord died in 2017 at 53 years old. 

Zabadak - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich

Picked up a 'Best of' by this lot over the weekend. I'll have whatever they were smoking when they came up with this track. 

Here's another one that's slightly less bonkers...only slightly mind you...a number 2 hit in 1966 as well. 

Matter of Taste - Tyler Ballgame

Imagine if Roy Orbison and Joe Cocker had got it on in Laurel Canyon in the 70s...I reckon Tyler Ballgame's could well have been their lovechild. 

Whatever his origin, his stuff's really floating my musical boat at the moment. Here's another one, just ripe for a festival field this summer...

Walk Between Raindrops - Donald Fagen

Picked up some more great CDs over the weekend, including a copy of Donald Fagen's classic The Nightfly. Given the relentless rain so far this year and the equally miserable long-range weather forecast this jazzy little number seems appropriate.

The Mole From The Ministry - The Dukes of Stratosphear

I heard this track by XTC offshoot The Dukes of Stratosphear the other day and had to buy a copy of the compilation album Chips from the Chocolate Fireball for an obscene (well, it was obscene to me, but then I'm a tight arse) amount of money off eBay. If you're a fan of the whole psych pop/Sgt Pepper's era of music you'll love it. 

Simon Says Don't Stop - The Q Orchestra

Another gem from the recent Exeter Record Fair, plucked out of a box of bargain CDs tucked under one of the trader's tables (thankfully my knees can still make it up and down without the aid of any heavy lifting equipment). This is the opening track but the whole album's every bit as good and you can pick up a copy on eBay for less than a fiver at the moment.  

  

Sly Dunbar RIP

Of course Sly Dunbar did much more than just this track but for children of the 80s Boops Here To Go will probably always be the first thing we associate him with. Almost 40 years later it still sounds as fresh, unique and...let's face it...nuts as it did back in '87. 

For dub heads here's a little Zion In Dub from 1980... 

...and we've got to have a Grace Jones track (Sly played on this and numerous other Jones classics)...

and apparently this is the first track he played on, not a bad way to kick off your career eh? 

There Is Hope - Misty's Big Adventure

Continuing my one man campaign to keep the Misty's Big Adventure flame alive here's a deep cut from the band's Television People album. What's that? You want another one? Oh go on then...

When the Wind Blows - David Bowie

A bit windy down here in the 'sunny' South West today, thankfully not a nuclear wind but then again it's still fairly early in the day and who knows what the hell will happen from one minute to the next at the moment. If you've not seen the film When the Wind Blows, sound tracked by Dame David Bowie, it's a frankly horrific tale of an elderly couple who'd survived WW2 only to get bumped off by radiation poisoning during WW3. There was a lot of this kind of stuff going on during the 80s, which might account for my generation's somewhat cheerfully nihilistic view of life.

Walking in the Rain - Flash and the Pan

How have I managed to get to almost 56 without knowing that the Grace Jones track Walking in the Rain was actually written and originally recorded by Aussie New Wavers Flash and the Pan? Picked up a Best Of compilation for the band a couple of weeks ago and I'm surprised they've not been bigged up as much as they deserve to be. Older readers may know them for this slinky synth classic, which hit the dizzy heights of number 7 in the UK in 1982...

One of the band, George Young had a couple of rather famous brothers, Angus and Malcolm, of AC/DC fame who were produced by him and fellow Flasher Harry Vanda. The pair also wrote Friday On My Mind when they were in The Easybeats and Love Is In The Air (as featured in Strictly Ballroom). 

Every day's a school day eh?  

Who Do You Love - Juicy Lucy

Today might be 'blue Monday' but this slice of early swampy 70s blues rock (a cover of a Bo Diddley track) from Juicy Lucy might help. I'm actually as old as this single...1970...good grief.

Vambo (Live) - Sensational Alex Harvey Band

I was listening to an Alex Harvey compilation last night and thought I'd share a little live footage with you for the end of the week. Now that's a performance eh? Sensational in fact.  

Dry Jan - Goldie Lookin Chain

This is a first, a Goldie Lookin Chain on the Aid. I did Dry Jan once (2013 apparently). No idea why. If there's one month a year when a nice drinkypoo or two goes down a treat it's January. Good luck to all those doing Dry Jan this year though.