Thanks to Freshly Pressed!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by John S

On Friday evening, 13 April,  I received an email notification from WordPress telling me one of my blogs – my Top Ten air guitar songs – was on Freshly Pressed. I was having a beer at the time outside a pub by the River Thames in Hammersmith, West London, on my way home.

It’s funny, it’s just a small thing objectively, but I was SO excited. It’s what all us WordPress bloggers hope for, I guess. And it led to a weekend when the hits on my blog, the comments, likes and followers went through the roof compared to before.

Since I started blogging in October 2011, I’ve had a steady stream of hits and interest and I’ve been really pleased about it. There’s something mutually supportive about the network of bloggers which I find quite inspiring. But things just went to another level from Friday.  My previous best number of hits recorded was 75 –  I felt quite good about that at the time.  But it was just nowhere…

Friday 814

Saturday 1,877

Sunday 1,427

Monday 1, 441

And then today I fell off the front page and the score as I write is 152.  Hey that’s not bad! Double my best before Friday.

But it’s not only the hits.  It’s the number of people who have pressed the “like” button (132 to date) and all those people who have been good enough to comment (124, I think).  On the air guitar post I’ve had so many great comments, complimentary but – and this is the best bit – offering their alternative best tunes and recollections of air guitar, or drums, or just rocking out.   When I started my blog, my main objective – or should I say hope – was to get a bit of musical debate going.  That has happened this last weekend and I’m really so pleased about it.

I hope I can keep it going now I’m off that front page of FP, which is why I’m also very grateful to all the people who are now following me.  88 at the moment. I genuinely feel quite humble about that.

And the interest from all around the world is remarkable too.  It’s good to know there is a shared interest in the joys of air guitar and rock and metal.  I’ve always thought music is the great unifier, along with football – so important when geopolitics can so easily divide us.

Sermon over – let’s rock!

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Art Deco Ealing – and Brentford

Posted on April 15, 2012 by John S

London, like most cities, started small then grew… and grew, and grew. My part of the city, Ealing,  was a rural village until the 19th century, when the arrival of the railway station brought with it surburban development. In the Victorian era, Ealing had become the “Queen of the Surburbs”. Today it is a vibrant, multi-cultural community that feels like London, but still has space to breathe, with its parks and proximity to the River Thames and the Grand Union canal. The four great westbound roads out of London border or cut through it.  To the north, the A40, which becomes the M40, heading to Oxford and Birmingham. To the south, the A4, the original Great West Road, with the M4 hovering over it, destination Bristol and then into Wales. Through the middle runs the Uxbridge Road, connecting Uxbridge (obviously) with Shepherd’s Bush.

In the first three decades there was massive expansion of building in London and Ealing’s architecture today is still shaped strongly by that era. And the 1920s and 30s were the era of Art Deco. Naturally the developments along those main arteries, with all the commercial development, reflected the architectural trends.

I’ve always like the Art Deco style, its simple lines combined with a certain grandeur and the odd quirk, a flash of fancy detail. Those long windows which must let so much light into the inner spaces.  A style which signified art meeting the machine age.  Functional, but imaginative, challenging.

Along each of the main roads, there are survivors from the Art Deco age. Some of the buildings have seen better days, but many are still thriving.  They provide a link with an age of energy and creativity, as well as anxiety, sandwiched between the two world wars and subject to the Great Depression.  There is a defiance about Art Deco architecture, setting its face against the grimmest of times.

I can’t give Ealing all the credit for what follows in pictures.  The A4, with its “Golden Mile” of Art Deco, is actually in Brentford, to the south, bordering the Thames. It’s a little nondescript, Brentford, but coming up in the world with some of the developments around the juncture of the Thames and the Grand Union Canal. The future is bright.

I’ll start the photos in the north and work south. Double click for full size images, and if you’d like to see the whole collection, click on the Flickr link on the sidebar to the right.

The Piccadilly Line underground stations to the west of Hammersmith were constructed in the early 30s, and so, not surprisingly there is an Art Deco influence.  This is Park Royal station, next to the A40.

And some nearby shops, with a striking canopy.

Is this Vanguard building Art Deco? Not sure, but it has the quirks.

The Hoover Building on the A40 is the classic Art Deco structure. It opened in 1933 and was a vacuum cleaner factory. And stayed that way until the early 80s, when it closed. It re-opened in the 1990s, as a Tesco supermarket and offices.  I have to say though, a very fine job was done in restoring it to former glories.

Windows are everything in Art Deco.

At the back it’s very green.

