Beginner's art class
A still life of a fruit bowl
Tangerine painting
Thursday, June 04, 2026
Different Class by Pulp
While Blur and Oasis were scrapping it out in the Britpop wars of the 90s, this plucky band from Sheffield snuck up on the inside and took the trophy. Jarvis Cocker’s songs of working class life and the desperation of poverty and unemployment, hit home in a way that other bands never quite managed. Maybe I’m biased, but as someone who lived through the Thatcherite 80s in Sheffield when whole communities were systematically thrown on the scrap heap this album rings true.
The lyrics reminded me of Ray Davies in places, and the music is similarly timeless, especially on the tracks with orchestral arrangements by Anne Dudley. Aside from the hits, the highlights for me were I Spy, which could have been a Bond theme (albeit for a very low rent, pervy James Bond) and Mis-shapes which could have been written about me as gawky young nerd with specs worrying about being beaten up by townies if I ventured out on a Friday night.
Woodchip-tastic!
The lyrics reminded me of Ray Davies in places, and the music is similarly timeless, especially on the tracks with orchestral arrangements by Anne Dudley. Aside from the hits, the highlights for me were I Spy, which could have been a Bond theme (albeit for a very low rent, pervy James Bond) and Mis-shapes which could have been written about me as gawky young nerd with specs worrying about being beaten up by townies if I ventured out on a Friday night.
Woodchip-tastic!
Wednesday, June 03, 2026
Siembra by Willie Colón & Ruben Blades
Move over Tokyo Sexwale, we have a new contender for the greatest name in history! Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for señor Willie Colón who, in partnership with the similarly magnificently named Ruben Blades (who really should be wearing a cloak and rescuing senoritas with his rapier), have given us the greatest salsa album of all time.
This was recorded in New York in 1978, and opens with a disco riff before launching into a song about life in a plastic city full of plastic people, and how the Puerto Rican diaspora need to work together for a better life. Heady stuff. Other songs talk about the tough life on the streets and gang violence, as well as more traditional love songs and ballads. This easily stands comparison with greats like Tito Puente and Edmondo Ros. Marvellous stuff!
This was recorded in New York in 1978, and opens with a disco riff before launching into a song about life in a plastic city full of plastic people, and how the Puerto Rican diaspora need to work together for a better life. Heady stuff. Other songs talk about the tough life on the streets and gang violence, as well as more traditional love songs and ballads. This easily stands comparison with greats like Tito Puente and Edmondo Ros. Marvellous stuff!
Tuesday, June 02, 2026
Grievous Angel by Gram Parsons
The first rule of songwriting is to write what you know. In Gram Parsons’ case this was booze, shotgun marriages, doomed love affairs and spitting in the eye of the Grim Reaper. He certainly packed a lot into his tragically short life.
He played music from an early age, formed several successful bands and joined The Byrds in 1968 aged just 22 and then quit on principle over a planned tour of apartheid South Africa. He got to know Keith Richards, formed yet another band (The Flying Burrito Brothers) before meeting the then unknown Emmylou Harris who he recruited for his two solo albums.
At this time he was struggling with a crippling drug addiction and alcoholism, but somehow managed to make a solid country rock album greatly elevated by Harris’ vocals, especially on the duets Love Hurts and In My Hour of Darkness.
By rights Harris should have been co-credited for this album, but when Parsons died of an inevitable overdose, his jealous estranged wife removed her from the cover. Her 1975 song Boulder to Birmingham shows how much he meant to her.
Another tragic member of the rockstars die young club.
He played music from an early age, formed several successful bands and joined The Byrds in 1968 aged just 22 and then quit on principle over a planned tour of apartheid South Africa. He got to know Keith Richards, formed yet another band (The Flying Burrito Brothers) before meeting the then unknown Emmylou Harris who he recruited for his two solo albums.
At this time he was struggling with a crippling drug addiction and alcoholism, but somehow managed to make a solid country rock album greatly elevated by Harris’ vocals, especially on the duets Love Hurts and In My Hour of Darkness.
By rights Harris should have been co-credited for this album, but when Parsons died of an inevitable overdose, his jealous estranged wife removed her from the cover. Her 1975 song Boulder to Birmingham shows how much he meant to her.
Another tragic member of the rockstars die young club.
Monday, June 01, 2026
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