A detail.

Nice front door!

Before we move to the Uxbridge Road, here are a couple of my local tube station, Northfields, again part of that 30s extension.

And the interior.  Not that I feel this way on my way into work, but it almost feels like a church in this photo. It’s the window… and those lights.

So the Uxbridge Road, first stop West Ealing.  Definitely seen better days. Pound shops dominate these days.  The Art Deco building used to house a Woolworths, when I first came to the area in the 80s.

And there is this first floor delight over the local sports shop – a proper sports shop, Arnolds.

Moving east along the Uxbridge Road, to more prosperous climes, we find Longfield House, a mixture of offices and apartments.

Someone’s got the barbecue out!

And so onto the Golden Mile! The first bit is a bit grim, all concrete, Junction 2 of the M4 nearby. But there is a residential development owned by Barratts hanging on in there. Called Wallis House, built late 30s.

Windows, windows!

The JC Decaux building was originally a Curry’s electrical goods factory, built in 1936. It’s got some classically simple lines, this one.

I like the doorway of this Carillion building. I think it’s called West Link House now. It started as a fire extinguisher factory in 1929-30.

Syon Clinic started as Coty Cosmetics in 1932.  We see a trend here in all of these buildings.  From making things to providing services: residential, offices, health.

And finally to Gillette Corner. The main Gillette building housed the European HQ of the razor company from the mid 30s .  Magnificent, but no longer in use. How can this be? Apparently there are plans to turn it into a hotel and business park. It won’t be a Tesco, because Tesco is already next door!

These first two shots are of outlying buildings. I think there is still a Nat West Bank branch there.  It’ s strange location. It’s the A4, not a high street.

See the splendour!

It’s those windows again!

And just a reminder of where we are!

I have hopes for the Gillette Building, as the experience of most of the other At Deco wonders in this collection suggests that when you have a striking building, someone will think of a use for it, even when the original purpose has receded.  Fingers crossed!

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My Top Ten – Radiohead

Posted on April 15, 2012 by John S

After the fun I’ve had with my first Top Ten on Air Guitar Classics, thanks to WordPress giving me a Freshly Pressed boost, and some great comments from readers, I wasn’t sure who to do next. I’ve settled on Radiohead because I probably listen to them more than anybody these days. I’ve been into their music ever since “The Bends”, which came out in 1995.  I remember when it did, they were compared to U2.  You wouldn’t say that now. Their music has become increasingly esoteric, but all the more interesting for it.  And in recent times they have made a few songs of quite exquisite beauty, which sound like the saddest songs in the world as well as the most beautiful.  So I find myself, in compiling this Ten, focusing on these later songs and in the process neglecting some of the earlier guitar anthems. They are all brilliant of course.  Picking ten songs from any favourite artist or band is, to some degree, arbitrary.  There may be two or three which are indisputably the favourites.  After that the choice becomes agonising. And it sure was for Radiohead. There is so  much that I love.

Anyway, on to the chart!

10. Lucky,  from OK Computer (1997)

Melancholy anthem with ironically happy theme.  Survives the air crash, etc. Builds slowly to a glorious climax. I grew to love this one partly because I worked out the chords on my guitar and love playing it. I can do a good Thom Yorke in the privacy of my bedroom!

9. Everything In Its Right Place, from Kid A (2000)

From those opening keyboard chords, this song has a mystery and a majesty. It drifts and billows and shimmers.  From Kid A, the album that marked Radiohead’s departure from rocktastic norms. And made them a truly great band.

8. Street Spirit (Fade Out), from The Bends (1995)

Achingly beautiful guitar and melody.  But like most Radiohead, when you listen properly to the lyrics, all is not what it seems.  This machine will not communicate… 

I love playing and singing this one (when there is no-one around!). Only three chords in my version: Am, Em, C. Amazing what those chords can create.

7. Karma Police, from OK Computer (1997)

That lovely acoustic guitar intro, the weird verses and then that massive chorus.  Live, it is amazing. Saw them in Hackney’s Victoria Park a few years ago. This was one of the highlights of one of the best shows I have ever seen. Heartstopping.

Favourite line: Karma Police, arrest this girl, her Hitler hairdo is making me feel ill…

6. Fake Plastic Trees, from The Bends (1995)

Wonderful melody with a hint of Bowie’s “Starman”. Brittle, flakey lyrics. Like a lot of early Radiohead, you have the acoustic bit and then it slowly builds to a lighter-waving climax. It’s a modern day hymn. Again, I love playing this one on the guitar.

5. Paranoid Android, from OK Computer (1997)

The signature tune from OK Computer, which has often been voted best album of all time in music mags.  I remember the first time I heard it on the radio.  It just blew me away. It’s Radiohead’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, with its distinct parts, a mini symphony. And when it rocks it just blows the house down. There is a case for this being No1.

4. The National Anthem, from Kid A (2000)

What I most love about this tune is the immense bass line at the start and the complete jazz wig-out at the end. An unbelievably powerful tune.  Haunting, and in your face.

3. Give Up The Ghost, from King Of Limbs (2011)

I accept this might be the effect of recentness. Is it really my third best Radiohead tune? Will it be in five years time? Actually, it could be No1 by then. It’s one of two unbelievably beautiful tunes on King Of Limbs.  There’s an intense sadness in the sound which you could either call depressing or uplifting. I go for the latter. This song moves me in a completely spiritual way.

2. Codex, from King Of Limbs (2011)

For me, the companion to Give Up The Ghost. If anything, even sadder, with a deep piano motif to draw you in. And Thom Yorke’s voice so tender, achingly beautiful. So directly from the soul. I feel the tears welling every time I listen to this. But in a good way. The power of music…

1. Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi, from In Rainbows (2007)

To be the number one Radiohead song has to make it one of the greatest songs ever.  In my book Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi is just that. There’s a beautiful plucked guitar running through it which sounds to me like a mountain stream flowing through the forest. The purity, the glistening water, the bubbling flow.  And then Thom’s voice, again so tender, so wistful. This is musical ecstasy.

The lyrics, as ever, confuse and delight – the essential Radiohead, beauty and opacity combined.

Hear my Top Ten on Spotify  TFW510 – Radiohead

Just missed the boat: pretty much every song from The Bends and In Rainbows for a start.  The latter I rank as my favourite Radiohead album these days, even though only one track makes the Top Ten. Close calls for House of Cards and Reckoner. From The Bends, the title track, Bones, Iron Lung, Planet Telex, Black Star and High and Dry are all magnificent. The Bends is Radiohead’s great rock album. No Surprises from OK Computer and Idioteque from Kid A came close too. Pyramid Song and Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box, from Amnesiac (2001) are cool, and Nude from In Rainbows is another song of intense beauty.  I could go on…

If you read this, I’d love to hear what you think.

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An (un)English Garden

Posted on April 13, 2012 by John S

Our back garden is a mess. The front third is a football pitch and so the lawn has disappeared. The middle third hosts a trampoline, so all the grass underneath has died. And the back third is for the washing line. The grass is overgrown and all sorts of weird and wonderful weeds have appeared. Around the edges are a series of bushes that were once delicate cuttings. Now wild and wonderful. And then there are the plants that have forced their way in – the ivy, the brambles, the nettles.

A complete shambles, but I rather like it. It’s not your classic manicured English garden, but it’s interesting, because it has taken on a life of its own. I’m not sure my wife agrees, but it’s a narrative which allows me to avoid doing too much gardening!

So look at the photos here.  You wouldn’t get these with that classic, looked-after garden.

I want to give a big up to Sarah Takes Pictures, a blog which inspired me to take these shots when the sun came out today.  Sarah takes photos of the plants and the scenery around her home pretty much daily. And they are wonderful photos. Well worth checking out. Click on the link above.

Double click on any of these photos for a full size image.

Spring is sprung.

I love this one. Growth, beauty, close to fulfillment.

There are footballs everywhere in our garden.  Mostly burst.  How, why, a mystery.  (Don’t) ask my son.

These bikes have been rusting away at the back for a few years now. Must take them to the dump one day!

Circles.

Trampoline.

So the garden furniture is past its best, but it takes a decent photo.

The holly tree reflected in the table.

Washing lines can be interesting.

So can taps.

We have a sun dial. You can just about see it.

The shed. With old catherine wheel firework still hanging there. Inertia.

And, last of all, and a tribute to Sarah, the forgotten tennis ball.

If you’d like to see a few more of these photos, have a look at my Flickr collection. See the right hand side bar.

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Sportsthoughts (19) – Squeaky bums and smelling the stable

Posted on April 9, 2012 by John S

April is the cruellest month…

I don’t know whether TS Eliot was a football fan – I somehow doubt it – but the opening line from “The Wasteland” perfectly sums up the agonies of April. What Sir Alex Ferguson memorably called “squeaky bum” time a few years ago, the business end of the season, as everyone seems to call it these days.

This Easter weekend has been very squeaky indeed, in the football, the rugby – and the golf. The first Major of the season, the Masters at Augusta. A real favourite, probably because it’s on the same course every year. You you get to know it: the beauty, the cruelty, the azaleas, the water. The legendary performances, the collapses (McIlroy last year rivalling Greg Norman against Nick Faldo in 1996). This year was a real slugfest.  No-one carved out an unassailable lead and on the turn on the fourth day, six, seven, eight golfers could have fancied their chances. At the end, two in particular could say to themeselves, I blew it.  Should have won that.  One was the Englishman, Lee Westwood. The best from tee to green, but just not good enough with the putts, not at this level. And then there was the mighty Phil Mickelson, three times Masters winner. One behind the leader, Peter Hanson, going into the last day. Had to be the favourite. No bum squeaking there…

Well, we couldn’t have been more wrong. At the par three fourth hole he imploded. Hacked around in the bushes, sliced it onto a path, went into a bunker. The sort of experience with which I am very familiar!  Triple bogey.

He played pretty well for the rest of the round – that’s where his experience told – and was only two off at the end.  That one hole did for him. Two golfers tied on ten under: the South African Luis Oosthuizen and American Bubba Watson. Bubba – now there’s a name.

Oosthuizen had hit an amazing second shot at the par five second, which went in the hole – an albatross. Watson really clicked into gear in the back nine, with a succession of birdies. He had the momentum, but Oosthuizen hung on – already a British Open winner, so he knew what it took.  On the second playoff hole Watson got himself out of trouble in the trees with an amazing hooked shot. The technique under that kind of pressure being what distinguishes great sportsmen from the rest of us. That shot won him the Masters. The American crowd, all in their regulation beige knee-length shorts and polo shirts, were ecstatic.  He’s a popular lad, Bubba.  One of the young guns.  Very emotional at the end.  If no British tabloid has described him as “Blubber” Watson, I’d be surprised. (I’m too lazy to check).

The main event in the football was the confirmation of the inevitable. The Man City collapse, the Man Utd surge towards another Premier League title. Arsene Wenger, happy at Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over City (should have been four or five) said, apropos United, “In France we say that when a horse smells its stable, it’s difficult to stop him… they can smell that stable”.  Hmmm, new one to me, but I can see what he means.  The whiff of a familiar prize in those red nostrils. You have to admire them.  I heard on the radio that since Paul Scholes returned from retirement, they have only dropped two points. I guess you have to call that another Fergie masterstroke.

It’s all a bit of an anti-climax, but the City demise has been creeping up on us. That sense of a team of gifted individuals whose mettle had not been truly tested has become stronger, until in cruel April, it has been fully exposed. Arsenal have been on a roll ever since they beat Spurs 5-2, but the ease with which they took City apart was an eye opener. No David Silva, Yaya Toure off injured early on, they looked rudderless. Only the centre backs, Kompany and Lescott, really seemed to have the fight, the passion. And up the other end of the field Balotelli, all petulance and dangerous tackles, entertained us and unravelled his team at the same time.  The red card was only a matter of time – it should have been a straight one in the first half for an outrageous tackle on Song (see photo). In the end it was a second yellow late on. With six games to go, that might be the last we see of Balotelli this season – and probably the last time we see him in a City shirt.

Recently Balotelli was interviewed by Noel Gallagher – he of Oasis and the High Flying Birds – for BBC’s Football Focus.  This was pure hubris, looking back.  Balotelli as folk hero, entertainer, goal scorer, symbol of the new, brash City. Pop star. And he has been very funny at times this season, always a talking point. But the joke is on City now. And United are all laughs.

My son, an Arsenal supporter, now thinks that the Gunners might be able to catch City in second place. How football fans’ expectations change! Ten points behind, eighteen points left to play for. Possible, but unlikely.

A team with a whiff of the stable – Champions League place? – is Newcastle United. Quietly, they have been winning games, playing impressive football. A huge turn around from the joke they had become, especially off the field. They have bought well, especially from France, and now have two electric strikers in Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse. Alan Pardew is a good manager.  He did a decent job at West Ham a few years ago, until internal strife drove him out. His reputation dipped, but he is rebuilding it at Newcastle, and don’t be surprised to hear more “Pardew for England” cries in the future. I suspect top four is just beyond them this season, but they will keep Spurs and Chelsea on their toes, bums-a-squeaking.

I enjoyed West Ham’s easy 4-0 stroll at Barnsley on Good Friday (when did we start having football matches on Good Friday?). Nice to see Big Sam smiling again. Even better when Southampton dropped two points against Portsmouth on Saturday. Southampton and Reading are both four points ahead, but have to play each other.  There is hope. But we have a tough game at home against Birmingham later today.  A must-win, at the one venue where we can’t win at the moment. The Boleyn.  This must change!

Kevin Nolan celebrates the first goal vs Barnsley

The rugby is really at the business end too.  The Heineken Cup quarter finals were sadly bereft of Quins, who blew that last game against Connacht. We would have been away to Edinburgh – definitely winnable.  Instead it was Toulouse, who lost! So Edinburgh now meet Ulster in the semis, the latter having beat Munster. Not so much of a surprise this season, as Ulster are a very powerful and super-fast team. Leinster crushed Cardiff and Clermont Auvergne likewise against Saracens. So it’s Irish and French power that looks likely to prevail. Leinster may have that sniff of the stables, having twice been winners recently, that proves decisive.

Quins were in the Amlin Cup, which they won last season. On Friday night – Good Friday again – they got duffed up by Toulon’s scrum and the precision kicking of Jonny Wilkinson. I suspect Quins were just fractionally not up for it.  It doesn’t take much at that level for a team’s frailties to be exposed – see Man City. Evans and Robshaw, the two leaders, were missing. Others were rested. I think this shows that the priority for Quins this season is the Premiership and the play-offs. That has to be right – as long as such a heavy defeat, 37-8, hasn’t shaken the self confidence.

For Quins, the stables they are sniffing aren’t that familiar. It’s a bit of a journey into the unknown.  So now is the time to hold that nerve, maintain the belief in that running game, and show in the next two Premiership games – at home to Wasps and Leicester – what they are made of.  The fans’ bums will be squeaking, mine included!

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My Top Ten – Air Guitar Classics

Posted on April 6, 2012 by John S

A new series, something I’ve been thinking about doing for a while.  I’m hardly the first to indulge in lists, top tens or otherwise, but I think it will be fun, and maybe spark some rival choices.

Thought I’d start with something that is just pure fun: the air guitar playlist. Those songs that make you want to imagine you are there on lead guitar, or playing a very rocking riff.  An indulgence that is usually associated with consumption of beer. It can be pure air guitar, or maybe the use of a nearby implement: a tennis racket, broom handle, hockey stick, frying pan… the possibilities are endless. But all are worshipping the god of Rock.  With a knowing smile.  It is absurd, you know it is absurd, it is the whole point.  Celebration, laughter, rock’n’roll.

Metal lends itself best to the practice, the concept.  The riffs are huge and the sense of humour strong.  But there are outliers, not quite metal, but essential guitar. This, below, is my Top Ten. If I did it tomorrow it would be different – there are so many candidates. But the songs that made the Ten, well, they ROCK!

So, in ascending order…

10. 12 XU by Wire

I love this one because it’s so simple. Art punk. Off Wire’s brilliant album, “Pink Flag”.  A choppy, tense rhythm – saw you in a mag, kissing a man – builds up to a frenzy and then explodes – 12 XU! At which point you leap in the air, and if you happen to have a broom handle in your possession at the time, you are at risk of sweeping a few glasses off the table! Yes, it has happened.  A long, long, time ago…

9. Whiskey In The Jar by Thin Lizzy

This has been one of my favourite tunes ever since I first heard it in the early 70s.  It’s the lead guitar that makes you want to play.  Its roots are in an Irish folk song, but Lizzy added some searing solos and Phil Lynott sang like an angel, or maybe the devil.

8. Brighton Rock by Queen

“We Will Rock You”was obviously a candidate, but this song, off “Sheer Heart Attack”, is Brian May’s finest hour.  He gets to wig out like he’s Hendrix, and you want to do the same.

7. Cortez The Killer by Neil Young

Some may call this song a dirge, but the opening minutes of yearning, grungy lead guitar, are some of the greatest in rock history. There’s real emotion in the playing – you can lose yourself in this one. For me, this is Neil Young’s finest moment.

6. Given To Fly by Pearl Jam

This is one of those tunes that builds slowly and then just erupts into a humungus riff.  The build up, strangely, reminds me of the melody to Led Zep’s “Going to California”. Then it explodes and you just want to punch the sky!

5. Rock and Roll – Led Zeppelin

You could fill the whole chart with Zep tunes.  This one has a relentless, driving riff, and some fancy lead, and some great vocal posturing by Robert Plant… because you have to sing, too, when you are playing the air guitar.

4. Planet of Sound by The Pixies

This is another one of those slow build and explosion tunes.  And when it explodes, it does it better than just about anything else I know. If you could smash an air guitar, you probably would by the end of this one.

3. The Day That Never Comes by Metallica

What a song this is! Saw them play it at the O2 in London, with shooting flames, the works. A two part air guitar special.  First the soaring lead guitars laying down their own melody and then half way through some heavy riffing.  It’s the singing guitars at the beginning that make it really special.

2. More Than A Feeling by Boston

This is metal at its most over the top. And all the better for it. The original air guitar song. Almost as if it was designed for the purpose. The slow build, the straining vocals, getting higher and higher, the chorus of guitars, the triumphant, punching riff.  A hymn to Rock.

1. Enter Sandman by Metallica

The greatest metal track ever?  I think so.  All those things that I’ve said about the other songs – the slow build and explosion, the searing lead, the driving riff – they are all present in “Enter Sandman”.  It takes you higher and higher and then… blows everything apart with a piledriver riff.  And all before the singing starts! The song then goes on its volcanic way. Exit light, enter night! There is no respite. The guitar is pounding, soaring, cutting, thrusting, the choruses resounding.  Relentless and intense. Only the strongest of air guitarists will survive the full five and a half minutes!

What did I leave out?

So many, but to illustrate the competition: “Black Dog’ and “Custard Pie” by Led Zep, “Freebird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Rock The Nation” by Montrose, “Silver Machine” by Hawkwind, “Ace Of Spades” by Motorhead, “Killer On The Loose” and “The Rocker” by Thin Lizzy, “Sweet Child Of Mine” by Guns’n’Roses, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, “Breaking The Law” by Judas Priest. To mention just a few. Let us rock!

You can listen to this Top Ten on Spotify at TFW510 – Air Guitar

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Have You Heard? – (13) “The Man Who Sold The World” by Bowie, Lulu and Nirvana

Posted on April 4, 2012 by John S

It’s an odd trio.  You wouldn’t naturally put them together. But the “Man Who Sold The World” unites them.

The song was originally by David Bowie, the title track of his 1970 album.  This was just a bit before Bowie really became famous.  In the UK that came with Ziggy Stardust, which then worked back to “Hunky Dory” which came out in 1971.  I didn’t discover “The Man Who Sold The World” album until the mid-eighties, so I think  it’s fair to say that I heard Lulu’s version before the Bowie original, as Lulu got onto Top of the Pops with it in 1974.

We’re talking a long time ago here! My teens.

The Bowie album is challenging, quite unsettling. He hadn’t quite developed his pop touch. “The Man Who Sold The World” is the best track. A brilliant tune with a spooky guitar motif that runs through the song.  There’s a minor key sound to it which conveys that sense of, what? Hopelessness? Oblivion? Sleaze? All of these things.

Here it is. The template.

Lulu was a Scottish pop singer with a really soulful voice, who made her name in the sixties with songs like “Shout” (the Isley Brothers tune) and a wonderful theme tune to the film, “To Sir With Love”.  That’s so good I’m going to include it here.

Her version of “The Man Who Sold The World” came completely out of the blue, but I remember absolutely loving it.  It came out about the same time as Bowie had released his covers album, “Pinups” and not so long after the magnificence of “Aladdin Sane”. The first “Diamond Dogs” track, “Rebel, Rebel” was on its way.  So this was a period of absolute brilliance in Bowie’s history and Lulu rode the wave. Her version was less eerie than Bowie’s, but more soulful, with a soaring saxophone leading the way. It was “Young Americans” before “Young Americans”.

Lulu in the seventies became a real household entertainment figure, with her Saturday evening variety show. Then she faded from view a bit, but she made a comeback in the 2000’s. Here’s another of her versions of “Man Who Sold The World”, from 2003, with that sax prominent.

And then there was Nirvana.  Kurt Cobain and the band did a MTV Unplugged show in 1994 and they played “Man Who Sold The World”. This might well be the best version of all. It has the spooky feel of the original, as well as the hard edge of Nirvana. Captivating.

A great song, truly enhanced by the covers.

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Cycling the Thames in the Spring sunshine

Posted on April 1, 2012 by John S

First of April, the weather lovely.  Bright sunshine, hardly any wind, a light chill in the shade, but feeling warmer than the 12 degrees forecast when you were in the sun. A perfect day for a good cycle.

I decided to go down to Richmond Lock first, cross the bridge there and head east to Hammersmith, along the loops and twists of the River Thames.

I’ve posted photos about this stretch of the river before – see my original Cycling the Thames from October 2011 – but things are always changing and something new will catch your eye.  These are the sights of Spring.

(As ever, click on a photo to get the full size.)

You approach Richmond Lock from the Isleworth Promenade. A grand title for a rather short path.

Some views from the Richmond Lock bridge.

Heading back towards Kew, there’s a swampy patch just off river, and the buds on the trees are beginning to sprout.

Kew Bridge, from the east side.

Looking ahead to the District Line tube bridge.

Invasion of the canoes!

Barnes Bridge is always good for a photo.

Swinging onto Hammersmith Bridge, and then heading west, past all the pubs, one reaches Chiswick Mall. No photos of the buildings this time, just the river and then some of the gardens.

The beauty of a garden by the river.

Low tide looking east.

Slimy green when revealed.

A lone branch on the shore.

A stony island.

A little further upstream,  a heron perched on a stone in calm splendour. Yes, this is urban Hammersmith.

I then cycled into Duke’s Meadows. The good weather had brought hundreds of people out to have barbecues. Smoke wafted from the fires.  I only started cycling this route last Autumn, so I’ll be interested to see what it’s like in the Summer!

And while this was going on, there was an open air judo/kendo/kick boxing/whatever class going on in the open air. Well, why not?

What I love about this ride is that not only is there such beautiful and interesting scenery, but there’s so much activity: be it the rowers on the river, the pub dwellers, the joggers, the promenaders, the kids at play, the barbecuers. Nature and humanity – both at their best on a lovely Spring day.

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Sportsthoughts (18) – For Quins and West Ham, playoffs beckon…

Posted on April 1, 2012 by John S

Big games for both my favourite teams yesterday. Quins were away to Saracens, the team they can never beat, at Wembley Stadium, of all places.  If Saracens won they would go above Quins at the top of the rugby Premiership. West Ham were at home to Reading, the team that has knocked them out of the top two automatic promotion places in the football Championship (the second division).  A Premier League place at stake. West Ham coming off a run of draws at home which has eroded belief; Reading on a run of something like eight wins out of none.

The nerves were jangling. To be completely honest, I thought Quins would probably lose to the grinding Saracens machine, but that West Ham would show what they are made of and get a vital win, to spark off a late season surge.

Er, wrong on both counts!

Let’s start with the positives.  Quins at Wembley were magnificent. They beat Saracens 24-19.  Saracens have played at Wembley five times previously, winning each time. They are a very strong side, with a hard South African core, but also some very promising young England players, Owen Farrell among them. While they can be dour, it’s that Saracens mentality which has been imparted to the new England team, giving us real hope for the future, especially now that Stuart Lancaster has been confirmed as the manager.

Quins yesterday were quite outstanding. They took on Saracens physically. They scored three superb tries, each one the product of a steady, sharp build up of phases and then the lightning strike. Textbook rugby.

This is Danny Care getting the third. Off-field problems forgotten!

And then, under intense pressure from Saracens, they defended unbelievably. Especially in the second half, in most of which they were a man, and sometimes two men down.  The ref didn’t like something about Quins’ aggressive approach and dished out four yellow cards.  Saracens’ sixteenth man? It felt like it, but it’s all about those grey areas in the rules. They will always be there in rugby.  What can you and can’t you do when those rucks develop?

The defence by Quins was astonishing.  Any number of try saving tackles.  George Lowe, one of the centres, back from a long term injury, put in three amazing tackles, scored a try and deservedly got the man of the match award.  But a couple of times we saw a prop (James Johnston)  and a second row forward (George Robson) straining every sinew to keep up with attackers and bring them down just in time. Everyone was up for it.

This tackle looks a tad illegal!

Saracens will probably be asking themselves, how did we not win that? Quins will be marking it down as the performance of the season, in a season of great performances. One to give them great confidence for the rest of the season.

(Photos are copied from Google images.  Getty Images photographers.)

Nick Easter pursued by four Saracens! Robbo, as ever, in close support.

Joe Marler modelling his latest hairstyle. Man or monster?

Ugh, but what a contrast to West Ham! The squad, without question, has to be the best in the division. It was improved in the January window, especially to bring in more firepower – Vaz Te, Maynard.  It looked promising. But they are stalling, especially at home, where draws have become commonplace. The fans get edgy quickly, not really buying into Sam Allardyce’s crude tactics, which are safety first with plenty of long balls up to the big man.  Not always – they’ve played some decent football at times – but it is Big Sam’s default strategy. 4-5-1, morphing into 4-3-3 when he feels brave, 4-4-2 when he gets desperate.

I’m forever blowing bubbles…

The Hammers fans are not happy. In fairness, we are not easily satisfied.  We cling to the myth about the flowing football of the past, the Academy of football.  There have been times when the football was outstanding. I remember the early eighties, when I went to all the home games, when Brooking and Devonshire unleashed the likes of Goddard, MacAvennie and Cottee. But we started that period in the Second Division! The Moore/Hurst/Peters era, the halcyon days of the sixties and early seventies, never saw a league place higher than sixth. The best manager we have had in recent times, Alan Curbishley, who saved us from relegation and then got us to tenth in the Premier League, essentially was ousted because the fans got bored.

So yesterday’s game was crucial.  If we won we would overtake Reading.  It would be the launch pad for the run in. We lost 4-2 at home! Dominated the first half apparently and let in two goals just before half time. Never really looked like winning in the second half. Are Reading really better than West Ham? Well, right now the answer has to be yes.

Reading’s first goal goes in…

So four points behind, the playoffs beckon, although Southampton lost at Blackpool, so there is still plenty to play for.  But it feels like there has been a turning point.  Big Sam has started lashing out at his critics – the fans.  The away hardcore, in Peterborough, last Tuesday, were singing ironically – or was it plaintively? – “We play it on the ground”. Sam’s response was that some fans were “deluded”. He may well be right.  But when you start to dispute things with the fans, it is usually the beginning of the end.  See Roy Hodgson at Liverpool last season.

The playoffs for Quins and West Ham have a very different tenor.

For Quins it will mean they are in the top four, fighting for the Premiership prize. They are in with a good shout of being top two now, six points ahead of Saracens and the lurking Leicester at the moment.  That would give us a home semi final. Shame that you don’t just win the league by coming first, but I understand why the playoffs were introduced.  Mainly for the money, obviously, but it is fair to those sides who lose so many players during the Six Nations, and indeed, the World Cup this season. Leicester, more than any other team, lose so many.  And look at them now.  Whupped Worcester, 43-13, with seven tries, on Friday.  Looking very dangerous.

For West Ham, the playoffs mean failure. Chucking away an automatic spot. Dragged into the dogfight with three other teams, all desperate to hit the jackpot that is the Premier League. If you make the final, so much is at stake, money-wise.  For West Ham, it is tied in with the putative move to the Olympic Stadium.  That won’t be much of a draw if they are stuck in a lower division.  High stakes indeed.  The nerves will be shredded, although we might draw comfort from the last time, in 2005, when we only just sneaked into sixth place (beating Reading on goal difference), but then outclassed Ipswich in the semis and Preston in the final.

I think we all need to give Big Sam our full support. West Ham – the whole club – was traumatised when we went down.  He has turned it around, instilling a real professionalism to the way things are conducted.  Things have gone a bit wrong lately, but there is time to get back on track.  Southampton and Reading will feel the pressure too.  Anything could happen.  Should we fail to go up this season, we should be even stronger next season. If we want to be.

It’s time to stick together, play for the team, to believe.

Follow the example of Harlequins.

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Sundown on Putney Bridge, iPhone style

Posted on March 30, 2012 by John S

On Tuesday, as I and my friends walked over Putney Bridge, on our way to see Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo at the Half Moon, the sun was in its last throes for the day. I had to stop and take a few shots with my iPhone.  Another opportunity to get some of those distorted images which sit halfway between a proper photo and a painting. I love ’em! Especially when you zoom in, things go all over the place.

(By the way, you can see my review of Emily Barker in the previous post.)

First a few shots out onto the river, the buildings and trees in silhouette, the buildings marked by little dashes of light.

From the centre of the bridge, you see the bend in the river ahead.

At the south end of the bridge, there’s a modern development, called Putney Wharf. It’s striking, if a little out of place.

This next one makes the building look like some kind of mediaeval tower.

The lights on the bridge burst to life in these distorted photos.  Just like when I take my glasses off, any light throws out a dazzling array of patterns. The benefits of being short-sighted!

Look at those colours!

The traffic flows over the bridge.  That is not an exploding car behind the bus!

And the lights on the other side of the bridge from where I was standing, looking in the direction of Chelsea.

I love the colours: a product of the fading sunset and the street lights and way the zoom mixes them together.  All pure chance: I just zapped the shots as quickly as possible, hoping they’d turn out interesting.  While my friends waited patiently!

The real and the not real. Impressionism…

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